money vve saye this is the image of the king or queene But that image hathe not the similitude neither doth it shew the liniaments and proportions In that Moses sayth therfore that man was made after Gods similitude he shevveth that man doth not onely represent god in that he hath reason and vnderstanding but also that he hath suche intelligence and vvill vvhereby he both perfectly knevv god and also had a will to execute gods commaundement Other some there be that saye that gods image resteth in mans substance and the similitude in the accidentes Let euery mā enioy his ovvne cogitations I am of this opiniō that bicause Moses describing this notable vvorke of god somtime vsed one vvord sometime another that both these wordes are vsed for better declaration playnely to expresse one thing This one thing I thinke more conuenient to be considered in the entry of this matter that the image of god in the holy scripture is attributed both to the onely begotten sonne of god Iesus Christ and to godly men his sonnes by adoption But in diuerse consideratiōs It is vvritten of the onely begotten son of god Who is the image of the inuisible god the first begotten before all creatures And in another place Christ is the image of God. In these places Christ is called the image of God in respect of his heauenly father And therfore he sayth Philip he that hath seene me hath seene the father shevving that his father is knovven in and onelye through him Our sauiour Iesus Christ then is the totall and coessentiall image of God his father of lyke maiestie and glory For so he pronounceth of hym selfe saying I and the father am one the Apostle who is the brightnesse of his glory and the image of hys substaunce bearing all thinges vvith the vvorde of his power But vvhen man is named the Image of God it is not ment that he is all one vvith the sonne of God but that he is his Image create Gratuite by grace or adoption muche inferior to the naturall image Iesus Christe And yet it is not to be accōpted any smal prerogatiue that man and Angels seuerally aboue all other creatures haue this title and dignitie giuen vnto them that they haue and beare the similitude and image of the liuing God of the which seconde Image I vvill only write at this present What this Image of God is in man there are diuers opinions amongest the auncient vvriters Theodoretus citeth sundry of them in his questions vppon Genesis First some sayd that the Image of God is that vvhich is inuisible in the soule Secondly some sayd that mannes body is that Image whiche opinion he ascribeth to one Milito Thirdly some sayde that whole man vvas the Image of God because he is placed as it were in the middle betvveene all creatures compact of body and soule Fourthly some affirmed the image of God in man to be nothing els but that power authoritie which he hath ouer al worldly creatures And finally he cōcludeth that this image of god is in the reasonable soule vanderstanding iudging and executing things iustly Saint Augustine sometime taketh this Image of God to be the very substance of the soule minde and wil sometime the qualities of the same Caluine acknowlegeth the image of God moste cleerely to shine in mannes soule and yet to shew it selfe in the whole body and in all powers of the same Luther that excellent writer defineth or rather describeth this image after this maner The image of god after the which Adam was created was a matter most noble excellent For as yet no leprosie of sinne had infected either the minde or will. But all the interior and exterior senses were pure and cleane For the vnderstanding was most pure memorie prompt and ready the will sincere resting in a diuine securitie without pensiue thought or dreadfull feare of death Herevnto was annexed a notable beauty and comelinesse of all the externall members of the body wherein man passed and surmounted all other inferior Creatures And albeit hee vvryteth that the Image of God is in the vvhole manne both in bodye and soule yet he vvas farre asvvell from the Arabyan heresie vvhich vvas Anno Dom. 230. as from the Anthropomorphites and other Monkes of Aegypt who affyrmed this image to be onely in the body because the scripture oftentimes maketh mention of the face eyes eares nose handes and feete of god Whiche phrases the Scripture vndoubtedly vseth onely for our capacitie and better vnderstanding for touching Goddes substance our Sauiour Chryste playnely affyrmeth him to bee a spirite And I knovve that some verye learned Writers haue acquited the Anthropomorphites from suche grosse opinions and that they had a farre other sence in those phrases The reason that maketh many men abhorre yea detest this positiō of Luthers that the image of God in man consisteth both in the body soule is this God is not any corporall substance therfore no part of his image cā be in any corporall substance But we must consider that whole man cōsisting of body soule was fashioned after the Image likenes of god Moreouer the perfection of mans corporal substance the proportion or apt cōueniency therof with the soule which was appoynted to expresse his powers to the organical or external instruments of the body and Immortalitie vvhiche vvas also giuen to this corporal matter did clerly expres represēt some portion of gods image Albeit therfore it can not be denied but that the cheefe principall degrees of this diuine Image is in mans soule as in the most noble and excellent part yet the body so diuinely vnited vnto the soule and indued with such notable ornamentes is not to be defrauded of that which of right ought to be yeelded vnto it So that as those doo offende in excesse that ascribe this image of God to mans body onely so doo they also erre in defect that place it only in the mind For that the holy scripture eftsones repeteth that God made not onely mannes Soule but whole man after his owne similitude and likenes It vvas the vvil and pleasure of almightie God that through this his Image tranfused into man he might both represent and expresse his maker and be obedient vnto him appoynting man as I sayde before to be as a glasse wherin he woulde shine and be seene and as a booke vvherein vvith his ovvne finger he would vvrite his vvisdome Teaching vs in this image vvhat God is to vvitte an eternall and euerlasting minde and what maner of God he is namely vvise and true louing chastistie and iustice of a free povver embracing men vvith a fatherly affection he beeing the creator and they his creatures requiring of vs that our minde and vvill should accorde vvith his vvill and commaundement And this is that vvonderfull vvisdome iustice goodnes and povver of his which his
Ethicke good thinges are elected and euill thinges refused by Logicke vve discerne truth from vntruth by Phisicke vve distinguishe betweene thinges profitable and vnprofitable After this followeth mans vvill vvhiche hathe had a triple ruyne For vvhereas it vvas the propertie of vvill to cleaue faste to vertue and Innocencie and entierly to loue the supreme maiestie through selfewill and pryde it is fallen from heauen to earth and thorough concupiscence of the eyes luste of the fleshe and pride of lyfe dothe nowe loue and embrace vvorldly thinges Nowe vvhat can bee more vnhappie then this fall and ruine of mannes estate vvhereby his memorie â–ª reason and vvill are so pitifully empayred and vvhole man so miserably corrupted â–¿ ¶ The third part of the Anatomie shewing the remnants of Gods Image in man after his fall BECAVSE THE CONsideration of contraries doe moste plainely explicate all thinges therefore I vvill as briefely as I can shevv by collation of Antitheses vvhat is reteyned in mans nature of the image of God For that vve haue susteyned a great losse and an horrible shipwracke of heauenly induments qualities it hath bene plainly and euidently declared As for the Ethnicks and Gentiles they are altogether ignorant of Adams transgression and doe suppose that throughe malicious nature mankinde hath bene subiect to thraldome and miseries euen from the beginning Man hath lost that excellent vvisedome and knovvledge vvhich he had in diuine and spirituall matters Especially touching the essence and vvorshipping of God properly apperteyning to the first table And hath left in him onely certen sparkes and seedes of the same â—â— his hart to wit That there is a God that he is to be worshipped that he is a sincere and iust power rewarding vertue punishing vice Whiche knowledge although it be obscure yet is it a pricke or stinge in the conscience vexing the hart in heynous offences and breeding terrible terrors of Gods wrath indignation Hereof arise those notable sentences of the coÌ„science in the wrytinges of the Heathen This smal knowledge is maruelous obscure in man forlorne is oftentimes euen buried and vtterly blotted out by mans wilfull obstinacie whereof the Phalmist speaketh The foolish body hath sayde in his hart there is no God. And againe All his cogitations are that there is no God God doth not see it Muche like to the Cyclops wherof the Poet maketh mention I force not for the threates of the Goddes Man hath also almoste loste perfecte wisdome in the seconde table that is to say of mundayne worldly things But he hath left vnto him a certen wisdome in externall accions and vertues apperteining to the second table that is to say a power to discerne betweene things honest and vnhonest and to vnderstand the grounds of liberall artes of good lawes of honest accions This knowledge of reason as the Philosophers call it was not altother extinct in mans ruyne For it vvas Gods good pleasure that there shoulde yet be some difference betweene reasonable man and brute beastes And surely they differ in nothing so much as by reason that light vvhich yet in some sort thineth in mans hart conteining a certen rule or paterne of all artes and accions And although the Psalmist seemeth to â–ª take away this difference Man beeing in honor indured not but became like the beastes of the fielde yet wee muste call to minde that similitudes doo holde but in some respecte For in this place man is compared to bruite Beastes because he is no lesse subiect to death then they bee Euen as Sainct Augustine do the vvell expounde it saying he is compared in corruption and not in vvhole nature vnto brute beasts This remnaÌ„t of vvisdome knowlege albeit vnperfect is called the lawe of nature or naturall lawe and is set out by saint Paule with excellent termes and speeches as that it is the doctrine of God the worke of the law written in mans hart Hereof commeth the knowledge of manuarie and liberall sciences so needefull for mans life hence all ciuill lavves haue their origen together with discipline societie betwene man and man the desire of praise the auoyding of dispraise the honor of vertue and the punishment of vices That knowledge which was so notable in our first parentes touching the property of thinges is altogether loste and what so euer we haue we haue it by obseruation and experience For our eyes do behold the course of the planets and reason deuiseth instruments to take the altitude longitude and latitude of theÌ„ Againe with our eyes vve looke vppon herbes but reason searcheth oute the strength vse application And so with our senses vve comprehende liuing creatures But mans industrie by vse and experience vnderstandeth their properties and natures But Adam before his fall was an excellent Diuine an excelleÌ„t Lawyer and an excellent Philosopher Man hath also vtterly lost all sanctity iustice and purity both of body and of soule by meanes of that filthy plague or leprosie which hath inuaded and infected all our substance so that Iob cryed out not without cause Who can make him cleane that is borne of vncleane And saint Paul All men haue sinned And there remaineth but novv in him a certen carnall appetition of iustice comming from the lavve of nature and precepts of maners This is only an externall discipline or honesty of lyfe which is very weake and faint as we al by experience are forced to confesse For novve the malice of our nature doth wonderfully preuaile and hindereth good diuices and endeuours Wherefore in all places of scripture vvhere vve finde iustice attributed vnto the Gentiles We must vnderstand thereby externall iustice or the iustice of the fleshe Man hath lost that fre facultie and power of his strength members in these things which are spirituall and appertayne to the true worshipping of god And besides that his powers or facultie eyther to desire or to deteste thinges carnall and earthly is wonderfully impaired vexed and troubled yea and oftentimes peruerse As Medea rightly saide Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor He hath yet left vnto him some vnderstaÌ„ding in worldly things subiect to reason For if man were without this also he should then differ nothing at al froÌ„ brute beasts and without this no discipline no iudgement nor no punishmeÌ„t could be exercised amoÌ„gst the Infidels And hereof coÌ„meth that distinctioÌ„ betwene things that worke woluntarily naturally and in like maner betvveene things wrought reasonably and brutishly In that therfore maÌ„ somtime coÌ„sulteth and determineth happily in ciuill external things it is a portion of the image of God although most coÌ„monly cernal affections leude perturbations of the mind do carie reason wil quite out of the right way But yet those powers of man hovve feeble or faynt soeuer they be whether they be of the minde of the vvill of
euerlasting paynes and tormentes And this doctrine is setled vppon these groundes or places of scripture Of the Gospell of Iustification of the rewardes of newe obedience of the resurrection and of eternall life The glorification of man in the life eternall is Gods accion vvorke wherin hee restoreth vnto all beleeuers after their resurrection his image perfectly that is to saye he will purifie and clense whole man as well in body as in soule from sinne And beautifying him with al integritie wisedome iustice will translate him into his kingdome to be a felowe and companion of the angels and blessed spirites throughout all eternitie For we learne by Gods vvord that when the godly are remoued hence by corporal death they lay aside al their vveights and burdens of sinne which now so greuously preasseth them in this worlde to the ende that man should not be molested therewith after his resurrection For there is not onely a dissolution of the body and soule but the dregges remnants of sinne are also swallowed vp out of our nature In so much that this temporall death is an effectuall remedy against that puysant and mighty enemy which so dayly and violently assaulteth vs in this corruption mortality When our bodies therfore are laid in the graue they reste in sure and certen hope of the glorious resurrectiō neither are they reteyned there to ignomie and shame but that they may rise and spring vp againe with excellent properties and qualities Whereof P. Martyr that excellent light of our tyme hath vvritten largely and learnedly out of whome I vvill borrow so much as seemeth conuenient for this discourse The schoole mē saith he do call those properties conditions or indumentes neither can I mislyke those whiche they number because I see that they drawe them out of the holy scripture Albeit I thinke they haue not collected all neither can any man doe that because vve cannot see or perceiue exactly in this life the heauenly glory of the celestiall company But the first qualitie or indument accompted of them is immortalitie And in deed whersoeuer any mention is made in the scripture of the lyfe to come the same is said to be eternall and euerlasting The Apostle sayth This mortall must put on immortalitie and this corruptible must put on incorruption And for that both rewardes and punishments which shall be geuen according to the proportion of vvorkes are eternall the subiect or nature vvhich shall susteyne the same must needes be also eternall Moreouer seeing Christe hath ouercome sinne and death it must of necessitie folovve that the lyfe of holy menne shall be immortall The Apostle also speaketh after this manner Christ rysing frō the deade dieth not any more neither hath death power ouer him any more And agayne Fleshe and blood shall not possesse the kingdome of God Whiche vvordes are not to be misconstrued of the very nature and substance of fleshe and blood For those that shall rise to glorie shall be clothed vvith them But the Apostle meaneth of corruption vvherevnto flesh and blood are subiect in this lyfe And therefore it folovveth there And this corruption shall put on incorruption c. Of this qualitie aryseth another vvhiche is that the glorified menne shall not neede meate drinke or anye other corporall sustentation in the lyfe to comme Christe hymselfe hathe taughte vs that they shal be lyke angels For whereas mention is often tymes made in the scripture of eating and drinking in heauen as I will prepare for you as my father hath prepared for me a kingdome that yee may eate and drinke vppon my table in my kingdome This and suche lyke speeches are nothing els but metaphors or translations whereby the holy ghost admonisheth rude and simple men of the ioyes and pleasures of another lyfe In the lyfe immortall then there shal be no neede neither of foode nor of procreation of children Which thinges serue onely the vse of this mortal life The reason of this is because bodely substances are not then worne or consumed there shall be no neede of reparation by meate and drinke And because there shal be no mortality mariage shall not be then needefull by new procreation to preserue and continue natures and substances Shining brightnes is also ascribed by the schoole men to glorified bodyes wherof the Apostle speaketh thus Christ shall chaunge our vile bodies and make them like to his glorious body c. Some signe token hereof was giuen by Christ in hys transfiguration when his face did shine like the sun the Euangelist saith The iust shall shine as the sunne in the sight of God. Whereof the prophet Daniell also maketh mention They ascribe also to glorified bodies nimblenes and agility For the body and all the members shall be subiecte to the soule And hereof it is written in the booke of wisdome of the sainctes That they shall be like sparkes running amongst the stubble And the Apostle We that shall be found alyue and the dead who shall be raysed shal be rapt to meete Christ in the ayre The body of Christe walking vppon the watér was indued vvith this agility vvhiche he lent also for a tyme to Peter to do the same The force or efficacy of this agility as I sayde before is that the soule shall haue absolute dominion ouer the body in so much that the weight and burden of the flesh shall not in any wise hinder or lette the operation thereof And also for that this qualitie apperteyneth to locall motion it maketh many men to meruell why the Vbiquaries are content to guyse this property in bodyes glorified and yet will not graunt any place at all vnto them as thoughe there coulde be a motion from place to place without any place at all The glorified bodyes also are impassible that is to say they shall not be corrupt or diminished with any passions dolors or diseases according as the Apostle writeth It is sowen in corruption it riseth againe in incorruption And for that I haue sayde that the glorified bodies shal not be molested with passions we must consider that passions are of two sortes For some are noysome and hurtefull to nature afflicting and consuming the body as hunger thirst sickenesse paine and such like From these kindes of passions the saintes shall be deliuered Againe there are some other passions which rather helpe and perfect nature then hurt the same Such are the notices of the senses The eye is not hurt with beholding of fayre colours nor the eare with sweete harmony and musike Nor yet is smelling hurt with good odours These and suche like good passions shall not be wanting to our bodyes glorified vvhē vve shal rest in our desired coūtrey They adde also subtilty to glorified bodyes vvhiche is not so to be taken as though these bodies shoulde be turned into spirites become ayery much like the winde
pleasure vvas to be read and knowen in the consideration and contemplation of man vvhom he made of suche excellencie that he vvas capable of his Image that in his soule and body and in all his interior and exterior povvers and accions he might shevve foorth some likenesse of God but fynyte and suche as vvas conuenient for a creature This Image of God in man gratuite or create had before his fall many excellent qualities First in respect of the Minde Will and Harte vvherein vvas a maruellous diuine Harmonie and consente Sainct Augustine vvente about too shevve the difference of the three persons in Trinitie by the consideration of this Image of god in man Jn manne sayth he there bee three principall thinges The Minde begetting or breeding the Cogitation And the cogitation vvhich is the Jmage of the thing cogitated And the Will vvherein there is both ioy and loue These three things he applieth after this maner The eternall Father signifieth the Minde begetting in Cogitation the eternall word the second person in Trinitie The Jmage formed in cogitation signifieth the sonne of God And the Will shadoweth the holye Ghoste This collation muste needes bee pleasaunt to humble Mindes For therein vvee see that man is appoynted to bee a testimonie of God namely that hee is an Essence intelligible and mouing him selfe And although sainct Augustine doo vnderstande the image of God in manne of the substaunce of the Soule Minde and Will yet all the learned menne almoste doo comprehende the gyftes together vvith the substaunce or as they vsually speake the vertues of perfect Nature in eche parte of the Soule agreeing vvith the diuine Mynde For so sainct Paule in the vvorde Image vnderstoode not onely mans substaunce but the gyftes or povvers vvherein suche vertues doo shine as are consonante vvith the minde diuine whiche giftes were distinct and separable from the substaunce it selfe as it is manyfest by mans fall vvherein these excellent proprieties vvere loste the substaunce of the Minde Wyll and Harte vnto thys day abyding and remayning But to returne to these excellent properties of the soule before mans fall There shyned a cleare light in mannes Minde to vvitte a perfecte knovvledge of God and a communication of his diuine wisdome whereby he knewe both Gods substance and will And also that man was to this ende created that not only this knowlege might shine in him but also that he shoulde with a grateful willing mind shew obedieÌ„ce to his creator Besides this knowledge of all diuine things which were nedeful to man in the seruice of God and toward the attaynement of eternal life the Lorde endewed him with a right excellent knowlege of matters Morall and Natural that he was able to conceiue the qualities and inclinations of all liuing thinges So that as soone as he sawe Eua he sayd by and by This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh and she shall be called Virago because she was taken of the Man. He vvas profoundly seene in Philosophie as it appeareth by the Historie of Creation vvherein we reade hovve he gaue names to euery liuing creature according to their natures and qualities In mans will there was a conuersion to god that is to say an vniuersal obedieÌ„ce to his lavve hauing an ardent loue of God and all vertues flagrante bent and directe to that ende that the firste example might be knovven and honoured therwith was annexed a libertie in all accions that he might both shewe vnto god willing obedience and also auoyde all thinges vvith iudgement that were displeasant to his Creator In the hart all affections and appetitions did obey his minde will neither was there dissétion in any thing So that there vvas a Diuine harmonie of the minde will and harte For as the minde did rightly knovve god and his wyll so the hart the wil did thinke one thing he loued god earnestly neither was there any thing in mans nature which was not pure holy sincere And euery orgaine parte and instrument of mans substance had facultie and readinesse infused into them by god that they vvere both vvilling and hable to doo the thinges required by god at their hands which god according to the law of obedience had imprinted and as it were stamped in Reasonable natures There was also in this image of god in man a preheminencie superioritie aboue all other inferior creatures whom he excelled many wayes both in reason and quicknes of senses aswell in forme and stature of body vpright looking towarde heauen as also in agilitie and mobilitie of accions and especially in that soueraigne power and dominion which he had ouer all inferior creatures as it were an Emperour ouer his subiects For as God is the vniuersall Lorde king and gouernour ouerall creatures euen so it pleased him to collate vnto man a certayn dominion particular limited vnto whom they would haue yeelded obedience gladly haue reputed him for gods Lieuetenant if he had reteined the image of god in him sincere and vncorrupted which dominion albeit by our ruine it be exceedingly impaired in maÌ„kind yet it is somwhat restored by faith Thou shalt treade vpon the Adder and Cocatrice Daniell was cast to the Lions The Lord prayeth with the wild beastes in the wildernes Paule was not hurt of the Viper SaÌ„son Dauid ouercame lions and we may daily see litle childreÌ„ with a sticke to rule huge mighty bodied beastes through the maiesty of gods image whiche yet after a sort shineth in man and is very fearfull and terrible vnto them Herevnto vve may adde mans authoritie preheminence in consideration of his beginning coueniencie and ende For as god is the beginning of all things in creation so is Adam the beginning of all men by generation And as god hath a conueniency with all thinges and all thinges ought to looke vpon God So is man microcosmos that is to say a little vvorld and a lord in respecte of inferior creatures that they all should reuerence and honor him And as God is the ende of all thinges So is man the ende of all inferior creatures they beeing made for mans sake that he might be a ruler ouer theÌ„ And according to the wise maÌ„s saying moderate gouerne the round worlde in equity iustice Finally this image had an assured hope of immortality that his life shoulde be blessed eternall not subiect to death For the diuinity it self is immortal after the which as the scripture saith man was created If therfore maÌ„ had not fallen into sin this nature blessed estate in creation had indured for euer it should neuer haue ben weâ—ke or old it shuld not haue ben coÌ„sumed with heauines or diseases But yet liuing in Paradise shoulde haue ben theÌ„ce translated into the celestial spirituall life And vnto this image God added ouer besides the blessings afore mencioned a certen especiall
kinde of worshipping of god exacting an obedience vnto the same in proposing vnto him that law of the tree of knowledge of good euill In the which he gaue vnto man formed after his image as it were a remeÌ„brance that he should be both obedient thaÌ„kfull vnto him for his blessings and that he would afterward translate him vnto the place of endlesse ioy felicity where he might coÌ„tinually beholde the very essentiall image of God most brightly shining in his son our sauiour Iesus Christe So that immortality being annexed in the tre of life did both admonish maÌ„ inhabiting this elimentall regioÌ„ and being endued vvith profouÌ„de knovvledge of things diuine humaine that he should vse that tree as a remedy against sicknes diseases mortality it self and thervvithal that he should have a manifest assuraÌ„ce of a better life Into the vvhich godly men shoulde be remoued out of and aboue all elimentall regions vvherin he might behold god face to face inioying infinite blessednesse where Gods maiestie shal be all in all to his glory and our endlesse comfort And these be the proprieties of the image of God imprinted and ingraffed in mans substaunce at suche time as he breathed into him the beames of hys lighte Whereof it is requisite that our mindes should be well informed and instructed when we ponder and examine vvith our selues what manner of image that vvas which Adam had howe it was spoyled defaced in mans fall after what manner it is repaired in vs by the holy ghost and of the glorious perfection thereof in the world to come ¶ The second part of the Anatomy shewing the ruine and de struction of Gods image in Man. SECONDARELY LET vs consider howe this image of God was destroyed in maÌ„s fall In so muche that there scarce remaine any remnants of that notable monunent and building of mans best estate For when man who was left in the hands of his owne counsaile in the liberty of his will did eat of the fruit which was forbidden him and shaking off all feare of God vnto whom all creatures owe obedience did transgresse his iust and good lawe And being seduced with the Dragons voyce turned him selfe ftom God casting away all pietie reuerence and feare whiche was due to the eternall maiestie He then lost the image of god and death seazed vppon man according to the commination of god before vttered became the image of the diuell and so losing the holy ghoste hee fell into the horrible wrath of god and euen then tasted certen beginnings of the same he sawe the miseries of minde will and harte and death euerlasting threatned in the lavv For being infected with the poyson of sinne he coulde not reteyne any longer the image of iustice wisedome and lyfe which was stamped in him But whole man vvas miserably deformed corrupted and lost all his ornamentes and qualities in so much that he who was before in his vvhole substance qualities powers a bright glasse of iustice and holines became the maske and dounghill of the filthy dragon of hell and the childe of vvrath and euerlasting death And to deale somewhat in perticularities the good thinges and ornamentes vvhich our firste parentes and all their progeny loste in this heauy fall and lamentable shipwracke vvere partly naturall partly gratuite and as Bonauenture saith Man was vtterly spoyled of his gratuit gyftes and wounded in thâ—naturals For in his minde he loste the perfit knovvledge of his God So that alvvayes after it was full of darkenes ignorance folishnesse and rebellion againste God And in externall and corporall thinges also that light is exceeding shadovved and obscured For who is novve able to discerne and vevve the nature of lyuing creatures but halfe so well as vvas out father Adam before his fall The vvill of man also quite turned avvay from God loste all good inclination habilitie to obey him so that we feele our selues a very conspiracy open rebellion against his maiesty as S. Paule dolefully deploreth saying I feele in my members another law fighting against the lawe of God O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from the death of this body c. In mans hart the loue of god is vtterly extinct and flames of raging affections doe burne vvhereof almighty god complaineth in this vvise The lumpe or masse of mans harte is euill from his mothers wombe This destruction of Gods image in mans nature and the putting on of the filthie forme of Satan is plainely set foorth in the accions of Adam streight after his fall as vvell in him selfe as in all his posteritie When as he beeing pricked vvith the sting of a guilty coÌ„science did both runne avvay from God and savve his miserable nakednesse whereof he vvas ashamed For the very nakednesse vvhiche man did see in him selfe most euidently doth not onely signifie the outwarde but also the inwarde deformitie both of body and soule By meanes therefore of Adams fall the image of God vvas destroyed in mans nature all his povvers and faculties were either depraued or vtterly loste He vvas spoyled of all his gyftes in minde will hart And the vvhole masse or lumpe of man was with gods vvrath with the tyranny of the diuell vvith all sicknesse sorowes of body mind corrupt wher by we to our great grief feele the burtheÌ„ of sinne the biting and gnawing of a wounded conscience pityfull passions of the soule and finally in this vvorlde the destruction and dissolution of oure bodies into dust of the earth These euils and greuous woundes Adam savve and felte after he had entred into league and society vvith the diuell And therwithall tasted of gods horrible vvrath the pauors and torments of eternall death and the strength of the lavve vvhereof the Apostle speaketh By the law commeth knowledge of sinne and the law worketh wrath Through the bitternesse and vveight of these greate dolors and torments he must needes haue presently perished and incurred eternall damnation if the mercifull Lorde had not taken pitty on the miserie of man by the supplicatioÌ„ of his sonne Christ in respect of whom he vttered the promise of the gospel made ioyful mentioÌ„ of the blessed seede of the woman and turning away his angry countenance loked vpon man with the eyes of his mercy Besides al these things Adam sawe the fruite of his fal and the detestablenes of his offence not without great sorow and heauines of hart For his first begotten sonne Cayne that Parriside bathing his haÌ„ds in his brothers blood did abuÌ„daÌ„tly declare the calamitie of nature corrupted the crueltie of sinne blindnes bred naturally in his brest the prauitie of his vvill and wickednes of his hart Almightie god him selfe lameÌ„teth this soule fall of man in Paradise appointeth condigne punishmeÌ„ts for the same and therwithall protesteth that himselfe was not the author of this corruption
of creatures whiche was created by him in his sonne in iustice holynes of truth wherin he taught mankinde that sinne and all the effects therof had his origin of the diuell and of man as it is written It irketh me that euer I made man. Agayne He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell For the diuell sinned from the beginning And also By one man sinne entered into the worlde and through sinne death Now albeit man receyued so greeuous a wound in his body and minde vvherevvith not onely the image of god in him vvas defiled and destroyed but also his povvers and ornamentes euerye vvaye vvere maruelously decayed besides the remouing of immortalitie whereof by worde sacrament god assured him before his transgression and in place therof a subiection to sicknesses death it selfe Yet the secoÌ„d death did not out of hand sease vpon Adam but God left him like a Pylgreme or banished man out of Paradise many yeeres in this animall or corporall lyfe after the acte and decree was published that god of his immence and infinite mercy woulde repayre his Image blotted defaced and his good pleasure was that man passing his time running his race prefixed here in this vvorld should in his body whiche vvas made so subiect and seruile vnto sinne be resolued into dust and earth but in soule he appoynted him to be immortal because the same was breathed into him by god whiche he also ordeyned to be a daily testimonie remeÌ„brance vnto maÌ„ aswel of his estate before his fall as of his glorification after the day of iudgement Which bodily death al the children of Adam are subiect vnto by meanes of sinne abounding yea and raigning in them beeing nothing but dust poysoned which must returne into dust after which the second death to wit eternall condemnation both of body and soule followeth and is assuredly to be looked for of all those that doo contemne the sonne of God mans mediator and aduocate and doo not seeke to bee deliuered from Gods wrath and indignation by the effusion of hys moste precious blood vvhiche onely is able to purifie and vvashe men cleane from all their sinnes And to th ende that this great ruine and decay of man after hys fall maye bee more euidently perceyued I vvyll put dovvne the lamentable complayntes of diuers Writers concerning this matter vvhereby at the firste vevve the matter will moste playnely appeare and shewe it selfe And first that is a notable memorable saying of Cicero repeted by S. Augu. touching the corruption of mans nature Man is brought foorth and as it vvere expelled into this world by nature beeing rather his stepdame then a louing mother In body naked frayle and infyrme and in minde carefull in sorowes abashed in feare vveake in labors prone to pleasure hauing in him notwithstanding certayne sparkes and seedes of a diuine nature Wherin as sainct Augustine sayth he rightly deplored and bevvayled our miserable and pitifull case and savve the horrible euent Yet vvas he ignoraunt of the cause neither dyd he perceyue that a heauy yoke vvas layde vpon all the children of Adam from the time of their byrth vntill their death by meanes of originall sinne wherwith they are infected and corrupted Sainct Augustine him selfe writeth after this manner I doo omitte howe God created Man righte But touching our discente from our firste Parentes that wee are thereby a generation forlorne and caste awaye this very life of ours if it be to be called a life vvhich is so full of deadly miseries doth moste playneâ—y declare For what other thing can vve gather of that horrible and depe ignoraunce vvhereof all Error proceedeth vvhich possesseth and deteyneth the children of Adam in profounde darknes so violently that a man can not ridde him selfe thereof vvithout great labar sorrowe and feare What other thing doth that loue of vayne and deceitfull things import and therwithall such consuming cares perturbations sorrowes feares disceitfull ioyes discordes adulteries fornications incests rapes and vncleane commixtions agaynst nature vvhich may not bee vvell named and therewithall heresies blasphemies periuries oppressions of Innocentes slaunders false witnesses vniust iudgements and other suche like mischeefes vvhich we see incident to mans nature And to conclude as Viues writing in the same place sayth There vvoulde be founde no beast more sauage and vnbrideled then man if he vvere not chastised and amended vvith discipline and good education for if he might runne his owne race he would conuert all his force and power to satisfie his filthy lustes and appetites neither vvere it possible to finde any brute beastes more fierce and vvylde then manne And sainct Barnarde writeth very pleasantly of this matter in this sorte That blessed and eternall Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost one God of cheefe power wisedome and goodnes did create another trinitie after his image and similitude vvhiche had certayne resemblaâ—nces of that eternall Trinitie I meane the reasonable Soule vvhiche consisteth of Reason memorie vvill And he created the same in such sort that by participation of him he might be blesssed and beeing aâ—erted from him shoulde be most miserable And this created Trinitie did rather bende it selfe to followe the motion of his owne vvill then to stande in that libertie vvhiche vvas giuen vnto it And therfore it sell through suggestion delectation and consent froÌ„ that fayre beautifull trinitie that is to say â–ª froÌ„ power wisdome puritie into a contrarie and filthy trinitie verily into infirmitie bundnesse and vnclennesse For Memorie is become impotent and infirme Reason improuident and darke and the vvill impure Moreâ—â—er Memorie falling as it were vpon harde Rockes was broken and rent into three partes namely into affectionate heauie and idle cogitations I call those affections vvherewithall man is encombred about cares of things necessarie as in eating drinking and suche like And those are to be accompted heauy vvhich we spende about the exercise of externall and harde busines And those are vayne and feeble vvherewith mans minde is neyther affected nor greatly molested and yet notwithstanding is drawen from the contemplation of heauenly thinges as to spende his time in beholding how byrdes doo flye or dogges doo runne The light of Reason also hath three manner of vvayes fallen into ruine For vvhereas it vvas his propertie to discerne betweene good and euill truth and falshood profite disprofite It is nowe couered with such darknes that it is caried most coÌ„monly into a peruers iudgement receyuing euill for good falshood for truth incoÌ„moditie for commoditie Wherein it coulde neuer haue erred so miserably if it had not bene depriued of that light which it had in the first creation Whereby it is nowe commen to passe that man hath lefte that vsuall and necessarie instrumeÌ„t to vnderstand wisdome that is to say Ethicke Logike Phisike which we may otherwise call the science Morall Contemplatiue and Naturall For by