IV.

press command of God for its authority; although it CHAP. is so evident that by the very first act of that kind in which man went forth, he violated not only the law of nature, but God's express command!

66. It is also generally acknowledged, (as we have shown from eminent authorities,) that shame is the effect of sin, and that the sin of Adam and Eve is conveyed to their posterity by the very act of natural generation!

67. How then is it, that the fallen posterity of Adam, have under the sacred pretext of a command or ordinance of God, pretended to solemnize that which in itself is profane, and to sanctify that unclean thing, out of which they have proved to a demonstration that they can bring nothing clean?

State

68. Well therefore said Boston: “Adam confes- Four-fold 'seth his nakedness, which he could not get denied; p. 49, 50 'but not one word he says of his sins: here was the 'reason of it, he would fain have hid it if he could. 'Adam's children need not be taught this hellish policy; for before they can well speak (if they cannot 'get the fact denied) they will cunningly lisp out 'something to lessen their fault, and lay the blame upon another!"

69. Nay, so natural is this to men, that in the greatest of sins, they will lay the fault upon God 'himself-And was not this one of Adam's tricks af 'ter his fall? The man said, The woman whom thou * gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I 'did eat. He makes his apology in the first place: ' and then comes to his confession! His apology is 'long, but his confession is very short! as if he was 'afraid his meaning should have been mistaken!"

70. "The woman, says he; or that woman! as if 'he would have pointed the judge to his own work'There was but one woman then in the world; yet she is as carefully marked out in his defence, as if 'there had been ten thousand!

71. The woman whom thou gavest me! Here he 'speaks as if he had been ruined with God's gifts! · and to make the shift look the blacker, it is added to all this, Thou gavest to be with me, to stand by me

G

CHAP.

V.

6

' as a helper! as if he would have fathered an ill design upon the Lord, in giving him this gift!

72. He says not, The woman gave me, but, The woman she gave me ! emphatically, as if he had said, She even she gave me of the tree. This much for his apology: But his confession is quickly overAnd I did eat. And there is nothing here to point 'to himself, and as little to shew what he had eaten :— 'How natural is this black art to Adam's posterity? He that runs may read it."

73. So plainly have discerning men pointed out the very root and foundation of all iniquity, and proved their remarks, not only from the sacred writings, but from common observation, drawn from the most noted and universal facts.

A

CHAPTER V.

The subject continued.

FTER all that has been said concerning the root of human depravity, yet such is the deceitfulness of that lawless and corrupt nature of the serpent, which man imbibed by the fall, and such is the depth of that Mystery of Iniquity, as to claim its right of indulgence, under the covert of the original law of God! An ordinance of heaven!

2. And not only so, but whenever it is molested by God's claim to the principal seat of man's affections, it has the impertinence to question: "How could Adam violate the law of nature in knowing his wife, when she was designedly made for him, and nature had furnished them with those faculties by which they came together in that order?”

3. Those who have light and reason enough to know what the perfect law of nature requires, will not ask this question, knowing that God is not the anthor of sin, nor of that lawless instinct which gives the predominancy to the animal appetites, and which debases the dignity of man below the order of the brutes, while it is not governed by a superior law.

4. But to such as (according to what is written) know CHAP. nothing but what they know naturally, and even in those things corrupt themselves, and that under a pre- Jude 19. tended cloak of obeying God's command, the answer is plain and evident from the following natural similitudes.

5. Would it not be just and right in a wise and prudent parent, who had planted an apple tree aniong the trees of his garden, more excellent than the rest, for the express use of his children, to lay them under an entire prohibition from eating or touching that tree, until the fruit was fully ripe? And would it not be time enough for that prohibition to be taken off when the fruit was ready for use?

6. And should the children, through some disorderly influence upon their youthful appetites, be so deceived by the appearance of the blossoms or green fruit, as to pluck and eat them, would not this be an express violation of the law of nature in that case, as well as of the express command of their parent?

7. Here then would be the deceitfulness of the transgression, in corrupting their blood, and continually abusing the tree and themselves, under the pretence that their father gave it to them, and neither suffering their tree to bring forth ripe fruit, nor themselves to enjoy that benefit from it which their father intended.

8. The smallest capacity may apply this to the original and present state of Man. The law of nature established in the creation of man, could not be inferior to the law established in the tree yielding fruit, whose seed is in itself; and being regulated by the times and seasons of God's appointment, must bring forth fruit according to that appointment.

9. Thus in the creation of man, his seed was in himself by the very law of his existence. And had his conduct been regulated according to God's appointment, he would have propagated his own species agreeable to the perfect will of the Creator, and also according to the perfect law of nature, in the times and seasons which he appointed.

10. Therefore, by the very existence of the laws of creation, Adam and Eve were forbidden to come

V.

CHAP. to the knowledge of generation, until the time appointed by the Creator. But as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, and were influenced by the serpent to counteract his laws; hence they were unseasonably led into the knowledge of generation by the devil, instead of being led or directed by the law of God.

11. And hence all the motions and actions of man in the works of nature, are corrupt, and contrary to the pure law of the Creator; yet deceitfully covered under the pretence of fulfilling the original law of nature; or more deceitfully and shamefully cloaked under the plausible, but hypocritical pretence of obeying the original commands of God, so basely violated.

12. Again, take the following similitude. In the year 1802, the convention of the state of Ohio formed a constitution, in which is the following sentence. “But no alteration of this constitution shall ever take Sec. 5. place, so as to introduce slavery or involuntary ser'vitude into this state."

Art. VII.

13. Then in consequence of this article, the citizens of Ohio are forever secured in the possession of their rights of liberty and freedom.

14. But should a foreign slave-holder infuse his principles into the governor of Ohio, and he should publish his sentiments in favour of slavery, must he not, upon the very principles of the constitution, be deposed from his office? And should he himself be determined to hold slaves, must he not go entirely out of the state? And when he is out of the state, can he have any thing more to do with the constitution or laws of Ohio? or they with him?

15. The case is plain to a demonstration: and although he may do many things which appear like what the laws of Ohio enjoin, yet, while he holds slaves, and lives in a slave country, these laws can have no influence upon him, because he is not under their jurisdiction.

16. And should he even take a copy of the laws with him into a slave country, yet he could not enjoy the common privileges of a citizen of Ohio, for the Art.VIII constitution expressly declares that, "There shall be Sec. 2. neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in this

'state." And he is neither in the state of Ohio, nor subject to its laws.

ibil.

17. Again, it is declared by the same constitution, "That all men have a natural and indefeasible 'right to worship Almighty God, according to the 'dictates of conscience; that no human authority can, s. 3. in any case whatever, control or interfere with the 'rights of conscience-and that no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious society or mode of worship."

18. Here again, the word ever, forever secures to the citizens of Ohio, free liberty of conscience in › matters of religion.

19. But should any society remove out of the bounds of the state, and form a new settlement, where they could establish their religion by law, and institute the most cruel modes of persecution; could they claim any relation to the laws of Ohio, because they had once lived in that state, and removed out of it? The deceitfulness of such a pretence would be at once manifest.

20. Then what higher pretence can fallen man have to the original constitution and commands of God which he was under before his disobedience? Did he not violate them, and become guilty of the highest impiety?

21. Nay, more, was he not condemned as a traitor? Yea verily, and actually banished from any right to the tree of life. As it is written, Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden So he drove out the man. And another was appointed in his stead, who faithfully kept all his Father's commandments-every one of them!

22. But now fallen man, being banished from his native soil, might take with him a copy of a basely violated law, together with a corrupt and deceitful spirit of the serpent whom he had obeyed. And in that same corrupt and deceitful spirit he might now go forth and be fruitful, under pretence of obeying the command of God, given in his state of innocence; and at the same time, fill the earth with corruption and violence! Blood crying unto blood! while the

Gen.
Heb.i.2.

23, 24.

John viii. 55, XV.10.