The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 1 · Subpart 4
OF THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN.
The chiefe queſtions hereof are, 1. What the image of God in man is. 2. How farre forth it is loſt, and how farre it remaineth. 3. How it is repaired in man. 4. How it is in Chriſt, and how in vsus.
1 What the image of God in man is.
The image of god to be conſidered not in the body, but in the ſoule.SEing god is not corporeal, neither hath a body: we muſt conſider this image, not in the body, but in the ſoule of man: and becauſe it is very much darckened, and almoſt blotted out by ſinne, wee muſt iudge of it not by that ſtate, in which men began to be after ſinne was committed, but by the repairing, which commeth by Chriſt, that is, by the nature of man regenerated. And to conclude, whereas there is but a ſmall beginning of regeneration in this life, we ſhall at length in the euerlaſting life and glorie behold and vnderſtand perfitely the image of God wholy reſtored ſhining in vsus.
It is not to be ſought onelyonly in the ſubſtaunce, but chieflie in the qualities and giftes of the ſoule.Further, that wee are not to ſeeke the image of God in the ſubſtaunce alone of the ſoule, but chieflie in the vertues and giftes, with which it was adorned of God in the creation; it is euen thereby manifeſt, for that the nature and ſubſtaunce of the ſoule remaineth euen in the vnregenerate, but the image of God for the moſt part is loſt: yet notwithſtanding, becauſe the ſoule is an vnderſtanding ſpirite, the more excellent ſpirite, the more excellent part of mans ſubſtance, ſeparable from the body, immortal, the beginning and cauſe of life, and mouing in a liuing body: wee muſt confeſſe that the nature thereof, though vnregenerat, is ſome ſhadow of that Diuinitie. But the image of God (ſeeing the ſubſtance as of ſpiritual natures in generall, ſo of the minde of man is vnknowne to vsus in the miſt and darkenes of this life) is to be conſidered in thoſe faculties and operations, in which wee ſee man to excell other creatures, and know him by the word & works of God, to bee agreeable and conformed vntounto God. Theſe faculties are eſpecially two: The vnderſtanding, and will: The inward ſenſes are adioined to the vnderſtanding, and the affections to the will.
The image of God in man, The deſcription of the image of God.is a vertue knowing aright the nature, will, and workes of God; and a will freelie obeying God, and a correſpondence of all the inclinations, deſires, actions, with the will of God: and in a word, a ſpiritual and vnchangeable puritie of the ſoule, and the whole man, perfect bleſſednes & ioy reſting in God, and the dignitie of man, and maieſtie, whereby hee excelleth and ruleth other creatures. Or, The image of God in man is, 1. The ſoule it ſelfe together with the faculties thereof, endewed with reaſon and will. 2. In the ſoule, wiſedome, and knowledge of God, his will, and workes: euen ſuch as god requireth of vsus. 3. A conformity with the lawe of god, or holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, vnderunder which wee comprehende the heart, and all affections. 4. Felicitie without miſerie and corruption; perfect bleſſedneſſe, ioie, aboundance of all good thinges, and glorie, wherewith the nature of man was adorned. 5. The rule and dominion of man ouer the creatures, as fiſhes, foules, and other liuing creatures. In all theſe thinges the creature after ſome ſort reſembleth his creator: yet can he by no meanes be equalled vntounto his Creator. For in God all thinges are immenſe and without meaſure, and euen his eſſence infinite.Epheſ. 4.24. The Apoſtle Paul putteth Righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, as the chiefe partes of this image: which yet doe not exclude but preſuppoſe wiſedome, and knowledge. For no man can worſhip God vnknowen. But neither doth Paul exclude perfect bleſſednes & glorie: for this according to the order of Gods iuſtice, is neceſſarily coupled with perfect holineſſe, or conformitie with God. Whereupon it foloweth, that where true righteouſneſſe and holineſſe is, there is the abſence of all euils, whether of crime and offence, or of paine and puniſhment. Righteouſneſſe and holineſſe in this text of the Apoſtle may be taken for one and the ſame, or diſtinguiſhed So that Righteouſneſſe may be meant of the actions, and Holineſſe of the qualities. Righteouſneſie, that is, a conformitie and congruitie of the will and heart with the minde iudging aright, that is, according to the word of God.
1. Cor. 15.47.The firſt man was of the earth earthlie; the ſecond man the Lord from heauen. As the earthlie was, ſuch are they that are earthlie: and as is the heauenlie, ſuch are they alſo that are heauenlie. And as wee hauehave borne the image of the earthlie, ſo ſhall wee beare the Image of the heauenlie. The Apoſtle doth not here take away the image of the heauenlie man from Adam when he as yet ſtoode; but compareth his nature & eſtate aſwell before as after his fall, with that heauenlie glorie, into which wee are reſtored by Chriſt, that is not onelyonly the nature of man corrupted through ſin by death, but the degree of the image of God in mans nature before the fall, & before glorification, with that which foloweth his glorification.
2 How far forth the image of god was loſt, and how farre it remaineth.
The remnants of the image of god.THe image of god in man was not wholy loſt, but for the greateſt part. For there remaineth in all as well the vnregenerate, as regenerate, 1. The incorporeall ſubſtance of the ſoule together with the power thereof: likewiſe libertie in his will, which whatſoeuer it will, it will freely. 2. Manie motions, as of thoſe things which we know by ſenſe, as are naturall principles; ſome motions alſo of god, his will, and workes. 3. Some prints of vertues, and an ablenes concerning outwarde Diſcipline and behauiour. 4. The fruition of manie good thinges. 5. The Dominion alſo ouer the creatures is not wholy loſt. He is able to rule many and to vſe them.
Why God preſerueth theſe remnants in vsus.Theſe remnants are therefore preſerued of god. 1. That they might be a teſtimonie of the bountie of god towards thoſe who were vnworthie of it. 2. That god might vſe them to the reſtoring of his image in man. 3. That he may leaue the reprobate without excuſe. Now the image of god remaineth not. 1.What is loſt of the image of God in vsus. In reſpect of the true, ſauing, & ſufficient knowledge of god & his will. 2. The integritie & perfectiō of the knowledge of gods workes, & a dexterity of diſcerning the truth. 3. Rightnes, & cōformitie of al inlinations, deſires, and actions in our will, hart and outward parts: by the loſse whereof enſue actuall ſinnes, and merite eternal damnation. 4. Whole and perfect dominion ouer the creatures. For thoſe beaſtes which feared man before, now aſſault him; his enemies are hurtfull vntounto him, and doe not obey him. The fieldes bring forth thornes and thiſtles. 5. The right and intereſt of vſing theſe creatures was loſt, becauſe hee graunted it to vsus his children, not to his enimies. 6. Life euerlaſting was loſt, and in place thereof is come death both temporal and eternal, with calamities of all ſortes: that is, we loſt the felicity and happines both of this life and of the life to come.
Obiection. The Heathen hauehave many great vertues, and atchieue great workes. Therefore it is not true, that the image of god is loſt in them. Anſwere. All theſe workes are not pleaſing to god, becauſe they proceed not from the true knowledge of god, neither are wrought to that end, that all the glorie may redound to god. Thoſe their vertues, are onelyonly of outward behauiour & diſcipline, but not from the hart, thereby to obey god, whom they flie, and to whoſe glorie they can doe nothing.
3. How the Image of god is repaired in vsus.
THe repairing of it is wrought by god alone, The repairing of the image of god in vsus is the work of all three perſons.who gaue it vntounto men: For in whoſe power it is to giuegive life, in his alſo it is to reſtore it being loſt. The maner of reſtoring it is this. 1. The Father reſtoreth it by his Son. 2. The Son by the holy Ghoſt immediately regenerating vsus. We are changed into the ſame image, 1. Cor. 3.18.from glorie to glorie, as by the ſpirite of the Lord. 3. The holy ghoſt reſtoreth it by the word: the goſpel is the power of god vntounto ſaluation. 4. This is ſo done by god, Rom. 1.16.as that in this life it is onelyonly begunne in the choſen, and then is confirmed and augmented vntounto the end of their life, & is made perfect in the end of this life, as cō cerning the Soule, but as concerning the whole man, at the reſurrectiō of the bodies. Wherefore it is to be obſerued, who is the author, & what the order and maner of this repairing.
How the Image of God is in Chriſt, and how in vsus.
Chriſt both eſſentiallie the image of the father according to his Diuinitie, and according to his humanitie a created image of God, though in far more excellencie than Saints and Angels.NOw if it be obiected, that this honor is proper vntounto Chriſt to be the image of god, Coloſſ. 1. and Hebr. 1. it is well knowen that Chriſt is after an other ſort the image of god, than other men. For hee is in reſpect of his Diuinitie the image not of himſelfe, neither of the holy Ghoſt, but of his eternall father, coeternal, and conſubſtantiall, and coequall with his Father, in eſſence, eſſential properties, and workes, and is that perſon, by which the Father doth immediatly reueal himſelfe in creating and preſeruing all thinges, but chiefly in ſauing the elect. Secondly, In reſpect of his humane nature, he is the image of God, & that of the whole Trinitie, becauſe the three perſons together beſtowed on Chriſts humanity theſe giftes, properties, & maieſtie, which are the image of God. Now albeit this image of God is created & finite, not immenſe: yet doth hee by many degrees, and in number of gifts, as in wiſedome, righteouſnes, power, glorie, far excell al Angels, & men: & after a peculiar maner reſembleth the fathers nature and wil vntounto vsus, in doctrine, vertues, & actions, becauſe as the human nature which he took vntounto him, ſo all the properties & actions thereof, are proper vntounto the Subſtantiall & coeternall word of the eternall father. Iohn. 14. Philip, hee that hath ſeene me, hath ſeene my father. Beleeueſt thou not that I am in the father, & the father in mee? The wordes that I ſpeake vntounto you, I ſpeake not of my ſelfe; but the father that dwelleth in me, he doth the workes. Angels & holy men are termed the image of god as wel in reſpect of the ſon & the holy ghoſt, as of the eternal father: as it is ſaid, Let vsus make man in our image according to our likenes: & that not for the likenes or identity of eſſence, or ſome equality: but for the agreeing of ſome properties, not in degree or eſſence, but in kind & imitation which are eſſential & infinit in god, but in the creatures finite & accidental, that is, qualities & motions framed in thē by god to repreſent in ſome ſort his nature.
They alſo, who, as in time paſt the Anthropomorphitae, will hauehave the image of god to be the forme of mans body; Adam not the image of God according to his bodie, but according to his ſoule.ſay that whole Adam was made to the image of God; and therefore according to his body alſo. But they perceiue not the vſual maner of ſpeaking of a perſon compoſed of diuers natures, which is called The communicating of properties, when that is communicated to the whole perſon in the concrete, which is onelyonly proper to one of the natures; as in the ſame place: Adam was made a liuing ſoule. Now as the ſcripture mentioneth the nature of the ſoule, ſo alſo doth it mention ſuch an Image of God, as agreeth not vntounto the bodie.
Again they obiect. Chriſt is the image of god. The faithfull not in al thinges like vntounto the diuinitie in which they are like Chriſt: becauſe Chriſt himſelfe in his body was not like vntounto God, but vntounto man.But the faithfull beare in their bodie the Image of Chriſt, Heb. 2. & 4. Philip. 4. Therefore the body alſo is the image of Chriſt. There are 4. terms in this Syllogiſm: becauſe chriſt is not in his body, but in his Diuinity the image of his father: & in ſoul or in the gifts or properties thereof, & actions, he is the image of the whole Diuinity or godhead. Wherefore the image of god is in the faithful the ſame which the image of god is in Chriſt: neither are they in all thinges like vntounto the godhead, in which they are like Chriſt: becauſe there is ſomewhat in Chriſt beſides his Diuinity, & the image of the Diuinity which is in the ſoul, that is, his body, which hath an affinity not with the diuine nature, but with the nature of our bodies. Again they ſay: The frame of mans body is made with admirable ſkil & cunning: wherefore there ſhineth in it & is beheld as in an image the wiſedom of the creator. But it foloweth not hereof that the body is the image of god. For ſo ſhould al things be made to the image of god, ſeing that in al gods works, his power, wiſedome & goodnes doe appeare, which yet the ſcripture doth not permit: which ſetteth out onelyonly the reaſonable creatures with this title & commendation; & placeth the image of god in thoſe things, which belong not to the body but to the ſoul. Here alſo queſtion is made concerning the place of the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 11. Man is the image & glory of god; How man is ſaid of S. Paul to be the image of god, and not the woman.but the woman is the glory of the man: where Paul ſeemeth to attribute the image of god onelyonly to man, and to take it away from the woman. But the Apoſtle meaneth, that man only is the image of god, not in reſpect of his nature, being partaker of diuine wiſedome, righteouſnes, & ioy; neither in reſpect of his dominiō ouer other creatures: for theſe are common to man & woman: but in reſpect of ciuil, domeſtical, & eccleſiaſticall order,Gen. 3.1. Cor. 14. 1. Tim. 2. in which he wil hauehave the publick gouernmēt & adminiſtratiō to belong vntounto the man, not to the womā.
Queſt. Seing that mā was made to the image of God, it is demanded, whence came this ſtate in which now we ſee all things contrary? Anſ. From the ſinne of our firſt Parents.