Christian Theology

THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH. Instituted 1698. E

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THE CHRISTIAN'S FAMILY LIBRARY.

THE CHRISTIAN'S FAMILY LIBRARY.

Edited by the Rev. E. BICKERSTETH.

1 & 2. LUTHER and his TIMES. By Rev. J. SCOTT. Portraits, 12s. 3. LIFE of the Rev. E. PAYSON. 5s. 4. HARMONY of the GOSPELS. By Rev. E. BICKERSTETH. 5s. 5. CALVIN and his TIMES. By Rev. J. SCOTT. Portrait, 6s. 6. SELECTIONS from the WORKS of AMBROSE SERLE. 5s. 7. LIFE of the Rev. LEGH RICHMOND. Portrait, 6s. 8. THOUGHTS of PASCAL and ADAMS. 5s. 9. TAYLOR'S LIFE of COWPER. Portrait, 6s. 10. PICTET'S CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. 6s. 11. DOMESTIC PORTRAITURE. Plates, 6s. 12. MEMOIRS of CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, D.D. Portrait, 6s. 13. MILNER'S HISTORY of the CHURCH of CHRIST. First Six Centuries. 6s. 14. LIFE of the Rev. DAVID BRAINERD. 5s. 15. The ATTRIBUTES of GOD. From CHARNOCK, GOODWIN, &c. Edited by W. WILSON, D.D. 6s. 16. Rev. E. BICKERSTETH'S SCRIPTURE HELP. Maps, 5s. 17. MEMOIRS of the Rev. JOHN NEWTON. Portrait, 5s. 18. Rev. E. BICKERSTETH'S TREATISE on the LORD'S SUPPER. 5s. 19. TESTIMONY of the REFORMERS. Selected from Abp. CRANMER, JEWELL, TYNDAL, &c. 6s. 20. Rev. E. BICKERSTETH'S TREATISE on PRAYER. 6s. 21. LIFE of the Rev. THOMAS SCOTT. Portrait, 6s. 22. ELEMENTS of PROPHETICAL INTERPRETATION. By the Rev. J. W. BROOKS. 6s. 23. LIFE of AUGUSTUS HERMAN FRANCKE. Portrait, 5s. 24 & 26. The ENGLISH MARTYROLOGY: from FOX's. Plates, 12s. 25. LUTHER'S MANUAL of the BOOK of PSALMS. 5s. 27. The CHRISTIAN FATHERS of the FIRST TWO CENTURIES. 6s. 28. MEMOIRS of Mrs. HANNAH MORE. Portrait, 6s. 29. CHRISTIAN TRUTH. By the Rev. E. BICKERSTETH. 6s. 30. Rev. E. BICKERSTETH'S BOOK of PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. 5s. 31. ESSAYS on ROMANISM. By the Author of "Essays on the Church." 5s. 32. Rev. E. BICKERSTETH'S TREATISE on BAPTISM. 5s. 33. MEMOIR of MISS GRAHAM. By the Rev. C. BRIDGES. 6s. 34. ESSAYS on the CHURCH, 1840. 5s. 35. The CHRISTIAN MOURNER. By Mrs. DRUMMOND. 5s. 36. HISTORY of the HEBREW NATION. By Rev. J. W. BROOKS. 37. FAMILY PRAYERS for EIGHT WEEKS. By Rev. E. BICKERSTETH. 5s. 38. PRINCIPALITIES and POWERS in HEAVENLY PLACES. By CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH. Price 5s. 39. WILBERFORCE'S LIFE. By his Sons. Price 6s.

CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN OF BENEDICT PICTET: PASTOR AND PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE CHURCH AND UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA.

BY FREDERICK REYROUX, B. A. OF. THEO.

PUBLISHED BY R. B. SEELEY AND W. BURNSIDE: AND SOLD BY L. B. SEELEY AND SONS, FLEET STREET, LONDON.

MDCCCXXXIV.

L. B. SEELEY AND SONS, WESTON GREEN, THAMES DITTON, SURREY.

THE TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

Those who are in any measure conversant with the theological works of the age of the Reformation, and of that immediately succeeding it, cannot fail to bear testimony to their value; as presenting the most accurate and luminous views of divine truth, and as constituting a sort of standard of reference and appeal in the present age. Among these works, those of the divines who flourished in the Reformed churches abroad, occupy a distinguished place, and supply a fund of valuable information on every branch of Christian Theology, properly so called. Many of these productions were translated into English immediately or very soon after they appeared; but most of these translations being now out of print, or copies of them very scarce, it is presumed that, without depreciating the value of modern performances, no mean service would be rendered to the Christian public, if new translations were made of the most valuable, and in their own time, most popular, writings of the divines in the continental churches.

The volume which is now presented to the public, claims attention as a body of Christian divinity, more concise and perspicuous, and therefore more acceptable to general readers, than similar productions of the same age and school. While it preserves, to a considerable degree, the accuracy of method, so studiously followed in the writings of that age, the author has, by the omission of formal controversies, and, as far as possible, of the scholastic terms in which such controversies were generally conducted, rendered it a suitable work for Christian readers in general, as well as for professed students of Christian theology. This design he probably had in view, when he published a French edition of his work, as the illustrious Calvin published his famous Institutes in the same language, which was that of their country.

In giving the following edition to the public, the translator has endeavoured to present it to the English reader in as plain, perspicuous, and popular a style as possible; he has fully and faithfully given the sense of his author; he has, indeed, omitted a few passages in the original work, either when as (though very seldom the case) they appeared to the public, claims attention as a body of Christian divinity, more concise and perspicuous, and therefore more acceptable to general readers, than similar productions of the same age and school. …