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    1 £ ) 4 Decisions of'CommonSense on the Doctn / ic of Origin aL Sift .

    Untitled Article

    born they are greatly to be pitied ; but I see not how they can be blamed : they certainly cannot help the sinfulness entailed upon theih without their knowledge and consent ; they cannot be accountable for the moral evils which came into being with them ; the depravity which is as natural to

    them as it is for them to breathe can no more be their crime , nor imply culpability on their part , than any other natural infirmity , or bodily deformity , whatever ; and if the crimes they actually commit naturally arise from the depravity which was , born with

    them , and their evil actions natUi rally flow as streams from the evil fountain which was opened in their hearts without their consent , it must greatly diminish , if not totally destroy the culpability of such actions ; it seems unjust and cruel for them to be condemned and punished for that moral depravity , and its consequences ^

    which was entailed upon them without their consent previously obtained . These were the first decisions of common sense on a viewN of this doctrine . But on thinking further it occurred to me that probably this dod trine might be false , and that I ought to search further into the matter . It struck

    me that it might have been invented by men as an excuse for , or palliation of their vicious tempers arid habits : I was the rather led to suspect this , because I had observed that too many are fond of finding excuses for their un- ' Christian spirit hnd Conduct .

    On ftxtttibv examination I find the advocates * fbr this doctrine tvrW not perfectly agreed in tiieir tti 6 de of explaining it . ; Sonie say , Vhat iho gin *! t of Adam ' s sin Is imputed ¦ . - •¦• ¦ ; . ¦ v ' I .

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    to all his ,, posterity , as , well asx corrupt nature conveyed to them , and that / in consequence , of such imputation , they are , born in . a . state of condemnation , u ' , * der th , e wrath and c ^ i r ^ e of : Qpd ; i but this shocks qorampn sense ^ : Tf ^>/ sup - pose " thajt a righteous , God should j place innocent ba ^ es , wb , © never , - were eapabl § , of offending him , u , ndeivhis wrdth and $ u \ Y % gr . and that for the crime of a matp , whq Jived *

    some , thousands of years *) 3 go , , is truly horrible ,., and , § £ eips little , short of blasphemy . , Otfiers de ? iy that Ada ^ i ' s sin is : S 9 ^ mputed to * us as ; to expose us to future con * demnation * and bring- us under the wrath and curse = pi * Qod ; sxill

    they contend that we , dqriye ^ from him such a ' corrupt nature , at ourbirth , as naturally andj uniforml y ^ prodticeth those actual sips which ,, bring us into q state of QQ ^ idemnation , and un ( ler thq ; v ^ r Q . t ^ L and curse of Gpd > I c ^ -D ^ iot see how "

    this much menqs the inattqr : for . what difference docs it m ^ ke vyhe * . ther I be conden > ned for what , Adam did , or for the evil nature , and what naturally ariseth from * it , which I unavoidably derived ' from him . After the most mature

    reflection , it appears to mf ^ that . all such notions when brought to th ^ test of eonifxi on sense , must be rejected , fts contrary ^ to iustice , tb evideiit' facts ^ aiid to the plain * declai ^ atioixs of scHpiitor \ " ^ " v It is inCon ^ sls ^ Hnv iT h oi ir '^ om- » mon notions of jastice , aA < J . c ' On- , trar ^ to eV ^ ry priiicij > le of Equity , foi vjrod to'impure to men"k crime th ' ey ' nfcver eomi ^ itted , ' and" to rfccfc ' on them guiltyi ' on ^ ccoti iri t ; of k 'WnsucfiOn , in whibii tl ^ ey cdiilcf 'have h "<\ hand , a ^ it . to ' olc pl * at ? e ages before tlVe ^ oxisfbd , ' \ i nIltehly disnondurable t ^ Q oVl t *

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1808, page 194, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2391/page/22/