A14216:2279
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.
THE FIRST ARGUMENT.
THE FIRST ARGVMENT.
THE Marcionites and Manichees imagined that Christ had not a true and solid body, but only made show of the shape of a body, so that he seemed only to have flesh and bones, whereas indeed he had them not: And further that the very incarnation, and all the motions and operations of christ did but only seem so in outward appearance, whereas in the truth of the thing there was no such thing done. Now the opinion of Ubiquity, and of the real communicating of the properties of both natures doth raise again from Hell that fantastical dotarie and frenzy of those heretics. Therefore it is no less to be abandoned and banished out of the church to Hell, than that heresy of the Manichees. That this opinion of Ubiquity doth give life again to the former, we ⟨p. 787⟩prove. The Ubiquitaries are of opinion, and so teach, That all the properties of the Godhead were presently, from the very point of Christs conception, really effused from the Godhead of the word into the humane nature which christ took. Hence these absurdities will follow. 1. Christ shall not be truly borne of the Virgin, if as touching the nature of his humanity he was truly and essentially without the womb of his mother before he was borne; and after he was borne he remained no less truly and substantially, as touching his humanity, in that self-same womb, than before. 2. Christ was not truly weak in his humane nature and subject to passions, if he were then also as touching the same nature partaker of the Divine majesty and omnipotency. 3. He was not truly dead, if also in the time of his death, as touching his soul and body, he were essentially present every where together with his Godhead. For the soul being every where present could not be really separated, in distance of places from the body, which also should be every where present, and so neither could the body die, but only in outward appearance and imagination. 4. He ascended not truly into heaven: but it shall be said to have been only a vain and imaginary, and fantastical spectacle if he were in his body substantially there, before he visibly ascended thither: and after he was ascended thither, he remained yet, in the substantial presence of the same body, no less truly, than before, on the earth, yea and in the very bodies also of the faithful.