La confessione della fede cristiana (traduzione inglese dell'opera originale di Zanchi)

Confession of the Christian Religion

Zanchi's De religione christiana fides (Confessions of the Christian Religion in translation) is certainly one of the most useful texts for understanding the scope of his theology available in translation and may well be the most important work published in any language. This is so for at least two reasons: First, it is the only text in which Zanchi laid out the entirety of his theological system. During his tenure at Heidelberg, beginning in 1568, he began working to produce a massive Reformed systematic theology but comleted only three and a half volumes. His work was interupted by the death of the Calvinist Prince Fredrick III. The new ruler of the Palatinate, the Lutheran Ludwig IV, ordered the removal of all Calvinist professors from the University. Zanchi took refuge at the newly founded Casimiranium at Neustadt an der Hardt but never resumed his systematic theology.

Secondly, it was the last major work which Zanchi completed and therefore is the prime example of his theological reflection at its most mature level. It was first published in Latin in 1585, five years before the death of the 74 year old professor. Although "the light of the truth in this our age" in "which through God's singular gift has been found out in the holy scriptures by some faithful servants of Christ and spreading abroad far and wide has shined forth unto us as the sun in the firmament was very great, he nevertheless saw many "mists of errors" and "black clouds of heresies" round about him. This complex theological situation necessitated, he believed, a record of his own thoughts both for the sake of his own reputation and so that his children might have such a record available to them.

After its initial printing in 1585, De religione went through several additional editions. Two octavio impressions were made in Neustadt in 1595 and in 1605 a London Edition was produced under the direction of James Rime. It was, of course, included in the three printings of the Operum theologicorum D. Hieronymi Zanchii, comprising volume VIII, Part 1, pages 453-610. In 1599 the first English translation was completed by John Legat of Cambridge. In 1659 it was reprinted under the title The Whole Body of Christian Religion. A modern translation has been completed by John Farthing of Hendrix College and should be available in the near future as part of the "Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought" series.

The work of transcription and editing of this particular electronic version of the 1599 English edition was completed by Dr. Joel Beeke of Presbyterian and Reformed Seminary and his staff. A great deal of thanks is due for granting me permission to use this version.

The volume used in transcription was unfortunately lacking pages 210-221. I hope to fill that gap in the not too distant future.

Patrick J. O'Banion - Dana Point, Ca


Contents

Dedicatory Epistle To Ulysses Martinengus, Earl of Barchen

Chapter 1: Of the Holy Scriptures: the foundation of all Christian religion

Chapter 2: Of God and the divine persion and properties

Chapter 3: Of the foreknowledge and predestination of God

Chapter 4: Of the omnipotence and will of God

Chapter 5: Of the creation of the world, angels and of man's first estate

Chapter 6: Of the providence and government of the world

Chapter 7: Of man's fall and of original sin and the fruites thereof

Chapter 8: Of man's freewill after his fall

Chapter 9: Of the promise of redemption and salvation by Christ

Chapter 10: Of the Law

Chapter 11: Of Christ the redeemer

Chapter 12: Of the true dispensation of redemption, the salvation and life which is laid up in Christ alone, and therefore of the necessary uniting and participation with Christ

Chapter 13: Of the Gospel, and of the abrogation of the Law by the Gospel

Chapter 14: Of the Sacraments of the New Testament

Chapter 15: Of Baptism

Chapter 16: Of the Lord's Supper

Chapter 17: Of Faith, Hope and Charity

Chapter 18: Of Repentance

Chapter 19: Of Justification

Chapter 20: Of the regenerate man's free choice and power to do good

Chapter 21: Of good works

Chapter 22: Of invocation and on oaths

Chapter 23: Of Christ's church in general

Chapter 24: Of the militant church

Chapter 25: Of the governament of the militant church and of the ecclesiastical ministry

Chapter 26: Of a magistrate

Chapter 27: Of perpetual remission of sins in the church of Christ

Chapter 28: Of the state of souls after death and of the resurrection of the dead

Chapter 29: Of the glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to Judge the quick and the dead

Chapter 30: Of eternal life



Appendices

I: Observations of the same Zanchius upon his own Confessions

II: An appendix to the eleventh chapter of Christ the redeemer or of the person of Christ

III: Certain positions of the same Zanchius




Girolamo Zanchi (1516-1590)

 
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