The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1 · Chapter 9
¶The .ix. Chapter. ¶That those fanaticall men, which forsakyng scripture, resort vntounto reuelation, doo ouerthrowe all the principles of godlynesse.
NOwe they that forsaking the Scripture doo imagine I wote not what waie to attayne vntounto God, are to bee thought not so muche to be holden with errour, as to be caried with rage. For there hauehave arisen of late certain giddy brained men, whiche moste presumptuously pretendyng a schoole of the spirite, bothe them selues doo forsake all readyng, and also doo scorne their simplicitie whiche still folowe the dead and slaying letter, as they call it. But I would fayne knowe of these men, what spirite that is, by whose inspiration they are caried vp so hye, that they dare despise the doctrine of the scripture as chyldishe and base. For yf they answere that it is the spirite of Christ, then suche carelesnesse is woorthye to bee laughed at. For I thynke they will graunte, that the Apostles of Christe and other faithfull in the primitiue churche were lightned with none other spirite. But none of them dyd learne of that spirite to despise the worde of God: but rather eueryevery one was moued more to reuerence it, as their writynges doo most playnly witnesse.Esa. iix.xxi. And surely so was it foretold by the mouthe of Esaie. For where he saythe, My spirite that is vppon thee, and my woordes whyche I hauehave putte in thy mouthe, shall not departe oute of thy mouthe, nor oute of the mouthe of thy seede for euer: he dooth not bynde the olde people to the outwarde doctrine as thoughe they were sette to learne to spelle, but rather he teacheth, that this shal be the true and perfecte felicitie of the newe churche vnderunder the reigne of Christe, that it shall no lesse be ledde by the voyce of God, than by the spirite of god. Wherby we gather, that these lewde menne with wycked sacrilege dooe seuer asunder those thynges that the Prophete hathe ioyned with an inuiolable knotte. Moreouer, Paule beeynge rauysshed vp into the thyrde heauen, yet ceassed not to goe forwarde in the doctrine of the law and the Prophetes, euen so as he exhorteth Timothe, a doctour of singular excellence to apply readyng.i. tim. iiii.xiii. And worthie is that commendation to be remembred, wherwith he setteth foorthe the scripture, sayeng,ii. tim. iii.xvi. that it is profytable to teache, to admonysshe and to reproue, that the seruantes of God maye bee made perfecte. Howe dyuelyshe a madnesse is it to fayne, that the vse of scripture is but transitorye, and lasteth but for a whyle, whiche in dede guydeth the chyldren of God euen to the laste ende? Agayne, I woulde hauehave them answere me this: whether they hauehave tasted of an other spirite than that, whiche the Lord promysed to his disciples▪ Althoughe they be vexed with extreme madnesse, yet I thynke they are not caryed with suche gyddinesse, that they dare so boast. But what maner of spirite dyd he speake of in his promise? euen that spirite whiche shoulde not speake of it selfe, but shulde mynister and inspire into their myndes those thynges whyche he the Lorde hymselfe hadde taught by his woorde.Iohn. xvi.xiii. It is not therfore the office of the spirite whyche is promised vsus, to fayne newe and vnhearde of reuelations, or to coyne a newe kynde of doctrine, wherby we shuld be led from the receiued doctrine of the gospell, but to seale in our mindes the selfe same doctrine that is commended vntounto vsus by the gospell.
Wherby we playnly vnderstand, that we ought right studiously to apply the redyng & hearyng of the scripture, if we list to take any vse and fruite of the spirite of God.…i. pete. i.x. As also Peter praiseth their diligence that are hedefull to the doctrine of the Prophetes, which yet myght seme to hauehave geuen place after the risyng of the light of the gospell. On the other syde yf any spirite leauynge the wysedome of the worde of God doth thrust vntounto vsus an other doctrine, that the same spirite ought rightfully to be suspected of vanitie and lyenge. For what? when Sathan transformeth hymselfe into …n aungell of lyght, what credite shall the holy ghoste hauehave among vsus, if it be not seuerally knowen by some assured marke? And truely it hath been playnly poynted oute vntounto vsus by the woorde of the Lorde, but that these miserable men doo wyllyngly couete to erre to their owne destruction, while thei seeke a spirite rather from them selues than from him. But (say they) it is dishonorable, that the spirite of God, whom all thynges ought to obey, should be subiect to the scripture. As if this were a dishonour to the holy ghost to be eueryevery where egall and lyke to it selfe, to agree with it self in all thynges, and no where to varye. In deede if it were to be tried by the rule either of men, or of angels, or any others rule whatsoeuer, then it myght well be thought, that it were brought into obedience, or if ye lyst so to terme it, into bondage. But when it is compared with it selfe, when it is consydered in it selfe, who canne therfore say, that there is any wrong doone vntounto it? But thus it is brought to tryall. I graunte, but suche a triall wherewith it was his owne pleasure to hauehave his maiestie established. It ought to content vsus so soone as he entreth into vsus. But lest vnderunder his name the spirite of Sathan shoulde creepe in, he wylle hauehave vsus to knowe hym by that image of hym selfe, whyche he hathe printed in the scriptures. He is the authour of the scriptures: he can not be dyuers and vnlyke hym selfe. Therefore it muste needes bee, that he contynually remayne suche as he hathe shewed hym selfe therein. This is no dishonor vntounto him, vnlesse perhappe we count it honorable to swarue and goe out of kinde from himselfe.
Wheras they cauil yt we rest vponupon ye letter yt sleieth, herein they suffer punishment for despising of the Scripture.ii. Cor. iii.vi. For it is plain enough that Paule there contendeth against the false Apostles, which commending the law without Christ did cal away the people from the benefite of the new testament, wherin the Lord doth couenant that he will graue his law within the bowels of the faithful, and write it in their hartes. The letter therfore is dead, and the law of the Lord killeth the readers of it, when it is seuered from the grace of Christ, and, not touching ye heart, only soundeth in the eares. But if it be effectually printed in our hartes by the holy gost, if it present Christ vntounto vsus: then is it the worde of life, conuerting soules,ii. cor. iii▪ viii. geuing wisedome to little ones. &c. Also in the same place the Apostle calleth his preaching the ministerie of the holy ghost: meaning that ye holy ghost doth so sticke fast in his truth which he hath expressed in the scriptures, that then only he putteth forth and displaieth his force, when the Scripture hath her due reuerence and dignitie. And it disagreeth not here with which I before said, that the woorde it selfe is not much assured vntounto vsus, vnlesse it be cōfirmed by the witnesse of the holy ghost. For with a certain mutuall knot the Lorde hath coupled together the assuraunce of his worde and of his spirite, so that perfecte reuerence to the worde doth then settle in our mindes when the holy ghost shineth vponupon vsus to make vsus therin beholde the face of God: and on the other side without al feare of being deceiued we do embrace the holy ghost when we reknowledge him in his own image, that is in his worde. Thus it is vndoutedly: God brought not abrode his worde among men for a sodeine shewe, meaning at the comming of his spirit by and by to take it away againe, but he after sent the same spirite with whose power he had distributed his word, to make an end of his worke with effectual confirmacion of his worde.Lu. xxiiii xxvii. In this sorte Christe opened the mindes of the two disciples. not that they shold cast away ye Scriptures and waxe wise of themselues, but that they should vnderstand the Scriptures. Likewise Paule when he exhorteth the Thessaloniās not to extinguishe the spirite,i. the. v.xix doth not carry them vp on hie to vaine speculations without the worde, but by and by saith further, that prophecies are not to be despised: wherby without dout is meant, that the lighte of the spirite is choked vp so sone as prophecies come to be despised. What say these proudely swelling mē, rauished with the spirit, to these things, which recken this onelyonly to be an excellent illumination, when carelesly forsaking and saying farewel to the word of God, they both boldly and rashly do take holde of al that they hauehave cōceiued in their slepe. Truely a farre other sobrietie becommeth the children of God: whiche as they see that without the spirite of God they are voide of al light of trueth, so do they knowe that the worde is the instrumente wherwith the Lorde distributeth to the faithfull the light of his spirite. For they know none other spirite but that which dwelte and spake in the Apostles, by whose oracles they are continually called to the hearyng of the worde.