Commodian — Instructiones 34

Adam the first-formed, to avoid God’s commands — Belial was the “savior” from envy of the formed creature. Whatever good or evil the leader of our birth did, he brought on us; we die the same through him, himself made an exile from the Word when he withdrew from the divine. When six thousand years are finished we shall be immortal. When the tree’s fruit was tasted, death entered the world: by this wood of death let us seek the fruits of life to come. Life hangs on the wood bearing fruits, the commands: take now, believers, fruits from the living wood. A law to be feared was given the first man from wood, from which death came when the first law was neglected: now stretch out the hand and take from the living wood.

The Lord’s best law that followed proceeded from the wood; the first law was lost; he tastes whence he may who worships forbidden gods, the evil joys of life. Spit out the taste; it will be enough to know what it was. If you want to live, give yourselves back to the second law; avoid the cult of temples, the shrines of demons. Turn yourselves to Christ, and you will be God’s companions. Holy is God’s law, who says the dead live. The Lord commanded hymn to be offered to himself alone; avoid the devil’s law altogether, all of you.