Lord Jesus. His example is so inoffensive and benevolent that it is a practical commentary of the gospel and his own preaching; and wherever he goes multitudes attend on his ministry. For the space of three years, he itinerates through the different parts of the state; sometimes he preaches in the capital and in other large towns, at others in the remote towns and villages. Ministers of the vari

ous denominations hear him with anxious desire to ascertain his theological opinions, and some of them with desire to catch something from his lips that they may accuse him. But during the whole of his ministry, he says not a word respecting Adam — his apostacy, or of a sinful nature derived by generation from him. The preacher accounts for the ungrateful conduct of sinners in rejecting or refusing the offers of the gospel, not by their possessing an hereditary sinful nature, but by their inordinate attachment to such objects and pursuits as tend to gratify their fleshly and sensual appetites and propensities. In conversing with wicked men, who seemed to trust in themselves that they were righteous on account of their being the offspring of a pious ancestor, the preacher said not a word of their descent from Adam, and of their having been ruined by his transgression, or by the displeasure of God on that account. He however assured them that as to their moral characters they were rather the children of the evil one, than of their pious ancestor. At other times he had occasion to speak of "little children," and in doing this he was so far from teaching that they should be regarded as totally sinful, and little images of the worst being in the

universe, he at one time represented them as examples worthy to be imitated even by ministers, - at another he expressly said "Of such is the kingdom of heaven," and this too without subjoining a single word by way of caution.

Once more, suppose that this preacher, during his ministry in Massachusetts, was known to have a number of pupils, as students in divinity; and that when they became preachers, it was found that they were in their preaching as perfectly silent as their preceptor had been in regard to speaking of Adam, his fall, or a sinful nature derived by generation from him.

I would now seriously ask, what would be thought or said, at this day, of the theological opinions and sermons of such a preacher? Would it not be said by many, even of the clergy, that he was very deficient in regard to preaching the essential doctrines of the gospel? Would he not indeed be suspected, reproached and censured as a heretic? and by some, would he not be denounced as unworthy of the name of a christian teacher? Yet such a teacher was the Messiah; and so far as we are enabled to judge by the sermons which have come down to us, such preachers were his apostles. If there is the least allusion to the apostacy of Adam, or a sinful nature derived from him, in any sermon recorded in the Bible, I have been unsuccessful in my researches.

On the supposition that we all came into existence under the displeasure of God, with a nature wholly sinful, and that this doctrine is an essential article of faith, how are we to account for the fact

that this doctrine was never named or taught in any sermon either of Moses and the prophets, or of Christ and his apostles? Is it not a fact that all these inspired teachers have been a thousand times implicitly reproached by the denunciations which have been poured forth against such preachers, as omit to teach the supposed essential doctrine?

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In all that is recorded of what was spoken by our Lord, I have found nothing which is more in favor of a derived sinful nature than the passages which have been quoted; unless the following be an exception: For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness." Mark vii. 21, 22.

It will be observed that nothing is here said of any connexion with Adam, nor of any sinful nature derived from him. It is also observable that the vices here named are such as Paul has denominated the works of the flesh. Gal. v. 19-21. tery, fornication, uncleanliness," &c.

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The heart, when spoken of as the source of good or evil, seems to be the moral treasury of the soul, comprehending all the affections, desires or lusts from which external actions proceed. Hence our Lord said, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." Matt. xii. 35. That this treasure in evil men consists principally of fleshly desires or lusts is very evident from the vices which Christ mentioned in the passage first quoted, and from Paul's account

of the works of the flesh. Indeed I perceive nothing in what was said by Christ in the least opposed to the idea that the animal properties of our nature are what render us liable to temptation and sin. He names no vice which may not be traced to this source, a forbidden indulgence of our animal propensities. Some of these vices proceed in a direct form from this source. Others are adopted as means to obtain the forbidden gratifications. For example, it may truly be said, that adultery and fornication are forbidden pleasures, and are the direct forbidden works of the flesh. But what a variety of crimes do libidinous men commit as means for obtaining their objects! Murder, theft, deceit, and various other crimes are but means to such an end, or for concealing crimes of this nature.

Under the inordinate influence of animal desires men will not only commit the grossest crimes, but they will turn a deaf ear to the voice of truth and love. Under the same influence they will oppose and hate whatever obstructs their course. It is by the lawless indulgence of animal propensities that men become regardless of their souls, their God, and their future destiny. An "inordinate affection" or attachment to any prohibited object exposes men to cross the boundary which separates the regions of virtue from those of vice; and having stepped on the forbidden ground, they are exposed to be led on from one vice to another, till they become abandoned profligates, prepared for the worst of crimes. What crime can be named so bad that may not have originated in an inordinate animal propensity or desire, and which may not have been

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committed to remove obstacles which stood in the way, or to give vent to revengeful passions excited by opposition, or as more direct means for obtaining the object sought? I know not of any crime which may not have thus originated. In proportion to the ardor with which forbidden indulgences are pursued, men are liable to irritation, and to the feelings of hatred and revenge toward such as oppose their career. In the same proportion, too, they are exposed to become forgetful of God, or enemies to his law. There is therefore no occasion for the hypothesis of a derived sinful nature to account for any of these phenomena. Though our other animal properties were bestowed in kindness, and are in their nature as innocent as our eyes, yet when we indulge them, as Adam did, in violation of known requirements of God, we form within us a sinful nature far more inexcusable than an hereditary nature could possibly be. This may perhaps account for the fact that our Savior omitted to say a single word respecting the fall of Adam, or a sinful nature derived from him by generation.

CHAP. VII.

Paul's Account of Adam's Sin and its Consequences.

As Paul is the only one of the writers of the New Testament who mentioned the sin of Adam, I shall exhibit what he said on the subject, and endeavor