The Serpents head / The seede of the woman▪
The Master's Question
The Master asks about the meaning of the serpent's head and the promised seed.
Master. What does the serpent's head mean, and that seed that God speaks of?
The Scholar's Answer
The Scholar explains that the serpent's head represents the devil's tyranny, and the seed is Jesus Christ, born of Mary, free from sin.
Scholar. In the serpent's head lies all his venom, and the whole pith of his life and strength.✦1 Therefore I take the serpent's head to stand for the whole power and kingdom—or more truly, the tyranny—of the old serpent, the devil.2 The seed (as Saint Paul plainly teaches) is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, true God and true man: conceived by the Holy Spirit; begotten from the womb and substance of Mary, the blessed, pure, and undefiled virgin; and he was so born and nurtured by her as other babies are, except that he was utterly free from all infection of sin.3
Read the original English
Master. What meaneth the serpentes head: & that seede that God speaketh of▪
Scholer. In the serpēts head lieth all his venim…, …d the whole pyth of hys lyfe and force. Thearfore do I take the serpents head to betok… the whole power, and king dome, or more truli the tirānie of the old serpe…t the deuel. The sede (as saint▪ Paul doth plainly teache) is▪ Iesus Christ the sonne of God, very God and veri man: cōceaned of the holy Gost: engendred of the wombe and substaū …e of Marie, the blessed pure & vndefiled maide: and was so borne & …ostred by her as other babes de, sauinge that he was most far from all infection of synne.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Gen.3.15 — I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source truncates 'venim…, …d'; restored as 'venom, and' from sense and spelling. 'Pyth' rendered as 'pith' (vital core/essence).
- 2 ↩Source truncates 'betok…' and 'serpe…t'; restored as 'betoken' and 'serpent' from context.
- 3 ↩Source truncates 'substaū …e' and '…ostred'; restored as 'substance' and 'fostered/nurtured'. 'Babes de' read as 'babes do'.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit