DOCTRINES, OR PRINCIPLES, &c.

CHAPTER I.

ORIGINAL AND PRESENT STATE OF MAN.

ON entering into a concise statement of the doctrines of this Society, it seems most consistent with the natural order of things, to take, in the first place, a view of the original and present state of man.

:

The Scriptures bear testimony, that man was made in the image of his Creator. "In the image of God created He him. Male and female created He them." Gen. i. 27. In this state, which was his by creation, he lacked neither wisdom nor understanding. He lacked nothing that was necessary to enable him to exercise the dominion that was given him in the world, or that could perfect his happiness, or secure acceptance in the Divine sight otherwise he could not be in the image of God; nor would it have been said that "God saw every thing that He had made, and behold it was very good." ib. 31. Accordingly, we find that he had a clear sense of the relation in which he stood to the Almighty, was favoured with communion with Him; and when the various orders of animated beings were brought before him, he had such a sense and understanding of natural things, as enabled him to give them all

B

appropriate names.

This was not acquired knowledge; but all these faculties and capacities were the endowments with which he was furnished, and made up his original

character.

And

Thus constituted, our first parents were placed in a situation adapted to their comfort and convenience. "The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed." Gen. ii. 8. though there may be a mystical signification in these terms, representing that spiritual communion and fellowship which the saints obtain with God, by Jesus Christ, yet we do not thence call in question the historical fact, that they were provided with a residence, in all respects adapted to their condition. Nor do we doubt that, when they lost their happy condition by disobedience, they lost also the residence which was adapted only to that condition. But these truths respecting the outward affairs of our prime ancestors, are not so deeply interesting to us, as those relations in which they stood before and after their transgression. And as the inspired historian was led to touch very briefly on these outward affairs, so we believe it is not necessary, or even safe, to run out into speculation concerning them. But so far as the Holy Scriptures record historical facts, respecting the first and all subsequent ages, those facts we admit as truth.

Though man was created such a being as has been described, and was so eminently favoured, in relation both to temporal and spiritual things; yet the sequel proved that he was placed in a state of probation, and that he was permitted to choose good or evil according to his own free will. He received a command; and the penalty of death was annexed to its violation: "In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." Gen. ii. 17.

As he was constituted in due rectitude of body and mind—as he was, in his first estate, in the Divine image,

he must have had power to stand.

How is it possible

that he could be in that image, if he had not power to reject evil, and to remain in a state of acceptance? That he had this power, is evident, not only from the character which is clearly given of him, but from the Divine attributes themselves. Therefore, as surely as we believe that God is merciful and just, so surely we believe that Adam was enabled to obey the command that was given him. (Vide Art. Universality of Grace.)

In the freedom of will with which our first parents were endowed, they disobeyed the Divine command. As the Divine image was the predominating part of the human character in the beginning, it was said: "In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." And this sentence was accomplished, in the loss of all that constituted that image. In the loss of the divine life, death actually passed upon him, in the day of his transgression. (Vide Barclay's Apol. Prop. 4. Phipps on Man, chap. 1.) He became fallen, degenerate, and dead, retaining nothing superior to his animal and rational faculties; and even these were depraved.

،

Adam, by his fall, lost his glory, his strength, his dominion, by which he could easily have withstood the devil; and came under great weakness, whereby the enemy's temptations had a ready access to him, and he became very obnoxious to fall under them. And so all his posterity are come under the same weakness and obnoxiousness to the enemy's temptations, who influenceth them, by entering into them, and powerfully inclining them to sin. And this malignant influence is the seed of sin in all men, whereby they become obnoxious, by reason of the fall." Barclay, fol. ed. pp. 768, 310. Thus, in the language of the apostle, "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Nor do we question that the visible