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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11363	A treatise of Paradise. And the principall contents thereof especially of the greatnesse, situation, beautie, and other properties of that place: of the trees of life, good and euill; of the serpent, cherubin, fiery sword, mans creation, immortalitie, propagation, stature, age, knowledge, temptation, fall, and exclusion out of Paradise; and consequently of his and our originall sin: with many other difficulties touching these points. Collected out of the holy Scriptures, ancient fathers, and other both ancient and moderne writers.	Salkeld, John, 1576-1660.	1617 (1617)	STC 21622; ESTC S116515	126,315	368

true that which the Poët saith that labour blunteth the arrowes of Cupid so doth it no lesse other darts of the deuill But hence peraduenture some patron of idlenes may inferre that labour was contrary to that blessed state of Paradise as which required all quiet rest and content no rather I say that it was consequent or necessarily pertaining to that blessed state seeing that labour was not any toile or paine but rather a pleasure and a voluntary effect of his well disposed minde as it is now likewise to men not so ill affected quorum otium as Seneca said maximum negotium so as S. Austine saith l. 8. de Gen ad lit cap. 8. non esset laboris afflictio sed voluntatis exhilaratio cùm ea quae Deus creauerat humani generis adiutorium laetius seraciúque provenirent that it should not be a toile or affliction of the body but a recreation and reioycing of the will and minde CHAP. XXIX Whether the precept of not eating of the tree of knowledge of good and euill was giuen aswell to Eue as to Adam and how that was THe difficultie of this question proceedeth of the diuers readings of the precept because some with Greg. l. 35. moral cap. 10. do read it according to the Greeke in the plurall the Hebrue Caldaean with the vulgar Latin and English are in the singular Gen. 21.16 and the Lord God commanded the man saying thou shalt eat freely of euery tree of the garden but of the tree of knowledge of good euill thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Whereby wee see that this commandement was directed to the man only not to the woman seeing shee as yet was not created as is apparent out of the 18 verse the 21 22 23 where the creation of Eue is described Neuerthelesse it is manifest that the same commandment was extended to Eue also for so shee answered the serpent according to the vulgar edition de ligno quod est in medio paradysi praecepit nobis deus ne comederemus but of the tree which is in the midst of Paradise God commanded vs wee should not eat wherfore though this precept was principally giuen to Adam yet was it also to be obserued of Eue for as they were conioyned in nature so were they not to be separated in regard of their precept and grace But why then may some say was the name onely of Adam expressed I answer with Rupertus lib. 2. de Trinitate operibus eius c. 32. because the precept was principally giuen vnto him as vpon whose obedience or breach his and his posterities happinesse did solely depend not vpon Eues CHAP. XXX Why God commanded Adam that he should not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill TErtullian in the beginning of his booke against the Iewes saith that this commandement was giuen to Adam as the first principall foundation and ground from whence all other lawes were deriued and in which all the ten Commandments be virtually included so that as Adam was the first beginning of mankinde so this was the first ground of all other lawes But though this cannot be reiected as an improbable speculation yet certainely it is not so firmely grounded in the sacred text as Tertullian imagined The reasons therefore in my opinion why God so strictly prohibited the eating of the aforesaid fruit was first that thereby as God had declared vnto vs his power ouer vs so wee should shew our obedience towards him not that as S. Austine noteth God hath neede of our seruice Augustin l. 8. de Gen. ad literam cap. 11. but that wee haue neede of his power protection rule and dominion ouer vs according to that of the Psalmist who speaking in the person of God saith constitue super eos legislatorem vt sciant gentes quoniam homines sunt Constitute a ruler ouer them as the vulgare translateth that the heathen may know that they are but men so that as it is a token of vassalage and subiection to receiue lawes so is it of power dominion and authority to command constitute ordaine and set downe lawes to bee obserued Yea secondly God gaue this law vnto man that thereby he might exercise his obedience towards God a vertue as necessary to man as acceptable in the sight of God Aug. lib. 8. de Gen ad literā cap. 8. and therefore as S. Austine well noteth God gaue not this law in any obiect of it selfe otherwise euill or of its owne nature good to the end that the vertue of his obedience might be the more illustrious because it deriueth not his excellencie from the materiall obiect but from the formall the sole subiection to Almighty God It may seeme peraduenture not improbable to some that the law of nature which God had infused into the nature of man might haue sufficed to lay open try and manifest mans obedience towards God to what end then should the second law of abstayning from the tree of the knowledge of good and euill be added as a second tryall of that which otherwise might sufficiently bee manifest by the law of nature and obedience therevnto I answer that the law of nature would not haue beene a sufficient tryall of Adams obedience because it is not altogether manifest by the law of nature that God is sole and supreme Lord ouer all mankinde for some doe imagine that the law of nature is a propertie onely due vnto a reasonable creature as euery species or kinde of liuing creatures hath their particular propertie agreeing to their nature Againe some are of opinion that those things which are contained in the law of nature are to be imbraced or reiected in as much as they agree or disagree with naturall reason not as they are commanded or forbidden by God as supernaturall agent So that although it be prescribed by God vnto all men yet doth it not sufficiently manifest his most ample absolute power ouer all mankinde seeing that by this law there is not any thing commanded or forbidden but onely that which is according to humane reason either good or euill of its owne nature Wherefore Gods absolute dominion and extent of his diuine power were not sufficiently knowne onely by this law of nature but onely as it is agreeable to the instinct of nature the which as it was but onely in things within the spheare of nature could not possible shew the extent of the absolute power of God in things both with in the compasse of nature and aboue nature Hence Gregorie well noteth Lib. 33 moralium cap. 10. that the forbidden fruit was not euill of its owne nature but was forbidden to the end that man being created vpright by nature might increase in righteousnes by the subiection of his nature and perfection of his obedience to the author of nature CHAP. XXXI Why God commanded Adam that he should not touch the tree

and other more Southerne parts of the world though they be weaker in body and more debil of complexion yet that ordinarily they be more quicke of apprehension and more suttle in iudgment then the other of the Northerne parts of the world be Finally that those who liue neither in the extremitie of heate nor piercing cold doe commonly excell both the other A fortiori therefore may the qualities and dispositions of our foode especially that of the tree of good and euill haue had no small operation in the inward dispositions and powers of our soules for to make vs of a more ripe iudgment and quicker apprehension yea finally make vs more apt to discerne both good and euill at least way in morall and ciuill matters if not in supernaturall and things belonging vnto grace for so it was said of the Messias butyrum mel comedet vt sciat reprobare malum eligere bonum Isa 7.15 butter and hony shall he eate that he may know to refuse the euill and chuse the good the which though it be spoken more peraduenture for the mysticall meaning then for the literall or materiall yet no doubt but that the mysticall sense hath some ground euen in the materiall comparison of butter and honie But because it seemeth not so probable that God would hinder our spirituall good such as this was of the knowledge of good and euill who hath made vs perfect in all corporall powres and perfections therefore I deeme most probable in this point either the opinion of Rupertus aboue alleadged Aug. lib. 14 de ciuit Dei cap. 17. lib. 8. de Gen. ad literam cap. 6. 15. Lombardus cum scholasticis 2. lib. sen dist 17. or if that seeme to haue some inconvenience then that of S. Austin may be rather followed which now also is the common opinion of the schooles with the master of the sentences to wit that this tree was called the tree of the knowledge of good and euill ab euentu from the euent for that which presently followed in the eating thereof which was that Adam then knew by woefull experience the difference betweene good and euill CHAP. XII Of the creation of man NOw all things being created and this inferiour world perfectly replenished there wanted only one who should be gouernour and lord ouer all other creatures Gen. 1.26 5.1 9.6 1. Cor. 11.7 Eph. 4.14 Col. 3.10 Faciamus therefore saith God hominem ad imaginem similitudinem nostram 1. cap. Gen. 26. let vs make man in our image after our likenes and let him haue dominion ouer the fish of the sea and ouer the fowle of the aire and ouer the cattell and ouer all the earth and ouer euery creeping thing that creepeth vpon the earth But peraduenture some may demaund why man was created last of all creatures seeing that hee being the most perfect and modell of the rest hee should consequently haue beene created as prototypon and first type of the rest and therefore as he was the first in perfection he should also haue beene first in his being and production I answer that euen for the very same reason he was created last because in a certaine manner hee was the end and perfection of the rest and thus beside other interpretations this also may be admitted of the philosophicall axiome quod est primum in intentione est vltimū in executione that which is first or cheifest in the intention is last in the execution or production Secondly man being to be lord of all the maine Machina of this world it belonged vnto the diuine prouidence first to prouide the habitation and then to create him that was to inhabite Or thirdly because man had neede of all these things either for his corporall sustenance or for his spirituall exercise Or fourthly because it was conuenient first to create the great world containing euery thing in his due and distinct order then afterwards to consummate perfect and as it were to crowne the end of all his workes with one who was to be the crowne end and perfection of all corporall creatures yea containing in a more perfect manner and degree the perfection of all whatsoeuer he had created before Finally hauing created both corporall and spirituall things each separate and distinct in their proper natures it remained only to conioyne them both in one insomuch that as in all things whatsoeuer is composed of matter forme the parts haue their being prioritate naturae by prioritie of nature as the Philosophers say before the conioyning of both together because the parts are for the whole and not the whole ordained for the parts In like manner it was no lesse conuenient that man being composed of both corporall and spirituall substance hee should also be created after them both as who was to be the secondarie end of all other inferiour creatures CHAP. XIII Of the manner of the creation of Man THE manner of mans creation is described vnto vs in the aforesaid words Gen. 1.16 Let vs make man in our image after our likenes Now therefore it remaineth we explicate what diuine deliberation is this what image is this and in what likenes and similitude of God was man created And first of the first This word faciamus let vs make may be taken in three senses or significations for first it may signifie how the eternall wisdome of God proceeding with a certaine deliberation and counsell with himselfe the most holy Trinitie did goe about such an excellent worke as was the creation of man to the end that by that manner of proceeding hee might manifest the excellencie of man aboue all these inferiour creatures partaker of reason beautified with prudence perfect in wisdome and created to his owne image and likenes Secondly God is said to vse this manner of deliberation in the creation of man to manifest the weight of the businesse and worth of the worke which hee then intended to shew I say what a worke it was to create man with so great sanctitie grace and felicitie to conserue him in the same and being lost to restore him againe For God in his eternall wisdome foreseeing the frailtie of man did likewise foresee the act of his fall and finally that hee would perish he did likewise know before the difficultie in conseruing and restoring of man after his fall and finally how to bring him to the end for which he was created before his fall Wherefore if all these difficulties be duely considered in humane reason it might iustly be doubted according to our capacitie whether it were conuenient to create man or no wherefore the Scripture accommodating it selfe to humane sense and capacitie doth describe vnto vs God the Father as it were consulting with the Sonne and the holy Ghost of the creation of man Then how it was concluded in that diuine Consistorie how it was most conuenient to create such a creature without which all the rest had beene imperfect

end that his corporall rectitude and vprightnes of his shape might stirre him vp to preserue the spirituall rectitude and righteousnes of the inward man who was made to the image of God and that the beauty of our corporall substance and outward proportion and right disposition of the lineaments of our body might correct the inward deformitie of our soules and the powers thereof For what can be more vgly deformed and abominable in the eye of that all-seeing God then a sinfull and defiled soule in a beautifull body Is it not a shamefull and detestable thing that an earthly and corrupt vessell such as the body is should contemplate the heauens view the Planets and be delighted with the aspect of the incorruptible spheares and motions of the starres and that on the contrary side the spirituall and celestiall creature far more perfect then all the celestiall globes and heauens the soule I meane of man should alwaies haue her eyes that is hir inward powers and affections debased and cast downe to the terrene trash and basest creatures of this world Consider therefore ô man thy dignitie of nature the perfection of thy powers thy priuiledges of grace the immortalitie of thy soule the excellencie of thy creation the nothing of thy selfe and lastly the infinite price of thy redemption by the most precious blood and death of the Lambe thy Creator and Redeemer and let not this so base and transitorie trash of this world so alienate thy minde and bewitch thy vnderstanding that thou preferre the filthy and base pleasures of the body before the spirituall and eternall of thy spirituall and immortall soule CHAP. XVIII Whether the image of God may be wholy lost and blotted out of the soule of man ORigenes Epiphanius ep ad Iohannē Hierosel Aug lib. 2. contra Adamantiam Manich. l. 83. quaest q. 66. lib. 6. de Gen. ad literam cap. 27.28 and S. Austine do seeme to affirme that man lost the image of God Epiphanius and diuers other of the Fathers doe peremptorily deny it out of Gen the Psalmes and S. Paul but I thinke this controuersie rather to arise by reason of the diuers vnderstanding of the image of God which is in man then of any true difference in their opinions for who can doubt but if wee consider man according to the supernaturall gifts first infused into the soule of Adam but that he lost the diuine similitude or likenesse of God and that wholy nothing remayning but onely the deformity of sinne Gen. c 9. Psal 38. 1. ad Cor. cap. 11. in the deformed and sinfull soule but if we consider him againe according to the naturall substance of the soule and her naturall faculties consequent therevnto it is equally indubitable that shee retained this likenesse of God though not in the same perfection which shee possessed before but rather much defaced blemished and deformed My reason is because there proceeded a more excellent beauty and perfection vnto this naturall substance by reason of the supernaturall qualitie of originall iustice and consequently the depriuation of this supernaturall gift which was also a sufficient cause of natures greater perfection and more admirable beauty was a depriuation and defacing of the said beauty of nature which otherwise had beene a perfect type and portraiture of the diuine nature and being CHAP. XIX Why God made man to his image and similitude MAny and most excellent reasons may be giuen of this but which I must needs confesse are rather morall congruencies grounded in the infinite goodnesse of God then in any other forcible convincing reason plainely deduced out of the sacred Text. The first whereof may be this that God therefore made man like vnto himselfe that thence it might be manifest how much the infinite goodnesse of God exceedeth the malignitie enuy and malice of man for God being infinite in his goodnesse yea in all other his attributes infinite yet doth he not disdaine our of his infinite goodnesse that that which in vs is limited and finite should be compared and likened to that which in him is infinite and beyond all comparison he enuieth not the perfection of our nature he maketh it more perfect by grace and by a sacred league and vnion he combineth both that by both we may be like vnto him in both who is the author of both And this with such a degree of participated perfection that man doth not only become like vnto God but also may bee called and is truly the adopted Sonne of God So that all men may now participate of the grace which one onely possessed by nature insomuch that as he being the naturall Sonne of God is a perfect patterne of his eternall Father by nature so wee also be a participated likenes and similitude in some degree by nature but most perfectly by grace The second reason may be this if so be that we may compare these inferiour things of this world to those supreme and infinite of God like as a temporall Prince hauing for to shew his power magnificence and maiestie built furnished beautified adorned and deck'd some excellent Citty in which hee himselfe doth meane to remaine doth there erect in some principall part thereof his owne image or statue in some precious porphire marble or other more excellent matter euen so Almighty God hauing out of his infinite wisdome made this maine Machina and beautifull Citty of the world for the manifestation of his glory to the end that it might be knowne and acknowledged who was the only author and architect of all hee was pleased to place in the midst thereof in the garden of paradise his owne image and similitude man I meane who by his soule and the three principall powers thereof should represent the vnitie and trinitie of his maker yea and by his outward shape and forme in some sort likewise represent the inward and consequently though not immediately euen God himselfe Insomuch that as it is said of the portrature of Venus painted by Apelles that none could perfect it but onely Apelles who first began it so likewise was it not possible that any should bring our soule to her first perfection but only God who was her first Creator Hence it is that like as he who defaceth the image or statua of an earthly Prince is iustly condemned of high treason so a fortiori who depraueth his owne nature and by offending his maker depriueth it of grace the which is the seale signe and similitude of the diuine power nature and maiestie is worthily condemned of high treason against the same power and maiestie The third motiue why God created man to his image and similitude may be this to the end that all corporall things might be subiect and each after their manner seruiceable to man as who of all other creatures was the expresse similitude of their lord and maker vnto which it seemeth that God did allude when he said vnto Noe the feare of you and the

be past yet that this might be imputed vnto vs his posteritie onely by reason of the relation which we might haue from his act and this without any other priuation negation or concupiscence remaining in vs. I answer that although this be the opinion of Albertus and Catharinus yet that in no wise it may be admitted for so we are not really and internally sinners in Adam but onely by an externe denomination of his sinne which as wee haue already showne is most erroneous CHAP. LVIII Of the manner how originall sinne doth descend from Adam to his posteritie THere hath beene three distinct heresies about this point the first which making no difference betweene the soules of men and other liuing creatures held that as the soules of all other creatures compounded of matter and forme are produced with dependencie of their subiect and materiall substance so likewise the soules of men And that therefore they were infected and polluted by the coniunction with the body The second opinion no lesse absurd in Philosophy then erroneous in Diuinitie is that one soule doth concurre vnto the generation of another as the whole man wholy to the production of another The third and worst opinion of all doth attribute the production of originall sinne in our soules vnto the absolute power of God spotting thereby his infinite goodnesse by the too much extending of his omnipotence euen vnto that which rather argueth impotencie then omnipotencie Now therefore the true cause of originall sinne in vs as the Scripture often witnesseth was our first father Adam by reason of his transgression of the commandement of God but this not by reall influx and concourse but by morall first because hee could not of himselfe and by his owne nature passe vnto his posteritie any such effect especially seeing that that sinne now is altogether past yea at least way according to the guiltinesse thereof it is washed away by the blood of Christ but according to the decree of Almighty God he was the morall cause insomuch as the infusion of originall iustice into vs depended vpon his will by not sinning according to the compact made betweene him and God hee therefore eating of the forbidden fruit there followed necessarily priuation of originall iustice in our soules and consequently originall sinne in it selfe CHAP. LIX Whether it was necessary that there should be made a couenant betweene God and man that so originall sinne might descend to the posteritie of Adam CAtharinus aboue alleadged thinketh it altogether necessary that there should bee such a pact betweene God and man vt in posteros peccatum deriuari possit that so Adams sinne might be deriued vnto his posteritie and that the said pact was included in these words in quacunque hora comederis morte morieris in what houre soeuer thou shalt eat thou shalt die Gen. 2. 3. Sotus on the contrary side in his first booke de natura gratia cap. 10. thinketh it friuolous to admit any such pact which opinion many more moderne writers doe the rather follow because the law of nature did oblige man to the preseruing of iustice But certainely no man can deny but that originall grace and iustice should haue beene transfused to Adams posteritie if hee who was our head and had receiued it for vs all had perseuered and this by the sole will and ordinance of God for certainely this was not required by the nature of originall iustice and consequently it onely required the decree of God about this matter which might haue beene otherwise But that there was the said pact betweene God and Adam himselfe for himselfe it seemeth euident out of the aforesaid text of Gen. as Athanasius well noteth CHAP. LX. How the soule is said to be infected by the flesh I Answer that this infection is not because the soule receiueth any reall influx from the body for without question the body can in no wise as an efficient cause maculate or spot the soule but this is because as soone as euer the soule is created and in the very same instant that shee is infused into the body shee wanteth that gift of originall iustice which shee ought to haue had and therefore concupiscence is imputed vnto her as sinne which should haue been healed or not imputed by originall iustice if Adam had not lost it for vs all and this is the meaning of venerable Bede tomo 8. in lib. quaestionum 4. 14 a little before the end where he saith animā ex vnione cum carne peccato maculatā esse that our soules are maculated by the vnion with the body CHAP. LXI Whether there should haue beene any originall sinne in 〈◊〉 if either Adam or Eue onely had eaten of the forbidden tree THe reason of this doubt is because as the preacher saith a muliere initium peccati sinne had his beginning from the woman and through her all doe die it seemeth therfore that though shee onely had sinned the same sinne should haue beene imputed vnto vs all yea all should haue contracted that sin in her and by hers Secondly S. Hierome S. Ambrose explicating these words ad Rom 5. per vnum hominem c. through one man sinne entred into the world in whom all haue sinned doe vnderstand that one to be Eue if therefore shee was the first cause of this sinne it seemeth that though shee onely had sinned neuerthelesse sinne should haue beene deriued vnto her posteritie though Adam had not sinned seeing that these words in whom all haue sinned according to the interpretation of S. Hierome and S. Ambrose are to be applied vnto the woman as who was the first cause of mans woe Although I can gather nothing altogether certaine about this point either out of the holy Scriptures or Fathers yet neuerthelesse it seemeth more probable that the whole cause of originall sinne in vs ought to bee reduced vnto Adam so that by Adams consent onely and not by Eues we were to be borne in originall iniustice The reason is for that all the Fathers S. Hierome and S. Ambrose only excepted who doe interpret the aforesaid place doe vnderstand it of Adam and not of Eue yea it seemeth that this may be gathered out of the words of S. Paul 1. Corinth 15. As in Adam all do die so all shall be reviued in Christ wherfore venerable Bede is plainely of this opinion in the 14 of his questions tomo 8 where he saith originale peccatum trahere originem ex Adamo non ex diabolo quia ex diabolo non propagamur non ab Eua quia vir id est Adam non est à muliere sed mulier a viro ex quo sequitur Adamo non peccante etiamsi Eua peccasset non futurum in nobis peccatum That originall sinne hath his beginning from Adam onely not from the Deuill because wee are not begot by the Deuill neither of Eue because the man to wit Adam is not of the woman but the woman of the man