Coverings Of Death And Life

Fecit quoque Dominus Deus Adae et uxori ejus tunicas pelliceas, et induit eos.   Et hoc significationis gratia factum est, sed tamen factum. Nam hujusmodi indumento Dominus eos mortales jam factos fuisse insinuat. Pelles quae nonnisi mortuis pecudibus subtrahuntur, mortis figuram continent. Ita, cum contra praeceptum, non imitatione legitima, sed illicita superbia Deus esse appetit homo, usque ad belluarum mortalitatem dejectus est. Et quidem ipsi sibi fecerunt perizomata de foliis fici, quibus pudenda tegerent; sed Dominus fecit illis tunicas pelliceas, quibus omne corpus illorum induit, quia ipsi, perdita per praevaricationem gloria innocentiae, praetenderunt sibi velamen excusationis, qua suam culpam in Conditorem transfunderent; et ipse Conditor illos per sententiam justi judicii, ablato statu vitae immutabilis, in anima simul et carne mutavit poena mortalitatis. Narrat autem evangelica parabola quia pius pater revertenti ad se per poenitentiam filio luxurioso, inter alia munera, etiam stolam primam proferri et eum indui praeceperit, mystice insinuans quia electi habitum immortalitatis, quem in Adam in exordio saeculi perdiderunt, in fine saeculi sint recepturi in Christo, et quidem ampliore gratia. Nam Adam ita immortalis factus est, ut posset non mori si praeceptum servaret; filii autem resurrectionis ita erunt immortales, ut nec mori unquam, nec metu mortis possint affici. De cujus receptione stolae dicit Apostolus: Oportet enim corruptibile hoc induere incorruptionem, et mortale hoc induere immortalitatem. Ubi induere sonat, ablatam utique significat nuditatem, quam Adam in se et Heva post peccatum agnitam erubescebant. Sanctus Beda, Hexameron Liber I Source: Migne PL 91.60b-d

And the Lord God also made for Adam and his wife tunics of skins, and He covered them. 1 And this was done for the sake of a sign, yet done. For with such covering the Lord declared that they were made mortal. The skins being nothing but that they had been drawn under the death of beasts, containing the figure of death. Thus when against the command, not by legitimate imitation, but by illicit pride, man desired to be God, man was cast down to the mortality of the beasts. And certainly they had made for themselves coverings of fig leaves, by which they covered their private parts, but the Lord made them tunics of hides, with which He covered the whole body, because they, destroying by trespass the glory of innocence, then extended it by the veil of excuse, by which they tried to transfer the fault to their Maker, and He, by the sentence of just judgement, removed them from the state of immutable life, and in both soul and flesh made change unto the punishment of mortality. Now it is related in the Gospel parable that the pious father, for his own son returning by penance from luxury, among other gifts, commanded that the finest robe be brought and that he be covered with it, 2 mystically signifying that he had received the immortality of the elect, which had been ruined in Adam at the beginning, and at the end is received in Christ, and certainly with more grace. For Adam was created immortal, that he was able not to die if he had guarded the command, and the sons of the resurrection shall be immortal, that they not die anymore, nor be afflcited with the fear of death. Concerning the reception of this robe the Apostle says: 'For this corruption shall be clothed in incorruption and this mortality in immortality.' 3 Where saying clothed, he signifies that nakedness shall be removed, which Adam and Eve after sin, aware of it in themselves, were ashamed. Saint Bede, Hexameron, Book 1   1 Gen 3.21 2 Lk 15.22 3 1 Cor 15.53