Seven degrees

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Invafi

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words which were to no profit but to the perverting of the hearers, yet heare you that Eve giveth her eyes to behold the Tree, her eares to hear blafphemous words; the giveth her hands to take of the fruit, fhe giveth her mouth and bellie, yea all her bodie unto the Se pint: But it is not good to eat much bonic, nor to seek glorie by the fenfe. When that the could not refrain her appetite, he was like a Cute which is broken down and without walls, Proverbs 25. 28. and her inward parts were battered.

We finde in the ou fide three things, vidit, tulit, & comedit, she faw, the took, and the did eate: The first was the concupifcence of the eye; The second, the ftretching out the arme to take of the fruit, was the attempt; The laft was the actuall finne and the confummati on. The ancient Divines doe call the first defiderium; the fecond conatum, the endeavor; the last actum, the accomplishment. The The defire of the eye, and the endeavor of the hand, doe argue a confent ; and by the affent of reason the yeeldeth to cate.

The ancient Fathers doe make feven degrees in every fin,out of this in every finne. very fire fin of Eve: But five of thefe degrees are past before we come to tulit, and the other two laft, one concerneth the taking the other 1. Suggestion. the act. The first of thefe degrees they call a fuggeftion; He fecond they call the invading of the confent; the third they call confenfum in dele. Ctatione, a confent to finne with delight; the fourth they call moram, a lingring and ftay in the delight; the fift they doe call confenfum in actum, a consent to the very practise of finne: Then after these five degrees commeth the fixt, which is tulit, the taking the fruit, and the feventh, which is comedit, the very act of finne...

3. Content to delight

4. Lingring
5. Content to

finne
6. Taking.
7. Eating.

3. Confenfi

Thefe feven degrees are feven leveral motions, and distinct, as you may eafily fee in this finne and difobedience of Eva: The first sugge ftion in Eve to difobedience was wrought by the Serpent; but now the suggestion in our mindes, is by our felves: Here the Serpent made queftion of Gods goodneffe, now the corruption of our own nature maketh many needleffe questions, Sathan hath two wayes to convey concupifcence, eitherby his Pipes to play unto us plealant pores, or by his Glaffe, therein to fhew us many allurements: Butafter the Fall the Devild needed not to use his fuggestion ; for behold, all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were only evill, chap. 6.5 Chrift calleth these fuggestions cogitationes afcendentes, mounting and ambi tious thoughts.

She faw three things, which are three degrees, and all the three are the fecond general degree. The fuft degree of the feeing they doe call allubefcentiam,an entertaining ofthe fuggeftion; and we call it here affectum & intuitum arboris, the beholding of the outward thew of the tree: Thefecond degree of feeing, is by beholding it, to withdraw Our affection from the fear of God, which we call averfionem a dee, our turning our felves from God.

The third degree I told you was called a confent with delight, cum delectar which is a further hair, not only willingly, but even withly to be bold the fruit, and to look into the nature of the fruit: This degree they

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call

call inspectum and contuitum; vidit quod delectabile, the feeth that which is delightfull to the fight, and this is confenfus intellectûs, a confent of the understanding, as it is in Job 20. 13. when wickedneffe was fweet in her mouth, fhe hid it under her tongue, and favoured it and would not for fake it, but keep it clofe in her mouth.

Lettasio.

The fourth degree is beyond the third, it is mora and morofa dele 4. Morofa de tatio, alingring of the del ght; this makes her dote on every circumftance, on the beautie, on the virtue of this tree: Hereby when we have removed from us the thoughts of finne, finne is refumed; this is non inspectio, fed introspectio, the feeth knowledge, not to be feen. Hereby the feeth quod concupifcendum, this degree is the hunger and thirft of finne, a burning defire to finne, wherein the feeth lignum de lectabile and defiderabile, that the tree is pleasant, and to be defixed to get knowledges 1. The fift degree, as I told you is called confenfus in actum; the con. 5. consensus in fent to the act it felf, thinking with themfelves, It the beholding this tree befo pleafant, having in it to the eye all varietie of pleasure, what, and how wonderfull delightfull will the taste thereof be? fure ly it will be full of all pleasure; and therefore I think it expedient to take thereof, and I doe long to cat of the fame this is the content of reafon ad opus malum, to work wickedneffe, even with greedineffe ; and they doe call this laft degree of finne vidit aberrationem cordis, a wandring aftray of the heart. See Prov. 20 1.

actum.

In the fixt place comes the fixt degree, which is conatus, the en- 6. Conatm, deavor to Atreatch out the hand, and to apply our hand to the pulling of the fruit from the forbiddentrees Jius other l

cati,

In the feventh place comes the laft degree, which is the dating of 7. Alm pecò the fruit, the confummation of all, even the finne it felf., **iis *These seven degrees are compared to the feven degrees of the in crease of childe in the mothers bellie, by the ancient Divines, and that out of James is a 5in where the Apostle faith, When luft hath conteived, it bringeth forth finne and finne, when it is finished bringeth forth dear And indeed Eve, by fecing, was brought to bed of fin, which was the first begotten of Sathan.inkode za

In The Cavilifts doe fay of fuggeftion here of Sathan by his question that the fuggeftionis, as it were, the woing of the woman, which is with fome Bathfulneffe The fecond degree,allubefcentia, the invading and entertaining the thought of finney is as the yeelding of the woman tothe Suiter. The third, the confent wich delighty this is the profti tution and fubmitting her minde to the Serpent. The fourth, morofa delectatio, the lingring and foothing up the conceived fione, the re teining the delight to fione, is as the conception of the childe in the mothers wombe. The filth, which we called confenfum ad opus, the consent to put in practife the finne, is as the quickning of the childe The fixt, which is the endeavor and difpofition to finne, in the taking of the fruit, is as the labour of the woman in Child bed; that was the wickedneffe of the hands, as it is in Pfalme 73. Theft venth, which is the eating, is as the birth of the child; for this eating the for bidden

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bidden fruit is finne it felt, which is the first born of the Devill. Now will we fpeak of the endeavor of the Woman, in the taking of the fruit of the forbidden tree.

The taking of the fruit came per impofturam Serpentis, and palchri tudinem arboris, by the guile of the Serpent, and by the beauty of the tree: These are the two motives in Eve to take of the fruit from the tree; for as Jeremiah (peaketh, in his ninth chapter the twenty first verfe, death is come up into the windows, and finne is entred into our pala. ces; finne is already in our eyes, and as entred into the pallate of ber keart : Hence it was that her feet were perverted, carrying her bodie from the trees permitted, to the forbidden tree. David, as he fpeaketh in Pfal. 119. 59. That he hath turned his feet into Gods teflimonies and in the 101. verfe of the fame Pfalm, As for evill, I have refrained my feet from the evill way, that I might keep thy word. But Eve here cur neth her feet from Gods teftimonies and his word; and the turneth her feet to the Serpent, to goe in the way of evill: Atthe foft the night fay with Job, as he protefteth in his 31. chapt. 5. verf. If I bave walked in vanitie, or if my foot have made hafte to deceit, let God weigh me in his just ballance and he shall finde mine uprightneffe But behold now Eve, the walketh to fee vanitie; fuch are the feet of Eve, they are fwift in running to mifcheif, as Salomon fpeaketh of the feet of the wicked, in Proverbs 6. 18. It is the prayer of David, in Pfalme 36. 10. Non veniat mihi pes fuperbia, that the foot of pride >would not come upon him. She came with a proud foot to behold this tree: And as it is in the faid 10. verfe of the 36. Pfalme, The hand of the wicked moved to evil. Eve here he takes the tree with an high hand; she takes of the fruit with an out stretched arme. God he will doe well to thofe that be good and true in heart : But faith David, in Pfal. 125.5. Those that turn afide to their crooked wayes, the Lord ball lead them with the workers of iniqnitie: So doth God here, left they fhould put forth their hands to take of the fruit of this tree. Eve her felf, in the third verfe, confeffeth that God commanded the should nottouch it. God be guideth the mcek, and teacheth the humble their, way Pfal. 25.9. Eve the faith the may not touch the fruit, yet fhé ta keth the fame in her hand: This is iniquitas and contradictio, evilland abfurditie: She doth not only touch the fruit, but takes the fruit of the tree: As her inward foul was infected per imposturam Stopem by the flatterie and deceit of the Serpents fo her fenfes of leeing andraking or touching, were inticed per pulchritudinem arboris, by the pleas fantneffe of the tree: There was a time when the eyes of man waited upon the Lord, as doe the eyes of the hand-maid upon her istriffe, Pfal. 123. 2. God he was the guide of man, Pfal. 48. his hands touched nor the mouth tafted nothing butthat which was permitted ::But now she is content instead of God, to have the Serpent for her guides fhe will give her eares to hear his fpeeches, her eyes to behold vanitie her feet to runne to deceit, her hands to work mischief, and her mouth to taste of finne, thus giving to Sathan all her members, as weapons of unrighteousnesse unto finne, as Paul Apeaketh in Rom. 6. 13: She was

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poffeffed

poffeffed with an itch, as may appear by the form of anfwer, Ne forte moriar;and by the pleasantne ffe of the fruit in her fight,the jaundice of concupifcence might be perceived in her eyes. Her feet would be gad ding where they should not, whofe feet cannot abide in her house, Prov. 7. 11. Her hands were as lime twigs; her fingers itched till the were fingring of the fruit forbidden. When he had taken of the boughs and fruit, fuerunt aridirami, and putrida radices ; quia non cepit quod caperet, because she took not of the tree which was permitted; cepit de fructu arboris per quam capitur, he took of the delightfull and pleafant fruit, wherewith her lelf was taken even as the fish which ta keth the bait, but is taken it self of the hook,See chap. 15. 16.

And he did eat. This is the confummation of fing for the accomplish- And the did ment of Eves difobedince is in actuall fin: If Conatus, the endeavor to cat finne,if the practise of treafon (though the treafon be not fully accomplished) defèrve death by the laws of man; if the concupifcence of the eye, which brought David from the adulterie of Berfabe to the murthering of Urias, deferve the punishment and revenge of God,then the beholdir g, with concupifcence, the beauty of the forbidden fruit, deferveth Gods wrath:Much more then,perfected disobedience,which is in the comedit, deferveth the death; for comedendo comedes, moriendo morieris. Doe as God hath commanded thee, and eating thou shalt eat of all the trees, but if thou eat of the forbidden fruit,moriendo morieris, dying thou shalt dye. To cate that which God hath faid you fhall not eat, implyeth a plain contradictorie to Gods word, and a manifest difobedience to his commandement; and by ones difobedience many were made finners, as Paul speaketh Romans 5.19. Efau did eat his broth and bread with a good stomach, and in regard of them contemned his birthright, chap. 25.34. In Genefis 37.25. they regarded more the plafure of their own; Jacobs fonnes were eating when Jofeph was in the pit. It is Davids prayer in Pfal. 141.4. Let me not O Lord eate of the delicates of the wicked. The bread that the wicked eate, faith ofee in chap. 9.4. fhall be as the bread of mourners, and all that eate thereof shall be pol luted. By finne primogenitura,the birthright of Eve is gone with Efau, The pleasure he took in his pottage was but short, while he was hungrie. The fpace of every pleasure is but fhort, as the Fathers say, it endureth no longer than while a man may be eating an apple; the continuance of all pleasure is momentarie; the pleasure remained but while the fruit was a eating: But for this tranfitorie and vain plea. The punishfure the incurred endleffe pain of body and of foul; for as the Fathers ment of difo lay well, the care that would not hear the words of love,ne comedite, eat not of it, fhall once hear this fpeech of Gods wrath, difcedite maledicti, depart you accurfed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devill and his followers: The eyes that beheld with joy and delight the pleasure of the forbidden fruit, thofe eyes fhall be weeping and wailing for their amiffe, all whofe tears shall not avail them: The feet that did run unto iniquitie fhall be bound in iron and heavie chains; the hand of Gods wrath fhall be ftretched out against that hand that prefumed to ftretch forth it felf to take of the fruit that was forbidden,

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bedience.

Twelve forts of finn:.

Three occafo

nall.

as it is in Efay 9. 12. And the mouth that did eat of the forbidden fruit, thinking thereby to attain all pleature, fhall be full of gnathing of teeth, according to that, In Hell there shall be weeping and waiting & ftridor dentium. In a word, the wormes in the grave shall devour and eat her body that did eate of the fruit which the was forbidden, and the Dragon fhall devour her foul; both her body and foul shall be in endleffe pain, ftill dying, never dead, for the reward of finne is death. God bath faid, they should not eat, yet fhe did ear, and by eating fell into many finnes, fimplex eft Dei verbum, but multiplex comedendi peccatum. The ancient Divines upon this place fay, that there are twelve forts of fin; whereof the first three they doe call peccatum occafionale: the fecond three they doe call peccatum primitivum: the next three peccatum derivativum: the last three peccatum inftrumentale, which they gather out of Job 24. 13. They abhorred the light, and continue not in the paths thereof.

The firft of the three occafionals is Ingratitude, or the neglect of 1. Ingratitude, the due measure of thankfullneffe to God for all the benefits what loever bestowed upon Eve in Paradife and us in this world; in that the mouth is not imployed in the praifing of God for all his benefits; but he filleth his mouth with this ne forte, left peradventure. This firft is the neglect of love.

a. Securitie.

The fecond is a negle& of fear, which is a fecurity: God he hath made me Monarch over allthe Creatures; he hath given me all the trees, which are infinite, in Paradife: what though I eat of an apple, furely I fhall not dye? for fo fmall a matter God will not punish me.

The third occafion is negligence of that wherein we ought to be most carefull: we should not enter when God had forbidden the tree; this is carele fle curiofitie, by the feeing the pleasure of vanitie more than the will of God himself. Thefe are the three caufall finnes, The negle& of love, the neglect of fear, the negligence of that is commanded; and the curiofitie of that is needleffe.

The three primitive finnes concern the fuperior part of the foul; the three derivative finnes the inferior part of the foul: Ofthem in order; firit of the fuperior, after of the inferiour.

Firft, the reafon is infected with incredulitie to God,and credulitie to the Serpent; whereby they beleeved not, that if they should eat they should dye the death, but if they did eat, they should be as Gods.

The fecond primitive finne is Difcontent, a malecontented minde; which is the tedioufneffe of this yoake, whereby this commandement and eafie restraint is a burthen unto them.

The third fione of this kinde is of the lower part of the foul, which is felf-love ; Accounting her felf as if he had made her felf, not as it The were made by God: I fee the tree is wholfome and to be defired, why should I then feeing this refrain from it?

Now for thethree derivative finnes: Firft from Incredulitie in Gods word commeth a Child, which is the credulitie in the Serpent, which is called ftupor, an aftonishment at the Serpents fpeeches, which is a blockish patience in being content to hear the most abje& Creature,

a filly