of the Univerfe, and Head over all Things to the Church. Children are apt to follow the Example of their Parents: This is the Example of the Author of our Being, and one who is in a peculiar and extraordinary Manner our Father, as he is the Author of our holy and happy Being; befides his being the Creator of the World, and everlasting Father of the Universe. Men are very apt to follow the Example of their Friends: The Example of Chrift is of one that is infinitely our greatest Friend, standing in the moft endearing Relations of our Brother, Redeemer, fpiritual Head and Hufband; whofe Grace and Love expreffed to us, tranfcends all other Love and Friendship, as much as Heaven is higher than the Earth. And then the Virtues and Acts of his Example were exhibited to us in the most endearing and engaging Circumftances that can poffibly be conceived of; His Obedience and Submiffion to God, his Humility, Meeknefs, Patience, Charity, Self-Denial, &c. being exercised and expreffed in a Work of infinite Grace, Love, Condefcenfion, and Beneficence to us and had all their higheft Expreffions in his laying down his Life for us, and meekly, patiently, and chearfully undergoing fuch extreme and unutterable Suffering, for our eternal Salvation. Men are peculiarly apt to follow the Example of fuch as they have great Benefits from: But it is utterly impoffible to conceive of greater Benefits, that we could have by the Virtues of any Perfon, than we have by the virtuous Acts of Chrift; who depend upon being thereby faved from eternal Destruction, and brought to inconceivable immortal Glory at God's right Hand. Surely if it were not for an extreme Corruption of the Heart of Men, fuch an Example would have that ftrong Influence on the Heart, that would as it were

fwallow

fwallow up the Power of all the evil and hateful Examples of a Generation of Vipers.

3. The Influence of bad Example, without Corruption of Nature, will not account for Children's univerfally committing Sin as foon as capable of it; which, I think, is a Fact that has been made evident by the Scripture. It will not account for this, in the Children of eminently pious Parents; the first Examples, that are fet in their View, being very good; which, as has been obferved, was especially the Cafe of many Children in Christian Families in the Apostles Days, when the Apostle John fuppofes that every individual Perfon had Sin to repent of, and confefs to God.

4. What Dr. T. fuppofes to have been Fact, with refpect to a great Part of Mankind, cannot confiftently be accounted for from the Influence of bad Example, viz. the State of the Heathen World, which he fuppofes, confidered as a col lective Body, was helpless, dead in Sin, and unable to recover itself. Not evil Example alone, no, nor as united with evil Inftruction, can be fuppofed a fufficient Reason why every new Generation that arofe among them, fhould not be able to emerge from the Idolatry and Wickedness of their Ancestors, in any Confistence with his Scheme. The ill Example of Ancestors could have no Power to oblige them to fin, any other Way than as a strong Temptation. But Dr. T. -himself fays, p. 72. S. "To fuppofe Men's Temp*tations to be fuperiour to their Powers, will im"peach the Goodness and Juftice of God, who "appoints every Man's Trial.” And as to bad Inftructions, as was obferved before, he fuppofes

that

Sect. IX.

that they all, yea every individual Perfon, had Light fufficient to know God, and do their whole Duty. And if each one could do this for Himfelf, then surely they might all be agreed in it through the Power of Free-Will, as well as the whole World be agreed in Corruption by the fame Power.

a

Evafion IV. Some modern Oppofers of the Doctrine of Original Sin, do thus account for the general Prevalence of Wickedness, viz. that in › a Course of Nature our Senfes grow up firft, and the animal Paffions get the Start of Reafon. So Dr. Turnbull fays *, "Senfitive Objects first affect us, and inafmuch as Reafon is a Principle, "which, in the Nature of Things, must be ad"vanced to Strength and Vigour, by gradual "Cultivation, and thefe Objects are continually "affailing and foliciting us; fo, unless a very

66

happy Education prevents, our fenfitive Appe"tites must have become very ftrong, before "Reason can have Force enough to call them to "an Account, and affume Authority over them." From hence Dr. Turnbull fuppofes it comes to país, "That though fome few may, through "the Influence of virtuous Example, be faid to be "fanctified from the Womb, so liberal, so gene

66

rous, fo virtuous, fo truly noble is their Caft of "Mind; yet, generally fpeaking, the whole World lieth in fuch Wickedness, that, with "respect to the far greater Part of Mankind, "the Study of Virtue is beginning to reform, "and is a fevere Struggle against bad Habits,

66

early contracted, and deeply rooted; it is there"fore putting off an old inveterate corrupt Na

See Mor. Phil. p. 279. and Chrif. Phil p. 274. + Chrif.. Phil. p. 282, 283.

ture, and putting on a new Form and Temper; "it is moulding ourselves anew; it is a being "born again, and becoming as Children.-And "how few are there in the World who escape its "Pollutions, fo as not to be early in that Clafs, or to be among the Righteous that need no Repentance?"

Dr. Taylor, though he is not fo explicit, feems to hint at the same Thing, p. 192. "It is by flow Degrees (fays he) that Children come to the "Ufe of Understanding; the animal Paffions

་

being for fome Years the governing Part of "their Conftitution. And therefore, though they "may be froward and apt to displease us, yet "how far this is Sin in them, we are not capable "of judging. But it may fuffice to say, that it "is the Will of God that Children should have

Appetites and Paffions to regulate and restrain, "that he hath given Parents Inftructions and "Commands to difcipline and inform their "Minds, that if Parents first learned true Wif"dom for themselves, and then endeavoured "to bring up their Children in the Way of "Virtue, there would be lefs Wickedness in the "World."

Concerning thefe Things I would obferve, that fuch a Scheme is attended with the very fame Difficulties, which they that advance it would avoid by it; liable to the fame Objections, which they make against God's ordering it fo that Men fhould be brought into Being with a prevailing Propenfity to Sin. For this Scheme fuppofes, the Author of Nature has fo ordered Things, that Men fhould come into Being as moral Agents, that is, fhould first have Existence in a State and

Capacity

Sect. IX.

Capacity of moral Agency, under a prevailing Propenfity to Sin. For that Strength, which fenfitive Appetites and animal Paffions come to by their habitual Exercise, before Perfons come to the Exercife of their rational Powers, amounts to a ftrong Propenfity to Sin, when they first come to the Exercise of those rational Powers, by the Suppofition: Because this is given as a Reason why the Scale is turned for Sin among Mankind, and why, generally speaking, the whole World lies in Wickedness, and the Study of Virtue is a fevere Struggle against bad Habits, early contracted, and deeply rooted. Thefe deeply rooted Habits must imply a Tendency to Sin; otherwise they could not account for that which they are brought to account for, namely, prevailing Wickedness in the World: For that Caufe cannot account for an Effect, which is fuppofed to have no Tendency to that Effect. And this Tendency which is fuppofed, is altogether equivalent to a natural Tendency: It is as neceffary to the Subject. For it is supposed to be brought on the Perfon who is the Subject of it, when he has no Power to withstand or oppofe it: The Habit, as Dr. Turnbull fays, becoming very strong, before Reafon can have Force enough to call the Paffions to Account, or affume Authority over them. And it is fuppofed, that this Neceffity, by which Men become fubject to this Propenfity to Sin, is from the Ordering and Dif pofal of the Author of Nature; and therefore must be as much from his Hand, and as much without the Hand of the Perfon himself, as if he were first brought into Being with fuch a Propenfity. Moreover, it is fuppofed that the Effect, which the Tendency is to, is truly Wickedness. For it is alledged as a Caufe or Reafon why the whole World lies in Wickedness, and why dil