The Portraiture of the Image of God in Man, Part 1 · Chapter 10 – Chapter 11
CHAP. X. Of the Image of God in Man.
MAn in his Creation was made in holineſſe, Prop. to the Image of God, and to beare rule over the reſt of the viſible creatures.
God hath an eſſentiall Image, Illuſt. 1 and a perſonall Image; his eſſentiall Image is holineſſe and righteouſnes, common to all the three perſons; his perſonall Image, is Ieſus Chriſt: When Man is ſaid to be made to the Image of God, Duplex imago, eſſentialis, & perſenalis.hee is to be underſtood to be made according to the eſſentiall Image, and not to his Perſonall Image: for if it were meant of his Perſonall Image, then as Auguſtine markes well, he would have ſaid, Let us make Man to my Image and not to our Image; But Man being reſtored to the Image of God againe, is reſtored both to the eſſentiall Image, and is confirmed to the Image of his Sonne Chriſt Ieſus, Rom. 8. Thoſe whom he foreknew, he predeſtinated to be made like to the Image of his Sonne.
The ſimilitude of one thing is found in another two manner of wayes. Firſt, Illuſt. 2 Duplex eſt ſimilitudo, ſecundum naturam & in cognitione.when one thing is like to another in nature; as when the fire burnes the wood, the heate in the wood is like in eſſence with the heate in the fire. Secondly, one thing is like to another in knowledge and underſtanding, as when we feele or ſee the fire burning. Now the goodnes of God is communicated to his creatures, not onelyonly by the giving them being, but alſo in giving them holy knowledge in ſome meaſure like unto himſelfe, & in this principally conſiſts the image of God.
There is a twofold ſimilitude; the firſt is naturall, Illuſt. 3 the ſecond by repreſentation; Duplex eſt ſimilitudo, naturalis, & repraeſen ativ…. Duplex eſt ſimilitudo naturalis perfecta aut imperfecta ſeu analogica.the naturall ſimilitude is when one thing is like to another by nature, as one egge is like another: and this is twofold; eyther perfect or imperfect; perfect as betwixt theſe things that are of the ſame kind, as the Sonne is the perfect Image of the Father, 2 Cor. 4.4. Imperfect is that which is ſomewhat like in nature, & by way of Analogie to that which is perfect, as created wiſedome in Man hath ſome Analogie with the increated wiſedome in God, Coloſſ. Duplex ſimilitudo, repraeſentativa, objectiva, & formalis.3.10. A ſimilitude by repreſentation, is when things are repreſented to the minde, and this repreſentation is eyther objective or formall. Objective when one maketh a ſimilitude, according to the patterne which he hath before his eyes; and this is ſeene in artificiall things, as when Ahaz, 2 King. 16. made an Altar, according to the patterne of the Altar which hee ſaw at Damaſcus. A formall repreſentation of a ſimilitude is, when the minde formes the ſimilitude of a thing; and this kinde of ſimilitude in the minde, is more abſtractive and perfect then the former; and the objective dependeth upon this, for every externall repreſentation, proceeds from a formall and inward repreſentation in the minde, as when they made the golden Calfe, Exod. 32. Firſt, they carried the formall repreſentation of this Calfe with them out of Egypt; and they made the objective ſimilitude of it in the wilderneſſe. So when Moſes received the patterne of the Tabernacle from God on the mount hee kept the formall repreſentation of it in his minde: but when hee erected it and ſet it up according to the patterne, Exod. 39.42. this was the objective repreſentation. Now when it is ſayd, that man was made according to the Image of God, Gen. 2. It is not to bee underſtood that hee was made according to the perfect Image of God, for Chriſt is onelyonly the perfect naturall Image of the Father, Heb. 1. but he was made to his Image by way of Analogie, not expreſſing his Image fully and naturally. Man was not made to the Image of God objective, becauſe God had no patterne without himſelfe to make him by; he was made to the Image of God formally, when hee was made to the exemplar that was in the minde of God.
A ſimilitude differeth much from an Image. Prop.
An egge is like to another egge, Illuſt. 1 yet it is not the image of another egge; for the one is not of the other, neither can wee know in particular this egge from that egge: Vt aliquid fit imago rei tria requiruntur, 1. ut ſit ſimile, 1. ut procedat inde aut naturaliter aut artificialiter.for that which is the Image of a thing; firſt, it muſt bee like it; ſecondly, it muſt bee from it, either naturally, as the reflex of the countenance in the glaſſe; or artificially, as the ſeale in the waxe from the ſeale it ſelfe. When it is the image of a thing made by Art, 3. ut illud ipſum ad vivum repreſentet. In imagine ſunt exemplar & exemplatum, 2. naturaliter repreſ…ntat, 3. particulariter.it repreſenteth not the thing artificially, but naturally; for the image of Caeſar is not ex inſtituto, the image of Caeſar, at the appointment or pleaſure of the Painter; for then any ſigne which the Painter ſhould make; ſhould bee the image of Caeſar; but Art muſt imitate nature as neare as ſhee can: ſo that the image is the image in ſo farre, as it naturally repreſents. Thirdly, it muſt repreſent in particular the thing it ſelfe.
There are foure wayes to take up the Image of God in man. Firſt, we know a man in veſtigio, Illuſt. 2 Quatuor modis, deum cognoſcimus, 1 In veſtigio 2. in umbra, 3. in ſpeculo, 4. in filio.by the print of his foote; Secondly, we know him, in umbra, by his ſhadow; Thirdly, wee know, in ſpeculo, in a glaſſe; Fourthly, wee know him, in filio, in his Sonne. Wee know a man in veſtigio, by the print of his foote, Speciem hic cognoſcimus ſed non individuum. Wee know that a man hath beene there and not a beaſt, but wee know not this or that man by the print of the foote. Wee know a man, in umbra, by his ſhadow; here we take up ſomewhat more of man then hee did by the print of his foote, as wee know it is the ſhadow of a man, and beſides this, his qualitie how tall hee is, but wee know not in particular by the ſhadow this or that man. The creatures they are but the ſhadow of God, they demonſtrate to us that there is a God, and they ſhew to us his greatneſſe and power but no more. Wee know a man in ſpeculo, in a glaſſe, when wee ſee the image of his face in a glaſſe, here wee diſcerne and know him more particularly. Man in his firſt Creation was like to this image: When wee ſee a mans ſonne that is begotten of his Father, that is the moſt lively repreſentation of a man, when he preſents his perſon, manners and all, and ſo Chriſt is the perſonall and naturall image of the Father: and man renewed, is the image of Chriſt.
Man was made in holineſſe to the Image of God; Conſeq. 1 therefore the Anthropomorphitae (who thought man was made to the Image of God according to his Body, Epith. haereſ. 70.thinking that God had had alſo a Body) were in a groſſe error; for when as in the Scripture there are feete, hands, and eyes, attributed to God, it is but by way of metaphore or borrowed ſpeech; otherwayes as Theodoret marketh well, we ſhould bee forced to aſcribe a monſtrous body to God becauſe hee is ſaid to have wings, to have pennes, Pſal. 18. and to have ſeaven eyes, Zach. 4.
The Image of God is not properly in the body but by reflex, Conſeq. 2 Hieron. Oleaſter. in Gen. 1.therefore theſe alſo are miſtaken who thinke that God in the Creation tooke upon him the viſible ſhape of a Man, and according to that ſhape made Man, for man was made according to the image of God in the Soule, and not according to the ſhape of his Body.
Theſe who thinke that man was made to the image of God (that is, Conſeq. 3 according to the humane nature of Chriſt which he was to aſſume of the Virgin Mary) erre alſo, for God ſaith not, Let us make man to thy Image, but, to our Image. Secondly the Sonne of God according to his humane nature, is ſaid rather to be made according to the likeneſſe of other men, Phil. 2.7. It is true that by grace theſe whom he foreknew he prediſtinate to be like the Image of his Sonne, Rom. 8.
Adam when hee was made to the Image of God in his firſt Creation, A collation betvvixt the innocent, old, and renued Adam.was like to the Moone in the full; Man fallen, before regeneration is like the Moone in the conjunction, altogether obſcured by the Sunne, the Image of God then is defaced and blotted out in man by ſinne: the image of God in Man reſtored, is like the Moone waxing and growing by degrees till ſhee come to her perfection. But as in every ſimilitude there is ſome diſſimilitude, ſo it is here, for when the Moone is in the conjunction ſhee is neareſt to the Sunne, her light and life, and is more illuminate by his beames, than in the oppoſition, although it ſeeme not ſo to us; and therefore the Church is well compared in her perfection, to the Moone in her conjunction. Againe, the diſſimilitude would be marked, becauſe the Moone in her fulneſſe is in oppoſition, furtheſt from the Sunne; but the Church in her Plenilunio of grace, ſhee is neareſt the Sunne of righteouſneſſe. The Moone in her conjunction is neareſt to the Sunne; but the Church in her conjunction being darkened by ſinne, is fartheſt from her Spouſe the Sonne of righteouſneſſe.
The firſt Adam was made a living Soule, A collation betwixt the Innocent and ſecond Adam.but the ſecond Adam was made a quickning ſpirit, 1 Cor. 15. that is, the firſt Adam in his Creation could have begotten children to his owne image, in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe; but could not have given them perſeverance, and continuance in grace; but the ſecond Adam, that quickning ſpirit; as hee begets children to his owne image, ſo he gives them perſeverance in grace, that they fall not away againe.
Of this we may gather, if Adam had not ſinned, Conſequence. his children might have ſinned; for his poſterity by generation, could have gotten nothing from him, but that which hee had himſelfe: but Adam had not this gift of confirmation to continue; therefore he could not propagate this to his children, Effectus non poteſt eſſe perfectior cauſa, For the effect cannot be more perfect than the cauſe.
The Image of God conſiſted in perfect holineſſe and knowledge. Prop.
Man was not to grow in holineſſe, as he was to grow in knowledge; for hee was fully holy, Illuſt. and had all the perfection of it, which was requiſite in a Man.A collation betwixt the innocent, ſecond, and renewed Adam.
The firſt, Adam was holy, foreign, fully; but not foreign, hee had not the gift of confirmation in holineſſe, to make him continue to the end. Ieſus Chriſt the ſecond Adam was holy foreign, hee was full of grace and holineſſe, and could not fall from his holineſſe: but the renewed Adam is holy, foreign, hee is but renewed in holineſſe in part, and through Chriſt hee cannot fall from his holineſſe.
CHAP. XI. Of the knowledge of Adam in his first creation.
THis Image of God made Adam to have perfect knowledge both of God and his creatures. Prop.
There is a perfection in parts, Illuſt. 1 and a perfection in degrees: hee had all perfection in parts of knowledge before his fall, but hee had not then attained to the perfection of degrees in his knowledge, becauſe he was not confirmed in grace.
His knowledge was obſcure, Illuſt. 2 comparing it with the light which ſhould afterward have beene revealed to him; for theſe principles of knowledge which he had; were both common and imperfect: if they had beene ſingular, they had not beene principles but concluſions; if they had beene cleare, they had not beene principles but meanes.
The Image of God in Adam was either inward or outward, his inward Image was either in his underſtanding, will, and affections or paſſions. His outward Image was in his dominion over the creatures (ſpoken of in the ſecond part.) In his underſtanding conſiſted his knowledge.
Adam had knowledge both of God, and of his creatures; his knowledge of God was either his inbred knowledge which was naturall, or his acquired knowledge, by the creature; or his revealed knowledge, either of God or of his creatures: of every one of theſe in order, and firſt of Adams inbred knowledge.