A14216:1495
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.
Ans. The Major proposition, if it be understood simply or universally, is false. For a reasonable soul, existing in the body, is not a person, but a part of an humane person, which the soul together with the body doth make: yet notwithstanding the same soul, being loosed from the body, is a person by it self, not that compound and mortal ⟨p. 527⟩person, whereof it was a part, that is, an humane person, but a person most simple and immortal, such as are the Angels: because it subsisteth out of the body by it self, neither is part of another. So may it be said of the Word, if it be construed aright & with indifferency, that the Word in it self, and by it self is not the whole person of Christ or the Mediator, as he is Christ and Mediator; that is, is not that whole thing, which is Christ, who is not only God, but also man; and yet is in it self and by it self the perfect and whole person of the Godhead, truly subsisting before the flesh was, that is, the only begotten son of God. For this self same person existing in it self from everlasting, and remaining for ever most simple and uncompound, is, by the assuming of humane nature, made in time after a sort compound, that is, the Word incarnate. Wherefore in respect of the person considered in Union, or incarnate, the Word is rather considered as a nature, and both it self, and the humane nature may be called as it were the parts of whole Christ, & are so called also of many of the ancient Fathers which were sound in faith, not that the flesh assumed did add any part to the subsistence of the Word: or as if of the Persons of the Word, and the humane nature, as being unperfect parts, was made another perfect person of a certain third Essence, consubstantial with neither of those natures of which it is compounded: but because the person of the Word altogether one and the same, which before the flesh was taken consisted in the divine nature only, doth now after the taking of the flesh, subsist in two perfect natures, divine and humane, suffering no commixtion, confusion, or mutation: that is, The person of the Mediator is said to be constituted of two natures, divine and humane, as it were of parts, because those two are necessarily required, and do concur to the absolving and accomplishing of the work of our redemption.
Ans. The Maior proposition, if it bee vnderstood simplie or vniuersally, is false. For a reasonable soule, existing in the bodie, is not a person, but a part of an humane person, which the soule together with the bodie doth make: yet notwithstanding the same soule, being loosed from the bodie, is a person by it selfe, not that compound and mortall