iii 21. that God would have efteemed it needless to give his Son to die for Men, unless there had been a prior Impoffibility of their having Righteoufness by Law; and that, if there had been a Law which COULD have given Life, this other Way by the Death of Chrift would not have been provided. And this appears to be agreeable to our Author's own Senfe of Things, by his Words which have been cited, wherein he fays, "It would "have FRUSTRATED or rendered USELESS "the Grace of God, if Chrift died to accomplish "what was or MIGHT HAVE BEEN effected "by Law itself, without his Death."

V. It will follow on Dr. Tr's Scheme, not only that Chrift's Redemption is needless for the faving from Sin, or its Confequences, but also that it does no Good that Way, has no Tendency to any Diminution of Sin in the World. For as to any Infufion of Virtue or Holinefs into the Heart, by divine Power through Chrift or his Redemption, it is altogether inconfiftent with this Author's Notions. With him, inwrought Virtue, if there were any fuch Thing, would be no Virtue; not being the Effect of our own Will, Choice, and Défign, but only of a fovereign Act of God's Power*, And therefore, all that Chrift does to increafe Virtue, is only increafing our Talents, our Light, Advan tages, Means and Motives; as he often explains the Matter. But Sin is not at all diminished. For he fays, Our Duty must be meafured by our Talents; as, a Child that has lefs Talents, has lefs Duty; and therefore must be no more expofed to commit Sin, than he that has greater Talents; because

See p. 180, 245, 350. merable other Places.

t In p. 44, 50, and innu,

because he that has greater Talents, has more Duty required, in exact Proportion*. If fo, he that has but one Talent, has as much Advantage to perform that one Degree of Duty which is required of him, as he that has five Talents, to perform his five Degrees of Duty, and is no more expofed to fail of it. And that Man's Guilt, who fins against greater Advantages, Means, and Motives, is greater in Proportion to his Talents +. And therefore it will follow, on Dr. T-r's Principles, that Men ftand no better Chance, have no more eligible or valuable Probability of Freedom from Sin and Punishment, or of contracting but little Guilt, or of performing required Duty, with the great Advantages and Talents implied in Chrift's Redemption, than without them; when all Things are computed, and put into the Balances together, the Numbers, Degrees, and Aggravations of Sin expofed to, Degrees of Duty required, &c. So that Men have no Redemption from Sin, and no new Means of performing Duty, that are valuable or worth any Thing at all. And thus the great Redemption by Chrift in every Respect comes to Nothing, with regard both to Infants and adult Perfons.

CHAP

See page 234. 61, 64-70. S. † See Paraph. on

Rom. ii. 9. alfo on ver. 12.

CHAP. II.

The Evidence of the Doctrine of Original Sin from what the Scripture teaches of the Application of Redemption.

HE Truth of the Doctrine of Original Sin is

TH

very clearly manifeft from what the Scrip ture fays of that Change of State, which it repre fents as neceffary to an actual Intereft in the piritual and eternal Bleffings of the Redeemer's Kingdom.

In order to this, it fpeaks of it as abfolutely neceffary for every one, that he be regenerated, or born again. John iii. 3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a Man yevunen avwer, be begotten again, or born again, be cannot fee the Kingdom of God. Dr. T. though he will not allow that this fignifies any Change from a State of natural Propenfity to Sin, yet fuppofes that the new Birth here fpoken of means a Man's being brought to a divine Life, in a right Ufe and Application of the natural Powers, in a Life of true Holiness*: And that it is the Attainment of thofe Habits of Virtue and Religion, which gives us the real Character of true Chriftians, and the Children of God; and that it is putting on the new Nature of right Action ‡.

But in order to proceed in the most fure and fafe Manner, in our Understanding what is meant in Scripture by being born again, and fo in the Inferences we draw from what is faid of the Neceffity of it, let us compare Scripture with Scripture,

• Page 144.

+ Page 246, 248. ↑ Page 251.

ture, and confider what other Terms or Phrases are used in other Places, where Refpect is evidently had to the fame Change. And here I would ob ferve the following Things.

I. If we compare one Scripture with another, it will be fufficiently manifeft, that by Regeneration, or being begotten, or born again, the fame Change in the State of the Mind is fignified with that which the Scripture fpeaks of as effected in true REPENTANCE and CONVERSION. I put Repentance and Converfion together, because the Scripture puts them together, Ats iii. 19. and because they plainly fignify much the fame Thing. The Word, MεTavola, (Repentance) fignifies a Change of the Mind, as the Word, Converfion, means a Change or Turning from Sin to God. And that this is the fame Change with that which is called Regeneration (excepting that this latter Term efpecially fignifies the Change, as the Mind is paffive in it) the following Things do fhew.

In the Change which the Mind paffes under in Repentance and Converfion, is attained that Character of true Chriftians, which is neceffary to the eternal Privileges of fuch, Acts iii. 19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your Sins may be blotted out, when the Times of Refreshing shall come from the Prefence of the Lord. And fo it is with Regeneration; as is evident from what Christ fays to Nicodemus, and as is allowed by Dr. T.

The Change the Mind paffes under in Repentance and Converfion, is that in which faving Faith is attained. Mark i. 15. The Kingdom of God is at Hand, repent ye, and believe the Gospel. And fo it is with a being born again, or born of God; as appears

appears by John i. 12, 13. But as many as received bim, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that BELIEVE on his Name, which were born not of Blood, &c. but of God.

Juft as Chrift fays concerning Converfion, Matth. xviii. 3. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, Except ye be converted and become as little Children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: So does he fay concerning being born again, in what he spake to Nicodemus.

44 By the Change Men pafs under in Converfion, they become as little Children; which appears in the Place laft cited: And fo they do by Regeneration, 1 Pet. i. at the End, and Chap. ii. at the Beginning. Being born again.-Wherefore, as newborn Babes, defire, &c. It is no Objection, that the Difciples, whom Chrift fpake to in Matth. xviii. 3. were converted already: This makes it not lefs proper for Chrift to declare the Neceffity of Converfion to them, leaving it with them to try themfelves, and to make fure their Converfion: In like Manner as he declared to them the Neceffity of Repentance, in Luke xiii. 3, 5. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewife perifh.

The Change that Men pafs under at their Repentance, is expreffed and exhibited by Baptifm. Hence it is called the Baptifm of Repentance, from Time to Tiine, Matth. iii. 11. Luke iii. 3. A&ts xiii. 24. and xix. 4. And fo is Regeneration, or being born again, expreffed by Baptifm; as is evident by fuch Representations of Regeneration as those, John ni. 5. Except a Man be born of Water, and of iii. the Spirit-Tit. iii. 5. He faved us by the Washing of Regeneration.-Many other Things might be

obferved,