68 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Moiljs introduces a fbealdn^^ Serpent. Method of Divine Go-vern- 

 ment. Satan s View. Reafons why Adam was created in a State 

 of Trial. A flrong Negative, fnjicient to put the Tempter to 

 fight. The Paradiiaical Law guarded by the moft powerful 

 Sanction. The Opinion of Piigans and Mahometans about the 

 Fall of AilciHij &c. J'Viy Satan punifJSd under a vifible Figure, 

 VIZ. Serpent, Lhniis Death publijh'd^ befo e Sentence vf Death 

 pa/i upon Adam. The Earthy a Jecondary Paradife. Moral 

 Reflexion, 



^ \^ H E Manner of Sin's firfl Entrance into our World, is in- 

 ^ fcrutable : The Sub-jecl is an Article of Lamentation, an 

 Article that conduds us to Paradife indeed, but 'tis to Paradife 

 lofl ; whence date the fatal /Era of all human Calamities. There, 

 there in a blifsful Field ; Sin, the Plague of Hell, made its firfb 

 Appearance on Earth : but as to the Mode of its Introdudlion, 

 there is a Spread of impenetrable Darknefs over the Face of that 

 great Deep 3 after the mod critical Difqaifitions about it, the Dif- 

 ficulty remaip.s unfolvable. 



Me N of Letters may give their Conjectures, but it feems to be 

 one of thofe fecret Things which belongs to him who is unfearch- 

 able, and whofe ways are pa fi fading out ; therefore we fhould ra- 

 ther think, how to get Sin out of the Worlds than how it came in at 

 frft: The one would only prove what our Lhiderftandings could 

 do, but ihe other would declare our Hearts, what they ought to be. 



VVh a t this Serpent was, that triumph'd in Paradife, has been 

 a Subjed: of long Debate, and the Learned are not yet agreed in 

 their Verdict about it. I ihall fiift lay down their various Opi- 

 nions, and then give my own Conjectures. 



Among the yews, fome took it for a real, natural Serpent, 

 and did believe, it was endued with the Gift of Speaking ; but be- 

 caufe it deceived the Woman, was condemn'd to lofe its vocal 

 Tongue, to go upon its Belly, and feed upon Duft *. 



Others, v/ho, not allowing the Privilege of Speech to a 

 Brute, have turn'd the Mofaic Flifory of Paradife into an Allegory^ 

 an Ailembla2;e of Metauhors, or figurative Documents. Thus a 

 certain learned ^ew fays, the Serpent, that feduced the Woman, 

 was Pleafure ; and forbidden Pleafure, when taftcd, brought forth 

 Death -f. But 



^ J'>p'p^y^-^^fi^- cap. i. t ^i^t-o Jud. de Mundl Opif. 



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