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.

1 WHITHER CHRIST ASCENDED.

IESVS Christ, man, when he was together with his Disciples in Bethania fourty daies after his resurrection; after he had often prooued and confirmed his resurrection, his true fleshe, and humanity vnto his Apostles, ascended, in their sight, into heauen. Heauen in Scripture signifieth, 1 The aire. 2 The Skieye region, and celestiall Spheres. 3 The place of the blessed, which is that space immense, most light∣some, glorious, without and aboue the whole world and the visible heauen: where God sheweth himselfe to the blessed Angels and men, where is prepared the seat of our blisse with Christ and the Angels. God is said to dwel there, because there dooth his glorie especially appeare vnto the blessed Angels & men. It is called the new world, paradise, the bosome of Abraham. This heauen is not euerie where. Luk. 16.26. Betweene you and vs there is a great gulfe set, so that they which would go from hence to you, can not; neither can they come from

thence to vs. In this third signification is heauen here taken. Christ then ascended into Heauen, that is, was caried vp into the place of the blessed. Act. 2.2. The Holie Ghost came from Heauen in the day of Pentecost, 2. King. 2.11. Elias was taken vp into Heauen. 2. Cor. 12.2. Paul maketh mention of the third Heauen. Coloss. 3.1. Seeke those thinges which are aboue, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Nowe, that Heauen is so to be taken in this place, is prooued both by the former testimonies, and also by that saying of christ. Ioh. 14.2. In my fathers house are many dwelling places, that is, many mansions, in which we may dwell and remaine. Likewise, this of the Apostle, Phil. 3.20. Our conuersation is in Heauen. Obiect. But we conuerse on earth: Therefore Heauen is in the earth. Auns. Our conuersation is in Heauen, first, in respect of the hope, & cer∣taintie we haue thereof. Secondly, in respect of the inchoation or beginning which we haue here of that heauenlie life, which is to be consummated in the world to come. Into this heauē, that is, into the house of God & al the Blessed christ ascended, because he ascended far aboue all Heauens. Eph. 4.10. He was made higher than the heauens. And Steephen witnesseth Act. 7.56. Behold I see the heauens open, & the son of man standing at the right hand of God. Hee saw with his bodily eies, endewed from aboue with a new seeing force & sharpnesse, beyond and through all the visible Heauens, Christ in the same humane nature, in which he had bin annihilated and humbled. Act. 1.11. He was taken vp into Heauen. God would therefore haue vs knowe the place whereinto Christ ascended, 1 That it might be apparant that Christ is true man, and that hee vanished not away, but did continue, and shall continue for euer true man. 2 That we might know whither our cogitations were to be conuer∣ted, and where we ought to inuocate and call vpon him, and that so Idolatrie might be auoided. That we might know our dwel∣ling place into which christ wil bring vs, and in which we shal con∣uerse and dwell with Christ.

Wherefore Christs ascension is a local, true and visible transla∣tion or remoouing of Christs bodie from earth into heauen, which is aboue all visible heauens, to the light that none can attaine vnto, to Gods right hande, where hee now is, and whence hee shall come to iudgement. Act. 1.11. Hee shal so come, as yee haue seene him goe into heauen.