But all these thorns and thistles, and this ferocity of beasts, are the consequences of original sin, by which all the rest of the creation contracted a corruption and a loss of its original excellency. Hence it is my belief also that before the sin of Adam, the sun was more bright, the water more pure, the trees more fruitful and the earth more productive than since he fell. But through that dreadful sin and that horrible fall, not only are the soul and the body deformed by the leprosy of sin, but all things we use in this life are corrupted; as we shall more plainly show hereafter.
Now the very intent of the gospel is to restore this image of God. Man's intellect and will have indeed remained, but wholly corrupted. The divine object of the gospel is that we might be restored to that original and indeed better and higher image; an image, in which we are born again unto eternal life, or rather unto the hope of eternal life by faith, in order that we might live in God and with God and might be "one" with him, as Christ so beautifully and largely sets it forth in the seventeenth chapter of St. John.
Nor are we born again unto life only, but unto righteousness also, because faith lays hold of the merit of Christ and sets us free through the death of Christ. Hence arises another righteousness in us; namely, that "newness of life," in which we study to obey God as taught by the Word and helped by the Holy Spirit. This righteousness however begins only in this life and can never be perfected in the flesh. Nevertheless this newness of righteousness pleases God, not as being perfect in itself nor as being any price for our sins, but because it proceedeth from the heart and rests on a confidence in the mercy of God through Christ. And further, through the Gospel comes unto us this other blessing also conferred upon us through the Holy Spirit, who resists in us unbelief, envy and other sins and corruptions, to the intent that we may solemnly desire to adorn the name of the Lord and his holy Word.
In this manner does the image of God begin to be restored in us through the Gospel by this new creation in this life. But in this life it is not perfected. When however it is perfected in the kingdom of the Father, then will our will be truly free and good, our mind truly illuminated and our memory constant and perfect. Then will it come to pass also that all creatures shall be more subject unto us than ever they were unto Adam in paradise.
Until all this shall be fulfilled in us, we shall never be able fully to understand what that image of God was, which was lost by Adam in paradise. This however which we now utter concerning it, faith and the Word teach us, which discover unto us at a distance as it were the glory of this image of God. But as the heaven and the earth "in the beginning," were of rude unformed bodies, as we have shown before the created light was added to them; so the godly possess within themselves that unformed and imperfect image of God, which God will perfect at the last day in those who believe his Word.
In conclusion therefore that image of God, in which Adam was created, was excellent above all things, in which was included eternal life, eternal security and all good. That image however is so marred and obscured by sin that we cannot even in thought reach the comprehension of it. For though we utter the words "the image of God," who is there that can possibly understand what it is for a man to live a life of security without fears and without perils, and to be wise, righteous, good and free from all calamities or distresses either of soul or of body? What was more than all this Adam was made capable of life eternal. For he was so created that as long as he lived in this corporeal life he might cultivate the earth not as doing a work of trouble, nor as wearying his body with labor, but as enjoying an employment of the highest pleasure; not as "deceiving or killing time," as we say, but as performing a service to God and yielding an obedience to his will.
This corporeal life was intended to be succeeded by a spiritual life, in which man was not designed to use corporeal food and aliments nor to perform any of those other things which he must necessarily do in this natural life. But he was designed to live a life spiritual and angelic. For such is the life eternal to come, described to us in the holy Scriptures, a life in which we shall neither eat nor drink, nor exercise any other corporeal functions. Hence Paul says, "The first man Adam became a living soul," that is, he lives an animal life which requires meat, drink, sleep, etc. But the apostle adds, "The last Adam became a live-giving spirit," 1 Cor. 15:45. That is, he shall be a spiritual man, in which state he shall return to the image of God; for he shall be like unto God in life, righteousness, holiness, wisdom, etc. It now follows in the sacred text:
V. 26b. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, etc.
To man, the most beautiful of God's creatures, who possesses the knowledge of God and is the image of God, in which image shines forth the similitude of the divine nature in an enlightened reason, in righteousness and in wisdom, is now assigned "dominion." Adam and Eve are made rulers of the earth, of the sea and of the air. This dominion is not only committed to them by the design and counsel of God, but by his expressed command. We must in the first place consider this great matter in a negative and exclusive sense, that it is not said to any beast that it should have any dominion. And in the next place we must view the matter in an absolute sense, that all animals, nay, the earth itself with all created living things and all generated from them, are subjected to the dominion of Adam, whom God by his vocal and expressed command constituted king over the whole animal creation. For these are the words which both Adam and Eve heard when God said, "And let them have dominion." Here therefore a naked man without arms, without walls, nay, without any vestiture of his own body, but standing alone in his own naked flesh, finds himself lord over all birds, all wild beasts and all fishes, etc.
This portion of the divine image also we have utterly lost, so that now we cannot even conceive in thought that fulness of joy and pleasure which Adam must have felt at the sight of the whole animal creation before him and at the sense he was lord of them all! For now all things are full of leprosy and full of stupidity, and, as it were, of death. For who can now reach even in thought a conception of that portion of the divine image, which Adam and Eve possessed, by which they understood all the affections, the senses, the feelings and the powers of all the animals of the creation. And yet, what would have been their dominion over all created animals without this knowledge? There is indeed in this life a certain knowledge of God in the saints, derived from the Word and the Holy Spirit. But that knowledge of all nature, that understanding of the qualities of all trees and the properties of all herbs, that clear discernment of the natures of all beasts, these are endowments of our nature now utterly lost and irreparable.
If therefore we would talk about a philosopher, let us talk about Adam! Let us speak of our first parents, while they were as yet pure and unfallen through sin! For Adam and Eve had the most perfect knowledge of God. And how indeed could they be ignorant of him, whose very image they possessed and felt in themselves! Moreover of the stars also and of the whole science and system of astronomy they had the most certain knowledge.
Moreover that all these endowments were enjoyed by Eve, as well as by Adam, is quite manifest from the speech of Eve to the serpent, when she answered him concerning the tree in the midst of paradise. From this speech it appears evident that she knew the end for which she was created, and she shows also the author from whom she had received that knowledge, for her reply to the serpent was, "God hath said," Gen. 3:3. Eve therefore did not hear these things from Adam only, but she was by nature so pure from sin and so full of the knowledge of God that she saw and understood the Word of God for herself. As to us in our present state we still possess indeed some certain dull and as it were dead remnants of this knowledge. But all animals besides are altogether void of such understanding. They know not their Creator nor their origin nor their end; nor whence nor why they were created. No other animals therefore possess anything whatever of this similitude of God. Hence it is that the psalm contains this exhortation, "Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding," Ps. 32:9.
Although therefore this image of God be almost wholly lost, there is nevertheless still remaining a mighty difference between man and all other animals of God's creation. But originally, before the sin of the fall, the difference was far greater and far more illustrious; while as yet Adam and Eve fully knew God and all his creatures, and were wholly absorbed in the goodness, righteousness and worship of God. Hence