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 obcying 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. Art. VII. "But no alteration of this constitution shall ever take Sec. 6.place, so as to introduce slavery or involuntary ser'vitude into this state."

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

V.

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

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, See. in any case whatever, controul 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 EdenSo 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. i.
Heb.iii.2.

23, 24.

John vii. 55, XV.10.

CHAP: beasts of the field, more orderly than he, were able V. to set him an example of times and seasons!

23. Now Cain also might claim his right to that original and pure law of nature, and obey the command of God, to multiply and replenish the earth, and at the same time, abstract one from the number, by imbruing his hands in his brother's blood!

24. So inconsistent, cruel, devilish, and supremely deceitful are the demands of lust! And yet it has been gracefully propagated under a specious pretext, by modern divines called, "An holy ordinance of God;" or concealed under the very modest covering of a fig-leaf, called, "The sin of our Nature!" 25. Again, take the following similitude. Dr. Domes Buchan observes, that "The Jews, by their laws, cine. p.27 were, in certain cases, forbid to have any manner of Phil. Ed. commerce with the diseased; and indeed to this all

tic Medi

1797.

'wise legislators ought to have a regard. In some 'countries, diseased persons have actually been forbid to marry. This is an evil of a complicated kind, ⚫ a natural deformity, and political mischief."

26. Then, admitting such a law to exist, as only permitted the healthy and firm to propagate the species, and some one, after obtaining licence by law, should fall under a mortal consumption, would he be actuated by a just regard to the law in going forth and begetting a son in his own likeness? a partaker of his consumptive blood? Surely not. He must be actu ated by some other motive than to fulfil the law.

27. Yet if he chose, he might cover his base mo tive with the licence which he had received while in a state of health, until he was actually brought into judgement, and his character made manifest, that he is not now the person to whom the licence was first given.

28. Or should his deplorable offspring keep his licence, and try to prove that the court had licensed them, by licensing their once healthy father; the deceitfulness of their pretext would still be worse. And although they might say, their licence was given according to law, and therefore what they did was lawful; yet the law could never notice them, unless to reject, and cut them off from the communion of the healthy.

V.

29. The weakest capacity may apply this case to CHAP. the fall of man, and see at once the deceitfulness of sin, and the subtle means by which, like a strong man armed, he hath kept his palace, and his goods in peace.

30. And such, verily, are the deceitful means by which SIN has been concealed in a MYSTERY, and kept the whole creation under death and bondage; servants to sin, and those secret works of darkness which are far beneath the perfect law of nature, and infinitely beneath every law and attribute that can possibly endure the light or presence of that God who is.

A CONSUMING FIRE.

31. It must be granted by all, that God formed the woman for the man, and gave her to him, and commanded them to be fruitful: at least, it was a natural law established in them by the order of creation. But how were they fruitful? Did God own that for real fruit which they brought forth?

32. The effect must be like its cause. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Their first fruit was a murderer, which proved that the cause from which he sprang, was something wholly different from the original and pure law of nature. As it is written, Cain was of that wicked one, and slew his brother: 1John hence it is certain that he was not begotten of God, nor 12. according to his will, but through the lusts of the wicked one.

6.

33. Therefore, as the first fruit was corrupt, and proved itself the fruit of a corrupt tree; hence it fol- 1 Cor. lows, beyond all contradiction, that the whole lump of the fruit which that tree brought forth ever after, was also corrupt. Flesh of flesh, foul spirit of foul spirit, and corruption of corruption, according to the established, corrupted, and perpetually violated laws of natural generation. Hence it is, that Christ tells the seed of Abraham, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do."

34. Nevertheless, the law and the commandment, which God gave to man, was in itself eternal, and although corrupted and changed, as they changed the Rom. i truth of God into a lie; yet, it could not be destroyed, 23, but still remained as a witness against the transgres

CHAP.
V.

18.

sor.

Hence it is written, The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Rom. vii. 35. It was a just, holy, and good God, that commanded man to multiply and replenish the earth. And man was also his pure offspring. Of course, the commandment was like him that gave it, and him to whom it was given, and therefore required, as the fruit, a just, holy, and good seed, and without this, the demands of that law could never be answered.

36. But when man was seduced, by the nature of the serpent in the woman, he became carnal, and sold under sin, and led captive by a law in his members, which was contrary to the original law of his mind.

37. Therefore, the commandment, which was in itself spiritual, and given to one who was pure and upright, and called for the same kind of fruit, could by no means apply to one who was fallen from his first rectitude, and whose very nature was corrupt.

38. Yet, as the law of nature stood, being in itself eternal, and the commandment was intended to stand, until the true spiritual seed should appear, it gave occasion to the greatest possible deception; as saith St. Rom. vii. Paul concerning the law of God. Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For sin, taking accasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

8, 11, 13, 22, 23.

39. Was then, that which is good made death unto me? By no means: But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

40. And thus, while the original law and commandment required upright man to be fruitful, it could only work in fallen man all manner of concupiscence.

41. And so long as he imagined, by that deceitful and corrupt nature of the serpent, that the command was to him, he was essentially deceived, and the very fruit of his pretended obedience stood as a witness to condemn him, and to prove that he was not the one