,free and ,impartial ,,thoughts1 ,,on ,,the ,sovereignty of ,god1 ,,the ,,doctrines ,,of ,election1 ,reprobation1 ,,and ,original ,sin3 ,humbly ,addressed ,to all who ,believe and ,profess those ,,doctrines4 ,the ,second ,edition1 ,corrected and ,enlarged4 ,,london3 ,printed for ,j4 ,,robinson1 at the ,golden-,lion1 in ,ludgate-,street4 ,m4,,dcc4,,xlv4 ,,the ,,preface ,i ,cannot find1 upon the most impartial ,retrospection of the ,argument1 any ,reason to alter my ,sentiments concerning it2 and as it is a ,matter of the greatest ,importance1 'tis hoped that those who maintain the ,doctrines of ,election1 c4 will afford it all the ,weight and ,consideration it deserves4 ,but1 if there be any among them1 who will hear no ,reason or ,argument whatever1 and are sure1 only because they are sure1 ,i ,have little or no ,hopes to prevail with them1 to give me a fair ,hearing1 or to think candidly and impartially about it4 ,but as there are among them1 some1 who no doubt will allow the ,possibility of their being in an ,error2 to all such ,i address my self1 and beseech them1 as much as possible to lay aside ,prejudice and ,partiality2 wisely considering1 that many of their ,fore-fathers maintained some erroneous ,doctrines1 with as much ,zeal1 and ,integrity1 as they their ,descendants now do the ,doctrines of ,election1 c4 and yet saw ,occasion to renounce them afterwards4 ,there is ,reason to fear1 the just ,liberty ,i have taken with the ,doctrines of ,election1 c4 may1 by some1 be deem'd ,blasphemy against ,god himself2 but ,i am far from intending any such thing4 ,these ,doctrines 7,i think7 on the contrary1 are in them selves nothing better than blasphemous1 tho' the ,intentions of some who maintain them1 be ever so devout and sincere3 ,and if an ,impeachment of ,doctrines1 which1 instead of preserving ,god's ,moral ,character1 robs him of all that is dear and valuable1 or that can render him lovely and adorable to ,man1 be accounted ,blasphemy1 the ,ignorance and ,bigotry of those1 who judge after that ,manner1 ought much to be lamented4 ,it is a melancholy ,truth1 that where ,prejudice1 in favour of false ,principles1 has had early and frequent ,access to the ,mind1 it too often shuts the ,ear against ,reason and ,truth2 and 'tis very hard to persuade such ,people to enter at all1 and much less impartially1 into the ,merits of an ,argument advanced against them2 nor indeed is the ,liberty of ,thought on ,religious ,subjects1 duly inculcated in ,religious ,assemblies3 ,for1 the ,teachers of ,christianity1 tho' they are seldom averse to give us the ,compliment of a just ,liberty of thinking for ourselves1 are but too apt to set the ,terrors of the ,lord in array against ,unbelievers2 tho' perhaps their ,dissent may sometimes be only the innocent ,effect1 of the best ,examination they are able to make4 ,and if there be any thing worthy of ,notice1 in what ,i have advanced1 ,i hereby intreat all1 into whose ,hands this ,treatise may come1 not to be terrified1 by any such popular ,arts1 from making a thorough ,examination for themselves2 on the other hand1 ,i am altogether as willing to set right1 in whatever ,i may have erred1 or been mistaken4 ',tis well known1 the #agth ,article of our own ,national ,church1 greatly favours the ,doctrines of ,election and ,reprobation2 and it is also generally believed1 that the ,better ,part of our ,clergy entirely disapprove these ,doctrines1 and would very readily assist in expunging them out of their ,creed2 which would render their ,consciences much easier1 than now they are1 or can be1 under a ,subscription in a ,sense so very qualified and remote from the natural ,intent and ,meaning of the ,article4 ,experience makes it evident1 that ,education is able to retain ,men of the ,brightest ,understanding1 in the ,belief of the ,greatest ,absurdities4 ,but1 that ,men of ,learning1 ,ingenuity and ,experience1 who have lived perhaps to the ,age of fifty1 in the ,disbelief of the ,doctrines of ,election1 c4 should after that sincerely embrace them1 is to me ,matter of great ,astonishment2 yet this ,i am inform'd is really the ,case1 with regard to one of the most ingenious ,divines1 our ,metropolis has to boast of4 ,one ,reason may perhaps be alledged1 for such an unexpected ,alteration of ,sentiment1 viz4 ,that tho' we disbelieve these ,doctrines1 because they are absurd1 yet we hold at the same time1 others1 equally repugnant to ,reason1 and to ,common ,sense2 and certainly we may as reasonably embrace the one as retain the other4 ,besides1 with what reasonable ,expectation of ,success could such a ,man as this sit down to argue with another of absurd ,principles1 when he himself might be so easily abash'd and put to ,silence1 by an ,appeal to other ,principles1 of his own1 equally absurd and inexplicable4 ,the best way then1 instead of embracing a fresh1 absurd1 ,principle of ,faith1 is1 to renounce the old4 ,i would not willingly ,offend ,any1 by a special ,application to particular ,societies and ,doctrines3 let but every ,man make an honest ,application to himself1 and the ,articles of ,faith he professes1 and the ,work of ,reformation will1 ,i am persuaded1 gain something thereby4 ,and that1 not only these ,doctrines1 but every other absurd ,principle of ,faith1 which either ,ignorance1 or ,design1 may have introduced into the ,christian church1 to the ,dishonour of ,god1 the ,burthen and ,reproach of ,human ,nature1 may be utterly exploded1 is the incessant ,wish1 and earnest ,desire1 of ,the ,author4 ,free and ,impartial ,,thoughts1 c4 ,,christianity having been instituted1 by its great ,author and ,publisher1 for the ,benefit and ,advantage of ,mankind1 it is pity we should so greatly differ1 concerning what ,genuine ,christianity is2 if the ,holy ,bible1 as we generally agree1 was designed to lead us to the true ,knowledge of ,god1 and to be a standing and perpetual ,rule of ,faith and ,manners to ,men1 it must surely have been greatly corrupted since the primitive ,times of the ,gospel1 or the ,explication of it designedly left to a more excellent and superior ,director3 ,for the seeming ,contradictions1 and ,multiplicity of obscure ,passages1 wherewith it abounds1 shew plainly it could never1 in its present ,condition1 be a ,rule of ,faith1 c4 becoming an all-wise and perfect ,being1 to give to rational ,creatures4 ,every good ,man1 ,society1 and ,state1 study ,perspicuity in all their ,rules1 ,orders1 and ,statutes1 dispensed to their ,families1 ,members1 and ,subjects3 and can we suppose1 that ,he1 who is perfect in ,knowledge1 would1 in the ,dispensation of his ,laws1 take less care of the everlasting ,state of his immortal ,creature ,man8 ,yet it is plain1 we differ in our ,sentiments of ,religion1 and greatly too1 for want1 as ,i sincerely hope1 of the ,knowledge of better ,helps1 to direct our ,inquiries1 in ,matters1 the true ,knowledge whereof1 is of so considerable ,moment4 ,therefore1 ,i intend1 in the ,course of this ,debate1 to descant freely1 on the ,doctrines of ,divine ,sovereignty1 ,election1 ,reprobation1 and ,original ,sin2 and also1 on the ,arguments which some ingenious ,gentlemen have used to support them4 ,but ,i hope 7with regard to the ,authors ,i may possibly name7 to be perfectly decent1 and to treat them with all becoming ,respect and ,deference1 as ,i think ,men of ,integrity1 ,learning and ,abilities deserve2 who1 though in some ,points they may err1 and hold ,doctrines in their own ,nature and ,tendency altogether subversive of ,religion and ,morality1 do nevertheless not perceive them to have these ,tendencies1 and are therefore by no ,means chargeable with them4 ,yet1 as touching the ,doctrines themselves1 ,i shall presume to speak freely1 both in regard to their ,nature1 and what appears to me to be their genuine ,fruits and ,effects4 ,it is with me an establish'd ,truth1 that the mistaken ,notion of some learned ,men1 concerning the ,sovereignty of the ,deity1 has given these ,doctrines a more favourable ,acceptance in the ,world1 than otherwise they would1 or could1 ever have met with2 and notwithstanding all the ,pains and ,arguments these ,gentlemen have bestowed1 to reconcile their ,doctrines to our common ,sense of ,right and ,wrong1 it is plain1 that1 at bottom1 this is the grand governing ,principle4 ,for1 when their ,attempts to reconcile these ,doctrines with common ,sense and ,equity fail1 they have immediate ,recourse to ,god's ,sovereignty1 and even go so far1 at least in ,effect1 as to deny there is any intrinsick ,difference in ,things themselves1 as shall be made appear from their most approved ,writers1 whenever they are pleased to demand it3 ,but as this ,principle of ,sovereignty is most certainly their strong ,hold1 ,i shall therefore endeavour to go to the ,depth of this ,argument2 and shew1 in the first ,place1 how greatly they misapprehend the ,nature of this ,attribute2 and1 in the second ,place1 granting it to be as they say1 ,i shall then shew the precarious and miserable ,condition of all ,mankind1 not excepting the ,elect themselves1 under the ,government of such an arbitrary ,being4 ,to begin with the first4 ,that ,god is a ,sovereign1 we readily allow3 ,but it will not therefore follow1 he is morally capable of doing any thing1 in its own ,nature1 immoral or unjust4 ,all religious ,debates are allowed to be best determinable by the divine ,attributes2 and yet nothing is more common1 than to single out1 and lay the greatest ,stress on1 that ,attribute alone1 which appears best to suit our own particular ,opinions3 which1 however innocent our ,intention may be1 is1 ,i think1 in itself1 a very erroneous and unwarrantable ,procedure2 for as ,god is all-wise and good1 as well as almighty and independent1 it is1 in the ,nature of ,things1 impossible 7and therefore we should never admit it possible7 he should be capable 7in a moral ,sense1 ,i mean7 of exerting any one particular ,attribute in ,opposition to1 or ,diminution from1 another4 ,a ,sovereign he is1 nor can any ,creature whatever dispute his unlimited and uncontroulable ,power over his whole ,creation4 ,but ,power alone1 without ,wisdom and ,goodness to make a right ,use and ,application of it1 may be perfect ,frenzy1 and run into the greatest ,latitude of ,folly and ,tyranny4 ,it is1 if ,i may be allowed the ,comparison1 like a ,vessel that has lost its ,helm1 continually exposed to the tossing of ,winds and ,waves4 ,to talk1 therefore1 of mere ,sovereign ,pleasure1 without ,regard to the proper ,reason or ,fitness of ,things1 so far operating and bring in the ,divine ,mind 7and which is nothing more than the ,presence and ,operation of his own ,wisdom7 in order to prefer what1 in its own ,nature1 is best1 and fittest to be done1 is excluding from the ,deity1 those more blessed and valuable ,perfections of ,wisdom and ,goodness1 and establishing in their room1 and at their ,expence1 mere ,sovereign ,power alone4 ,physically speaking indeed1 we allow ,god can do ,evil itself2 but the moral ,perfections of his ,nature1 are to us an infallible and unshaken ,security1 that he never will do it4 ,man being an impotent and fallible ,creature1 liable1 not only to mistake the true ,nature and importance of ,things1 but when he does understand his ,duty rightly1 liable also1 thro' the ,prevalence of ,habit and ,passion1 to be very backward and defective in performing it1 must necessarily be subject to such ,laws1 as contain in them ,rewards and ,punishments1 proper to influence his ,hopes and his ,fears4 ,but as ,god1 on the contrary1 is a ,being of all possible and infinite ,perfections2 an exact ,knowledge of what we call ,right and ,wrong1 ,just and ,unjust1 ever hath1 and always will exit in the ,divine ,mind1 and be to him a perfect1 constant1 and invariable ,rule of ,action1 in relation to his ,creatures4 ,he that is infinite in ,knowledge1 cannot but know1 at all ,times1 and under the most 7to us7 difficult and perplex'd ,circumstances of ,things1 what in its own ,nature is best1 and fittest to be done2 and1 being void of all ,bias1 ,prejudice1 and ,passion1 cannot but approve of what is right and best2 and being likewise ,almighty1 no ,power can possibly interrupt1 or prevent what he determined to accomplish3 ,so that it is morally impossible1 that ,god should do an evil ,thing1 ,these ,truths are so deducible from each other1 and in themselves so evident1 to all unbiassed and inquisitive ,minds1 that one would wonder to find ,men1 of ,learning and ,integrity1 give into the contrary ,sentiments2 which1 in ,effect they do1 who hold ,doctrines naturally subversive of these fundamental ,truths1 as all certainly do1 who depart from the moral ,good and ,fitness of ,things1 and resolve all into mere sovereign ,pleasure alone1 independent of ,wisdom and ,goodness2 which must ever be at hand to cooperate with1 and govern the ,exertion of1 their favourite ,attribute1 sovereign ,power itself2 or1 if they do not expressly affirm this1 they do by another ,method the very same thing2 and that is1 by denying1 in ,effect1 the intrinsick ,difference of ,good and ,evil1 which1 according to them1 has no ,foundation in the ,nature and ,relations of ,things1 but takes its ,rise1 only1 from the mere ,will and ,appointment of the ,deity4 ,but if all ,things are in themselves equally ,good1 where is the ,use to appoint1 or the ,sense of talking about it8 ,wisdom and ,goodness must1 according to this ,notion1 be idle and unmeaning ,sounds1 without ,sense or ,service4 ,but alas6 the natural ,consequence of maintaining ,tenets1 so repugnant to common ,sense1 is seldom less than running into and embracing other ,absurdities1 in themselves equally great with what they are brought to defend1 ,and here1 as some of these ,gentlemen are exalted1 and ,i hope deservedly1 to the ,dignity of ,teachers in the ,christian ,church1 they will1 ,i hope1 permit me to ask them a ,question or two1 which ,i should1 on almost any other ,occasion1 blush to ask any rational ,man1 viz4 ,if they do not perceive an intrinsic ,beauty and ,excellence in ,virtue1 as opposed to ,vice2 independent of all positive or arbitrary ,appointment1 tho' of the ,deity itself2 and whether1 besides the ,commands of ,god1 7which to be sure are of high ,importance1 and ought ever to be urged with great ,strength and ,energy7 they do not also press upon their ,hearers1 the ,practice of ,virtue1 and endeavour to recommend1 and inforce it on the ,mind1 from its own native ,charms8 ,but to make this ,matter1 still1 if possible1 more evident2 let us suppose the present excellent ,order of ,things inverted1 and that ,god1 of his own mere ,pleasure1 had given ,mankind quite contrary ,laws1 and commanded ,rebellion1 ,murder1 ,ingratitude1 and all ,manner of ,intemperance and ,debauchery1 instead of their opposite virtues2 would the same ,fitness1 ,beauty1 and ,propriety1 appear to these ,gentlemen1 as there now does1 in ,virtue8 ,if not1 from whence the ,difference arises1 let them answer4 ,as ,god is an infinite ,mind or ,spirit1 perfectly acquainted1 at every ,instant of ,time1 with whatever hath been1 is1 or shall be2 and all ,things possible to be2 'tis evident1 that all possible ,relations of ,persons and ,things are fully known to him2 and that all moral and divine ,obligations1 arising from the ,relation we stand in to ,god1 and to each other1 did1 in their own ,nature1 previous to actual ,law or ,commandment1 exist2 because the one was in ,time1 and the other ,eternal2 one commenced only 7at best7 with the ,being and ,beginning of ,creatures1 the other was from all ,eternity1 co-existent with the ,divine ,wisdom itself2 and such an inseparable ,concomitant therewith1 that1 in regard to the ,divine ,being1 himself1 it was absolutely impossible1 but that1 on his creating such a ,rank of ,beings as we are1 moral and religious ,obligations must have been invariably and unalterably the same2 and if1 as these ,men teach1 ,god's having commanded the ,practice of ,virtue1 be its peculiar ,sanction1 and that alone which distinguishes it from ,vice or ,evil2 then1 by the same or as good an ,argument1 his commanding ,light in the ,beginning1 is all the ,reason we have for esteeming ,light and ,darkness different1 7as they really are7 the one being the actual ,pretence of a real ,body1 and the other a mere ,name1 to signify its ,absence2 not that ,vice is therefore a mere ,name1 to signify the ,absence of ,virtue1 for ,comparisons seldom hold good in every minute ,particular2 but there is a ,parity between the two ,cases1 sufficient to justify my bringing in the one1 as an ,illustration of the other4 ,there is no ,knowledge more certain1 than what ,mankind commonly have of ,good and ,evil2 and he who1 in order to serve any private ,scheme of ,religion1 goes about to depreciate this ,knowledge1 robs ,mankind of all ,truth and ,certainty whatever1 and in the ,end subjects his own darling ,schemes to the same ,uncertainty2 for if we cannot judge of the ,fitness1 of plain moral ,truth and ,duty1 neither can we of any ,scheme of ,religion2 especially such as hang together more by ,art and human ,contrivance1 than by ,reason or ,revelation4 ,being very desirous to get all the ,information ,i could1 concerning the ,matter in ,debate2 ,i have attentively read over ,mr4 ,cole's ,treatise on the ,sovereignty of ,god4 ,i know 'tis thought an unanswerable ,performance2 and1 so far as it regards general ,christianity1 it is worth every ,christian's serious ,notice3 ,but as to the ,doctrine it was wrote to support1 it leaves it 7in my ,judgment7 no better than it found it2 but is miserably weak1 and defective1 as to any ,thing that looks like sound ,reason1 or true ,argument2 and amounts to no more than this poor ,assertion1 ,that because ,god is a ,sovereign1 he may do what he pleases3 ,and1 from the ,instances he brings from ,scripture1 'tis plain1 that ,mr4 ,cole himself pays as little ,regard to the intrinsick ,worth and ,excellence of ,things1 as is done by many of his ,brethren4 ,the manner in which he has been pleased to give us the ,story of ,jacob and ,esau1 proves the ,truth of this ,observation1 ,i have no great ,inclination to spend ,time in explaining hard ,passages of ,scripture1 7tho' if any thing of that kind can be serviceable1 or deem'd excellent1 'tis ,mr4 ,taylor of ,norwich his ,book on ,original ,sin17 or to trespass on the ,reader's ,patience1 by throwing one ,text of hard and uncertain ,meaning against another2 for by this means the ,controversy hath been needlessly prolonged4 ,where the ,scriptures are plain1 positive and reasonable1 their ,authority ought to be conscientiously adhered to3 ,but as this is not always the ,case1 the next ,thing to knowing what is the true ,meaning of any particular ,text of ,scripture is1 to know what it neither does nor can possibly mean2 in which ,case1 the ,divine ,attributes1 and the ,nature and ,reason1 or 7if you please7 ,fitness of ,things1 is the best ,rule4 ,we cannot1 it is impossible we should1 understand the certain determinate ,meaning of any ,text of ,scripture better1 if altogether so well1 as we do know certainly1 that ,god is just and good1 and know also as clearly1 what ,justice and ,goodness mean1 when applied to the ,deity1 as we do1 when we apply them to ourselves4 ,and this ,rule1 if duly observed1 would be abundantly sufficient1 to set aside many ,interpretations of ,scripture1 too commonly admitted upon this and the like ,occasions4 ,and1 besides this never failing ,argument 7to all who attend duly to its ,force7 it is worth while1 just to remark1 that though1 as the ,bible now stands1 there are in it 7as we must acknowledge7 some ,passages1 which 7especially at first sight7 seem to favour the ,doctrine of ,sovereignty1 c4 yet as it is possible1 nay sometimes easy1 to give them another interpretation1 and the general ,scope and ,tenor of the ,scripture being agreeable to such an ,interpretation1 we have abundantly more ,reason to reject1 than to admit of the ,sense1 in which these ,gentlemen are pleased to understand and expound many ,texts of the ,bible1 relating to this and other affinitive ,points4 ,i would not1 as ,i observed before1 presume to impose on the ,reader's ,time and ,patience1 by entering unnecessarily into the scriptural ,part of the ,argument2 yet ,i must beg ,leave1 to make now and then an ,observation or two as ,i go along3 ,and the first ,thing that falls in my way is1 the ,story of ,jacob and ,esau1 and the ,account which ,mr4 ,cole gives of it4 ,he not only relates the ,story1 but assures us1 that ,jacob's obtaining the ,blessing was of ,divine ,appointment1 and 7what is more extraordinary7 that the ,falsehood and ,fraud he practised to accomplish it1 was all of ,god's own immediate ,direction2 and this he gives as an ,instance of ,god's ,sovereignty1 and proceeding contrary to the moral ,fitness of ,things1 and the ,nature of those ,laws he hath given to ,man4 ,that ,god intended ,jacob the ,blessing1 or preferred him to ,esau1 ,i readily grant2 but cannot admit it to be inferred from thence1 that the ,means1 by which it was1 as we reckon1 accomplished1 were ,divine also3 ,there is a more natural or 7at least7 more justifiable way of accounting for the whole ,matter4 ,according to the ,history1 it seems plain1 that ,rebecca only1 and not her ,husband1 was privy to this ,designation of the ,deity3 she had upon ,inquiry 7when with ,child7 received such an ,assurance from the ,lord2 which might be the first ,cause of her preferring ,jacob to ,esau1 and which in ,time1 'tis probable1 grew up into a much greater ,degree of ,partiality and ,fondness3 ,all this ,time the good ,old ,patriarch1 her ,husband1 seems to have been entirely unacquainted with the ,affair4 ,and when the ,time drew nigh1 in which1 according 7as some think7 to ,custom1 he was about to bless his eldest ,son1 ,rebecca then grew diffident of the ,accomplishment of the ,promise made in ,jacob's ,behalf1 and applied herself to the ,means1 which the ,text tells us was used on that ,occasion4 ,as to the ,authority those ,heads of ,families had to confer ,benefits on their ,offspring1 by way of ,blessing1 though ,i shall not now much contend about it1 yet give me ,leave to make a few ,observations4 ,it don't appear to me that ,isaac1 in giving his ,blessing1 did so properly or so much bestow it on the ,person of ,jacob present1 as he did on the ,person of ,esau absent2 because it is the ,intention which ought principally to be regarded1 and ,esau undoubtedly was intended4 ,again1 this way of blessing1 if considered in itself as a mere ,tradition1 could be no more efficacious1 than what now prevails in some ,parts of the ,christian ,church4 ,all true ,authority of this kind 7if any there be7 must result from immediate ,inspiration and ,command2 and whether ,isaac had these ,qualifications1 while ,jacob stood before him1 personating ,esau1 is a ,matter of no small ,doubt and ,dispute4 ,he was 7'tis evident7 much surprised at the ,cheat1 put on him by his ,wife and ,son1 and would doubtless very willingly have given ,esau the ,preference1 according to his first ,intention2 but something supernatural seems now to have seized and satisfied him1 that ,jacob was the ,person intended2 for he cries out1 ,i have blessed him1 yea and he shall be blessed4 ,and this latter ,assurance1 and the ,energy and ,satisfaction wherewith the ,words were pronounced1 ,i take rather to have been the true ,blessing than the other4 ,for1 as the ,reason of ,jacob's ,dissimulation was intirely owing to his ,mother's ,diffidence and ,impatience2 so1 there is no ,doubt to be made1 but that the ,almighty himself would1 had she not interfered1 have brought it about in a manner becoming his ,holiness1 and not by ,falsehood1 ,deceit1 and ,dissimulation4 ,religion can never be more dishonoured1 or the ,despensations of ,god to ,mankind receive greater ,reproach1 than when ,divine ,purposes are 7under ,god's immediate ,direction7 said to be accomplish'd by ,methods in themselves evil and immoral1 and altogether opposite to ,his ,commands4 ,hath he forbid us ,lying1 under the ,penalty of ,hell-,fire1 and shall he himself practise it1 or immediately influence another to do it1 for the sake of bringing to pass some ,event1 which he could as easily have accomplish'd1 by ,methods purely righteous and honourable6 ,and had ,jacob never been prompted1 or attempted to obtain the ,blessing in the manner he did attempt it1 'tis more than probable1 that ,god1 who removed ,isaac's ,surprise1 and caused him to break forth as he did1 ,i have blessed him1 yea and he shall be blessed1 would never have permitted or impowered ,isaac1 to have blessed ,esau1 in an effectual manner beyond his ,brother3 ,or if a mere ,pronouncing of ,words1 when uttered as a ,blessing from the ,heads of ,families1 was in itself an irreversible ,blessing1 and ,isaac had attempted to bestow it on ,esau1 ,god no doubt would have stayed his ,mouth by ,intimations within2 as he did1 on another ,occasion1 the ,hand of ,abraham1 by an ,angel without3 ,provided1 ,i say1 it be allowed1 that a formal ,blessing1 from the ,mouth of ,isaac1 was necessary to confirm on ,jacob those superior ,privileges1 which ,god had designed for him2 and that this ,interpretation of the ,text is more honourable1 and better becoming the ,truth and ,majesty of the ,divine ,being4 ,i appeal not to ,reason only1 but to ,mr4 ,cole himself3 ,for whatever ,influence ,prejudice1 or ,enthusiasm1 may have on some ,minds1 there are certain ,seasons1 wherein ,truth will display itself to the ,realm and ,understanding of ,mankind1 and extort1 even from the ,mouths of those1 who sometimes oppose her1 the most ample ,concessions in her ,favour4 ,take the following as an ,instance--,cole's ,sovereignty of ,god1 ,page #da1 #b;d ,edit4 ,to this also might be added the strict ,injunctions that ,god hath laid upon the subordinate ,dispensers of his ,law2 as namely1 to judge the ,people with just ,judgment1 not to wrest ,judgment1 nor respect ,persons2 yea1 he curseth them that pervert ,judgment1 and will surely reprove them that accept ,persons2 and shall mortal ,man be more just than ,god8 will he1 under such ,penalties1 command ,men to do thus1 and not do so himself8 ,the ,argument is undoubtedly equally applicable to the ,sin of ,lying1 or indeed to any ,sin whatever2 and ,i appeal to every unprejudiced ,reader1 if any ,thing more to the ,purpose could be urged1 against his own ,account of the ,affair between ,jacob and ,esau1 or even against the ,doctrine itself1 which he writes his ,book to support3 and this1 in ,conjunction with my foregoing ,arguments1 may1 ,i hope1 be ,answer sufficient for the ,use they make of all other parallel ,places of ,scripture4 ,by this ,concession 'tis plain1 that ,justice and ,goodness in ,god are1 by this ,author1 considered the same as in us2 how else were it possible1 to understand what the ,laws of ,god truly mean8 ,be you perfect1 as your ,father which is in ,heaven is perfect1 is a plain ,indication 7taking in the ,context7 of the moral ,perfections of the ,divine ,nature1 in ,part apparent to us1 as the ,text observes1 from his admirable ,bounty in the ,creation2 ,he causeth his ,sun to rise on the ,evil and on the ,good1 and sendeth his ,rain on the ,just and the ,unjust4 ,though at other ,times1 when these ,gentlemen are hard pinched with the ,iniquity and ,injustice of their ,doctrines1 they apply for ,refuge to the ,sovereignty of ,god1 and give strong ,intimations1 that ,justice and ,goodness1 when applied to him1 are mere unmeaning ,sounds1 which at best signify1 what mere ,sovereignty pleases to do1 and that when applied to ,man1 they signify quite another ,thing4 ,and this naturally leads me to the second ,thing ,i proposed to consider1 viz4 ,that allowing the ,doctrine of ,election to be1 as they say1 resolveable into ,god's ,sovereignty2 that ,god is just such a ,sovereign1 as this ,doctrine supposes1 and these ,gentlemen take him to be2 that they have his ,word for their own ,election and ,salvation2 yet even then1 there could be no manner of ,certainty as to ,religion1 no ,dependance on the ,promises and ,threatnings of the ,gospel2 and consequently1 the supposed ,elect must beat the ,air1 and run at the same or as great ,uncertainties1 as any other ,persons whatever1 under the ,government of such an arbitrary ,being4 ,i have1 to avoid ,dispute1 proposed this ,argument more to the ,advantage of the ,elect1 than ,i was strictly obliged to do1 by allowing them to be absolutely certain1 that ,god has told them1 that they are his ,elect1 and that he will give them eternal ,life2 which1 allowing the ,doctrine of ,election to be true1 is generally much more than they can prove1 either to themselves1 or to others3 allowing1 ,i say1 the ,doctrine of ,election to be clearly revealed in ,scripture1 there will be this ,difficulty behind1 as to the certain ,marks of being of that ,number4 ,the ,scripture must also as clearly reveal the ,marks1 as it does the ,doctrine1 or we shall not be able to apply with any ,certainty to ourselves4 ,is believing the ,doctrine1 c4 and thinking myself one of this happy ,number1 a ,rule sufficient to abide by8 ,if so1 no ,man who has this ,faith1 concerning the ,doctrine and himself1 can ever depart from it4 ,yet1 there have been many ,instances of ,persons1 zealous in that way1 who saw ,occasion afterwards to renounce the ,doctrine itself1 and with it that imaginary and ungrounded ,conceit of their being1 for no ,reason whatever1 ,god's dear ,children and ,favourites1 and embraced1 in its room1 the ,doctrines of universal ,grace and ,free-will2 and upon the best ,reasons too1 for as without the one1 ,god cannot be just1 so without the other1 ,man1 being no ,agent1 can be no ,subject of ,rewards and ,punishments4 ,these very ,men were before thought to be elect1 by their most spiritual and best judging ,brethren1 who pronounced them chosen in ,christ1 and unshaken in the ,faith2 and so indeed they judged concerning themselves3 ,but the ,grace of ,god being once permitted freely to operate in the ,mind1 it soon expelled that ,ignorance1 and ,narrowness of ,spirit1 which 7even in many well meaning ,persons7 is the genuine ,effect of such narrow ,doctrines4 ,if having this ,faith be no certain ,mark1 because a ,man may depart from it1 what ,proof have they8 surely none3 ,but allowing them an absolute ,certainty1 as to themselves1 that ,god hath told them1 in ,person1 that they are his ,elect1 it will 7on their own darling ,principle of ,sovereignty7 amount to just nothing at all2 because1 as a ,sovereign1 ,god may promise one thing1 and intend1 nay do another1 or the contrary2 nor can they prove1 or have they the least ,assurance1 he will not thus deal with them1 without recurring to other ,principles1 which will hold equally strong against the ,doctrines themselves--,to this ,dilemma are these ,gentlemen inevitably reduced2 they must either give up the ,doctrines1 or part with any ,security of ,dependance on ,god himself1 as to their own ,happiness4 ,it will be in vain1 here1 to refer to the ,goodness of ,god1 though1 on my ,principles1 the ,argument would be unanswerable2 on theirs1 it is stark naught1 and avails nothing4 ,and pray observe the double ,dealing this reduces them to2 it is something like setting up two ,gods instead of one1 or1 which is much the same1 ascribing to the eternal1 unchangeable ,being1 an inconsistent and contrary ,conduct4 ,here is1 first1 a mere arbitrary ,being1 that decrees1 or pretends to decree1 by mere ,sovereign ,pleasure only1 the ,salvation of the ,elect2 but1 because such a ,being may as well break his ,promise as keep it1 here is another to make good the ,promise1 who invariably acts according to the moral ,fitness of ,things3 ,or1 if you take it the other way1 here is1 #ast1 ,a ,promise made as a mere ,sovereign1 undetermined by1 and unregardful of1 all moral ,obligations2 and1 #b;dly1 ,the ,performance of this ,promise is expected1 from a ,principle of ,justice and ,goodness2 ever conformable to the moral ,reason and ,fitness of ,things3 ,and certainly1 in either ,case1 it leaves ,things very precarious2 nor can the ,promises of such a ,being as this 7,i speak it with all possible ,reverence to the true ,god himself7 be any thing near so valuable1 or fit to be depended on1 as the ,engagements of a good and worthy ,man4 ,and whatever these ,gentlemen1 to put a more plausible ,out-side on their ,doctrines1 say1 concerning the ,freedom and ,excellence of that ,state1 wherein our first ,father ,adam was created1 and the ,possibility of his having remained perfectly innocent1 and the ,blessings of eternal ,life1 which would have been thence derived to all his ,posterity1 it is plain to me1 they generally believe no such thing2 but that1 on the contrary1 ,god absolutely willed and decreed the ,fall of ,adam1 ,mr4 ,cole himself1 their great ,advocate1 is far from supposing the ,condition of ,adam to have been proper for abiding long in ,obedience to the ,divine ,command1 or that1 had he stood1 his ,posterity would have thence become impeccable and happy3 on the contrary1 he represents ,adam's ,condition as a very weak and imperfect ,state1 by no mean suited to the ,temptations1 which his ,maker knew he would shortly be exposed to1 and overcome with2 and all his ,posterity1 had they been tried one by one1 would1 it seems1 have failed as he did1 ,page #gb4 ,if all this does not amount to something equal to a positive ,assertion1 that ,god willed the ,fall of ,adam1 and in ,consequence of it1 the ,guilt and ,desert of eternal ,death1 which is said to be thence derived1 to all his prosperity1 ,i do not know what is1 or can be equal to it2 and indeed all this1 and much more1 may easily be resolved into the ,doctrine of ,god's ,sovereignty3 and whoever thinks ,i have misrepresented their ,faith1 need only consult their great apostle ,mr4 ,calvin4 ,but let me further pursue my ,argument1 to prove1 that tho' a ,man of this ,faith has ,god's own ,word for his ,election and ,salvation1 he cannot1 on this ,principle of mere ,sovereignty1 reasonably or safely depend on it3 ,my ,reason1 which is short and plain1 ,i have already given2 because ,god1 as a ,sovereign1 may do just what he pleases1 keep his ,promises1 or break them4 ,there can be no ,possibility of evading this ,argument1 without coming back to the ,goodness of ,god2 which is at once to set aside mere ,sovereign ,pleasure1 and evidently recurring to the moral ,fitness of ,things4 ,as much as these ,gentlemen are pleased to despise this moral ,fitness1 and superstitiously exalt the mere ,will of ,god in ,opposition thereto2 and if the ,goodness of ,god proves1 that he cannot break the ,promise he has made to them of eternal ,life2 it is at least as strong a ,proof to me1 that such a good ,being could not possibly make me for eternal ,misery1 or1 which is the very same ,thing1 will or decree the ,fall of ,adam1 and pass the ,sentence of eternal ,death on all his ,posterity2 the far greatest ,part of whom he leaves1 in this ,condition1 to perish everlastingly1 and miserable me among the rest6 ,a ,due ,survey of the two ,cases1 or ,conditions1 of the ,elect and ,non-elect1 may serve to set this ,matter in a clear ,light1 ,god being in himself antecedent to the ,existence of all other ,beings1 infinitely glorious and happy1 could have no ,occasion for ,creatures to add to his ,blessedness2 all that we call evil1 such as ,cruelty and ,injustice in ,man1 ever arises from such a vicious and imperfect ,state of ,mind1 as cannot1 for that ,reason1 possibly belong to ,deity4 ,as the ,sources1 therefore1 whence these ,evils arise1 cannot be in ,god2 such a ,conduct1 as these ,doctrines suppose1 is also equally impossible to proceed from ,god1 whose only ,intent in creating must be1 to communicate ,happiness to his ,creatures3 ,creation infers ,providence1 and to bring a sensible rational ,being into this ,world2 and1 instead of taking due ,care of its ,safety and ,happiness1 to decree and render it eternally miserable1 is in its own ,nature1 much worse than making an absolute ,promise of eternal ,life to any created being1 and disappointing that ,being of its ,happiness1 whether by annihilation1 or by changing it to another ,state1 or ,mode of ,being1 no more happy than the present mortal ,life2 'tis only a ,breach of ,promise1 which1 in such a ,sovereign1 is a mere trifle4 ,we have no natural ,right to ,immortality1 much less to immortal ,happiness2 it is the mere ,effect of ,divine ,bounty--,but1 being created in a weak1 dependent ,state1 and surrounded with ,wants and ,infirmities1 we have a natural ,right to the ,care and ,protection of our ,maker2 and tho' we allow1 no formal ,promise is made on our ,behalf1 yet the very act itself1 of creating such ,beings1 and the ,condition we are placed in1 contains in it the ,substance of a ,promise2 and we may be assured1 ,god will have proper ,regard to such ,beings4 ,if ,god be gracious enough to give eternal ,life1 to which we have not the least natural ,right1 can he possibly with-hold that which1 from our ,make and ,dependance on him1 we have just ,reason to expect8 and how ,much more impossible is it1 that he should make us for everlasting ,misery6 ,to make one ,man for ,damnation1 is much worse1 than promising eternal ,life to another1 and breaking that ,promise2 he that does the former1 cannot be depended on in the latter4 ,methinks1 the very ,creation itself1 and bountiful ,provision therein made1 for the ,accommodation and ,happiness of ,man1 might assure us1 that 7,man being made principally for another ,world7 a proportionate ,care will be taken of his more important and everlasting ,concerns4 ,which presents me with a fair ,opportunity1 of exposing a ,notion these ,gentlemen hold1 or a ,method they have1 of interpreting such plain ,texts of ,scripture1 as are brought to prove ,god's general ,care and ,providence over his whole ,creation2 in particular1 where ,david says1 ,the tender ,mercies of the ,lord are over all his ,works3 ,this1 if you believe them1 relates only to this ,life2 so ,i think ,mr4 ,gill says4 ,but what then1 ,is no ,inference thence to be made8 ,if ,god be thus tender1 to provide ,temporals1 how much more will he be kind to the ,soul1 and provide for that6 ',tis a natural and strong ,way of arguing1 and it was our ,saviour's own ,method of arguing1 as the most ,plain and ,conclusive3 ,wherefore if ,god so cloath the ,grass of the ,field1 c4 ,how much more shall he cloath you1 c4 ,mat4 vi4 #cj4 ,the ,argument rises in one ,case1 as much above the other1 as immortal ,life is preferable to the present mortal ,state2 and suppose any of us should sympathise with a near ,friend1 under a small ,degree of ,pain and ,affliction1 would not the same ,spirit of ,friendship and ,humanity have a stronger ,sympathy1 when ,affliction becomes more intense and severe8 ,to be tender and pitiful in the least and lowest ,matters1 and unregardful and cruel in important and everlasting ,concerns1 is1 with regard to the ,divine ,being1 a moral ,impossibility2 'tis beneath human ,nature and ,prudence1 and the ,practice of a good ,man2 ,and yet these ,doctrines teach this horrible impiety concerning the great ,god himself4 ,to sum up this ,argument3 ,that ,being who can make a sensible rational ,creature1 on ,purpose for ,damnation1 instead of taking a reasonable ,care of it1 which1 from its ,make and ,dependance1 it has a ,right to expect1 as much as though a formal ,promise were made1 may1 with altogether as much 7nay more7 ,justice1 break its ,promises of eternal ,life1 made to another ,creature of the same ,kind2 its ,claim not being founded in ,nature1 but built on ,promise4 ,as the former would be a more cruel and un-justifiable ,proceeding than the latter1 he that is capable of doing the one1 can have no moral ,perfections in his ,nature sufficient to secure the ,elect against his doing the other3 and on this wild and boundless ,principle of ,sovereignty1 it is possible that1 with regard to ,religion1 ,things may be quite reversed hereafter2 the ,elect1 as they are called1 made miserable1 and the ,non-elect1 happy4 ,i think we may challenge the whole ,world1 to shew on this mad ,principle the contrary2 and why1 as well as any thing else1 such an ,economy may not be resolved into ,sovereign ,pleasure4 ,if ,god to ,isaac conveyed such errant ,falshoods1 by the ,instrumentality of ,jacob's ,mouth1 ,why not make the same deceitful ,use of the ,bible1 or even of his own immediate ,word1 in regard to the ,elect8 ,if ,god1 as ,mr4 ,gill 7,i think7 observes1 has two ,wills1 ,one publick ,will of ,command1 and another of ,intention1 which is private2 ,why1 with regard to the ,elect1 may he not promise one thing1 and intend1 nay resolve on another8 ,one would think it impossible1 for any understanding ,man to judge thus of his ,creator1 that it is possible he should command one ,thing under the severest ,penalties1 and at the same ,time not only will and intend1 but irresistibly and secretly work to accomplish just the contrary1 and 7what is amazing beyond ,belief7 after all punish severely the ,creatures concerned1 whom he actuates to bring his secret ,purposes to pass3 ,if there can be such a thing as arbitrary ,power and tyrannical ,government1 in the very worst ,sense of all1 here it is4 ,and here certainly is all the ,phrensy1 ,folly1 and ,tyranny1 which1 ,i told you in the ,beginning1 the ,government of such an arbitrary ,being 7as these ,gentlemen represent the ,deity to be7 must ever be liable to4 ,it is evident1 that as worthy ,sentiments of ,god and of ,religion1 better the ,mind1 and improve the ,understanding2 so do weak and superstitious ,principles corrupt the intellectual ,faculty1 and render the ,soul more blind and inhuman1 than it is in its natural ,state1 unassisted and unimproved by ,divine ,grace4 ,i have the rather made choice of this ,argument1 not only because ,i have never seen it urged before1 but because ,i think it more nearly affects ,men of this ,faith1 than any ,i have hitherto met with4 ,i may be mistaken2 but while it has such weight with me1 ,i cannot but earnestly recommend it to the serious and impartial ,consideration of all who profess this ,faith1 more especially those who preach it publickly to the ,world2 whose ,acknowledgment of what ,i take to be ,truth1 or friendly ,animadversions thereon1 will be ,matter of no small ,satisfaction to me3 ,but ,i must here enjoin one ,caution1 viz4 that it will be a absolutely in vain to produce ,texts of ,scripture1 till this ,point is better settled between us4 ,in the ,art of evading ,scripture ,proofs1 ,i allow these ,gentlemen to be very skilful and expert2 nor can ,i help believing1 that a small ,part of the ,penetration and ,dexterity1 usually exercised on these ,occasions1 would1 in ,men of contrary ,principles1 or even in themselves1 could they be persuaded to think differently1 be abundantly sufficient to overthrow even the ,doctrines themselves3 ,they have a peculiar ,talent1 at misunderstanding2 and perverting the plainest ,text1 and rendering those which are difficult and obscure in their literal ,sense1 with much ,boldness1 and without ,hesitation2 they stumble in a plain ,path at ,noon-,day1 and walk carelessly at ,midnight amongst ,rock1 and upon the most dangerous ,precipices4 ,and here ,i might safely rest the ,argument1 and make a final ,end of it4 ,sovereignty1 such an one as they contend for1 once proved1 any thing whatever may be allowed to follow1 and all ,disputations will be utterly in vain4 ,allow but the ,roman ,church its ,infallibility1 and the ,truth of other ,doctrines will unavoidably follow4 ,till these ,gentlemen1 ,i say1 set my main ,principles aside1 all the ,scripture in the ,world will be nothing to their ,purpose4 ,not but in the main the ,bible is against them2 for the ,scriptures reveal ,god's ,being and ,attributes more clearly than they do most ,points of ,doctrine3 the ,reason is1 because the ,doctrines commonly embraced1 are in themselves not so plain to ,reason1 as the ,being and ,attributes of ,god2 the latter being generally acknowledged in all ,christian ,churches1 tho' at the same ,time they widely differ about particular ,doctrines1 some of which have no doubt been greatly corrupted in passing through various ,hands and ,translations3 and ,i have been informed1 by much better ,judges than ,i pretend to be1 that the ,new ,testament1 even in these very ,doctrines ,i have been contending against1 has1 by some ,partiality or ,neglect1 been made to speak more roundly in their ,favour1 than the original ,greek1 or best ,copies1 will support2 and that1 in some ,places1 the ,meaning of the ,original is inverted in the ,translation4 ,the ,scripture not only revealing to us the ,being and ,attributes of ,god1 more clearly than it does many ,doctrines1 and that ,fundamental of all true ,religion being also in itself perfectly agreeable to the ,light of ,nature2 'tis evident1 we are bound to reject the most positive ,text of ,scripture militating against this everlasting and fundamental ,truth3 and rather than part with this1 we had much better suppose the ,writer1 as to disputable ,points1 to have been mistaken at the first1 or the true ,meaning corrupted by others4 ,the ,translators are allowed to have been fallible ,men1 and 'tis very probable some ,errors might creep in at that ,door3 ,but it will not so easily be granted1 that the inspired ,writers could mistake1 nor would ,i suppose it1 unless in very extraordinary ,cases1 where either that or something worse must be supposed2 and such a ,supposition will1 ,i am sure2 much better become us1 than to imagine it possible for ,god to make a ,revelation of his ,will to ,man1 which shall upon ,examination be found contrary to his ,being and ,goodness1 as well as expressly contrary to other plain ,parts of this ,revelation1 ,tho' the ,argument1 ,i say1 might be safely rested here1 yet as there are some well meaning ,persons1 who believe that ,adam was made upright1 and furnished with a ,stock of ,strength and ,understanding1 sufficient to preserve his ,innocence2 that ,god made a ,covenant with him1 as our ,federal or ,representative ,head1 wherein it was stipulated1 that if he continued upright1 during the ,time of ,probation allotted1 all his ,posterity should be for ever happy2 but that if he fell1 all should be subject to everlasting ,misery1 as the counter ,part of the ,covenant2 and he falling1 the ,restoration of his fallen ,race should be intirely owing to the good ,pleasure of ,god1 who might redeem all or only a ,part1 and leave the rest to perish in the ,state wherein he found them1 and in which ,adam had involved them by his ,transgression3 ,this they call ,preterition1 or a ,passing by1 which sounds a little better than that harsh ,word ,reprobation1 tho' in reality no better at all3 ,and on this first ,transgression some found the ,doctrine of ,election1 and others that of ,infant-,baptism1 as an ,expedient to wash away this original ,guilt2 and it must be owned1 the ,virtue of the ,remedy is admirably well suited to the ,malignity of the ,disease4 ,i shall1 for their sakes1 inspect a little farther into the ,affair2 to me it appears unreasonable1 and therefore improbable1 that ,god should make with ,adam any such ,covenant or ,agreement1 or suffer the eternal ,state of all ,mankind to hang upon the single ,thread of one ,man's ,behaviour1 and who too 7it seems7 ,god knew would swerve from his ,obedience3 besides1 in all equitable ,covenants1 every ,party concerned has a ,right to be consulted1 nor can they be justly included to their own ,detriment1 without ,consent first obtained1 7especially if the ,thing covenanted for1 has an immediate1 or may have a very fatal1 tho' very remote1 ,tendency1 to make wretched and unhappy7 which1 in this ,case1 with regard to the ,unborn1 could not possibly be had4 ,i am sensible the ,gentlemen against whom ,i am arguing 7especially ,mr4 ,gill7 have many pretty ,inventions1 to justify such a ,conduct in the ,divine ,being1 such as producing parallel ,instances1 drawn from the allowed ,practice of ,men1 and ,usage of the ,state2 in particular1 the ,law relating to ,high-,treason1 whereby a ,rebel's immediate ,descendants are deprived of inheriting their ,father's ,estate1 with others of a like ,kind2 to all which1 what ,i am about to offer may1 ,i hope1 be a sufficient ,answer3 ,the two ,cases differ so widely1 that it will be no easy ,undertaking to make any ,thing of this ,instance in their ,favour2 and 'tis very surprising1 to find ,men of the brightest ,intellects1 so weak as to argue and infer1 from the ,laws of ,fallible ,men1 to the ,laws of an ,infallible and ,holy ,being3 ,the ,inference ought rather to be just the ,reverse2 for such ,institutions as ,men1 in this weak and imperfect ,state1 may think convenient for their own ,sakes1 and the ,good of ,society1 to establish and ordain1 can be no ,rule to him1 whose ,infinite ,wisdom and ,almighty ,power set him far above all such ,necessity4 ,nor1 again1 does this ,case come up to the ,matter in ,dispute3 ,it is true1 that the ,heir of a convict ,rebel cannot1 according to our ,laws1 inherit his ,father's ,estate2 but what then1 does it deprive him of any thing that was his own before8 ,no2 the ,law convicts the ,rebel1 while in ,possession of his ,estate1 which it considers as his own ,property1 and which therefore it justly takes away for his own ,offence4 ,perhaps1 in ,cases of ,hereditary ,possessions1 it may seem a little hard1 because it prevents the next ,heir from inheriting2 but if there be any ,evil or ,imperfection in this1 we must excuse it1 for the ,sake of the ,intent1 which might be for the general ,good1 the more effectually to deter ,men from treasonable ,conspiracies against their ,prince1 whereby the ,happiness of ,society hath been often greatly disturbed1 and whole ,kingdoms and ,countries depopulated3 but in this ,case1 it is not strictly the ,heir's1 till he comes into ,possession2 for the ,law1 by which he may possess hereafter1 may be considered as having in it this particular ,exception1 as to the ,crime of ,high-,treason1 which1 whenever it occurs as to the ,parent1 renders the ,son incapable1 c4 ,with regard to our ,laws1 we may1 in some ,sense1 be said to make them ourselves1 by our ,representatives1 whom we constitute for that ,end3 and 'tis besides very probable1 that some great ,men1 who formerly possessed ,estates1 and settled them on the ,male ,heirs in their ,families1 from one ,generation to another1 might help to make this very ,law itself concerning ,treason1 and consequently they could not but acquiesce with this very ,exception to the ,right of ,inheritance in their ,posterity4 ,but if it be still said to be unjust1 though necessary1 'tis no ,argument2 for it cannot be unjust and necessary too3 the ,law1 in this ,case1 ought rather 7with ,submission7 so far as it unjustly affects a ,man's ,children1 to be alter'd2 and if it robs us of the ,security1 which arises from deterring the ,parent1 on ,account of the ,evils which shall afterwards befall his ,child1 'tis easy to remedy this1 by laying an additional ,punishment on the ,traitor himself2 which1 as ,self is much nearest to us all1 might better prevent the ,sin of ,rebellion1 ,if the present ,law be just in itself1 there can be no ,objection to it2 if it be unjust1 no ,argument of any ,weight can be drawn from it1 in regard to the ,divine ,being2 who is holy1 wise1 and true1 and so are all his ,appointments concerning the ,children of ,men4 ,to bring this kind of ,reasoning of theirs up to the ,point1 they should have produced a ,law1 which subjected the ,son 7for the ,father's ,offence7 to the same corporal ,punishment with the ,father1 and then also they must have proved such a ,law to be just and good4 ,but1 as these ,gentlemen are so fond of bringing ,instances from the ,practice of ,men in this frail ,state1 in ,justification of their own ,doctrine1 ,i shall present them with one or two of my own4 ,murder has sometimes been committed under such ,circumstances1 that though the ,murderer has been arraigned1 there hath been no room to condemn him1 all ,circumstances having concurred1 in the ,eye of the ,law1 to acquit him2 will the ,almighty therefore acquit him8 ,again1 on the other hand1 in the ,case of ,murder1 things have so fallen out1 as to make an innocent ,person look like the ,murderer1 in the ,eye of the ,law or ,court1 which has therefore sometimes proceeded to ,death itself2 is this ,man therefore guilty before ,god8 ,i have put these two ,cases1 purely to shew the ,absurdity of such kind of ,arguments3 and ,i hope they will consider better of it1 and advance them no farther4 ,if there was such a ,covenant between ,god and ,adam1 'tis strange no ,notice should be taken of it in the ,law given to ,adam1 as laid down in the ,bible1 and where1 of all ,places1 we have most ,reason to expect it--this must surely have been the fittest ,place for its ,insertion--,nor is it only absent here1 for there is no positive ,account of any such ,covenant in all the ,old ,testament4 ,besides1 when the ,law was given1 and threatening 7in ,case of ,disobedience7 pronounced on ,adam1 'twas merely personal--,in the ,day thou eatest thereof1 thou shalt surely die4 ,and when ,adam and ,eve had broke the ,command1 and ,god descended to judge them for it1 their ,sentences were personal and particular1 and no reproaching ,adam on the ,account of ,evils to be thence brought on his ,posterity1 and much less of eternal ,damnation4 ,the ,jews indeed1 many of whom were weak enough to embrace any ,absurdity at all1 had by some ,means contracted a ,notion1 not altogether unlike this of original ,sin1 probably from a ,misunderstanding of the second ,commandment1 which speaks of visiting the ,iniquity of the ,father upon the ,children1 c4 ,but 'tis highly worthy of our ,notice1 that ,god himself was greatly displeased with their having imbibed this ,notion1 and commanded the ,prophet ,ezekiel to refute it at large2 the ,substance of which ,i cannot avoid setting down1 it being so full to my ,purpose4 ,the ,prophet introduces it thus1 ,ezek1 xviii4 #b4 ,what mean ye1 that use this ,proverb in ,israel1 ,the ,fathers have eaten sour ,grapes1 and the ,children ,teeth are set on edge8 ,ver4 #d4 ,behold all ,souls are mine1 as the ,soul of the ,father1 so also the ,soul of the ,son is mine3 the ,soul that sinneth1 it shall die4 ,the ,prophet then1 from ver4 #e4 to #ai4 puts the two ,cases of a righteous ,man's having a wicked ,son1 and a wicked ,man's having a righteous ,son1 in order to shew1 that neither is the one better for his ,father's ,uprightness1 nor the other at all worse for his ,father's ,wickedness2 but that all is1 as it should be1 placed to the ,account of their own ,merits or ,demerits4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,the ,soul that sinneth1 it shall die3 the ,son shall not bear the ,iniquity of the ,father1 neither shall the ,father bear the ,iniquity of the ,son2 the ,righteousness of the ,righteous shall be upon him1 and the ,wickedness of the ,wicked shall be upon him4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,have ,i any ,pleasure at all that the ,wicked should die8 saith the ,lord ,god3 and not that he should return from his ,ways and live8 ,ver4 #be4 ,yet ye say1 the ,way of the ,lord is unequal4 ,hear now1 ,o ,house of ,israel1 ,is not my ,way equal8 are not your ,ways unequal8 ,ver4 #cb4 ,for ,i have no ,pleasure in the ,death of him that dieth1 saith the ,lord ,god3 wherefore turn your selves and live ye4 ,words more positive against this ,doctrine cannot be laid together4 ,justice and ,equity are here1 by the ,almighty himself1 consider'd as the very same1 both in ,god and ,man2 and the same ,justice and ,equity1 which ,he commands us to make the ,rule of our ,actions1 'tis evident ,he here makes the ,rule of his own4 ,he blames them for their false ,principles1 their ,ignorance and ,bigotry1 and is not a little offended1 because they thought him capable of acing in so evil and unrighteous a ,manner1 as that would be1 of punishing the ,child for the ,parent's ,offence2 and strongly and solemnly assures them1 he will do no such ,thing4 ,and as ,justice and ,equity would not bear it then1 it is plain that1 ,god could never take any such cruel and disreputable ,measures1 either in the ,beginning1 or at any time afterwards2 because1 to act thus at the ,creation of ,man1 and disdain the ,imputation with ,indignation afterwards1 argues a strange ,inconsistency in the ,conduct of ,god towards ,men2 but the ,truth is1 the same ,reasons which made him abhor the ,imputation afterwards1 could not but infallibly prevent his making any such unrighteous ,covenant in the ,beginning4 ,what would you think of a ,man1 who is a ,villain to-day1 and boasts much of his great ,honesty tomorrow8 ,the ,appearance of ,christ in the ,flesh was1 we are told by these ,gentlemen1 on ,account of ,adam's ,transgression1 without which it would have been1 they say1 wholly superfluous4 ,but the ,expediency or ,end of ,christ's coming1 may be resolved into the ,love of ,god1 on the one hand2 pitying the ,ignorance and ,folly of ,mankind1 on the other3 and whether this ,state was the ,effect of ,adam's ,sin1 or of their own personal ,demerits1 it makes no ,difference in this ,case4 ,whoever looks carefully into the ,evangelists1 will find abundant ,reason to disapprove and condemn this ,doctrine of ,original ,sin1 and of ,christ's coming into the ,world on that ,account only4 ,our ,saviour1 had this been the ,case1 would either have plainly express'd1 or have given some strong ,intimations concerning it3 ,yet no such thing appears2 but the contrary1 to a ,demonstration1 from no less than two ,passages of ,scripture1 recorded by ,st4 ,mark1 7ix4 #cf47 ,when the ,disciples had been privately contending for ,preheminence above each other1 our ,saviour1 to rebuke this aspiring ,spirit1 sets before them1 as a ,pattern of ,simplicity and ,innocence1 a little ,child2 which must have been very absurd1 according to the ,notion of ,original ,sin3 ,the second is ,mark x4 ver4 #ac4 #ad4 #ae4 #af4 where ,christ assures his ,disciples1 that1 in order to enter into the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 they must become as little ,children4 ,and in ,st4 ,matthew 7xviii4 ver4 #c47 this very thing is1 if possible1 more ,strongly and ,emphatically express'd4 ,which ,declarations1 had there been such a ,thing as the ,guilt of ,original ,sin1 subjecting ,children to ,god's ,wrath and ,displeasure1 would have been ungrounded1 and erroneous in a high ,degree2 for if they were to become like such a little ,child1 as a necessary and fit ,condition for ,heaven1 the ,condition of ,infants must also be suitable to that ,blessed ,place--,suffer little ,children to come unto me1 and forbid them not1 for of such is the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,the ,word ,such1 is a general ,term1 equally applicable to all ,infants whatever3 it shews their ,innocence1 and how acceptable they are to the ,almighty2 and1 consequently1 demonstrates the ,doctrine of ,original ,sin to be ,spurious and ,erroneous3 as is also the ,practice of ,infant ,baptism1 in ,support of which1 this very ,text is wisely alledged2 whereas the ,text itself assures us1 that ,children are already1 by ,nature1 in that same ,state of ,innocence1 which ,baptism is design'd to procure them3 and how vain the ,ceremony1 under such a ,circumstance1 must be1 is too evident to need ,explaining4 ,but suppose there was such a ,covenant1 our ,condition1 in point of ,innocence1 is just the same as it would be without it2 we could have no manner of ,concern with ,adam's ,transgression3 and our ,innocence in either ,case being exactly the same1 ,god cannot but look upon us 7in our natural ,state1 before we commit ,sin7 as ,creatures that never did any thing to offend him1 and consequently be gracious and kind to us2 for to leave us in this ,state1 to suffer everlasting ,torment1 is worse than a ,breach of ,promise made to the ,elect2 and if we are as innocent1 as tho' no such ,covenant had ever been made1 ,god cannot but regard us accordingly3 and this proves that such a ,covenant could never be made1 because to no good or valuable ,end4 ,i am fearful of swelling this ,pamphlet1 beyond its intended ,bounds2 yet so fast do my ,thoughts1 on this ,subject1 multiply and enlarge themselves1 that ,i must beg ,leave to ,say a small ,matter1 concerning that ,propensity to ,evil1 which we are told is derived from ,adam1 as a ,fruit and ,proof of his first and original ,offence4 ,if ,adam's ,sin had this ,influence on his ,posterity2 as the ,act1 which produced it1 was one and the same2 and all his ,posterity standing in the same ,relation to him1 as their ,federal ,head2 'tis evident1 in this ,view of the ,matter1 that this ,bias to ,evil1 must in all be uniform and alike3 but the contrary seems demonstrable1 from undoubted and incontestable ,experience2 some ,children having much stronger ,propensities to ,evil1 than others3 ,and if ,part of this can be resolved into something besides the ,influence of ,adam's first ,transgression1 and subsequent to the ,fall2 it lies 7,i think7 on our ,adversaries to shew clearly1 why every ,propensity to ,sin1 may not likewise be resolved into something besides1 and subsequent to1 this original ,transgression4 ,but allowing we are born into the ,world1 with this ,propensity to ,evil1 and that we derive it from ,adam's ,sin2 yet if ,god be merciful1 he could never leave us in this deplorable ,condition2 nor would his ,impartiality admit of redeeming the one ,part of ,mankind in a mere arbitrary ,manner1 and leaving the other to perish4 ,nor can much ,righteousness be expected from the ,justice of that ,being1 whose ,mercy can be an idle and unconcerned ,spectator1 in so very moving1 piteous1 and ,miserable a ,circumstance4 ,as to ,adam's ,posterity1 where is the ,difference to them1 whether their present weak and despoiled ,condition 7as these ,men deem it7 be the immediate ,work of ,creation itself1 or the ,effect of ,adam's ,sin1 and ,abuse of his intellectual ,powers4 ,we are what we are by ,necessity1 strict ,necessity3 and though it may be called moral ,necessity1 in order to palliate and distinguish it from that which is natural2 it operates on us1 to all ,intents and ,purposes1 equally the same2 and the giving it a milder ,name1 looks like a sophistical ,artifice4 ,if ,man's ,nature be impaired by the ,act of another1 ,god1 as a just and good ,being1 will either abate of the ,rigour of his original ,law1 or replenish and restore our decayed ,powers4 ,the same ,goodness 7if these ,gentlemen will allow it was ,goodness7 which prompted the ,almighty to make ,man such an excellent and blessed ,creature in the ,beginning1 must also prevail with him1 to look even on ,adam himself with an ,eye of ,pity and ,compassion1 after he had sinned2 and much more must he be inclined to provide for the ,restoration of his ,off-spring1 who themselves had not actually sinned1 but yet had their ,natures impaired by the ,fall4 ,besides1 if ,man was first enslaved by the ,devil1 not of ,force1 but by ,fraud and ,temptation2 and ,jesus ,christ be a kind of ,chieftain1 set up against ,antichrist2 his ,method of ,recovery must be as extensive as the ,fall--,why does he save some8 but as they are ,objects of ,mercy1 and to recover1 with a just ,indignation1 ,souls1 originally ,god's own1 out of the ,hand of an ,usurper1 ,tyrant1 and ,destroyer4 ,how can these ,reasons operate as to a ,part1 and have no ,influence as to the ,remainder8 ,the more ,i reflect upon the ,doctrine1 and view it in every light1 the more terrifying and deformed it appears3 and there is no ,argument1 short of ,god's ,sovereignty1 that will relieve the ,difficulty2 which admitted1 will bring on and multiply ten thousand greater ,evils4 ,it may here be proper to take notice of a new ,argument1 urged in its full ,strength1 and with all the ,advantage of ,rhetorick and ,eloquence1 by the most ingenious ,dr4 ,i--c ,w--s1 in a ,book intituled1 ,the ,ruin and ,recovery of ,mankind2 c4 ,we are there told1 that this covenant seems to have been1 evidently1 calculated for the best2 because ,adam1 in that ,state of ,understanding and ,innocence1 was more likely to stand1 and maintain his ,innocence1 than any of his ,posterity1 especially when he consider'd himself as acting for all his ,posterity2 with which the ,doctor supposes him to have been fully and strongly apprised2 as indeed he ought1 had the ,case been as the ,doctor believes4 ,this ,argument ,i take him to have mistaken both ways1 viz4 by extolling ,adam's ,condition1 on the one hand1 beyond what in reality it ever was1 and setting that of his ,posterity much lower than it really is3 and these ,errors are productive of many others4 ,adam is supposed to have been without any ,pain1 or ,uneasiness1 and that he would so have remained1 during his ,innocence3 ,but after ,christ has removed the ,curse1 and taken away the ,sin of his own ,chosen ,children1 bodily ,pains and outward ,afflictions are sometimes their ,lot1 why might not ,man1 in his original ,state of ,innocence1 be subject1 in some ,degree1 to ,pain and ,disease8 if ,creation were inconsistent with such a mixt ,dispensation of ,good and ,evil1 why not ,redemption8 ,if ,god1 for the ,exercise of ,man's ,fidelity1 placed him where he was exposed to the ,evil and ,danger of ,temptation2 why not suffer his ,patience to be exercised1 at some ,seasons1 by ,pain and ,inquietude8 ,to return to this ,covenant1 could it be proved to have been as the ,doctor imagines1 ,i see not what could be gained by it3 because it would be trifling to a considerable ,degree4 ,and all the ,arguments1 used by ,milton1 in his third ,book of ,paradise ,lost1 to shew the ,absurdity of that ,doctrine1 which considers ,adam as acting1 or rather as being acted1 by ,necessity1 in that ,situation of ,paradise1 would be equally applicable to all the ,elect1 under the absolute ,slavery of the ,fall4 ,where is the ,use of ,reason1 or ,moral ,agency1 in ,man1 if another be substituted to act in his ,stead1 and not he himself8 ,man1 being made a free and moral ,agent1 has ,power to act for himself1 and can be accountable for no body's ,crimes but his own4 ,the ,consciousness of being a ,sinner1 belongs only to him1 that actually sinneth1 or omitteth his ,duty4 ,enthusiasm indeed1 which1 in its highest ,stages1 is a kind of spiritual ,madness1 may have on some ,minds a quite different ,effect2 and the ,poor ,soul1 that is subject to this gloomy and tyrannical ,principle1 may conceit strange things2 it may at one ,time imagine itself under the ,guilt of ,adam's ,sin1 which it never committed2 and fancy itself a ,saint in ,jesus ,christ 7and what not7 at another3 it is a mad ,principle1 fruitful of false ,doctrines1 ,chimeras1 and ,monsters4 ,it matters not whether 7as in the ,case of ,natural ,madness7 the ,reason be lost1 or whether 7as in that of ,enthusiasm7 it be over-power'd1 and brought into subjection to ,false ,principles4 ,the ,effect is the same2 and between ,powers that are suffered to lie dormant1 and no ,powers at all1 there is here no material ,distinction to be made4 ,again1 this ,notion of ,adam's being more likely to stand than his ,posterity1 is a mere ,fallacy3 it supposes a ,difference of ,state1 and ,rectitude of ,mind1 between him and us2 which1 if true1 will likewise suppose1 that our ,state being more weak and defenceless than his1 the ,task or ,duty1 assigned us1 must be proportionate to our different and inferior ,abilities4 ,if ,adam was put into this ,state1 as ,the ,ruin and ,recovery seems to suppose1 from a ,motive of ,love in ,god1 to his ,creatures1 in order to prevent the ,misery of the ,human ,race2 the same ,love cannot fail to commiserate the ,case1 and to provide an effectual ,remedy for all such as are included in the ,covenant4 ,adam's ,motive to ,obedience must 7we are told7 have been greatly strengthened by this ,consideration1 ,that on ,him depended the ,happiness1 not of himself only1 but of all his ,posterity4 ,but1 ,i believe1 ,experience will tell us1 that if the ,consideration of a ,man's own ,future ,state1 placed in the strongest ,light 7as this ,book supposes before ,adam7 be not sufficient to move to ,obedience1 a ,regard to others will seldom have any considerable ,influence3 ,such a ,covenant enter'd into1 or rather arbitrarily imposed on ,adam by his ,maker1 could not fail to awaken1 in so holy and knowing a ,creature1 some very uneasy and disquieting ,suspicions4 ,this ,covenant1 and ,partial ,election thence following after the ,fall1 will1 if rightly considered1 appear very iniquitous and oppressive3 because it makes no proper ,difference between the ,righteous and the ,wicked4 ,if ,adam had been considered as a private ,person only2 and all his ,posterity left to stand or fall1 by their own ,merits or ,demerits2 some of those1 whom this ,doctrine adjudges to everlasting ,condemnation1 would doubtless have been so wise and happy1 as to have pleased ,god in their ,generation2 while others1 on the contrary1 would have sinned1 and transgressed his ,laws4 ,the ,state of the latter is1 you see1 the same as it would have been1 upon the vulgar ,notion of ,adam's ,sin2 or rather the ,guilt of it being1 in virtue of this ,covenant1 imputed to them3 ,the other and better ,part1 in virtue of this ,doctrine1 are miserable1 and must therefore have abundant and bitter ,cause of ,complaint against the ,doctrine itself4 ,i therefore think it was impossible1 such a ,covenant should ever be proposed to ,adam2 a ,covenant which1 if ratified1 tended only to make those wretched and miserable1 who without it1 had they been left to shift for themselves1 would have used their ,liberty and ,rational ,powers aright1 and have pleased and obtained ,god's ,favour thereby4 ,to talk of its being of general ,service1 can never be of sufficient ,authority to silence this ,argument4 ,no private ,injuries can be excused to innocent ,sufferers 7and much less that of eternal ,torment7 on the ,score of general ,good2 what is it to them1 whether they only1 or all ,mankind suffer4 ,if ,adam had stood1 these very ,men1 7who would1 had they been left to their ,liberty1 have proved obedient7 would have been in no wise bettered2 as he failed1 ,misery came on those1 who would otherwise have been happy4 ,as to those who would1 in the ,course of their ,liberty1 have sinned2 this ,covenant1 had ,adam stood1 would 7'tis true7 have saved them from the ,sentence of ,condemnation4 ,take it again the other way3 ,adam's ,fall could make no ,alteration in the ,state of those who1 without it1 would have been ,sinners2 such as would have proved virtuous and happy1 are hereby made miserable4 ,these are1 or must have been the ,consequences of such a ,covenant strictly observed2 and the ,wisdom and ,equity of all ,covenants must be judged of1 by comparing the good and evil ,consequences1 necessarily resulting from them4 ,all the ,good such a ,covenant could possibly pretend to1 had it been kept1 was1 the saving from ,wrath such as1 without it1 would1 as free ,beings1 have sinned2 and if1 for their ,sakes1 and to prevent the ,evil that might otherwise befall them1 such a ,covenant was worthy of ,god to make with ,man1 a ,day of ,grace and ,salvation1 extended for their ,recovery1 after they might have transgressed1 would have been equally worthy of ,god2 and we need not recur to such ,fictions and ,chimeras4 ,one would think it incumbent on all ,legislators1 to consider well the ,consequences of every ,law they enact2 for the preferring a ,law1 whose ,consequences can at best be of no ,service1 and will probably in the main ,event of ,things be more evil and pernicious than otherwise1 would be preferring ,evil to ,good2 in as great ,proportion as the ,evil might exceed the ,good3 and how such a ,constitution could be better for ,mankind1 ,i do not understand4 ,i am sorry any body1 especially the ,author of ,the ,ruin and ,recovery1 should imbibe and defend such erroneous ,opinions1 and this too1 in ,opposition to other and nobler ,sentiments of his own1 elsewhere delivered4 ,but1 thus it is to be enslaved to the mere ,letter of the ,bible1 under a ,notion of doing it just ,honour1 when1 on the contrary1 'tis the ready way to dishonour and lessen its ,authority4 ,the ,pains which ,infants suffer1 and the many ,miseries to which they are exposed1 are1 by this ,gentleman1 consider'd as so many ,arguments of the ,guilt of ,original ,sin4 ,he thinks that1 without such a ,supposition1 the ,justice of ,god cannot be vindicated4 ,i wish he would stick true to that ,argument4 ,we must1 he thinks1 suppose one of these two ,things3 either1 ,that ,god punishes them without all ,cause or ,reason1 or1 ,that they are under the ,curse and ,condemnation of ,adam's ,sin3 and the latter is1 in his ,opinion1 the best ,sentiment4 ,but ,i am of a contrary ,opinion1 and think that in either ,case1 the ,injustice is the same4 ,he allows it in the one ,case2 and ,i hope it is proved in the other3 and really the ,picture which this ,gentleman has drawn of our young ,innocents1 is very dreadful and terrifying4 ,if all the ,evils that befall them in this ,life1 and ,eternal ,damnation afterwards1 be no more than a just ,punishment for their ,sins1 our ,saviour must surely have been greatly out1 in the ,encomiums he bestows on their ,innocence1 as ,i observed before2 or1 the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 instead of being design'd for upright holy ,souls1 may be a ,receptacle for the worst of human ,race4 ,the ,brute ,creation undergo ,pain and ,affliction2 is ,adam's ,sin1 therefore1 imputed to them8 ,if not1 and they sometimes suffer by ,pain and ,abuse1 why may not ,infants do the same8 ,the ,miseries of the human ,race1 reckon'd up and aggravated thro' so many elaborate ,pages1 cannot all of them be supposed to belong to the ,original ,constitution of ,things1 but might be partly owing to the ,effect of ,time and ,accident1 as well as to the ,folly and ,wickedness of particular ,persons and ,nations4 ,this ,objection1 drawn from the ,sufferings of ,brute ,animals1 the ,doctor endeavours to answer3 ,i wonder ,adam is not considered 7for the sake of putting an ,end to the ,difficulty7 as their ,federal ,head4 ,he thinks1 however1 that ,brutes must be some way or other included in the ,curse2 and may be punished1 as ,man's ,property3 ,but has ,man1 because they are his ,property1 a ,right to grieve and afflict them8 ,they were bestowed as a ,blessing1 for reasonable ,service and ,delight1 not for cruel ,treatment and ,abuse4 ,the ,doctor's ,rule of ,faith will tell him1 ,a merciful ,man will be merciful to his ,beast4 ,if their being ,man's ,property will not justify him in abusing or cruelly handling them2 it can be no ,reason or ,argument1 why another should do it1 even the ,almighty himself4 ,consider ,beasts1 then1 as ,god's own ,property2 will that render it a whit more equitable8 ,no3 ,this the ,doctor himself1 in the ,case of ,infants1 allows would be cruel1 and contrary to the ,divine ,justice and ,goodness3 and the ,argument is the same as to ,brutes4 ,but the ,doctor1 sensible of the ,weakness of this ,argument1 has recourse to another1 which ,i believe will always be admired as a standing ,mark of extraordinary ,invention1 to get rid of difficult and perplexing ,questions4 ,brutes may1 it seems1 contrary to common ,experience1 have ,sensations less ,quick and ,painful than ours4 ,i wonder he allows them any ,sensation at all2 nay1 'tis doubtful if he does allow it4 ,noise1 or ,crying out1 in them1 is1 it seems1 no ,mark of ,pain1 because some ,brutes1 under the same ,circumstance1 remain quiet and still4 ,but will the ,doctor say1 they have therefore no painful ,sensations8 ,are there no ,marks of ,pain besides those of crying aloud8 ,did the ,doctor never know a ,man sometimes bear a pretty deal of ,pain without crying out at all2 and give many external ,tokens of ,pain1 at another ,time8 ,did he never perceive a gaul'd ,horse wince1 upon the most gentle ,approach of the ,hand2 and discover ,signs of the greatest ,fear1 and most exquisite ,pains8 ,do not some ,brutes take as much ,pains to avoid the ,discipline of the ,whip1 as tho' their ,sensations were the same as ours8 ,i am ashamed to waste ,time upon such a ,subject2 tho' ,i hope to be pardoned for following so great a ,man in his own ,method of arguing4 ,he perhaps may continue of the same ,mind1 and there may be no ,hopes of ,convincement1 till ,brutes are taught to speak4 ,by this new ,way of ,reasoning1 the ,ground we tread upon1 and every ,thing around us1 hitherto thought ,inanimate1 may be full of ,cogitation4 ,if affording the common ,marks of ,sensation1 be no ,proof1 that ,brutes have it in a common ,degree1 ,wanting the common ,marks of ,intelligence1 can be no ,proof that a ,stock or a ,stone has it not4 ,if ,i mistake not1 ,bishop ,berkley has furnished the ,world with something equally instructive and philosophical1 in relation to the ,existence of ,matter2 which1 he endeavours to prove not to be a real1 but an ideal and imaginary ,being4 ,i shall leave others to guess1 in what ,condition those must be1 who think and reason after this extraordinary ,manner4 ,but the ,doctor has yet another ,argument in reserve1 to vindicate ,god's ,justice--,tho' ,brutes suffer1 yet they may it seems have upon the whole more ,pleasure than ,pain4 ,but do not some ,brutes partake very deeply of the former1 in this ,life2 will the ,doctor therefore suppose a ,future ,state for them1 by way of ,compensation8 ,but this ,argument ruins the whole ,affair1 and may be turned against the ,doctor himself1 in the ,case of ,infants1 who may be made ample ,amends in a future ,state1 for the ,evils sustained here1 which ,evils may have other ,causes besides ,original ,sin2 for here again1 as in the ,case of a ,propensity to ,evil1 ,pain in ,infants1 if inflicted because of ,adam's ,sin1 must in all be uniform and alike4 ,but the ,fact being quite otherwise1 some of this ,pain and ,evil must be resolved into other ,causes2 and if some1 why not all8 ,i grant indeed1 that ,adam himself might have so far corrupted his ,nature1 as to render him more liable to ,pain1 than in a ,state of true ,innocence he might have been1 and that therefore he might be instrumental to propagate the ,seeds of several ,diseases1 to his ,posterity3 ,but had he never done this1 his ,successors might have done it2 and every ,age has1 perhaps1 by ,intemperance and ,lasciviousness1 been adding to the common ,stock of human ,diseases and ,calamities3 ,propensities to ,vice might also be propagated in the same ,way1 and that1 and nothing besides1 can 7,i think7 account so well for their great and infinite ,variety4 ,the ,doctor1 with the rest of his ,brethren1 are perpetually urging those common-place ,arguments1 drawn from the ,practice of ,men2 which in the general ,i have answer'd already3 and1 had ,i proper ,leisure1 it would be no difficult ,matter to give a clear and distinct ,answer to every one of them3 ,and these very ,gentlemen would1 on other ,occasions1 had they no favourite ,point to carry1 reject such ,reasoning with all the ,contempt1 and ,indignation1 it deserves4 ,it is with some ,reluctance1 ,i find myself obliged to disapprove the ,sentiments of such wise and worthy ,grey ,hairs1 to whom the ,world hath been long and deeply indebted for his many excellent ,services1 both from the ,pen and the ,pulpit4 ,i have read over ,mr4 ,j--s's ,book1 in ,answer to ,taylor's ,free and ,candid ,examination2 and tho' ,i have no personal ,knowledge of that ingenious ,gentleman1 yet ,i hope he will permit me to say1 ',tis pity1 great pity1 that fine ,talents 7pardon the ,expression7 should be prostituted in the ,defence of such an unholy and incongruous ,system of ,religion4 ,superior ,degrees of ,learning and ,knowledge are1 in themselves1 most excellent ,things1 and eminently serviceable1 when rightly applied to the ,honour and ,defence of ,truth3 ,but1 like a two edged ,sword1 they cut both ways1 and are also too frequently employed in the ,propagation of ,error4 ,while ,i am thus rendering human ,learning1 its just ,tribute of ,praise1 ,truth requires1 that ,i should be free to detect those little ,arts1 so often practised to deceive the ,unwary1 and misguide ,mankind4 ,as ,i am fully persuaded1 the ,generality of those ,writers2 who stick by this ,covenant1 and endeavour to vindicate the ,honour1 ,justice1 and ,goodness of ,god therein1 do it only for ,decency sake1 and to put 7as ,i observed7 a more plausible ,outside on their ,doctrines2 ,i think it incumbent on me to detect this equivocal ,way of ,writing1 and shew1 that while the ,doctor is endeavouring to persuade you he does not believe these ,doctrines in their most harsh and severe ,sense1 there is ,reason to suspect he does notwithstanding1 secretly and strongly1 believe them in that very ,sense3 nay1 he seems to resolve them very artfully into the ,sovereignty and ,majesty of ,god4 ,any ,man1 who reads the ,book1 may perceive1 how greatly the ,doctor is put to it for ,arguments1 to answer ,objections2 and he himself knows it to be impossible to make any tolerable or reasonable ,defence1 of such unreasonable and unaccountable ,doctrines3 and therefore1 lest his own ,people should1 from some ,expressions1 which1 at first sight1 might look as though he was arguing merely upon a ,principle of moral ,fitness1 suspect his ,sincerity1 he has 7,second ,edition1 ,page #bgd7 given strong ,intimations of his ,faith1 as follows3 ,the ,doctrine of ,reprobation1 in the most severe and absolute ,sense of it1 stands in such a direct ,contradiction to all our ,notions of ,kindness and ,love to others1 in which the blessed ,god is set forth as our ,example1 that our ,reason cannot tell how to receive it2 yet if it were never so true1 and never so plainly revealed in ,scripture1 it would only be a ,doctrine which would require our humble ,assent1 and silent ,submission to it2 with awful ,reverence of the ,majesty and ,sovereignty of the great ,god1 c4 ,this proves1 ,i think clearly1 on what ,authority the ,doctor himself believes these ,doctrines2 and whoever knows1 how common it is for ,men of this ,faith1 to make a specious ,shew of reasoning with others on a ,principle of moral ,fitness1 and among themselves1 without ,scruple1 resolving all into mere ,sovereignty1 will not think ,i have been too forward or severe in my ,observation4 ,i humbly presume1 what ,i have offer'd against this ,notion of ,god's ,sovereignty1 is a plain ,confutation of the ,doctor2 and ,i here1 with all due ,submission1 invite him1 or any of his ,brethren1 to defend the ,doctrines2 and this ,quotation1 against me4 ,if they do really resolve these ,doctrines into ,god's ,sovereignty1 let them speak it out plainly2 if they do not believe them in this ,sense1 let them speak that out plainly too2 that we may clearly understand1 in what determinate ,sense1 they do believe them4 ,the ,doctor has taken a great deal of ,pains to make the ,world believe1 that ,christ died for all ,men1 when it does not appear1 that he himself believes any such thing4 ,hear him1 ,page #hi1 ,and methinks1 when ,i take my justest ,survey of this lower ,world1 with all the ,inhabitants of it1 ,i can look upon it no otherwise1 than as a huge and magnificent ,structure in ,ruins1 and turned into a ,prison1 and a ,lazar-house1 or ,hospital2 wherein lie ,millions of ,criminals1 and ,rebels against their ,creator1 under ,condemnation to ,misery and ,death1 who are at the same time sick of a mortal ,distemper1 and disorder'd in their ,minds1 even to ,distraction3 ,hence proceed those infinite ,follies1 which are continually practised here2 and the righteous ,anger of an offended ,god is visible in ten thousand ,instances3 yet there are ,proclamations of ,divine ,grace1 ,health1 and ,life1 sounding amongst them2 either with a louder ,voice1 or in gentler ,whispers1 though very few of them take any ,notice thereof4 ,but of this great ,prison1 this ,infirmary1 there is here and there one who is called powerfully1 by ,divine ,grace1 and attends to the ,office of ,reconciliation1 and complies with the ,proposals of ,peace2 his ,sins are pardoned1 he is healed of his worst ,distemper2 and tho'1 his ,body is appointed to go down to the ,dust1 for a ,season1 yet his ,soul is taken upwards to a ,region of ,blessedness2 while the ,bulk of these miserable and guilty ,inhabitants1 perish in their own wilful ,madness and by the just ,executions of ,divine ,anger4 ,as ,i have hitherto troubled the ,reader with little ,quotation1 and it being now so necessary to let us into the true ,spirit of the ,doctor's ,belief1 notwithstanding any seeming ,appearance to the contrary1 ,i hope to be pardoned4 ,you perceive here1 that all are called1 but the greatest ,part1 in such a weak and imperfect ,manner1 that is out of their ,power to embrace the ,call1 and so they perish as unavoidably and unjustly1 as though no such ,call were extended4 ,the ,distinction1 which is here made between moral and natural ,necessity1 the ,doctor thinks sufficient to silence all ,objections1 ,page #bhe4 ,i have endeavour'd to shew the contrary1 and ,i hope with better ,success4 ,again1 what the ,doctor observes1 ,page #bde1 is worthy of ,notice1--,though there must be a very good ,sense1 in which ,christ may be said to die for all ,men1 because the ,scripture uses this ,language2 yet it does not follow1 that the ,doctrine of ,universal ,redemption is found there3 ,i cannot find that ,scripture once asserts that ,christ redeemed all ,men1 or died to redeem them all4 ,this is1 ,i think1 manifestly a ,contradiction1 and the ,doctor1 it seems1 believes it1 only because the ,scripture1 as he thinks1 reveals it4 ,where is the ,difference between dying to save all ,men1 and1 dying to redeem all ,men8 ,and yet ,jesus ,christ1 it seems1 did the one1 but not the other4 ,according to him 7the ,doctor7 the ,scripture assures us1 that is1 the ,word of ,god assures us1 both that ,christ did1 and that he did not die to redeem all ,mankind2 which is a flat ,contradiction4 ,in what good ,sense1 ,i should be glad to know1 could ,christ be said to die for all ,men1 when ,god purposely1 and peremptorily1 with-holds proper ,assistances to restore the greatest ,part8 ,if this be to die for all ,men1 it is certainly not in a good1 but in a very bad ,sense4 ,but1 perhaps1 the ,doctor means1 that ,man1 consider'd in his primitive ,rectitude1 has ,power sufficient to obey the ,gospel as proposed to ,sinners1 and that ,adam's ,posterity1 consider'd as fallen in him1 are under the same ,obligation to keep the ,law1 as ,adam was4 ,but of this ,i have already taken due ,notice1 and therefore ,i need only put the ,doctor in mind of a few ,words of his1 drop'd ,page #cdj1 in his ,consideration of the ,state of dying ,infants4 ,he thinks1 it would be by no ,means agreeable1 to have them condemned to a wretched ,resurrection and eternal ,misery1 only because they were born of ,adam1 the original ,transgressor4 ,this is a rational ,sentiment1 and ,i wish it were well improved2 for it is better to suppose them entering on a new ,state of ,trial1 or downright ,annihilation to be their ,portion3 ,but what ,havock does this ,concession make with the ,doctor's other ,doctrines1 of ,christ's dying for all ,men in a good ,sense1 of considering us in point of ,obligation to keep the ,law inviolable1 the same as ,adam was before his ,fall2 of ,god's either granting no ,aids to enable us to do this1 or such as are too weak and insufficient to enable us thereto6 ,we are1 he allows1 under a moral ,incapacity to keep the ,law1 but not a natural ,incapacity1 and therefore ,god may justly exact our ,obedience4 ,but pray consider1 if both a moral and natural ,ability be requisite to keep ,god's ,laws1 what signifies which of these is wanting1 when we may as well be without both1 as without either4 ,it signifies little1 what ,epithets we bestow on the ,word ,necessity4 ,wherever it prevails2 and whether it be moral or natural1 if it is not self-caused1 but comes on ,man1 either by the immediate ,decree of ,heaven1 or by the ,act of another1 it is ,necessity1 irresistible ,necessity1 and no ,distinction can palliate it4 ,i allow indeed1 when ,man is created upright1 and furnished with sufficient ,understanding and ,ability to please the ,almighty2 and yet1 abusing his ,liberty1 becomes at length so enslaved to his ,passions and ,appetites1 as to fall into this moral ,debility1 the ,law of ,god is still his ,duty to observe3 ,on the other hand1 allowing ,mankind to have lost their moral ,ability to practise ,virtue in the ,fall of ,adam1 and that ,god1 taking ,pity upon ,man1 grants him sufficient ,light1 to discern his ,state1 and sufficient ,power1 to obtain ,redemption from it1 this ,man is also under the same ,obligation to keep the ,law of ,god1 as though his moral ,powers had never sustained any ,decay or ,loss in ,adam2 and ,i dare affirm1 that in no other ,sense1 can ,man be accountable for the ,pravity of his ,will4 ,and let the ,doctor observe this1--,if it would be unsuitable to the ,mercy of ,god1 in the ,case of ,infants not committing actual ,sin1 to punish them eternally1 only because they were born of this first ,transgressor1 would it not be equally unkind1 to leave such as arrive at mature ,age1 under the ,power of those restless and irresistable ,propensities to ,evil1 derived from ,adam1 and to punish them eternally1 only because these ,propensities1 derived in virtue of being born of the first ,transgressor1 constantly1 and in spite of any thing we are able1 considered in a moral and natural ,sense1 to do to the contrary1 produce ,vice and immorality8 ,all evil ,actions1 consequent upon this ,propensity1 are1 in fact1 as necessary and unavoidable to us1 as the ,propensity itself1 ,where then1 in point of ,innocence1 can the ,difference be1 between having imputed ,guilt and this ,propensity1 in ,time of ,infancy1 and living long enough in this ,world1 to feel1 and shew to others1 its arbitrary ,effects1 in producing ,vice and ,impiety whether we will or no8 and where then is the ,reason1 for such very different ,treatment of ,infants and adult ,persons8 ,i must observe one ,thing--,the ,doctor and his ,brethren1 as they make the ,work of ,salvation1 a very easy and agreeable ,thing to the ,elect1 on the one hand2 so they assign the poor ,sinner a very hard ,task1 on the other3 ,he that offends in one ,point is1 they say1 guilty of breaking the whole ,law4 ,here is a plain ,instance of taking ,scripture in a literal ,sense1 when it can by no ,means be so understood4 ,according to this1 a ,man1 that only steals1 may be said to commit ,murder1 and be punished as a ,murderer as well as a ,thief2 though we know he has not committed it4 ,in the main1 we may conscientiously observe and keep ,god's ,laws1 and yet in ,time of ,temptation and ,weakness fall into some ,evil1 will1 ,god therefore consider and punish us as those who live in the daily ,breach and ,contempt of all his ,laws8 ,no6 ,for1 on the contrary1 ,god ever waits to be gracious to all such1 as through ,inadvertence fall into ,sin1 and are willing to forsake it4 ,the ,view and ,intent of our ,apostle1 in these ,words1 seems to be of very easy and plain ,signification3 ,there was in those early ,times1 as appears from our ,saviour's frequently reproving the ,hypocrisy of that ,generation1 a ,sort of ,people1 who appeared zealous in the ,externals of ,religion1 while at the same ,time they neglected ,things of far greater ,moment3 ,woe unto you ,scribes and ,pharisees1 ye pay ,tithe of ,mint and ,cummin2 and have omitted the weightier ,matters of the ,law3 ,mat4 xxiii4 ver4 #bc4 ,they daringly violated ,god's ,laws in some of the most material and important ,instances1 and complied with others in a mere formal ostentatious ,way2 and were therefore guilty1 in the ,divine ,view1 of the ,breach of the whole ,law2 for mere ,obedience upon improper ,motives to a ,part of the ,law1 while at the same ,time they allow'd themselves in the known and deliberate ,violation of more weighty ,commands1 was no true or proper ,obedience at all3 and1 in this ,sense1 the ,jewish ,sacrifices of the ,law1 though commanded by the highest ,authority1 were always esteemed an ,abomination2 and the ,christian ,religion as well as the ,law1 is certainly liable to ,abuses of the same ,kind1 from ,men of hypocritical and corrupt ,minds1 whom therefore this ,doctrine of the ,apostle effectually and peculiarly regards and reproves3 and ,i appeal to all1 if this ,construction of the ,sacred ,text be not more agreeable to ,reason and ,common ,sense1 than that which the ,doctor has thought fit and convenient to bestow thereon4 ,i beseech the ,doctor to consider how1 according to his ,principles1 this ,covenant could be proposed to ,adam1 out of a kind and beneficent intention in the ,creator1 when ,god knew1 in the first ,place1 that ,adam would not keep it1 and determined1 in the second ,place1 upon the ,breach of it1 to leave the ,bulk of ,mankind to perish everlastingly1 without ,mercy1 without sufficient or suitable ,means of ,redemption2 and what a cruel ,joke1 upon the ,calvinistical ,scheme1 of ,god's willing the ,fall1 was here put upon ,adam1 and all his ,posterity6 ,to talk as some do1 of our existing in ,adam at the ,time of his ,transgression1 is very absurd1 when1 as intelligent and free ,creatures1 it is evident1 we did not exist at all4 ,sin is a ,transgression of some ,law1 which we have at the same time ,power to keep4 ,god never requires ,impossibilities4 ,he that made ,man1 knows best what he is capable of and hath undoubtedly taken care to proportion the ,duties he requires of ,man1 to the ,powers he hath bestowed on him4 ,the contrary would be very hard dealing indeed--,if a ,law be dispensed to me1 ,i must in the first ,place have ,understanding sufficient to judge of its ,authority1 and the ,obligations it lays me under2 and1 in the second ,place1 ,i must also have ,power to keep it1 otherwise it can never be a ,law suitable to me2 and a ,man's ,age1 ,complexion1 ,stature1 and ,circumstances1 are as just ,causes for ,damnation1 as the ,breach of a ,law which lies beyond the ,reach of his ,knowledge and ,abilities4 ,but supposing1 in the last ,place1 that ,god did make such a ,covenant with ,adam1 c4 7though ,i think ,i have shewn it to be impossible7 let us see how the ,doctrines of ,election and ,preterition will turn out then4 ,i have already endeavoured to make it appear1 that ,god does not act in that arbitrary ,manner1 which these ,gentlemen teach2 that though he is indeed governed by no ,law without1 or accountable to any for what he is pleased to do1 yet his own ,rectitude of ,mind1 is to him an invariable ,rule of ,righteousness1 equally secure to all ,intents and ,purposes of a written ,law without3 and this argues the adorable and incomparable ,excellency of his ,being who1 though by ,nature he is infinitely above all ,power and ,authority whatever1 yet his moral ,perfections continually prompt him to promote the ,happiness of the meanest of his ,creatures4 ,it was sovereign ,goodness 7rather than sovereign ,pleasure7 which prompted the ,almighty to create ,man1 in order to communicate ,happiness to him2 and if ,adam's ,posterity might be said to fall in him1 yet ,god must at least look on them in a more favourable ,manner1 than if they had actually sinned themselves2 and consequently it could never suit with his ,goodness to punish eternally any one under this ,circumstance1 without first giving him an ,opportunity of recovering from his lapsed ,state2 nor could he ordain the ,means on ,purpose to save some by electing ,grace1 without saving all4 ,god does nothing without sufficient ,reason3 he could save none under this ,circumstance1 but as they were in themselves ,objects of his ,pity and ,mercy2 and if ever there was an ,object of ,mercy1 here it is1 an immortal ,soul condemned1 for the ,fault of another1 which it could by no ,means hinder or prevent1 to suffer eternal ,torment4 ,there is something greatly moving in such an ,object as this2 and as all ,adam's ,posterity were equally involved in his ,guilt1 all are ,objects of ,mercy precisely the same1 and therefore there is not the least ,ground for the ,difference which we are told is made by ,election2 because 'tis making a ,distinction where there is no ,difference4 ,here is the ,race of ,adam1 considered as equally fallen in him1 divided into two very unequal ,parts 7equally in themselves1 and altogether ,objects of ,mercy1 if such an ,object can be7 by the ,almighty himself4 ,the smaller ,number he is at all ,events determined to save1 and to destroy the greater ,number4 ,in answer to this1 ,i expect to hear that common1 but weak ,argument1 drawn from an earthly ,prince1 his extending ,pardon to one ,criminal1 and leaving another to undergo the ,execution of his ,sentence4 ,but this is of the same fallacious ,kind1 as that drawn from the ,case of ,rebellion1 and shews how very hard the ,patrons of this ,doctrine are put to it for ,arguments4 ,two ,men1 condemned for one ,crime1 may not be equally wicked1 and consequently one may better deserve ,pity than the other1 and to extend it1 is in itself a rational and worthy ,distinction1 made between two such ,criminals4 ,let us suppose1 in order to illustrate the ,argument1 that a ,man is compelled1 by ,thieves1 to go out on the ,highway1 where he plunders1 and is at length1 with the rest1 brought to ,justice2 his ,sentence would doubtless be the same as theirs3 ,but when he is consider'd1 as having acted not by ,choice1 but by ,necessity1 he must needs be an ,object of ,pity4 ,nay1 mere ,justice itself will plead strongly in his ,favour4 ,apply this 7so far as it belongs7 to the ,doctrine of ,original ,sin2 which if it makes ,men ,sinners at all1 it must be by ,necessity1 there being no ,possibility for us to prevent it2 which is equal to the greatest ,constraint that can be produced or imagined1 and consequently all ,men must1 under this ,consideration1 be at worst suitable ,objects of ,mercy4 ,besides1 the ,weakness of this ,argument will plainly appear1 upon considering1 with respect to earthly ,princes1 that where the ,equity of making a due ,distinction between one ,criminal and another1 is not the ,reason1 why one is pardoned1 and the other left to suffer2 it always arises either from ,caprice1 ,interest1 ,solicitation1 or from ,misrepresentation of ,facts to ,monarchs2 who1 too often1 see and hear through others1 that are not always duly conscientious1 to preserve inviolable the ,trust reposed in them2 and whether such ,reasoning as this1 can possibly affect the ,almighty1 any ,man of common ,understanding may easily judge4 ,but let them apply my ,argument on the ,sovereignty of ,god against the ,certainty of their ,election1 and ,i believe they will find but little ,reason to boast of their ,doctrine of electing ,grace4 ,they tell us indeed1 that this ,doctrine of theirs1 makes the ,death of ,christ of more ,effect than ours1 because it secures the ,salvation of some4 ,but ,i have proved there can be no ,security in it2 and surely that ,doctrine1 which puts all into a ,capacity of ,salvation1 must be better1 than that1 which leaves almost every ,man to perish2 and if it was better to save a few1 than to save none in this arbitrary ,manner1 it must still have been better and more to the ,glory of ,christ1 arbitrarily to have saved all ,mankind4 ,they say also1 that their ,doctrine of ,election is a much better ,ground for ,love and good ,works1 than is that of free ,grace4 ,but the contrary is apparent1 because whoever thinks rightly1 cannot be without this disquieting ,thought4--,if ,god1 in a mere arbitrary ,manner1 and without any ,regard to previous ,fitness1 has chosen me1 and rejected another2 how do ,i know but his ,mind may change hereafter1 or that he may not reverse this ,decree8 or if unconditional ,election be the true ,doctrine of the ,gospel1 and ,man is equally dear and acceptable to ,god without1 as he is with1 good ,works1 what ,inducement can such a ,person have to please ,god that ,way1 when he is already as well pleased without them8 ,if ,election is founded upon an unconditional ,decree1 the natural ,inference 7in all such as believe the ,doctrine1 and themselves to be of the ,elect7 must be this--,if ,i am of the ,number of the ,elect1 nothing can frustrate my ,happiness2 ,i may gratify my favourite ,passions1 and wallow in all ,kinds of ,wickedness1 ,luxury and ,sensuality1 and be equally acceptable to the ,almighty1 as was ,david in the ,sins of ,murder and ,adultery3 ,on the contrary1 if ,i am not of that ,number which shall be saved1 all my ,pains and ,obedience will never procure me ,acceptance with ,god1 and therefore ,i will seek all possible ,gratifications in this ,life1 seeing it is the only ,time and ,place wherein ,i can obtain any ,thing like ,happiness2 nor can the ,liberty ,i take here increase my ,misery hereafter1 the precise ,degree of that being fixed along with the ,decree of my ,damnation3 ,though this ,persuasion of being set apart for everlasting ,torment1 has more often the ,effects of ,desperation and ,self-,murder2 and indeed the two ,extremes of ,presumption and ,despair1 are the natural ,brood and ,offspring of these ,doctrines1 as the reverend and learned ,dr4 ,trapp has abundantly evinced1 in his excellent ,discourse1 against the ,folly1 ,sin1 and ,danger of being righteous over much4 ,hypocrisy and ,persecution are also the genuine ,offspring of this ,faith2 and whenever it has been tried1 ,persecution has grown up to a considerable ,maturity3 for as they pretend to know the ,marks of elect and reprobate ,men1 what can be more natural1 than for those1 who apprehend themselves to be the former1 to persecute and take ,vengeance on the latter4 ,hath not ,god1 by his own ,decree of ,damnation1 set them an ,example8 and if he has set a ,mark on the ,reprobate1 they 7the ,elect7 may very reasonably1 in ,imitation of the ,divine ,conduct1 endeavour to make them as wretched as possible here in this ,life1 and who shall lay any ,thing to the ,charge of ,god's ,elect8 ,i am now shewing1 what are the genuine ,effects of this ,doctrine1 not charging ,consequences on such as neither do see nor approve of them3 there is great ,difference in the ,conduct of ,men of this ,principle2 and its natural ,effects are1 by other ,things intervening1 often prevented1 the chief of which may1 ,i believe1 be ,want of ,power and ,opportunity2 for tho' many1 when out of ,power1 might be apt to say 7as ,hazael did7 what is thy ,servant a ,dog1 that he should do this ,evil8 yet they would perhaps be in some ,danger of behaving as that great ,man did1 when he came to be tried4 ,some again1 who tho' they profess the ,doctrine1 are yet 7,i doubt not7 often under the ,influence of ,god's ,grace1 which1 as it tends to humble the ,soul1 and render it more loving and humane than before1 naturally prevents the ,spirit of ,persecution from taking such deep ,root as otherwise it might4 ,and here1 though ,i do not pretend to be a nice ,judge of the spiritual ,part of ,religion1 yet ,i have heard such as have been accounted ,men of the best ,experience say1 that when the ,grace of ,god operates on the ,soul1 the ardent ,love of ,mankind is inseparable therewith4 ,if then the better ,sort of those1 who profess this ,doctrine1 are ever sensible of this most agreeable and humbling ,operation in the ,soul1 ,i ask them1 if it does not naturally distend and enlarge their ,wishes1 in ,behalf of all ,mankind8 and if this ,spirit of ,love be the genuine ,effect of the ,operation of ,god's ,grace1 what shall be said of that ineffable and immense ,fountain of ,grace and ,goodness1 from whence it proceeds8 ,but1 on the other hand1 it has been observed1 that among mere enthusiastick and traditional ,believers1 of the ,doctrine of ,election1 their ,hypocrisy1 ,deceit and ,dissimulation has overtop'd that of all the ,world besides1 even beyond what human ,nature could be thought capable of1 in its most wicked and corrupt ,state2 in short1 they seem to have made the ,deceit of ,jacob1 and all other parallel ,places of ,scripture1 that furnish the worst ,part of the ,lives of good ,men1 a standing ,rule of ,behaviour--,what a blessed ,company has the ,lord set apart for himself6 ,the ,foreknowledge of ,god is supposed1 by some1 to belong to the ,argument of ,predestination2 but ,i think it wholly beside my present ,purpose1 to enter circumstantially into it1 for this ,reason--,if1 ,whatever ,god foreknows1 he must also of ,necessity foreordain2 it is manifestly using ,foreknowledge and ,ordination to signify just the same ,thing1 and1 in this ,light1 every ,argument against ,fore-ordination1 must be equally strong against ,foreknowledge1 so far as it affects the ,doctrines under ,consideration2 and when these ,gentlemen can shew the contrary1 or are willing to enter into the ,consideration of the ,divine ,foreknowledge1 either separate from1 or connected with1 the ,doctrine of ,fore-ordination1 ,i shall always be ready to receive ,information4 ,this ,doctrine of electing ,grace1 they exalt as an incomprehensible ,mystery2 so do the ,papists1 with as good ,reason1 that of ,transubstantiation2 for neither of them are ,mysteries1 or incomprehensible1 but palpable ,errors1 whose ,absurdity we do easily and fully comprehend2 nor will the stale ,art of playing on the ,word ,mystery amuse us any longer4 ,another strange ,argument1 which these ,men make use of1 in order to set aside some ,passages of ,scripture1 which are positive and express against them1 is this1 that if ,god wills the ,salvation of all ,men1 all must be saved1 otherwise we may be said to conquer the ,will and ,grace of ,god4 ,to which the ,answer is very easy--,man is made a free ,creature1 and therefore ,god deals with him as such2 because to make him free1 and then arbitrarily overrule his ,freedom1 would be making him free to no ,purpose4 ,the ,will of ,god is sometimes positive1 and sometimes conditional4 ,he gives ,laws1 commands us to keep them1 and promises eternal ,life to those who obey2 nor can we suppose he commands us to obey1 without willing our ,obedience4 ,we may indeed resist the ,operations of his ,grace3 but to talk of conquering ,god1 is ,nonsense4 ,he has made us free ,creatures2 he wills our ,salvation1 and has granted us such ,aids as are sufficient1 if we use them aright1 to bring us to ,happiness3 ,this ,conduct in the ,divine ,being1 is not only reasonable in itself1 but perfectly agreeable to many plain and express ,parts of ,scripture4 ,the ,weeping and ,lamentation of ,christ over ,jerusalem1 is a strong ,proof of it3 ,how often would ,i have gathered thee1 as a ,hen gathereth her ,chickens under her ,wings2 but thou wouldest not6 ,here was all done1 that was fit and convenient to reclaim free ,beings2 not only proper ,aids offer'd1 but offer'd in the most tender and affectionate ,manner1 as is evident from the ,comparison of the ,hen1 c4 and by the ,words how often1 is set forth the great ,patience and longsuffering of ,god3 ,and notwithstanding all this1 they resisted to their own ,destruction4 ,god willed1 or would have saved her1 but she was stubborn and rebellious1 and would not accept of ,salvation2 did she therefore conquer the ,almighty8 ,suppose my ,father gives me a good ,education1 a good ,employment1 and a competent ,portion in ,money1 and1 besides all1 is continually at hand1 ready further to advise and assist me1 whenever it may be necessary2 yet ,i am obstinate and disobedient1 and1 by pursuing evil ,courses1 fall into ,poverty1 ,contempt1 and ,ruin3 ,i may indeed be said to resist1 but in no good ,sense to conquer my ,father4 ,besides1 according to this absurd ,way of arguing1 if ,god does all in ,believers1 his ,laws are to be kept by himself2 with what ,propriety then can they be said to be given to ,man8 ,he to whom the ,law is given is to keep it1 not the ,being who gives it4 ,i might here1 very naturally1 speak concerning the ,sacrifice of ,christ's ,death1 and his ,righteousness imputed to us2 but ,i shall not now discuss it fully1 only a few ,remarks may not be impertinent or useless4 ,these two ,points appear to me to be much misunderstood2 ,sin is said to be infinite1 because committed against an infinite ,god2 and that therefore nothing but an infinite ,being can satisfy the ,justice of ,god for it3 ,a fine ,story indeed1 for ,men to amuse us with1 who pretend to believe in only one ,god3 ,here is one infinite ,being1 to be satisfied for ,sin2 and another1 to satisfy him4 ,and1 what is still as bad or worse1 it supposes1 that an infinite ,being may1 for a certain ,season1 suffer or undergo a ,diminution of its ,happiness2 which1 in an infinite and unchangeable ,being1 ,i take to be impossible4 ,was it then only the ,person1 or rational ,soul of ,jesus ,christ1 that suffered1 being upheld under it1 by the infinite ,being himself8 ,if so1 what is become of the infinite ,being1 that was to suffer for ,sin2 for does ,god make ,satisfaction to himself8 ',till these ,gentlemen either renounce1 or better explain this ,matter1 they will1 ,i hope1 think very favourably of all who deal in absurd ,schemes of ,faith4 ,the ,thing productive of these ,absurdities1 is a wrong ,notion of ,sin1 and of the ,justice of ,god3 ,sin1 they say1 is infinite1 because committed against an infinite ,god4 ,it is doubtless sometimes a great ,aggravation of it1 that it is committed against ,god2 but it is not so much his ,greatness1 as our abusing his ,goodness1 that aggravates the ,crime3 ,as may appear from this short ,observation1 ,that any ,favour1 disinterestedly done1 by a ,person of the meanest ,rank in ,life1 lays the ,receiver under the same ,obligation1 as though it were granted by the greatest ,man upon ,earth3 ,it is the ,motive and the ,action1 put together1 that gives it its proper ,value to the ,receiver4 ,god's ,authority may add some kind of ,sanction but no ,alteration of outward ,circumstances1 in him who confers a ,benefit1 can ever after change the ,nature of the ,action1 or the ,obligations resulting from it4 ,and1 when we consider1 on the other hand1 that ,sin is committed by a frail finite ,being1 very often in its unguarded ,moments1 prompted by ,passion and ,appetite1 and surrounded with the most powerful ,temptations2 this proves more strongly1 that it cannot be infinite4 ,by the ,justice of ,god1 is not meant1 that he cannot forgive ,sin without ,satisfaction1 but that he will not punish the ,innocent2 ,he proposes himself as a ,pattern for our ,imitation1 and bids us forgive our offending ,brethren1 if they repent and desire ,forgiveness3 and he himself will therefore forgive on the same ,terms2 for unless ,sin becomes so enormous1 as to make ,punishment necessary1 ,repentance and ,amendment is all that ,god expects4 ,the ,gospel is proposed to ,sinners1 on these ,terms2 and as to the ,death of ,christ1 it were unreasonable to think1 he laid down his ,life by way of ,satisfaction to ,offended ,justice1 in the ,manner these ,gentlemen understand it2 but in ,testimony of the ,truth of his ,doctrines1 and ,confirmation of ,god's great ,love to the ,world4 ,this was the ,cause of ,christ's ,coming in the ,flesh4 ,god so loved the ,world1 that he sent ,christ to save it1 by such ,preaching and ,miracles1 and other internal ,aids1 c4 as were in themselves sufficient to beget ,faith in such as gave a proper ,attention2 such a ,faith1 in the ,soul1 as was productive of ,morality and ,virtue in ,practice4 ,it was an original ,act of ,grace and ,goodness in ,god1 to send ,christ into the ,world1 to save ,sinners1 and not 7as some superstitiously teach7 a mere ,compliance in ,god the ,father 7and that1 not without full ,satisfaction first made7 to the voluntary and merciful ,intercession of ,christ the ,son4 ,for then our ,salvation would be owing only to the ,love of ,christ1 and not at all to ,god's ,love1 who is here considered as a rigorous and unrelenting ,creditor1 that will not release the ,debtor1 until full ,satisfaction be made2 so that ,christ becomes our ,creditor1 and ,god has no farther ,demand3 and what ,need then can there be of ,intercession to ,god on our ,behalf1 when the ,debt is already paid1 and full ,satisfaction made8 ,christ's coming into the ,world was entirely owing to the ,father's ,mercy4 ,his ,doctrine1 ,miracles1 c4 were what he had in ,commission from ,god1 as a ,means to instruct and make the ,world happy2 it is he who1 instead of being averse to forgive frail ,man his ,offences1 has through ,jesus proclaimed ,pardon to all1 on ,condition of ,repentance and ,amendment2 and thro' the ,love of ,god it was also1 that ,christ was appointed a ,mediator for sinful ,man3 ,so that the whole ,affair arose from ,god's own ,mercy4 ,i stand amazed at the ,gentlemen1 against whom ,i am arguing2 what a ,scope do they give to the ,sovereignty of ,god1 in the ,doctrines of ,election and ,reprobation8 ,and yet they won't suffer it at all to operate1 in the ,case of forgiving ,sin1 on the ,terms of ,repentance and ,amendment4 ,a small1 yea very small and reasonable ,allowance1 in regard to the ,exertion of this ,attribute1 and in a good ,cause too1 would be sufficient to justify the ,mercy of ,god1 in forgiving ,sin4 ,if1 as a ,sovereign1 he punishes where no ,sin is1 surely he may also1 as a ,sovereign1 forgive ,sin4 ,so that this ,notion of the ,impossibility of ,god's forgiving ,sin1 without ,satisfaction first made1 is erroneous and despicable4 ,repentance and ,amendment in the ,creature is1 in the ,nature of ,things1 a much better ,satisfaction1 than can be made by the ,act of another4 ,by the ,justice of ,god1 ,i repeat it again1 is meant1 that he will not punish the innocent1 and not that he cannot shew ,mercy to an offending1 repenting1 penitent ,creature1 unless another sheds his ,blood for an ,atonement4 ,nor is the ,righteousness of ,christ1 strictly speaking1 imputable to any one4 ,the ,terms of the ,gospel are1 ,repent1 and be converted1 and your ,sins shall be blotted out3 ,be sorry and amend1 and ,i will forgive you4 ,the ,prayer of a ,righteous ,man availeth much2 and ,god1 in some ,cases1 to shew his ,regard to the ,righteous1 and to excite others to become righteous also1 may possibly grant that1 at the ,request of such a righteous ,person1 which without1 it might be improper to grant2 and ,christ being our holy and righteous ,mediator1 ,god may do more at his ,request1 on our ,behalf1 than he would do without it4 ,not but that 7independent of and previous to the ,intercession of ,christ1 at least to the ,account we have of it1 in the ,new ,testament7 ,god was ever disposed to be favourable to ,man1 and always ready to receive him1 coming to him in a proper and becoming ,manner3 ,for even this very ,christ1 and his ,intercession1 c4 is all ultimately the ,act of ,god1 and flows from his unbounded ,love and ,goodness to ,man4 ,so that imputed ,righteousness can mean no more1 than ,god's forgiving us1 at the ,request of ,jesus ,christ 7whom he sent on purpose to make that ,request1 and to do every thing for the ,benefit and ,happiness of ,man7 and not a real ,transfer of ,christ's personal ,righteousness1 which is not only in itself impossible1 but would1 if true1 take away all ,necessity of our becoming holy4 ,the ,righteousness of ,christ is altogether different to what these ,men take it to be2 it is a real ,state of ,righteousness1 wrought in the ,soul by the ,operation of ,christ's ,spirit1 ,man submitting thereto4 ,i know there are some ,expressions in the ,new ,testament1 which 7if precipitantly understood1 without ,regard had to the ,nature of the ,thing1 and to other plain ,texts7 seem a little to favour these ,doctrines4 ,i can't say1 by what ,means precisely the ,bible came into its present ,condition2 many ,things might concur to give us wrong ,apprehensions of its true ,sense and ,meaning1 ,he that understands human ,nature will find1 that ,men1 who have been great ,bigots in any ,way of ,religion1 will generally retain some of their former ,prejudices1 even after1 in the main1 they may have changed their ,principles1 ,prejudice in ,education is a ,leaven1 not so easily purged out1 as some may imagine2 and 'tis possible1 the ,writings of ,st4 ,paul may have in them a ,tincture of this kind2 besides what may have since crept in1 by ,partiality or ,accident3 against which1 and all ,errors of a like ,kind1 a due ,regard to the fundamental ,principles1 ,i have endeavoured to inculcate1 will1 ,i hope1 abundantly secure us4 ,these are some succinct ,observations1 that ,i could not well avoid making2 which perhaps may shortly be followed by something more full and comprehensive1 concerning the ,virtue and ,extent of ,christ's ,death1 and the ,nature of imputed ,righteousness4 ,what ,i have here delivered1 concerning ,god's ,sovereignty1 is not the ,result of a few1 hasty1 or loose ,thoughts1 but the ,effect of long and mature ,deliberation4 ,i have weighed over and over the ,arguments in my own ,breast1 and tried their ,strength with ,people1 the most likely to afford me ,satisfaction2 and could ,i have found it in either ,way1 the ,world had never been troubled with these ,free and ,impartial ,thoughts4 ,permit me1 before ,i make an ,end1 just to observe1 in ,regard to the ,controversy1 between ,mr4 ,j--s and ,mr4 ,taylor1 on the ,scripture ,doctrine of ,original ,sin2 that ,mr4 ,j--s1 as well as ,dr4 ,w--s1 lays great ,stress on that frivolous ,distinction1 mentioned a few ,pages back1 of moral and natural ,necessity1 to that ,degree1 that ,mr4 ,taylor is treated somewhat rudely1 for not perceiving the ,force of it2 when ,i dare aver1 none but misguided ,zealots1 could ever see any ,reason or ,argument in it3 ,nor do some of these very ,men1 who urge it1 seem to believe it themselves4 ,ask them how ,man can be justly accountable for ,evils1 that proceed from a ,nature depraved in ,adam1 and they immediately leave this ,distinction1 and recur to the ,covenant2 and this ,covenant they cannot support by any ,argument short of ,god's ,sovereignty1 which they are welcome 7if they can tell how7 to improve to their own ,advantage4 ,to say that ,man1 in the ,fall1 has natural ,powers to act rightly1 and is therefore condemnable when he does not1 tho'1 by ,necessity2 he wants ,inclinations to be virtuous1 would1 to use ,mr4 ,j--s's genteel ,language1 be a senseless ,falshood1 and shew ,poverty of ,argument 7,i am loth to add as he does7 and ,effrontery too4 ,such ,rudeness deserves ,lamentation as well as ,reproof1 nor do ,i on this ,occasion set before him his own ,words with any secret ,pleasure1 but purely to shew ,mr4 ,j--s1 how agreeable such a ,liberty will appear1 when1 in return1 it may be offered to himself4 ,why is this favourite ,distinction urged1 unless it be to shew1 that because ,man has natural ,powers1 'tis his own ,fault1 if he does not employ them aright2 but how does it appear1 that such a ,power only1 can render ,man a whit better1 or more a moral ,agent1 than he is1 or would be1 without it8 ,if ,inclination to ,virtue1 must precede every truly virtuous ,action2 and ,man's ,depravity under the ,fall1 be such as prevents his ever having such good ,inclinations1 his natural ,ability to do ,good1 must needs be a mere ,joke and a ,cypher4 ,just the same as1 on the other hand1 would be1 the strongest ,inclinations to ,virtue1 and no natural ,power of complying with them in ,practice4 ,as nothing short of ,knowledge and ,power1 ,power of both kinds1 natural and moral1 can constitute ,man a moral ,agent1 or proper ,subject of ,law1 of ,rewards and ,punishments1 either here1 or hereafter2 one would wonder to see this insignificant ,distinction urged at all in this ,controversy3 for it is1 at the best1 a mere ,parade of ,words2 which prove nothing1 except it be the ,want of ,truth and ,righteousness1 in this ,doctrine of ,original ,sin2 or great ,bigotry1 and ,defect of ,understanding1 in its most accomplished ,patrons4 ,and after all that is1 or can be said1 concerning natural and moral ,powers2 it is doubtful1 if such a depraved miserable ,wretch1 as ,man under the ,fall is said by the ,assemblies ,catechism to be1 can 7strictly speaking7 have any ,power at all over his own ,thoughts and ,actions2 ,the immediate ,cause and ,spring of ,action is the ,soul1 to which the ,body is subservient only as an ,instrument1 but has in itself1 according to the best ,philosophy1 no ,power to produce voluntary or self ,motion4 ,what is called natural ,power in ,man1 as opposed to moral1 is at least1 a ,power lodged in the ,soul1 to give ,motion to the ,body4 ,but these ,volitions of the ,mind1 and the immediate ,act of the ,soul upon the ,body1 in order to produce ,virtue1 depending on the ,mind's being in a ,state of ,freedom1 able to chuse and prefer ,virtue1 as better than ,vice2 it is evident1 that in a ,mind1 totally abandoned to ,evil1 moral ,motives have not their due ,power over the ,man2 and what we call his natural ,power to be virtuous1 is either suspended1 or quite overpowered1 by an evil and irresistable ,turn of ,inclination1 arising from the ,act of another2 ,i mean1 ,adam4 ,man then1 considered as a moral ,agent1 has ,power to do1 or not to do1 the very same ,thing2 be it good or evil4 ,but this ,liberty of ,choice and ,action in the ,creature1 as the ,soul is but one1 and also the immediate ,source of all ,action in ,man1 cannot properly1 ,i think1 be called two distinct ,powers1 but rather different ,applications of one and the same ,power lodged in the ,soul4 ,on the other hand1 in such a depraved ,creature1 as ,man under the ,fall is said to be1 the ,power of choosing and refusing1 of being virtuous or vicious1 which he pleases1 is altogether lost and destroyed2 and such a ,man1 so far from having natural and moral ,powers1 has 7properly speaking7 no ,power at all remaining3 all his ,thoughts and ,actions1 like those of a ,machine1 are merely involuntary2 he is constantly impelled by something mightier than himself1 and ever necessitated to think and act as he does3 his being an intelligent ,creature1 doth not alter the ,state of the ,case1 or render him more an ,agent than a ,stock or a ,stone4 ,in this sad ,condition1 ,man can have no ,power at all to love and pursue ,virtue1 untill the overruling ,principle1 which determines all his ,thoughts and ,actions to the contrary1 be removed1 or he receive ,superaddition of ,understanding and ,strength agreeable thereto4 ,my natural ,strength of ,body may be equal to four hundred ,weight2 but what can this avail1 while ,i am continually pressed down by four thousand8 and all ,mr4 ,j--s's ,skill and ,criticism 7,pages #ga1 #gb7 will not evade this ,reasoning4 ,the ,distinction between immediate and remote ,causes of ,sin1 is as trifling and inconclusive1 as the 'forementioned ,distinction of moral and natural ,powers4 ,those indeed1 who can fancy themselves to be ,god's own dear and elect ,children1 may reject all ,opposition with ,scorn1 and without ,examination1 and acquiesce readily in the most rigid and tyrannical ,system of ,religion1 that renders the ,bulk of ,mankind miserable1 while the ,elect may think themselves secure in the ,divine ,decree1 with an humble ,assent1 and awful 7it should be superstitious7 ,reverence of the ,majesty and ,sovereignty of the great ,god4 ,but what ,reason or ,recompence will that be to him1 who under proper ,means and ,motives would have kept the ,commandments1 and so have entered into ,life2 who would have loved the ,lord his ,god1 with all his ,heart1 ,soul1 and ,strength2 and his ,neighbour as himself8 ,or how can such a partial and tyrannical ,doctrine1 be reconciled to the ,voice of ,reason in ,man1 to our common ,notions of ,right and ,wrong1 to the ,general ,scope and ,tenour of the ,holy ,scriptures1 or to that ,text in particular1 which assures us1 that the ,almighty doth not grieve nor afflict the ,children of ,men willingly8 ,,finis4