A14216:1069
The Sum of Christian Religion
The sum of Christian religion: delivered by Zacharias Ursinus in his lectures upon the Catechism authorised by the noble Prince Frederick, throughout his dominions: wherein are debated and resolved the questions of whatsoever points of moment, which have been or are controversed in divinity. Translated into English by Henry Parry, out of the last & best Latin editions, together with some supply of wa[n]ts out of his discourses of divinity, and with correction of sundry faults & imperfections, which are [sic] as yet remaining in the best corrected Latin.The summe of Christian religion: deliuered by Zacharias Vrsinus in his lectures vpon the Catechism autorised by the noble Prince Frederick, throughout his dominions: wherein are debated and resolued the questions of whatsoeuer points of moment, which haue beene or are controuersed in diuinitie. Translated into English by Henrie Parrie, out of the last & best Latin editions, together with some supplie of wa[n]ts out of his discourses of diuinitie, and with correction of sundrie faults & imperfections, which ar [sic] as yet remaining in the best corrected Latine.
Oxford: printed by Joseph Barnes, 1587Oxford: printed by Ioseph Barnes, 1587
Part 2 › OF CREATION. › Section 1: 1 WHETHER THE WORLD WERE CREATED OF GOD.
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.
13 Object. All motion, before which was quietness or a ceasing of mutation, hath another motion going before it, whereby ⟨p. 359⟩is removed the cause of that quietness, or let of mutation. But they say that according to our assertion there is put a quietness before the first motion that ever was in the nature of things. Therefore there must be some motion or mutation, whereby the cause of that quietness was taken away: & so there shall be no mutation which may be said to be the first. Auns. The major is true of the mutation & intercourse of things now begun after the creation, but not of the first original of these mutations, & changes, which we now see in the world. For the let & stay of them was then the will of God only; which is not taken away, but being the same, & standing immovable from everlasting to everlasting, beginneth & effecteth the beginnings & ends, & mutations, or motions of things, and also quietness or cessation, & a continuance in the same state, most freely, & without any mutation or change of himself. Seeing then this his divine will alone beginneth the motion & mutation of things without second causes, as he did in the creation of the world; it was not only not necessary, but not so much as possible, by reason of the eternity and immutability of the divine will, that there should be any other mutation before that original & beginning of the motions & mutations of nature. For god will from everlasting to everlasting, that all should then begin, have their moving, mutation, & being, when this beginning was made. There is therefore an ambiguity in the word, quietness. For we grant the Major, as concerning that quietness, which signifieth a privation in the subject; that is taken away by motion: But the major is false if it mean such a quietness as is an absolute denial of the being of motion. This is taken away, not by motion, but by the will of god, which alone, without second causes & any motion, beginneth motion.
13 Obiect. All motion, before which was quietnesse or a ceasing of mutation, hath another motion going before it, whereby ⟨p. 359⟩is remooued the cause of that quietnesse, or let of mutation. But they say that according to our assertion there is put a quietnes before the first motion that euer was in the nature of things. Therefore there must bee some motion or mutation, whereby the cause of that quietnes was taken away: & so there shall bee no mutation which may be said to be the first. Auns. The maior is true of the mutation & entercourse of things now begunne after the creation, but not of the first orignal of these mutations, & changes, which we now see in the world. For the let & stay of them was then the will of God only; which is not taken away, but being the same, & standing immoueable from euerlasting to euerlasting, beginneth & effecteth the beginnings & ends, & mutations, or motions of things, and also quietnesse or cessation, & a continuance in the same state, most freely, & without any mutation or change of himself. Seing then this his diuine wil alone beginneth the motion & mutation of things without second causes, as hee did in the creation of the worlde; it was not onely not necessary, but not so much as possible, by reason of the eternitie and immutability of the diuine wil, that there should be any other mutatiō before that original & beginning of the motions & mutations of nature. For god wil from euerlasting to euerlasting, that al should then begin, haue their moueing, mutation, & beeing, when this beginning was made. There is therefore an ambiguity in the word, quietnes. For we grant the Maior, as concerning that quietnesse, which signifieth a priuation in the subiect; that is taken away by motion: But the maior is false if it meane such a quietnesse as is an absolute denial of the being of motion. This is takē away, not by motion, but by the wil of god, which alone, without second causes & any motion, beginneth motion.