A treatise of Paradise. And the principall contents thereof especially of the greatnesse, situation, beautie, and other properties of that place: of the trees of life, good and euill; of the serpent, cherubin, fiery sword, mans creation, immortalitie, propagation, stature, age, knowledge, temptation, fall, and exclusion out of Paradise; and consequently of his and our originall sin: with many other difficulties touching these points. Collected out of the holy Scriptures, ancient fathers, and other both ancient and moderne writers.

CHAP. LI.

Of the Cherubin and sword which were put at the entrance of Paradise.

THe Originists doe vnderstand this allegorically, so that by this kinde of custodie is meant nothing else but

the particular prouidence of God, by which our first parents were depriued of all hope of returning to Paradise.

Others thinke that by the Cherubin and fiery sword is mystically vnder∣stood a twofold impediment or means, by which we be now debarred from the celestiall Paradise: the first inuisible, of the inuisible spirits and deuils, accor∣ding to that of Paul to the Ephesians, the last chapter, verse 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud, but against prin∣cipalities, against powers, and against the gouernours of this world, the Princes of darknesse, against spirituall wickednesses, which are in high places.

The second impediment (as these Authors say) mystically signified by the fiery sword, is the perpetuall fight of flesh and bloud in our spirituall battell, as well in prosperitie as aduersitie, ac∣cording to our Sauiours words, Matth. 11. chap. 12. verse: The kingdome of hea∣uen suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force: and that of Iob; Militia est vi∣ta hominis super terram.

Or rather (as other doe interpret) we

may vnderstand by these lets of accesse to Paradise, three principall hinderances of accesse to the celestiall Paradise: by the Cherubin, which is interpreted the fulnesse of science, wisdome and know∣ledge, may be vnderstood too much cu∣riositie of science, and spirituall pride oftentimes contained therein, much re∣pugnant to the simplicitie and puritie of Christian faith. By the fiery sword may bee vnderstood (as some Authors doe allegorize) all enflaming lusts and vices proceeding from the sensitiue ap∣petite; the which as it is twofold, con∣cupiscible and irascible, so is it signified by the fire and sword, or fiery sword: the which being voluble, or as it were wheeling about, and alwayes in a per∣petuall motion, doth plainly expresse the perpetuall inconstancie, volubilitie, and motion of humane matters.

Aquinas and Tertullian thinke,* 1.1 that by the Cherubin and fierie sword, is vn∣derstood the place and situation of Pa∣radise, vnder the aequinoctiall line, or Torrida Zona, the firest Climate of the world.

But certainely, the heat of this place is naturall vnto it, and proceeding from the neerenesse of the Sunne (as the Ma∣thematicians doe demonstrate) and therefore could not bee occasioned by the sinne of man, much lesse proceede thereof, as a naturall effect of sin, which in it selfe hath no reall being, but is ra∣ther the priuation of goodnesse, accor∣ding to its formall essence and being.

* 1.2Lyranus thinketh, that by the Cheru∣bin and fiery sword, is vnderstood a mighty and flaming fire, issuing out of the mountaine of Paradise, defending and compassing it round about, in the manner of a wall.

* 1.3Ambrose vpon the Psalme 118. thin∣keth the fore-sayd flaming sword to be the fire of Purgatory, by which the soules that depart our of the world not altogether purified, are cleansed before their entrance into Heauen.

But (to omit the controuersie of Pur∣gatory) this cannot bee, seeing that the sword and Cherubin were placed at the entrance of Paradise (as is manifest in the Text) lest Adam should enter into

Paradise, and participate of the tree of life; for so saith the Text, Gen. 3, ver. 24. Thus he cast out man, and at the East side of the garden of Eden he set the Cherubins, and the blade of a sword shaken, to keepe the way of the tree of life. That therefore which seemeth most probable in this poynt, is, that the words of the afore∣sayd text are to be vnderstood literally, of a true Angelicall custody of Paradise and fiery swords; the first against the in∣fernall spirits, the second for to terrifie man. The Diuels were repelled and kept from this place of Paradise, lest they should deceiue man by the tree of life, promising him thereby a perpetui∣ty of life, such as he should haue enioy∣ed, if he had not falne; man also was ba∣nished out of the same place, not onely by the iust iudgment of Almighty God executed vpon him for his disobedi∣ence, but also by a fatherly diuine pro∣uidence and tender loue towards man∣kinde, lest eating of the forbidden fruit, which was of immortality (a sufficient cause I meane to make him immortall) he should liue an immortall life in this

vale of misery, and so become miserably immortall, and immortally miserable.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aquinas 2. 2 ae quaest. 165. ar. vlt.
• * 1.2

  Lyra. in Genesim.
• * 1.3

  Ambros of in Psalm. 118.