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CHAP. CI. The Understanding of Adam. (Book 101)

ADam put right Names upon all living Creatures; and therefore he had an intimate, or intuitive or clear speculative Knowledge of these, which is called the Attain∣ment of Nature. Perhaps he had likewise a most full knowledge of Herbs, Minerals, yea and of the Stars: For truly an Object not before seen, being presented unto him, he had known the innermost Properties thereof.

From hence therefore, many do conclude, that the same Knowledge is given to us by a natural Property, as to the successive Heirs of Adam; but to be obscured through Sin: But others contend that it is wholly withdrawn, through eating of the Fruit of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Of these things, I being long since badly perswaded; alass, I also be∣lieved them! For I left something untryed, that I might reach unto the promised Labour of Wisdom, the Paradise of Long Life, through the knowledge of Adam: But at length, I observed many things, which might subvert these very principles.

For First of all, I could scarce perswade my self, that Adam in the State of Innocency knew those Things, and more, which afterwards he through eating of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, was ignorant of: That indeed, was, when he had eaten of the Apple of Oblivion, Drowsiness, or Ignorance; But not when he had eaten of the Apple of Know∣ledge. But if in Original Sin, the Original Transgressour, and Defiler of humane Nature, himself, as yet knew what he knew before; after what manner indeed, by a super-attain∣ed new Knowledge, and that of another Disposition, being as it were laid up in the for∣bidden Fruit, had he withdrawn all knowledge from his Posterity?

And moreover, how had not he (who from his Creation had all Knowledge, except that which by a hidden Paraphrase and Emphatical manner of speaking, is called by the holy Spirit, The knowledge of Good and Evil) traduced this likewise on his Posterity? For if through eating of the Apple, His Eyes were opened, the which was even made known to him before (after some sort) they were closed, and he became a knower of Good and Evil, and saw himself to be naked; why was there not, at least-wise, in his Seed, as much know∣ledge as there was in the Apple? Why, if through his Seed, Sin, be translated; is not also Shame translated, that it might naturally Shame the Indians of their Nakedness? That likewise a Child of three years old should be ashamed of its Nakedness? no otherwise than Adam was, presently after the Apple was eaten.

In the next place, if he were endowed from his Creation with the knowledge of the Natures, Societies, and Properties of Animals, and from hence it was pithily essential unto him; How had God, who is so great a Lover of us, withdrawn our essential, intellectual, and natural Gifts, whereby he will be worshipped in the Spirit of Man, but hath left na∣tural Gifts unto the evil Spirit, the most vile, despised, and worst of Creatures? Had he so greatly impoverished our Spirit, and favoured the Devil more than the Sons of Men, with whom to be, he cals it his Delights? I indeed, after that I conceived in my Soul, the Knowledge of long Life, and the Causes of Death, knew, that as long as Adam was Immortal, his Mind did immediately quicken his Body, and governed it; Yea that for that Cause also, he perfectly understood whatsoever things are read to have been put un∣der his Feet.

But after that the sensitive Soul was seminally introduced as a Mean between the Mind and the Body, Adam afterwards lived in the Soul, and middle Life; that is, after a mo∣dern or mean manner: And his Mind (for the support of the sensitive Soul) dispersed from it self, only a darksom Light, through the Mists of the Flesh, upon the Life of a new and impure Generation. But the former Knowledges which he had before the Fall, were in the sensitive Life, laid up though remembrance; yet over-clouded with the Dim and wretched Discourse of Reason▪ when as he had now generated after the manner of

Bruit-beasts, and had seminally transferred a middle Life; then all his Knowledge, as well former as latter, of Good and Evil; to wit, the remembrance of the same were oblitera∣ted; and Man thereby was born a vain or empty Table: From thence indeed arose a sensi∣tive Power or Faculty in Posterity; or the same Faculty of a middle Life, which arose in Adam; the which, when through a just Maturity, it had waxed ripe in the Seed, it was at length brought through, into a true Light and vital Form, by the Creator; on which af∣terwards, the Mind of Man transferred its Vicarship; yet the Mind hath remained, being as it were reitired into its own bottom, as abhorring the Impurities of Nature, nor being any longer able (unless by Grace) immediately to diffuse it self into the sensitive Soul: God so disposing of it by reason of his good Pleasure, as shall be shewn hereafter.

In Man therefore, there is actually a certain natural and formal Act, which is the Soul, or Sensitive Life, very much distinct from the mind: For as the Seed of a Dog tends into a living Dog, obscurely reasoning or discoursing; so certainly the Seed of Man doth not aspire into a dead Carcass, but at least into a vital Soul; and indeed flows into a sensitive, and discursive one, after a far more perfect manner, than in a Dog, Fox, &c. And that I might the more firmly attain this real Distinction of the sensitive Soul from the Mind in us; I have feigned a Young-man to be utterly lost for a Maid: For this Man wisheth with a full sense, and consent of his Soul, that he could be freed from that disdainful Love: And likewise, he would not that he should Love so dearly, and would not be freed from his Love: Not indeed, that he by turns, sometimes earnestly wills one thing, but some∣times another: but at once, and in the same Motion, and violent aslault, he wisheth, and not wisheth to be freed from that Love: therefore he declares himself to be happy, and unhappy in one Love: And he suffers many Contradictories of that sort, at once: The which seeing they are not at once entertained in the same Subject and Respect; I long doubted, from whence such Contradictories should happen on every side, in one only Man; until at length the Apostle loosed this K not for me.

I seeing another Law in our Members, opposite to the Law of our Mind; which Laws surely, he understandeth to be guarded not only with an Inclination and Desire; but also with Discourse and Consent. Then I clearly beheld the Affections of the sensitive Soul to be one, and those of the Mind to be another; but these (because the Operation of the Mind is well nigh obscured by the perturbations of the sensitive Soul) therefore they are weak: For in this sense, the Apostle calls Anger, Envy, Grudgings, Worshipping of I∣dols, &c. the works of the Flesh: For although they may seem to be spiritual Concepti∣ons; yet because they are the Operations of the sensitive Soul, the which it self also is seminally stirred up in Nature by the will of Flesh and Blood; therefore they are the meer works of the Flesh.

We are therefore uncessantly affected through the importunate Allurements of the soci∣al Soul; because we being forthwith after Sin, become degenerate, have lost Immortali∣ty.

Wherefore God doth now require only a few things of us, that we may enter into Life: To wit, that he that is Baptized, do believe the whole History of the Creed, and that he keep the Commandements of God through the Mediation of his Grace. But whosoever will aspire unto a higher Degree of Charity, let him endeavour so far as according to his Talent he shall be able, in all Humility, and by continuing in Charity, through amorous Acts, to run forth unto abstracted Things believed by Faith; until that through the Grace of a daily Continuance of Exercise, he shall feel his Mind to be overwhelmed by a super∣natural Light: For the Meditation of natural Forms, doth much help in the entrance, for the understanding of the Thingliness of the sensitive Soul: For all Forms besides the Mind, seeing they are vital Lights which are to return into nothing; I have cer∣tainly learned, that the Mind doth by a most long interval, differ from the sensitive Soul.

Seeing that the immortal Mind, however it be retracted into it self, that it may not be defiled through the Wedlock of the sensitive Soul, its Companion; Yet it is president in all Acts, as it is near at hand, and doth totally inhere in the whole sensitive Soul; and so operates herewith after a deaf manner: But that this order of the Almighty, was on this manner, forthwith after the Fall of Adam;

I collected first, because he hath created some Men blind, and likewise mad, no•• for their own, or Parents Sin, but according to his good Pleasure, for his own Glory; for he made all things as he would, and most exceeding well. And then, because he would be worshipped in the Spirit. And lastly, because in his House there are many Mansions. Now, they should be in vain, if every Man should be equal in Grace in his Soul and Life.

From whence I collect, that there ought to be a diversity of Spirits among Men, and the Worshippers of the Divinity to be diverse in the degree of Charity. For truly he created the Angels, that they might worship him in the Spirit of Intelligency, without the Tur∣bulencies of Bodies: But Man he deminished a little less than the Angels; yet he prima∣rily chose him after the Image of his Divinity, for his own Glory and Worship, and for his adopted Sons, yet subject to an unhappy and calamitous kinde of living; because he is he, who being 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sunk or drowned within the Body, scarce understands that he doth un∣derstand, having almost forgotten his Immortality, as being subjected unto the tyranni∣cal Clientships of Diseases; so that the Immortal Understanding, in distracted or foolish and mad People, appears to be almost extinct: For it was the Almighties good Pleasure, that those diverse Mansions should be inhabited, as it were by the Ladder of Deserts, and that Men being raised up by the Character or Impression of Grace, should come unto high∣er Dignities of understanding: To wit, according to that saying, The Learned shall shine as the Sun.

The first thing therefore, is in the Simplicity of an operative Faith, to have lived in Abstinency from Evils, and to have done good. And then, that they Worship God in the Spirit of naked Truth, and that through an operative Faith, they proceed through an at∣tainment of a fatherly Love, worthy Deeds or Deserts in Charity (although we not in∣tending it) helping to be more and more illustrated in their Understanding. And so at length, the Mind is loosed in that dark Prison of Bloods, and intellectually beholds it self, and with Humility admires the not before seen Light; and being led through un∣known Paths, doth then without difficulty proceed by steps, unto the more abstracted Contemplations of a Kiss; where, it being as it were raised up again out of a drow•••••• Sleep, doth (as happy) adore God in Truth, Righteousness, and the Union of Virtues, under the Light of an abstracted Spirit: For neither, although God will have other Recog∣nisances or knowing Considerations from Man, than from an Angel, ought he therefore less to rejoyce in the Divine good Pleasure; but to proceed in praising him, in an humble Adoration, wherein all understanding of Wisdom, and clearness of all Spirits, are as it were supped up in a lively Center: Through this reward therefore of Degrees, the un∣utterable God hath since the Fall, Crowned Man with Glory and Honour, although de∣generate, and hath put other things under his Feet; for neither before the Fall, had Man ever aspired thither: Therefore Man ought neither to have the knowledge of all things which Adam knew in his Beginning, nor also of his own self, if it ought to be a Desert: For a Crown presupposeth a striving Desert, and Victory: For we cannot bring back an increase of Grace for Victory, but by fighting. Therefore I conclude, that as we are constituted in the middle and sensitive Life, we know, have, are, or are able to do nothing, but only by Grace; Desert co-operating, and the which Merit, that God might confirm the Moments of Degrees, in the adoring Understanding were to be presupposed.

Therefore he that is of innocent Hands, and of a clean Heart, worshippeth God in the Truth of Spirit; and the State of that mortal Man, is far more happy, than was that of Adam being Immortal: For that poverty of Spirit, doth in truth know Wisely, knowes Knowingly, believes Confidently, perceives or feeles Truly, and confesseth Humbly, that he is a meer subject of all Defects, that is, an unprofitable and evil Servant. In this Journey, the unutterable Kingdom of God, meets Man, the Ocean of Light, which gives an un-asked-for clea••ness of Understanding, and much more royal things, than the Desires of the Angels do wish for. These things exceed the Phylosophy of the Heathens, and of Modern Atheists: So it is; Understanding and Truth hath it self in this manner, wherein our Phy∣losophy doth place its Alpha or Beginning: The which if it shall not do, long Life is un∣profitable, being unknown to so many Ages, being neglected by so many Wits, and even unto the end of the World, known unto none but Adeptists alone.