of God which made him. But wherein this image of God, or the live copy of it exhibited in the first man, did properly or chiefly consist, is a problem wherein many good writers, both ancient and modern, do somewhat vary. Some would have the prerogatives, which did result from the likeness of God imprinted upon the first man, to consist principally in that power or dominion which he had over all other visible or sublunary creatures. But though it be true of these present times as it was of former, that dominium non fundatur in fide, id est, kings and supreme governors have their right of dominion over their subjects or inferiors, albeit such kings and governors have not at any time been true Christians, or have degenerated from such Christian faith as they have sometimes professed or maintained; yet without all controversy, that sovereignty or dominion which the first man had over all other visible creatures, was founded upon that integrity of soul, or righteousness inherent, which he lost. Since the first man and his successors became corrupt in all their ways, that primeval dominion which the first man had, did cease by degrees to be so entire as once it was: nor is there any hope to have it fully restored unto any sovereignty, or private members of any sovereignty or kingdom in this life: nor are all they, which well agree in this general, That the first man's similitude with his Maker did radically and punctually consist in righteousness and integrity of soul and body,' at so fair accord among themselves, wherein this righteousness or integrity did properly or formally consist, or of what rank or order it was.

6

Original righteous

grace.

CHAP. II.

Wherein the Righteousness of the first Man did consist.

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1. MANY great divines or doctors heretofore have ness no su- been, and some, or rather many, to this day there be, pernatural who peremptorily determine, and would persuade others, either by their authority or by reason, to believe, that the righteousness of the first man did formally consist in a peculiar grace, supernatural even to him. If this opinion were true, the same grace should have been more than supernatural to his successors; supposing that they continued by natural propagation, in the same state and condition wherein the first man was created. To maintain this opinion, That the righteousness or integrity of the first man did consist in a supernatural grace,' the Romish church (specially since the publishing of the canons of the Trent council) is deeply engaged. For unless this postulatum or supposition be granted, many dogmatical resolutions which the whole Christian world is by the Romish church bound to believe sub pœna anathematis, that is, under penalty of that church's solemn curse or everlasting damnation, cannot possibly, or with any mediocrity of probability, be maintained. The points of belief which from this postulatum or supposition- That the righteousness wherein the first man was created was a grace supernatural'-might with some probability be maintained, are principally these:

Of the inconveni

6

2. First, that sin which we and the Romish church encies call original should be no more than a mere privation of original justice, that is, of that image of God wherein the affirma- the first man was created. But the ingenuous reader nion. will perhaps demand-what further inconvenience will

which will follow upon

tive opi

follow upon the yielding or granting of the former

postulatum or supposition unto them? This in the second place; That Adam's successors, whether immediate or intermediate unto the world's end, should have a greater measure of that which they call liberum arbitrium, or freewill, than the word of God doth acknowledge, or any ingenuous man, that will subjugate his reason to be regulated by the written word, or ancient rules or canons of faith, can allow or approve, This deduction following is clear by rules of reason, viz. If the righteousness of the first man did consist in a grace supernatural, or in any quality additional to his constitution, as he was the work of God; this grace or quality might have been, or rather was lost, without any real wound unto our nature; or without any other wound than such as the freewill, or right use of reason, or other natural parts, (which after the loss of this supposed supernatural grace or quality were left,) might instantly have cured, or yet may cure.' Or in other terms (more scholastical perhaps) thus: 'If the integrity or righteousness of the first man were lost only demeritoriè, by way of demerit, without any physical or working cause of its expulsion, or without any wound made in our nature by such positive cause; the same righteousness which the first man had, might have been regained by the right use of reason which was left unto him, or of those natural faculties which he had pro prima vice abused.' From these premises the necessary consequence will be this: That the satis-5 faction of our Lord Christ for sin (original at least) had been superfluous. And according to this tenet, the opinion of the Socinians would be more tolerable and more justifiable than the doctrine of the Romish church, so far as it concerns the value or efficacy of Christ's sufferings, or satisfaction by his merits, or justification by works, rather than by faith, especially works of the

moral law, or observance of those two great commandments, To love God above all, and our neighbours as ourselves: or of that other, Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, even so do unto them.

3. Lastly, if all or any of these opinions were granted to the church of Rome, we of reformed churches should be concluded to yield, that Adam's posterity, or as many of them as are or shall be justified, were to be formally justified by inherent righteousness; that is, they have, or might challenge absolution, from the first sentence denounced against Adanı, by way of legal plea or satisfaction. The deduction or remonstration of this demonstrative inference is clear to any artist, to any reasonable man, unless his reason he overgrown by faction, or by mingling of passions with his understanding. The remonstration of this demonstrative inference is thus: it is in confesso, and more than so, an undoubted maxim, subscribed unto by the church of Rome, that the grace which is infused by and from our Lord Jesus Christ is a supernatural quality, or a qualification more sovereign than the first grace which God the Father bestowed upon the first man. Now, if that grace were a superaddition to his nature or constitution, as he was the work of God, the loss of this grace or quality could not have made any wound in the human nature, which the least drop of that grace which daily distilleth from the second Adam might not more than fully cure; yea, such grace would sublimate our nature so cured unto an higher pitch or fuller measure of righteousness than that which was bestowed upon our father Adam. In respect of these and many other reasons which might be alleged, all such congregations or assemblies of Christian men, as have departed, or have been extruded out of the Romish church, stand deeply engaged to deny that the

righteousness of the first man was a grace or quality supernatural.

CHAP. III.

Whether original Righteousness were a Quality natural, or a mean betwixt natural and supernatural.

state of the

1. To affirm that the righteousness wherein the first man was created was a gift rather natural than supernatural, would be no solecism; no assertion any way more incongruous, than many resolutions of the Roman doctors in like cases are; no grosser blemish or deeper impression than might easily be salved or wiped off with that distinction usual amongst them, in other the like or rather the saine cases-That The true the righteousness wherein Adam was created was na- question tural, quoad terminum productum, non quoad modum proposed. productionis ;-a natural endowment in respect of the essential quality produced, albeit the manner of producing it were somewhat more than supernatural. But this is a dispute which for the present shall be waved, because the original difference betwixt us and them may be more punctually stated, and the questions dependent on it may be more clearly resolved from these postulata, or presumed maxims: first, that God 6 did make the first man after his own image;' secondly, 'that the first man being so made was righteous and just.' Neither of these are denied by any. The state of the original controversy unto such as are disposed. to have it plainly propounded in constant or unfleeting terms, is thus: Seeing man was made after the image of God, and being so made, was just and righteous; whether there were two works of God, or two distinct effects of his work of creating the first man in righteousness and in his own image: and whether the one