Body of Divinity, Book 4 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of the Fall of Man.
HAving in my Treatise of Divinity handled three principal heads there, viz. the Scripture, God, and the Works of God: I shall now proceed to speak of mans Apostasie and Restauration, or of the Fall and Recovery of Man.
There is a four-fold Estate of man to be considered.
1. That happy estate wherein he was made, Ecc. 7. 31.Res adoo cognitu necessaria atque utilis, ut in duorum istorum Adami Christique rectanotitia, à quo primo peccatum & maledictio, ab altero gratia omnis & salus, summam religionis bene constituat, Augustinus Hoa… beek Anti-Socin. l. 3. c. 3. Sect. 1. Gen. 3. 63. Eccl. ult.
2. That miserable estate whereto he fell, Rom. 3. 23. 24. and 5. 12.
3. That renewed estate whereto by grace he is called, 1 Pe. 1. 3.
4. That glorious estate which is in Heaven reserved for him, 1 Ioh. 3. 2.
Having spoken already of his estate of Innocency or primitive condition, I shall now speak of his corrupt estate, in which I shall consider,
1. The cause of it, the Devils temptation, and our first Parents yeelding to it.
2. The parts of it, sinfullnes…e of nature and life, and the punishment of sin here and hereafter.
3. The properties of it,
1. Generall,
2. Irremediable.
Though I shall not perhaps handle the last.
The Apostasie of man is his fall from the obedience due to God, or the transgression of the Law prescribed by God.
In which two things are con…derable.
1. The transgression.
2. The propagation of it.
Our first Parents being seduced by Satan sinn'd against the known Law of God inCausa prima peccati erat Diabolus, 2 Cor. 11. 3. secunda Adam. Rom. 7. 14. & 5. 12. Attende ordinem progressum humanae perditionis: primò Deus dixerat: Qu…cunque die comeder…is ex eo, morte mori…mim. Deinde mulier dixit: Ne fortè moriamur. Novissimè serpens dixit, Nequaquam moriemim. Deus affirmavit, mulier quasi ambigendo illud dixit, …iabolus negavit. Lomb. l. 2. distinct. 21. Rev. 12. 9. and 20. 2. Adae peccatum primum non fuerit, quod fructum ederit; peccatum antè conceperit, quo prolectus & quodammodo protractus ad edendum suit: Cumque eo animo esset, etsi fructum omnino non attigisset, tamen peccasset graviter, quemadmodum quidam etiam Scholastici concedunt. Sed hujus peccati extremus quasi actus suit, edisse quod …itatum erat. Whitakerus l. 1. de peccato originali c. 14. Transgressionis perpetratio consummata fuit in esu fructus arboris prohibitae, quae dicta fuit arbor scientiae boni & mali: sed hujus inobedientiae primus motus ac gradus necessaraò antecedebat externum illum actum comestionis: ita ut rectè dicere liceat, hominem fuisse peccatorem, antequara externum illum actum comestionis perfecerat. Peccatum illud fuit consummatum, quoad humani generis defectionem in Adamo. Adam enim propr…è fuit principium humani generis, non Eva; Hinc est quod de secundo Adamo legimus in Scripturis, sed non de secunda Eva. Ames. medul. l. 1. c. 11. eating of the forbidden fruit. Adams sinne was against his own light, and therefore a presumptuous sin, so some interpret that place, Rom. 5. 14. Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression; that is, those which had not the Law clearly revealed to them, yet he was seduced by Satan, whereas Satan sinned without temptation, thence he is called the old Serpent, because by the Serpent he seduced Eve.
When God saith, Gen. 3. 22. Behold, Adam is become like one of us, knowing good and evill; it confuteth S. Augustines conjecture, that he beleeved not the Serpent, but consented to his wife out of matrimoniall indulgence; Etsi credendo non sunt ambo decepti, peccando tamen ambo capti sunt & diaboli laqueis implicati: and sheweth manifestly that Adam also was circumvented with errour, wherefore doth God else upbraid him so ironically, that he is now like unto God: That Sarcasmus in my understanding is a taxation of his credulous temerity in beleeving the Serpents promise. When S. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 14. saith that Adam was not deceived, but the woman, he meant not to extenuate the mans offence, or to exempt him from the fraud of the devil, but to shew whether sex was more credulous or like to be seduced, Doctor Hampton on Rom. 5. 9.
The consummation of that transgression was the eating of the forbidden fruit, or of the tree of knowledge of good and evill by Adam, Gen. 2. 17. as the beginning of it was looking on it by Eve, saith Paulus Fagius on Gen. 3. 6.
2. The tree was no better then the rest, only God forbad him to eat of it, for the triall It was Praeceptum exploratorium. The Serpent of all beasts was the best to creep into the garden unseen of Adam who was to keep the beasts out of it, and to creep out again.of his obedience. The lesser the thing was required to shew his obedience, the greater was his fault in disobeying.
It is called disobedience, Rom. 5. 19. and offence or fall, Rom. 5. 15, 17, 18. Some say the devill as an unclean Spirit could not have accesse to Adams inward man to tempt him, therefore he tempted him by a Serpent and audible voice, as he did Christ▪ bThe evil one findes nothing in me, saith Christ, and Eph. 6 12. If we had stood in our integrity (say they) Satan could have suggested objects to the senses, but he could not have dealt immediatly with the Spirit. Shepheards Theses Sabbaticae. Septimo die cum per…ecisset Deus opussuum quod fecerat, qui…ab omni opere; & diei septimo benedicens, Sabbatum instituit & consecravi…, Gen. 2. 2, 3. quippe in quo respiravit & re cred…i… se: nec dum (ut videtur) peccato admisso, aut p…na sontibus (vel Angelis, vel Hominibus) à Deo insticta. Usserii Annales veteris P…amen… p. 2. Non est veri…imile, tam multa & varia, quae inter Creationem ejus narra… tur …acta, in dimidium ferè u…ius … Simps. C…on. Cathol. par. 1. vide Cl. …a…aker… Cinnum. vide plura ibid. lib. 2. cap. 2.by a visible Landskip of the world.
The time of Adams fall is not certain. Some say he fell the same day he was created: Neither Angels nor men did fall the sixth day before the Sabbath, for then God looked upon all his works and they were very c good, Gen. 1. 31. and therefore could not as yet be bad and evill by any sin or fall. The objections against this from Iohn 8. 44. and Psa. 49. 12. are easily answered.
Some learned Divines (as Simpson in his Chronology observes) conjecture that Adam and Eve were cast out of Paradise the eighth day after they were created. The space of eight daies was sufficient somewhat to try the felicity of their state.
Adams sin was a great sin.
1. In the nature of it. 2. In the severall aggravations of it.
1. In the nature of it.
It was 1. a transgression of a positive Law, wherein God gave to Adam a clear discovery of his will, it heightens sinne when it is against great light, Heb. 6. Psa. 51. 1 King. 11. 9.
2. A command wherein the minde of God was much, mens legis est lex, we must measure sin by the intention of the Law-giver.
3. Of so easie a Law, the Fathers *Hoc itaque de uno cibi genere non edendo, ubi aliorum tacita copia subjacebat, tam leve praeceptum ad observandum, tam breve ad memoria retinendum, ubi praesertim nondum voluntati cupiditas resistebat. Quod de paena transgressionis postea subsecutum est, tanto majore injustitia violatum est, quanto faciliore posset observantia custodiri. Aug. de Civ. Dei. l. 14. c. 12.aggravate it from this, praeceptum tam breve ad retinendum, Vide Bellarm. l. 3. de Statu peccati. ca. 9. & 10.tam leve ad observandum, God gave Adam liberty to eat of all the trees in the garden save one, there was no cause why Adam should break it.
4. A Commandement much for his advantage, life here and eternall was promised, as eternall death was threatned.
5. A Symbolicall Precept, God gave him this whereby he should testifie his obedience unto all the rest of the Commandements.
2. In the severall aggravations of it.
1. It was a sin against the clearest light, there was no darknesse at all in Adams understanding,Rom. 5. 14. that is, those which had not the Law clearly revealed to them. Gen. 1. 26. & 2. 16, 17. Col. 3. 10. That man adorned by God with such excellent gifts of knowledge and holinesse, created in integrity, did yet sin in a matter wherein he might so easily have abstained, it much heightens the sin. The place also where the fault was committed aggravates the offence, for Adam sinned in Paradise, a holy place, Apoc. 2. 7. and a Type of heaven, Gen 3. 23. M. Ball. he knew the law, the danger of the sin, that he stood for himself and all his posterity; God had adorned him with sufficient grace and holinesse.
2. It was a sinne against the greatest goodnesse, being in Paradise where God set him.
3. Against the greatest trust, the Covenant was made with Adam and all his posterity, he forfeits this trust, Rom. 3. 2. Hos. 6. 7. But they like Adam have transgressed the Covenant, so Grotius.
4. Against a threatning, In dying thou shalt die, Certitudinem denotat & durationem.
5. It was voluntary, the more there is of the will in sinne, the worse it is, Satan could not force them to sin, but only allure and perswade them.
First, Adam admitted and received the temptation of Satan, whence followedNota hic ordinem & gradum peccati. 1. Est incredulitas. 2. Addere & detrahere verbo Domini. 3. Blasphemia. 4. Contrarium dicere quàm habeat verbum Dei. 5. Cupiditatis seu concupiscentiae sensus. 6. Ipsum opus quod sequitur sensus mortis. P. Fag. in Gen. 3. blindenesse of understanding, forgetfulnesse of Gods benefits, doubting of his truth, affectation of excellency, giving credit to Satan, corrupt beholding of the fruit, and an inclination of the will and affect…ons to eat thereof.
Theee were these sins in this offence, Infidelity, Idolatry, Contempt of God, Discontent, Ingratitude, Curiosity, Blasphemy, Murdet, and Apostasie.
There were many sins in that one sin.
1. Desperate unbelief, Eve beleeved the devil before God.
2. Pride, they desired to be like God, not only in knowledge, but in state and condition, to be Independent.
3. Unthankfullnesse, though God had given them such glorious excellencies.
4. Vain curiosity to know more then they did know.
5. Disobedience in respect of that particular command.
6. Spirituall murder, this sin would have damned all mankinde, though there had been no actuall sin: Primordialis lex est data in Paradiso quasi matrix omnium praec…ptorum, That first Law (saith Tertullian) given in Paradise, was the summe and comprehension of the whole divine law that was published afterwards. Therefore in the breach thereof all manner of offences are contained.
That first sin of his (excepting only the sin against the holy Ghost) was in sundry respects the most hainous sin that ever mortall man did commit, Hildersam on Psal. 51. 5. Lect. 57. Vide Aquin 2. Q. 163. art. 3.
There are *As D. Whitaker. Extensivè it is not greater then originall sin, but intensivè it is, Aqu.that call this sinne omnium gravissimum, and that except none but that against the holy Ghost, Robroughs Doct, of Iustific. cleared. par. 2▪ 1. & 2. Ch.
Next unto the sin against the holy Ghost and contempt of the Gospel, this is the greatest sin, Shep sincere Convert. c. 3.
The dangerous and wofull consequents of Adams sin were five.
1. A perfect obliteration of the Image *We lost 3. things in reference to God when we …ll, Gods Image, Gods favour, and Gods fellowship. Adam made genus hum …num damnationis traducem, Tert. Stetit homo ille ut radix & caput, principium omnis naturae; hoc quidem duplici titulo; ut caput naturale, ex quo tota n…t…ra proseminanda erat, Act. 17. 26. Et morale, in eujus obedi…ntia, aut inobedientia stabat, ruebatque vniversae naturae nostrae aequa sors. Inde derivatur nostra natura, hin… naturae moralitas. Ex isto venit quod homines sumus; ex hoc, quales, sive boni, sive mali. Hornbeeck. Anti-Socin. l. 3. c. 3. sect. ….of God, Rom. 3. 23. of original righteousnesse, and casting out of Paradise.
2. A totall depravation of mans nature, the devils image is introduced. Iohn 6. 7. 1 Cor. 15. 4. Every man is de suo Satanas de Deo beatus. Aug.
3. It sets up the devils kingdom and dominion in the world, his dominion lies in sin, Eph. 6. 12. and death Heb. 2. 15.
4. It hath destroied all the Creatures, they groan under bondage, Rom. 8. 20, 21.
5. It had brought damnation on all mankinde, had not Christ died and rescued them. The wicked Angels were intrusted but with their own portions, but Adam had the estates of all his posterity put into his hand, and he knew if he sinned he should draw a thousand souls after him.
In Adams act there were three things; An actuall fault, a legall guilt, and a naturall pravity: According to these three came the participation of the fault, the imputation of the guilt, the propagation of the naturall filthinesse.
In Adamo tanquam in radice totum genus humanum computruit. Greg.
Sin came upon all by Adam.
1. By imputation, the Lord in justice imputing the guilt of that first sin to all his posterity, Rom. 5. 13, 14, 19. 1 Cor. 15. 22. See 45. 47. There were two men by whom all fall and rise. Adam was the head of the Covenant of nature, if he had stood none of us had fallen; and so Christ is the head of the Covenant of grace, if he be not risen we cannot rise, ver. 16, 17.
2. By propagation, the lump and root of mankinde being corrupted, so are the branches, Rom. 11. 16. Gen. 5. 3. Iob 14. 14. M. Lyf. Princ. of Faith and good Conscience. c. 2.
All mankinde sin'd in Adam, because we were all in his loyns, Rom. 5. 12. 1 Cor. 15. 22. Heb. 7. 9, 10. and as Adam received integrity for himself and us, so he lost it for himself and us, saith M. Ball in his larger Catechism. The Arminians and Socinians deny the imputation of Adams sin, therefore they say corruption of nature is a punishment but not a sin, for man can have no nature but what God gives him, that was a corrupt nature.
We are all guilty of this sin for these reasons.The first Adam represented all mankinde, and the second all the Elect. God might as well ground an imputation on a naturall as on a mysticall Union. The Law cannot give life now, because it was broken by the first man. Omnes erimus unus ille homo, August. therefore the sin of that one man is the sin of us all, the children of bondmen are bondmen, of traitors are traitors: beneficium transit cum onere; Adam stood for us and fell for us. D. Rainolds. Our first Parents were not so much Parentes as Peremptores, Bernard.
1. The Covenant or promise Do this and live, belonged not to Adams person only, but to all his posterity, and doth still stand in force, the Covenant was not only made with Adam, but with us in him, therefore the breach of it is not only by him, but by us in him, Rom. 8. 3.
2. The Spirit of God clears this, that the nature of man is defiled by one man, and by one offence of that one man, Rom. 5. 12. compared with the 17. ver. because he was a publique person before he broke this Covenant.
3. The curse of the sin came upon all, therefore the guilt of the breach of the Covenant, Patet culpa ubi non latet poena. Prosper.
4. All men by nature are under the Law as a Covenant, Gal. 4. 21, 22. It was Gods mercy to enter into Covenant with us, he might have dealt with Adam in an impe…iall way, therefore he might order the Covenant as he pleased. 2. Adam entred into Covenant on these conditions, that his righteousnesse should be hereditary to all his seed in case of obedience, and his sin in case of disobedience. 3. There is an after consent on our part to Adams treason, Imitation is a kinde of consent, Isa. 43. 27. 4. The offering of another Adam to thee in the Church, shews that the dispensation is not rigorous, so you may share in his obedience as well as the others disobedience. It is as agreeable to the wisedom and justice of God by the first Adam to introduce death, as to the wisedom and grace of God by the second Adam to introduce life. The first Covenant makes way for the second.
5. There is a parallel in Scripture between the first and second Adam, Isa. 49. 18. Rom. 5. 12. 1 John 5. 11. Christ is caput cum foedere, as well as the first Adam.
Object. This sinne of Adam being but one, could not desile the universall nature. Socinus.
Ans. Adam had in him the whole nature of mankinde, 1 Cor. 15. 47. by one offencrAdams personall sin did infect the whole nature, and ever since the nature hath infected the personal actions. It was poenalis vitiositas. Aug. In which (Adam) all bave sinned. So it is expounded by Hilary, Ambr. Chrys. Theoph. Ita in Adam prop…er peccatum, tanquam in semine vel radice, omnis humana caro damnata est, & quemadmodum vitiato semine aut radice omnes deinceps fructus nascuntur vitiati, …ic in vitio Adae, quoniam ex eo omnes sumus. Quapropter generatio hominis facta est pudenda: quod ostendit naturalis pudor in ostensione genitalium, ideoque ea solum texerunt Adam & Eva, namque ubi senserunt vitium de illis crubuerunt. Lod. Viv. de verit. Fid. Christ. l. 1. c. 17. the whole nature of man was defiled, Rom. 5. 12, 17.
Object. Adams sin was nor voluntary in us, we never gave consent to it.
Answ. There is a twofold will, 1. Voluntas naturae, the whole nature of man was represented in Adam, therefore the will of nature was sufficient to conveigh the sin of nature. 2. Voluntas personae, by every actuall sin we justifie Adams breach of Covenant. Rom. 5. 12. 19. seems clear for the imputation of Adams sinne. All were in Adam, and sinned in him, as after Austin, Beza doth interpret that, Rom. 5. 12. foreign and so our last Translators in the Margent: And though it be rendred (for that all have sinned) by us, the Syriack, Eras. Va…ab. Calv. Pisc. yet must it so be understood that all have sinned in Adam, for otherwise it is not true that all upon whom death hath passed, have sinned, as namely Infants newly born, it is not said All are sinners, but All have sinned, which imports an imputation of Adams act unto his posterity. Vide Bellarmine Tom. 4. l. 4. de Amiss. grat. & Statu peccati c. 3. Peccatum Adami ita posteris omnibus imputatur, ac si omnes idem peccatum patravissent, Id. ib. c. 16. and again, c. 8. peccatum originale, tametsi ab Adamo est, non tamen Adami, sed nostrum est.
Some Divines do not differ so much re as modo loquendi about this point, they grant the imputation of Adams sin to his posterity in some sense, so as that there is a communication of it with them, and the guilt of it is charged upon them, yet they deny the imputation of it to posterity as it was Adams personall sin: But it is not toVide Garissolium & Rivetum de imputatione peccati Adami. See also the Nationall Synod held at Charenton 1645 pag. 72. be considered as Adams personall sinne, but as the sin of all mankinde, whose person Adam did then represent. It was one that made us sinners; it is one that makes us righteous: prior in semine, alter in sanguine: it was man that forfeited, it is man that satisfied, D. Hampton on Rom. 5. 10.
The parts of this corrupt estate. Sinfulnesse of nature and life, and the punishment of sin here and hereafter.
The division of sin into Original and Actual is gathered out of Rom. 5. 14. and I shall first treat of originall sin or the corruption of nature.
Sin is an absence of that righteousnesse which should be in us, in our nature, as originallSinne in generall. Non est idem peccatum & vitium. Peccatum enim est nom e… operationis malae, quae opponitur operationi virtutis: vitium autem est nomen habitus mali, qui opponitur virtuti, ut virtus habitum significat. Bellarm. controv. 2. de Statu peccati. l. 1. c. 1. Peccatum differt a malo, quia illud potest esse poenae & divinae justitiae actus (cum Deus peccati author absque blasphemia non statuatur) à vitio etiam distinguitur, quia illud inanimatis & brutis; peccatum vero rationabilibus tantum competit. D. Prid. Scholast. Theol. Syntag. Mnemon. c. 3. sin, in our actions, as actuall sin, a morall inconformity or difformity in nature or life to the Law of God.
This vitiousnesse of nature is not unfitly called Sin, Rom. 6. 7. 1. Ex causa, it is theIt is called Sin. Psal. 51. fruit and effect of that first transgression of our Father Adam. 2. Ex effectu, it is the root, seed, spawn of all actual transgressions in every one of us; Originall sinne isM. Bedford on Rom. 6. against the whole Law which is spirituall, and requires perfect integrity in man, more specially against the first and last Commandments.
That there is original sin, a defilement in every mans heart as soon as he is born,That there is such a vilenc…s in all our natures which ought to trouble us more then any thing else in the world. Your very cloathes tell you of original sin, as often as thou sweatest so often doth it shewits effects. which were enough to destroy him, though he break out into no outward acts of rebellion, is proved
1. By Scripture, Gen. 6. 5, 8. Iob 14. 14. & 15. 14, 15, 16. Psal. 51. 5. Sunt qui dicunt quod per hoc innuitur Eva, quae non peperit nisi postquam peccavit. Porchetus. Rom. 5. 12. Eph. 2. 13.
2. By the effects. 1. Mans desperate contrariety to good things even from his youth; Psal. They went astray from their youth up. In Isay, Transgressors from the womb. A childe is opposite to any good duty, and ready to imitate all evil. 2. The Lord instituted circumcision to shew the filthinesse we are begotten and born in, and which should be cut off: Therefore (saith Bellarmine) it was commanded to be done in that member in which the effect of that sin doth more violently appear, and by which mankinde is propagated, and by propagation infected. The use of baptisme also is to take away the guilt and filth of nature: The woman that had a childe was to go offer as unclean.
3. It is demonstrated by sicknesse, other crosses and death, even of infants, Rom. 3. 23.
4. The unserviceablenesse of the creatures proves that there is original sin.
5. Because there must be a change of our natures.
1. Every man is born guilty of Adams sin.Alensis cum Bonaventuram puerum sub discipli…a haberet, solitus est dicere, In hoc Adam non peccavit. Chemnit. loc. commun. Mr Bradford would never look upon any ones lewd life with one eye, but he would presently return within his own breast with the other eye, and say, In this my vile breast remains that sin, which without Gods special grace I should have committed as well as he.
2. Every man is born dead in sin, Ephes. 2. 1.
3. Every natural man is born full of all sin, Rom. 1. 29. as full as a toad of poison.
4. What ever he doth is sin. 1. His thoughts, Gen. 6. 5. 2. His words, Psal. 50. 16. 3. His actions. 1. Civil, Prov. 21. 4. 2. Religious, Prov. 15. 18, 19. & 28. 9.
The vile nature of man is apt to commit most foul and presumptuous sins, Rom. 3. 9, 10, 11, to 18. v. Mark 7. 21.
Reas. 1. From mans self, sin hath come over all together with death.
2. The devil laboureth to bring men to the most notorious sins, that he may render them most like to himself, Ephes. 2. 2.
3. The world is full of such things and persons as may induce an evil nature to most horrible deeds.
4. God in justice gives men over to work wickednesse with greedinesse.