A14212:967
A collection of certain learned discourses, written by that famous man of memory Zechariah…A collection of certaine learned discourses, written by that famous man of memory Zachary…
A collection of certain learned discourses, written by that famous man of memory Zachary Ursine; doctor and professor of divinity in the noble and flourishing schools of Neustad. For explication of divers difficult points, laid down by that author in his catechism. Lately put in print in Latin by the last labour of D. David Parry: and now newly translated into English, by I.H. for the benefit and behoof of our Christian country-manA collection of certaine learned discourses, written by that famous man of memory Zachary Ursine; doctor and professor of divinitie in the noble and flourishing schools of Neustad. For explication of divers difficult points, laide downe by that author in his catechisme. Lately put in print in Latin by the last labour of D. David Parry: and now newlie translated into English, by I.H. for the benefit and behoofe of our Christian country-man
Oxford: printed by Joseph Barnes, 1600Oxford: printed by Ioseph Barnes, 1600
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For those he accounted the worthiest pains, which were bestowed in those divine studies. As often as I think on the great, laborious, and peremptory desire of meditation which was in this man, (and I cannot but think of it very much and often) I still call to mind that elegant sentence of Ba•••us the Great, seeing the truth is hard to find, we must every where seek after it. For if the conceiving, as of arts, so also of true […] and religion, be made great by that continual ⟨p. 322⟩increase which by little and little is gathered together, there is not that thing so mean & simple, which they that enter into that kind of know ledge may or ought to despise. But what think you of this, that there was nothing delivered by those great men & principal philosophers which this my busy fellow professor did not by meditation attain, were it never so crabbed, deep, and obscure? was he not well seen in the moral writings of Aristotle and other writers? was not natural philosophy plain, open, and easy unto him? did he not absolutely conceive the drift and nature of Aristotle's Organon? the subtlety of which work some fly, as despairing of the understanding thereof, others with rash judgement condemn it, as the fatal and pernicious Scylla or Charybdis of youth: the subtlety and commodity of which work Ursine sharply and speedily perceived, and presented it as it were in a table to be perceived and perused by others. What should I here speak of the Mathematics, whose foundations are commonly grounded on serious meditation of mind, whose principles are contained in axioms or petitions as they call them? Their difficult precepts were not unknown to Ursinus, who by serious meditation, not fleeting & slender insight, throughly perused them all. Well then, let us now see what witnesses we can produce for this matter. After I have used his own testimony, I will then think of others. Ursine himself in the whole race of these his too short days, is a most substantial witness of his ⟨p. 323⟩own meditations, & all those virtues which before I have recited. For what duties of piety, or Christian charity, or common courtesy did he omit? his religious duty toward God, God himself did see, acknowledge & seal, & hath now at the last rewarded.
For those he accoumpted the worthiest paines, which were bestowed in those divine studies. As often as I thinke on the greate, laborious, and peremptorie desire of meditation which was in this man, (and I cannot but thinke of it verie much and often) I still call to minde that elegāt sentēce of Baus the Great, seeing the truth is harde to finde, wee must euerie where seeke after it. For if the conceiuing, as of arts, so also of true and religion, be made greate by that continuall