A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The deſcription and ſituation of Paradiſe.
THIS may ſeeme as ſtrange a title to ſome, as how to meaſure the latitude of the heauens, the depth of the Sea, or how to number the innumerable ſtarres of the firmament, yea much more; ſeeing that of theſe we hauehave ſome ſight, ſome experience, ſome naturall ground; but of this of Paradiſe, we hauehave no view, no experience, nor any naturall foundation ſufficient to build ſuch mighty machinas of conceipts, as ſome doe more boldly, then ſoundly conceiue of Paradiſe.
But yet to this I anſwere; that as we ought, (according to prudence, and wiſedome) to giuegive credit vntounto ſuch as are expert in any faculty, as long as we hauehave no ſufficient ground to contradict: So much more vntounto the Fathers and other learned Diuines, in points appertaining vntounto Diuinity: and in particular of theſe of Patadiſe, which though they be not altogether ſo euident in the Scripture; yet at leaſt way, they are either euidently deduced, or prabably inferred out of the ſacred text; ſuch as Iſidors deſcription of Paradice is, who in the fourteenth book of his Aetimologies deſcribeth it thus.
Iſidorus lib. 14. aetimologiarum. The deſcription of Paradiſe.Paradyſe is a place ſituated in the Orientall parts of the world, whoſe aetimology (the word beeing tranſlated out of Greeke into Latin,) ſignifieth hortum a Garden. In Hebrew it is called Heden, which interpreted in Latin is the ſame that deliciae, delights: wherefore both names being ioyned together, they ſignifie a Garden of all manner of delights, and pleaſures, a place beſet with all kinde of fruitfull, and beautifull trees: where there is neyther cold, nor heat, but a perpetuall temper of aire; furthermore out of this ſo pleaſant a place there floweth in great aboundance, a faire fountaine, which watereth the whole Garden and trees thereof, which afterward is diuided into foure huge and great riuers, but the entrance of this place is alwayes ſhut vp, for the ſinne of our firſt Fathers: yea it is alwaies enuironed and guarded on eueryevery ſide with a fiery ſword; ſo that the very flames doe alwaies almoſt touch euen the heauens themſelues. In this place finally, are placed the Cherubins, to wit, a moſt vigilant cuſtody, or centinell of Angels, for the terror and expulſion of euill ſpirits. Inſomuch that neyther man nor euill ſpirit may hauehave acceſſe thither, man being kept away by the fiery flame, the euil ſpirits by the watch of the Cherubins: thus farre Iſodorus.
Which is the ſame in effect, which Alchinus expreſſeth in theſe few verſes lib. 1. carminum de initio mundi. cap. 9.Alchinius his deſcriptiō of Paradiſe lib. 1.o carminū de initio mundi cap. 9.
Ergo vbi trāſmiſſis mundi caput incipit Indis,
Qua perhibent terram confinia iungere coelo.
Lucus in acceſſa cunctis mortalibus arce
Permanet.
Hic ver aſſiduum coeli clementia ſeruat.
Turbidus anſter abeſt, ſemper que ſub aëre ſudo
Nubila diffugiunt iugi ceſſura ſireno
Nec poſcit natura loci, quos non habet imbres
Sed contenta ſuo dotantur germinarore.
Sic cum deſit hiems nec torrida ferreat aeſtas,
Fructibus autumnus, ver floribus occupat annū.
To which deſcription I adde that of Tertullian in his Apologie againſt the Gentiles,Tertullianus apol. cō tragentiles. where he ſaith, that Paradiſe is a place of diuine pleaſure, deſtinated for the receiuing of the bleſſed ſpirits; ſegregated from the notice of the world by a fiery circle or girdle, which compaſſeth it about.
Baſilius orat de Paradyſo.Baſil alſo in his oration of Paradiſe doth deſcribe it thus. Paradiſe is a place flowing with all ſorts of pleaſure and delights, ſurpaſsing farre the beauty of all ſenſible creatures, which by reaſon of the height it hath, admitteth no obſcurity of night, or darkneſſe by clouds, but rather is alwaies reſplendent with the ſhining of the orientall ſtarres: to which place alſo there can come no immoderate force of windes, no ſtorme, no tempeſt, no horrour of winter, no inundation by waters, no burning of Sommer, no drought of Autumne, but a continuall and peaceble temperature of all times and ſeaſons, inſomuch that, that which may bee iuſtly thought the beſt and most pleaſant of eueryevery ſeuerall time of the yeare, that doth alwaies heere concur and abound, to wit, a continuall pleaſure of the ſpring, the aboundance of harueſt, the mirth and alacrity of Autumne, with the reſt and quietneſſe of the winter. To which Ephren (as hee is alleadged by Barſephas in his Treatiſe of Paradiſe) addeth, that it is beyond the Ocean, in another world. And S. Auſtine ad Oroſium, that is a place ſituated in the Eaſt part of the world, reaching euen vp to the circle of the moone: and ſo as it was ſafe from the inundation of the flood; ſo alſo it is inacceſſible to man after his firſt expulſion thence.
Abulenſis alſo ſeemeth in part to aſſent, ſaying,2 Cap. in Gen q. 2 &c. 13. q. 107. that though Paradiſe toucheth not the Globe, or circle of the moone, yet (ſaith hee) it farre exceedeth the limits of our turbulent, and darke aire; and that it is placed in the third region of the aire, higher at leaſt by twenty cubits, then all the mountaines of the earth: ſo that the waters of Noahs flood, which tranſcē ded (according as the Scripture relateth) all the mountaines of the earth, fifteene cubits, could cauſe no dammage to ſo high a place, as that of Paradiſe.
Bonauent. lib. 2 ſent. diſt. 17.Finally Bonauenture in the ſecond booke of the ſentences, diſt. 17. houldeth Paradyſe to be vnderunder the equinoctiall line; becauſe (as he and many others hauehave imagined) there is alwaies a perpetuall temper of the Heauens and time, by reaſon of the perpetuall equality of the dayes and nights vnderunder that line.
Eugubinus, Oleaſter, & Vatablus in 2. cap. Gen.Eugubinus, Oleaſter and Vatablus vppon the ſecond chapter of Geneſis think that Paradiſe was placed in Meſopotamia, but that now it hath loſt his beauty by the inundation of Noes flood: ſo that now beeing patent not onelyonly vntounto man, but alſo vntounto the beaſts themſelues, it needeth no Angelicall cuſtody, or fiery ſword.
Theſe be the common opinions of the Fathers, & doctors in theſe points; to which eueryevery man may aſſent as he findeth moſt agreeable with reaſon and true Philoſophy, for ſeeing that in theſe poynts there is nothing reuealed or declared vntounto vsus in the holy Scriptures, nature muſt bee the beſt guide and miſtreſſe, where ſupernaturall authority is wanting.
Out of which naturall principles that of the huge hight of Paradiſe, and reaching of it euen vntounto the Spheare of the Moone, ſeemeth altogether improbable; for if Paradiſe was made for the habitation, yea for the delight of man, why ſhould it bee ſituated in ſo inconuenient a place, yea (ſpeaking according to naturall reaſon) naturally not inhabitable by reaſon of the neereneſſe of the Sunne, and other Planets, and ſtars.
To which (I cannot denie) but ſome ſhew of anſwere may be made as that neither Sunne, nor any of the Planets, are (as the Philoſophers ſay) formally but onelyonly virtually hot; that is, though they hauehave the vertue to produce heate in theſe inferiour things, yet that they be not in themſelues hot, neither are they capable of heate: becauſe, as they neither agree in matter, nor forme (as many Philoſophers hold) with theſe inferiour creatures; ſo neither can they hauehave the ſame kinde of qualities that our Elements hauehave.
But this anſwer is eaſily confuted, becauſe as the virtuall heate of the ſun is ſufficient to make inhabitable ſome places of the world (as diuers graue Writers affirme) by reaſon of the neerneſſe vntounto it, why might it not alſo cauſe the like effect in Paradiſe? vnleſſe wee will flie vntounto the omnipotence of God, and miracles, the onelyonly refuge of ill grounded Philoſophie and ignorance.
Or ſay (as ſome hauehave fondly fained) that Paradiſe being of another kinde of matter then the reſt of the earth, or of the ſame Species, and purity, that the heauens are, as theſe bee incorruptible by reaſon of their moſt pure matter, or incorruptible vnion, ſo likewiſe Paradiſe, and the thinges there: onelyonly man being of the ſame nature that now he is, was by the particular prouidence of the omnipotent power, kept from mortalitie or corruption as long as hee preſerued himſelfe from the corruption of ſin. But theſe and ſuch like ſolutions, as they are forged without any ground, ſo they may eaſily be denied without any more reaſon, this onelyonly being added to the former proofe, that ſo high a place as the Spheare of the Moone, was altogether vnfit for the ſituation of Paradiſe, by reaſon of the perpetual agitation, and motion of that place, which is ſo continually rapt, and carried about with the moſt violent, and ſwift courſe of the heauen. Many other reaſons (I confeſſe) might bee giuen, but which rather appertain vntounto Mathematikes and longer diſcourſes, then the breuity, which wee hauehave here taken vponupon vsus, will permit.
Now therefore onelyonly remaineth that by the conſideration of the excellencies of this place, wherein we were before our ſinne, we gather the hatred God beareth to ſinne; ſeeing that for the ſinne of one, yea and that but one only, God, who is ſo good, yea infinite goodneſſe and merciemercy, would puniſh with ſo long a puniſhment, and with ſo great puniſhments, for ſo long a time, ſo infinite a number, as is, and ſhall be the whole poſteritie of Adam, euen vntounto the worlds end; And that ſinne, certainly, hath a kinde of infinitie of malice which could deſerue ſo infinite a puniſhment, yea ſo much prouoke the infinite goodneſſe and mercy of him, who is infinitely good, and mercifull. And laſtly we may inferre, what ſinne iuſtly deſerueth, if it ſhould not be puniſhed more according to the rule of mercy, then according to that, which the rigor of iuſtice requireth; ſeeing that nothing was, or could bee ſufficient, to blot, or waſh it away, but onelyonly the bloud of the lambe of God, which onelyonly waſheth away the ſinnes of the world; by which, we are to be reſtored, not onelyonly into a more high participation of God, and his grace, then we poſſeſſed before our fall; but alſo into a more perfect Paradiſe, then that was, from which we were baniſhed, for our firſt ſinne, and fall: And this only by his merits, bloud, and paſſion, who could in no wiſe either ſlippe, or fall: So that wee may well exclaime with Saint Auſtine, Auguſt. in meditationibus.O ſtrange iudgement, ô vnſpeakable diſpoſi ion of the diuine myſteries; the ſinner offendeth, the iuſt is puniſhed: the guiltie tranſgreſſeth, the innocent is beaten; the wicked ſinneth, the godly is condemned; that which the euill deſerueth, the good ſuffereth; the ſeruant doth amiſſe, the maſter maketh amends: man committeth ſinne, God beareth the puniſhment. O Sonne of God how haſt thou debaſed thy ſelfe? how haſt thou burned in affection? How farre is thy merciemercy ſtretched? whither is thy compaſſion come? Adam did wickedly, thou was puniſhed; man ſinned, thou waſt afflicted; Eue offended, thou waſt tormented; we were diſobedient, but thou obediently beareſt the puniſhment of our diſobedience; we ſerued our concupiſcence, but thou enduredſt hunger; the tree allured vsus vntounto an vnlawfull deſire, but perfect charitie ledde thee vntounto the Croſſe; wee taſted preſumptuouſly the forbidden fruite, but thou ſufferedſt torments for our preſumption, and momentarie delight. We enioyed the pleaſure, but thou waſt peirced with nailes; wee delighted in the ſweetneſſe of the apple, but thou therefore didſt taſt the bitterneſſe of the gall.
Here aſtoniſhed I know not what to ſay, nay I am ſo amazed I knowe not what to thinke, onelyonly I can exclaime with the Apoſtle, O altitudo ſapientiae & ſcientiae Dei! O deapth of the wiſedom of God! ô mercy of the omnipotent without meaſure! quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae tribuit mihi? What ſhall I giuegive vntounto God again, who hath giuen himſelfe ſo often for mee? vntounto hunger for my riot; vntounto nakedneſſe for my pride; vntounto diſhonour for my honour, vntounto humilitie for my ambition; vntounto mortalitie for my immortalitie: And finally vntounto the ignominious torments of a thorny crowne, and other of his ſacred paſſion, and vitall death, for to crowne mee with an eternall crowne of glory, in the life to come, in that euerlaſting Paradiſe, vntounto which no mutability, no mortality, and much leſſe any impuritie can aſcend: vbi non eſt tranſmutatio, nec viciſſitudinis adumbratio: whither not euen the very ſhaddow of change can approach.