Commentary on Genesis Part 23

5. Everything that is called sin is embraced in this sin 109-110.

6. How marriage with the children of the true Church was despised 111.

7. Their desire to marry thus resembled Eve's desire to take the forbidden apple 112.

8. Why the patriarchs' children took this step 113.

9. How these marriage alliances were formed 114-116.

10. Berosus' testimony concerning these forbidden marriages 116.

B. DISORDER IN ALL BRANCHES OF SOCIETY 116-117.

C. THE TYRANNY EXERCISED.

1. By the "giants" or tyrants.

a. What is to be understood by tyrants 117.

* The pope resembles the tyrants before the flood 118.

b. The nature of these tyrants 119.

c. Why called Nephilim 120-122.

d. Whether they received their name from their size or from their cruelty 123.

* How the Scriptures designate true rulers 123.

e. These tyrants types of Antichrist 123.

f. They were raging, powerful and criminal characters 124.

* Of authorities.

(1) How G.o.d wants us to honor the authorities though he terribly threatens them 125-126.

(2) Why G.o.d wants them to be honored, when he himself does not honor them 127.

(3) G.o.dless rulers are G.o.d's swine and are rare birds in heaven 128.

g. Whether these tyrants were rulers and why G.o.d called them by such a shameful name 129.

h. Moses chose the word Nephilim, which in his day designated a wicked people, to express the tyrants of the first World 130.

2. By "the mighty men."

a. How Jerome perverts this text 131.

b. What is to be understood by "the mighty men that were of old" 131.

* The meaning of "Olam" 132.

c. Whence did they receive their power 133.

d. Why called "mighty men" 134.

* The character of the true church 134.

3. By "the men of renown."

a. Why they were thus named 135.

b. Who they were 136.

* They resembled the pope and bishops 136.

c. Lyra's false explanation of it refuted 137.

* How Antichrist is restrained from the world, and true doctrine maintained 137.

D. THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT 138.

* That one sin follows another until man reaches the highest degree of sin 139.

III. THE SINS OF THE OLD WORLD IN PARTICULAR.

A. THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES ENTERED INTO.

102. But, I ask, why is not complaint made also of the men, or why are not the daughters of G.o.d included in this complaint? He says merely that they "saw the daughters of men." It was surely for this reason, that the holy generation of Seth had received the peculiar injunction to beware of fellowship with the Cainites, inasmuch as they had been excluded from the true Church, and to mingle with them neither socially through marriage, nor ecclesiastically through worship, for the righteous should avoid every occasion of offense.

103. In prohibiting marriage with the Cainites it was the chief purpose of the pious fathers to maintain their generation pure; for daughters bring into the houses of their husbands the views and manners of the fathers. Thus, we read of Solomon in the Book of the Kings that he was led astray through a woman who was a stranger; and thus Jezebel introduced the wickedness of the Syrians into the kingdom of Israel.

104. The holy fathers saw the same would come to pa.s.s in their generation; therefore, after they were separated from the Cainites through the divine command, they resolved that the sons of the holy generation should not marry the daughters of men. The daughters of the race of the righteous could more readily be restrained from marriage with the Cainites, while the sons were independent and headstrong.

105. In this way Moses wishes to show the trouble began from the time the sons of G.o.d joined themselves to the daughters of men, seeing that they were fair. The sons of men who were proud and strong and pa.s.sionately given to pleasure, without doubt despised the plain maidens of the pious race who had been reared by the holy patriarchs not delicately, but simply and modestly, being arrayed in homely garb.

There was hence no necessity of making a law also for the maidens, inasmuch as they were in any case neglected by the n.o.ble Cainites.

106. If you study the history of nations you will find that women have been the occasion for the overthrow of the strongest kingdoms. Well known is the disgrace of Helen. The sacred writings demonstrate also that woman occasioned the fall of the whole human race. This, however, should be mentioned without reflection upon the s.e.x, for we have a command, "Honor thy father and thy mother," Ex 20, 12. Likewise, "Husbands, love your wives," Col 3, 19. It is true that Eve was the first to pluck the apple; however, she first sinned by idolatry and fell from the faith, which faith, as long as it is in the heart, controls also the body; but when it has departed from the heart, the body serves sin. Guilt is not peculiar to s.e.x but to sin, which man has in common with woman.

107. Thus Moses gives an account of the prevailing unrighteousness and l.u.s.t. But he gives the reader to understand that, before sin was committed against the second table of the Law, the first had been violated, and the Word of G.o.d treated with contempt. Otherwise the sons of G.o.d would have obeyed the will of their pious parents forbidding marriage with those outside the Church.

108. Moses, therefore, concludes that, because the sons of G.o.d had forsaken the worship and Word of G.o.d and departed from the precepts of their parents, thereupon to fall into sensuality and l.u.s.t, and to take to wife whom they pleased, they also became violent and appropriated the goods of others. The world cannot do otherwise. When it has forsaken G.o.d, it worships the devil; when it has despised the Word and fallen into idolatry, it rushes forth into all sins of pa.s.sion, in which fierceness of anger and fierceness of desire by turns are aroused, and thus all the appet.i.tes are thrown into a state of the greatest disorder. When the righteous reprove this, the result is resentment and violence against them.

109. The sin of the flood, then, embraces everything that may be called sin, by the first as well as the second table. Wicked men first depart from G.o.d through unbelief; then they disregard obedience to parents, and finally become murderers, adulterers, etc.

110. I mention this to the end that no one may believe that s.e.x or the marriage estate in themselves are to blame. It is chiefly transgression of G.o.d's commandments and disobedience to parents which are condemned. Owing to absence of fellowship between the Cainites and the true Church, pious parents desired also social separation from the Cainites, for fear they might be perverted by the manners of unG.o.dly wives. But G.o.d's command being neglected, and the authority of parents despised, the younger generation lapsed into the pa.s.sions of concupiscence and vehemence. In this way the honor of s.e.x and the dignity of matrimony are conserved: accusation is brought solely against the unrighteousness which first departs from G.o.d and then manifests itself in injuring the saints.