Asp. I mean what Milton celebrates, when he represents the Almighty Father thus addressing his eternal Son :

"Be thou in Adam's room

The Head of all mankind, though Adam's son.

As in him perish all men, so in thee,

As from a second root, shall be restored

As many as are restored; without thee, none."-B. iii. 1. 285.

I mean what the apostle teaches, when he calls Christ "the second man,' 1 Cor. xv. 47, and "the last Adam," 1 Cor. xv. 45. The second! the last! How? Not in a numerical sense, not in order of time, but in this respect : That as Adam was a public person, and acted in the stead of all mankind, so Christ was a public person, and acted in behalf of all his people: That, as Adam was the first general representative of this kind, Christ was the second and the last; there never was, and there never will be any other: That what they severally did, in this capacity, was not intended to terminate in themselves, but to affect as many as they respectively represented. This is St. Paul's meaning, and this is the foundation of the doctrine of imputation.

Ther. If you build it on no other foundation than your own particular sense of the apostle's words, perhaps your ground may prove sandy, and treacherous to its trust.

Asp. I build it upon mine, and I deduce it from yours, Theron. But I am far from resting the whole weight of the cause upon a single text. It is established, again and again, in this same chapter. Neither do I wonder at the prejudices which you and others may entertain against the doctrine. It lies quite out of the road of reason's researches; it is among the wonderful things of God's law. This the inspired penman foresaw, and modelled his discourse accordingly. Like some skilful engineer, who, though he makes the whole compass of his fortification strong, yet bestows peculiar and additional strength on those parts which he apprehends will be exposed to the fiercest attack; so the wise, the divinely wise apostle, has inculcated, and reinculcated this momentous point, has enforced it with all the assiduity of zeal, and confirmed it by all the energy of expression. "If, through the offence of one, many be dead-The judgment was by one to condemnation— By one man's offence, death reigned by one-By the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation," Rom. v. 15, 16, 17, 18. That there may remain no possibility of mistaking his meaning, or of eluding his argument, he adds, "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners," Rom. v. 19.

Ther. Sin, I am told by a celebrated expositor, sometimes signifies punishment. He farther informs me, that we may be said to sin in Adam, not by the imputation of his disobedience to us, but by becoming obnoxious to those sufferings which were due to his sin.

Asp. Then the apostle's reasoning will stand in this form: "Death came upon all men, for that all have sinned;" that is, Death came upon all men, because all have been punished; or, "an obnoxiousness to punishment came upon men, because all are become obnoxious to punishment." A goodly strain of argumentation for an unerring writer to use! But surely Gamaliel's pupil would disclaim, much more would Christ's ambassador scorn, such weak and unmeaning chicanery. He mentions sin and its punishment; but never hints, that they are intended to signify one and the

same thing. He all along maintains a distinction between them; represents the former as the cause of the latter. Judgment, condemnation death are owing to sin, offence, disobedience. It is by the imputation of these that we become obnoxious to those.

This account is clear, is natural, and wants no strained criticisms to support it. This account demonstrates the equity of that providential government, which executes the sentence of death even on those descendants of Adam who have not sinned in their own persons. It also illustrates the procedure of that sovereign grace, which treats as righteous, and entitles to life, even those believers in Jesus who have not obeyed in their own persons. -What says our Church? You have a great veneration for the Church of England, Theron.

Ther. I have. But, I fear, my Aspasio has neither so honourable an opinion of her worship, nor so steady an adherence to her constitution ; otherwise he would not so highly extol those ambitious and canting hypocrites, the Puritans; who were the most inveterate enemies of our excellent establishment, and would have rejoiced in its utter subversion.

Asp. As to the Puritans, you will do me the justice to acknowledge, that I speak only of their evangelical tenets, abstracted from all political principles. As to myself, your fears are friendly, but I trust they are groundless. I would only ask, Who are to be deemed the most affectionate and faithful sons of their sacred mother? Those, I presume, who most cordially embrace her doctrines, and most dutifully submit to her precepts. By this touchstone let my fidelity be tried; and, for an immediate trial, be pleased to repeat her ninth article.

Ther. I cannot say that I remember the particular words of any, though I have often read, and very much approve them all.

Asp. I wish you would commit to your memory four or five of the most distinguished. They are a valuable treasure, and contain the quintessence of the gospel.

These are the words of the ninth article: "Original sin is the fault and corruption of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam." It is the fault, says the pious Bishop Beveridge, and therefore we are guilty of it; it is the corruption also, and therefore we are defiled with it. Our homilies have recourse to no such palliatives, and qualifying interpretations, as my Theron's expositor uses. One of them affirms point blank, that “in Adam all men sinned universally." This seems to be a paraphrase on the text, whose translation you lately controverted. In what sense our great poetical divine understood the sacred writer, is apparent from the following words, which are supposed to have been spoken by Jehovah himself:

"Adam's crime

Makes guilty all his sons."

MILTON, b. iii. 1. 290.

And from another passage, where our rebellious progenitor, bewailing his aggravated misery, and the extensive malignity of his sin, declares,

For my own part, I must confess, that if the transmission of original

Especially Articles 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.

depravity be granted, I know not how the imputation of Adam's destructive apostacy can be denied. If we had no concern in the one, how could we be justly punished with the other? I say punished, for to lose the primitive integrity of our nature, and inherit a depraved disposition, is at oncea most deplorable calamity, and a most terrible punishment. Corruption transmitted, and guilt imputed, seem to be doctrines indissolubly connected. To allow the former, and reject the latter, is in my apprehension to acknowledge the effect without admitting the cause.

Ther. To make us parties in a covenant which we did not agree to, can this be equitable? To ruin us for a crime which we never committed, can this be merciful? Surely this is a flagrant injustice, never to be ascribed to the all-gracious God; a diabolical barbarity, add some, never to be mentioned without the utmost detestation.

Asp. I see no cause for such a tragical outcry of barbarity, nor indeed for any complaint of injustice. Not to insist upon the sovereignty of an all-creating God, and his unquestionable right to "do what he will with his own," Matt. xx. 15 I would only ask, Did he not condescend to transact with man, not on the foot of absolute uncontrollable authority, but in the honourable and delightful way of a covenant? Were not the terms of this covenant perfectly easy, and wonderfully gracious? Wonderfully gracious; for they proposed a state of inconceivable and everlasting felicity to creatures who were entitled to no happiness, Luke x. 28; had not the least claim to any good; no, not so much as to the privilege of existence. Perfectly easy; for what was the condition on man's part? Not any rigorous act of duty, nor severe course of self-denial, but the free enjoyment of millions of blessings and pleasures, with only the prohibition of one pernicious indulgence. Here, then, is made on one hand, a promise of the most glorious reward that God himself could give; and nothing required on the other, but the smallest expression of allegiance that man himself could wish. And is this injustice? is this barbarity?

Ther. All this was equitable enough with regard to Adam; but why should we be condemned for his violation of the covenant? Or how was such a constitution of things gracious with respect to us?

66

Asp. Why condemned?" Because we should have been partakers of the benefit and the glory, if he had persevered in his duty. To this, I presume, none would object. And if they would not to the one, they ought not to the other.

You ask farther, "How was such a constitution of things gracious with respect to us?" I answer, Because it was the most likely means to secure the happiness of us and all mankind. Was not Adam, of all persons, by far the best qualified to act as a general head? He had a perfection of knowledge, to discern his true interest; a perfection of holiness, to capacitate him for obedience; and a perfection of happiness, disposing him to perseverance. As none could have more eminent qualifications, none could have so many obligations. His own welfare, both bodily and spiritual, was at stake; the eternal interests of his rising family, and of his remotest posterity, were depending; the lives, the souls, the everlasting all of the whole human race, were embarked on the single bottom of his fidelity. Therefore the felicity of every individual that should spring from his loins, was a fresh motive to vigilance, an additional engagement to duty. As his love

to his offspring was more refined, more exalted, more godlike than ours, all 77 these considerations and inducements must operate upon him in their fullest scope, and with the strongest energy. keep out disobedience, and ward off ruin! An intrenchment deep as hell, What an intrenchment was here to high as heaven, wide as the whole extent of the human species. Here, then, I may venture to throw the gauntlet, and challenge the whole world. Let the most penetrating mind devise a scheme, so wisely and graciously calculated to ascertain the success of a probationary state. practicable, then must every mouth be stopped; no tongue can have the If this be imleast reason to complain: I, for my part, shall think myself obliged to admire the benignity of my Creator's conduct; and God may justly demand of all intelligent creatures, "What could have been done more" for the preservation and felicity of mankind, "that I have not done?" Isa. v. 4.

Especially when to all this we add, that the same Almighty Being, who appointed Adam to be our representative in the first covenant, without asking our actual consent, appointed also Christ to be our representative in the second covenant, without staying for our actual solicitation. When we take this into the account, there remains not the least shadow of injustice; but goodness, transcendent goodness, shines forth with the brightest lustre.

Ther. Goodness, Aspasio! This is surprising indeed! Why, if Adam's transgression be laid to our charge, we are damnable creatures the very moment we exist; and are liable to the torments of hell, even on account of his disobedience. To term this goodness, is the greatest of paradoxes! to affirm it of the Deity, is little less than blasphemy!

Asp. Let us be calm, my dear friend, and consider the case impartially. If it is not a real truth, I shall be as willing to relinquish it as yourself.

Is not death, eternal death, the wages of every sin? And if of every sin, then doubtless of original, which is the fountain from whence all the streams of actual iniquity flow, or rather the abyss from whence all the torrents pour. That which could not be pardoned but by the humiliation and agonies of God's adorable Son, may reasonably be supposed to deserve the most dreadful vengeance. And it is affirmed, by an authority which you will not dispute, that, "for original as well as actual sin, the offering of Christ is a propitiation and satisfaction *.”

Does not St. Paul deliver it as a maxim in divinity, That, "by the offence of one," Adam he undoubtedly means, "judgment came upon all men to condemnation?" Rom. v. 18. The import of the words, together with

the connexion of the passage, lead us to understand this of a condemnation to eternal misery. The import of the words; for they are doubled†, to make them peculiarly strong in their signification; and each word, within the compass of this very epistle, is used in that awful latitude of meaning, Rom. ii. 3'; iii. 8; viii. 1. The connexion of the passage; because it stands opposed to that justification which is unto life. This, we are sure, includes the idea of an everlasting duration. And why should its tremendous counterpart be less extensive?

This sense is evidently patronised, and this doctrine most peremptorily asserted, by our established church. What says the book of Homilies, when

Article XXXI.

+ Κριμα εις το κατακριμα.

treating of the miseries consequent upon the fall? "This so great and miserable a plague, if it had only rested on Adam, who first offended, it had been much easier, and might the better have been borne. But it fell not only on him, but also on his posterity and children for ever; so that the whole brood of Adam's race should sustain the self-same fall and punishment, which their forefather by his offence most justly had deserved*." Lest any should misapprehend the design of our reformers, and suppose the punishment to consist only of some bodily suffering or the loss of immortality, it is added in the same alarming discourse, "Neither Adam, nor any of his, had any right or interest at all in the kingdom of heaven; but were become plain reprobates and cast-aways, being perpetually damned to the everlasting pains of hell."

Lest you should imagine this might be written under a sally of hasty zeal, or that it is to be reckoned among the doating opinions of a credulous antiquity, let me remind my friend, that it is ingrafted into the Articles: those articles, which were approved by the archbishops and bishops of both provinces, were ratified by the general consent of the clergy, and are to this day the national standard of our belief. The ninth article, beginning with a description of our depraved nature, subjoins an account of its proper desert: "In every person born into the world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation."

Ther. How miserable then is man!

Asp. In himself he is miserable beyond expression. But a conviction of this misery is the beginning of all happiness. The valley of Achor is a door of hope*.

Ther. Explain yourself, Aspasio. You seem to deal very much in the incomprehensible.

Asp. Such a conviction would demonstrate the absolute insufficiency of all human attainments, and all human endeavours, to procure life and salvation. For in case we could perform every jot and tittle of the divine law, offend in no instance, fall short in no degree, persevere to the very end; yet this would be no more than our present bounden duty. Not the least pittance of merit could arise from all this. Much less could this be sufficient to expiate the original guilt, or remove the dreadful entail of primitive all-destroying sin.

This, therefore, would most effectually preclude every false confidence, and sweep away at one stroke every "refuge of lies," Isa. xxviii. 17. It would lay us under an immediate, indispensable, and happy necessity of betaking ourselves to Christ. I say happy necessity; because then we should know, by experience, what each part of our Lord's awful yet tender declaration meaneth: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help," Hos. xiii. 9. We should then find, that as sin and misery hath abounded through the first Adam, mercy and grace have much more abounded through the second. For, if we were ruined by a crime which we committed not, we are recovered by a righteousness which we performed not; a righteousness infinitely surpassing whatever we could have acquired, even though our nature had been transmitted to us free from any depravity, and exempt from all guilt.

• Homily on the Nativity of Christ.

Hos. ii. 15. Achor signifies trouble.