A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
CHAP. III.
Of the compaſſe and greatneſſe of Paradiſe, and why it was ſo beautified, ſeeing God fore-knew, for how ſhort a time it was to ſerue for the vſe of man.
WHere there is leſſe certainty in the concluſion, there I meane to ſpend leſſe time in the reſolution, as in this of the compaſſe of Paradiſe: a queſtion of more difficultie, then neceſſitie: yet neuertheleſſe becauſe it is vrged by ſome, I will endeauour to giuegive ſome ſatisfaction in it, ſuch as may be in ſo vncertaine a point, at leaſt way as far, as other principles of Philoſophy, or Diuinitie, or finally as the graue expoſitours of the ſacred text will giuegive me any firme ground of diſcourſe.
Amongſt whom Ephren aboue alledged anſwereth to this queſtion, that Paradiſe was greater then all the earth now inhabited. Ephren lib de Paradiſo.The reaſon may be, becauſe as the inhabitants were to bee more in number then the earthly, and more worthy; ſo their habitation, according to the wiſdome, & bountie of their Creatour, ſhould hauehave beene more magnificent, and far more capable: of the beautie and magnificence no man can doubt, who doubteth not of the hiſtory of Geneſis. Why then ſhould we doubt of the other, ſeeing the ſame reaſon vrgeth in both? yea if we may diſcourſe according to reaſon, in theſe things which depend only vponupon the free diſpoſition of the ſole independent cauſe; certainely, as this cauſe of cauſes hath created all other things, pondere & menſura with due poiſe and meaſure of beauty, magnificence, and all other proprieties, according as the nature of the things required, and their finall ends, for which they were created, à fortiori, or much more, it ought likewiſe to bee inferred of the greatneſſe and magnificence of Paradiſe; wherefore, ſeeing that the ſeede of man, if he had not ſinned, had beene more multiplied then now it is, becauſe ſinne (as true Philoſophy teacheth) is no ſmall impediment vntounto generation; it muſt needes follow, that as the Inhabitants ſhould hauehave beene more in number, & the place of their habitation more magnificent; ſo likewiſe the capacitie of the ſame place where all ſhould hauehave dwelt, to wit, of Paradiſe, ſhould hauehave beene greater then now the habitation of man is, in all the world now inhabited.
I know well what is wont to be anſwered, to wit, that if Adam had not taſted of the forbidden fruite, there ſhould hauehave beene none in Paradiſe, but onelyonly thoſe, which ſhould hauehave ſupplied the ſeates of the lapſed Angells; and conſequently they ſhould hauehave been but few in number: according to that of the Goſpell, pauci electi, few be the choſen. To what end then ſhould their habitation hauehave beene of ſo great compaſſe, as is the worlds now inhabited?
Againe, if we acknowledge God to be conſcious of all future euents, and that this fore-knowledge, is as it were (according to our baſe maner of conceiuing ſo high myſteries) a direction vntounto the free diſpoſition of his Diuine will and prouidence, to what end ſhould he create ſo mighty, huge, and ſo magnificent a place, for ſo few, and for ſo ſhort a time, as hee knew our forefathers ſhould be there?
The anſwere vntounto both is eaſie, but firſt vntounto the firſt. I grant that if wee had not ſinned, onelyonly the elect ſhould hauehave beene created, and placed in paradiſe: whence without any ſubiection to mortalitie, or other things, now neceſſarily annexed thereunto, they ſhould hauehave been tranſlated vntounto their ſupernaturall felicity in heauen; but it followeth not hence that they could be ſo few in number, as might well be contained in ſo little a compaſſe, as Paradiſe is imagined to be.
Neither, becauſe it is ſaid, that ſmall is the number of the elect, for though they be ſo in compariſon of the reprobate (in which ſenſe the fathers interpret that place) yet abſolutely they be many, yea without queſtion more, then euer there were men liuing in the world together. For ſo it is euidently gathered out of the Apocalypſe, where the beloued Apoſtle after that he had made mention of twelue thouſand in eueryevery Tribe, ſealed, and ſigned, hee concludeth with theſe words foreign. And after theſe things I ſaw, Apoc. 7.9.and behold a great multitude which none could number of all nations, and Tribes, and people, and tongues, ſtanding before the throne, and in the ſight of the Lambe: couered with white ſtoles, and with palmes in their hands: Now if theſe be the elected (as without doubt they bee) how could they all hauehave dwelt together at one, and the ſame time in Paradiſe? how could they (I ſay) hauehave beene contained in ſo little a ſpace or garden as Paradiſe is imagined to hauehave beene? True it is, that man was created to ſupply and repleniſh the ſeates of the fallen Angels: but hence, we are rather to inferre the contrary of that which was pretended in the obiection; becauſe the badde Angels, as the Fathers ſay, and hath been proued in our Treatiſe of Angels, were almoſt innumerable, wherefore if the bleſſed men be to ſupply their places, as indeede they bee, they muſt neceſſarily be more in number, then could conueniently inhabite ſo little a place as Paradiſe is imagined to hauehave beene: ſeeing that, if not all, yet infinite more ſhould hauehave concurred together, then now poſſibly can after our exile out of Paradiſe; whence all occaſions of mortalitie ſhould hauehave beene remooued, and where the tree of life ſhould hauehave beene ſufficient for the preſeruation of mans life; if not for all eternitie (as many hauehave ſaid) yet for many thouſands of yeeres, or at leaſt for a farre longer ſpace, then now the life of man can naturally bee prolonged, for beſides the naturall cauſes which then were more forcible, or of more vertue, for mans preſeruation, and none nociue to man, as long as hee was not hurtfull vntounto himſelfe, the ſupernaturall cauſe of cauſes did particularly concurre in this, as well by his particular prouidence, as by the vertue of the tree of life.
Now to the ſecond obiection, which preſumeth to demand a reaſon of Gods ſecret decrees, and iudgements, to wit, why God foreſeeing mans ſinne, and that from all eternity, would create for mans habitation, a place ſo ſpacious, excellent, and capable, which he knew was to be enioyed for ſo ſhort a time? I anſwere with the like obiection, why alſo did he create ſo infinite a number of Angells, with ſo many excellent gifts, as well of grace, as nature, and both gratis, yea and heauen ſo beautifull and admirable a place for them, whom hee knew would ſo ſoone praeuaricate and fall from that felicitie, into the other extreame of infelicitie? yea the like I aske of Adam, why would God ſo adorne him with all kinde of gifts both naturall and ſupernaturall, whom hee knew ab aeterno from all eternitie was preſently to be ſo vngratefull, and wilfully to fall from his grace? if theſe things be not vnbeſeeming his goodneſſe, neither contradict his prouidence and fore-knowledge of future euent, neither doth this other of creating Paradiſe ſo beautifull, ſpacious, and capable of ſo great a number, whereas God knew from all eternitie that Adam by his fall was to looſe that place both for himſelfe, and all his poſteritie. The onelyonly reaſon of the queſtion propounded may bee (and the ſame may be applied with proportion vntounto the reſt) becauſe, as we finde by ordinarie experience, that God doth not ordinarily deale with man according to future euents, and his diuine preſcience thereof, but according to his owne ſcience of things as preſent,Aquinas prima parte quaeſt. 14. Molina, Suarius, Valentia, Vaſquez & alij ſcholaſtici. which the Diuines call ſcientiam viſionis or intuitiue knowledge. Hence it is, that God ſeeing man not vnworthy of that place perſiſting in the grace, in which he was created, according to the preſent eſtate hee had created him in, therefore (I ſay) not reſpecting mans future demerits, but his owne preſent grace, as he beſtowed originall Iuſtice vponupon him, to be tranſlated vntounto his poſteritie, ſo likewiſe hee gaue this ſo excellent and capable a place as a ſufficient and apte habitation for him, and his poſteritie, if they had not falne from his grace.
Theſe bee the groundes of Ephrens opinion, which to mee is altogether improbable. Wherefore my iudgement in this ſo vncertaine a point, is, that though Paradiſe was not ſo ample, as the reſt of the world inhabited, yet that it was of no ſmall compaſſe, which I inferre of the greatneſſe of the fountaine which ſprung there, out of which foure mighty riuers were deriued. Secondly becauſe there was no neede of any ſuch extraordinary compaſſe as Ephren imagined, ſeeing that it was but to containe the elect onelyonly, which ſhould hauehave beene but few in compariſon of the multitude which now poſſeſſe the face of the earth. Neither was it neceſſary that all beaſts ſhould remaine there; becauſe man in that happie eſtate had no ſuch need of their ſeruice, as now he hath.
The length, bredth, and compaſſe of Paradiſe according to Abulenſis vponupon Geneſis.Wherefore Abulenſis is of opinion, that the length of Paradiſe was about twelue miles, and the compaſſe 36 or 40. But theſe are but vncertaine coniectures in things, which are not ſo manifeſt in Scripture.
That which ſeemeth moſt probable in this matter, is, that ſeeing the Scripture calleth Paradiſe but a garden, that ſurely it cannot bee of any ſuch compaſſe as ſome imagine. And ſecondly becauſe it is ſaid to be ſituated in the Region of Heden in the Eaſterne parts, which in no wiſe may be compared with the reſt of the world for greatneſſe.
Now to the other difficultie aboue inſinuated, whether man perſiſting in the ſtate of innocency, ſhould hauehave dwelt in any other place, but onelyonly in Paradiſe: I anſwere, that without all doubt hee ſhould, becauſe ſo ſmall a circuit, as Paradiſe was, could not hauehave beene ſufficient for the habitation of ſo great a multitude, as might very well in one mans age concurre together, for if after the fall of Adam ſome men liued all-moſt a thouſand yeeres, certainely if Adam had kept his originall iuſtice, he ſhould in all likelihood hauehave tripled the time (as Villalpandus affirmeth) or liued much longer then hee did after he ſinned in which ſpace there muſt needes hauehave been allmoſt an infinite number of inhabitants, and conſequently the place of their habitation muſt needes hauehave beene of correſpondent ſpace, and capacitie, wherefore ſeeing that Paradiſe (as wee hauehave already ſhowne) was of no ſuch capacitie, as was apt for the cōtaining of ſuch a multitude, it is not likely that man ſhould hauehave beene confined there onelyonly, vntill the time of his tranſlation into a more happy eſtate, which ſhould hauehave bin after his ſufficient triall in the terrene Paradiſe, according to the free diſpoſition and decree of his Creator.
CHAP. IV.
What may be the reaſon why Paradiſe was neuer found as yet?
Ephren de Paradiſo.SOme with Ephren do hold the reaſon to bee the high ſituation of the place.
Others aſſigne three great impediments of free acceſſe vntounto Paradiſe. Firſt, the hugeneſſe and inſuperable height of the mountaines, which are betwixt vsus and Paradiſe. Secondly, for that there be mightie wilderneſſes full of all kind of moſt venemous Serpents, and wilde beaſts. Thirdly, becauſe there is no way but through large regions of moſt peſtiferous aire, in which no man can liue. Others with Saint Chryſoſtome holde that at leaſt,Chryſoſt. in Geneſ. before Noes flood the way vntounto Paradiſe was knowne, and where it was; but that men durſt neuer aduenture thither, for feare of the Cherubin, which did alwaies gard it with a fierie ſword.
Wherefore I iudge with Saint Chryſoſtome that though then that was the chiefe impediment of free acceſſe vntounto Paradiſe, yet that now at leaſt way, that Paradiſe is not acceſſible, knowne, or ſeen as a Paradiſe, becauſe it was deſtroyed with the Deluge, which paſſed all the higheſt places of the earth, and that many a cubite, which whether it be ſo or no ſhall bee diſcuſſed more largely in the Chapter following, becauſe the reſolution of diuers other curioſities depend thereupon.