God simply required of him obedience and faith, and that whole Adam should depend of him, and that not constrained by necessity, but should do it freely. God made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel, saying: If thou wilt thou shalt observe the commandments, and testify thy good will. Therefore when the Serpent tempted man, and counselled him to taste of the forbidden tree, man was not ignorant that the counsel of the Serpent did not agree with the commandment of God. The Lord compelled him not: neither did Satan compel him in the Serpent. For God had said: Ye shall not eat of that tree, neither shall ye touch it, least ye die. Wherefore it was in the hand of his counsel, to eat or not to eat. God declared unto him his will, plainly charging him, that he should not eat, and adding the peril, he did withdraw him from eating, least perhaps thou die. Satan also, as neither could he, did not use any force: but did probably move him unto it, & at length did overcome him. For when the will of the woman declined to the word of the Devil, her mind departed from the word of God, and rejecting a good law, she committeth an evil work: afterwards she drew on her husband willingly following her to be partaker of her sin. That doth the Scripture inculcate in these words: So the woman (seeing that the tree was good for meat, 1and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to get knowledge) took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her, and he did eat. Here have you the beginning of the evil, the Devil: and that ⟨p. 103⟩which moved the will of man, that is: the false commendation of the Devil, and even a mere lie, and the delectable show and sightliness of the tree. Wherefore Adam and Eve do of their own accord, that which they do, being lead with a hope of more excellent wisdom which the Seducer had lyingly promised them.2 We conclude therefore that sin hath his beginning, not from God who forbiddeth evil, but from the Devil, & the free election of man, which was corrupted by the Devils falsehood. And therefore the Devil and mans corrupted will obeying him are the most true cause of sin.
God simply required of him obedience and faith, and that whole Adam should depende of him, and that not constrained by necessitie, but shoulde doe it freely. God made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel, saying: If thou wilt thou shalt obserue the commandements, and testifie thy good will. Therefore when the Serpent tempted man, and counsailed him to tast of the forbidden tree, man was not ignoraunt that the counsaile of the Serpent did not agree with the commaundement of God. The Lorde compelled him not: neither did Satan compell him in the Serpent. For God had said: Ye shall not eate of that tree, neither shall ye touch it, least ye die. Wherefore it was in the hand of his counsaile, to eat or not to eate. God declared vnto him his will, plainely charging him, that he should not eate, and adding the perill, he did withdraw him from eating, least perhaps thou die. Satan also, as neither coulde hee, did not vse any force: but did probably moue him vnto it, & at length did ouercome him. For when the will of the woman declined to the word of the Deuill, her minde departed from the worde of God, and reiecting a good lawe, she committeth an euill worke: afterwardes she drewe on her husband willingly following her to bee partaker of her sinne. That doth the Scripture inculcate in these wordes: So the woman (seeing that the tree was good for meate, 1and that it was pleasant to the eies, and a tree to be desired to get knowledge) tooke of the fruit thereof, and did eate, and gaue also to her husband with her, and hee did eate. Here haue you the beginning of the euill, the Deuill: and that ⟨p. 103⟩which moued the will of man, that is: the false commendation of the Deuill, and euen a mere lie, and the delectable shewe and sightlines of the tree. Wherefore Adam and Eue doe of their owne accord, that which they doe, being lead with a hope of more excellent wisedome which the Seducer had lyingly promised them.2 Wee conclude therefore that sinne hath his beginning, not from God who forbiddeth euill, but from the Deuill, & the free election of man, which was corrupted by the Deuils falshood. And therefore the Deuill and mans corrupted will obeying him are the most true cause of sinne.
- 1Gen. 3.6.
- 2The beginning of sin from the Devil, and the free election of man corrupted by his seducement.The beginning of sinne from the Deuil, and the free election of man corrupted by his seducement.
