A14216:145
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.
Objection. 12 1Lastly, whereas Paul saith, 2. Cor. 3. That he is the minister of the new Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter doth kill, the spirit doth quicken: some men do thence gather, that we are to hear, not what the written word of God soundeth, but what the spirit speaketh by the Church or in our hearts. Yea there hath grown an opinion heretofore, that the grammatical and literal meaning of the Scripture is pern•••cus, except all be transformed into allegories. But a manifold paralogism in this argument doth easily appear if it be considered what the letter, and the spirit signifieth in Paul. For that all the doctrine and knowledge touching God, as also the outward observation of the Law in those that are not regenerate, ⟨p. 51⟩is called the letter, by the Apostle: and the spirit, first the holy Ghost himself: Secondly, the true doctrine concerning God, when the holy Ghost is of force and efficacy by it: Thirdly, faith and conversion, and motions pleasing God being kindled of the holy Ghost through the word: it appeareth by the words going before. For, for that which here he saith, that he was made of God a minister, not of the letter, but of the spirit: he said before, that the Epistle of Christ was ministered by him, and written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God, in tables of the hart: that is, that his preaching was not in vain, but of force and efficacy in the harts of men, the holy Ghost working by it. And in like manner, Rom. cap. 2. he calleth the ceremony without conversion, circumcision in the letter: but conversion it self, circumcision of the hart in the spirit. And Rom 7. He willeth us to walk in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter: that is, in true holiness, such as is begun by the spirit in the regenerate: not in the sin and hypocrisy of them who know verily the will of God, and make practise also of outward discipline and behaviour, but remain without faith and conversion.
Obiection. 12 1