Front matter
THE MARROW
OF SACRED
DIVINITY [or, Marrow of Theology]
DRAWN OUT OF THE
Holy Scriptures and the Interpreters of it, and brought into Method BY William Ames, Sometime Doctor and Professor of Divinity in the famous University at Franeker in Friesland.
Translated out of the Latin, for the benefit of those who are not acquainted with strange Tongues.
To which are annexed certain Tables representing the Substance and heads of all in a short view, directing to the Chapters where they are handled. And also a table opening the hard words contained in it.
A Work useful for this Season.
1Cor 14.26
When you come together, every one has a Psalm, has a doctrine, has a Tongue, has a Revelation, has an Interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
Published by order from the Honorable the House of Commons.
LONDON
Printed by Edward Griffin for Henry Overton in Popet-Head alley Scanned Text Source: https://archive.org/details/marrowsacdi00ames
Transcriber Notes Hand-typed, modernized, corrected, and annotated by William H. Gross www.onthewing.org © Jan 2014. Last updated: Jul 23, 2020 The 1639 Tables of Doctrine are not included: after converting to graphic images, they were too large in mobi/azw3 formats (9 megs), and too fuzzy in epub.
The Table of Definitions is moved to the front. Editor's marginal notes are omitted. Ames' own quotes of Scripture have been modernized, but not replaced with current translations.
Paragraphs are numbered, but Dr. Ames calls each one a 'thesis.' In 2020, orig. page numbers were removed; all fonts now black.
Scripture in the footnotes is taken from the NKJV (Thomas Nelson Publishers © 1982) except where otherwise noted.
Nature and scope of changes: The terms, "thee, thine, hast," etc. have been modernized; archaic and cumbersome syntax has been simplified; obsolete words and phrases have either been revised, or annotated.
The original text was inconsistent in spelling, capitalization, numbering, format, and usage, with many typographical errors. These have been standardized and corrected.
Parallelism has been employed to help the reader follow the arguments (words that were assumed in the original, have been filled in, and pronouns were given a reference).
Many Scripture citations were incorrect; or they were taken from an alternate translation where the verse numbers differed from the KJV.
Those are corrected and standardized according to the NKJV. If the wording was unusual, but used in the text (typically from the Geneva
Bible), it has been annotated. Many additional citations have been footnoted for your convenience; and where helpful, the full text of the verse has been footnoted as well.
Some of the wording was so esoteric or technical, or the allusion so vague, that rather than modernize it, I kept the original; e.g., the underlined portion here [bk. 1, ch. 9, par. 24]:
Thirdly, in that besides ordination properly, whereby each thing seeks its own perfection, they keep as it were a common society; all desire the conservation of the whole more than of themselves, as seen in heavy things which are carried upward to avoid an emptiness.
This may mean that the subject of our prayers concerning our personal sacrifice is so heavy, so burdensome, that we must carry it upwards to God to avoid emptiness and despair. But I have left such interpretations to the reader, rather than impose my own. I avoided paraphrasing to allow his voice (or the translator's) to be heard in its most original form.
You may recognize some wording which John Owen and Jonathan Edwards later employed in their own writings. Religious leaders in the American colonies referred to Dr. Ames more than perhaps any other writer. We are all indebted to him for his influential and innovative labors in the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that you find this version edifying. It is not a light read, but it is a profound and rewarding read.
One last observation: based on grammar, spelling, and style, the English translation from the Latin seems to have been done by two different individuals. The style of the one is clear and forthright, and the other is more obscure. Modernizing the English reduced that obscurity only in part. In 1968 John Dykstra Eusden did a fresh translation from the 1629 Latin edition, which may be more helpful to you than this modernization of the original English.
W. H. Gross February 21, 2014
Contents Preface A Brief Premonition or forewarning of the Author touching the reason of his purpose.
To the Reader.
Table of Definitions
THE FIRST BOOK OF DIVINITY
Chapter 1. Of the Definition or Nature of Divinity Chapter 2. Of the Distribution or parts of Divinity
Chapter 3. Of Faith.
Chapter 4. Of God, and his Essence.
Chapter 5. Of the Subsistence of God.
Chapter 6. Of the Efficiency of God.
Chapter 7. Of the Decree and Counsel of God.
Chapter 8. Of Creation.
Chapter 9. Of Providence.
Chapter 10. Of Special Gubernation about intelligent Creatures.
Chapter 11. Of Man's Apostasy, or Fall.
Chapter 12. Of the consequents of Sin.
Chapter 13. Of Original Sin.
Chapter 14. Of Actual Sin.
Chapter 15. Of Corporal Death.
Chapter 16. Of the Consummation of Death.
Chapter 17. Of the Propagation of Sin.
Chapter 18. Of the Person of Christ, the Mediator Chapter 19. Of the Office of Christ Chapter 20. Of Satisfaction.
Chapter 21. Of the Life of Christ being humbled.
Chapter 22. Of the Death of Christ.
Chapter 23. Of the Exaltation of Christ.
Chapter 24. Of the Application of Christ.
Chapter 25. Of Predestination Chapter 26. Of Calling.
Chapter 27. Of Justification.
Chapter 28. Of Adoption.
Chapter 29. Of Sanctification.
Chapter 30. Of Glorification.
Chapter 31. Of the Church mystically considered.
Chapter 32. Of the Church Instituted.
Chapter 33. Of the Extraordinary Ministers of the Church.
Chapter 34. Of the Holy Scripture.
Chapter 35. Of ordinary Ministers, and their Office in Preaching.
Chapter 36. Of the Sacraments.
Chapter 37. Of Ecclesiastical Discipline.
Chapter 38. Of the Administration of the Covenant of Grace before the coming of Christ.
Chapter 39. Of the Administration of the Covenant from Christ to the end of the World.
Chapter 40. Of Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.
Chapter 41. To the end of the World.
THE SECOND BOOK OF SACRED THEOLOGY.
Chapter 1. Of Observance in General Chapter 2. Of Virtue.
Chapter 3. Of Good Works.
Chapter 4. Of Religion.
Chapter 5. Of Faith.
First Commandment: You shall have no other gods before me.
Chapter 6. Of Hope.
Chapter 7. Of Charity.
Chapter 8. Of Hearing the Word.
Chapter 9. Of Prayer.
Chapter 10. Of an Oath.
Chapter 11. Of a Lot.
Chapter 12. Of Tempting God.
Chapter 13. Of Instituted worship.
Second Commandment: You shall make no graven image Chapter 14. Of the manner of Divine worship.
Third Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain Chapter 15. Of the time of worship.
Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Chapter 16. Of Justice and Charity toward our neighbour.
The Second Tablet: Justice and Charity Chapter 17. Of the honour of our Neighbour.
Fifth Commandment: Honour your Father and Mother Chapter 18. Of humanity toward our Neighbour.
Sixth Commandment: You shall not Murder Chapter 19. Of Chastity.
Seventh Commandment: You shall not commit Adultery Chapter 20. Of Commutative Justice.
Eighth Commandment: You shall not Steal Chapter 21. Of telling Truth. Veracity.
Ninth Commandment: You shall not bear false witness Chapter 22. Of Contentment.
Tenth Commandment: You shall not Covet