Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	evil_a	good_a	tree_n	33,809	5	11.7409	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01210	The forbidden fruit· or A treatise of the tree of knovvledge of good & evill of which Adam at first, & as yet all mankind doe eate death. Moreover, how at this day it is forbidden to every one as well as to Adam; and how this tree, that is the wisedome of the serpent planted in Adam, is that great image, and that many headed beast, mentioned in Daniel and the Apocalyps, whom the whole world doth worship. Lastly, here is shewed what is the tree of life, contrary to the wisdome, righteousnesse, and knowledge of all mankind: with a description of the majestie and nature of Gods Word. By August: Eluthenius [sic]. Translated out of Latine into English.; De arbore scientiae boni et mali. English	Franck, Sebastian, 1499-1542.	1640 (1640)	STC 11324; ESTC S102619	62,776	198

the Bird for its long but wholy referring all things to God and have know doe ●ove and be nothing but in him Thus the redeemed free and perfect Christians have know doe c. all things they possesse wife children life knowledge wisdome substance c. yea and themselves altogether freely in the Lord neither doe they attribute any thing to themselves even as if they were nothing had nothing knew nothing for they know that God it is who is hath knowes and doth all those things which they are know or doe so the Christian hath his wife in the Lord that is doth not challenge her to himselfe as his owne but freely designeth her to God whose she is and from whom she is lent unto him whom he is willing to restore whensoever it shal please God to requir her as he never challengeth her to himselfe as his owne even so he ever enjoyes her in God and in and for God loves her This Paul David calls it to sing rejoyce marie have in the Lord that is to reduce all things unto God in him know love have bee doe all things neither detract any thing from God as my proper owne and right And whosoever have not thus their knowledge Wife Children and themselves in the Lord they offend in this because they love them it being a carnall Love out of God And so farre are all things unclean to the unclean that even his prayers are sin unto him yea his praises of God Fasts Orations Supplications God despiseth according to the Prophet And although hee be bountifull to the poore yet he doth it in vaine Breefly what he doth he doth it in vaine it is not pleasing but displeasing unto God Whether hee love or hate his Wife Children and Neighbours whether hee chyde or pray all things are uncleane unto him Wife Children Feilds Lands Money povertie riches fame infamy life deathknowledge learning yea God himselfe And lastly he is unfitt for any thing that is good By himselfe he is evill sinfull and nothing And what shew of goodnesse soever is in him it is stained by an hypocriticall eye and affection Therefore it s no matter what he hath knoweth or doth hee is a Vessell of no price an evill Tree unprofitable for any good worke since both his mind and conscience is depraved Therfore before al things it is necessary that with Nicodemus they be born again that al things with them may bee ●n new unto them the flesh must be changed into the spirit so cease to be flesh For it is so impure and every way desirous of its owne gaine and so infected and depraved with the poyson of sinne that it draweth all things to it selfe seeketh it selfe in all things and arrogateth that to it selfe as its owne which it knoweth loveth or doth and hath all things under a false pretence out of a love to it selfe Neither doth it love any thing but what is pleasant and profitable for it selfe But a Christian loveth an unprofitable sicke and loathsome Wife for God and hath her not for his pleasure or profit only but for Gods will pleasure The naturall and fleshly man doth nothing but out of a love to himselfe and whatsoever he doth he hath an eye and reflecteth upon himselfe and in what he sees he can finde to delite himselfe in he is willing to meddle with that Hence it is that the house of sorrow poverty banishment troubles sicknesses and reprehensions and whatsoever hee sees harsh unto him he hates no lesse then the Devill doth the crosse of Christ Jesus But whatsoever is excellent great pleasant bewtifull c. to this he cleaves as fast as the clay to the wheele Whereby he may enjoy what he saw and desired in them Breefly he doth nothing but out of a love to himselfe and in what he doth hee challengeth the chiefe part to himselfe I say that in all his actions both with God and Man he respects nothing but his owne profitt and pleasure which if he be deprived off he looseth his cheerfulnesse and alacrity of spirit and becoms sorowfull desists to worke any further what therefore can be done by such a man as this but what is uncleane But the regenerate man being borne of God doth quite contrary in all his actions he is desirous of the common profitt being altogether so affected and disposed as God his Father He doth nothing but most freely subiected unto God suffieth him to doe and care for all things in him so that it followes that in this man is the meere nature work of God and he or rather God in him repaires to the humble poore sicke and to those that are in the house of sorrow to help and comfort them by whatsoever God hath either given him or doth work in him as his substance milke and consolation and in all those things he lookes upon no other thing but only God who rather in him only lookes upon himselfe Neither is it the Man but God in the Man who communicateth to other necessities loves prayes heares worshipps honours wills and possesseth Thirdly Adam would know and therfore labours for much knowledge and so Eates of the forbidden Fruit that he may live and become a great one even God and for this only end the whole World now a dayes applies it selfe to all studies because it desires not to dye in obscuritie and oblivion but to live and florish not in the lower degrees of estimation but in the chiefest seate of reputation and honour and with all to know all things that possible it can that so it may be made famous and thereby be glorified and delighted therein wherefore every day he works more and more to encrease his knowledge by which he may be more and more emminent greater and more like unto God that if it were possible to know more then God that with Lucifer be might be equall with him But that this ambition was the fall of Lucifer no man will consider but every man in those prosecutions disputations and studies for knowledg seeketh for life when indeed there is in them nothing but bitter death which both in Lucifer as also in Adam most manifestly doth appeare Truely it is a wonder that of this forbidden Tree of Death every man should be so much desirous to eate Gods will is that we know nothing but what he will know write and teach in us and that being void of all knowledge prudence wisdome in our selves wee become fooles wee remaine under him as fooles and babes but we busie our selves about the obtaining of many thousands of Sciences and treasure them up unto our selves as if in them our life consisted that like to God wee are ignorant of nothing and all flesh desireth rather to be like unto God then to Christ But on the contrary Gods will it is that before this bee we as Christ was be deprived of every thing that is our own and be wholy

be quit contrary to what he is or hath beene He is flesh born of flesh unto death and therefore it is behovefull that he be made spirit borne of spirit unto life Which before he bee all things are uncleane unto him as he is himselfe although all things in themselves are very good yet are they perverse evill unto him as all things seem blew to him that lookes upon them through a blew perspective all things degenerats into the nature of the possessor and therefore all things by Adam are made vanity although by themselves as ever they have beene they are good For all foode is savory according to the pallet temperature that receivs it even so is every thing according as he that possesseth and hath it is cleane to the cleane uncleane to the uncleane it cannot be otherwise but that all things be unjustly done loved prayed for knowne and retained which an unjust man doth love pray for know and retaine as the very words themselvs declare For how can it be that a wicked man can doe any thing justly a foolish man speak any thing wisely an unclean man doe any thing purely a lying man speak any thing truely Fiftly the naturall man as before hath been said is Flesh borne of the flesh altogether of an uncleane nature perverse adulterous the servant of Satan sprong of the Seede of the Serpent seduced and turned away by his word and the tree of knowledge so infected with poyson that betwixt Lucifer and Adam there is no difference for as al true Christians are of Christ the sonnes of God gods God himselfe so are all the Sonnes of the Devill the Devill being of the same kinred ofspring appertaining to the same Kingdome and covenant as Princes and Subiects to the same being al in the same estate of condemnation neither is there any remedy to prevēt this jayle but that a man put of the old man so as he be no longer man but a new offspring creature born of God Hence we may easily gather what is the naturall prudence justice knowledge of man to witt foolishnes sin and enmity unto God because that all flesh is an enimy unto God freinds unto Satan and altogether of the same witt nature wil birth as it were his flesh blood In so much as he is nothing but an enimy unto God can perceive nothing that is divine would be nothing but with out God or rather his own God Attributing all that is good to himselfe as Adam and Lucifer did the Father of the flesh these are the Fruits of the forbidden Tree But the Christian is borne of God is a spirit and life altogether of divine nature and nothing else but the Jmage of God or if you wil a visible and corporal God who being made one with God is of the same nature rich in love desirous of the common profitt attributing nothing to himselfe like to God free strong void of proprietie ambition and anger Breefly or in a word whatsoever can be said or may be said of God may in its kinde be said of the true Christian since now it is not he that lives but Christ lives in him Not now he is any thing but God is all things in him that is whatsoever he speakes teacheth hath wills c. and although they unwillingly carry the old man about them yet never doe they live unto him but alwayes contrary earnestly endevouring themselves against him untill they have quit put him out Therefore to conclude this chapter the true use of all things is knowne only to the sincere Christians and the abuse to the naturall man Not yet justified living in himselfe who can neither use speake teach doe love know have or not have any thing truely But with all hath a defiled both conscience minde Hence it is that he is altogether unfitt for any good work like a black Collier and in all his actions like a stage player foolish blinde dumb deafe abscene and wicked In a word whatsoever evill man hath or title can be invented it 's proper unto him untill he returne from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill unto the Tree of Life and eating thereof and he be delivered from the Kingdome of Darknesse into the Kingdome of Light Otherwise the flesh doth alwayes retaine its proper nature and hath in all things a false and ungodly cause and end for which it doth every thing that it doth In a word he altogether aimes at himselfe yea under a pretence of God although he thinke himselfe to know love and desire God only for God without any respect had to himselfe No man hath yet truely learned to know himselfe the flesh being so cunning and craftie to excuse it selfe no man knowes whether or no hee sinnes in all his workes so unsearchable is the craftines of the heart yea no man truely understands that in all his works as in his loving doing speaking knowing praying giving willing having possessing c. he mortally sinnes untill he be redeemed and pulled out of the dregs of Adam translated into Christ he become a new Creature Of which things reade Paul Boch●us de consolalatione Philosophiae the third Booke and the tenth Proofe How we must live unto God and so be made blessed in him CHAP. IV. Hovv Man being of God could sinne and what it was that moved him to sinne ADAM was not taken out of God or made of a Spirit but of nothing of the Earth if he had been taken out of God he could never have fallen by sinne as those that are borne of God cannot sinne Jo. 3. but God created him of nothing and then left him to himselfe and his owne arbitrament whether he could returne to his owne nothing againe or according to the order of his kinde be drawen unto God Sinne in Man and in the Devill is nothing else but that they doe avert themselves from the condition of their creation and that which they are unto their vanity and nothing againe the essence of Man and Satan is very good put this is their nature acquired in their fall that they strive to be not that which they are to wit nothing but that which ●hey are not so doe turn themselv frō As if it so were that that nothing of theirs were something in it selfe This is sinne this is that devill in all our hearts which stirreth up all sinne in us For as soone as Adam by the instinct of the Serpent fell away from God and returned unto his nothing again he was indeed made nothing which thing Satā who before had fallen into his nothing did spinne and weave into the heart of Adam by the externall obiect of the tree and he made the Fruit of the Tree so pleasant to behould that no sooner they beheld it but they were inflamed with a desire to eate of that Fruit For which cause it is written Ier. 9. that death enters

in by the windowes that is by the sight of the eyes And this moved the Schoolemen to define sinne to be nothing that is no Creature of God Neither that death which it produced both which came into the world by the malice of Satan for the same cause sinne brought man back againe into his first nothing wherefore the Devill and Adam are run out of the sight of God He not acknowledging them for his owne neither having any commerce or societie with them So long as they doe not acknowledge their vanity therfore since man by sin is made nothing before God and yet will not acknowledge himselfe to be nothing but even then esteeme himselfe to be something it is necessary that so long he be expelled out of the presence of God till he be made nothing in his owne heart then doth God love his hand and creates him againe of nothing For God knows not how to create any thing of somthing but of nothing for that is his nature He that yet is not nothing hee cannot hope that he shall be something wherfore behave thy selfe to Godward quietly like a livelesse trunke as thou didst in thy creation Suffer God to doe Fast Feast and Rest and doe thou nothing at all least it happen that thou be taken with a desire of the forbidden tree or any other thing or esteeme thy selfe to be something according as the Law commands yet doth it not cease to curse and condemne us untill it hath brought us unto that spirituall Sabbath that so forsaken in our selves we doe no more worke to our new birth then wee did to our firs● creation but only suffer So that our actions are only to doe nothing and bee like a stone or trunke For this desire to be somthing is alwayes that which brings to nothing CHAPTER V. Wherfore the Tree of the Knovvledge of good evill was created then forbidden to Adam and now to us since God knew that both he we should eat death from the same and what is that tree Wherefore was Adam and Eve forbidden this Tree seeing to know Evil● is not Evill but to doe Evill If Adam had not knowne good in himselfe God had beene alone good in him and he had not arrogated any thing to himselfe but had beene as free from pride therein as a bird is in her song a horse in his strength a Cow in her milke and a Tree in its fruit but assoone as he knew good and considered it what it was as a bewtifull woman doth her bewtie he arrogated it to himselfe and therein became a theefe unto God This God foreknew and therefore was unwilling that Adam should know good that so he might walke in his innocencie and be ignorant both of Good and Evill For this cause God said unto him thou shalt not eate of it as if he had said beware least thou thy selfe desire to know what is Good or Evill but suffer me to be all things and be thou quiet in all things that that good which I am and desire to worke alone I may worke it in thee to my owne praise in thee according as I doe it in the rest of the Creatures And thus hee was forbidden to know Evill for God knew that assoone as Adam had smelt what Evill was it being of its owne nature like to him nothing would be pleasing to him and so it would come to passe that he would desire and affect the same Besides this another evill hath rises from hence that that evill which man according to his nature delighted to doe he denyeth that he hath done it Thus pulling his owne necke out of the yoake he accuseth the Serpent that it was done by it Againe the good which God doth in him and which is not his owne he falsly contendeth that he hath done it himselfe being deceived with a presumptious opinion of his owne power and strength this being the perverse estate and condition into which Adam did fall willingly therfore after that Adam was fallen into this perverse wisdome by eating of the forbidden Fruit and his own arrogancie he was so depraved that whatsoever hee thinkes speakes or doth is displeasing unto God and we all in him have eaten death and fallen into the same estate and condition but after we are raised from death and redeemed from it againe by means of Christ there is the same reason that the Tree of knowledge of Good Evill should be also forbidden us least afterward wee fall into the same estate againe wherefore the next way of comming unto God is this that now Adam with all his Children abstaine from this tree that is deny it vomitt up the Forbidden Fruit and repent himselfe of his wit as if it were foolishnes But when we eate of the Forbidden Fruit or Tree God forgives us but upon this condition that for ever afterward we fast and alwayes repent our selves of our first eating This tree is planted in every one of our hearts is nothing else but our own witt reason flesh knowledge and will to which as long as we adhere and are not made foolish in our selves and as little Children we can have no pardon from God wherefore we must either abstaine from this wisdome and become little Children againe or else want God and that prohibition of God eate not of the tree if thou doe thou shalt dye is the same with that saying of Christ except ye renounce your selves and hate your owne life ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of God For what was spoken unto Adam the same also was said unto us neither is our estate to be amended any other wayes then that of Adams the hearts of all are like to a vessel which smels of that matter and meate which Adam did first power into it Therefore as Adam declined from God and inclined towards himselfe and made himselfe as it were a wise deaster and admired himselfe like a little God the same is also fresh in every carnall heart Now therfor we must labour as it were to goe backward and that inbred witt of Adams is to be rejected esteemed of us no otherwise then foolishnes Here many things are to be unlearned and this we are to learne know that all our conceit opinion of wit is foolishnes and that which seperates us from God and hinders us so that we cannot attaine the true wisdome indeed and we must labour to be freed from the bondage of our selves And to this worke we should all apply our selves to wit quietly to rest our selves not in knowledge but in God known and so affect knowledge only as an Index which only shews and paints out God unto us and is of God That is the Fruit of the Tree of Life and not of the Tree of Knowledge of Good Evil to wit that we permit God to be know love have all things in us so that he speake worke know and love in us nothing but himselfe when

Tree of Life is planted by the Tree of death in the heart of Adam From these two Seeds trees so different doe spring different Fruits so as one is poyson and death the other is Medicine Life and if any man would know that plant which is called Man he may easily know what he ought to think of his owne art knowledge wisdome and righteousnesse how that this pleaseth all men and is of great respect with them For what is current with the world but its owne coyne What but the wisdome art and righteousnesse of the Flesh seemeth holie in the sight of men onely the Holy Ghost can reprehend the world of sinne righteousnesse and judgement It is wonderfull to behould how the world doth dayly yet eate death of the forbidden Tree which tree you may call as the Germaine Theologie doth our own will and although God doe dayly cry aloud in them and moreover provideth by the witnesses whom he sendeth to teach them externally that they abstain therefrom or otherwise they shall reape death therefrom yet none beleeveth but all follow that Serpent which secretly in our heart doth speake thus Not death shal you reape by any meanes but if you know many arts you shall bee like unto God and live for ever this the whole historie of the Bible remaines in force at this day from hence ariseth a certaine art and curiositie enquiring searching out Neither will any submitt himselfe docibly and simplie unto God and obey his word But every man will be his owne yea Gods Master too and teach both himselfe and God bring him into the Schoole and there prescribe unto him with whom where what wherefore he shall doe speake permitt or omitt Hence it commeth to passe that wisdome is justified alwayes of her Children and those men skilled in a thousand arts and above measure craftie God cannot satisfie neither can he obtaine his Kingdome or gett any love or right at their hands Since they will be altogether Gods and kisse their owne hands will wisdome prudence and reason The art of the Devill which is sucked out of the Duggs of the Serpent hereupon we compose many bookes desiring to teach the whole world not knowing how to teach our selves From hence it comes that the proud Devill alas is buried deepe in Learned men whom their deadly knowledge doth so dangerously puffe up that they thinke themselves worthie all honour both from God and men and oftentimes if not in word yet indeed they make their estate as Lucifer and Adam did No man understandeth how we dayly become Lucifers and Adams but thinke that to bee the relation of a thing long since done in Adam and condemne his wicked pride and fal when neverthelesse we all sticke fast over head and eares in the same and yet deride others who in this kinde are foolish Divines preach much the word and his precepts but when they are to be kept indeed they are wanting in this yea what themselves doe sometimes teach they will not suffer others to practise but contented meerly in the bare words so making the word of God nothing but a meere Art a matter of talke and disputation had rather be called knowers and fearers of God then lovers of him that not in vaine is the proverbe which is verified by experience teaching and confirming the same The greater Scoller the worser Christian The Gramarian is carefull that he erre not in his speaking but little regardeth the errour of his life In like manner the Poets had rather bee lame in their lives then halting in their Verses Philosophers would know all things but not themselves The Historian describeth all peoples but neglecteth himselfe The Orator is more sollicitous that he speake not rudely then that he beleeve not or live wickedly The Logitian will sooner forsake the truth then leave his opinion and conclusion They that have any thing to doe with Geometrie doe sooner measure the Earth then their wayes The Musician taketh more care that his Song bee not dissonant then that his cariage bee consonant Astrologers travell over the whole Heavens and foretell things to come but see not the ditch under their feete The Cosmographer relates of all Mountaines Valleyes Woods and Rivers but that makes him not one haire better in the sight of God The Phisician healeth sick mens bodies but neglecteth the healing of his owne soule Lawers are alone expert in the precepts of men but negligently violate the Lawes of God so as the proverb from hence hath risen Neither doth the Phisician live nor the Civillian dye well because Phisitians of all men are most intemperate and Civillians the worst Christians and for that cause as Baldus being an expounder of the Law himselfe doth say the most part of them are taken away by sudden death Other Arts-men J will not here mention but referre you to Cornelius Agrippa chap. 100. So the Devill doth compasse us about with the rope of folly insomuch that sometime with one question sometime with another art we be so amazed in the meane time wee neglect the onely science of God in which all things consist even as the Adulteresse Medea when her husband Jason pursued her cutt her Children in peeces dispersed their members in the way that Iason might bee busied in the gathering of them up while shee escaped out of the Countrie Alas shall death sinne and the Devill thus please us shall wee alwayes thus seeke God in hell with the Devill Light with darkenesse The living among the dead One thing is necessary and this no man will desire many things are unprofitable and unhealthfull yea deadly yet these are greedily desired off and devoured by all men In the word of God alone and no other thing are all things placed neither therefore will it profitt thee to have all things to know will speake surpasse in measure dispute off number paint adorn judge teach al things c. To know all things is nothing else then to know the arts of the Devill eaten by his counsell of the forbidden tree Onely to know the word and will of God and to live according unto it to be fruitfull in good workes is the true art and eternall Life eaten of the tree of Life in vaine it is to know all things yea rather it is bitter death as hath beene sufficiently spoken off before Since therefore all the arts witt and righteousnesse of men springeth from the tree of knowledge of good evill or rather from the Devill and therefore is the fall and death of Adam it necessarily followeth that the more any man is learned therein and experienced the higher he hath ascended the worse and more perverse he is as hee who hath made the greatest proficiencie in the wisdome and knowledge of the Devill And againe the more foolish a man is in this art and in the wisdome of the flesh and the Serpent and the more bee hath unlearned forgotten and emptied himselfe

THE FORBIDDEN FRVIT OR A TREATISE Of the Tree of Knovvledge of Good Evill of which Adam at the first as yet all Mankind doe eate death Moreover How at this day it is forbidden to every one as well as to Adam And how this Tree that is the wisedome of the Serpent planted in Ada is that great Image and that many headed Beast mentioned in Daniel and the Apocalyps whom the whole world doth worship LASTLY Here is shewed what is the Tree of Life contrary to the wisdome righteousnesse and knowledge of all mankind With a description of the Majestie and nature of Gods Word By AUGUST ELUTHENIUS Translated out of Latine into English Printed in the yeare 1640. CHAPTER I. What is the Tree of Knovvledge of Good and Evill I Will not much contend with them that would have the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill acco●ding as it is in the Scriptures to be a Naturall Tree which being planted in Paradise had that nature devinely given unto it that who should eate thereof their eyes should be opened to view themselves and they be made Gods and so know both Good and Evill perhaps God would teach Adam both inwardly and outwardly and what hee forbad or taught him inwardly in his heart that he would propose outwardly to his eyes for greater testimony but yet I desi●e of them that they would grant this unto me that as the thing was done outwardly so the same to have happened inwardly in the heart of Adam that there hee was tempted by the seed of the Serpent to have the guiding of his owne will and nature not to be so void of knowledge and action as to be subordinate unto God That I should so thinke two reasons or causes doe especially move mee The 1. is that the Seed of the Woman was to breake the head of the seed of the Serpent but as a naturall and living Serpent whose head was broken of that Seed we doe not reade of any but as even then the Seed of the woman was spiritually in the heart of Adam so in the same manner was the seed of the Serpent for man at the first was created good not of God but of nothing and for that cause doth he turne himselfe alwayes from God and bend downewards to his owne nothing and vanity againe which nothing I with the auncient Fathers but especially Taulerus doe judge to be sinne Satan death hell and this perhaps was that devill inhabiting in Adam as also in Lucifer The other reason is this which the scripture doth testifie of the Citie of God and the Heavenly Ierusalem that Paradise to be in us but God alone and his omnipotent Word is our Paradise the Tree of Life and the Temple wherein we inhabit walk serve pray c. as wee are on the other part the Temple of God and his Paradise In like man̄er the Beast which even now the whole world both great and small doe worshipp in their hearts of which the scriptures make mention in the Apocalips as also the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil is in us for the exterior world whatsoever outwardly is to be seene or is done is onely an accident and a certaine signifying figure of the true and interior nature and there is nothing true in all those things which are seen with the eye that is substantiall for it behoveth that the forme of this World perish because it is nothing else but an imaginary world and a figure of the right true eternal and by it selfe the constant world therfore it is expedient that all these things in their course be done over againe which throughout all the Bible are related outwardly and significantly to have beene done and yet to this day after their manner the Historie of the Bible Moyses and the Prophets are spiritually and truely of force but all things are brought into the truth by Christ and it it is expedient that all the prophecies which have been from the beginning of the world which God hath spoken by the mouth of his Saints be againe reiterated Therefore that Tree was nothing else then the nature will knowledge and life of Adam whereof he ought not to eat That is not to attribute any part of it to himselfe But freely and willingly submitt himselfe to God and know nothing but what God would know in him doe nothing but what God would doe in him speake nothing but what God would speake in him c. Whereby without any impediment God might exercise his Kingdome will nature and power in him that being void of will wisdome and knowledge he might have nothing of his owne or arrogate any thing to himself this God would this was pleasing to him and thus he commaunded To this opinion the German Divinity ascents Theologia Germanica 3470. cap. Which saith that this tree is nothing else but our owne will knowledge of which alone in the Earthly Paradise of the world of our hearts we are not to eate but acount it is forbidden unlesse we desire to dye or eate death from it And now when Adam was fallen and had eaten of this tree then was it planted in his heart the same was derived into all his boughts and fruit so that the same case word precept and interdict is common to all his posterity we all have eaten death vvhosoever are in Adam and this uncorrected poyson have vve received from the Serpent being evill Egges of an evill Bird Hence may every man easily perceive hovv each man is the greatest enemy to himselfe and vvhat hee ought to esteeme of himselfe his vvill and understanding vvisdome and knowledge since it is the Counsell seede wisdome knowledge and head of the Serpent which by Christ is to bee broken in our hearts it behoveth that all things which Circumcision in the old and Baptisme in the new Covenant doth signify which are hereditary and naturall from Adam should dye in us that we should labour to unlearne and put of all things as if they were death and the devill that is our will wisdome and righteousnesse c. with which as with figleaves Adam strove to cover himselfe for this is sinne and the stinge of sinne and death that is to eate of this forbidden Tree and to arrogate any thing to a mans selfe as his will nature and understanding or himselfe But alas alas who knowes this or beleeves this who abandons or is weary of his owne will understanding or knowledge when will men give a farewell to them Give a Farewll say J why every one delights himselfe in his own imaginations sweetly slumbring recreats his soule in his own wisdom knowledge workes c. the Tree is fayre to the eye and pleasant to the tast Here all mankinde as Adam himselfe doe taste death But yet no man knowes no man thinkes of this but every man judgeth it to be right and the flesh esteemeth it to be the Tree of Life That is to follow

images of God not according to his Word as he doth teach figure and forme it to us but according to our own opinion and selfe conceit Againe what other thing is sinne then our owne will witt and counsell sowne unto us with the Seeds of the Serpent Consider the institutions practice and Life of all Mankind when and how you will you shall finde it nothing else then humane wisdome here every man would be his owne God guide governe teach move revenge defend excuse and enrich himselfe and every man sets his owne braine will and reason in the place of his God so that sinne the fall of Adam is nothing else but the humane affectation of the art reason knowledge of the flesh and therfore deservedly is tearmed foolishnesse and enmity deadly and Devilish All men ought with Christ to become nothing and with a continuall decrease depression of soule become asses fools children but now it is quite contrary every man labours that he may be wise great illustrious and mightie so many arts and sciences are learned of men that they may be great famous and excellent in the eyes of the world and may obtaine titles of honour names of respect Hence it is that yong men are inflamed with a desire of glory labour not only to be famous in Schooles but to be admired in the pulpitt also and for that end they seeke out learned Tutors who may make them expert quick and acute in all kind of Literall deceits and exercises of arts By which it is as cleare as the Sunne that the whole world is contrary and enmity to God Here every man kissing his owne hand and adoring his owne witt esteeming it to be his light his God Even it that was the only sinne of Adam and it from whence other sinnes came have their originall as Job confesseth Job 33. 31. For to admire worship himselfe and to be led by his own will In a word to stand on his own bottom to desire to be something of himselfe without God is that one mortall sinne which is the fountaine of al other for the lusts of the flesh and the witt thereof is very dead And man like a Logg is no better then dead but while he doth nothing knowes desires nothing but keeping a holy Sabbath or rest dyes wholy unto himselfe and being void of will or witt resignes himselfe over unto God and permits him to know and doe in him what when and how he will And now the whole world lyes overwhelmed with this sinne in so much that it doth no other but adore the worke of its owne hand that is its owne invention counsels comments and wisdome To this purpose all things are directed intented and wrested yea the very Scriptures themselves the word of God that it may be agreable to our corrupt reason and not hinder the course of our carnall and fleshly witt and knowledge but all these things must bee unlearned and cast away if we will see God And therefore the Scriptures urge so often times that wee should become Fooles little Children and purge ourselves with the Fruit of the Tree of Life that we may vomit up that poysonfull witt and knowledge of the Forbidden Fruit CHAPTER IX That the Tree of the knovvledge of Good and Evill planted in the heart of Adam is the Seed word and spirit of the Serpent and that great D●●aster Antichrist sinne death the Devill that Beast which is mentioned in Daniell and the Apocalips which is the greatest and commonest Idolatry 1. What is that Beast of which Daniell writeth which speaketh against the highest and slayeth the Saints of God 2. What is that Serpent who deceived Adam Eva 3. What is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill 4. What is that impudent King and Antichrist of whom Daniell and Paul speaketh 1 Thes. 2 5. What is that many headed Monster mentioned in the Apocalyps whom the whole World doth worship 6. What is sinne What death What the Devill I answer it is every mans owne carnall wit and reason righteousnesse and the like For which cause Paul calleth it death enmity foolishnesse unto God and Saint Iames calls it earthly humane and devilish because these three are one For whatsoever is humane is worldly Devilish and whatsoever is Devilish is Earthly For the Devill and Man Adam and the Serpent are sworne Brethren yea both one For the Serpent hath so shed his wisdome and fained righteousnesse into the heart of Adam that the Seed of the Serpent and his word are incorporated and made man so that now the same thing may be said of both And even as those that are borne of God and in whom the Word of God is incorporated are called God or one spirit with God So all men borne of flesh and blood before they be regenerate planted into Christ may be called Devils and so whatsoever is Earthly may be said to be Devilish and whatsoever is Devilish may be said to be Earthly Againe what is the Fall of Adam but only the wisdome of the Serpent and Fruit of the forbidden Tree What is that old Dragon who ascends out of hel and with his tayle drawes a great part of the Starres of Heaven after him But onely the wisdome of the Flesh which doth extoll it selfe against God and desires to become a God unto it selfe What are the thoughts of the Flesh What is sinne what pride But the wisdome and Fruit of the Forbidden Tree What are the Decrees of Men The workes of reason against God Mens inventions knowledge and bookes But onely the are of the Devill Eaten of the Tree What is all the worship of Images and all false Religions as of Jewes Turkes infidels and all false Christians What are all Sacraments Assemblies and Ceremonies But an apple of this Forbidden Tree which bearing a shew to be of the Tree of Life offers unto Men pleasant Fruit to his eye that is reason which whosoever eates he shall finde to be deadly No man can fully expresse that idolatry with which all the corners of the world and hearts of men are stuffed up and who is it that doth not adore himselfe and sayes to his hand wisdome and reason his art and his knowledge thou art my God in thee I trust in thee J hope Indeed men say not this with their mouth but surely in their lives workes and hearts they plainly testifie as much Hence all men deny that there is a God and testify the same by their works For if they thinke there is a God wherfore doe they not resigne vengeance unto him Wherefore are they so doubtfully distracted Wherefore doe they forge such wicked deceits to deceive one another Wherefore doe they so warre upon one another whether with right or injustice it matters not and contend together for mine and thine Why doe they lye cogg and flatter one another Wherefore doe they labour night and