A26892:7111
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Part 3 › Question 113: Quest. 113. What Images, and what use of Images is lawful or unlawful?
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Answ. 1. It is the soul of man, of which no Image can be drawn or made, which is the Image of God, and not the body. 2. The Image of him who secundum quid as to the soul, is Gods Image, is not Gods Image, but mans quoad corpus as to another part. We need not contend much about the name whether this may be called a Remote Image of God (though undoubtedly unfit). But we must not really take it to be Like him, or use it for his Image.
Obj. God hath imprinted his Image on the whole Creation; e. g. He is called a consuming fire; Therefore fire may be pictured as his Image.
Answ. The same answer serveth as to the former objection. And it is not all the Impressions and vestigia of Gods Power, Wisdom and Goodness, which are called his Image; As the house is not the Image of the builder, or a Clock of a Clockmaker, &c. And if God be metaphorically called fire, as he is called, a Lyon, &c. because of the similitude of some operation or effect, it followeth not that these are his Image; much less that the Image of these is his Image.
2. No Image may be made to be a Teacher of lies: As we may not lye by words, so neither by Images. Therefore false stories, or false Images of realities, when made as true, and pretended to be true Images or representations, are unlawful.