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.

2 Who and what God is.

WHen it is demanded, who is the tru god, we are to hold most firmly and surely, that he alone is the tru god, who euen from the beginning of mankinde did not onely manifest himselfe in the nature of thinges by the steppes and prints of his diuinity shining therein, but especially in the Church, by his woord deliuered, and other famous testimonies of miracles, deliueries, and consolations, wher∣by he plainly teacheth whom & what he will be acknowle∣ged and published by vs to be, and that he is not acknowle∣ged or woorshiped of any, but of them, who thinke accor∣ding to this word both of him and his will, neither is the

true knowledge of him founde else-where than in this worde. The certaintie of this position, is hereof most manifest, for that all those who imagine GOD to bee other in essence, or nature, or will, than hee hath testifi∣ed himselfe to bee in his owne manifestations and re∣ueilings, doe not embrace and woorship at all the true GOD, but an other thing of their owne framing, in steede of the true GOD, according to these sayings, Iohn. 4.22. Ye woorship that which ye knowe not: we woor∣ship that which wee knowe: for saluation is of the Iewes. And cap. 5. vers. 23. He that honoreth not the sonne, the same ho∣noreth not the father which hath sent him. Gal. 4.8. But then when ye knewe not GOD, yee did seruice vnto them which by nature are not Gods. Eph. 2.12. Ye were at that time without Christ, & were aliants from the common-wealth of Israell, and were straungers from the Couenaunt of promise, and had no hope, and were without GOD in the world. Act. 17.23. Whom yee then ignorantly worship, him shew I vnto you. 1. Iohn. 2.23. Whosoeuer denieth the sonne, the same hath not the father.

But against these thinges seemeth that to bee, which Paul saith to the Rom. 1.19. That that which may bee knowen of GOD is manifest also in men estranged from chri∣stian Religion: for that GOD hath shewed it vnto them. For the inuisible thinges of him, that is, his eternall power and Godhead, are seene by the creation of the world beeing considered in his woorkes; to the intent that they shoulde be without excuse. And Act. 17. That GOD in former ages did not leaue himselfe without witnesse: and that out of the whole nature of thinges, but chieflie by the minde of man, and the difference of thinges honest and dishonest, and by the punishments the of wicked, it may in some measure bee ga∣thered, not onely that there is a GOD, but also what hee is: and therefore manie thinges are found to haue beene spo∣ken truely by the heathen and others concerning the vnitie and nature of GOD. But to these obiections wee aun∣swere: that there are indeede some true thinges, con∣cerning GOD manifested otherwise also than by the worde deliuered to the Church: but by them notwith∣standing, who is the true GOD, cannot bee shewed; and that for two causes. For first, those thinges by themselues

are not sufficient: For, to the knowing of the true God, it is requisite that wee knowe and professe, not some thinges onely, but all thinges which hee openeth of himselfe, and woulde haue knowen. Moreouer, these selfe same true testimonies of God also, which remaine in mens minds and in na∣ture, all they by reason of a naturall blindnesse in them and pra∣uitie doe manie waies corrupt, who in weighing of them followe not the light and interpretation thereof drawen from the worde of God deliuered to the Church, when as euen of these thinges which might bee knowen by the helpe of nature, manie thinges they doe not knowe, manie they faine of their owne, which haue nothing agreeing with the nature and wil of God: and those thinges which they do retaine, & in shewe of wordes professe, they farre otherwise vnderstand than they are proposed of God, and declared in his word, and in the Church vnderstoode: and so beholding and sounding in their mouth true sentences and sayinges con∣cerning God, conceiue neuerthelesse and foster false opi∣nions of him in their mind. This answere S. Paul himselfe expresseth Rom. 1. when he addeth; That they are inexcusable; because that when they knewe god, they glorified him not as god.

Now albeit Philosophicall wisedome cannot therefore shew, who is the true god, for that concerning the essence, na∣ture, wil, and workes of god, so much as is necessary to bee knowen it doth not teach, & is diuersly depraued by men, so that out of the Church remaineth no true knowledge of god, yet neuertheles that voice of the nature of things concerning god ought not for these causes to bee reiected as false, or contemned as fruitles. For neither is that straight waies false in it selfe, which is peruerslie constred of men; neither fruitles for al things, nor to al men, which auaileth the reprobate nothing at all to euerlasting saluation. For god will also out of the Church bridle the lewd & dissolute, by the testimonies which their conscience & punishments giue of his will, an∣ger, and iudgement, and according to them will hee haue the life and manners of men ruled. Hee will haue mans corruption and his iustice made more conspicuous and cleare in punishing them, who stubburnely withstand the knowen truth. He wil by natural testimonies, mens consci∣ence shewing the imperfection thereof, haue men stirred

vp to seeke the true God in the Church, as it is said, Act. 17. That men were therefore placed in the theater of the worlde, that they should seeke the Lord, if so be they might haue groaped after him, and found him. Hee will also haue them, who are con∣uerted to him, to be more confirmed by the consent of na∣ture and the worde, as the often alleadging of naturall te∣stimonies in the Scriptures declareth. Lastly he will, the imperfection of naturall knowledge being considered, haue mens ignorance concerning God acknowledged, & his mercy magnified, who discouereth and openeth him∣selfe in his woorde.

God cannot bee defined, 1. Because he is immense. 2. Be∣cause his essence is vnknown vnto vs: Yet some way hee may be described: which description comprehendeth his attri∣butes or properties, the persons & principal woorks and by these three is the true God discerned from all false Gods.

After this sort then is God Theologically described, God is a spiritual essence, intelligent, eternall, infinite, other from all the creatures, incomprehensible, most perfect in it selfe, vnmu∣table, and of an immense power, wisedome & goodnesse, true, iust, chast, mercifull, bountifull, most free, angry and wrath with sinne: which essence is the eternal father who frō euerlasting begot the Sonne according to his Image, and the Sonne, who is the coeternall Image of the father: & the holie ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Sonne: Euen as it hath bin manifested from aboue, certain worde thereof beeing deliuered by the Prophets, Christ and the A∣postles, and by diuine testimonies, t••at the eternall Father toge∣ther with the Sonne, and the holy ghost, hath created heauen and earth, and all creatures, and worketh all good things in all: & that in mankind he hath chosen vnto himselfe and gathered a Church, by, and for the Sonne, that by his Church this one and true Deitie may be according to the word deliuered from aboue, acknowledged, celebrated, and adored in this life, and in the life to come: & lastly that he is the iudge of the iust and vniust.

Philosophically he is described on this wise: God is an eternall minde or intelligence sufficient in himselfe to all felicitie, most good, and the cause of good in nature. So is hee defined by Plato in his book of Definitions; likewise in his Timaeus. And by Aristotle Lib. 12. Metaph. Cap. 7. and Lib. de Mundo, &c.

The Theological description of god, which the church deliuereth, differeth from this Philosophical description, because that is pefecter than this. 1 In the number of parts, whereof it addeth manie by nature vnknown vnto men; as of the Trinity, of the Redēption of man, &c. 2. In the vnderstanding & declaration of those parts, which are common to both▪ for the Theological description declareth them more certainlie and fullie. 3. In the effect or fruite. By Philosophie or the light of nature men are not able to bee brought to the true knowledge of God, both because it is maimed, and false by mens corruption: as also because it doth not stirre vp in vs Godlines, that is, the loue and feare of God: seeing it tea∣cheth not those things, whereby this is effectuated and brought to passe.

Notes

• Wee must ac∣knowledge God to bee such, as himselfe hath manifested him∣selfe to bee.
• The glimse of nature not suffi∣cient to shew who is the true God.
• The voice of nature concer∣ning god, neither to bee reiected nor contemned, either in respect of insufficiencie, or of mens mis∣constring it.
• The description of God accor∣ding to the rules of Diuinitie.
• The description of God accor∣ding to philoso∣phie.
• In what the for∣mer descriptions differ.