HARMONIES OF THE MACROCOSM

...but because of him who subjected it. In hope, because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. For this created world, as if with an outstretched head, watches and waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the world was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it to that vanity. This was done in hope, because the world itself will be freed from the slavery of corruption into the liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole created world sighs together and labors together even until this time.

This passage includes a Greek quotation of Romans 8:20-22 followed by its Latin translation by the theologian Theodore Beza.

The meaning of the Greek words, according to The declaration of this text. Beza’s version, as well as the Greek words themselves, clearly points to and designates the corruption, confusion, and deformation of the World, or the entire Worldly Fabric. This state did not exist from the beginning. We learn from this passage by the Apostle that this state will not be perpetual. Just as it drew its origin from the sin of man, for whom the world was founded, so in the final renewal, it will be renewed and restored along with man. Here, Creation original: "Κτίσις", meaning the entire created universe Creation: The created Universe. signifies the created university of all things. In the beginning, these were founded as good and perfect, obtaining a most beautiful state to serve the uses of man, who was created for the sake of Divine Glory. However, through man, who fell into horrendous sin by his disobedience, it was reduced to such corruption and deformity. As a result, not only is the Elemental and Sublunary region The "sublunary region" refers to the earth and its atmosphere, which ancient science believed was subject to constant change and decay. tormented by infinite and foul mutations and corruptions, but even the entire Starry tract, with all celestial bodies, cannot be said to be free of corruption, change, and alteration. Indeed, along with all creatures, it awaits renewal and liberation from corruption.

Since, therefore, The whole Universe: one way before the Fall, another after. a massive change invaded the Universe of things after the Fall, and since we see it existed far differently before the Fall than after, it is not unreasonable to believe and establish the same regarding man himself. His body before the Fall was not So also the body of man. such as we see it now. For our First Parents not only lost the image of God, but also felt a horrendous and massive change and alteration in their bodies after they fell. By that unspeakable fall, they lost eternal happiness and cast themselves from the highest step of felicity into the deepest pit of misery. Jehovah predicted that Death. they would die the death. This death stirred up in them not only eternal death, but also temporal death Eternal and temporal death. and the final dissolution of the body. Toward this end, mortals hasten daily by the very act of being born, after they have been worn down in this life by every kind of hardship, calamity, and disease. For this is that death which God imposed upon Adam when he was about to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. This death revealed itself in Adam and Eve immediately after they ate that fruit. Having lost the divine light, they beheld such a horrendous transmutation of their bodies. With their eyes opened, they noticed their own foul nakedness. They were now exposed to the injuries of all the creatures over whom they previously held dominion. They became subject to every kind of affliction and hardship, leading at last to the extreme

dissolution that would lead to either eternal life or death. From this, it is easy to conjecture that The change in man and its peak. a supreme change occurred in man. His most beautiful and subtle structure once consisted of a more refined body and an astral or Starry soul. Within this, the Spirit breathed into him by God—that immortal soul and true dwelling place of the Holy Spirit—held dominion, illuminated by divine light. By that horrendous and abominable fall, this structure was plainly defiled. It was transformed into thick, animal-like flesh and gross limbs, subjected to the coarser Elements. Thus, it was rendered entirely Animal, proceeding at the same pace as the beasts; indeed, it often turns out far worse and viler.

For this reason, Regarding the body, he matches the animals. man is conceived, born, grows, and multiplies in the same manner and fashion as the animals. He lives and is sustained by the same nourishment as the animals. He feeds upon many of the animals themselves, and thus nourishes his animal nature with similar animals, acquiring an entirely animal nature. Indeed, in all his actions, man is so closely related to the other animals that if he were not seen walking with an upright body and acting with greater foresight and caution, one could rightly and deservedly call him a pure and simple animal, distinguished from the others by no difference.

Now, if anyone The unspeakable depravity of human nature. examines his readiness, inclination, and enormous desire for carrying out and effecting malice, he will not deny that man is far worse and viler than the animals themselves. He will confess that man stands at the next step to Satan, by whom he was seduced. Forgive me, mortals, that I paint the most shameful properties and dispositions of our corrupted and depraved nature, prone to all impiety, in such dark colors. I touch the wound, which, alas, none of us wants touched!

When the Divine Spirit is removed, we are more miserable and troubled than all other creatures. We are vessels filled with all malice, iniquity, and impiety, existing as incarnate Devils. After the dissolution of this most troubled life, we are destined to enjoy the horrendous company of demons and to become Devils ourselves, unless we are regenerated through faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit. Only then can we recover the original Divine Image lost in that horrendous fall and, having returned to our lost innocence, become sharers of eternal happiness. May God our Almighty Creator grant that, having acknowledged such great depravity, we may embrace the ineffable merit of His Only Begotten Son. He recovered and restored the lost Divine Image for us and gives us the faculty and power to recover it through the Holy Spirit. May we, regenerated by the Holy Spirit through true faith in Christ, be snatched from that horrendous fellowship of Devils, lead a pious and truly Christian life, and at last enjoy eternal happiness with all the Angels.

The words of Objection. Moses in Genesis 2, verse 21, seem to challenge this difference of the Human Body before and after the fall. There, in recounting the creation of the Woman, he says that God took a rib from Adam’s body...