The Sum of Christian Religion, Title page 1 – To the reader 1
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, and are to be ſold by Steven Bowtell, at the ſigne of the Bible in Popes-head Alley. 1645.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READERS, HENRY PARRY wiſheth grace and peace through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.
WHereas but a ſmall and ſhort remnant of daies is alloted unto every of us, to try the hazzard and adventure of this world in Chriſts holy merchandize (yet forty yeeres, and the youngeſt may, the oldeſt muſt depart) I being ſubject to this common caſe and moſt certain uncertainty of our life, neither knowing, if perhaps at this preſent my ſtaffe ſtandeth next the doore; have bin, and am deſirous and earneſt in this behalfe, ſo to beſtow all my poſsible endeavours in this my Lord and Maſters traffique, as that I may not return unto him with a talent in a Napkin, and withall may leave behinde mee ſome poore token and teſtimony of my love and duty towards him and his bleſſed Spouſe, with future posterity. Which my deſire and earneſt deliberation, ſtruggling and ſtriving ſo long within mee, untill it had gotten the conquest of ſuch ſhamefaſt and fearefull motions, wherewith men are well acquainted, who are at all acquainted with their own infirmities: I was thereby at length drawn to this bold and hardy reſolution, as to commit ſomething to the preſſe, and ſo to the eyes of them, whoſe great and ſharp cenſures I have ever with trembling thought of heretofore, and even now would fly them with all willingneſſe.
Wherefore alſo in reſpect hereof, and of the greenneſſe of my age, ſo hath the flame and heat of my deſire been ſlacked and cooled with the water as it were of feare, wherewith I ſhake in mine owne conceit; as I have not preſumed to draw any ſhaft out of mine own quiver, or to preſent the world with an untimely fruit of ſo young a tree: but rather have made choice of a ſhaft out of the Lords Armory, framed by the hand and skill of the Lords workman, fit to make the man bleſſed who hath his quiver full of them.
If yet in this I have been preſumptuous, if bold, if undiſcreet, if fooliſh; my Brethren, for your ſakes have I been ſo, for your ſakes have I been preſumptuous, bold, undiſcreet, and fooliſh, even for you and for your children. The greater is my hope and truſt, that theſe, whatſoever my paines and labours, ſhall finde favour and grace in your ſights, and receive good entertainment at your hands; becauſe for you they have been undertaken, and the gaines and commodities that ſhall ariſe thereof (if by the bleſſed will of God any ſhall ariſe) ſhall redound unto you and yours for ever.
It is a caſe lamentable, deſerving the bowels of all Chriſtian pity and compaſsion, and able to cauſe the teares of ſorrow to guſh out and ſtream downe the face of a man, who is not frozen too hard in ſecurity, and in uncharitable careleſneſſe, when he ſhall but lift up his eies, and ſee the waſte and deſolation of ſo many diſtreſſed ſoules, who in ſo many places of this our land and country have been, and are daily either pined away and conſumed to the bone for lacke of Gods ſuſtenance, the Bread of life, the Word of God, the only preſervative of the ſoule: or, through the deceitfull poyſon of that old Sorcereſſe and Witches children, infected and baned unrecoverably. Alas! poore ſoules, faine would they have ſomewhat to keep life within them: and therefore, as famiſhed and starved creatures, which have been for a ſpace pounded up and pin folded in a ground of barrenneſſe, debarred of all ſuccour and reliefe, whenever they may light of any thing that may goe downe the throat, be it as bitter as gall, and as deadly as poyſon, they ſwallow bitterneſſe as Sugar, and licke up death as ſweet hony: And yet (I rue to ſpeak it) ſuch is the hard heartedneſſe and brutiſh unnaturalneſſe of many mercileſſe men, if yet men, who have ſo flinted their fore-heads, ſeared and ſealed up their minds and conſciences in all impiety, as that they have entered as it were into a league and bond with themſelves to forget Chriſt, never to know the man more, never to ſpeak in the name of Jeſus, never to feed the flock of Jeſus, whoſe ſoules are even as great and deare to him, as the price they coſt him: For, had not theſe men ſworn, like*Of Valentinus the Cardinals religion, who (graceleſſe man) ab jured his Eccleſiaſtical vocation, to be lifted up to a temporall Dukedome. Sab. Enncad. 10. lib. 9. ſons of the earth, to poſſeſſe the earth for ever, and to leave heaven, and the heires of heaven, even the choſen of God, to God himſelfe to looke to: it were uncredible, nay, unpoſsible were it, that after ſo many threats and warnings from heaven, from earth, from God, from men, from their foes abroad, and their friends at home, they ſhould not yet once, not once deſcend into a dutifull conſideration of this their heavie treſpaſſe, and ſo with a ſpeedy induſtry and aſsiduity re-enter and recover thoſe their forſaken Charges, which a long while have languiſhed, and worne away for want of paſture, and lye now (the deare Lambs of Chriſt Jeſus) ſtretching on the ground for faintneſſe, fetching their groans deep, and their pants thick, as ready to give over, and to yeeld up the ghoſt: O Lord, Jerem. 5.3.are not thine eies upon the truth? thou haſt ſtricken theſe men, but they have not ſorrowed: thou haſt conſumed them, but they have refuſed to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a ſtone, and have refuſed to return. Not the loſſes and unſupportable calamities of Chriſts people, not the miſerable Apoſtaſie and grievous falling away (woe to us therefore) of multitudes of the ignorant and unlettered men from the Apoſtolike Faith, and the Church of Chriſt, not the certain dangers and hazzards of their own perſons, Wives, Children and Kins-folks (with all which rods of his fatherly chaſtiſement God hath lately, in his juſtice, tempered with ſurpaſsing mercy, viſited them) can awake or rouze them out of that dead and deadly ſlumber, whereby they have, as much as in them lieth, betrayed to the powers and forces of Sathan Gods ſacred inheritance, and laid open the precious flock of Chriſt to the mouthes and teeth of Wolves.
But would God the burthen of this ſin reſted onelyonly on the necks of theſe wretchleſſe perſons, whoſe extreme barbarity yet in letting, through their profane abſence, their harmleſſe ſheep to drop away by famine of the Word, hath raiſed a louder cry and clamour againſt them in the eares of God, than any we are able to make by our moſt juſt complaint in the eares of men. Another ſwarm of Caterpillers there are, the very traſh and rif-raffe of our Nation: who deeming it a more eaſie life to ſay Service in the Church, than doe ſervice in the houſe, and to stand at the Altar of God, than to follow the plough of their Maſter, have, like men of idle and diſſolute quality, only moved thereto in a lazie ſpeculation, laid their wicked and ſacrilegious hands on the Lords Arke, unreverently entered with ſhooes and all into his Temple, taken his undefiled teſtimonies in their defiled mouthes, diſgraced, defaced, and defamed the glory and majesty of Divine rites and myſteries, through their beggarly entring into, and baſe demeaning themſelves in ſo high an office. Gape not theſe men, trowe you, for new miracles to raine out of heaven? as if Chriſt muſt needs for their ſakes lay the foundation of his Church againe, and call againe from the Net, and the receipt of Cuſtome, and other Trades of this world, ſuch as he would deſpatch abroad for his holy Meſſage, that ſo theſe Artiſans might be inveſted with Apoſtle-ſhips, Doctor-ſhips, and the roomes of Prophets, as ready men after a nights ſleep, or an houres tranſe, to turne the Book of God, and mannage the Keyes of heaven. But, my friend, be not deceived; awake out of ſleep, and dream no more: Thou art no Prophet; Zach. 13 5.thou art an husband-man, and taught to be an heard-man from thy youth up. Get away therefore with ſpeed from the Lords houſe: if thou be a cleaver, to thy wedge and axe; if an hinde, to thy Maſters plough; but meddle not with Gods affaires, leſt he break out upon thee, and deſtroy thee.
But in vaine ſpend I words to braſſe and iron, who, though the Lord have held in his hand for a long time the viall of his wrath, and is now weary with holding it any longer, and about to powre it out upon them for this their horrible tranſgreſsion, yet ſtagger they not a whit at it, but run out, like hungry companions, with an eye only to the fleſh-pots, and ſo ſell both themſelves and their people for a morſell of Bread, and a meſſe of pottage, to the Divell. Shall not I viſit for theſe things, ſaith the Lord? Or ſhall not my ſoul be avenged on ſuch a Nation as this? Jerem 9.9.Yes doubtleſſe: He who is able to muster the clouds and winds, and to fight with heavenly powers againſt us, ſhall and will, if we leave not off to make havocke of his children, be avenged on us: hee ſhall raiſe up the ſtandard, and make the trumpet blow, neither ſhall ſuffer the ſight of the one to paſſe our eyes, nor the ſound of the other to forſake our eares, untill deſtruction come upon deſtruction, death upon death, plague upon famine, and ſword upon both, to the utter overthrow both of our ſelves and country perpetually. Nay rather, O God, if there be any place for mercy (and why ſhould we doubt of mercy with thee the God of mercy?) lookt not upon this droſſe and filth, wherewith thine holy houſe hath been polluted, but ſweep them out: but look, O Lord, with thy tender eyes of compaſsion upon thy ſilly people (for what have they done?) and ſtir them up daily, for Pastors and Prophets, wiſe and skilfull men, whoſe lips may keep knowledge, and whoſe hands may break unto them the bread of life.
Now, that this may have a more mature and happy ſucceſſe, I am humbly to beſeech and ſolicite (if ſo this my ſimple work come unto their hands) the reverend Fathers of this Land, to whom I acknowledge all duty and ſubmiſsion in the Lord, and whom with all reverence I ſolicite in this the Lords cauſe, that, if their authority be not able to ſtretch ſo far as to the throwing out of theſe dumb, deafe, and blind watch-men, out of Gods Tabernacle, into which they have ſhuffled (againſt many of their Honours wils) by thoſe accurſed Simoniacall Patrons, who have ſodered and ſimoned the wals of their houſes, with the very bloud of ſoules: yet it may pleaſe their wiſedomes to conſtraine and compell theſe, whereſoever they ſhall finde them in any of their Dioceſſes, to the reading and diligent ſtudying of thoſe Bookes, which their owne Country-men, moved with more pity towards them and their flockes, have painfully delivered unto them in a tongue familiar and common to them all.
And if it ſhall ſeem ſo good and expedient to their Honours, to adjoyne theſe my labours unto the pains and travels of many the ſervants of God, who have with great praiſe endeavoured in the like matter, on the like reſpects heretofore; I make no doubt, but that out of this ſhort, yet full Summe of Chriſtian Religion, God adding his bleſsing thereunto, they may in ſhort time receive ſuch furniture and inſtruction, as they ſhall ſave both themſeves and others, who both elſe are in caſe to periſh everlastingly. But if their feet will walk on in the way of blindneſſe, and themſelves refuſe to come out of the darkneſſe of ignorance, into the bright light of Gods knowledge: yet will I not faint in hope for Iſrael, but will yet look when once againe God himſelfe ſhall ſmite on rocks, and water ſhall flow out of them, that his people in this time of drought may drink.
Even ſo, O God, for thy promiſe ſake, and for thy troth of old plighted in thy beloved Son vntounto thy Choſen, open the rock of ſtone againe, let againe the waters, the living waters of thy Word flow out, and let the ſaving rivers of thy Goſpel run, and ſtop not, through all drie places of our Land, that men and Angels may ſee the felicitie of thy Choſen, and rejoyce in the gladneſſe of thy people, and give thanks, and praiſe, and glory, and honour, with thine inheritance, vntounto thy bleſſed Name for ever.