June 30, 2017

On Original Sin in Vol I of the Works - Edwards - V - Chapter 1 of Part II

Required reading
The great Christian doctrine of original sin defended in Volume I of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 1 of Part II.

My summary.
Now Edwards examines arguments concerning original sin from the first chapters of Genesis.

In contrast to Dr. T.'s arguments, Edwards asserts that:
(i) Adam was created with a principle of holiness in his heart from which his acts flowed - holiness did not flow from Adam's choice;
(ii) the death threatened to Adam included eternal death, not simply losing of life;
(iii) the threats of death do apply to Adam's posterity.

What grabbed me
I liked Edwards' comments that what applied to Adam, applies to his posterity: 'I have now particularly considered the account which Moses gives us, in the beginning of the Bible, of our first parents, and God's dealings with them; the constitution he established with them, their transgression, and what followed. And on the whole, if we consider the manner in which God apparently speaks to Adam from time to time; and particularly, if we consider how plainly and undeniably his posterity are included in the sentence of death pronounced on him after his fall, founded on the foregoing threatening; and consider the curse denounced on the ground for his sake, for his sorrow, and that of his posterity; and also consider, what is evidently the occasion of his giving his wife the new name of Eve, and his meaning in it—and withal consider apparent fact in constant and universal events, with relation to the state of our first parents and their posterity from that time forward, through all ages of the world—I cannot but think, it must appear to every impartial person, that Moses's account does, with sufficient evidence, lead all mankind, to whom his account is communicated, to understand, that God, in his constitution with Adam, dealt with him as a public person—as the head of the human species—and had respect to his posterity, as included in him. And it must appear, that this history is given by divine direction, in the beginning of the first written revelation, in order to exhibit to our view the origin of the present sinful, miserable state of mankind, that we might see what that was, which first gave occasion for all those consequent wonderful dispensations of divine mercy and grace towards mankind, which are the great subject of the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament; and that these things are not obscurely and doubtfully pointed forth, but delivered in a plain account of things, which easily and naturally exhibits them to our understandings.'

The curse that came to Adam clearly is upon us too.  And we should flee to Christ as a result, not seek to twist Scripture to remove culpability.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 2 of Part II.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.













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