How the Image of God is in Christ, and how in vs.
NOw if it be obiected, that this honor is proper vnto Christ to be the image of god, Coloss. 1. and Hebr. 1. it is well kno∣wen that Christ is after an other sort the image of god, than other men. For hee is in respect of his Diuinitie the image not of himselfe, neither of the holy Ghost, but of his eternall fa∣ther, coeternal, and consubstantiall, and coequall with his Father, in essence, essential properties, and workes, and is that person, by which the Father doth immediatly reueal himselfe in creating and preseruing all thinges, but chiefly in sauing the elect. Secondly, In respect of his humane nature, he is the image of God, & that of the whole Trinitie, because the three persons together bestowed on Christs humanity these giftes, properties, & maiestie, which are the image of God. Now albeit this image of God is created & finite, not immense: yet doth hee by many degrees, and in number of gifts, as in wisedome, righteousnes, power, glorie, far excell al Angels, & men: & after a peculiar maner resembleth the fathers nature and wil vnto vs, in doctrine, vertues, & acti∣ons, because as the human nature which he took vnto him, so all the properties & actions thereof, are proper vnto the Substantiall & coeternall word of the eternall father. Iohn. 14. Philip, hee that hath seene me, hath seene my father. Beleeuest thou not that I am in the father, & the father in mee? The wordes that I speake vnto you, I speake not of my selfe; but the father that dwelleth in me, he doth the workes. Angels & holy men are ter∣med the image of god as wel in respect of the son & the ho∣ly ghost, as of the eternal father: as it is said, Let vs make man in our image according to our likenes: & that not for the likenes or identity of essence, or some equality: but for the agree∣ing of some properties, not in degree or essence, but in kind & imitation which are essential & infinit in god, but in the creatures finite & accidental, that is, qualities & motions framed in thē by god to represent in some sort his nature.
They also, who, as in time past the Anthropomorphitae, will haue the image of god to be the forme of mans body; say that whole Adam was made to the image of God; and therefore according to his body also. But they perceiue not the vsual maner of spea∣king of a person composed of diuers natures, which is cal∣led The communicating of properties, when that is communi∣cated to the whole person in the concrete, which is onely