The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians…

his ground is only this, because as he saith, they write that the Serpent in paradise did often come to our first parents and converse with them very gently and familiarly, and that thereupon the Devil took hint to inveigle the Woman. Now this is but a conjecture of theirs; neither do they say that he was wont to confer with them; yet all that they speak of may very well be fulfilled in a few hours. That which to this purpose he allegeth out of Austin de civit. dei lib. 11: c. 21. is only this, The Apple on the tree forbidden, we are to believe it to be such, as the rest of other trees, which now they had found to be without hurt; hence it seems Pererius would infer, that before the Devils temptation they had tasted of them all; but Austins speech is indefinite, and verified, in case they had tasted but of some; and Eve might have tasted of some, Adam of other some; If it be further urged, that Austin delivers it as a reason to show how hereby they were made more pliable to yield to Satan's temptation: I answer that by tasting some, yea and without tasting any, they might be well assured they might be tasted of without hurt, excepting ⟨p. 52⟩that which God had forbidden them; and the tasting of all without hurt was no tolerable reason to persuade that in like manner they might taste of the forbidden fruit without hurt; the Lord having professed unto them, that In the day they did eat thereof, they should die the death. Pererius adds that Austin in his twentieth Book of the City of God, and 26. Chapter, doth not obscurely give to understand, that albeit he thought Adam continued not long in paradise, yet that he continued there longer then one day. But I find no such thing in the place quoted by him. But I guess the passage he aims at, is that wherein he discourseth of those words of the Prophet Malachi Mal. 3. And the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem shall please the Lord as in the days of old, and in former years; and he inquires, what time that is, which is signified by this phrase, as in the days of old, and in the former years. And first he saith, that perhaps thereby may be signified, the time wherein our first parents were in Paradise. And to this he refers that of Isaiah Es. 65. According to the days of the Tree of life, shall be the life of my people.

his ground is only this, because as he saith, they write that the Serpent in paradise did often come to our first parents and converse with them very gently and familiarly, and that thereupon the Divell tooke hint to inveagle the Woman. Now this is but a conjecture of theirs; neither doe they say that he was wont to conferre with them; yet all that they speake of may very well be fulfilled in a few houres. That which to this purpose he alleageth out of Austin de civit. dei lib. 11: c. 21. is onely this, The Apple on the tree forbidden, we are to believe it to be such, as the rest of other trees, which now they had found to be without hurt; hence it seemes Pererius would inferre, that before the Divells temptation they had tasted of them all; but Austins speech is indefinite, and verified, in case they had tasted but of some; and Eve might have tasted of some, Adam of other some; If it be further urged, that Austin delivers it as a reason to shew how hereby they were made more pliable to yield to Satans temptation: I answer that by tasting some, yea and without tasting any, they might be well assured they might be tasted of without hurt, excepting