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expreffed in those Words, God fhall enlarge Japhet, and be fhall dwell in the Tents of Shem.

But that Noah's Pofterity have fuch Bleffings given them through the great Redeemer, who fufpends and removes the Curfe which came through Adam's Sin, furely is no Argument, that they originally, and as they be in their natural State, are not under the Curfe. That Men have Bleffings through Grace, is no Evidence of their being not justly expofed to the Curfe by Nature; but it ra ther argues the contrary: For if they did not deferve the Curfe, they would not depend on Grace and Redemption for the Removal of it, and for bringing them into a State of Favour with God,

Another Objection, which our Author strenuously urges against the Doctrine of Original Sin, is, That it difparages the divine Goodness in giving us our Being; which we ought to receive with Thankfulnefs, as a great Gift of God's Beneficence, and look upon as the firft, original and fundamental Fruit of the divine Liberality *

To this I answer, in the following Observations.

1. This Argument is built on the supposed Truth of a Thing in Difpute; and fo is a begging the Question. It is built on this Supposition, That we are not properly looked upon as one with our firft Father, in the State wherein God at first created him, and in his Fall from that State. If we are fo, it becomes the whole Race to acknowledge God's great Goodness to them, in the State wherein Mankind was made at first; in the happy Ff 4 State

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State they were then in, and the fair Opportunity they then had of obtaining confirmed and eternal Happiness, and to acknowledge it as an Aggravation of their Apoftafy; and to humble themfelves, that they were fo ungrateful as to rebel against their good Creator. Certainly, we may all do this with as much Reason, as (yea, much more than) the People of Ifrael in Daniel's and Nekemiah's Times, did with Thankfulness acknowledge God's great Goodness to their Fathers, many Ages before, and in their Confeffions bewailed, and took Shame to themselves for, the Sins committed by their Fathers, notwithstanding fuch great Goodnefs. See the ixth Chapter of Daniel, and ixth of Nehemiah.

2. If Dr. T. would imply in his Objection, that it doth not confift with the Goodness of God, to give Mankind Being in a State of Mifery, what ever was done before by Adam, whether he finned, or did not fin. I reply, If it be justly fo ordered, that there fhould be a Pofterity of Adam, which must be looked upon as one with him, then it is no morę contrary to God's Attribute of Goodness to give Being to his Pofterity in a State of Punishment, than to continue the Being of the fame wicked and guilty Perfon, who has made himself guilty, in a State of Punishment. The giving Being, and the continuing Being are both alike the Work of God's Power and Will, and both are alike fundamental to all Bleffings of Man's present and future Existence. And if it be faid,. It cannot be juftly fo ordered, that there fhould be a Pofterity of Adam, which should be looked upon as one with him, this is begging the Question.

3. If

3. If our Author would have us fuppofe, that it is contrary to the Attribute of Goodness, for God, in any Cafe, by an immediate Act of his Power, to cause Existence, and to caufe new Existence, which fhall be an exceeding miferable Existence, by Reason of Exposedness to eternal Ruin; then his own Scheme must be fuppofed contrary to the Attribute of God's Goodnefs: For he supposes, that God will raife Multitudes from the Dead at the last Day (which will be giving new Existence to their Bodies, and to bodily Life and Senfe) in order only to their fuffering eternal Destruction.

4. Notwithstanding we are fo finful and miferable, as we are by Nature, yet we may have great Reason to blefs God, that he has given us our Being under fo glorious a Difpenfation of Grace through Jefus Chrift; by which we have a happy Opportunity to be delivered from this Sin and Mifery, and to obtain unspeakable eternal Happinefs. And because, through our own wicked Inclinations, we are difpofed fo to neglect and abufe this Mercy, as to fail of final Benefit by it, this is no Reason why we ought not to be thankful for it, even according to our Author's own Sentiments. "What (fays He *) if the whole World lies in

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Wickedness, and few therefore fhall be faved? "Have Men no Reason to be thankful, because they are wicked and ungrateful, and abuse their Being and God's Bounty? Suppofe, our own "evil Inclinations do with-hold us," (viz. from feeking after Happiness, which under the Light of the Gofpel we are placed within the nearer and eafier Reach of]" fuppofe, the whole Chriftian "World fhould lie in Wickednefs, and but few "Chriftians fhould be faved; is it therefore certainly

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"tainly true, that we cannot reasonably thank God "for the Gofpel?" Well, and though the evil Inclinations, which hinder our feeking and obtaining Happiness by fo glorious an Advantage, are what we are born with, yet if those Inclinations are our Fault or Sin, that alters not the Cafe: and to fay, they are not our Sin, is ftill begging the Queftion. Yea, it will follow from feveral Things afferted by our Author, put together, that notwithftanding Men are born in fuch Circumftances, as that they are under a very great Improbability of ever becoming righteous, yet they may have Reason to be thankful for their Being. Thus, particularly, thofe that were born and lived among the Heathen, before Chrift came. For Dr. T. afferts, that all Men have Reafon of Thankfulness for their Being; and yet he fuppofes, that the Heathen World, taken as a collective Body, were dead in Sin, and could not deliver or help themselves, and therefore stood in Neceffity of the Chriftian Difpenfation. And not only fo, but he fuppofes, that the Chriftian World is now at length brought to the like deplorable and helplefs Circumftances, and needs a new Difpenfation for its Relief; as I obferved before. According to thefe Things, the World in general, not only formerly, but even at this Day, are dead in Sin, and helpless as to their Salvation; and therefore the Generality of them that are born into it, are much more likely to perish, than otherwife, till the new Difpenfation comes; And yet he fuppofes, we all have Reafon to be thankful for our Being. Yea, further ftill, I think, according to our Author's Doctrine, Men may have great Reason to be thankful to God for bringing them into a State, which yet, as the Cafe is, is attended with Mifery, as its certain Confequence, As, with Refpect to God's raifing the Wicked to Life, at

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the last Day; which, he fuppofes, is in itself a great Benefit, procured by Christ, and the wonderful Grace of God through him: And if it be the Fruit of God's wonderful Grace, furely Men ought to be thankful for that Grace, and praise God for it. Our Doctrine of Original Sin, therefore, no more difparages God's Goodness in Man's Formation in the Womb, than his Doctrine difparages God's Goodness in their Refurrection from the Grave.

Another Argument, which Dr. T. makes Ufe of, against the Doctrine of Original Sin, is what the Scripture reveals of the Process of the Day of Judg ment, which reprefents the Judge as dealing with Men fingly and feparately, rendering to every Man according to his Deeds, and according to the Im→ provement he has made of the particular Powers and Talents God has given him perfonally *.

But this Objection will vanifh, if we confider what is the End or Defign of that publick Judgment. Now this will not be, that God may find out what Men are, or what Punishment or Reward is proper for them, or in order to the paffing á right Judgment of thefe Things within himself, which is the End of human Trials; but it is to manifeft what Men are, to their own Confciences, and to the World. As the Day of Judgment is called the Day of the REVELATION of the righteous Judgment of God; in order to this, God will make Ufe of Evidences, or Proofs. But the proper Evidences of the Wickedness of Men's Hearts (the true Seat of all Wickednefs) both as tó Corruption of Nature, and additional Pollution and Guilt, are Men's Works.

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