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.

THE QVESTIONS OF MANS CREATI∣ON ARE ESPECIALLIE TWO.

• 1 What, man was created of God.
• 2 To what end, or for what, man was created.

1 What, man was created of God.

This question is proposed euen for the same causes, for which the whole place it self is. 1. That it may ap∣peare, that God is not the author of sinne. 2. That wee may know the greatnes of the sinne of mans vnthankefulnes. 3. That we may pray to God & craue earnestlie for his grace, & our deliuerie from sinne. 4. That wee may bee thankefull for our deliuerie from sinne.

MAn was created, first consisting of bodie and soule. His bodie was fashioned of a masse or lumpe of earth,* 1.1 immortall, if hee stoode still in righ∣teousnesse; mortall, if hee fell: for mortali∣tie ensued on sinne. His soule is a substaunce incor∣poreall, vnderstanding, and immortall: this was by god infused and vnited to an instrumentall body, to informe or quicken it, and together with it to make and constitute one person or Subsistent, namely man, to worke certaine motions, and actions external and internal, by the ministe∣rie of the bodie and without the ministerie of the bodie, iust and pleasing God, all which the soule accomplisheth in the bodie, and some also by the bodie as an instrument, some by it selfe, without the bodie, that is, not vsing the bo∣die or any part thereof as an instrument of his operations. Secondly, man was created perfectlie wise. Thirdly, Perfect∣lie holie, and iust. Fourthly, Lord ouer other creatures. Fiftly, Truely and perfectlie blessed and happie. And this is to be cre∣ated to the image of God.

Obiect. Perfect wisedome, righteousnes, & blessednes are in god alone.* 1.2 Man is not God: therefore these could not be perfect in man. Aunswere. This reason is a fallacie deceiuing by rea∣son of the equiuocation or ambiguitie of the word Perfect. For in the Maior proposition is vnderstoode, The perfection of the Creator, which is the very immensitie and vnmeasu∣rablenes

of his essence and properties, by reason whereof nothing can be added more vnto God, whereby he may be greater, or better, or happier: of which perfection if the Conclusion also speake, wee graunt the whole rea∣son: for this perfection is communicated reallie to no creature at all, no not to the fleshe of Christ. But it is an other perfection, which is in creatures, namelie a perfection in partes and degrees. For all creatures, euen the most excellent, haue onely partes and degrees of good thinges distributed of the Creator vnto them, euerie one such as are agreeable to their nature and place.

All things therefore, are in their owne kind or sort most good and perfect, when they are and remaine such, as God woulde then haue euerie of them to bee, when hee created them. So in man at his creation was perfect wisedome or knowledge, perfect Righte∣ousnesse, perfect Blessednesse, not that nothing could bee added more vnto them, or that they did match and equall the perfections of God, but because they had that degree of perfection, in which degree God woulde haue them to bee in man. Wherefore for mans perfection, it was sufficient, if hee knewe all those thinges concerning God and his workes, which God woulde haue him to knowe; and further, if hee did shewe and performe that conformitie, which God exacted of him. It was not required to mans happi∣nesse, that hee shoulde knowe all thinges, or bee per∣fectlie iust, holie, blessed, and happie: for that had not perfected man, but transformed him into God. The same is to bee conceiued and thought concer∣ning the perfect wisedome, Righteousnesse, and Bles∣sednes of Angels.

2 For what, man was created.

THe last and principall end of mans creation is the glorie and praise of god.* 1.3 For therfore god created reasonable crea∣tures, that being known of them he might bee magnified. It is an action proper vnto man to know & magnifie god.

Therefore he was created to know and worship God: that is, to professe him, to call vpon him, to giue thankes vnto him, & to obey him; Lastly to loue God & his neighbour.

The worship of God comprehendeth Profession and In∣uocation on the name of God, Thankesgiuing, Praiers, & Obedience,* 1.4 which consisteth in our loue and dueties to∣wards God and men. Many other endes are subordinated to this principall end. For vnto the worship is substituted the true knowledge of God. For God not being known can not be worshipped. This is euerlasting life, that they may know thee a∣lone to bee the true God. Further, To the knowledge of God is sub∣ordinated or next in order the felicity & blessednes of man, which is the fruition and euerlasting participation of God,* 1.5 in which consisteth glorie and eternall life. To this is subordi∣nated the manifestation of God,* 1.6 or the declaration of Gods mercie in his chosen to euerlasting life, and of his iustice and wrath a∣gainst sinne to be punished in the reprobate. For that thou maist know God, and be happy, it is needfull also that he make himselfe manifest vnto thee. Vnto the manifestation of God is subordinated the preseruation of societie in mankinde. For ex∣cept there were men, God shoulde not haue whom to ma∣nifest himselfe vnto.* 1.7 I will declare thy name vnto my brethren. To this preseruatiō there folow next in order the duties of nature, and the mutuall good turnes, and benefites of one man towards an other. For no societie or coniunction or conuersing of men together can be or consist without mutuall dueties passing enterchangeably betweene them. Wherefore the societie of men, and mutuall communicating and imparting of dueties betweene them, are the subordinate endes of man created, seruing for the obtaining of the principall end, which is the manifestation, participation or fruition, knowledge, praise and worshippe of God. When therefore God is saide to be the ende of man, it is meant of him ma∣nifested, participated, knowne, and worshipped. And in this end, as being the chief and last, the whole felicitie and blessednes, and glorie of man consisteth.

1. Obiect. Heauen, earth, and other creatures which are void of reason,* 1.8 are said to worshippe and magnifie God: Therefore the worship and praise of God is not the proper end why man was created. Answere. This reason hath a fallacie of equiuo∣cation

or ambiguitie. Creatures voide of reason are saide to worship and praise God, not that they vnderstand ought of god, or know and worship him: But because they bea∣ring certain prints and steps of Diuinitie in them, are the matter of gods praise and worship. But the creatures en∣dewed with reason are said to praise and magnifie god, not onely, because in them are extant most conspicuous and notable testimonies of god, but chiefly, because they bee∣ing endewed with a power & facultie of vnderstanding, & of conforming themselues to the will of god, know by the beholding & contemplation of gods works in thēselues & other creatures, the infinite goodnes, wisedome, power, iu∣stice, bounty, and maiestie of god, and are raised and stirred vp to worship god aright both in minde, and in worde, and in the whole obedience, according to his diuine law. And if god had not created creatures of reason and vnderstan∣ding, who might beholde, consider, and with thankefull minde acknowledge his workes, and the order and dispo∣sing of thinges in whole nature: other thinges which are voide of reason, might no more be saide to praise and wor∣ship god, that is to be the matter and occasion of praising him, than if they had neuer beene at all.

2. Obiection. The felicitie and blessednes of man is a qua∣litie, or condition and estate, in which or with which man was cre∣ated; that is, it is a part of the image of God, and a forme or pro∣pertie of man. Therefore it belōgeth to the first question, what man was created, and not to this of the end of mans creation. Answere. This hath no contrarietie in it; for the same may be in di∣uers the finall cause & the formal. For the soule and the properties or faculties thereof, are both the formal and final cause of a liuing bodie: the forme, as they actuate and giue life vnto the bodie: the ende, as the bodie is framed of nature for this, that the soule may informe it, and exer∣cise by it his operations & actions. In like sort the blessed∣nes of man, or participation or fruition of god, as also the knowledge of god, is a propertie and part of the image of god in man, in respect of the beginning, when man by his creation beganne both to bee, and to bee iust and blessed: it is the ende of man in respect of continuance & perseue∣rance, that is, as god created man wise, iust, and blessed for

this, that hee shoulde continue so for euer: that is, man was created iust and happie, & he was created for this, that he might be iust and happie. Wherefore albeit the existence of blessednesse and the continuance & abiding of the same are the same in the thing it selfe: yet in consideration and respect they are diuers. By reason of which diuers respects, felicitie, wisedome, holines, are both a qualitie and an end of man, that is, are referred to the questions, WHAT and FOR WHAT man was created.

This first creation of man is diligently to be compared with the miserie of mankinde, as also the end for which we were created with the aberration and swaruing from the end: that so by this meanes also wee may know the great∣nes of our miserie. For howe much the greater wee see the good was, which wee haue lost; so much the greater wee know the euils to be, into which we are fallen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Man created perfect both in bodie and soule.
• * 1.2

  Man perfect but in a certaine de∣gree and mea∣sure, not infinitly as God.
• * 1.3

  The principal end of mans cre∣ation, to praise & worship God.
• * 1.4

  Other ends of mans creation are, The knowledge of God.
• * 1.5

  Mans felicitie.
• * 1.6

  The manifesta∣tion of God.
• * 1.7

  The preseruati∣on of the society of men.
• * 1.8

  Other creatures are said to praise God as being the matter of his praise: which yet they shoulde not bee, if man and Angels were not.