A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

SECT. III.

IN the third place, that which will much tend to the magnifying of this Image of God, is to consider the Integrity and universality of it; so that he was made holy and righteous all over, with light and wisdom in his mind, with all kind of holiness in his will and affections; so that Adam had both the perfection of parts, and also of degree of grace within him: One single habit was not sufficient to give perfection to all the active principles in a man, yea there were several habits in every faculty of the soul; So that original righteousness is an aggregation or collection of many habits. That Text Eccless. 7. when Adam is said to be made right, inferreth so much; for he is not right, rectu, that doth want any essential or necessary part, and the very expression of the Image of God denoteth as much; an Image consisting not in one, or some few parts, but in the harmonious composition of all; How admirable was it then to have those commands of God, Thou shalt not lust, and Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, with all thy heart and strength, fulfilled perfectly and without any difficulty? If we do compare our sinful and carnal hearts with this glorious temper, that are carried out to lust inordinately all the day long, and love every thing before and above God, What shame and confusion may it bring to us? But in that state of integrity, there was no part of holiness, or degree of holiness wanting. It is true, if we speak of the Image of God repaired in us: We find a godly man doing that now which Adam could not do, as to repent, and to believe in a justifying manner in Christ; for the actings of these graces were incompatible with that state, and suppose an imperfection in the Subject, and therefore even now cannot be so well called parts of the Image of God in a sanctified man; and indeed there is some difference between that Imago Creationis, and Imago Recreationis, as Bannez expresseth it, or Imago constituta, and Imago restituta, the Image of God in our Creation, and the Image of God in our Recreation or Renovation, when we are made new creatures by the Spirit of God.

IN the third place, that which will much tend to the magnifying of this Image of God, is to consider the Integrity and universality of it; so that he was made holy and righteous all over, with light and wisdom in his mind, with all kind of holiness in his will and affections; so that Adam had both the perfection of parts, and also of degree of grace within him: One single habit was not sufficient to give perfection to all the active principles in a man, yea there were several habits in every faculty of the soul; So that original righteousness is an aggregation or collection of many habits. That Text Eccless. 7. when Adam is said to be made right, inferreth so much; for he is not right, rectu, that doth want any essential or necessary part, and the very expression of the Image of God denoteth as much; an Image consisting not in one, or some few parts, but in the harmonious composition of all; How admirable was it then to have those commands of God, Thou shalt not lust, and Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, with all thy heart and strength, fulfilled perfectly and without any difficulty? If we do compare our sinfull and carnal hearts with this glorious temper, that are carried out to lust inordinately all the day long, and love every thing before and above God, What shame and confusion may it bring to us? But in that state of integrity, there was no part of holiness, or degree of holiness wanting. It is true, if we speak of the Image of God repaired in us: We find a godly man doing that now which Adam could not do, as to repent, and to believe in a justifying manner in Christ; for the actings of these graces were incompatible with that state, and suppose an imperfection in the Subject, and therefore even now cannot be so well called parts of the Image of God in a sanctified man; and indeed there is some difference between that Imago Creationis, and Imago Recreationis, as Bannez expresseth it, or Imago constituta, and Imago restituta, the Image of God in our Creation, and the Image of God in our Recreation or Renovation, when we are made new creatures by the Spirit of God.