MISCELLANIES OF DIVINITIE Divided into three books Wherein is explained at large the estate of the Soul in her origination separation particular judgement and conduct to eternall blisse or torment BY EDVVARD KELLET Doctour in Divinitie and one of the Canons of the Cathedrall Church of EXON S. AUGUST serm nov 24. de S. Paulo ¶ Omnibus hominibus natis constituit Deus mortem per quam de isto seculo emigrent Exceptus eris à morte si exceptus fueris à genere humano Iam homo es venisti Quomodo hinc exeas cogita HINC LVCEM ET POCLA SACRA ALMA MATER GANTA BRIGIA Printed by the Printers to the Vniversitie of CAMBRIDGE and are to be sold by Robert Allot at the Beare in Pauls-Churchyard 1635. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MY VERY GOOD LORD THE LORD Archbishop of CANTERBURIE his Grace Primate of all ENGLAND and Metropolitane Most Reverend THE manifold graces which God hath plentifully poured on you enabling you even from your youth to be a fit instrument divers wayes to advance his glorie and blessing your great good labours with the favourable acceptance of our dread Soveraigne State and all who have well-wishing unto this our Sion have caused me a crazie old retired man who never saw you but once and that long since to leave behinde me a testimoniall to the world both of my heartie thanks to God that you have been of my humblest prayers that you may long continue a prop of our Church a favoured Ezra the prompt Scribe in the Law a powerfull Aaron to make an atonement for the people an Elijah zealous in your calling a provident guide to the Prophets to the sonnes and schools of the Prophets a father chariot horsemen of Israel as Elisha called Elijah as king Joash called Elisha May heavenly influences and divine irradiations say Amen Amen Your Graces in all dutie Edward Kellet The Contents of the first book CHAPTER I. Sect. 1. THe subject of the whole work The reason why I chose the text of Hebr. 9.27 to discourse upon The Division of it Fol. 1. c. 2. Amphibologie prejudiciall to truth Death appointed by God yet for Adams fault The tree of life kept from Adam not by phantasticall Hob-goblins but by true Angels and a flaming sword brandishing it self Leviticall ceremonies dead buried deadly Things redeemed dispensed with yet still appointed 2 3. The Kingdome of Death reigning over all Bodily death here meant and onely once to be undergone 4 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implieth not necessarily the longinquitie of future times intercurrent but rather a demonstration that other things were precedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After doth often signifie an immediate succession Judgement here taken for an act of justice 5 5. The generall judgement here understood by OEcumenius and Bellarmine The second book of Esdras apocryphall and justly refused More then the generall judgement is meant Even the particular judgement also is avouched by many authorities Three questions arising from the former part of these words 6 CHAP. II. 1. HOw God is immortall how Angels and the souls of men how Adams bodie was mortall and yet immortall though compounded of contraries 10 2. Aristotles last words his death Holcot or the Philosophers pray for him Aristotle canonized by his followers Plato and Aristotle compared Vives taxed Adams bodie was not framed of the earth or dust of Paradise 12 3. Adam should not have been subject to any externall force he was lord of the creatures inward distemper he could not have Adams bodily temperature Christs who was fairer then the children of Adam the helps for Adams bodie meat drink and sleep 17 4. Divers opinions of the tree of life If Adam had eaten of the tree of life before or after his fall he had lived for ever If he had not sinned he had not died though he had not tasted of the tree of life To what use the tree of life should have served 20 5. The Councel of Millan Cardinall Cajetan Richeomus the Jesuit Julianus Pomerius and Saint Augustine think that Adam could not have died if he had not sinned The book of Wisedome Holcot Doctour Estius and two passages of Scripture Canonicall are authorities evincing that Adam had in the state of innocencie an immortall bodie 24 CHAP. III. 1. DEath is a bitter-sweet Enoch and Elias Raptures were not painfull to them Christs transfiguration and the manner of it That it was not painfull to him Adams translation to a life celestiall and a bodie spirituall should not have been painfull if he had not sinned They who shall be changed at Christs coming shall by it finde no pain Death is painfull 28 2. Man-kinde died the first minute of their sinne God draweth good out of evil Death in some regard is changed from a punishment to be a favour and blessing of God 31 3. Not many or more sinnes but one caused death One onely David begotten in lawfull wedlock That this one sinne is not lesse in the godly nor greater in the wicked Death was appointed for one sinne onely of one person onely 33 4. This one person onely was man this man that sinned that one sinne was Adam Strange and curious speculations that Eve sinned not that sinne for which mankinde was appointed to death 36 5. Two School speculations propounded The second handled at large as expounding the former and determined against the School-men themselves viz. That the children of innocent Adam had been born confirm'd in grace The censure of Vives upon these and the like points A part of his censure censured 43 CHAP. IIII. 1. ADams perfection in innocencie Our imperfection after his fall contrary to his both in understanding and will and in the parts concupiscible and irascible 55 2. Adam had other laws given him but one above all and one onely concerning posteritie 57 3. What this law was Adam knew the danger to himself and his off-spring The first sinne was against this law 58 4. Eve sinned before How she sinned the same and not the same sinne with Adam 60 5. Zeno the Stoicks and Jovinian confuted Sinnes are not equally sinfull 62 6. Adam sinned farre more and worse then Eve 65 7. This sinne of Adam was not uxoriousnesse as Scotus maintained but disobedience or pride The branches of Adams sinne 66 CHAP. V. 1. ORiginall sinne is an obscure point The errours of the Schoolmen concerning it The over-sight of Bellarmine 73 2. Originall sinne described by its causes Distinguished from Adams actuall sinne 77 3. In what sense Adam had and his posteritie hath Originall sinne We were in Adam He stood for us idealiter Every one of us would have done exactly as Adam did We did sinne in Adam and how 78 4. Whether Christ was in Adam and how 82 5. We sinned not that sinne in Adam by imitation onely 84 6. Adams sinne as personall was not imputed Adam is saved Adams actuall sinne as it was ideall and
after death excluding judgement in this life and placing death rather before judgement then any great distance betwixt death and judgement according to the native use of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which before The second exposition is of Gregory de Valentia * Tom. 4. Disp 1. quaest 22. punct 9. who applieth the words to the particular judgement immediately upon death So doth Ludovicus de ponte Vallis Oletani * Part. 1. Meditat. medit 9. who sets it down as a veritie of faith * De particulari judicio animae quod sit proximè post mortem judicium singulorum exerceri invisibiliter statim post eujusque mortem Concerning the particular judgement of the soul which is done immediately after death every one is judged invisibly presently after his death and evinceth it by this Text. So doth Joannes * Viguer Instit pag. 692. Viguerius * Bus initio Panarii Antidotorum spiritual Busaeus the Jesuite likewise accounteth * Secundum novissimum est judicium particulare mortem proximè consequens the second last thing to be the particular judgement following death immediately the severitie whereof saith he Job the holy patient feared Job 31.14 What shall I do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him S. Ambrose on this place hath it thus * Post mortem judicabitur unusquisque â—uxta userita sua Every one shall be judged after death according to their own deservings Which words do point at the particular judgement saith Suarez Lastly lest I may seem too eager against the second book of Esdras let me borrow a testimony or two from thence 2 Esdr 9.11 12. They that lothed my law while they had yet libertie and place of repentance open unto them must know it after death by pain And 2. Esdr 7.56 While we lived and committed sinne we considered not that we should BEGIN to suffer for it AFTER DEATH Whence we may probably collect That the beginning of punishment is immediately after death upon the particular judgement and the increase or additament at the generall judgement 2 That some are in torments before the generall day of retribution 3 That the beginning to suffer is not after a long time GOD onely knoweth how long but after death yea presently after it All these proofs on each side make way for the third and best interpretation That the Apostle meaneth not onely either of these judgements but both of them Benedictus Justinian on these words thus * Post eujusque obitum sequitur judicium privatum in quo quisque suarum actionum reddit urus estrationem post finem mundi erit judicium omnium tum hominum tum daemonum After every ones death private judgement follows in which every one is to give an account of his actions after the end of the world shall be the judgement of all both men and devils Of both the Apostle may be understood saith he So also Salmeron and Hugo Cardinalis and Carthusianus Oecolampadius thus * Sive speciale judicium intelligas sive generale uihil refert Whether you understand the speciall judgement or the gener all it matters not Thus have I brought you back to the point where I first began That this text is fitted to my intentions affording me just liberty to write whatsoever may be conceived or expressed concerning the estate of humane souls in their animation or in death or after it in the life future because the words must be expounded of both judgements And now the text being cleared from ambiguities the termes explained the state being made firm and sure not rolling and changeable and being fixed upon its basis and foundation three questions do seem to arise from the first words of the text and each of them to crave its answer before I come to my main intendment First How and when Death came to be appointed for us Secondly Whether Adam and his children all and every one without priviledge or exception must and shall die It is appointed for men to die Thirdly Whether they that were raised up from the dead at any time did die the second time It is appointed to men once to die O Gracious LORD who orderest all things sweetly and who dost dispose whatsoever man doth purpose I humbly implore thy powerfull guidance and enlightning assistance in all this work for his sake who is Alpha and Omega the Way the Truth and the Life thy onely SONNE my blessed SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST Amen CHAP. II. 1 How GOD is immortall how angels and the souls of men how Adams body was mortall and yet immortall though compounded of contraries 2 Aristotles last words his death Holcot or the Philosophers pray for him Aristotle canonized by his followers Plato and Aristotle compared Vives taxed Adams body was not framed of â—he earth or dust of Paradise 3. Adam should not have been subject to any externall force he was Lord of the creatures inward distemper he could not have Adams bodily temperature Christs who was fairer then the children of Adam the helps for Adams body meat drink and sleep 4. Divers opinions of the tree of life If Adam had eaten of the tree of life before or after his fall he had lived for ever If he had not sinned he had not died though he had not tasted of the tree of life To what use the tree of life should have served 5. The Councel of Millan Cardinall Cajetan Richeomus the Jesuite Julianus Pomerius and S. Augustine think that Adam could not have died if he had not sinned The book of Wisedome Holcot Doctor Estius and two passages of Scripture Canonical are authorities evincing that Adam had in the state of innocency an immortall body 1. TO the full answering of the first question how or why Death was appointed for us I shall need to cleare but these two points That Adam for sinne was appointed to die That Adams sinne and punishment was propagated to us Thus sinne was the mother of death thus we were appointed to die because of sinne As a preparative to the first of these two points I hold it fit to demonstrate that Adam at first was made an immortall creature Concerning Adams soul and the spirits of all men descended from him that they are immortall I hope to prove it so soundly in an other part of this tractate that I will fear no other reproof but this that I bring too much proof for it Therefore supposing or rather borrowing that truth which by GODS grace shall be repayed with interest I now come to shew that Adams bodie was created immortall Immortall I say not as GOD is immortall who neither had beginning nor shall have end with whom is no shadow of change much lesse any reall substantiall change who hath as all other good things else so immortalitie eminently and so eminently that our Apostle in some sort excludeth all others and appropriateth it to him saying 1.
acceperant potestatem Ibidem They had received power to eat of every fruit that was in Paradise To strengthen their side Augustine annexeth this reason What is more absurd then to beleeve that he would eat of other trees and not of that saith Augustine I answer perchance Adam thought that he had no need of that tree as yet as knowing both that he should not die if he did not sinne and that the time of his translation was not come Nor did those or the like thoughts savour of sinne or ignorance Augustine in this point is incoherent to himself saying * Gustus arboris vitae corruptionem corporis inhibebat The taste of the tree of life did hinder the corruption of the body Again * Vitae arbor medicinae modo corruptionem omnem prohibebat The tree of life by way of physick did prevent all corruption But say I if corruption seised not on Adam till he sinned what needed Adam till he sinned use that medicine since the sick have need of physician and physick and not the whole If Adam had eaten of the tree of life before he had eaten the forbidden fruit God would have kept him from the forbidden fruit as after he kept him from the tree of life or els the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good evill had not caused destruction the apple had not been deadly but Adam should have lived immortally This will not seem strange if you weigh what followeth If after Adam had sinned he had taken of the tree of life and eaten the fruit he had lived for ever Genes 3.22 for els what needed God to have placed such a watch and ward against him Again if Adam might have lived everlastingly for all Gods threat yea though he had now a dead body when God debard him from the tree of life if he had but eaten of it he should also have lived for ever if he had eaten of it before he sinned But saith Augustine * Post peccatum Adam potuit indissolubilis manere si à Domino permissum il li esset edere de arbore vitae Aug. lib. quaest Vet. Novi Testam c. 19. Tom. 4. After sinne Adam might have remained indissoluble if God had given him leave to eat of the tree of life The conclusion reacheth home against Augustine That Adam ate not of the tree of life before he ate of the forbidden fruit I think the malice of Satan egged Adam on to taste first of the unlawfull fruit the usher of death though the tree of life stood next unto it for both the tree of life was in the midst of the garden Genes 2.9 and the tree of knowledge of good and evill was also in the midst of the garden as appeareth in the same place and more plainly Genes 3.3 If any be so curious as to enquire what was the form and figure of the garden of Eden when two trees are just in the midst of it I answer We must not take the word Midst strictly or Mathematically but at large or Rhetorically When the Shunamite said 2. Kings 4.13 In medio populi ego habitans sum it is well rendred by our late Translatours I dwell among mine own people not as if the words inforced that she dwelt exactly in the midst of them The like Hebraism is used by Abraham Genes 18.24 Si fortè fuerint quinquaginta justi in medio civitatis that is Fiftie righteous within the citie not as if all the fiftie dwelt together in the exact middle of the citie David also useth the like phrase Psal 102.24 Take me not away in the midst of my dayes in which place as well as in the propounded difficultie we must not be too strict or rigorous upon the letter The like is in Esay 5.8 The last touch we will give at this point is thus God turned Adam and Eve out of Paradise and by Cherubims and a sword kept away the tree of life so that neither Adam nor his posteritie should be able to approach it And perhaps the Cherubims were purposely placed to confront Satan and his evill Angels lest they might bring to Adam and Eve or to their posteritie the fruit of the tree of life for if we had been immortally miserable cursed as Satan himself is was as much as he desired So great a vertue had the tree of life if once it had been eaten Let me adde in the third place If Adam had not sinned at all nor at all eaten of the tree of life yet he had not died for death was appointed for sinne and for nothing els Bonaventure saith * Impossibile est ' ut simul consistant innocentia corruptionis poena Bonav in 2. Sent. dist 19. art 2. It is impossible that innocencie and the punishment of corruption should stand together But to what use was then the tree of life The question was made of old by an adversarie to the Law and the Prophets * Ista arbor quae in Paradiso fructus vitae ferebat cui proderat That tree which bare fruit of life in Paradise to whom was it profitable I confesse Augustine answereth To whom but first to our first Parents the man and the woman placed in Paradise But that is the point to be proved Again Augustine there saith Enoch and Elias eat of that tree but saith he we must not hastily say that any other eateth of it but how unlikely are these things The adversarie of the Law and the Prophets might better have been answered That there was no more use of that tree then of others which were untasted for no man can think that they tasted of every one in so short a time Or what inconvenience ariseth if we say A profered curtesy not accepted came to nothing What can the adversarie conclude from thence for God profereth salvation and the means thereof to many who do not accept of it the fault being on Mans part and not on Gods To finish this point I resolve There was no use made of the tree of life as it fell out If it be further questioned What might have been the use thereof I answer That the exact specialties can not punctually be known Probable it is that the tree of life might have conferred much to the existence of life though not to the essence Adam should have lived howsoever and that immortally if he had not transgressed Gods commandement the tree of life might have been conducible to his better being yea to his best being by it he might have been changed from his terrestriall not-dying estate or immortall life to a celestiall and not onely an immortall but an unchangeable eternall life In which regard perchance the tree of life is stiled Genes 3.22 The tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hachajim of lives as profitable if tasted both to Adams present life which was in time to have its consummantem finem though not consumentem its end though not
troup may I put in somewhat unthought of by others Some have said truly that the divine providence and preserving power which extendeth to the least things in our declined estate as to the lives of birds and beasts and the fall of every hair God not being * Contra eorum dogmata qui primos homines si non peccâssent immortales futuros fuisse non credunt De Civit. 13.19 lesse in the least things then he was in the greatest and governing all things in number weight and measure would have much more watcht over Adam and his ofspring continuing perfect But this is that which I propose Whether the good Angels did immediatly minister unto Adam in his integritie and should have done unto us to keep mankinde from harm To which I answer That since the Prophet Psal 91.11 describing the blessed estate of the godly maketh this one especiall branch He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes and verse 12. They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone I can not but think that the same Angels should have watcht over us and friendly conversed with us in our innocencie For God reduceth * Deus non minor est in minimis quâ—m in maximis the lowest things to the highest by the middle working by subordination of causes Yea * Infima ad suprema per media grant that this is spoken of the Sonne of God onely which by the Evangelists Matt. 4.6 and Luke 4.9 seemeth to be the Devils argute inference yet it excludes not their watching over us and their ministerie if we had not fallen whose very office and name consist in being ministring Spirits All being sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1.14 which out of doubt both Adam and his issue continuing in perfection should have been But leaving these things Christs answer to Satan proves that unto whom these words were said He shall give his Angels charge over thee c. unto the same was also said Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Matt. 4.7 which was not spoken to Christ alone or principally but in the plurall number to the Israëlites and others succeeding them as appeareth Deuter. 6.16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God as ye tempted him in Massah They are deceived whosoever imagine the ministerie of Angels should not have been any way necessarie if Adam had not sinned since Christ the immaculate Lambe of God who sinned not nor could sinne refused not their ministerie Matth. 4.11 and comfort or strength Luke 22.43 and since one Angel strengthneth himself with an other Dan. 10.21 and Revel 12.7 and since they might have ministred more matter of joy unto us by their most familiar conversation in assumed bodies Unto these authorities let me adde two memorable places out of the Apocrypha The first is Wisd 1.13 God made not death Satan begot it sinne brought it forth Adam and Eve nurst it The other passage is in Wisd 2.23 God created man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be immortall made him an image of his own eternity On which words Holcot thus Corporeall creatures have onely a footstep of God Man is the image of God Again * Quantum fuit ex parte Dei creavit hominem inexâ—crminabile msecundum corpus On Gods part he created him unperishable according to the body And there he hath a large discourse proving howsoever Aristotle Metaph. 8. defineth Man to be a reasonable creature mortall that the opposite is true and he resteth in it For Aristotle knew not Adams innocencie but spake of us as we are in the state of sin Whosoever desireth to read more curiosities strange and learned concerning the bodily immortalitie of Adam at the Creation let him read Estius on the second of the Sent. Distinct 19. But to confirm the truth delivered in the book of Wisdome the last and the best kinde of authoritie shall be produced out of the unquestionable Canon death is stiled our Enemy 1. Corinth 15.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inimicus as Hierome on the 27. of Esai readeth it hostis saith Valla therefore death is not naturall or kindly to us but rather a consort and fellow-souldier of Satan and sinne who fight against us But the sharp-pointed places are in Genes 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or dying thou shalt die Mortalis eris as Symmachus well translates it or morti obnoxius as Augustine well expounds it and Genes 3.3 Ye shall not touch it lest ye die therefore they should not have died if they had not touched the forbidden fruit And so they both were and ever might have been immortall When the woman of Sarepta said to Eliah * 1. Kings 17.18 Art thou come unto me to call my sinne to remembrance and to slay my sonne doth she not secretly intimate that sinne is a murtherer And if there had been no sinne there had also been no death * In 2. Sent. dist 19. quaest 1. in and by her evident confession that her sinne was the cause of his death Scotus shall determine the point Punishment can not be without fault but death is the punishment of sinne and during the state of innocency there could be no sinne therefore no death I have dwelt the longer on this part because every reason authoritie by which I have proved that Adams bodilie estate in the time of innocency was immortall affordeth also by way of preparative a binding argument to evince that Adam for sin was appointed to die which is the first of the two Propositions which I propounded In which words we intend to handle these things First somewhat concerning death Secondlie that Adam was appointed to die for one sinne onely Thirdly that it was for Adams own sinne onely and not for Eves Fourthly we will enquire what that sinne was O Onely-wise God who createdst Man in thine own likenes and madâ—st him the Image of thine own eternitie I beseech thee to renew in me that decaied Image make me like unto thee give me the favour to taste of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God and to drink of the pure River of the Water of Life clear as Crystall proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the LAMBE Heare me O blessed SAVIOUR for thine infinite Merit and mercies sake Amen CHAP. III. 1. Death is a bitter-sweet Enoch and Elias Raptures were not painfull to them Christs Transfiguration and the manner of it That it was not painfull to him Adams translation to a life celestiall and a body spirituall should not have been painfull if he had not sinned They who shall be changed at Christs coming shall by it finde no pain Death is painfull 2. Man-kinde died the first minute of their sinne God draweth good out of evill Death in some regard is changed from a
of the souls of men saith The mercifull Father made them mortall bands Whether the particle Is aimeth at Plato or Plotinus appeareth not by Augustine Bartholomaeus * Barth Sib. Peregrin Quaest Decad. 1. c. 2. q. 2. Sibylla appropriateth the word Is to Plato I rather assigne it to Plotinus as the good Expositor of Plato Or it may be that S. Augustine taking some words from both of them into one sentence purposely left it doubtfull unto whom the Is must be referred Howsoever his collection as I said is ingenious and subtile * Ità hoc ipsum quòd mortales sint homines corpore ad misericordiam Dei Patris pertinere arbitratus est nè semper huâ—us vitae miseriâ teneantur So he thought that this very thing that men are mortall in body proceeds from the mercie of our divine Father lest they should be alwayes held with the miserie of this life Even as the very miserie of mankind from which no man is free could not pertain to the just judgement of the Almightie if there had been no originall sinne as Augustine saith otherwhere Gods judgement brought miserie and death for sinne yet in death God remembred mercie distilled good out of it I cannot omit this memorable speech of Gregory * Naz. Orat. 2. de Pasch Nazianzen Adam was expelled and extruded from this tree of life from Paradise at once by God for sinne And yet even in this case by death he gaineth the cutting off of sinne lest the evill should be immortall So was punishment turned into mercy He is excellently seconded by Rupert * Rup De Trinit 3.24 c. How should we turn away with deaf eares the care of the death of the soul and the generall judgement if we should never have died that are so proud to day dying to morrow Well therefore did our Lord God strike Man with the death of the flesh of the body lest he should be ignorant of the death of his soul and sleep securely in his pleasures till the dawning of the last day that at least Man might be waked even by the fear of the instantaneall death and that he might not like the immortall devil adde prevarication to prevarication but rather flee and avoid the pride height of sinne by humble repentance Let me adde Hence is the patience of the Saints Here are the crowns of the Martyrs saith Chrysostome This death causeth many vertues which had else never been * O munde immunde si sic me tenes breviter transeundo quid faceres diu permanendo O unclean World saith devout Bernard if thou holdest me so shortly passing what shouldest thou do long remaining If ye desire more proofs that death was appointed to Adam for sinne and that he was kept from the tree of life after he had sinned lest his miserable life should have been immortall consult with the authoritie of Irenaeus in his third book and 37. chap. of Hilarius in his commentarie on Psal 69.26 of Hierome on Esai 65. of Cyrill of Alexandria about the middle of his third book against Julian and they shall confirm you in this point That death is a bitter-sweet a compound of judgement and mercy a loathsom pill and a punishment yet wrapt up in gold and working out health and blessings for mankinde * A culpa natae sunt duae filiae Tristitia Mors quae duaefiliae pessimam matrem destruunt From the transgression two daughters are born Sorrow and Death which two daughters destroy their very ill mother Augustine against two Epistles of the Pelagians 4.4 * Quamvìs bonis conferatur per mortem plurimum boni unde nonnulli etiam DE BONO MORTIS Congruenter disputaverunt tamen hinc quae praedicanda est nisi misericordia Dei quòd in usus bonos convertitur poena peccati Although by death much good be bestowed on good men whereupon some have fitly discoursed even of the good of death yet what hence can we commend but Gods mercie that the punishment of sin is turned to good uses I will seal up all with the saying of Cicero in the beginning of his third book de Oratore where he spake wiser then he was aware of * Mihi non à diis immortalibus vita erepta sed mors donata est Life hath not been taken away from me by the immortall gods but death hath been given Death is a benefit though it was appointed unto Adam for sinne for one sinne onely which is the next point to be explained 3. It is true that the wages due to any one sinne is death and as true that we commit many sinnes which are rightly divided into originall and actuall Actuall sinnes are of a thousand kindes committed by us yet none of these our sinnes nor Adams after-sinnes but his first sinne onely produced death Likewise originall sin consisteth of two parts of Adams transgression of our corruption In Adams transgression were many sinnes involved our corruption consisteth both in the want of original justice in the positive ill-qualitie of our nature Adams sinne is imputed to us our corruption both inherent imputed His sin as a qualitie concerned himself as relation concerned us As he was an individual man it touched himself onely as a coÌ„mon person it drop't down upon us His actuall sin is not propagated his corrupting of our nature is deriv'd And this corruption is both a sin and a punishment of sinne Some late Divines have written Originall sinne is said to be twofold 1 Imputed which was inherently in Adam and charged upon his posteritie 2 Inherent which is naturally propagated to us So amongst others Scharpius pag. 463. But they speak improperlie for originall sinne is but one onely made up of two parts or branches indeed perchance parts constituent not ratione onely but re differentes yet not so natively to be call'd a double sinne as one sinne of two steps degrees sections composures parts or branches for originall sinne is not many not two but one onely viz for which death was inflicted And this is the point I must now insist upon and thus I prove it apodictically Rom. 5.12 Death entred by sinne and verse 21 Sinne reigned unto death Likewise Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death and 1. Corint 15.56 The sting of death is sinne All in the singular number evincing it to be one onely sinne David complaineth Psal 51.5 I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceive me In sinne not in sinnes both the Hebrew and the Vulgar Translation have all these places in the singular number Concerning David it is observable lest any one might imagine that Davids mother was lascivious and that therefore he complained and so this complaint concerned David himself onely and personally and not us that it was no part of Davids intent to disparage his mother and Aquinas saith David was born of a lawfull
opineth * Tu es Diaboli janua tu es quae eum invasisti quem Diabolus aggredi non valuit Tert. lib. De Habitu muliebri That by that serpentine craft by which the woman was seduced Adam could not have been seduced Tertullian speaketh thus to womankinde * Probat quòd Diabolus non poterat seducere Adam sed Evam Hiero. lib. 1. adversus Jovinianum circa medium Thou art the Devils doore thou art she that hast invaded him whom the Devil could not set upon If he could not set upon him much lesse could he have overcom him Hierom saith * the Apostle doth prove that the Devil could not seduce Adam but Eve But then comes Eve in her simplicitie intending no hurt or deceit to her husband upon three other grounds specialized Genes 3.6 First she saw that the tree was good for food Secondly it was pleasant to the eyes Thirdly a tree to be desired to make one wise She I say upon these three motives did both eat and give Adam to eat So Adam was not deceived either first or immediately by the Serpent or serpentine deceit as Eve was neither doth Adam complain that the Serpent or Eve beguiled him but when he derived the fault from himself the worst that he said of Eve was this Genes 3.12 The woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree Neither doth the Scripture any where impute a malicious envious or guilefull intent to Eve in drawing Adam into the transgression Nor doth the Apostle say absolutely Adam was not in the transgression but Adam was not deceiv'd or brought into the transgression by fraud For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to be deceived by art and craft so the Devill perswaded Eve That God of envy unto man forbad him that tree saith * Aug. De Gen. ad lit 11.30 Augustine and perhaps told her it was no sin for her to eat because she received no immediate commandement whereas Adam knew it was a sinne but therefore might think it easilie pardonable because he had formerly known no experience of Gods severitie saith the same * Aug. De Civit. 14.11 Augustine And yet for all this Adam might be in a transgression in the transgression and the greatest transgression though not in that transgression of being seduc'd And for his transgression death is appointed for us For in Adam all die Abel was the first who died the bodily death yet Abel died in Adam and if for Adams sinne death had not been appointed to him first Abel had not died yet since Morte morieris was spoken to Adam alone before Eve was created and it may be it implieth that upon his sinne all that any way came of him either by avulsion of some part as Eve did or by propagation should die in him And so though Eve had eaten if Adam had not sinned neither Adam nor perhaps Eve herself had died And if Adam had eaten and Eve forborn yet perhaps Eve should have died for Eve was in Adam as well as we 1. Corinth 11.8 The man was not of the woman but the woman of the man And in him was she to stand or fall live or die as well as we In Adam all die and she among the rest since she was one and a part of that all If my above mentioned speculations require further proof consider Rom. 5.14 Death reigned from Adam where he is expresly mentioned as being in my interpretation the Idea of mankinde and we being in him tanquam in principio activo Satan sinned against God in tempting the woman the woman sinned against God in eating and offering the fruit unto the man If thou O Adam hadst not consented neither of these sinnes had hurt thee or mankinde * Adam erat nos omnes Adam was we all Give me leave to say so since S. Augustine saith * Omnes eramus ille unus Adam De peâ—cat Merit Remis 1.10 We all were that one Adam Nor did God first challenge Eve but Adam nor her so punctually as he did Adam Genes 3.9 And vers 22 it is not said of Eve but of Adam ironically Adam is become like one of us for he was the root of mankinde Eve was but a branch of Adam before or when she sinned and no root of mankinde actuall but potentiall for she sinned when she was a virgin Justin Martyr in his dialogue with Triphon thus Eve being an intemerated virgin and conceiving by the Serpent brought forth disobedience and by consequent death Theodoret on those words of the Psalmist Psal 51.1 c. The transgression of the commandment went before Eves conception for after the transgression and the divine sentence and the privation of Paradise Adam knew Eve his wife and she having conceived brought forth Cain Had Adam carnally known Eve before he sinned yea after herself sinned she had conceived and then the issue had had no originall sin yea he is no worse Divine then Aquinas who holdeth that at this instant if one by miracle were created an humane creature body soul he should not have originall sin 1.2 Quaest 18. Art 4. * Art sequenti And if Adam had sinned not Eve we had fallen into originall sin and if she had eaten and not he we had not been stain'd with originall sinne Scharpius saith * The cause of originall sinne was Adam not Eve and Adams sinne not Eves doth passe to the posteritie Tertullian proveth that Eve was neverthelesse a virgin because being in Paradise she was called a woman * A woman saith he pertains to the sex it self not to the degree of the sex One may be call'd a woman * Mulier ad sexum ipsum non ad gradum sexûs pertinet Tertull. lib. De velandis Virginibus though not a wife but a non-mulier a no-woman can not either be or be call'd a wife I adde she was a wife so called Genes 2.25 and yet till after Adam sinned she was a virgin espoused married yet not known carnally She was termed Isha or Issa Virago before the fall Genes 2.23 because she was taken out of Ish or Is out of man She was also stiled The female and wife but she was never called Eve during her creation and innocency or in the interim between her fall and Adams But after Adams sin he first called his wives name Eve Genes 3.20 because she was the mother of all living Not as if any did then live as from her or were born of her when Adam so called her but the great Calculator of natures the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Onomastick or exact and true Nomenclator of all things brought before him thought fit to name her Eve that is The mother of all living not before but after his fall because in my opinion she had not been Mater viventium if she alone had sinned Her sinne might have had other punishment her personall fault had ended
Velle before the Nolle and the first motion was to the unlawfull love of himself Now what the Serpent said to Eve questionlesse she related to Adam And her pride also might first arise from the said fountain and his uxoriousnesse followed thereupon and the immoderate love of himself was before the immoderate love unto his wife I say questionles because it is both true in it self and others yeeld unto it and * Aug. De Gen. ad â—t 11.34 S. Augustine observeth it What Adam received from God he told to Eve what Eve heard from Satan she told to Adam To conclude * De Civit. 14.13 Augustine saith Adam and Eve were first turned from God to please themselves and thence and after that to grow cold and dull that she either beleeved the Serpent or he preferd his wives will before the will of God Where he maketh both Adams and Eves sinne to be the same inordinate love to themselves and this is against Scotus Prosper in the 358 Sentence picked out of Augustine saith concerning Adam * Primum animae rationalis vitium est voluntas ea faciendi quae vetat summa intima veritas The first vice of the reasonable soul is the will of doing those things which the supreme and most intimate truth forbids Neither hath Scotus his argutation rather then argumentation his usuall subtiltie in it * Duplexest Velle aut est Velle aliquid amore amicitiae qui est propter se vel propter amatum velamore commodi qui est propter aliud Primum peccatum Adae non fuit ex immoderato amore sui sicut fuit primum peccatum Angeli nec potuit esse quia Angelus intelligit seprimò per suam essentiam homo intelligit alia priùs quà m se There is a twofold will either that will by which one desires a thing with the love of friendship which is for himself or for the thing loved or that will by which one desires a thing with the love of profit which is for another The first sinne of Adam was not out of an immoderate love of himself as the first sinne of Angels neither could be because the Angels know themselves first by their own essence but man knowes other things before himself For did not Adam know himself ere he knew Eve or Angels or hath it any necessarie consequence if he knew her first that therefore he must love her content first rather then please himself Yea if he had a desire to please her might not this arise out of a desire to please himself Lastly did the Angels and Eve sinne out of an immoderate desire of love toward themselves Then how saith Scotus that Adams first sinne neither was nor could be an immoderate and inordinate love of himself What was in Eve could and might have been and was in Adam The discourse of Aquinas in this point seemes more agreeable to Scripture and Fathers then that of Scotus And this it is That unto one sinne many motions do concurre amongst which that is to be accounted the first sinne in which first of all inordination deviation disorder or aberration from the Law is found Now it is apparent that exorbitancy or deordination is sooner in the inward motion of the soul then it is in the bodie and among the interiour motions of the soul the appetite is first moved toward the end it self then toward the means leading toward the end and therefore there was the first sinne of Adam where was the first desire of an unlawfull and disordered end The summe is Man desired an illicit seeming spirituall good namely to subsist of himself as God doth Which first act or motion of pride or inward disobedience being all one with the first inclination to break the Law of God and to eat the forbidden fruit and being accompanied with that chain of other evill motions actions before mentioned was consummated by the outward disobedience in the orall eating the food inhibited And the time was so short between the sinfull motus primo-primus in the soul and the various continued difformitie of other ebullitions which were coherent and bound up in that unhappie knot of outward disobedience that we may safely say it was one sinne aggregativè and every particular evill thought act or motion from his fare-well given unto innocency unto his plain down-fall from the last of his inward obedience unto his first outward disobedience compleat and ended was a parcell or branch of that one great sinne which was against that Law divine Genes 2.17 As our Saviour saith Matth. 5.28 Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie with her already in his heart So so soon as ever Adam looked on the apple to lust after it the first inward motion tending to this lust of pride or disobedience was averse from the Law though the externall trespasse made the sinne to be full and the breach to be palpable and evident And as it is but one consummate adulterie though divers evil thoughts multae morosae cogitationes many wilde motions concurre unto it so may Adams sinne be said to be but one though consisting of divers parts and branches from the primative spirituall inclination of aversion to the hindmost bodily formalitie or coÌ„summation of his disobedience Est Dist 22 Paragr 1. Estius hath these arguments to evidence that pride which is unseparably annexed to disobedience was the first sinne of man First our parents Adam and Eve were first tempted with the sinne of pride by these words Ye shall be like Gods therefore by that they fell first Secondly the Devil would draw man to perdition by the same sinne by which he fell But he fell by pride 1 Tim. 3.6 Lastly Christ by humilitie and obedience recovered us therefore Adam by pride and disobedience hurt us And this is Augustines reason De Civit. 14.13 If any man desire more curiosities trenching upon this point let him consult with Doctor Estius in the place above cited who hath handled such things apertissimè satiatissimè most plainly and fully as Augustine said of Ambrose against Julian the Pelagian And now at length I am come to that second position which I resolved to unfold and handle in giving answer unto the first Question How and why death was appointed unto us The first part of the answer is already handled here I considered originall sinne principally as it was acted by Adam That Adam for sinne was appointed to die The second now followeth towit Adams sinne was propagated to us and so by just consequent We shall die for this sinne And first concerning the propagation of his sinne of originall sinne as it was an emanation from Adam and as it lodgeth and abideth in us ALmightie and most Gracious Father grant unto us that we which fell by pride may be humilitie and obedience be raised up through Jesus Christ our onely Advocate and Redeemer Amen CHAP. V. 1. Originall sinne
illa successione propagatus nascitur sicut ad istum pertinet omnit qui gratiae largitate in illo renascitur unde fit vt totum genus kumannm quodam modo sint homines duo PRIMUS SEâ—VNDUS Prosp Sent. 299. The first man Adam so died in time past that yet after him Christ is the second man although so many thousands of men be born between that and this and therefore it is evident that every one who is born propagated from that succession belongs to that former as whosoever is born again by the liberalitie of grace pertains to this latter whence it comes to passe that all mankinde in some sort consist in two men THE FIRST and THE SECOND Yea the whole world except Christ onely as men are the first Adam and the first Adam as he beleeved in Christ to come is not now the first but a branch of the second Adam What Christ did for us we are said to do what Adam did misdo as he represented us we may justly be said to misdo with him Genes 4.10 The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth unto me Sanguinum yea Seminum saith the Chaldee Paraphrase and the Rabbins whom howsoever the Jesuit Cornelius à Lapide faulteth yet I will commend for their witty invention That God seemed as it were to heare the cries of all those many little ones which ever might have descended from Abel and them Cain killed and their bloud he shed even ere they were and their bloud cried in Abels So we consented with Adam and in him all sinned saith our Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our latest Translation hath it For that all have sinned The Bishops Bible in as much as we have all sinned So Erasmus and some others yet our latest Translation alloweth a place in the margin for in whom it is rendred by the Vulgat In quo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not here taken for a Preposition of whose various constructions see the Grammarians none of which constructions afford so full and punctuall a sense to this place as if we render the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a Preposition by it self and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the Dative of the subjunctive relative article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Genevian readeth it in whom and interprets the words in whom to be in Adam and so indeed it may be read and must be meant for though the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be otherwise rendred and used yet divers times it is confounded with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and necessarily is so to be understood View in one Chapter two places Hebr. 9.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solummodo in cibis potibus Which stood onely in meats and drinks as our very late Translatours have it And vers 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testamentum enim in mortuis ratum est so word for word is it construed So Demosthenes hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In his acquiescere Basil in his Epistle to Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In hac solitudine So we usually say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In nobis and the like This reading being established let us search the meaning of these words In whom or in which and to what they are referred There are but foure things to which these words can possibly have relation First unto the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then the sense is By one man sinne entred into the world in which world all have sinned This exposition is very absurd For first it is nothing to the intent of the Apostle who proveth that we fell in Adam and are raised by Christ but how conduceth this unto that sense Secondly the senselesnesse of the words is most ridiculous being thus read As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men in which world all have sinned The Spirit of wisedome would not speak so nor the God of order so disjointedly The second exposition is as unlikely and that readeth it In which death all have sinned but as * In peccato moriuntur homines non in morte peccant Aug. Cont. duas Epist Pelag. 4.4 S. Augustine saith Men die in sinne not sinne in death The phrase is improper yet grant that some sinne in death yet it is most untrue That in death all sinne The third word to which In whom or which may be referred is Sinne In which sinne all have sinned and thus * Aug. De Peccat Merit Remis 1.10 Augustine did interpret it once And if it were so to be read it is all one in effect to say In Adam all sinned and In which sinne of Adam all sinned But * Vide Aug. Cont. 2. Epist Felag 4.4 Augustine afterward more accuratly examining the place rejecteth that exposition and confirmeth another by the authority of S. Hilarie And indeed Grammaticall construction overthroweth the sense for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the feminine gender to which the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can have no good reference Therefore the last exposition is best which renders it In quo In which Adam all have sinned So it is expounded by Hilarie Augustine and Ambrose by Origen Chrysostom Theophylact Oecumenius and generally both by the Greek and Latine Fathers and the Apostle strongly argueth for this sense verse 19. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners In him we sinned And whoso shall throughly weigh both the precedent and subsequent dependances must needs acknowledge that the words In whom or In which do point at Adam onely in whom as in a masse we were contained and in him sinned Photius thus * In hoc ipsi Adam commorimur quòd ipsicompeccavimus ille initium dedit peccato nos adjutores illi fuimus In this we our selves die with Adam that our selves have sinned with him he gave the beginning to sinne we have been helpers to him And Neither by the Devill who sinned before the woman nor by the woman who sinned before her husband but by Adam from whom all mortality draweth its beginning did sinne truly enter into the world and death by sinne So farre Origen Augustine likewise * In Adamo omnes peccaverunt quando omnes ille unus homo fuerunt Aug. De Baptismo parvulorum 1.10 In Adam all have sinned when all were that one man So punctually speaketh he For we were in Adam radically seminally representatively Adam was our head he did lead the whole body into evill he was our parent all the issue of him were disinherited by him Augustine thus * Peccavimus omnes in Adamo voluntariè non voluntate nostrâ propriâ— sed voluntate illius cum quo in quo eramus unus homo atque vna omnium voluntas Aug. Epist 23. Ad Bonifacium We have all sinned in Adam willingly not by our own will but by his will with whom and in whom we were one man and one will
in her without the help of man or sinne and was even then Lord of all things 5 Another point followeth towit We sinned that sinne in Adam not by imitation onely For Adam sinned and in a sort imitated Eve who sinned first and ate of the forbidden fruit before him yet it is not said That in Eve Adam died or many died in Eve or Adam sinned through Eve So likewise the Devill offended before Adam was and Adams sinne did nearly in many particulars resemble the Devils yet Adam died not by the sin of the Devil though after a fashion he did imitate it But it is said Rom. 5.15 Through the offence of Adam many be dead and thereabouts In Adam all die Therefore this sinne of ours must needs be more then by imitation And this is S. Augustines argument against Pelagius If it had been by imitation onely * Apostolus peccati principium non fecisset Adamum sed Diabolum The Apostle had not made Adam the beginning of sinne but the Devill Against Julian 6.10 he useth this other argument in effect Who almost yea who at all thinketh of Adam when he sinneth whereas the imitator propoundeth himself a pattern to follow and imitate Or what is Adams eating of an apple like unto witchery blasphemy murder lying or the like and how there have been yea are yet many millions in the world who never heard of Adam much lesse of his sinne and did they intend to imitate or did they imitate him Thirdly * De Peccat Merit Remiss 1.9 Augustine thus argueth As the second Adam besides this that we are to follow him and imitate him giveth hidden grace unto the faithfull so contrarily we are faulty and die not by the imitation onely of the first Adam but by the secret blot and spot by which he hath infected us Fourthly he thus disputeth in his 89 Epistle to Hierome The Apostle saith Rom. 5.16 The fault is of ONE offence to condemnation but he must have said It had been of MANY offences and not of ONE if all are condemned for their actuall personall imitation of Adam since the offences of many men must needs be more then the ONE offence spoken of by the Apostle Lastly let me reason thus Rom. 5.14 Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression But death was the wages of sinne Therefore some died who did not resemble Adam in finning And there is a sinne not like to his for Adams sinne was actuall most voluntary and personall Children in sinning of originall sinne do not imitate Adam for their sinne was onely implicit in and with him and they have not that absolute freedome of will that he had and their sinne is rather naturall then personall Yet children die for sinne and for such a sinne as is not after the similitude of Adams transgression and so originall sinne cleaveth unto us not by imitation onely * Aug. De Peccat Merit Remiss 1.15 Augustine thus If imitation onely make sinners by Adam onely imitation should make us just by Christ and then not Adam and Christ but Adam and Abel should be compared For Adam was the first wicked man and just Abel Hebr. 11.4 the first just man But these things are not thus Therefore we sinned not onely by imitation of Adam 6 I come to a new point namely to prove That this sinne of Adam is not ours by imputation onely as if Adam alone had offended and we were wholly cleare from that great sinne Indeed Adams actuall first sinne or his other sinnes after his repentance as they were personall and private are not imputed to us For he was to answer for himself as well as we are If we repent what doth our repentance help him If he had not changed his minde and turned to God himself alone should have been condemned as himself alone was saved by his own repentance That Adam was by divine wisdome brought out of his fall is said Wisd 10.1 * Veniae redditus est He hath been restored to pardon saith S. August And in the Tribe of Judah there is to this day a den or hole called Spelunca Adam The Cave of Adam in it a rock in which are two stony beds of Adam Eves and here they mourned as is delivered by Tradition saith Adrichomius an hundred yeares for the murdered Abel why not rather for their own sinnes say I This place is not farre from either Ager Damascenus where they say Adam was made of that Red earth which is mire tractabilis saith Adrichomius or from that place which to this day is shewen and recorded to be the plat of ground which drank up Abels bloud when Cain slew him And though I deny not but they might mourn for the death of Abel yet they were more bound to mourn for that sinne of theirs which brought death both upon Abel and themselves and all their posterity That Adam was a Type of Christ is expressed Rom. 5.15 and unfolded in many excellent particulars by * Sal. Ad annum 930◠Salianus That the more eminent Types of Christ should be saved is evinced because of their resemblance and conformitie unto the Antitype nor can it be proved that ever any of his figures were condemned For the shadow must follow the substance and Christ that Proto-type being not onely saved but called Jesus because he shall save his people from their sinnes Matth. 1.21 They are his people especially who in principal things resembled him and wherein can they better resemble him then in being blessed and saved as he was But I return to Adam Concerning Adam Augustine saith thus * De illo quidem primo homine patre generis humani quòd eum ibidem solverit Ecclesia ferè tota conseutit Aug. Epist 99. Ad Euodium As for that first man the father of mankinde almost the whole Church agreeth that Christ being in hell he there delivered him Concerning his body that it arose if other Saints of the Old Testament arose and that it was besprinkled with the bloud of Christ dying shall be shewed hereafter And if God had such care of Adams body or part of it he shall be impudently unreasonable that shall say his soul is not in blessednesse Now as his personall repentance saved himself onely and not one of his ofspring so if he had died unrepentant his sinne or sinnes as they were personall should not have prejudiced one of his posterities salvation Bellarmine * Bell. De Amiss Gratiae 3.12 saith It was one of Tatianus his errours That our first parents were damned Indeed Irenaeus 1.30 ascribes this opinion to Saturninus and Marcion and chap. 31. to Tatianus the first founder of it Tertullian in his book De Haeresib towards the end taxeth Tatian for the same opinion and confuteth him thus * Quasi non si rami salvi fiunt radix salva sit As if
contracting of sinnes and undergoing punishment for them Fourthly weigh this strong inconvenience which he toucheth at That the latter born in time is still the worse in nature worse then any that went before as followeth necessarily if the sinnes of our forefathers are communicated to us Fifthly he seemeth to conclude the unreasonablenesse That they who were never regenerated should be overburdened with eternall damnation if they should be compelled from the beginning of mankinde to contract the sinnes of all their progenitours and be punished for them And therefore he questioneth Whether it reacheth onely to the third and fourth generation I would also question Whether if the threat reach onely to the third and fourth generation upon supposall that from Adam all the predecessours of a man were wicked till the fourth generation that man shall have none of those sinnes imputed to him before his progenitours in a fourth ascent Or if an others progenitours were all good from Adam till the foure last generations and from it all and every of his parents in a lineall descent were stark-naught till we come to himself who is good Whether he shall have communicated to him the sinnes of these foure last progenitours and no goodnesse for a thousand generations of holy and repentant forefathers himself also being a holy man since God sheweth mercy unto thousands that love him that is more mercy to more good men then severitie which extendeth even towards his haters but to the third and fourth generation which number is short of thousands The last objection from the place of Exodus is this q Consequi videtur Deum permittere ut pâ—ccata parentum in filios transeant It seems to follow that God doth permit that the sinnes of parents passe unto their children and the sonnes imitate the sinnes of their fathers that God may justly punish sinnes which are not so proper to the parent as to the parent and childe I answer He doth well to mince it with It seems to follow But Quaedam videntur non sunt Some things seem to be and are not Bucer and Martyr do float too much in generalities they neither mention what sinnes all or some neither what parents good bad or all nor what they mean by passing when they say r Peccata parentum in filios transeunt The sinnes of parents passe unto the children There are also nets and ginns in these their words Å¿ Peccatorum labes cou contegium redundat in patris corpus per ejus sanguinem semen in filios The spot and as it were contagion of sinne overspreadeth the fathers body and by his bloud and seed redoundeth upon the children Before they said sinnes now the spot of sinnes though there be a great difference between them two for the sinne is past before the spot cometh and the latter is the effect of the former Again because it is easie to prove that t Macula patris non redundat in filios the stain of the father redoundeth not on the children it is added u Labes ceu contagium the spot and as it were contagion Moreover how unaptly do they bring the place of Exodus to prove the sinnes of the next parents to be communicated if by them they understand onely the immediate father and mother when in that place there is expresse mention of the third and fourth generation If they stretch the words of the next parents to the third and fourth generation onely why not to the fifth sixth and so upward Sixteen generations since Christs time are the next parents if you compare them to the thirty nine generations which in the law of Nature and of Moses preceded Christ Lastly note their wilde inference God permits the fathers sinne to passe unto the childe and the childe to imitate the father that he may punish as if God could not justly punish the sinnes of the fathers in the children unlesse they be like them in personall transgressions as if the communication of original sinne onely were not cause enough to punish children for the sinnes of their parents as if the evil of sinne were ordained to justifie the evil of punishment Away then with this fishing in troubled waters this delighting in amphibolous terms Which censure that I may the rather justifie I will endeavour to explain all things necessary to the knowledge of this point to salve all doubts to unfold all intricacies in these seven propositions 4. God justly may and doth punish with any temporall punishment any children like or unlike to their parents for their fathers personall sinnes Horat. Epod. 7. Immerentis fluxit in terram Remi Sacer nepotibus cruor And Carminum 3. Ode 6. Delicta majorum immeritus lues Romane For the children are a part of the fathers and in the childes punishment the father himself is punished For as a sonne receiveth under God life and the things of this life by the father so it is no injustice if he lose the same for him The widow of Zarephath her sonne was in her apprehension dead for her sinne 1. King 17.18 So 2. Sam. 12.15 God stroke the childe that Uriahs wife bare to David and it was sick and died Both father and childe endured a punishment of seven dayes the father in sorrow fasting a fast lying on the earth in a holy sordiditie weeping and praying the childe by sicknesse tormenting him to death Ahabs children were punished for his offence 1. King 21.21 and among the rest Jehoram his sonne who although he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord yet was not so bad as his father or mother 2. Kings 3.2 The passage is very observable Jer. 16.3 4. For thus saith the Lord concerning the sonnes and daughters that are born in this place and concerning their mothers and fathers They shall die of grievous deaths Both the great and small shall die vers 6. The punishment of Gehazi his posterity is more exemplarie for though they sinned not nor could sinne the sinne of Gehazi yet the leprosie of Naaman did cleave unto him for that his personall simonie and unto his seed for ever 2. Kings 5.27 The case of Jobs children surpasseth this for they were not stricken with death for their own sinnes or the sinnes of their father Job so much as for the triall of his patience and for the experimentall confutation of Satan yet was it not unjust that they should lose their lives for their fathers good which they had by him since he also suffered in their sufferings and might easily see Gods especiall hand against himself For the greatest winde in the world naturally cannot smite the foure corners of an house and if it should yet one corner would uphold the other but this whirlwinde did so and the house fell Job 1.19 1. Sam. 15.6 the Kenites are spared because they shewed kindenesse to the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt but because Amalek had fought with
and involved in originall sinne which they either knew not or considered not Lastly when I had taken these pains to frame this chapter in defence of a point which I never held to be questioned it grieved me to heare my ingenious friend so much to defend the new Writers and to dance after the new pipe Candid and favourable expositions I shall love while I live and both use towards others and desire to be used towards me but violent forced farre-fetched interpretations as this hath been I can no way allow For since reformation hath been so sharp-sighted as to finde fault in all things to esteem the Schoolmen as dunses though they are thought dunses that so censure them to account the Fathers as silly old men or as children though they are but babes that admire them not to disregard Provinciall Councels yea Generall Councels as the acts of weak and sinfull men though they are the chiefest the highest earthly-living-breathing Judges of Scriptures controversed which cavils against former times I have heard belched forth by the brain-sick zealous ignorants of our times since we have hissed out the Papists and think they speak against their own consciences when they maintain the infallibilitie and inerrabilitie of the Pope May not Bucer and Martyr erre Must all new opinions needs be true and defended with might and main with wrested part-taking over-charitable defenses rather then a small errour shall be acknowledged If such milde dealing had been used against times precedent we could not have found as some now have done about two thousand errours of the Papists But thus much if not too much shall suffice concerning these men and this matter with this cloze That Zanchius himself in the place above cited saith thus against that new-fangled opinion t Neque enim aliud peccatum in posteros transfusum est quà m quod ipsius quoque fuit Adami fuit enim inobedientia cum privatione justitiae originalis totius naturae corruptione Deinde etiam non propter aliud peccatum nos sumus adjudicati morti quà m propter illud propter quod Adamus Ejusdem enim peccati stipendium fuit mors Illi autem fuit dictum Morte Morieris propter inobedientiam c. For no other sinne was transfused to posteritie then that which also was Adams for it was disobedience with a privation of originall justice and corruption of the whole nature Besides we are sentenced to death for no other sinne then for that for which Adam also was for death was the wages of the same sinne Now it was said to him THOU SHALT DIE THE DEATH for disobedience c. Now let them say if they can that Adam was sentenced to death for any sinne of predecessour or successour or any other sinne of himself but one onely I have maintained and do resolve Death was inflicted for his first sinne onely Therefore by Zanchius his true Divinitie against Bucer and Martyr and their peremptorie defenders Not all not many sinnes of all of many of any of our predecessours but the first sinne onely of Adam is transfused to posteritie nor are they guiltie or condemnable for any other preceding actuall sinne or sinnes of others whosoever O Father of consolation O God of mercies who knowest that every one of us have sinnes personall more then enow to condemne us lay not I beseech thee the sinnes of our fathers or fore-fathers or our own if it be thy holy will to our charge to punish us in this life present or our originall sinne in and by Adam or our own actuall misdeeds to trouble our consciences by despair or to damne us in the world to come but have mercy upon us have mercy upon us according to thy great mercy in Christ Jesus our alone Lord and Saviour Amen CHAP. VIII 1. Original sinne came not by the Law of Moses but was before it in the World 2. God hath good reason and justice to punish us for our original sinne in Adam Gods actions defended by the like actions of men 3. Husbands represent their wives The men of Israel represented the women Concerning the first-born of men and beasts The primogeniture and redemption of the first-born 4. The whole bodie is punished for the murder committed by one hand Corporations represent whole cities and towns and Parliaments the bodie of the Realm Their acts binde the whole Kingdome Battelling champions and duellists ingage posteritie 5. S. Peter represented the Apostles The Apostles represent sometimes the Bishops sometimes the whole Clergie The Ministers of the Convocation represent the whole Church of England The authoritie of Generall Councels National Synods must be obeyed 6. Private spirits censured Interpretation of Scripture not promiscuously permitted An Anabaptisticall woman displayed 7. An other woman reproved for her new-fangled book in print Scriptures not to be expounded by anagrams in Hebrew much lesse in English but with reverence How farre the people are to beleeve their Pastours 8. Saul represented an entire armie Joshua and the Princes binde the Kingdome of Israel for long time after 9. Christ represented us Christ and Adam like in some things in others unlike Christ did and doth more good for us then Adam did harm IT hath been plentifully evidenced that death entred into the world by sinne and that both Adam and we were sentenced to die for one sinne the first sinne onely of Adam onely and not for any other sinne or sinnes of him or any other our remote propinque or immediate parents and that death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Rom. 5.14 I adde Death shall live fight and prevail though not reigne from Moses unto the end of the world For when this mortall shall have put on immortality then then and not till then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory 1. Cor. 15.54 and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death 1. Cor. 15.26 Aquine on Roman 5. lect 4. thus Because corporall death reigned from Adam by whom originall sinne came into the world unto Moses under whom the Law was given and death is the effect of sinne especially originall sinne it appeareth there was originall sinne in the world before the Law and lest we might say they died for actuall sinnes the Apostle saith Death reigned even over those who sinned not proprio actu as children So he 2. The things themselves then being unquestionable and before elucidated to the full That death is inflicted for originall sinne and that we all and every of us except Christ have contracted originall sinne it followeth justly by the judgement of God that death is appointed unto us for this sinne Tertullian lib. 1. contra Marcion a Homo damnatur in mortem ob unius arbusculi delibationem pereunt jam omnes quì nullum Paradisi cespitem nôrunt Man is condemned to death for tasting of a small
you expound this of the Fathers of the Old Testament and of the stola animae the robe of honour for the minde yet you shall finde Revel 6.11 that in regard even of stola corporis the glorious garment of the bodie the Saints themselves are commanded to rest yet for a little season untill their fellow-servants also and their brethren either then alive or perchance not then born that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Now against this generall rule you must not make a particular exception without expresse warrant from the word of God But there is no testimony at all from the word of God either direct or inferentiall that any of those Many who arose arose to glorie or immortalitie or ascended into heaven Therefore we may boldly conclude They died again This argument is of such force that Suarez leaveth it unanswered and untouched Lastly if the bodies of these Saints ascended into heaven either they ascended after Christ or before him or with him If after him When and how long after and why after him They ascended not presently after him for the Apostles who looked stedfastly toward heaven even after he was taken out of their sight might have then perceived their bodily ascent If you say So soon as the Apostles left their serious viewing and hearkened unto the Angels then they ascended I answer I would say so also if I saw any proof or if I could think that God sent the Angels just at that moment to hinder the Apostles from seeing the Saints mount up to heaven which would have been so joyous a sight Briefly there is no reason to say they ascended long after Christ ascended and certainly lesse reason is there to think they ascended before him 4. Moreover Christ as man shall be Judge at the last day and God hath given assurance of it to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Act. 17.31 If any other were raised up in the same manner before him or with him to an eternall resurrection what assurance doth God give by this place of S. Paul that Christ shall be the Judge rather then others But indeed the raising of Christ was more then ordinary was more then temporarie Let him have the preeminence in all things Christ is the first-fruits of them that slept 1. Cor. 15.20 The first-fruits of them that are raised vers 23. He is Primitiae mortuorum Revel 1.5 resurgentium Act. 26.23 Christ is the first who shall arise from the dead viz. to an eternall resurrection his bodie opening as it were the gates of heaven for our bodies which if Enoch and Elias did by priviledge especiall anticipate though these were not properly raised but rather taken up yet if more if so many should before him arise to an everlasting resurrection it destroyeth the nature of a generall rule b Gratia quae omnibus datur non est gratia sed natura privilegium gaudet paucitate Grace given alike to all is no longer grace but nature and a priviledge is properly confined to a few That they ascended not with Christ I proved before and for a Corollarie do repeat this That if assumed and Angelicall bodies were to be seen and were seen and heard at Christs ascension out of doubt the bodies of Saints had been visible yea seen if they had then ascended 5. If any desire to see more reasons let him reade S. Augustine Epist 99. ad Euodium de Mirabilibus Sacrae Scripturae whose reasons c In tertia parte Summae quaest 53. artic 3. Aquinas preferreth and subscribeth unto You may now perceive that I am gently fallen upon the second head in vertue of which I undertook to prove That the Saints who miraculously arose and here arose did not ascend into heaven but died again for the second head was Authoritie Among Authours you have alreadie two of the chiefest for depth of learning Augustine and Aquinas Hierom is of their minde on Matth. 27. Chrysostom Hom. 89. on Matth. compareth those Saints resurrection unto Lazarus his rising to a mortall life though Beza directly contradicteth it The same Hierom Epist 150. ad Hedibiam again confirms it To the same purpose Theophylact on the place and Euthymius chap. 67. on Matth. so Prosper in his book de promissionibus praedictionibus Dei. In the middle school you have Soto in 4. lib. Sentent Distinct 43. quaest 2. artic 1. Yea even among Jesuites Salmeron and Barradius are on this side and Pererius on the 6 chapter of the Revelation Disput 24. and Gregorie Valentian Tom. 4. Disput 2. Quaest 5. where he sleighteth Cajetans arguments and saith that our is the more probable opinion and that Aquin from Augustine doth most excellently confirm it In the last place cometh that learned Franciscus Lucas Brugensis who having set down the ends why these Many were raised to wit To be praecones criers or trumpetters of Christs resurrection which was experimentally evidenced by their own and that Jesus was that Saviour and that he ought thus to suffer and thus to enter into his glorie closeth in these words d Hoc officio quando isti defuncti fuerant verisimile est cos iterum dormivisse in sepulchris suit quievisse quemadmodum Aloses When they had performed this duty it is likely that they slept again and rested in their sepulchres like Moses Yea say I much rather did they sleep in their graves then Moses for though he was buried yet being raised he appeared in glorie Luk. 9.31 which apparition being in bodie principally for his soul was not seen we may not imagine that a glorified bodie is so subject to corruption or a second dying which Brugensis himself will not say of these raised Many for he hath an odde crotchet and singular conceit That those Many were raised neither to an immortall nor to a mortall life but to a middle and mean betwixt both not to a perpetuall one nor yet to a terrene life but heavenly without the use of meats or drinks without fear or pain of death O Fountain of mercie inexhaustible sweet Jesu who being the Sonne of God didst become Man that we the sonnes of Men might be the sonnes of God who didst die that we might live suffering for our sinnes and rising again for our justification Have mercie O have mercie upon me passe by my transgressions I beseech thee and present me blamelesse to the Throne of Grace for thine own merit sake to which I ascribe all power and from which I expect all my glorie So be it CHAP. XVIII 1. The arguments of the contrary opinion answered Suarez and especially Cajetan censured 2. That by the holy Citie Jerusalem below was meant proved at large Josephus and the Jews erring about the name of Jerusalem Hierom uncertain 3. How the raised appeared A difference between appearing as men and appearing as newly raised men Franciscus Lucas Brugensis rejected 4. An argument of Maldonat
was reserved for him and fore-promised Genes 1.26 so soon as he was created the dominion was assigned over to him verse 28. And if no beast hurt Noah or his familie in the Ark though everie Creature imitated Adam and rebelled against him their Lord as he did against his Lord God much lesse could they have hurt Adam persevering in innocencie During which estate the lambe and the wolf the lion and the dragon would not have hurt one another much lesse would they have hurt Man least of all would the issue of Adam have done him violence or have said as the wicked in the Gospell This is the heir let us kill him and divide the inheritance Matt. 21.38 For then there had been no distinction of Lord Heir and Servant nor strife for inheritances It is too too true that the higher bodies and the heavenly powers do now besides their ordinarie influences sometimes dart down among us hurtfull and noxious qualities the workers of sicknes and destruction so that in divers Regions have been Epidemical popular diseases which in the great conjunction of Planets falleth out saith Prolemee Alcabitius with other Astronomers But then the heavens should have dropped plentie poured down health and no bane-full qualitie could have descended from them As for lightning and thunder and the now-right-ayming thunderbolts the armies of Gods wrath and messengers of death either there should have been none the aire then needing no purifying or at least not hurtfull or dangerous Lastly if Satan could have used outward violence and destroyed Adam or his posteritie that way perhaps he would never have brought in Death by the back-doore of sinne and never have undermined him by such hidden baits and lurking temptations Likewise inward distemper he had none nor could have and thus it appeareth There is a twofold temperature Vniformis all humours being exactly in the same degree Difformis one humour ruling prevailing over the rest The first may be called temperamentum ad pondus which is proportion Arithmetica when all the foure qualities are equally weighed and tempered so that there is no predominancie no superioritie nor can be but all parts are equipondiall and even The second is termed temperamentum ad justitiam which is Geometrica proportio when the foure qualities hang unevenly in the balance yet fitted to the best service and use of the body Whether of these two tempers was in Adam I will not define But if there were in his bodie difforme temperamentum it was so perfect yea equal in in equalitie as was fit for such a bodie as might be fit for such a soul such was the mixture of humours by the divine hand of God compounding them that both he and we should have lived in the flower of youth for ever if Adam had not offended What the bodilie constitution of the first Adam was may be thought to be the same or the like of the second Adam to whom the Psalmist singeth Psal 45.2 Pulchruisti prae filijs hominum Thou art fairer then the children of men Perpulchruisti as Vatablus rendereth it which can not be so properly understood of Solomon as of Christ who not onely superabounded in all vertues and vertue is fairer then the morning-starre saith Aristotle but also in all comely proportion and bodilie beautie * Prae filiis hominum quare non prae Angelis quid voluit dicere prae filiis hominum nisi quia homo Then the children of men why not then the Angels What means he by saying Then the children of men but because he is a man as S. Augustine on the place reasoneth most acutely inferring that not Christs divinitie but even his humane nature is in this place commended for beautie Though the Prophet saith of him Esai 53.2 He had no form nor comelines yet he speaketh it in the person of the Jews and as they thought saith Hierome on the place Or he had no comelines in his own apprehension as Christ himself in great humilitie might undervalue his own worth Thirdly I may expound all passages seeming to vilifie Christs bodily shape onely comparatively with reference unto his divinitie thus the bodily beautie of Christ is not to be nam'd or to stand in competition with the Deitie Fourthly and most properly in my opinion Esa◠describeth Christ as he was to be in his Agonie and Passion his body rent and torn with rods so rufully that David in the first and literal sense if not in that sense onely compareth the tormentors to plowers and the dintes impressions and the bruised bloudy concavities and slices to furrows The plowers plowed upon my back and made deep furrows his face spit upon his temples gored and bleeding by the Crown of thorns which was not onely platted on his head but fastned in it by the beating with canes his body black-and-blew by their striking his hands and feet digged throughout with great nails that I may use the metaphor of the Psalmist rather digged foderunt then pierced to shew the latipatencie of his wounds his side so rent a sunder so broad and wide that Thomas thrust his hand into it Take Christ as bearing our griefs as wounded for our transgressions as bruised for our sinnes as weltered in his streaming blood I will say as Esai said of him or as the Psalmographist I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people Psal 22.6 But consider him before his Passion * In ejus facie syderéum quiddam illuxit Totum ejus corpus fuitspeciosum quia formatum virtute Spiritus Sancti in cujus opere non potest esse error aut defectus Lyran. in Ps 45. There shined some starrie thing in his face saith S. Hierome and his whole body was beautifull because formed by the power of the holy Ghost in whose work there can be no errour nor defect saith Lyranus Thou art fairer then the children of Adam so it is in the Originall Augustine Cassiodorus on the place and Chrysostom Homil. 18 on Matth expound it of Christs corporeall feature I think I may say if Christ exceeded not Adam yet he was equall to him The first Adam was made out of virginall dust the second out of virginal flesh and bloud both of them being framed by the miraculous hand of God but miracles do more exceed naturalls then naturalls do artificialls What is thy beloved more then another beloved O thou fairest among women say the daughters of Jerusalem to the Church their Mother Cant. 5.9 She answereth in the next verse My beloved is white and ruddy a goodly person as the Bishops Bible readeth it or as the late Translation hath it the chiefest among ten thousand * Partium congruentia cum quadam coloris suavitate Aug. De Civit. 22.19 Whether beautie be to be defined Aptnesse of parts with some pleasantnesse of colour as S. Augustine opineth or A convenient medly of white and red especially as from this place
its death and also to his future and more happie life which should never have end I summe up all with Augustines words * Cibus aderat nè Adam esuriret potus nè sitiret lignum vitae nè illum senecta dissolveret nullus intrinsecus morbus nullus ictus metucbatur extrinsecus De Civit. 14.20 There was meat lest Adam should hunger drink lest he should thirst a tree of life lest old age should dissolve him no inward disease no outward blow was feared A new Quaere may be made Whether if Adam after his sin had eaten of the tree life his posteritie as well as himself had lived for ever My answer setleth on the negative because Adams action had been personall not representative or ideall and his posteritie was neither to answer for his second sinne or after-offences nor to have received any benefit by his good deeds succeeding his fall but he stood alone for us and we were in him onely as he had power to keep or break the first commandement And now am I come to the second Topick place by which I undertook to prove that Adams body had been immortall if he had not sinned and that is Authoritie 5. Not S. Augustine alone but a whole Councell where he was present to wit the Milevitan Councell is strong on our side * Quicunque dixerit Adam primum hominem mortalem factum it à ut sive peccaret sive non peccaret moreretur in corpore hoe est de corpore exiret non peccati merito sed necessitate naturae Anathema sit Whosoever shall say that the first man Adam was made mortall so that whether he had sinned or no he should have died in body that is gone out of the body not for the desert of sinne but by the necessitie of nature let him be accursed And this curse fell heavy upon the Pelagians who did think that Adam should have died though he had not sinned for so they held saith * Lib. de Haeresibus cap. 88. Augustine Cajetan thus * In 1. Cor. 15.53 In the state of innocencie Adam had a corruptible body in regard of the flux of naturall moisture but not mortall Richeomus a Jesuit saith * In statu innocentiae Adam corpus habebat corruptibile quantum ad fluxum humidi naturalis sed non mortale If man was created mortall those threatnings where by God did denounce death unto him were unprofitable for Adam might have answered I know well enough that I shall die although I neither taste nor touch the tree of knowledge of good evill And again God in the production of every one of his works kept an exact and most beautifull symmetry between the matter and the form the body and the soul and such a symmetrie as was most fit and accommodate to * Si komo mortalis creatus fuit inutiles crant illae minae quibus ' Deus mortem illi intendebat poterat namque respondere c. In Valedictione animae devotae Colloq 32. obtain the end of everie creature furnishing the matter with qualities and instruments most apt and pliable to serve the vertues and faculties of the form Therefore the soul of man being immortall and the faculties and operations proportioned to the essence the body also then must needs be immortall Item In every good marriage two things are observed at least the qualities of the parties and their age Therefore unto the soul which is free from the tyranny of death God married the body which was free also from the grave-clothes and bands of death Death is the brood of sinne saith Julianus Pomerius Adam was so created * Colloq 34. that having discharged his duty of obedience without the intervention of death he should have been followed of Angelicall immortality and blessed eternity He had immortalitie * Etiam ipsam nobis corporis mortem non lege naturae sed merito inflictam esse peccati De Civit. Dei 13.15 yet changeable not Angelicall and eternall As I began with S. Augustine so with him will I end It is a constat among Christians holding the Catholick Faith * Adâ—ujusque creaturae finem consequendum that even the death of the body hath been inflicted upon us not by the law of nature but by the desert of sinne * Peccatum est pater mertis Otherwhere he saith * Colloq 35. Sinne is the father of death Again * Vt perfunctus obedientiae munere sine interventu mortis Angelica eum immortalitas aeteinitas sequeretur beata If Adam had not sinned he was not to be stripped of his body but clothed upon with immortalitie that mortalitie might be swallowed up of life that is that he might passe from a naturall to a spiritual estate from an earthly to an heavenly from a mortal to an immortall as I truly interpret his meaning For he taketh not Mortall for that which must die And Again * Si non peccâsset Adam non erat expoliandus corpore sed supervestiendus immertalitate ut absorberetur mortale à vita id est ab animali ad spirituale transiret à terreuo ad coeleste à mortali ad immortale De peccat Merit Remis l. 1. cap. 2. It was not to be feared if Adam had lived longer that he should have been troubled with age or death For if God was so gracious to the Israëlites that for fourty yeares their clothes waxed not old upon them nor their shoes waxed old upon their feet Deutero 29.5 what marvell were it if God granted to obedient Adam * Ibid. cap. 3. that having a naturall and mortall body he should have in it some state and condition that he might be old without imperfection and at what time it pleased God he should come from mortalitie to immortalitie * Vt animale ac mortale habens corpus haberet in eo quendam statum without passing through death Where though S. Augustine seemes to say Adam had a mortall body and should have passed from mortalitie yet he taketh Mortale for all one with Animale and opposeth it to Spirituale So that I confesse Adam in Paradise had not a spirituall body not such a bodie as he and we shall have after the Resurrection And thus the body which he had may be called Animale or Mortale and yet S. Augustine with us and we with him acknowledge this truth that the body of Adam could not have died if he had not sinned and in that regard Adams body may be justly termed immortall not with reference to that heavenly and spirituall bodie which he shall have hereafter but immortall therefore because except for sinne his body as it was was free from death And the same Augustine hath a whole Chapter intituled thus * Sine media morte Against the doctrines of those that beleeve not that the first men had been immortall if they had not sinned Among such a
punishment to be a favour and blessing of God 3. Not many or more sinnes but one caused death One onely David begotten in lawfull wedlock That this one sinne is not lesse in the godly nor greater in the wicked Death was appointed for one sinne onely of one person onely 4. This one person onely was Man this Man that sinned that one sinne was Adam Strange and curious speculations that Eve sinned not that sinne for which man-kinde was appointed to death 5. Two Schoole-speculations propounded The second handled at large as expounding the former and determined against the Schoolmen themselves viz. That the children of innocent Adam had been born confirm'd in grace The censure of Vives upon these and the like points A part of his censure censured 1. COncerning Death I mean in this place to touch onely the strange medly that is mixed in it of Sower Sweet The sowernes or bitternes of death is discerned because that manner of secession or departure is onely painfull whereas all other approaches unto glorie all other stairs steps and means inducing to blessednes are void of pain Let us see it exemplified in Enoch He walked with God and was not for God took him Genes 5.24 His manner of not-being as he was before whatsoever it were or howsoever was never held painfull Secondly the chariot of fire and the horses of fire which parted Eliah and Elisha both asunder 2. Kings 2.11 hurt neither of them Elijah saith the place went up by a whirlwinde into heaven the very form of words implying a willing-easie ascent nor did the whirlwinde molest him or pain him though Ecclesiasticus 48.9 it is said it was a whirlwinde of fire Christs Transfiguration comes next to be considered It was a true representation of that bodilie glorie which at the recollection retribution of all Saints God will adorn and cloth the faithfull withall Christ shewing them the mark at which they ought to shoot for we also are to be fashioned or configured to his transfiguration Philip. 3.21 * Qualis futurus est tempore judicandi talis Apostolis apparuit As he is to be at the time of judging such did he appeare to the Apostles saith Hierom on Matth. 17. And let not man think he lost his old form and face saith he or took a body spirituall or aëriall the splendor of his face was seen and the whitenes of his vestments described * Non substantia tollitur sed gloria commutatur The substance is not taken away but the glory is changed Or that I may utter it in Theophylacts words on Mark 9.2 By the transfiguration so Oecolampadius should translate it understand not the change of character and lineaments but the character remaining such as it was before an increase was made of unspeakable light This admirable light not coming from without to him as it did to Moses but flowing from his divinitie into his humane soul from it into his body and from it into his very clothes will you say his clothes were changed saith S. Hierom His raiment became shining exceeding white as snow so as no fuller on earth can white them Mark 9.3 And his face did shine as the Sunne Matth. 17.2 What S. Chrysostom saith of the spirituall bodies of the Saints I will much more rather say of Christs body transfigured for if starre differeth from starre in glorie man from man much more shall Christ shine above all other men by infinite degrees They shall shine as the Sunne not because they shall not exceed the splendor of the sunne Aquin part 3. q. 45. art 2. but because we see nothing more bright then the sunne he took the comparison thence And this shining saith Aquinas * Fuit gloriae claritas essentialiter licèt non secundum modum cùm suerit per modum transeuntis passionis was essentially a claritie of glory though not in the manner seeing it was by way of a transient passion as the aire is inlightned of the sunne whereas * Ad corpus glorificatum redundat claritas ab anima sicut qualitas quaedam permanens to a glorified body claritie from the soul doth accrue as some permanent qualitie Which essentiall claritie Christ had from his nativitie yea from his first conception yet by dispensation he ecclipsed it ever till he had accomplished our redemption except at this time when appeared a brightnes of glory though not a brightnes of a glorious body not imaginary unlesse you take imaginary as synonymall with representative but reall though transitorie Can any one think that herein was any pain or rather not infinite pleasure The beholders rejoyced they could not do so at the pain of Christ If there were any pain or grief it would rather have been so at the withdrawing of his unusuall claritie which not being likely the manifestation of this claritie at this transfiguration was lesse likely to be painfull The fourth and last kinde of degree to happines is translation not onely as Enoch was translated from one life to an other kinde of life but such a translation as should have been of Adam if he had not sinned and shall be of such as shall be alive at Christs coming Adams translation had been sine media morte Nor was his slumber painfull nor solutio continui at the drawing out of his rib nor the closing of the flesh again nor is it likely there was in Adams side any scar the badge of pain and sorrow much lesse should he have had pain at his translation Pain is the grand-child of sinne the daughter of punishment from both which the estate of innocency was priviledged Every thing in the Creation was very good Genes 1.31 Every tree was pleasant to the sight and good for food Genes 2.9 and could the tree of life cause pain By tasting the fruit thereof Adam and his ofspring had come to an higher and more unchangeable happines The middesse was then proportionate to the beginning and to the end Sorrow was part of the curse innocency could not feel pain much lesse shall eternall happines and should the tree of life have caused pain Then were there little difference between it and the tree of knowledge of good and evill Or what difference in that point would there be between Adams death which was painfull and his translation if it should have been painfull As concerning the translation of them that shall be found alive at the last day I am thus conceited That there shall be no true and reall separation of their souls from their bodies at least so much as concerneth the righteous That they shall be changed That they shall put on immortalitie If it be delightfull now to our bodies to receive ease shall it be painfull to be clothed with incorruptibility It shall be done in a moment in the twinkling of an eye 2. Cor. 5.4 Nolumus expoliari saith the Apostle shewing the unwillingnes of men to die sed supervestiri
desideramus or volumus for so must the Apostle be interpreted as appeareth vers 2 We grone earnestly desiring to be clothed upon Tertullian saith * Quiâ—uon desiderat adhuc in carne superinduere immortalitatem continuare vitam lucrifactam mortis vicariâ denuntiatione De Resur carnis Who desireth not being yet in the flesh to be clothed upon with immortalitie and to continue his life gained by a substituted denunciation of death Can so blessed a change be painfull or can we naturally desire pain shall we grone and grone earnestly that we may have pain Hierome in his Epistle to Minerius and Alexander saith thus of the word Rapiemur * Hoc verbo estendi puto subitum ad meliora transcensum ideirco raptum se voluisse dicere vt velocitas transcuntis sensum cogitantis excederet I think that this word sheweth a sudden passage to a better place and that he said he was caught up to signifie that his passing was swifter then his thinking not as if it were painfull to be taken as I imagine S. Paul speaketh of this translation and change as a matter worthie of thanks unto God 1. Corinth 15.51 c. Onely death of all other wayes by which God useth to call mankinde to glorie death onely is painfull Psal 116.3 The sorrows of death compassed me God loosed the pains of death Act. 2.24 and Hebr. 2.15 Some through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage And indeed this pain of death is part of the curse denounced But of this point more hereafter And thus do I make my approach towards it 2. * Aug. De. peccat Merit Remis 1.16 Augustine saith When disobedient Adam sinned then did his body lose the grace of being obedient to his soul Then arose that bestiall motion to be ashamed of by men which he blusht at in his nakednes Then also by a certain sicknes taken by a sudden and contagious corruption it came to passe that the stabilitie of age being lost in which they were created by the changes of ages they made a progresse to death For though they lived many yeares after yet they began to die the same day when they received the law of death by which they were to grow old For whatsoever by a continuall change and degrees runneth unto an end not perfecting or consummating stands not a moment but decayes without intermission Thus was fulfilled what God said Genes 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die So he Let me adde my conjecture First if God had not called Adam and Eve so sensibly to an account yet had they died by vertue of the former sentence For the later sentence inflicts not death which was then entred on them but labour and pain In sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life Genes 3.17 And though it be said vers 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return Yet this is but an explication of the former sentence shewing that the manner of the death shall be by incineration which was not so exactly speciallized before Secondly the same instant that Adam had eaten I make no doubt but both their eyes were opened and they knew their nakednes which was the first sensible degree towards death and corruption For though the Scripture doth not say expressely Immediately their eyes were opened yet it implieth so much as may appeare by the implicative particle and Genes 3.6 c. Eve did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat and the eyes of them both were opened c. S. Augustine thus * Quomodo corpus nostrum dicit Apostolus mortuum Rom 8.10 cùm adhuc de viventibus loqueretur nisi quia jam ipsa conditio moriendi ex peccato parentum haesit in prole De Gen. ad lit 6.26 How doth the Apostle say that our body is dead Rom. 8.10 when he speaks of the living but because the condition of dying arising from the sinne of the parents sticks to the posteritie So we also die or are dying the first houre of our being And again * Corpus mortuum est propter peccatum Nec ibi ait Mortale sed Mortuum quamvis vtique mortale quia moriturum mox vbi praeceptum transgressi sunt ecrum membris velut aliqua aegritudo lethalis mors ipsa concepta est Quid enimaliud non dicam nati sed omnino concepti nisi aegritudinem quandam inchoavimus quâ sumus sine dubis morituri Ibid. 9 10 The body is dead because of sinne He saith not there It is mortall but dead albeit it is truely mortall because it shall die So soon as they transgressed the commandment death like some deadly disease was conceived in their members For as soon as we were I will not say born but even conceived what did weels but begin a certain sicknes by which we shall undoubtedly die IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH and now non vitam vivimus sed mortem which was toucht at before and must be handled again God who drew light out of darknes yea all things out of the unformed TOHV-BOHV and that masse or rude lump out of nothing is so good a God and so divine a goodnes that he would never have suffered sinne in this world but that he knew how to extract good out of evill and to turn mans sinne to his benefit Neither would he have permitted death to enter upon man but that he knew how to use the sting of death to mans greater happines and how to bring forth meat out of the eater and sweetnes out of the strong Judg. 14.14 As of the vipers flesh is made a preservative against the poison of the viper so from this bitter cup of death ariseth health joy and salvation to mankinde * Aug. De Civit. Dei 9.10 Augustine hath a witty collection from Plato and his follower Plotinus Plato in Timaeo writeth * Hominum animos mortalibus vinculis esse à dâ—is minoribus illigatos that the spirits of men are tied with mortall bands by the lesser gods So Vives on the place citeth Plato but Plotinus in lib. de dubijs Animae as he is also cited by Vives on that place of Augustine thus * Jupiter Pater laborantaâ— animas misâ—ratus earum vincula quibus laborant solubilia fabriâ—avit Father Jupiter having compassion of the afflicted souls hath made their bands soluble wherewith they are wearied These quotations at large give light to S. Augustines meaning which is subobscure for he saith * Plotinus Platenem prae caeteris intellexisse laudatur Is cùm de humanis animis ageret Pater in â—uit misericors mortalia illis vincula saciebat Plotinus is commended for having understood Plato above the rest He treating
wedlock and we are sure by a certaintie of faith that the lawfull use of marriage is no sinne To this let me superadde Rom. 5.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Per unam offensam as Montanus readeth it and this exposition is by our last Translation admitted into the margine But of this point more by and by Neither is it onely one but it is all alike not more in the evill not lesse in the good Rom. 3.9 Are we better then the Gentiles We have proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under sinne as it is written There is none righteous no not one Vers 19 All the world is become guilty or subject to the judgement of God Again vers 22. There is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glorie of God And before he exactly describeth the corruption of every man Galat. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sinne Si parvuli nascuntur non propriè sed originaliter peccatores profectò eo modo quo sunt peccatores etiam praevaricatores legis illius quae in Paradiso data est agnoscuntur Augustine De Civitate Dei 16.27 If infants are born sinners not properly but originally certainly in the same manner that they are sinners they are acknowledged to be also transgressours of that law which was given in Paradise How could one infant transgresse the law in Paradise more then an other Genes 17.14 He hath broken my covenant Which words you are to interpret of breaking the covenant in Adam by originall sinne aswell as of breaking the covenant of circumcision Augustine in the place above cited when he had said * Cortum est de fide legitimum matrimonii usum non esse peccatum Aquin. Cont. Gert. lib. 4. cap. 50. Since it is not the fault of the infant whose soul God threatned to cut off neither hath he broken Gods covenant but his parents who took no care to circumcise him for such a childe discerneth not his right hand from his left Jonas 4.11 and such little ones have no knowledge between good and evil Deuter. 1.39 then he resolveth thus * Cùm haec nulla sit culpa parvuli cu us dixit animam perituram nec ipse dissipaverat Testamentum Dei sed majores qui eum circumcidere non curârunt Infants not in regard of their own life but in respect of the common source of mankinde have all broken Gods covenant in him in whom they have all sinned Again * Parvuli non secundum vitae suae proprietatem sed secundum communem generis humani originem omnes in ill o vno Testamentum Dei dissipaverunt in quo omnes peccaverunt In Adam he himself hath also sinned with all the rest My question here is Did not all children sinne alike in Paradise Aquinas answereth All are born equally sinners all equally obnoxious to originall sinne so that in them that die in originall sinne onely there is no difference in fault or punishment answering unto it See Estius 2. Sentent Distinct 33. Sect. 5. and before him Lumbard with his army of Schoolmen Three places there are most fully demonstrative both that it was one offence onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that this offence was of one person onely Rom. 5.15 By the sinne the single singular sinne of one for none of it is in the plurall number many are dead Death crept not in by more sinnes or by more sinners but for one onely offence of one person onely It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per peccatum unius He might have said as easilie if he could have said it as truly by the sinne of two if by Eves sin properly we had died This is also excellently secondedin the next verse Rom. 5.16 And not as it was by ONE that sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is the singularitie of the person so is the gift for the judgement was of ONE to condemnation which you must not interpret of one Adam or one Person but of one sinne if you make the antithesis to have marrow and sinnews and so the Old Bishops Bible reades it but the free gift is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of many offences unto justification So to the singularitie of one person you see annexed the singularitie of one offence The same truth is confirmed and reiterated Rom. 5.17 18 19 every verse proving it was but one person and one sinne The Fathers joyn issue with us Chrysostom Homil. on 1. Corinth 9 Adam by one sinne did draw in death And again He by one onely sinne brought so much evil and death For if Adam had not sinned as he had not propagated his personall gifts graces acquisite vertues nor experimentall knowledge so after his first sinne which is derived to us his other sinnes were meerly personall and one onely is become naturall to all of us all his other sinnes were bound up in the sole reference unto himself none imputed or derived to his posteritie And therefore originall sinne hath no degrees nec suscipit magìs aut minùs or hath more branches or parts in any childe of Adam then in others but equally and alike extendeth unto all none free none more infected then others as I proved before Paulinus calleth it * In Adam cum omnibus etiam ipse peccavit Aquin. 1.2 q. 82. art 4. The fatherly poison by which the father having transgressed hath infected his whole kinde Others stile it The venime of the loyns Chrysostom on 1. Corinth 9. termeth it The radicall sinne Augustine saith * Virus paternum quo universitatem generis sui pater praevaricatus infecit Apud August Epist 106. There is one sinne in which all have sinned and therefore all men are said to have sinned in one Adam and by one sinne of Adam because all were that one man Item * Esse unum peccatum in quo omnes peccaverunt ideò dici omnes homines in uno Adamo uno Adae peccato peccâsse quia omnes ille unus homo fuerant De Peccat Merit Remis 1.10 That one sinne which is so great and was committed in a place and condition of so great happines that in one man originally and that I may say radically all mankinde should be damned is not done away but by Christ And often he beates on this point that it was one sinne which overthrew us * Illud unum peccatum quod tam magnum in loco habitu â—antae felicitatis admissum est ut in uno homine originaliter atque ut ità dixerim radicaliter totum genus hominum damnaretur non solvitur nisi per Christum Enchirid. cap. 48. One none but one transgression the Apostle will have to be understood saith he against Julian And again * Vnum non nisi unum delictum intelligi vult Apostolus Cont. Julian 1.6 Infants die guiltie onely of originall sinne men of yeares guiltie of
all sins which by a wicked life they have added to that one Ignatius calleth it The ancient impietie Irenaeus stileth it The hand-writing written by Adam All in the singular number pointing at one man onely and at one sinne onely Two points are cleared We are appointed to die for one sinne onely We are appointed to die of one person onely It followeth by the native and genuine method This person was one man * Parvuli moriuntur soli peceato originali obnoxâ—i adulti omnibus peccatis quae malè vivendo addiderunt ad illud unum Enchir. cap. 43. This one man was Adam And so by consequent it was not Eves sinne for which death was appointed to us And first of the first part 4. That this person sinning was one man seemeth evidenced Rom. 5.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By one that sinned It is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Ignatius Epist ad Trallianos Yet if that proof reach not home but may suffer extension even to Angels or spirits others shall 1. Cor. 15.21 * Iren. lib. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By man came death and by man the Resurrection of the dead You may as well deny the Resurrection by the Sonne of man as that sinne or death came not by man Again Rom. 5.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By one man sinne entred into the World and death by sinne the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demonstrating the humane nature and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyned with it necessarily pointing and signing out the masculine and not the feminine Rom. 5.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the disobedience of one man where most evidently not onely the humane nature is signed and marked out unto us but also the masculine sex the He and not the She. Having found that he was a Man for whose sinne death was appointed let us now follow the sent and we shall trace out who he was which is the main point of inquirie Searching the Scriptures even close to the former place occurreth this 1. Corint 15.22 As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive He who confesseth the quickning power of the second Adam unto Resurrection must also confesse the weaknes of the first Adam and that In him all men die Indeed it is said Eccl. 25.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Accusative Of the woman came the beginning of sin and through her we all die But of Adam the phrase is used in the Genitive Rom. 5 three severall times Per illam non in illa morimur The Divines distinguish them two We die by her and in Adam We also die by the Devill as he was the tempter of her as well as by her she being the tempter of Adam by them both occasionally by him and onely in him effectually So for the former part of the words it is true * Ab Eva initium peccati ab Adamo complementum Eve began sinne but Adam made it compleat She was principium but principium principiatum Satan was the principium principians the mover primo-primus He was a murderer from the beginning John 8.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not from the first absolute beginning for then Satan had no being not from his own beginning for at his creation he was good as all things els were but so soon as ever man was he resolved to destroy man and with reference to that intention he was a man-slayer or a murderer of man from the beginning of man From Satan was the beginning of sin from Eve a seconding a middesse a continuation you may call it an other beginning secundo-primum But had not Adam sinned death had not reigned for in Adam all die it was never said of Eve in Eve we die Augustine saith * Aug. De Civit. 12.21 God made some certain creatures solitarias quodam modo solivagas solitarie and after a sort wandring alone as eagles kites lions wolves other creatures gregales that love to troupe fly shoal and herd together as pigeons stares fishes deere and made divers of them all at once of severall kindes and not onely two of each kinde by which the rest should be propagated but he made the man unum singulum one and single and would not create the woman when he created the man but made her of man himself * Vt omne ex homine vno diffunderetur genus humanum that all mankinde should be derived from one man He annexeth other where That originall sinne might come from one onely man The Apostle saith most divinely 1. Timoth. 2.14 Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression From whence though the ignorant may think that Eve was the sinner and Adam was not yet they erre not understanding the Apostle His main intent is to prove that a woman ought to be silent and subject and not usurp authoritie over the man as a talking woman doth and this he effecteth by two reasons First Adam was first formed then Eve The reason holds of things of the same species Otherwise beasts and birds were created before Adam Secondly Adam was not deceived but Eve not first deceived not deceived by a beast and one of the worst of them a serpent Therefore she is unfit to be any longer a teacher Chrysostom thus The woman taught once and marred all therefore let her teach no longer Hence it appeareth it was no part of the Apostles meaning to handle Whether the sinne of Adam or of Eve caused mankinde to fall which is our main point for the transgression here mentioned was not that sinne that great sin but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diverticulum transiens a peccadillo a little sinne in respect of that great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which ingaged all mankinde much lesse did the Apostle intend to excuse Adam from that great presumptuous offence in which he onely was That sin of his being called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5.19 which must needs be a crying sin and almost infinite since it is opposed to Christs obedience called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam was not deceived because no man is properly deceived but of him who hath an intent to deceive now the Devil onely had such an intent and thereupon deceived Eve Wherefore she complaineth saying the Serpent beguiled me Genes 3.13 the Apostle ratifieth it 2. Corinth 11.3 The Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty And in this manner Eve onely being deceived was in the transgression For Satan set not upon Adam * Diabolus non est adorsus eum qui corà m acceperat coelesse mandatum sed eam quae à viro didicerat Ambr. lib. de Paradiso cap. 12. Dolo illo serpentino c Aug. De Gen. ad lit 11.42 The Devil set not upon him that had received in presence the heavenly commandment but upon her that had learned it of her husband saith Ambrose Yea S. Augustine
in her personall chastisement Eve was created in Paradise and for all her sin we had continued still in Paradise if Adam had kept in it but as Adam was made out of Paradise so out of it again by his fall he brought both himself us S. Ambrose saith * Fuit Adam in illo fuimus omnes periit Adam in eo perierunt omnes Ambr. in Lucam lib. 7. Adam was in him we were all he perished in him all perished Eve was onely a part of Adam till his fall he being till then the onely root after his sinne she is now also Eva mater viventium a root yet radix de radice we receive our sap bring forth fruit through both of them And for all this both Scripture and Fathers runne with a torrent ascribing that great sin which plunged mankinde into destruction not unto Eve save onely as the occasioner but unto Adam as the immediate causer And though Eve sinned before Adam and that in divers respects yet is he chiefly yea onely faultie for presenting vs by his fall to destruction Hosea 6.7 They like Adam have transgressed the covenant there or as the Vulgar hath it joyning Ibi to the latter clause Ibi praevaricati sunt in me Ibi saith Hierom that is in Paradise And Adam is excellently painted out Esai 43.27 Thy first father hath sinned Eve is not mentioned for her sinne considered by itself reached not to them nor hurt any but herself per se and us per accidens as Adam yeelded to her temptation When God had denounced severall punishments first to Eve then to Adam and proper to each by themselves he added this to Adam onely Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return For even in him and by him was Eve to return to dust and by his offence formally Death cometh on all And therefore not from Eve but from Adam doth S. Luke draw our pedegree Luke 3.38 Which was the sonne of Adam which was the sonne of God And therefore as the Genealogies were ever drawn from the males perchance to shew that the woman was but accidentall to our first making and the first sinne reducing all up to the Protoplast Adam who derived originall sinne both to Eve and all us though in different manner so when they had drawn their Genealogies down to Christ who had no man to be his father nor had originall sinne but satisfied for it all other sinnes all Genealogies are ceased yea counted by the Apostle as foolish and vain Titus 3.9 Against one of these passages if it be objected that Joab is not termed after his father but full often yea alwayes after his mother The sonne of Zeruiah for she was the sister of David 1. Chron. 2.16 I answer that Zeruiah the mother of the three famous brethren Joab Abishai Asahel was perhaps married to some base ignoble groom before David came to his greatnes or she herself was an extraordinary Virago active in State plotting and furthering the plots of her children though she crost her brother David and therefore as I take it she is named not so much in honour as in dislike These men the sonnes of Zeruiah be too hard for me 2. Sam. 3.39 Or lastly the father of Joab had committed such a sinne or sinnes that the remembrance of him was odious and might resemble Judas Iscariot who deserved that in the next generation his name should be blotted out Psal 109.13 When Adam transgressed my statutes 2. Esdras 7.11 12. then were the entrances of this world made narrow full of sorrow and travel And in reference it may be to Adams especiall sinning both a man-childe was born before a woman-childe and a man-childe died before a woman-childe the males onely were circumcised and Adam himself died ten yeares before Eve as Salianus out of Marianus Scotus Genebrard Fevardentius collecteth though never a woman els except Eve from the creation til the Law of Moses is recorded to have outlived their good husbands As for Er Onan they were wicked for their sin cut off shortly Genes 38.7 c. Sure I am he had an especiall manner of transgression since some are punished who have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Rom. 5.14 Other sinnes we sinned are like to Adam but herein we are unlike His sinne hurt us aswell as himself our sinnes hurt not him but ourselves Bellarmin hath brought unto my hand the thre following authorities Tertullian * Omnis anima eousque in Adam censetur donec in Christo recenseatur Tert. lib. De Anima Every soul is counted in Adam untill it be reckoned in Christ Hierom * Vnusquisque nostrûm in Paradiso cum Adamo cecidit Hieron in Mich. 2. Every one of us fell in Paradise with Adam Cyprian derives the infants sin from Adam onely For we were in him tanquā in activo principio In him to stand or fall Adam is the figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 Was Eve a type of Christ was Christ ever resembled or compared or contra-opposed unto Eve The Apostle Rom. 5.15 16 * Cypr. lib. 3. Epist 8. Ad Fidum sheweth wherein Adam was like and unlike to Chirst of which hereafter And most divinely to our purpose verse 17 c. If by one mans offence death reigned by one much more the righteous shall reigne by one Iesus Christ No inkling no intimation of more sinnes then of one of more persons first sinning that one sinne then of one and that one was not Eve but Adam therefore as Christs Merits onely save us so Adams sinne onely did destroy us Cherubim faceth Cherubim Type and Antitype must agree When the Apostle saith of Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illius futuri as the Interlinearie reades it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not quae but qui proveth the exclusion of Eve But of the first man Adam and the last Adam is a noted sweet resemblance 1. Corinth 15.45 Where he holdeth it not enough to say The first Adam but lest Eve might seem to be included in the comparison he addeth The first man Adam and so compareth him to Christ Likewise verse 47 The first man is of the earth earthy the second man is the Lord from heaven Yet was not Christ the second man in number but in representation of mankinde being the substance of the first shadow Adam was the first the onely one who hurt us Christ is the second man the onely one who helpeth us Yea I think I may be bold to averre that Christ would have taken on him the feminine sex if by Eve we had fallen but since we fell by man by man onely therefore our Redeemer though he came of a woman yet was made a man And Christ having determined to be not a woman but a man I dare further avouch if he had been a stone cut out not * Et abscissus est
lapis Dontinus Salvator sine manibus id est absque coitu humano semine de utero virginali Hâ—eron in Dan. 2.34 Quid est Praecisus de monte sine manibus Natus de Gente Judaeorum sine opere hominum Omnes enim qui nascuntur de opere maritali nascuntur ille de Virgine natus sine manibus natus est per manus enim opus humanum significatur quò manus humanae non accesserunt ubi maritalis amplexus non fuit foetus tamen fuit Aug. in Psal 99.5 ipsi 70 secuto 98 sub finem a stone cut out without hands Daniel 2.34 without the help of man as he was if he had not been conceived by the Holy Ghost if the Blessed Virgin had not been over-shadowed by the power of God onely if Christ had been begotten by one of the sonnes of Adam with an ordinarie and naturall generation even Christ himself had had both originall and actuall sinne and had died for himself by and through Adam and had wanted a Redeemer for himself much lesse could he be our Redeemer But Christ was that STONE This Stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner Psal 118.22 A tried stone a precious corner-stone asure foundation Esai 28.26 Let me adde a little Since Adam was made without the help of man or woman and Eve came of man without woman since all the whole world of rationall people proceed from both man and woman it was convenient enough that there should be a miraculous and fourth kinde of generation different from all the rest namely that Christ should come of a woman alone without the assistance of man that he might be free from originall sinne which was first committed by Adam and his masculine brood and not without his seed and the artifex spiritus in it In which regard without derogation to the thrice-blessed Mother of our Lord that holy-aeviternally Virgin Mary now next to her Sonne the greatest Saint in heaven and placed deservedly above Angels and Archangels Cherubims and Seraphims great Divines do make this difference She who was not begotten but by man was subject to originall sinne but her sonne the Sonne of God was free even in his humane Nature from all infection originall and actuall because in his framing there was no admisture of virile and masculine cooperation For the poisoning of our nature arose from Adams sinne and not from Eves Moreover if by miracle God should preserve a man from any touch or tickling smach of lustfull sinne in the act of generation the fathers personall holines should not discharge his childe from originall mire for the traducted nature is corrupt * Bell. De Amiss gratiae Statu peccati 4.12 Bellarmine goes one step further thus If both man and woman the children of Adam by Gods singular priviledge were exempted from lust in the generation of their children yet should they transmit sinne to their ofspring For though S. Augustine saith expresly * Non generationem sed libidinem esse quae propriè peccatum traducit De peecat Merit Remis 1.9 that it is not the generation but the lust which properly transmits sinne yet S. Augustine may be interpreted to speak of generations meerly usuall and wholy naturall not priviledged or extraordinarie Cursed therefore are the Pelagians who say Sinne and death entred by Eve Sinne personall did but not originall nor death Grosse is the ignorance of the Pelagians who when the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think to delude it with this silly shift that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth either man or woman and say it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which must needs have been understood of Adam onely I answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is fully equivalent to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not and can not be understood of the feminine Secondly the Apostle maketh the Antithesis between that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Christ which can not be between Eve and Christ Thirdly a little after the Apostle twice expresseth Adam but never nameth or meaneth Eve Lastly it is said remarkably concerning Abraham Hebr. 11.12 There sprang even of one and him as good as dead many And more approaching to our purpose Act. 17.26 God made all mankinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one bloud with apparent reference to Adam onely Therefore as the naturall generation is ascribed to Adam and Abraham onely though Eve and Sara in their sort concurre to the materiall part of the embryon because the Men do conferre the formall so the degenerating unto vice is justly imputed to Adam onely though Eve did minister the occasion because his consent and action onely could give form and shape to that prodigious sinne which overthrew mankinde 5. From this point more questions may yet arise First If Adam Eve had not sinned but Cain or some other of their children whether that sinne had been derived to their posteritie * Aquin. quaest 5. De Malo art 4. Aquinas is for the affirmative others for the negative Because the first man onely represented our whole nature all other mens sinnes are particular and personall can not infect others Thus farre Scharpius I make a second Question If Adam and Eve had continued in innocencie and had been confirmed in grace whether any of their children could have sinned Augustine embraceth the affirmative of this Question saying * Aug. De Civit. 14.10 As happie as Adam and Eve were so happie had been the whole companie of mankinde if they nor no stirp of them committed sinne which should receive damnation The same * De Gen. ad lit 9.3 elsewhere The children which should have been begotten of innocent Adam and Eve * Ad eundem perducerentur statum si omnes justè obedienterque vixissent had been led to the same state if they all had lived justly and obediently * Est in 2. Sent. dist 20. paragr 5. Estius seconds him alledging these reasons First Adam and Eve had not begotten children in better condition then themselves were created of God therefore they should have begot just children but not confirmed in justice Secondly Angels were not ordained to blessednes but by the merit of their free-will to good or evill and we are to think the like of men * Non priùs erantin termino constituendi quà m viae hujus curriculum quod est tempus merendi peregissent They were not to be settled in the end till they had finished the course of this way which is the time of meriting Thirdly Hugo and Lumbard say God propounded to Adam and Eve invisible goods and eternall to be sought by their merits and ordained that by merit they might come to reward Aquinas * Aquin. part 1. quaest 100. art â— determineth That children born in the state of innocencie had not been confirmed in justice yae * Non videtur possibile
quòd pueri in statu innocentiae nascerentur in justitia confirmati it seems not possible that in the state of innocencie children should be born confirmed in justice So Aquine and Gregorie de Valentia on him A second way is taken by * Abul in Gen. 3. quaest 6. 7. Abulensis and followed by * Cath. in locum Catharinus viz. That if Adam had not sinned his posteritie should have been confirmed in originall justice but not in gratia gratum faciente in saving grace Where they do very ill to set such inward friends so much at odds for originall justice and gratia gratum faciens differ onely ratione not re and none could have one that had not both they being in the state of innocencie glued inseparably but they had been born in gratia gratum faciente saith * Aquin. part 1. quaest 100. art 1. ad 2. Aquine Therefore do I conclude both with Aquine against them that the posteritie of innocent Adam had been born in gratia gratum faciente and with them against Aquine that they had been confirmed in originall justice Scotus seeing the inconveniences of Aquin's position takes a third way namely That the posterity of just Adam should have been born both in justice and grace but not confirmed till they had overcome their first temptation Before I come to grapple with Scotus I must first trie my strength against Aquinas from whose position these three consequences do necessarily flow as * Est in 2. Sent. dist 20. Parag. 5. Estius his great disciple confesseth First that some of Adams children might have continued obedient others might have been disobedient to God Secondly That the just children of innocent Adam should have been tempted by Satan not once onely but often Thirdly That without temptation they might have sinned by their own will onely Against the first consequence I thus argue If some of innocent Adams children had sinned should they have had any children or none Not none for the blessing of Crescite Multiplicamini reached to all Should their children then naturally have been good or bad Not good and innocent for that is not the issue of actually disobedient offenders If they had been born wicked then had their generations so been and the generations from them to the Worlds end and millions of souls had perished which fell not in Adam but in and by their other parents which crosseth the main current of Divinitie For Adam onely represented all mankinde and in him onely were we to stand or fall Adam in Paradise even before his sinne was a Type of Christ compare Genes 2.24 with Ephes 5.30 c. and stood idealiter for us all See Rom. 5.12 c. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adamerat nos omnes nos omnes eramus ille unus Adam By Aquins consequence more first Adams are set up by which mankinde might have fallen and so more second Adams to restore them But by one man came death and by the bloud of onely one are we redeemed Again if innocent Adams just children though unconfirm'd had begot just unconfirmed children yet after that generation these unconfirm'd fathers had sinned what children should they have begot after their sinne should the same father have brought forth life and death good children and bad and seen some of his children happie and himself and other children miserable And suppose the mothers had sinned and not the fathers should the mothers have been in the stead of the first Adam should the children have fallen in them or no A third absurditie followeth from Aquins position namely That the righteous should have begotten not one constantly righteous from the beginning to the Worlds end but everie one that had sinned should have begotten sinfull children for ever And so for one that had continued righteous and been tranlated millions might have been sinners and died Lastly no one man had been certain of his salvation any time of his life though he had lived never so long and never so justly which yet even in statu lapso hath been granted to some few Against the second consequence from Aquins doctrine viz. That even the just children of innocent Adam should have been tempted by Satan not once but often I oppose these demands How many times are included in the word often or when should there have been an end of tempting If at any set time of their life why at that time and never before nor after If they should have been tempted all the dayes of their life the felicitie of Eden might have been more troubled and fluid then the waters of it and I might justly say O poore Paradise unsetled integritie provoked or tempted innocence tremulous estate where Satan the stronger had power alwaies to tempt and malice enough to charge home with cunning and man the weaker had power alwaies to fall The third consequence is somewhat questionable as inferring that all and every of Mankinde even without any temptation might have sinned by their own will onely making the happines of Paradise worse then our present unhappines where man sinneth not but being tempted either by Satan or his own concupiscence Jam. 1.14 For all the evill thoughts of our will are truly divided into * Immissas ascendentes injected and ascending and none of the ascending have been in the will before they were in the understanding and nothing hath been in the understanding that hath not been in the senses Besides death was to be inflicted not for the sinne of the will onely or meerly but for the eating of the forbidden fruit These or the like or worse inconveniences perhaps made Scotus to varie from Aquine and more probably to defend That upon triumph over their first temptation every one of the children of innocent Adam had been confirmed in grace We may not yeeld this saith Estius And it is not true and there is no reason for it and it little agreeth with the commination In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Genes 2.17 saith Gregorie de Valentia I answer That the words In the day may prove that they might not have been tempted the first or second day or in a short time but they hinder not but upon overcoming of their first temptation they might every day after have been confirmed Again the commination was not spoken to Adam as an individuall person but to him as the Feoffee of mankinde If every one should have stood for himself and his posteritie what is Adams sinne more to me then Cains or my last and immediate fathers first actuall sinne if neither Adam nor any of his children had sinned before mine own father But since we did fall not personally in our selves not in our immediate parents not in any but Adam by the breach of that commination so on the contrarie not by any other parents obedience not by our own obedience but by the obedience of that one man unto that one
maintain That Adams representation of us and his obedience should have done us equall good to our resisting of the first temptation More might pertinently be said of this matter but besides the precedent tediousnesse of it Ludovicus Vives aurem vellit endeavouring to restrain such speculations to modest bounds Thus he saith on Augustine De Civit. 13.1 Of things which might or might not have happened to man if Adam had not fallen * Quid factum sit magno nostro malo nemo ignorat quid fuisset nescio an ipsi Adam ostensum fuit quantò minùs nobis misellis Nam quid prodest uti conjecturis in re quae conjecturas omnes superat humanas What fell out to our great harm no man is ignorant of what should have befallen I know not whether it was revealed to Adam himself how much lesse to us poore wretches For what availeth it to use conjectures in a thing which is above all humane conjectures But Vives himself is to blame First for his nesciencie or timerousnesse as if Adam knew not what estate he and his should have had if he had persevered in innocency The ignorance of a point so nearely concerning him had argued imperfection which the fulnes of knowledge in which he was created did clearly dispell For if God said to the corrupted World Deut. 30.19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you Life and Death could uncorrupt Adam be ignorant of the life that was set before him Or did Adam understand the miseries and punishments the orts and effects of Morte Morieris expressely threatned against him in a future contingent estate and could he be ignorant of his present condition of blisse and certain blisse to be increased upon his obedience Did he know the natures of beasts and other creatures could he know the strange production of Eve could he prophetically intimate the strict union of Christ with his Church by his own conjunction with Eve and was it not shewed unto him what state he should have had and we in him Secondly though these things be taxed of nicetie yet the impartiall Reader overviewing this Book perhaps will say It was profitable and delightfull to problematize even upon this very point But other matters invite me hence forward to them and therefore having cleared That it was the sinne of Adam of onely Adam and not of Eve for which Death was appointed Let us proceed to examine Which and what this sinne of Adam was which is next and necessarily to be handled O Most glorious Creator who did'st make us in the First Adam excellent Creatures and wouldest have made us better if he who undertook for us had not brought upon us death and destruction Grant I beseech thee for thy mercies sake in the Merit and Mediation of the Second Adam Jesus Christ our onely Saviour That we may recover our lost Image and be made like unto him here and reigne in Life with him hereafter CHAP. IIII. 1. Adams perfection in Innocencie Our imperfection after his fall contrarie to his both in understanding and will and in the parts concupiscible and irascible 2. Adam had other laws given him but one above all and one onely concerning posteritie 3. What this Law was Adam knew the danger to himself and his of spring The first sinne was against this Law 4. Eve sinned before How she sinned the same and not the same sinne with Adam 5. Zeno the Stoicks and Jovinian confuted Sinnes are not equally sinfull 6 Adam sinned farre more and worse then Eve 7 This sinne of Adam was not uxoriousnesse as Scotus maintained but disobedience or pride The branches of Adams sinne 1 LOmbard saith * Quibusdam videtur quòd Adam ante lapsum non habuerit virtutem Lomb. Sent 2. dist 29. lit B. Some are of opinion that Adam before the fall had no vertue He had not justice say they because he despised Gods commandement nor prudence because he provided not for himself nor temperance for his appetite extended to the forbidden fruit nor fortitude for he yeelded to suggestion We answer saith Lombard He had not these vertues when he sinned but before and in sinning losed them For Augustine in a certain Homily saith Adam was made according to the Image of God armed with shamefastnesse composed with temperance splendent with charitie Otherwhere he saith Adam was endued with a spirituall minde Ambrose saith * Beatissimus erat auram carpebat aetheream He was most happy and led an heavenly life and addeth a good observation * Quando Adam solus erat non est praevaricatus When Adam was alone he transgressed not Which may teach us to fear the enticements of companie This point deserveth not to be so speedily cast off and therefore attend this further enlargement Many very many precepts were graven in the heart of Adam and every branch of the naturall Law was there written by the finger of God at his Creation nor was he ignorant what was to be done or omitted in any businesse Eccl. 17.1 The Lord created man of the earth and verse 2. he changeth the singular into the plural He gave them power over the things therein and verse 3. He endued them with strength by themselves and made them according to his image And then followeth an excellent description of their gifts I conceive and explain the matter thus Foure faculties he had and we have of our souls Two superior Two inferior The two superior are understanding and will The two inferior the part irascible and part concupiscible First the object of his understanding was truth the perfection of it was knowledge but now as we are in the state decaied this truth is darkned with ignorance 1 Corinth 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not nor can know the things of the Spirit of God Eph. 4.18 Their understanding is darkned and their hearts are blinde Psal 49.20 Man in honour understandeth not As Adam was in innocencie he was partaker of the truth The Apostle Ephes 4.23 24. saith Be renewed in the spirit of your minde New we were once in Adam and in him also we grew old we are commanded to be renewed as new as once we were and put on that new man which was created in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth therefore the first Adam was created in truth You have the object Truth the perfection was Knowledge Ecclesiasticus 17.7 God filled them with knowledge and understanding and this is seconded by the Apostle Colos 3.10 The new man is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Renovation necessarily implieth precedent oldnes and oldnes precedent newnes of knowledge in the first Adam Secondly the object of mans will was and is Goodnesse the perfection Love In the decayed estate the will is infected with vanitie Genes 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evill continually Ephes 4.17 We walk in the vanitie of our
having ended their first sinne they were ashamed and had time to gather figleaves and sew them and make themselves aprons or things to gird about them after this they heard God speak and hid themselves after this was their examination de facto and their confession after all this begins Adams excuse Genes 3.12 and Eves vers 13. The diversitie of these severall actions and the distance of time interceding shew it was no part of their first sinne to excuse themselves An other especiall sinne it was aggravating the former and in this sinne Adam sinned worst as accusing God indirectly for giving such an helper to him as had hurt him Who will see things more at large let him consult with Estius and Bellarmine unto whom for the main I do subscribe though I make the last part and act of Adam and Eves sinne to be their reall orall manducation The second scape of Bellarmine is that whereas in true Divinitie the fall of mankinde is a consequent of our first parents transgression Bellarmine makes it one of the seven acts of their sinne confounding the cause with the effect and not sufficiently distinguishing the fault from the punishment May I adde these things Out of the words of Scotus I thus argue Originall justice was given to Adam as to the worthier abler and wiser person yea it was so given that if he lost it he was to lose it for himself and his whole posteritie But it was not so given or infeoffeed to Eve therefore since he failed when the trust of the whole World was reposed on him his sinne must needs be much more hainous then hers If the first sinning Angel was the greatest delinquent though none of the other Angels sinned in him but each of himself by his own proper will then Adam certainly sinned worse who bare our persons and being the Referre to whom our blessednesse or cursednesse was intrusted drew us all into unhappinesse For the woman was but the incompleat principle of offending saith Gorran But by Adams first sinne we lost the good of nature * Bonum naturae quod erat per originem naturae traducendum Aquin in Rom. 5. Lect. 3. which was to be transmitted by the spring of nature saith Aquine By Adams other transgressions the good of personall grace was diminished and might be recovered but the Naturall good traducible could not be regained by any repentance The greatnesse of Adams sinne appeared in that he might so easily have kept the precept * Quanta erat iniquitas in peceando vbi tanta eratnon peceandi facilitas Aug. De Civit. 14.15 How great iniquitie was there in sinning where such facilitie was of not sinning saith Augustine Indeed to eat of the apple seemeth a small matter to the carnall eyes of men but in the least thing to be disobedient is not the least offence for as to obey is better then sacrifice so disobedience is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Naaman who would have performed a greater matter should much more willingly have been ruled by the Prophet in a trifle it was the well-poised argument of his servants 2. Kings 5.13 and his correspondent obedience was justly rewarded with health But Adam besides the smallnes of the matter it self erred grosly in the manner for God did not appoint him any hard work no laborious task to perform Omission is of an easie and pliable nature more facile it is for one not to wash a thousand times then to wash once Now the precept unto Adam was inhibitive meerly of omission negation or preterition easier to be kept then broken and therefore to break it was a sinne of an high hand a presumptuous sinne which may be aggravated in him by this circumstance that he received the restraint from God which Eve did not They who think otherwise of Adams sinne do judge of it as the common people do of the fixed starres who imagine them to be no greater then a candle But if you truly take the height and breadth of Adams sinne it will be found as the starres in heaven of greatnes almost incredible divers of them in their severall stations being greater then the whole earth Perhaps one of the reasons why the Apostle Heb. 11. nameth not Adam among the old faithfull Heroes was this because he committed a greater sinne then any of them For his offence hath been the cause of death of sicknes of all punishments inflicted on men in this life or in the life to come Not Satans temptation not Eves seduction but Adams wilfull disobedience cost the bloud of the Sonne of God And all the despighteous sinnes of mankinde wherewith the Father blessed for ever the gracious Redeemer and the sanctifying Spirit are grieved and do as it were grone under and at which the holy Angels are offended and do in their sort mourn proceed originally from that sinne of Adam and but for that had never been Therefore was his offence greater then Eves Moreover God first summoned Adam though Eve sinned first and questioned Adam particularly for that sin and not Eve Genes 3.9 and at the censure perchance with an emphasis God said unto Adam which he did not unto Eve Gen. 3.17 Thou hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded THEE saying THOV shalt not eat of it and denounced more punishments against him then against Eve and worse and this among the rest ratifying the former threatning Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return inflicting death on Adam on Eve on us for Adams sinne and not for Eves Lastly the Spirit of God seemeth to derive the fault from Eve unto the Serpent 2 Cor. 11.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in astutia sua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his craft and her simplicitie he deceived her Now let Scotus lessen Adams offence as much as he can let him say * Esus ligni vetiti non fuit piccatum nisi quia prohibitum The eating of the forbidden tree was no sinne but because it was forbidden and he might well and lawfully have eaten of it if he had not been forbidden and he erred not against any naturall law but a law positive and in a thing otherwise indifferent I answer The same and more excuses are for Eve Again in regard of its spreading infection and the myriads of evils thence ensuing the blessed estate of many millions by him betrayed to the lake of fire and brimstone which never shall be quenched contrarie to the trust to him concredited I shall alwayes think Adams sinne the worst of all sinnes that ever any one of mankinde committed not excepting the sinne of Judas or the sinne against the Holy Ghost For these hurt but few and if they were worse intensively they were not so bad extensively and therefore I must account it one of Scotus his errours when he saith * Peccato Adae non debebatur maxima
sinne were his Corruptio personae Reatus Poena as he was considered by himself till he repented but as he was the Referree and Representor of mankinde the effects were The corruption of our nature our fault our guiltines our punishment till we be freed The effects of our originall sinne are sinnes actuall with all the penalties or punishments due to them Moreover that we may more distinctly enlarge this point and remove the doubtfulnesse of termes know that in a larger sense the actuall sinne of Adam may in a sort be said to be originall sinne it may be called Adams originall sinne as it was first and originally in him It may be originall sinne both of Adam and all his posterity because our naturall defects and all manner of sinnes flowed originally from this onely sinne as from a defiled fountain Yet properly this sinne was in him actually in us potentially in him explicitly in us implicitly in him personally in us naturally in him perse in us per accidens And that his first sinne or aversion from God may both be said to be his originall sinne and the cause also of our originall sinne the cause not physicall or naturall for he doth not traduce by the vertue of that sinne any real thing which is properly sinfull unto his posterity but it was and is the morall cause of our originall sinne As originall sinne is by some described namely to be propagated to be in all alike and to be in the humane creature at the beginning of his being or to be an hereditarie transgression so Adam had not originall sinne but onely his posterity As originall sinne is defined to be That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or transgression that totall aversion of mankinde from God whereby we incurre death and damnation so was Adams sinne our originall sinne and he had originall sinne 3. Which the fuller to demonstrate let me insist on this point namely That sinne of Adam we sinned this way as we were in him materialiter though not formaliter As the severall members of a mans body united to his soul make one individuall person so all the branches of Adams posteritie with himself make one humane nature and are as it were but one by participation of the species * Fuerunt omnes in Adam quando peccavit fuerunt quidem in illo sed nondum nati erant ipsi All were in Adam when he sinned they were indeed in him but they were not yet born themselves saith Augustine De Civit. 13.14 and more punctually in the same Chapter * Nondum erat nobis singillatim creata distributa forma in qua singuli viveremus sed jam natura erat nobis seminalis ex qua propagaremur The form in which every one of us should live was not yet created and distributed to us but the seminall nature was alreadie of which we were to be propagated Anselm saith * Infans qui damnatur pro peccato originali non damnatur pro peccato Adam sed pro suo nam si ipse non haberet suum peccatum non damnaretur Aâ—sel De Partu Virginis cap. 26. The infant that is damned for originall sinne is not damned for the sinne of Adam but for his own for if he himself had not his own sinne he should not be damned And therefore Augustine Retractat 1.13 * Originale peccatum in parvulis cùm adbuc non utantur libero arbitrio voluntatis non absurdè vocatur voluntarium Originall sinne in infants though they have not yet the use of freewill is not absurdly called voluntary And Confess 1.7 * Imbecillitas membrorum infantilium innocens est non animus infantium The weaknes of infantine members not the soul of infants is innocent Lastly De Peccat Meritis Remiss 3.8 as he calleth originall sinne oftentimes Alienum peccatum to shew it began not in us alone but was delivered to us came from without so in the same place he termeth it Peccatum proprium our selves sinning in and with Adam and having corruption in us by him It can not sink into my head that God would have imputed unto us Adams fault by his absolute irrespective decretory will of good pleasure but that he whose foresight reacheth to things that are not yea to things that shall never be much more to things certainly future of which in another place did foreknow and preconsider that every one of mankinde if they had been in Adams state and place would have done as Adam did Therefore let us not accuse God or lay the fault onely on Adam our selves would have done so For as one said concerning the thief on the Crosse confessing Christ when Christ was on the Crosse nailed naked pained reviled scorned dying and forsaken of his own Disciples Profectò ego non sic fecissem I should not have made so glorious a confession as the penitent thief did at that time So on the contrary I say and am fully perswaded I should have done as Adam did Let God be just and all men faulty for it would have been the fault of all men Yea I must go one step further and without boldnes justifiably say by verdict of Scripture it was the fault of all men all men did sinne that sinne in Adam It is not said Propter hominem but Per hominem Mors 1 Cor. 15.21 and Rom. 5.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In quo in whom all sinned Of the first man Adam are all these words By man and in whom to be understood and by him and in him all died and sinned saith the Apostle and sinned that sinne by which death came into the world Though the father of the faithfull payed tithes of all unto Melchisedec before Leviwas born and Abraham alone personally discharged that duty yet for all this the Apostle saith Hebr. 7.9 Levi also who receiveth tithes payed tithes in Abraham for he was yet in the loyns of his father So on the contrary though Adam the universall father of mankinde did actuate that great offence long before we were created yet we also concurred in our kinde and were partakers in that iniquity For he stood Idealiter for us and we were in him our will in his our good and hurt in his and so farre as he received a law for us so farre as he represented us so farre when he sinned did we sinne in him with him and by him And if the worthy S. Augustine may say as is before cited * De Peccat Merit Remiss 1.10 Omnes eramus ille unus Adam I hope I may as well say Adam ille erat nos omnes I am sure Prosper in his Sentences pickt out of Augustine saith that * Primus homo Adam sic oâ—im defunctus est ut tamen post illum secundu homo sit Chrisius cum tot hominum miilia inter illum hunc orta sint idâ—ò manifestum est pertinere ad illum omnem qui ex
properly so called thus we were conceived in sinne that is so soon as ever we were conceived we had a propension and aptitude to sinne such and as much as the flesh was then capable of Augustine thus * Etiam jumenta quamvissunt rationisexpertia tamen plerumque dicimus debere vapulare cùm peccant Aug. De Adultermis Conjugiis lib 1. circa medium Albeit cattell be void of reason yet even of them we say oft that they ought to be beaten when they sinne But let us leave the vulgar forms of speech The said Father annexeth * Propriè peccare non est nisi ejus qui utitur rational is voluntatis arbitrio Holcot De Imputabilitate Peccati mendosè legit argumento To sinne properly is but of him that useth the pleasure and liking of a reasonable will Secondly If you will needs take sinne according to its true definition then I distinguish of conception which is used either strictly and properly or at large and extensively The first way is followed by Naturalists Anatomists Physicians and Philosophers the second way by Divines The first way they make conception to be an action of the wombe for when the wombe hath begun its work with attraction Nam sitiens haurit Venerem interiúsque recondit and continued it both by permixtion thereof and immuring retention in the fourth and last place it ends the operation by the suscitation of the inclosed sperms which is properly called * Vide Laurentii Histor Anatomicam lib. 8. quaest 12. pag. 619. conception The spiritus artifex and the foetus onely formeth nourisheth and increaseth what is done afterwards the wombe onely containeth and therefore conserveth because the place is the conservation of the thing placed in it To say that we did sinne properly when our mother thus conceived us is to say we sinned before we had life and we may aswell be said to sinne while we were in our fathers seed before their conjunction and commixture with our mothers which is not an houre before conception and so in their bloud before seed and in their meat ere it was bloud Thus I dare say the Spirit of God never meant that we were conceived in sinne and the traducted matter is not properly full of sinne or sinneth at all But take we conception largely and as Divines do use the word for the preparatorie formation or a degree of it is a kinde of conception as the exact formation unto the full grown measure a little before the nativitie may be called the completorie conception we may be said to be conceived in sinne conception being taken for the time of our perfecter formation extendible almost to our nativitie In iniquitatibus conceptus sum saith Lyra * Quia homo descendens ab Adam per carnalem generationem in unione animae ad corpus contrabit peccatum originale quod est ad actualia peccata inclinativum Because man descending from Adam by carnall generation in the union of the soul with the body contracts original sinne which inclineth to actuall sinnes Tremellius hath it In iniquitate formatus sum in peccato fovit me mater mea and expounds it in this manner * Iniquitat is peccati reus sum in utero formatus fotus haecenim non ad formam conceptûi formationis foâ—ûs sâ—dad foetûs constitutionem pertinent I am guiltie of iniquitie and sinne being framed and warmed in the wombe for these pertain not to the form of the conception shaping and warming but to the constitution of the fruit Vatablus rendreth it In iniquitate genitus sum and interprets it * Fictus sum formatus sum natus sum I have been fashioned framed born * Concepit me id est peperit Conceived me that is brought forth saith Emanuel Sà out of Hierome though I finde it not so in Hierom on the place S. Augustine following the Septuagint with Theodoret and others for the reading In iniquitatibus conceptus sum hath these passages * Ipsum vinculum mortis cum ipsa iniquitate concretum est nemo nascitur nisi trahens poenam trabens meritum poenae The very band of death is grown together with sinne it self None is born without drawing punishment without drawing the merit of punishment and he doth in a sort parallel this place with an other place of the Prophet and it is in Job I ghesse who may well be stiled a Prophet Nemo mundus in conspectu tuo nec infans cujus est unius diei vita-super terram Job 15.14 Our English late Translatours vary thus I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceive or warm me as it is in the margin which shaping and warming is also after the union of the reasonable soul to the body Not one of all these doth take conception strictly and physically but largely and significantly enough both to the Scripture and to our purpose Stapleton thus * Anima non caro st subjâ—ctum virtutum vitiorum Stapl. De Orig. Pecc to 1.4 The soul not the flesh is the subject of vertues and vices Augustine * Semen vitiat mest non vitium Aug. Hypognost 2. initio The seed is infected not infection Godfridus Abbas Vindocinensis * Non ex carnis corruptione animae mors pracessit nec Diabolus priùs carnem noâ—ram infecit quà m animam Godfridus Abbas Vind. Epist 39. The death of the soul went not before from the corruption of the flesh neither doth the Devil infect the flesh before he defile the soul Augustine * Non caro corruptibilis animam peccatricem sed anima peccatrix facit esse carnem corruptibilem De Civit 14.3 circa medium The corruptible flesh doth not make the soul sinfull but the sinful soul makes the flesh to be corruptible Thus it was in Adam is in us our flesh is not properly sinfull or defiled before the soul inhabit it Reason also is of our side for if so soon as there is conception in the wombe there is true sinne how many thousand conceptions miscarry and never come to perfect formation as in the Mola where the forming of the parts being begun can not be perfected but the weak workman being drowned in abundance of bloud in stead of a living creature is ingendred an ill-shaped hard and idle lump of flesh oppressing the wombe with its ponderousnes saith * Fernel De Hominis Procreatione 7.8 one as the stomach is loaded with indigestible meats Is there sin in this conception sin before life sin when there is no motion as there is none in the lumpish Mola sin in a Moon-calf But put we the case in a perfect conception which without mischance may come to formation birth and casually suffereth abortion before the soul be united yet it can never be proved that it sinned In At the conception The arguments that trendle that way are these The very seed of which we
our own implicit will we may draw on us a necessitie of after-sinning which most justly may be imputed to us and we may tie our selves with our own bonds To the former part this may give satisfaction That against the will of the soul the soul it self can not be corrupted for then the will should be forced and so no will at all but Noluntas and not Voluntas It is not necessary saith Bellarmine that our soul must needs come from Adam because we draw sinne from him if but one part come from him it is enough For a father doth not per se produce originall sinne in the childe but per accidens namely as by the act of generation it cometh to passe that his sonne is a member of mankinde which was overtaken in Adams corruption and that the propension unto evill of the earthly part traducted meeting with a soul not much resisting causeth this originall sinne to result thencefrom and death by this original sinne So that no sooner is the soul united to its body and the matter glewed to the form but the infant deserveth to be and is the childe of death by reason of the primigeneall corruption If you enquire after what manner the body worketh the soul unto this evill we may truly say * Corpus non agit in animam actione physicâ immediatâ The body worketh not upon the soul by a naturall and immediate action You heard what Hugo Eterianus said It is stricken or cast down onely by fellowship He enlargeth himself in the same Chapter thus * Vitium languor corruptio ante animae conjunctionem in carne persistunt ex qua tabe anima maculatur sicut si testa odore malo imbuta sit quemcunque liquorem susceperit suâ corruptione inficit Imperfection languishing and corruption abide in the flesh before the souls conjunction from which disease the soul is infected as if a vessel be tainted with an ill odour it infects therewith whatsoever liquour it receiveth Gerson thus * Anima ex conjunctione ad corpus contrabit illud vitium sicut quandoquis cadit in lutum foedatur maculatur Gers in Compend Theolog. The soul by the conjunction with the body contracteth that infection as when one falleth into the mire he is besmeared and stained Felisius thus * Pomum mundum in manu immunda positum foedatur Vinum bonum tranâ—fusum in vas acetosum suum naturalem perdendo saporem centrabit alienum sic anima quando incipit esse in carne unita suum naturalem amittit vigorem A clean apple put in an unclean hand is soiled Good wine poured into a fustie vessel contracts a strange taste and loses its own naturall so the soul loses its naturall vigour when it is united in the flesh Another thus Anima cum labente simul labitur frustra nititur dum innititur To the same effect another saith thus As the purest rain-water falling on dust is turned with the dust into a lump of mire so at the coadunation of the soul unto the earthly part both spirit and flesh are plunged in the durt of corruption Augustine against Julian the Pelagian 4.15 preferreth the very Heathen before Julian for he held That nothing was conveyed unto us from Adam and they held * Nos oh antiqua scelera suscepta in vita superiore poenarum luendarum causâ esse natos That we were born to be punished for old crimes committed in a former life And saith Augustine it is true which Aristotle relateth That we are punished like to those who fell among the Hetrurian robbers * Quorum corpora viva cum mortuis adversa adversis accommodata quà m optissimè colligabantur necabantur Whose living bodies being coupled face to face with dead mens carcases were so killed Of the Hetrurian Tyrant Mezentius Virgil Aeneid 8. recordeth the like Mortua corporibus jungebat corpora vivis Componens manibúsque manus at que oribus ora Tormenti genus sanie tabóque fluentes Complexu in misero longâ sic morte necabat But I return from this Digression The Heathen say as S. Augustine relateth * Nostros animos cum corporibus copulatos ut vivos cum mortuis esse conjunctos That our souls united to our bodies are like the living coupled with the dead They saw somewhat saith he and commendeth their wisedome in discerning the miseries of mankinde to be for somewhat before committed in acknowledging the power and justice of God though without divine revelation they could not know that it was Adams offence which brought such a wrack both on our souls and on our bodies What hath been hitherto related seemeth too much to encline to the naturall physicall immediate working of the soul upon the body Others are as faultie who say The soul receiveth no annoyance from the body but by way of IMPEDITION onely where the spirituall faculties are hindered and the Musick spilt by reason of the untuneablenes of the organes But they wil not seem to heare That a spirituall substance can receive infection from a nature corporeall Both opinions may rest contented in the middesse or mean That as the body cannot go beyond the sphere of its activitie and work properly and physically upon the soul so by the interposition as it were of a middle nature the body not onely hindereth the faculties of the soul from working but sometimes worketh upon the soul Thus the naturall vitall and animall spirits do binde and unite the soul to the body that neither part can part from other though it would Thus bodily objects work on the minde but it is by the mediation of the outward and inward senses Shall corporeall outward and remote objects by degrees draw the soul into sinne even in our perfect age when our naturall reason is most vigorous and may not the corrupted seed having as great a propension to evill as Naphtha to take fire at the conjunction infect the soul with a participation of uncleannes though the operation be not physicall or immediate By Adams soul sinning was Adams flesh infected may not our soul be infected as well by our flesh A spirituall substance can produce a bodily effect Boëtius saith excellently Forms materiall came from forms immateriall Our will was moved by our intellect our appetite by our will and a bodily change conformable to our appetite And may not a bodily species work by the same degrees backward on the soul it self The reason is alike in the contrarietie Doth the corporeall fire of Hell torment and affect the incorporeall spirits of evill Angels and shall it of wicked men as most certainly it doth and must which shall be proved God willing otherwhere and may not the matter make some impression on the form the body upon the soul when there is such a sympathie in nature betwixt them If the soul do no way suffer from the body how doth it follow the
fail me not in S. Augustine The personall offences or holinesse of parents are not communicated to their children Again they object that they confirm this by experience These are words of winde and nothing else That wicked ones beget often children like to them who denieth That their children have their fathers personall sinnes transmitted is the begging of the question Yea but they prove it by examples of Scripture How or where By the place Exod. 20.5 I visit the sinnes of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me I answer He doth not say I transmit or communicate sinnes which is our onely question Even Illyricus himself among all his expositions of visitare hath none for communicare propagure transfundere transferre and particularly of this place of Exodus he saith f Visitans iniquitatem patrum id est puniens posteros ob majorum suorum enormia delicta Visiting the iniquitie of the fathers that is punishing the posteritie for the enormious sinnes of their ancestours Yet if to visit had been to propagate actuall sinnes it had been his best proof That the substance of the soul is corrupt by originall sinne and hath in it the image of Satan They alledge S. August who saith it is probable by that place of Exodus The words of S. August are these in the place by them cited g Parentum quoq peccatis parvulos obugari non solùm primorum hominum sedetiam suorum de quibus ipsi nati sunt non improbabiliter dicitur It is not improbably said that children are liable to the sinnes of their parents not onely of their first parents but also those of whom they are immediately born And at the end of that chapter h In illo uno quod in omnes homines pertransiit atque tam magnum est ut in â—o mutaretur converteretur in necessitatem mortis humana natura reperiuntur plura peccata alia parentum quae etsi non possunt mutare naturam reatu tamen obligant filios In that one sinne which passed over to all men and is so great that in it humane nature was changed and turned to a necessitie of death more sinnes are found and other of parents which albeit they change not our nature yet by their guilt they binde children where he makes an apparent distinction between that one sinne which changed our nature and was propagated unto us and those other personall sinnes of our fathers which change not our nature but binde us over unto punishment for that is his meaning of reatu obligant He doth no where say such sinnes are communicated unto us or that they binde us with the guilt of offence but he is to be understood of the guilt of punishment And so Bellarmine expounds him De amission grat statu peccati 4.18 Indeed he doth it somewhat timerously towards the beginning of the chapter with a i Fortasse non de contagione culpae sed de communicatione poenae locuti sunt Augustinus perchance But he is more positive and fully assertive at the latter end of the same chapter that Augustine and the Fathers spake onely of the communication of punishment which Bellarmine proveth because they instance in Exod. 20.5 which hath apparent reference to punishment and indeed so the word visit is most-wise used in Scripture viz. for to punish and sometimes in love mercy grace and goodnesse to visit but never is used for the communicating or propagating trajecting or transmitting of sinnes Nay k Greg. Mor. 15.22 Gregorie goeth further as he is cited by Bellarmine teaching that the place of Exodus is to be understood of those children who imitate the sinnes of their parents and so the Chaldee Paraphrase hath it saith Vatablus Lastly to cleare this truth that Augustine in that place meant onely the binding over unto punishment see his own words Chap. 47. which I marvel that Bellarmine passeth over l Sed de peccatis aliorum parentum quibus ab ipso Adam usque ad patrem suum progeneratoribus suis quisque succedit non immeritò disceptari potest utrùm â—mnium malis actibus multiplicatis delictis originalibus qui uascitur implìcetur ut tantò pejùs quantò posteriùs quisque nascatur Aâ— propterea Deus in tertiam quartam generationem de peccatis câ—rum posteris comminâ—â—ur quia iram suam quantum ad progenitorum suorum culpas non extendit ulteriùs moderatione miserationis suae nè illi quibus regenerationis gratia non confertur nimiâ sarcinâ in ipsa sua aeterna damnatione premerentur si cogerentur ab initio generis humeni omniuÌ„ praecedentium parentum suorum originaliter peccata contrabere poenas pro iis debitas pendere An aliud aliquid de re tanta in Scripturis sanâ—â—is diligentiùs perscrutatis tractatis vakat vel non valeat reperiri temerè non audeo affirmare But touching the sinnes of other parents by which every one from Adam himself to his own father succeeds his ancestours it may well be disputed Whether he that is born be involved in the evil acts and multiplied original sinnes of all so that how much the later any man is born so much the worse Or whether God doth therefore threaten the posterity unto the third and fourth generation for their parents sinnes because through his mercifull moderation he extends his wrath no further for the faults of progenitours lest they to whom the grace of regeneration is not given should be pressed with too great a burden in their eternall damnation if they were forced to contract the original sinnes of all their forefathers from the beginning of mankinde and to undergo the punishments due to them Or whether some thing else concerning so weighty a matter may be found in the holy Scriptures diligently searched and perused I dare not rashly affirm You have the whole chapter word for word out of S. Augustine In which observe First the adversative particle Sed distinguishing the question from the other which also Erasmus in the margin hath thus diversified comprising the meaning of the 46 chapter in these words m Peccâ—â—is parentum obligari filios That the children are bound by the sinnes of their parents and of the 47 chapter n Quousque majorum peccata prorogcutur non temerè desiniendum We ought not rashly to determine how farre the sinnes of ancestours be extended Secondly in the former chapter he said exactly o Non improbabiliter dicitur parentum peccatis parvulos obligari It is not improbably said that infants are bound by the sinnes of their parents He changeth the phrase in the latter p Non immeritò disceptari potest Non audeo temerè affirmare It may well be disputed and I dare not rashly affirm Thirdly his phrases in the former chapter are not so distinct as in the latter where he mentioneth both the
that is sought out and drawn into judgement and answereth as he ought to do truly without mentall reservation modestly and as befitteth him to answer unto his superiours if he receive no satisfaction in his conscience and his Judges doom him worthy to die what shall he now do Shall he be over-ruled by his superiours both spirituall and temporall doing as they do and thinking as they think shall he go against the dictates of his own conscience or shall he adventure his bloud and life What my self would do by Gods grace I will prescribe unto another First before I would sacrifice my life I would once more recollect my former thoughts for humblenesse and diligently consider whether the matters for which I am to suffer death be abstruse depths beyond my reach or capacity If they be very intricate I have cause to think that I am an unfit man to judge of things which I know not and cannot comprehend 2. Cor. 10 13 c. Secondly I would in this case before expense of bloud bring my intentions to the touchstone call to minde that good intentions alone cannot excuse me before God but good intentions well grounded and regulated S. Paul with good intentions persecuted the Church and was injurious but he did it ignorantly in unbelief 1. Tim. 1.13 where an ill belief though meaning well is counted unbelief In a good intention S. Peter would have disswaded our Saviour from death but he was called Satan for it Matth. 16.23 though Christ had blessed him before and promised him excellent gifts vers 17 c. I cannot think but they who offered their children unto Moloch did think they served God rightly though indeed they served the Devil yet God saith Levit. 20.3 I will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people The priests of Baal who cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancers till the bloud gushed out upon them 1. King 18.28 did they not follow the ill guide of a misled conscience did they not think they were in the right do not millions of Turks Jews and of Pagans go to the Devil though they perswade themselves they be in the onely true way do not many think that to be constancie which in truth is obstinacie and that to be knowledge which is ignorant self-love There is great resemblance and manifold likely hood between some truth and some errour and the mistake is easie and there is a great difference between opinion and sound belief Thirdly I would endeavour to think humbly of my self and as the Apostle adviseth to preferre others before me I would ruminate on that which the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 13.3 Though I give my bodie to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing And shewing what he meaneth by charity addeth Charity suffereth long and is kinde charity envieth not charity is not rash or vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly So that he who behaveth himself unseemly who is puffed up who vaunteth himself or is rash who envieth and is unkinde and hasty hath not charity And though he give his bodie to be burned his death profiteth him nothing saith the Apostle Examine therefore and again I say examine thine own heart if thou finde any one of these sinnes beforenamed reigning in thee then know there is a spot in the sacrifice And till that be washed away rased out or reformed thou must suspect thy self and mayest well be dubious Self-conceit is a branch of pride pride never agreed with charity and no death profiteth a man any thing who hath not charity Oh but this enfeebleth the resolution of confessours and stoopeth down the constancy of martyrs to pendulousnesse it maketh them draw their hands back from the plough and to look backward to Sodom with lots wife No no my discourse intends onely to dull the edge of singularity to stop the mouths of pridie undertakers and ignorant praters to put a bridle into the teeth of such as revile Magistracie to reduce people to humblenesse and such thoughts as these If many may be deceived how much easier may I If the more learned be awrie how shall I be sure I am right They have souls to answer as well as I and charity bids me think they would not damn their own souls by damning mine have I alone a sound rectified conscience Self-deniall is a better schoolmaster to true knowledge then presumption An acceptable martyr is a reasonable sacrifice and an acceptable sacrifice is a reasonable martyr A conscience not founded on good causes not strengthened with understanding is like a fair house built on the sands a very apple of Sodom a painted sepulchre which appeares beautifull outward but is within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleannesse Matth. 23.27 My cautions are not remoraes of staying or withdrawing any man so farre as his knowledge can or doth aspire unto for so farre I allow them a judgement of discretion but necessary preparatives to the true perfect and glorious martyrdome He shall be no martyr in my estimate who without great motives runneth to death and posteth rashly to destruction But when pride with all her children singularity self-love vaunting rashnesse unseemly behaviour is cast out of the soul and the contrary graces the children of charitie possesse it then if thy conscience can no way be convicted if thou knowest thy cause to be good and the contrary to be apparently amisse follow not the multitude conform not thy self to the world keep thy conscience untainted poure out thy bloud unto death offer thy life and body as a reasonable sacrifice die and be a martyr be a martyr and be crowned crowned I say not onely with glory and immortality but with those gifts and aureolae which are prepared above others for true martyrs In this sort Whosoever shall confesse Christ before men him will Christ confesse also before his Father which is in heaven Matth. 10.32 The judgement of jurisdiction which is in superiours having authoritie and the judgement of direction which is in Pastours by way of eminency forbid not in this case the judgement of discretion which is and ought to be in every private man so farre as he hath discretion and knowledge or immediate inspirations of all which I would not have a man too presumptuous That which our Divines do term the judgement of discretion is in the words of z Contra Marcionem 4. post medium pag. 269. Tertullian Clavis Agnitionis He must never contrary this for this must he die What he knoweth let him as a good witnesse seal with his bloud if need be But in things beyond a simple mans capacitie I will say once more with a Serm. 20. de verbis Apostoli Augustine b Melior est fidelis ignorantia quà m temeraria scientia A faithfull ignorance is better then a rash knowledge In such things is he to be guided by his Pastours
together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.5 6. Our conversation is in heaven Philip. 3.20 From which positive proofs and doctrine that Christ stood in our stead and that almost all if not all his actions and passions as he was the Mediatour between God and man were representative of us let us descend to the comparative and shew that Christ hath done and will do more good unto us then Adam hath done harm Which point I have more enlarged in my Sermon at the re-admitting into our Church of a penitent Christian from Turcisme being one of the two intituled A return from Argier where these five reasons are enlarged First that Adam conveyed to us onely one sinne but Christ giveth diversities of grace and many vertues which Adam and his posterity should never have had as patience virginity repentance compassion fraternall correction martyrdom Secondly Adams sinne was the sinne of a meer man onely but the Sonne of God merited for us Thirdly by Adams offence we are likened to beasts by the grace of Christ our nature is exalted above all Angels Fourthly Adams disobedience could not infect Christ Christs merit cleansed Adam saving his soul and body Fifthly as by the first Adam goodnes was destroyed so by the second Adam greater goodnes is restored and all punishments yea all our own sinnes turned to our further good To which I will annex these things following By Adams sinne we were easily separated from God Satan the woman and an apple were the onely means But I am perswaded saith the Apostle Rom. 8.38 that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God Again Rom. 5.13 c. the Apostle seemeth to divide the whole of time in this world into three parts under three laws the law of Nature of Moses of Christ In the first section of time sinne was in the world Neverthelesse death reigned from Adam to Moses saith the Apostle In the law of Moses though death was in the world yet sinne chiefly reigned and the rather for the law Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimúsque negatum This the Apostle confirmeth often especially Rom. 7.8 Sinne taking occasion wrought in me all manner of concupiscence The third part of times division is in the dayes of grace under Christ and now not so much death not so much sinne as righteousnes and life do reigne or rather we in them by Christ and the power of both the other is diminished and shall be wholly demolished If Adam hurt all mankinde one way or other Christ hath helped all mankinde many wayes In this life he giveth many blessings unto the reprobate his sunne shineth on all his rain falleth both upon good and bad and I do not think that there ever was the man at least within the verge of the Church but had at some time or other such a portion of Gods favour and such sweet inspirations put into his heart that if he had not quenched by his naturall frowardnes the holy motions of the Spirit God would have added more grace even enough to have brought him to salvation For God is rich in mercy Ephes 2.4 The Father of mercies 2. Corinth 1.3 Thou lovest all things that are and abhorrest nothing that thou hast made for never wouldest thou have made any thing if thou hadst hated it Wisd 11.24 What thou dost abhorre or hate thou dost wish not to be what thou dost make thou dost desire it should be saith Holcot on the place In our Common-prayer-book toward the end of the Commination this is the acknowledgement of our Church O mercifull God which hast compassion of all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made which wouldest not the death of a sinner but that he should rather turn from sinne and be saved c. God is intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amator animarum A lover of souls Wisd 11.26 Holcot on the place confirmeth it by Ezek. 18.4 All souls are mine saith God Men commonly love the bodies saith Holcot but God the souls b Amat Deus animas non singulariter sic quòd non corpora amet sed privilegialiter quia eas ad se in perpetuum fruendum praeparavit God loveth the souls not onely as if he did not love the bodies but principally because he hath fitted them for the eternall fruition of himself It is not the best applied distinction for whose soever souls shall enjoy God their bodies also shall and that immortally for ever If he had said that God had loved humane souls privilegialiter because man had nothing to do in their creation or preservation he had spoken more to the purpose Nor think I that God forsaketh any but such as forsake him but Froward thoughts separate from God Wisd 1.3 c. For into a malicious soul wisdome shall not enter nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sinne For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit and remove from thoughts that are without understanding Concerning the souls of infants dying without the ordinary antidotes to originall sinne baptisme and the pale of the Church though they may most justly be condemned yet who knoweth how easy their punishment may be at least comparatively as some imagine For that some drops of mercy may extraordinarily distill upon them they cannot deny who say That the rebellious spirits of actually sinfull men and Angels are punished citra condignum But to leave these speculations I dare boldly affirm that if there be any mitigation of torments in any of them it is not without reference to Christ Moreover the redeeming of man was of more power then the very creation for this was performed by a calm Fiat but the redemption was accomplished by the agony passion and death of the Sonne of God c Aug. in Joan. Tractatu 72. post medium Augustine on those words John 14.12 Greater works then these shall he do saith thus It is a greater work to make a wicked man just then to create heaven and earth Therefore much more doth Christs merit surmount the fault of Adam In the first Adam we onely had posse non peccare posse non mori A possibility of not sinning a possibility of not dying We should have been changed though we had not died posse bonum non deserere A possibility of not forsaking goodnesse and should by his integrity and our endeavours have attained at the utmost but bene agere beatificari To do well and be blessed By Christ we have not onely remission of sinnes and his righteousnes imputed but rich grace abundance of joy and royall gifts Not a more joyfull but a more powerfull grace saith d Non laetiorem sed potentiorem gratiam Aug. de Correp Gratia cap. 11. Augustine and we shall have non posse peccare non posse
h Sentent 3. Distinct 13. Artic. 2. Marsilius i In illud Psal 102. BENEDICITE DOMINO OMNIA OPERA BIUS Jacobus de Valentia k Lib de Regno Christi Melchior Flavius l Theosophiae 3.13 Arboreus And again the same Suarez pag. 65.8 m Christus Dominus meruit sanctis Angelis omnia dona gratiae exceptis iis quae ad remedium peccati pertinent meruit iis electionem praedestinationem vocationem auxilia omnia excitantia adjuvantia sufficientia efficacia denique omne meritum augmentum gratiae gloriae The Lord Christ hath merited for the holy Angels all gifts of grace except those which belong to the remedy of sinne He hath merited for them election predestination vocation all means exciting helping sufficient and effectuall Lastly all merit and increase of grace and glory As the precious ointment upon the head of Aaron ran down upon his beard and thence descended to the skirts of his garments Psal 133.2 so all vertue distilleth from Christ the Head upon every member of his Church Angelicall or Humane Triumphant or Militant neither have they ought but what they received and from him onely In brief we have exchanged and bartred our brasse for gold n Periissâ—mus nisi periassemus We had perished if we had not perished as Themistocles said of old o O felix culpa quae tantum talem meruit Redempterem O happy fault that hath obtained so great and excellent a Redeemer Christ hath done us more good then Adam did himself or us hurt If these my humble private speculations or rather relations of other mens opinions give not satisfaction I desire you to have recourse unto the Apostle who hath put the first and second Adam into the balances and behold the first Adam is found too light In which comparative being like in the genus and unlike in the species as Origen soundly and wittily observed First let us see the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things wherein they are like Rom. 5.12 As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne the Apodosis is not expressed but thus to be conceived So by one man grace came into the world and life by grace See the same confirmed v. 19 20. Secondly As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous The third thing wherein they were like is set down in the 18. verse of which hereafter Concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things wherein they differ they are set down in the 15 verse and so downward Not as the offence so also is the free gift For if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many An other dissimilitude is in the 16 verse And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the judgement was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification And verse 17 If by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ After this he returneth to the third point of their comparison the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things wherein they differ being involved in a Parenthesis which indeed may seem at the first sight more strange Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnes of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life vers 18. But the true meaning is this according to the way of S. Augustine As none cometh to death but by Adam and none to Adam but by death so none cometh to life but by Christ nor to Christ but by life Thus the free gift came on al as the offence came on all As when we say All entred into the house by one doore it is not intended or included that all that ever were farre or nigh came thither into the house but that no man entred into the house save by the doore So though the Apostle saith Omnes in the application he meaneth not that all and every one are justified but that all that are justified are not otherwise justified then by Christ and this is S. Augustines exposition against Julian the Pelagian 6.12 As if he had said Christ is the Α and Ω the beginning means and end There is none other name by which we must be saved Acts 4.12 He perfecteth them for ever who are sanctified Hebr. 10.14 And they are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is my love delight said Ignatius And I professe I desire not heaven or the blessednes of heaven without him as I undeserving ill-deserving poore I hope to reigne in life by him onely who giveth spirituall birth life and increase till he bring us unto blessednesse even all them who are saved even the universality of the chosen in Christ The limitation of the word Omnis is frequent in Scriptures not comprehending generally or universally every one in all and all with every one but being put for a great number for many Luke 6.26 Wo unto you when all men shall speak well of you where All must not be tentered and stretched to its utmost extent for all and every did never do never and never shall speak well of them So Acts 22.15 Thou shalt be witnesse unto all men saith Ananias to S. Paul which was not accomplished if All have no restraint Again Titus 2.11 The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men and yet there were then and now are many who never saw or knew that salutiferous or saving grace So here you are to reduce the word Omnes to omnes sui All that are in Christ saith the Glosse Again why may not All be aswell taken for Many in this our 18 vers as Many is taken for All in the 19 verse where it is said By one mans disobedience many were made sinners when all and every one that descended ordinarily and naturally from Adam sinned in him and by him as is expressed verse 12. and proved before Genes 17.4 Thou shalt be a father of many nations which is repeated word for word Rom. 4.17 and is thus varied Genes 22.18 In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and this is confirmed Galat. 3.8 where Many and All differ not in sense and substance By Omnes homines All men you may understand Humanum genus Mankinde and because all mankinde must be distinguished into two sorts goats and sheep and considered according to two estates fallen and repaired and their different receptacles the two cities the one the city of God the other of the Devil in the first member the word All must be interpreted generally without
number weight and measure which the School-men call Meritum siecum a drie merit and I Meritum candidum a white merit which actions and performances of his are as the fine linen with which the Saints are properly clothed and apparelled when they are imputed to us And thus to return to my old matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the place of the Revelation is taken for the merits of Christ clothing us with fine linen as Jacob was with his elder brothers clothes when he was to receive the blessing Genes 27.15 so we with his righteousnesse which is ascribed unto us as if it were our own and now called ours because it was given unto us by Him Yet thirdly and lastly besides these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle useth another verball differing from both and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which under correction I opine is not to be translated either with the Bishops Bible righteousnesse of life for that is coincident with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor yet justification or Christs righteousnesse for then it were all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was immediately before ascribed to Christ But what is then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how is it to be translated It is but twice used in the New Testament First Rom. 4.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was raised again for our justification But some Greek Copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place and then the sense altereth of it self Beza saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fifth to the Romanes signifieth more then it doth in the fourth and seemeth thus to difference it That in Romanes the fourth the passive obedience imputed is understood and in Romanes the fifth the active obedience imputed is meant And though in both places he doth Latinize it Justificatio yet the new coined words of Justificamen or Justificamentum seem better in his judgement to expresse the sense in the latter place In this he saith wittily that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is the onely argument of worth against the following opinion Yet thus it may be answered That though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be expounded damnation or condemnation or a sentence damnatorie as Beza calleth it yet Beza himself will not translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p Sententia absolutoria vel salvifica a sentence absolutorie or saving For there is no necessitie that a direct opposition in all parts should be between those terms neither doth the nature of the antithesis necessarily require such an exact contradiction But how doth Tolet render and interpret these words q Putat justificationem vitae bîc appellari actionem eperationem quâ Deus ex justitia merito Christi omnes homines etiam reprobos à morte suscitabit ad vitâ—m perpetuò duraturam He thinks saith Cornelius à Lapide of him that by the words jusTIFICATIO VITae The justification of life which in the Vulgat is the exposition of our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here meant that action or operation whereby God through the righteousnesse merit of Christ will raise up all men even the reprobate from death to a life for ever to endure And so the similitude between Adam Christ is every way compleat for as by Adams sinne all every one die so by Christs merit all every one shall be made alive And certainly for the truth of Tolets opinion it is a part of our Creed denied of none it is expresly avouched even in the same comparative form 1. Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive But my opinion herein differeth from Tolets That I do make not onely Gods power the merits of Christ concurring to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is more commonly then properly rendred justificatio to be an act of man defending and pleading for himself at the resurrection As if the Apostle had thus balanced Adam and Christ As by the offence of the one judgement came upon all to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of the other the free gift came upon all that they shall all without exception be raised up to know the cause why they deserve wrath to excuse themselves if they can to plead in their own defence if they can justifie their lives and free themselves from condemnation For God condemneth no man without reason nor without suffering him to come to his answer nor without letting him see and know the just cause of his condemnation The substantiall truth whereof is confirmed Rom. 14.10 We shall all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ and every one of us shall give an account of himself to God vers 12. The end is specialized 2. Corinth 5.10 That every one may receive the things done in the body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad As for the objection of our adversaries and their demand where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so used in Scripture I first retort it thus Let them prove the use of the word in Scripture as they apply it Secondly I say It is iniquum postulatum An unjust demand on either side since the word is onely once onely here in the New Testament without variation of reading so farre as I remember Thirdly I think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crosse-pleading and all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as * Apud Lysiam Suidas expounds it and what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but causificatio causae suae defensio juris sui in medium prolatio 2. Maccab. 4.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They pleaded the cause before him Yet nearer to the purpose Psal 43.1 Plead thou my cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Litiga litem meam as it is in the Interlineary Disceptando tuere causam meam as Vatablus interprets it And Psal 35.23 Awake to my judgement even unto my cause The Septuagint have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Symmachus readeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where David makes God a Judge and Umpire between David himself pleading his own cause and Davids adversaries who pleaded against him and opened their mouth wide against him vers 21. So that with Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is exactly the pleading of ones own cause as here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the defence of a mans thoughts words and deeds in this world and may in a good sense be called a justification of his life Moreover it is said Exod. 12.49 Lex una erit indigenae peregrino One law shall be unto him that is home-born and unto the stranger Which is diversified Levit. 24.22 Ye shall have one manner of law Judicium unum erit vobis as the Interlineary readeth it it being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
was not altogether irrevocable but that the messengers who brought him to judgement were sharply blamed by their governours because they brought Antillus in stead of Nicandas Within a while after Nicandas died and Antillus recovered life and health And Plutarch in my opinion seemeth to insinuate that he was present at the recovery of him Of both these if each particular were true that they were dead and relived we may boldly averre that they died again Neither doth Plato Plutarch or Theodoret doubt of it As strange a storie though more remote from our subject you shall finde in Alexander ab Alexandro Genialium dierum 6.21 4 An other istance you shall finde in Bellarmine De arte bene moriendi lib. 2. cap. 1. taken out of Joannes Climachus in scala sua grad 6. who relates thus of a man that died twice In his first life saith he he lived most negligently but dying and his soul being perfectly separated from his bodie after one houre he returned again and he desired Climachus and the rest to depart Whereupon they walled up the cell and he lived as an Anchoret within the cell twelve yeares speaking to no man till he was ready to die again eating nothing but bread and drinking water sitting so he astonishedly revolved those things onely which he had seen in his separation with so earnest a thought that he never changed countenance but continuing in that amazement secretly wept bitterly When he was at deaths doore the second time they forced open the entrance into the cell and coming to him humbly desired him to speak some words of doctrine He answered nothing but this onely b Nemo qui revera mortis memoriam agnoverit peccare unquam poterit The serious remembrance of death will not consist with sinne The like storie you may finde in Venerable Bede All these if they lived again died again and rose not to life immortall And in this sense is that averred Wisd 2.1 Never was any man known to have returned from the grave viz. not to die again for otherwise some were known to have been raised From these I come more especially to speak of such whom the word of God reporteth to have been raised MOst gracious God who didst breathe into the face of man the breath of life and at thy pleasure drawest it forth again out of his nostrils grant that we make such use of this present life that we may see love and enjoy thee in the life eternall through Jesus Christ our onely Lord and Saviour Amen CHAP. II. 1. A division of such as have been raised They all died 2. The widow of Zarephath her sonne raised yet died again supposed to be Jonas the Prophet The Shunammites sonne raised not to an eternall but to a temporary resurrection A good and a better resurrection 3. Christ the first who rose not to die again 4. The man raised in the sepulchre of Elisha arose not to immortality 1. ANd because divers have been raised up of whom there is not the like doubt and answer in each kinde to be made I will therefore distribute them in regard of their times into three sorts Such as were raised 1. Before Christs death 2. After he was ascended 3. About the time of his death Which inverted method I purposely choose because I will reserve the hardest point to the last The first sort again is subdivided into such as were raised either before Christ was incarnated or by Christ himself They who were raised before Christ was born were three 1. The widow of Zarephath her sonne 1. King 17.22 2. The Shunammites sonne 2. King 4.35 3. A dead man who was cast into the grave of Elisha and when he touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood upon his feet 2. King 13.21 All these three were raised up to live and lived to die again Neither did the intention of such as requested to have them raised or of such as raised them aim once that they should live immortally but live onely on earth again as other men did and then die again Neither did I ever reade any who held these to arise to immortall glory neither stands it with reason For that they were once dead and raised to life the Scripture saith and that they must either live to this time or be translated to immortall glorie in their bodies or die is as true as Scripture Now because there is no ground to say that they yet live or were translated bodily into heaven there is good ground to conclude that again they died 2. Concerning the first of these the Jews think he was Jonas the Prophet and S. Hierome in his Prologue on Jonas citeth their opinion and dislikes it not Tostatus also saith Dïvers others think so If Jonas were the widow of Zarephath her sonne we know that Jonas died afterward for the Prophets are dead Joh. 8.53 and he was one of the Prophets And concerning both the first and second instance it is thought by many good Authours that they are pointed at Heb. 11.35 The women received their dead raised to life again or the Prophets delivered to the women their dead as the Syriack reads it that is to converse with them as formerly being raised not to an eternall but a temporary resurrection and so to die again at their appointed times And to this truth the Text it self giveth in evidence for it is said in the same verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might obtain a better resurrection Of holy men there is a double resurrection the first and the last the good and the better The resurrection mentioned in the beginning of the verse was good and with reference to the former saith Chrysostom the latter resurrection is called the better For the former was temporary the latter eternall called also The holy resurrection in our book of Common Prayer in the Epistle on the sixth Sunday after Trinity though there is no substantiall ground for the word holy either in the Latine or Greek Rom. 6.5 Of the former Aquinas in his Comment on Hebr. 11.35 saith it was rather a resuscitation then a resurrection and again c Isti sic resuscitati sunt iterum mortui Christus autem resuegens ex mortuis jam non moritur Rom. 6.9 These being raised died again but Christ rising from the dead dieth no more Rom. 6.9 3. And therefore Christs resurrection was as Aquinas saith and as it is indeed the beginning of the future resurrection Then must they needs die again who were raised before him He was the first Guide that lead the way to the eternall resurrection He abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light 2. Tim. 1.10 Life and immortalitie to light which were before in darknesse And I think that the Apostle may well be thus paraphrased in that place to the Hebrews The women desired that their dead children might be raised again 1. King 17.18 2. King 4.22 c. and as a gift
they received their dead raised to life again to live with them according to their desire But others were tortured and would not accept deliverance and cared not for the joyes of this life or the punishment unto death nor temporary raising that they might obtain the better resurrection not to die again as the others did but to live for evermore 4 But as for the third Tostatus saith He lived a long time and he was more healthie then he was before he died And he giveth this sound reason Because what things are done supernaturally are farre more perfect then they that are done naturally Never was there so good wine as the water turned into wine the choicenesse whereof was so easily discerned even when the palate was cloyed when the taste was corrupted and dull'd towards the end of a feast Joh. 2.10 Now as he lived a long time so out of doubt in the end he died tasting of mortalitie as truely as the Prophet did whose bones before had raised him O Blessed Jesu I beg not at thy hands the reuniting of my soul unto my body for a temporary life but if it be thy holy will let the vertue of thy Passion raise me first from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and from a righteous temporary life to the life of immortall happinesse Grant this for thy glorious Names sake O holy Redeemer Amen CHAP. III. 1. Whilest Christ lived none raised any dead save himself onely 2. The Rulers daughter raised by Christ died again 3. So did the young man whom Christ recalled to life 4. Many miracles in that miracle of Lazarus his resurrection 5. Christ gave perfect health to those whom he healed or raised 6. Lazarus his holy life and his second death 1. THe next place of my division leadeth me to treat of those whom Christ himself raised For if Christ did give authoritie to his twelve Apostles to raise the dead Matth. 10.8 though both in the old Interpreter and Theophylact these words are wanting saith Beza yet did they not or the Seventie at their return to him say they had raised any which he himself did so sparingly though they healed the sick Mark 6.13 and the devils were subject unto them through his name Luk. 10.17 Neither did the Baptist nor any in Christs life-time raise up any so farre as can be gathered It was a work he appropriated to his own power for the act thereof whilest he lived and which he maketh to be an infallible token and proof that he was the Messiah as appeareth by the answer of the ambassage which Christ returned to the Baptist Luk. 7.22 The dead are raised by me or by my power Therefore I am he that should come For that is one member of his argument And indeed perhaps he raised divers whom the Scripture hath not particularized for he did very many things that are not written Joh. 21.25 Yea many signes truely did he in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book Joh. 20.30 and his Apostles after his death did actuate that power which habitually in his life they received 2. But those that are mentioned to be raised by Christ whilest he lived on earth are likewise three 1. A Rulers daughter Matth. 9.25 2. A dead man the onely sonne of his mother Luk. 7.15 3. Lazarus his friend Joh. 11.44 And all these returned to do their offices and follow their vocations in this life and in the end payed their due to nature and died again In the first we observe that she was a damsel of twelve yeares of age and being dead her spirit came again Luk. 8.55 She arose and walked Mark 5.42 and Christ commanded to give her meat in the same place of Luke And as the meat was commanded to be given her that they might see she was to live such a life as before she lived so out of doubt the commanded meat was offered unto her and she did eat and was strengthened by it both living and dying afterwards as other maids and men did and no way rising to immortall life 3. As for the second he was a young man on whose mother Christ had compassion Luk. 7.13 She was a widow the youth her onely sonne and when Christ touch'd but the coffin and said Young man arise that you may see both his vertue and his voice had a piercing and quickning power he that was dead sat up and began to speak and Christ delivered him to his mother vers 15. Now these are evident signes of a naturall life in a naturall body which must yeeld in the end to the stroke of death And the raising of this young man being bruited abroad was the especiall motive why the Baptist sent two disciples with a message unto Christ Luk. 7.17 c. 4. The third whom Christ raised was Lazarus who had been buried foure dayes ere Christ came unto him Joh. 11.17 that I may passe over the uncertain time from his death to his buriall d Foetens quairiduanut Stinking after foure dayes enterring saith S. Augustine Yet when Jesus cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave-clothes and his face was bound about with a napkin and Jesus saith unto them Loose him and let him go Joh. 11.44 In which miracle I finde foure or five wrapped up and involved That so suddenly his soul did come from its abode That the stinking ill-organized body was so soon so well prepared That the soul was so quickly united and no sooner united then exercising her faculties on the bodie which yeelded such ready obedience That he could see the way out of the grave and perchance approach towards our Saviour when his eyes were blinded That he was able to go and walk before he was loosed by them while his hands and his feet were bound with grave-clothes Yet that the miracle aimed not to raise him to an immortall life appeareth because he did not onely go from his grave to Bethanie to the house where his sisters Mary and Martha were but because he supped with our Saviour he being one of them that sat at the table with Jesus Joh. 12.2 where out of doubt he did eat as the rest did There is an argument yet left as undeniable as unanswerable That the then living did think Lazarus lived to die again For the chief Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death as well as Christ Joh. 12.10 which they would not they could not have done if he had not lived and could not die like other men if he had been raised to life immortall and they knew he was once raised Joh. 11.45 47. 5. Concerning the sick that were healed and the dead raised by Christ worthy Writers further agree that Christ did integram corporis sanitatem conferre omni infirmitate rejectâ Left no reliques of sicknesse or infirmity when he healed Christ never healed any one man twice Joh.
by the Evangelist Matth. 27.52 and 53 verses The graves were opened and many bodies of Saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many So farre the text Of the various pointing of which words see more hereafter opening two windows for two expositions On which words divers worthy men both modern and ancient conclude That those Saints died not again k Sed apparuerunt multis etiam cum Christo nunquam ultrà morituri abierunt in coelum But appeared to many and with Christ never after were to die but went into heaven saith Jacobus Faber Stapulensis And Mr. Beza on this place opineth that they did not rise that again they might live among men and die as Lazarus and others did but that they might accompany Christ by whose power they rose into eternall life The late Writers saith Maldonate think that they went into heaven with Christ and with them doth himself agree So Pineda on Job 19.25 So Suarez a third Jesuit So Anselm So Aquinas on the place and on the Sentences So if Suarez cite them truely Origen in the first book to the Romanes about those words of the first chapter By the resurrection of Jesus our Lord and Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. 6. and Justinus Quaest 85. Ambrose in his Enarration on the first Psalme and Eusebius Demonst 4.12 and of modern Authours and of our Church Bishop Bilson in the effect of his Sermons touching the full redemption of mankinde by the death and bloud of Jesus Christ pag. 217. So Baronius ad annum Christi 48. num 24. concerning those Saints whom Christ piercing the heavens carried with himself on high leading captivitie captive Ephes 4.8 More reserved and moderate is Mr. Montague that indefatigable Student sometime my chamber-fellow and President in the Kings Colledge in Cambridge now the Reverend Lord Bishop of Chichester who in his answer to the Gag of the Protestants pag. 209. saith of these Saints They were Saints indeed deceased but restored to life and peradventure unto eternall life in bodies as well as souls MOst cleare Fountain of Wisdome inexhaustible wash I beseech thee the spots of my soul and in the midst of many puddles of errour cleanse my understanding that I may know and embrace the truth through Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. V. 1. Who were supposed to be the Saints which were raised by such as maintain that they accompanied Christ into heaven 2. A strange storie out of the Gospel of the Nazarens 3. Adams soul was saved Adams bodie was raised about Christs Passion saith Pineda out of diverse Fathers Thus farre Pineda hath truth by him That the sepulchre of Adam was on mount Calvarie so say Athanasius Origen Cyprian Ambrose Basil Epiphanius Chrysostom Augustine Euthymius Anastasius Sinaita Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople 4. It was applauded in the Church in Hieromes time 5. Theophylact thought Adam buried in Calvarie Drusius unadvisedly taxeth the Fathers Tertullian consenteth with other Fathers and Nonnus who is defended against Heinsius 6. At Jerusalem they now shew the place where Adam his head was found Moses Barcepha saith that Sem after the floud buried the head of Adam 7. The Romane storie of Tolus and Capitolium much resembling the storie of Adam 1. TO the clearing of this cloud and that we may carry the truth visibly before us I think it fit to enquire First Who these Saints were which thus miraculously arose and then secondly to determine Whether their bodies were again deposited in the earth till the resurrection or Whether in their bodies with Christ they ascended into heaven 2. For the first Hugo Cardinalis on Matth. 27.53 hath an old storie It is said saith he in the Evangelisme of the Nazarens that two good and holy men who were dead before about fourty yeares came into the Temple and saying nothing made signes to have pen ink and parchment and wrote That those who were in Limbus rejoyced upon Christs descent and that the devils sorrowed Though the rest be fabulous yet herein the Gospel of the Nazarens agreeth with our Gospel That the names of the raised are not mentioned Others have been bold to set down both the names and the order of them who arose 3. Augustine Epist 99. ad Euodium thus a De illo quidem primo homine patre generis humani quòd eum ibidem Christus ad inserna descendens solverit Ecclesia ferè tota conseutit Almost the whole Church agreeth That Christ descending into hell freed the first Adam thence That the Church beleeved this non inaniter not vainly but upon some good ground we are to beleeve from whence soever the tradition came though there be no expresse Scripture If this be true of Adams soul yet is it nothing to our question of his bodily resuscitation Proceed we therefore to those that think his very bodie was raised Adam then arose saith Athanasius in his Sermon of the Passion and the Crosse saith Origen in his 35 Tractate on Matthew saith Augustine 161 quest on Genesis and others also if Pineda on the fore-cited place wrong them not And he giveth this congruentiall reason That Adam who heard the sentence of death should presently also be partaker of the resurrection by Christ and with him who had expiated his sinne by death To which may be added That as S. Hierom reports the Jews have a tradition that the ramme was slain on mount Calvarie in stead of Isaac as also Augustine Serm. 71. de Tempore ratifieth And to this day they say they have there the altar of Melchisedech So Athanasius reports from the Jewish Doctours that in Golgotha was the sepulchre of Adam This is true but it is not certain that Adam was raised and not true that he ascended bodily into heaven Mr. Broughton in his observations of the first ten Fathers saith thus Rambam recordeth that which no reason can deny how the Jews ever held by Tradition that Adam Abel and Cain offered where Abraham offered Isaac where both Temples were built on which mountain Christ taught and died And as the place was called Calvaria because the head or skull of a man was there found and found bare without hair and depilated saith Basil so divers Fathers have concluded that Adam was there buried and that it was his head See Origen tractat 35. on Matth. Cyprian in his sermon on the resurrection Ambrose in his tenth book of his commentaries on Luk. 23. Basil on the fifth of Esay Epiphanius contra Haeres lib. 1. Chrysostome Homil. 84. in Joannem Augustine Serm. 71. de Tempore and de Civitat 16.32 Euthymius on Matth. So Athanasius Sinaita lib. 6. in Hexam in Tom. 1. Bibliothecae Patrum and Sanctus Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople in Theoria rerum Ecclesiast as you may see in Tom. 6. Biblioth Patrum besides abundance of new writers with whose names I delight not to load my page 4 Hierom on
and finde fault with him 2. Esdr 7.48 O thou Adam what hast thou done for though it was thou that sinned thou art not fallen alone but we all that come of thee And a little before namely verse 46. This is my first and last saying that it had been better not to have given the earth unto Adam or else when it was given him to have restrained him from sinning Mark also the Antithesis used Ecclesiasticus 49.16 Sem and Seth were in great honour among men and so was Adam above every living thing in the creation where he remarkably extolleth Sem and Seth but praiseth Adams excellencie onely at the creation And so Vatablus expounds it Howsoever after his fall he was not so highly esteemed as others were No more did the multitude shew any extraordinary estimate of Noah though as Adam was the fruitfull root the protoplast so Noah was the restorer of mankinde under God For these were the founders as well of Gentiles as Jews But Abraham and the Patriarchs and the Prophets since them they reverenced above measure for the extraordinary blessings vouchsafed by God unto the Jews above the Gentiles for their sakes and in them and by them Now to such indeed their posteritie builded tombes Matth. 23.30 though their fathers had killed some of them To the second part of the objection Why they did suffer malefactours to be there punished I answer that it is a doubt undecided whether the ordinary delinquents were put to death on mount Calvarie before the Romanes overcame the Jews If not then patience perforce they could not remedie it if the other appointed it If so yet the Jews might be ignorant of Adams sepulchre and how could they grace and beautifie his tombe when they knew not where he lay Again what if I say That like as Gods eternall decree and determinate counsel being that Christ should die for our sinnes the Jews and Gentiles Priests Scribes and Pharisees yea the devils themselves were for a while and a time blinded that they knew not or would not know Christ to be the Messiah though they had more evident miraculous proofs of his working then could be of a buriall-place so long fore-passed as Adams was but put him to death Act. 2.23 and chap. 3.17 So Gods eternall decree that Christ should be crucified in the execution-place of malefactours and in the place of Adams sepulchre being perhaps to this end to manifest that Christs bloud did wash and purge sinne originall sinne actuall Adam and notorious offenders with all and all manner of persons and all and all kinde of sinnes the people were also blinded that either they did not know or not respect the place of Adams buriall especially since God often casts in their teeth Adams disobedience and compared their sinnes to his They like Adam have transgressed the covenant Hos 6.7 Where Drusius preferreth this reading with us with Hierom with Pagnine and with Rabbi Solomon the ordinarie Interpreter of the Hebrews before the reading of Junius and Tremellius and the Genevans And Jerem. 32.19 Gods eyes were open to all the wayes of the sonnes of Adam Which is also confirmed Isa 43.27 2. Esdr 7.11 Thus much in love of truth against all opposites with Pineda for the common opinion of the Fathers that Adam was buried on Golgotha I adde that if any of the Patriarchs arose bodily Adam was one For upon other reasons hereafter to be shewen I dare not be so assertive as the Liturgies of divers Churches and as divers Fathers who are expresse that Adam was raised from his grave See them cited by the learned James Usher Bishop of Meath in his answer to a challenge made by a Jesuit pag. 324. which is the next point to be handled O Light inaccessible O Ancient of dayes O Fulnesse of knowledge govern me walking in the paths of darknes in things of old in ambiguities and uncertainties of opinion and keep me from singularitie of self-presuming that I may keep the unitie of truth in the bond of peace through him who is both our Truth and our Peace even Jesus Christ the Righteous Amen CHAP. VII 1. Though Adam was buried on Calvarie as Pineda saith yet his proofs are weak that Adam was raised with Christ and went bodily into heaven with him The cited place of Athanasius proveth onely Adams buriall there Origen in the place cited is against Pineda Augustine is palpably falsified 2. Adams skull shewed lately at Jerusalem 3. Dionysius Carthusianus saith Eve then arose His opinion is without proof 4. Nor Abraham then arose 5. Nor Isaac then arose whatsoever Pineda affirmeth 1. BUt the second part of Pineda his opinion on Job the 19.25 I cannot like though he laboureth to prove it partly by authoritie partly by reason That those many who arose about the time of Christs Passion ascended bodily into heaven with him As Authours he citeth Athanasius in his Sermon on the Passion and the Crosse Origen c. That Adam was buried on Golgotha Athanasius saith but that Adam arose not long after Christs resurrection I cannot finde in him or cited by any other out of him As for Origen his second Authour in the same Tractate cited by Pineda he maketh directly against him for he maintaineth from Tradition that the first Adam was buried where Christ was crucified that as in Adam all die so in Christ all should be made alive that in the place of a skull the head of mankinde namely Adam Resurrectionem inveniat cum populo universo Should partake of the generall resurrection by the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour who there suffered and rose again But the last and best Authour the divine S. Augustine is palpably and apparently falsified for he hath no such word in the quoted place Lastly the reason that Pineda alledgeth is shallow That Adam who heard the sentence of death should presently be partaker of the resurrection by him and with him who had satisfied for the sinne What likelihood is there of inference or coherence I dare say not one of the Fathers cited at large by Baronius Salianus and Maldonate to prove that Adam was buried in Golgotha do give the least touch at this reason of Pineda but many other ends of Adams being there buried do they muster up 2. And the Jesuite Pineda either knew it not or forgot it or sleeked it over as little imagining we should have notice that the cheating priests who kept the sepulchre and the Church built over it at Jerusalem did shew to the devout Christians a skull which they said was the skull of Adam of which they said also the mountain was called Golgotha as saith the eye and eare-witnesse Mr. Fines Morison in his first part 3. book 2. chap. pag. 230. and pag. 233. Thus according to them Adam either arose not hitherto or arose without a head at least without his skull or with an other mans head which three latter wayes destroy the truth of the resurrection
compared Book 1. p. 13 14 15. The Ascension of Christ represented in the assumption of Enoch and Elias Book 3. p. 191 to 195. B BEauty desired Book 1. pag. 19. The Being or not Being of a thing may be said divers wayes Book 2. p. 77. Bristoll built of old by Brennus ibid. p. 23 24. C WHence the Capitol in Rome had its name B. 2. pag. 18. Ceremonies Leviticall died at first by degrees and now they are not onely dead but deadly Book 1. p. 3. There is no Chance where Providence reigneth Book 2. p. 71 72. Cherubims with reall flaming swords were placed in Paradise Book 1. p. 2 3. and why ibid. p. 23. Christs beautie in his humanitie described together with his Passion B. 1. p. 18 19 20. compare ibid. p. 193. Christ doth us more good then Adam did us harm ibid. p. 185 to 188. Christ saved more in number then Adam condemned ibid. p. 188 189. c. Whether Christ were in Adam and how ibid. p. 82 83. The judgement of the essentiall Church of Christ is infallible ibid. p. 148. Circumcision of women by the Turks ibid. p. 144. A wicked Companion is very dangerous Book 3. p. 184 185. Conception what it is and how B. 1. p. 93 to 99. Confirmation in grace is of two sorts ibid. p. 48. Generall Councels are the highest earthly Judges of Scriptures controversed ibid. p. 136 148. D DEath is threefold Book 1. p. 4. Death is common to all ibid. Death Naturall and Violent ibid. p. 17. Sinne is the onely cause of Death ibid. p. 26 27. Death is bitter because painfull ibid. pag. 28 31. Death is sweet to some men because God makes it beneficiall unto them ibid. pag. 32 33 c. Death was inflicted on Adam for one sinne ibid. Death was inflicted for the sinne of the man Adam not of the woman Eve ibid. pag. 36 to 44. Speedy death by some is accounted best Book 3. pag. 187. Whether all Adams posteritie without priviledge or exception must and shall die Book 3. Chap. 1 2 3 throughout The difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book 1. pag. 192 193 c. Disciples of Christ were none of them Noble at least not Nobly bred Book 2. pag. 86. E OF the East-Indians and their language Book 3. p. 204. Of Elias and Enoch whether they be yet living or dead Book 3. Chap. 2. throughout Divers questions about Enoch more especially ibid. p. 181 182 c. Equivocation in what sense and in what cases it may be allowable Book 1. pag. 165 167. The second book of Esdras was never held Canonicall ibid. p. 7. Eve remained an intemerate virgin untill after the sinne of Adam ib. p. 39 40. Whether Eve sinned before she talked with the serpent ibid. pag. 60. Excommunication was of three sorts in the Jewish politie Book 2. pag. 48 49. F THe word Father is diversly taken in the holy Scripture Book 1. pag. 120. and Book 2. pag. 113 c. G GEnealogies were ever drawn from the Males Book 1. page 40 41. H THe Healed by Christ were never a second time cured of any disease Book 2. p. 8. Heavenly influences which are noxious are the causes of much sicknesse and destruction Book 1. p. 17. All languages have some words retaining the foot-steps of the Hebrew Book 2. p. 45. When the Hebrew points were first used Book 1. p. 100 101 102. Hebron the citie Book 2. page 19 to 29. Humilitie ibid. p. 161 162. The humilitie of S. Paul Book 2. p. 84 85. The Husband represents the wife Book 1. p. 140. I JEr 10.11 was the onely verse of his whole prophesie that was written in Chaldee which every captive Jew was commanded to cast in the teeth of the Babylonians Book 1. p. 180. Jerusalem the holy citie Book 2. p. 154 155 156. Ignorance threefold Book 1. p. 60. Interpretation of Scriptures is the Pastours right with whom the Laitie must consult ibid. p. 149 150 156 181 182. Book 2. p. 63. Interpretation of Scriptures by Anagrams is profane B. 1. p. 152 153. Whether interpretation of Scriptures or judgement of doctrine do in any sort belong unto the people and how farre ibid. p. 157 159. Helps and cautions prescribed unto the people for interpretation of Scriptures ibid. pag. 160 to pag. 169 c. John the Apostle his death Book 3. p. 187 188 189. Joseph was the first-born of Jacob. Book 1. p. 142 143. Joseph was a type of Christ Book 2. p. 33. A twofold acception of the word Judgement Book 1. p. 6. Judgement after death is private of souls publick of bodies and souls ibid. K. KIngs represent the people under them Book 1. p. 183 184. Of the honour due unto the King ibid. Whether Korah Dathan and Abiram descended with all their goods truly into hell Book 3. p. 214 215 to p. 221. L WHerein the confusion of Languages consisted Book 2. p. 45 46. Orientall languages conduce much to the understanding of Scriptures therefore necessarie to be studied ib. p. 48. Of the same languages also B. 3. p. 204 205. Of Lazarus raised by Christ Book 2. p. 7 8 9. Humane Learning is an handmaid to Divinitie ib. p. 88 89. Literall sense of Scripture is hardest to be found Book 1. p. 149. M MAgistrates not to be reviled Book 1. p. 168 169 170. Maran-atha expounded Book 2. p. 48 to p. 54. Of Melchisedech and why he is said to be without father and mother Book 3. p. 201 202 c. to p. 206. Members of the bodie are not all of equall worth Book 1. p. 63. God is very Mercifull unto all ib. p. 186 187. Whether Moses at the Transfiguration appeared in his own true person or not Book 3. p. 208 209 c. O IN Oaths we must be warie of mentall reservations and unlawfull equivocations Book 1. p. 166 167. Opinion Book 2. p. 83. Originall sinne See Sinne. P OF Paradise Book 3. pag. 194 195 196 197. The Pastours wisdome both for the matter and manner of his doctrine Book 1. p. 158. The Patriarchs were buried in Sychem Book 2. chap. 10. Meerly Personalls are not propagated B. 1. p. 109 to p. 138. S. Peter represented all the Apostles Joh. 21.15 16. Book 1. p. 147. The Pope is servus servorum Dei ibid. p. 132. The Priviledges of a few make not a law Book 2. p. 160. Whether God may justly Punish the Fathers for the childrens actuall delinquencies B. 1. p. 119 120. In what cases God may and doth punish the children for their Parents faults either with temporall or eternall punishment ib. p. 118 to p. 124. Every individuall man is justly punished for originall sinne in Adam ib. p. 145 146 147 c. R REdemption was of a double kinde in the Leviticall law Book 1. p. 143. Of Reliques Book 2. chap. 12. and the Authours esteem of a true choice Relique ibid. p. 130 131. The Resurrection was typified in
his Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they two shall be one flesh and by the same words perhaps understand Christ and his Church and that mysterie explained by S. Paul Ephes 5.31 c. those being the words of Adam as †Epiph. Contr a Ptolemaîtas Epiphanius saith of Adam speaking unto God speaking the truth of God and in this respect as I conceive Christ saith Matth. 19.4 c. these words are the words of God of the Creator as all light is from the Sunne so all truth from God as on the contrarie all lies are from the Devill I say if Adam could foresee marriages generations cohabitations mysteries and future usances he could not be ignorant that that law was given him to keep to the blisse of all mankinde and the contempt thereof would draw on the destruction of his posteritie And I think I shall not erre if I collect from the correlative correspondencie which must be between the Type and the Antitype the shadow and the substance That the first Adam knew his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or disobedience was sufficient to bring destruction on all mankinde as the second Adam knew that his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or obedience was a sufficient redemption for the sinnes of all the World Durand foolishly presupposeth that the will of Adam sinning was ours onely concomitativè interpretativè because we lost originall justice when Adam finned beyond his thoughts or intentions * Stap. De Originali Peccato 1.9 Stapleton saith truly If Adam intended no such thing with an actuall intention yet he did it with a virtuall intention But I rather think that the word If may be cut off and we may say Adam did as Esau afterward prefer temporals before spirituals and as all the sonnes of Adam do at one time or other for he was not ignorant of the danger yet embraced it and he might say within himself Video meliora probóque Deteriora sequor * Aug. De Gen. ad lit 11.18 Augustine hath this wittie Quaere Whether Adam and Eve foreknew their fall For if he did before hand know that he should sinne and that God would revenge it whence could he be happie and so he was in Paradise yet not happie If he did not foreknow his fall then by this ignorance he was either uncertain of that blessednesse and how was he then truly blessed or certain by a false hope and not by a right knowledge and then how was he not a fool I answer They did not know that they should fall or sinne for there was no necessitie laid upon them and to know the unalterable certaintie of a thing contingent as their future estate was is to take away the nature of its contingencie and to make it unavoidable But for all this ignorance they were certain enough of blessednesse if they would themselves and their wills and persons were in Paradise blessed though changeable though not so wholy blessed as good Angels are or as the Saints shall be For if we say Nothing is blessed but what hath attained absolute certainty and the height of blessednesse the very blessed Spirits of heaven shall not be said to be blessed especially if they be compared with God who onely is blessed And so Adam and Eve were beati modo quodam inferiori non tamen nullo that I answer in Augustines words Again to the former part of this Question I answer That they knew before hand that they could sinne and that God would punish them if they did sinne and yet for all this they had the grace given to stand if they would and so to avoid both sinne and punishment and withall they knew that they had that grace But if before hand they had known or could have known that they should have sinned they could not have been happie in Paradise yet as they were in Paradise they were happie though they knew not that they should fall For if men on earth may be called Saints Saints of light Blessed as they are often and Spirituall Galat. 6.1 though they were in their bodies to passe through both temptations and tribulations and can not divers times but fall much more Adam might be termed Blessed in Paradise who though he saw he might fall yet he saw also he might have stood and so rejoyced saith Augustine himself for the reward to come that he endured no tribulation for the present Lastly to S. Augustines three-headed Dilemma I answer by distinguishing There is a threefold ignorance The first is pravae dispositionis when one is prepossessed with a false opinion excluding knowledge this may be called positive ignorance or plain errour The second is ignorantia privationis when a man knoweth not what he is bound to know neither of these can consist with blessednesse nor was in innocent Adam But there is a third viz. ignoratio simplicis nescientiae when we know not such things as we need not to know This was in Adam and is in good Angels yea Christ himself knew not some things This ignorance is not sinfull nor erronious not making either imaginarily happie or foolish This great law in Tertullians phrase is stiled * Lex primordialis generalis quasi matrix omnium praeceptorum Dei The Mother-law breeding all other laws which had been sufficient for them if they had kept it saith he * Aug. De Civit. 14.12 Augustine and * Chrys Homil. 41. in Acta Apost Chrysostom agree in this That Adams first sinne onely maketh us culpable †Chrys in Ephes 6. Chrysostom calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first sinne Augustin saith that * Prima duntaxat Adae transgressio transit in posteros quia illo primo peccato universa naturae corrupta est Cont. Julian 3.6 Onely the first transgression of Adam is passed upon the posteritie because the whole nature is corrupted by that first sinne Therefore when a childe is born he hath originall sinne and death the wages thereof annexed as due to it not because he is a creature not because he is a person not because he is a person of mankinde or humane nature not because he descended from his immediate or mediate parents not because they came from Eve not onely because he was in the loyns of Adam of sinning or sinfull Adam but because he was in Adam when he first sinned and implicitly gave his consent to the committing of that first transgression and that primarie aversion which hath led us astray ever since 4. Some have held that Eve sinned before she talked with the Serpent So * Rup lib. 3. De Operib Trinit in Gen. cap. 5. Rupertus and * Ferus in Gen. 3. Ferus But certainly she sinned before Adam being carried headlong with the Bonū apparens did little imagine to work so much mischief Had she known that her husbands yeelding should necessarily and infallibly bring forth death to him and all his posteritie and after
that have offered him the forbidden fruit she had been full of deceit and her intentions had been stained with the just aspersion of seducement But she might think her sinne was little or none and perswade herself she should not die and relate that perswasion to her husband or think onely of Gods mercy who had never tasted of his judgements And perhaps he seeing that she had touched the fruit and was not dead sunk under her enticements and did eat Before I part with this point two questions more must needs be answered First Whether Eve sinned the same sinne with Adam Secondly Whether of their sinnes were the greatest Concerning the first I answer In regard that both of them knew that to eat of the forbidden fruit was unlawfull and displeasing to God and yet did eat they sinned the same sinne but as the commandment was given to Adam before Eves creation as Adam was the root of mankinde and as his posterity was to stand or fall in him onely and not in Eve so she sinned not the same sinne with Adam She sinned the same sinne in respect of the outward eating not in regard of the inward obligation She sinned the same sin in se so much as concerned her own person she sinned not the same sinne extensivè erga alios For as her good actions considered by themselves should not have been the rule or square according to which our humane natures should have been framed but for all her uprightnes if Adam had sinned we had died so her sinne or sinnes setting Adam apart had not extended to the corruption or destruction of mankinde Though in innocencie they did see much yet they could then see no deformitie nay though Eve had sinned and sinned divers sinnes before Adam sinned any for she beleeved the Serpent distrusted God fell to unlawfull desires and did eat yet they were both blinde and neither Eve herself did consider her own faults as she should nor Adam Eves faults but immediately so soon as Adam had eaten Genes 3.7 The eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked For their nakednes came by Adams sinne and not by Eves the same sinne of hers and his was not the same neither Adam nor we nor she herself by her sinnes were bare and naked of goodnes or had lost Bonum naturae but onely gratiae personalis but when once he had sinned he she and we were all naked our natures corrupt and to be ashamed of and both of them knew it Their eyes opened themselves so Tremellius hath it differing from the Hebrew and the Septuagint The truth is she sinned the same sinne twice for she ate first by herself and then her eyes were not opened Neither was she spoiled of originall justice saith Franciscus Aretinus as it was gratia gratis data nor did she feelthe motions of concupiscence or knew her own nakednes till Adam had sinned For if she had been deprived of grace so soon as she sinned she should have been ashamed of her nakednes neither durst she to have gone naked to her husband but for modestie would have sought some covering or fled into corners So farre Aretinus or Cornelius à Lapide who citeth him But after this her eating and this her sinne she cometh to her husband and offereth him some to eat and eateth with him the second time and perchance began to eat the second time ere he ate once and suffered him to see her eat Sure I am the Hebrew runneth thus She did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat but the 70 say of Eve first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where they are peremptorie that Adam and Eve or rather Eve and Adam are both together And Vatablus well expoundeth the SECVM id est vt unà cum ipsa ederet and the proof is pertinent enough though we do not reade with the Septuagint They did eat but with the Hebrew He did eat namely with her or after he had seen her eat The summe is she ate first she ate again with him she sinned the same sinne And further though she sinned the same sinne the third time in his eating and by it aswell as we did who also were in him ratione principii yet was it not her sinne but his sinne that overthrew both him her and us and in this sense we may truly say she sinned not the same sinne with Adam So much for the first question It cometh secondarilie to be enquired Whether Adams or Eves sinne was the greater 5. To say that no sinne is greater then other is one of the grossest errors that have been Me thinks a Stoick should be ashamed to say that Nero Heliogabalus and the grand Epicure sinned not worse then Cato the Utican Aristides the Just or Zeno the Cittien of Cyprus the great upholder of their own sect or that unmatchable Titus the Emperour who lamented the day in which he did not good to some man was no better then Timon the Man-hater No other Philosophers ever joyned hands with them in that folly * Hoc de parilitate peccatorum soli Sioici ausi sunt disput are nam sic fecerunt contra emnem sensam generis humani Aug. Epist 29. Ad Hieronymum This of the equalitie of sinnes the Stoicks onely have dared to dispute for they did so against all the sense feeling and opinion of mankinde saith S. Augustin Yet Jovinian sided with them but S. Hierom confuted him * Quam corum vanitatem in Joviniano illo qui in hac sententia Stoicus erat in auâ—upandis autem defensand is voluptatibus Epicurâ—us de Scripturis Sanctâ—â— diiucidissimè convicisiâ— Which opinion of theirs in that Jovinian who in this tenent was a Stoick but in pursuing and defending pleasures an Epicure out of the sacred Scriptures thou hast most clearely convinced as S. Augustine in the same place testifieth of S. Hierom to S. Hierom. The same in effect saith S. Hierom himself of himself against Jovinian * Nullam inter justum justum peccatorem peccato em esse distantiam veterémque Zenenis sententiam tam communi sensa quà m divinâ lectionecontrivim us Hieron Cont. Jovin lib. 2. We have crusht both by common sense and by divine Scripture the error of Jovinian who would prove that there is no difference between just and just a sinner and a sinner and also the old opinion of Zeno. And indeed so he did in the same book both by answering all Jovinians objections and overlaying him with sound proofs I omit whatsoever S. Hierom hath laboriously acutely and truly collected against the Stoicall equalitie of sinnes and against Jovinians wilde inferences Let him that thirsteth have recourse to the fountain in the said second book of S. Hierom against Jovinian Fons vincet sitientem Yet suffer me to cast my mite into the Treasurie First Elencticè upon the by then Didacticè on the main Concerning the first unto one of the