ed his Cabbalism with his religion, I shall set down
here the note of Dr. Whitby, the Christian Commentator, upon the
text of Paul.

"The learned Dr. Allix saith, The first match between Adam and
Eve, was a type of that between Christ and his Church; and in this,
saith he, the Apostle follows the Jewish notions. The Jews say, the
mystery of Adam, is the mystery of the Messiah, who is the
Bridegroom of the Church. These two persons, therefore, confirm
the observation of Munster, that the creation of the woman from
the rib of the man, was made by the Jews to signify the marriage of
the celestial man who is blessed, or of the Messiah, with the
Church; whence the Apostle applies the very words which Adam
said concerning Eve his spouse, to the Church, who is the spouse
of Christ; saying, "for we are members of his body, of his flesh,
and of his bones." For the explanation of these words, take what
follows:--"The profoundest of the Jewish Divines, whom they
now call Cabbalists, having such a notion as this among them, that
sensible things are but an imitation of things above, conceived
from thence, that there was an original pattern of love and union,
which is between a man and his wife in this world. This being
expressed by the kindness of Tipheret and Malchut, which are the
names they give to the invisible Bridegroom and Bride in the upper
world. And this Tiphiret, or the celestial Adam, is so called in
opposition to the terrestrial Adam; as Malchut also (i. e., the
kingdom) they call by the name of Chinnereth Israel the
Congregation of Israel, who is, they say, united to the celestial
Adam as Eve was to the terrestrial." So that in sum, they seem to
say the same that Paul doth, when he tells us, that "marriage is a
great mystery, but he speaks concerning Christ and his Church."
For the marriage of Tipheret and Malchuth, is the marriage of
Christ, "the Lord from Heaven," ("the first man was of the Earth
earthly, the second man is the Lord from Heaven," says Paul I Cor.
xv.,) with his spouse the Church, which is the conjunction of Adam
and Eve, and of all other men and women descended from them.
Origen also seems to have had some notion of the relation of this
passage to Adam and Eve, when he speaks thus:--"If any man
deride us for using the example of Adam and Eve in these words,
'and Adam knew his wife,' when we treat of the knowledge of
God, let him consider these words--'This is a great mystery.'"
Tertullian frequentl