The Great Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended

A brief ACCOUNT of the Book and it's AUTHOR.

AS the Rev. Author of the following Piece has been removed by Death, before its coming into public View, Custom has made it decent to introduce it with a prefatory Page.

The Copy he brought to the Press sometime the last Year, and a Number of Sheets passed his own Review. But a Variety of Incidents retarded finishing the Work till now.—It is hoped, no material Mistakes of the Printer have escaped Correction, besides what are noticed in the Table of Errata.

They that were acquainted with the Author, or know his just Character, & have any Taste for the serious Theme, will want Nothing to be said in Recommendation of the ensuing Tract, but only that Mr. EDWARDS wrote it.

Several valuable Pieces on this Subject have lately been published, upon the same Side of the Question. But he had no Notice of so much as the very first of them, till he had wholly concluded what he had in View: nor has it been thought, any Thing already printed should supersede this Work of his; being designed on a more extensive Plan; comprising a Variety of Arguments, and Answers to many Objections, that fell not in the Way of the other worthy Writers; and the Whole done with a Care of familiar Method and Language, as well as clear Reasoning, in general accommodated very much to common Capacities.

It must be a sensible Pleasure to every Friend of Truth, that so masterly a Hand undertook a Reply to Dr. TAYLOR; notwithstanding the various Answers already given him, both at home and abroad.—And should the said Dr. or any other in his behalf, attempt to vindicate his Book, though our Author being dead, this his Work will have the Disadvantage of wanting his Pen to defend it, p. iiyet it is not doubted but other sufficient Hands will be found to engage in the Cause, & support labouring Truth.

As it has been thought unfit, this Posthumous Book should go unattended with a respectful Memorial of the Author, it is hoped, the Reader will candidly accept the following Minutes of his Life and Character; chiefly extracted from Accounts given of him in the public Prints, upon Occasion of his Decease.

p. iiMr. EDWARDS was the only Son of the late Rev. Mr. TIMOTHY EDWARDS, long a faithful Pastor of a Church in Winsor, in Connecticut; who (together with his Wife, our Author's pious Mother) was living, in a very advanced Age, till a-little before the Death of this his excellent Son, who had for many Years been his Parents Joy and Crown.

He had his Education in YALE COLLEGE.—At the Age of about Eighteen, commenced Batchelor of Arts, Anno 1720.—Afterwards resided at College for some Time, pursuing his Studies with 〈…〉 laudable Diligence.—Took the Degree of Master, at the usual Time: and for a while served the College in the Station of a Tutor.

He soon entered into the Ministry, and was settled at Northampton, in Massachusetts, as Colleague with his aged Grandfather, the Rev. and famous Mr. SOLOMON STODDARD; with whom, indeed, as a S◊n with the Father, he served in the Gospel, till Death divided them.—There he continued his Labours for many Years, in high Esteem at home, as well as abroad; till uncomfortable Debates arising about a Right to Sacraments, and after his best Attempts finding no rational Prospect of any safe and speedy Issue of them, he at length amicably resign'd his Pastoral Relation, and had an honourable Quietus, Anno 1750.

Soon after this, there being a Vacancy in the Mission at Stockbridge, by the Death of the Rev. and learned Mr. JOHN SERGEANT, the Board of Commissioners at Boston, who act under the Society in London, for propagating the Gospel among the Indians in and about New-England, turned their Eyes to Mr. EDWARDS, for a Supply of that p. iiiMission. And upon their unanimous Invitation, in Concurrence with the Call of the Church (consisting of Indians and English) at Stockbridge, he removed thither, and was regularly re-instated in the Pastoral Office.

He continued his Ministry there, until on Occasion of the Death of his worthy Son-in-law, the Rev. and Learned Mr. AARON BURR, who had succeeded the Rev. and Learned Mr▪ JONATHAN DICKINSON (so memorable as an Author) in the Station of President of the College of NEW-JERSEY, he was by the Hon. and Rev. TRUSTEES of that Society chosen to be his Successor. The Commissioners at Boston having received a Motion from them for his Translation, did in Deference to the Judgment of so respectable a Body, as well as from an Esteem for Mr. EDWARDS, and a View to his more extensive Usefulness, generously consent to his Removal: and the venerable Council, to whom he finally refer'd himself for Advice on this important Occasion, giving their unanimous Opinion for the Clearness of his Call to the President's Place, he at Length (thô with much Reluctance and Self-diffidence) relinquished his Pastoral Charge and Ministerial Mission at Stockbridge, and removed to Prince-Town in New-Jersey, where NASSAU-HALL stands, lately erected.

p. iiiBut that fatal Distemper, the Small-pox, which has in former Days been so much the Scourge and Terror of AMERICA, breaking out, in or near the College, about that Time, and Inoculation being favoured with great Success, Mr. EDWARDS, upon mature Thought and Consultation, judged it advisable to go into this Method. Accordingly he was inoculated on the 23d of February 1758. And thô his Disease was comparatively light, the Pock of a milder Sort, and few, yet such a Number happened to be seated in his Throat and Mouth, as prevented his receiving the necessary cooling and diluting Draughts; and so, upon the Turn of the Pock, a secondary Fever came on, which prevailed to the putting an END (on March 22d) to the important Life of this good & great Man.—As be lived chearfully resigned in all Things to the Will of Heaven, so he died, or p. ivrather, as the Scripture emphatically expresses it, in relation to the Saint in Christ Jesus, he fell asleep, without the least Appearance of Pain, & with great Calm of Mind. Indeed, when he first perceived the Symptoms upon him to be mortal, he is said to have been a-little perplexed for a while, about the Meaning of this mysterious Conduct of Providence, in calling him out from his beloved Privacy, to a public Scene of Action and Influence; and then so suddenly, just upon his Entrance into it, translating him from thence, in such a Way, by Mortality! However, he quickly got believing and composing Views of the Wisdom and Goodness of God in this surprising Event: and readily yielded to the sovereign Disposal of Heaven, with the most placid Submission. Amidst the Joy of Faith, he departed this World, to go and see JESUS, whom his Soul loved; to be with him, to behold his Glory, and rejoyce in his Kingdom above.