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Object. ADams freedome still remaineth (to us) who had powr to eate, and not to eate; and so we have power to sinne, and not to sinne.
Ans. Adam was stated in that condition, as was the Angels be∣fore their fall, who was created in potestate standi vel caenandi, in possibility to stand or fall; power of continuance he had from God, but possibility of falling he had from himself; for it is a
maxime in Divinity, Immutabilliter bonum esse Dei, proxemum est; to be immutable good is proper only to God; and therefore the Devill is said, Non perstitit in veritate, not to abide in the truth; and so also it is said of man, Perditio tua, ex te, O Israel, thy destruction is of thy self, O Israel.
I desire to know of these vaine boasters, wherein Adam made it appeare that he had Free-will, for I conceive it may rather be argued that he had none; for no man can be said to have Free-will, but he that is able of himself to resist a temptation, but Adam did not make it appeare that he had such a power as to resist a temptati∣on, ergo it did not appeare that Adam had Free-will. If he had power to resist, where did he shew, or expresse that power; seeing he could not resist the very first temptation, his will being then in its first purity, and full strength, yea never assayled before by any temptation; yea, having not only a freedome to eate, and not to eate, but also an expresse command from God not to taste of that fruit, and that under paine of death, and yet what a slender rea∣son* 1.1 doth he render for his excuse; The woman (saith he) whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me and I did eate. Loe, what great resistance, what great arguments was used on his part to dis∣swade the woman from that wicked act, in tempting of him a∣gainst the peremptory command of God. Where is he once said to expresse the punishment due to himself, or her, for so offen∣ding; the consideration of which thing might have been a suffici∣ent motive to have perswaded him for committing of that sinne. If Free-will must be ascribed to one of them, it is more properly to be attributed to the Woman; for when the Serpent tempted her, she as it were made a resistance, by pleading Gods expresse com∣mand to the contrary; which thing Adam is not said to have done, either to the Serpent, or the Woman; but say that he had not assented unto her, but had powerfully withstood all the assaults of the Devill, and the Woman, giving them the foyle by the sword of the Spirit; yet could it not have been said to be* 1.2 done of Free-will, but rather by the power given him of God, who had said, Thou shalt not eate thereof, &c. or else rather to Ave, then good will, because God had bound him, and that un∣der paine of death not to doe it; but being so charged, and yet not obeying Gods command before the inticements and alure∣ments
of a Woman, is the least, yea no token at all of Free∣will in him.
Adams slender reason for his excuse.
Adams not ea∣ting could not have argued free-will in ••i••.