A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel — Pierre Viret

A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel · Pierre Viret

Of the order and meane that God dyd kepe in gyuing of his law, and of the great doctrine contained therein: and what agrement it hath with the forme of prayer which was gyuen by Ieſus Chriſt.

I Am wel ſatiſfied in thys poynt, and of all that which is conteyned in this preface. Wherefore let vsus nowe come to the declaration of the commaundementes gyuen in the lawe.

Before wée doe procéede anye further, it ſhall be well done that wée doe conſyder what manner and order GOD dyd vſe in giuing of theſe commaundementes, for he hath done nothyng wythoute good and iuſt cauſe, the which being knowen, ſhal greatly helpe vsus toward y^e vnderſtāding of the matters that wée hauehave to entreate.

I would gladly vnderſtand it.

God hath in thys done in manner the verye lyke, in giuyng of thys lawe by his ſeruaunte Moyſes, that hée dyd by his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt, when he gaue vntounto vsus the forme and order of prayer.

How ſo?

The forme and order of prayer the whych wée hauehave receyued of our Lorde Ieſus Chryſte, doth it not ſéeme to thée very ſhorte?

In déede it is not verye long.

Yet notwithſtandyng in thys briefeneſſe of woordes, our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt hath comprehended al the vowes, all the wyſhes and deſyres, and all the demaundes and iuſt and reaſonable requeſtes that man maye make to God, the which doe belong aſwell to his glorye, as to the profite and ſaluation of man: and forthwith doth teach vsus of whō we ought to demaunde them, & how and to what ende, and by what meanes wée may obtaine them.

There is very good doctrine and in few wordes.

So much the greater and more maruellous is the wyſedome of our ſauiour Ieſus Chriſte declared. And beſyde that, in ſetting forth theſe thinges, hée hath deuided thys whole forme of prayer, into two partes, whych doe eueryevery of them contayne thrée demaundes or peticions, whych are ſyxe in the whole, the two partes beyng put together: of the whych the thrée that are conteyned in the firſte parte, are as it were the foundation and rule of the other thrée folowyng, & doe ſhew to what ende they oughte to tende. For in the fyrſt place hée hath ſet thoſe which hauehave regarde directlye to the glorye of God, wythoute anye ſpeciall conſyderation of oure ſelues, or of anye other creature: and afterwarde hée addeth vntounto them, thoſe whych doe concerne more ſpecially oure perſons: the whych hée wyll alſo that wée doe direct to God for the obtaynyng of the thynges that are contayned in them, ſo farre forthe as ſhal be requiſite to make them to ſerue to that which is conteined in the firſt: god hath done euē the like, when he gaue that lawe which is called by y^e Hebrewes, the ten words,Deu. 4.10. folowyng the Phraſe of the ſpeache of Moyſes, whych dyd ſo name it, bycauſe that it dyd contayne in ſumme ten commaundementes, which ought to ſerue vsus in this reſpect, as y^e ten predicaments do ſerue y^e Logiciens, for their part. Wherfore it is not ſo requiſite that the ſcholers which ſtudie Logique, ſhould knowe at the fingers endes their predicaments, as it is requiſite that all thoſe which wil bée accompted of the number of the people of God, doe knowe this lawe, and the commaundementes conteyned in the ſame. For that ſame very cauſe is it alſo called by the Gréekes the Decalogue, and by vsus y^e ten commaundements of the law. For firſt, it doth containe in fewe wordes all that euer man is able to doe, ſay, or think either of good or euyll, and all that doth pleaſe or diſpleaſe him, and that he doth alow or diſalow in all y^e thoughtes, affections, words and workes of men: and alſo al that, which not only al the lawes of man & al the volumes of y^e philoſophers, Poetes and Orators doe contayne, concerning the manner howe to lyue well: but alſo all that is contayned as well in the bookes of the prophetes as of the Euangeliſtes and Apoſtles, concerning y^e ſeruice of God, & the good manners, & the order howe to rule & leade his lyfe according to his will. Wherefore, the bookes of all the Prophetes, Euangeliſtes and Apoſtles, are in a manner as commentaries and expoſitions of that law, as well to declare vntounto vsus the doctrine contained in the ſame, as to make vsus to knowe him to whom this law will direct vsus through the knowledge of our owne infirmitie, to finde in him the fulfilling of the ſame.

That lawe is then vntounto vsus an eternall and vnchangeable rule, to know the difference that is betwene good and euyll, and betwéene that which oughte to bee done, or left vndone, in all things.

Of the teſtimonyes that God in his lawe gyueth vntounto vsus of himſelf, and of his nature, and of the nature of man, and of the redemption of him.

BEſide al that, thou oughteſt to note that God in the ſame doth gyue vsus a certayne teſtimony, that he is one true God, and that he is wiſe, good, iuſte, true, ſound & perfect. For it is manyfeſt, that the order which hée hath ſet forthe vntounto vsus in that lawe, and that the difference y^t is ſet forth thereby betwéene the good & the euill, the vertues and the vices, are not done at aduenture, but by a certayne counſell & prouidence of God. Afterward, he declareth vntounto vsus alſo that he is a iuſt Iudge, which will not ſuffer the iuſte to bée ouerthrowē, nor the wicked to be vnpunniſhed, and that he will no iniquitie. Moreouer, in declaring vntounto vsus by hys law what an one he is, he doth alſo ſhew vntounto vsus what mans nature ought to be, and to what end it was created, and how much it is fallen away from that perfection wherin it was firſt created, and how farre of it is from the will of God, to the which it ought to be agréeable, and to anſwere and ſerue to that ende for y^e which it was created of GOD. On the other ſide, hée doth playnely gyue vsus to vnderſtande by that ſame meane, of the ſaluation whych he hathe prepared for vsus in Ieſus Chryſte by the meane of the Goſpell. For as hée hathe not created mankinde, to dampne them all in generall: no more hath hée gyuen that law in vaine, but only to condemne man, as in déede it ſhoulde hauehave come to paſſe, if hée had not ordeyned an other meane for their ſaluation.

Hovv that the lavve of God conteyneth much more in ſubſtance than the wordes ſeeme to ſignifie at the firſt ſight, and hovv they ought to be vnderſtood according to the nature of the Lavv maker

IT muſt néeds bée then, that the wordes conteyned therin, do import and declare muche more than they ſéeme to ſhewe at the firſte.

They do conteyne as muche as I hauehave ſayd.

There are then many whiche doe not know nor vnderſtand them ſo well as they think that they doe.

But I thinke for my parte that there be none other but ſuch as thou ſpeakeſt of: For they that mought well vnderſtande and knowe them, moughte alſo vnderſtande and knowe all the writings of the prophets and Apoſtles. The matter that is ſpoken of in the law, may not be meaſured, according to the ſhorteneſſe of the wordes, by the whiche it is ſet foorth and declared, but according to the ſubſtance that is therin conteined, and the nature and maieſtie of him that ſpeaketh and ſetteth foorth the thing. For ſéeing that it is God, wée maye well knowe that his ſpéeche and phraſe is framed in a maruellous high knowledge and wiſdom, and that there is no woorde nor ſyllable, but that it is of greate weyght and effecte, and doth importe very muche. And further, ſéeing that God is a ſpirite, and a ſpirituall and eternall eſſence, without beginning and ending, and will bée ſerued in ſpirite and in veritie, with ſuch ſeruice as is agréeable with his nature and maieſtie, wee may then well know, that there is great difference betwéen the nature of hys law, whych is diuyne, & that of mans lawes: and that hée is not contented to hauehave it in ſuche ſort obſerued, as men are contented to hauehave theyrs obſerued.

Of the difference that is betvveene the lawe of God and the lawes of man, and the things required in theſe ſame and of the iudgement of God, and the iudgemēt of men concernyng the ſame.

SHew me then what is the difference.

Men are contented, if that by outwarde workes their commaundementes bée obſerued, and that there appeare vntounto them nothing to be done againſt them: but they can not deale with the iudgement of the heartes, of the affections and thoughtes, bicauſe they are vnknowne to them, ſauing in as muche as they be declared outewardely. On the other ſyde, albéeit that they are declared outwardely, yet notwithſtanding, they doe not condemne them and puniſh them cōtinually, nor many outward works alſo, although they be very wicked.

Howe maye that bée?

As well bycauſe that men for the moſte parte, are contented to entertayne the ſocietie of man in a certaine worldly peace and tranquilitie, as alſo that they thynke not oftentymes that to be euyll which is euil: or yf they eſtéeme it to be euyll, they think it not to be ſo great as it is: or if they thynk it to be great, they do mainteyn it.

And from whence cōmeth thys fault?

Daniell.

It dothe partely procéede of Ignoraunce and blyndeneſſe that ſynne hathe engendred in the vnderſtandyng of man, which is the cauſe that he cannot ſo well diſcerne the good from the euill, nor iudge of the one and the other, as he ſhould hauehave done, if he had continued in the ſtate of innocencie and grace, in the whiche he was created: beſide that, there is this other greate miſchiefe, that man doth willingly ſupporte that wherin hee would himſelfe be ſupported, and that he neuer hath ſo great care for that which concerneth the honoure of God, as for that whiche concerneth his owne bodie: It is the cauſe why men doe rather puniſhe, yea and that more gréeuouſely, thoſe faultes whiche touche their honor or diſhonor, or their profit or hindrance, than they doe thoſe whiche make warres directly againſt the honour and maieſtie of God: but it is not ſo with God: for he is not contented with the only work that appeareth outwardly, but he requireth the hearte, and beholdeth the fountayne from whence the woork ſpringeth: which can not pleaſe him, howe faire a ſhewe ſo euer it hauehave, but only ſo farre foorth as it procéedeth from the heart, and that the heart doe pleaſe him: the whiche in déede can in no wiſe pleaſe him, but ſo farforth as he doth drawe néere to his nature, and that he is reformed and made new lyke to his image, and regenerate by his holy ſpirite: For there is no worke good nor pleaſant to God, but that whiche procéedeth from him, and that he himſelf doth:Matth. 1…. Iames. 4. Iohn. 4. for euen as there is none good but onelyonly he, ſo is ther no good thing but that which procedeth frō him alone therfore y^e work which procéedeth from vsus, can not pleaſe him, but ſo farre as hée worketh in vsus by his holy ſpirite, and that our ſpirite is gouerned by his: For he whiche is a ſpirite, is then ſerued by his like.

In vvhat ſorte the vvordes of the lavve of God ought to be vnderſtode: and hovve that God dothe not onelyonly beholde the outvvarde vvorkes, but the origiginal of them alſo, & vvhat be the things that God doth allovv or cōdemne in man.

SO farre foorth as I may vnderſtand by thy woordes, that lawe doth well deſerue to be otherwyſe weyed and conſidered of, than it is,

It is euen ſo. For when God dothe require of vsus a thing that ſéemeth to belong to the outewarde woorke, wée oughte to vnderſtande the whole by a parte: and the cauſe by the effecte: and the roote, and the whole herbe by the fruict: and the woorkeman by the woorke: and all the circumſtaunces and dependances of the one and the other.Note. And when he forbiddeth a thyng, we muſte alſo knowe that he commaundeth his contrarie: and likewiſe when he commaundeth, hée forbiddeth the contrarie of that whiche he commaundeth. For he beholdeth man thorowly, both endlong and ouerthwarte, and dothe ſounde the hearte and all the thoughts and affections of him, and alloweth nothyng in hym, but that whiche he fyndeth to bée his, and hathe himſelfe commaunded: and diſalloweth nothing but that which man hath receiued of others than of him, & that which he hath forbidden him: Wherfore he doth not only condemne that worke whiche ſéemeth outwardly to bée euill, but alſo the ſpring from whence the ſame procedeth: & doth not onelyonly condemne it when his frute is come to light, but he doth alwais condemn it, albeit that it doe continually lie hidde in ſecrete in the darke bottomleſſe pittes of ignoraunce of the hearte of man,Pſalm. 13…. vnſearcheable to man, but knowne and open to GOD. Therfore Dauid ſayeth, thou haſte proued and knowne mée: thou haſte knowne mée ſitting and ſtanding, going and commyng, within and without. For howe may it be that the workeman which made man ſhoulde not know him, whiche did know him before he was begotten and made? Shall not the workman know his worke?

Who ſhoulde then know him, if he ſhould not?

Of the conſideration of thoſe things which in dede diſpleaſe God in man, and firſt of all in his vvorke: and in vvhat ſort it ought to be cōſidered, as commaunded or forbidden by God.

SEeing then that hée whyche is the workeman, and hath framed & made the ſubſtance it ſelfe wherof he is faſhioned, and that he him ſelfe is the giuer of the faſhion, it is not to bee doubted but that hée doothe verye well knowe all that euer is in hym, and that whyche hée hath of his owne put into hym, and what man hath of others to deſtroy his worke. Wée muſt therfore note here that there are in vsus foure things that can not pleaſe God, and eueryevery of them dothe in his behalfe deſerue death and eternal damnation. Nowe if any one of them being taken aparte (if it were poſſible to ſeparate them the one from the other) be ſo abhominable of his owne nature, and worthye of ſo gréeuous punyſhemente, what may it then be when they are all ioyned togither?

There muſt néedes be muche filthineſſe: but which be theſe things?Foure horrible things in man.

Firſt there is concupiſcence: for the ſeconde, the affection begotten of him: for the third, the conſent of the wil to this affection: for the fourthe, the execution of the ſame by déede. But I will begin my declaration by this laſt, which is to ſay, by the work that apeareth outwardly, to the ende that by the ſame wée maye hauehave the better vnderſtanding of the other thynges that doe goe before, which are more hidden and more ſecret. In this poynt I will begin by the moſte apparaunt and open frute, whereby wée eaſily iudge of the nature of all trées.

For in ſetting foorthe firſte the worke, the workeman ſhal not only be knowne therby, but alſo the forge and ſhoppe wherein that worke hath bin wrought. As concerning the worke, we oughte to conſider it firſt two wais. The one as commaunded of God: the other as forbidden by hym. That which is commaunded by God, can neuer be euill, being vnderſtoode in that ſenſe and meaning that he hath cōmaunded it, and being applyed to that end that it oughte to bée. On the other ſide, that which he hath forbidden, being weyed in the ſame ſorte, may neuer in any wiſe be good.

By what rule the vvorks of men ought to be examined, and hovv daungerous a thing it is to follovve the iudgemente of mans reaſon.

WE ought then to be well aduiſed and to take good héede how we do eſtabliſh iudgement vppon mans reaſon, and vponupon the opinions of men in ſuch matters.

It is very true. For it is often times ſéene that men iudge that good which is euil, and do diſalowe that which God aloweth, and alowe that whiche he diſaloweth, for the cauſes before mentioned. For in the iudgement of god the ſentence ſhall not be giuen according to the iudgement of mans reaſon, and of the opinions of men: but according to the pronuntiation whiche God hath alredy pronounced by his worde and by his lawe, which ſhall be the weights, the ballaunce and the rule, wherein and whereby al the thoughts, words and works of men ſhall be weyed and meaſured,

Hovv that the lavv of god is tranſgreſſed not only in doing that vvhichwhich is forbidden by it, but alſo in leuing that vndone vvhiche is therin commaunded, and hovv that thoſe good vvorks which vve do, are not able to ſatiſfie for them vvhichwhich vve ought to do, and do not, ne yet for thoſe vvhichwhich vve do againſt the vvill of God.

THen doth it follow that whoſoeuer ſhall do that whiche ſhall be forbidden of God, or ſhall leaue vndone that which he doth commaund him, the ſame deſerueth condemnation. On the other ſide, he that ſhall abſteyne frō that which he hath forbidden, and ſhall do that which he hath cōmanded, the ſame ſhall receiue the prayſe and commendation of a good & faithfull ſeruaunt.Two pointes of great effecte.

Theſe two pointes that thou toucheſt, are right well worthy to be noted. For there be ſome that thinke that they hauehave ſufficiently fulfilled the lawe of God, if that they hauehave refrayned frō thoſe things which are therein forbidden, yea and if it hauehave bin don but only in outward apparance, withoute laying of handes with a prompte courage to thoſe thinges whiche are commaunded them. On the other ſide, there be others whiche think that they may y^e more lawfully diſpenſe w^t thēſelues to do many things that be forbiddē in the law, whē they hauehave don ſome litle porcion of thoſe whiche are commaunded, and thinke theſe to be a recōpēce for the others. But we muſt nedes walke in all other manner of ſimplicitie before god, & muſt put in vſe y^t which Ieſus chriſt hath ſaid: it behoueth to do this, and not to leaue the other vndone,Matth. 23. Note this place. for here it ought to hauehave better place, than in any where elſe. It behoueth to do that whiche is commaunded, and to refrayne from that which is forbidden. For he that commaundeth and he that forbiddeth, is alway one Lord, who will not ſuffer hys maieſtie to be more diſhonored of the one parte than of the other. Therefore, when thou doſt ſome part of that which is commaunded thée, thinke not by that litle wel doing whiche thou haſt done on the one ſide, to hauehave recompenced the greate euill whiche thou haſt committed on the other ſide. For if thou hauehave don any thing wel, thou haſt done thy dutie, and haſt done nothing elſe, yea and that which more is, thou haſt not done all that: howe mayeſt thou thē recompence the euill which thou haſt committed, in doing that which was forbiddē thée, by this litle good which thou haſt done, when that ſame it ſelfe is not ſufficient to ſatiſfie for the faultes whiche thou haſte committed, in the leauing of that vndone which thou oughteſt to hauehave done?

I do know that very well.

Hovv that it is not ſufficient to do outvvardly the vvorks vvhichwhich God commaundeth, if that they be not done to the intent and to the very ſame purpoſe for the vvhichwhich God doth commaund them, & hovv greatly hypocriſie diſpleaſeth God.

ON the other parte,Note this counſell thorough out. when thou doeſt the worke which god commandeth, thou muſt take good héede to what ende thou doeſt it, and with what minde. For if thou do it more for thine own glory and profite, & for thine owne behoofe, than thou doeſt for the honoure of God, and for the louelove thou beareſt to him, or to thy neyghboure for his ſake: thou makeſt of a good worke an euill worke, and doeſt greatly offend him thorough thy hypocriſie, abuſing his name, & making a maſke of his lawe, to ſerue thée and thy wicked affections. And therefore ſuch a worke is no more a worke of the ſpirite of God: for ſo muche as it is not done in truth, but in lies. For al hypocriſie is lyes, for ſomuch as it is nothing elſe but falſhod, fayning, and diſſimulation, whiche hath an other ſhewe outwardly, than the troth of the thing hath inwardly. Now al lyes procéed from the deuill. The worke then which is done in lyes, is of the deuill, and not of God. Wherefore it cannot muche better pleaſe God, than doth the troth which the deuill ſpeaketh to couer his lies with, and to tranſfigure himſelfe into an Angell of light: and that all the works do that euer he doth, howe faire a ſhewe ſo euer they hauehave, although God do make them ſerue to his glory. For his intente is alwayes wicked, forſomuch as he neuer doth thing but for himſelfe, and hath regard neyther to the honour of God nor to the profite of any creature, wherfore he is neuer more perilous, than when he hath the greateſt ſhew of well doing, for then it is that hée doth moſt diſhonor god, and doth greateſt hurt to men, bycauſe he is more couered and diſguiſed, & more harde to be knowne and to be taken vpō the ſudden: wherfore thoſe whiche call this deuill that is ſo diſguiſed, a white deuill, are not voyd of reaſon. Therefore the falſe Prophets are neuer more dangerous, than whē they hauehave the greateſt ſhewe of holyneſſe, & do moſt counterfaite the true ſeruauntes of God: the like is of al hypocrites. The good work whiche he ſemeth to doe,Math. 23.… Luke. 10. is often tymes worſe than thogh it were ſet forth plainly ſuche as it is. It is the very cauſe why Chriſte did condemne the almes, prayers and faſtings of the Scribes and Phariſies, and all their other works, forſomuch as they did them only to be ſéene of men.

VVhat good or hurte the vvorke doth that is outvvardly done, & not vvith a good hart, & vvhat it may bring to the vvorker of the ſame, & alſo to others, and vvhether it be better that it be done or vndone.

IF the matter be ſuch that the worke it ſelfe which God commaundeth cā not pleaſe him, if it do not procéede from ſuch a harte as he requireth, but doth rather diſpleaſe him, it followeth then, that if a man hauehave not ſuch an harte, he dothe not onelyonly léeſe his time in doing of ſuche a worke, but he doth alſo purchace to himſelfe a more greater iudgemente.

There are alſo two pointes to be conſidered in this matter: if that the man that doth this worke, doth it thoroughly of a very malice and to ſuche ende as the Deuil doth his, to witte, to diſhonor God, and to deceiue mē, and to hurte his neyghbor, it were much better that he did nothing at all, for his worke can do but hurte, and more to himſelfe than to any other: if hée do it not in déede for ſo euil a purpoſe, but onelyonly to hauehave ſome worldlye honoure or profite, the worke is then yet ſomewhat more profitable in ſundry ſortes, as well to himſelfe as to others, according to the circumſtaunces of the ſame, than if it had not bin done at all, or elſe if he had done thoſe works whiche God hath forbidden. For firſt of al, thoſe that ſée ſuch a worke, are edified, in ſomuch as they ſée it to bée good of his owne nature, and doe thinke, that it procéedeth from ſuch an harte as it ſheweth for outwardly: on the other ſide, if it be a worke whereby thy neyghboure receyueth any comforte or helpe in hys perſon, it is then ſo muche the more profitable. Wherefore, albeit that the worke be not ſuch as God requireth: yet forſomuch as it ſerueth ſomewhat to the glory of God, and to the edification of our neyboure, God is ſo good that he will not ſuffer it to be vnrecompenced.

What recompence will he then giuegive him?

That whiche the worker requireth: he deſireth glory among men, and his particular cō moditie, which things he doth often times receiue for his hire, which extend no further than his life: for he hathe no further regard at all.Matth. 6.

By this accoumpte then thou wouldeſt conclude that it were better yet that a man ſhould aſſiſt the worde of god and his Church, and alſo the poore, and that he ſhould do ſuch like works, although that his harte were not throughly ſuch as it ought to be, rather thā to do nothing at all, or to the contrary, ſo that he do it not in any wiſe to the intente to diſhonor God, and of a determinate purpoſe, or elſe rather to hurte his neyghbor, than to profite him.

It is true, for we hauehave in the holy Scriptures many examples, whiche declare that God hath often times in this worlde done greate good to many that hauehave not had ſuche hartes as they ought to hauehave had, bycauſe that their workes did ſerue ſomewhat to his glory, and to the reléefe of his people.

A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 2 · Part 12 – Part 21

p. 437Of the order and meane that God dyd kepe in gyuing of his law, and of the great doctrine contained therein: and what agrement it hath with the forme of prayer which was gyuen by Ieſus Chriſt.