under) and the Bounds of their Habitation, in order to display his Goodness, Power, and Wifdom, and to give them all proper Advantages for learning the Knowledge and Obedience of God, and for obtaining his Bleffing.

Now, were this Text brought to prove, that, notwithstanding national Differences, all Men are of one Species, endowed with the fame Faculties, furnished with Objects fufficient for feeking God, and under a Poffibility of procuring his Favour, it might pafs for a good and juft Proof: But if it is defigned to prove, that the Covenant was fo made with Adam as a public Perfon, not only for himself, but for his Pofterity; that he finning, they also fhould fin in him; I muft leave it to every Man to make out as he can; and fhall only declare, for my own Part, I fee nothing in the Text that intimateth any fuch thing.

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PROP.-All mankind finned in him, and fell with him in that firft tranfgreffion.

SENSE. When Adam finned by eating the forbidden Fruit, all his Pofterity both finned in him, and also became liable with him to the Penalty, or Suffering, which God had threatened,

PROOFS

PROOFS. Gen. ii. 16, 17. And the Lord commanded the man, faying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayeft freely eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt furely die. Compared with Rom. v. from ver. 12, to ver, 20. Wherefore as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin, and fo death palled upon all men, for that all have finned. Ver. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even fo-Ver. 19. For as by one man's difobedience, many were made finners: fo by the obedience, &c.-And with 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22. For fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive.

I

THE Threatening, Gen. ii. 16, 17. Thou fbalt furely die, is addreffed to Adam perfonally. And therefore the Affembly of Divines, fenfible that nothing can be concluded from thence with regard to Adam's Pofterity, direct us to gather the full Senfe of it from Rom. v. 12 20. and 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22. But from those Paffages we cannot gather, that all mankind finned in Adam: (if we understand finning as diftinguished from fuffering; and fo the Affembly of Divines here understand it.) For the Apoftle ftrongly argues, That it was

the

the Offence of ONE, i. e. of Adam alone, confidered apart from all other Men, which brought Death into the World. Confequently to fay all mankind finned in Adam, is not only to fay what the Apoftle doth not say; but to fay what he exprefsly contradicts. For had all mankind finned in Adam when he finned, then that Offence would not have been the Offence of ONE, but of MILLIONS.

NEVERTHELESS, though it cannot be true that all Mankind finned in Adam, if we understand finning as diftinguished from fuffering; yet it must be true, that Adam's Pofterity fo fell with him in his firft Tranfgreffion, that if the Threatening had been immediately executed, he would have had no Pofterity, So far the poffible Existence of Adam's Pofterity did certainly fall under the Threatening of the Law, and into the Hands of the Judge, to be disposed of as he should think fit. And this may very well be taken for the Ground of the Judgment to Condemnation coming upon all Men. Only remember we cannot from thofe Paffages in the Epiftles conclude, that Mankind, by Adam's Offence, were fubjected to any other Evil, befides that Death which all Men die when they leave this World, and from which all Men fhall be releafed at the Refurrection; as I have before fhewn at large.

PROP.

PROP. The Fall brought Mankind into an Eftate of Sin and Mifery.

SENSE. The Fall, which happened to Adam by his tranfgreffing the Law of God, reduced not only himself, but all that should hereafter proceed from him, into a State of Sin, and Suffering.

PROOFS. Rom. v. 12. This, I think, is already fufficiently explained.

ROM. iii. 23. For all have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God.

1. HERE is not the leaft Mention or Intimation of Adam, or any ill Effects of his Sin upon us.

2. THE Apostle fpeaks of the then State of the World with regard to both Jews and Gentiles, as he had defcribed it in the first and second Chapters of this Epistle; where he proves that Men of all Nations had corrupted themselves, were expofed to the Wrath of God, and therefore ftood in need of Gofpel Grace for their Salvation. This will appear to any one who readeth those three Chapters carefully, beginning at Chap. i. ver. 16. And that the Apostle here refers to the large Account, which he had before given, of the

Corrup

Corruption both of Jews and Gentiles is evident from ver. 9. of this Chapter; Are we (Jews) better than they (Gentiles?) no, in no wife: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under Sin. And then he proveth it again upon the Jews (for the Difficulty was to convince them) by Quotations out of their own authentic Writings; and concludeth (ver. 20.) that as all Nations had corrupted themselves, and were become guilty before God, they could not be justified by the Deeds of the Law; but, ver. 21, 22. must be faved by the Grace of God, the Lawgiver; and that this Grace extended to all, both Jews and Gentiles;unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference. Ver. 23. For all, Jeres as well as Gentiles, have finned, and come fhort of the Glory, the Knowledge, Worship and Obedience, of God, by which he is glorified amongst Men. No reasonable Perfon can doubt but that the Apoftle here refers to what he had proved before in the first and fecond Chapters, That Jews and Gentiles all are under Sin. Which he proves, not from their being defcended from Adam, or having any Share in his Sin and Guilt; not from their being brought into a State of Sin and Mifery by the Fall; but he proves it by an Enumeration of particular, perfonal Acts of Wickedness, whereby Men of all Nations had blinded, debauched and corrupted themselves. This, I think, must H

be