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hears by means of the ear. Thou seest by means of the eye—examine this eye. What! hast
thou acknowledged the house, and paid no regard to him that inhabiteth it? Doth the eye
see by itself? Is it not another that sees by means of the eye? I will not say, that the eye of a
dead man, from whose body it is plain the inhabitant hath departed, sees not, but any man’s
eye who is only thinking of something else, sees not the form of the object that is before
him. Look then into thine inner man. For there it is rather that the resemblance must be
sought for of some three things which are exhibited separately, whose operation is yet insep-
arable. What then is in thy mind? Peradventure if I search, I find many things there, but
there is something very nigh at hand, which is understood more easily. What then is in thy
soul? Call it to mind, reflect upon it. For I do not require that credit should be given me in
what I am about to say; if thou find it not in thyself, admit it not. Look inward then; but
first let us see what had escaped me, whether man be not the image, not of the Son only, or
of the Father only, but of the Father and the Son, and so consequently of course of the Holy
Ghost also. The words in Genesis are, “Let Us make man after Our own image and likeness.”
1874 So then the Father doth not act without the Son, nor the Son without the Father. “Let
Us make man after Our own image and likeness. Let us make,” not, “I will make,” or “Make
thou,” or “Let him make,” but, “Let Us make after,” not “thine image,” or “mine,” but, “after
Our image.”
19. I am asking, I am speaking remember of a distant1875 resemblance. So let no one
say, See what he has compared to God! I have advertised you of this already, and by anticip-
ation have both put you on your guard, and have guarded myself. The two are indeed very
far removed from each other, as the lowest from the Highest, as the changeable from the
Unchangeable, the created from the Creator, the human nature from the Divine. Lo! I apprise
you of this at first, that no one may say ought against me, because there is so great a difference
in the things whereof I am about to speak. Lest then while I am asking for your ears, ye
should any of you be getting ready your teeth, remember I have undertaken merely to show,
that there are some three things which are separately exhibited, whose operation is yet in-
separable. How like or how unlike these things are to the Almighty Trinity is no concern of
mine at present; but in the very creatures of the lowest order, and subject to change, we do
find three things which may be separately exhibited, whose operation is yet inseparable. O
carnal imagination! obstinate, unbelieving conscience! Why as concerning that ineffable
Majesty dost thou doubt as to that thing, which thou canst discover in thine own self? For
I ask thee, O man, hast thou memory? If not, how hast thou retained what I have said? But
perhaps thou hast forgotten already what I said but a little while ago. Yet these very words,
“I said”—these two syllables, thou couldest not retain except by memory. For how shouldest
1874 Gen. i. 26.
1875 Dissimilem rem.
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Of the words of St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chap. iii. 13, 'Then Jesus cometh…