The Poems of John Byrom :: :: University of Virginia Library

—“Neither can it seem strange, that God should lay Stress on such outward Actions, in their own Nature neither good nor evil, when we consider, that in all his Dispensation to Mankind he has done the same. What was it he made the Test of Adam's Obedience in Paradise, but the eating of a Fruit? An Action in itself perfectly indifferent, and from which, if God had not forbidden it, it would have been Superstition to have abstained.” (A Persuasive to Conformity, addressed to the Quakers by John Rogers, D.D., p. 28.)

521

I

Of Man's Obedience, while in Eden blest,
What a mere Trifle is here made the Test,—
An outward Action, in itself defin'd
To be of “perfectly indiff'rent” Kind;
Which, but for God's Forbidding Threat Severe,
It had been “Superstition” to forbear!

II

A strange Account, that neither does nor can
Make any Part of true Religion's Plan,
But must expose it to the Ridicule
Of Scoffers, judging by this crooked Rule!
Its Friends, defending Truth, as they suppose,
Lay themselves open to acuter Foes.

III

To say that “Action neither good nor bad,
From which no Harm in Nature could be had,

522

Was chang'd by Positive, Commanding Will,
Or Threat Forbidding, to a deadly Ill,”
Charges by Consequence the most direct
On God Himself that Ill and its Effect.

IV

Language had surely come to a poor Pass,
Before an Author of distinguish'd Class
For shining Talents could endure to make
In such a Matter such a gross Mistake,—
Could thus derive Death's Origin and Root
From “Adam's eating of an harmless Fruit!”

V

“From Adam's eating?—Did not God forbid
The Taste of it to Adam?”—Yes, He did.—
“And was it harmless, must we understand,
To disobey God's positive Command?”—
No, by no Means; but then the Harm, we see,
Came not from God's Command, but from the Tree!

VI

If He command, the Action must be good;
If He forbid, some Ill is understood.
The Tree, the Fruit, had dreadful Ills conceal'd
Not made by His Forbidding, but reveal'd;
That our first Parents by a true Belief
Might know enough to shun the fatal Grief.

VII

The dire Experience of a World of Woe
Forbidding Mercy will'd them not to know;
Told them what Ill was in the false Desire
Which their free Wills were tempted to admire;

523

That of such Fruit the Eating was “to die.”
Its “harmless” Nature was the Tempter's Lie.

VIII

To urge it now, and to impute the Harm
Of Death and Evil to the kind Alarm
Of God's Command, so justly understood
To will His Creatures Nothing else but Good,
Is for a Babel Fiction to resign
Right Reason, Scripture and the Love Divine.