The substance of Christian religion soundly set forth in two bookes, by definitions and partitions, framed according to the rules of a naturall method, by Amandus Polanus professor of diuinitie. The first booke concerneth faith. The second concerneth good workes. The principall pointes whereof are contained in a short table hereunto annexed. Translated out of Latin into English by E.W.

Hitherto concerning the generall workes of Gods speciall prouidence: the particular follow.

The particular workes of Gods speciall prouidence, are those which doe pertaine to part of mankind.

Such are the supernaturall manifestation of Gods will, the working of miracles, the calling, the heauenly couenant, and the hea∣uenly signe.

* 1.1The supernaturall manifestation of Gods will, is the worke of Gods speciall proui∣dence, whereby after a speciall manner he manifesteth his will to men in the Church. Psal. 103.7. Heb. 1.1.2.

Of this there are two parts, the reuelation of doctrine, or the foretelling of things to come.

The reuelation of doctrine, is either of the doctrine of the law, or of the Gospell.

* 1.2The law of God is a doctrine, which com∣maundeth vs what we must do, and what we must leaue vndone, requiring perfect obe∣dience, both inward and outward towardes God, and promising eternall life to those that obey it: but threatning eternall punish∣ments to those that breake any part there∣of. Mat. 19.16.17.18.19. Mat. 7.12. Leuit. 18.5. Ezech. 10.11. Rom. 10.5. Gala. 3.10. Deut. 27.26. Iam. 2.10.

The law of God, is either generall or spe∣ciall.

The generall law of God, is that whereby all men generally, are alwayes bound, except God himselfe, doe specially command ano∣ther thing: After this sort the ten cōmande∣ments are generall.

For all generall lawes are to be vnderstood with this condition: to wit, Except God him selfe command another, as:

Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauē Image: namely except God doth especially command to make it, as when he comman∣ded to make the Cherubins, and brasen Ser∣pent: and so forth.

Thou shalt not steale, namely except God doth specially command, as when he com∣manded to spoyle the Egyptians. Thou shalt not kill, namely except God doth specially command, as when he commanded Abra∣ham that he should sacrifice his sonne Isaack. Honour thy parēts, obey thy parents, name∣ly except God command another thing thē our parents: For then we must not obey our parents but God.

The particular law of God, is that which he made specially to certaine men, in some certaine case.

Therfore it doth not ouerthrow the gene∣rall law of God: because the particular law, is not perpetuall, but for a certaine time, neither doth it belōg to all, but onely to those to whom it was made specially, neither is it of force in all cases, but onely in that which

God himselfe hath by name expressed.

Againe the law of God, is either perpetu∣all, or for a certaine time.

The perpetuall law of God, is that law which doth alwayes bind all reasonable crea∣tures to obedience: and that is called the morall law.

* 1.3The morall law is that law which teacheth how euery one ought to behaue himselfe, in inward, and outward maners, that his whole life may be agreeable to Gods will.

The summe of that is comprehended in the decaloge or ten commandements.

* 1.4The decaloge or ten commandements is a briefe summe of the morall law, containing ten preceptes.

And that is deuided into two tables or parts.

* 1.5The first table containeth foure cōmande∣ments, concerning our duties toward God, or concerning loue towardes God, or concer∣ning his worship.

* 1.6The first commandement is this: thou shalt no haue strange Gods before me.

In this commandement God forbiddeth to haue strange Gods before him.

A strange God, is euery thing, in which a man putteth his confidence besides the true God, or that which a man doth feare or loue more then God, or equally with God, or to which he giueth diuine worship contrary to the expresse word of God.

To haue strange Gods, is to put his confi∣dence in any thing, which is not the true God, or to loue, or feare that more then God, or as well as God, or to giue to it di∣uine worship contrary to the expresse word of God.

Not to haue strange Gods before God, is to eschew all idolatry, not onely in the sight of men, but euen in the heart, because God seeth all things.

The second commandement is this:* 1.7 thou shalt not make to thy self any grauen image, neither shalt thou counterfeit any Image of those things, which are in heauen a∣boue, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters vnder the earth, thou shalt not bow downe to them, nor worship them. For I am the Lord thy God, strong, iea∣lous, reuenging the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children, and that vnto the third and fourth generation of those that hate me: and shewing mercy vnto thousandes of them that loue me and keepe my com∣mandements.

In this commandement God forbiddeth, both the framing of Images for Religions sake, and also the worshipping of them.

And by Image is vnderstood (by putting the part for the whole) euen all the worship of God deuised by men.

Therefore Images are not to be borne withall in Churches, which might be in steed

of bookes to the ignorant people.

For neither doth it become vs to be more wise then God, who will haue his Church to be taught, not with dumbe Images, but with the liuely preaching of his word. Iere. 10.8. Haba. 2.18.19. Luke. 16.29. Neither is God to be otherwise worshipped thē he hath prescribed in his word.

Now there is a threatning and promise added to this commandement, that it might driue vs the more powerfully from Idolatry, as from an abhominable sinne.

In the threatning God nameth himselfe strong and iealous.

He calleth himselfe indeed, strong, that we might feare the power which he hath to re∣uenge.

He calleth himselfe iealous, because he ne∣uer without punishmēt suffereth his honour to be giuen to any other.

But in the threatning God doth threaten punishments, both to the sinners themselues, and also to their posterity.

God for two causes threateneth punish∣ments to the posterity of sinners.

• 1. That he might shew the greatnesse of sinne, which draweth punishments not one∣ly vpon them that commit them, but vpon their posterity also, if God should deale ac∣cording to the straightnesse of his iustice.
• 2. That at the least men fearing the punish∣ment that shall light on their posterity, they

• might abstaine from sinne.

That the posteritie be punished for the sinnes of the parents, it is not against the iu∣stice of God: for such is the naughtinesse of our nature, that except God regard vs in his singular mercy, we should all of vs perseuere in the sinnes of our parents.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the super∣naturall ma∣nifestation of Gods will.
• * 1.2

  Of the law of God.
• * 1.3

  Of the morall law.
• * 1.4

  Of the ten cō∣mandements.
• * 1.5

  The first table of the ten com∣mandements.
• * 1.6

  The explica∣tion of the first cōmandement.
• * 1.7

  The 2. com∣mandement.