Adam and Eve - Lucas Cranach the Elder (1533)
"Friday," said I, "you must know, that before the world was made, there was an Almighty power existing, by whose power all things were made, and whose Majesty shall have no end. To be glorified and adored by beings of a heavenly nature, he created angels and archangels, that is glorified spirits resembling himself, to encompass his throne, eternally singing forth his praise in the most heavenly sounds and divine harmony. And, among this heavenly choir, Lucifer bore a great sway, as being then one of the peculiar favourites of these celestial abodes; but he, contrary to that duty he owed his heavenly Sovereign, with unbounded ingratitude to his Divine Creator, not only envied him that adoration which was his due, but thought to usurp that throne, which he had neither power to keep, nor title to pretend to. He raised a dissention and civil war in Heaven, and had a number of angels to take his part. Unbounded folly! stupendous pride! to hope for victory, and aspire above his powerful Creator! The Deity, not fearful of such an enemy, yet justly provoked at this rebellion, commissioned his archangel Michael to lead forth the heavenly host, and give him battle; the advantage of which was quickly perceived, by Satan's being overthrown, and the prince of the air, for so was the devil called, with all his fallen angels, driven headlong into a dismal place, which is called Hell."
The recital of this truth made my man give the greatest attention, and he expressed a great satisfaction by his gestures, that God had sent the devil into a deep hole. And then I desired him to give great heed to what I had further to say.
"No sooner," proceeded I, "was God freed from, and the Heaven clear of this arch-traitor, but the Father speaks to the Son and Holy Spirit, who belonged to his essence, and were equal to him in power and glory, Come let us make man, said he in our own image, after our own likeness, Gen. i. 26. to have dominion over the creatures of the world which we have created. And these he intended should glorify him in Heaven, according to their obedience in this state of probation on earth, which was, as it were, to be the school to train them up for these heavenly mansions. Now, Satan seeing himself foiled; yet that God had taken the power from him as prince of the air, which power Heaven designed he should retain, whereby his creatures might be tried; in revenge for the disgrace he had received, he tempts Adam's wife, Eve, to taste of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God had forbidden. He appears to her in the shape of a serpent, then a most beautiful creature, and tells her that it was no better than an imposition, which God had put upon her and her husband not to eat of that fair fruit which he had created; that the taste thereof would make them immortal like God himself; and consequently as great and powerful as he. Upon which she not only eat thereof herself, but made her husband eat also, which brought them both under the heavenly displeasure."
Here Friday expressed a great concern: Ah, poor mans! cried he, naughty wonians! naughty devil! make God not love de mans, made mans like devil himself.
'Friday,' said I, 'God still loved mankind, and though the devil tempted human nature so far, he would not suffer him to have an absolute power over them. I have told you before of his tender love to his people, till they, like Lucifer, disobeyed his commands and rebelled against him; and even then, how Jesus Christ, his only Son, came to save sinners. But still every man that lives in the world is under temptation and trial. The devil has yet a power, as prince of the air, to suggest evil cogitations in our minds, and prompt us on to wicked actions, that he might glory in our destruction. Whatever evil thoughts we have, proceed from him; so that God in this our distress, expects we should apply ourselves to him by fervent prayer for speedy redress. He is not like Benamuckee, to let none come near him but Oowakakee, but suffers the people as well as priests to offer themselves at his feet, thereby to be delivered from the power and temptation of the devil.
But though at first my man Friday expressed some concern at the wickedness of Lucifer, I found it not so easy to imprint the right notions of him in his mind, as it was about the divine essence of God; for there nature assisted me in all my arguments, to show him plainly the necessity of a great first cause, and over-ruling, governing power, of a secret directing Providence, and of the equity and reasonableness of paying adoration to our Creator: whereas there appeared nothing of all this in the notion of an evil spirit, of his first beginning, his nature, and, above all, of his inclination to evil actions, and his power to tempt us to the like. And indeed this unlearned Indian, by the mere force of nature, puzzled me with one particular question, more than ever I could have expected.
I had, it seems, one day, been talking to him of the omnipotent power of God, and his infinite abhorrence of sin, insomuch that the Scriptures styled him a consuming fire to all the workers of iniquity; and that it was in his power, whenever he pleased, to destroy all the world in a moment, the greater part of which are continually offending him.
When, with a serious attention, he had listened a great while to what I said, after I had been telling him how the devil was God's enemy in the hearts of men, and used all his malice and skill to defeat the good designs of Providence, and destroy the kingdom of Christ in the world, and so forth: Very well, Master, said Friday, you say God is so strong, so great, is he not much strong, much mightier than the naughty devil? "To be sure, Friday," said I, "God is more wise and stronger than the serpent: he is above the devil, which makes us pray to him, that he would tread down Satan under his feet, enable us to resist the violent temptations; and quench his fiery darts." Why then, answered Friday quickly, if God, as you say, has much strong, much might as the devil, why God no kill devil, make no more tempt, no more do wicked.
You may be certain, I was strangely surprised at this question of my man's: and, though an old man, I was but a young doctor, and consequently very ill qualified for a causuist, or a resolver of intricate doubts in religion, and as it required some time for me to study for an answer, I pretended not to hear him, nor to ask him what he said; but, to so earnest was he for an answer, as not to forget his question which he repeated in the very same broken words as above. When I had recovered myself a little, "Friday," said I, "God will at last punish him severely, being reserved for judgment, and is to be cast into the bottomless pit, to remain in fire everlasting." But all this did not satisfy Friday, for, returning upon me, he repeated my words "RESERVE AT LAST, me no understand; but, why not kill devil now, not kill devil, great, great while ago?" "Friday" said I "you may as well ask me why God does not kill you and me, when, by our wicked actions, we so much offend his divine Majesty? He gives us time to repent of our sins, that thereby we may obtain pardon." At these words obtain pardon, Friday mused a great while; and, at last, looking me stedfastly in the face, Well, well, said he, that's very well; so you, I, devil, all wicked mans, all preserve, repent, God pardon all.
Indeed, here I was ran down to the last extremity, when it became very evident to me; how mere natural notions will guide reasonable creatures to the knowledge of a Deity, and to the homage due to the Supreme Being of God; but, however, nothing but divine revelation can form the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and of a redemption purchased for us, of the mediator of the new covenant, and of an intercessor at the footstool of God's throne; and, therefore, the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; that is, the word and Spirit of God, promised for the guide and the sanctifier of his people, are the most necessary instructors of the souls of men, in the saving knowledge of the Almighty, and the means to attain eternal happiness.
And now I found it necessary to put an end to this discourse between my man and me; for which purpose I rose up hastily, and made as if I had some occasion to go out, sending Friday for something that was a good way off, I then fell on my knees, and beseeched God that he would inspire me so far as to guide this poor savage in the knowledge of Christ, to answer his questions more clearly, that his conscience might be convinced, his eyes opened, and his soul saved. When he returned again, I entered into a very long discourse with him, upon the subject of the world's redemption by the Saviour of it, and the doctrine of repentance preached from heaven, together with an holy faith of our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ; and then I proceeded to explain to him, according to my weak capacity, the reason why our Saviour took not on him the nature of angels, but rather the seed of Abraham; and how the fallen angels had no benefit by that redemption; and, lastly, that he came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and the like. God knows I had more sincerity than knowledge in all the ways I took for the poor Indian's instruction; and, I must acknowledge what I believe, every body that acts upon the same principle will find, that in laying heavenly truths open before him, I informed and instructed myself in many things that either I did not know, or had not perfectly considered before: so that, however, this poor creature might be improved by my instructions, certain it is, that I myself had great reason to be thankful to Providence for sending him to me. His company allayed my grief, and made my habitation comfortable; and when I reflected that the solitary life to which I had been so long confined, had made me to look further towards Heaven, by making me the instrument under Providence, to save the life, and for ought I know, the soul of this poor savage, by bringing him to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, it caused a secret joy to spread through every part of my soul; and I frequently rejoiced, that ever I was brought to this place, which I once thought the most miserable part of the world.
In this thankful frame of mind did I afterwards continue, while I abode on the island, and for three years did my man and I live in the greatest enjoyment of happiness. Indeed, I believe the savage was as good a Christian as I; and I hope we were equally penitent; and such penitents as were comforted and restored by God's Holy Spirit; for now we had the word of the Lord to instruct us in the right way, as much as if we had been on the English shore.
Daniel Defoe (1719)
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