A Treatise of Paradise, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Whether the dominion ouer all other liuing creatures was giuen vntounto man, and what manner of power that was.
AS nothing doth more declare the louelove of God towards man in this life, then that hee made him Lord and ruler ouer all his creatures: ſo nothing doth more declare the excellencie of mans nature, eſpecially in the eſtate of his innocencie, then that he had power and dominion ouer all creatures, the which as they were made for his ſeruice, ſo were they alwayes ready at his becke in due obedience. No Lion ſo terrible, no Elephant ſo mighty, no Tiger ſo fierce, no Fowle ſo rauening, no Whale ſo monſtrous, no not any creature ſo indomite, but that it was ſubiect vntounto mans dominion, while man was ſubiect to his, Lord and Maker. So God commanded, nature obeyed, (though now in ſome ſort that be contrary to nature) yea, all creatures did concurre vntounto this ſubiection, while man was ſubiect vntounto his Creator, who cloathed him (as the Preacher ſpeaketh) with ſtrength, and made him according to his owne image: yea made all fleſh to feare him, ſo that hee had dominion ouer the beaſts and fowles. Or as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh,Pſal 8. v. 5. 6. 7. he made him a little lower then himſelfe, crowned him with glory, and made him to hauehave dominion ouer the workes of his hands: and finally put all things vnderunder mans feet: all ſheepe and oxen, yea and the beaſts of the field, the fowles of the aire, the fiſh of the ſea, and ouer all things which paſſe thorow the paths of the ſeas. And hence it was, that Adam as Lord of all gaue names vntounto all creatures, and Eue though by nature timorous and fearfull, was not in any wiſe daunted at the preſence and ſpeech of the Serpent.
So that as we partly finde as yet by experience, and was much more in that happy ſtate of Paradiſe, all creatures ſhould hauehave beene ſubiect to man, while man was not diſobedient to God: yea as all inferiour creatures are ſubiect to their ſuperiour, according to their nature, order, perfection, and Gods decree, the imperfect to the more perfect, the matter for the formes, the corporall for the ſpirituall, the accidents for the ſubſtances, the elements for the mixts, yea euen the heauens, ſtarres, and planets for man, man only for God, as ſubiect only to God, while he did not infringe this ſacred order and chaine, where by him all things were to be reduced and linked to God.
Furthermore, this power and dominion of man ouer all other liuing creatures, proceeding from the excellencie of his nature, did remaine in him euen after his ſinne, though not in the ſame act, or actuall exerciſe of his power and dominion. For albeit whatſoeuer was due vntounto nature, was blemiſhed, defaced, and corrupted by ſinne; yet nothing ſubſtantially belonging vntounto nature, or neceſſarily conſequent vntounto the ſame, was wholly taken away. Wherefore this diuine image of God being engrauen in mans nature, mans nature remaining after ſinne, the ſame image of God muſt needs remaine, at leaſt way as much as was due vntounto nature, or not aboue the ſpheare of nature; and conſequently the aforeſaid dominion muſt alſo continue, as hauing his beginning from this image: it muſt (I ſay) continue (as the Philoſopher ſpeaketh) non actu, ſed potentia, not alwayes according to the exerciſe of the act in all particulars, but according to the extent of the power in generall, as may be manifeſtly proued out of the 9. of Geneſis: Gen. 9. v. 2.The feare of you and the dread of you ſhall be vponupon eueryevery beaſt of the earth, and vponupon eueryevery fowle of the heauen, vponupon all that moueth on the earth, and vponupon all the fiſhes of the ſea; vntounto your hand are they deliuered. Thus God ſaid to Noe after the generall deluge, and conſequently this dominion ouer all creatures doth remaine euen after ſinne.