his credulous temeritie in beleeuing the Serpents promise Irridens vtique Deus non approbans hoc dixit quod putabas te similem fore nostri ergo quia voluisti esse quod non eras desijsti esse quod eras S. Ambr. de Elia ieiun For God speakes it by derision not by allowance Thou haddest a conceit to become like vnto vs therefore in affecting to be more then thou wast indeede thou hast lost euen that excellencie which thou didst receiue When S. Paul writ to Timothie that Adam was not deceiued but the woman he meant not to extenuate the mans offence or to exempt him from the fraude or imposture of the Deuill but to shew whether sexe was more credulous infirme and like to be seduced Herein he concludeth the woman to be the weaker vessell and forbiddeth her to teach in the Church because that when she was yet perfect and sound the Serpent began with her as the easier to be deceiued Saint Paul did thinke that the Serpent would resort to his former instrument and so hold the ministrie in lesse regard for the weakenesse of their sexe Behold S. Pauls proiect in the words to Timothy Here in this Text another matter is in hand No question here whether the man or woman was first in preuarication were that the point the Deuill in his pride would haue the start of both Hee was a sinner from the beginning The propagation of sinne is the thing now considerable and what person it was that brought a succession of sinne throughout all mankinde And as well here as in all other places the Scripture attributeth the matter of propagation not to women but to men Therefore we will dismisse Eue if you please as our Sauiour Christ dismissed the woman taken in adultery not for an innocent but because she is not here impleaded Adam is the man which the Apostle now chargeth Wherewith is it For gluttonie or intemperance of his throate No there was affluence of all other delicacies in Paradise to satisfie such desires Is it for his curiositie and vaine loue of knowledge Neyther For although that be a fault to be wise beyond sobrietie yet could it not haue brought so heauie a sequele What was it then He affected that fruite Non vescendi libidine sed animositate exultandi not in any lingering desire to the meate but in a kind of lustinesse to breake out What greater lustinesse then that this childe of the earth was not content to be like vnto God vnlesse he might also be equall with him Quid huic deerat quem misericordia custodiebat docebat veritas regebat iustitia pax fouebat Sed heu ad multam insipientiam perniciem sibi ac posteris suis descendit de Hierusalem in Hiericho Siquidem incidit in latrones à quibus legitur despoliatus Annon despoliatus qui domino veniente nudum se esse conqueritur nec vero poterat revestiri vel ablata sibi recipere vestimenta nisi Christus amitteret sua O venenum quod non curatur nisi veneno Saint Paul heere frameth two inditements against him the one for disobedience the other for transmitting his sinne By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Obserue the right valuation and true qualitie of Adam his trespasse that it was not any light errour but an absolute prevarication of both Tables a disobedience to God and a grieuance vnto men Primordialis lex est data in paradiso quasi matrix omnium praeceptorum That first Law saith Tertullian giuen in Paradise was the summe and comprehension of the whole diuine Law that was published afterwards Therefore in the breach thereof all manner of offences are conteyned But if the fruite were good why should it not be tasted if it were euill what did it in paradise The fruit certainely was good but obedience better because the whole law is performed with obedience Indeed nothing is more expedient for the soule then obedience And if it behooue euery soule to obey the seruant his Lord the childe his father the wife her husband all to obey the Prince how much importeth it man to obey God for rebellion is as execrable as witchcraft which is a manifest reuolt and disauowing of God and he hateth nothing more then the disobeence of his commaundements That now is this one mans case As by the disobedience of one man c. If I should here discusse where his disobedience began first whether in his minde or in his body some happily would say as S. Augustine writeth That it were more worth our labour to seeke remedie to get out then to argue how or by what part we came first into the pit of sinne And that God willing shall not bee omitted in the fit place but reserued to another time In the meane while Quod si quisquam dicat If any man thinke saith S. Augustine that the bodie is the first cause of all sinnes certainely he hath not well considered the whole nature of mankind Indeed the bodie that is corruptible aggrauateth the soule and the earthy mansion keepeth downe the minde Vt vidi vt perij vt me malus abstulit error Oftentimes our right eyes offend vs because they roll they wander they are regenerate but in part and death entreth into the soule 〈◊〉 that window Si oculus tuus fuerit nequam totum corpus est tenebrosum If thine eye be euill thy whole body is full of darkenesse Shut that window in the name of God make a couenant with it turne it away that it behold not vanitie Giue not your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne Surgit ira noli dare irae linguam ad maledicendum noli dare manum aut pedem ad feriendum non surgeret ista ira irration abilis nisi peccatum esset interius sed tolle illi regnū non habeat arma vnde contra te pugnet discet etiam non surgere cum arma non coeperit inuenire S. Aug. Tract in Ioh. 41. The bodily members are the instruments they are not the originall of sinne Will you haue a proofe thereof in the matter we handle It is not to be doubted but this one man and the woman too had seene the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill formerly without any lust or desire to taste the fruite the faith that he then bare to God was a guardian to his heart and that to all his senses But after his heart had once reuolted from faith and loyaltie all the outward senses were corrupted with it instantly Euerie man is tempted when hee is drawne away by his owne Concupiscence and is entised Then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth the act of sinne but the beginning is from the mind within Out of the heart come euill thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false testimonies slanders Non potest fieri saith S. Augustine vt habeat mala facta qui habet cogitationes bonas
it eminent the deuise held by these three sacred persons for the adorning of it makes it eminent the arrest resolution of their conference that they would make man according to their own image similitude makes it most eminent Can any thing be more excelleÌ„t then the image of him that is authour of all excellencies Nothing certainly but the patterne it selfe And if he be magnified of all things else there is yet more cause that his praise should neuer goe out of our mouthes In prosperitie because he doth comfort vs in aduersitie because he doth correct vs before we were because he hath made vs afterward because he adorned vs when we sinne because he forgiueth vs when wee turne againe because he helpeth vs when we persist because he crowneth vs. To him be all honour and glorie both here and throughout all generations Amen Thus I leaue the Creator with thankesgiuing and come now to treate of the creature In the next Chapter Moyses recordeth mans creation The Lord God also made man of the dust of the earth That none should please themselues too much in the flesh it was made of dust and returneth to dust againe But this Text calleth vs to consider of the qualitie ornament and fashion rather then of the matter or substance of our creation Let vs make man according to our image The Scripture giueth this Image both to the Sonne of God and vnto man not alike for man is not the whole image of God the Sonne is Man is not the essentiall image nor coeternall nor of equall Maiestie with God as Christ is man is the created finite and image of gratuitie not the naturall or ingrauen image made vnto the image of God the Sonne is the verie image of God not made nor created but begotten In the beginning God made man right Hee looked vpon all that he had made and they were very good Besides this generall goodnesse it seemeth here that in particular man had some extraordinarie perfection as it were a Sunne of brightnes shining in him for Moyses relateth not a bare creation but a creation accomplished with the image of God I see you are not vnwilling to heare my poore meditation and discourse hereof let mee begge the assistance of your prayers also then I trust God will guide it to his glorie your better satisfaction otherwise it is a hard province that I take in hand For what experience can we haue of this light that feele nothing but darkenesse within our selues Wee can haue no knowledge of this image by fruition but by want of it And what if the light of Scripture faileth too Verily either my eyes be dimme or there is not much set downe in precise termes wherein Adam his perfection did consist Yet we may happily espy aglimpse thereof in the darknes that possesseth vs. Contraries set together do cleere one another and by the reparation of mankinde some estimate will bee made what dignitie it was from whence he fell Flaccius Illiricus a man otherwise notably learned when he comes to consider the nature and condition as well of originall righteousnesse which is certainely a great part of the image we seeke for as of originall sin dares not say they be accidents lest he should extenuate them So by Flaccius his implication this image must be the very substance of man and then necessarily eyther body or soule Sure not the bodie that is but a lumpe of earth and hath no representation of God at all vnlesse we should make him a muddie God as wee are called earthie by reason of these bodies of clay Againe when the image of God is defaced yet wee see the bodie remaineth whole and entire Anthropomorphites and Iewes may entertaine such opinions Christians will easily conceiue that the bodie can be no image of God Neither is it the soule of man so when a man hath lost the image of God he should loose his soule withall and after his fall man should haue no soule vntill his regeneration and new birth Are not the soules of many wicked ones in hell Surely the image of God shall neuer come into hell but that substance of man onely which is destitute of Gods image The image of God shall be with God in life and euerlasting ioy Let no man imagine that this image is any part of the soule now destroyed and lost by mans fall the other powers of the soule remayning safe and without hurt Forseeing the soule is Tota in toto tota in qualibet parte it cannot be that any part of the soule should be lost but that the whole substance must perish with it yea and this inconuenience would follow for contraries must be sub eodem genere that original sinne which is opposite to this image should be reckoned onely for a part of mans soule so the corruption thereof should not spread it seâ—fe to the whole man but be restrayned only to one part of him and the rest abide sound without infection You see that the image of God is neyther body nor soule nor any part of one or other What then Verily the rightnesse and perfection connaturall and concreated in both A faithfull Secretarie sayth here that man was made to the image of God therefore it was no one portion of him that was made to that image but the whole man If the soule onely had beene made to the image of God then must it be the soule alone that offended the soule onely that is punishable for the guilt of sinne But the Scripture testifieth that it was not the soule alone that offended in eating the forbidden fruit for the eyes also were in that trespasse the eares the hands the heart and the whole body as we see by the sequell The soule certainely is the fayrer subiect and the more beautifull harbour but the bodie was not incapable of the image of God then how should it be the Temple of the Holy Ghost That which receiueth God is capable of his image I wil not be contentious in the cause for the Church of God hath no such custome but it seemeth verie reasonable for that to carrie the image of God before mans fall which is redeemed by the pretious bloud of Iesus Christ and sanctified to beare this image againe And Christ hath redeemed the whole substance of man bodie and soule Know yee not that yee are bought with a price glorifie God therefore in your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods therefore the image of God was in both What shall I say of our Regeneration Doth it not shew where the image of God was placed Is it not a restitution and reparation of that which was decayed or lost And we are regenerate both in body soule therefore the image of God was in both If the bodie be renued if it be redeemed if it be the Temple of the Holy Ghost if it looke to be
facta enim de cogitationibus procedunt It is not possible that a man exercised in good thoughts should be much tainted with ill actions for all actions proceed from our thoughts Then keepe thine heart with all diligence for thereout commeth life Therefore I cannot hold with them that make all the sinnes of the soule to proceede from the bodie so the wicked Angels wanting bodies should want sinne too and the spirits of the damned assoone as they bee sequestred from their bodies should cease also from their sinne It is but a Poets opinion concerning soules puritie Igneus est ollis vigor Coelestis origo Seminibus quantum non noxia corpora tardant Terrenique hebetant artus moribundaque membra Virgil is no classicall authour in matters of doctrine the Fathers of the Church are more authenticall S. Bernard speaking of the soule saith otherwise Prior reparanda est quam constat corruisse priorem Anima siquidem corrupta in culpam fecit quoque vt corpus corrumperetur in poenam So S. Augustine resolueth the doubt that the corruption of the flesh which ladeth the soule was not the cause but the punishment of the first sinne and it was not the corruptible flesh that made the soule sinfull but it was the sinne of the soule that made the bodie corruptible Est mens primum veteris hominis membrum primus peccati administer nativa prauitate infecta suggestionum Sathanae capax hinc motus praui mali de malo quamvis nihil accesserit vltra his mens impellit voluntatem quae tunc altera peccati ministra efficitur concupiscentias parit tunc tandem corpus ab animo impulsum totum accenditur huc atque illuc transuersum rapitur omnes sensus adeoque omnia corporis tyranni arbitrio se sistunt ad perpetranda omnia quae imperat hinc fructus amari qui Gal. 5. recensentur The minde is the first member of the old man and minister of sinne infected certainly with originall prauitie and capable of Sathans suggestions from hence come ill motions which are euill and proceede from euill if there were nothing else but with these the minde stirreth the will which is then made another minister of sinne and bringeth forth concupiscence then the bodie being summoned by the mind is kindled is transported hither and thither so the senses and all parts of the bodie offer themselues at the tyrants pleasure to do all his commands thereout spring those bitter fruits that are rehearsed in the fift of the Galathians Whether it were the one or the other that the bodie were in disobedience before the soule or the soule before the bodie whether the blinde did leade the lame or the lame were guide to the blinde behold now both are fallen into the ditch and ouershadowed not with a cloud but with a verie night of darkenesse In this one mans disobedience we see that verified which Christ saith in the Gospel They that doe euill shun the light because their workes are euill He is no sooner fallen then he becommeth Lucifuga affecteth darknesse and flyeth to the couert to hide himselfe His body and the parts thereof are the same that they were before but then they were seene with glorie and now they are couered with shame his wil is auerse his heart is full of feare and distrust his very minde is darkened which should be the light the watchman the Centinel both of body and soule and if the light thereof be turned into darkenesse O how great must that darkenesse be Greater verily then the darknesse of Egypt which was not so vniuersall but that there was light left in the land of Gosen where the children of Israel were But here after mans disobedience darkenesse preuailed ouer all No power of the minde no part of the bodie free or cleere hee is not absolutely depriued of naturall faculties and endowments of reason iudgement will as if he were become a blocke but they are depraued and decayed he knowes still marie it is but in part and what part his mind doth vnderstand but humane things not diuine earthly not heauenly businesse his will doth affect also and desire what sure bodily pleasures or delights not spirituall ioyes Wist ye not that when the fountaine of all goodnes was forsaken nothing would remaine but sinne when the father of lights was left that darkenesse would couer all Sine tuà luce ô lux beatissima non est veritas adest error adest vanitas non est discretio adest confusio adest ignorantia non est scientia adest caecitas non est visio adest invium non est via adest mors non est vita S. Aug. Solil cap. 3 Without thy light ô blessed light there is no truth all is error all is vanitie there is no distinction all is confusion all is ignorance there is no knowledge all is blindnesse there is no sight all impassible there is no way all is death there is no life When he beleeued that which the Deuill promised was hee not very worthie to finde that which God threatned You haue heard the mans disobedience to God It resteth now to shew how also he offended his neighbor therein namely by transmitting sinne to his posteritie By his disobedience many were made guiltie Here I doe willingly call you to remembrance that Adam did not sinne as an ordinarie person for so his sinne had rested in himselfe and determined there It was Iobs perswasion in his owne particular Though I had indeed erred mine errour remaineth with me Doth it not hold good correspondencie with the rule of Iustice The soule that sinneth that soule shall die Adams case is not so it is extraordinarie As God had beautified the whole nature of mankind with excellent gifts in this one man vpon the condition of his loyaltie and obedience so was he resolute to bereaue it of them all in him againe assoone as he began to be refractorie or disobedient Who can distaste this iustice or finde any harshnes in it when both were propounded vnto the man vpon equall termes Hereby also it may appeare that Adam sinned not as a priuate man but as the common root or stocke of mankind as a publique person and father of vs all When sinne had once got hold of his person must it not needes taint vs all that are partakers of his nature Because we were all enclosed in his loines when he sinned hee branded vs all with the prints and tincture of his rebellion So this disobedience rested not in Adam but became hereditarie it was not personall in him alone but naturall to vs all and a matter of succession It made him a trespasser vs all sinners with him whether Pelagius will or no. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None is free not a childe of a day olde though Anabaptists be mad for it We doe all die neither doth there liue a man