2. Adam is put into paradise and so are we p. 39. 3. Adam was to till the ground and to eat of every tree but one and so are we p. 39. 4. Our first Parents did desire to eat of the forbidden fruit to become like God and so do we p. 40 41 42. The Obj. from the breach of the command answered p. 43 44 45. The tree of Life is the righteousnesse of God proved by scripture and 4 reasons p. 46 47 And so consequently the tree of knowledg of good evil is the righteousnes of man ib. 5. He eateth of that fruit and so do we p. 48 What is meant by eating explained p. 49 What is sin or what is sin after the similitude of Adams transgression p. 50 51 52. 7 Things effected and brought forth upon Adam by his eating answerable to the like 7. in us by our eating p. 53. 1. He is deprived of life and so are we p. 54 2. It discovers sin both to him and us p. 54 3. It brings fear both upon him and also to us p. 55. 4. It brings a curse upon both p. 56 57 5. It brings death it self to both p. 58 None dyed in that flesh of his but every one doth dye in and for himself what seems to be truth at one time may not be truth after further light p. 59 60 61 62 6. It caused him to cloath himself with fig-leafs and so it doth to us p. 63 These fig-leafs and the leafs of the tree of life described p. 64 65 7. The eating of the fruit did cause him to run away from God and hide himself in the tree of the Garden so it doth to us the Tree described p. 66 67 An Objection answered p. 68 The 6 degree of Adams rising he is cloathed with Skins and so are we p. 69 70 What these Skins are and how and when we are cloathed with them p. 71 72 73 An Objection answered how the first dispensation is of God and how not p. 75 76 The second is of God in a more peculiar manner p. 77 The mystery of the Trinity opened p. 78 79 80 7. Adam is cast out of paradise and so are we all dispensations give way to this p. 81 82 83 We are brought into a second paradise Vse First this teacheth us to be reconciled to God p. 84 Secondly a word of reconciliation to seven sorts of men p. 85 86 87 88 89 The strong brother and the weak ought not to condemn nor judg one another p. 90 91 92 It is Antichristian and of the Devill to compell one another to any thing in matter of worship which is contrary to the practice of Christ and his Apostles p. 92 93 All ought to walk according as they have received p. 94 An Objection answered p. 95 96 REader behold Jewels and Pearles her set Jasper and Amethists in this rich Cabinet Behold the way if thou these Pearls wilt find From step to step unto this glorious mine Three ways there are to see this heavenly place Through a vail a glass and after face to face The Earth shall shake and also Heav'n above That those things may remain which shall ne'remove Though ADAM did aspire on high by Earth Yet fall he did and lost his prize through death That unto life be might be brought again And so at last his first prize might obtain He 's cloath'd with skins a glorious cloathing then None such are found amongst the Sons of men Thus may you learn throughout this History Degrees of grace working men up to glory Therefore let all men rest in this contented For they in ADAM are all represented And first as be began to play the prize So we as he must die before we rise By W. R. ADAM UNVAYLED AND Seen with open Face The Principle which I doe here oppose and deny to be a Truth is this as followeth IT is held almost by al those profess the Christian Religion that Adam was made in the Image of God in righteousness wisdom and knowledge and the like and that by eating of the forbidden fruit be lost that Image in respect of those Attributes in which he was said to be made like unto God This is their understanding of Adam's estate with whom I have to deal others hold other things of Adam although not so gross or so far contrary to truth and I not knowing fully what all opinions are I shall lay down my own judgment which is clear contrary to theirs whose opinions are herein specified According to my understanding the Spirit of God holds forth in Scripture that the first Adam was made of earth earthly For he lost nothing by his eating the forbidden fruit he having nothing to lose neither wisdom righteousness knowledge or light inherentin himself but contrarily being meerly blinde foolish ignorant and empty of all those attributes which he was said to have and whereas it is said that Adam lost all those attributes by eating the forbidden fruit I say he gained all his naturall knowledge light righteousness wisedom and the like by vertue of his eating the forbidden fruit And I make it appear thus There were two speciall Trees in Paradise the one was the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil the other was the Tree of Life the fruit of these two Trees was nothing else but two laws of righteousness The first which was the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil was the law of nature which is the morall law and is called the righteousness of man The second Tree was the Law of the Spirit and life in Christ which is by gift and is called the righteousnesse of God now before Adam had eaten of either of these Trees he could have neither of these two lawes of righteousness which he had not until he had eaten of the fruit thereof For proof whereof it will First appear from the very attribute or title that is put upon the Tree it is called the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill and the reason is because it gives conveys knowledge of what is good and what is evil in those who eat it Secondly It may be also proved from the Serpents testimony he speaking in answer Vers 3. 4. to the woman when she said Vers 3. that God had said ye shall not eate of it neither shall you touch it least you die his answer was ye shal not surely die but contrarily saith he God knoweth that in the day you cat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Object But it may be some may say that the Serpent did lye and deceive Eve by these words and therefore is called a lier from the begining Answ The Serpent spake truth according to the womans sense and interpretation of death that was the dissolution of the body but not according to Gods meaning and interpretation of death therefore he is called a lyer from the begining as in another cause Although the
witnessses did testifie against Christ Matth 26 61. And likewise against Steven Act. 6. 13. Although these witnesses speak nothing but truth as it appears Joh. 2. 19. compared with Math. 26. 61. and also Steven denies not what was testified against him and proves it by Moses the Prophets Acts 6. 33. 48. Yet for all this those two sorts of witnesses are called false witnesses inasmuch as they did not speak according to their meaning and in this sense the Serpent is called a lyer from the begining because he speakes not according to Gods meaning of death But he was not a lyer according to the womans sense or interpretation of death which was the dissolution of the body for they did eate that day but did not die a naturall death thus it is also proved from the Serpent's testimony that their eyes shall be opened and they shall become like Gods knowing good and evill Thirdly It will appear to be a truth from the effects that the fruit did work on them by which the Serpent's words to the woman is made good vers 6. 7. And when the woman saw the Tree was good for food and pleasant to the oye and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew they were naked Those eyes were not mortal or substantial eyes of the body for they were open to see the fruit before they eat thereof vers 6. what eyes are there else to be opened besides the mortal eyes of the body there are two sorts of eyes besides the mortal eyes of the body the first is the natural eyes and the second is the spiritual eyes and as I told you before there was two sorts of fruits to open these two sorts of eyes and here you may see upon eating the first sort of fruit the first sort of eyes were opened namely the eyes of their natural knowledge wisdom and understanding for the text saith and they knew that they were naked it doth not say it made them naked for they were so before but before they eat they had not that understanding to know that they were naked or be ashamed of their nakednesse but by vertue of their eating of that fruit there was knowledge and wisdom and light conveyed into them whereby they knew what was good and what was evill therefore well might it be called the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill when it hath such vertue in it to give knowledge which could not be attained unto any other wayes as it may be necessarily gathered by that converse between God and Adam when the Lord called to Adam and said where art thou ves 9. Adam's answer was I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked vers 10. Gods answer to him again was who told thee that thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee thou shouldst not eat as much as if God had said it is true thou art naked he denyes it not but it is impossible that thou shouldest know of it without thou wast told because thou hast no knowledge in thy self except thou hast eaten of the forbidden fruit this speech of God is as if a man should determine in himself to doe some good for his son and yet make it known but to one man in the world and yet the son shall come to his father and say if you would doe such a thing for me his father knowing that none knew it but one will say who told thee hast thou spoken with such a man implying that he did give his son knowledge of such a thing without which he could not know No more could Adam know his nakedness which indeed was his earthliness without he had eaten of that Tree as it is clear from these words who told thee that thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat Here you see opening of eyes and discovery of nakedness effected in Adam and Eve by their eating the forbidden fruit Fourthly We shall confirm all these and put the point out of question from God himself where the saith behold the man is become as one of us knowing good and evil Chap. 3. vers 22. If Adam by his eating the forbidden fruit became like God then it will follow that he was not like God before But Adam by his eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil became like God in the knowledge of good evil that is what God esteemed to be good that Adam knew and esteemed likewise to be good and what God esteemed to be evil that Adam also knew and esteemed to be evil although Adam did not know things in that measure and fulness as God did yet he knew as God did in the same manner or nature as a coale is like a whole world set on fire so was Adam like God in the knowledge of good and evil but here lies Adam's misery in knowing good and evil and yet not having power to do the good known and shun the evil which could not be obtained by the eating this fruit but by the eating of the second fruit which is of the Tree of life as I shall hereafter shew I might further confirm this truth by divers arguments and reasons but before I proceed it is necessary that I should answer divers objections which lie in the way Object You will say it is true God saith the man is become like one of us but God speakes by the way of an Ironye as Micaiah speakes to Ahab the 1 of Kings 22. 15. the King asked him whether he should go up to Ramoth-Gilead to battle or no The Prophet Micaiah bids him go up and prosper and the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the King So God speakes to Adam because of his former high thoughts and indeavours to be great and when Adam fell short of what he thought to be God speaks to him in dirision Answ God speakes not in the way of an Irony my reasons are these first because God speakes not to Adam as the Prophet did to Ahab or as the wise man in the Proverbs did to the young man But God speaks to himself in respect of his threefold relation that is either like God in his eternal essence or being or like God in respect of his influence and power or thirdly like him as he dwelleth and acteth and abaseth himself in Christ or rather like him in the knowledge of good and evil according as he esteems good and evil in either of these relations therefore I say God speaking to the Trinitie and not to Adam It is impossible for God to speake in the way of an Irony or deriding or rather blasphemy because he speakes not to the person offending as the Prophet did therefore your
cover his head for as much as he is the image and gory of God now observe if that be the only reason why he ought not to be covered because he is the image of God I say by the same reason the woman ought not to be covered if she had been the image of God but she being not the image of God but the glory of the man therefore she ought to be covered I say again if they that be in the image of God do dishonour God by being covered in praying or prophesying as it appears they do by the Apostles reason then Paul commands the women of the Church of Corinth to dishonour God if they were made in the image of God but they being not in the image of God therefore did not dishonour God but by it honoured their husbands further to prove that the woman was not made in the image of God spoken of in Gen. 1. 26. and so consequently that the image there mentioned must needs be a personal image My second reason is this because Adam and Eve as they were made visible and mortal substances they were both Typicall of two several things Adam typed out Christ the second man and Eve the Church and as the things typed out were of two several natures or figures it must necessarily follow that the types themselves must be of two natures or figures this must needs be so for this reason because the woman and the man is not alike in respect of their natural image neither in shape strength or government therefore Gods meaning must needs be understood of mans personal image to be made like Gods The third reason may be this because God alwayes appeared in the shape of a man and not in the shape of a woman Thus having proved that the woman was not made in the image of God it wil therefore necessarily follow that the image spoken of was a personal visible image not the image of God in respect of holiness righteousness wisdom or the like for you say and I grant that the man and woman are both alike in that but you see they were not both alike in the image of God for Adam was made in the image of God and Eve was not which is already proved thus you see the image of God is taken for the image of his person or visibility in the first sense Secondly The image of God is held forth A ful answer to the Objecti page 1 c under a second consideration and in explaining this I shall further clear that which is already delivered And this second image is the invisible incomprehensible and immortall image it may be taken and is understood as I have already declared thus let us make mans person after the image of Gods person but God rested not here neither would he have us to rest here but look through the shadow to the substance through the visible and personal image to the invisible incomprehensible immortal image through the first Adam to the second Adam God speakes after the manner of men in darke shadows and parables and carnal men understand accordingly when indeed God lookes through these shadows and means another thing God saith let us make man here he speakes after the manner of man because a man is a man to men but to God * Carnal man is not man but a meer bubble or shadow therefore God lookes upon man in his own account and his meaning is let us make the new substantial and immortal Adam after the incomprehensible and immortal image this saying of God must needs be understood as that in Gen. 8. 13. When Noah came out of the Arke he took of every clean beast and offered burnt offerings and the text saith that the Lord smelled a sweet savour and the Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the earth any more for mans sake Could a company of poor earthly creatures make a sweet smelling savour in the nostrils of God no no God looks through these carnal and typical offerings to the spiritual and Antitypical offerings which are the sweet breathings and carryings forth of the spirits of the Saints upon the Altar which is the divine nature of Christ to have communion and fellowship with himself So in the like manner when God saith let us make man he lookes through the carnal man to the spiritual and true man who is created after the image of God in righteousness true holiness and therefore Christ In this image male and female all one in Christ is said to be the express image of his person we are not to understand that he means that Christ is the express image of his visible person that person which was spoken of 1 Cor 11. 7. in which the woman was not made in as it hath been made appear but he means that invisible and immortal righteousness and holiness which is in God in his eternal essence and being This word person is a phrase after the manner of men to set out invisible and incomprehensible things by that which is visible it is called the expresse image of his person in opposition to all other typical images or outward federate holinss or righteousness whatsoever this is the true image and new man that the Saints are to put on in opposition to the false image and old man which must be put off Obj. Some may say Gods meaning could not be of this immortall invisible or second image which God speaks of when he saith let us make man because this image was not then made Answ The Saints are said to be chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world if chosen then made under the same consideration for things must be before they can be chosen Again men may say let us make a house and in order thereunto make morter and bricke and in doing that they may be said to make the house So it may be understood of God in this place It was Gods great end to bring up the elect who were chosen before the foundation of the world into a communion and fellowship with himself And in order to this he makes the person or outward tabernacle for this new man to dwell in and to bring about this great end that is to say to make man in his owne immortall and substantiall Image for in making the outword and personall hee may be said to make the outward and Spirituall for the Apostle saith How be it that was not first which was spirituall but that which was carnall and afterwards that which was spirituall 1 Cor. 15. 46. Therefore when God saith let us make man he looks through the first to the latter and meanes the end of things this is that new man a man in Gods own account I having described the image of God under these two considerations and withall proved that Adam as he was in innocency was made after the first image that is to say the image of his person
I shall also go on in proving that Adam as he was then made and stood in innocency was not made after the second image in holinesse righteousnesse knowledge and the like and my reasons are these First If Adam had been immortall in the image Reason 1. of God in respect of his attributes it had been as impossible for him to fall and become mortal and unholy as it would be for God himself that which is holy cannot become unholy that which is in the nature of God cannot change it nature into the nature of sin God is able to change other things into his nature but no other thing can change that which is of God into its nature Because I would leave nothing unanswered Object I would willingly know what you meane by holiness and righteousness if you mean natural holiness and righteousness knowledge light and the like Ans To this I answer God hath no such image the Scripture holds forth but a twofold Image the first a Personal the second a Spiritual according as I have already described Again If you say he was holy and righteous inasmuch as he had not sinned I say in that sense a stone or any other vegetative or sensitive creature is made in the image of God for it hath not sinned This is like that tenet or principle held concerning children for some say If children should not be saved who have never sinned actually who then can be saved as if that which had not sinned was holy and nearer God to be without sin only is not to be holy and in the image of God or to have never so much naturall knowledge and light adds nothing to holiness and righteousness according to Gods image But to be holy and righteous in the image of God is to be immortall unchangeable and to have eternall life in them which is the gift of God and there to live in the enjoyment of God having inherent righteousness in them and to be begotten by God and grow up in the very nature of God as a child grows up in the nature of his Father So that you must become little children and be born by the Spirit before you enter into the Kingdom of heaven that is there must be a new and second birth of a new creature a new life and conversation new feeding new spirituall meat and drinking anew of wine and water of life with Christ in the Father's kingdom a new enjoyment a new spirituall rest and all things must become new all this is held forth by the first birth life conversation feeding and resting If we must become like or as little children before we can enter into the Kingdom of heaven then I say we must become like old men before we sit down in the Kingdom of heaven in the full enjoyment of the Father or in the knowledge of him which is from the beginning as the Apostle John saith to the Fathers who out-stripped the children or young men in the knowledge of God as he was in them from the beginning 2 John 12 14. These children are not to be understood children by generation neither are the young men or fathers to be understood under a natural consideration but children in respect of regeneration and young men and fathers in respect of spirituall growth and knowledge in the mystery of God So then if Adam had been thus he had been in the image of God and could no more have fallen away from the nature and image of his Father then a childe can fall from the nature and image of his father into the nature and image of a beast neither did he fall in that sense as you understand he did nor do any thing against or contrary to his nature Secondly He was earthly and so he acted Reas 2. from that principle and therefore not in the image of God and that you may plainly see if you consider what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. 43. in these words There is a carnall body and there is a spirituall body Although this may be taken or understood to be our body or the body of sin fallen in Adam in opposition to the spirituall body which is the spirit of life in Christ yet it is not the Apostles understanding onely for he goes about to prove this by the written word and that is from Adam's first creation for saith he and so it is written The first man Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. The Apostle understands this first man that was made a living soul to be a meer natural man as also he understands the second to be a spirituall as you may see ver 46. in these words Howbeit that was not first which was spirituall but that which was carnall and afterwards that which was spirituall There needs no further evidence in this neither can I speak any plainer then the Apostle for when he goes to prove there is a naturall bodie he doth not say it became naturall through some miscarriage but he saith he was made so he was made a living soul which living soul so made by God he saith in the next verse that it was not spirituall but carnal Nothing that is carnall can have communion with God But Adam was carnall Therefore could have no communion with God Nothing that was made carnall was in the image of God But Adam was made carnall Therefore not in the image of God in respect of his Attributes Thirdly The Apostle sets forth the pedegree Reason â— or root of the second Adam by the pedegree or root of the first in these words The first man is of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from heaven vers 47. As the second did not come in a low estate and condition and attain to an higher afterwards for he is the Lord from heaven so the first man did not come in an high and glorious condition and afterwards fall into a lower Object If you said That Christ which is the second man came in a low estate and condition which makes against this Argument Answ To which I answer In respect of his Manhood he was the first Adam for it is said He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one It is not onely meant in respect of their spirituall estates after they were sanctified but also of their fleshly except actual sin as it is Heb. 2. 14. Forasmuch as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same And as he was flesh and blood he came in a low condition and so he may be said to grow in grace and knowledge for he was not the Lord from heaven nor the second man in this sense but he was the Lord from heaven in respect of his Godhead or that spiritual influence or annoynting that came forth from God and took up flesh and dewlt therein In this sense he was the second Adam
which is the Lord from heaven and as the second Adam was alway the same neither higher nor lower at any time although he may be higher sometimes and sometimes lower in respect of manifestation yet he is one and the same for ever in his own nature and property so also the first man Adam might seem to be in a very high and good condition and afterwards to be in a low and evill condition in respect of manifestation to himself but in his own nature one and the same for ever for he was made of the earth earthly that is First as his corporal substance was made of the materiall earth so secondly his estate and enjoyment was carnall and earthly and being earthly minded carnal and blind he was put into Paradise and there continued untill his eyes were opened by his eating the tree of knowledge of good and evill and then he had a discovery of his carnality as I have already shewed in the letter and shall hereafter open the mystery to you when I come to Application Fourthly Further if I can prove that our first parents had original sin before they did eat of the forbidden fruit the controversie will be ended and you must grant my opinion to be a truth Which I shall prove as it followeth 2. That our first parents had original Reason 4. sin in them by reason of which they could not stand in that estate as they were in but fall And it will appear thus sin is to understood That is have their nakedness discovered under a two-fold consideration the first may be called sin in its conception that is the lust and earnest desire and inclination of the heart to do such a thing to satisfie its own lust this is sin in it self and that which God hates and abominates this is that which Christ witnesseth against for saith he I say unto you that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart Math. 5. vers 28. he saith also the same of murder and other things vers 22. if it be conceived in the heart it s done in respect of God for as God desires and accepts of the good conceptions and indeavours of the heart although they never be put into action and also rewards them so he abhoreth the evill conceptions and intentions of the heart and accounts it for sin though it be never put into action and rewards it accordingly if unrepented thus I have described the first sort of sin which indeed is sin in it self and to speak properly there is no other sin but this but that which I call the second sort of sin to speak properly is not sin in its self but rather the manifestation of sin or sin breaking forth and making it self visible and this is called actuall sin which indeed is sin to us this is the second sort of sin or rather the manifestation of sin but that sort of sin or original corruption which is the body of sin this had Adam before he eat of the Tree of Knowldge of good and evill to this purpose look into Gen. 6. where it is said first that she saw it was good for food and secondly that it was pleasant to the eye and thirdly it was a tree to be desired to make one wis All these three things considered by the woman the goodness of it the pleasantness of it also that it would produce wisdom from hence it did cause lust and a burning desire in her after the fruit thereof this desire and lust was produced from that body of sin or original corruption and earthiness within and this sin according to Christs exposition Math. 5. is the sin or trasgression it self for their eating did not effect or produce their lusts and desires but their lusts and desires did effect their taking the fruit and their eating thereof and this was the sin and transgression it self as it is clear from the Apostles words where he I Tim. 2 14. saith the man was not in the transgression but the woman why so did not the man eat of the forbidden fruit yea he did eat of the fruit but that was not the transgression but the sin or transgression it self was the desire to the fruit upon such considerations as was before mentioned and this desire or lust is recorded of Eve only and not of Adam as the Apostle doth here affirm now Eve holds forth the matter of the Church in this place that is to say a carnal man and woman and therefore the transgressions was attributed to her alone because she was the mother of all living Gen. 3. vers 20. And not to Adam for Adam did type out Christ and as he was a type he was passive in the transgression and carried away by Eve and thus it is in the substance Rom. 7. vers 23. but I see another Law in my members warring against the Laâ— of my mind and bringing me into captivity tâ— the Law of sin but as Adam was a meeâ— creature Eve held forth both him and heâ— self which is in the substance the carnal man and woman or that part which quencheth the spirit and carrieth away the inward man captive as I shall further explain hereafter Object If it be said that this desire of Eve was begotten by and through the Sâ—rpents temtation Answ This I do not deny yet I say at this present it is so with us for the Serpent doth set forth evill with all the advantage and shew of good as possibly he can but all that he could doe either to Eve or us is but to effect the body of sin or original corruption and malignity within with the thing so set forth for he neither could give desires to them nor yet to us for the desire was from some malignity or corruption within all that he could do was to make the evil appear lovely to the eye that the desire may be raised up after the same as he hath somethings to work upon in us so also he had in Eve which was her corruption if there had been nothing within her he would have sped with her as he did with Christ for he having no fuel of original corruption therefore the flame of the Serpents temptation could not kindle that which was not but Eve having much power of original corruption it was soon set on fire with the Serpents temptation Secondly All those that say Adam was 2. Proved from themselves made in the Image of God in holiness and righteousness do confess what is here affirmed namely That our first parents had sin and corruption before they ate of the fruit It is a common saying both in their preaching and their writing That Adam's aspiring Pride and Ambition to become like God was the cause of his Fall Doctor Vsher in his Book of Princip p. 11. Bifield in his Principles pag. 77 80. Vsher saith That Adam rather obeyed the voice of the
pleasure or delight they being not yet capable of the same being not yet put into the Garden of Eden This is our first estate answerable to Adam's first estate Secondly Adam is put into the Garden 2. Degree of Adams rising to till the ground that is into pleasure and delight The second degree of the substantiall Adam thus answereth the second degree of typicall Adam who is likewise put into Paradise and grows up to be capable of pleasures and delights and to feed themselves as the first Adam did There is no constraint in their natures of every tree they may eat that is there is no command or power inherent in them to debar or hinder them from every fancy or delight which is in the garden of mans pleasure for the heart hath a freedom to feed on any thing that is presented to the eye which delights are held forth under the name of the trees of the Garden according to the Metaphors held forth in * Ezek. 47. 12. Isa 55. 13. The thorn tree shall seem pleasant to them Scripture as you may see in the Margin Thirdly They were to till the ground 3 Degree of Adams rising that is they have knowledge and understanding to know what is good for nourishment to preserve themselves As also it may be more properly understood by tilling the ground their endeavouring to make themselves fit to receive good seed as it is understood in Jerem. 4. 3. Break up the fallow Hos 10. 12. Some are wrought â—pon by â—he Spirit â—f God beâ—ore others ground and sow not among thorns This is the condition from the age of six yeers and upwards upon all flesh before the creature be brought up to another degree Fourthly Adam the type was prohibited from eating of one tree in the midst of â— Degree â—f Adams â—â—sing the Garden upon the penalty of death So in the like manner is Adam the antitype which is all flesh prohibited from power in themselves and commanded in the word of God not to go to make themselves perfect by their own righteousnesse which is the tree of knowledge of good and evill in the substance which tree mans righteousness or the Law is in the midst of the garden that is of all the delights and shelters The chief in their apprehension that are This is one of the chief even placed in the very heart of man And as Adam the shadow had high and ambitious thoughts to be great and did endeavour to become like God by his own actings and endeavours through the subtilty of the Serpent who so set forth the excellency of the fruit and made it appear so lovely yet the Text saith When she saw it was good for food and pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave unto her husband with her and he did eat The taking of the fruit is here attributed to the woman only and not unto the man and the reason is because the woman held forth the Church which is both man and woman the man held forth Christ and therefore he was not active in plucking the fruit but Eve only was active in the transgression And although it be not proved that the man Adam did aspire to be great yet in as much as she did he did also in her for all men and women were in her and her name was Adam as well as his Gen. 5. 2. this holds forth the mystery of Christ and his Church who assume each others names So then it being cleer that Adam the shadow was ambitious as a creature and did endeavour to be great and become like God and to that end did pluck and eat of the forbidden fruit It is also as clear that Adam the substance that is all carnall men and women do the same thing When they are come through these three degrees and are capable of any thing they begin to meditate of the creation of the world and to admire him that made all things Thus it is naturall to all men besides being instructed by their parents to meditate and learn to see the invisible God in some measure through the visible things that are made And thus their serious thoughts and considerations make them leave the former fruit in some measure which is all manner of fancies pleasures and delights and begin to look into the middle of the garden upon the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evill which is the righteousness of man and it is very pleasant to the eye of carnall men they cry out This is the fruit that will make one wise this is the food that we must eat in our journey to heaven Thus mans righteousnesse is carnall mans food or strength by which he thinks to come to heaven If you ask such a man or woman how they think to be saved they will say by their good thoughts and works and all the Gentiles called Christians both Papists and Protestants do admire this fruit which is mans righteousness and nothing else is so pleasant to the eye to make one wise or like God or bring one to heaven as this is in their apprehensions 'T is true Mans righteousness which is Here begins the Answer to the Objection page 35. the tree of knowldge of good and evill was good to Adam and is also to us yet it was forbidden both to him and also to us that is it was or is forbidden to accomplish or bring about such an end as man would have it do that is to say to become like God although it doth so too in some measure in the knowledge of good and evill as I have already shewed yet it doth not in the performance of the thing known to be good or the omitting of the thing known to be evill or the living and the enjoying of that life and enjoyment that is in God which shall not be obtained by the eating of the fruit of this tree but by the eating of the fruit of the tree of life which also is in the midst of the Garden and yet no naturall tree no more then the first for this second tree is Gods righteousness and the very â—eaves of it shall serve for the healing of the Nations so then this first fruit is good in â—ts own place and without the eating of this we cannot be capable of the other yet it is forbidden to be eaten to accomplish the end that is before prescribed that is to say to become like God To prove this take notice of these Scriptures and you shall finde this fruit mans righteousness is forbidden and the sentence of death passed on those that feed on it to that end as our first parents did The Apostle Gal. 3. 10. speaks thus For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse To be carnally minded is death Rom. 8. 6. The Apostles meaning is to be
putteth his law in their inward parts it is when they shall no more every man teach his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest Jeremiah 31. 31. to the end of the Chap. at the twenty nine verse of the same Chapter he speaks on this wise In those dayes they shall say no more the fathers have eaten a sowre grape and the Childrens teeth are set on edg but every one shall dye for his owne iniquity every man that â—ateth a sowre grape his teeth shall be set on edge If man dyed for his own iniquity in those dayes then he died not in his fathers before but in those dayes every one did dye for his own iniquities and therefore they did not dye nor fall in another before we who are Israel are not to look through shadows or through a vail for if we are turned to the Lord the vail is taken away we see with open face we are not spoken to in parables to us it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom therefore let us leave off this Proverbe in saying that we were lost in Adam Let God be true and every man a lyer when he saith in those dayes this Proverbe shall be used no more The Objection from Rom. 5. 19. 1 Cor. 15. 22. Where it is said All dyed in Adam This Objection must admit of this answer as it followeth How all are said to dye in Adam 1. The Apostle speaks not his own Judgment but condescends to them and speaks according to this or that saying that they had in Israel concerning the Fathers eating of sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set an edg he speaks to them here in this as unto those Cor. 7. 14. where he saith the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife and the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the believing Husband or else were the children uncleane but now they are holy The Apostle here speaks not his own opinion for he had cast of all this holinesse of Circumcision and what priviledg soever he had by it and accounts it losse and as drosse and dung but he speaks according to their belief or tenet in the time of the Law which was if a Circumcised person was joyned to an uncircumcised yet their seed should be accounted to be within the Covenant or holy and not unclean and from this their opinion he goes to take advantage and reconcile them together by what they themselves held and so in this place he doth endeavour to illustrate make out life to all in Christ by that which they held concerning Adam that is that their teeth was set an edge by his eating sowre grapes he doth in this place as he doth in the Hebraws where he holds out the excellency of the mystery of Christ by the Ministery that they were best acquainted with Secon We die in Adam t is trve all have held it to be a truth but they have not lookt to the end of things because their mindes are blinded and the vaile is over their hearts and shall be till they are turned to the Lord and then this Proverbe shall be used no more Quest How may we be said to die in Adam Ans We may be said to die in him in an allegoricall sence that is he by his death did shadow out all those that came to that State or degree as he was in marke what the Apostle saith in another case Tell me you little children do you not hear the Law read so he goes to tell them of the Law thus It is written Abraham had two Sonnes the one by a bond-Maid the other by a free-Woman this he tels them that in the mystery or the allegoricall sence is the Law as he saith afterwards for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia answereth to Jerusalem which now is is in bondage with Galla. 4. 25. her children this Hagar is mount Sinai saith he this is as plain a speech as to say all dyed in Adam but yet he looks through this Hagar and Mount Sinai to the Jews in bondage under the Law which he cals Jerusalem So in like manner he looks through our first Parents when he saith all dyed in Adam and meanes them who were come to that estate and degree So then he by his death did figure out all that came to that degree that they should come to it that way as he did to die in Adam is to crucifie the old man and dye to ones own righteousnesse and strength daily so then his death did represent this death of ours as he by his death did assure us that we shall follow him in this sence we may be said to die in him such Scriptures which say that we all died in Adam must be further answered thus by the like Scriptures and understood accordingly as these are Christ is said to be slain from the foundation of the world And I am that heavenly Manna that came down from heaven And Babylon is fallen is fallen when it is said Rev. 13. 8. 18. 2 4. afterwards Come out of her my people all this while this is but in Gods account or in the shadow or representation so the Fathers eat Manna drank of that rock that followed them and that rock was Christ but not substantially but parabolically or else it is to be understood as sure as it is in part so it shall be in our account so it shal be in the substance so it shall be wholly thus we must understand our death in Adam First we are all dead men in Gods account Secondly we are all dead in the shadow Thirdly we are all dead in that nature and earnest the whole world is the substance and whole payment which must be brought into the same place as the earnest was we must come the same way as he did and bear our burthens and by his death he doth assure us that we shall dye assuredly as it were already done in him Again when we dyed we dyed in Adam for every carnall man is Adam yet all the carnality that ever was is or shall be is Adam the old man as it is formerly proved And in this Adam all those to whom the law cometh must dye and are dead already in Gods account or in the shadow and earnest as hath been proved Thus much in answer to this Objection Object Adams eating the forbidden fruit did cause him to cloath himself with fig-leafes which leafes are the leafes of the same tree as the eating of the fruit did open their eyes to see their nakedness and upon the sight thereof they were put upon action to cover this nakeduesse with the leafs of the Tree Ans The same thing doth the law effect on 6. The effects of the friut them to whom it comes for when the impressions of the law comes in upon the soul or heart and discovereth
out all those on whom this anointing or spirit of God comes into thus he threatneth and condemneth sinne Secondly He condemns sinne as being an Ensigne to be held to all those that he is a figure of to the end that they in the beholding of him may be changed into the same Image and become one with himself This is the second dispensation and that cloathing of skins which Adam was clothed with and as it was endeavoured by the first dispensation to cast man out of carnal pleasure and delight it was farre more endeavoured and neerer accomplished by the second dispensation for where it was said unto Adam and his wife did the Lord God make coats of Skins Gen. 13. 21. In the next verse it is said Behold the man is become like one of us Man must be cloathed by God with the righteousness of God before man become like God in either of his three relations so you see through the second dispensation man became like God and is also cast out of his carnall pleasure and delight God is the drawer of man out of sinne and self-righteousness There is a third dispensation by which The 7th degree of Adams rising man is wholly cast out of paradise kept out of paradise and brought in to a second and glorious paradise and that is the Spirit or Comforter the going away of the first is the coming of the second that of Mount Sinai must decrease Christ must increase so the going away of the second is the coming of the third as Moses gave place to Christ so Christ gave place to the Comforter It is expedient that I goe away or else the Comforter cannot come The first witnesseth to the second and saith Him shall ye hear in all things The second witnefleth to the third and saith I will send the Comforter and he shall lead you into all truth Upon the knowing of the third the second is to be known no more Although I have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth desire I to know him so no more This is the new and spirituall birth for he that is in Christ is a new creature to him old things are done away and all things must become new the law did convince of Sin Christ in the flesh did convince of Sin and so endevoured to make man like God and cast him out of selvish and carnall Paradise but what the second dispensation could not doe the third dispensation is sent to doe it and therefore Christ saith When the Comforter commeth he shall convince the world of sin righteousnesse and judgment He shall convince the world of sin the Law did endevour this and Christ did endevour this and may be said to doe it as a meanes but it is the Spirit it self that doth compleatly accomplish this work this is the Word of God that divideth between the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart none can call Jesus Christ but by this Spirit and this is that which convinceth of sin and casteth man out of carnall pleasure and delight and not only so but by this Spirit we are brought into the antitypicall and spirituall paradise of God and therefore Christ saith He shall take of mine and shew it unto you This is made good to the Apostle he being under this dispensation of God who witnesseth the accomplishment of what was written by Isaiah touching this dispensation as it is written Eye hath not seen non ear hath not heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man but God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. Thus doth the Spirit take of God and shew it unto us this is the sword and this is the Cherubim that keeps the way of the tree of life that none can come to it but those whom it takes up to that paradise therefore the Apostle saith Such a man I knew who was taken up into Paradise and heard unspeakablewords which it is unlawfull for a man to utter this is the fire that will burn up all things as hay stubble straw or whatsoever is not of its own planting this shall be poured out upon the Governors of Judah they shall be as a hearth of fire among wood and as a torch in a sheaf of corn this is the Cherubim that brought a coal of fire from the Altar unto Isaiah by which he had his iniquities forgiven and was made fit to goe with Gods message when man is drove out of his carnality by this Spirit he is fit to till the ground from whence he was taken We may see God in a generall way through the other two dispensations but none can know God Scripture Sinne or Righteousness but by the Spirit all rules are uncertain but this rule of the new Creature and as many as walk according to this rule peace be unto them and to the Israel of God And thus you see how one God through 3 discoveries doth cast man out of earthly pleasure and delight therefore let us put him out a speech after the manner of men which holds forth abundance of mystery of which I have many things to say and hard to be uttered or understood seeing we are so dull of hearing that which I promised I shall here commend to the wise and onely point at two general Uses and leave what other Uses may be made of it unto you or the power of God leading you out unto it First If this be a truth that is here delivered Vse that no man fell in Adam really but figuratively as he did represent and assure us by his fall that we should fall in the like manner from hence we should be reconciled unto God and not to say that God is such a hard Mat. 25. 24. Master reaping where he never sowes and charge him with injustice iniquity and partiality in saying that all should dye for one mans fault you that are Christians and under the new Covenant what meane you by this Proverbe what meane you to say the fathers eat sower grapes and the Childrens teeth are set an edg and to shift your Jer. 31. 29. Ezek. 12. 24. owne necks out of the coller in charging your sinne upon another what meane you to make God a lyar when he saith As I live this Proverbe shall be no more but every one shall dye for his own iniquity and he that eateth the sowre grapes his teeth shall be set on edg therefore if you live in those dayes as the Prophets points at if you are Israell according to the Spirit if you are turned to the Lord this vail of Adam wil be taken away as well as the vail of Circumcision Tabernacle or Altar meats or drinks washings or purifyings or whatsoever of that nature they were all truths once but when the substance came the shadow was to be taken away as wel in the one
and living in perfection then we ought in reason to be reconciled together Let not him that is strong who liveth in the sixt or seventh day despise him that is weak that lives in the first or darkest dayes or dispensations Nor let not him that is weake judge him that is Rom. 14. 3. streng for God hath received him he walketh with God You will think him to be a mutherer that should endevour to make all mankind to eat one sort of meat either to make old men to eat milk or suck the breast or else to make new born Babes to eat such gross meat as old men do such will be murtherers of the body so in the like manner are they soul-murtherers that will bring all men into one conformity nay they are farr worse then the first for these doe not only make spirituall men feed upon spirituall meat of any kinde but upon Dogs meat and Husks and such as they themselves feed on I am not offended with them for their feeding but in that they go to take away my liberty these are soul murtherers to those who are conformable to them and also body-murtherers to them that will not conform with them But this Antichrist that thus exalts himself above all that is called god in the Saints shall be destroyed by the brightness of his coming they ought to have the liberty of their consciences be they never so corrupt in Worship But if thy Conscience be to take away my liberty in worship ought to be suppressed as an evil doer or as one endevouring to make murther this is of Cain whose seed thou art this is that City in which all the blood of the Saints shall be found in her all that dare to publish such a Tenet or attempt to doe it have committed murther and ought to dye by the Law of God and Law of reason as all mankinde cannot live upon one sort of naturall meat except some must starve neither can the spirituall seed live all upon one sort of spiritual food therefore Christ speaketh to the multitude in parables but saith to his Disciples Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom Christ speaks not according to the Excellency of his own knowledg and light but condiscends to their weakness in speaking according to their capacity therefore he saith to his Disciples I have many things to say but you cannot bear them now Also the Apostle Paul endevoureth to speak according to the capacity of them he speaks to as you may see 1 Cor. 2. 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the spirit and power Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery Verse 7. Thus the Apostle conforms himself to those he speaks to as he can live with the highest in Canaan so he can goe down into Egypt to take his Brethren by the hand to the end he may bring them from one degree to another untill they are come to sit with himself in heavenly places He was not so high with those to whom he speaks wisdom in a mysterie but he is as low where he saith And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spirituall but as unto carnall even as unto babes in Christ I have fed you with milk not with meat for hitherto you were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able 1 Cor. 2. 1 2. He became all thing to all men that he might gain some Also he saith Hebr. 5. 12 13 14. For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are such as have need of milk and not of strong meat for every one that useth milke is unskilful in the word of righteonsness for he is a babe but strong meat belongs to them that are of full age or in the Greek word perfect since God hath always spoken in sundry times divers manners and speakes not in one way or one form therefore let us not persecute one another if God speaks not to others in the way he speaks to us doe not desire to lord Rom. 15. 1. it over Gods heritage we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak for who makes thee to differ from another 1 Cor. 4. 7. and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it before thou receiv'dst it thou wast as he thou thinkest meanly of wouldst thou have been willing to have been despised and stumbled and so destroyed when thou wert weak before thou hadst received this grace and if not lay not stumbling blocks in thy brothers way therefore since we come up all one way to perfection let every one of us be reconciled one to another let every one of Rom. 15. 2. us please his neighbour for his good to edification let us therfore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you nevertheless whereunto you have already attained let us walk by the same rule Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus Finis POSTSCRIPT THe Objection which saith That no man hath the knowledg that Adam bad before his fall to give the creatures names according to their natures as he did they being deprived of that understanding by his fall To which I answer thus It remains for you to prove that there was any creature in paradise which I am sure you cannot for we find first that man was put into paradise Gen. 2. 8. And 2ly he is drove out of it Gen. 3. 23. Here you see the mans bringing in and his driving out but no creatures are brought in or driven out with him therefore lest you can prove that the creatures were there I shall deny that he named them there 2. We are not to understand that the Scriptures are fulfilled in order as they are written for if so then Adam and all the creatures were twice made for in the fifth days work the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air were created Gen. 1. 18 to 23. and in the beginning of the six days the living creatures of the earth were created cattel and creeping things after their kind v. 24 25. then man was created v. 27. All things are said to be made and God is said to end his work and rest and yet Chap. 2. v. 5. it is said There is no man to till the ground and v. 7. it is said That the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground although before in Chap. 1. the Creatures are said to be made before man yet here in this Chapter man is said to be made again and the creatures after him for he is said to be made ver 7. and they v. 19. Again for all it 's said Male and Female created he them and also that he had ended his works and did rest from them Chap. 2. v. 2. yet you will finde that the Woman was made afterwards as it is ver 22. And therefore I say the Scriptures are not to be understood in order as they are written but many times when a thing is said to be done it is done many hundred years after and so also is this touching our naming of creatures and our ruling over them and our freedome to eat of every hearb or fruit of the earth if any one of these things is attributed to Adam and not to us then by the same grounds the other as ruling tilling dressing and eating of the fruit or hearbs must be attributed to him and not to us but we are Adam as well as he it is to us God brings the creatures to see what names we will call them 3. According to you own understanding of Scripture Adam did manifest knowledg and wisdom after his fall as well as before as you may see after judgment pronounc'd upon him Chap. 3. v. 20. it is said Adam called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living So then if he had wisdom and knowledg to name the creatures before his fall it was a greater piece of wisdom to name one more excellent then the sensitive creatures and also to give the reason of her name because she was the mother of all living Gen. 3. 20. 4. There is nothing now in the Old-Testament named either by good men or bad but signifieth either good or bad God can speak in Caiaphas touching the great sacrifice or reprove Balaam by his Ass yet neither of these knew what they spake This Objection was omitted and I hearing some moving of it thought fit to point at this answer for the present satisfaction of the Reader FINIS