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faid, ftand to the words confeffed already, let us both grant and agree in this point and iffue, that you know that you were naked and afhamed. I demand of you but this one thing, answer me if you can: How came you to know that you were naked? thus he beginneth to debate the matter to the proofe: let us therefore now fee, how he traverfeth this point with him; his reason must be framed after this form.

That which was evill Adam might not doe, this is a morall ground; but it was evill that Adam being naked, fhould know it to be a shamefull thing, and to hide; therefore Adam in knowing this his nakedness, hath done fome ill. Thus ftandeth the reason.

Now God would know of Adam, how he knew nakedness to be evill, and the realon of the doubt and question is, because it is certain that Adam prefented himself naked (before he finned) without any fhame or hiding, therefore here groweth the question, how he knew it to be fo now? Adam knew his nakedness was evill: God asketh how he came to the knowledge of any evill, q. d. who brought thee acquainted with this knowledge of evill? there is no man in the world to teach it thee, and there is no other means in the world by which thou maift attain to it, but only by eating the forbidden tree, which of this effe&t hath his name, to be the tree of knowledge of good and evill. Ex arbore didicifti, ergo de arbore comedifti, for there was no ordinary way or means to come to this knowledge by the decree and counfell of God, either to the knowledge of cvill by privation of God, or elfe to the science of evill by wofull experience and fenfe of evill, but only this way, by eating of this tree forbidden.

This then is that point in which God joyneth iffue with him, to make and enforce him to confefs the truth; by which two points; the one of joyning iffue in one instance, and fo clofing with Adam therein.

The other concluding by an invincible proof, the breach and tranfgreffion of that negative Law of God, non comedes &c. We gather neceffarily thercout, that this is the right and orderly course of proceeding in upright judgment, and determining of caufes here taught and allowed by of God, to be imitated and put in practise, namely, that after the indi&ment and accufation laid against any man for tranfgreffing a Law, either for doing evill forbidden, or not doing a neceffary God commanded, that then the party fo accused, must be brought to his anfwer perfonally, and permitted quietly and freely to put in his anfwer thereunto, for the acquitting himself if he can.

For these are two other parts of Juftice and right Judgment, according to Gods Law, and this is a good and a lawfull proceeding, as we may fee by the example and practife of the Church of God; and this is called a course of Judgment, according to law and equity, Ifaiah 10. 3. and as St. Paul faith, Fudge aright according to Law, Acts 23, 3, of which every good & just Judge must have a speeiall care.

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Another point of this proceeding further is, that after the party accused and arraigned hath put in his answer and pleaded not guil ty, that then the Accufant doe goe forward and fee the iffue joyned with the Defendant, and a plaine evidence and proofe of his ac done to convince him and prove him guilty, by his own words or deeds, if he can.

For fo doth God deale with Adam here, faying thus, It appeareth by your own confeffion that you knew your felfe to be naked, and you cannot deny but that you informed your felfe with that knowledg of evill, and it is plains that there is none in all the world which hath taught or told you fo; therefore I conclude against you that there was no way for you to know this, but only by eating of the forbidden Tree of knowledge, whereof I therefore challenge and charge you. Thefe then are the two points of proceeding.

That there be a ftate of the question in controverfy made, drawing it to an iffue, and then that there be proofes and arguments brought to convince the falfhood and to shew the truth, that fo controverfies may be justly determined, as wee may fee in this Cafe which is brought in tryall here, Adam laith that hee did Alic and hide himself indeed,but the motives and caufes which induced him to doe it, and the reasons why he did it were, because Gods voice was so fearfull, and because God had made him naked.

Now God joyneth with him in the point, and will prove that it was not Gods workmanship, nor his voyce, but Adams own finne, which was the true caufe of his flight and hiding; So in as 24.14. S. Paul being arraigned and indicted before Fallx, hee doth not ab folutely deny the matter which they layed against him, but confeffeth how farre hee is guilty, and in what refpect he is not, faying I confesse that I worship God after that manner which they lay against me and call Herefie, but it is not Herefic; let them prove that, and I will yeeld, for it is according to the Scriptures.

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Thus he fhewed how far he did that they accufe him of, and how far he will avouch and fhew good reason that he did not fo as they charged him falfly, that so the matter in Controverfie before the Judge might grow to an iffue and point agreed upon between them, and that the state of the queftion might bee known truly

unto all:

There be two things therfore to be performed on both parties in ftrife, which the Judge muft take order for, that the matter may be decided.

The one is called Citatio realis:

The other is probatio realis, and both of them are moft neceffarily required ad cognitionem rel, for they must not only be caufed to ap peare before the Judge, but also when they have made their appearance, they must not ftand dumb and fpeechleffe before the Judge, but both fpeak and declare for themselves; And we may fee it warrantable by Gods word and the practife of the Church, that not only a party may be caufed to witnefs a truth before the Judge,

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Gen. 3. 12.

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for or against his neighbour in a matter doubtfull, and that upon his oath, as we may fee Leviticus the fifth chapter and the fourth verfe, and the first of Kings the eighteenth chapter and the tenth verfe, but alfo in the clearing of himfelf being fufpected, as we fee, Feremiah the thirty fixt chapter and the feventeenth verfe, Acts the twenty third chapter and the twentieth verfe; yer there are exceptions to be taken in this matter, as we see Feremiah the thirty eighth chapter and the fourteenth verfe; when the King would bring Feremie to examination in a matter that concerned himself, Feremie made his exception; IfI confefs and tell all, wilt thou not kill me? for if the matter be capitall and concern mans life, he will not, to indanger his own life, anfwer no to the King; and the reason why a man, in that case, should not be bound to be a witness against himself is, because the Devill faith, Fob the fecond chapter and the fourth verse, A skin for a skin, a man will doe or fay any thing to fave his life, and therefore no reafon to urge a man fo hardly in fo high and capitall a point: But in other cafes which only concern the lofs of goods, or a matter of fome punishment and mul&, a man muft not refufe to answer, and that upon his oath, and this we fee allo warranted even by this judgment of God; And fo confequently all these actions in our courfe of judgment, being laid to this rule of Gods firft judgment, and the proceeding of juftice being weighed in this balance, in the twenty eighth chapter of Isaiah and the feventeenth verfe, that is, all things being done uprightly, agreeable to this pattern of Gods proceeding, we may be sure that it is good, lawfull, and just.

Cui dixit Adam: Mulier ifta quam pofuifti mecum, ipfa dedit mihi de fructu illius arboris, comedi.

Lmighty God having in the former, out of Adams own mouth and confeffion in his anfwer, joyned iffue with him upon the discoverie of his nakednefs, and upon it fo effectually concluding his finne and tranfgreffion which he could by no means avoid or diffemble any longer, therefore here we shall fee how he is inforced to confefs it, which confeffion of his, as St. Gregorie faith, whereas it should have been fuch as might have made an end of all, and procured a pardon; but faith he, I would it were not fuch, as maketh him more culpable, and his finne more hainous, for we shall fee and finde, that this his confeffion needeth a pardon as well as his tranfgreffion, for itis a confeffion extorted and wrung out of him, whereas if it had been done willingly and of his own accord, it had been far better and more acceptable.

In the tenth verfe before Adam did offend, as we saw in his Apologie, defending his finne, now being beaten from that hold, he fleeth to his Caftle of excufes, and as his defence ftood in two points, quia nudus, & qui aaudivi vocem; fo his excufe alfo confifteth of two points, God and the Woman; for faith he, the Woman which thou gavest me, gave me of the apple, and I did eat, that is, as it is not fimple, fo it is not fincere.

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For Pride, as we faid, hath two twins; the firft is before the ac of finne before the fall, namely, to defire to be better than they are, and to be in higher eftate than God hath placed them. The other after the fall, namely, a defire not to seem so ill as they are indeed.

Arrogantia eft

tumor in tremore, Humili

timore,

The first is Arrogancy; This is Hypocrific, both the whelps of pride, and vain glory, which at laft turneth to fhame: But the last is fo much worse than pride, because it is túmor in timore; it is as much as tumor in as to be proud when one is at the loweft; and fo to lift up himself, which is most unfeemly: That reall Hypocrifie in action, of which we have spoken before, confifted in two points; In volucro, & in làtibulo. So here now we may fee a double verball, hypocrifie in tongue and fpeech: That is, if there be any good thing praife worthy, that we must have ascribed wholly to us; but if any evill thing be apparan, that must be put as farre from us as may be, Before his drift was by defence to put clean away all the fault from him felf; but now he laboureth by excufe to be seen to have as little part in the fault as may be, and to have the fhew and appearance of that evill to be put away from him, that he be not brought within the compaffe of the offence.

His first defence, in effect is non fect: But now this excufe is feri, fed benè feci: When that would not ferve his turn, his third excufé is feci malè, fed non multùm. q. d. though inceed I cannot deny, but I am in the compaffe of the offence, yet I am not in the fault, I did not much of the evill that was done: And this is our nature when we cannot defend our selves à toto, then we excufe us à tanto, as A dam doth, which faith you must not lay all the fault on me, for God and the woman have parts and fhares therein; the woman for giving the apple to me, and God for giving the woman to me.

This excufe then hath two parts, the woman and God, both which we will examine to fee where the fault is indeed.nl

As it is a foul fault in a man to feek to excuse himself by accusing another; fo it is another fault worse than that, that a man fhould make a filly woman the matter of his excufe; for we fay it is manhood in men to pitty and spare efpecially that fex,as the weaker; &'a foul shame to feek to intangle and draw woman into danger or hurt, but rather to support and defend them as much as with modesty and honefty we could, Adam might have confidered, that the being the weaker, the first of Peter the third chapter and the seventh verse, that it had been his part to have made a buckler for her fhelter and Qq 2

defence

Adam blameth
God,

defence, for men willingly should, and naturally are taught to forbear, and not to wreck their malice and anger upon woman-kiade. But the fault in him which paffeth all is this, that this woman is his wife which he accufeth as the cause of his evill, and bringeth in as the principall in this fact; for by this there is perfidia on his part, a breach of Faith and wedlock-love; for it is most unseemly and unnaturall for a man to accuse his own wife: If we confider that he which before in Gen. 2. 24. confeffed that he fhould forfake Father and Mother for her fake; yea, which before (by finne) was content to forfake God and all for her love; if he did love her fo well, why doth he not shew it now? for he fhould have ftood out betweene Gods wrath, and her, for her defence, which no doubt would have beene more acceptable to God, for it is a thing commended in Mofes Pfal. 106. 23. and in David, 2 Sam. 24. 17. that they offered themfelves to be punished to acquit and fave others there from; for they were content to beare Gods difpleasure themselves that others might bee fet free, but here è contra Adam was willing to bee in the fociety of the fact and fault, but now hee will pull his neck out of the Coller, and will not have any society or part with her in the punishment.

Now I come to the other part of his excufe, in which he layeth part of the blame on God, as bringing him alfo within the compafs of this evill committed, vtinam hoc tantum dixerat Comedi, faith ons, for to challenge God for giving this woman to him, and to come to upbraid God to the face with this, The woman which thou gavest mee made me to finne, is another offence most intollerable. He will not be content with one excufe, but will have two ftrings to his bowe for fayling, that if the woman will not serve to bee his excuse, then this may.

To bring God into the fault, and to fay directly that he is in the fociety, and had a part therein, is intollerable blafphemy. The womans excufe, which thee alledgeth in the next verfe, is far bet ter, in accufing the devill: But to say Data a te dedit mihi, finne was her gift, and the was the gift, thou gavest me the woman, and the woman gave me the apple of offence; wherefore if thou hadft not given her to me, the apple had not been given, and fo I fhould never have finned against thee, q. d. I did not pluck it, I was not the author nor caufe of it; If I have finned I may thank you for it, you were the occafioner of all which gave her to me, you would needes give me a wife, if you had meant me that good which you pretended, you should not have given me fuch a one as would give me this forbidden fruit, or at least, if you must needs make and give her, you should not have joyned, nor put her together with me in the place and garden where I am, but put her in a garden by her felf,apart, and feparated from me; for I knew not elfe what the hould mean by ftaying with me.

Thus we fee that his excuse and allegation for himselfe; is partly

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