Exercitations divine Containing diverse questions and solutions for the right understanding of the Scriptures. Proving the necessitie, majestie, integritie, perspicuitie, and sense thereof. As also shewing the singular prerogatiues wherewith the Lord indued those whom he appointed to bee the pen-men of them. Together with the excellencie and use of divinitie above all humane sciences. All which are cleared out of the Hebrew, and Greeke, the two originall languages in which the Scriptures were first written, by comparing them with the Samaritane, Chaldie, and Syriack copies, and with the Greeke interpretors, and vulgar Latine translation. By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Christs Gospell.

EXERCITAT. IIII.

Of Adams knowledge before his fall.

Gen. 2. 19.

Whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name of it.

FIrst, consider in Adams knowledge, the manner how he got this knowledge, and secondly the measure of his knowledge.

His knowledge was inbred knowledge and not ac∣quired; for as soone as he did behold the creatures, ne∣ver * 1.1 having seene them before, he gave them all names according to their nature. This knowledge being in∣bred it could not be acquired also; nam duplex ejus∣dem scientiae in vno subjecto, non datur causa, there cannot be two causes given of one, & the selfe same knowledge in one subject, although one and the selfe same know∣ledge cannot be said both to be acquired and inbred, * 1.2 yet Adam might have had experimentall knowledge, afterward of his inbred knowledge: His inbred know∣ledge and our acquired knowledge, are not divers sorts of knowledge, for as the sight restored to the blind al∣though it was miraculous, yet when he saw, it was one sort of sight with our sight: so these inbred habites and acquired habites, are but one sort of habits; but

these inbred habits in Adam, and infused habits, were more excellent than acquired habits; for these things which God doth, are such that nature cannot produce the like, or so perfect: as that wine which Christ made miraculously at the marriage of Cana in Galilee, Ioh. 2. * 1.3 was more excellent wine than other naturall wine: so when Christ cured the blind, their sight was more per∣fect than our naturall sight; so when he made the lame to goe Act. 3. 16. So the habites of inbred knowledge in Adam, were more perfect than any other sinfull man could ever attaine unto, after him.

The creatures are lesse than the knowledge of God; * 1.4 they were equall with the knowledge of Adam before his fall, but they exceed our knowledge now. When the eye looketh upon the white colour, it scattereth the [Simile.] sight, and the white colour exceedeth it; but when it looketh upon the greene colour, exaequat visum, and it is a proportionable object for the eye: but when it looketh upon a taunie colour, it is lesse than the sight. So the creatures are lesse than Gods sight; they were equall with Adams sight before his fall, like the greene colour, and they exceed our sight since the fall, as the white colour doth exceede our sight; and because the heart since the fall is not so capable and so large to com∣prehend the knowledge of these creatures as it was be∣fore the fal, therefore it is said, 1 King. 4. 29. that the Lord gave Salomon a wise heart as the sand of the Sea shoare, that is, to know an innumerable kind of things like the sand of the sea. When a man is to infuse liquor into a [Simile.] narrow mouthed vessell, that none if it runne by, hee enlargeth the mouth of the vessell: So did the Lord enlarge the heart of Salomon that hee might conceive this heavenly wisedome, and the knowledge of all things; but the minde of Adam before his fall nee∣ded not this extention to rcceive these gifts.

Secondly, the great measure of this knowledge which Adam had before his fall, may be taken up this wayes. The Hebrewes write that there were foure gates by the which Adam entred to see the Lord: the first * 1.5 was the gate of the visible creatures, the second was by the gate of the Angels, the third was by the gate of majestie, and the fourth was by the gate of glory; and they say that Adam entred three of these gates, but the fourth was shut that hee entred not in at it in this life.

The first gate was opened unto him, for in the crea∣tures below, here he saw the majesty and glory of God. The Scriptures when they express any great thing, they joyne the name of God with it, as Ezek. 13. 9. great * 1.6 haile is called Gods haile or sent by God, el gabbish. So 1 Sam. 26. cecidit sopor domini super eos, that is, a great sleepe fell upon them. So a strong Lyon is called ariel, the Lyon of God, 2 Sam. 23. 10. So Moyses is said to be faire to God, that is, very faire, Act. 7. 20. So Ni∣nive was great to God, that is, very great. The beau∣ty * 1.7 and greatnesse in the creatures led Adam to take up how great the Lord was. Iacob when he saw Esau re∣conciled unto him, sayd, I have seene thy face, as though I had seene the face of God, Gen. 33. 10. This glimpse of goodnesse in the face of Esau, made Iacob take up, how good God was unto him.

The second gate was porta intelligentiarum, the know∣ledge of the Angels, they resembled God more than any visible creature doth, therefore they are called Gods Sonnes, Iob. 1. Chapt. and 38. Chapter, 7. verse, and they see his face continually. Mathew 18. verse 10. As the Kings courtiours are sayd to see his face con∣tinually, 2 King. 25. 25. and the Angels conversing with him, made him to come nearer to the knowledge of God.

The third gate was porta Majestatis, he saw the ma∣jesty of God more clearely than any other did. Moyses is sayd to see the face of God, and yet it was but the sight of his backe parts, compared with Adams; and we see him but through a grate, Cant. 2. 11. Heb. 11. 26.

The fourth gate was porta gloriae. That gate was reserved to bee opened for him in the hea∣vens.

Let us compare the most excellent men with Adam, and see which of them came nearest unto him; in some things Moyses came nearest to him, in somes things Sa∣lomon came nearest unto him, and in some things Daniel, in some things Ioseph, but Christ the second Adam excel∣led them in all.

In the knowledge and sight of God and his attributes, Moyses came nearest to him. Exod. 33. 13. Teach mee thy * 1.8 wayes, that is, thy attributes. So Psal. 103. 7. He made knowne to Moyses his wayes, that is, his attributes, for hee subjoyneth, the Lord is mercifull and gracious, slow to an∣ger, and full of compassion, and he chideth not for ever; here his wayes are his attributes, Moyses came nearest to Adam in this knowledge.

Salomon in the knowledge of the politickes came nea∣rer to Adams knowledge than Moyses did; Moyses sate * 1.9 all the day long to judge the people, Exod. 18. and hee stoode in need of Iethro's counsell to make choyse of helpers; but Salomon could have found out all these things by himselfe without the helpe of another. Salo∣mon begged wisedome of God, and it was granted unto him, he desired wisedome to be his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be pre∣sident of his counsell, and to be his assister or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.10 & to be his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to rule happily, Wisedom. 9. 4. Sa∣lomon came nearest to the knowledge of Adam in the Politickes, and he is preferred to the wisest within the Church, as to Heman and Dedan, 1 King. 4. 3. and

to the wisest without the Church, as to the Egypti∣ans.

As he came nearest to Adams knowledge in the Po∣litickes, * 1.11 so likewise in the knowledge of naturall things, for as he wrote from the Cedar of Lebanus to the Hyssope that grew out of the Wall, 2 King. 4. 33. that is, as Iosephus explaineth it; he wrote parables and similitudes taken from every one of these kinds: and Tertullian saith well, Familiare est sacris scriptoribus ut sublimiores veritates ex∣plicent per sensibilia; nam idem qui est author naturae, est author gratiae: It is an usuall thing to the holy writers to illustrate heavenly things by earthly comparisons, for he that is the God of nature is also the God of grace. Salomon wrote from the tall Cedar to the small Hyssope that groweth out of the wall, that is, from the greatest to the smallest, then he passeth by none of them: for it is the manner of the Hebrews to marke * 1.12 the two extreames, and to leave the midst for brevi∣ties cause, as Num. 6, 4, from the kernell to the huske, here the Scripture omitteth the wine which is the midst betwixt the kernell and the huske. Another example, Exod. 11. 5. And all the first borne of the land of Egypt shall dye, from the first borne of Pharoah that sitteth upon the throne, unto the first borne of the maidservant that sitteth behind the Mill. The Scripture omitteth the midst here, the rest of the people for shortnesse, and expresseth one∣ly the two extreames, the highest and the lowest. A third example, Iob 24. 20. The wombe shall forget him, and the wormes shall feede sweetly upon him, the birth, and the grave, the two extreames include the whole life. So Psal. 121. 8. The Lord shall keepe thy going in, and going out, that is, all thy wayes: So Salomon writing of the two extreames, the tallest and the least, includeth all the rest. Now if Salomon had such knowledge of these na∣turall things, much more had Adam.

Adam had such knowledge of the creatures that he * 1.13 gave them fit names in the Hebrew expressing their na∣tures, he was a good nomenclator to give every thing the right name. Plato in Cratillo sheweth that he who giveth the right name to a thing, must know the nature of it very well; but since the fall men impose wrong names to things, as they call light darknesse, and dark∣nesse light.

When hee gave names to the creatures, hee gave * 1.14 not names to these creatures in particular that had not principium individuationis in se, and which differed not something in subsistence from others, as all hearbes of the same kind, and trees and stones of the same kind; he gave not a name to every one of them in particular, but gave one name to them all of the same kind: but these who differed not in essence but in the manner of their subsisting, to these he gave diverse names, as hee called himselfe Adam and his wife Eve. And wee are to observe that there are many names which Adam * 1.15 gave to the creatures in the first imposition, which are not found in the Scriptures now: the Elephant the greatest beast upon the earth, yet it hath no proper name given to it, in the Scripture it is called Behemoth, Iob 40. * 1.16 15. and the teeth of the Elephant are called Shenhab∣bim, the teeth of Ivorie, but not the teeth of the Ele∣phant; and usually the Scripture expresseth onely the word teeth, as 1 King. 10. 18. he made a Throne of teeth, but not of the teeth of the Elephant, because the Ele∣phant was not so knowne to the Iewes; therefore the * 1.17 Scripture doth onely circumscribe this beast and the hornes of it; but Adam gave the greatest beast a pro∣per name when he imposed names to the beasts.

When Adam imposed names to the beasts, he im∣posed proper names to them, not circumscribing them * 1.18 as the Scripture doth now for our capacity; example,

Shemamith with the hands of it takes hold on kings houses, * 1.19 because this word is a hard word to be understood, and may signifie eyther a Spyder weaving with her hands; or else 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Monkie with a long tayle (for kings are delighted in their palaces with such when they see them hung by the hands) because wee cannot take up the nature of this beast by the name alone, therefore the Scriptures by the effects and properties of it, de∣scribeth it more at large for our capacity; but Adam at the first imposed the simple name.

These names which Adam gave to the beasts at the * 1.20 first were most perfect names, therefore yee shall see other languages to keepe some footesteppe still of the first imposition, as 1 King. 10. 22. Tukkijm are called * 1.21 Peacoks, the Talmud calleth it Tabhas, the Arabick cal∣led it Taus, and the Latine Pavo.

David came nearest to Adam in prudencie, for al∣though * 1.22 he was not so wise as Salomon, yet erat prudentior Salomone he was more prudent than Salomon; therefore the woman of Tekoah sayd to him, Thou art wise as an Angell of God, 2 Sam. 14. 20.

The Lord asked the king of Tyrus if he could match * 1.23 Daniel in wisedome, Ezek. 28. 3. Behold thou art wiser than Daniel, there is no secret that they can hide from thee. Daniel exceeded all the Chaldeans in wisedome, and the Chaldeans exceeded the Tyrians, therefore Daniel farre exceeded all the Tyrians: but yet if we will compare Daniels wisedome with the wisedome of Salomon, it will come farre short; for Salomon exceeded all the children of the East in wisedome, and came nearest to Adams knowledge, no sort of wisedome was hid from Salo∣mon, Daniel onely exceeded in interpreting of secrets and heavenly visions.

Ioseph came nearest to him in oeconomie, Psal. 105. 22. * 1.24 he exceeded the Princes of Egypt in wisedome, & taught their senators.

Iesus Christ the second Adam, the personall wise∣dome * 1.25 of God his Father, farre excelled Salomon; here is a greater than Salomon. Iesus Christ the second Adam as he excelled Salomon farre; so did he the first Adam in wisedome, Psal. 45. 2. Thou art fairer than the Children of men, in the originall it is Iophjaphitha, which the Hebrews doubling, expresse the great beauty that was in him; and * 1.26 sometimes it is put in two words, as Ier. 46. gnegla jephe pija, that is, very faire. Christ the second Adam in out∣ward * 1.27 beauty exceeded not, Non erat decor in facie ejus, He had no forme nor comelinesse: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. Esay. 53. 2. but in inward wisedome and grace he was fairer than the Sonnes of men, and excelled the first Adam.

The conclusion of this is, Adam having such measure [Conclusion.] of knowledge before his fall, what great presumption was it in him to presume above that which was revealed unto him. Let us be content not to be wise above that which is written, 1 Cor. 4. 6. and let us remember that saying of Augustine, Multi propter arborem scientiae amit∣tunt arborem vitae.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the manner how Adam got his know∣ledge.
• * 1.2

  Adams inbred know∣ledge, and our acquired knowledge, are not di∣verse sorts of know∣ledge.
• * 1.3

  Things done miracu∣lously, are more excel∣lent than nature can produce them.
• * 1.4

  Of the measure of Adams knowledge.
• * 1.5

  • Por¦ta
    • creaturarū visibiliū
    • intelligentiarum.
    • majestatis.
    • gloria.
• * 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 est epitheton omnis rei admirandae & magnae. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.8

  A comparison betwixt Moses and Adam.
• * 1.9

  A comparison betwixt Salomon and Adam.
• * 1.10

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.11

  Salomon came neerest to Adams knowledge in the Politicks.
• * 1.12

  The Hebrewes marke the two extreames and leave the midst for brevity.
• * 1.13

  Adam gave fit names to the creatures, know∣ing their qualities and nature.
• * 1.14

  To what things Adam gave names and to what he gave no names.
• * 1.15

  Adam gave names to many things which are not found now in the Scripture.
• * 1.16

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 dens eboris compositum ex 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 dens & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ebur.
• * 1.17

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cornua dentis. Ezek. 27.
• * 1.18

  Adam gave proper namer to the creatures.
• * 1.19

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Seemeth to be Simia, and Solomon sent for such, 1 King. 10. 22. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.20

  Names which Adam gave were perfect names.
• * 1.21

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.22

  A comparison betwixt David and Adam.
• * 1.23

  A comparison betwixt Adam and Daniel.
• * 1.24

  A comparison betwixt Ioseph and Adam.
• * 1.25

  A comparison betwixt the first Adam, and the second Adam Christ.
• * 1.26

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.27

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉