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.

OF THE CREEDE, OR, SYMBOLE OF THE APOSTLES.

AFter we haue intreated of FAITH,* 1.1 it directly followeth now that we speake of the sum of those things which are to bee beleeued, which we cal the Symbole of the Apostles, or the Apostolick Sym∣bole.

The especial Questions here are,

• 1 What a Symbole is.
• 2 What are the parts of the Apostolique Symbole.

1 WHAT A SYMBOLE IS.

THis woorde Symbole, is deriued from a greeke woorde, which signifieth either a common collation of diuerse men to the making of a banquet, or, a signe, token, and marcke, where∣by a man is discerned frō others: Such as is the militarie signe, whereby fellowes are desciphered from enimies. The Symbole, so termed in the Church, is a breefe and summa∣rie forme of christian doctrine: or a briefe summe, or confession of the points of Christian religion, or Euangelical doctrine. Nowe it is called by the name of Symbole, because it is as a token, or profession, whereby the Church with her members is discerned from all her enimies, and from al other sects. Some say, that this briefe summe of Euangelical doctrine was called a Symbole, for that this

doctrine was collated as it were, and imparted by the Apostles, and euery one of them did bestow some part thereof: but that cannot be proued. But if you wil deriue it thence, this reason also nothing absurde may be rendered thereof: for that the Ar∣ticles of faith are the squire and rule, whereunto the faith and doctrine of al Orthodox or right beleeuing Christians ought to a∣gree and be conferred.

This Symbole is called Apostolique, 1. Because it conteineth the summe of the Apostolique doctrine, which the Catechumens were enforced to hold and professe. 2. Because the Apostles deliuered that summe of doctrine to their Scholers and Disciples: which the Church afterwardes held as receiued from them. This selfesame Symbole is called also Catholick, because there is but one faith of al Christians. Question. Were there not new Symboles made, as Athanasius Symbole, the Symbole of Nice, of Ephesus, of Chalcedon. Aunswere. These are not other from this Apo∣stolique Symbole: but certaine words are added as an ex∣plication of this, by reason of heretiques, by whom because of the shortnes thereof, this was depraued. There is no change either of the matter or of the Doctrine, but onely of the forme of declaring it, as easily appeareth by compa∣ring them together.

2 What are the parts of the Apostolicke Symbole or Creed.

THe principall parts thereof are three.

• 1 Of the Father and our creation.
• 2 Of the Sonne and our redemption.
• 3 Of the holy ghost and our sanctification: that is, of the workes of our Creation, Redemption and Sanctification.

* 1.2Obiection. Vnto the father is ascribed the creation of heauen and earth: vnto the Sonne, the redemption of mankind: vnto the holy ghost, sanctification. Therefore the Sonne, and the holy ghost did not create heauen and earth; neither did the Father and the holy ghost redeeme mankinde; neither do the Father & the Sonne sanctifie the faithfull. Answere. It is a fallacie grounding vpon that which is affirmed, but in respect, as if it were simply affirmed. For the creation is giuen to the Father, redemp∣tion to the Sonne, sanctification to the holy ghost, not as they are simply an operation or woork, (for so should other persons be excluded from it) but in respect, for the order and man∣ner of woorking, which is peculiar and proper to euerie of

them in producing and bringing forth the same externall woorke. A more open declaration hereof may be this. The woorkes of our creation, redemption, & sanctification, are the operations of the Godhead outwardly, that is, externall ope∣rations, which God worketh on his creatures: and they are vndiuided, that is, common to the three persons, which they by common wil and power woork in the creatures, by reason of that one and the same essence and nature of the Godhead, which they haue. For the Scripture attributeth the Creation not onely to the father, but to the Sonne al∣so, and the holy ghost. Ioh. 1.3. Al things were made by it. Gen. 1. The spirit of the Lord moued vpon the waters. Mat. 1.20. That which is conceaued in her, is of the holy Ghost. Likewise our re∣demption is attributed to the father, and the holy Ghost. Iohn. 3. God sent his Sonne into the woorlde, that the world might be saued by him. Tit. 3. Hee saued vs by the renewing of the holie ghost, which he shed on vs abundantly. And sanctification both to the father, and to the sonne. Gal. 4.6. God hath sent the spi∣rit of his sonne into your harts, crying Abba, Father. 1. Thess. 5.23. The very god of peace sanctifie you throughout. 1. Cor. 1.30. Christ is made sanctification vnto vs. Eph. 5.26. Christ sanctifieth the Church. Al the persons therefore create, redeem, sancti∣fie. Neuerthelesse yet in respect of that order of woorking which is betweene them, Creation is ascribed vnto the fa∣ther: Because hee is the fountaine, as of the Diuini∣tie of the Sonne and the holie Ghost, so also of those diuine operations which hee woorketh and perfourmeth by the Sonne and the holie Ghost. Redemption is ascribed vnto the Sonne; because hee is that person which execu∣teth the fathers will concerning the redeeming of man∣kinde, and dooth immediatly perfourme the woorke of our redemption. For the Sonne onely was sent into flesh, and hath paied the ransome or price for our sinnes, not the father, nor the spirit. To the holy ghost is ascribed sanctification: because he doth immediatly sanctifie vs. For the father createth, but mediatly, by the Sonne and the holy Ghost: The Son from the father: and the holy Ghost from the father and the sonne. The father and the holy ghost redeeme vs, but mediatly, by the sonne: But the son immedi∣atly from the father by the holy ghost. The father and the son

sanctifie vs, but mediatly, by the holy ghost; but the holy Ghost immediatly, from the father and the sonne.

* 1.3Here is to be obserued, that the workes of the persons are of two sortes: namely, Their woorkes inwarde, and their woorkes outward. The inward or internal workes of the persons, are those, which the persons haue and exercise one towardes another. By these actions or properties are the diuine persons distin∣guished, and described. For the father is the first person, which hath not his essence and beeing from any other, neither begotten nor proceeding; but being of himself, he begot from euer∣lasting the sonne, & from him proceeded the holy Ghost. The sonne is the second person of the Godhead, begotten from euerlasting of the father. This generating or begetting of the Son is the participating of the whole diuine essence, wherby the son receiueth from the father the same essence whole∣ly and entirely, which the father hath and reteineth. For the diuine essence being infinit and indiuisible, there can∣not some part thereof bee seuered, and imparted to ano∣ther, as it commeth to passe in creatures; but it must needs bee wholy imparted vnto him, vnto whomsoeuer it is im∣parted. The holy ghost is the third person of the deity, proceeding, from euerlasting, from the father and the sonne. But begetting & proceeding differ. For to be begotten, or to be born, is for another man or another person to bee produced out of the sub∣stance of him that begetteth, by waie of birth, as the sonne is borne of the father. Proceeding is a communication of the diuine essence, whereby the third person onely of the Godhead receiueth from the father and the sonne, as the spirite from him, whose spirit it is, the same whole essence, which the father and the son haue & retaine. As therefore he that begetteth is one person, & hee another that is be∣gotten: In like maner the holy ghost also is another person from the father & the son, from whom he from euerlasting ineffably is produced, or hath his being, by proceeding or issuing: yet for al this there is but one and the same diuine essence of these three persons, albeit the father, as the foū∣taine of the deity, hath his beeing from no other, but from himself: the son begotten of the father: the holy ghost pro∣ceeding from the father and the Sonne.

2 The outwarde or external woorkes of the persons are those,

which are done towards the creatures, and on them, & by them, through the wil and power or efficacie of the father, the son, & the holy ghost: but yet that order stil of the per∣sons beeing kept, as that the father is the fountaine of the operations of the son, & the holy Ghost, & doth al things, not of any other, but of himselfe: The Sonne and the holy Ghost doe not work of themselues, but by themselues, that is, the Son worketh, the fathers wil going befo e, the holy Ghost woorketh, the will going before both of the Father & the Son. Obiect. Whose works are diuerse, their essence also is diuerse. The external works of the Father, the Sonne and the holy Ghost are diuerse: Therefore their essence also is diuerse. Answere vnto the Maior we make by inuerting it thus; Nay rather because the persons are infinit, there must needes bee but one essence of all. Because the inward operation is the com∣munication of the essence: and therefore the diuersity of externall woorks doth not import diuersitie of essence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Why the creede is called a sym∣bole.
• * 1.2

  How our Cre••∣tiō, Redemptiō, Sanctification, are ech appro¦priated to some one person of the Trinitie, and yet all three persons haue their ioint wor∣king in them.
• * 1.3

  The workes of the trinitie ex∣ternal or inter∣nal: external common to al three; internal appropriated vnto the person.