Favour, than the original _Greek_, or best Copies, will support; and that, in some Places, the Meaning of the Original is inverted in the Translation. The Scripture not only revealing to us the _Being_ and _Attributes_ of God, _more clearly_ than it does many Doctrines, and that Fundamental of all true Religion being also in itself perfectly agreeable to the Light of Nature; 'tis evident, we are bound to reject the most positive Text of Scripture militating against this everlasting and fundamental Truth: and rather than part with this, we had much better suppose the Writer, as to disputable Points, to have been mistaken at the first, or the true Meaning corrupted by others. The Translators are allowed to have been fallible Men, and 'tis very probable some Errors might creep in at that Door: But it will not so easily be granted, that the _inspired Writers_ could mistake, nor would I suppose it, unless in _very extraordinary Cases_, where either _that_ or something _worse_ must be supposed; and such a Supposition will, I am sure; much better become us, than to imagine it possible for God to make a Revelation of his Will to Man, which shall upon Examination be found _contrary_ to his Being and Goodness, as well as expressly contrary to other _plain Parts_ of this Revelation, Tho' the Argument, I say, might be safely rested here, yet as there are some well meaning Persons, who believe that _Adam_ was made upright, and furnished with a Stock of Strength and Understanding, sufficient to _preserve_ his Innocence; that God made a Covenant with him, as our _Federal_ or _Representative Head_, wherein it was stipulated, that if he continued upright, during the Time of Probation allotted, _all_ his Posterity should be _for ever_ happy; but that if he fell, _all_ should be _subject_ to everlasting Misery, as the counter Part of the Covenant; and he falling, the Restoration of his fallen Race should be intirely owing to the good Pleasure of God, who might _redeem all_ or only _a Part_, and leave the rest to perish in the State wherein he found them, and in which _Adam_ had involved them by his Transgression: This they call _Preterition_, or a _Passing by_, which sounds a little better than that harsh Word _Reprobation_, tho' in reality no better at all: And on this first Transgression _some_ found the Doctrine of _Election_, and others that of _Infant-Baptism_, as an Expedient to wash away this original Guilt; and it must be owned, the Virtue of the Remedy is admirably well suited to the Malignity of the Disease. I shall, for their sakes, inspect a little farther into the Affair; to me it appears unreasonable, and therefore improbable, that God should make with _Adam_ any such Covenant or Agreement, or suffer the eternal State of all Mankind to hang upon the single Thread of _one Man's_ Behaviour, and who too (it seems) God knew would swerve from his Obedience: besides, in all equitable Covenants, _every Party_