Of the morality of the fourth commandment as still in force to bind Christians…Of the morality of the fourth commandement as still in force to binde Christians…

which supposeth as he saith, that they had already eaten of every other Tree in Paradise; and Eves answer, he saith, seems to confirm this in saying, we eat of the fruit of the Trees in the Garden. But of the fruit of the Tree which is in the mids of the Garden, we eat not; what is the meaning of we eat, but this, we are wont to eat, quoth Pererius. Yet forthwith he himself enervates this interpretation, confessing that the meaning may be this, It is lawful for us to eat. And I willingly confess, that no argument appears to me so plausible as this, namely that they had formerly tasted of every fruit of the Garden besides this: for it seems very likely, that not till then they were well prepared for Satan's temptation. And it seems unlikely they would offer to taste of the fruit forbidden until they had tasted of all the rest; then indeed and not till then, the commendation of that as of a ⟨p. 50⟩more excellent fruit then any of the rest, might the better allure them both to touch and taste. But as Pererius proposeth it, it hath no force; for as much as he corrupteth the Text, the Devils words being not such as these, why do ye not eat of every tree of paradise? but running thus; Yea? hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree in the Garden? or as Piscator takes it for a conclusion of a larger discourse; yea in as much as God hath said, ye shall not eat of the fruit of every tree in the Garden, so giving a reason to prove what he objected, namely that God envied their happiness. As for the reasons which before I have given, they may be answered thus. If the benefit of this fruit had been of the same kind with the benefit of others, and only in degree of excellency above them, then were it no way likely they should begin with this. But seeing it was pretended to be of a far different kind by Satan's suggestion, not so much for satisfying the appetite of sense, as for satisfying the spiritual desire of the soul in knowing good and evil, which the very denomination of the Tree given by God himself did fairly intimate; and this being cunningly improved by Satan to be a Divine condition, in making them like unto God; this consideration might well allure forthwith without all further stay to have experience of other fruit.

which supposeth as he saith, that they had already eaten of every other Tree in Paradise; and Eves answer, he saith, seems to confirm this in saying, we eate of the fruit of the Trees in the Garden. But of the fruit of the Tree which is in the mids of the Garden, we eate not; what is the meaning of we eate, but this, we are wont to eate, quoth Pererius. Yet forthwith he himselfe enervates this interpretation, confessing that the meaning may be this, It is lawfull for us to eate. And I willingly confesse, that no argument appeares to me so plausible as this, namely that they had formerly tasted of every fruit of the Garden besides this: for it seems very likly, that not till then they were wel prepared for satans temptation. And it seemes unlikely they would offer to taste of the fruit forbidden untill they had tasted of all the rest; then indeed and not til then, the commendation of that as of a