glorified why should it be vnworthie to beate some portion of Gods image The image of God in my vnderstanding is that high perfection of whole Adam and the integritie of all the powers both of his bodie and of his soule and that conformitie or congruitie that he had with God his founder and Architypus In that which followeth you doe expect and I will endeuour to shew what things they be that this image doth comprehend Some say that man was made to the image of God in that dominion and power which was giuen him The words following our Text doe fauour that opinion Let vs make man in our image and let him rule ouer the fish of the Sea and ouer the fowle of the heauen and ouer the beasts and ouer all the earth and ouer euery thing that creepeth and moueth vnder the earth S. Basil Mox atque creatus es princeps creatus es Assoone as thou wast created thou wast made a Prince again Illud Faciamus et Dominetur declarat ibi esse imaginem Dei vbi potentia est dominandi Those termes Let vs make and Let him haue rule declareth the image of Cod to be where the power of gouernement is And who can doubt of this in Adam that reades how the beasts came to doe their homage and fealtie to him as to the Lord and great maister of all the world The Apostle would haue the man to pray bare headed for as much as he is the image and glorie of God but the woman is the glorie of the man and not the image of God This may not be vnderstood of the integritie and rightnesse of the inner man thereof the woman was partaker as well as the man in the Lord there is neyther male nor female Therefore it must be vnderstood of the glorie of dominion that ecclesiasticall and oeconomicall power was giuen to the man and denyed to the woman So then to be created to the image of God is to be placed in authoritie and gouernement Hereupon the Magistrates in Scripture are called gods Psal 82. because of their power Behold one portion not the whole image of God whereunto vnlesse inward rightnesse be added that power may soone degenerate into crueltie and then it is so much the more dangerous in man then in any other creature because his iniustice is armed with reason Therefore in the image of God we do ioine with that power which I haue spoken of knowledge righteousnesse as guardians and moderators of his power S. Paul Ephes 4. placeth the image of God in righteousnesse and holinesse figuratiuely by Synecdoche For albeit these be principall and speciall partes of the image of God yet more is requisite they are not all but such as we ought chiefly to seeke because the rest doe follow them And now if you please to make triall you may finde them both very plentifull in Adam First of his knowledge if it may be esteemed by the obiects it will bee plaine that hee knew God the creatures and himselfe Was it possible that he carrying the image of God receiuing rules of his life immediatly from God hauing most sweete and familiar conference and conuersation with God should be ignorant of any thing that pertayned to God and meet for him to know Againe knowing God truely and rightly what could he want in the knowledge of the creatures He that gaue names to euery beast according to their disposition and nature and hee that receiued charge from God to dresse the Garden needed no Gesner no Plinie no Aristotle to instruct him de Historia animalium or to informe him of the natures of any of the creatures And was his knowledge like hypocrites eyes that see extramittendo non intromittendo quicke abroad and dull at home able to discerne moates in others and not beames in themselues No Adam was not so he vnderstood as much of himselfe as he did of anie thing else Though hee was in a deepe sleepe when Eue was taken out of him and felt nothing though the rib which she was made of was closed vp again and flesh put into the place thereof that he missed nothing yet assoone as the woman was brought vnto him he cryed out by and by This is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone which he could neuer haue done without an admirable light and knowledge of himselfe and his owne nature I haue giuen you a taste of his knowledge consider now and looke if it were eclipsed by anie waywardnes or indisposition of his will The fashion of the commaundement proues the contrarie At what day soeuer thou eatest the fruite thou shalt die the death Sure the iustice of God is so vnreproueable that he would neuer haue mentioned much lesse inflicted penaltie had not the will of man bene most free to performe all that was required God made man right and what rightnesse could he haue without a free will Hee was created to the image of God and is any thing more agreeable thereunto then true and perfect libertie Hee was crowned with glorie and honour and what honour can there be where libertie and freedome wanteth To conclude this point then As Adams mind did rightly know God that he would be worshipped with feare and loue so did his heart and will accord to doe it affectionately with all their power Neyther was there any thing at all in the whole nature of man for then he did not so much as thinke of sinne but that his minde might vnderstand all righteousnesse and that which he vnderstood the whole man might desire and that which he desired he might performe also without any interruption or let Marke then the righteousnesse of that blessed man As God was all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and imbraced man with a fatherly affection so Adam in a kind of interchange of pietie was all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and interteyned the loue of God with true loue againe Oh that he had beene as firme and constant to the end as he was staight and right in the beginning Improbitas illo fuit admirabilis aeuo He was created to the image of God and therefore also to immortalitie perpetuall societie with God If man had beene mortall by his creation he had not then beene made to the image of God Mortall nature is not the image of God immortall neyther is the immortall God a patterne of a mortall creature Besides death and mortalitie came of sinne and are the rewards of sinne And then Adam was so free from sinne that he thought not of it before his fall therefore no place left for death and where death cannot enter there must be immortalitie You will aske then how he should haue bin preserued from age from infirmitie and from death Well enough if nothing had come to procure them Si enim vestibus Israelitarum praestitit Deus per annos quadraginta sine vllo detrimento proprium statum quanto magis
praestaret corporibus obedientium praecepto suo foelicissimum quoddam temperamentum certi status donec in melius conuerterentur non morte hominis qua corpus ab anima deseritur sed beata commutatione ab animali ad spiritualem vitam For if God by the space of fourtie yeares gaue a continuance to the Israelites attire without any hinderance or wearing them out how much more would he haue giuen a most happie temperature of a certaine perpetuitie to their bodies obeying his commaundement vntill they had receiued a better chaunge not by death wherein the soule doth forsake the bodie but by a blessed chaunge from the naturall to the spirituall life This is the receiued opinion of Diuines That if Adam had not sinned then assoone as the number of Saints had beene accomplished men should haue been translated from earth to heauen from their naturall life to the spiritual life as we reade of Henoch and Elias Immortalitie is the last beame and as it were the close of Adams brightnesse to giue continuance to the rest of his endowments and by them also immortalitie it selfe is illustrated For if it be seuered from the rest then is it a detriment and no benefite as in the wicked and damned immortalitie shall be no radiant beame of light but a perpetuitie of darkenesse This is one point to be considered in Adams immortalitie Another that his immortalitie must not be measured by the extent thereof for so you shall finde it but short narrow diarie an immortalitie peraduenture of one dayes continuance But looke vpon it in the foundation and there you may finde matter to proue it For if Adam after hee was made infirme and bruised by sinne adiudged to death and expulsed out of Paradise did yet for all that linger in the earth after it was cursed too nine hundreth and thirtie yeares Iared nine hundreth sixtie two yeares Methusalem nine hundreth and sixtie nine yeares might they not haue liued more easily so many thousands or millions of yeares in their healthfull Parke if they had persisted with integritie No doubt they might That holy place which cast out sinners would neuer haue admitted death For assurance hereof hee had an infallible pawne and pledge in the Tree of life as a Sacrament that consigned immortalitie to him So he had this complemēt of Gods image because it was in his power not to die Farewell then mortall and immortall Adam immortall from God and mortall by your selfe immortall in creation and mortall in trespasse mortall in acte but immortall in possibilitie and power Now you haue according to the slendernesse of my vnderstanding the whole quadrant of mans perfection the height and depth and length and breadth euen all the dimentions of the image of God squared on one side with absolute authoritie ouer all the creatures on the other side with the perspicacie of knowledge on the third with sinceritie of righteousnesse on the fourth with possession of immortalitie that which way soeuer he be placed you may finde him a perfect and happie man And who could haue desired more I ghesse what you think but so it would not haue bin well I would haue all Praedicatores non argumentatores Magnifiers rather then disputers of Gods workes Peraduenture you wish that these rich iewels might haue beene so fastened to our parents that they should not haue lost them and that man when he had all this honour might haue beene no changling If the creature had receiued this what should the Soueraigne haue reserued for himselfe Immutabilitie is so peculiar to God alone that it cannot be communicated to any other Doth he not say Gloriam meam alteri non dabo I will not giue my glorie to another Doth hee not say Ego Deus non mutor I am God and in me is no change Doth hee not therein plainely let vs vnderstand that all things else must be variable Doth not our Text tell vs that his purpose was to make a man and not a God Was it not sufficient that God made him right I but hee left man power to sinne also True yet in that he sinned the fault was not in God that left him power but in the man himselfe that abused this power and converted it to the vse of sinne which he receiued for the glorie of not sinning Albeit he sinned by meanes of the freedom which he receiued yet did he sinne not because he could but because hee would sinne will you haue that proued When the Deuill and his complices transgressed the holy Angels did not transgresse Why Not because they could not for they had free-will too but because they would not O malum liberum arbitrium quod adhuc incolume parum habuit firmitatis O vnhappie free-will which had so little constancie when it was sound Let vs put the case that God had giuen man such a light as hee could not extinguish What praise what glorie what retribution should he haue expected for doing well if he could not haue done otherwise what then If God made man right and afterward left him in the hand of his owne counsell was it not that his well doing should be the more glorious when hee had power to doe otherwise When the kinde father had giuen one moytie of his goods to an vnthriftie sonne which wasted it by prodigalitie Where was the fault in the father that gaue it or in the sonne that spent it to his ouerthrow Cur ergo non faceret Deus hominem quamvis eum peccaturum praenosceret cum stantem coronaret cadentem ordinaret surgentem adiuvaret semper vbique gloriosus bonitate iustitiâ clementiâ Wherefore then should not God make man although hee had a foreknowledge that the man would sinne when as hee crowned the man standing ordered his fall and did helpe his rising euen God that is alwayes and euerie where glorious in goodnesse righteousnesse and clemencie So let him be acknowledged and praysed in the Church through all generations AMEN FINIS THE MISERY OF MANS FALL ROM 5. VERS 9. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous THE obedience of Christ is much magnified and very iustly it fayled not in the least tittle it continued to the last period of humane things euen vnto death he preferred it aboue life and was content to lose his life rather then his obedience therefore it was great euery way But how we may reckon so securely of it as if we had performed it our selues or how one mans obedience may serue so many thousand beleeuers euen good consciences sometimes wauer others that haue not beene instructed wonder and certaine scoffe at it as a Paradox For satisfaction of all the Apostle here maketh the matter plaine by a golden comparison of the ruine and restitution of mankind These two being contraries must follow one rule But there is no other course
facta enim de cogitationibus procedunt It is not possible that a man exercised in good thoughts should be much tainted with ill actions for all actions proceed from our thoughts Then keepe thine heart with all diligence for thereout commeth life Therefore I cannot hold with them that make all the sinnes of the soule to proceede from the bodie so the wicked Angels wanting bodies should want sinne too and the spirits of the damned assoone as they bee sequestred from their bodies should cease also from their sinne It is but a Poets opinion concerning soules puritie Igneus est ollis vigor Coelestis origo Seminibus quantum non noxia corpora tardant Terrenique hebetant artus moribundaque membra Virgil is no classicall authour in matters of doctrine the Fathers of the Church are more authenticall S. Bernard speaking of the soule saith otherwise Prior reparanda est quam constat corruisse priorem Anima siquidem corrupta in culpam fecit quoque vt corpus corrumperetur in poenam So S. Augustine resolueth the doubt that the corruption of the flesh which ladeth the soule was not the cause but the punishment of the first sinne and it was not the corruptible flesh that made the soule sinfull but it was the sinne of the soule that made the bodie corruptible Est mens primum veteris hominis membrum primus peccati administer nativa prauitate infecta suggestionum Sathanae capax hinc motus praui mali de malo quamvis nihil accesserit vltra his mens impellit voluntatem quae tunc altera peccati ministra efficitur concupiscentias parit tunc tandem corpus ab animo impulsum totum accenditur huc atque illuc transuersum rapitur omnes sensus adeoque omnia corporis tyranni arbitrio se sistunt ad perpetranda omnia quae imperat hinc fructus amari qui Gal. 5. recensentur The minde is the first member of the old man and minister of sinne infected certainly with originall prauitie and capable of Sathans suggestions from hence come ill motions which are euill and proceede from euill if there were nothing else but with these the minde stirreth the will which is then made another minister of sinne and bringeth forth concupiscence then the bodie being summoned by the mind is kindled is transported hither and thither so the senses and all parts of the bodie offer themselues at the tyrants pleasure to do all his commands thereout spring those bitter fruits that are rehearsed in the fift of the Galathians Whether it were the one or the other that the bodie were in disobedience before the soule or the soule before the bodie whether the blinde did leade the lame or the lame were guide to the blinde behold now both are fallen into the ditch and ouershadowed not with a cloud but with a verie night of darkenesse In this one mans disobedience we see that verified which Christ saith in the Gospel They that doe euill shun the light because their workes are euill He is no sooner fallen then he becommeth Lucifuga affecteth darknesse and flyeth to the couert to hide himselfe His body and the parts thereof are the same that they were before but then they were seene with glorie and now they are couered with shame his wil is auerse his heart is full of feare and distrust his very minde is darkened which should be the light the watchman the Centinel both of body and soule and if the light thereof be turned into darkenesse O how great must that darkenesse be Greater verily then the darknesse of Egypt which was not so vniuersall but that there was light left in the land of Gosen where the children of Israel were But here after mans disobedience darkenesse preuailed ouer all No power of the minde no part of the bodie free or cleere hee is not absolutely depriued of naturall faculties and endowments of reason iudgement will as if he were become a blocke but they are depraued and decayed he knowes still marie it is but in part and what part his mind doth vnderstand but humane things not diuine earthly not heauenly businesse his will doth affect also and desire what sure bodily pleasures or delights not spirituall ioyes Wist ye not that when the fountaine of all goodnes was forsaken nothing would remaine but sinne when the father of lights was left that darkenesse would couer all Sine tuà luce ô lux beatissima non est veritas adest error adest vanitas non est discretio adest confusio adest ignorantia non est scientia adest caecitas non est visio adest invium non est via adest mors non est vita S. Aug. Solil cap. 3 Without thy light ô blessed light there is no truth all is error all is vanitie there is no distinction all is confusion all is ignorance there is no knowledge all is blindnesse there is no sight all impassible there is no way all is death there is no life When he beleeued that which the Deuill promised was hee not very worthie to finde that which God threatned You haue heard the mans disobedience to God It resteth now to shew how also he offended his neighbor therein namely by transmitting sinne to his posteritie By his disobedience many were made guiltie Here I doe willingly call you to remembrance that Adam did not sinne as an ordinarie person for so his sinne had rested in himselfe and determined there It was Iobs perswasion in his owne particular Though I had indeed erred mine errour remaineth with me Doth it not hold good correspondencie with the rule of Iustice The soule that sinneth that soule shall die Adams case is not so it is extraordinarie As God had beautified the whole nature of mankind with excellent gifts in this one man vpon the condition of his loyaltie and obedience so was he resolute to bereaue it of them all in him againe assoone as he began to be refractorie or disobedient Who can distaste this iustice or finde any harshnes in it when both were propounded vnto the man vpon equall termes Hereby also it may appeare that Adam sinned not as a priuate man but as the common root or stocke of mankind as a publique person and father of vs all When sinne had once got hold of his person must it not needes taint vs all that are partakers of his nature Because we were all enclosed in his loines when he sinned hee branded vs all with the prints and tincture of his rebellion So this disobedience rested not in Adam but became hereditarie it was not personall in him alone but naturall to vs all and a matter of succession It made him a trespasser vs all sinners with him whether Pelagius will or no. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None is free not a childe of a day olde though Anabaptists be mad for it We doe all die neither doth there liue a man
vpon earth which shall not see death and therefore we doe all sinne For death is the reward of sinne or else some should be equal vnto Christ and die without guiltines It is cleare and manifest that many die before any act of guiltinesse be committed as infants therefore they must haue the guiltinesse of their death deriued from others That the Apostle auoweth here to be originally from Adam As in one person there be diuerse members which be all guiltie when the person is conuicted so in the nature of mankind there be many persons as it were seuerall members and parts thereof and when the whole was corrupted euery particular communicating therewith must needes haue the same tainture And as a cankred roote doeth send foorth cankred boughes a masse of leauen leuened loaues the egges of a Cockatrise venemous serpents so Adam entring into disobedience begetteth disobedient children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of an ill bird worse chickins The holy Ghost is my warrant that Adam did beget a sonne not according to the image of God whereunto he was created himselfe for that was then abolished but in his owne image when it was fowly degenerated Iudge now whether we doe beare the punishment of another mans transgression or are guiltie in our owne faults If one mans disobedience brought such an Iliade of sorrowes what must our guiltinesse be that haue added many and many actuall transgressions to his originall corruption Much euery way too too much Let no man then qualifie Adams sinne or his owne with vaine excuses as if his disobedience had not bene capitall but veniall and a trifle to eate of an apple The lesse the thing was that God did forbid the more easily he might haue forborne and kept the commandement No no there is not any thing light not any thing little not any thing of small regard in disobedience and disobedience of God and of such a God as he had shewed himselfe to Adam all is heynous all horrible all heauie all a talent of lead Yet in this passage I will commend a caution vnto you and wish diligent heed to be taken of two extremities That we neyther extend our corruption too farre lest we depraue the glorie of our Creator nor eleuate it too much lest wee depresse the benefite of our Redeemer The Scholemen and Church of Rome runne too much on the left hand and offend in the latter whilest they goe about to make originall sinne that is the venome which Adam hath conveyed vnto vs to be but a light and superficiall accident easily remoued and as they termed it in their late Councell of Trent not true sinne but only the froth and scumme of sinne Session 5. can 6. When originall sinne is thus extenuated consider I beseech you what and how little it is that they leaue to the redemption and benefit of Christ Not actuall not any great or enormious sinne such must be holpe by our owne penance prayers almes and satisfaction Nor my foule spots of originall sinne that they account to be but an abilitie or disposition to sinne and a matter of nothing So by their doctrine the Sonne of God watched and prayed and fasted was tempted with hunger thirst buffets scourges indignities and with a most painefull and shamefull death for a matter of nothing What is contumelious to the gratious benefit of our redemption if this be not Is not this to giue a thousand to our Redeemer and ten thousand to our selues Illyricus runneth vpon the rocke which is on the other side and goeth too far on the right hand perswading that the sinne which Adam hath conueyed to vs to be our very substance Sure there cannot be any thing added to the disease in this kinde but that which must detract from the Creator our substance is of his building And is it not a strange amplification of the disease that brings dishonour instead of glory to the Physitian If original sinne be of mans substance must it not needs haue tainted Christ it is most certaine that he tooke our whole substance how could he be true man without the substance of man This sinne which is transmitted to vs all is no part of mans nature but a deprauation of it spreading it selfe ouer all creeping into our marrow and most hidden entrailes There is a secret poison within vs like vnto the graines of Mustard seede little in the beginning but groweth to a great tree There want no subtile practises without vs according to the depthes of Sathan insinuated so couertly that they are scarce marked from whence they come nor whither they tend I would I were able to distinguish them vnto you but I cannot deliuer that which I haue not receiued There is morbus Mentis and morsus Serpentis malum innatum and malum seminatum pactus Cordis seminarium hostis They are not one but agree in one both are the sower fruites of this mans fatall disobedience Thereby hee receiued the one admitted the other and transmitted both vnto vs all And they are sufficient eyther for conception or production of sinne So by one mans disobedience wee are all made sinners Peraduenture some will say that this man by whom sinne came was receiued into fauour againe And what question soeuer others may make my opinion is verily according to charitie that Adam was saued and had present forgiuenesse of his sinne Then you will aske how he should transmit that sinne to his posterity that was remitted to himselfe Saint Augustine answereth that the Saints children discend from their parents by carnall generation not by spirituall regeneration But Adams sinne was forgiuen I graunt it yet that was not a matter of nature where the fountaine of generation rested the forgiuenesse of his sinne was a matter of Grace in the power of GOD not in Adams flesh For how was his sinne forgiuen not by taking sinne absolutely away from him but by not imputing it vnto him This imputation was not in Adams power but in Gods good pleasure therefore he could not transmit it to his posteritie He transmitted onely his owne tainture and mortalitie You know how the Husbandman doth purge and cleanse the seede that hee casteth into the ground he thresheth it from the straw winnoweth it from the chaffe siftieth it from all hoore and so soweth bare and cleane corne yet it commeth vp not pure corne but ioyned with straw and couered with eares How so Because it had these purifications not naturally but outwardly by the paines and endeuours of the Husbandman And as it was amongst the circumcised Iewes their children were borne with the foreskin againe vncircumcised because their circumcision was not inward or naturally in the parent but added outwardly by humane violence So it stood with Adam though his sinne were forgiuen yet because his righteousnesse was altogether in Gods imputation not in his owne nature he transmitted sinne and mortality which he had in himselfe and could not transmit righteousnesse