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first act. (Which may be, without God's being the author of sin, about which I have spoken in the former chapter.) But the depravity of nature remaining an established principle in the heart of a child of Adam, and as exhibited in after operations, is a consequence and punishment of the first apostasy thus participated, and brings new guilt. The first being of an evil disposition in the heart of a child of Adam, whereby he is disposed to approve of the sin of his first father, as fully as he himself approved of it when he committed it, or so far as to imply a full and perfect consent of heart to it, I think, is not to be looked upon as a consequence of the imputation of that first sin, any more than the full consent of Adam's own heart, in the act of sinning; which was not consequent on the imputation of his sin to himself, but rather prior to it in the or der of nature. Indeed the derivation of the evil disposition to the hearts of Adam's posterity, or rather the coexistence of the evil disposition, implied in Adam's first rebellion, in the root and branches, is a consequence of the union that the wise author of the world has established between Adam and his posterity; but not properly a consequence of the imputation of his sin; nay, rather antecedent to it, as it was in Adam him self. The first depravity of heart, and the imputation of that sin, are both the consequences of that established union; but yet in such order, that the evil disposition is first, and the charge of guilt consequent, as it was in the case of Adam himself.

* My meaning, in the whole of what has been here said, may be illustrat ed thus: Let us suppose, that Adam and all his posterity had coexisted, and that his posterity had been, through a law of nature, established by the Creator, united to him, something as the branches of a tree are united to the root, or the members of the body to the head, so as to constitute as it were one complex person, or one moral whole: o that by the law of union, there should have been a communion and coexistence in acts and affections; all jointly participating, and all concurring, as one whole, in the disposition and action of the head: As we see in the body natural, the whole body is affected as the head is affected; and the whole body concurs when the head acts. Now, in this case, the hearts of all the branches of mankind, by the constitu tion of nature and law of union, would have been affected just as the heart of Adam, their common root, was affected. When the heart of the root, by

The first existence of an evil disposition of heart, amounting to a full consent to Adam's sin, no more infers God's being the author of that evil disposition in the child, than in the father. The first arising or existing of that evil disposition

a full disposition, committed the first sin, the hearts of all the branches would have concurred; and when the root, in consequence of this, became guilty, so would all the branches; and when the heart of the root, as a punishment of the sin committed, was forsaken of God, in like manner would it have fared with all the branches; and when the heart of the root, in consequence of this, was confirmed in permanent depravity, the case would have been the same with all the branches; and as new guilt on the soul of Adam would have been consequent on this, so alse would it have been with his mora! branches. And thus all things, with relation to evil disposition, guilt, pol. lution and depravity, would exist, in the same order and dependence, it cach branch, as in the root. Now, difference of the time of existence does not at all hinder things succeeding in the same order, any more than differ. ence of place in a coexistence of time.

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Here may be worthy to be observed, as in several respects to the present purpose, some things that are said by Stapferus, an eminent divice of Zurich, in Switzerland, in his Theologia Polem ca, published about fourteen years ago; in English as follows. Seeing all Adam's posterity are derived from their first parent, as their root, the whole of the human kind, with its root, may be considered as constituting but one whole, or one mass; so as not to be properly a thing distinct from its root; the posterity not differing from it, any otherwise than the branches from the tree. From which it easily appears, how that when the root sinned, all that which is derived from it, and with it constitutes but one whole, may be looked upon as also sinning; seeing it is not distinct from the root, but is one with it."....Tom. i. cap 3, 856, 57

"It is objected against the imputation of Adam's sin, that we never com mitted the same sin with Adam. neither in number nor in kind. I answer, we should distinguish here between the physical act itself, which Adam committed, and the morality of the action, and consent to it. If we have respect only to the externa! act, to be sure it must be con essed, that Adam's posterity did not put forth their hands to the forbidden fruit: In which sense, that act of transgression, and that fall of Adam cannot be physically one with the sin of his posterity But if we consider the morality of the action, and what consent here is to it, it is altogether to be maintained, that his posterity committed the same sin, both in number and in kind, inasmuch as they are to be looked upon as consenting to it. For where there is consent to a sin, there the same sin is committed. Seeing therefore that Adam, with all hi posterity, constitute but one moral person, and are united in the same cover

in the heart of Adam, was by God's permission; who could have prevented it, if he had pleased, by giving such influences of his Spirit, as would have been absolutely effectual to hinder it; which, it is plain in fact, he did withhold: And whatever

nant, and are transgressors of the same law, they are also to be looked upo as having, in a moral eftimation, committed the same transgression of the law, both in number and in kind Therefore this reasoning avails nothing against the righteous imputation of the sin of Adam to all mankind, or to the whole moral person that is consenting to it. And for the reason mentioned, we may rather argue thus: The sin of the posterity, on account of their consent, and the moral view in which they are to be taken, is the same with the sin of Adam, not only in kind, but in number; therefore the sin of Adam is rightfully imputed to his posterity.". Id. Tom. iv. cap 6, 60, 61.

"The imputation of Adam's first sin consists in nothing else than this, that his posterity are viewed as in the saine place with their father, and are like him. But seeing, agreeable to what we have already proved, God might, according to his own righteous judgment, which was founded on his most righteous law, give Adam a posterity that were like himself; and indeed it could not be otherwise, according t the very laws of nature; therefo e he might also in righteous judgment impute Adam's sin to them; inasmuch as to give Adam a posterity like himself, and to impute his sin to them, is one and the same thing. And therefore, if the former be not contrary to the diviné perfections. so neither is the latter Our adversaries contend with us chiefly on this account, That according to our doctrine of Original Sin, such an imputation of the first sin is main ained, whereby God, without any regard to universal native corruption, esteems all Adam's posterity as guilty, and holds them as liable to condemnation, purely on account of that sinful act of their first parent; so that they, without any respec had to their own sin, and so, as innocent in themselves, are destined to eternal punishment. I ave therefore ever been careful to shew, that they do injuriously suppose those things to be separated, in our doctrine, which are by no means to be separated. The whole of the controversy they have with us about this matter, evidently arises from this, That they suppose the mediate and the immediate imputation are destinguished one from the other, not only in the manner of conception, but in re ality. And so indeed they consider imputation only as immediate and ab. stractly from the mediate; when yet our divines supp se, hat neither ou;ht to be considered separately from the other. Therefore I chose not to use any auch distinction, or to suppose any such thing, in what I have said on the subject; but only have endeavored to explain the thing itself, and to reco zile it with the divine attributes. And therefore I have every where conjoined both these conceptions concerning the imputation of the first sin, as insep3 H

VOL. VI.

mystery may be supposed in the affair, yet no Christian will presume to say, it was not in perfect consistence with God's holiness and righteousness, notwithstanding Adam had been guilty of no offence before. So root and branches being one, according to God's wise constitution, the case in fact is, that by virtue of this oneness answerable changes or effects through all the branches coexist with the changes in the root: Consequen ly an evil disposition exists in the hearts of Adam's pos terity, equivalent to that which was exerted in his own heart, when he ate the forbidden fruit. Which God has no hand in, any otherwise, than in not exerting such an influence, as might be effectual to prevent it; as appears by what was observed in the former chapter.

But now the grand objection is against the reasonableness of such a constitution, by which Adam and his posterity should be looked upon as one, and dealt with accordingly, in an affair of such infinite consequence; so that if Adam sinned, they must necessarily be made sinners by his disobedience, and come into existence with the same depravity of disposition, and be looked upon and treated as though they were partak ers with Adam in his act of sin. I have not room here to rehearse all Dr. Taylor's vehement exclamations against the reasonableness and justice of this. The reader may at his leisure consult his book, and see them in the places referred to below. Whatever black colors and frightful representations are employed on this occasion, all may be summed up in this, That Adam and his posterity are not one, but entirely distinct agents. But with respect to this mighty outcry made against the reasonableness of any such constitution, by which

arable; and judged, that one ought never to be considered without the other. While I have been writing this note, I consulted all the systems of divinity, which I have by me, that I might see what was the true and genuine opinion of our chief divines in this affair; and I found that they were of the same mind with me; namely, That these two kinds of imputation are by no means to be separated, or to be considered abstractly one from he other, but that ene does involve the other". He there particularly cites those two famous reformed divines, Vitringa and Lamp us... Tom iv Cap 7, § 78.

* Page 13, 150, 151, 156, 261, 108, 109, 111, S

God is supposed to treat Adam and his posterity as one, I would make the following observations.

I. It signifies nothing to exclaim against plain fact. Such is the fact, most evident and acknowledged fact, with respect to the state of all mankind, without exception of one individ ual among all the natural descendants of Adam, as makes it apparent, that God actually deals with Adam and his posterity as one, in the affair of his apostasy, and its infinitely terrible consequences. It has been demonstrated, and shewn to be in effect plainly acknowledged, that every individual of mankind comes into the world in such circumstances, as that there is no hope or possibility of any other than their violating God's holy law (if they ever live to act at all as moral agents) and being thereby justly exposed to eternal ruin.* And it is thus by God's ordering and disposing of things. And God either thus deals with mankind, because he looks upon them as one with their first father, and so treats them as sinful and guilty by his apostasy; or (which will not mend the matter) he, without viewing them as at all concerned in that affair, but as in every respect perfectly innocent, does nevertheless subject. them to this infinitely dreadful calamity. Adam, by his sin, was exposed to the calamities and sorrows of this life, to temporal death and eternal ruin; as is confessed. And it is also in effect confessed, that all his posterity come into the world in such a state, as that the certain consequence is, their being exposed, and justly so, to the sorrows of this life, to temporal death and eternal ruin, unless saved by grace. So that we see, God in fact deals with them together, or as one. If God orders the consequences of Adam's sin, with regard to his posterity's welfare, even in those things which are most impor tant, and which do in the highest degree concern their eternal interest, to be the same with the consequences to Adam himself, then he treats Adam and his posterity as one in that affair. Hence, however the matter be attended with difficulty, fact obliges us to get over the difficulty, either by finding out some solution, or by shutting our mouths, and acknowledging

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