continually, which is commonly called Original Sin, and from which do proceed all actual transgressions.

So says the Westminster Assembly's Confession. (Ch. IX.)

'Man by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.'

It is evident that in these passages, is described the present state of men, as they come into the world from the hands of their Creator. The language is stronger than that which I have used. Nobody, I suppose, can be weak enough to imagine that the circumstance, that the fall of Adam is here assigned as the cause, why men are in this state, affects the correctness of my account of the state itself as here described.

I add a few more passages. The following is from Calvin's Short Formula of a Confession of Faith.

I confesss that in original sin are comprehended blindness of mind, and perversity of heart; so that we are entirely despoiled and destitute of every thing connected with eternal life; so that even our very natural faculties are all depraved and contaminated. Whence it is that we are moved from within by no thought to do well. Wherefore I detest those who ascribe to us any freedom of will, by which we may prepare ourselves to receive the grace of God; or by which we may of ourselves cooperate with the Holy Spirit, which may be given us.'*

The next passage is from President Edwards.

'I now proceed to say; that mankind are all naturally in such a state, as is attended without fail with this consequence or issue, that they universally run themselves into that, which is, in effect, their own utter perdition, as being finally accursed by God, and the subjects of his remediless wrath through sin.'†

It is, I conceive, unnecessary to quote a larger number of passages to the present point. The next proposition which I am to prove a doctrine of Calvinism is this:

*Confiteor originis peccato. &c. Calvini Tractatus Theologici. p. 90. [The words which immediately precede the passage quoted in the text, are the following We are every one of us born infected with original sin, and from our mother's womb are under the curse of God, and a sentence of dannation-ub ipso matris utero a Deo maledicti ac damnati—and this not on account of another's sin only, but on account of the wickedness, which is within us even when it does not show itself."]

+ Edwards on Original in. Ch I. Sect. I. Works, Vol. 6. p. 137.

[I will however add a few more passages from the full storehouse of Edwards.

If by flesh and spirit, when spoken of in the New Testament, and op posed to each other in discourses on the necessary qualificatious of religion,

That in consequence of the nature which has been described as common to all men, God inflicts upon those who retain the nature with which he formed them, the most terrible punishments, that he will be their eternal enemy and infinite tormentor, that having hated them from their birth, he will continue to exercise upon them forever his unrelenting and omnipotent batred.

The expressions are sufficiently shocking. They are not quite so much so, however, as those which may be found in Calvinistic writers of the best repute. With regard to the doctrine itself, let us hear the testimony of the Westminster Divines, as given in their Larger Catechism:

"The fall brought upon mankind the loss of communion with God, his displeasure and curse, so as we are by nature children of wrath, bond slaves of Satan, and justly liable to all punishments in this world, and that which is to come.

'The punishments of sin in this world are either inward, as blindness of mind, a reprobate sense, strong delusions, hardness. of heart, horror of conscience, and vile affections; or outward, as the curse of God upon the creatures for our sakes, and

we are to understand what has been now supposed, it will not only follow that men are by nature corrupt, but wholly corrupt, without any good thing. If by flesh is meant man's nature, as he receives it in his first birth, then therein dwelleth no good thing; as appears by Rom. vii. 18. It is wholly opposite to God and to subjection to his law; as appears by Rom. viii. 7, 8. It is directly contrary to true holiness, and wholly opposes it, and holiness is opposite to that; as appears by Gal. v. 17. So long as men are in their natural state, they not only have no good thing, but it is impossible that they should have or do any good thing.' On Original Sin. Works, vol. vi. p. 322.

So that on the whole, there is sufficient reason to understand the apostle, when he speaks of the natural man in that I Cor ii. 14. as meaning man in his native corrupt state. And his words represent him as totally corrupt, wholly a stranger and enemy to true virtue or holiness, and things appertaining to it, which it appears are commonly intended in the New Testament by things spiritual, and are doubtless here meant by things of the Spirit of God. These words also represent that it is impossible man should be otherwise while in his natural state' Ibid. p. 24.

'If the scriptures represent all mankind as wicked in their first state, before they are made partakers of the benefits of Christ's redemption, then they are wicked by nature; for doubtless men's first state is their native state, or the state they come into the world in. But the scriptures do thus represent all mankind.' Ibid. p. 325.

If it be so with all mankind, that as soon as ever they are capable of reflecting and knowing their own moral state, they find themselves wicked, this proves that they are wicked by nature; either born wicked, or born with an infallible disposition to be wicked as soon as possible, if there be any difference between these, and either of them will prove men to be born exceedingly depraved.' Ibid. pp. 325, 326.]

all other evils that befall us in our bodies, names, estates, relations and employments, together with death itself.

'The punishments of sin in the world to come are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, and most grievous torments in soul and body, without intermission, in Hell-fire forever.'

To all these punishments, it is to be observed, we are justly liable for what we are by nature.

In the second book of his Institutes, Ch. II. § 8. Calvin defines original sin to be the hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature, extending to every part of the mind, which, in the first place, makes us justly liable to the wrath of God; (quæ primum facit reos iræ Dei ;) and next produces those works in us, which the Scripture calls the works of the flesh.'

Whether Calvin was likely to shrink from the doctrine which I have stated, as too horrible to make a part of his system, may be judged from the following passage; (Instit. III. 24. § 12.) where he is treating of predestination.

With regard to those whom God created for contumely in life and for eternal death, that they might be vessels of his wrath, and examples of his severity; he, in order that they may come to their appointed end, at one time, deprives them of the power of hearing his word, and at another, blinds and stupifies them the more by its preaching."*

* [Respecting the natural state of man, I will add the following passages from Calvin.

By nature, we are heirs of eternal damnation, because all the human race was cursed in Adam.' Adversus Franciscanum. Tractatus Theologici, p. 403.

'We do not say, that any new nature was transmitted to us by Adam, but that God by a just judgment pronounced a curse upon us in Adam, and determined that we on account of his sin, should be born in a state of corruption-Novam ergo naturam ab Adamo traditam esse non dicimus, sed Deum justo judicio nobis in ipso maledixisse, ac voluisse nos, ob illius peccatum, corruptos nasci.' Ibid. p. 405.

I acknowledge this to be my doctrine, that not merely by the permission of God, but by his secret counsel, Adam fell, and by his fall drew all his posterity into eternal ruin ' ********** • One fell, and all were brought under punishment; nor this alone; through the sin of one all receive contagion, and are born corrupted, and infected with a deadly taint. What, my good censor, do you say to this? Will you charge God with cruelty, because he cast down all his offspring to destruction through the fall of one man? For though Adam ruined himself and his descendants, yet we must ascribe the corruption, and the state of guilt, in man, to the secret judg ment of God; for the sin of one man would have been nothing to us, if the heavenly judge had not condemned us to eternal destruction.' Respon. ad. calumnias nebulonis. Tractt. Theol. p 634.

If any one attack us with such an inquiry as this, why God has from the beginning predestinated some men to death, who not yet being brought

It cannot be denied that it is a doctrine of Calvinism, that God by his absolute decrees determines the character and condition of men, both in this life and the next. He has determined, according to this system, from all eternity, that the reprobate should retain the nature with which they were born; that they should in consequence be sinners, and should in consequence be the eternal objects of his vengeance. He may be said therefore to have hated them, not merely from their birth, but before their birth, from eternity. I have said, that it cannot be denied, that what I have stated is a doctrine of Calvinism. I ought to correct myself. It may be denied by some anonymous scribbler without truth and without shame.*

into existence, could not deserve the sentence of death, we, by way of answer, will ask them in return. what they suppose God owes to man, if he chooses to judge him conformably to man's own nature. As we are all corrupted by sin. we must necessarily be odious to God, and that not from tyrannical cruelty, but according to the most equitable rules of justice. If all whom God predestinates to death, are in their natural condition liable to the sentence of death; of what injustice. I pray, do they complain toward themselves? Let all the sons of Adam come forward; let them contend and dispute with their creator, because by his eternal providence, they were, before their birth, adjudged to endless misery What murmur will they be able to raise against this vindication, when God on the other band shall call them to a review of themselves. If they are all taken from a corrupt mass, it is no wonder, if they all lie under a sentence of damnation. Let them not therefore accuse God of injustice, if by his eternal decree, they are destined to death, to which they feel themselves led on by their own nature, of itself, whether they will or not - ad quam [mortem] a sua ipsorum natura sponte se perduci, velint nolint, ipsi sentiunt. Institut. lib. iii. c. xxiii. § 3.

The following is the account of original sin, given by the famous Synod of Dort.

'All men are conceived in sin, and born children of wrath, without ability for any good tending to salvation, inclined to evil, dead in sins, and slaves of sin; and without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, have neither will nor power to return to God, to correct their depraved nature, or to dispose themselves to its correction.'

Acta Synodi Dordrechtanæ (fol. A.D. 1620) Pars. i. p. 256.

The following is the account in the Confession of the Belgic Churches, exhibited before that Council

We believe that by the disobedience of Adam, Original Sin was diffused through the whole race of man; which is the corruption of the whole na ture and an hereditary depravity, by which even infants are polluted in their mother's womb; and which is so vile and execrable in the sight of God, that it is sufficient for the condemnation of the human race. Ibid. p. 305.]

* [The doctrine stated in the text is the Calvinistic doctrine of God's decrees. Respecting this subject the reader may consult Calvin's Institutes, lib. i c. 16, 17, 18. but especially lib. iii. c. 21, 22, 23, 24. I will quote a few passages.

All things being at God's disposal, and the decision of salvation or death belonging to him, he orders all things by his counsel and decree in

I will next quote a few passages from President Edwards, in proof that the doctrine under consideration is a doctrine of Calvinism.

such a manner, that some men are born devoted from the womb to certain death; that his name may be glorified in their destruction. if any one should pretend, that no necessity is impose upon them by the foreknowledge of God; but rather that such is the condition under which they have been created. in consequence of his foreknowledge of their future depravity, he will say what is partly true, but not the whole truth. ***** If God merely foresaw the fates of men, and did not also dispose and fix thein by his determination, there would be room to agitate the question, whether bis foresight rendered them at all necessary. But since he foresees future events, only in consequence of his decree that they shall take place, it is useless to dispute about the proper inference from foreknowledge, while it is certain that all things come to pass by ordination and decree.' Institut. lib. iii. c. 23. § 6.

In answer to those who say that it is no where declared in express terms that God decreed Adam should perish by his defection' Calvin replies (in the next section to that just quoted.)

But predestination, whether they will or not, shows itself in his posterity. For it was not a natural consequence (neque enim factum est naturaliter) that al! men should lose salvation through the guilt of their first parent. What then prevents them from confessing that to be true in relation to one man, which they reluctantly concede in relation to all the rest of mankind? Why should they waste time in sophistical evasions? The scripture proclaims, that all men were in the person of their father given over to eternal death. As this cannot be regarded as a natural consequence (hoc quum naturæ ascribi nequeat,) it is evident that it must have been the result of the admirable counsel of God The perplexity and hesitation discovered at trifles by these pious defenders of the justice of God, and their facility in overcoming great difficulties, are truly absurd. I ask again; how has it come to pass, that the fall of Adam has involved so many nations with their infant children in eternal death, and this without remedy; but because such was the will of God? **** It is a dreadful decree 1 confess

Decretum quidem horribile fateor. Calvin was not much given to such human relentings; and the last words are on this account worth preserving as a matter of curiosity.

The reprobate,' says Calvin, would be thought excusable in sinning; because they cannot avoid the necessity of sinning, especially as this necessity is imposed upon them by the ordinance of God.'

There seems to be some little force in this plea; but it is easily disposed of by Calvin, who detects its sophistry in the following satisfactory an

swer.

But we deny this to be a just excuse; since the ordinance of God, by which they complain that they are destined to destruction, is conformable to equity, unknown indeed to us, but indubitably certain.' Ibid. § 9.

In the Westminster assembly's Larger Catechism, the doctrine of God's decrees is thus stated:

'God's decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will; whereby from all eternity, he hath for his own glory, unchangeably