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 frequently alludes to the same thing, saying--"This is a great sacrament, carnally in Adam, spiritually in Christ, because of the spiritual marriage between Christ and the Church." Thus far Dr.Whitby, and the intelligent reader, who is acquainted with the dogmas and philosophy of Indostan, will not fail to see through this cloud, of words the origin of this analogy of Paul.

The fact is, that in India and in Egypt, the Divine creative power which produced all things and energizes in everything, was symbolized by the Phallus; and to this day, in Hindostan, the operation of Diety upon matter is symbolized by images of the same; and in the darkest recesses of their Temples, which none but the initiated were permitted to enter: the Phallus of stone is the solitary idol, before which the illuminated bowed.

This symbol, though shameful and abominable, is yet looked upon in India with the profoundest veneration, and is not with them the occasion of shame or reproach.

It is, however, a blasphemous abomination; and the marriage between Christ and the Church ought not to have been thus illustrated by Paul, who reproached the heathen mysteries as "works of darkness," which mysteries, in fact, consisted principally in exhibiting these symbols, and similar abominations.
But, it may be asked, what is the meaning of the other clause of the verse--what could Paul mean by the strong language, "We are members of his body?
of his flesh, and of his bones ?" Why, my reader, he meant, that Christians were really part of the body of Christ and if you desire to know How he imagined this union to be effected, I request you to see the 10th ch.

of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, where at the 16th verse he thus writes to them:--"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation of the blood of Christ?
The loaf (according to the Greek original) which we break, is it not a participation of the body of Christ?
for, Because the loaf is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of that one loaf." Again, ch.xi.19, "For he that eateth, and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not distinguishing (or discovering) the Lord's body;" and in ch.