Sect. I.

from Rom. vii. and viii. he says,

"We are very

apt, in a World full of Temptation, to be de"ceived, and drawn into Sin by bodily Appetites, &c. And the Case of those who are under "a Law threatening Death to every Sin, must be

quite deplorable, if they have no Relief from "the Mercy of the Lawgiver." But this is very fully declared in what he fays in his Note on Rom. v. 20. p. 297. His Words are as follows: "Indeed, as a Rule of Action prefcribing our

16

Duty, it (the Law) always was, and always "must be a Rule ordained for obtaining Life; "but not as a Rule of Juftification, not as it "fubjects to Death for every Tranfgreffion. For "if it COULD in its utmoft Rigour have given us "Life, then, as the Apostle argues, it would have "been against the Promises of God. For if "there had been a Law, in the strict and rigorous "Senfe of Law, WHICH COULD HAVE “MADE US LIVE, verily Juftification fhould "have been by the Law. But he supposes, no fuch "Law was ever given: and therefore there is Need "and Room enough for the Promises of Grace; or "as he argues, Gal. ii. 21. it would have fruftra

ted, or rendered useless the Grace of God. *For if Juftification came by the Law, then "truly Chrift is dead in vain, then he died to ac

complish what was, or MIGHT HAVE BEEN "EFFECTED by Law itself without his Death. "Certainly the Law was not brought in among "the Jews to be a Rule of Juftification, or to 66 recover them out of a State of Death, and to procure Life by their finlefs Obedience to it: "For in this, as well as in another Respect, it was "WEAK; not in itself, but thro' the WEAK"NESS of our Flesh, Rom. viii. 3. The Law, I "conceive, is not a Difpenfation fuitable to the

66

66

Infirmity

દ

Infirmity of the human Nature in our present "State; or it doth not feem congruous to the "Goodness of God to afford us no other Way of "Salvation, but by LAW; WHICH IF WE " ONCE TRANSGRESS, WE ARE RUINED "FOR EVER. FOR WHO THEN, FROM "THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD, “COULD BE SAVED?" How clear and express are thefe Things, that no one of Mankind, from the Beginning of the World, can ever be justified by Law, because every one tranfgreffes it? *

ແ

ત

And here alfo we fee, Dr. T. declares, that by the Law Men are fentenced to everlasting Ruin for one Tranfgreffion. To the like Purpose he often expreffes himself. So p. 207. "The Law requireth the moft extenfive Obedience, difcovering Sin in all its Branches. It gives Sin a deadly Force, fubjecting every Tranfgreffion tơ "the Penalty of Death; and yet fupplieth neither Help nor Hope to the Sinner, but leaveth him "under the Power of Sin and Sentence of Death." In p. 213. he speaks of the Law as extending to Luft and irregular Defires, and to every Branch and Principle of Sin; and even to its latent Principles, and minuteft Branches: again (Note on Rom. vii. 6. P. 308.) to every Sin, how fmall foever. And when he speaks of the Law fubjecting every Tranfgreffion to the Penalty of Death, he means eternal Death, as he from Time to Time explains the Matter. In p. 212. he fpeaks of the Law in the

con

* I am fenfible, thefe Things are quite inconfiftent with what he fays elsewhere, of fufficient Power in all Mankind conftantly to do the whole Duty which God requires of them, without a Neceffity of breaking God's Law in any Degree. (P. 63→→→ 68. S.) But, I hope, the Reader will not think me accountable for his Inconfiftences.

Sect. I. S

condemning Power of it, as binding us in everlasting Chains. In p. 120. S. he fays, that Death which is the Wages of Sin, is the fecond Death: and this p. 78. he explains of final Perdition. In his Key, p. 107. §. 296. he says, "The Curfe of the Law "fubjected Men for every Tranfgreffion to eternal "Death." So in Note on Rom. v. 20. p. 29г. "The Law of Mofes fubjected thofe who were "under it to Death, meaning by Death eternal "Death." These are his Words.

He also fuppofes, that this Sentence of the Law, thus fubjecting Men for every, even the leaft Sin, and every minutest Branch and latent Principle of Sin, to fo dreadful a Punishment, is juft and righteous, agreeable, to Truth and the Nature of Things, or to the natural and proper Demerits of Sin. This he is very full in. Thus in p. 186. P. "It was Sin "(fays he) which fubjected us to Death by the Law, "JUSTLY threatening Sin with Death. Which "Law was given us, that Sin might appear; might "be fet forth IN ITS PROPER COLOURS; "when we faw it fubjected us to Death by a Law "PERFECTLY HOLY, JUST, and GOOD; "that Sin by the Commandment, by the Law, might "be reprefented WHAT IT REALLY IS, an "exceeding great and deadly Evil." So in Note on Rom. v. 20. p. 299. "The Law or Miniftra"tion of Death, as it fubjects to Death for every Tranfgreffion, is ftill of Ufe to fhew the NATU"RAL AND PROPER DEMERIT OF SIN." Ibid. P. 292. "The Language of the Law, Dying "thou fhalt die, is to be understood of the Deme"rit of the Tranfgreffion, that which it deferves." Ibid. p. 298. "The Law was added, faith Mr. "Locke, on the Place, because the Ifraelites, the Pofterity of Abraham, were Tranfgreffors as

66

t

C

“ well

"well as other Men, to fhew them their Sins, and "the Punishment and Death, which in STRICT

66

JUSTICE they incurred by them. And this

appears to be a true Comment on Rom. vii. 13. "Sin, by Virtue of the Law, fubjected you to "Death for this End, that Sin, working Death "in us, by that which is holy, just, and good, PER"FECTLY CONSONANT TO EVERLAST"ING TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.

66

Confequently every Sin is in ftrict Justice deferving "of Wrath and Punishment; and the Law in its Rigour was given to the Jews, to set home this "awful Truth upon their Confciences, to fhew them "the evil and pernicious NATURE of Sin; and "that being confcious they had broke the Law "of God, this might convince them of the great "Need they had of the FAVOUR of the Law"giver, and oblige them, by Faith in his GOOD"NESS, to fly to his MERCY, for Pardon and "Salvation."

If the Law be holy, juft, and good, a Conftitution perfectly agreeable to God's Holiness, Juftice, and Goodnefs; then he might have put it exactly in Execution, agreeably to all thefe his Perfections. Our Author himself fays, p. 133. S. "How that Conftitution, which establishes a Law, "the making of which is inconfiftent with the "Juftice and Goodnefs of God, and the Exe

cuting of it inconfiftent with his Holiness, can "be a righteous Conftitution, I confefs, is quite beyond my Comprehenfion."

Now the Reader is left to judge, whether it be not most plainly and fully agreeable to Dr. T-r's own Doctrine, that there never was any one Perfon from the Beginning of the World, who came

to

Sect. I. S

to act in the World as a moral Agent, and that it is not to be hoped there ever will be any, but what is a Sinner or Tranfgreffor of the Law of God; and that therefore this proves to be the Iffue and Event of Things, with Refpect to all Mankind in all Ages, that, by the natural and proper Demerit of their own Sinfulness, and in the Judgment of the Law of God, which is perfectly confonant to Truth, and exhibits Things in their true Colours, they are the proper Subjects of the Curfe of God, eternal Death, and everlafting Ruin; which must be the actual Confequence, unless the Grace or Favour of the Lawgiver interpofe, and Mercy prevail for their Pardon and Salvation. The Reader has feen alfo how agreeable this is to the Doctrine of the holy Scrip

ture.

And if fo, and what has been obferved concerning the Interpofition of divine Grace be remembered, namely, that this alters not the Nature of Things as they are in themselves, and that it does not in the leaft affect the State of the Controversy we are upon, concerning the true Nature and Tendency of the State that Mankind come into the World in, whether Grace prevents the fatal Effect or no, I fay, if thefe Things are confidered, I truft, none will deny, that the Propofition that was laid down, is fully proved, as agreeable to the Word of God, and Dr. T-r's own Words; viz. That Mankind are all naturally in fuch a State, as is attended, without Fail, with this Confequence or Iffue, that they univerfally are the Subjects of that Guilt and Sinfulnefs, which is, in Effect, their utter and eternal Ruin, being caft wholly out of the Favour of God, and fubjected to his everlasting Wrath and Curfe. SECT.

C 2