expressed in those Words, God shall enlarge Japhet, and be shall dwell in the Tents of Shem.

But that Noah's Posterity have such Blessings given them through the great Redeemer, who fufpends and removes the Curse 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 Curse. That Men have Blessings through Grace, is no Evidence of their being not justly exposed to the Curse by Nature, but it rather argues the contrary: For if they did not deserve the Curse, 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 disparages the divine Goodness in giving us our Being; which we ought to receive with Thankfulness, as a great Gift of God's Beneficence, and look upon as the first, 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 Dispute, and so is a begging the Question. It is built on this Supposition, That we are not properly looked upon as one with our first 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 State

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* Page 256, 257, 260. 71-74. S.

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 Apostasy; and to humble themselves, 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 Nekemiab's Times, did with Thankfulness acknowledge God's great Goodness to their Fathers, many Ages before, and in their Confessions bewailed, and took Shame to themselves for, the Sins committed by their Fathers, notwithstanding such great Goodness. See the ixth Chapter of Daniel, and ixth of Nehemiah.

2. If Dr. T. would imply in his Objection, that it doth not confist with the Goodness of God, to give Mankind Being in a State of Misery, what ever was done before by Adam, whether he finned, or did not fin. I reply, If it be justly fo ordered, that there should be a Posterity of Adam, which must be looked upon as one with him, then it is no more contrary to God's Attribute of Goodness to give Being to his Posterity in a State of Punishment, than to continue the Being of the same wicked and guilty Person, 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 Blessings of Man's present and future Existence. And if it be faid, It cannot be justly so ordered, that there should be a Posterity 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 suppose, 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 cause new Existence, which shall be an exceeding miferable Existence, by Reason of Exposedness to eternal Ruin; then bis own Scheme must be supposed contrary to the Attribute of God's Goodness: For he supposes, that God will raise Multitudes from the Dead at the last Day (which will be giving new Existence to their Bodies, and to bodily Life and Sense) in order only to their fuffering eternal Destruction.

4. Notwithstanding we are so sinful and miserable, as we are by Nature, yet we may have great Reason to bless God, that he has given us our Being under so glorious a Difpenfation of Grace through Jesus Christ; by which we have a happy Opportunity to be delivered from this Sin and Mifery, and to obtain unspeakable eternal Happiness. And because, through our own wicked Inclinations, we are disposed so to neglect and abuse 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 (says He *) if the whole World lies in "Wickedness, and few therefore shall be saved? " Have Men no Reason to be thankful, because

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they are wicked and ungrateful, and abuse their Being and God's Bounty? Suppose, our own " evil Inclinations do with-hold us," (viz. from seeking after Happiness, which under the Light of the Gofpel we are placed within the nearer and eafier Reach of] " suppose, the whole Christian "World should lie in Wickedness, and but few " Chriftians should be saved; is it therefore cer

"tainly true, that we cannot reasonably thank God " for the Gospel?" Well, and though the evil Inclinations, which hinder our feeking and obtaining Happiness by so 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 still begging the Queftion. Yea, it will follow from several Things afferted by our Author, put together, that notwithstanding Men are born in such Circumstances, 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, those that were born and lived among the Heathen, before Chrift came. For Dr. T. afferts, that all Men have Reason of Thankfulness for their Being; and yet he supposes, 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 Christian Dispensation. And not only fo, but he supposes, that the Chriftian World is now at length brought to the like deplorable and helpless Circumstances, and needs a new Difpenfation for its Relief; as I observed before. According to these 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 Dispensation comes: And yet he supposes, we all have Reason to be thankful for our Being. Yea, further still, 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 Misery, as its certain Consequence, As, with Respect to God's raising the Wicked to Life, at the

the last Day; which, he supposes, 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 disparages God's Goodness in Man's Formation in the Womb, than bis Doctrine disparages God's Goodness in their Resurrection from the Grave.

Another Argument, which Dr. T. makes Use of, against the Doctrine of Original Sin, is what the Scripture reveals of the Process of the Day of Judgment; which represents 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 vanish, if we confider what is the End or Design 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 passing a right Judgment of these Things within himself, which is the End of human Trials; but it is to manifest what Men are, to their own Consciences, 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 Use of Evidences, or Proofs. But the proper Evidences of the Wickedness of Men's Hearts (the true Seat of all Wickedness) both as to Corruption of Nature, and additional Pollution and Guilt, are Men's Works.

The

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