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fhall be America. Yet fuppofe every thing to happen as fpeedily as it is fondly imagined, and obferve the confequences.

America, under a republican government, can never be but a disjointed unwieldy ftate, which nothing but common danger can poffibly unite in one purpose. If the fugar islands be connected with them, it must be by conqueft, when they are become fuperior at fea to the European naval powers. By the maxim on which America feparated from Britain, no countries, between which feas intervene, can be incorporated together. The fugar colonies, therefore, can never hope to be allowed to partake of any particular American conftitution. They must be governed as conquefts belonging to the union. When they were first fettled, it was by Englishmen, entitled to all the pri vileges and laws of the mother country, and preferving all the rights and claims of citizens. But when fubdued by an American fquadron, they will be confidered as a despised part of an hated people. Some American rice or tobacco planter, who perhaps has the clanking of the chains of his own famished flaves ringing in his ears, will make flaming fpeeches against fugar planters. He will call them inexorable tyrants over helplels flaves. He will advife to have them treated as flaves; and he will offer himself to be the inftrument, because he is well acquainted with the mode.-When this defired change, commences in the fugar colonies, what a fine outlet will there be for all the turbulent fpirits of America in filling the departments of law, police, customs, and every civil eftablishment, not omiting the confifcations, that fagacious intereft will difcover or make. Perhaps, when too late, the indolent rule of Britain, then no more, may be an object of regret.'

Mr. Ramfay is too wife to imagine, that any project of the kind which he fuggefts fhould immediately operate on the public. The moft that can be hoped, as he obferves, is gradually to correct and inform common opinion.

But, fays he, fuppofe a ftatute enacted, that the prefent flave trade fould ceafe after a period of three or fix years, every planter would immediately fet himself seriously to stock his plantation, and to give fuch orders for the treatment of his laves, as would favour their health and population. This in the mean time would divert our flave trade from the improvement of the French colonies to that of our own: and the end of the period would find the feveral islands in a state of opulence and happiness that they never yet have experienced, and prepared for that extenfion of privileges, and unexcepting freedom, which is the scope of our argument. But in making this fuppofition, I mean not to be accountable for thofe barbarities, and outrages to humanity, that the shortest existence of the flave trade muft in the mean time neceffarily occasion.'

Our author's plan of preparing for the abolition of flavery, by introducing civilization in Africa, is a fuggeftion entirely

con

confonant to that philanthropy, fo confpicuous in the Effay which has given rife to the production now before us. At what time fuch a project fhall become the object of public attention, it is impofiible to determine. But the period, we believe, is fufficiently remote, to diffipate the alarm given the Weft India planters by the author's former propofal. His humane endeavours, however, will not prove entirely abortive, fhould they only mitigate that rigorous treatment of the flaves, which he has defcribed with fo much fenfibility, and reprobated with fuch merited indignation.

Five Differtations on the Scripture Account of the Fall; and its Confequences. By Charles Chauncy, D. D. 8vo. 45. in Boards. Dilly.

THE history of the first man, as given by Mofes in the book of Genefis, is extremely concife, and yet being one of the moft naturally interesting fubjects that could prefent itself to the curiofity of his defcendants, imagination and conjecture have perhaps gone as great lengths in filling up the outline of the facred hiftorian, as in the cafe of any hiftorical fupplement whatsoever. It is not, therefore, much to be wondered at, that the comments of fanciful or fuperftitious writers should have proved little better than idle reveries, fit only for the amufement of children. But we have the pleasure to except the prefent author from this clafs of commentators. In no part of facred hiftory does the ardour of investigation more need the affiftance of cool judgment, and a temperate fpirit of conjecture, than in this fhcrt but important ftory of our grand progenitor; and it is no more than justice to Dr. Chauncy, to acknowledge that he has displayed a confiderable share of these effential qualifications in the work now under inspection.

The fubject of the first Differtation is The one Man, Adam, in his innocent State.

Our readers may form an idea of the scope of this Differtation from our author's recapitulation.

The fum of what has been faid, under the foregoing obfervations, reprefenting the contents of the Mofaic account of the first man in his innocent ftate, to place it in one view, is this, that he was made male and female, the most excellent creature in this lower world, poffeffing the highest and nobleft rank that he was made by an "immediate exertion of almighty power, and not by God's agency, in concurrence with fecond caufes, operating according to an established course or order that he was made in " the image of God;" meaning hereby, not an actual, prefent, perfect likeness to him, either in knowlege, wifdom, holiness, or happiness, but with im

planted

planted powers, perfectly adjusted to each other, and as perfectly fitted for his gradually attaining to this likeness, in the highest measure proper to a being of his rank in the creation : that, upon being thus made, he was conftituted the "head" or "root" of the human race, from whom, as the fecondary inftrumental caufe, like effential powers with his own fhould, according to a divinely fettled order, be tranfmitted to others, and from thofe others, to others fill, throughout all generations; that is, powers inferring a capacity in nature of their being formed to a refemblace of the Deity in his moral glory, in confequence of which they would be individuals of the fame kind that he was, and distinguished from all the other creatures in fine, that being made, not perfect at once in actual knowledge or holiness, or any other intellectual or moral quality, but with implanted powers only rendering him capable of gradually, attaining to this perfection, he was placed by his Maker under a "fpecial law or rule," principally defigned as a fuitable and powerful mean to guard him against danger in his prefent unimproved ftate, and to encourage, affift, and conduct his endeavours in the ufe of his faculties, fo as that he might gradually rife to as near a likeness to God, in all intellectual and moral acquifitions, as was poffible for fuch a creature as he was, and in this way be prepared for complete and perfect happiness.

This account of the creation of the first man, and of his ftate while innocent, is that which Mofes has communicated to us, either exprefsly, or in words that naturally and fairly import this fenfe. And it is the whole we can now know about him, as it is the whole that has, in an authentic way, been ́handed down to us.'

What our author, in a former part of his Differtation, has faid in objection to the common opinion of man, in his original state, being under a covenant of works, requiring obedience to the whole moral or natural law of God, as a condition of life,' is rational and fatisfactory; but we want room to cite his arguments on this point, as well as on many others which equally deferve commendation. A fhort note, however, which he quotes from bishop Patrick, in confirmation of his fentiments on the above topic, is fo energetic and conclufive, that we cannot help giving it to our readers,

Those who afk, why was Adam's obedience tried in a merely pofitive inftance? do not confider, "that an experiment of it could fearce have been made in any of the moral precepts; which there was no occafion to violate. For what hould tempt him to idolatry, or to take God's name in vain, or to murder his wife? How was it poffible to commit adultery, when there was no body but he and the in the world? How could he fteal, or what room was there then for coveting, when God had put him in poffeffion of all things? It had been in

vain to forbid that which could not be done; and it had not been virtue to abftain from that to which there was no temptation, but from that which invited him to trangrefs.'

Differtation II. confiders the one Man Adam, in his lapfed State, with the Temptation which brought him into it.

Dr. Chauncy, after fhewing it was in the body of a ferpent that Satan, thence called the Old Serpent in other parts of Scripture, beguiled Eve, and, after mentioning fome ridicu lous descriptions, given by dreaming commentators, of the wings, the beautiful fhining appearance, and erect figure, &c. of the ferpent in Eden, defcants upon the nature of the argument which, according to Mofes, he made ufe of; but the doctor does not allow himself any of thofe eloquent paraphrafes upon it, in which the imaginations of fome authors he has alluded to, have fondly indulged themselves. He then proceeds as follows.

It will poffibly be faid here, is it a thing credible, that the all-wife good God fhould permit the entrance of fin into the world, as occafioned in the manner that has been represented, by a temptation" begun, and carried into effect, by a " ferpent," actuated by an "evil fpirit?" Can it reasonably be fuppofed, that he would, when he had created man, have fuffered the devil, before he had made any confiderable advances in knowledge and experience of the world, to "tempt" him, fo as to draw him into fin; and, in this way, bring ruin upon himfelf? Is this a fit thought to entertain of that God, who, of his mere goodness, had given him exiftence, that he might be happy in the love, fervice, and enjoyment of the original fource of all being, and of all good?

The answer is this: it is in fact true, that fin and forrow now are, and all along have been, in the world, however difficult it may be to account for their entrance. And difficult it, really is, and vaftly fo, upon the principle of "reafon," as well as "revelation." The greatest philofophers, in all ages, have found it a depth they could not fathom. The question, therefore, remains unrefolved by them to this day, wober тo xanor, "whence came evil?" It is not pretended, that the difficulty is removed by what is faid upon the matter in the facred books. It is a difficulty ftill; though not fo great an one as it was before. It is certainly leffened, and not increafed.

The difficulty, as peculiar to the Mofaic history, and as ftated in the above objection, lies in this, that fin, and ruin thereupon, fhould be occafioned by "temptation" from an "evil fpirit," and as practifed upon the first parents of men, before there had been time for their making any "confiderable improvements" in knowledge, experience, and goodness.'

After much plaufible reafoning to remove this difficulty, Dr. Chauncy allows, that the queftion of the origin of evil

7

ftill

Aill recurs in full force. The folution of it, however, not, being an object of his Differtation, he only obferves by the way, but with great propriety, that it becomes thofe to ceafe from clamouring against revelation upon thefe points, who do not find themfelves able, upon the foot of folid reason, to give a clear and fatisfactory folution of them. For it as truly belongs to them to do this, as to those who are believers in Mofes and the prophets, in Jefus Chrift and his apostles.'

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The author now comes to the fecond leading topic of this Differtation, viz. The effect that was confequent upon the. lapfe of our firft parents, both natural and judicial.'

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Dr. Chauncy's explanation of our firft parents knowing that they were naked, of their fewing fig-leaves together, and making themfelves aprons,' is ingenious, and founded on probability. He thinks the nakedness they were now thus providing againft, imports the fenfe or apprehenfion they felt upon their offence, of being expofed to the displeasure of the Almighty; and that they cafed themselves wholly in leaves, wreathed together, in hopes of efcaping from his fight. He infifts, that it was much more likely, with the limited notions they yet poffeffed of the nature of God, that they should thus hope to escape detection, (an idea fupported by what Mofes tells us of their hiding themfelves from the prefence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden) than that they fhould contrive a partial covering, merely to conceal a particular part of the body; a fuppofition which he deems unmeaning and ridiculous.

The author, in order to clear the way to his proposed confideration of the judicial confequences of the lapfe, as they respect the first man and woman, previously takes notice of the remarkable intervening words of Mofes.

"And the Lord God faid unto the ferpent, because thou haft done this, thou art curfed above all cattle, and above every beaft of the field: upon thy belly fhalt thou go, and dust shait thou eat all the days of thy life.

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"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed; it fhall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruife his heel."

The curfe and degradation of the ferpent (in the prefence of Adam and Eve), as expreffed in the former of these verses, were intended, according to Dr. Chauncy, to be a vifible example of the difpleasure of God, and to ferve as a standing memento, to put them upon their guard against being drawn afide by temptation.

The words that follow, ver. 15." And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her

feed;

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