not destroy Adam for his sinne and deserued death now doth God pardone and pittie him how can this stand in the course of Gods iustice when as at the deliuerie of his Commandement he threatned death vnto Adam saying In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death To aunswere this Obiection The aunswere to the obiection The Iustice of God is perfectly satisfied according to his word for as Man sinned so Man for his sinne had the sentence and iudgement of death but the execution of death for sinne was spared in Adam and layde vpon Christ Esa 53.10 Ephe. 5.2 who was made an Offering for sinne and appoynted by God him selfe before the foundation of the world euen for all thē that put their trust in him so that the iustice of God taketh effect in man but Chrst perfect God perfect man hath ouercome death although his humanity for a time was seased vpon and kept in the graue by death to satisfie the sentence of his Fathers iustice pronounced against Adam yet by his Deitie he raised vp his Humanity from death 1. Cor. 15.20 Joh. 17.4.5 and glorified it with Immortalitie in heauen and he wil also glorifie all the faythfull that trust in him Rom. 6.5 Gal. 4.6 being ingrafted into his body Sanctified by his spirit whereby they cry Abba Father Gods prouident care ouer Adam euen in this world And notwithstanding that Adam was cast out of Paradise wherby he had a dayly continual feeling of his miserie purchased by his sinne yet God left him not forlorne but by his gracious prouidence louing eye which he had ouer him he kept him safe not onely from the rage and furie of cruell beastes which became rebellious vnto Adam but also from the crueltie of that roaring Lion Satan 1. Pet. 5.8 which gaped and euer looked for the eternall fall and destruction of Adam And God also blessed his labour that the Earth thereby should bring foorth fruite meate vnto him for the preseruation of this life and likewise he continued the loue betweene Adam and his wife that neither of thē should take exception one against the other for their eiection and casting out of Paradise but rather make much of and comfort one another in the time of their pilgrimage and miserie of this world The mutuall loue which should he betweene man and wife Which teacheth vs that man and wife should neuer fall out or be offended with each other for the losses of the riches and possessions of this world when as our Parentes twitted not each other in the teeth whē they lost the possession of that ioyfull Paradise O happie man The happy translation of man to a heauenly paradise who hath so mercifull a God that sinning yet thou art pardoned being lost art found reiected yet receiued dead yet lyueth and liuing shalt be glorified with him not in the earthly but in the heauenly Paradise for euermore The glory of heauen The glory whereof is infinite for the riches therein are without measure there is plentie without want comfort without griefe light without darkenesse life without death The ioy of Gods presence with his saincte Gods presence is as a bright shining Temple in the middest thereof before whose throne doe stand the holy Angels and Sainctes whose eyes are neuer satisfied with beholding him their eares neuer glutted with hearing him their tongues neuer silent from praysing him their handes neuer wearie with lifting vp vnto him their hearts neuer filled with the sweetnes of his loue and their feete neuer tyred with walking in his wayes Reu. 22.1.2 There is the Water of Life euer running the Tree of life euer growing and the fruite of Loue and peace neuer fading To which place and Paradise God of his infinite mercy bring vs for Christ Iesus sake our onely Lord and Sauiour Amen FINIS
ADAMS Tragedie Declaring Satans malice and subtiltie mans weaknesse and miserie and his deliuerance from eternall captiuitie Serpens Diabolus Salus Christus LONDON Printed by W.W. for Thomas Downe and Ephraim Dawson and are to be solde at their shoppe at the inner Temple gate 1608. TO THE HONORABLE AND very good Knight Sir Iohn Egerton THe least Fish in the Waters the least Seed in the Earth the least Flie in the Aire and the least Starre in the Firmament Honourable and worthie Knight doe shew the glory of GOD in their seuerall kinds although not so great in quantity as do the Whale the Cedar the Eagle and the Sunne And the meanest member in the body the Foote may performe a profitable seruice to the Head although not so lawdable worthy as the Hand The consideration whereof and the happie experience of your heroicall and most vertuous disposition who euer haue encouraged a wel meaning minde in euery good and laudable action maketh mee although the meanest member in the Ciuill body both venterous and hardie in my duetifull loue to offer a litle Guift as the Widdowes mite to your Christian view and Honourable accept by whose good approouement the reproch of presumption will not be imputed to a well meanyng minde when as a Christian man being compared to a Tree whose roote is Fayth the body Holynes the branches Charitie the blossomes Peace and the fruite Obedience is not esteemed in the sight of God or good men by the quantitie of the substaunce but by the quality of the fruite Wherfore if your Honour shall vouchsafe by the sunne rising of your gracious fauour to nourish a tender Grift now yeelding a small fruit vnto your taste and to couer it with your mercifull wing from the biting and nipping stormes of vncharitable blastes your most humble and deuoted protect shal rest euer bound to offer vp prayers night and day to Almighty God for your Honors eternall felicitie and for the prosperous and honorable continuance of your noble posteritie in this world and their happy enioying of the heauenly blessinges in the world to come Your Ho. in all reuerent duety and seruice I. M. TO THE READER GEntle Reader the losse of a Blessing made Esau weepe and the losse of Children made Rachell mourne But now behold not onely a Blessing and Children but also Parents and Paradise lost together Gen. 50.10 It is true that Ioseph and the Egiptians made a great mourning for Iaakob but the lamentation both of Iew and Gentile should be greater for the death of Adam who by creation was holy and righteous the image of God by deputation Lord and Commaunder ouer the whole World the vicegerent of God by benediction the Father of all Mankind the inheritaunce of God and by institution he was placed in Eden the Garden of God and yet the Garden Inheritance Dignitie and Sanctitie all forfeited and lost together Here then is the stratageme and instrument that effectes this Tragedie Ioh. 8.44 Satan that lyer that murtherer from the beginning maligning Adam and in Adam all mankinde deuised and practised how to draw Adam to rebell against God Adam was deceiued by the subtiltie of the Diuell and he did rebell God was displeased by the breaking of the Commaundement Rom. 5.12 Sinne entred Death preuayled Wherefore I intreate thee christian Reader which art the Child of Adam to peruse this Treatise with regard not curiously excepting against but graciously accepting what a free and well meaning minde offereth vnto thee whereby thou shalt see thy Fathers and thine owne estate by what meanes yee were lost how worthily condempned how graciously redeemed and how ioyfully receiued Luke 10.4 That so at all times and in all places thou mayst tremble and feare and loue and honour and prayse the Lord thy God To whose infinite mercie heauenly direction and fatherly protection I heartily commit thee for euer Thine in the Lord I. M. Psal 119 52.39 I remembred thy iudgments of old o Lord haue been comforted for thy iudgments are good ADAMS Tragedie ALthough GOD may be knowne in his glorious Workes to remoue mans excuse by ignoraunce for not seruing him yet he hath reuealed his will vnto man by his Word that man might learne to obey and not to sinne against him And notwithstanding that God hath such care for man yet man hath litle feare of God As we may see and behold in the third Chapter of Genesis beeing the subiect matter of this Booke wherein is handled and described The nature of the Serpent his question vnto Eue vers 1. Eues answere vnto it vers 2.3 The Serpents replication vnto Eue vers 4.5 Eues consent to the Serpents perswasion vers 6. Her guift vnto her Husband of the Fruite and his acceptance vers 6. The effect of eating the Fruite vers 7. The inquisition of God after Adam and Eue for their transgression ver 8.9 Their apprehension vers 10 11 12. Their arreignement ver 13. Their answeres ve 10. vnto 13. Their iudgment vers 14. to the 20. And their expulsion out of Paradise vers 22 23 24. A Historie registred by the Holy Ghost that it might be an instruction to all ages to feare to sinne and to learne to doe well the wages of sinne being death Rom. 6.23 but Life and Grace the guift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. SECT 1. AS touching the nature of the Serpent and his question vnto Eue. Gen. 1.31 GOD in the beginning saw all that he had made and loe it was very good and therefore the Serpent being a creature of God in his first beeing and nature was good and in reasonable construction it may seeme that it was a creature very pleasing vnto Adam because it was more subtile or wise then any beast of the field And therefore the Diuell cunningly to couer his malicious and wicked intent vseth the Serpent as his instrument to perswade Adam and Eue vnto sinne Such is the craftinesse and wilinesse of Satan in tempting the children of God that hee daunceth vnder a Hood as ashamed of his face seeming to be an Angell of light when he is an Angell of darknesse 2. Cor. 11.14 and deuiseth how to bting men vnto euerlasting destruction For both hee and all the euill Angels that fell with him from heauen which by the sufferance of God doe dispearse and spread themselues in the Ayre Reuel 20.7 8 9 10. Ephe. 2.2 and vppon the Earth and vnder the Earth being continually tormented by the wrath of God doe in their malice watch and deuise to tempt hurt and afflict the Sainctes of God and to draw them away from God that they might be partakers of their punishmentes so great is the enuie of Satan and his members against the felicitie of Gods chosen But God in his infinite wisedome iustice doth turne the burden and bitternes of their malice vpon them selues and by how much the more they striue against
then Pitty and Mercy toward Agag a distressed and captiue King and Sauls pretended care to preserue the best Cattell for Sacrifice What better colour could it haue then Religion and yet for all this Sauls sin was not done away 2. Sam. 6.6.7 Vzzahs Zeale could not excuse his Presumption nor the Simplicitie of the Man of God 1. king 13.8 excuse his Disobedience Luk. 12.18.9 The Rich mans Content could not exempt his life from Graue Act. 5.1 vnto vers 12. nor Ananias and his wiues Care to saue somewhat for their Familie excuse their Impietie who lyed not vnto Men but vnto God For so pure so iust so holy so righteous so mighty so powerfull is the Law and Word of GOD that the breakers and contemners thereof shall not go vnpunished no not the deare Children of God 1. Pet. 4.17.18 And therefore If iudgement for sinne begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare Gal. 6.7 Be not deceiued God is not mocked His word is Trueth and Amen 2. Cor. 1.20 for euer Be not ouercome of euill Rom. 12.21 but ouercome euil with goodnesse for Blessed are they Reue. 22.14 that keepe and doe the Commandements of the Lord that their right may be in the tree of Life and may enter in through the gates into the holy Citie heauenly Ierusalem vers 15. for without shall be Dogges such as are enuious and enchaunters such as are deceiuers and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters and whosoeuer loueth and maketh lyes And concerning Eues setled Resolution or Determination to Take and eate the Fruite It may be sayd Iudg. 7.5 that as Gideons Souldiers when he went against the Midianites were knowne to be resolute not feareful by lapping of water with their tongues So Eue was knowne to be resolute and not fearefull to breake the Commandement of God by taking with the hand and tasting with the mouth of the forbidden Fruite A similitude that sinne is dead and of no force vnles the heart consent And as the plentifull store of Weapons for Warre pleasure not the Captaine without men to weare them so the readinesse of the Senses vnto sinne pleasure not Satan without the Heart to imbrace them And like as the Bodie is dead without the Soule so Sinne is dead without the Heart for the Senses may be entised and Lust may be conceiued but it is the Consent and Resolution of the Heart that bringeth foorth Sinne giueth strength courage to the members of the body to finish and performe it to bring forth death Jam. 1.15 Therefore in this resolution of Eue both the Captaine and the Souldiers the soule the members of the Body did all march forward with one consent and resolued without all feare to take and eate of the fruite of the Tree 1. Sam. 26.6 7. Euen as Dauid and Abishaj went boldly without all feare into the Hoast of Saul and tooke away his Speare and Pot of water which were standing by his head for it is most certaine if once the Soule longeth and thirsteth for sinne the members of the body are set on fire without al feare will aduenter to satisfie her desire euen as the Seruants of Dauid when he longed for Water out of the Well of Bethlem they presently ranne and brake into the Hoast of the Philistims and drew and tooke brought it vnto him Wherfore although the Senses being drawne and entised vnto sinne are strong allurers and flatterers of the Soule to giue and graunt her consent because without it they can doe nothing no more then the Members without the Head yet the Soule imbracing Sinne she can without the consent of the Senses commaunde the Body For she is being once wicked resolued vnto sinne strong and tyranous like the Legion Mark 5.2 vnto 14. which will not suffer the body to rest neither night nor day but will distract trouble and torment it and all the partes thereof vntill it obey her will to runne headlong with her into the lake of eternall destruction Thus we see the Resolution of Eue and the cause thereof her Senses entising her Soule consenting to take and eate of the forbidden Fruite But let vs beware by her example not to be so forward in euill but to be onely resolute in that which is good and in it to Stand fast 1. Cor. 16.13 and for it to fight a good fight and so to continue steadfast and faythfull vnto the end that wee may be saued SECT 5. AS touching the Womans Guift to her Husbande and his Acceptance Two thinges therein are to be considered Eues simple Intent and Adams simple Consent the one in offering the other in taking the Fruite Eues loue in true simplicitie vnto her husband Eue in deed perswaded her Husband to take and eate the Fruite and that for loue to him because shee thought that Adam should haue been made more happy and not vnhappy by it And although her sinne in yeelding to the perswasion of the Serpent can not be excused yet in giuing it to her husband out of the aboundance of her loue to him she can not so greatly be condemned for shee so loued him as shee loued her selfe and therefore would not receiue a benefite by her selfe alone had it been a benefite but she would make Adam her husband partaker of it And the Diuell in his malice sought the destruction both of Eue Adam because they were both the good creatures and image of God and beloued of God but he came first vnto Eue to tempt her both because he knew that she was inferiour vnto Adam in iudgment and knowledge and therefore not so well able to resist confute his temptations as also because Eue was most amiable louely in the heart and eyes of Adam because of the ioy and comfort that hee receiued from her and therefore the Diuel thought that if he could perswade Eue so great was the affection and loue from Eue to Adam and from Adam to her that it were impossible that either of them should contradict one another in any request or offer that they made they were so simple louing and faythfull in each others sight And therefore vnder colour of good how easily might Eue nay Adam him selfe bee deceiued with euill But neither this simple intent Simplicitie is no excuse for sinne nor simple consent of our fore-parents can remoue abolish the cursse for their sinne For to euery man and woman be they either wise or simple learned or ignoraunt rich or poore young or old Rom. 6.23 the Wages reward of sinne is death For not onely Man but euery sensible Creature by instinct of nature haue a sense of things which are good or hurtfull vnto them for the one they imbrace as their apparant good and the other they fly from as their apparant euill How then can Man who is the image of
God hauing a reasonable soule indued with knowledge in generall and a commaundement giuen vnto him in particular be excused by simplicitie when hee breaketh the Commaundement and Law of God the proclamation whereof Exod. 19.16 is declared with a shrill Trumpet that the deafe may heare it For Rom. 10.18 The sound thereof is gone out to the vttermost partes of the earth the contentes whereof are written in great Characters that the simple sighted may run and read it and the knowledge whereof is as cleare as the light for Psal 119.105 Heb. 5.12 It giueth Light and Vnderstanding to the Simple and It is Milke to the weake Meate to the strong and therfore Simplicitie can be no excuse for Sinne. For as the Law and Commaundement of God is giuen to all without respect of persons so it taketh vengeance against all without respect of excuses And as the fire will burne the child A similitude that all are vnder the cursse of the Law if it fall into it as wel as the aged the parents which should haue looked after the Childe and not the fire is to be blamed because it keepeth the naturall working and effect wherefore it was ordayned euen so the Law taketh holde vpon euery one that breaketh it for both young and old ignorant learned shall be iudged and condemned by it But the Parentes shall answere for the sinnes of their Children the Maisters for the sinnes of their Seruantes the Princes for the sinnes of their People and the Pastors and Ministers for the sinnes of their Flocke Ezek. 3.17 for they are as the Lords Watchmen to looke ouer their Family Flocke and People If therefore they regarde not to giue warning nor admonish the wicked of their wicked wayes that they might liue and be saued yet Ezek. 3.18 The Wicked man shall die in his iniquitie but his blood will I require at thy hand sayth the Lord. SECT 6. AS touching the Effect of eating the forbidden fruite Two thinges therein are to bee considered The Miserie of Man by Transgressing and the Iustice of God by Punishing To disobey Gods Word Disobeydience the cause of the losse of Gods loue is to disinherite our selues of Gods loue But our Parentes did disobey Gods word therefore as much as in them lay they disinherited themselues of Gods loue and to be disinherited of Gods loue is to be bound ouer to a perpetuall separation from the comfortable presence of God to remaine howling in Hell with the Diuell and his Angels for euermore Rom. 6.23 This is The reward of sinne euen eternall Death which our Parentes purchased to them selues and their posteritie by eating the forbidden Fruite had not God in his mercie spared and redeemed them in the loue of his Sonne Iesus Christ Sinne imbraced by the soule and practised by the body both soule body shall suffer for it For as Sinne is first embraced by the Soule which is immortall afterward practized by the body which by sinne is made mortall yet at the generall resurrection the body shall be made immortall to suffer with the soule and that most iustly For as it sinned with the soule so also must it be condemned and suffer with the soule and as the soule and body maketh one Man so the condemnation of them both maketh but one perfect execution of Gods iustice against them For as Sinne is sweete and pleasaunt vnto Man in his life so the punishment of Man for Sinne shall be greiuous in his death the paines and torments whereof can no more be declared 1. Cor. 2.9 then The ioyes of heauen can be expressed which neither Eye hath seene nor Eare hath heard nor the Heart of man can not conceiue I might also speake of the punishmentes in this life wherewith God doth punish the wicked for their sinnes but of this we may read at large in the 28. chapter of Deutronomie to the which I do referre you wherein as in a perfect Mirror and Glasse you may behold and see the miserie of Man euen in this life for breaking and disobeying the Commaundementes of God Gods iustice is most vpright and necessary And touching the Iustice of God in punishing of sinne it necessarily agreeth both with his Nature and with his Word By his Nature he is most holie and therefore can not but punish iniquitie By his Word he hath threatned punishment for sinne and therefore sinners must looke for punishment because he is most true For who can charge the Lord that hee hath spoken and not performed what he hath spoken at all times and in all ages Or whether any Tittle of the word of God hath fayled and not taken effect Math. 5.18 at his appoynted time against the workers of iniquitie as well high as low rich or poore and 24.35 For heauen and earth shal passe away but my wordes shall not passe away sayeth the Lord. Are not all men All men are sinners aswell peasants as Princes proceeded from the loynes of Adam Hee sinned wee as children and members of him haue also sinned with him hee repented and was saued by beleeuing the Promise but whosoeuer and of what estate soeuer they be that doe not Repent Math. 3.2 John 3.18 and Beleeue in Iesus Christ the promised Seede can not be saued So sincere and pure is the Iustice of God * There is no respect of persons with God Deut. 10.17 Rom. 2.11 Exod. 14.28 that there is no Respect of persons with him For he Drowned and destroyed aswell Pharaoh the King as his meanest Subiect that did driue his Chariot Coran Num. 16.32 Dathan and Abiram were swallowed vp of the earth as the meanest of their Famulie It is not the potencie maiestie dignitie honour riches strength or worldly wisedome that can stop the sentence of Gods iustice or stay the stroke of Gods hand for he is pure in his iustice and will not bee ouercome with Bribes for the round World is his and the riches thereof And farre dearer is innocent Lazarus in the sight of God Luk. 16.22.23 then wicked Diues clothed in Purple and abounding in wealth For Psal 33.18 The eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and put their trust in his mercie SECT 7. AS touching the Inquisition of God after Adam and Eue therein Three things are to be considered The Time of the Inquisition the Cause of the Inquisition and the Inquisition it selfe God made Inquirie after Adam and Eue when as they departed from him and had eaten of the forbidden Fruite as Salomon did after Shimei 1. king 2.36 vnto the end of the chap. when he departed from Ierusalem and had broken his Commaundement for the Lord neuer punisheth but when man offendeth The cry of sinne For our sinnes haue Voyces Winges to cry and flie vp before the throne of God for reuenge and iudgment as did the sinnes of Sodome and