The theologicall key of the three first covenants made by God with man, in the severall state of man, obliging man to his law, after a severall formall manner, from the beginning according to his sacred decree of predestination, fundamentally declared, according to his sacred word and truth / by David Dunbar, Esq.

CHAP. I.

It is contrary to the truth of the sacred Word, to affirme that our first Parents did fall the same day that they were created.

AS the first Covenant made by God with man, did necessarily presuppose the perfection of mans creation; so the second Covenant doth as necessarily presuppose the fall of man from the perfection wherein he was created, unto the eter∣nall curse of the law of righteousnesse, and the redemption of man from the eternall curse of the Law, condemned by the first Covenant.

The second Covenant therefore doth containe the second part of the ex∣ercit act of the sacred decree of predestination; in the declaration whereof the order and method set downe by Moses, Gen. 3. shall be observed, where first the transgression of the law by our first parents is set downe: Secondly, the arraignment of our first parents by God for their transgression of the law. Thirdly, the censure of God upon the arraignment, containing the second Covenant, according to which method, this second Booke shall be divided in these two parts: In the first part, the fall of man under the eternall curse of the law shall be briefly declared: In the second part, the arraignment of our first parents, and the censure of God upon the arraignment shall be set downe, containing the second Covenant, necessarily presupposing the de∣claration of the redeemed state of man; first therefore of the fall of man from his created state of perfection under the eternall curse of the law of righte∣ousnesse, as he was obliged by the first Covenant.

In the declaration of the fall of man, two questions may be moved; first it may be demanded, how long did our first patents continue in their created state and felicity: Secondly, what could be the efficient cause of the fall of man, created in such perfection & advanced to such high honor & happines.

For answer to the first question; though the Scripture doth not set down and determine the precise time of the fall of man, yet there is no ground at all to imagine, that Adam did fall the same very day wherein he was created, for so Adam and all men created in Adam must have falne without the curse of the Law; for before the seventh day that God did rest from the works of the Creation, there was neither any formall Law or Covenant to binde or command Adam to the Law of God, which command was by the onely word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse, upon the immediate command whereof the first Covenant was established betweene God and man.

But the maine reason of this imaginary opinion, standeth in this point; to wit, Eve did, or (at least) might have conceived the sixt day which Eve was given Adam to wife; hence it is concluded, that if Adam had falne af∣ter Eve had conceived, the conception had not been lyable to Adams sinne, because it was not then in the head, but actually descended from the head; in which case the Son (in the Justice of God) is not lyable to the sin of the Father, for in this case the soule that sinneth must dye: To this I answer.

Admit that Eve had conceived the same night which Eve was given to Adam to wife, yet this conception was not man and the sonne of Adam untill such time as Eves sensitive conception was brought to such perfection, as the intellectuall information of the soule, the sensitive body was perfect man and the son of Adam: Before which time, if Adam (the created head of all men naturally to descend of Adam) had falne, the posterity of Adam (notwithstanding) must have necessarily falne in the head, for God did not make his first Covenant with the sensitive seed of Adam or Eve, or with the sensitive conception, or with the sensitive body of man, but with man, Adam the head, and with all men naturally to descend of Adam the head, as they are men intellectuall and sensitiv••, created in the state of naturall and spiri∣tuall perfection in Adam the head.

Before such time therefore as Eve had conceived perfect man and the sonne of Adam, Adams fall could not have been prevented from being the fall of his posterity, all which time after the first Covenant was established, our first parents might have stood before their fall, and yet in all that time Adams fall must have been the necessary fall of his posterity, till the very in∣stant time of Eves conception of man, which is by the second conception of woman, while as the sensitive body (in the wombe) is brought to such perfection, as the high elaborate vitall spirits of the heart, doe appetite the intellectuall forme, humane spirit, to be begot by the eternall Father of spi∣rits, and (by the power of the word) essentially united to the heart, whereby

man is man, and conceived man by woman, and in the prefixed time of na∣turall birth brought forth perfect man, by man, female the woman; though Eve in her state of perfection was to bring forth man, in the image of righte∣ousnesse and holinesse, as in the second conception, the intellectuall soule (essentially united to the heart) was to be spiritually enlightned and sancti∣fied by God; for otherwise man could never be enabled to bring forth man in such perfection, as man was created, to fulfill the command of the Law, by the first Covenant. As God therefore (by his first Covenant) did binde and oblige Adam, and all men created and bound in Adam, to his first seventh dayes commanded worship, and in that commanded worship, to the obe∣dience of the whole Law, upon the curse of eternall death: So God (in his Justice) by his first Covenant did oblige himselfe to enable man to bring forth man, in such state and perfection as he was created, that God might be honoured and worshipped by the perfect obedience of all men to descend of Adam, as he was to be worshipped and honoured by Adam.

And therefore to conclude my Answer to the first Question, though the Scripture hath not set downe the precise time of Adams fall, yet by Cove∣nant Adams fall must have been the fall of his posterity till Eve had concei∣ved man, though Adams sinne had been his owne, and not the sinne of his posterity, if after Eve had conceived, Adam should have falne. But to af∣firme, that Adam did fall the very day which he was created, it is contrary to the truth of the sacred Word, for so Adam (as hath been said) must have falne without any curse of the Law: Neither is there so much as any colour of humane reason, to imagine, that man being created in such perfection, and advanced to such a large extent of honour and felicity, to be Lord over the Earth, and over the creatures, and yet that this very day man must fall under the fearefull eternall curse of the Law, and be arraigned and censured by God for his transgressions, before man could have any time or experience so much as to consider the ex••ent of his advancement and felicity to which he was preferred by God.