A discourse of the terrestrial paradise aiming at a more probable discovery of the true situation of that happy place of our first parents habitation / by Marmaduke Carver ...

To the Judicious and In∣genuous Reader, especially the professed Divine.

HOW many Pens have been imploied in this Enquiry con∣cerning the Place of the Terrestial Paradise, and how much rubbish hath been digged up, and dust raised, to the great hindrance of dis∣covering that which was so eagerly sought for by a multitude of contradictory Opini∣ons, and some of them hardly reconcileable to Sense or Reason, is sufficiently known to all, and is too manifest by the Conse∣quents. For while some have evacuated the Letter, to plant a Cabalistical or Allego∣rical Paradise of their won, others sought for Paradise under the Orb of the Moon, or far above the tops of the highest Moun∣tains, without the vierge of this habitable

world; and others taking it for the whole compass of the Earth, and others for this part, others for that, some under the Equinoctial line, and some under the Ar∣ctick Pole, or Antarctick Circle, some in the East-Indies, some in the West, some in Syria, some in Judaea, and some of late in France; (and indeed where not, where a wanton fancy or an ignorant im∣pudence is pleased to place it?) and with no less absurdities vexing the four Rivers with incredible down-falls and uprisings, in so occult passages and strange distances, that to undertake in good earnest to con∣fute them were to be mad for company: It is come to pass that the faith of very many hath been stumbled, and in some turned to so professed a despair of finding that place, that they count it not onely an impossibility, but an impiety, to attempt a discovery of it; (Impie, locum quaeris quem Deus occultum velit, saith Pererius.) Though it cannot be denied

that Moses did on purpose enlarge him∣self in so full and exact a Topography, (the like not to be found in the Scriptures, or scarce any Secular Author) to acquaint the men of his Age, (whereto his De∣scription is fitted) and all succeeding Ge∣nerations, with the true Situation of that Place. But (which is worst of all) beside the mischief hereby occasioned to Believers, it hath opened the mouths of Atheists and Infidels, to impeach the Holy Scriptures of falshood, who (both in former and latter daies) have hereby taken advantage to propound the Histo∣ry of Moses to be considered at no higher a rate then a mere Romance.

The first that I meet withall (after the Dotages of the School-men upon this Question were found so far unable to occur, as rather to foment this Scandal,) was Augustinus Steuchus Bishop of Eu∣gubium, who, by the advantage of the Vatican Library, (whereof he was Kee∣per)

did first (as himself saies in his lear∣ned Cosmopoeia upon Genesis) under∣take to assert the Description of Para∣dise to a Consonance of Historicall and Geographicall verity: And herein he was followed by divers Learned men: and in Anno 1581. the Divines of Lovain set out a Topographicall Descri∣ption and Map of Paradise, (according∣ly as he had hinted) about the Confluence of Tigris and Euphrates in Babylo∣nia. But the Learned Franciscus Ju∣nius pursuing the overture of that Dis∣covery, but pitching the place a little more to the North in the same Region, did with so much accurateness clear this Question, that the whole Church of God is much beholden to him for this, and not a little for other his Annotations relating to Sacred Geography, wherein I know none before him, and very few since him, that are to be admitted to a Competition of the honour of that service. And if that

Worthy man had been as happy in pitch∣ing upon the right place, as he was ela∣borate in his Description of Paradise, there would have needed no more to have been said upon this Argument, for satisfy∣ing that imbred desire we all are affected with, to know the Place of our First Pa∣rents Habitation, or to stop the mouth of the Enemy and Blasphemer.

In my younger years and first Tyro∣ciny in Divinity, while I was yet more patient of study, (my body not being then broken with so many and great infirmities as now it is, and for many years hath been) I was desirous (according to the means that I had) to satisfie my self in this Question. For though it be not of so high a nature but that many a good Chri∣stian, holding the mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience, may be ignorant of it without hazzard of his Salvation; yet I alwaies conceived that when we speak of Theology as a Science, (which is the Pro∣fession

of the Divine) whatsoever the Holy Ghost hath revealed in the Sacred Code, though of remoter concernment, belongs ex officio to our cognisance and study. The Opinion of Junius having at that time so universally obtained, and (which is rare, and an argument of the great verisimilitude that it carried with it) being both approved and improved by Learned men of both Persuasions, (both Protestants and Papists) I saw great rea∣son to acquiesce in it, as believing it might be made good against all oppositions; un∣til, upon a stricter examination, some Doubts did arise, and afterwards multi∣ply, to suggest a fear whether he might not have mistaken his ground, and conse∣quently whether it might be safe to haz∣zard the trial of this Question upon those Evidences which the place he pitched up∣on might seem to afford. And hereupon being brought again under an unquiet of mind, I was enforced to cast about, and

enquire whether some other place might not haply be discovered, that with greater probabilities might answer the Descripti∣on of Moses: and having arrived to some satisfaction therein, it happened that, un∣dertaking to preach through the History of the Creation before an Honourable Auditory, when that Paragraph of Pa∣radise came in its course to be spoken to; giving an Interpretation according to the apprehensions I had entertained, which could not be without some reflexion upon Junius, (but briefly, and remembring my self to be in the Pulpit) a very Worthy Gentleman of happy memory, (Sir Richard Dyet, one of the Council in the North) well known and much honoured in those parts for his Prudence, Integrity and excellent accomplishment in all kind of Learning, having throughly digested the Opinion of Junius, as it is also far∣ther managed by Sir Walter Raleigh, was pleased to entertain a debate with me

about it, and for divers days to discuss the Question; till at length there was raised in him also a jealousie, that the Description of Junius was not so exactly adapted to that of Moses as he had apprehended; and thereupon desired me to draw up in wri∣ting what I had meditated upon the whole matter: which accordingly I did, having the benefit of the Library of the Cathedral-Church of St. Peters in York, and the great happiness and exceeding great ad∣vantage (never to be forgotten by me) of daily commerce with a Reverend, Pi∣ous, and Learned Divine, who both en∣couraged me to the undertaking, and pre∣vailed with me to communicate the peru∣sal of it to some others; by which means the notice and censure of it hath come into the hands of as worthy, judicious, grave, and every-way-eminent Divines, both for Learning and Piety, as this Church hath any, (and I think it hath many not to be equalled in the Christian world.)

It is now six and twenty years agoe and upward since the first (and onely) Copy was drawn up, with no intention at all as then, and long time after, (till of very late) to publish it: in which space of time I have had occasion to observe divers collateral Testimonies, which might have been in∣serted into the Text for confirmation and illustration of many passages in the Dis∣course; but that I abhorr the very thought of a new task, to the certain ruine of my health, already broken even to a disability of writing, otherwise then by the hand of an Amanuensis. And for this cause I have waved the advice of some, whom I have great cause to respect, persuading me to put it into the Latin Tongue, and to divide the continued Discourse into se∣veral Sections with their Summaries, for the more accommodate use and ease of the Reader, (for the supply of that defect I acknowledge to be wholly due to the favour and pains of a Friend,) being content to ex∣hibit

and submit it as it was in the first Copy, without any alteration at all, to the Judgment of this Church in which I was born, and in which, by the Grace of God, I serve, hoping for her Indulgence in faults upon the by, so I approve mine intention in the main, which is briefly this; That there was in Armenia Ma∣jor a Region called Eden, in the Eastern part whereof there was and is a River, which with one entire Chanel having watered the place where the Earthly Paradise was plan∣ted, doth afterward branch it self into four Streams, each respectively running in the same Course, and through the same Countreys as Moses hath set them, and the Countreys themselves even in after-Ages retain∣ing the same Names and Characters by which he hath described them. Each particular whereof if I have made good by the testimony of two or three

credible Witnesses, (for the Law re∣quires no more, and I have brought no less;) I shall acknowledg I have attai∣ned what I aimed at, and shall contented∣ly bear the imputation of many other fai∣lings upon the by, which were impossible for me to avoid. For under that imper∣fect discovery which we have of those places where the scene of this Discourse lies, none of the Ancients having furnish∣ed us with Tables but onely Ptolemy, and his but imperfect ones, and few de∣scribing those Regions to any purpose, so that it was necessary to make up that de∣fect by scattered Testimonies to be gathe∣red here and there where I could find them, and to be managed many times by Con∣jectures; it will be no wonder if I become obnoxious to mistakes; and he shall for∣get his Interest in the common Humanity that shall be too rigorous in imputing them. Grant me, upon the Testimonies here pro∣duced, that Four such Streams as Moses

speaks of were acknowledged for real in after-Ages, and if I erre in the precise point of place where any of them breaks from the main Stream, or in the Decourse of it with all it its gyres and windings, with the reception of other Rivers into it, and many such like, I shall willingly acknowledge such unavoidable mistakes, so the main chance be saved. And as I speak this with reference to the Map, which must serve as a Commentary to the Discourse, and was drawn by me as near as I could to the Tables of Ptole∣my; so in the Discourse it self, in those larger Digressions which I make upon the Countries themselves through which those Rivers pass, I will not affirm that every Conjecture I make is infallible, or that I may not have erred in divers parti∣culars incidental to the Illustrations which were necessary for me to pro∣secute: yet am I not onely willing, but desirous, to see those mistakes amended.

and have some hope that, by the help of those Learned men who have begun to open the treasuries of the Orient unto us, particularly the Translation of the Ara∣bick Geographers, much light may be fetched, as for rectifying what is amiss, so for confirming much of what I have observed; which howsoever it may ap∣pear New to the men of this Generation, I perceive by such Writings as have been translated since this Treatise was fi∣nished, hath obtained the credit of anci∣ent and received Truth in those Eastern parts. And upon this occasion I could wish, that having so great helps from the knowledge of Tongues, plenty of Com∣mentaries, and the like, a little more dili∣gence might be added, as for perfecting Sacred Chronology, so for improving Sa∣cred Geography; for want of which not onely many excellent Treatises have suffe∣red some blemishes, but a good portion of the Holy Text hath lain upon our hands

unimproved; yea (which is saddest of all, and therefore most to be heeded) some places of Scripture have been carped at, and made use of by the Adversary, to elevate and disparage the credit of it self: as this very place which I have to discourse upon may serve for an In∣stance too notorious, which through the negligence of former times, in not making out the truth of it by the help of Geogra∣phy, but blanching it over with Allegori∣call, or impertinent and ridiculous Inter∣pretations, hath suffered even to the im∣putation of a Fable, (for that is the usual style that Julian in his Blasphemous Rhetorications is accustomed to bespatter the Writings of Moses withall.) And this giveth me often occasion to wonder, whence it should come to pass (except to palliate sloth, and ignorance thence arising) that matters of this nature should be so sligh∣ted, and accounted of by very many but as mere Parerga, or things of so minute

and invaluable consideration as not to deserve our study: whereas it is certain that, without the help of Sacred Geogra∣phy, the immediate Literal sense of the Text (which is the Basis of all true In∣terpretation) cannot in many places be made out, nor the History cleared, nor the Questions obviously presenting them∣selves discussed; so that if any one stick morosely upon the spirit of any man un∣satisfied, it is hardly credible what mis∣chief this may amount to. For the wily Serpent, that early found a hole to creep into Paradise, if he can but get ad∣vantage upon such dissatisfaction to sug∣gest a Temptation to discredit, or but doubt of, the truth of any Particle of Scripture, will by degrees improve it to a questioning, and at length a denying the truth of the whole. To quicken our in∣dustry to this study, we have not onely the example of the Ancients, who held it to be of singular use, (as appears by Eu∣sebius's

Book 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which St. Hierom for that cause trans∣lated into Latin, with divers additions of his own;) but the great encourage∣ment which these Times afford, by the favour of our most Gracious SOVE∣REIGN, not onely countenancing, but effectually promoving, the advance∣ment of all kind of Learning: By means whereof as the Book of Nature may seem to have received a new Edition by the farther Discoveries of the Secrets of Philosophy; so no doubt the Book of the Scriptures also may receive much light, for the farther discovery of many useful Truths, both in the History and Mystery, that have not yet been so heed∣fully attended to. An evident Specimen whereof we have in the Writings of the Learned Bochartus, and the hopeful Over∣tures already begun, and successfully pro∣secuted, by our alike-learned Dr. Light∣foot.

But I fear (courteous Reader) lest by this time I may have tired thy patience with this long Preface, which yet was re∣quisite for me to write, and thee to read; that I might acquaint thee with the mo∣tives and manner of my proceeding in this Discourse, and thou mightest be prepared to entertain it with the more Candor: which notwithstanding I desire not to im∣prove beyond its due bounds, or to preju∣dice the freedom and liberty of thy Judg∣ment: for as I have dealt with Junius, I am content, yea desire, to de dealt withall my self. But then I must a••sure thee not to mistake my dealing with him: for if thou should'st imagine that I quarrel with him upon the main matter, thou shalt wrong both him and me and thy self. I look upon Junius as the ablest Assertor of the Cause I contend for, and from whom I received the Light by which I was enabled to search into this Question: It is not the truth of the History of Paradise that I have to de∣bate

with him, but the Situation of it onely in respect of the place, and the ac∣commodation of Moses's Description to it; in which if I have found some reasons (and here thou hast them) to believe that he might be mistaken, and there∣upon have been bold to transferr the ma∣terials to be set up in a more convenient place, I have but followed the example of Junius himself, (who in like man∣ner dealt with those that went before him) and reserve a free liberty to every man to vindicate his Opinion from the Objections th•••• the Adversary may be able to make against it, (which shall be most grateful to me) or himself to prompt us to a more probable place then this I have pitched upon; which though I will not assert upon so high terms as to pass my word that I have not erred, yet I have not had as yet any prevailing argument to move me to distrust but that I may have pitched upon the right.

And all this may be done without giving any advantage to the common Adversa∣ry, who (how impudent so ever) can with no more pretence of reason draw this into consequence, that there was no such place as Paradise, or so situated as Moses had set it, because we are not yet fully agreed upon that very spot of ground where it was; then that there was no such City in Persia as Persepo∣lis, destroied by Alexander, because such as have undertaken to give us an account of the Situation of it conforma∣ble to such Characters as ancient Histo∣rians have described it by, are not yet agreed upon their Verdict, whether it was Shivaz, or Estacher; or that there were no such Colonies of the Romans here in England as Lindum, Cam∣bodunum, and many more, because our Antiquaries are at variance in de∣scribing the places where they stood, some placing them in one place, some in ano∣ther

As for thy part, (Christian Reader, for such I here suppose thee to be, belie∣ving the infallible Veracity of the Holy Scriptures) it will be no point of wise∣dome in thee to smite thy Friends, to gra∣tifie thy Adversaries: Our Contentions are no more but a farther advance in clearing and vindicating the Holy Text, in which thou and the whole Christian (yea and Jewish) Church are equally ingaged as well as we: nor had this Discourse of mine ever (with my consent) seen the light, had I not lately been provoked thereunto upon this very Question by the unsufferable Insolence and Insultation of some Anti∣scripturists, a Generation of men lately sprung up amongst us, and growing very numerous and exceeding bold, owing their extraction to the most virulent poison of the leven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, (the perpetual Pests of true Religion) now complying together in a mystical mixture, and much improved by the effe∣ctual

working of the spirit of Antichrist in a multitude of confused Sects (both Fana∣ticks and Pro-fanaticks,) freely domi∣nearing in these late years, and (however disagreeing among themselves) yet agree∣ing all together in this, to subvert the Foun∣dation of Faith & the Power of Godliness; such as are our Familists, Antinomians, Libertines, Hobbians, Ranters, Qua∣kers and Seekers, beside a great number of many others, who (though not so direct∣ly and immediately) have by their perni∣cious and seditious Doctrines contributed not a little to promote this Mystery of Ini∣quity, and to make way for the birth of this Monster that now begins to appear up∣on the stage, (a Monster more prodigious then Africk ever bred) to wit, a Christian Atheist, acting all the parts of an avowed Infidel under an Hypocritical (and there∣fore more odious) outside of a baptized Believer, professing Religion for no o∣ther end but to jear it, and reading the

Bible for no other end but to blaspheme it; whom to discover and oppose. I doubt not but every good Christian, whose heart is touched with any zeal for the Honour of God and his Holy Truth, will take him∣self equally concerned to engage with me to the utmost of his power. As for those whose custom it is (as Sir Thomas More hath observed long agoe) to make themselves merry upon their Ale-bench with the Writings of others, and think themselves extremely witty if they can break a scurrilous jest (the Evaporation of Drink and a profane spirit) either up∣on the Argument or the Author; as we are willing to take notice of them among the former company, so for their Censure we referr them to the Judgment of him who will take an account of every idle word that men shall speak; in the mean time wishing them more sobriety.

And now (good Reader) I shall keep thee no longer from the perusal of this

Discourse, (lately mine, but now made thine) onely desiring that we may all double our Praiers to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would inspire continually the Uni∣versal Church with the spirit of Truth, Unity, and Concord; and grant that all they that do confess his Holy Name may agree in the truth of his Holy Word, and live in Unity and godly Love: And especially those whom he hath appointed to watch over the Souls of his people, that they may attend faithfully to the Ministry which they have received of the Lord to fulfill it, by contending ear∣nestly for the Faith that was once de∣livered to the Saints, and opposing vi∣gorously, with united hearts and hands, those overflowings of Atheism and Un∣godliness that are breaking in upon us, like a mighty Torrent, and by asserting the Truth of God and his Holy Word in

the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and power, confirming such as stand, and supporting those that are ready to fall, by removing stumbling-blocks out of the way of the weak, stopping the mouth of the Adver∣sary, and plucking up the Tares which the Enemy hath sown; endeavouring (as much as in us lieth) to present every man blameless at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor; and gather his Wheat into his garner, but the Chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

AMEN.