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 FOVRTH PETITION.

GIVE vs this daie our daily bread.

In this petition wee desire corporall blessinges, concerning which wee are to obserue these questions.

• 1 Why corporal blessings are to bee desired.
• 2 How they are to be desired.
• 3 Why Christ comprised corporal blessings vnder the name of Bread.
• 4 Why he calleth it our bread.
• 5 Why he calleth it daiely bread.
• 6 Why he addeth, This day.
• 7 Whether it be lawful to desire riches.
• 8 Whether it be lawful to treasure vp any thing for the time to come.

1 Why we are to desire corporal blessings.

WE must desire corporall blessings, 1. In respect of Gods com∣maundement, which may suffice vs, albeit there were no other cause. And we haue a commandmēt hereof from God, both general, and special. For christ saith in generall, Matth. 7 7. Aske, and yee shal receiue. And a special comman∣dement he setteth down before this forme of praier which himselfe prescribed vnto vs, Mat. 6.9. After this maner there∣fore praie ye: by which commandment Christ also willeth vs to desire Bread, or corporal blessinges. Now whereas Christ saith: Seeke first the kingdome of god. & again, Take no thought, what ye shal eat: he doth not therein forbid vs to desire cor∣poral blessings, but he forbiddeth this distrustfulnes. 2. In respect of Gods promise: because God hath promised that he wil giue vs thinges necessary for our life: and he promised these to no other end, than that we shoulde desire them of him: & he promised thē, that we should therby haue a spiri∣tual, not a fleshly security. Mat. 6.32. Your father knoweth what ye haue need of. 3. In respect of gods glorie; that namelie there maie be a knowledge & profession of gods prouidēce, espe∣cially towardes his church. God wil haue vs to ascribe this praise vnto him, because he is the fountain of al blessings & benefits, & that we may not deem these things to come by chance to vs. 4. Because the desiring and expecting of these bles∣sings, is the exercise of our confidēce in the promise of grace, or it is the exercise of our Jnuocatiō, faith, & hope. For we cannot pro∣mise vnto our selues corporal blessinges, nor desire them, except we resolue that we be in fauor, & except we be assu∣red of spiritual blessings, & of gods wil towards vs. For these corporal blessings God promiseth to the godlie onely; and therefore we must be persuaded that we are of the nūber of them, to whom god hath promised to giue them. 5. That we maie do the wil of god here on earth: which without dayly bread we cannot here do. Ps. 115.18. The dead praise not the Lord. 6. That the desire of these blessings may be a cōfirmatiō in our minds, & a profession before the world, that God is he who giueth euen the least benefites. 7. For our comfort. That we may know that the church shal euer be preserued, when god heareth vs, accor∣ding to his promise. Wherefore we reape great comfort by the desire of corporal blessings: because we so acknowlege,

and certainly persuade our selues that these corporall bles∣sings are tokens to vs of gods fatherly good wil towards vs.

2 How corporall blessings are to be desired.

COrporal blessings are to be desired, 1. with a confidence and ful persuasiō of gods fauor: because otherwise god might an∣swer, that vve are not of them, vnto vvhom he hath promi∣sed these things. 2. With a conditiō of gods wil & pleasure, that is, vvith a submitting of our vvill to gods vvill: because god hath promised these blessings not vvith any determined or definit circumstāces. 3. With faith & belief of gods hearing vs, so that we certainly beleeue that God will giue vs so much as sufficeth. 4 To this end, as therby to serue god, & our neighbor. They who desire thē not after this sort, are not heard, that is, such things are not giuen them as may tend to their safe∣ty, and albeit they receiue that which they desire, yet are they not indeed heard of god, because those things which they receiue are not good and profitable vnto their salua∣tion. We are here to obserue, that the Lorde commaunded vs in generall to pray for corporall blessings, neither hath defined in his worde, what corporall blessings he will giue vs, and hath with this condition promised to giue them vs, namely, as the saftie and saluation of euerie one, and the manifestation of his glorie requi∣reth. The reasons hereof are these. 1 Because we oftentimes know not what we aske, & what is expediēt for vs: And often we aske things neither profitable to vs, nor seruing for Gods glorie, or the saluation of others. But God knoweth best, what is conuenient and meete for vs for the manifesting of his glory, and for the furdering of our owne saluation. Seeing then we often erre in desiring corporall blessings, God giueth none other vnto vs, than such as he knoweth to be meet and profitable for vs. But spirituall blessings god hath promised not in general onelie, but both speciallie, & simply, without anie condition annexed. For they are simply profita∣ble vnto vs, and god himselfe hath prescribed the manner and way which we are to folow in them; so that in desiring them we cannot erre. For what things god hath simply promised vs, the same vve ought simply to desire: & vvhat things he hath specially and absolutely promised vs, the same must vve in like manner absolutely aske and desire. So must vve simplie desire the holy ghost, because god

hath simply and expressely promised that hee vvill giue the holy ghost to euerie one that desireth him. 2 That wee maie learn to be content with those things which we haue receiued of the Lord, and submit alwaies our will to his pleasure and pur∣pose. So god also for this cause hath commanded vs in ge∣nerall to desire corporall bessings, that such a desiring of those blessings, may be an exercise of our faith and of the subiection and submitting of our vvill, to the vvill of god.

3 Why Christ comprised corporal blessings vnder the name of Bread.

VNder the name of bread, by a Synecdoche, which is an v∣sual figure of speech vnto the Hebrues, Christ comprised al corporal blessings, and such as are necessarie for this life, as are al foode, victuals, raiment, health, ciuil peace. This is appa∣raunt by the end and scope of the petition. For wee desire Bread for our necessity. But many other things are neces∣sarie for vs. Therefore we desire them also vnder the name of Bread. And this Hebrewe Synecdoche is found often in the sacred Bible, as, Gen. 3.19. Jn the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread. Psal. 41.9. Hee which did eate of my bread hath lifted vp the heele against me. Furdermore christ did not only comprise things necessarie themselues vnder the name of Bread, but also the profitable vse of them. And therefore comprehēded he all these things vnder the name of Bread, 1 To bridle and raine our desires, that so we should aske onely thinges necessarie for vs to susteine our life, and to serue God and our neighbour both in our common, and proper vocation and calling. 2 That bread might bee profitable vnto our saluation, that is, that those corporall blessinges might tend to our saluation, or that the vse of those corporall blessinges might bee good and sauing vnto vs. For bread without this good and sauing vse, is a stone. Nowe Bread is made good and sauing vnto vs, 1 Jf wee receiue it with faith, and with that minde, and after that manner, and to that end, which GOD requireth, to wit, if we sticke not in the creatures, but pierce with our minde vnto God him-selfe the Creator of all things, and the fountaine of al benefits or gifts. 2. Jf we desire that he wil giue to the Bread

obtained & receiued from him a force & vertu of nourishing and susteining our bodies. Hereby now is it plainly clear, what we desire when wee desire breade: namely, 1. Not great riches, but onelie thinges necessarie. 2. That they maie bee bread vnto vs, that is, that they maie bee good and sauing vnto vs thorough Gods benediction and blessing, wherewith if they bee not accompanied, the Breade shall not bee Bread.

4 Wherefore Christ calleth it our Bread.

CHRIST willeth vs to desire our Bread, not mine, thine, or another mans Bread; 1 That we should desire those things, which god giueth vs. For the Bread is made ours, which is giuen vs of God necessarie for the sustainance of our life. Therefore giue vs our bread, signifieth, Giue vs Bread, O God, assigned vnto vs by thee, which thou wilt haue to be ours. God as an Householder doth distribute to euerie one his portiō, which we desire for our selues of him. 2 That we should desire things necessarie, gotten of vs by lawful labor, in a kind and trade of life pleasing to God, and honest, and profitable to the common societie, that is, which we may receiue through ordinarie meanes, and by lawfull waies, the hand of god from heauen reaching thē out vnto vs. 2. Thes. 3.10. He that will not woorke, let him not eate. 3 That we may vse them with a good conscience.

5 Wherefore Christ calleth it Daylie Bread.

CHRIST calleth the Bread, which wee must desire of god, Dailie, 1 Because hee will haue vs dailie to desire as much as maie for euerie daie suffice vs. 2 Because hee will bridle our raging and endlesse lusts and desires. Mat. 6.32. Your Father knoweth what ye haue neede of. Psal. 37.16. A small thing vnto the iust man is better, than great riches to the wicked, and mighty. Psal. 34.9. Nothing wanteth to them that fear the Lord, that is, no profitable and necessarie thing: Therefore, Giue vs daily Bread, that is, giue vs Bread sufficient, giue vs so much of things necessarie for our life, as shall be needefull for eue∣rie of vs in his vocation and calling to serue god and our neighbour.

6 Why Christ addeth, This day,

CHRIST addeth, This daie, 1 To meet with our distrust∣fulnesse and couetousnesse, and to reclaime vs from both these

vices. 2 That we should depend on him onlie, as yesterday, so this daie, and to morrow: that namely we looke for the necessaries of this life at the hands of god, that we know them to bee giuen vs of god, not to be gotten by our owne hands, or la∣bours, or diligence; that also we know that they beeing re∣ceiued profit not our bodie except gods blessing dooth ac∣company them. 3 That the exercise of faith and praier maie alwaies be continued in vs. For as long as it is said, This day, so long wil he haue praier to bee continued, that so wee may yeelde due obedience to that Commaundement, Praie al∣waies.

7 Whether it be lawfull to desire riches.

THIS question together with the next ensuing, ariseth out of the former questions. For when wee are willed to desire onely dailie Bread, and that this daie, it seemeth at the first sight, that it is not lawful either to desire riches, or to put vp any thing for the morrow. But it is verilie lawfull to desire riches, if, taking away all ambiguity and doubtful∣nesse of the worde, wee vnderstand by the name of riches things necessary for the susteināce of life: As the Epicure defined riches, To bee a pouertie agreeable to the Law of nature. This definition is good. And if we so take the name of ri∣ches, riches are doubtles to be desired of god, in asmuch as we ought to desire such things as are necessary for nature, and our place, and function whereunto god hath called vs. The reason hereof is, because these necessarie things, or riches, are dailie Bread, which we ought to desire. They are also other∣wise defined, To bee an aboundance and plentie ouer and aboue thinges necessarie. So Crassus (surnamed the Rich) said that no man was rich, but he who was able to maintaine an armie with his reuenues. If wee take riches in this sense, riches are not at all to be desired of God; because Salomon in the person of al the godly saith, Prouerb. 30.8. Giue me not pouerty, nor ri∣ches: by which wordes the spirite of god also by Salomon teacheth vs to pray against riches, that is, aboundance a∣boue things necessarie. Hither belongeth also that of Paul, 1. Tim 6.9. They that will be rich, fall into tentations and snares, and into manie foolish, and noysome lustes, which drowne men in perdition and destruction, for which cause riches are called Thornes, by Christ. But contrariwise; Godlinesse is great gaine,

if a man be content with that he hath. But notwithstanding, if god hath giuen vs any thing, beside those things which are necessarie for vs, let vs doe our diligence to vse them well. And to this end, first, we must take heede that we repose not our confidence in them. Secondly, Wee must consider that wee are Gods stewards, who hath committed these riches vnto vs to employ and bestowe well, and that by this means he hath laide a burden vpon vs, and therefore shall wee one day render an account to god of our stewardship, and admini∣stration.

8 Whether it be lawfull to put vp anie thing for heereafter.

IT is doubtles lawfull for to put vp some thing for time to come, according to this cōmandement of Christ, Gather vp the broken meat which remaineth, that nothing be lost. Hither belōg all such precepts and commandements as speake of parsi∣mony and frugalitie. And here further wee are to obserue these three things. 1 That those things which are stored vp bee lawfullie gotten, purchased by lawful & honest labor & industry. 2 That we repose no confidence in them. 3 That they may be em∣ploied on lawfull and necessarie vses, both of our owne and others: as to the maintenance either of our life, or of our family, or of our friendes. Likewise, to the preseruation of the Church, to aide the common wealth when neede shall re∣quire, and to bestow somewhat on the poore and our nee∣dy brethren. Hereof saith Paul, Ephes. 4.28. Let him that stole, steale no more▪ but let him rather labour, and worke with his hands, the thing which is good, that he may haue to giue vnto him which needeth.

Now shal aunswere easily be made to such obiections as may be opposed against this petition. 1 Obiection. That which we desire, is not ours. Bread is ours. Wherefore we neede not to desire bread. Aunswere. There is a diuerse significa∣tion in the woorde (ours.) For in the Maior proposition it signifieth a thing which we haue in our own power: but af∣ter a farre other manner is Bread ours, as hath bin before declared. 2 Obiection. Christ willeth vs to desire Daily Bread; Therfore it is not lawful to put vp any thing against the Morrow, but we are to care only for the present day. Againe, he willeth vs, not to desire Bread against the morrow, but to desire Bread for This daie: therefore they doe ill, who gather any thing for future vses.

Aunswere. This is a fallacie putting that for a cause, which is no cause. Christ willeth vs to desire daily bread, & This day; and therefore wee must also desire thinges necessarie of him for our life for euerie day, this day, to morrow, and so long as wee liue: but hee meaneth not hereby as if hee would not haue vs labour for the morrow, or not to put vp any thing for the morrow, or to cast away those blessings which he hath already giuen vs sufficing for the morrowe. Christ indeed otherwhere commandeth, That wee care not for the morrow, but so he forbiddeth vs to thinke of the mor∣rowe with distrustfulnesse, but not with praiers & labours. Wherefore the Lord will not that wee put vp nothing for hereafter, but first, that we be content with things present, all distrust, couetousnesse, vnlawfull getting & disobedience being set apart and banished. 2 That we place not our trust in things necessarie giuen vs of God: but knowe and certainlie perswade our selues that those benefits which haue beene and are giuen, come vnto vs from the hande of God, and that they are not otherwise good and profitable vnto vs, except his blessing come to them. 3 That wee consider our selues alwaies to stand in neede of Gods blessing. And wee must withall beware, that wee prescribe not to god, what he is to giue vs.