§ 1.
And to shew that Adam was formed of this earth which we have to do with, the Scripture relates that God said unto him,1 In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread, until thou return unto the earth, out of which thou wast taken.2 If then it is some other earth, into which our bodies return after death, it follows that of the same they have also their substance. But if it be this very earth, evidently out of it also was their frame created: as the Lord also shewed, forming eyes out of it and no other. Wherefore, since both the Hand of God is truly and plainly exhibited, whereby Adam first and afterwards we are framed;3 there being also but one and the same Father, Whose Voice from the beginning to the end is present with His Creature; and the substance of our frame being clearly indicated by the Gospel: we are not now to seek for any other Father than This; nor for any other substance of our frame, but that before mentioned, and indicated by the Lord: nor any other Hand of God, but this, which from beginning to end fashions and frames us unto life, and is present with Its own creature, and completes it after the Image and Likeness of God.
§ 2.
But then was this Word revealed,4 when the Word of God was made Man, likening Himself to Man and Man to Himself: that through the likeness to the Son which he hath, Man may become dear to the Father. For in the former times it was said indeed that Man was made in the Image5 of God, but it was not revealed. For the Word was yet invisible, after Whose Image Man had been made. And for this cause, you see, he easily cast off also the resemblance6 of Him. But when the Word of God became flesh, He made both good. For He both truly revealed the Image, Himself having become that very Thing, which the Image of Him was: and He firmly established the resemblance, by causing man to partake of His own complete likeness to the Invisible Father, through the Visible Word.
§ 3.
And not only by the aforesaid means did the Lord manifest both the Father and Himself,7 but also by His very Passion. For doing away with that disobedience of man which at first was wrought at the tree,8 He became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross: healing the disobedience which had been wrought at the tree, by the Obedience which was also at the Tree. But He would not have come to cancel that disobedience the object whereof was our Creator, had He been declaring another Father. And since by the very same things wherein we refused to hear God and believe His Word, He brought in Obedience and Assent unto God’s Word: most9 manifestly hath He revealed That very God, Whom as we offended in the first Adam, not having wrought His Commandment, so in the second Adam were we reconciled, hating become obedient unto death. For to no other, surely, were we debtors, but to Him, Whose commandment also we transgressed originally.