A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 7
CHAP. 7.
Of the Creation of Man.
Wherein note
Generally, of the image of God, and therein the
Parts,
Inward.
Outward.
Effect.
More ſpecially the Creation of the
Man, his
Body.
Soule.
Woman, the
Ende
of her Creation.
Manner
GENES. Chap. 1. verſ. 26. 27.
26. And God ſaid, Let vsus make man in our Image, after our likeneſſe: and let them hauehave dominion ouer the fiſh of the ſea, and ouer the foule of the aire, and ouer the cattell, and ouer all the earth, and ouer eueryevery creeping thing, that creepeth vponupon the earth.
27. So God created man in his owne Image, in the Image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
GENES. chap. 2. verſ. 7. and verſ. 18. to the end.
7. And the Lord God formed man of the duſt of the ground, and breathed into his noſtrils the breath of life; and man became a liuing ſoule.
18. And the Lord God ſaid, It is not good that the man ſhould be alone: I will make him an helpe meet for him.
19. And out of the ground the Lord God formed eueryevery beaſt of the field, and eueryevery foule of the aire, and brought them vntounto Adam, to ſee what he would call them: and whatſoeuer Adam called eueryevery liuing creature, that was the name thereof.
20. And Adam gaue names to all cattell, and to the foule of the aire, and to eueryevery beaſt of the field; but for Adam there was not found an helpe meet for him.
21. And the Lord God cauſed a deepe ſleepe to fall vponupon Adam, and he ſlept: and he tooke one of his ribs, and cloſed vp the fleſh in ſtead thereof.
22. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her vntounto the man.
23. And Adam ſaid, This is now bone of my bones, and fleſh of my fleſh: ſhe ſhall be called woman, becauſe ſhee was taken out of man.
24. Therefore ſhall a man leaue his father and his mother, and ſhall cleaue vntounto his wife: and they ſhall be one fleſh.
25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not aſhamed.
Q. VVHat was made the ſixth day?
A. Man in both ſexes, that is, both man and woman.
Q. Why was he made last of all?
A. Firſt, becauſe he is the end, for whoſe vſe vnreaſonable creatures were made; and therefore that he might glorifie God for all. Secondly, for that hee would hauehave him firſt prouided for, ere hee brought him into the world; whereby wee may gather, that if he had ſuch care of man before hee was made; much more will he care for him being created.
Q. What is to be obſerued in his Creation?
A. That heere, in regard of the excellencie of the worke, God is brought in (as it were) deliberating Gen. 1. 26.with himſelfe, the Father with the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt, and they with him: for where the other creatures were made ſuddenly, man was (as wee ſhall ſee) not ſo, but with ſome ſpace of time. Hitherto alſo belongeth, that the holy Ghoſt ſtandeth longer vponupon his Creation, then vponupon the reſt.
Q. What learne you from thence?
A. That wee ſhould marke ſo much the more, the wiſedome and power of God in the Creation of him, thereby to imitate God, in vſing moſt diligence about thoſe things which are moſt excellent.
Q. Wherein doth his excellency ſtand?
A. In the perfection of his nature, indued with excellent gifts, which is called the Image of God.
Q. Wherein doth that Image conſist?
A. In that which is inward, and that which is outward.
Q. Wherein ſtandeth that part of the Image of God, that is inward?
A. Firſt, in knowledge of all duties, either concerning Coloſſ. 3. 10.God, his neighbour, or himſelfe; vntounto which knowledge may be referred wiſedome, to vſe knowledge, to diſcerne when, where, and how eueryevery thing ſhould be done; conſcience to accuſe or excuſe, as his doings ſhould be good or euill: memorie to retaine; prouidence to foreſee what is good, to doe it; what is euill, to auoid it. Reaſon to diſcuſſe of the lawfulneſſe or vnlawfulneſſe of eueryevery particular action of a mans owne ſelfe. Hitherto referre the knowledge of the natures of the creatures, whereby hee was able to name them according to their nature.
Secondly, in holineſſe of mind and will: whereof it is that God ſaith, Be ye holy, as I am holy.
Thirdly, in Iuſtice, or vprightneſſe of deſires and affections.
Q. So much of the inward gifts, what is the outward Image of God?
A. That God ſet ſuch a grace and maieſty in the perſon, eſpecially in the face of man, as all the creatures could not looke vponupon, without feare and trembling: as appeareth, when they all came before man to receiue their names. From all which both inward and outward, riſeth the dominion that God gaue him ouer all the creatures, of which dominion, the authority to name them was a ſigne.
Q. Hauing heard before of Gods counſell and deliberation touching the making of man in that excellencie, as wee hauehave heard; let vsus now conſider of the execution of that counſell. And therein firſt of the Creation of the Man, and then of the woman; therefore I aske you, when was man made?
A. The ſixth day, howſoeuer the ſtory of his creation more at large, is placed after the Lords reſt in the ſeuenth day.
Q. VVhat parts doth he conſiſt of?
A. Of two parts: of a body and of a ſoule.
Q. VVhereof was his body made?
A. Of the very duſt of the earth: in which reſpect the worke of God in making him, is ſet forth by a ſimilitude of the Potter, which of the clay maketh his pots.Rom. 9. 21.
Q. VVhat learne you from hence?
A. That ſeeing it pleaſed God to make mans body Gen. 18. 27. Ier. 22. 29.(more principally) of the baſeſt Element, that therby hee would giuegive man to vnderſtand, of what baſe matter his body was framed, that ſo hee might hauehave occaſion to bee lowly, and humble in his owne ſight, according as the Scripture it ſelfe directeth vsus to this inſtruction.
Q. VVhat elſe learne you?
A. The abſolute authority that God hath ouer man, Rom. 9. 21.as the Potter hath ouer his pots, and much more.
Q. How was the ſoule made?
A. His ſoule was made a ſpirituall ſubſtance, which Gen. 2. 7. Mal. 2. 15.God breathed into that frame of the earth, to giuegive it a life, and ſuch a life, as had the excellency before ſpoken of.
Q. VVhy is it ſaid, that God breathed into his face the breath of life?
A. Becauſe hee made it immediately, not of any of the Elements, as he did all other creatures: that being a thing free from compoſition, it might be immortall, and free from the corruption, decay, and death, that all earthly creatures are ſubiect vntounto. And therefore as it had life in it ſelfe, when it was ioyned to the body, ſo it retaineth life, when it is ſeparated from the body.
Q. Hitherto of the Creation of the Man; now followeth the Creation of the woman: How doth God ſay, It is not good for man to be alone?
A. When hee ſaith, It is not good for man that hee ſhould be alone, he meaneth, that it is not conuenient and comfortable.
Q. VVhat is meant by theſe words, as before him, verſ. 18.
A. That ſhee ſhould bee like vntounto him, and of the ſame forme for the perfection of nature, and gifts inward and outward.
Q. VVhat is the end, why ſhe was made?
A. To be a helpe vntounto man.
Q. Wherein?
A. In the things of this life, and of the life to come.
Q. How in the things of this life?
A. By continuall ſociety, 1. Pet. 3. 7. and for the procreation of children, Gen. 1. 28.
Q. How for the life to come?
A. Shee is to bee a companion with him in the ſeruice of God, 1. Pet. 3. 7. And a remedie to him againſt ſinne; though this latter was not from the beginning, but ſince the fall, 1. Cor. 7. 2.
Q. VVhat reaſon is brought to proue, that God was to make a woman for a helpe vntounto man?
A. Becauſe (as in eueryevery other kind) the male had his female to helpe him: ſo it was moſt conuenient for Adam to hauehave a helpe of his owne nature, for the propagation of mankind.
Q. What learne you from thence, that the Lord would hauehave Adam ſee and conſider, that in eueryevery other kind of creature, there was male, and female: ſo raiſing in him a deſire to hauehave a helper alſo in his kind and nature?
A. To teach vsus, that ere we enter into marriage, we ſhould hauehave feeling of our owne infirmity, and neede of a wife: whereby that benefit may become more ſweet, and we more thankfull vntounto God.
Q. VVhat elſe?
A. That it is a peruerſe thing to louelove any creature ſo well as mankind; againſt thoſe men, that make more of their horſes, and hounds, then of their wiues; and againſt thoſe women, which make more of a monkey, or of a parot, or of a ſpaniell, then of their husbands.
Q. VVhat note you of that, that when Adam was aſleep, his wife was made?
A. That the Lord is the giuer of the wife: And that Prou. 19. 14.beſides our prayers to God for one, and other dutifull meanes, the care is to be laid vponupon the Lord, and vponupon our parents, which vnderunder God, are to direct vsus therin.
Q. VVhy did the Lord make the woman of the man?
A. To note the neare coniunction that ſhould bee Epheſ. 5. 28. 29. 1. Cor. 11. 8. 9. 1. Tim. 2. 13.betweene them; and alſo the preheminence of the man aboue the woman, as the Apoſtle obſerueth hereupon.
Q. Wherefore doth God bring the woman?
A. To note, that how fit ſoeuer a woman be; yet ſhee ſhould not bee receiued to wife, vntill God giuegive her; and when he giueth her by the ordinance he hath appointed, that then he ſhould receiue her.
Q. What learne you of that, that Adam gaue her a name?
A. Her ſubiection to man.
Q. Whereof dependeth this, that a man ſhall leaue father and mother, and cleaue to his wife?
A. Of this, that ſhe was fleſh of his fleſh, and bone of his bone, and that God did giuegive her vntounto man, and he accepted her.