Chapter XXIII.—The Truth of the Account in Genesis.

Man, therefore, God made on the sixth day, and made known this creation after the seventh day, when also He made Paradise, that he might be in a better and distinctly superior place. And that this is true, the fact itself proves. For how can one miss seeing that the pains which women suffer in childbed, and the oblivion of their labours which they afterwards enjoy, are sent in order that the word of God may be fulfilled, and that the race of men may increase and multiply?74    The Benedictine editor remarks: “Women bring forth with labour and pain as the punishment awarded to sin: they forget the pain, that the propagation of the race may not be hindered.” And do we not see also the judgment of the serpent,—how hatefully he crawls on his belly and eats the dust,—that we may have this, too, for a proof of the things which were said aforetime?

Τὸν οὖν ἄνθρωπον ὁ θεὸς πεποίηκεν ἐν τῇ ἕκτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, τὴν δὲ πλάσιν αὐτοῦ πεφανέρωκεν μετὰ τὴν ἑβδόμην ἡμέραν, ὁπότε καὶ τὸν παράδεισον πεποίηκεν, εἰς τὸ ἐν κρείσσονι τόπῳ καὶ χωρίῳ διαφόρῳ αὐτὸν εἶναι. καὶ ὅτι ταῦτά ἐστιν ἀληθῆ, αὐτὸ τὸ ἔργον δείκνυσιν. πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν κατανοῆσαι τὴν μὲν ὠδῖνα, ἣν πάσχουσιν ἐν τῷ τοκετῷ αἱ γυναῖκες, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο λήθην τοῦ πόνου ποιοῦνται, ὅπως πληρωθῇ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος εἰς τὸ αὐξάνεσθαι καὶ πληθύνεσθαι τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων; τί δ' οὐχὶ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ὄφεως κατάκρισιν, πῶς στυγητὸς τυγχάνει ἕρπων ἐπὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ καὶ ἐσθίων γῆν, ὅπως καὶ τοῦτο ᾖ εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ἡμῖν τῶν προειρημένων;