A14216:1197
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
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.
1 Objection. All the actions and motions of all creatures are done by the will and working of God. Many actions (as the selling of Joseph, the Assyrians warring against the Jews) are sins. Therefore sins are done by the will and working of god. 1Answer. There is a fallacy of the accident in the Minor proposition. Actions are sins, not in themselves, and as they are actions, but by an accident, by reason of the corruption of the instrument, in those actions, which God worketh most justly by him, he not respecting this, as to obey therein the known will of God. This corruption or defect of the creature, & the action, which god worketh by the creature concur together by an accident. For neither is essential to other, neither the cause of other, but each is to other accidentary. For both god could have wrought that selfsame punishment, which he inflicted justly on the Jews by the Assyrian sinning, by an instrument not sinning: and the Assyrian, if it had pleased god to correct his will, might have been notwithstanding the instrument of gods wrath, and yet good, how great soever severity he had exercised toward the Jews: As when GOD by his good Angel slayeth the wicked host of the Assyrians. Sin therefore, which is in the actions of the creature, is not done by the will and working of GOD, but by an accident, to wit, as God will and worketh those actions, which are sins by the fault of the creature. The sum of all cometh to this: The most good action of GOD exercised by an evil and corrupt instrument, is no otherwise the sin of the bad instrument, than water which cometh pure out of the fountain, is made impure, running thorough unclean places: or the best wine coming out of a good vessel waxeth sour and eager, being put in a corrupt vessel, according to that of Horace, Lib. 1 Epist. 2. Unless the vessel be pure, whatsoever thou pourest in, soureth: or further than the good work of a good judge is the evil work of an evil servant or minister: or the riding of a good horse man is the halting of a lame horse. In all these is a Paralogism or fallacy of the accident, that is, there is a proceeding from the essence or thing it self, to that, which is but an accident to the thing, and doth but by an accident concur with ⟨p. 410⟩it: after this manner. The going of a lame horse is a plain halting.
1 OBiection. All the actions and motions of all creatures are done by the wil and working of God. Manie actions (as the selling of Ioseph, the Assyrians warring against the Iewes) are sinnes. Therefore sinnes are done by the wil and working of god.