The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 269

ROME, SOCINUS, ARMINIUS, CALVIN playing with lions and tigers as

We

of God.

say this in

all

if

pet dogs,

is

229

the tenderest child

seriousness and without a thought of

mockery, to show the foolishness of the Socinian system. The Lutheran view, as will be seen, occupies the middle ground between the Roman Catholic and the Reformed. Its most prominent part (readily recognized in the representation of Dr. Bohl) is that the divine

righteousness.

They do not deny

image

is

merely the original

that man, as man, in his nature

and being shows something beautiful and excellent, reminding one of the image of God; but the real image itself is not in man's nature, nor in his spiritual being, but only in the original wisdom and righteousness in which God created him. Gerhardt writes " The real similarity with God lay in the soul of man, partly in his intelligence, partly in his moral and rational inclinations, which three :

And

excellencies together constitute his original righteousness."

Bauer

:

"

Properly speaking, this image of

God

perfections of will, intellect, and feeling which

gether with

man

{concreatas),

which

is

consists of

God

some

created to-

the original righteousness."

Hence the Lutheran doctrine teaches

that the proper image of and that the sinner is as helpless before the work of grace as a stock or block, as one fettered and unable even

God

is

now

totally lost,

to rattle his chain.

The Reformed, on the contrary, have always denied this, and taught that the image of God, being one with His likeness, did not consist only in the original righteousness, but included also man's being and personality

;

not only his

state,

but also his being.

Hence

the original righteousness was not something additional, but his being, nature, and state were originally in the

mony and reference

:

(i)

most beautiful har-

Ursinus says " The image of God has to the immaterial substance of the soul with its gifts

causal relation.

:

knowledge and will; (2) to all in-created knowledge of God and of His will (3) to the holy and righteous inclination of the will, and moving of the heart, i.e., the perfect righteousness; (4) to the bliss, holy peace, and abundance of all enjoyment; and (5) to the dominion over the creatures. In all these our moral nature reflects the image of God, tho imperfectly. St. Paul explains the image of God from the true righteousness and holiness, without excluding, however, the wisdom and in-created knowledge of God. He rather of

;

presupposes them."

These four views concerning the divine image present four

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