Less clear is the analogy Irenaeus draws between the
story of Adam and Eve in paradise and the virginal conception. In developing
this analogy Irenaeus makes two statements that may imply that Mary had other
children after Jesus' birth. In Adversus Haereses 3.21.10, Irenaeus
asserts: "Just as that first-formed man, Adam, received his make-up from
the untilled and up-to-that-time [adhuc] virgin earth (for God had not
yet sent rain, and man had not yet worked the earth) and was formed by the hand
of God, that is, the Word of God, ... so too the Word, recapitulating Adam in
himself and existing from Mary, who was up-to-that-time [adhuc] a
virgin, correctly received the kind of generation that recapitulated
Adam's." Similarly, in 3.22.4 of the same work, Irenaeus draws an analogy
between Eve and Mary. Eve was disobedient when she was still [adhuc] a
virgin, though she already had a husband. Mary was obedient when she had an
already-chosen husband and, nevertheless, was still [adhuc] a virgin. (John
P. Meier, “On Retrojecting Later Questions from Later Texts: A Reply to Richard
Bauckham,” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 59, no. 3 [July 1997]: 525)
Here are the relevant texts:
Against Heresies 3.21.10
Quia quemadmodum per
inobedientiam unius hominis introitum peccatum habuit, et per peccatum mors
obtinuit; sic et per obedientiam unius hominis justitia introducta vitam
fructificet his, qui olim mortui erant, hominibus. Et quemadmodum protoplastus ille Adam de rudi
terra, et de adhuc virgine («nondum enim pluerat Deus, et homo non erat
operatus terram) habuit substantiam; et plasmatus est manu Dei, id est Verbo
Dei («omnia enim per ipsum facta sunt»), et sumpsit Dominus limum a terra, et
plasmavit hominem: Ita recapitulans in se Adam, ipse Verbum exsistens ex Maria,
quæ adhuc erat virgo, recte accipiebat generationem Adæ
recapitulationis.
Translation:
Just as, by the one man’s
disobedience, sin entered into the world, and by sin came death, so also, by
the one man’s obedience, once righteousness has been introduced, it may bear
fruit unto life for those who were formerly dead. And just as that first-formed
Adam derived his substance from the raw earth and from a yet-virgin (“for God
had not yet sent rain, and man had not yet tilled the ground”), and was
fashioned by the hand of God—i.e. by the Word of God (“for all things were made
through him”)—when the Lord took clay from the earth and molded man; so, in
recapitulating Adam in himself, he—the Word—being born of Mary, who was yet a
virgin, rightly took up the generation of Adam’s recapitulation.
Alt. translation:
He has recapitulated in Himself
even the ancient first-fashioned man. To explain, just as by one man’s disobedience … sin came … and death through sin …
reigned …, so by one man’s obedience, justice was brought and produces the
fruit of life for those who in times past were dead. First, just as the
first-fashioned Adam got his substance from untilled and as yet virgin soil—for God had not yet caused it to rain … and
man had not tilled the ground—and was formed by God’s hand, that is, the
Word of God—for all things were made
through Him41—and the Lord took mud from the earth and fashioned man. In like manner, since He is
the Word recapitulating Adam in Himself, He rightly took from Mary, who was yet
a virgin, His birth that would be a recapitulation of Adam. (St. Irenaeus of
Lyons: Against the Heresies, Book 3 [trans. Dominic J. Unger; Ancient
Christian Writers 64; New York: The Newman Press, 2012], 102)
Against Heresies 3.22.4
Consequenter autem et Maria virgo
obediens invenitur, dicens: «Ecce ancilla tua, Domine, fiat mihi secundum
verbum tuum.» Eva vero inobediens: non obedivit enim, adhuc cum esset
virgo.
English translation:
Accordingly, Mary the Virgin is
also found obedient, saying, “Behold your handmaid, O Lord; let it be to me
according to your word.” But Eve was disobedient—for she did not obey while she
was still a virgin.
Alt. translation:
Consistently, then, also the
Virgin Mary was found to be obedient when she said, Behold I am the handmaid
of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Your word; but Eve was
disobedient, for she did not obey when she was yet a virgin. (St. Irenaeus
of Lyons: Against the Heresies, Book 3 [trans. Dominic J. Unger; Ancient
Christian Writers 64; New York: The Newman Press, 2012], 104)
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