Adams Condition in Paradise Discovered, Title page – Poem
Adams Condition IN PARADISE DISCOVERED: Wherein is proved, That Adam had right to Eternall Life, in Innocency; and forfeited it, for Him, and His.
ALSO, A Treatiſe of the Lawful Miniſtry; and The manner of Sion's Redemption opened: In Anſwer to a Book of George Hammond, a Taylor, of Biddenden in Kent; who calls himſelf Paſtor of Chriſt's Church there: (And affirms, that Adam's Sin did bring but Temporal Death on him, and all in his Loyns; and that all his Enjoyments, in Paradiſe, were Earthly; That none yet are in Heaven or Hell; That the Jews ſhall return to their own Land, and enjoy it; That Chriſt ſhall reign in Earth a thouſand years, &c.) The truth is aſſerted, and proved; and the Errours refuted,
By Hezekiah Holland, Anglo-Hibernus Miniſter of Sutton-Valence in Kent.
Geo. Hammond's Book, is, in part, an Anſwer to a Letter ſent him from Mr. Rutton, about a former Diſpute between them, about Original Sin, &c.
Who is this, who darkens counſel by words, without knowledge?
Job 38.2.
Deſiring to be Teachers of the Law, but underſtanding neither what they ſay, or whereof they affirm,
1 Tim. 1.7.
—Contentionis quàm veritatis cupidiores,
Cic. Orar. l. 89.
London, Printed for George Calvert, at the Half-Moon in the New Buildings in Pauls Church-yard, 1656.
To his benevolous Friend, Mr. Maximilian Taylor of Sutton.
SIR,
YOu remember how George Hammonds Books were ſpread in my Pariſh: was it not time for me to look to my people? I took his Book, and (by way of preaching) anſwered and confuted its errours: when, I remember, you took notes, covetous to enform your own ſpirit of the truth; What you once heard preached, you have here printed by your timely encouragement. And indeed, though I owe more then my ſelf to many friends in and about Sutton (as to your noble Couſen Mr. Edward Taylor, of Hollingborn; to my ingenious Friend, M. Edw. Knatchbull of Sutton; to my bountiful Friend, Mr. Tho: Tyndall; to my Cordiall Friend, Mr. James Lamb of Sutton) yet this Book owes its ſelf to you (next to my ſelf) of all men under Heaven. For it lay by me as a dead thing, forgotten, till you revived my muſe, and your encouragements gave life to my Book. When Satibarzanes (who revolted from Alexander the great) challenged any of his Souldiers to fight, (as George Hammon almoſt doth the Clergy); Erignis an old, but ſpirited man, accepted the Challenge, with that expreſsion: What Souldiers Alexander once had, Il'e ſhew you; and at the firſt On-ſet, ſlew him. 'Tis a folly to think to conquer an Anabaptiſt, perſuadebis & non perſuaſeris, ſuch will take no anſwer. If I can ſtrengthen my own people, I am well enough: for, my thinks, …h…ar Motis (in Eraſmus) ſaying, that to go about to confute Hammon is but foreign to meaſure the ſand, &c. when I conſider the many; errours in his Book, I am thinking how he might have excuſed all with that jeſt in Lipſius, ſi vera dico agnoſcite (thoſe are rare); ſi falſa ignoſcite, (that's moſt of four Book.) He much ſpeaks againſt learning, & Oxford and Cambridge-knowledg: 'tis wiſht he had more of their knowledge, that his book might have had fewer errours; but in that, he is but foreign. I finde errours of moment in his book not tolerable in a Common-wealth.R. Anſw. in the Book. As that Adams ſin brought on him, and all in his loyns but temporall death, &c. Hence no Children eternally loſt, or need Baptiſme: (yet the Apoſtle ſayes,) One mans offence brought condemnation on all, Rom. 5. were we not by nature Sons of wrath? twice dead? by nature, and otherwiſe? Jude 12. Nay, born altogether in ſins? foreign, John 9. notwithſtanding, the Phariſees obrayding the blind man. How the whole man was infected, is ſome difficulty: but as the blind man ſaid, John 9.25. this one thing I know, I was blind, and now I ſee, and we did once ſee (in Adam) and now are naturally, miſerable, poor, blind and waked, Rev. 3. I confeſſe, all in Adam ſinned onelyonly againſt the firſt Covenant; but that the breach of that Covenant merited no more then temporall death, I deny, becauſe of Rom. 5.18. That the ſouls of Adams Progeny were in Adam, according to ſubſiſtence, I have proved, not according to eſſence. When the ſouls were created in diſpoſed bodies, is controverted,Tract. 4. de Anim. rat. Queſt. 1. Pag. 327. yet Euſtachius concludes in maribus circa diem a conceptu quadrageſimum, in foeminis circa octogeſimum; only excepts our Saviours body, whoſe conception was extraordinary. Another errour is, holding that actuall ſins onelyonly,Sum of Relig: Pag. 92. make men Veſſels of diſhonour, p. 22. Dr. Uſher denies ſin to be the cauſe of Reprobation (and that truly) onelyonly the means to bring it about. Gods decree to be glorified in mercy and juſtice, is the firſt cauſe of all. Were not ſome fore-ordained to condemnation? Jude 4. read Exod. 9.16. Prov. 16.4. Ʋ Ʋicked made for the day of deſtruction. God raiſed up Pharaoh for temporall ruine; but why not for eternall? it ſeems he hated him, nay hardened firſt his heart, Exod. 7.3. ſo perſons are reprobated by the means of ſin, and thouſands for onelyonly Adams; being by nature Children of wrath, and dying out of Chriſt. Again he denies Hell in being at preſent,See Anſw. in the Book. or any in glory as yet, contrary to 2 Pet. 2.8. Indeed ſuch an Opinion was once, as appears by Revel. 14.13. but Reformation cryed it down, verſ. 6. The great Humaniſt Dr. Fotherbey in his learned book againſt Atheiſts (given me by a good Friend) proves that Atheiſts are much tormented with fear at their dying hour.Mr. Tho: Barber of Char…. l. 2. c. 13. becauſe of hell. And are not all ſouls of Saints alive unto God, Luke 20.38? vvhere are ſouls departed? aſleep for ſo many thouſand of years? did not Moſes and Elias talk with Jeſus? Matth. 17. I thought Peter knew not what he ſaid: it ſeems it was Moſes and Elias, who talked in their ſleep to Jeſus. Why did God command a reward at Even to be payd to labouring men? Mat. 24.14. ſince thoſe who labour unto the death for him, have no reward till day of judgement? I will not much longer trouble you (Mr. Taylor) but refer you to the book:Ep. Ded. to Sr. Tho: Moore. jamque tuum non meum (in the words of Eraſmus): only when George Hammond, or any of that judgement ſay,De vol. Dei. that God would ſave more then he doth, believe them not, though Matth. 23.37. ſpeak that Language at firſt ſight. Lombard or Moulin will enform you, that Chriſt did gather all ordained to life out of Jeruſalem (ipſis ſacerdotibus nolentibus) though the Scribes and Phariſees were unwilling to have it ſo. Who can hinder Gods work? Iſay 53.13. But to end, I fear my ſtudying to be brief, makes me too obſcure. I paſſe by George Hammonds jeeres, as telling Mr. Rutton, that Hell was under his Coat: I could tell him, that except he repent of his errours, I would not be in his Coat one day, for—And 'tis well (though he call himſelfe Paſtor) if Cyprians words may not be made good of him and ſuch,Lib. 1. Ep. 7. Non fidei duces ſed perſidiae magiſtri, Nam paſtores ſunt impoſtores — but farewell Sir,— You know I am making haſte for Ireland, and 'tis well if my friends ſalute me not with the Poets vvords,Hom. foreign; having been abſent from them above a dozen years. Pray God make this poor pains of mine beneficiall to his people. Sir, I am your loving Friend and Servant.
Sutton-valence Febr. 3. 1655. Hez. Holland.
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