LEt us proceed to prove our Doctrine, That through Adam sinning we are made sinners, and so mortal, which necessarily supposeth that Adam was made immortal, and that death had nothing to do with mankind, till sinne came into the world.
The first Argument is, From that glorious condition Adam was made in, and also the excellent end he was created for. All which would have been horribly ob∣scured, if death or mortality had then been present. The fears and thoughts of death are a bitter herb in the sweetest dish that is; when of any comfort we have, we may say as the young Prophets to their master, there is mors in ella, death in the pot; death in this or that mercy thou enjoyest, this doth greatly abate our delight. Therefore we read of one of the Kings of France, a Lewis, that forbad all those who attended him, ever to make any mention of death in his ears; that prophane man thought, such a speech would damp his delights. Seeing then Gods purpose was to make a man such an excellent and blessed crea∣ture, can we think he was made mortal, and that it might have been said to him, This night thy soul shall be taken away, and then whose shall this Paradise, and all these goodly enjoyments be? It is the Scriptures designe to aggravate the goodness of God towards man, and to shew the excellency and honour God put upon him. Whereas the Socinians directly oppose this purpose of Gods Spirit, and would make man as miserable as may be. Hence they say, he was created like a meer innocent, that he had not much more knowledge than an Infant, that he had no original righteousness, that he was made mortal. Yea Socinus, (Resp. ad Puc. cap 14 pag. 106.) cavils at the explication of that place, Genes. 2. 8. which is owned by all Interpreters, about the garden in Eden. which God placed Adam in; he would not have any such place of pleasure or delight under∣stood thereby. But although the word may be retained as a proper name, Eden, for so our English Translators do, yet because it cometh of a word that signifieth to delight, Gen. 18. 12. The Church of God hath alwayes intepre∣ted it of a place of delight, yea that Heaven is called Paradise allusively there∣unto; and therefore it's horrible impudency in Socinus to say, that place was not called Eden, when God planted it at first, but in following ages it received that appellation. Thus whereas the Psalmist doth admire the goodness of God, for the honour put upon man at the Creation. This Heretique laboureth to de∣base and diminish it as much as may be.