Wesley Corpus

“3. That our nature, as derived from Noah, has just the same endowments, natural and moral, with which Adam was created.” This does not follow from anything that has yet been said. If it stands of itself, it may. “4. That whatever came upon us from ‘the judgment to condemnation,’ came no farther than was consistent with that blessing, pronounced upon Noah as well as Adam, “Be fruitful and multiply.’” This is undoubtedly true; otherwise, the human species could not have been continued. “So that ‘the condemnation which came upon all men, cannot infer the ‘wrath’ of God upon mankind; ” (it may, notwithstand ing that they “increase and multiply;” it must, if they are “by nature children of wrath;”) “but only as subjecting us to such evils as were perfectly consistent with his blessing, declared to Adam as soon as he came out of his Maker’s hands;” (page 89;) (namely, with the blessing, “Increase and multiply;) “and, consequently, tosuch evils as God might justly have subjected mankind to, before Adam sinned.” Whether God could justly have done this, or not, what a consequence is this!--“If God gave that blessing, “Increase and multiply,” to men in general, as well as he did to Adam, then men in general are not ‘children of wrath’ now, any more than Adam was at his creation l’” “5. It is no less evident, that when St. Paul says, “By the disobedience of one many, or all, ‘were made sinners, he cannot mean they “were made sinners’ in any sense incon sistent with the blessing pronounced on man in innocence.” True; not in any sense inconsistent with that blessing, “Increase and multiply.” But this blessing is no way incon sistent with their being “by nature children of wrath.” * “From all which I conclude, that our state with regard to the blessing of God, and the dignity and faculties of our nature, unless debased by our own sins, is not inferior to that in which Adam was created.” (Pages 90-93.) Be this so or not, it cannot be concluded from anything that has gone before. But we may still believe, that men in general are “fallen short of the glory of God; ” are deprived of that glorious image of God wherein man was originally created.