The Formation of Christendom, Volume IIAllies, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
The Formation of Christendom, Volume II
Allies, T. W. (Thomas William)
Christianity; Christianity -- Miscellanea
virtue of natural propagation to every member of that body, which thus
became a supernatural race from a supernatural father. So absolute was
this unity that the order maintained in the case of every other creature
put under the dominion of the man so formed was not followed in his case.
For whereas they were created with the difference of sex, each a male and
a female, he was created alone, as the Head, and then she, by whose
coöperation the race was to be continued, was formed out of him. It was
not a second man who was so formed from the first, but one made with
reference to him, in dependence on him, to be a help meet for him, not for
herself, with an independent being, but for him. This formation of Eve
from Adam, which has a meaning of unfathomable depth in the development of
the race, is an essential part of the original design. “Therefore,” says
Adam, speaking in an ecstasy sent upon him by God, the words of God, “this
is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman,
because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father
and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one
flesh.” First, the Eve so formed from him is one flesh with him; secondly,
the race springing from both is one flesh likewise with him. The
consequence intended by that one flesh was the transmission of that
magnificent inheritance in which Adam was standing when he so spoke. In
this he was Father and Head, for this created alone, then Eve built up
from him, from whom afterwards was to issue their joint race. On the
further condition of his personal obedience to God and fidelity to his
grace, he held the whole supernatural gift of grace conferring sonship,
both for himself and for his race: on these terms it was bestowed by the
charter of God, the original Giver. Thus, the greatness of his Headship
was visible in two things, the power of transmitting his quality of divine
sonship to his race by propagation, and the dependence of that quality, in
them as well as in himself, on his personal fidelity to God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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