A Body of Practical Divinity

Resp. Tostatus saith he fell the next day. Pererius saith he fell the eighth day after his Creation. But the most probable and received Opinion is, That Adam fell the very same day in which he was created. So Irenaeus, Cyril, Epiphanius, and many others. The Reasons which incline me to believe so are,

1. It is said, Satan was a murderer, ab initio, from the beginning, Joh. 8.44. Now whom did he murder? Not the blessed Angel, he could not reach them; nor the cursed Angels, for they had before destroyed themselves. How then was Satan a Murderer from the beginning? As soon as Satan fell, he began to tempt Mankind to Sin, this was a Murdering Temptation. By which it appears Adam did not stay long in Paradise: soon after his Creation the Devil set upon him, and murdered him by his Temptation.

2 Argument to prove that Adam fell the same day he was created: Adam had not yet eaten of the Tree of Life, Ver. 22, 23. And now least he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat; the Lord sent him forth of the garden. This Tree of Life being one of the choicest Fruits in the Garden, and being placed in the midst of Paradise, it is very like Adam would have eaten of this Tree of Life one of the first, had not the Serpent beguiled him with the Tree of Knowledge. So that hence I conclude▪ Adam fell the very day of his Creation, because he had not yet tasted the Tree of Life, that Tree that was most in his Eye, and had such delicious Fruit growing upon it.