Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…

7. Whether that which God requireth of us be greater, then that he ¹demanded of Adam in the state of innocency? For thus the Arminians hold, that greater abilities are now required of a man to believe the Gospel, then were of Adam to fulfil the Law; partly, because the mystery of the Gospel doth consist in mere revelation, which the Law doth not; as also, because all the actions required by the Gospel do suppose a resurrection from that first fall. Now (say they) more is required to rise from a fall, then to prevent a fall. And all this they urge, to prove the necessity of universal grace given to all.

7. Whether that which God requireth of us be greater, then that he ¹demanded of Adam in the state of innocency? For thus the Arminians hold, that greater abilities are now required of a man to beleeve the Gospel, then were of Adam to fulfill the Law; partly, because the mysterie of the Gospel doth consist in meere revelation, which the Law doth not; as also, because all the actions required by the Gospel do suppose a resurrection from that first fall. Now (say they) more is required to rise from a fall, then to prevent a fall. And all this they urge, to prove the necessity of universall grace given to all.

1. 1What God requireth of us, is not greater then what he demanded of Adam in innocency.

Now to answer this: First, I conclude (as before hath been proved) that the nature of justifying faith was in Adam, though ⟨p. 139⟩there was not such a particular object about which it may be exercised; for a thing may be for the nature of it, and yet not have such a name which it hath from a certain respect to some object that now is not, or from some effects which it cannot now produce: So Mercy and Grace was in God for the nature of it always, but as it hath respect to a miserable and wretched creature, that was not till the creature was made so. And so in Adam, there was the nature of love and pity, but yet in regard of some effects, which could not be exercised in that estate, his love could have no such name, as mercy or pity. Thus Adam for his faith, that faith which he did put forth in Gods Promise about eternal life, upon his obedience, was a justifying faith for the nature of it, but had not the denomination or respect of justifying, because such an object was impossible in that condition. Hence that faith of dependency which Adam had, was the same in nature which justifying faith is. Therefore to the arguments proposed, we deny, that greater strength is required to rise, then to keep from falling; for the same things which would have preserved Adam from falling, as faith in the first place, the same also are required for a man to rise. And as Adam would have stood, as long as his faith in God stood, the devil labouring to shake that by his temptation; so Christ praying for Peter, a man fallen by Adam, doth especially pray, that his faith may not fail, because by that he was supported and strengthened.