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 THIRD ARGVMENT.

NEstorius taught, That the vnion of God the Word with man was wrought by the participation onelie of equality, as tou∣ching maiesty, honour, power, vertue, and operation. Neither doth he make the differēce, of the dwelling of the Word in mans nature which himselfe tooke, and in other Saintes, to consist in anie other thing than in those giftes and graces bestowed by God on man. The selfe same also doe the Vbiquitaries teach, because they crie that there is no difference betweene the inhabiting and dwelling of the God-head in Peter, and in Christ, except it bee taken from the communication of the giftes or properties of the God-heade. And they contend that by this means this man, which was takē by the Word, is God, because the Word doth nothing without him, but al things by him. This is nothing els, than to make christ man, onelie God by an accident. Wherefore the doctrine of Vbiquitie is altogether the same with Nestorius heresie. Tertullian saith: Jf Christ be man onlie, how then is he present eueriewhere being cal∣led vpon and inuocated, seeing this is not the nature of man, but of God, to be able to be present in al places? By this testimony is re∣futed the Vbiquity of the human nature in Christ. Obiect. But the vnion of the diuine & human nature in Christ is vnsepa∣rable. Therefore wheresoeuer the diuine nature is, there is also the humane nature. Aunsw. It is true which is said, that the vnion is vnseparable. The Worde neuer forsaketh the nature once assumed and taken. But the Word is not in the humane na∣ture, as the soule is included in my bodie. Wheresoeuer my bodie is, there must my soule needes be, neither is my soul at the same time without my bodie. But the Worde is not so in Christ, man: but hee is so vnseparably and personally in the humane nature, as that he is together also without the humane nature in all the partes of the world, as hee filleth al, and in holy men and Angels by his special presence. The personall vnion of both natures dooth not euert the gene∣ral action and woorking of his presence and maiestie, nei∣ther

doth it let or hinder the speciall woorking of his pre∣sence: because the Word is effectual, and worketh forcibly in the regenerate.

The generall points wherein the churches which professe the Gospell, agree or disagree in the controuersie concer∣ning the Lordes Supper. They agree in these points.

FIRST, that as wel the Supper of the Lord as Baptisme, is a vi∣sible pledge and testimonie annexed by Christ himselfe to the promise of grace, to this ende chiefly, that our faith in this promise might be confirmed and strengthned.

Secondly, that in the true vse of the supper, as well as in al o∣ther sacraments, two things are giuen by god vnto vs, & are recei∣ued of vs, namelie, earthly, externall, and visible signs, as are bread and wine; and besides these, also heauenlie, internall, and inuisible gifts, as are the true bodie of Iesus Christ together with al his gifts and benefits, and heauenlie treasures.

Thirdly, that in the supper we are made partakers not onlie of the spirit of Christ and his satisfaction, iustice, vertue, and opera∣tion, but also of the verie substaunce and essence of his true-bodie and bloud, which was giuen for vs to death on the crosse, and which was shed for vs; and are trulie fed with the selfe-same vnto eter∣nal life: and that this verie thing christ should teach vs and make knowen vnto vs by this visible receiuing of this bread and wine in his supper.

Fourthly, That the bread and wine are not changed into the flesh and bloud of Christ, but remaine true and natural bread and wine: that also the bodie and bloud of christ are not shut vp into the bread and wine, and therefore the bread and wine are called of christ his bodie and bloud, in this sense, for that his bodie and bloud are not onlie signified by these, and set before our eies, but also be∣cause as often as we eat and drink this bread and wine, in the true and right vse, Christ himselfe giueth vs his body and bloud indeed to be the meat and drink of eternal life.

Fiftly, That without the right vse this receiuing of bread and wine is no sacrament, neither anie thing, but an emptie and vaine ceremonie and spectacle, and such as men abuse to their own dam∣nation.

Sixtly, That there is no other true and lawful vse of the supper,

besides that, which Christ himselfe hath instituted, and commaun∣ded to be kept, namelie this: that this bread and this wine be eaten and drunken in remembrance of him, and to shew forth his death.

Seuenthly, that Christ in his supper dooth not commaund and require a dissembled and hypocritical remembraunce of him and publishing of his death: but such as embraceth his passion and death, and all his benefites obtained by these for vs, by a true and liuelie faith, and with earnest and ardent thankefulnesse, and ap∣plieth them vnto those which eate and drink as proper vnto them.

Eightly, that Christ will dwell in beleeuers onelie, and in them, who not through contempt, but through necessitie cannot come to the Lords supper, yea in al beleeuers, euē from the beginning of the woorld to all eternitie, euen as well and after the same manner, as hee will dwell in them, who came vnto the Lords Supper.

They disagree in these pointes.

FIRST, that one part contendeth, that these woordes of Christ, This is my bodie, must be vnderstood, as the words sound, which yet that part it selfe doth not: but the other part, that those words must be vnderstoode sacramentallie, according to the declaration of Christ and Paul, according to the most certaine and vnfallible rule and leuil of the articles of our christian faith.

Secōdly, that one part wil haue the bodie & bloud of christ to be essentiallie Jn or With the bread & wine, & so to be eaten, as that together with the bread & the wine, out of the hād of the mi∣nister, it entereth by the mouth of the receiuers into their bodies: but the other part wil haue the body of christ, which in the first sup∣per sate at the table by the disciples, now to be & cōtinue, not here on earth, but aboue in the heauens, aboue and without this visible world and heauen, vntill hee descend thence againe to iudgement: and yet that we notwithstanding here on earth, as oft as wee eate this bread with a true faith, are so fed with his bodie, and made to drink of his bloud, that not onlie through his Passion and bloud∣shed we are cleansed from our sinnes, but are also in such sort cou∣pled, knit and incorporated into his true, essential, humane bodie, by his spirit dwelling both in him and vs, as that we are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones, and are more neerly, and firmlie knit and vnited with him, than the members of our bodie are vnited with our head, and so wee drawe and haue in him and from him euerlasting life.

Thirdly, That one part will haue all whosoeuer come to the Lordes supper and eate and drinke that breade and wine, whether they bee beleeuers, or vnbeleeuers, to eate and drinke corporallie and with their bodilie mouth the flesh and bloud of Christ; belee∣uers, to life and saluation; vnbeleeuers to damnation and death: the other holdeth, that vnbeleeuers abuse indeede the outwarde signs, bread and wine, to their own damnation: but that the faith∣ful onelie can eate and drinke by a true faith, and the fore allea∣ged working of ••he holie Ghost, the bodie and bloud of Christ vnto eternal life.

Notes

• Tertul. lib. de Trinit. p. 610.