The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

When he was thus created and made, almighty GOD, in token of his great love towards him, chose out a special place of the earth for him, namely Paradise, where he lived in all tranquility and pleasure, having great abundance of worldly goods, and lacked nothing that he might justly require or desire to have. For as it is said, God made him Lord and ruler ¹over all the works of his hands, that he should have under his feet all sheep & oxen, all beasts of the field, all fowls of the air, all fishes of the sea, and use them alway at his own pleasure, according as he should have need. Was not this a mirror of perfection? Was not this a full perfect and blessed estate? Could any thing else be well added hereunto, or greater felicity desired in this world? But as the common nature of all men is, in time of prosperity and wealth, to forget not only them selves, but also God: Even so did this first man Adam, who having but one commandment at Gods hand, namely that he should not eat of the fruit of knowledge of ⟨p. 357⟩good & ill, did not withstanding, most unmindfully, or rather most wilfully break it, in forgetting the straight charge of his maker, and giving ear to the crafty suggestion of that wicked serpent the devil. Whereby it came to pass, that as before he was blessed, so now he was accursed, as before he was loved, so now he was abhorred, as before he was most beautiful and precious, so now he was most vile and wretched in the sight of his Lord and maker. Instead of the image of God, he was now become the image of the devil. Instead of the citizen of heaven, he was become the bondslave of hell, having in him self no one part of his former purity & cleanness, but being altogether spotted & defiled, insomuch that now he seemed to be nothing else but a lump of sin, and therefore by the just judgement of god, was condemned to everlasting death. This so great and miserable a plague, if it had only rested on Adam, who first offended, it had ben so much the easier, and might the better have ben borne. But it fell not only on him, but also on his posterity & children for ever, so that the whole brood of Adams flesh should sustain the self same fall & punishment, which their forefather by his offence most justly had deserved.

When he was thus created and made, almightie GOD, in token of his great loue towardes him, chose out a speciall place of the earth for him, namely Paradice, where he liued in all tranquilitie and pleasure, hauyng great aboundaunce of worldly goodes, and lackt nothing that he myght iustly require or desyre to haue. For as it is sayde, God made him Lord and ruler