A14216:1347
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.
1To the second class or order of Reasons are referred those testimonies, which show CHRIST to be the proper or natural son of GOD. The Argument or proof is this: The natural or proper son of GOD, is of necessity partaker of the divine nature or essence, or substance. But Christ, man, is the proper son of GOD. Therefore there is in CHRIST, besides his humane nature, which he took of our kind, a nature or substance Divine, in respect whereof he is, and is called the Son of GOD, that is, CHRIST is by nature the son of GOD, and therefore subsisting, and that before ⟨p. 471⟩the flesh from everlasting: because he is the son of the eternal father, having the essence of the Father in number the same and whole communicated unto him from the father.2 The Major is manifest by the definition of a proper or natural son. For a proper son is he, who is procreated out of his substance whose son he is, or he, who is partaker of his Fathers nature or substance. The Minor is proved by these testimonies of holy Scripture. John. 5.17.18. My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him; not only because he had broken the Sabbath; but said also that GOD was his Father, and made him-self equal with God. Because CHRIST called himself the Son of GOD, not adopted, or by grace only, but natural, begotten of the substance of the Father, and therefore equal with GOD, the Jews did thereof gather: First, That he challenged unto himself the works of God the Father. And therefore because they deemed him to be a mere man, they would have him slain, as a blasphemer and robber of Gods glory, both in this place, and John. 19 7. And if Christ had meant, that he was the Son of God by grace only, as are the Angels and men elected, the Jews verily would not have reprehended that as blasphemy and treason against the majesty of God: for then they should have condemned themselves of the same crime: because John. 8.41. they say unto CHRIST, we have one father, which is GOD. Secondly, Christ also doth not reprehend this collection of the Jews, or repel it as a slander, but defendeth it as being good and necessarily true, in his answer presently following, wherein he avoucheth, that whatsoever things the Father doth, the same doth he also together with him, as being his Son: