Litchfield enquirer., 1832-05-03
FOR THE EEQUIRER. TOTAL DEPRAvITY AND TAYLORISM.
(Continued.J

(Continued.)
 It win be remembered that last, when it was co- sed, was treating the unholy nature ofinfants. few words more that particular part of the subject, will be at present sufficient.
 Human nature, it may be asserted, is the same in every age. And is it rational or reasonable pre- tend that the multitude of the infant children Of ante diIuvian parents were holy, when both parents and children were destroyed together by the deluge, account of the great wickedness that universally pre- vailed s evident that true religion or all holiness was at that period nearly lost on the earth. "And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was cor rupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." The expression "all flesh" must ofnecessi- ty have included infants. and implies that they too were corrupt at least in nature; and so of Sodom and Gomorrah.
 We have now arrived at the scripiural and rational conclusion that # there any holy principle in the human breast, since Adams fall, it must be the miraculous effect and agency of Almighty power. And infant nature must of necessity need the same renova- ton. .f
 "Except man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven" Being born implies total chaage in our state and condition and the necessity or the change, |" born again." plainly and evidently declares that is by nature totally and entirely de- prayed and helpless. And fine is not so, if would be necessary that he should be born anew or entirely changed.
 The foregoing remnrks if candidy perused. briefly prnve the doctrine of mans total depraviy, and must be admitted to be the doctrine of the bible. And he that teaches any other scheme than this, respecting the moral and original condition of by nature, teaches heresy. He builds upon the sand, and his building will pass away" " like tho baseless fabric of vision. Does the reader still indulge the unbelef of doctrine that ieackes him his heart-that intro- duces hin, to the internal empire of his breast, where the evil elements hold their seat, and stamp their genuine features on every voluntary act Let him a,entivey study the whole history of man, and consider this rational creature in all the grades of his existence-in all the conditions Of his being-n pa- ganism and chris,anity--in barbarism and civilization when the prophets foreold-or when the Redeemer himself personally offered salvation 10 man--whcn the Apostles preached the Gospel-and now, when the Gospel is preached, and he will find that the same opposition the tra,bfas regned in every age, and in every condition Nor is it's virulence in the slightest degree mi,gn,ed by education civilization, any other means whatever, through the lapse and changes of six thousand years. There is no finite remedy for this malady and this truth is incon- trover,ible.
 It now remains to examine sentiment which has eliced the foregoing brief treatise, and to susan,iae what was asserted of it in Brief Hints, No. g., so bitterly complained Of by a writer calling himself t" Yaienss."
 As the sin and ransgressien of Adam was the source of all natural md moral evil, if in that funda- mental point it pollutes the whole system of our divn- i,y, and removes the foundation from sound theology And the sentiment in question, that man is born with. the stain of original sp-or which s the same that he is born holy-is that perncious and dangerous scheme alluded to sometime since, and calculated to produce the above efec and to change the character oi primitive religion to something merely nominal.
 This sentiment, called "Taylorism," denies the ex- sence of sin in the heart previous 10 actual ransgres sion, proceeding from voluntary choice, in under standing sufficiently maiured to distinguish between right and wrong-and that an originally sinful na- ure is not the efficient and criminal cause of actual sin, and asserts that all sin o which guilty, is actual and voluntary-and that '" mental process in human nature in the understanding, has a tenden cy to produce rcgeneration--and that this mental process has a real and necessary connection with
 
 mankind finally become totally depraved, lexcept- ing ,hn, inherent. and abiding principle good ness,l or rather why. they are ever depraved at a" though they certainly will become so," is from this cause viz: God's leaving the common natural prn. ciples of sefove, natural affection, &c. (which in man in state ofinhOcence) leaving these 10 ibem- selves, without the government of superior divine prn ciples, will certainly be followed by total corruption of the heart, without any occasion positive nAu. eDce at al." The plain meaning of which is ,his- that every rational creature, from the commence ment of his natural existence, las implanted in him good or holy principle, and moral ability to choose salvation by Redeemer, or the world and its benefits, either, choice may chance to pre- ponderate and that he has free will to choose one as well ns the other and the reason why the world is preferred is because is first presented 10 the mind and takes supreme possession of the affections, and thus depraves them before God, and honess are sufficiently known. to preponerate in the choice. Whereas, if the latter 6rst presented, and the former kept out of sight, the mind by i,s voanta- " ability, and by virtue of good principle implanted in ii would choose holiness and reject sin and sava ton would be obtained without any natural or moral difficulty, as God is waiting to aid all who seek him, in and of themselves; that is, through the sure medium of that good principle or ability man has giv- en him vrss hi. q, asuraI exiafenca