 Section 23 of Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 1. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 1 by John Calvin, translated by Henry Beverage. Chapter 14, Part 1. In the creation of the world, in all things in it, the true God distinguished by certain marks from fictitious gods. In this chapter commences the second part of Book 1. These, the knowledge of man, certain things promised. 1. The creation of the world generally. Section 1 and 2. 2. The subject of angels considered. Sections 3 through 13. 3. Of bad angels or devils. Sections 13 through 20. And 4. The practical use to be made of the history of the creation. Sections 20 through 22. Section 1. The mere fact of creation should lead us to acknowledge God, but to prevent our falling away to gentile fictions, God has been pleased to furnish a history of the creation. An impious objection. Why the world was not created sooner? Answer to it, shrewd saying of an old man. Section 2. For the same reason, the world was created, not in an instant, but in six days. The order of creation described, showing that Adam was not created until God had, with infinite goodness, made ample provision for him. Section 3. The doctrine concerning angels expounded. 1. That we may learn from them also to acknowledge God. 2. That we may be put on our guard against the heirs of the worshipers of angels and the manachies. Manachies am refuted, rule of piety. Section 4. The angels created by God. At what time and in what order it is expedient to inquire. The gerulity of the pseudo Dionysius. Section 5. The nature, offices, and various names of angels. Section 6. Angels, the dispensers of the divine beneficent to us. Section 7. A kind of prefects over kingdoms and provinces, but specially the guardians of the elect. Not certain that every believer is under the charge of a single angel. Section 8. The number and orders of angels not defined. Why angels said to be winged? Section 9. Angels are ministering spirits and spiritual assences. Section 10. The heathen error of placing angels on the throne of God refuted. 1. By passages of scripture. Section 11. Refutation continued. 2. By inferences from other passages. Why God employs the ministry of angels. Section 12. Use of the doctrine of scripture concerning the holy angels. Section 13. The doctrine concerning bad angels or devils reduced to four heads. 1. That we may guard against their wiles and assaults. Section 14. That we may be stimulated to exercises of piety. Why one angel in the singular number often spoken of. Section 15. The devil being described as the enemy of man. We should perpetually war against him. Section 16. The wickedness of the devil not by creation but by corruption. Vain and useless to inquire into the mode, time, and character of the fall of angels. Section 17. Though the devil is always opposed in will and endeavor to the will of God. He can do nothing without his permission and consent. Section 18. God so overrules wicked spirits as to permit them to try the faithful and rule over the wicked. Section 19. The nature of bad angels. They are spiritual assences endued with sense and intelligence. Section 20. The latter part of the chapter briefly embracing the history of creation and showing what is of importance for us to know concerning God. Section 21. The special object of this knowledge is to prevent us through ingratitude or thoughtlessness from overlooking the perfections of God. Example of this primary knowledge. Section 22. Another object of this knowledge is that perceiving how these things were created for our use we may be excited to trust in God, pray to him, and love him. Section 1. Although Isaiah justly charges the worshipers of false gods with stupidity in not learning from the foundations of the earth and the circle of the heavens who the true God is. Section 1. The idea that God is Isaiah 40 verse 21 yet so sluggish and groveling is our intellect that it was necessary he should be more clearly depicted in order that the faithful might not fall away to gentile fictions. The idea that God is the soul of the world will the most tolerable that philosophers have suggested is absurd and therefore it was of importance to furnish us with a more intimate knowledge in order that we might not wander to and fro in uncertainty. Hence God was pleased that a history of the creations should exist, a history on which the faith of the church might lean without seeking any other God than him whom Moses sets forth as the creator and architect of the world. First, in that history the period of time is marked so as to enable the faithful to ascend by an unbroken secession of years to the first origin of their race and of all things. This knowledge is of the highest use not only as an antidote to the monstrous fables which anciently prevailed both in Egypt and the other regions of the world but also as a means of giving a clear manifestation of the eternity of God as contrasted with the birth of creation. And thereby inspiring us with higher admiration. We must not be moved by the profane year that it is strange how it did not sooner occur to the deity to create the heavens and the earth instead of idly allowing an infinite period to pass away during which thousands of generations might have existed while the present world is drawing to a close before it has completed its six thousandth year. Why God delayed so long it is neither fit nor lawful to inquire. Should the human mind presume to do it it could only fail in the attempt nor would it be useful for us to know what God as a trial of the modesty of our faith has been pleased purposely to conceal. It was a shrewd saying of a good old man who when someone personally asked in the derision what God did before the world was created answered he made a hell for the inquisitive. This reproof not less weighty than severe should repress the tickling wantonness which urges many to indulge in vicious and hurtful speculation. And fine let us remember that the invisible God whose wisdom power and justice are incomprehensible is set before us in the history of Moses as in a mirror in which his living image is reflected for as an eye either dim by age or weakened by any other cause sees nothing distinctly without the aid of glasses. So such is our imbecility if scripture does not direct us in our inquiries after God we immediately turn vain in our imaginations. Those who now indulge their patulence and refuse to take warning will learn when too late how much better it had been reverently to regard the secret counsels of God than to belch forth blasphemies which pollute the face of heaven. Justly does Augustine complain that God is insulted whenever any higher reason than his will is demanded. He also in another place wisely reminds us that it is just as improper to raise questions about infinite periods of time as about infinite space. However wide the circuit of the heavens may be it is of some definite extent but should anyone expostulate with God that vacant space remains exceeding creation by a hundred fold must not every pious mind detest the presumption. Similar is the madness of those who charge God with idleness in not having pleased them by creating the world countless ages sooner than he did create it. In their cupidity they affect to go beyond the world as if the ample circumference of heaven and earth did not contain objects numerous and resplendent enough to absorb all our senses. As if in the period of 6000 years God had not furnished facts enough to exercise our minds in ceaseless meditation. Therefore let us willingly remain hedged in by those boundaries within which God has been pleased to confine our persons and as it were enclose our minds so as to prevent them from losing themselves by wandering unrestrained. Section 2. With the same view Moses relates that the work of creation was accomplished not in one moment but in six days. By this statement we are drawn away from fiction to the one God who thus divided his work into six days that we may have no reluctance to devote our whole lives to the contemplation of it. For though our eyes in what direction so ever they turn are forced to behold the works of God we see how fleeting our attention is and holy quickly pious thoughts if any arise vanish away. Here too objection is taken to these progressive steps as inconsistent with the power of God until human reason is subdued to the obedience of faith and learns to welcome the calm quiescence to which the sanctification of the seventh day invited us. In the very order of events we ought diligently to ponder on the paternal goodness of God toward the human race and not creating Adam until he had liberally enriched the earth with all good things. Had he placed him on an earth barren and unfurnished had he given life before a light he might have seemed to pay little regard to his interest but now that he has arranged the motions of the sun and stars for man's use. As replenish the air, earth and water with living creatures and produce all kinds of fruit in abundance for the supply of food by performing the office of a provident and industrious head of a family he has shown his wondrous goodness toward us. The subjects which I only briefly touch if more attentively pondered will make it manifest that Moses was a sure witness and herald of the one only creator. I do not repeat what I have already explained, these that mention is here made not of the bare essence of God but that his eternal wisdom and spirit are also set before us in order that we may not dream of any other God than him who desires to be recognized in that express image. Section three, but before I begin to treat more fully of the nature of man it will be proper to say something of angels for although Moses in accommodation to the ignorance of the generality of man does not in the history of the creation make mention of any other works of God than those which meet our eye yet seeing he afterwards introduces angels as the ministers of God we easily infer that he for whom they do service is their creator. Hence though Moses speaking in popular language do not at the very commencement enumerate the angels among the creatures of God nothing prevents us from treating distinctly and explicitly of what is delivered by scripture concerning them in other places. For if we desire to know God by his works we surely cannot overlook this noble and illustrious specimen. We may add that this branch of doctrine is very necessary for the refutation of numerous errors. The minds of many are so struck with the excellence of angelic natures that they would think them insulted in being subjected to the authority of God and so made subordinate. Hence a fancy divinity has been assigned to them. Manes too has arisen with his sect fabricating to himself two principles. God and the devil attributing the origin of good things to God but assigning all bad natures to the devil as their author. Were this delirium to take possession of our minds God would be denied his glory in the creation of the world. For seeing there is nothing more peculiar to God than eternity and in parentheses Greek term i.e. self existence or existence of himself if I may so speak do not those who attributed to the devil in some degree invest him with the honor of divinity and where is the omnipotence of God if the devil has the power of executing whatever he pleases against the will and not withstanding of the opposition of God. But the only good ground which the manatees have is that it were impious to describe the creation of anything bad to good God militates in no degree against the orthodox faith since it is not admitted that there is anything naturally bad throughout the universe the depravity and wickedness whether of man or of the devil in the since then resulting being not from nature but from the corruption of nature nor at first did anything whatever exist that did not exhibit some manifestation of the divine wisdom and justice to obviate such perverse imaginations we must raise our minds higher than our eyes can penetrate I suppose probably with this view that the Nicene Creed and calling God the creator of all things makes express mention of things invisible my care however must be to keep within the bounds which piety prescribes lest by indulging in speculations beyond my reach I bewilder the reader and lead him away from the simplicity of the faith and since the Holy Spirit always instructs us in what is useful but all together omits or only touches cursorily on matters which tend little to edification of all such matters it is certainly our duty to remain in willing ignorance section four angels being the ministers appointed to execute the commands of God must of course be admitted to be his creatures but to stir up questions concerning the time or order in which they were created bespeaks more perverseness than industry Moses relates that the heavens and the earth were finished with all their hosts what avails it anxiously to inquire at what time other more hidden celestial hosts than the stars and planets also began to be not to dwell on this let us here remember that on the whole subject of religion one rule of modesty and soberness is to be observed and it is this in obscure matters not to speak or think or even long to know more than the word of God has delivered a second rule is that in reading the scriptures we should constantly direct our inquiries and meditations to those things which tend to edification not indulging curiosity or in studying things of no use and since the Lord has been pleased to instruct us not in frivolous questions but in solid piety in the fear of his name and true faith and the duties of holiness let us rest satisfied with such knowledge wherefore if we would be duly wise we must renounce those vain babblings of idle men concerning the nature ranks and numbers of angels without any authority from the word of God I know that many fast and on these topics more eagerly and take greater pleasure in them than in those relating to daily practice but if we decline not to be the disciples of Christ let us not decline to follow the method which he has prescribed in this way being contented with him for our master we will not only refrain from but even feel averse to superfluous speculations which he discourages none can deny that Dionysus whoever he may have been has many shrewd and subtle disquisitions in his celestial hierarchy but on looking at them more closely everyone must see that they are merely idle talk the duty of a theologian however is not to tickle the ear but confirm the conscience by teaching what is true certain and useful when you read the work of Dionysus you would think that the man had come down from heaven and was relating not what he had learned but what he had actually seen Paul however though he was carried to the third heaven so far from delivering anything of the kind positively declares that it was not lawful for man to speak the secrets which he had seen bidding adieu therefore to that nugatory wisdom let us endeavor to ascertain from the simple doctrine of scripture what it is the Lord's pleasure that we should know concerning angels section 5 in scripture then we uniformly read that angels are heavenly spirits whose obedience and ministry God employs to execute all the purposes which he has decreed and hence their name as being a kind of intermediate messengers to manifest his will to man the names by which several of them are distinguished have reference to the same office they are called hosts because they surround their prince as his court adorn and display his majesty like soldiers have their eyes always turned to their leader standard and are so ready and prompt to execute his orders that the moment he gives the nod that they prepare for or rather are actually at work in declaring the magnificence of the divine throne similar representations are given by the prophets and especially by Daniel when he says that when God stood up to judgment thousands thousands ministered onto him and 10,000 times 10,000 stood before him Daniel 7 verse 10 as by these means the Lord wonderfully exerts and declares the power and might of his hand they're called virtues again as his government of the world is exercised and administered by them they are called at one time principalities at another powers at another dominions Colossians 1 verse 16 Ephesians 1 verse 21 Lastly as the glory of God and some measure dwells in them they are also termed thrones though as to this last designation I am unwilling to speak positively as a different interpretation is equally if not more congruous to say nothing therefore of the name of thrones the former names are often employed by the Holy Spirit in commendation of the dignity of angelic service nor is it right to pass by unhonored those instruments by whom God specially manifests the presence of his power nay they are more than once called gods because the deity is in some measure represented to us in their service as in a mirror I am rather inclined however to agree with the ancient writers that in those passages wherein it is stated that the angel of the Lord appeared to Abraham, Jacob, and Moses Christ was that angel still it is true that when mentioned is made of all the angels they are frequently so designated nor ought this to seem strange for princes and rulers have dishonor given them because in their office they are vice regents of God the supreme king and judge with far greater reason may it be given to angels in whom the brightness of the divine glory is much more conspicuously displayed Section 6 but the point on which the scriptures specially insist is that which tends most to our comfort and to the confirmation of our faith namely that angels are the ministers and dispensers of the divine bounty towards us accordingly we are told how they watch for our safety how they undertake our defense direct our path and take heed that no evil befall us there are whole passages which relate in the first instance to Christ the head of the church and after him to all believers he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against the stone again the angel of the Lord and campus round about them that fear him and delivereth them by these passages the Lord shows that the protection of those whom he has undertaken to defend he has delegated to his angels accordingly an angel of the Lord and consoles Hagar in her flight and bids her be reconciled to her mistress Abraham promises to a servant that an angel will be the guide of his journey Jacob in blessing Ephraim and Manessa prays the angel which redeemed me from all evil blessed the lads so an angel was appointed to guard the camp of the Israelites and as often as God was pleased to deliver Israel from the hands of his enemies he stirred up avengers by the ministry of angels thus in fine not to mention more angels ministered to Christ and were present with him in all straights to the women they announced his resurrection to the disciples they foretold his glorious advent in discharging the office of our protectors they wore against the devil and all our enemies and executes vengeance upon those who afflict us thus we read that an angel of the Lord to deliver Jerusalem from siege slew 185,000 men in the camp of the king of Assyria in a single night section seven whether or not each believer has a single angel assigned to him for his defense I dare not positively affirm when Daniel introduces the angel of the Persian and the angel of the Greeks he undoubtedly intimates that certain angels are appointed as a kind of president over kingdoms and provinces again when Christ says that the angels of children always behold the face of his father he insinuates that there are certain angels to whom their safety has been entrusted but I know not if it can be inferred from this that each believer has his own angel this indeed I hold for certain that each of us is cared for not by one angel merely but that all with one consent watch for our safety for it is said of all the angels collectively that they rejoice over one sinner that repenteth more than 99 just persons which need no repentance it is also said that the angels meaning more than one carry the soul of Lazarus into Abraham's bosom nor was it to no purpose that Elisha showed his servant the many chariots of fire which were specially allotted him there is one passage which seems to intimate somewhat more clearly that each individual has a separate angel when Peter after his deliverance from prison knocked at the door of the house where the brethren were assembled being unable to think it could be himself they said it was his angel this idea seems to have been suggested to them by a common belief that every believer has a single angel assigned to them here however it may be alleged that there is nothing to prevent us from understanding it of any one of the angels to whom the Lord might have given the charge of Peter at that particular time without implying that he was to be his perpetual guardian according to the vulgar imagination that two angels a good and a bad as a kind of genie are assigned to each individual after all it is not worthwhile anxiously to investigate a point which does not greatly concern us if anyone does not think it enough to know that all the orders of the heavenly host are perpetually watching for safety and do not see what he could gain by knowing that he has one angel as a special guardian those again who limit the care which God takes of each of us to a single angel do great injury to themselves and to all the members of the church as if there were no value in those promises of auxiliary troops who on every side encircling and defending us emboldened us to fight more manfully section 8 those who presume to dogmatize on the ranks and the numbers of angels would do well to consider on what foundation they rest as to their rank I admit that Michael is described by David as a mighty prince and by Jude as an archangel Paul also tells us that an archangel will blow the trumpet which is to summon the world to judgment but how is it possible from such passages to ascertain the gradations of honor among the angels to determine that the insignia and assigned the place and station of each even the two names Michael and Gabriel mentioned in scripture or a third if you choose to add it from the history of Tobit seem to intimate by their meaning that they are given to angels in accommodation to the weakness of our capacity though I rather choose not to speak positively on that point as to the number of angels we learn from the mouth of our savior that there are many legions and from Daniel that there are many myriads Elisha servants saw a multitude of chariots and their vast number is declared by the fact that they encamp round about those that fear the Lord it is certain that spirits have no bodily shape and yet scripture in accommodation to us describes them under the form of winged cherubim and seraphim not without cause to assure us that when occasion requires they will hasten to our aid with incredible swiftness winging their way to us with the speed of lightning farther than this in regard both to the ranks and the numbers of angels let us class them among those mysterious subjects the full revelation of which is deferred to the last day and accordingly refrain from inquiring too curiously or talking presumptuously section 9 there is one point however which though called into doubt by certain restless individuals we ought to hold for certain these that angels are ministering spirits Hebrews 1 verse 14 whose service God employs for the protection of his people and by whose means he distributes his favors among man and also executes other works the Sadducees of old maintain that by angels nothing more is month than the movements which God impresses on man or manifestations which he gives of his own power Acts 23 verse 8 but this dream is contradicted by so many passages of scripture that it seems strange how such gross ignorance could have had any countenance among the Jews to say nothing of the passages I have already quoted passages which refer to thousands and legions of angels speak of them as rejoicing as bearing up the faithful in their hands carrying their souls to rest beholding the face of their father and so forth there are other passages which most clearly prove that they are real beings possessed of spiritual essence Stephen and Paul say that the law was enacted in the hands of angels our savior moreover says that at the resurrection the elect will be like angels that the day of judgment is known not even to the angels that at that time he himself will come with the holy angels however much such passages may be twisted their meaning is plain and like manner when Paul beseeches Timothy to keep his precept as before Christ and his elect angels it is not qualities or inspirations without substance that he speaks of but true spirits and when it is said in the epistle to the Hebrews that Christ was made more excellent than the angels that the world was not made subject to them that Christ assumed not their nature but that of man it is impossible to give a meaning to the passages without understanding that angels are blessed spirits as to whom such comparisons may competently be made the author of that epistle declares the same thing when he places the souls of believers and the holy angels together in the kingdom of heaven moreover in the passages we have already quoted the angels of children are said to behold the face of God to defend us by their protection, to rejoice in our salvation to admire the manifold grace of God in the church to be under Christ their head to the same effect as their frequent appearance to the holy patriarchs in human form their speaking and consenting to be hospitably entertained Christ too in consequence of the supremacy which he obtains as mediator is called the angel Malachi 3 verse 1 it was thought proper to touch on this subject in passing with the view of putting the simple upon their guard against the foolish and absurd imaginations which suggested by Satan many centuries ago are ever and anon starting up anew end of section 23 which usually begins to creep in when it is said that all blessings are ministered and dispensed to us by angels for the human mind is apt immediately to think that there is no honor which they ought not to receive and hence the peculiar offices of Christ and God are bestowed upon them in this ways the glory of Christ was for several former ages greatly obscured extravagant eulogyms being pronounced on angels without any authority from scripture among the corruptions which we now oppose there is scarcely any one of greater antiquity even Paul appears to have had a severe contest with some who so exalted angels as to make them almost the superiors of Christ hence he so anxiously urges in his epistle to the Colossians Colossians 1 16 and 20 that Christ is not only superior to all angels but that all the endowments which they possess are derived from him thus warning us against forsaking him by turning to those who are not sufficient for themselves but must draw with us at a common fountain as the refurgence of the divine glory is manifested in them there is nothing to which we are more prone than to prostrate ourselves before them in stupid adoration and then ascribe to them the blessings which we owe to God alone even John confesses in the apocalypse Revelations chapter 19 verse 10 and chapter 22 verses 8 and 9 that this was his own case but he immediately adds the answer which was given to him see thou do it not I am thy fellow servant worship God 11 this danger we will happily avoid if we consider why it is that gods instead of acting directly without their agency is wants to employ it in manifesting his power providing for the safety of his people and imparting the gifts of his beneficence this he certainly does not from necessity as if he were unable to dispense with them whenever he pleases he passes them by and performs his own work by a single nod so far are they from relieving him of any difficulty therefore when he employs them it is as a help to our weakness that nothing may be wanting to elevate our hopes or strengthen our confidence it ought indeed to be sufficient for us that the Lord declares himself to be our protector but when we see ourselves beset by so many perils so many injuries, so many kinds of enemies such as our frailty and effeminacy that we might at times be filled with alarm or driven to despair did not the Lord proclaim his gracious presence by some means in accordance with our feeble capacities for this reason he not only promises to take care of us but assures us that he has numberless attendance to whom he has committed the charge of our safety that whatever dangers may impend so long as we are encircled by their protection and guardianship we are placed beyond all hazard of evil I admit that after we have a simple assurance of the divine protection it is improper in us still to look round for help but since for this our weakness the Lord is pleased in his infinite goodness and indulgence to provide it would ill become us to overlook the favor of this we have an example in the servant of Elisha 2 Kings 6 17 who, seeing the mountain encompassed by the army of the Assyrians and no means of escape was completely overcome with terror and thought it all over with himself and his master then Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of the servant who forthwith beheld the mountain filled with horses and chariots of fire in other words with a multitude of angels to whom he and the prophet had been given in charge confirmed by the vision he received courage and could boldly defy the enemy whose appearance previously filled him with dismay 12 whatever therefore is said as to the ministry of angels let us employ for the purpose of removing all distrust and strengthening our confidence in God the Lord has provided us with such protection let us not be terrified at the multitude of our enemies as if they could prevail not withstanding of his aid but let us adopt the sentiment of Elisha that more are for us than against us how preposterous therefore is it to allow ourselves to be led away from God by angels who have been appointed for the very purpose of assuring us of his more immediate presence to help us but we are so led away that angels do not conduct us directly to him making us look to him invoke and celebrate him as our only defender if they are not regarded merely as hands moving to our assistance just as he directs if they do not direct us to Christ as the only mediator on whom we must wholly depend and recline looking towards him and resting on him our minds ought to give thorough heed to what Jacob saw in his vision Genesis 2812 angels descending to the earth to men and again mounting up from men to heaven by means of a ladder at the head of which the Lord of hosts was seated intimating that it is solely by the intercession of Christ that the ministry of angels extends to us as he himself declares hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man John 1.51 the servant of Abraham though he had been commended to the guardianship of an angel Genesis 247 does not therefore invoke that angel to be present with him but trusting to the commendation pours out his prayers before the Lord and then treats him to show mercy to Abraham as God does not make angels the ministers of his power and goodness that he may share his glory with them so he does not promise his assistance by their instrumentality that we may divide our confidence between him and them away then with that platonic philosophy of seeking access to God by means of angels and courting them with the view of making God more propitious a philosophy which presumptuous and superstitious men attempted at first to introduce into our religion and which they persist in even to this day 13. The tendency of all that scripture teaches concerning devils is to put us on our guard against their wiles and machinations that we may provide ourselves with weapons strong enough to drive away the most formidable foes for when Satan is called the God and ruler of this world the strong man armed the prince of the power of the air the roaring lion the object of all these descriptions is to make us more cautious and vigilant and more prepared for the contest this is sometimes stated in distinct terms for Peter after describing the devil as a roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour immediately adds the exhortation whom resists steadfast in the faith 1 Peter 5 9 and Paul after reminding us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places and in the middle of the world the most powerful the most crafty the most indefatigable the most completely equipped with all the engines and the most expert in the science of war let us not allow ourselves to be overtaken by sloth or cowardice the most powerful the most powerful the most crafty the most indefatigable by sloth or cowardice but on the contrary with minds aroused and ever on the alert let us stand ready to resist and knowing that this warfare is terminated only by death let us study to persevere above all fully conscious of our weakness and want of skill let us invoke the help of God and attempt nothing without trusting in him since it is his alone to supply counsel and strength and courage and arms 14 that we may feel the more strongly urged to do so the scripture declares that the enemies who war against us are not one or two or few in number but a great host Mary Magdalene is said to have been delivered from seven devils by which she was possessed and our savior assures us that it is an ordinary circumstance when a devil has been expelled if access is again given to it to take seven other spirits more wicked than itself and resume the vacant possession nay one man is said to have been possessed by a whole legion by this then we are taught that the number of enemies with whom we have to war is almost infinite that we may not from a contemptuous idea of the fewness of their numbers be more remiss in the contest or from imagining that an occasional truce is given us indulge in sloth in one Satan or devil being often mentioned in the singular number the thing denoted is that domination of iniquity which is opposed to the reign of righteousness for as the church and the communion of saints has Christ for its head so the faction of the wicked and wickedness itself is portrayed with its prince exercising supremacy hence the expression depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels with you 25 41 15 one thing which ought to animate us to perpetual contest with the devil is that he is everywhere called both our adversary and the adversary of God for if the glory of God is dear to us as it ought to be we ought to struggle with all our might against him who aims at the extinction of that glory if we are animated with proper zeal to maintain the kingdom of Christ in a reconcilable war with him who conspires its ruin again if we have any anxiety about our own salvation we ought to make no peace nor truce with him who is continually laying schemes for its destruction but such is the character given to Satan in the third chapter of Genesis where he is seen seducing man from his allegiance to God that he may both deprive God of his due honor and plunge man headlong in destruction such too is the description given of him in the gospels Matthew 13 28 where he is called the enemy and is said to so tears in order to corrupt the seed of eternal life in one word in all his actions we experience the truth of our Savior's description that he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth John 8 44 truth he assails with lies light he obscures with darkness the minds of man he involves in error he stirs up hatred inflames strife and war and all in order that he may overthrow the kingdom of God and drown man in eternal perdition with himself hence it is evident that his whole nature is depraved mischievous and malignant there must be extreme depravity in a mind bent on assailing the glory of God and the salvation of man this is intimated by John in his epistle when he says that he sineth from the beginning 1 John 3 8 implying that he is the author leader and contriver of all malice and wickedness 16 but as the devil was created by God we must remember that this malice which we attribute to his nature is not from creation but from deprivation everything damnable in him he brought upon himself by his revolt and fall of this scripture reminds us lest by believing that he was so created at first we should describe to God what is most foreign to his nature for this reason Christ declares John 844 that Satan when he lies speaketh of his own and states the reason because he abode not in the truth by saying that he abode not in the truth he certainly intimates that he once was in the truth and by calling the father of lies he puts it out of his power to charge God with the depravity of which he was himself the cause but although the expressions are brief and not very explicit they are amply sufficient to vindicate the majesty of God from every colony and what more does it concern us to know of devils some murmur because the scripture does not in various passages give a distinct and regular exposition of Satan's fate and nature but as these things are of no consequence to us it was better if not entirely to pass them in silence at least only to touch lightly upon them the Holy Spirit could not deign to feed curiosity with idle unprofitable histories we see it was the Lord's purpose to deliver nothing in his sacred oracles which we might not learn for edification therefore instead of dwelling on superfluous matters let it be sufficient for us briefly to hold with regard to the nature of devils that at their first creation they were the angels of God but by revolting they both ruined themselves and became the instruments of perdition to others as it was useful to know this much it is clearly taught by Peter and Jude God they say spared not the angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment 2 Peter 2 4 and Jude verse 6 and Paul by speaking of the elect angels obviously draws a tacit contrast between them and reprobate angels 17 with regard to the strife and war which Satan is said to wage with God it must be understood with this qualification that Satan cannot possibly do anything against the will and consent of God for we read in the history of Job that Satan appears in the presence of God to receive his commands and dares not proceed to execute any enterprise until he is authorized in the same way when Ahab was to be deceived he undertook to be a lying spirit in the mouth of all the prophets and on being commissioned by the Lord proceeds to do so for this reason also the spirit which tormented Saul is said to be an evil spirit from the Lord because he was, as it were the scourge by which the misdeeds of the wicked king were punished in another place it is said that the plagues of Egypt were inflicted by God through the instrumentality of wicked angels in conformity with these particular examples Paul declares generally that unbelievers are blinded by God though he had previously described it as the doing of Satan it is evident therefore that Satan is under the power of God and is so ruled by his authority that he must yield obedience to it moreover though we say that Satan resists God and does works at variance with his works we at the same time maintain that this contrariety and opposition depend on the permission of God I now speak not of Satan's will and endeavor but only of the result for the disposition of the devil being wicked there is no inclination whatever to obey the divine will but on the contrary is wholly bent on contumacy and rebellion this much therefore he has of himself and his own iniquity that he eagerly and of set purpose opposes God aiming at those things which he deems most contrary to the will of God but as God holds him bound and fettered by the curb of his power he executes those things only and thus however unwilling obeys his creator being forced whenever he is required to do him service 18 God thus turning the unclean spirits hither and thither at his pleasure employs them in exercising believers by warring against them assailing them with wiles urging them with solicitations pressing close upon them disturbing alarming and occasionally wounding but never conquering or oppressing them whereas they hold the wicked and thrall them exercise dominion over their minds and bodies and employ them as bond slaves in all kinds of iniquity because believers are disturbed by such enemies they are addressed in such exhortations as these neither give place to the devil your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resists steadfast in the faith Ephesians 4 27 1 Peter 5 8 Paul acknowledges that he was not exempt from this species of contest when he says that for the purpose of subduing his pride a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him 2 Corinthians 12 7 this trial therefore is common to all the children of God but as the promise of bruising Satan's head Genesis 3 15 applies a like to Christ and to all his members they are often indeed thrown into alarm but never so thoroughly as not to recover themselves they fall by the violence of the blows but they get up again they are wounded but not mortally and fine they labor on through the whole course of their lives so as ultimately to gain the victory though they meet with occasional defeats we know how David through the just anger of God was left for a time to Satan and by his instigation numbered the people 2 Samuel 24 1 nor without cause does Paul hold out a hope of pardon in case any should have become ensnared by the wiles of the devil 2 Timothy 2 26 accordingly he elsewhere shows that the promise above quoted commences in this life where the struggle is carried on and that it is completed after the struggle is ended as are the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Romans 16 20 in our head indeed this victory was always perfect because the Prince of the world had nothing in him John 14 30 but in us who are his members it is now partially obtained and will be perfected when we shall have put off our mortal flesh through which we are liable to infirmity and shall have been filled with the energy of the Holy Spirit in this way when the kingdom of Christ is raised up and established that of Satan falls as our Lord himself expresses it I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven Luke 10 18 by these words he confirmed the report which the apostles gave of the efficacy of their preaching in like manner he says when a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace but when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted and divided his spoils Luke 11 21 22 and to this end Christ by dying overcame Satan who had the power of death Hebrews 2 14 and triumphed over all his hosts that they might not injure the church which otherwise would suffer from them every moment 4 such being our weakness and such his raging fury how could we withstand his manifold and unintermitted assaults for any period however short if we did not trust to the victory of our leader God therefore does not allow Satan to have dominion over the souls of believers but only gives over to his sway the impious and unbelieving whom he deigns not to number among his flock for the devil is said to have undisputed possession of this world until he is dispossessed by Christ and like manner he is said to blind all who do not believe the gospel and to do his own work in the children of disobedience and justly for all the wicked are vessels of wrath and accordingly to whom should they be subjected but to the minister of the divine vengeance in fine they are said to be of their father the devil for as believers are recognized to be the sons of God by burying his image of Satan from having degenerated into his image 19 having above refuted that new philosophy concerning the holy angels which teaches that they are nothing but good motions or inspirations which God excites in the minds of men we must here likewise refute those who foolishly alleged that devils are nothing but bad affections or perturbations suggested by our carnal nature the brief refutation is to be found in passages of scripture on this subject passages neither few nor obscure first when they are called unclean spirits and apostate angels Matthew 12.43 and Jude verse 6 who have degenerated from their original the very terms sufficiently declare that they are not motions or affections of the mind but truly as they are called minds or spirits endued with sense and intellect in like manner the children of God are contrasted by John and also by our savior with the children of the devil would not the contrast be absurd if the term devil meant nothing more than evil inspirations and John adds still more emphatically that the devil sineth from the beginning 1 John 3.8 in like manner when Jude introduces the archangel Michael contending with the devil Jude verse 9 he certainly contrasts a wicked and rebellious with a good angel to this corresponds the account given in the book of Job that Satan appeared in the presence of God with the holy angels but the clearest passages of all are those which make mention of the punishment which from the judgment of God they already begin to fill and are to fill more especially at the resurrection what have we to do with thee Jesus thou son of God art thou come hither to torment us before the time and again depart he cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Matthew 2541 again if God spared not the angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment etc. 2 Peter 2.4 how absurd the expressions that devils are doomed to eternal punishment that fire is prepared for them that they are even now excruciated and tormented by the glory of Christ if there were truly no devils at all but as all discussion on this subject is superfluous for those who give credit to the Word of God while little is gained by quoting Scripture to those empty speculators whom nothing but novelty can please I believe I have already done enough for my purpose which was to put the pious on their guard against the delirious dreams with which restless men harass themselves and the simple the subject, however, deserved to be touched upon lest any, by embracing that error should imagine they have no enemy and thereby be more remiss or less cautious in resisting 20. Meanwhile being placed in this most beautiful theater let us not decline to take a pious delight in the clear and manifest works of God for, as we have elsewhere observed and not the chief, it is, in point of order the first evidence of faiths to remember to which side soever we turn that all which meets the eye is the work of God and at the same time to meditate with pious care on the end which God had in view in creating it wherefore, in order that we may apprehend with true faith what it is necessary to know concerning God it is of importance to attend to the history of the creation as briefly recorded by Moses and afterwards more copiously illustrated by pious writers more especially by Basil and Ambrose from this history we learn that God, by the power of his word and his spirit, created the heavens and the earth out of nothing that thereafter he produced things inanimate and animate of every kind arranging an innumerable variety of objects in admirable order giving each kind its proper nature office, place, and station at the same time as all things were liable to corruption providing for the perpetuation of each single species cherishing some by secret methods and, as it were, from time to time instilling new vigor into them and bestowing on others a power of continuing their race so preventing it from perishing at their own death heaven and earth being thus most richly adorned and copiously supplied things, like a large and splendid mansion gorgeously constructed and exquisitely furnished at length man was made man, by the beauty of his person and his many noble endowments the most glorious specimen of the works of God but, as I have no intention to give the history of creation in detail it is sufficient to have again thus briefly touched on it in passing I have already reminded my reader that the best course for him is to derive his knowledge of the subject from Moses and others who have carefully and faithfully transmitted an account of the creation 21. It is unnecessary to dwell at length on the end that should be aimed at in considering the works of God the subject has been in a great measure explained elsewhere and in so far as required by our present work may now be disposed of in a few words undoubtedly were one to attempt to speak in due terms of the humble wisdom, power, justice and goodness of God in the formation of the world no grace or splendor of diction could equal the greatness of the subject still there can be no doubt that the Lord would have us constantly occupied with such holy meditation in order that while we contemplate the immense treasures of wisdom and goodness exhibited in the creatures as in so many mirrors we may not only run our eye over them as it were, evanescent glance but dwell long upon them seriously and faithfully turn them in our minds and every now and then bring them to recollection but as the present work is of a didactic nature we cannot fittingly enter on topics which require lengthened discourse therefore in order to be compendious let the reader understand that he has a genuine apprehension of the character of God as the creator of the world first if he attends to the general rule never thoughtlessly or obliviously to overlook the glorious perfections which God displays in his creatures and secondly if he makes a self-application of what he sees so as to fix it deeply on his heart the former is exemplified when we consider how great the architect must be who framed and ordered the multitude of the starry host so admirably that it is impossible to imagine a more glorious sight so stationing some and fixing them to particular spots that they cannot move giving a freer course to others yet setting limits to their wanderings so tempering the movement of the whole as to measure out day and night, months, years and seasons and at the same time so regulating the inequality of days as to prevent everything like confusion the former course is moreover exemplified when we attend to his power in sustaining the vast mass and guiding the swift revolutions of the heavenly bodies, etc these few examples sufficiently explain what is meant by recognizing the divine perfections in the creation of the world were we to attempt to go over the whole subject which should never come to a conclusion there being as many miracles of divine power as many striking evidences of wisdom and goodness as there are classes of objects, nay as there are individual objects great or small throughout the universe 22 the other course which has a closer relation to faith remains to be considered viz that while we observe how God has destined all things for our good and salvation we at the same time fill his power and grace both in ourselves and in the great blessings which he has bestowed upon us then stirring up ourselves to confidence in him to invocation, praise and love moreover as I lately observed the Lord himself by the very order of creation has demonstrated that he created all things for the sake of man nor is it unimportant to observe that he divided the formation of the world into six days though it had been in no respect more difficult to complete the whole work in all its parts in one moment than by gradual progression but he was pleased to display his providence and paternal care for us in this that before he formed man he provided whatever he foresaw would be useful and salutary to him how ungrateful then were it to doubt whether we are cared for by this most excellent parent who we see cared for us even before we were born how impious were it to tremble in distrust lest we should one day be abandoned in our necessity by that kindness which antecedent to our existence displayed itself in a complete supply of all good things moreover Moses tells us that everything which the world contains is liberally placed at our disposal this God certainly did not that he might delude us with an empty form of donation nothing therefore which concerns our safety will ever be wanting to conclude in one word as often as we call God the creator of heaven and earth let us remember that the distribution of all the things which he created are in his hand and power but that we are his sons whom he has undertaken to nourish and bring up in allegiance to him that we may expect the substance of all good from him alone and have full hope that he will never suffer us to be in want of things necessary to salvation so as to leave us dependent on some other source that in everything we desire we may address our prayers to him and in every benefit we receive acknowledge his hand and give him thanks that thus allured by his great goodness and beneficence we may study with our whole heart to love and serve him End of Section 24 Recording by Paul Johnson, Phoenix Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 1 by John Calvin translated by Henry Beverage Chapter 15 State in which man was created the faculties of the soul the image of God free will, original righteousness This chapter is thus divided 1. The necessary rules to be observed in considering the state of man before the fall being laid down the point first considered is the creation of the body and the lesson taught by its being formed out of the earth and made alive Section 1 2. The immortality of the human soul is proved by various solid arguments, Section 2 3. The image of God the strongest proof of the soul's immortality is considered and various observed fancies are refuted, Section 3 4. Several errors which obscure the light of truth being dissipated, follows a philosophical and theological consideration of the faculties of the soul before the fall Sections 1 a twofold knowledge of God that is, before the fall and after it the former here considered particular rules or precautions to be observed in this discussion what we are taught by a body formed out of the dust and tenanted by a spirit the immortality of the soul proved from 1. the testimony of conscience 2. the knowledge of God 3. the noble faculties with which it is endued 4. its activity and wondrous fancies in sleep 5. innumerable passages of scripture 3. the image of God one of the strongest proofs of the immortality of the soul what is meant by this image the dreams of Oceander concerning the image of God refuted whether any difference between image and likeness another objection of Oceander refuted the image of God conspicuous in the whole atom 4. the image of God is in the soul its nature may be learned from its renewal by Christ what comprehended under this renewal what the image of God in man before the fall in what things it now appears will be seen in perfection 5. the dreams of the manachese and of servetus as to the origin of the soul refuted also of Oceander who denies that there is any image of God in man without essential righteousness 6. the doctrine of philosophers as to the faculties of the soul generally discordant, doubtful and obscure the excellence of the soul described only one soul in each man a brief review of the opinion of philosophers as to the faculties of the soul what to be thought of this opinion 7. the division of the faculties of the soul into intellect and will more agreeable to Christian doctrine 8. the power and office of the intellect and will in man before the fall man's free will this freedom lost by the fall a fact unknown to philosophers the illusion of palagians and papists objection as to the fall of man when free refuted 1. we have now to speak of the creation of man not only because of all the works of God it is the noblest and most admirable specimen of his justice, wisdom and goodness but as we observed at the outset we cannot clearly and properly know God unless the knowledge of ourselves be added this knowledge is two fold relating first to the condition in which we were at first created and secondly to our condition such as it began to be immediately after Adam's fall for it would little avail us to know how we were created if we remained ignorant of the corruption and degradation of our nature in consequence of the fall at present however we can find ourselves to a consideration of our nature in its original integrity and certainly before we descend to the miserable condition into which man has fallen it is of importance to consider what he was at first for there is need of caution lest we attend only to the natural ills of man and thereby seem to ascribe them to the author of nature impiety deeming it a sufficient defense if it can pretend that everything vicious in it proceeded in some sense from God and not hesitating when accused to plead against God and throw the blame of its guilt upon him those who would be thought to speak more reverently of the deity catch at an excuse for their depravity from nature not considering that they also though more obscurely bring a charge against God on whom the dishonor would fall if anything vicious were proved to exist in nature seeing therefore that the flesh is continually on the alert for subterfuges by which it imagines it can remove the blame of its own wickedness from itself to some other quarter we must diligently guard against this depraved procedure and accordingly treat of the calamity of the human race in such a way as may cut off every evasion and vindicate the justice of God against all who would impugn it we shall afterwards see in its own place book 2 chapter 1 section 3 how far mankind now are from the purity originally conferred by Adam and first it is to be observed that when he was formed out of the dust of the ground a curb was laid on his pride nothing being more observed than that those should glory in their excellence who not only dwell in tabernacles of clay but are themselves in part dust and ashes but God having not only designed to animate a vessel of clay but to make it the habitation of an immortal spirit Adam might well glory in the great reality of his maker 2 moreover there can be no question that man consists of a body and a soul meaning by soul an immortal though created essence which is his nobler part sometimes he is called a spirit but though the two terms while they are used together differ in their meaning still when spirit is used by itself it is equivalent to soul as when Solomon speaking of death that the spirit returns to God who gave it Ecclesiastes 12.7 and Christ in commending his spirit to the father and Stephen his to Christ simply mean that when the soul is freed from the prison house of the body God becomes its perpetual keeper those who imagine that the soul is called a spirit because it is a breath or energy divinely infused into bodies but devoid of essence air too grossly as is shown by the nature of the thing and the whole tenor of scripture it is true indeed that men cleaving too much to the earth are dull of apprehension nay being alienated from the father of lights are so immersed in darkness as to imagine that they will not survive the grave still the light is not so completely quenched in darkness that all sense of immortality is lost conscience which distinguishing between good and evil responds to the judgment of God is an undoubted sign of an immortal spirit how could motion devoid of essence penetrate to the judgment seat of God and under a sense of guilt strike itself with terror the body cannot be affected by any fear of spiritual punishment it is competent only to the soul which must therefore be endued with essence then the mere knowledge of a God sufficiently proves that souls more than the world must be immortal it being impossible that any evanescent vigor could reach the very fountain of life in fine while the many noble faculties with which the human mind is endued proclaim that something divine is engraven on it they are so many evidences of an immortal essence for such sense as the lower animals possess goes not beyond the body or at least not beyond the objects actually presented to it but the swiftness with which the human mind glances from heaven to earth scans the secrets of nature and after it has embraced all ages with intellect and memory digests each in its proper order and reads the future in the past clearly demonstrates that there lurks in man a something separated from the body we have intellect by which we are able to conceive of the invisible God and angels a thing of which body all together incapable we have ideas of rectitude justice and honesty ideas which the bodily senses cannot reach the seed of these ideas must therefore be a spirit may sleep itself which stupefying the man seems even to deprive him of life is no obscure evidence of immortality not only suggesting thoughts of things which never existed but foreboding future events I briefly touch on topics which even profane writers described with a more splendid eloquence for pious readers a simple reference is sufficient were not the soul some kind of essence separated from the body scripture would not teach that we dwell in houses of clay and at death removed from a tabernacle of flesh that we put off that which is corruptible in order that at the last day we may finally receive according to the deeds done in the body these and similar passages which everywhere occur not only clearly distinguish the soul from the body but by giving it the name of man intimate that it is his principal part again when Paul exhorts believers to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit he shows that there are two parts in which the taint of sin resides Peter also in calling Christ the shepherd and bishop of souls would have spoken absurdly if there were no souls towards which he might discharge such an office nor would there be any ground for what he says concerning the eternal salvation of souls or for his injunction to purify our souls or for his assertion that fleshly lusts war against the soul neither could the author of the epistle to the Hebrews say that pastors watch as those who must give an account for our souls if souls were devoid of essence to the same effect Paul calls God to witness upon his soul which could not be brought to trial before God if incapable of suffering punishment this is still more clearly expressed by our savior when he bids us fear him who after he has killed the body is able also to cast into hellfire again when the author of the epistle to the Hebrews distinguishes the fathers of our flesh from God who alone is the father of our spirits he could not have asserted the essence of the soul in clearer terms more over did not the soul when freed from the fetters of the body continue to exist our savior would not have represented the soul of Lazarus as enjoying blessedness in Abraham's bosom while on the contrary that of Davies was suffering dreadful torments Paul assures us of the same thing when he says that so long as the body we are absent from the Lord not to dwell on a matter as to which there is little obscurity I will only add that Luke mentions among the errors of the Sadducees that they believed neither angel nor spirit three a strong proof of this point may be gathered from its being said that man was created in the image of God for though the divine glory is displayed in man's outward appearance it cannot be doubted that the proper seat of the image is in the soul I deny not indeed that external shape in so far as it distinguishes and separates us from lower animals brings us nearer to God nor will I vehemently oppose any who may choose to include under the image of God that quote while the mute creation downward bend their sight into their earthly mother tend man looks aloft and with erected eyes he holds his own hereditary skies and quote only let it be understood that the image of God which is beheld or made conspicuous by these external marks is spiritual for Oceander whose writings exhibit a perverse ingenuity in futile devices extending the image of God indiscriminately as well to the body as to the soul confounds heaven with earth he says that the father the son and the Holy Spirit placed their image in man because even though Adam had stood entire Christ would still have become man thus according to him the body which was destined for Christ was a model and type of that corporeal figure which was then formed but where does he find that Christ is an image of the Spirit I admit indeed that in the person of the mediator the glory of the whole Godhead is displayed but how can the eternal word who in order precedes the Spirit be called his image in short the distinction between the son and the Spirit is destroyed when the former is represented as the image of the latter moreover I should like to know in what respect Christ in the flesh in which he was clothed resembles the Holy Spirit and by what marks or lineaments the likeness is expressed and since the expression let us make man in our own image is used in the person of the Son also it follows that he is the image of himself a thing utterly absurd add that according to the figment of Oceander Adam was formed after the model or type of the man Christ hence Christ in as much as he was to be clothed with flesh was the idea according to which Adam was formed whereas the scriptures teach very differently that is that he was formed in the image of God there is more plausibility in the imagination of those who interpret that Adam was created in the image of God because it was conformable to Christ who is the only image of God but not even for this is there any solid foundation the image and likeness has given rise to no small discussion interpreters searching without cause for a difference between the two terms since likeness is merely added by way of exposition first we know that repetitions are common in Hebrew which often gives two words for one thing and secondly there is no ambiguity in the thing itself man being called the image of God because of his likeness to God hence there is an obvious absurdity in those who indulge in philosophical speculation as to these names placing the zealom that is the image in the substance of the soul that is the likeness in its qualities and so forth God having determined to create man in his own image to remove the obscurity which was in this terms adds by way of explanation in his likeness as if he had said that he would make man in whom he would as it were image himself by means of the marks of resemblance impressed upon him accordingly Moses shortly after repeating the account puts down the image of God twice and makes no mention of the likeness Ociander frivolously objects that it is not a part of the man or the soul with its faculties which is called the image of God but the whole atom who received his name from the dust out of which he was taken I call the objection frivolous as all sound readers will judge for though the whole man is called mortal the soul is not therefore liable nor when he is called a rational animal is reason or intelligence thereby attributed to the body hence although the soul is not the man there is no absurdity in holding that he is called the image of God in respect of the soul though I retain the principle which I lately laid down that the image of God extends to everything in which the nature of man surpasses that of all other species of animals accordingly by this term is denoted the integrity with which Adam was endued when his intellect was clear his affections subordinated to reason all his senses duly regulated and when he truly ascribed all his excellence to the admirable gifts of his maker and though the primary seat of the divine image was in the mind and the heart or in the soul and its powers there was no part even of the body in which some rays of glory did not shine it is certain that in every part of the world some linements of divine glory are beheld and hence we may infer that when his images placed in man there is a kind of tacit antithesis as it were setting man apart from the crowd and exalting him above all the other creatures but it cannot be denied that the angels also were created in the likeness of God since as Christ declares Matthew 22 30 our highest perfection will consist of two things one is that we are not like them but it is not without good cause that Moses commends the favor of God towards us by giving us this peculiar title the more especially that he was only comparing man with the visible creation 4 but our definition of the image seems not to be complete until it appears more clearly what the faculties are in which man excels and in which this however cannot be better known than from the remedy provided for the corruption of nature it cannot be doubted that when Adam lost his first estate he became alienated from God wherefore although we grant that the image of God was not utterly effaced and destroyed in him it was however so corrupted that anything which remains is fearful deformity and therefore our deliverance begins with that renovation which we obtained from Christ who is therefore called the second Adam because he restores us to true and substantial integrity for although Paul contrasting the quickening spirit which believers received from Christ with the living soul which Adam was created 1 Corinthians 1545 commends the richer measure of grace bestowed in regeneration he does not however contradict the statement that the end of regeneration is to form us in the image of God accordingly he elsewhere shows that the new man is renewed after the image of him that created him Colossians 319 to this corresponds another passage put he on the new man who after God is created Ephesians 424 we must now see what particulars Paul comprehends under this renovation in the first place he mentions knowledge and in the second righteousness and holiness hence we infer that at the beginning the image of God was manifested by light of intellect rectitude of heart and the soundness of every part for though I admit that the forms of expression are elliptical this principle cannot be overthrown that is that the leading figure in the renovation of the divine image must also have held the highest place in its creation to the same effect Paul says that beholding the glory of Christ with unveiled face we are transformed into the same image we now see how Christ is the most perfect image of God into which we are so renewed as to bear the image of God in knowledge, purity, righteousness and true holiness this being established the imagination of Oceander as to bodily form vanishes of its own accord as to that passage of Saint Paul 1 Corinthians 11-7 in which the man alone to the express exclusion of the woman is called the image and glory of God it is evident from the context that it merely refers to civil order I presume it has already been sufficiently proved that the image comprehends everything which has any relation to the spiritual and eternal life the same thing in different terms is declared by Saint John when he says Christ which was from the beginning in the eternal word of God was the light of man John 1-4 his object being to extol the singular grace of God and making Man excel the other animals he at the same time shows how he was formed in the image of God that he may separate him from the common herd as possessing not ordinary animal existence but one which combines with it the light of intelligence which constitutes the entire excellence of human nature as it shown in Adam before his fall but was afterwards officiated and almost destroyed nothing remaining but a ruined confused mutilated and tainted with impurity so it is now partly seen in the elect in so far as they are regenerated by the spirit its full luster however will be displayed in heaven but in order to know the particular properties it will be proper to treat of the faculties of the soul for there is no solidity in Augustan speculation that the soul is a mirror of the trinity in as much as it comprehends within itself intellect, will, and memory nor is there probability in the opinion of those who place likeness to God in the dominion bestowed upon man as if he only resembled God in this that he is appointed lord and master of all things and this must be within in himself it must be something which is not external to him but is properly the internal good of the soul 5 but before I proceed further it is necessary to advert to the dream of the manachese which servitus has attempted in our day to revive because it is said that God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life genesis 2 7 they thought that the soul of man is a portion transmitted from the essence of God the divine nature must not only be liable to passion and change but also to ignorance, evil desires, infirmity, and all kinds of vice there is nothing more inculcated than a portion of God as if some portion of the boundless divinity had passed into man it cannot take long time to show how many gross and foul absurdities this devilish error there is nothing more inconstant than man contrary movements agitating and distracting his soul he is ever and anon deluded by want of skill and overcome by the slightest temptations while everyone feels that the soul itself is a receptacle for all kinds of pollution all these things must be attributed to the divine nature if we hold that the soul is of the essence of God or a secret influx of divinity who does not shudder at a thing so monstrous Paul indeed quoting from Eretis tells us that we are his offspring act 1728 not in substance however but in quality in as much as he has adorned us with divine endowments meanwhile to lesserate the essence of the creator in order to assign a portion to each individual is the height of madness it must therefore be held as a portion that souls not withstanding of their having the divine image engraven on them are created just as angels are creation however is not a transfusion of essence but a commencement of it out of nothing nor though the spirit is given of God and when it quits the flesh again returns to him does it follow that it is a portion withdrawn from his essence here too Oceander carried away by his illusions entangled himself in an impious error by denying that the image of God could be in man without his essential righteousness as if God were unable by the mighty power of his spirit to render us conformable to himself unless Christ were substantially transfused into us under whatever color some attempt to gloss these delusions they can never so blind the eyes of intelligent readers as to prevent them from discerning a revival of Manichaeism but from the words of Paul when treating of the renewal of the image 2 Corinthians 3 18 the inference is obvious that man was conformable to God not by an influx of substance but by the grace and virtue of the spirit he says that by beholding the glory of Christ we are transformed into the same image as by the spirit of the Lord and certainly the spirit does not work for us so as to make us of the same substance with God 6 it were in vain to seek a definition of the soul from philosophers not one of whom with the exception of Plato distinctly maintained its immortality others of the school of Socrates indeed lean the same way but still without teaching distinctly a doctrine of which they were not fully persuaded Plato however advanced still further and regarded the soul as an image of God others so attach its powers and faculties to the present life that they leave nothing external to the body moreover having already shown from scripture that the substance of the soul is incorporeal we must now add that though it is not properly enclosed by space it however occupies the body as a kind of habitation not only animating all its parts and rendering the organs fit and useful for their actions but also holding the first place in regulating the conduct this it does not merely in regard to the offices of a terrestrial life but also in regard to the service of God this though not clearly seen in our corrupt state yet the impress of its remains is seen in our very vices for whence have men such a thirst for glory but from a sense of shame and whence this sense of shame but from a respect for what is honorable of this the first principle and source is a consciousness that they were born to cultivate righteousness a consciousness akin to religion but as man was undoubtedly created to meditate on the heavenly life so it is certain that the knowledge of it was engraven on the soul and indeed man would want the principle use of his understanding if he were unable to discern his felicity the perfection of which consists in being united to God hence the principle action of the soul is to aspire thither and accordingly the more a man studies to approach to God the more he proves himself to be endued with reason though there is some plausibility in the opinion of those who maintain that man has more than one soul namely a sentient and irrational yet as there is no soundness in their arguments we must reject it unless we would torment ourselves with things frivolous and useless they tell us there is a great repugnance between organic movements and the rational part of the soul as if reason also were not at variance with herself and her counsels sometimes conflicting with each other like hostile armies but since this disorder results from the deprivation of nature it is erroneous to infer that there are two souls because the faculties do not accord so harmoniously as they ought but I leave it to philosophers to discourse more subtly of these faculties for the edification of the pious a simple definition will be sufficient I admit indeed that what they ingeniously teach on the subject is true and not only pleasant but also useful to be known nor do I forbid any who are inclined to prosecute the study first I admit that there are five senses which Plato prefers calling organs by which all objects are brought into a common sensorium as into a kind of receptacle next comes the imagination fantasia which distinguishes between the objects brought into the sensorium next reason to which the general power of judgment belongs and lastly intellect which contemplates with fixed and quiet look whatever reason discursively revolves in like manner to intellect fancy and reason the three cognitive faculties of the soul correspond three appetite faculties that is will whose office is to choose whatever reason and intellect propound irascibility which seizes on what is set before it by reason and fancy and concupiscence which lays hold of the objects presented by sense and fancy though these things are true or at least plausible whether they are more fitted to entangle by their obscurity than to assist us I think it best to omit them if anyone chooses to distribute the powers of the mind in a different manner calling one apetive which though devoid of reason yet obeys reason if directed from a different quarter and another intellectual as being by itself participant of reason I have no great objection nor am I disposed to quarrel with the view that there are three principles of action that is sense intellect and appetite but let us rather adopt a division adapted to all capacities a thing which certainly is not to be obtained from philosophers for they when they would speak most plainly divide the soul into appetite and intellect but make both double to the latter they sometimes give the name of contemplative as being contented with mere knowledge and having no active powers which circumstance makes Cicero designated by the name of intellect in Genii at other times they give it the name of practical because it variously moves the will by the apprehension of good and evil under this class it is included in the art of living well and justly the former that is appetite they divide into will and conscoopasance calling it boil sis so whenever the appetite which they call or me obeys the reason but when appetite casting off the yoke of reason runs to intemperance they call it patios thus they always presuppose in man a reason by which he is able to guide himself or right seven from this method of teaching we are forced somewhat to dissent for philosophers being unacquainted with the corruption of nature which is the punishment of revolt erroneously confound two states one which are very different from each other let us therefore hold for the purpose of the present work that the soul consists of two parts the intellect and the will the office of the intellect being to distinguish between objects according as they seem deserving of being approved or disapproved and the office of the will to choose and follow what the intellect declares to be good to reject and shun what it declares to be bad we dwell not the subtlety of Aristotle that the mind has no motion of itself but that the moving power is choice which he also terms the appetite intellect not to lose ourselves in superfluous questions let it be enough to know that the intellect is to us as it were our guide and ruler of the soul that the will always follows its back and waits for its decision in matters of desire for which reason Aristotle truly taught that in the appetite there is a pursuit and rejection corresponding in some degree to affirmation and negation in the intellect moreover it will be seen in another place how surely the intellect governs the will here we only wish to observe that the soul does not possess any faculty which may not be duly referred to one or other of these members and in this way we comprehend sense under intellect others distinguish thus they say that sense inclines to pleasure in the same way as the intellect to good that hence the appetite of sense becomes concupiscence and lust while the affection of the intellect becomes will for the term appetite which they prefer I use that of will as being more common 8. Therefore God has provided the soul of man with intellect by which he might discern good just from unjust and might know what to follow or to shun reason going before with her lamp whence philosophers in reference to her directing power have called her toe ecommonicon to this he has joined will to which choice belongs man excelled in these noble endowments in his primitive condition when reason intelligence prudence and judgment not only suffice for the government of his earthly life but also enabled him to rise up to God and eternal happiness thereafter choice was added to direct the appetites and temper all the organic motions the will being thus perfectly submissive to the authority of reason in this upright state man possessed freedom of will by which if he chose he was able to obtain eternal life it were here unseasonable to introduce the question concerning the secret predestination of God because we are not considering what might or might not happen but what the nature of man truly was Adam therefore might have stood if he chose since it was only by his own will that he fell but it was because his will was pliable in either directions and he had not received constancy to persevere that he so easily fell still he had a free choice of good and evil and not only so but in the mind of will there was the highest rectitude and all the organic parts were duly framed to obedience until man corrupted its good properties and destroyed himself hence the great darkness of philosophers who have looked for a complete building in a ruin and fit arrangement in disorder the principle they set out with was that man could not be a rational animal unless he had a free choice of good and evil they also imagined that the between virtue and vice was destroyed if man did not of his own counsel arrange his life so far well had there been no change in man this being unknown to them it was not surprising that they throw everything into confusion but those who while they profess to be the disciples of Christ still seek for free will in man not withstanding of his being lost and drowned in spiritual destruction labor under manifold delusion making a heterogeneous mixture of inspired doctrine and philosophical opinions and so airing as to both but it will be better to leave these things to their own place at present it is necessary only to remember that man at his first creation was very different from all his posterity who deriving their origin from him after he was corrupted received a hereditary taint at first every part of the soul was to rectitude there was soundness of mind and freedom of will to choose the good if anyone objects that it was placed as it were in a slippery position because it's power was weak I answer that the degree conferred was sufficient to take away every excuse for surely the deity would not be tied down to this condition to make man such that he either could not or would not sin such in nature might have been more important but to exposit with God as if he had been bound to confer this nature on man is more than unjust seeing he had full right to determine how much or how little he would give why he did not sustain him by the virtue of perseverance is hidden in his counsel it is ours to keep within the bounds of soberness man had received the power if he had the will but he had not the will which would have given the power this will would have been followed by perseverance still after he had received so much there is no excuse for his having spontaneously brought death upon himself no necessity was laid upon God to give him more than that intermediate and even transient will that out of man's fall he might extract materials for his own glory end of section 25