" These words
qualify the fearful wrath. For, if God had said, "from the heavens,"
he would have deprived his posterity forever of the hope of salvation.
As it is, the words, "from the ground," convey, indeed, the menacing
decision that the promise of the seed has been forfeited, but the
possibility is left that descendants of Cain as individuals, prompted
by the Holy Spirit, may join themselves to Adam and find salvation.

This, in after ages, really came to pass. While it is true the promise
of the blessed seed was a distinction confined to the Jews, according
to the statement in Psalm 147, 20: "He hath not dealt so with any
nation," the Gentiles, nevertheless, retained the privilege of
beggars, so to speak. It was in this manner that the Gentiles, through
divine mercy, obtained the same blessing the Jews possessed on the
ground of the divine faithfulness and promise.

183. In like manner, all rule in the Church was absolutely denied also
to the Moabites and Amorites; and yet many private individuals among
them embraced the religion of the Jews. Thus, every right in the
Church was taken away from Cain and his posterity absolutely, yet
permission was left them to beg, as it were, for grace. That was not
taken from them. Cain, because of his sin, was cast out from the right
of sitting at the family table of Adam. But the right was left him to
gather up, doglike, the crumbs that fell from his father's table, Mt
15, 26-27. This is signified by the Hebrew expression _min haadama_,
"From the ground."

184. I make these observations because there is a great probability
that many of the posterity of Cain joined themselves to the holy
patriarchs. But their privileges were not those of an obligatory
service toward them on the part of the Church, but mere toleration of
them as individuals who had lost the promise that the blessed seed was
to spring from their flesh and blood. To forfeit the promise was no
trifle; still, even that curse was so mitigated as to secure for them
the privilege of beggars, so that heaven was not absolutely denied
them, provided they allied themselves with the true Church.

185. But this is what Cain, no doubt, strove to hinder in various
ways. He set up new forms of worship and invented numerous ceremonies,
that thereby he might also appear to be the Church. Those, however,
who departed from him and joined the true Church, were saved, although
they were compelled to surrender the distinction that C