68 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Mofes introduces a fp caking Serpent. Method of Divine Govern- 

 ment. Satan s View. ReaJb?2S why Adam was created in a State 

 of Trial. A ftrong Negative, fiifficient to put the Tempter t» 

 flight. The Paradifaical Law guarded by the 7?iofl powerful 

 SanBion. The Opinion of Pagans and Mahometans about the 

 Fall of A6.3.m, cSc. Why Satan puniJJod imder a vifible Figure-, 

 viz. Serpent. Chr id's Death publijh'd, before Se7itence of Death 

 pafl upon Adam. The Earth, a feco^idary Paradife. Moral 

 RcfeBion. 



TH E Manner of Sin's firft Entrance into our World, is in- 

 fcrii table : The Subjecl is an Article of Lamentation, an 

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

 lojl; whence date the fatal JEra of all human Calamities. There, 

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

 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 ; after the moft critical Difquifitions about it, the Dif- 

 ficulty remains unfolvable. 



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

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

 able, and whoje ways- are pafl finding out ; therefore we fliould ra- 

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

 firft: The one would only prove what our LTnderflandings could 

 do, but the other v/ould declare our Hearts, what they ought to be. 



What this Serpent was, that triumph'd in Paradife, has been 

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

 their Verdidl about it. I fhall firft lay down their various Opi- 

 nions, and then give my own Conjecflures. 



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

 and did believe, it was endued with the Gift of Speaking 5 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, who, not allowing the Privilege of Speech to a 

 Brute, have turn'd the Mofaic Hifiory of Paradile into an Allegory, 

 an Aflemblage of Metaphors, or figurative Documents. Thus a 

 cenain learned yew fays, the Serpent, that feduced the Woman, 

 'was Pleafure ; and forbidden Pleafure, when tafted, brought forth 

 Death -f. But 



* Jofe^h. Aiitij. cap. i. t Thilo Jud. ds Mu7idi Opif. 



4 



