copies read it, [Greek: exenos aimatos], it is still
equally plain that the meaning is not that all mankind were made of
the same uniform matter, as the author of the work styled Pre-Adamites
weakly imagined, for on that ground, not only mankind, but the whole
world might be said to be _ex henos haimatos_, i.e., of the same
blood, since all things in the world were at first formed out of the
same matter. The word _[Greek: aima]_ therefore must be here rendered
in the same sense as that in which it occurs in the best Greek
authors--_the stock out of which men come_ Thus Homer says,--

"_[Greek: Ei eteon g emos esti kai aimtos emeteroio]_".

In like manner those who are near relations, are called by Sophocles
_[Greek: oi pros aimatos]_. And hence the term _consanguinity_,
employed to denote nearness of relation. Virgil uses _sanguis_ in the
same sense.

"_Trojano a sanguine duci_."

So that the apostle's meaning is, that however men now are dispersed
in their habitations, and however much they differ in language and
customs from each other, yet they were all originally of the same
stock, and derived their succession from the first man whom God
created, that is, from Adam, from which name the Hebrew word for
blood--i.e.--_dam_--is a derivative.

Neither can it be conceived on what account Adam in the Scripture is
called "the first man," and said to be "made a living soul," and "of
the earth earthy," unless it is to denote that he was absolutely the
first of his kind, and was, therefore, designed to be the standard and
measure of all the races of men. And thus when our Saviour would trace
up all things to the beginning, he illustrates his doctrine by quoting
those words which were pronounced after Eve was formed. "But from the
beginning of the creation, God made them male and female, for this
cause shall a man leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife"
Now nothing can be more plain and incontrovertible than that those of
whom these words were spoken, were the first male and female which
were made in "the beginning of the creation." It is equally evident
that these words were spoken of Adam and Eve for "Adam said, This is
now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; therefore shall a man
leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife" If
the Scriptures then of the New Testament be true, it is most plain and
evident that all mankind are descended from Adam.[636]

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