The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1 · Chapter 7
¶ The .vii. Chapter. By what testimony the Scripture oughte to be established, that is by the witnesse of the holy gost, that the authoritie therof may remaine certaine. And that it is a wycked inuention to say that the er…yt therof doeth hangs vponupon the iudgemente of the churche.
BUt before I go any further, it is nedeful to say somwhat of the authoritie of the Scripture, not onelyonly to prepare mens mindes to reuerence it, but also to take away al dout therof. Now, when it is a matter confessed that it is the worde of God that is there sette forth, there is no mā of so desperate boldnesse, vnlesse he be voide of all common sense and naturall wit of man, that dare derogate the credit of him that speaketh it. But because there are not daily oracles geuen from heauen, and the onelye Scryptures remaine wherin it hath pleased the Lord to preserue his truth to perpetual memory, the same Scripture by none other meanes is of ful credit among the faythful, but in that they doe beleue that it is as verely come from heauen as if they heard the liuely voyce of God to speake therin. This matter in dede is ryght worthy both to bee largely entreated of & diligently weyed. But the readers shall pardō me if herein I rather regarde what the proporcion of the woorke which I hauehave begon may beare, thā what ye largenesse of the matter requireth. Ther is growen vp among the most part of men a moste hurteful erroure, yt the Scripture hath onelyonly so much authoritie as by common consent of the churche is geuen vntounto it: as if the eternall and inuiolable trueth of God did rest vponupon the pleasure of men. For so, to the great scorne of the holy gost, they aske of vsus who cā assure vsus that these Scriptures came from God: or who can assertaine vsus that they hauehave continued vntounto o…r age safe and vncorrupted: who can perswade vsus, that thys one booke ought to be reuerently receiued, and that other to be stryken out of the number of Scripture, vnlesse the churche did appoint a certaine rule of al these thinges? It hangeth therfore (say they) vponupon the determinaciō of the churche, both what reuerence is due to the Scripture, and what bokes ar to be reckened in the canon therof. So these robbers of gods honor, whyle they seke vnderunder color of the church to bring in an vnbridled tyranny, care nothing with what absurdities they snare both themselues and other, so that they may enforce thys one thyng to be beleued among the symple, that the churche can do al thynges. But if it be so: what shal become of the poore consciences that seke stedfast assuraunce of eternal lyfe, if al the promyses that remayne therof stande and bee stayed onelyonly vponupon the iudgement of men▪ When they receyue such answere, shal they cesse to wauer and tremble? Agayne to what scornes of the vngodly is our faith made subiect? into how great suspicion with al men is it brought, if this be beleued that it hath but as it were a borrowed credit by the fauoure of men?
But such babblers are wel confu…ed euen with one worde of the Apostle. He testifieth that the churche is builded vponupon the foundacion of the Prophetes and Apostles.… If the doctrine of the Prophetes, and Apostles be the fundacion of the church: then muste it nedes be, that the same doctrine stode in stedfast certaintie, before that the churche began to be. Nether can they wel cauil, that although the church take her first beginning therof, yet it remaineth doutful what is to be sayed the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles, vnlesse the iudgemente of the church did declare it. For if the Chrystian church were at the beginning builded vponupon the writinges of the Prophetes and preachyng of the Apostles: wheresoeuer that doctrine shalbe founde, the allowed credyte therof was surely before the churche, without which the churche it selfe had neuer ben. Therefore it is a vaine forged deuise, that the churche hath power to iudge the Scripture, so as the certaintie of the scripture should be thought to hange vponupon the wil of the churche. Wherfore whē the churche doth receiue the Scripture and sealeth it with her consenting testimonie, she doeth not of a thyng doutefull, and that otherwyse should be in controuersy, make it autentike and of credit: but because she acknowledgeth it to be the trueth of her God, accordyng to her dutye of godlinesse without delay she doth honor it. Wheras they demaund, how shal we be perswaded that it came from god, vnlesse we resort to the decree of the churche? Thys is al one as if a man should aske, howe shall we learne to knowe light from darkenesse, white from blacke, or swete from sower. For the Scripture sheweth in it selfe no lesse apparaunte sense of her trueth, than white and blacke thynges do of their color, or swete and sower thinges of their tast.
I knowe that they commonly allege the saying of Augustine, wher he sayeth that he would not beleue the gospel,Contra epist. fū damētale…. ca. … saue that the authoritye of the churche moued hym therto. But how vntruely and cauillouslye it is alleged for such a meaning, by the whole tenor of his writing it is easy to perceiue. He had to do with the Manichees, whiche required to be beleued without gainesaying, when they vaunted that they had the trueth on their side, but proued it not. And to make their Manicheus to be beleued, they pretēded the gospel. Now Augustine asketh them what they would do, if they did light vponupon a man that would not beeleue the gospel it selfe, with what maner of perswasion they would drawe hym to their opinion. Afterwarde he sayeth. I my self would not beleue the gospel. &c. saue that ye authoritie of the church moued me therto. Meaning that he himselfe, when he was a straunger from the fayth, coulde not otherwise be brought to embrace the gospel for the assured trueth of God, but by this that he was ouercome with the authoritie of ye church. And what maruel is it, if a mā not yet knowing Chryste, hauehave regarde to men? Augustine therfore doeth not there teache that the fayth of the godly is grounded vponupon the authoritie of the church, nor meaneth that the certaintie of the gospel doth hang therupon: but simplye and onelyonly, that there should be no assurednesse of the gospel to the infidels, wherby they might be wonne to Chryst, vnlesse the consent of the church did driue them vntounto it. And the same meanyng a litle before he doth plainly confirme in this saying.Contra epist. fu…damē …alē. ca. iii. When I shall praise that which I beleue, and scorne that which thou beleuest, what thīkest thou mete for vsus to iudge or do? but that we forsake such men as first call vsus to come and knowe certaine truethes and after commaunde vsus to beeleue thinges vncertaine: and that we folowe thē that require vsus first to beleue that which we are not yet able to see, that being made strong by beleuing we may atteine to vnderstande the thing that we beleue: not menne nowe, but God himselfe inwardly strengthning and geuing lighte to oure minde. These are the very words of Augustine: wherby eueryevery man may easely gather, that the holy man had not this meaning, to hang the credite that we hauehave to the Scriptures vponupon the wil and awardemente of the churche, but onelyonly to shewe this, (which we our selues also do confesse to be true) that they which are not yet lightened with the spirite of god, are brought by the reuerence of the churche vntounto a willyngnesse to bee taught, so as they can finde in their hartes to learne the faith of Christ by the gospel: and that thus by this meane the authoritie of ye church is an introduction, wherby we are prepared to beleue ye gospel. For, as we see, his minde is that the assuraunce of the godly be staied vponupon a farre other foundacion. Otherwise I do not deny but that he often presseth ye Manichees with the consent of the whole churche, when he seketh to proue the same Scripture which they refused.Contra Faustum lib. xxxii And from hence it came, that he so reproched Faustus for that he did not yelde hymselfe to the trueth of the gospel so grounded▪ so stablished, so gloriously renomed, & from the very time of the Apostles by certaine successions perpetuallye commended. But he neuer trauaileth to this ende, to teach that the authoritie which we acknowledge to be in the Scripture, hangeth vppon the determinacion or decree of men. But onelyonly this, which made much for him in the mater that he disputed of, he bringeth forth the vniuersal iudgemēt of the church, wherein he had the auaūtage of his aduersaries. If any desire a fuller proufe herof, let him reade his boke concernynge the profit of beleuing.Aug. de vtilitate cred. Where he shall finde that there is no other redinesse of beliefe commended vntounto vsus by him, but that which only geueth vsus an entrie, and is vntounto vsus a conuenient beginning to enquire, as he termeth it: and yet not that we ought to rest vponupon bare opinion, but to leane to the certaine and sounde trueth.
We ought to holde, as I before sayd, that the credit of this doctrine, is not established in vsus, vntil such time as we be vndoutedly perswaded that God is the author therof. Therfore the principal profe of ye Scripture is cōmonly taken of the person of God the speaker of it. The Prophetes and Apostles bost not of their own sharpe wit or any such thigs as procure credit to m…n that speake: neither stande they vponupon proues by reason, but they bring forth the holy name of God, therby to compell the whole world to obedience. Now we hauehave to see howe not onelyonly by probable opinion, but by apparant truth it is euidēt, that in this behalfe the name of God is not without cause nor deceitfully pretēded. If then we wil prouide wel for consciences, that they be not continually caryed about with vnstedfast douting, nor many wauer, nor stay at eueryevery small stop, this maner of perswasion must be fetched deper then from either the reasons, iudgementes or the coniectures of men, euen from the secrete testimony of the holy ghoste. True in dede it is, that if we lysted to worke by way of argumētes, many thinges might be alleged that may easily proue, if there be any God in heauen, that the law, the prophecies and the gospell came from hym. Yea although men learned and of depe iudgemente would stande vp to to the contrary, and would employ and shew forth the whole force of their wittes in this disputacion: yet if they be not so hardened as to become desperatly shamelesse, they woulde be compelled to confesse, that there are seen in the Scripture manifest tokens that it is God that speaketh therin: wherby it maye appeare that the doctrine therof is frō heauē. And shortly hereafter we shal se, that al the bokes of the holy Scripture do farre excel al other writinges what soeuer they be. Yea if we bring thether pure eies and vncorrupted senses, we shal forthwith finde there the maiestie of God, which shall subdue al hardnesse of gainesaying and enforce vsus to obey him. But yet they do disorderly, that by disputacion trauaile to establishe the perfecte credit of the Scripture. And truely although I am not furnished with great dexteritie, nor eloquence: yet if I were to contende with ye moste luttle despisers of God, that hauehave a desier to shew themselues wytty and plesaunt in febling the authoritie of Scripture, I trust it should not be harde for me to put to silence their bablinges. And if it … profitable to spende labor in confuting their cauillations, I would with no great businesse shake in sunder the bragges that they mutter in corners. But though a man do deliuer the sounde word of God from the reproches of men, yet that sufficeth not fourthwith to fasten in theyr hartes that assurednesse that godlynesse requireth. Prophane men because they thynke religion standeth onelyonly in opinion, to the ende they woulde beleue nothing fondly or lightly, do couet and require to hauehave it proued to them by reason, that Moises and the Prophetes spake from God. But I answere that the testimonie of the holy ghost is better thā all reason. For as onelyonly God is a conueniente witnesse of hymselfe in hys owne worde, so shal the same worde neuer finde credit in the hartes of men, vntil it be sealed vp with the inwarde witnesse of ye holy ghost. It behoueth therfore of necessitie that the same holy ghost whiche spake by the mouth of the Prophetes, do entre into our hartes to perswade vsus that they faythfully vttered that which was by God commaunded them. And this order is very aptly set fourth by Esay in these words.Esa. li.xvi My spirite which is in thee and the wordes that I hauehave to put in thy mouth and in the mouth of thy sede shal not faile for euer. It greueth some good men, that they hauehave not ready at hande some cleare proufe to allege, when the wicked do without punishment murmure against the worde of God: As though the holy ghost were not for this cause called both a seale and a pledge, because vntill he do lighten mens minds they do alway wauer among many doutinges.
Let this therfore stande for a certainly perswaded trueth, that they whom the holy ghost hath inwardly taught, doe wholy reste vppon the Scripture, and that ye same Scripture is to be credited for it selfsake, & ought not to be made subiect to demonstraciō and reasons: but yet yt the certaintie which it getteth among vsus, it atteineth by the witnesse of the holy ghost. For though by the only maiestie of it selfe it procureth reuerence to be geuen to it: yet then only it throughly perceth our affectiōs, when it is sealed in our hartes by the holy gost. So being lightened by his vertue, we do then beleue, not by our own iudgemēt, or other mēs, yt the Scripture is frō God: but aboue al mans iudgement we holde it most certainly determined, euen as if we behelde the maiestie of God himselfe there present, that by the ministery of men it came to vsus from the very mouth of God. We seke not for argumentes and likelhodes to rest our iudgement vponupon: but as to a thing without al compasse of consideracion, we submit our iudgement and wit vntounto it. And that not in such sort as some are wont sometime hastily to take holde of a thing vnknowen, which after being throughly perceiued displeaseth them: but because we are in our consciences wel assured that we hold an inuincible truth. Neither in such sort, as silly men ar wont to yelde their mynde in thraldom to superstitions: but because we vndoutedly perceiue therin the strength and breathing of the diuine maiestie, wherewith we are drawen and stirred to obey, both wittingly and willingly, and yet more liuely and effectually than mans wil or wit can attaine. And therefore for good cause doth God cry out by Esay, that the Prophetes wyth the whole people do beare him witnesse,Esa. xliii.x because being taughte by the prophecies they did vndoutedly beleue without guile or vncertaintie that God himselfe had spoken. Such therfore is our perswasion, as requireth no reasons: such is our knowledge, as hath a righte good reason to maintaine it, euen such a one, wherin the minde more assuredly and stedfastly resteth than vponupon any reasons: suche is oure feling, as cannot procede but by reuelacion from heauen. I speake nowe of none other thing but that which eueryevery one of the faithful doth by experiēce find in himselfe, sauing that my wordes do much want of a full declaratiō of it. I leaue here many thinges vnspoken, because there wil be els where againe a conuenient place to entreate of this matter. OnelyOnly now let vsus know, that onelyonly that is the true faith which the spirite of God doth seale in our hartes. Yea with this onelyonly reason wil the sobre reder and willing to learne, be contented. Esay promeseth, that al the childrē of the renewed churche shalbe ye scholars of God.Esa. liiii.xiii. A singular priuilege therin doth God vouchsaue to graunt to his elect onelyonly, whom he seuereth from all the rest of mankinde. For what is the beginning of true doctrine, but a redy cherefulnesse to heare the voice of God? But God requireth to be heard by the mouth of Moises, as it is written: say not in thy harte, who shal ascende into heauen, or who shal descende into the depe? the worde is euen in thine own mouth. If it be the pleasure of God that this treasure of vnderstanding be layed vp in store for hys chyldren, it is no marueil nor vnlikely, that in the common multitude of mē is seen such ignoraunce and dullnesse.Deu. xxx.xii. Rom. x.vi Esai. iiii.i The common multitude I call euen the most excellent of them, vntil such time as they be graffed into the bodye of the church. Moreouer Esay geuing warning that the Prophetes doctrine should seme incredible not onelyonly to straungers but also to the Iewes that woulde be accompted of the householde of God, addeth this reason: because the arme of God shall not be reueled to al men. So oft therfore as the smallnesse of nū ber of the beleuers doth trouble vsus, on the other side let vsus call to minde, that none can comprehende the misteries of God but they to whom it is geuen.