A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 41 – Chapter 42
CHAP. XLI.
Of the knowledge which Adam had of the things aboue nature.
AS it is moſt certaine that our firſt fathers were created perfect according to nature; ſo is it no leſſe in regard of grace, and all other ſupernaturall acts and habits thereto annexed: wherefore as hee was endued with the perfection of all naturall knowledge, ſo was he no leſſe perfect in the ſupernaturall; not in ſo high a degree as the ſoule of our Sauiour, nor yet as the leaſt of the angelicall ſpirits, yet certainly more perfect then all other men, not only in regard of his faith, which was moſt perfect, but alſo in regard of other obiects more clearely reuealed.
And firſt as touching faith, it cannot be denied, but that he had this ſupernaturall gift infuſed into his ſoule, becauſe this,Ad Heb. c. 11 v. 1. as S. Paul teſtifieth, is the ſubſtance or argument of things hoped for, the euidence, ground, or confidence of things not ſeene.
Againe, ſeeing he was created not ſo much for the obtaining of any naturall thing, as for the enioying of ſupernaturall bleſſedneſſe; it muſt needs follow, that as his nature and naturall end did neceſſarily inferre and bring with it the knowledge of the naturall meanes, by which it was to be obtained: ſo likewiſe the decree of God, by which hee was predeſtinated vntounto a ſupernaturall obiect and end, did neceſſarily inferre and bring with it by a connaturall conſequence, the notice of the ſupernaturall meanes neceſſary for the obtaining of that end, obiect, and felicitie, which was aboue nature. Inſomuch that as the ſubſtance of the matter and forme of things either corruptible or incorruptible, is in regard of the accidents: ſo likewiſe is Faith a neceſſary argument, of things not appearing; neceſſary (I ſay) in regard of the inference, not euident in regard of the concluſion, or that which is inferred. For, though the obiects bee ſufficiently patent, and moſt cleere in themſelues, and vntounto thoſe bleſſed ſpirits who hauehave the eyes of their vnderſtanding already illuminated with the light of glory: yet is it obſcure vntounto vsus, who as Paul ſpeaketh, as yet ſee only in ſpeculo & in aenigmate, in a glaſſe, and by ſpecies, obſcure enigmaes, and other imperfect repreſentations of inferior creatures.
Hence the difficulty is, what things in particular were reuealed to Adam? I anſwere, that as the obiects of this ſupernaturall ſcience may bee reduced to foure kindes: ſo likewiſe the ſciences, and knowledge, may be ſayd to hauehave beene fourefold. The firſt, of his reward, for though the perfecteſt louelove bee not mercenarie, and ſo baſe, that it doe principally reſpect the reward: yet neuertheleſſe, the all-ſeeing and infinite good God doth neuer leaue the leaſt louelove of man without his reward. It is neceſſary (ſaith Paul) that hee who doth come vntounto God, ſhould beleeue, and eſpecially beleeue that he is a rewarder. Wherefore as the firſt act of a regenerate perſon is faith, ſo the firſt obiect of this act is touching our end: for (as the Philoſopher ſaith) quod eſt primum in intentione, eſt vltimum in executione; that which is firſt in intention or ſpeculation, is laſt in practiſe or execution: and contrariwiſe, that which is firſt in practiſe and execution, is laſt in intention and ſpeculation. Wherefore as our ſupernaturall end and felicitie is the laſt thing which wee are to enioy; ſo is it the firſt and principall which we ought to ſeeke and intend: and if this bee true in all our actions, it muſt needs bee much more in this of faith, which is (as Paul ſaid) the ſubſtance, ground, or confidence of things hoped for, and of all our ſupernaturall actions.
By this it is manifeſt, that the meaſure of the knowledge of the meanes of this ſupernaturall felicitie, was according to the perfection of the apprehenſion and notice of this end, inſomuch that as this end may be attained vntounto by a threefold meane, ſo was man ordained thereunto by the ſame meanes, to wit, faith, hope, and louelove: faith for the diſcouerie of the obiect of our felicitie; hope, for the effectuating of the meanes of our happineſſe; louelove, for the combining of both the meanes; a triple cord, with a triple knot, which not euen the power of Satan ſhall be able euer to diſſolue.
Againe, it ſeemeth moſt certaine, that he knew the fall of the damned ſpirits, becauſe he might by the knowledge of this be much holpen in the obtaining of his end; as thereby inferring the ſeueritie of the diuine iudgement towards the Angels, and his infinite mercy towards men, by the one he might be moued to feare the like ſeueritie, if himſelfe ſhould fall, and hope to repleniſh the places of the fallen Angels if he ſhould ſtand.
The third obiect reuealed vntounto Adam was the myſterie of the bleſſed Trinitie, how God (I meane) was three in one, and one in three; three in diſtinction of perſons, one in the indiuiſibilitie of nature, being, and eſſence, and all his other infinite attributes: the which though diſtinguiſhed for our capacitie according to their obiects, yet he well vnderſtood them to bee one and the ſame in nature, realitie, and ſimplicitie of eſſence. My reaſon why I thinke the reuelation of this obiect vntounto Adam to be certaine, is, ſeeing that the ſight of it is to be the perfection of our bleſſedneſſe in the life to come, it muſt needs be alſo a beginning of it here: wherefore as it is there by a perfect ſight face to face; ſo it muſt be likewiſe here in ſpeculo & in aenigmate, with imperfection and obſcuritie. Yea ſeeing Adam knew himſelfe to be made to the image of God, three in one, and one in three, in his ſimple eſſence, and his three ſpirituall powers: ſo he muſt needs inferre the ſame of his prototypon and Creator. Laſtly, hee had reuealed vntounto him the incarnation of the Sonne of God, not as paſſible for his ſinne (which certainly hee did not foreſee) but as to bee vnited to our nature for the excellencie of the myſterie, and becauſe he was to bee the head of mankinde.
CHAP. XLII.
Whether Adam was created in the grace of God, or no.
THough it be out of all controuerſie, that Adam was before his fall in the ſtate of grace; yet many bee of opinion, that hee was not created ſo: this was the opinion of Alex. Hales, Scotus, Bonan, Marſilius, and Altiſiodorenſis, who though they grant that he was created in originall iuſtice, yet diſtinguiſhing theſe two, they deny that hee was created in ſtate of grace; their reaſon is, becauſe by grace there is contracted a ſpirituall kinde of wedlocke, league, and vnion, betweene God and our ſoules. Now then as matrimoniall vnion requireth the conſent of both the parts; ſo likewiſe here, and the rather, that Adam thereby might the better know himſelfe, and the weakneſſe of his owne nature, by an after infuſion of grace.
Neuertheleſſe it ſeemeth much more probable, that though wee diſtinguiſh grace from originall iuſtice, or howſoeuer, that Adam was created in grace; for (as S. Auſtine ſaith) God created the firſt man in that eſtate, in which if hee would hauehave kept himſelfe, hee ſhould hauehave beene tranſpoſed at his due time, without any death, vntounto a better eſtate, and where, as he could hauehave committed no ſinne, ſo could hee hauehave had no will vntounto ſinne: ſo that it was with Adam as the ſame Father ſaith in another place of the Angels, God did ſimul condere naturam, & largiri gratiam, ioyntly create his nature, and giuegive him grace: yea this, according to the opinion of Origen, Victorinus, Baſil, Ambroſe, Chryſoſtome, Auguſtine, Beda, and Rupertus, is ſignified by theſe words, let vsus make man according to our image and likeneſſe; image, to wit, in nature, and her proprieties, ſimilitude, according to grace, and her euer following vertues; yea this is inſinuated by Paul himſelfe, in his epiſtle to the Coloſsians, 3. chap. 9. and 10. verſes, where he ſaith, that wee ſhould not lie one to another, ſeeing that wee hauehave put off the old man with his works, & hauehave put on the new man, which is renewed with knowledge after the image that created him.