The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2 · Chapter 6
The sixte Chapter. ¶ That manne beyng loste, must seke for redemption in Christ.
SIthe all mankinde hath perisshed in the persone of Adam, that excellence and nobilitie of beginnyng which we hauehave spokē of would so litle profit vsus, that it wold rather turne to our greater shame, till God appere the redemer in the person of his only begotten Sonne, which acknowlegeth not men defiled and corrupted with sinne to be his worke. Therefore sithe we are fallen from life into death, al that knowledge of God the creatour wherof we hauehave entreated, were vnprofitable, vnlesse there folowed also faith setting forth God a father vntounto vsus in Christ. Truely this was the natural order that the frame of the world should be a Schoole vntounto vsus to learne godlinesse, from whense might be made a passage for vsus to eternall life & perfect felicite: but sins our falling away, whether so euer we turne our eyes, vpward & downeward, the curse of God still presenteth it self vntounto our sight, whiche while it possesseth & enwrappeth innocent creatures by our fault, muste needes ouerwhelme our owne soules with desperation. For although Gods wil is that his fatherly fauor toward vsus do stil many wayes appere: yet by beholding of the world we cānot gather that he is our Father when our conscience inwardly pricketh vsus, and sheweth that there is in sinne iuste cause of forsaking, why God should not accōpt or recken vsus for his children. Byside that there is in vsus both slouthfulnesse and vnthankefulnesse: bicause both our mindes, as they be blinded, do not see the truthe, and also as all our senses be peruerse, we maliciously defraude God of his glorie. Therefore we muste come to that sayeng of Paule:i. Cor. i.xx…. bicause in the wisedome of God, the world knewe not God by wisedome, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preachyng to saue them that beleue. The wisedome of God he calleth this honorable stage of heauen and earth, furnished with innumerable miracles, by beholdyng whereof we ought wisely to hauehave knowen God. But bicuase we so ill profited therein, he calleth vsus backe to the fayth of Christ, whiche for that it semeth foolish, the vnbeleuers doe disdayne. Wherfore although the preaching of the crosse do not agree with mās witte, yet ought we humbly to embrace it, if we desire to returne to God our creatour and maker, that he maye beginne agayne to be our father. Truely sins the fall of the first manne, no knoweledge of God auayled to saluation,Ioh. xvii.iii. without the Mediatour. For Christe speaketh not of his owne age only, but comprehendeth all ages, when he sayth that this is the eternal life, to know the father the one true God, and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. And so much the fowler is their sluggishnesse, which take vponupon them to set open heauē to all prophane & vnbeleuing men, without his grace whō, the Scripture eche where teacheth to be the only gate whereby we entre into saluation. But yf any wil restraine that sayeng of Christ only to the publishing of the Gospel, we hauehave in redinesse wherwith to confute him. For this hath ben a cōmon sentence in all ages and among al nations, that without reconciliatiō they that are enstranged from God & prononced, accursed & the children of wrath, can not please God. And here maye be also alleged yt which Christ answered to the woman of Samaria:Iohn. …iii.xx…. Ye worship what ye know not, but we worship that which we know: bicause the saluatiō is frō the Iewes. In which wordes he both condēneth of falshod all the religions of the Gentiles, and also assigneth a reason why, for that the Redemer was promised vnderunder the lawe to the only chosen people. Whereupon it foloweth, that no worship euer pleased God,Ehp. i….x…i but that whiche had respect vntounto Christ. For whiche cause also Paule affirmeth yt al the nations of the Gentiles were without God, and voide of the hope of life. Nowe whereas Iohn teacheth, that life was from the beginnyng in Christ, and that all the worlde fell from it, we muste nedes returne to the same fountayne Christ. And therefore Christ, in so much as he is the reconciler, affirmeth him selfe to be the life. And truely the inheritance of heauen belongeth to none, but to the children of God. But it is not mete that they be accompted in the place and degree of children, that are not grafted into the body of the only begotten sonne. And Iohn plainely testifieth, that they which beleue in his name, are made the children of God. But bycause it is not directly my purpose yet to discourse of faith in Christ, therefore it shall for this time be sufficient to hauehave touched it by the waye.
And therefore God neuer shewed him selfe mercifull to the olde people, nor euer did put them in any hope of grace without the Mediatour. I omit to speake of the sacrifices of the lawe, wherein the faythfull were openly and plainely taught, that saluation is no where els to be sought, but in the cleansing which was performed by Christ alone. Only this I saye, that the blessed and happy state of the church hath ben alwaye grounded vponupon the persone of Christ. For though God comprehended all the issue of Abraham in his couenant, yet doth Paule wisely reason,Gal. iii.xvi. that Christ is proprely that seede in whome all nations were to be blessed, for asmuch as we knowe that not all they were reckened his seede that were begotten of him accordyng to the flesh. For (to speake nothing of Ismael & other) howe came it to passe that of the two sonnes of Isaac, that is Esau and Iacob, brethren borne at one birth, while they were yet together in their mothers wombe, the one was chosen, the other refused? Yea howe came it to passe, that the elder was reiected and the yōger only toke place? And howe also came it to passe, that the greater parte should be forsaken? It apppereth therefore, that the seede of Abraham was principally reckened in one persone, and that the promised saluation did neuer stande sure till it came to Christe, whose office is to gather together the thinges that were scattred abrode. Therefore the firste adoption of the chosen people did hange vponupon the grace of the Mediatour. Whiche though it be not in so playne woordes expressed by Moses, yet it sufficiently appereth that it was commonly knowen to all the godly. For before that there was any kyng create amonge the people, Hanna the mother of Samuel entreating of the felicitie of the godly,i. Sam. ….x. euen then sayed thus in her song: God shal geue strength to his king, and shall exalt the horne of his anointed. In whych wordes the meaneth that God shal blesse his church. Wherewith also agreeth the oracle that is within a little after adioyned: The Priest whome I shall apoint shal walke before myn anoynted. Neither is it to be doubted, but that the will of the heauenly father was to hauehave the liuely image of Christ to be seene in Dauid and his posteritie.Ps. i….x…. Therefore meanyng to exhorte the godly to the feare of God, he biddeth them to kisse the Sonne.Iohn. v.xxi…. Wherewith this sayeng of the Gospel also agreeth: He that honoreth not the sonne, honoreth not the father. Therefore although by fallyng awaye of ten tribes the kingdome decayed: yet it behoued the couenant to stande whiche God had made in Dauid and his successors:i. Reg. xi.….xi….xxii…. as also he sayde by the Prophetes: I will not altogether cut of the kingdome, for Dauid my seruauntes sake, and for Hierusalems sake, whome I hauehave chosen: but there shall remayne one tribe to thy sonne Where the same thing is repeted the second and thirde time. It is also expresly added.i. Kings xi.xxxix. i. Kings. xv iii…. i. Kings. xi xxxiiij. I will afflict the seede of Dauid, but not for euer. Within a litle space of time after, it is sayd. For Dauid his seruantes sake God hath geuē a light in Hierusalem, to rayse vp a sonne and to kepe Hierusalem in sauetie. Now when the state grew toward destruction, it was said agayne: God would not scatter Iuda for Dauid his seruauntes sake, bycause he had spoken that he would geue a light to him and his sonnes for euer. Finally this is the summe, that all other beyng passed ouer, only Dauid was chosen, vponupon whome the good pleasure of God should rest.Ps. lxxviij lx.lxvij. As in an other place it is sayd: He hath refused the tabernacle of Silo, and the tabernacle of Ioseph, & he hath not chosen the tribe of Ephraim, but he hath chosen the tribe of Iuda, the mount Sion whiche he hath loued. He hath chosen his seruant Dauid to fede Iacob his people, and Israell his inheritance. To cōclude, it pleased God so to saue his church, that the safetie and preseruation thereof should hange vponupon that one hed, and therefore Dauid crieth out, The Lord the strength of his people, the strength of the saluations of his Christ. And by & by he addeth a prayer: Saue thy people and blesse thine inheritaunce: meanyng that the state of the church is with vnseparable knot ioyned to the gouernement of Christ. And in ye same meaning in an other place:Psa. xx.x. Lord saue vsus: Let the king heare vsus in the daye that we shall call vponupon him. In whiche wordes he plainely teacheth, that the faithfull did vponupon none other confidence flee to the helpe of God, but bycause they were hidden vnderunder the succour of the king.Ps. c. xviij.xxv.xxvi. Whiche is gathered by an other Psalme. Lord saue vsus: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lorde. Where it is playne enough, that the faithfull are called backe vntounto Christe, that they maye hope that they shalbe saued by the hand of God. The same respect hath the other prayer, where all the Churche calleth vponupon the merciemercy of God.Psal. lxxx.xviii. Let thy hand be vponupon the man of thy right hande, vpō the sonne of man, whom thou hast preserued (or apointed, to thy self. For though the authour of the Psalme bewaileth the scattring abrode of the whole people, yet he prayeth for their restitutiō in the hed alone. Where, when the people was led awaye into exile, the lande wasted, and all thinges to mans seruyng destroyed,Lamēt. 4.20 Hieremie lamenteth the ouerthrowe of the Church, he doth principally complaine that by destruction of the kingdome al hope was cut of from the faithful. Christ (sayth he) the spirite of our mouth is taken in our sinnes, to whome we sayd, In thy shadow we shal liue among the nations. Herby now it sufficiently appereth, that bicause God can not be mercifull to mankinde without the Mediatour, therefore Christe was alwaye set before the holy fathers in time of the lawe, to whome they might direct their fayth.
Now, where comfort is promised in affliction, specially where the deliueraunce of the Church is described, there the banner of affiance and hope is auaunced in Christ alone. God went out to the sauyng of his people with his Messiah,Hab. ii….xii…. sayth Habacuc. And so ofte as the Prophetes make mention of the restoryng of the Church, they call backe the people to the promise made to Dauid, concernyng the euerlasting continuaunce of the kyngdome. And no maruell. For otherwise there had ben no assurance of the couenant. For whiche purpose serueth that notable aunswere of Esaye. For when he sawe that the vnbeleuyng kyng Achaz refused that whiche he had declared to him of the raysing of the siege of Hierusalem and of present safetie, as it were sodenly, he passed ouer to Messias.Esa. vij.xiiij. Beholde a virgin shall conceyue and brynge forth a Sonne, meanyng indirectly that though the king and his people by their frowardenesse refused the promise offred vntounto them, as though they dyd of purpose bende themselues to discredite the truthe of God, yet the couenant should not be voyde, but that the Redemer shoulde come at his apoynted tyme. Finally it was the care of all the Prophetes, to the ende they might shewe that God would be merci…ull, alwaye to set out that kingedome of Dauid, whereupon hanged the redemption and euerlastyng saluation.Esa. lv.iij. So Esaie saith: I will make a couenant with you, the faythfull mercies of Dauid. Beholde I hauehave geuen him for a witnesse vntounto nations, that is, bycause the faythfull when their state is at the worste, coulde not otherwise hauehave any hope, but by the meanes of him beyng witnesse, that God would be appeasable toward them.Hier. xxix.vi. Likewise Hieremie, to raise them vp beyng in despeire, sayth: Beholde the dayes come, wherein I will rayse vp vntounto Dauid a righteous branche, and then shall Iuda be saued,Eze. xxxiiij xxiij. and Israell shal dwell in safetie. And Ezechiel sayth, I wil rayse vp one shepeherd ouer my shepe, euen Dauid my seruant. I the Lorde will be a God to them, and my seruaunt Dauid for a shepeherd. And I will make a couenaunt of peace with them. Also man other place,Eze. xxxvij xxv. after he had entreated of the incredible reneweyng, he sayeth: my seruaunt Dauid shalbe their Kynge, and there shalbe one shepeherd ouer all, and I will make an euerlastynge couenaunt of peace with them. I gather here and there a fewe places out of many, bycause I onelyonly meane to hauehave the reders put in mynde, that the hope of all the godly hath alwaye ben reposed no where els but in Christe. And all the other Prophetes also speake agreably hereunto, as it is sayde in Osee.Osee. i.xij. The children of Iuda and the children of Israell shalbe gathered together, and shall apoynt to themselues one hed. Whiche he afterwarde more plainely expoundeth,Ose. iij.v. The children of Israel shall returne, and shal seke for the Lord their God and Dauid their king. And Michee speaking of the returne of the people expresly sayeth, The king shal goe before them, and the Lord in their hed. So Amos meanyng to prayse the renewyng of the people,Amos. ix.xi. sayth: I will in that daye rayse vp the tabernacle of Dauid that is fallen downe, & I will hedge vp the gappes, and rayse vp the places ouerthrowen, euen bicause that was the only standard of saluatiō, to hauehave the royal glory to rise vp againe on hie in the stock of Dauid, whiche is fulfilled in Christ.Zac. ix.ix. Therefore Zacharie, as his age was nerer to the appering of Christe, so dothe he more plainely crie out: be glad thou doughter of Sion, reioyse thou doughter of Hierusalē. Beholde thy king cometh, righteous and saued. Which agreeth wt the place of the Psalme before alleged. The lord the strength of the saluations of his anoynted, and saue vsus. Where saluation is deriued from the hed to the whole body.
It was Gods wil to hauehave the Iewes so instructed with these prophecies, that to seke for their deliuerance, they should bende their eyes directly to Christ. And though they had shamefully swarued, yet could not the remembrance of that general principle be abolished, that God by the hand of Christ, as he had promised to Dauid, would be the deliuerer of his church, and so the couenant shoulde be of his owne free graunt, wherby God had adopted his chosen, Hereby it came to passe, that this song sounded in the mouth of the children when Christe a litle before his death entred into Hierusalem,Mat. xxi, ix. Hosianna to the sonne of Dauid. For it appereth that it was cōmonly knowen and spoken of, and accordyng to common vse that they songe, that the only pledge of Gods merciemercy remayned vntounto them, in the comyng of the Redemer. For his cause Christ him self,Ioh. xiiij.i to make his disciples plainely and perfectly beleue in God, biddeth them to beleue on him self, Beleue ye in God, (sayth he) then beleue also in me. For though (to speake properly) fayth climeth vp from Christ to the father, yet he meaneth that the same faith, albeit it reste vpō God, doth by litle and litle vanish away, vnlesse he become a meane to holde it in assured stedfastnesse. Otherwise the maiestie of God is to hie for mortall menne, whiche crepe vponupon the ground like wormes, to atteine vntounto it. Wherefore I allowe that common sayeng, that God is the obiecte of fayth, but in such sorte that it nedeth correction. Bycause Christ is not in vaine called the inuisible Image of God,Colo, i.xv. but by this title we are put in minde, that yf we finde not God in Christ, saluation can not be knowē vntounto vsus. For although among the Iewes, the Scribes and Pharisees had darkened with false inuentions, that which the Prophetes had spoken concernyng the Redemer: yet Christ toke it for a thing confessed as receiued by common consent, that there was none other remedie, despered case, and no other meane of deliueryng the church, but by geuyng the Mediatour. In deede that was not commonly knowen amonge the people as it ought to hauehave ben,Ro, x, iiij, whiche Paule teacheth, that Christ is the ende of the lawe. But howe true and assured it is, doth plainely appere by the lawe and the Prophetes. I speake not yet of fayth, bicause there shalbe els where a more conuenient place for it. Only let the reders holde this as faste stablished, that the firste degree of godlinesse be, to acknoweledge God to be a Father vntounto vsus, to defende, gouerne and cherishe vsus, till he gather vsus together into the euerlastyng inheritaunce of his kingedome: and that hereby it plainely appereth which we sayde euen nowe, that the knowledge of God which bringeth saluation, standeth not without Christ, and that therefore from the beginnyng he hath ben set forth vntounto al the elect, that they should loke vponupon him, and that in him should rest al their affiance. According to this meanyng writeth Ireneus, that the Father whiche is vnmesurable, is in his Sonne measured, bycause he hath applied him selfe to the measure of our capacitie, least he shuld drowne our mindes with the vnmeasurablenesse of his glory. Whiche thing the phrentike men not consideryng, do wrest a profitable sentence to a wicked fantasie, as though there were in Christ but a portion of the godhed deriued from the whole perfection:i. Iohn. ij, xxxi, whereas it meaneth nothing els, but that God is cōprehēded in Christ alone. That sayeug of Iohn hath alway ben true: He that hath not the Sonne, neither hath he the father. For though in old time many did boste that thei worshipped the soueraigne God, the maker of heauen and earth: yet bicause they had no Mediatour, it was impossible that they should truely taste of the merciemercy of God, and so be persuaded that he was their father. Therefore bicause they knew not the head that is Christ, ye knowledge of God was but vayne among them: wherby also it came to passe, that at length falling into grosse & filthy superstitions, they bewrayed their owne ignorāce. As at this day the Turkes, although they report with ful mouth, that the creatour of heauen and earth is their God, yet doe they thrust an idole in place of the true God, while they swarue from Christ.