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.

3 For what cause god created the world.

THe endes of the creation of al thinges are some general, some speciall and subordinate. 1. The first and chiefe end is the glorie of god. For he would haue his goodnes, wisedome, om∣nipotencie, iustice (which his properties he sheweth in the creation of al things) be knowen & magnified of vs. Prou. 16.4. The Lord made al thinges for himselfe. Psal. 103.22. Praise the Lord al ye his works. Rom. 11.36. Of him, & through him, and for him are al things. 2. The manifesting, knowledge, & contempla∣tion of his diuine wisedome & goodnes shining in the very creati∣on of things. For that he might bee celebrated & magnified for his works, he was to create those thinges which should know him, & should praise & magnifie him, being knowen and manifested vnto them in his woorkes. And to this pur∣pose created he natures both endewed with reason & with∣out reason, that there might bee both those which shoulde praise him, & the matter of his praise. Psalm. 19.1. The hea∣uens declare the glorie of god, & the firmament sheweth the worke of his hands. 3. The administration & gouerning of the world. For therefore he created the world, that hee might by his pro∣uidence euer gouerne, rule, preserue it, & so might perpetu∣ally shew forth his maruelous works, which he hath done from the beginning of the world, & now doth, & wil do: but chiefly that he might administer the Church & congrega∣tion of elect Angels & men. Isai. 40.26. Lift vp your eies on high, & behold who hath created these things. This third end is subordinat & serueth for the secōd end. 4. To gather a church of Angels & men, who shuld agnise & magnifie this creator. 5. That al other things might serue for the safetie both of the soul, & bodie of man: as also for the life, necessity, & delight of men: but especially that they might profit the elect, eache thing in their due place, & might be to them as ministers & instru∣ments, whereby god blessing & increasing them, might be lauded & praised of them. Gen. 1.28. Subdue the earth, & rule ouer the fish of the sea, & ouer the foul of the heauen, & ouer eue∣rie beast that moueth vpon the earth. Psal. 8.6. Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thine hands: thou hast put al things vnder his feete. Only man he created for himself: the rest for man, that by man they might serue god. Wherefore when we place creatures in the roome of god, we cast our selues out of that degree, in which we were placed by god.

This doctrine of the creation of the world god would for these causes especiallie haue remaine extant in the Church. 1. That the glorie of the creation might bee giuen wholy to god, and his wise∣dome, power, and goodnes therein acknowledged. 2. That neither the Sonne, nor the holie ghost should be excluded, but each should haue their owne parts yeelded them therein, according as it is said, that all might honor the sonne, as they honor the father. 3. That as the world was created by the sonne and the holie ghost, so also we might knowe that by them mankinde is restored. Colossians. 1. For by him were all thinges made: And hee is the heade of the bodie of the Church; for it pleased the father that in him should al fulnes dwell. 4. That seeing god created all thinges of nothing, we may thinke that he is able to restore them being corrupted and ru∣inated, into their first state againe. 2. Cor. 4.6. For god that com∣manded the light to shine out of darkenes, is he which hath shined in our harts, to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of god in the face of Iesus Christ. 5. That we may not referre the origi∣nal of corruption to god, but knowe, that it was purchased by the fault of Diuels and men. Iohn. 8. The Diuel is a lyer and a mur∣therer from the beginning; & whē he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own. Rom. 5.12. By one man sin entred into the world, & death by sin. 6. That knowing god, as in the creating, so also in the main∣taining and gouerning of all things, not to be tied to second causes and to the order by him setled in nature, but that hee may either keepe or alter it, wee shoulde with confidence and full persuasion looke for and craue those things which he hath promised, yea those things, which in respect of second causes seeme vnpossible. Rom. 4. He calleth those thinges which are not, as if they were. 7. That wee should celebrate for euer the knowē goodnes of god, wherby he hath created all thinges, not for his owne profit or happines (for he wan∣teth nothing) but for ours: and seeing all other things were crea∣ted for mans vse, we aboue other creatures, especiallie being resto∣red from sinne and death to righteousnes and life, shoulde acknow∣ledge that we owe thankfulnes vnto god therfore. Psal. 8.4. What is man, that thou art mindfull of him: and the sonne of man, that thou visitest him? Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thine hands. 8. That wee knowing god (in as much as of nothing and through his meere goodnes hee created all thinges) to owe nothing to anie; but all his creatures to owe themselues & all that they haue to him their creator; should confesse that to be most

iust, whatsoeuer hee shall doe concerning vs and all his creatures; Ierem. 45.4. Beholde, that which I haue built, will I destroie, and that which I haue planted, will I plucke vp, euen this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thy selfe? seeke them not. 9 That we should refer the vse of all thinges to the glorie of God, since that we haue receiued al good things from him. Rom. 11. Of him, and through him, and for him are al things. 10 That seeing the works of god were therefore created and placed before our eies, euen for vs to beholde them; we doe not idlie, but earnestlie, and as much as euerie mans abilitie, occasion, and vocation permitteth him, contemplate and consider them, and learning out of them the wisedome, power, and goodnesse of the Artificer, celebrate it both in this life and in the world to come. Acts. 17.26. He hath made of one bloud all mankinde to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the times which were ordeined before & the bounds of their habitation, that they shoulde seeke the Lord, if so be they might haue groaped after him and found him, though doubtles he be not far off from euerie one of vs.

Notes

• The ends of the creation of the world.

  1 The glorie of God.
• 2 The know∣ledge of God.
• 3 His proui∣dence.
• 4 That he might gather a church. 5 That all things might serue for man.
• Why god would haue this do∣ctrine of the creation to be deliuered and held in the Church.