for increase and multiplication. As appeareth in the two first chapters of this booke.
Man fel by yealding to tentations.Eccl 7, 30. Sap. 2, 24.But God hauing made man right, he intangled himselfe (as holie Scripture speaketh) with infinit questions. For the diuel enuying mans felicitie inuegled our mother Eue with questions and lies, and then by her, first seduced and deceiued, allured also Adam to the transgression of Gods commandment. And so they lost original iustice, which Adam had receiued for himselfe and al mankind: and al proceeding from them by natural propagation are borne the children of wrath, Original sinne.in original sinne contracted from Adam, slaues of the diuel, not only subiect to temporal death, but also are excluded for euer from heauenly blisse and glorie: except by Christs redemption particularly applied, they be restored to grace and iustice in this life.
Adam and Eue were pentitent.And touching Adam and Eue, whose sinne was not original but actual, directly committed by themselues, Gods mercie so reclaimed them by new grace, that they despaired not (as Cain, and some others did afterwards) but with hope of remission were sorie and penitent, and accordingly receiued penance, and redemption. Sap. 10.For God brought Adam from his sinne (as holie writ testifieth) and the same is collected of Eue, God shewing the like signes of his prouident mercie towards them both, of which we shal by and by note some for example.
Now let vs see the more principal points of faith and Religion professed and obserued by the Church of God before Noes floud. Faith in one God.First, they belieued in one Eternal and Omnipotent God, who made the whole world and al things therin of nothing. Which is easily confessed of al that are not plaine Atheists, and may be proued against them by reason. And therfore Adam and other Patriarks could not erre in this Article, nor others be ignorant therof, except they were very wicked.
The Blessed TrinitieThe Mysterie also of the Blessed Trinitie, three Diuine Persons in one God, though farre aboue the reach of mans reason, yet was belieued more expresly by some, more implied by others, and conserued from Age to Age by tradition, at least amongst the chiefe heads and leaders. Wherupon Moyses afterwardes insinuated the same great Mysterie, by diuers wordes and phrases, writing of God and his workes. The two wordes God created if they be rightly considered import so much. For the word Elohim, God, in the plural number, signifieth pluralitie of Persons (for manie Gods it can not signifie, seeing there is but one God) and the verbe bara, created, in the singular number signifyeth one God in nature and substance, albeit three Persons. Though the B. Trinitie worke ioyntly in al creatures, yet diuers workes are attributed to distinct Persons. For whatsoeuer God doth in creatures, is the worke of the whole Trinitie: though holie Scriptures do oftentimes appropriate some worke to one Diuine Person, some to another; which also proueth distinction of Persons in God. Gen 1.So the wordes God created heauen and earth signifie the Father, to whom power is attributed. In the beginning, signifie the Sonne, to whom wisdome is appropriated: and the words, The Sprit of God moued ouer the waters, signifie the Holie Ghost, by whose bountiful goodnes, the waters were made fruitful.
