And perhaps when Angels, the Messengers of Heaven, conversed with _Adam_ and _Eve_, it might be in the Shape of flying speaking Serpents. Without allowing this mutual Intercourse, and former Familiarity, we can’t well suppose that our first Parents, tho’ not furnish’d with so much Knowledge as is usually ascribed to them, would be conquer’d by a _Demon_ in the Shape of a _Serpent_, which naturally is a Beast of the Field, and known to be so by _Adam_, who, but a little before, had enrolled it among his Subjects, and given it a significant Name. Can we imagine our first Parents so stupid, as to hold a Conversation with a Beast, without Surprize, Jealousy, and Suspicion? _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 _Beast_, and had no Organs fitted for the Formation of articulate Sounds, much less a Power to fix proper Ideas to them, and support an Argument by arguing the Case in a rational manner. Could _Adam_, who was the Image of God upon Earth, hear a Brute speak and dispute in the Language of Paradise, without a Suspicion of Imposture or something ominous? During the Woman’s Parley with the Serpent, _Adam_ is supposed to be absent, perhaps thro’ Satan’s Management, and upon her representing to him at their next meeting, the Conversation she had with the Serpent, he must conclude that Serpent to be a _grand Cheat_, or a _good Angel_, that spoke to his Wife: and that he took it in the latter Sense, 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 Effect from her Compliance. Now, the Tempter having assur’d the Woman that her eating that Fruit would not bring Death, and _Adam_ finding it to be true in Fact, that is, that she did eat and live after it, concluded he might eat with equal Safety. Upon this Supposition, we may charitably infer, that since our first Mother might converse with Angels in that serpentine, or some other bright Form, she now converses with the Serpent without Scruple or Dread of Imposture. And as she apprehended the Serpent to be a good and kind Spirit, so _Adam_ did, upon her Representation of the Matter, and took the forbidden Fruit, and eat it: And perhaps the Serpent was present, giving Attestation to the Report made by the Woman to her Husband. This being granted, ’tis conceivable how the Woman might freely converse with a Creature that assum’d an Image so glorious, especially if we consider she was in her infantile State, and without any experimental Knowledge, or any Apprehension of Danger, from an Enemy, of which she had no Idea; being no Sinner, she was without Fear.