A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 13 – Chapter 14
CHAP. XIII.
Of the manner of the creation of Man.
THE manner of mans creation is deſcribed vntounto vsus in the aforeſaid words. Gen. 1.16. Let vsus make man in our image, after our likenes. Now therefore it remaineth we explicate, what diuine deliberation is this, what image is this, and in what likenes, and ſimilitude of God, was man created. And firſt of the firſt.
This word faciamus, let vsus make, may be taken in three ſenſes, or ſignifications: for firſt, it may ſignifie, how the eternall wiſdome of God, proceeding with a certaine deliberation and counſell with himſelfe, the moſt holy Trinitie, did goe about ſuch an excellent worke, as was the creation of man: to the end, that by that manner of proceeding, hee might manifeſt the excellencie of man, aboue all theſe inferiour creatures, partaker of reaſon, beautified with prudence, perfect in wiſdome, and created to his owne image, and likenes.
Secondly▪ God is ſaid to vſe this manner of deliberation in the creation of man, to manifeſt the weight of the buſineſſe, and worth of the worke which hee then intended; to ſhew (I ſay) what a worke it was to create man, with ſo great ſanctitie, grace, and felicitie, to conſerue him in the ſame, and being loſt to reſtore him againe. For God in his eternall wiſdome, foreſeeing the frailtie of man, did likewiſe foreſee the act of his fall, and finally that hee would periſh, he did likewiſe know before the difficultie in conſeruing, and reſtoring of man after his fall; and finally how to bring him to the end, for which he was created before his fall.
Wherefore, if all theſe difficulties be duely conſidered in humane reaſon, it might iuſtly be doubted, according to our capacitie, whether it were conuenient, to create man, or no? wherefore the Scripture accommodating it ſelfe to humane ſenſe and capacitie, doth deſcribe vntounto vsus God the Father, as it were conſulting with the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt, of the creation of man. Then how it was concluded in that diuine Conſiſtorie, how it was moſt conuenient to create ſuch a creature, without which all the reſt had beene imperfect, and as a body without a head, a common-wealth without a ruler, or kingdome without a King, confuſed, imperfect, without order or beautie. But ſeeing that to bring man to this finall perfection and end, many things were neceſſary, each perſon of the bleſſed Trinitie did aſſume to himſelfe diuers functions; the Father to create, becauſe power and might doth eſpecially appeare in the Father; the Sonne did aſſume the reparation of man after his fall (a worke of infinite wiſdome) and therfore it is particularly aſcribed to this perſon, and infinite wiſdome: finally, the holy Ghoſt did particularly worke mans ſanctification, this therefore is likewiſe accommodated to this perſon, together with all ſpirituall graces and finall glorification. Neuertheleſſe theſe offices, operations, and workes, are ſo attributed to the three holy perſons, not that any one of them was effected alone by any one perſon, for whatſoeuer is wrought out of the ſacred Trinitie, in or by any creature whatſoeuer, is equally effected and wrought by all and eueryevery perſon of the bleſſed Trinitie, but becauſe ſomething doth appeare in eueryevery of theſe workes, which doth eſpecially manifeſt the Father, the Sonne, or the holy Ghoſt, the Fathers power, the Sonnes wiſdome, the grace and ſanctification of the holy Ghoſt, therefore theſe and other the like attributes are particularly applied and attributed to each perſon of the bleſſed Trinitie.
Rupertus lib. 2. de Trinitate & operibus …ius.This is the ground of Rupertus his diſcourſe, and reaſon why God created man to his likeneſſe and image, why he changed his voice, and altered his manner of ſpeaking: for whereas hee ſaid in the creation of other creatures, Fiat, & factum eſt; Let it be done, and it was done; now, as though hee had beene weary with going about the earth, compaſsing the ſeas, and meaſuring the amplitude of the heauens, he ſate him downe, and as it were taking his breath, hee called to minde that there was one thing as yet wanting, which was no leſſe neceſſary then fitting to be made; then ſaid he, let vsus make man to our owne image and likeneſſe. Thus doeſt thou then thinke that a ſmall matter, which was intended by theſe words? A great myſterie without doubt it was, in that counſell of wiſdome, in that counſell of ſuch perſons, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt. Canſt thou iudge that there was any thing wanting, any thing ſuperfluous, either done or to be done in vsus, or about vsus, in that ſacred Senate? There doubtleſſe was all our cauſe conſidered, there our fall foreſeene, there our death and perdition foreknowne, and determined vponupon, to wit, that eueryevery perſon ſhould vndertake ſome part of the worke, that as it is ſaid before, the Father ſhould create, the Sonne ſhould redeeme, and finally the holy Ghoſt ſhould worke the remiſsion of ſinnes, and the reſurrection of the fleſh.
But what ſhould bee the reaſon why God deliberating about the creation of man, ſhould ſay, Faciamus, let vsus make? To whom did hee ſpeake, ſpeaking in the plurall, let vsus make? Shall we ſay to the earth, as to a compart of man? or to the Angels, as the fellow-workers with God, as though God had need either of the cooperation of the Angels, or were ſo ſenſeleſſe, as thus to conferre with that his creature void of all reaſon and ſenſe?
Ambroſe in his ſeuenth chapter of the ſixt booke of the Exameron, anſwereth, that God ſpake not to himſelfe, becauſe hee ſpeaketh not in the ſingular, but in the plurall, let vsus make, neither yet to the Angels, as who are but his ſeruants; therefore though the Iewes and Arrians doe neuer ſo much repugne, theſe words without all queſtion are ſpoken to his Sonne, as who is the true and liuely ſimilitude and likeneſſe of God the Father. And this I deeme to be the trueſt opinion, ſeeing that the eternall Sonne of God, euen as hee is the Word and Sonne of God, is a liuely and expreſſe ſimilitude and likeneſſe, not only of his eternall Father, but alſo a moſt perfect Idea and exemplar, according to which man was created.
Others not improbably doe interpret, that God therefore ſpake in the plurall, Faciamus, let vsus make, as Princes and great perſons are wont to doe, to ſhew their authoritie and maieſtie, ſaying, We will, We command, We decree, &c. yet of the two I deeme the firſt expoſition to bee beſt, and that the text may admit them both.
CHAP. XIIII.
How man was made to the image and likeneſſe of God.
FOr the vnderſtanding of this,Sainctes Pagnines in the ſauro linguae Hebraae. wee muſt note the originall Hebrew words, Selem and Demuth; by Selem is properly ſignified a ſhadow or tranſitorie ſimilitude, Pſalme 33. In imagine pertranſit homo, man paſſeth away like vntounto a ſhadow. Likewiſe Pſalme 101. My dayes hauehave declined as a ſhadow. The other word Demuth ſignifieth to cut downe, to faile, to fade, to be ſilent, to recogitate, and to expect; but moſt properly to aſſimulate or liken: wherefore ſeeing eueryevery ſimilitude or likeneſſe is tranſitorie, vaniſhing, and quickly paſſing away, the ſame word doth alſo ſignifie to vaniſh, to paſſe away, to faile, and to fade.
Now therefore, when God ſaid that man was made to his image and likeneſſe, it was to giuegive vsus to vnderſtand, that ſuch was the likeneſſe, and ſo perfect the repreſentation, as could be betweene an inferiour creature and his Creator: but becauſe God is of infinite perfection, it muſt neceſſarily follow, that his ſimilitude ſhould bee infinitely inferiour and of leſſe perfection then the prototypon or firſt type of his perfection. Like as though the ſhadow be in ſome ſort the ſimilitude and repreſentation of the body, yet is it obſcure, and imperfect, yea nothing in it ſelfe, and in compariſon of the body nothing. Hence conſequently wee may inferre a twofold interpretation of the ſaid words, adimaginem & ſimilitudinem noſtram, to our image and likeneſſe, to wit, of that image or ſimilitude which is in God his diuine nature, eſſence, being, or vnderſtanding: inſomuch that the nature of God, and his Ideall repreſentation of his vnderſtanding bee the exemplar and firſt type, vntounto whoſe ſimilitude man was made. Or againe that …his be the meaning of Gods words, let vsus make man ſuch a one as wee are, or ſo like vntounto vsus, that he may bee ſuch an image, forme, and ſimilitude, as he may repreſent our nature, power, wiſdome, and prouidence, yea and immortalitie in a body of its owne nature mortall.
For as S. Auſtine well noteth,Aug. li. 83. quaeſt. q. 51. diuers things doe diuerſly repreſent Almighty God: ſome doe participate of vertue and wiſdome, others only of life, others of exiſtence and being, inſomuch that thoſe things which only hauehave exiſtence, and neither liue, nor breathe, are counted an imperfect ſimilitude of God, becauſe they are good according to their kinde, and flow from that infinite Ocean of goodneſſe, from whence all other goodneſſe doth proceed. Againe, thoſe things which doe liue, and yet doe not vnderſtand, doe more perfectly participate the likeneſſe of God: but thoſe things laſtly which doe vnderſtand, doe come ſo neere vntounto the likeneſſe of God, that nothing created can come more neere. Wherefore ſeeing that man may participate of the wiſdome of the diuine nature, yea euen according to hi… owne nature, hence it is, that hee is ſo framed to the image of God, that nothing can be more like in his being and nature vntounto God: he liueth, he breatheth, he vnderſtandeth, he hath exiſtence and being, and is in all theſe, as a perfect patterne of his Creator and God.