Others have recourse to an allegory, and say, that the woman is here called "a building," on account of her being spoken of in the Scriptures as a similitude of the Church. And as in a house there are various parts, walls, beams, rafters, roof, etc.; so in the Church, which is represented by the Holy Spirit under the similitude of a body, on account of the diversity of its members, there are various offices and administrators. As to myself I am by no means displeased at anything that is appropriately advanced by those who would transfer what is here said respecting the building of the woman, to Christ and his Church. But as all these opinions amount only to an allegory after all, the historical and proper meaning of this passage must be diligently searched into and retained. For a woman, especially a married woman, is here sacredly termed "a building," not allegorically, but historically and really. And the Scriptures universally use this form of expression. Hence Rachel says to Jacob, "Take my maid Bilhah, that I may also be built up by her," Gen. 30:3. The Scriptures speak in the same manner also concerning Sarah, Gen. 16:2. And in Exodus, it is said concerning the midwives, "that the Lord built them a house," Exod. 1:21; that is, that the Lord repaid them for all the services which they had rendered unto his people Israel, contrary to the command of the king, by blessing them with a household and family. So again, in the history of David, when he had it in his heart to build a house for the Lord, he receives this answer from God by Nathan, "Furthermore, I tell thee, that the Lord will build thee an house," 1 Chron. 17:10. It is a form of expression therefore quite general in the Scripture, to term a woman a domestic "building," on account of the fruits of generation and the bringing up of the offspring. But the real nature of this building up, which would have existed had Adam not fallen, we have now lost by his sin; so that we cannot now reach it, as we have all along observed, even in thought. Our present fallen condition in this life retains certain small miserable remnants of the original domestic life, cultivation of the earth, and defense of property; and also of dominion over the beasts. We have the rule over sheep, oxen, geese, fowls, etc.; though boars, bears, lions, etc., regard not this our dominion. So also there remains a certain hardly visible remnant of this female building. Whoso taketh to himself a wife, hath as it were in her a certain nest and home. He dwells with her in a certain place, as birds nestle with their young in their little nest. But this dwelling together in the one nest they know not, who live unmarried like the impure Papists.