A BRIEFE REMONSTRANCE OF THE STATE OF THE CHVRCH, AND FACE OF Religion, in the first age of the world. From the creation to Noes floud: the space of 1656. yeares.
Here according to our purpose mentioned before, we wil briefly recite certaine principal points of Religion, taught and obserued in the first age. In which the foundations of the true maner of seruing God (that should be continued to the end of the world) were laid, and prospered in some, as appeareth in these seuen first chapters of Genesis. But first of al, we shal in two words repete (as it is clerly geathered in the same holie Scripture) the state of man before, and immediatly after his fall, being the subiect to whom al this pertayneth.
After therfore that God had created other things, both in heauen and earth, last of al he made Man, to his owne image and likenes, with vnderstanding and freewil, therin like to Angels, and superior to al other creatures, and so made him Lord and maister of al earthlie things. Neither were these the greatest benefits which God bestowed on man: for his diuine goodnes indued also this his reasonable creature, with innocencie & original iustice, whereby al things were most rightly ordered within him, and about him. His mind, wil, and reason were obedient to God; his senses & inferior part of his soule were subiect to reason; his flesh and bodie obeyed the spirite; and al earthlie creatures obeyed him. God also adorned man with excellent knowledge, both natural and supernatural. And albeit his bodie was of corruptible substance, yet the same, and al his posteritie, if they had not sinned, should haue benne conserued, and without dying, haue benne translated to euerlasting life. Thus man was placed in Paradise, and Eue there made of a ribbe of his side, to be his mate and vnseparable companion, as man and wife ioyned in Mariage, with Gods blessing, for increase and multiplication. As appeareth in the two first chapters of this booke.
