se
to the earth, but saves the person.

178. But in this instance the Holy Spirit speaks of Cain. He curses
the person of Cain. And why is this? Is it because the sin of Cain, as
a murderer, was greater than the sin of Adam and Eve? Not so. But
because Adam was the root from whose flesh and loins Christ, that
blessed seed, should be born. It is this seed, therefore, that was
spared. For the sake of this seed, the fruit of the loins of Adam, the
curse is transferred from the person of Adam to the earth. Thus, Adam
bears the curse of the earth, but his person is not cursed; from his
posterity Christ was to be born.

179. Cain, however, since he fell by his sin, must suffer the curse
being inflicted upon his person. He hears it said to him, "Cursed art
thou," that we might understand he was cut off from the glory of the
promised seed, and condemned never to have in his posterity that seed
through which the blessing should come. Thus Cain was cast out from
the stupendous glory of the promised seed. Abel was slain; therefore
there could be no posterity from him. But Adam was ordained to serve
God by further procreation. In Adam alone, therefore, after Cain's
rejection, the hope of the blessed seed rested until Seth was born
unto him.

180. The words spoken to Cain, "Cursed art thou," are few, but
nevertheless entitled to a great deal of attention, in that they are
equal to the declaration: Thou art not the one from whom the blessed
seed is hoped for. With this word Cain stands cast out and cut off
like a branch from the root, unable longer to hope for the distinction
around which he had circled. It is a fact, that Cain craved the
distinction of passing on the blessing; but the more closely he
encircled it the more elusive it became. Such is the lot of all
evildoers: their failure is commensurate with their efforts to
succeed.

181. From this occurrence originate the two churches which are at war
with each other: the one of Adam and the righteous, which has the hope
and promise of the blessed seed; the other of Cain, which has
forfeited this hope and promise through sin, without ever being able
to regain it. For in the flood Cain's whole posterity became extinct,
so that there has been no prophet, no saint, no prince of the true
Church who could trace his lineage back to Cain. All that was denied
Cain and withdrawn from him, when he was told: "Cursed art thou."

182. We find added, however, the words, "from the ground.