2. Nor is it now necessary
that we enquire, and put forth a definite opinion on that question,
whence could exist the progeny of the first men, whom God had
blessed, saying, “Increase, and be ye multiplied, and fill the
earth;”1935
if they
had not
sinned, whereas their bodies by
sinning deserved the
condition of
death, and there can be no sexual intercourse
save of
mortal bodies. For there have existed several and different
opinions on this matter; and if we must
examine, which of them be
rather agreeable to the
truth of
Divine Scriptures, there is matter
for a lengthened discussion.
1936
| 1936 See De Civ. Dei, b.
xiv. |
Whether, therefore, without
intercourse, in some other way, had they not
sinned, they would
have had sons, from the
gift of the
Almighty Creator, Who was able
to
create themselves also without
parents, Who was able to form the
Flesh of
Christ in a
virgin womb, and (to speak even to
unbelievers
themselves) Who was able to bestow on bees a progeny without sexual
intercourse; or whether many things there were spoken by way of
mystery and figure, and we are to understand in another sense what
is written, “Fill the
earth, and rule over it;” that is, that
it should come to pass by fullness and
perfection of
life and
power, so that the very increase and multiplication, whereby it is
said, “Increase, and be ye multiplied,” be understood to be by
advance of
mind, and
abundance of
virtue, as it is set in the
Psalm, “Thou shall multiply me in my
soul by
virtue;”
1937
and that
succession of progeny was not given unto man,
save after that, by
reason of
sin, there was to be hereafter departure in
death: or
whether the body was not made
spiritual in the case of these men,
but at the first
animal, in order that by merit of obedience it
might after become
spiritual, to lay hold of immortality, not after
death, which by the
malice of the
devil entered into the
world, and
was made the
punishment of
sin; but after that change, which the
Apostle signifies, when he says, “Then we living, who remain,
together with them, shall be caught up in the
clouds, to meet
Christ, into the
air,”
1938
that we may understand both that
those bodies of the first pair were
mortal, in the first forming,
and yet that they would not have
died, had they not
sinned, as
God
had threatened: even as if He should threaten a
wound, in that the
body was capable of
wounds; which yet would not have happened,
unless what He had forbidden were done. Thus, therefore, even
through sexual intercourse there might take place generations of
such bodies, as up to a certain point should have increase,
and yet should not pass into old age; or even into old age,
and yet not into
death; until the
earth were filled with that
multiplication of the
blessing. For if to the
garments of the
Israelites
1939
God
granted their proper
state without any wearing away during forty
years, how much more would He grant unto the bodies of such as
obeyed His command a certain most
happy temperament of sure
state,
until they should be changed for the better, not by
death of the
man, whereby the body is abandoned by the soul, but by a blessed
change from mortality to immortality, from an animal to a spiritual
quality. Of these opinions which be true, or whether some other or
others yet may be formed out of these words, were a long matter to
enquire and discuss.
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