174 A NATURAL HISTORY 



II. 1 F there had been no former Acquaintance between Angels 

 and our fii-fl Parents, how came the Woman to converfe Jo freely 

 with a Stranger JIjc had never feen before^ one of another Comitry, 

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

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

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

 Angels had difcourfed with our firfi: Parents before the Fall. 



And perhaps when Angels, the Meffengers of Heaven, con- 

 verfed with Adam and Rve^ 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 furnifh'd with fo much Knowledge as is ufually 

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

 » of a Serpent, v/hich naturally is a Beaft of the Field, and known 



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

 his Subjefts, 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, v^'ho was the Image of God upon 

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

 dife, without a Sufpicion of Impofture or fomething ominous.? 



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

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

 her reprefenting to him at their next meeting, the Converfation 

 flie had with the Serpent, he muft conclude that Serpent to be a 

 grand Che.at, or a good Angel, that fpoke to his Wife : and that 

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

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

 Recommendation of it to his Wife, who found no ill Efi^edt from 

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

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

 ing it to be true in Fad, that is, that ftie did eat and live after it, 

 .Concluded he mi^ht eat with equal Safety. 



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