A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 40
CHAP. XL.
Of the prerogatiues and excellent gifts with which Adam was endued in the ſtate of innocencie, and firſt as touching his knowledge and naturall wiſdome of naturall things.
IT is the common opinion of the Fathers, and other Diuines, that Adam had infuſed into his ſoule a moſt perfect knowledge of all naturall obiects, according to that of the Preacher, the 17. chapter, where thus hee deſcribeth the creation of man, together with the prerogatiues wherewith he was firſt endued, verſ. 3.Eccleſiaſticus cap. 17. v. 3.4 5.6.7 8 9.10.11. He endued them with ſtrength by themſelues, and made them according to his image, and put the feare of man vponupon all fleſh, and gaue them dominion ouer beaſts and fowles. They receiued the vſe of the fiue operations of the Lord, and in the ſixt place he imparted them vnderſtanding, and in the ſeuenth ſpeech an interpreter of the cogitations thereof. Counſell, and a tongue, and eyes, eares, and a heart gaue he them to vnderſtand Withall hee filled them with the knowledge of vnderſtanding, and ſhewed them good and euill. Hee ſet his eye vponupon their hearts, that he might ſhew them the greatneſſe of his workes. He gaue them to glory in his maruellous acts for euer, that they might declare his works with vnderſtanding. Beſides this, hee gaue them knowledge, and the law of life, for an heritage.
And hence it was that Adam perfectly vnderſtanding the nature of other inferiour creatures, gaue each of them their names according to their natures; for ſo ſaith the text, Gen. 2.19. And out of the ground the Lord God formed eueryevery beaſt of the field, and eueryevery fowle of the aire, and brought them vntounto Adam, to ſee what he would call them, and whatſoeuer Adam called eueryevery liuing creature, that was the name thereof, and Adam gaue names to all cattle, and to the fowles of the aire, and to eueryevery beaſt in the field. Now if Adam gaue to each liuing creature his name according to his nature, as queſtionleſſe he did, it can be no leſſe certaine, but that he had a perfect notice (if not comprehenſion) of their natures, according to which hee had giuen them their names.
But now the difficulitie is, how this is to bee vnderſtood, that God brought the beaſts and fowles vntounto man; whether only by an intellectuall repreſentation, bringing them or repreſenting them as obiects of his minde and cogitation, as Caietan holdeth or corporally, truly, and really, in their owne nature, eſſence and being: and if thus, by what meanes? whether by naturall inſtinct, guiding them to performe this will of the author of nature, or that God himſelfe immediately by himſelfe, or by the miniſterie of his Angels did preſent them before Adam?
Though I finde no conſtant reſolution of this point, either in the Scripture, Fathers, or reaſon; neuertheleſſe that which ſeemeth to me moſt probable, is, that as eueryevery liuing creature hath his naturall, peculiar, and proper inſtinct vntounto diuers things, according vntounto the diuerſitie of their natures, varietie of diſpoſitions and qualities; ſo likewiſe I thinke it moſt certaine, that they had in regard or this, a particular inſtinct by the extraordinary concourſe of God: to the end that as they were all to acknowledge, Adam for their Lord and maſter, hee might according to his abſolute power and dominion ouer them, giuegive them their names as a token both of their ſubiection, and of his abſolute power and dominion.
And this may alſo bee the reaſon, why God preſenting all other creatures to the preſence of man, he did not likewiſe bring him the fiſhes as well as the beaſts of all ſpecies and kindes, becauſe the beaſts being domable, and eaſie to be tamed by man (at leaſtway whiles man was ſubiect to God) might ſerue for the vſe of man, while man was not diſobedient to God: or peraduenture this was, becauſe the fiſhes could not naturally liue out of the water, as man cannot in any wiſe perſiſt without God.
Moreouer, as touching his knowledge and perfect comprehenſion of the natures of theſe inferiour creatures, I doubt not, but that I may bee bold to pronounce that of him, which was ſaid of Salomon in the booke of wiſdome, 7. chap. verſ. 15. to wit, that hee granted him to ſpeake as hee would, and to conceiue as was meet for the things that were giuen him: becauſe it is hee that leadeth vntounto wiſdome, and directeth the wiſe. Hee gaue him certaine knowledge of the things that are, namely to know how the world was made, and the operation of the elements: the beginning, ending, and midſt of the times: the alterations of the turning of the Sunne, and the change of ſeaſons: the circuits of yeeres, and the poſitions of the ſtarres: the natures of liuing creatures, and the furies of wilde beaſts: the violence of windes, and the reaſonings of men: the diuerſities of plants, and the vertues of roots: and all ſuch things, as are either ſecret, or manifeſt them he knew.
For if this be indubitable in reſpect of Salomon, it ſeemeth much more in regard of Adam: wherefore doubtleſſe he was the wiſeſt of all men, our Sauiour only excepted, the author of his and of all other wiſdome.
Neither doth my poſition in any wiſe contradict that which is ſaid vntounto Salomon in the firſt booke of Kings, chap. 3. verſ. 12. Loe I hauehave giuen thee a wife and vnderſtanding heart, ſo that there hath beene none like thee before thee, neither after thee ſhall ariſe the like vntounto thee. For though the propoſition bee vniuerſall, yet ſuch like oftentimes are not to bee vnderſtood vniuerſally, as S. Hierome well noteth, exemplifying in that of the Pſalme,Hieron in comment, in cap. primum ad Epheſios. EueryEvery man is a lier: againe if hee who ſpeaketh it, lieth, neither can it be true which he ſpeaketh, that eueryevery man is a lier: wherefore if it bee a true ſaying, that all men are liers, wee muſt take this word all, not that abſolutely nd vniuerſally all be liers, but that a great many are liers. So likewiſe although it bee ſaid that Salomon exceeded all men in wiſdome, yet this word all may be vnderſtood not abſolutely all, but with ſome exception. For ſo argueth the ſame Father in another place:Hieron. in comment. in caput quintum ad Romanos. Scribit & alibi Apoſtolus; The Apoſtle writeth alſo in another place, how wee taught all men, and warned eueryevery man, not that he taught all, for how many be there euen to this day, which neuer heard of the Apoſtolicall doctrine or name?
Or peraduenture this vniuerſall propoſition, that Salomon was the wiſeſt of all men, is to be vnderſtood in reſpect of thoſe, who had not their ſcience, wiſdome, and knowledge infuſed: for who can thinke (who thinketh ſo diuinely, and iudgeth ſo ſupernaturally as hee ought of our Sauiour) that the wiſdome of Salomon was in any wiſe to bee compared euen with the accidentall wiſedome infuſed into the ſoule of our Sauiour? Wherefore if that vniuerſall propoſition be not vniuerſall in all, and doe not conclude in regard of all, as queſtionleſſe it doth not in regard of our Sauiour, I doe not ſee why Adam may not alſo be exempted, eſpecially ſeeing hee was to hauehave beene our head, from whence all naturall and ſupernaturall gifts ſhould hauehave beene deriued, if ſo be that hee had perſiſted in his originall grace.