St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Whether that women shall retaine their proper sexe in the resurrection CHAP. 17.

THere are some, who out of these words of Saint Paul, Till wee all meete toge∣ther in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of GOD, vnto a perfect man * 1.1

and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of IESVS CHRIST, would proue that no woman shall retaine her sexe in the resurrection, but all shall become men: for GOD (say they) made man onely of earth, and woman of man. But I am rather of their minde that hold a resurrection in both sexes. For there shall be none of that lust, which caused mans confusion. For our first parents before their fall, were both naked, and were not ashamed. So at the later day, the sinne shalbe taken away, and yet nature still preserued. The sexe in woman is no cor∣ruption, it is naturall, and as then shalbe free both from child-birth, nor shall the female parts be any more powerfull to stirre vp the lusts of the beholders (for all lust shall then be extinguished) but praise and glory shalbe bee giuen to GOD for creating what was not, and for freeing that from corruption which hee had created. For, In the beginning when a rib was taken from Adam being a sleepe, to make E•…•…e, this was a plaine prophecy (a) of Christ and the Church. Adams sleepe was CHRISTS death, from whose side beeing opened with a speare as hee hung vpon the crosse, came bloud and water, the two Sacraments whereby the church is built vp. For the word of the text is not formauit, nor finxit, but Aedi∣fic•…•…it eam in mulierem hee built her vppe into a woman. So the Apostle cal∣leth * 1.2 the church, the aedification of the body of CHRIST. The •…•…man there∣fore was GODS creature as well as man: but made of man, (b) for vnity sake. And in the manner thereof was a plaine figure of Christ and his Church. Hee therefore that made both sexes will raise them both to life. And IESVS him∣selfe, beeing questioned by the Sadduces, that deny the resurrection, which of the seauen bretheren should haue her to wife at the resurrection whom they had all had before, answered them saying, Yee are deceiued, not knowing the Scriptures nor * 1.3 the power of GOD. And whereas he might haue sayd (if it had beene so) shee whom you inquire of shalbe a man at that day, and not a woman, he sayd no such matter, but onely this, In the resurrection they neither marry wiues nor wiues, are bestowed in marriage, but are as the Angells of GOD in Heauen. That is, they are like them in felicity, not in flesh: nor in their resurrection, which the Angells need not, be∣cause they cannot die. So that CHRIST doth not deny that there shalbe wo∣men at the resurrection, but onely mariage: whereas if there should haue beene none of the female sexe, hee might haue answered the Sadduces more easily by sauing so: but hee affirmed that there should bee both sexes, in these wordes; They neither marry wiues, that is, men doe not, nor wiues are bestowed in marri∣age, that is, women are not. So that there shalbe there both such as vse to marry, and such as vse to be married here in this world.

L. VIVES.

PRophecy (a) of Christ] Ephes. 5. (b) For vnity sake] That their concord might bee the more, the one knowing that hee brought forth the other, and the other that she came of him. So should man and wife thinke themselues but one thing, nothing should diuide them, and this is the preseruation of peace in their family.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eph. 4
• * 1.2

  •…•…ph. 4
• * 1.3

  Mat. 22