298 RUIN AND RECOVERY, &C. covenant or federal constitution, whereby they were all as it were included in one head, and he as their great moral representative acted for them all, and by his sin involved them all in one ruin : Whereas if this ruin be derived from their first parent, consi- dered merely as their natural head, the charge or imputationwill fall plainly upon the absolute and arbitrary will and sovereignty of God as Creator, who thus appointed it. And let it be ob. served, that this would be such an instance of sovereignty trio, which the posterity of this first man could never have wisely chosen nor consented to, as a thingbeneficial to them ; whereas this cannotbe said concerning the original federal constitution of the first man to be the representative of his posterity, which was eligible by the wisest creature, as well as kindly, wisely, and equitably appointed by the Creator. QUEST. VI.Man is a Creature made up of two distinct parts, Soul and Body: Now if both these were derived from the 'Parents by a natural Propagation, then all Mankind may be said to derive their vicious Appetites and Passions, and sinful Inclinations from their first Parent, which had cor- rupted and spoiled his own Nature by Sin : But since it is generally agreed, that the Body only is propagatedfront the Parents, but the Soul of every Infant is immediately formed by God himself, and united to the Infant-body, how is it possible that the Soul should be defiled withsinful Prin. ciples, and partake of vicious Inclinations, when it is only the Body that properly comes into the World by Gene- ration* 2 Answer I. As the soul of the first man by sinning against God, injured and violated the habits or principles of virtue and holiness that were in his nature, by boldly venturing to act con- trary to them; so the vicious motions, or irregular appetites of the flesh, grew stronger in him daily, and prevailed more and more against his reason and his better powers ; and these sinful ferments of animal nature, these irregularpassions and appetites tounlawful objects, or excessive appetites or inclinatisns to things that were lawful, grew so strong in this first man, that the soul frequently complied with them, and committed new sins against the laws of his Maker. II. These sinful ferments of the flesh, these irregular appe- tites, thesemotions of corrupt passion; so far as they are seated * Let it be observed here, that not the Calvinists only, who suppose the first man to be the legal representative of his posterity, are obliged to answer this question, and to solve this difficulty ; but almost every sect and party of chrro- tiens, who alloro any thing of original sin or degeneracy; are under equal oblir gatioos to remove it.
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