The maintenance of Civill Society, depending on Justice; and Justice on
the power of Life and Death, and other lesse Rewards and Punishments,
residing in them that have the Soveraignty of the Common-wealth; It
is impossible a Common-wealth should stand, where any other than the
Soveraign, hath a power of giving greater rewards than Life; and of
inflicting greater punishments than Death. Now seeing Eternall Life is
a greater reward, than the Life Present; and Eternall Torment a greater
punishment than the Death of Nature; It is a thing worthy to be well
considered, of all men that desire (by obeying Authority) to avoid
the calamities of Confusion, and Civill war, what is meant in Holy
Scripture, by Life Eternall, and Torment Eternall; and for what
offences, against whom committed, men are to be Eternally Tormented; and
for what actions, they are to obtain Eternall Life.
Place Of Adams Eternity If He Had Not Sinned, The Terrestrial Paradise
And first we find, that Adam was created in such a condition of life,
as had he not broken the commandement of God, he had enjoyed it in the
Paradise of Eden Everlastingly. For there was the Tree of Life; whereof
he was so long allowed to eat, as he should forbear to eat of the tree
of Knowledge of Good an Evill; which was not allowed him. And therefore
as soon as he had eaten of it, God thrust him out of Paradise, "lest he
should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and live
for ever." (Gen. 3. 22.) By which it seemeth to me, (with submission
neverthelesse both in this, and in all questions, whereof the
determination dependeth on the Scriptures, to the interpretation of the
Bible authorized by the Common-wealth, whose Subject I am,) that Adam if
he had not sinned, had had an Eternall Life on Earth: and that Mortality
entred upon himself, and his posterity, by his first Sin. Not that
actuall Death then entred; for Adam then could never have had children;
whereas he lived long after, and saw a numerous posterity ere he dyed.
But where it is said, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt
surely die," it must needs bee meant of his Mortality, and certitude
of death. Seeing then Eternall life was lost by Adams forfeiture, in
committing sin, he that should cancell that forfeiture was to recover
thereby, that Life again. Now Jesus Christ hath satisfied for the sins
of all that beleeve in him; and therefore recovered to all beleevers,
that ETERNALL LIFE, wh
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