Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

~ BooK If. V"''l"'o' Of the Creatures, and the Condition CHAP. vu. Whether Adam ftnew God by the Light of Faith and Supernatural Revelation, fuperadded to the Light of Reafon. His Faith was Natural, both in itr Mo– tives and Groundr, being an Ajfent to God'r Tefiimony as true, whofe veracity be ~new by the Light of Na– ture. Nor did his Faith difcover to him things that were above his then prefent Natural State. This pro– ved by fevera/ Argumentr, Our way of Knowing God by Faitb is Supernatural, and in what .rejpeCI it is [o. ALL that I have hitherto fpoken of, as appertaining unto Adam's Condi– tion, we h~ve feen to have been but Natura!, according to thofe li– mits which at firfi I did fet; namely, no other than what was dt~e to the Nature of Man, and what was fuitable alfo unto that his Nature. There remains only one thing, which may fee m to have been Supernnturat in him in both thefe refpeds: And whereby he is judged to have been elevated . to the fame way of knowing God, that we under the fiate of Grace are; and that is, a Principle of Faith, which Principle is wholly Supernatural; both, r. In that the Obieds or Things apprehended by it, are fuch as are made known by Revelation from God; and therefore over and above the Vue of Nature. And 2ly, In that the Light by which Faith is enabled to apprehend things, is above the Light of Nature, or of common Principles or Reafon, it bewg infufed, And fo Divi~es account it, and do th.erelore call it Supematurat. Now it may alfo feemas evident, that belides that inbred Light of Nature and of fandified Reafon in Adam to know God by ; he had another window and inlet ot Knowledge, even Reve!atio1t from , and Cornmtmication with God. For we read ofGod's fpeaking to him,and revealing his Will unto him by word ofmouth;both at his giving him dominion over all the Creatures,Gnt.r.28.and alfo at his giving him thofe Precepts about the Tree of Knowledge andofLife, (which alfo were Sacraments to him of his Condition). Thus alfo ~e knew the Law of the Sabbath; and likewife, when his Wife was made, he knew it either by infpiration or revelation from God, that fhe was made by God, of his Bone and F!tfb. And he believing the Word and Threatning of God; that was the matter in which he wa~ tempted, and in which he failed. So that, befides that forementioned Light of Nature, he had alfo (as may feem by all this) a Revelation, and that of Faith. I confefs , it is like to appear an hard and bold AITertion, to deny, That A, dam had a Supernatural Knowledge of God by R~vetatio11, or by the fame Light and Principle of Faith by which we take God in, under the Gofpel. Yet I find fome Divines to have affirmed it, and I fhall adventure it unto the Difquilition in the fear of God, and with fubmiilion to cogent Reafon to the contrary. And, Firfl,

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