ESSAY I. 427 and corrupt qualities into men or plants, because his appointed order of nature, or his sovereign interposing will, does not hin- der and prevent them.? It is a very needless thing to tell us that known truth, that the course of nature separate from the agency of God, is no cause, or is nothing; for this piece of instruction in metaphysical science, abates not the force of my argument. Objection IV. The notion of deriving a sinful nature from Adam, runs foul upon this rock, that God cloth not make or cre- ate the.nature of every man who cometh into the world, because God cannot make a thing that is sinful ? 'Answer, suppose, God is constantly producing by the sun, air, and rain, the harvest of the field according to his great law of vegetation ; but if 'some person should sprinkle the seed-corn with a poisonous juice whichmight infect every grain, the seed might produce corn of a mortal quality. Now if it be asked, Did God make this har- yest of corn ? The answer is,- yes: But did he make this corn poisonous ? No, by no means. Now iu these conceptions there is no difficulty or danger of mistake. But if men have a mind to be captious, they may spend whole pages in cavilling. The plain case is this, God the Creator makes the nature of every man by his original and almighty order of creation or propaga- tion : But it was Adambrought sin into the nature; and made it. sinful. There are some other objections which have been raised against this doctrine, viz. Iforiginal sin benatural, it is unavoid- able, then it is necessary, then it cannot be culpable, BCC. But all pf this kind, with many others, are sufficiently answered, not only in the late vindication of the scripture doctrine of original sin, but in many smaller papers which Mr. Ilebden, of Suffolk, has lutely published on this occasion, as well as in many ether excellent writers ancient and modern. Yet it is evident that pone of the opposers of truth find it a more easy and a more pleasant thing to repeat with assurance what they have said themselves, than to take due notice of what their fathers, or their neighbours have answered.
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