"Strife, Envyings, as much Works of the Flesh, as "Adultery and Fornication? Are not Revilers as well as Fornicators, numbred amongst thofe, who fhall not "inherit the Kingdom of God, or of Chrift 2 Why "therefore may we not hope to escape as well as you?

66

26

66

Dr. Whitby mentions feveral Eminent Bishops and Divines of the Church of England, who are of his Opinion; and tells us, That" the Reverend Bihop Ken, now in Heaven, declared himself, not long "before his Death, against the Imputation of Original Sin, and told [him], the Canonifts in the "Trent-Council embraced it, because it was the Do"ctrine they beft understood". The Author proceeds to fhew how he understands the IXth Article of the Church, and in what Senfe he fubfcribes to it. Here follows the Subftance of his Doctrine concerning the Subject in question.

1. He denies this Affertion of Dr. Edwards, That the Pofterity of Adam are all guilty before God, by reaSon of that Offence which Adam only perfonally commitated or that they became Sinners by Imputation, reputed Sinners in him on that Account.

01 2 He grants, That the Pofterity of Adam have derived from him Such a Nature, as renders us prone to evil affoon as we are capable of finning, and from hence proceed all thofe diforderly Appetites and Paffions which we labour under. But he denies, That this Nature renders us Sinners, properly fo called, from the Birth to they

1

He grants, That the Pofterity of Adam are not born with that original Righteousness, in which Adam was created; but he denies that to be their Sin ło no domei 10. Set 201 We zid 130 5851b

Afterwards the Author lays down fome general Poftulata confirmed by the common Senfe and Reafan of Mankind, and the joint Suffrage of the Holy Fathers. Esta od 24 sa kati je ig Vol. IV.

G

ફ

1

ARTICLE LXXV.

PHILOSOPHICAL

LETTERS

written by Mr. LEIBNITZ and Mr. HARTSOEKER.

T

HE following Letters have been published by the Authors of the Memoirs of Trevoux. Thofe Gen tlemen have prefixed to them a fhort Preamble, which I fall infert here.

66

M. Leibnitz, being defired by Mr. Hartfoeker to "give him his Opinion about the Conjectures Phyfiques, "published by the latter, fent fome Objections to M. Hartfoeker, which have been answered by that "Philofopher in his Eclairciffemens *, without naming M. Leibnitz. That Difpute, far from ending with the Impreffion of the Eclairciffemens, is grown warmer. M. Leibnitz found himself infen"fibly engaged to attack the Principles of his Adverfary's Syftem, viz. The perfect Liquidity of one "of his Elements, and the Indivifibility of the o"ther. He maintained against him, That Atoms are no less impoffible than a perfect Liquid; and that "the Cobefion of the Parts of a Body, wherein its "Hardness confifts, is occafioned by the Conformity " of

66

I have published an Account of that Book.

F of the Motions working upon thofe Parts. Mr. Leibnitz believes, that when thofe confpiring Motions are difturbed by fome Accident, the Parts lofe their Union, and the body becomes liquid. M. Hartfoeker knew not at firft what M. Leibnitz meant. The Dispute wen: thus far, when M. Leibnitz fent the firft of the following Letters to Father Desboffes a Jefuit at Cologne, and defired him to get it delivered to M. Hartfoeker. Father Desboffes, "who now teaches Divinity at Paderborn, has been a long time an intimate Friend of the Famous "M. Leibnitz. His great Learning and Penetration,

and his eminent Virtue have occafioned a ftrict "Friendship between them, notwithstanding their "being of different Religions. Father Desboffes pro"posed to his Illuftrious Friend to publish his Di

Ipute with M. Hartfoeker. The latter has given us "leave to do it; and we think we have done a good Service to thofe, who love to dive into the Bottom of the Principles of Natural Philofophy."

66

I...

A Letter of M. LEIBNITZ to M. HARTSOEKER.

Y mae confpiring Motions; and you ask, Whe

OU fpeak, Sir, as if you knew not what I

ther what I call fo, be not the fame thing with Rest? I answer, It is not. For Reft does not tend to make or preserve the Cohesion of the Parts that are at Reft; and tho' two Bodies remain one by another, they make no Effort to continue to remain together, whether they touch one another, or not: But when there is a confpiring Motion in their Parts, which is difturbed by a Separation, fome Strength is requifite to overcome that Obitacle. Nor is it neceffary, that in the confpiring Motions the Parts fhould not change

Gg 3

In the next Place, he anfwers all the Paffages of the Holy Scripture, that have been alledged against hm. Upon the famous Text, Pfal. LI. 7. Behold I was shapen in Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me; He obferves, among other Things, that it was the Cuftom of the Jews and Eastern Nations to use strong Metaphors and Hyperbolical ExpreffiThus David fays, Pfal. LVIII. 4. The Wicked are eftranged from the Womb, they go aftray from the Belly, and Speak Lies. And we read in the Book of Wisdom XII. 10. Sin is bred in their very Nature (the Nature of the Wicked.) And God fays of the treacherous Jews, that they were Tranfgreffors from the Womb, Ifa. XLVIII. 8. Cicero exprelles himself much in the same manner: Simul atque editi in lucem, & fufcepti fumus, in omni continuo pravitate verfamur. And yet (fays Dr. Whitby) I believe he was no Affertor of Original Sin.

On the contrary, the Son of Syrach fays, The Fear of the Lord was created with the faithful in the Womb, Ecclef. I. 14. and Job xxxi. 18. I have guided the Widow from my Mother's Womb. "From which "Words (fays our Author) it as much follows, that "Charity and the Fear of God, are in good Men "from the Womb; as from [the] Words of David, "that he, and all Men were Sinners from the

"Womb ".

In the Third Place, the Learned Author undertakes to confirm this Opinion by feveral other Arguments from Scripture, Reason, and the Judgment of Antiquity; and answers fome Objections.

The Readers will find at the End of this Book a Dialogue between Doctor Profundus, (fo the Author' ftiles

*Tufc. Quæft. Cap. III.

ftiles Dr. Edwards,) and Mr. Trifler (as Dr. Whitby is pleafed to call himself.) The Author concludes in a Triumphant Manner, and proclaims to the World, that he has obtained a complete Victory over his Antagonist." It is Time I fee, to have "done: The Doctor begins to be Cholerick: I "will tell him a Story, and fo conclude. Once upἐσ on a Time, there was one Ambrofe, who thought "himself an expert Champion at the Art of Boxσ ing; and therefore gave a Country Fellow Half a Crown to box with him. The Countryman took "his Money and beat him foundly. His Father, ftanding by, faid, Son Ambrofe, give him the o "ther Half a Crown; he hath not beat thee half "enough. Now the Doctor did me the Honour to fend me the Book I have now anfwered; and if he hath not yet enough, let him fend me fuch another, and it fhall, by God's Affiftance, be as fully anfwered and confuted by

46

His Friend and Servant,

DANIEL WHITBY.

If the Learned Dr. Edwards thinks fit to answer this Challenge, and to publifh a Reply adorned with fuch a harmless Tale; I fhall not fail to give an Ac count of it, and to infert the Story at length.