174 



A NATURAL HISTORY 



II. IF there had been no former jlcquainta?ice between Angels 

 ayid mr firji Parents^ bow came the Woma?i to converfe Jo freely 

 with a Stranger Jlje had never feen before^ one of another Coimtry, 

 and of a different Species? 'Tis therefore probable, that when the 

 Devil addreft the Woman, and that in her own Language, he 

 might affame the Form of a good Angel, that Form in which 

 An'j;els had difcoirrfed with our iirfl Parents before the Fall. 



.And perhaps when Angels, the MelTengers of Heaven, con- 

 verfed with Adam and Eve^ it might be in the Shape of flying 

 fpeaking Serpents. Without allowing this mutual Intercourfe, 

 and former Familiarity, we can't well fuppofe that our firft Pa- 

 rents, tho' not furnidi'd with fo much Knowledge as is ufually 

 afcribed to them, would be conquer'd by a De7non in the Shape 

 of a Serpent^ which naturally is a Beaft of the Field, and known 

 to be fo by Adam, who, but a little before, had enrolled it among 

 his Subjed;s, and given it a fignificant Name, 



Can we imagine our firft Parents fo ftupid, as to hold a Con- 

 verfation with a Beaft, without Surprize, Jealoufy, and Sufpicion? 

 Adam., who knew the Properties of inferior Animals, (to whom 

 he had given proper Names a little before) could not but know, 

 that the Serpent was a Beaft^ and had no Organs fitted for the 

 Formation of articulate Sounds, much lefs a Power to fix proper 

 Ideas to them, and fupport an Argument by arguing the Cafe in a 

 rational manner. Could Adam^ who was the Image of God upon 

 Earth, hear a Brute fpeak and difpute in the Language of Para- 

 dife, without a Sufpicion of Impoflure or fomething ominous ? 



During the Woman's Parley with the Serpent, Adain is fup- 

 pofed to be abfent, perhaps thro' Satan's Management, and upon 

 her reprefenting to him at their next meeting, the Converfation 

 file had with the Serpent, he mufi: conclude that Serpent to be a 

 grand Cheats or a good Ajigel, that fpoke to his Wife : and that 

 he took it in the latter Senfe, is plain from the Event 5 that is, his 

 taking the forbidden Fruit, and eating thereof upon the Serpent's 

 Recommendation of it to his Wife, who found no illEfifedt from 

 her Compliance. Now, the Tempter having allur'd the Woman 

 that her eating that Fruit would not brine: Death, and Adam find- 

 ing it to be true in FaeT:, that is, that fiie did eat and live after it, 

 •concluded he might cat with equal Safety. 



Upon 



