A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Why God made man to his image, and ſimilitude.
MAny and moſt excellent reaſons may be giuen of this, but which I muſt needs confeſſe, are rather morall congruencies, grounded in the infinite goodneſſe of God, then in any other forcible convincing reaſon, plainely deduced out of the ſacred Text.
The firſt whereof may be this, that God therefore made man like vntounto himſelfe, that thence it might be manifeſt how much the infinite goodneſſe of God exceedeth the malignitie, enuy, and malice of man: for God being infinite in his goodneſſe, yea in all other his attributes infinite; yet doth he not diſdaine our of his infinite goodneſſe, that, that, which in vsus is limited and finite ſhould be compared and likened to that, which in him is infinite, and beyond all compariſon: he enuieth not the perfection of our nature, he maketh it more perfect by grace, and by a ſacred league, and vnion, he combineth both, that by both we may be like vntounto him in both, who is the author of both.
And this with ſuch a degree of participated perfection, that man doth not only become like vntounto God, but alſo may bee called, and is truly the adopted Sonne of God. So that all men may now participate of the grace, which one onelyonly poſſeſſed by nature: inſomuch that as he being the naturall Sonne of God, is a perfect patterne of his eternall Father by nature, ſo wee alſo be a participated likenes, and ſimilitude in ſome degree by nature, but moſt perfectly by grace.
The ſecond reaſon may be this (if ſo be that we may compare theſe inferiour things of this world to thoſe ſupreme, and infinite of God) like as a temporall Prince (hauing for to ſhew his power, magnificence, and maieſtie) built, furniſhed, beautified, adorned, and deck'd ſome excellent Citty, in which hee himſelfe doth meane to remaine, doth there erect, in ſome principall part thereof his owne image, or ſtatue, in ſome precious porphire, marble, or other more excellent matter: euen ſo Almighty God, hauing out of his infinite wiſdome made this maine Machina, and beautifull Citty of the world, for the manifeſtation of his glory, to the end that it might be knowne, and acknowledged, who was the only author and architect of all, hee was pleaſed to place in the midſt thereof, in the garden of paradiſe his owne image, and ſimilitude, man (I meane) who by his ſoule, and the three principall powers thereof ſhould repreſent the vnitie and trinitie of his maker: yea and by his outward ſhape and forme in ſome ſort likewiſe repreſent the inward, and conſequently, though not immediately, euen God himſelfe.
Inſomuch that, as it is ſaid of the portrature of Venus painted by Apelles, that none could perfect it, but onelyonly Apelles who firſt began it: ſo likewiſe was it not poſſible that any ſhould bring our ſoule to her firſt perfection, but only God, who was her firſt Creator. Hence it is that like as he, who defaceth the image or ſtatua of an earthly Prince, is iuſtly condemned of high treaſon; ſo, a fortiori, who depraueth his owne nature, and by offending his maker depriueth it of grace, (the which is the ſeale, ſigne, and ſimilitude of the diuine power, nature, and maieſtie) is worthily condemned of high treaſon againſt the ſame power, and maieſtie. The third motiue, why God created man to his image and ſimilitude, may be this, to the end that all corporall things might be ſubiect, and each after their manner ſeruiceable to man, as who of all other creatures, was the expreſſe ſimilitude of their lord and maker, vntounto which it ſeemeth that God did allude, when he ſaid vntounto Noe, the feare of you and the dread of you ſhall be ouer eueryevery beaſt of the earth, Gen: cap. 9. ver. 2.and ouer eueryevery fowle in the heauen, and vponupon all that moueth on the earth, and vponupon all the fiſhes in the ſea, &c.
And leaſt thoſe incorruptible creatures, the heauens, the planets, the ſtarres, yea moſt of all the Angelicall powers, Cherubins or Seraphins ſhould diſdaine the ſeruice of man, or leſt any other creature ſhould rebell againſt him, who as yet had not rebelled againſt his God: or finally, leſt the deuils ſhould of enuy dare againſt him, as who with his poſteritie was to repleniſh thoſe glorious thrones, from which thoſe wicked ſpirits fell, it pleaſed therefore the diuine maieſtie to beautifie, adorne, and fortifie man, with his owne likenes and ſimilitude.
So that as it is ſaid of Cain, Gen. 4. verſ. 15. the Lord ſet a marke vponupon Cain, leſt any man finding him ſhould kill him, ſo of the contrary ſide, it pleaſed our Creator, to impreſſe his ſimilitude, and likenes, not only in our firſt father, but alſo in eueryevery man, leſt any man finding any other man, in whatſoeuer offence, not hauing the anthority, more then of man, ſhould lay his hands vponupon any other man. Not (I ſay) hauing the authoritie more then of man, ſuch as I deeme to be in lawfull Magiſtrates, and ſuch as are deputed by them for the execution of iuſtice. Becauſe this is not onelyonly by the inſtinct of nature, but alſo proceedeth from the author of nature, and is laſtly confirmed by the giuer of grace. Inſomuch that hee himſelfe doth ſay to all his lawfull miniſters of iuſtice, and gouernours as well ſpirituall, as temporall, Luk. 10. ver. 16. who heareth you, heareth me, who deſpiſeth you, deſpiſeth me. Becauſe as it is one and the ſame law, ſo likewiſe the contempt of the law is one, and the ſame; and conſequently the puniſhment anſwerable therevnto muſt bee one, and the ſame: But this not onelyonly as the law is onelyonly from man, but as it participateth of the law of God, man being the immediate law-giuer, Gods law, and eternall wiſdome being the firſt fountaine and rule, from whence all humane lawes are not only deriued, but alſo firmely eſtabliſhed, and to bee conformed: for otherwiſe they be no lawes, but tyranies or depriuation of lawes, but as they be conformable to that diuine, and eternall law.
The fourth reaſon, or motiue that moued God Almighty to make man to his image, was, becauſe he hauing created all theſe inferiour creatures, and ſubiected them to the rule, vſe, and gouernment of man, as to the moſt noble creature: ſo alſo he was pleaſed to ordaine him to a moſt noble end, the enioying of his Maker, that ſo man might be a meane to reduce other inferiour creatures, to their Creator, and end.
Wherefore to the end that this excellent vnion of man with his Maker, might appeare more manifeſtly, he imprinted in him, his diuine image, with ſo liuely and firmely an impreſſed ſimilitude, and character, that while man ſhould remaine in his owne being, ſo long likewiſe, ſhould he remaine, the type and image of the diuine nature and being. As it is ſaid of the famous Phydias, that he did, with ſuch rare Arte and cunning, ingraue his owne image in Mineruaes ſhield, that while the ſhield remained intire, his image likewiſe muſt remaine intire and vndefaced.
Another reaſon of the impreſſion of this moſt excellent & beautifull image of God, in man, may bee, that man ſhould be incited and moued thereby, to the knowledge, and louelove of his Creator. Wherefore as by the contemplation of other more imperfect creatures, he is brought in ſome ſort to the knowledge of God; ſo with much more perfection by the knowledge of himſelfe. Hence it is, that to the end, that he might be inexcuſable, and not ouercharged, in the curious ſearching of God in externall things, it pleaſed his Creator, to imprint in his ſoule, a moſt beautifull image, and cleare ſimilitude of the diuine nature and being, the which ſhould be a more perfect repreſentation vntounto him, of the diuine properties, then he ſhould finde in all other inferiour creatures. Man therefore, reflecting vponupon himſelfe, and viewing his owne nature, may aſcend vntounto God, and perfectly view the diuine nature: Seeing the image, hee may alſo the prototypon: ſeeing himſelfe, hee may aſcend by contemplation vntounto God: for ſeeing his owne ſoule, he ought to conceiue it as the image of God; and whatſoeuer perfection or ſhade of perfection he findeth in himſelfe, that doubtleſſe hee ought and may conceiue to bee in God, though in a more infinite degree of perfection. The ſoule vnderſtandeth, God infinitely more; the ſoule freely diſpoſeth, willeth, and determineth, much more God: the ſoule is capable of the diuine vertue, wiſedome and grace, God is euen vertue, wiſdome and grace it ſelfe, yea that infinite ocean of graces and gifts, from whence all other graces and gifts doe proceed: according to that of Iames chap. 1. verſ. 17. EueryEvery good giuing and eueryevery perfect gift is from aboue, deſcending from the Father of lights.