Aphorisms of Christian Religion, Preface – Table of contents
THE AVTHORS PREface to Maiſter Beza.
I Suppoſe you can remember (right reuerend) what moued our friend Caſpar Oleuian, a man of bleſſed memorie to publiſh his abridgement of that great worke, of that right worthie man of God Maiſter Caluin, I meane his Inſtitutions: to wit, partly to helpe the Miniſters of the Goſpell through Germanie to teach Chriſt ſoundly: for he thought the prolixitie of that volume debarred a great number frō reading it:S…lo… H…rbone…ſis. partly alſo and principallie for the benefit of our ſchoole he gaue a ſummarie expoſition thereof, handling eueryevery three monethes or quarter, one booke or part of the whole, ſo that he finiſhed & perfected yearely the Summe of Chriſtian Religiō.Oleuians Epitome. And I truſt the Lord gaue a bleſſing vntounto that his worke, & that many hauehave profited thereby, which vouchſafed the reading of the ſame, & as for my ſcholers, which hauehave heard his readings, I am wel aſſured they hauehave profited much therby. But when as he was takē by death from vsus in the midſt of his labours and tranſlated to the celeſtiall ſchoole; the neceſſi…ie of this place ſo requiring & dutie binding me, & as the brethrē (which thē were to prouide for this ſchoole) deſired: I did ſucceed Oleuian in this worke: & ſo anon after his death I began to expounde the abridgement of Caluins Inſtitution vntounto …ine auditorie, and in one halfe yeare …ace (for ſooner I could not well do it) I …iniſhed the ſame.
And when my Scholers deſired for their furtherāce in Diuinitie, that I would take the paines to appoint thē ſome Logicall diſputations: I ſoone granted their requeſt: and therfore to proceede in ſome lawfull and good courſe, for their more ſpeedie and better profite I did reduce eueryevery point of Chriſtian doctrine, ſo ſoone as I finiſhed any place in the Inſtitution, into ſome few Aphoriſmes, and the ſame I propounded vntounto them for diſputation. And this was the firſt cauſe of writing theſe Aphoriſmes: In collecting them I hauehave vſed Chriſtian libertie, I hauehave not followed the very wordes of the authour (for that could not well be done, the authors ſtile being full and large, and Aphoriſmes requiring breuitie) and I added ſome thing in the ſentences, which is not in that abridgment: yet the worke agreeth wel, as I thinke, and as the brethren iudge, with the authors doctrine, and ſpecially with the holy Scriptures.
Theſes.Again, I rather call theſe ſentences, Aphoriſmes, then (as they be called vſually) theames, or queſtions, for the word theſis carieth ſome ſigne of doubtfulneſſe with it, as may be ſeene with Ariſtotle in his Topickes, where diſputers are ſaid aliquid foreign to ſet downe ſome thing, which they do not auouch to be true: for the Logitian, ſaith Ariſtotle in thoſe bookes, muſt not affirme any thing as truth, but this belongeth to him onelyonly which can bring proofe by demonſtratiue concluſions: but ſuch as diſpute Logically, are ready to defend their poſition as true, or at leaſt wiſe as probable. And ſome time the word theſis with Ariſtotle ſignifieth ſome abſurde opinion: caried about vnderunder the name of ſome famous Philoſopher. But theſe ſentences contained in theſe Aphoriſmes are neither abſurde (but to ſuch wits as be not inlightned and ſanctified by Gods ſpirite) nor ſuch as any Chriſtian may lawfully doubt off. Here ſome man will aske; wherefore then are they propounded to be diſputed vponupon, …d ſo to be called in queſtion? I anſwer, …beit we diſpute of them, yet we doubt not of the truth of them: for that is not the …nd wherefore we propoſe them in diſputation: but that our auditorie may the better ſee and know the truth of them, and to …e more aſſured of the ſame, by hearing …ll obiections of heretickes, and all ſcru…les that may ſticke in their mindes an…wered and reſolued by the word of God: and ſo both the ignorant receiue better inſtruction, and the weaker confirmation in the heauenly truth. But ſome will ſay; what neede was there theſe Aphoriſmes ſhuld be publiſhed, ſeeing they were written for the ſpecial and proper vſe of thine auditorie? I hauehave herein alſo followed M. Oleuian that moſt faithfull Miniſter and ſeruaunt of Chriſt: for his deſire was that his abridgments might not only benefite ſuch as heard him here, but ſtraungers alſo of other countreys. If he thought his abridgement ſhould pleaſe many becauſe of breuitie, much more may I expect the like fauour, for that I am herein more compendious then he. For theſe ſhort Aphoriſmes containe the chiefe points of Chriſtiā Religion barely propounded,foreign. much like a withered body, or certaine iointes and bones without skinne, fleſh or ſynewes, ſuch as Anatomiſtes reſerue for demonſtration ſake. So here we hauehave taken away the fulnes and glory of that ſtile, as the skinne and fleſh therof: but the ſentences, which appertaine to any one place of Chriſtian doctrine, (as things which moſt concerne the perfection of a body) …e like bare and naked bones knit and …inted one with an other. But ſome will …, that this is but dry and bare ſtuffe in …ede, without any ſap or grace in it. I an…r and graunt theſe bones be but bare, … are they bones, that is, firme and ſolid …ngs indeede, which neither want good …ewes, nor iuice and marow of heauen… doctrine in them. Such as deſire a more …pious ſtile, let them either reade that a…dgement, or the authours great worke …ſelfe. For my drift was not in this labour, to withdraw any man from the au…urs worke: but rather to giuegive an eaſie …roduction therunto, and to winne, and … excite ſuch as fauour holy Religion, the …re to embrace that worke. For I truſt, …at he which vnderſtandeth the chiefe …ounds of Gods truth, ſet forth and con…ned in theſe Aphoriſmes (if he be ca…ed with a true zeale to learne and re…iue the knowledge of Gods heauenly …eritie) ſhall the rather deſire to ſee theſe …oints in the author himſelfe, where they …re more fully diſputed and handled.
Now it remaineth moſt worthy and reuerend Beza, that I ſhew what moued me to commende and dedicate theſe Aphoriſmes vntounto you. Firſt this hauehave I done to gaine this little worke the more grace & fauour among men, as being approued by a man which hath, and yet doth beſt merite of the Church of our age & time. And herin alſo I thought it beſt to follow M. Oleuian, who in like manner ſought protection and grace for his worke vnderunder your name. Wherefore hauing thus both one drift and ſcope, to inſtruct ſoundly (ſuch youth as deſire the knowledge of holy Scriptures,) in the principles of Chriſtiā Religion, as ſhortly as may be, it was my deſire alſo to ſend vntounto you, & ſo to cōmende vntounto the Church of God this little worke, vnderunder your moſt worthie name ſo much commended (as Oleuian ſpeaketh) and ſo much accounted among all the faithfull.
Next, my good will was to giuegive ſome publique teſtimony of my dutifulneſſe towardes you, and ſo to confirme my Scholers by my example, in that reuerend opinion which they hauehave already conceiued of your ſelfe, and of your writings, and to …et their louelove & zeale to know the ſame. …or albeit your name be long ſince verie …etious & great, and for good cauſe, with them which fauour the truth in moſt ſyn…tie, ſo as here my commendation is …edleſſe: yet this I truſt ſhal ad ſome con…matiō of that reuerend opinion which …eſe hauehave conceiued of you.
And laſtly I deſired alſo hereby to re…ite your louelove teſtified towardes me by … many approued teſtimonies as you hauehave written louing letters vntounto me: for …t reuerend mention of me in your laſt …itings, but ſpecially in your moſt paine… and learned annotations vponupon the new …eſtament: for albeit I thinke not my ſelfe …erefore happy, for that any mortall man …inks ſo reuerently of me, commending …y poore labors to the Church of Chriſt: …or I hauehave learned of the Apoſtle, that …rayſe to be founde and true, which ſhal…e giuen of God to eueryevery man in the laſt …ay: yet it can not be but comfortable to …ny good man, to hauehave the commendation, of any one who is well knowen and moſt highly and worthily commended for wiſedome and pietie. Now I pray the Lord God, and Father of our Ieſus Chriſt bleſſe our labours and godly deſires: that all ſtudents in the Scriptures, may by ſuch helpes dayly profite in the knowledge of the heauenly truth: that whatſoeuer they hauehave well and rightly learned, they may alſo profitably and ſoundly teach the people of God, to the glory of Gods name and their owne euerlaſting ſaluation in Chriſt Ieſu. Amen.
A Table of the common places handled in this booke.
Chap. 1 Of the knowledge of God. Pag. 1
Chap. 2 Of the holy Scripture. Pag. 3
Chap. 3 Of God. Pag. 12
Chap. 4 Of the Angels. Pag. 13
Chap. 5 Of the integritie of our firſt nature, where is intreated of the Image of God, and of free will. Pag. 20
Chap. 6 Of Gods prouidence. Pag. 21
Chap. 7 Of Sinne. Pag. 24
Chap. 8 Of the Law of God. Pag. 32
Chap. 9 Of the likeneſſe and difference of the old and new Teſtament. Pag. 39
Chap. 10 Of the perſon and office of Chriſt. Pag. 51
Chap. 11 Of Faith. Pag. 56
Chap. 12 Of Repentance: where alſo is intreated of the life of a Chriſtian, and of bearing the Croſſe. Pag. 59
Chap. 13 Of Iuſtification. Pag. 66
Chap. 14 Of Chriſtian libertie. Pag. 85
Chap. 15 Of Offences. Pag. 94
Chap. 16 Of Prayer. Pag. 26
Chap. 17 Of Predeſtination. Pag. 106
Chap. 18 Of the Reſurrection, and of life euerlaſting. Pag. 100
Chap. 19 Of the Church. Pag. 114
Chap. 20 Of the Miniſters of the Church. Pag. 118
Chap. 21 Of Church diſcipline and gouernement. Pag. 123
Chap. 22 Of Vowes. Pag. 127
Chap. 23 Of the Sacraments. Pag. 130
Chap. 24 Of Baptiſme. Pag. 137
Chap. 25 Of the Baptiſme of infants. Pag. 146
Chap. 26 Of the Lordes Supper. Pag. 151
Chap. 27 Of the Popish Maſſe. Pag. 173
Chap. 28 Of the Ciuill Magiſtrate. Pag. 182