The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1 · Chapter 2
¶ The .ii. Chapter. ¶What it is to knowe God, and to what ende tendeth the knowledge of hym.
I Meane by the knowledge of God, not onelyonly that knowledge whereby we conceyue that there is somme God, but also that, wherby we learne so muche as behoueth vsus to know of him, and is profitable for his glory, finally so much as is expedient. For, to speake properly, we cannot say that God is knowen where there is no relygion nor godlynesse. But here I dooe not yet touche that speciall kynde of knoweledge whereby those menne that are in theymselues reproba…e and accursed dooe conceyue God the redemer in Chryste the mediatoure: but I speake onelyonly of that firste and symple manner of knowledge, whervnto the very order of nature woulde hauehave ledde vsus, yf Adam hadde continued in state of innocencye. For althoughe no manne, syth… mankinde is in this ruine, can perceiue God to be either a father, or authour of saluacion, or in any wise fauourable, vnlesse Christ come as a meane to pacifie him towarde vsus: yet it is one thing to fele that God our maker doth by his power sustein vsus, by his prouidēce gouerne vsus, by his goodnes nourish vsus, and endue vsus with al kindes of blessinges: and an other thing to embrace the grace of reconciliaciō offered vsus in Christ. Wheras therfore the Lord fyrst simply appeareth as well by the makinge of the world, as by ye general doctrine of the Scripture, to be the Creator, and then in the face of Christe to be the redemer: here vponupon arise two sortes of knowing him, of which the former is now to be entreated of, and then the other shal orderly folow in ye place fit for it. For although our minde cannot conceiue the knowledge of God, but that it muste geue to hym some kinde of worship, yet shall it not be sufficient simply to knowe that it is he onelyonly that oughte to bee honoured and worshipped of all menne, vnlesse we be also perswaded that he is the fountaine of al good things, to the ende that we shoulde seke for nothing els where but in him. I meane hereby, not onelyonly for that as he hath once created this worlde, so by his infinite power he susteineth it, by his wisedome he gouerneth it, by his goodnes he preserueth it, and speciallye mankinde he ruleth by his righteousnes and iudgement, suffreth by his mercye, and saue gardeth by his defense: but also because there can no where be founde any one droppe either of wisedom, or of lyght, or of rightousnes, or of power, or of vprightnesse, or of sincere trueth, whiche floweth not from him or wherof he is not the cause: to this ende verely, that we shoulde learne to looke for and craue all these thinges at his hande, and wyth thankesgeuing accompt them receiued of him. For this felinge of the powers of God is to vsus a me…e scholemaster of godlynes, out of which springeth religion. Godlines I cal a reuerēce of God ioined with louelove of him which is procured by knowledge of hys benefytes. For men wyll neuer with willing obediēce submit themselues to God, vntil thei perceiue that they owe all thinges to him, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is to them the author of al good thinges, so yt nothyng is to be sought els where than in hym. Yea they will neuer yelde themselues truly and with all their hart wholly to hym, vnlesse they assuredly beleue that in hym is perfect felicite reposed for them.
Therefore they doe but tryfle with vaine speculations, which in entreating of this question, do make it their purpose to discusse, what thyng God is, where it rather behoueth vsus to knowe what maner one he is, and what agreeth with his nature. For to what ende serueth it to confesse as Epicure doeth, that there is a God, whych doth only delyte him self wyth ydlenesse, hauing no care of the world? Finally, what profiteth it to knowe such a God wyth whom we may hauehave nothyng to doo? But rather the knowledge of hym ought to serue to thys ende, fyrst to frame vsus to feare and reuerence, then that by it guydynge and teachyng vsus, we may learne to craue all good thynges at hys hande, and to accompt them receiued of hym. For how can anie thought of God enter into thy mind, but that thou must therwithal by and by thinck, that forasmuch as thou art his creature, therfore thou art of right subiect and bonde to his authorite, that thou owest him thy life, that whatsoeuer thou enterprisest whatsoeuer thou doest, ought to be directed to him. If this be tr…w, then trewly it foloweth, that thy life is peruersly corrupted if it be not framed to obeyng of him, for asmuche as his will ought to be our law to liue by. Againe, thou canst not clerely se him, but that thou must nedes know yt he is the fountayn & original of al good thyngs, whervpon shulde grow both a desire to cleaue vntounto him, and an assured trust in him, if mannes own corruptnes did not draw his mind from the right serching of hym. For first of all, the godly minde doth not as by a dreame ymagine to her selfe any god at aduenture, but stedfastly beholdeth ye only one and trew God: and doth not falsely forge of him whatsoeuer her selfe lyketh, but is content to beleue him to be such a one as he discloseth him self, and doth alway with great diligence beware that with presumptuous rashnes she passe not beyond his wyll, and so wander out of the way. And when she so knoweth him, bicause she vnderstandeth that he gouerneth al things. she assuredlye trusteth that he is her safekeper and defendour, and therfore wholly cōmitteth her selfe to his fayth? Because she vnderstandeth yt he is the author of al good things, therfore if any thing trouble her, or if she want any thing by and by she flieth to him for succoure, loking for helpe at his hande. Because she is persuaded that he is good and mercifull, therfore with assured confidence she resteth on him, and douteth not in al her euils to fynde ready remedy in his mercifull kindnes. Because she knoweth him to be her Lorde and father, therefore she determineth that he is worthy that she shoulde in all thynges hauehave regard to his authoritie, reuerence his maiestie, procure the aduauncement of his glory, and obey his commandementes. Because she seeth yt he is a righteous iudge and armed with his seueritie to punish sinnes, therfore she alway setteth his iudgement seate before her eies, and with feare of him withdraweth and restraineth her selfe from prouoking his wrath. Yet is she not so afrayed with the felyng of his iudgement, that she would conuey her self from it, although there were a way open to escape it: but rather she doeth no lesse louelove him, while he extendeth vengeaūce vponupon the wicked, than while he is beneficiall to the godly, for asmuche as she vnderstandeth that it doth no lesse belong to his glory that he hath in store punishment for the wycked and euyl doers, thā that he hath reward of eternal life for the righteous. Moreouer she doeth not for only feare of punishment refraine her self from synning: but because she loueth and reuerenceth him as her father, attendeth on him and honoureth him as her lorde, therefore although there were no hel at al, yet she dreadeth his onelyonly displeasure. Now behold what is the pure and trew religion, euē faith ioyned with an earnest feare of god: so that feare may conteine in it a willyng reuerence, and drawe with it a ryghte forme of worshipping such as is appointed in the lawe. And this is the more hedefully to be noted, because al men generally do worship God, but fewe do reuerence hym, while eche where is great pompous shewe in ceremonies, but the purenesse of heart is rare to be founde.
Truly, they that iudge rightlye, will alwaye holde this for certayne, that there is grauen in the mindes of men a certaine feling of the Godhead, which neuer can be blotted out. Yea that this perswasion, yt there is a god, is euen from their generation naturally plāted in them and depely roted within their bones, the very obstinacy of the wicked is a substā ciall witnesse, which with their furious striuing yet can neuer winde thē selues out of the feare of God. Although Diagoras and suche other doe iest and laugh at al that hath in al ages ben beleued cōcerning religion: although Dionisius do scoffe at the heauenly iudgement: yet that is but a laughter from the teeth forward, because inwardly the worme of conscience gnaweth them much more sharpely thā al whose searyng yrons. I alledge not this that Cicero sayth, yt errors by continuance of tyme grow out of vse, and religion daily more and more euer…ase…h and waxeth better. For the world (as a little hereafter we shall hauehave occasion to shew) trauaileth as much as in it lieth to shake of all knowledge of God, and by al meanes to corrupt the worshipping of him. But this onelyonly I say, that when the dul hardnes, which the wicked do desirously labor to get to despise God withal, doth lie piningly in their hartes, yet the same feling of God, whyche they woulde moste of al desire to hauehave vtterly destroied, liueth still, and sometyme doeth vtter it self: whereby we gather that it is no suche doctrine as is first to be learned in scholes but suche a one whereof eueryevery man is a teacher to himselfe euen from his mothers wombe, and suche a one as nature suffreth none to forgette, although many bend all their endeuoure to shake it out of their mind. Now, if almen be borne and do liue to this end, to know God, and the knowledge of God is but fickle, and lyghtely vanisheth away, vnlesse it procede thus farre: it is euident, that they all swarue out of kinde from the law of their creation that do not direct to this marke al the whole thoughtes and dooynges of their lyfe. Of whiche the Philosophers themselues were not ignorāt.In phaedrone & chaeetero For Plato meant nothyng els, when he oftentymes taught, that the soueraign good of the soule is the likenes of God, whē the soule hauing throughly conceiued the knowledge of hym is wholly transformed into him. Therfore very aptly doth Grillus reason in Plutarche, where he affirmeth, that men, if religion be once takē from their lyfe, are not onelyonly nothynge better than brute beastes, but also many waies muche more miserable, for that being subiect to so many sortes of euils they continually draw fourth a troublesome and vnquiet life: and that therfore the worshipping of God is the only thyng that maketh thē better than brute beastes, by which alone they aspire to immortalite.