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A96805 The abridgment of Christian divinitie so exactly and methodically compiled, that it leads us, as it were, by the hand to the reading of the Holy Scriptures. Ordering of common-places. Vnderstanding of controversies. Cleering of some cases of conscience. By John Wollebius. Doctor of Divinity, and ordinary professor in the University of Basil. Now at last faithfully translated into English, and in some obscure places cleared and enlarged, by Alexander Ross. To which is adjoined, after the alphabetical table, the anatomy of the whole body of divinity, delineated in IX. short tables, for the help of weak memories.; Christianae theologiae compendium. English. Wolleb, Johannes, 1586-1629.; Vaughan, Robert, engraver.; Ross, Alexander, 1591-1654. 1650 (1650) Wing W3254; Thomason E1264_1; ESTC R204089 204,921 375

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considered by which the Church is undoubtedly made visible now it appears that these are the notes of the Church out of these testimonies Matt. 28.19 20. Go and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the H. Ghost teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you Act. 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers Some adjoyn Ecclesiastical discipline but this is contained under the two former for this discipline is required of both XXVII These notes belong to all Churches alike so farre as concerneth the fundamentals of Religion but in respect of accidentals they are in some Churches more in some lesse XXVIII Therefore we are not presently to doubt of the truth of any particular Church because of every error or abuse For there is not so much purity expected as not to erre in any one Article or in the administration of the Sacraments so that there be not a falling off from the hinge of salvation to wit from the two Tables of the Law and Faith in Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 12. For no man can lay any other foundation besides that is laid which is Iesus Christ Now if any build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans worke of what sort it is if any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward if any mans worke shall be burned he shall suffer losse but he himselfe shall be saved yet so as by fire XXIX Of the fifteen Notes of the Church rehearsed by Bellarmine some are true and agree with ours from which notwithstanding the Church of Rome is afar off but others are either strangers to the visible Church or they are the Notes rather of the false then of the true Church or they are not convertible with the Church for they neither belong to her alone nor alwayes 1. His first Note is the name Church and Christians But the imposing of names is a matter rather of fact then of right therefore an argument taken from the name is of no force without the thing answer to the name Rev. 3.1 Thou art said to live but thou art dead 2. Antiquity but this belongs not to the Church alone nor alwayes Not alone because the World the Heaven the Elements have antiquity yet are not the Church Not alwayes because the Church hath not been alwayes ancient there was a time when she was new true Antiquity is the first principle of things which as it is first so it is most true therefore in general the Churches antiquity is to be reckoned from Paradise in particular the Apostolical Church from the preaching of Christ and his Apostles But the Church of Rome as it is at this day arose long after the Apostles times 3. A constant duration without interruption This indeed is the property of the visible Catholike Church but depending on Gods promises it doth more appear to Faith then to sense and as that is not true antiquity which depends not from the first principle so there can be no duration which hath not its original from the same 4. Amplitude and multitude of Believers this belongs not alwayes to the Church as we may see in that Church that was in the time of our first Parents Noah Abraham c. Yea this note is not natural to the Church for there is still the greater number amongst the wicked Mat. 7.13 Enter in at the narrow gate Luke 12.32 Feare not little flock 5. The succession of Bishops But this also neither is the Churches Note alone nor alwayes Not alwayes for as it was not in the beginning of the Church so it will cease towards the end not alone for in the false Church there is found a succession of Bishops whence we must look rather on the succession of Doctrine then of persons and the persons are to be judged by their Doctrine not this by the persons They have not Peters inheritance who have not Peters Faith saith Ambrose 6. An agreement in Doctrine with the ancient Church This indeed is a true Note but it is the same with ours to wit the purity of the Word and Sacraments as it was in the time of the Apostolical Church from which the Roman hath fallen 7. The union of the members with their head the Pope and among themselves The first limb of this Note belongs to the false and Apostatical not to the Apostolical Church that Church is she that worships the Beast Rev. 13.12 The latter cannot be a tributed to the Church alone for there is union also among Divels Matt. 12.8 The 8. is holinesse of Doctrine which is the same with the sixth 9. The ninth is efficacie of Doctrine this also answers the sixth and our Notes too but it agrees no wayes to the Roman Church 10. Holinesse of life in the first authors and planters of Religion Now this Holinesse is either inward or outward if inward 't is not a mark of the visible Church He is a true Jew that is so in secret Rom. 2.29 God knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 if outward it is false for Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 Therefore the Church is to be judged by her doctrine not by the life of her Doctors Mat. 23.2 Whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do but do you not after their works 11. The glory of Miracles 12. The light of Prophesie But the gifts of Miracles and Prophesie were extraordinary given to confirm the Gospel which are now vanished since the Gospel hath been propagated wherefore the Apostles make no promises of other miracles and prophesie but they rather make this bragging of Miracles and prophesie a Note of the Antichristian Church 2 Thes 2.9 Rev. 13.13 And Christ himself saith that He will not know such Mat. 7.22.13 The thirteenth Note is the confession of adversaries as Hereticks Jewes c. But the authority of such testimonies is as great as the adversaries themselves are by whose accession nothing is added and by the want nothing diminished 14. The fourteenth is the unhappy end of those who have opposed the Church 15. The fifteenth is the happinesse of them who have defended her But this Note is so uncertain that it deserveth not the name of a Note for of such man knoweth not either love or hatred Eccl. 9.3 Yea it is rather a Note of the false Church for it is certain that for the most part the Churches condition in this life is wretched and sad Joh. 16.20 Verily verily I say unto you yee shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoyce CHAP. XXVI Of the outward Administration of the Church HItherto of the nature of the Church now followes its Administration which is
wrath nor had he been able to subdue or abolish death and Satan without the vertue of the Deity neither could he have saved his Church nor have subdued his enemies Neither is it any hindrance to this Truth that there is one Mediator of God and man the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 for there the word man is not the word of the nature but of the person and when he is said to be the Mediator of God and man it is presupposed that the Mediation is hypostatical as Christ is God and man In the interim there are many testimonies which prove the operation of the Deitie Act. 20.28 God redeemed the Church by his own blood Heb. 9.14 By the eternal Spirit he offered himself Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sinne And although the Son be the Party offended yet it hinders not but that he may be Mediator to himself For as properly Righteousness is called in respect of another but analogically in respect of us so Mediation is properly in reference to others but analogically in relation to the Mediator himself Christ indeed being absolutely considered is the offended party yet the same is Mediator in that he hath undertaken this office in himself of an Intercessor by a gratious dispensation No otherways then if the son of a King who being as much offended by Rebellion as his Father should notwithstanding plead for the Rebels and reconcile them to his Father V. The object of Christs office is God offended and man the offender VI. The manner whereby he is called to this office consisteth in that plentiful unction of Christ by which he received the gifts of the Spirit without measure in respect of us Psal 45.8 God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me Joh. 3.34 God gave him not the Spirit by measure VII The end of this office is that by whom God created all things by him he might to himself reconcile all things Col. 1.20 VIII Christ is Mediator both in merit and efficacy in merit because he hath most fully satisfied for us in efficacy because he doth effectually apply this merit to us Hence again it is apparent that this office is administred by him not onely according to his humanity but according to his divinity also to wit without which neither could his merit be of infinite value nor could it be applied to us He doth then save and quicken us he pardoneth our sins and hears our prayers in his humane nature by his merit in his divine by his efficacy IX Christ is the sole and one Mediator Act. 14.12 For in no other is there salvation nor is there any other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one Mediator of God and man the man Christ Jesus This office of Christ is threefold Prophetical Sacerdotal and Regal His Prophetical office was to instruct his Elect in heavenly Truths the parts whereof are the external Preaching of Gods will and the internal illumination of the minde His Sacerdotal office is to appear for us before God with full satisfaction and to intercede for us the parts whereof are Satisfaction and Intercession His Regal office is to rule and preserve the Church the parts whereof are the Government of the Church and the destruction of his enemies CHAP. XVIII Of the Humiliation of Christ SO much of the Person and Office of the Mediator Christ the State thereof is the condition in which Christ as God-man did execute his office of Mediatorship and this is either of his Humiliation or of his Exaltation The State of Humiliation is in which he took the form of a Servant being in the form of God and gave obedience to his Father for us he died and was buried and went down to Hell And in this state he so performed his Prophetical Sacerdotal and Regal office that in a manner he stript himself of the form and glory of the Divinity He did not cast off the Divinity but had it in the assumed form of a servant And although the Deity of Christ did manifest it self in the state of his Humiliation chiefly by miracles yet this was little in comparison of that glorious manifestation of him in his Exaltation In the state of Humiliation he performed his Prophetical office not only mediately by sendding John Baptist his Herauld before and by the Apostles whom he called but also immediately to his lost sheep especially of Israel by preaching to them the heavenly Truth with great constancy patience and efficacy both of his doctrine and miracles But his Sacerdotal office he administred in this state making a most full satisfaction and an humble intercession for us The satisfaction of Christ is that whereby he being subject to the Law for us did undergo the curse due to our sins and performed most perfectly obedience to the Law which was required of us and so hath freed us from the curse and hath restored us to life This consisteth in suffering the pains and in perfect justice in that is seen chiefly his passive in this his active obedience I do purposely adde this restriction that we may not think his active and passive obedience so to differ as if the suffering of the punishment consisted onely in his passive obedience and his perfect justice onely in his active for they differ not in time seeing both of them continued from the first moment of his incarnation till his death Nor do they differ in subject because the same obedience in a different respect is both active and passive and consequently Christs obedience is an active passion and a passive action for as passion is a receiving of the punishment it is called passive obedience but as it is a testimony of his great love it may be called active Neither is the division of obedience into active and passive a division into parts but onely a distinction taken from the end to wit the twofold satisfaction for punishment and for life eternal The curse upon the transgressors of the Law requires the former Deut. 27.26 The promise of life under the condition of perfect obedience and righteousness requires the latter Lev. 18.15 Therefore we are said Analogically by that one and most perfect satisfaction of Christ both to be freed from the punishment because he suffered the punishment for us and to be invested in the right of life eternal because he fulfilled the Law for us The suffering of punishment is whereby he undertook upon himself the punishment due to us and offered himself of his own accord a holy Sacrifice to God for us This consisteth both in the sufferings which went before his great and last Passion but especially in this last agonie The RULES I. No part of Christs Passion must be excluded from * A. R. Christs passions were truly satisfactory if 1.