Six Sermons on the Inquiry Is There Immortality in Sin and Suffering?

ADAM’S HOLINESS

As on Adam’s knowledge the most extravagant notions have been assumed, so in regard to his holiness the most unbounded descriptions have been given of its extent, and how it pervaded his entire being, regulating all his faculties, members, and senses; so that he has been made to appear as the sum of all perfection, and a perfect giant in moral life and power. All this has been done, doubtless, thinking to honor God, and the better to show off what monsters in depravity Adam’s posterity are. Such persons never seem to have once thought in what a ridiculous light their view places the Creator of Adam; and how perfectly irreconcilable such theory is with the easy victory temptation had over him. Did his Creator make him a giant in holiness, and then suppose there would be any temptation, in the midst of unbounded enjoyment, by simply directing him not to eat of a solitary tree? The idea is supremely absurd - thousands of his posterity have withstood and overcome temptations far greater than that by which Adam fell. Adam at creation had no moral character - he was neither holy nor unholy. There is not one word said of Adam’s being holy at his creation. The same is said of him that is said of all the other works of God - he was “very good” - the same is said of “every thing God had made;” see Genesis 1:31: but not one word is said of the holiness of any of them. Holiness is a relative quality, and presupposes action towards some other being, preceded by knowledge and understanding, based on choice. Without this there cannot be either holiness or unholiness in any created thing. I conceive that all the talk about Adam’s holiness is “mere patch work” - designed to patch up the work of God, but has only shown the pride of men’s hearts in desiring to “be as God.” Adam was a “very good” animal, of the highest order - designed to be king, or to have dominion, over all the others; and possessed with those more perfect faculties which made him capable of developing a moral nature, or of manifesting moral actions, by certain appliances called a command, law, or prohibition. Without such command, law, or prohibition, there could have been no development of moral nature, or character; and man would have only remained the highest of animals, and like them remained very good, but without the character of holiness or unholiness, for the very sufficient reason, there was nothing to develop such a relative quality. SSII 142.1

That Adam was a mere animal, at creation, is further evident from the account of creation; Genesis 2:7 - “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,” etc.; and verse 19, “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air,” etc. These last the Lord caused to pass before Adam, to see what he would call them, at the time when he proposed to make Adam “a help meet,” or a companion suitable for him: among none of them was such a help meet to be found. Adam was superior to them all, and designed to be their lord; Genesis 1:26; yet, he had the same origin, i.e. from the dust of the ground, with such an organization as gave him faculties for higher developments, and capable of moral manifestations; or, capable of attaining unto holiness. “The first Adam was made a living soul;” 1 Corinthians 15:45; not “an immortal soul” - that error lies at the root of all other corruptions of the Scriptures and the truth of God. The honor of making man an immortal being was reserved for the second Adam - he it is that is “made a quickening spirit,” or through and by whom any man can attain to immortality; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49. SSII 144.1

Adam then was first developed, if I may use that phrase, an animal, with an aptitude to attain knowledge superior to any other animal; and herein was to consist the “image of God” in which he was created; as appears from Colossians 3:10 - “Renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” not, renewed in knowledge after the image of Adam; but, after the image of Adam’s Creator. Adam, himself, after being formed of the dust of the ground, needed and was designed to have this renewal [this renovo - to make new] in knowledge after the image of his Maker. SSII 145.1

Adam therefore did not “lose the image of God,” as the current theology teaches; and for which teaching there is not one word of authority from Genesis to Revelation; nor did he lose holiness, for he had none to lose prior to his trial; till then a moral character was not developed - till then he was very good, in common with the animals and other works of God, but was no more holy than the beasts of the field were holy: he could not therefore actually lose what he did not really possess. He did possess a capacity for holiness; that capacity he did not lose by his disobedience; but, it developed itself in a wrong direction - it now for the first time, became manifest that he possessed such a power - he now, for the first time, came to know the difference between good and evil - he knew not the one from the other previously; but now, said God, “the man is become as one of us to know good and evil” - has attained to a knowledge that exhibits the image of God: he has indeed attained to it by an improper course; but still he has attained it. But, says one, “Adam lost knowledge.” So speaks the current theology; but, it is to give God the lie, and charge the God of truth with uttering a falsehood. SSII 145.2