A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 2 · Part 44 – Part 46
Of the opinion of thoſe which ſay, that none shall be damned: and of the abuſe of the mercy of god, and of the greatneſſe of ſinne, and of the paine due to the ſame, and of the wrath of God againſt it, declared in the death of Ieſus Chriſte, and of the meane whereby to be deiluered from it, and in what meaning we ought to vnderſtand that God hath made no man to deſtroy or damne him.
T.
THat which thou ſayeſt is farre off from the opinion of ſuche as ſay that none ſhal be dāned, and that in very déed the diuels ſhal once be ſaued.
D.
The worde of God ſhall then be falſe, whiche ſpeaketh the cleane contrary.
T.
They do ground them ſelues vponupon the mercies of God, ſaying that God hath created no man to deſtruction, and that it ſhall be a great crueltie in him, and contrary to his mercifull nature, to puniſh ſo gréeuouſly a temporall ſinne, to witte, with euerlaſting payne.
D.
Suche men doe greatly abuſe them ſelues, and doe declare plainly that they knowe neither the nature of ſinne, nor yet the maieſtie of him againſt whome it is cōmitted. For do they thinke the contempte of ſuch a maieſty ro be nothing, according to ye which the greatneſſe of the ſinne muſt be meaſured, & not only according to the thing wherin it hath bin committed: wherfore if that god ſhuld puniſh with eternall death all the men that euer were, are, & ſhalbe, he ſhuld do them no wrong, but ſhould do them iuſtice and right. Therefore in yt that he ſaueth thoſe which hauehave recourſe to his merciemercy, ye ſame commeth of his méere grace, wherein in déed he declareth vntounto vsus what puniſhmēt we hauehave deſerued. For ſeing that it was expediēt that his owne ſonne ſhuld beare the payne which was due to the ſinnes of them vntounto whome he would ſhew merciemercy in him & by him, he hath right wel declared by the ſame, that there was no payne whatſoeuer it was, that was able to ſatiſfie his iudgemente, but that of his ſonne, who by reaſon of his great innocencie & perfect obedience, was only ſufficient for ſuch a ſatiſfaction. For if man could ſuffer any paine, whereby he mought ſatiſfie the eternall iuſtice of God, there ſhould then be no hell, nor eternall damnation, for the paines ſhould once hauehave ende. But forſomuche as they do neuer ende, they do declare thereby that they are not ſufficiente for ſuch ſatiſfaction: and on the other ſide, that it muſt néedes be, bycauſe that they may in no wiſe be ſufficient, that they be eternall, ſauing only to ſuche as hauehave rereyued Ieſus Chriſte by faith, who hathe borne the wrath of God, and the paynes due to their ſinnes, to deliuer them, as it is written:Iohn. 3. he that beloueth in the ſonne of God, the ſame hathe eternall lyfe: He that beléeueth not in the Sonne of God, the wrathe of God abideth ſtill vponupon him. And as concerning that which thou haſt ſaid, that God hath made no man to be damned, I do cōfeſſe it, if it be well vnderſtood, but not in that ſenſe that they do take it which aledge that texte or paſſage of the ſcripture to abuſe the grace & goodneſſe of God.Prouer. 16. It is very true that God hath made no creature to that only ende that he ſhould be damned, for he hath created all thinges for his glory, & hath minde all for him ſelfe, yea the wicked for the euill day. That is the principall ende of all his works, notwithſtāding he leaueth not to puniſhe and to damne with eternall death thoſe which contemne his law, and his holy word, forſomuch as their damnation doth ſerue to his glory, for the which they were created. For his glory doth not only conſiſt in that that he ſheweth merciemercy to his, but alſo in that that he executeth iugemēt, and doth declare his iuſtice vppon his enimies. Let vsus therefore take héede that we mocke not with him, nor ſeduce oure ſelues: for albeit that by hys great power and wiſedome he can drawe goodneſſe out of the euil which the wicked committe, and can tourne it and make it to ſerue to his honoure and glory, and to the health of his choſen people, whereas the wicked ones do tourne his good creatures and his good works into euil, he leaueth not for al that to hate ſtill that which is euill, in ſomuche as it is euill, and the abuſe of his creatures and of his giftes and graces, and to condemne and puniſh thoſe whiche committe ſuche offences, if they hauehave not forgiueneſſe by his grace & merciemercy in Ieſus Chriſt.
Hovve that eueryevery ſinne is of his ovvne nature damnable, and hovv that notvvithſtanding, it is not able to damne the faythfull.
T.
SO farre forthe as I maye iudge by thy words, it ſemeth to me that thou concludeſt that eueryevery ſinne is mortall, which is to ſay damnable, t… al ye vnfaithfull and reprobates, and that they are venial, to witte pardonable, to the choſen & faithful peple of god
D.
If thou do vnderſtand by damnable, ſufficient to damne, & by venial, worthy of pardon: it is certaine that there is no ſinne of his owne nature worthy of pardon, but is able to damne. But if thou vnderſtand by damnable, the ſinne that damneth, and by venial, that whiche receyueth pardon, it is very certaine yt in this meaning there is no ſinne that may damne the elect and faithful, but it is pardoned vntounto them by reaſon of the merite and ſatiſfaction of Ieſus Chriſte,Rom …. for the whiche cauſe S. Paule ſaith, that there is no condemnation to thoſe that be in Ieſus Chriſte, which do not walke after the fleſh, but after the ſpirite.
T.
Then are they happie whiche beleue in Ieſus Chriſt.
D.
There are none elſe bleſſed but they only. Therfore Dauid ſaith:Pſalme. 32. Rom. 4. Bleſſed are they whoſe offences are pardoned, & whoſe ſinnes are couered, Bleſſed is the mā to whom god imputeth not his ſinne: he doth not ſay bleſſed is the mā that is or ſhalbe foūd without ſin, for there is none ſuch, nor neuer was, nor neuer ſhalbe, but only Ieſus Chriſt very god and very mā. But he calleth that man bleſſed, who notwithſtanding that he be a ſinner, he hathe yet found grace and pardon for his ſinnes in the ſight of God. In the meane while, we muſt take good héed, if we will be partakers of this bleſſedneſſe, that we do not abuſe that grace of God which is giuē vsus in Ieſus Chriſte, leaſt that where oure ſinnes ſhould be but venial, we cauſe thē to be twice mortall.
VVhat meane it behoueth to kepe to fight againſt ſinne and to reſiſt it, and to be deliuered from it, and how eueryevery mā ought to feare leaſt he shuld be hardned therin, and should fight againſt his ovvne conſcience, to the ende that ſinne be not to death.
T.
SHewe me thē what remedy we may finde to auoide this great miſchiefe.
D.
If we do walke acording to the ſpirite, and not according to the fleſh, immediatly as ſoone as our cōcupiſcence doth pricke vsus, we muſt reſiſt it by the ſpirite of God, if we do not reſiſt it, it is a token that the ſpirite of God dwelleth not in vsus, which is a ſure token of the vnfaithfull who folow their concupiſcence withoute any lette, without any feare of God at all, if we do reſiſt it, and that oure concupiſcence and infirmitie doth ouercome vsus, the next remedy is not to ſuffer the wicked will to procéede any further: if that the violence of the wicked wil and our infirmitie be ſo great, that it breake foorth to the outward worke, the other neareſt remedy is, not to …ake an occupation of it, nor to retourne any more to it, nor to continue any lōger therein, but by true repentaunce, to correcte all ſuche faults, as well inwarde as outward, and to lead a good life. If it happē vsus to fall againe into any at any time, let vsus take heede that we ſléepe not in it, nor yet perſeuer in it, leaſt that God doe leaue vsus, and do harden our hartes, & caſt vsus off into a reprobat ſenſe, to puniſh our vnkindneſſe and frowardneſſe in ſuche ſort, that in the ende we come to reſiſt the ſpirite of God,Rom. 1.9. Matth. 12. 1. Iohn. 5. 1. Cor. 12. Rom. 8. Geneſ. 3.9 Exod. 88. Rom. 9. 1. Sam. 15. Matth. 26. Pſalm. 51. Luk. 7. Actes. 9. 1. Timo. 1 & being vanquiſhed by him in our owne harts, we come to blaſpheme him, as it doth often times happē to thoſe which do contemne the admonitions that are given vntounto them, and the remorſe of their cōſciences, & do aſſure them in their wickedneſſe, for ſuch a ſinne is without remiſſion, & is called by S. Iohn, the ſinne vntounto death. For ſomuch as he yt ſinneth againſt the holy Ghoſte, dothe caſt of him without whome he can neyther aſke nor obtayne pardon, nor be partaker of Ieſus chriſt, which only is our way & our helth. Let vsus then take héed yt we folow not the example of Caine, of Pharao, of Saule, of Iudas, of the Scribes, of the Phariſes, who abode ſtill hardned and obſtinate in their ſinnes, but let vsus folow the example of Dauid, of the woman ſinner, of S. Peter, of S. Paule, and ſuch like ſeruants of God, who hauehave acknowledged and forſaken their faultes, and retourned to God with all their whole harte.
T.
This declaration and admonition is very well worthy to be noted. Now I am very well cō tented and ſatiſfied in all thoſe matters that hauehave bin handled betwene vsus, whereby I do know the differences of ſinnes, and how God doth iudge, & how we ought to vnderſtand his law, and that by our frée wil we may be well loſt and damned, & that there is none but God only which can ſaue vsus thorow his grace & merciemercy.
FINIS.
End of the text · Pierre Viret, A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel (1573)