A64611:226
The sum of Christian religion, delivered by Zacharias Ursinus first, by way of catechism,…The summe of Christian religion, delivered by Zacharias Ursinus first, by way of catechism,…
The sum of Christian religion, delivered by Zacharias Ursinus first, by way of catechism, and then afterwards more enlarged by a sound and judicious exposition, and application of the same : wherein also are debated and resolved the questions of whatsoever points of moment have been, or are controversed in divinity / first Englished by D. Henry Parry, and now again conferred with the best and last Latin edition of D. David Pareus, sometimes Professor of Divinity in Heidelberg ; whereunto is added a large and full alphabetical table of such matters as are therein contained ; together with all the Scriptures that are occasionally handled, by way either of controversy, exposition, or reconciliation, neither of which was done before, but now is performed for the readers delight and benefit ; to this work of Ursinus are now at last annexed the Theological miscellanies of D. David Pareus in which the orthodoxall tenets are briefly and solidly confirmed, and the contrary errors of the Papists, Ubiquitaries, Antitrinitaries, Eutychians, Socinians, and Arminians fully refuted ; and now translated into English out of the original Latin copy by A.R.The summe of Christian religion, delivered by Zacharias Ursinus first, by way of catechism, and then afterwards more enlarged by a sound and judicious exposition, and application of the same : wherein also are debated and resolved the questions of whatsoever points of moment have been, or are controversed in divinitie / first Englished by D. Henry Parry, and now again conferred with the best and last Latine edition of D. David Pareus, sometimes Professour of Divinity in Heidelberge ; whereunto is added a large and full alphabeticall table of such matters as are therein contained ; together with all the Scriptures that are occasionally handled, by way either of controversie, exposition, or reconciliation, neither of which was done before, but now is performed for the readers delight and benefit ; to this work of Ursinus are now at last annexed the Theologicall miscellanies of D. David Pareus in which the orthodoxall tenets are briefly and solidly confirmed, and the contrary errours of the Papists, Ubiquitaries, Antitrinitaries, Eutychians, Socinians, and Arminians fully refuted ; and now translated into English out of the originall Latine copie by A.R.
London: printed by James Young, 1645
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.
2 To what end man was created.
THE Catechism maketh answer, That he might rightly know God his Creator, and heartily love him, and live with him blessed for ever, and that to laud and magnify his name. Wherefore, the last and principal end of mans creation is,§1 1The glory and praise of God. For God therefore created reasonable creatures, Angels and men, that, being known of them, he might be magnified for ever. Man therefore was principally created to the knowledge and worship of God; that is, to the profession and invocation of his Name, to praise and thanksgiving, to love and obedience, which consisteth in the performance of those duties, which concern God and man. For the worship of God comprehendeth in it all these. Obj. Heaven, earth, and other creatures void of reason, 2are said to worship and magnify God: therefore the worship and praise of God is not the proper end why man was created. Ans. This reason hath a fallacy of equivocation or ambiguity. Creatures void of reason are said to worship and praise God, not that they understand ought of God, or know and worship him; but because ⟨p. 41⟩they bearing certain prints and stamps of Divinity in them, are the matter of Gods praise and worship, which is properly performed by reasonable creatures. For Angels and men, by the beholding and contemplation of these Gods works, descry in them the infinite goodness, wisdom, power, justice, bounty and majesty of God,3 and are raised and stirred up to magnify God by these his creatures. And if God had not formed creatures of reason and understanding, who might behold, consider, and with thankful mind acknowledge his works, and the order and disposing of things in whole nature: other things which are void of reason, might no more be said to praise and worship God, that is, to be the matter and occasion of praising him, then if they never had bin at all. Therefore that which David saith, is spoken by the figure Prosopoeia, or counterfeiting of some other person under that which is presented; as, Praise the Lord ye heavens, sea, and earth, &c. That is, let Angels and men at the sight and view of these Gods creatures take occasion of lauding and magnifying his Name. Many other ends are subordinated to this principal end. For unto Gods worship is substituted,