ered as a private Person
only; and _all his Posterity_ left to stand or fall, by their own
Merits or Demerits; some of those, whom this Doctrine adjudges to
everlasting Condemnation, would doubtless have been so _wise_ and
_happy_, as to have pleased God in their Generation; while others,
on the contrary, would have sinned, and transgressed his Laws. The
State of the latter is, you see, the same as it would have been,
upon the vulgar Notion of _Adam's Sin;_ or rather the Guilt of it
being, in virtue of this Covenant, imputed to them: The other and
better Part, in virtue of this Doctrine, are miserable, and must
therefore have abundant and bitter Cause of Complaint against the
Doctrine itself. I therefore think it was impossible, such a
Covenant should ever be proposed to _Adam;_ a Covenant which, if
ratified, tended only to make those wretched and miserable, who
without it, had they been left to shift for themselves, would have
used their Liberty and Rational Powers aright, and have pleased and
obtained God's Favour thereby. To talk of its being of general
Service, can never be of sufficient Authority to silence this
Argument. No _private Injuries_ can be excused to _innocent
Sufferers_ (and much less that of _eternal Torment_) on the Score of
general Good; what is it to them, whether _they only_, or _all
Mankind_ suffer. If _Adam_ had stood, these very Men, (who would,
had they been left to their Liberty, have proved obedient) would
have been in no wise bettered; as he failed, Misery came on those,
who would otherwise have been happy. As to those who would, in the
Course of their Liberty, have sinned; this Covenant, had _Adam_
stood, would ('tis true) have saved them from the Sentence of
_Condemnation_. Take it again the other way: _Adam's Fall_ could
make no Alteration in the State of those who, without it, would have
been Sinners; such as would have proved virtuous and happy, are
hereby made miserable. These are, or must have been the Consequences
of such a Covenant strictly observed; and the Wisdom and Equity of
all Covenants must be judged of, by comparing the good and evil
Consequences, necessarily resulting from them. All the Good such a
Covenant could possibly pretend to, had it been kept, was, the
saving from Wrath such as, without it, would, as free Beings, have
sinned; and if, for their Sakes, and to prevent the Evil that might
otherwise befall them, such a Covenant was worthy of God to make
with Man, a Day