Hearts of Mankind be corrupt or not, when the Things which follow have been confidered.

But for the greater Clearnefs, it may be proper here to premife one Confideration, that is of great Importance in this Controverfy, and is very much overlooked by the Oppofers of the Doctrine of Original Sin in their Difputing againft it; which is this

That is to be looked upon as the true Tendency of the natural or innate Difpofition of Man's Heart, which appears to be its Tendency, when we confider Things as they are in themselves, or in their own Nature, without the Interpofition of Divine Grace. Thus, that State of Man's Nature, that Difpofition of the Mind, is to be looked upon as evil and pernicious, which, as it is in itself, tends to extremely pernicious Confequences, and would certainly end therein, were it not that the free Mercy and Kindness of God interpofes to prevent that Iffue. It would be very ftrange if any fhould argue, that there is no evil Tendency in the Cafe, because the mere Favour and Compaffion of the Moft High may step in and oppose the Tendency, and prevent the fad Effect tended to. Particularly, if there be any Thing in the Nature of Man, whereby he has an univerfal unfailing Tendency to that moral Evil, which, according to the real Nature and true Demerit of Things, as they are in themselves, implies his utter Ruin, That must be looked upon as an evil Tendency or Propenfity; however divine Grace may interpofe, to fave him from deferved Ruin, and to over-rule Things to an Iffue contrary to that which they tend to of themselves. Grace is a fovereign Thing, exercifed according to the good Pleafure of God,

B 3

bringing

bringing Good out of Evil. The Effect of it belongs not to the Nature of Things themselves, that otherwife have an ill Tendency, any more than the Remedy belongs to the Difeafe; but is fomething altogether independent on it, introduced to oppofe the natural Tendency, and reverfe the Courfe of Things. But the Event that Things tend to, according to their own Demerit, and according to divine Juftice, That is the Event which they tend to in their own Nature; as Dr. T-r's own Words fully imply (Pref. to Par. on Rom. p. 131.) "God "alone (fays he) can declare whether he will pardon "or punish the Ungodlinefs and Unrighteousness " of Mankind, which is in ITS OWN NATURE "punishable." Nothing is more precifely according to the Truth of Things, than divine Justice: it weighs Things in an even Balance; it views and eftimates Things no otherwife than they are truly in their own Nature. Therefore undoubtedly that which implies a Tendency to Ruin, according to the Estimate of divine Justice, does indeed imply fuch a Tendency in its own Nature.

And then it must be remembered, that it is a moral Depravity we are fpeaking of; and therefore when we are confidering whether fuch Depravity do not appear by a Tendency to a bad Effect or Iffue, it is a moral Tendency to fuch an Iffue, that is the Thing to be taken into the Account. A moral Tendency or Influence is by Defert. Then may it be faid, Man's Nature or State is attended with a pernicious or deftructive Tendency, in a moral Senfe, when it tends to that which deferves Mifery and Destruction. And therefore it equally fhews the moral Depravity of the Nature of Mankind in their prefent State, whether that Nature be univerfally attended with an

effectual

Sect. I.

effectual Tendency to deftructive Vengeance actually executed, or to their deferving Mifery and Ruin, or their juft Expofedness to Destruction, however that fatal Confequence may be prevented by Grace, or whatever the actual Event be.

One Thing more is to be obferved here, viz. That the Topic mainly infifted on by the Oppofers of the Doctrine of Original Sin, is the Juftice of God; both in their Objections against the Imputation of Adam's Sin, and also against its being fo ordered, that Men should come into the World with a corrupt and ruined Nature, without having merited the Displeasure of their Creator by any perfonal Fault. But the latter is not repugnant to God's Juftice, if Men can be, and actually are, born into the World with a Tendency to Sin, and to Mifery and Ruin for their Sin, which actually will be the Confequence, unless mere Grace steps in and prevents it. If this be allowed, the Argument from Justice is given up: For it is to fuppofe, that their Liableness to Mifery and Ruin comes in a Way of Juftice; otherwise there would be no Need of the Interpofition of divine Grace to fave them; Juftice alone would be fufficient Security, if exercised, without Grace. It is all one in this Difpute about what is juft and righteous, whether Men are born in a miserable State, by a Tendency to Ruin, which actually follows, and that justly; or whether they are born in fuch a State as tends to a Defert of Ruin, which might justly follow, and would actually follow, did not Grace prevent. For the Controverfy is not, what Grace will do, but what Juftice might do.

I have been the more particular on this Head, because it enervates many of the Reasonings and B 4 Con

Conclufions by which Dr. T. makes out his Scheme; in which he argues from that State which Mankind are in by divine Grace, yea, which he himself fupposes to be by divine Grace; and yet not making any Allowance for this, he from hence draws Conclufions against what others fuppofe of the deplorable and ruined State Mankind are in by the Fall *. Some of his Arguments and Conclufions

He often fpeaks of Death and Affliction as coming on Adam's Pofterity in Confequence of his Sin; and in p. 20, 21. and many other Places, he fuppofes, that thefe Things come in Confequence of his Sin, not as a Punishment or a Calamity, but as a Benefit. But in p. 23. he fuppofes, thefe Things would be a great Calamity and Mifery, if it were not for the Refurrection; which Refurrection he there, and in the following Pages, and in many other Places, fpeaks of as being by Chrift; and often fpeaks of it as being by the Grace of God in Chrift.

P. 63, 64. Speaking of our being fubjected to Sorrow, Labour, and Death, in Confequence of Adam's Sin, he reprefents these as Evils that are reverfed and turned into Advantages, and that we are delivered from through Grace in Chrift. And p. 65, 66, 67. he fpeaks of God's thus turning Death into an Advantage through Grace in Chrift, as what vindicates the Juftice of God in bringing Death by

Adam.

P. 152, 156. It is one Thing which he alledges against this Propofition of the Affembly of Divines, That we are by Nature Bond-flaves to Satan; That God hath been providing, from the Beginning of the World to this Day, various Means and Difpenfations, to preferve and refcue Mankind from the Devil.

P. 168, 169, 170. One Thing alledged in Anfwer to that Objection againft his Doctrine, That we are in worse Circumftances than Adam, is the happy Circumstances we are under by the Provifion and Means furnished through free Grace in Chrift.

P. 228. Among other Things which he fays, in answering that Argument against his Doctrine, and brought to fhew Men have Corruption by Nature, viz. That there is a Law in our Members, bringing us into Captivity to the Law of Sin and Death, fpoken of Rom. vii. He allows, that the Cafe of thofe who are under a Law threatening Death for every Sin

(which

Se&t. I.

fions to this Effect, in order to be made good, muft depend on fuch a Suppofition as this; That God's Difpenfations of Grace, are Rectifications

or

(which Law he elsewhere fays, fhews us the natural and proper Demerit of Sin, and is perfectly confonant to everlasting Truth and Righteousness) must be quite deplorable, if they have no Relief from the Mercy of the Lawgiver.

P. 90-93. S. In Oppofition to what is fuppofed of the miferable State Mankind are brought into by Adam's Sin, one Thing he alledges, is, The noble Defigns of Love, manifefied by advancing a new and happy Difpenfation, founded on the Obedience and Righteousness of the Son of God; and that, although by Adam we are fubjected to Death, yet in this Difpenfation a Refurrection is provided; and that Adam's Pofterity are under a mild Difpenfation of Grace, &c.

P. 112. S. He vindicates God's Dealings with Adam, in placing him at firft under the Rigour of Law, Tranfgrefs and die, (which, as he expreffes it, was putting his Happiness on a Foot extremely dangerous) by faying, that as God had before determined in his own Breast, fo be immediately established his Covenant upon a quite different Bottom, namely, upon Grace.

P. 122, 123. S. Against what R. R. fays, That God forfook Man when he tell, and that Mankind after Adam's Sin were born without the divine Favour, &c. he alledges among other Things, Chrift's coming to be the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World And the Riches of God's Mercy in giving the Promije of a Redeemer to deftroy the Works of the Devil That He caught his finning falling Creature in the Arms of bis

Grace.

In his Note on Rom. v. 20. p. 297, 298. he fays as follows: "The Law, I conceive, is not a Difpenfation fuitable "to the Infirmity of the human Nature in our present State;

or it doth not seem congruous to the Goodnefs of God, "to afford us no other Way of Salvation but by Law, which, "if we once tranfgrefs, we are ruined for ever. For who "then from the Beginning of the World could be faved? "And therefore it feems to me, that the Law was not ab"folutely intended to be a Rule for obtaining Life, even "to Adam in Paradife: Grace was the Difpenfation God "intended Mankind fhould be under; and therefore "Chrift was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the "World."

There are various other Paffages in this Author's Writings of the like Kind.