A briefe exposition of such chapters of the olde testament as vsually are redde in the church at common praier on the Sondayes set forth for the better helpe and instruction of the vnlearned. By Thomas Cooper Bishop of Lincolne.

The Exposition vpon the .iij. Chapter of Genesis.

And the Serpent was subtiler then euery beast of the fielde,* 1.1 which the, &c.

IN this chapter are 3. things conteyned. First, the temptation, se∣ducing and transgression of mankind wrought by the Serpent. Secondly, the Condemnation and punishment of Man, Woman, and the Serpent. Thirdly, the the Casting of Man out of Paradise. As touch∣ing the first, Saran, enemie to Mankinde, and en∣uying the happie estate, that he was in by the suf∣ferance of God, abused the Serpent as his fittest I••strument to deceaue man, and Seduce him frō the obedience of God. For we may not thinke, that the Serpent dyd this of his owne motion, nor phantastically dreame, that beastes of the fielde Coulde then vse a distinct Speech, to declare there mindes, as here the Serpent doth: But God for Causes, to his secrete wisedome onely knowne, suffred the Deuill to abuse the tongue of the Ser∣pent, as he afterward did suffer him to be a * lying spirite,* 1.2 in the mouth of the false Prophetes to de∣ceyue Achab. And as the good Angell of God, mi∣raculously * opened the mouth of Balahams Asse to Speake vnto hys maister.* 1.3 And if it shall seeme

straunge to any man, that Eua was not afraide to talke with the Serpent, he must vnderstande that before Adam fell from God by Disobedience, the beastes of the fielde were not so terrible to Man, as since that time they haue beene. Yea, it may well be gathered, that the Serpent was more familiar with Man, then any other beast, and that the De∣uill Craftily tooke that occasion to worke by hym, and the woman sooner seduced and ouercome, as well by that, as by hearing of him to speake, Con∣trarie to the maner of other beastes: This I ga∣ther by that punishment of the Serpent that God after pronounceth: I will set enemitie betwene thee and the woman, &c. For thereby it maye appeare, that, before, there was a Certaine inclination of kindnesse and familiaritie, betweene them, more, then in other.

In this temptation of Adam in Paradise, we haue to learne, that no Place is free to man from temp∣tation, yea that the Deuill, then worketh most pe∣rilously, and most preuayleth, when we are in the state of Prosperitie and Felicitie, and therfore at that time we ought by all meanes most diligently, to beware of him. For by Prosperitie we soonest forget our selues, and are most easely intrapped.

And the Serpent sayde vnto the woman,* 1.4 ye shall not die the death, &c.

Here let vs diligenly note, How Satan not only at thys time, but in all ages dealeth toward God, and his holy worde. When the will of God is de∣liuered

vnto his people,* 1.5 by his true and sincere worde, * then immediatly doth the Deuill by his Instrumentes seeke to Corrupt, and falsifie the same, eyther by manifest impugning it, as vntrue, or by writhed interpretations drawing it to ano∣ther Sence, then it was spoken in, and al to seduce the people of God, frō his True worship and obe∣dience. From this roote commeth those things, that of late hath bene taught in the Church, when God had sayde* Thou shalt make vnto thy selfe no grauen Image:* 1.6 thou shalt not bowe downe vnto them, &c. The Serpent with his lying tongue impugneth it, saying: Thou mayest with great holynesse, fill the Churches and places of prayer with Images, and go in Pilgrimage to them, and worship them by kneeling, by offering, by sensing and all other meanes of honour▪* 1.7 When Christ saide in the * in∣stitution of the Sacrament, Drinke you all of this: Nay sayth the Serpent, The laye men maye not drinke of this, but Priests onely. When the word of God teacheth vs that Christ▪* 1.8 with * one oblation made perfite all that be Sanctified: The instruments of Satan Crie, naye, we must haue a daylie Sacri∣fice Propiciatorie in the Masse, as well for the quick as for the dead. This is the perpetuall ma∣ner of the Deuils working against Gods holye Worde. Therefore; Christian men must beware, that in the true worship of God, they be not drawn away from the obedience of his True, & Sincere Worde, by any Interpretations, seeme they neuer so gaye in the iudgement of man.

Then the eyes of them both were opened and they knewe that they,* 1.9 &c.

The eyes of men are 3. wayes opened to see. First, by the doctrine of Gods holye worde: For so Christ saide vnto Paule, that he would send him to the Gentiles to opē there eyes that they might turne from darkenesse to light.* 1.10 Secondly, our eyes are opened by Affliction and Trouble to descend & looke into our owne bosomes, and see and Con∣fesse what we are.* 1.11 For trouble and vexation (sayth the scripture) gyueth vnderstanding, as it appea∣reth in the example of the * prodigall sonne.* 1.12 Third∣lye, our eyes be opened, by the gnawing of our owne Consciences after sinne Committed, where as the Deuill before the offence done, doth blinde our vnderstanding. And so were the eies of Adam and Eue nowe opened, that they sawe their owne nakednesse, and felt the Corruption of their na∣ture, which they sought to remedie, not by seeking vnto God, but by their owne Deuises in couering their nakednesse with Figge leaues. Thys pro∣pertie, our Corrupt nature draweth Continually from our first parentes, that though we see our owne wickednesse, in the iudgement of our Con∣science, yet we will not * easely confesse it,* 1.13 and flye vnto God for remedie,* 1.14 * but flie rather from God, and seeke to hide it, and heale it by all the meanes and shiftes that we can of our selues deuise.

And Adam and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord,* 1.15 &c.

Note what Sinne worketh in man, after it is Committed, First, his Conscience with greeuous remorse accuseth, and Condemneth hym in hys owne iudgement. Then it extinguesheth the trust and Confidence in the goodnesse of God, and ma∣keth him with a desperate and astonied minde to flie from God, from whome, notwithstanding, he Can in * no wise hyde hymselfe.* 1.16 And lastly, when he Can not escape,* 1.17 he seeketh by stubborne hipocri∣sie to excuse himselfe by other, yea rather to lay the fault vpon God himselfe, then with humble sub∣mission to acknowledge his fault.

And the Lorde God called Adam,* 1.18 and saide vnto him, Where, &c.

Thys is an example of the great goodnesse of God, that when we wickedly haue offended hym, and seeke to hide our selues from him, with daun∣ger to fall into further mischiefe, he mercifully cal∣leth vpon vs by sundrie meanes to come vnto him by repentance.

And the Lorde God saide vnto the Ser∣pent,* 1.19 because thou hast done this. &c.

After the fault of disobedience was by Adam, and his wife verie hardly Confessed, God proceedeth to Condemnation and punishment. And first be∣ginneth with the Serpent, as the principall In∣strument

of this mischiefe, in whose punishment are fower partes noted, That, he, was cursed aboue all other beastes of the earth: that he should go vpon hys belly creeping: That he should eate dust all the dayes of his lyfe: & That there should be enemitie betwene the woman, and him, and betweene the seede of the woman, and his seede. This kinde of Punishment, as it is literally vnderstanded of the Seede of the woman, and of the naturall Serpent, so misti∣cally, and in waye of prophesie, is it to be vnder∣standed of the great Serpent Satan, and the true and blessed seede of woman Christ Iesu,* 1.20 * who in deede crushed the head of Satan and brake all the power of his kingdome. And yet is it permitted to the same Serpent, that he shall Treade vpon the heele of the seede of woman, that is, that He in the world should Persecute and trouble the professors of the name of Christ, and so much as he coulde work them Sorow, but yet not so, that he can pre∣uayle against them, for that they haue obteyned victorie ouer him in Christ Iesu.

But vnto the woman he sayde,* 1.21 In multi∣plying, I will multiplie thy, &c.

The Woman was the second Instrument and worker of Disobedience, therfore, God proceedeth next to Her iudgement, saying, In sorow shalt thou bring forth thy children, &c. God of his mercie doth so punish woman in bodily Paine,* 1.22 that both * hir soule may be saued, and the Propagation and in∣creasing of mankinde not hindered thereby. God

did iustly Debase hir to the Subiection of her hus∣bande, by him to be guyded and ruled, because she had so lightly giuen place to the lying *allurement of the Serpent,* 1.23 thereby to Satisfie hir owne lust and affection.

Vnto Adam he sayde,* 1.24 because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, &c.

THe Serpent offended by the Instinction and acte of Satan, the Woman, by the Seducing of the Serpent, Adam, not by the deceyte of the Ser∣pent, but willingly to please his wife, displeased God.* 1.25 For Adam (as saint Paule sayth) was not se∣duced, but woman was ••educed by the Serpent. But neyther was the Serpent excused because he was wrought thereto by Satan, nor the Woman because she was beguiled of the Serpent, nor Adam be∣cause he was not Seduced, but studied to satisfie y^• disordered affection of his wife: But they all by Gods iudgement susteyned their iust rewarde and punishment. Wherefore, we must beware howe we condiscend to breake the lawe of God * vpon any excusable Pretence,* 1.26 whatsoeuer it be. God wil be obeyed, he will not be Satisfied with our fayre Excuses and Pretences.

Cursed is the grounde for thy sake,* 1.27 in sor∣row shalt thou eate of it all the dayes, &c.

God cursed not Man as he did the Serpent, but for mans Sin and disobedience Curseth the Earth, to the ende that that Creature which at the

beginning to mans behoofe was blessed with fer∣tilitie, and encrease, might nowe by the hardenesse and barrennesse therof driue sinfull man to labour for his foode, and in the Sweate of his browes to eate his breade. Wherefore, whensoeuer dearth or scarcitie Commeth, by reason that the earth in due time doth not yeelde the fruites thereof, we must vnderstande and learne, the Cause thereof is in our owne * sinfulnesse,* 1.28 for that Gods iust iud∣gement for our offences will not suffer the la∣bours of our hands to prosper with vs.

For dust thou art,* 1.29 and into dust thou shalt be turned againe, &c.

This is a notable Sentence to beate downe the pride of man, that we hereby considering what we are of our selues * by our first parents,* 1.30 may be made humble, and lowely in our owne sight, and not be puffed vp with pride towarde any man, but rather Contemne the insolencie of the worlde, and take in good part all miserie and Calamitie, that in this flesh shall fall vnto vs, looking continually to that felicitie that is * purchased for vs by Christ Ie∣sus our seconde Adam.* 1.31 It cannot be, that we shall feele the sweetnesse of the felicitie of our redempti∣on by Christ Iesu, except we feele in deede wyth humble heartes what we are by the disobedience of our first father, that is nothing but Dust & Ashes.

And the Lorde sayde,* 1.32 beholde this man is become as one of vs in knowing good, &c.

By this euent we may learne, with howe euill successe man doth yeeld to the disobedience of God, at the perswasion of Sathan, and his wicked instru∣ments. They where promised to be Gods: but, after they had eaten, they were so farre from the glorie of God, that they were debased vnder the Condition of Man, and made almost equall wyth Beasts. They were promised the Knowledge of good and euill, wherby they shoulde ascend to per∣fect Wisedom, but they became more mad and foo∣lishe, than other common Creatures, they vnder∣stoode what was Good, but by the miserable losse of that goodnesse which before they had, they knew by experience in Sin what was euil, but that Know∣ledge and experience they bought with the Losse of eternall Felicitie and Loue of God.

Therefore the Lorde God sent him forth of the Garden of Eden,* 1.33 &c.

It was the iust iudgement of God, to Cast Adam out of Paradice, because he neglecting the consideration of so great Dignitie & felicity, wher∣in he was placed, did transgresse the Law of Pa∣radice forgetting whence he was taken, and into what Place he was transferred.

At the East side of the Garden he did set Cherubins,* 1.34 and a fierie two edged, &c.

God might by some priuie meanes haue kept Adam out of Paradice, and from the tree of Life, but his pleasure was, by this outwarde and sen∣sible

way, to Cut of from Adam all hope of attey∣ning the same hereafter: that thereby, he might the sooner submit himselfe to the will and pleasure of God. Mans stubburnnesse hopeth and attemp∣teth many things impossible, which he woulde not doe, if he did see before his eyes vnuincible resi∣stance, as in this place the Aungell and the fierie sworde Was.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vers. 1.
• * 1.2

  3. Reg. 22. c. 21
• * 1.3

  Num. 22. c. 2••
• * 1.4

  Vers. 4.
• * 1.5

  Act. 20. f. 29 Math. 13. d. 28 Gal. 3. a. 1. Gal. 1. b. 6.
• * 1.6

  Deut. 5. a. 8. Exod. 20. a. 4. Leuit. 26. a. 1
• * 1.7

  Math. 26. c. 27 Marc. 14. c. 23 1. Cor. 11. f. 25. Luk. 22. b. 17.
• * 1.8

  Heb. 10. c. 14.
• * 1.9

  Vers. 7. 8.
• * 1.10

  Act. 26. d. 18.
• * 1.11

  Esay. 28. c. 19.
• * 1.12

  Luk. 15. d. 18.
• * 1.13

  1. Reg. 15. d. 20
• * 1.14

  Luk. 5. b. 8.
• * 1.15

  Vers. 8.
• * 1.16

  Psal. 138. b. 7
• * 1.17

  Ionas. 1. a. 3
• * 1.18

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.19

  Vers. 14. 15.
• * 1.20

  Osee. 13. d. 14. 1. Iohn. 3. b. 8. 1. Cor. 15. g. 55
• * 1.21

  Vers. 16
• * 1.22

  1. Tim. 2. d. 15.
• * 1.23

  2. Cor. 11. a. 3.
• * 1.24

  Vers. 17.
• * 1.25

  1. Tim. 2. d. 14▪
• * 1.26

  1. Reg. 15. b. 9.
• * 1.27

  Vers. 17. 18▪
• * 1.28

  Psa. 106. d. 34 Gene. 13. b. 10
• * 1.29

  Vers. 19.
• * 1.30

  1. Cor. 15. c. 22 Rom. 5. d. 12.
• * 1.31

  Rom. 5. b. 11. 15. 17. 18. 19.
• * 1.32

  Vers. 22.
• * 1.33

  Vers. 23.
• * 1.34

  Vers. 24.