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 Whence it maie appeare that the Resurrection shall certainlie be••.

IT maie be verily collected probably out of philosophie that there shal be sometime a resurrection: but no neces∣sarie demonstration can bee yeelded thence, that the Re∣surrection shall certainly bee. For in philosophy are manie principles, which accord not with the sacred writinges of Gods spirite. Againe, in philosophy, the knowleege which it hath of Gods iustice and trueth is but a maimed reason. But in the holie writ of God the reasons are firme & true. Hence alone therefore is demonstration giuen for the most certaine accomplishment of the Resurrection. And this first by testimonies of scripture: then by reasons drawn out of scripture.

The testimonies of Scripture, which confirme the cer∣taintie of the resurrection hereafter to come, are most eui∣dent, and those taken both out of the olde and new Testa∣ment. Iob 19.25. I am sure that my redeemer liueth, and hee shall stand the last on the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this bodie, yet shal I see God in my flesh. Iohn 5.28. The hour shal come, in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice: And they shal come forth that haue doone good vnto the resur∣rection of life, but they that haue doone euil vnto the resurrecti∣on of condemnation. Iohn 6 40. I wil raise him vp at the last day. 1. Corint. 15.13. If there bee no resurrection of the deade, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vaine, and your faith is also vaine. The reasons which are drawen also out of Scripture, are diuerse. 1. God promiseth e∣ternall life, not to the soule onelie, but also to the bodie of the godly: and contrarie, to the vngodly hee threatneth eternall punishment and paines both of bodie and soule: and these promises and threat∣ninges of God must bee fulfilled: For the certainty of them is vnchaungeable: But they shal not bee fulfilled, if the deade shal not rise. Seeing therefore God dooth most certainelie in his good time accomplish that, which hee promiseth to the godly, and menaceth to the wicked; it followeth of ne∣cessitie that the dead must rise againe. 2. The mercie of God is perfect, as which extendeth it selfe to the whole man, and which will haue vs wholy saued: Therefore our bodies also shal rise again. 3. The mercie and loue of God towardes the godly is perpetuall

and vnchaungeable▪ so that what hee once will, of his fatherly loue towardes them, perfourme vnto them, the same he euer will. But he wil haue the godly saued both in soule and bodie: therefore they must be both in soule and bodie, euen whole saued: and therefore that they maie bee whole saued, they must needes rise a∣gaine 4. The perfect iustice of God requireth, that the same who∣lie whereby they sinne, should be punished with eternall paines. But they sinne both in their whole bodie and in their soule. Therefore their bodies also must be raised againe, because they ought no lesse in body than in soule to suffer eternal pains. 5. Christ is risen: therefore wee also shall rise. This sequele is most sure. For, first, Christ therefore rose againe, that hee might raise vs. Secondly, Christ is our head, and we his members. Seeing then Christ our head is risen, we also his members doubtles shal rise. For the glorie of the head requireth this, that he haue his members sutable & in like condition with him. Where∣fore if the members should continue rotten, the head should not be glorious. Thirdly, The same spirite is in vs, which is in Christ raised: he ioineth and vniteth vs with Christ, and worketh the same in vs, which he doth in Christ, neither is at anie time not like himselfe. But he hath raised Christ: Therefore also hee will raise vs. 6. It is saide that Christ shall haue an euer∣lasting kingdome, but this he should not haue, if our bodies should alwaies continue in death: for neither would it suffice that our soules are immortall, or eternal without our bodies. For that Christs kingdome may be eternall, he must haue eternall subiects, and those wholy eternall. Therefore our bodies also shall rise, that so wee whole may bee subiect eternally vnto Christ our king. 7. Christ is a perfect Sauiour, because he hath saued and reconciled to god whole man. Therefore our cor∣rupt bodie also shall be raised by Christ, and rise againe. 8. Christ is not of lesse force to saue than Adam to leese. Nay, Christ hath restored vnto vs al that which Adam lost & destroied by sinning, yea and far more and greater things by his me∣rit. Adam had lost from vs among other gifts the eternall life also of our bodies. Therefore Christ hath restored it vnto vs, and con∣sequently, we shall certainely rise againe. 9. God is the God of whole man. This reason Christ also vseth against the Sad∣duces: Mat. 22.31. Haue yee not read, what is spoken vnto you of God, saying: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Jsaac, and

the god of Jacob? God is not the god of the dead, but of the liuing: And so God is the God of whole man, not of a part onely. For if he were God of a part, that is, of the soule onely, he were not perfectly and fullie our God. 10. He published his lawe vnto man, after the fall: Therefore hee will haue man once keepe it. But that is not done in this life. Therefore it shall be done in the life to come, and therefore men shall rise a∣gaine. 11. The wages of sinne is death. Therefore sinne being a∣bolished, death shalbe abolished: and so death being abolished, we shall rise againe vnto euerlasting life. To this end also our bo∣dies were made, that in them as temples the holy Ghost might dwell for euer.

Notes

• Probable proofes of the Resurrection yeelded by phi∣losophie, but no necessarie de∣monstrance.
• The Testimo∣nies of scripture, for demōstrance of the Resurre∣ction.
• Reasons drawen out of the scrip∣ture, for proofe thereof.