Commandment, which speaks of "visiting the Iniquity of the Father
upon the Children, &_c_." But 'tis highly worthy of our Notice, that
God himself was _greatly displeased_ with their having imbibed this
Notion, and commanded the Prophet _Ezekiel_ to refute it at large;
the Substance of which I cannot avoid setting down, it being so full
to my Purpose. The Prophet introduces it thus, _Ezek_, xviii. 2.
_What mean ye, that use this Proverb in Israel, The Fathers have
eaten sour Grapes, and the Children Teeth are set on edge?_ Ver. 4.
_Behold all Souls are mine, as the Soul of the Father, so also the
Soul of the Son is mine: the Soul that sinneth, it shall die_. The
Prophet then, from _ver_. 5. to 19. puts the _two Cases_ of a
_righteous Man's_ having a _wicked Son_, and a _wicked Man's_ having
a _righteous Son_, in order to shew, that neither is the one
_better_ for his Father's Uprightness, nor the other at all _worse_
for his Father's Wickedness; but that all is, as it should be,
placed to the Account of their own _Merits_ or _Demerits_. Ver. 20.
_The Soul that sinneth, it shall die: the Son shall not bear the
Iniquity of the Father, neither shall the Father bear the Iniquity
of the Son; the Righteousness of the Righteous shall be upon him,
and the Wickedness of the Wicked shall be upon him_. Ver. 23. _Have
I any Pleasure at all that the Wicked should die? saith the Lord
God: and not that he should return from his Ways and live?_ Ver. 25.
_Yet ye say, the Way of the Lord is unequal. Hear now, O House of
Israel, Is not my Way equal? are not your Ways unequal?_ Ver. 32.
_For I have no Pleasure in the Death of him that dieth, saith the
Lord God: wherefore turn your selves and live ye_.

Words more positive against this Doctrine cannot be laid together.
_Justice_ and _Equity_ are here, by the Almighty himself, consider'd
as the _very same_, both in God and Man; and the same Justice and
Equity, which _He commands_ us to make the Rule of _our Actions_,
'tis evident _He here_ makes the Rule of his _own_. He blames them
for their false Principles, their Ignorance and Bigotry, and is not
a little offended, because they thought him capable of acing in so
evil and unrighteous a Manner, as that would be, of _punishing the
Child for the Parent's Offence;_ and strongly and solemnly assures
them, he will do no such Thing. And as Justice and Equity would not
bear it then, it is plain that, God could never take any such cruel
and disr