Sect. II. S
"and fo APT to indulge them.-
And again,
p. 228. WE ARE VERY APT, in a World full
of Temptation, to be deceived, and drawn into
"Sin by bodily Appetites.". -If we are very apt
or prone to be drawn into Sin by bodily Appetites,
and finfully to indulge them, and very apt or prone
to yield to Temptation to Sin, then we are prone to
Sin; for to yield to Temptation to Sin is finful.
In the fame Page he reprefents, that on this Ac-
count, and on Account of the Confequences of
this, the Cafe of those who are under a Law,
threatening Death for every Sin, must be quite de-
plorable, if they have no Relief from the Mercy of
the Lawgiver. Which implies, that their Cafe is
hopeless, as to an Escape from Death, the Punish-
ment of Sin, by any other Means than God's
Mercy. And that implies, that there is fuch an
Aptness to yield to Temptation to Sin, that it is
hopeless that any of Mankind fhould wholly avoid
it. But he speaks of it elfewhere, over and over,
as truly impoffible, or what cannot be; as in the
Words which were cited in the laft Section, from
his Note on Rom. v. 20. where he repeatedly
fpeaks of the Law, which fubjects us to Death
for every Tranfgreffion, as what CANNOT GIVE
LIFE; and reprefents, that if God offered us no
other Way of Salvation, no Man from the Begin-
ning of the World COULD be faved. In the fame
Place he with Approbation cites Mr. Locke's
Words, in which, fpeaking of the Ifraelites, he
fays, "All Endeavours after Righteoufnefs was
"LOST LABOUR, fince any one Slip forfeited
Life, and it was IMPOSSIBLE for them to
expect ought but Death." Our Author speaks
of it as impoffible for the Law requiring finlefs
Obedience, to give Life, not that the Law was
weak in itself, but through the Weakness of our

66

Flefb.

1

Flefb. Therefore he fays, be conceives the Law not to be a Difpenfation suitable to the Infirmity of the buman Nature in its prefent State. Thefe Things amount to a full Confeffion, that the Proneness in Men to Sin, and to a Demerit of and juft Expofedness to eternal Ruin by Sin, is univerfally invincible, or, which is the fame Thing, amounts to abfolute invincible Neceffity; which furely is the highest Kind of Tendency, or Propenfity: And that not the lefs for his laying this Propenfity to our Infirmity or Weakness, which may feem to intimate fome Defect, rather than any Thing pofitive: And it is agreeable to the Sentiments of the best Divines, that all Sin originally comes from a defective or privative Caufe. But Sin does not ceafe to be Sin, or a Thing not juftly expofing to eternal Ruin (as is implied in Dr. Tr's own Words) for arifing from Infirmity or Defect; nor does an invincible Propensity to Sin ceafe to be a Propensity to fuch Demerit of eternal Ruin, because the Proneness arises from fuch a Cause.

It is manifeft, that this Tendency which has been proved, does not confift in any particular external Circumftances, that fome or many are in, peculiarly tempting or influencing their Minds; but is inherent, and is feated in that Nature which is common to all Mankind, which they carry with them wherever they go, and still remains the fame, however Circumstances may differ. For it is implied in what has been proved, and fhewn to be confeffed, that the fame Event comes to pafs in all Circumstances, that any of Mankind ever are, or can be under in the World. In God's Sight no Man living can be juftified but all are Sinners, and expofed to Condemnation. This is

true

Se&t. II.

true of Perfons of all Conftitutions, Capacities, Conditions, Manners, Opinions and Educations; in all Countries, Climates, Nations, and Ages; and through all the mighty Changes and Revolutions, which have come to pass in the habitable World.

We have the fame Evidence, that the Propenfity in this Cafe lies in the Nature of the Subject, and does not arise from any particular Circumftances, as we have in any Cafe whatfoever; which is only by the Effects appearing to be the fame in all Changes of Time and Place, and under all Varieties of Circumftances. It is in this Way. only we judge, that any Propenfities, which we obferve in Mankind, are fuch as are feated in their Nature, in all other Cafes. It is thus we judge of the mutual Propensity betwixt the Sexes, or of the Difpofitions which are exercised in any of the natural Paffions or Appetites, that they truly belong to the Nature of Man; because they are obferved in Mankind in general, through all Countries, Nations, and Ages, and in all Conditions.

If any fhould fay, Though it be evident that there is a Tendency in the State of Things to this general Event, that all Mankind fhould fail of perfect Obedience, and fhould fin, and incur a Demerit of eternal Ruin; and also that this Tendency does not lie in any diftinguishing Circumftances of any particular People, Perfon, or Age; yet it may not lie in Man's Nature, but in the general Conftitution and Frame, of this World, into which Men are born: Though the Nature of Man may be good, without any evil Propensity inherent in it; yet the Nature and univerfal State of this

earthly

earthly World may be fuch as to be full of fo many and ftrong Temptations every where, and of fuch a powerful Influence on fuch a Creature as Man, dwelling in fo infirm a Body, &c. that the Refult of the whole may be a ftrong and infallible Tendency in fuch a State of Things, to the Sin and eternal Ruin of every one of Mankind.

To this I would reply, that fuch an Evafion will not at all avail to the Purpose of those whom I oppofe in this Controverfy. It alters not the Cafe as to this Queftion, Whether Man is not a Creature that in his prefent State is depraved and ruined by Propenfities to Sin. If any Creature be of fuch a Nature that it proves evil in its proper Place, or in the Situation which God has affigned it in the Univerfe, it is of an evil Nature. That Part of the Syftem is not good, which is not good in its Place in the System; and thofe inherent Qualities of that Part of the System, which are not good, but corrupt, in that Place, are juftly looked upon as evil inherent Qualities. That Propensity is truly esteemed to belong to the Nature of any Being, or to be inherent in it, that is the neceffary Confequence of its Nature, confidered together with its proper Situation in the univerfal Syftem of Exiftence, whether that Propenfity be good or bad. It is the Nature of a Stone to be heavy; but yet, if it were placed, as it might be, at a Distance from this World, it would have no fuch Quality. But feeing a Stone is of fuch a Nature, that it will have this Quality or Tendency, in its proper Place, here in this World, where God has made it, it is properly looked upon as a Propenfity belonging to its Nature And if it be a good Propenfity here in its

proper

Sect. II. (

proper Place, then it is a good Quality of its Nature, but if it be contrariwife, it is an evil natural Quality. So, if Mankind are of fuch a Nature, that they have an univerfal effectual Tendency to Sin and Ruin in this World, where God has made and placed them, this is to be looked upon as a pernicious Tendency belonging to their Nature. There is, perhaps, fcarce any fuch Thing in Beings not independent and felf-exiftent, as any Power or Tendency, but what has fome Dependance on other Beings, which they ftand in fome Connection with, in the univerfal System of Exiftence: Propenfities are no Propensities, any otherwife, than as taken with their Objects. Thus it is with the Tendencies obferved in natural Bodies, fuch as Gravity, Magnetifm, Electricity, &c. And thus it is with the Propenfities obferved in the various Kinds of Animals; and thus it is with most of the Propenfities in created Spirits.

It may further be obferved, that it is exactly the fame Thing, as to the Controverfy concerning an Agreeablenefs with God's moral Perfections of fuch a Difpofal of Things, that Man should come into the World in a depraved ruined State, by a Propensity to Sin and Ruin; whether God has fo ordered it, that this Propensity should lie in his Nature confidered alone, or with Relation to its Situation in the Universe, and its Connection with other Parts of the System to which the Creator has united it; which is as much of God's ordering, as Man's Nature itself, moft fimply confidered.

Dr. T. (p. 188, 189.) fpeaking of the Attempt of fome to folve the Difficulty of God's being the Author of our Nature, and yet that our Nature

is