Part 6

meritorious procurer of salvation for sinners. They may seem, indeed, to acknowledge him as such, and talk of ‘eternal life as given by God through his Son.’ But all this is mere show, and can only impose on the ignorant and unwary. They dare not profess, in plain terms, that Christ has merited salvation for any; neither can they consistently allow this, while they deny original sin.” (Pages 80, 81.)

“Let not any, then, who regard their everlasting interests, entertain or even tamper with doctrines which, how plausibly soever recommended, are contrary to many express texts, nay, to the whole tenor of Scripture, and which cannot be embraced without renouncing an humble dependence on Christ, and rejecting the gospel method of salvation.” (Page 82.)

“God grant every reader of this plain treatise may not only be convinced of the truth and importance of the scripture doctrines maintained therein, but invincibly confirmed in his attachments to them, by an experimental knowledge of their happy influence on faith.; holiness, and comfort! Then shall we gladly say, We, who are made sinners by the disobedience of Adam, are made righteous by the obedience of Christ. His righteousness entitles us to a far better inheritance than that we lost in Adam. In consequence of being justified through him, we shall ‘reign in life’ with him. Unto whom, with God the Father, and the sanctifying, comforting spirit, be ascribed all praise forever!” (Page 83.)

PART 6

THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN

EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED.

“THE phrase, original sin so far as we can discover, was first used in the fourth century. The first who used it was either St. Chrysostom, or Hillary, some of whose words are these: ‘The Psalmist says, Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me. He acknowledges that he was born under original sin and the law of sin.’ Soon after Hillary’s time, St. Augustine, and other Christian writers, brought it into common use.”(Pages 2, 3.)

“The scriptural doctrine of original sin may be comprised in the following propositions: —

“I. Man was originally made righteous or holy.

“II. That original righteousness was lost by the first sin. “III. Thereby man incurred death of every kind; for, — “IV. Adam’s first sin was the sin of a public person, one whom God had appointed to represent all his descendants.

“V. Hence all these are from their birth ‘children of wrath,’ void of all righteousness, and propense to sin of all sorts.

“I add, VI. This is not only a truth agreeable to Scripture and reason, but a truth of the utmost importance, and one to which the Churches of Christ, from the beginning, have born a clear testimony.” (Page 8.)

I.

“Man was originally made righteous or holy; formed with such a principle of love and obedience to his Maker as disposed and enabled him to perform the whole of his duty with ease and pleasure. This has been proved already; and this wholly overturns Dr. Taylor’s fundamental aphorism, ‘Whatever is natural is necessary, and what is necessary is not sinful.’ For if man was originally righteous or holy, we may argue thus: It was at first natural to man to love and obey his Maker; yet it was not necessary; neither as necessary is opposed to voluntary or free; (for he both loved and obeyed freely and willingly;) nor, as necessary means unavoidable; (this is manifest by the event;) no, nor as necessary is opposed to rewardable; for had he continued to love and obey, he would have been rewarded with everlasting happiness. Therefore that assertion, ‘Whatever is natural is