Z34. RÔIN AND RSCOVEitY, &C. is actually a sinner against the law of his Creator ; if sinful propensities and inclinations appear even in youngest years, and every child becomes an actual sinner almost so ,soon as it is òapable of moral or immoral actions ; we have just reason to conclude, there is some original and universal degeneracy spread over the whole race of men from their birth : For it is not to be supposed that the wisdom, equity and goodness of God would ever have produced such a world, wherein every single creature coming out of their Maker's hands in the original state of inno- cence and full power to obey, should be thus defiled by their own wilful andchosen disobedience. It has been said indeed, in opposition to this argument, that if the first man, even Adam, did fall into sin, though he was made innocent and perfect, then among a million of creatures, every one might sin, ,though he was made as innocent and as perfect as Adam, and that this is a better account of so universal an apostacy. To which I answer, There is indeed a barè possi- bility of this event : But the improbability that every creature shouldfall into sin, is in the proportion ofa million to one. And I prove it thus : If a million of creatures were made but in an equal probability to stand or fall ; and if all the numbers from one to one million inclusively, were set in a rank, it is plain that it is amillion to one that just any single proposed and determined number of all thismultitude should fall by sin : Now the total sum is one of these numbers, that is, the last of them, and conse- quently, in this way of calculation, it is a million to one against the supposition, that the whole number of men should fall. And yet further, if they were all made in a far greaterprobability of standing than falling, which the justice and goodness of God seem to require, then it is much more than a million to one, that all should sin against their Creator without exception. See therefore the weakness of this objection ; though I have read several triumphs, in a few pages, supported only by this argu- ment, which has the proportion of more than a whole million to one against it. And yet this argument will grow still ten thou- sand times stronger, if we suppose ten thousandmillions to have lived since the creation. It has been said again, if the nature of our first parents was not originally corrupt, who committed the first sin, and oc- casioned the suffering, neither is my nature originally corrupt, wbo am no ways concerned in the commission of that sin, but only am thereby subjected to suffering. I answer, But if the sin of our first parent laid him under guilt, tainted and defiled his own nature, both soul and body, and I am derived from him as my spring and head, I may be thus defiledalso, receiving a taint both in soul and body, from the first criminal, as I have shewn afterwards.
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