Teaching Christianity
his limitations, and become luminously clear when referred to Christ or the Church, of which Solomon is a part.
48. Nor is the species always exceeded or surpassed. Things are often said, after all, which obviously apply to it, or even perhaps apply to it alone. But it is when the transition is made from species to genus, while scripture still seems to be speaking about the species, that readers should be most wide awake and attentive, in order not to seek in the species what can be better and more certainly found in the genus. Clearly, it is easy to see that what the prophet Ezekiel says: The house of Israel has dwelt in the land, and they have defiled it with their ways and with their idols and their sins; their ways have become like the uncleanness of a menstruating woman before my face. And I have poured out my wrath upon them, and have scattered them among the nations and winnowed them into distant regions; according to their ways and according to their sins have I judged them (Ez 36:17–19)—it is easy, I say, to understand this about that house of Israel of which the apostle says, Observe Israel according to the flesh (1 Cor 10:18), because these are all things that the fleshly people of Israel both did and suffered.
What follows can also be understood as fitting the same people. But when he starts saying, And I will sanctify my holy name, that great name, which has been defiled among the nations, which you have defiled in the midst of them, and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the reader should now be alert to notice how it is going beyond species and touching on genus. He goes on to say, you see, when I sanctify myself among you before their eyes. And I will take you back from the nations and gather you together from all lands, and I will bring you back to your own land. And I will sprinkle you with clean water, and you shall be cleansed of all your images; and I will cleanse you and give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you, and I will take away the stony heart from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And