LXXVII
THE IMAGE IN THE SOUL
Faciamus
hominem ad imaginem et similitudienem nostram (Gen 126).
God said, 'Let us make man in our image.' What is God's speaking? The Father
observing himself with impartible perception perceives the impartible purity of
his own essence. There he sees the image of creatures as a whole, there he
speaks himself. His Word is his clear perception and that is his Son. God's
speaking is his begetting.
God said, 'Let us make.' Theologians
ask: Why did not God us, 'Let us do,' or 'Let us work?' Doing is an outward act
beseeming not the inward man. Work comes from the outward man and from the
inward man, but the innermost man takes no part in it. In making a thing the
very innermost self of a man comes into outwardness.
When God made man the innermost heart
of the Godhead was concerned in his making. A heathen philosopher says,
God made all things with wisdom. The Doctor says, 'The Son is the wisdom or love
of the Father wherewith he made all things.'
God said, 'Let us make man.'
Why did not God say, 'Let us make manhood,' for it was manhood that Christ took?
Man and manhood differ. Talking of man we mean a person; talking of manhood we
mean human nature. Philosophers define what nature is. It is the
thing that essence can receive. Hence God assumed manhood and not
man. It is written in the book of Moses, Adam was the first man that God
ever made. And I say that Christ was the first man God made. How so? The
philosopher says, what is the first in intention is the last in execution. When
a carpenter builds a house his first intention is the roof and that is the
finish of the house.
God said, 'Let us make
man.' Whereby he gave it to be understood that he is more than one: three in
Persons, one in essence. St Augustine relates that when he was looking for the
image in the soul he sought it in the outward man, and there he found four
likenesses and three links and two face. He found nothing of the image.
Then he hunted for it in the inner man, and there he found one thing which
answered to the simple essence in its simplicity and to the various Persons in
its trinity of powers. He found two faces to it. One working downwards and the
other upwards. With the lower face she knows herself and outward
things. The upper face has two activities; with one she knows God and his
goodness and his emanation; with this she loves and knows him to-day and not
to-morrow. Now the image will not lie in her three powers, by reason of their
instability. Another power is in the highest face, which is concealed; in this
concealment lies the image.
The image has five properties. First,
it is made by another. Secondly, it answers to the same. Thirdly, it has
emanated from it; not that it is the divine nature but it is a substance
subsisting in itself; it is the pure light that emanates from God and only
differs from him in understanding God. Fifthly, it tends towards what it came
from. Two things adorn this image. One is, it is according to him; the
other, there is somewhat of eternity therein. The soul has three powers: the
image does not lie in them; but she has one power: the actual (or active)
intellect.
Now St Augustine and the New
Philosophers declare that in this lies impartible memory, intellect and will,
and these three are inseparate, i.e., the hidden image answers to God's
essence. The divine being (God) is shining straight into this image, and the
image shines straight into God with nothing between.
May God come into us and we into him
and be united with him, So help us God. Amen.