Having hinted fo much on the nature of fin as to make the fubject plain to the reader's understanding, I will now pafs to an inquiry into its caufe, or origin.

The origin of fin has, among christians in general, been very easily accounted for; but in a way, I must confefs, that never gave me any fatisfaction, fince I came to think for myfelf on fubjects of this nature. A fhort chimerical story from the bard, Milton, has given perfect fatisfaction to millions, refpecting the introduction of moral evil into the moral fyftem which we occupy. The fubftance of the account is, Sometime before the creation of man, the Almighty created multitudes of fpiritual beings, called angels: Some of these creatures of God were much higher in dignity and authority than others, but all perfectly deftitute of fin, or moral turpitude. One dignified above all the rest, stood Prime Minister of the Almighty, cloathed with the higheft miffive power, and clad with garments of primeval light; obfequious to nothing but the high beheft of his Creator, he difcharged the functions of his office with a promptitude and dignity, fuited to the eminency of his ftation, and to the admiration of celeftial millions. But when it pleafed Jehovah to reveal the brightnefs of his glory and the image of the Godhead in humanity, he gave forth the command, fee Pfalm xcvii. 7. "Worship him, all ye gods." And Heb. i. 6. " And again, when he bringeth the first begotten into the world, he faith, and let all the angels of God worship him." Lucifer, Son of the Morning, (as Chriftians have called him) surprised at the idea of worshipping any being but God himself, looked on the Son with ineffable difdain, and in a moment grew indignant, brushed his strongest pinions, and waved his wings for the throne of God, challenged fupremacy with the Almighty, and caft his eye to the fides of the north as a fuitable place to establish his empire. Legions of fpirits followed this

chief in rebellion, and formed a dangerous party, in the kingdom of the Almighty. The Son of God was invested with full power as Generaliffimo of heaven, to command the remaining forces, against the common enemy. And in fhort, after many grievous battles between armies of contending fpirits, where life could not, in the leaft, be expofed, Lucifer and his party were driven out of heaven, leaving it in peace, though, in a great measure, depopulated!

God having created the earth, and placed the first mau and woman in a most happy fituation of innocence and moral purity, without the smallest appetite for fin, or propenfity to evil, the arch Apoftate enviously looked from his fiery prifon, to which he was configned by the command of the Almighty, and beholding man placed in so happy a situation, and in a capacity to increase to infinite multitudes, by which the kingdom of heaven would be enlarged, was determined this tree in the bud. He, therefore, turns into a ferpent, goes to the woman and beguiles her, gets her to eat of a fruit which God had forbidden, by which mean he introduced fin into our system.

to crop

I have not been particular in this sketch, but it contains the effence of the common idea. I fhall now put it under examination, looking diligently for the propriety of accounting for the origin of moral evil in this way.

And first, of this memorable rebellion in heaven! It feems, that this rebel angel was always obedient to the commands of his Maker, until the hour of his fall; that there was not the leaft fpot of pollution in him, until he felt the emotions of pride, which lifted him above fubmiffion to the Son of God. This being the cafe, I afk, was this angel ignorant of the real character of the Son, whom he was com

D

manded to worship? If he was not, but knew it to be no other than the true Eternal, his Creator, manifefted in a nature which Jehovah created; if he loved his Maker as he ought to do, which none pretend to difpute; he would have worshipped him with due reverence, the moment he made the discovery and heard the command: This no perfon in his fenfes will difpute. If he did not know the real character whom he was commanded to worship, had he complied, he would have worshipped, he knew not what. And nothing can be more abfurd, than to fuppofe that infinite wifdom would command his creatures to worfhip ignorantly. I afk, further, could purity produce impurity; or moral holiness, unholinefs? All answer, no. Was not the angel holy in every faculty? Was not the command, for him to worship the Son, holy and juft? All anfwer, yes. Then, from fuch caufes, how was fin produced? The reader will eafily fee, the queftion cannot be anfwered. Now, reader, be fo kind as to turn to the fcripture, to which I have referred you on this fubfubject, and fee if we have any authority for faying, that either gods or angels refused to worship, when commanded. "Again, when he bringeth in the firft begotten into the world, he faith, and let all the angels of God worship him." That this firft begotten is Chrift, no doubt will be entertained. But when was he brought into the world? before, or fince the firft tranfgreffion of man? Since, moft certainly. Then, fuppofing millions of angels had finned at that time, it could have had no confequence productive of man's tranfgreffion, as a cause cannot be pofterior to its effects. Therefore, to fuppofe, that thofe angels, who never finned until long after man became a tranfgreffor, were the inftigators of what is called the fall, difcovers a want of calculation. And further, what authority have we for believing that the command was disobeyed? We find nothing connected with either paffage, viz. that in Pfalms, or that in Hebrews, which inti

In

mates a refufal among the gods, or angels. And I fee no need of fuppofing, that by gods, in one text, or by angels, in the other, any other beings are intended than men. refpect to the command for all the gods to worship him, I obferve, “they were called gods to whom the word of God came, and the fcriptures cannot be broken." And the command, for all the angels of God to worship, ftands on this proper ground; by angels, are meant meffengers, who are employed by God, for the information of their fellow men; but as all thofe meffengers, or minifters, were inferior to the

Meffenger of the covenant," whom the Lord promised to fend unto Jerufalem, it was fuitable to fhow his fuperiority, by giving fuch a token, in the fcriptures, as commanding all the angels to worship him. There is another paffage in the xivth of Ifaiah 12, &c. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the Morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didft weaken the nations! for thou haft faid in thine heart, I will afcend unto heaven; I will exalt my throne above the ftars of God; I will fet alfo upon the mount of the congregation in the fides of the north," &c.

"Here," I have been told, "we have a particular account of the fin which Satan committed in heaven." But as there is nothing in this paffage, or its connexions, that has rèference to any other creature or being, as Lucifer, Son of the Morning, than the King of Babylon, I fhall fay but little upon it. Obferve, the question is asked, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the Morning? How art thou cut down to the ground, who didft weaken the nations? This Lucifer weakened the nations before he fell, but was unable to weaken them afterwards. He faid in his heart, he would ascend unto heaven. Was this the fin of Satan, as is generally fuppofed? Was he not already in heaven? How then fhould he fay in his heart, I will afcend unto heaven?

I will not trouble the reader with any thing fo vague as the vulgar application of this fcripture, only enough to show that it had no fuch meaning. The King of Babylon is pointed out, in this prophecy, as exalting his throne above the stars of God, which, in a figurative fenfe, undoubtedly meant his exalting himself by the reduction of the Jews, who are figuratively called the stars of God.

Again, this angel of light must have been very ignorant of the power and goodness of the Almighty, in order to have poffeffed a thought, that to rebel against him could be of any poffible advantage, or that he could have carried and maintained a conteft with him. If he was as ignorant as all this, the inhabitants of heaven must have been extremely uncultivated, in that age of eternity, and no great ornament to a place fo much famed for glory and grandeur. If heaven,

which is faid to be God's throne, is, or ever was, inhabited by defectable beings, the place itself must be a defectable place; and why the Almighty should take up his special abode in a defectable place, furrounded by defectable beings, I cannot imagine. But I pafs on--

After Satan was turned out of heaven, he faw no poffible way to injure his adverfary, only by contaminating his creatures, which he had just made, and placed in the happy Situation before defcribed. Here obferve, the matter appears ftrange. Did God not know the evil difpofition of Satan ? Had he forgotten the awful difficulty but juft fettled? Or would he leave an innocent Lamb to the ferocity of a bear robbed of her whelps? God had driven Satan from heaven, from his own prefence, but left him at loofe ends to prey on his tender offspring, whom he had just left in a defenceless fituation, on this ball of earth! What would appear more unnatural and shocking, than for a father to chafe his enemy