Bartas Iunior: or, The worlds epitome; man Set forth in his 1. generation, 2. degeneration, 3. regeneration.

THe Divel was an Angel (once) of light,* 1.1 Blest in beholding of his Makers sight; ••ndu'de with most profound Intelligence,* 1.2 Befitting such created excellence: But thinking in himselfe to be more great, He headlong fell from that supernall Seat;* 1.3 VVith many hundred thousand Angels more, VVhom God to mercy never will restore; VVhom he in Iustice for their wickednesse Hath ty'd in chaines of everlastingnesse:* 1.4 VVhom he permits in wicked men to raigne, Absent a while from Hell, not from their Paine: Whom he reserves unto the Iudgement day,* 1.5 To feele the anguish of a greater pay. And He whose pow'r might have sustain'd them all, Permits them justly in their sinne to fall; And Satan here to use his tyranny, Although he were his greatest enemy: Yea though in spight he sought to overthrow The glory of his creatures here below. For, he, the Head unable to rest,* 1.6 Gainst whom he in rebellion did persist; Now bends his force to ruine Adams state, Which he by guesse suppos'd as terminate.

Beholding Adam then so meane a Creature, Of such base Matter, now to be his Greater; Of such Imperiall State, and dignity,* 1.7 ••njoying his late fallen Felicity: He stormes in rage, and swelleth in his ire, Consulting if he might him quite t'expire.

He knew by Nature well that God was just,* 1.8 He knew that Adam was but made of dust: He knew if sinne his goodnesse did pervert, It would redound unto each creatures hurt:

And he by doing it should extirpate, * 1.9All their whole glory by his inbred hate: Which well he knew would be no small defeat Vnto the Lord of Lords, their Soveraigne great.

Resolv'd therein, he like a subtill one, * 1.10Must single out the Woman all-alone: And shrouded in a Serpent (for collusion) Will speake unto her, but to her confusion. He durst not doe it before Adams face, Neither attempt it, being Both in place: He needs must doe it, when she is alone, Not by Compulsion, but Perswasion. He must entise her for to take the fruit; He could not enter her, her to pollute: He could not this doe, for her Sanctity, And therefore he will prove his Subtilty: * 1.11He moves the subtill Serpent for to speake, VVhich without Gods permission was too weake: He guides his Tongue in all agility, To finde the Womans imbecillity: * 1.12He speaks unto her, and she doth admire him, And to speak on she seemeth to desire him. He takes occasion from her Carelesnesse, To rob her of her Faith and Righteousnesse. He bids her eate, the woman doth denie; * 1.13Repeates what God hath threatned, Lest ye die. But He more crafty unto Her reply'd, Not surely dye, but Both be Deifi'd: As Earthly Gods they should know Good and Ill, And have All things agreeing to their Will. Their eyes should open, and immediate show. That which So much they did desire to know: * 1.14That God should know it, and would envie them, Which gave him cause to care so much for them:

And this he spake in ambiguities, Gulling the Woman by his subtilties; Who seeing that the Tree was good for meat, And had such pow'r to make her wise, and great;* 1.15 And was so faire and lovely to behold, She takes upon her, and she will be bolde: She gives full reines unto her Gluttony, Murdering by it her whole Posterity: Not satisfi'd her selfe alone to taste. She runnes to her Companion all in haste: And finding him among the shady trees,* 1.16 Devoted unto God upon his knees, Ore else at quiet by his sleepinesse; (For man 'gainst danger is in heavinesse.) She stay'd a while, untill he for his Bride, Had cast off sleepe, layd drowsinesse aside. Then after many smiles and sweet embraces, Which Lovers use in such befitting places: She frames her tongue, and doth begin to tell, During his absence, what to her befell. How in her late accustom'd, pleasant walke, She heard a Serpent most distinctly talke;* 1.17 Who with deliberate words, did full declare The cause of his intent, and being there. And then she tolde him every circumstance, Which did befall them in their disputance: What Proofes impregnable he did her bring, Above her strength, her reason conquering. How much he did commend that pleasant fruite, Which had rare pow'r to make them most acute. Then more to move his longing appetite, She brings the liquorish Apple to his sight; Which from his teeth extorted such a water, As drowned all his Wit and Senses after.

And having put the apple in his hand, She gave him Thus much more to understand, That having eate it, he should never dye, * 1.18For they as Gods should live eternally.

He wonne by her deluding eloquence, Puts God aside, gives her preheminence. With admiration still doth hearing give, Because he saw her eate, and yet to live. Beleeves a lying-Devill and a Wife, But gives no credit to the Lord of Life. Who tolde him of his penalty before, That death should be approaching to his dore: Ready to seize upon him as a prey, * 1.19The very Minute, and the selfe-same day, He should presume to taste or eate the same; And beare him to the place from whence he came: Therefore in pitty God did him intreat, That as he lov'd his Soule, he would not eat. * 1.20And didst not thou, O Eve, the same avouch? Adding a word unto it; No, nor touch? By which the Divell tooke a fit occasion, To overrunne thee with a strong invasion: Who that he might the better thee insnare, Vs'd all the by-wayes, and the trickes that were. For he with words not spoke did friske about, * 1.21So by contraries found the spoken out: Made thee to blabbe the Lords commandement, That he might winne thee to thy detriment: Got thee to fling a Pearle unto a Swine, To cast unto a Dog a thing divine: Then wrought upon thy Imbecillity, And overcame thee by his Subtilty.

Thou mightst have pry'd into his cunning Guiles, And circumvented Satan in his wiles.

Thou mightst have cast him off by detestation, And found his fraudulent dissimulation; By contradicting thee; Of every tree: When God did preordaine no such decree:* 1.22 In contradicting Gods owne Majesty,* 1.23 Thou mightst have found a false, fierce enemy; But Thou, That faire occasion, didst omit, Which might have well discover'd Him, in It: Deliver'dst what thou hadst into his hands, Becam'st obedient unto his commands: Acquainted'st Adam fondly with thy state, And of the Sinne mad'st him participate: In an unusuall fashion seem'dst to teach, Whose duty was to heare; but not to preach.* 1.24

O Adam, Adam, where was thy reproofe? Thou should'st have chid her (now) in this behoofe;* 1.25 But thou art too too like her in Condition, And therefore wilt partake of her Ambition: Folly hath caught thee, how art thou beguiled? Eve is uncleane, and Adam is defiled.

No sooner did he eate, but straight their eyes Were open to let in their miseries. The eye of Evill-knowledge lets him see VVhat he had gain'd by the forbidden Tree:* 1.26 And this same eye discovers all his Sinne, And showes him what he is, without, within.

He findes his stomacke overmuch opprest, And in it felt himselfe withall distrest; A sudden Chilnesse strikes him to the Heart, And he is naked (now) in Every-part: He seekes for Leaves to hide his nakednesse,* 1.27 And is Ashamed of his filthinesse: He feeles the anguish of a mighty Rod, And he hath lost the Image of his God.

His Soule polluted with Impiety, His Heart is filled wlth Hypocrisie; * 1.28His Will perverted by his wickednesse, And all his Wisdome turn'd to foolishnesse. His Ioy is turn'd to Infelicity, His Faith is turn'd to Infidelity: His Soule and Body both contaminated, And Both from God most justly separated. * 1.29A guilty Conscience turnes him into Gall, A wicked-Divell holdes him now in thrall: An Expectation of great punishment, Makes him to melt by inward languishment. Eternall Death doth dogge him at the heeles, And he the terrour of it somewhat feeles. * 1.30He findes himselfe by Satans wiles deceiv'd, He sees himselfe of all his Gifts bereav'd. Recall againe his sinfull-deede he cannot, To have accesse to God, alacke, he dares not: He knew him Iust, and being such a One, In this case hope of pardon there was None. He knew not then (God being just and true) How he could pardon, and redeeme him too. The blessed Angels will not comfort him, The Other-Creatures doe astonish him: * 1.31All his whole-Thoughts addicted are to Evill, And he is now the Image of the Divell: * 1.32An uncouth Feare assaults him Inwardly, And he must fly from Gods discovery.

O Adam, Adam, whither wilt thou flye? From out the sight of his All-seeing Eye? * 1.33Mount 'bove the Heavens Adam, pierce the aire, Yet having done it, he will finde thee there: * 1.34Descend to Hell among that wicked rout, And there in Iudgement he shall finde thee out.

Take wings, and flie above Heavens Celsitude, Yet he conteines thee by his Latitude: Hide thee in darknesse; yet know He is Light, And therefore fondly thou do'st fly his Sight.

The Lord beholding Man full fraught with terrour,* 1.35 Comes mildely to him, to rebuke his errour. He brings him salve to cure his misery; And comes withall to plague his Enemy: Man carelesse of himselfe flees his Phisition, And hath no grace to offer his submission. The Lord in mercy makes him to appeare,* 1.36 And gives him comfort to appease his Feare. He doth not come in fearfull Apparition, He doth not come in finall Soules-perdition; He doth not come in dismall Flames of Fire, As (once) he did to Sodome in his ire:* 1.37 But he doth come with milde-Celerity, To comfort Man in his extremity. He comes in coolest part of all the day,* 1.38 He comes when Man by Sinne had lost his way; He comes in Motion of his owne accord, That Man might heare the presence of the Lord: No whirling Tempest walking doth he make, As when he made Mount Sinai for to shake.* 1.39 Such was his pitty without Mans least Merit, Such was his Mercy to Mans sinfull-Spirit,* 1.40 That he doth come not in austerity, But in his wonted former clemency. O then poore Adam, why art thou affear'd, VVhen in so still a Sound, thy Lord is heard? O'tis thy Sinne, or rather 'tis thy Shame, VVhich makes thee thinke his presence not the same.

The second Person in the Trinity,* 1.41 Not in the substance of his Deity;

* 1.42But in assumed creatures ministry, Vouchsafes in mercy to conferre with thee; Mildly doth call thee by thy proper Name, Inquiring of thy welfare, when he came: Where art thou Adam? As if he should say, * 1.43In what Estate? How farest thou to day? Why art thou troubled? Wherefore dost thou fly? Pre'thee resolve me Adam, tell me why?

Here thou hadst fit occasion to have said; Lord I have sinn'd, assist me with thy aid: I have unjustly of mine owne accord, Through my Ambition much offended Lord: I have rebell'd against thy Majesty, And beene obedient to thine Enemy. * 1.44I have for him deprav'd my Happinesse: Depriv'd my selfe of all my Righteousnesse. And being now most justly plagu'd therein, * 1.45Am made his Captive, and a Slave to sinne:

I have no other Refuge but to Thee, I have no other (now) to comfort me; I onely come, now, to implore thy grace, To helpe me, Lord, in this my wretched case.

O what a blessed Convert had here bin, If Adam had but thus confest his Sin: How well had God accepted his Submission, * 1.46And prais'd him after for his sound Contrition: But he, past grace, will hide his sinne outright, And rob himselfe of pardon if he might: * 1.47He will adde thirst unto his drunkennesse, Making God authour of his wickednesse: Accuse our great Iehovah to his face, And neither sue for mercy nor for grace: But spend his time, his words, his breath in vaine, And like a wicked wretch will thus prophane.

The woman which thou gav'st me, made me eate;* 1.48 As if God gave her onely to defeate:* 1.49 VVhen God in pitty as a helping-one, Gave her to Adam, when he was alone. God made Her his Inferiour, Him her Head, To rule; not by her to be rul'd, misled.* 1.50

He should in duty have dissuaded her, Even when the Divell had invaded her: He should in wisdome have excluded quite Her fond entising, with the fruits delight;* 1.51 And then betooke himselfe unto his will, To have remained firme, and constant still: Now being to returne from his revolt, He doth confesse the Act, but not the Fault.

[Question.] But was the Woman of her husbands minde? Could she be gracelesse, faithlesse, sencelesse, blinde? Surely She would her faulty sinne confesse, Because She made her Husband to transgresse: [Answer.] Alacke, she was found tardy in the Fact, And did conceale the Fault, but not the Act.

Examine but her weake Simplicity, And you shall finde her sly Hypocrisie: Consider but her drift, and how she spake, And what a slight Confession she did make: Put these together in an even eye, And wonder at her strange Audacity.

God summons her unto the Iudgement-seate:* 1.52 She on the Serpent layes the guilt most great: As if the Serpent had compell'd her to it, When freely of her selfe her Will did doe it. God will not in his Iustice put it up, But with affliction hath filld full her cup; And in a right-set order he will render An exact Punishment on Each offender.

And now because the Serpent was the first, For whose offence the Creatures were accurst; For whom the Earth and Heav'ns must all expire, * 1.53And at the length consumed be with fire: He first is punisht, unto his desert, That did their glory by his guile subvert. * 1.54Curst shalt thou be above each thing alive, The Cattell, Beast, the Creature vegetive: Vpon thy panting belly thou shalt glide, And ever feede upon the Dust. Beside Betweene her Seede and Thine I will set strife, Which shall continue ever with their life: Thou shalt, in One, full many sorrowes feele; For he shall breake thy head, thou bruise his heele.

* 1.55Thus God in mercy in This-Ones correction, Remembers Adam of his Soules-refection; And in the plaguing of his Enemy, * 1.56Points him out One for his delivery. So just is God withall, so mercifull, So wise, so good, so true, so bountifull; That in his Wisdome, He Himselfe will give, Rather than Man shall thus in Bondage live. And being true and just, he doth condemne The subtill Serpent that seduced them: Who was compeld thereto against his will, VVhom God afflicteth as the Cause of Ill. * 1.57Even as a Father, that beholds his Childe In hazard of his life, by weapon spoyld, * 1.58Doth in his passion to the weapon runne, And breakes the same, for hurting of his Sonne: So God in Iustice for a good intent, * 1.59VVill plague this Fault, though in the Instrument. God did not aske the silly Serpent, why He gull'd the Woman by his Treachery;

Because he knew him for a brutish creature, ••Vho had no hand in plotting their defeature; ••eing the Divels Instrument therein, ••evoid of reason, senselesse of the Sinne:* 1.60 Yet for because he was in it the Actour, He must be punisht as a Malefactour. Vpon his panting Belly he must goe, VVhich was his pleasure (once) but (now) his woe. A crooked Shape annexed to the same,* 1.61 Because through him our crooked Folly came. His spotted Skinne must move astonishment, Which was a rare and comely ornament: And be casheer'd from Mans society, To live by him in open Enmity.* 1.62 ••ut this addes more to his extremities; ••he other creatures are his enemies: ••hey for his inbred-malice will detest him, ••nd seeke occasion ever to molest him: ••eset with such a crue of Enemies, ••e must indure extreame neeessities. ••ometimes he feedes on Frogs, on Birds, on Flies,* 1.63 ••pon dead Carrion, which before him lies: ••ut frighted from it, he full often must ••itten by Famine, prey upon the Dust: ••o fearefull of the creatures to be found,* 1.64 That he delights to dwell within the ground. ••ut if he can by any Wile or Chance, ••hrough Mans owne Folly, or Gods sufferance, ••••rprise him sleeping, without full defence; ••eing then subject to his violence: ••e will not spare to venture life and lim, ••o he may ruine or indammage him: ••nd Man on t'other side all slghts will try, ••ow to avoid and kill this Enemy:

* 1.65So odious hath God made Him unto Man, More then Behemoth, or Leviathan.

* 1.66But for the other Serpent-mysticall, The Divels person Diabolicall: As he was cursed in his fall before; So in offending he is cursed more.

* 1.67Curst above all the creatures that have life, In that he first occasioned their strife: Curst above every creature void of sense, In that they smarted so for his offence: Therefore he must partake the greater woe, Because from him each creatures curse did flow.

* 1.68Dust he must eate; here is his penury; Denoting out his endlesse misery: * 1.69Past all recovery to his former state, From which he did himselfe precipitate.

Because he being made in all perfection, * 1.70Inferiour to no creature (till's dejection) But number'd was in that celestiall Traine, VVho had as much as Creatures could containe: VVhat state in Mercy could God bring him to, Than that which formerly his Sinne did rue?

Man having sinn'd against the Lords injunction, Might well be rais'd unto the Angels Function: But Satan could no other state exceed, Vnlesse he had beene made a God indeed.

* 1.71Besides, he sinn'd against that blessed Spirit, That gave him all those graces to inherit; And he despairing of Gods mercy, fell, VVithout provokement to the pit of Hell: * 1.72VVhere he tormenting of the wicked lies; VVhom God will suffer never more to rise: * 1.73VVhom he hath curst anew for this same deed, To plague him greater in the Womans-seede:

When Christ in Iudgment shall with Vengeance come,* 1.74 And more torment him in the Day of Doome.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iob 4.18.
• * 1.2

  Ezek. 28.13, 15.
• * 1.3

  Isay 14.12
• * 1.4

  2 Pet. 2.4.
• * 1.5

  Iude 1.6.
• * 1.6

  The Di∣vels weak∣nesse.
• * 1.7

  Psal: 8, 5.
• * 1.8

  Psal: 145.17. Gen. 2.7.
• * 1.9

  2 Pet. 2, 5.
• * 1.10

  Gen 3, 1. He did not turne him∣selfe into a serpent, but entred into the serpent.
• * 1.11

  Gen: 3, 4
• * 1.12

  Chrysost. on Gen.
• * 1.13

  Gen: 3, 4
• * 1.14

  Ibid: vers: 5
• * 1.15

  Ibid. v. 6.
• * 1.16

  Eues search for Ad••m.
• * 1.17

  Eves speech to Adam.
• * 1.18

  Gen: 3 4.
• * 1.19

  Gen: 2.17.
• * 1.20

  Gen: 3.3. God said, Not eate; Eve added this word, Nor touch.
• * 1.21

  Chrys: on Mat: 7.
• * 1.22

  Gen. 3.1.
• * 1.23

  Chrys: in his treaty of vertue and vice.
• * 1.24

  1 Tim: 1.1••
• * 1.25

  A preside•••• Iob 2.1••.
• * 1.26

  Note this.
• * 1.27

  Gen: 3.7.
• * 1.28

  Rom: 8, 6. Ier. 4.22.
• * 1.29

  Rom: 6.16.
• * 1.30

  Chrys: Hom: in Gen. 16,
• * 1.31

  Ioh: 8.44.
• * 1.32

  Gen: 3.8.
• * 1.33

  Psal. 139.8
• * 1.34

  Ibid, v. 9.
• * 1.35

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 The man∣ner of God approach to Adam. Den: 32.35.
• * 1.36

  Chrys: hom. in Gen: 17.
• * 1.37

  Gen: 19.24.
• * 1.38

  Gen. 3.•• Mat: 1••.8
• * 1.39

  Exo: 19.18
• * 1.40

  Gods m••••¦cy to ma••.
• * 1.41

  Iohn ••.18
• * 1.42

  ••ug: Civit. ••ei l. 16. ••29.
• * 1.43

  Tertul: in Marcion. 2.
• * 1.44

  Luk. 10, 30
• * 1.45

  Rom: 6.16 Psal: 18.2. Psa: 73.25
• * 1.46

  Iob 31.33
• * 1.47

  Deut: 29.19.
• * 1.48

  Gen: 3.12
• * 1.49

  August. de Civit. Dei l. 14. c. 14.
• * 1.50

  1 Tim: 2.11 12, 13.
• * 1.51

  By Gods law, Deut. 13.6.
• * 1.52

  Gen: 3.13.
• * 1.53

  1 Pet: 3.7.
• * 1.54

  The Divell. Gen, 3.14.
• * 1.55

  The olde Serpent.
• * 1.56

  That is, Christ. Exod: 34.6 Ier: 23, 6.
• * 1.57

  ••imile.
• * 1.58

  ••hrysost. in ••en. hom. 7.
• * 1.59

  ••ote this,
• * 1.60

  Calvin on Gen, 3.
• * 1.61

  Iob ••6.13
• * 1.62

  Gen. 3.14.
• * 1.63

  Arist: hist. animal. l. 8. c. 4.
• * 1.64

  Plin. l. 8. c. 39.
• * 1.65

  Gen 3, 14
• * 1.66

  Reve. 12.9 Reve. 20.2
• * 1.67

  August: de gen: cont: Manech. 2.17.
• * 1.68

  Gen. 3.14.
• * 1.69

  Cyprian in Symbol.
• * 1.70

  Aug. Tract. in Ioh: E∣vang: 2.20.
• * 1.71

  Heb: 6.4, 5 6. Ibid. 10 27.
• * 1.72

  1 Pet: 2 4. Rev: 20, 10
• * 1.73

  For the fal of Adam.
• * 1.74

  Iude v. 6.