as well as to, the natural Jews) that there were very great Corruptions among them, as well as among other People. Obf. III. THE Section confifts of several Quotations out of the Old Teftament, called here, the Law, ver, 19. But, (1.) in none of them, taken separately, doth the Spirit of God fpeak of any Depravity of Nature derived from Adam, but manifefly of the Habits of Wickedness, which. Men had contracted by their own evil Doings; as will, I think, undeniably appear, if you carefully peruse the Texts fet over against the PROOFS in the Margin. And in Pfal. x. 4. the Wickednefs of the wicked is exprefsly faid to confiit in this, that he wILL not feek after God; and that God is not in all his Thoughts. He might feek after God; but he will not. He hath Thoughts, a Power to think of God, but he doth not use it. Again, Pfal. xiv. 1, 2, 3. it is faid, ver. 2. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to fee if there were any that did understand, that did feek God. But how could the Divine Poet, with any Confistency, fuppofe this Looking and Expectation, if he knew that all Men, every Man, and all Mankind were, NATURALLY corrupted, and utterly indifpofed, difabled and made oppofite unto all that is fpiritually good, and wholly and continually inclined to all Evil? Had this really been the Cafe, how could God expect, H 4 pect, that Men, in a worfe State than the very Brutes, fhould underftand, and feek, i. e. worship and obey him? You will fay; They ought to have used the Means appointed for correcting natural Pravity. I anfwer; Then the Sinfulness charged upon them is not that derived from Adam, but their own Non-improvement of Means. Not to fay, that the fuppofed natural Pravity, by the Definition, must render Men utterly uncapable of ufing Means for their Recovery to fpiritual Life, feeing, by the Definition, they are thereby wholly inclined to all Evil, and confequently to nothing but what is evil. (2.) In none of those Places doth the Spirit of God fpeak of all Men ftrictly, of every Individual then living among the Jews; as if there were none righteous amongst them, no not one fingle Perfon; as if there were none at all that fought after God, none that did good; as if every Man's mouth were full of curfing and bitterness, and every Man's Feet fwift to fhed blood. This, I fay, is not to be understood of every individual Man then living; but only of thofe of whom it was true, who might be great Numbers. For in those very Pfalms where David in fuch ftrong Colours deferibes the Wickedness of fome, he at the fame time fpeaks of the good and virtuous, (who were then in the Nation) in Oppofition to thefe corrupt and vicious Perfons. So Pfal. xiv. 5. There were they (the Workers of Iniquity, probably in Abfolom's Rebellion) Rebellion) in great fear; for God is in the generation of the righteous. Here the Righteous, who were true to their Obligations, and under the Protection of God, are opposed to the Workers of Iniquity, the Rebels, whom he describeth, ver. 1, 2, 3 †, which thews there were Men at that time in the Nation to whom that bad Character did not belong. Again, Pfal. v. 11, 12. Befides the wicked, ver. The Perfons the Pfalmift generally complain of in the Book of Pfalms, were a ftrong Party difaffected to his Perfon and Government. He frequently characterizeth them by his Enemies, Pfal. v. 8. as proud and oppreffive, Pfal. x. as devifing mischief against him, Pfal. xxxvi. 4, II. as violent men continually gathering together for war, Pfal. cxl. 1, 2. Sometimes he chufeth to denote them by the Sons or Children of men; as Pfal. iv. 2. O ye fons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into fhame? Pfal. lvii. 4. When he fled from Saul in the Cave, he complains,-I lie among them that are fet on fire, even the fons of men, whofe teeth are fpears.Pfal. lviii. 1. Do ye indeed fpeak righteousness, O congregation? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye fons of men? See - Sam. xxvi, 19. And in Pfal. xiv. 2. liii. 2. when he faith, God looked down upon the Children, or Sons of Men, to fee is there were any that did understand and feek God; I make no doubt he means the fame difaffected Party, who injured and oppreffed his loyal Subjects, ver. r. 4. and are fet in Contradiftinction to the Generation, or Party, of the Righteous, ver. 5. This difaffected Party, which had greatly diftreffed and perfecuted him before his Acceffion to the Throne, feem to have continued their Enmity in a violent Degree during the forty Years of his Reign. For the Hiftory of Abfalam's Rebellion, which happened about eight Years before David's Death, fhews what a bitter Spirit ftill remained, and prevailed in the Nation. ver. 9, 10. there were many that trusted in God, who loved his Name, who were righteous, whom God would blefs, and compass with his favour as with a fhield. When he prayeth against evil and violent men, under whofe lips was the poifon of adders, Pfal. cxl. 3. he fuppofeth, ver. 13. there were at the fame time righteous Men, that should give thanks unto the name of God; upright men, that should dwell in his prefence. The Mouths of fome were full of curfing, deceit and fraud, Pfal. x. 7. but others, ver. 8. were the innocent, the humble poor, ver. 12, 14. who committed themselves unto God, who spread their defires before God, ver. 17. Too many were the Wicked, who had no fear of God before their eyes, Pfal. xxxvi. 1. but fome there were that knew God, and were upright in heart, ver. 1o. Prov. i. 16. Solomon cautions his young Man against the profligate Wretches of the Age, who delighted in Robbery and Blood. [In which Advice, whether Solomon fuppofed the young Man, whom he counfelled, utterly indifpofed, difabied, and made opposite to all Good, and wholly and continually inclined to all Evil BY NATURE, I leave you to judge.] The Prophet, Ifai. lix. 7, 8. feems to be defcribing wicked and corrupt Magiftrates. However it is evident that the Pfalmift, in any of the Places quoted from him, doth not speak of every individual Perfon among the Jews, as if they were all wicked to a Man: I conclude clude therefore, 1. That none of the Texts here quoted out of the Pfalms have reference to any Corruption common to all Mankind, but only to fuch Wickednefs wherein feveral of the Jewish Nation were involved, but with which fundry Perfons were not chargeable; for fundry Perfons are manifeftly excepted, as not being corrupted in the manner he is fpeaking of. Which is a Demonstration, that the Pfalmift cannot intend a Corruption of Nature derived from Adam to ALL Mankind. 2. I conclude, if the Apostle quoteth and argueth fairly, as I am perfuaded he doth, fuch a general Corruption, as admits of no exception, cannot be neceffary to his Argument in the Place under Confideration. It must be fufficient to his Purpose, if great Numbers were wicked and corrupt. But this is not enough to establish the Propofition we are now upon. No Scriptures will do for that, but fuch as prove that all Mankind to a Man, every fingle Man over all the World, every Man that comes into the World, and as he comes into the World, is naturally corrupt, and by that Means utterly indifpofed, difabled, and made oppofite unto all that is fpiritually good, and wholly inclined to all Evil, and that continually: And further, that this came upon Mankind by Adam's one Offence. But this thefe Texts are very far from proving: For, they directly and certainly prove no more, than that there were in thofe Times, even among |