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    all people who bad any title to the Christian name . Time however convinced me , chiefly by study of the Scri ptures , that amongst the rest this doctrine of orig inal sin , was not to be found in revelation . Experience and observation , equally led me to feel ,

    and think , that its tendency was very bad , dishonourable to God , and productive of much evil to men ; that it was not merely a doctrine on which Scripture was silent , and that therefore it might be true , but that it was an error which both Scripture and reason condemn . I would advise my

    friends , who are the subjects of relig ious depression , arising out of this soul-harrowing doctrine , to take the method that succeeded with me : if they can find ' a better I shall not object to it . My method was this : I took the sacred volume and

    determined to abide by its dictates whatever they might be ; I kept my mind as indifferent as I could to every thing except the decision of truth ; 1 would not admit during the investigation for a moment , that the belief or

    rejection of this doctrine was of any consequence whatever with respect to my future state , for had interest or fear prevailed while the question was pending , the decision would have been

    dictated not Nby reason , but passion . I kept all my thoughts together , as much as possible , upon the , one point I was investigating , and I tried to dismiss every thing foreign to it . I bad no business with the existence of

    moral evil , nor with the universal mortality of creatures , nor with the i rail ties , follies , and imperfections of mankind . 1 had nothing to do with catechisms , creeds , the opinions or impertinences of fathers , priests or expositors . I cared as little for the

    Jncre assertions of those about me on either side : when they quoted texts , ff OmPared them with others , and suffered no hypothetical explanation t 0 «> ntradict plain evidence : 1 was to

    see and examine for myself ; I prayed jo bod as a believer in Jesus Christ , * ° r his assistance and blessing , and Plpened the Bible . I began with the m osaic account of the creation of

    «* ' There I ^ ad , Gen . ii . 7 , that du e ^ ord Go < l formed man of the , 8 t of the ground , and breathed into ^ ncwtrils the breath of life , and man £ SVa ] ! vin 5 8 OuI > aml that he w m circumstances suited to

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    his nature . I read of a tree of life , and a tree of knowledge which grew in the garden of Eden , that to the former man had free access , and that from the latter he was prohibited ; but I read nothing of the natural immortality of his creature , made of the dust * nor of any powers , either of body or

    mind , that he possessed in a superior degree over many of his descendants . He appeared to me to be the same frail , fallible and peccable creature in his original state that his posterity have ever been . My reason told me that

    he could have but few wants , few ideas , very limited knowledge , that his language must have been barren , that he could have no acquaintance with either science or arts , that without a miraculous communication of

    ideas from the fountain of intelligence , he would have continued in this state of imbecility and ignorance , till he slowly , and by degrees , acquired ideas . T saw that his positive duties were but few , and that as his nature was frail , the test of his obedience was simple .

    I conceived of him as a youth whose Ccipacity is indeed good , whose passions are strong , whose experience is nothing . His passions prevailed , his reason was vanquished , he took of the forbidden fruit , he sought happiness ,

    more happiness , a higher degree of glory , he fell , and found death ; he was told by his Creator the consequence of his disobedience , he was capable of understanding what he was told , but in an evil moment he

    transgressed . Were a man to be fount with an equal simplicity of nature , and placed in the same circumstances , he would doubtless act in the same manner , and precisely the same consequences would follow . Reason weak , passion strong , temptation urgent , the man falls , and the sinner dies . "All die for that all have

    sinned . " " It is appointed to all men * once to die . " It appeared to me therefore that death is an ordinance oif nature and that it is onl y an evil to au accountable creature , who has broken ? the laws of God . " Dust thou art and

    to dust thou shalt return . " As I read nothing of the death of the soul in this account of the fall of man , I , found nothing there to support the modern doctrine of destruction or that of eternal future torment , nor indeed could I gather v from any thing in that bistorv . the evidence of a future state ,

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    Scriptural Examination of Original Sin . 515

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1816, page 515, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2456/page/15/