Wesley Corpus

If those children had been guiltless in the eye of God, could this have been their portion? In short, can we suppose the wise, and right eous, and merciful God would have established and continued such a constitution for that propagation of mankind which should naturally place so many millions of them so early in such dismal circumstances if there had not been some dread ful and universal degeneracy spread over them and their fathers, by some original crime, which met and seized them at the very entrance into life?” (Page 420.) “THIs doctrine has been attended with many noisy contro versies in the Christian world. Let us try whether it may not be set in so fair and easy a light as to reconcile the sentiments of the contending parties.” (Page 427.) “When a man has broken the law of his country, and is punished for so doing, it is plain that sin is imputed to him; his wickedness is upon him; he bears his iniquity; that is, he is reputed, or accounted guilty; he is condemned and dealt with as an offender.” (Page 428.) “On the other hand, if an innocent man, who is falsely accused, is acquitted by the court, sin is not imputed to him, but righteousness is imputed to him; or, to use another phrase, his ‘righteousness is upon him.’ “Or if a reward be given a man for any righteous action, this righteous act is imputed to him. “Farther: If a man has committed a crime, but the Prince pardons him, then he is justified from it; and his fault is not imputed to him.” (Page 429.) “But if a man having committed treason, his estate is taken from him and his children, then they “bear the iniquity of their father, and his sin is imputed to them also. “If a man lose his life and estate for murder, and his children thereby become vagabonds, then the blood of the person murdered is said to be upon the murderer, and upon his children also. So the Jews: ‘His blood be on us and on our children;’ let us and our children be punished for it !