Man's Dominion over Creatures
Man's God-given dominion over all animals and the earth, both in the state of innocence and after sin. In innocence man had perfect dominion, partly from natural knowledge, partly from God's special providence. After sin this was greatly diminished, especially regarding the greatest and most vile animals; but most holy men recovered it. Tropologically, man rules fish when he masters gluttony, birds when he masters ambition, creeping things when he masters avarice, wild beasts when he masters wrath.
Chapter I (The Six Days of Creation)
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Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness
— "Let him rule" (veiirdu): man is an animal born to command.
"Man is therefore an animal born to command."
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Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness
— Basil: Why do you submit to the slavery of passions? Why make yourself a bondsman of the devil? God commanded you to hold the chief place among creatures.
"You are, therefore, O man, an animal born to command. Why do you submit to this wretched slavery of passions? Why do you give yourself over to sin as a worthless slave?"
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Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness
— In the state of innocence man had perfect dominion over all animals, partly from natural knowledge, partly from God's special providence.
"In the state of innocence, man had perfect dominion over all animals, and this partly from natural knowledge and prudence, by which he knew how each was to be tamed, domesticated, and handled; partly from the special providence of God."
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Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness
— After sin this dominion was greatly diminished, especially regarding the greatest and most vile animals; but most holy men (Noah, Elisha, Daniel, Paul, Francis) recovered it.
"through sin this dominion was greatly diminished, especially regarding the most remote animals, namely the greatest, such as lions, and the smallest and most vile, such as gnats, fleas, etc."
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Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness
— Tropologically, man rules fish when he masters gluttony and lust; birds, ambition; creeping things, avarice; wild beasts, wrath.
"Tropologically, man rules over the fish when he masters gluttony and lust; over the birds, when he masters ambition; over the creeping things, when he masters avarice; over the wild beasts, when he masters wrath."