A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

¹That which was the first occasion of sin, was the occasion of the increased sin. A Woman seduced Adam, women betray these sons of God. The beauty of the Apple betrayed the woman, the beauty of these women betrayed the holy seed. Eve saw, and lusted, so did they: this was also a forbidden fruit. They looked, liked, lusted, tasted, sinned, dyed. Sins first creep in at the eyes: except we have made a covenant with them, there is no safety for our souls. This marriage did not beget men so fast as wickedness.

¹That which was the first occasion of sinne, was the occasion of the encreased sinne. A Woman seduced Adam, women betray these sonnes of God. The beautie of the Apple betrayed the woman, the beautie of these women betrayed the holy seed. Eve saw, and lusted, so did they: this was also a forbidden fruite. They looked, liked, lusted, tasted, sinned, dyed. Sinnes first creepe in at the eyes: except we have made a covenant with them, there is no safetie for our soules. This marriage did not beget men so fast as wickednesse.

1. 1Observ.

¹Consider here how dangerous it is for the believer to unite himself to an ungracious spouse. I know that marriage is honourable: Bonum nuptiarum semper est •• num. The wife before man sinned, was for his society: after he had sinned, for a remedy. Man in himself was only but begun, in woman he was perfected and made up: till then a great part of himself he had in vain and useless. And they that have placed in Virginitate culmen, the chief glory in virginity; could never fi•• in Connubio crimen, any fault in matrimony. Man and wife are Primum Par, & […] damentum parium; the original match of all others. All other relative pairs are couples, as father, and son, Master and servant, King and subject; come from this. When God made Adam, he made only one. When he made Eve, he made not only her, but in her all the world to come. While man was alone, and had both sexes in himself, what could he do to fill the earth? Therefore in his body he bred a She-man: Adam being the mother of Eve, as Eve is the mother of us all. Therefore she is called Matter viventium, because she is a means to continue a kind of immortality among the mortal sons of men; and in some measure to shadow ou that immortality which is in heaven. Families, Cities, countries, the whole habitable world, the militant, yea triumphant Church, no small part of the kingdom of heaven, ariseth from marriage. Matter matris Ecclesiae. Laudo connubium […] generat virgins. Saint Jerome himself praiseth marriage, because it begets virgins. The wife being no virgin, is the mother of Virgins that be no wives. No marriage, no Saints: no generation, no regeneration: no increasing below, no multiplying above: if the earth be not replenished with men, how should heaven be so furnished with Saints?