A Treatise of Justifying Righteousness, Book 2 · Aphorism 5
Aphorism.
THat this Life promised in the first Covenant, Page 15.was only the continuance of that state that Adam was then in in Paradise, is the judgment of most Divines.
Animadvers.
Whether most Divines be of this judgment or not, I will not enquire: By divers passages in your Book you seem to assent unto it, but so cannot I for these Reasons:
1. Adam by his Transgression became liable to the second Death: Therefore if he had been obedient, he had enjoyed the happiness of the life to come. For the Reward of Obedience should have (it's likely) held proportion with the punishment of Disobedience.
2. It seems incongruous, that a rational and understanding Creature, being perfectly righteous, and holy, and every way obedient, should always lead an Animal and Natural life and never attain to greater happiness than this life affords.
3. Adam persevering in the state of Innocency, should have procreated Children, and his Children other Children, and so on. Therefore if Adam and his Posterity should always have lived upon the Earth, how, in an ordinary way of Providence, could the Earth have been able either to sustain, or support all that ever should be born, all from the very first still remaining, and more and more continually succeeding to all Eternity? If you say, that after some continuance of time, the Propagation of Mankind should have ceased; viz. when the Earth was so full, that it could well bear no more: Where doth the Scripture warrant this conceit? Rather it intimateth, that many having lived some time upon Earth, should have been translated into Heaven.
For, 4. It seems that Paradise was a Type of Heaven, whither man, if he had kept his first estate, should have been translated: And that the Tree of Life was a Type of Eternal Life, Rev. 2. 7. & 22. 14. And though I like not to be peremptory in things of this nature, yet there may seem to be some probability in that opinion, which some of old have entertained; viz. That if man had not faln into Disobedience, he should have lived a thousand years upon Earth, and then have been conveyed to Heaven. For though Adam, and divers of his Off-spring, lived many hundred years, yet neither he, nor any after him, did reach unto a thousand. See Mr. Mede, p. 284 Edit. Lat.
Reply.
Here are two Questions to be considered: 1. Whether Adam should have been translated to Heaven by a Local removal? This is it that I saw no Scripture for, or convincing Reason, and therefore durst not affirm, nor receive as certain. 2. Whether Adam should have attained to a far higher degree of Happiness in that Paradise he then was in, by God's fuller manifestation of himself to him, as to the Saints in Heaven: This I never denied, nor yet affirmed, nor medled with. And indeed, since I wrote that Book, I am grown to a greater doubtfulness of the whole; and will not now dare to affirm or deny either of the Questions. For I do not know so much as to make me any thing confident. I confess while I looked merely at express Scripture-words, I was loth to affirm what Scripture affirmed not; and therefore inclined to the Negative of the first Question. But since, upon the consideration It is long since this was written, and since I have been fully convinced, that Adam was made for Heaven, tha… is, the Saints state of Glory: 1. From the natural tendency of all the superior faculties of the Soul. 2. From many Scripture-texts, which describe Redemption in words importing our Restauration to a Blessedness which we lost, as to the title and hopes of it. Therefore I hope my doubting then, will further no ones doubting.of the drift and reason of Scripture-Doctrine, I am much staggered. And indeed, that which staggered me was none of the common Arguments brought against M. Ball, Gataker, Camero, and the rest that go that way that I then did; but the mere Considerations de fine, and how far it is Natural, and how far not, as I was seriously reading Scotus, Rada, and others, of that weighty, knotty subject. I dare not now be so bold, as to affirm, That Adam was created in Patriâ, and not in Viâ; that is, in the full fruition of his Happiness; rather in the way to it, with an imperfect taste of it. But especially I am very jealous lest I should give advantage to Infidelity, and the denial of the Glory of the Saints in Heaven, if I should go too far in asserting the Supernaturality of it. If Adam had not a Potentia Naturalis of such a Beatitude, it would rai… doubts whether we have; seeing he was as perfect quoad Humanitatem as we, and so potentially as capable of such a Blessedness: And if he had a Potentia Naturalis to it, then it would seem that it was not given him in vain; and that he had not attained the perfection that he was made for, if he had not attained all that he was made Potentialiter capable of. Some more such School-Reasons of late have staggered me in this, and made me most incline to think, that Adam should have had the same, or near the same degree of Glory as we. But yet I have much to say on the other side: However, I little know where he should have enjoyed it, or how removed to it, if removed. I must needs therefore confess my ignorance here, till God be pleased to remove it. But I confess I had before thought on your Reasons, and they seemed not cogent to me: For. 1. If by the second Death, you mean the same degree of Punishment which is due to the Despisers of Christ, I deny that Adam was liable to it: If you mean, the perpetuating of his Souls sufferings, I grant it: But all that will thence follow is, that his felicity should have been perpetuated, if he had not sinned. For it will not follow, that because Adam was to go to his perpetual Death, by the temporal Death which he had deserved, that therefore he was to go to Glory by a change, or removal. For the place where Adam's Soul should have suffered, none knows it. And 2. God could encrease Adam's happiness, without any removal by a fuller Manifestation of himself to him. How far the Life hereafter shall be Animal, or Natural▪ is scarce well known by us now; nor how far God might have removed Adam's state from present imp…r…ctions, even in that Paradise. And, 3. I… seems v…n to put such a Question, How God should provide room for Mankind, and so to object difficulties to God; especially considering, that God knew there would be no place for such difficulties, seeing he had decreed to permit Mans fall. And, 4. It follows not, [Paradise was a Type of Heaven, therefore Adam should have been translated to Heaven.] Lastly, where, or what that Paradise was, little do I know.