On this page
-
Text (1)
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
. ^ itl ^^^^ i ^^^ ^^^^^ '' doctrine { mm aa exp laii » tioii of what Scripture z-tfmnosedLio tea ^ li , if Upon inquiry it should appear ^ together destitute of reaaoc t no impartial into mil doubt what fe the jttst &&& accessary inference . I mean to examine these propositions
in their . order * tod ^ Sincerely wish that our * Calvin&tic brethren . would fairly and candidly discuss the subject ! with us . If I ana wrong , it does not indeed follow that their interpretation of the language of Scripture must be accepted ; but if I am right , the whole of their system necessaril y falls to the ground . Sin is an infinite evil , because it is
committed against an infinite Being . But by whom is it committed ? The proposition , to be fairly stated , ought to stand thus : sin , which is committed by a finite against an infinite Being , is an infinite evil . It would then be just
as reasonable to say that sin is a finite evil because it is committed by a finite being , as to say that is an infinite evil because the Being against whom it is committed is infinite * In fact , the only intelligible rule by which the evil of sin can be estimated , is the mischief which
it does , or the misery which it produces . Does it then necessarily , and from its own nature , produce infinite misery , * or is infinite misery judicially annexed to it by the Creator ? The former will not be maintained , and to
wsume the latter , is to beg the question . But the criminality of an offence , in relation to the offender * is universally estimated b y the powers of his understanding , and the means of knowledge and improvement which he has
t The Calvinistic argumeht is not that sjn is an infinite evil because itprOduees itmnite misery , bvk tjiat infinite misery wi « foHowit because 18 4 s an infinite evil , ^ ould it be said iha ^ ^ mi considered in m < tb * trtoet , i& an infinite evil as * it . id cofltoHtted
( aKainRt , an infinite Rein * . ; I I 8 kS \ ****** t ^*\ ^ nite Being * ; s ^ m ^ reply , that , i % ^ b ? tiipe w ^ g . iPWdec ^ ^ fypj ^^ Jftffl , sjSffiK MWfa 4 li £
3 ? 7 »« -lMM » wrtdtoR ^ wwh the oflfencllpg parjty as well as with « P * a * lS ^^? li lE ^ ^ eflWhWRprfs ^^^^^¦^^^^ bI ^ I ^^^^^ b ti 4 Pw ^ k ^^ W ^ r ^ fc J J ^ h U ^ rftl ^^ 1 ¦ 1 * t 'hi " ' ¦ (^ i ^^ V wJi 'v ^ l ^ f j ^ ' » 'j / ' * k A f Jt \* ^ ' ' AfuIltKitt : H' ! ii ^ 7 »? OT'SWffiP ^ r' ?^ P ^^^* ' * r * JW * 't » ™ Mn ^ -B ^^ tQ ^ S ! ^ ¦ ; ' ^^^^
Untitled Article
enjoyed . Ami iSM ffl a ^^^ % §^^^^ ception of the' qaor ^ K t&rpftdde | o ^ ll& offence , his giiiit ia justly cottsi 9 er ^ 4 proportionabiy extenuated ^ But feiit possible for the finite mind « jf ^ i ^^ b comprehend the enormhy of to mfiMtife offence ? If not , the piilt 6 f daefa aft offence can nevCT be charged upon Hfitt . But what is sin in itself nnsid rpH uwt wnat is siui
^ ^ ^ n nsrii consiuereu t A deviation from rectit ^ e ^ nd virtue And if the slightest neglect of the pferfect law of God ( whether inten ^ ouM or otherwise ) is aa infinite offence , g » M that it must be according to the axiom > what shall we say to % he bold ana daring act of iniquity ? Is this Baor ^ than an infinite offencfe , or are Wdy witlk the Stoics of old , to maintain that all
sins are equal ? Sensus rnoresque repugnant ; clique ipsa utilitas , Justi prope mater et cequi . But I would farther ask , whetherit be possible for man to avoid sin in every form ? If not , sin is so far the
inevitable result of his imperfect nan * ture ; which nature , according to : th ^ Calvinistic reasoning , must itsdiCffe infinitely evil . But shall this- bq © fcei dicated of any thing of which God is the author ? I have not , indeed ,
forgotten what is said concerning Adam as the federal head of his offspring . But did Adam proceed from the hands of his Creator a being morally perfect ? If so , how came he to fall ? If not , and he had in his constitution the seeds
and stamina of sin , he had in him an infinite evil . With regard td what is ' said respecting the abuse of frfcerwil U in the first parent' of our race ^ I iiftist be excused discussing that question here .
But sin , because it is an infinite evil , deserves an infinite punishment . , That is , an infinite punishtoent is due tc * even the slightest transgression of Ulie ^ perfect law of God in a frail and in >*> perfect creature , and ^ tUs ^ jrajnish ^ nt is to be awarded by tHe Creator l "" l shall on ^ observe o&Wfc } i ^ Mm ^ !
that if-t 4 premiW ^^ r ^ 'MikmeWB | |||| | ^ P ^ | ; j ^ p ^ S ^^ Jj ^ jj ^ j ^ riD ^ iit ^ iiifcMiiJtiftMftitl iii ^ nlliitMifi fMWwft TOM ^» V ^^^^ " ^^^ ' ^*"" "'^ " *^ vtW ^ w ^''• Tfffl ^ yi < jff ^^ T ^ T ^^ T ^ T ^^ VvUr ^^ Hr ^^ ' ^^^^^ T' ^^^^^^^^^^
Untitled Article
Mr . Cdga * xmftw Cathihiktc Dwtttne vfthe Evilvf&n . WJ
-
-
Citation
-
Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1820, page 587, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2493/page/23/
-