The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1 · Chapter 1
¶The .i. Chapter. That the knowledge of God, and of oure selues, are thynges conioyned: and howe they bee lyncked the one wyth the other.
THe whole summe in a manner of all our wisedom, which only ought to be acompted true & perfecte wisedom, consisteth in two partes, that is to saye, the knowledge of God, and our selues. But where as these two knowledges be with many bādes linked together: yet whether goth before or engēdreth the other, it is hard to discerne. For fyrst no man can loke vponupon him selfe, but he muste nedes by and by turne all hys senses to the beholdyng of God, in whom he lyueth and is moued: because it is playne that those giftes wherewith we be endewed are not of our selues, yea euen yt yt we hauehave a beyng is nothyng els but an essence in the one god. Finally, by these good thynges that are as by droppe meale powred into vsus from heauen, we are led as it were by certayne streames to the sprynge head. And so by our own nedines, better appeareth that infinite …lēty of good thynges that abydeth in god. Speciallye that miserable ruyne, whereinto the fall of the fyrst man hath throwen vsus, compelleth vsus to lyft vp our eyes, not onelyonly beyng fodelesse and hungry, to craue from thence ye whych we lacke, but also beynge awakened with feare, to learne humility. For as there is founde in man a certayne worlde of all miseries, and synce we hauehave bene spoyled of the diuine apparel, oure shameful nakednesse discloseth an infinite heape of fylthy disgracementes: it must nedes be that eueryevery man be prycked with knowledge in conscience of his owne vnhappynes, to make him come at least vntounto som knowledge of god. So by the vnderstandyng of our own igno…aunce, vanitie, beggery, weakenesse, peruersenesse, and corruption, we learne to reknowledge that no where elles but in the Lorde abydeth the trew lyght of wysedome, sound vertue, perfecte aboundaunce of all good thyngs, and puritie of ryghteousnesse. And so by our owne euyls we are styrred to consyder the good thyngs of God: & we cannot earnestly aspyre toward hym, vntyl we begynne to mislyke our selues. For of all mē what one is there that would not wyllyngly rest in himself? yea who doeth not rest, so long as he knoweth not hym selfe, that is to saye, so longe as he is contented wyth hys owne giftes, and ignoraunt or vnmyndefull of hys own misery? Therfore eueryevery man is by the knowledge of hym selfe, not only prycked forwarde to seke God, but also led as it were by the hande to fynde hym.
Againe it is certaine, that man neuer commeth vntounto the true knowledge of himselfe, vnlesse he hauehave firste beholden the face of God, and from beholdinge thereof do descende to loke into himselfe. For (suche is the pride that is naturally planted in vsus) we alwaye thinke oure selues righteous, innocente, wise & holy, vntill that wyth manifest proues we be conuinced of oure vnryghteousnes, filthynes, follye and vncleannes. But we are not conuinced thereof, if we looke vponupon oure selues onelyonly, and not vppon God also, who is the onelyonly rule whereby this iudgemente oughte to be tried. For because we are naturally inclined to hypocrisie, therefore a certayne vaine resemblaunce of ryghteousnes doeth aboundantly contente vsus in steade of righteousnes in dede. And because there appeareth nothing among vsus, nor aboute vsus, that is not defyled wyth much filthines, therefore that whiche is somewhat lesse filthy pleaseth vsus as thoughe it were moste pure, so longe as we holde oure selues within the boundes of mans vnclennesse. Lyke as the eye that is vsed to see nothing but blacke, thinketh that to be pure white, whiche yet is but darkesh white, or brown. Yea, we may yet more plainli discerne by our bodely sense how much we are blinded in cōsidering ye powers of the soule. For if at mid day we either loke down vponupon the ground, or behold those things that round about lye open before our eyes, then we thinke our selues to hauehave a very assured and pearcing force of sighte: but when we loke vp to the sonne, and behold it wt fixed eyes, then yt same sharpnes that was of great force vponupon ye ground is wt so great brightnes by & by daseled & confounded, yt we ar compelled to confesse that the same sharpe sight which we had in consyderyng earthly thyngs, whē it commeth to the sonne is but mere dullnes. Euen so cōmeth it to passe in weying our spyrytual good thyngs. For while we loke no further than the earth, so long wel contented wt our own righteousnes, wisedom and strength, we do swetely flatter our selues and thynke vsus in maner halfe gods. But if we once begin to raise vp our thought vntounto God, and to weie what a one he is, and how exacte is the perfeccion of hys ryghteousnesse, wisedom and power, after the rule whereof we oughte to bee framed: then that which before did please vsus in our selues with false pretēce of righteousnes, shal become lothsome to vsus as greateste wyckednesse: then that which did maruellously deceiue vsus vnderunder colour of wisedome shal stinke before vsus as extreame follye: then that whiche did beare the face of strength shalbe proued to be most miserable wekenesse. So sclenderly doth that which in vsus semeth euen most perfect, answere in proportion to the purenes of god.
Hereof proceded that trembling and amasednesse, wherewith the Scripture in many places reciteth that the holy men wer striken and astonished so ofte as they perceiued the presence of God. For when we se that they whiche in his absence did stande assured and vnmo…ed, so sone as he discloseth hys glorye, beginne so to quake and are so dismayed, that they fall downe, yea are swallowed vp and in manner as destroyed with feare of death: it is to be gathered thereby that manne is neuer sufficiently touched and inwardly moued wyth knowledge of his owne basenesse vntil he hauehave compared himselfe to the maiestie of God.Iud. xiii.xxii. Esa. vi.v. E…e. ….i. But of suche dismaying we hauehave often examples bothe in the Iudges and in the Prophetes: so that this was a common saying among the people of god: We shal die, because ye Lord hath appeared vntounto vsus. And therfore the history of Iob, to throw men down wt knowledge of their owne follye, weakenesse, and vncleannesse, bryngeth alwaye his prinycpal profe from describing Gods wisedome, strength and cleannes. And that not without cause. For we see how Abraham, the nerer that he came to beholde the glory of God,Gen. xviii xvii. i. K…. xix.xiii. Esa. xiiii.xxiii. Esay. ii.x. and .xix. the better acknowledged hymselfe to be earth and dust. We see how Elias could not abide to tary his comming to him with vncouered face: so terryble is the beholdyng of hym. And what may man do that is but corrupcion and a worme, when euē the Cherubins for very feare must hyde their faces? Euen thys is it that the Prophete Esay speaketh of: The sunne shall blushe and the moone shalbe ashamed, when the Lord of hostes shall reigne, that is to saye, when he displayeth his bryghtnes and bryngeth it nerer to sight, thē in comparison therof the bryghtest thyng of all shalbe darkened. But howesoeuer the knowledge of God & of our selues, ar wt mutuall knot lynked together, yet ye order of right teaching requireth that first we entreate of the knowledge of God, and after come down to speake of the knowledge of our selues.