The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 12
The .xii. Chapter. ¶ That, to the end we may be fully perswaded of the free iustification, we muste lift vp our mindes to the iudgement scare of God.
ALthough it appereth by most euidēt testimonies, that all these thinges are true, yet we shall not clearely perceiue how necessarie thei be, vntill we hauehave set before our eyes those things that ought to be the groundes of all this disputation. First therfore let vsus remēber this, that we purpose not to speake of the righteousnesse of a worldly iudicial court, but of the heauenly iudgement seate: that we should not measure by our owne small portion, by what vprightnesse of workes Gods iudgemēt maye be satisfied. But it is maruelous to see with what rashnesse and boldnesse it is commonly debated. Yea and it is to be seen howe none doe more boldely or with fuller mouthes (as the sayeng is) prate of the righteousnesse of workes, than they that are either monstruously sicke of open outwarde diseases, or bee ready to burste with inward vices. That commeth to passe bicause they thinke not vponupon the righteousnesse of God, wherof if they had neuer so litle felyng, they wold neuer make so greate a mockerie of it. And truely it is out of measure lightly regarded, whē it is not acknowleged to be such and so perfect that nothyng be imputed vntounto it but eueryevery waye whole and absolute, and defiled with no vncleannesse: suche as neuer was and neuer shal be able to be found in man. It is in deede easy and redy for eueryevery man in Scholes to talke vaynely vponupon the worthynesse of workes to iustifie men. But when they come into the sight of God, such dalliances must auoide, bicause there is earnest doyng vsed, and no triflyng strife about wordes. To this, to this I saye, we must apply our minde, if we will profitably enquire of true righteousnesse, how we maye answere the heauenly iudge when he calleth vsus to accompt. Let vsus thinke him him a to be iudge, not such a one as our owne vnderstandinges do of themselues imagine: but such a one as he is painted out in the Scripture, with whose brightnesse the starres shalbe darkened, by whose strength the hilles do melt away, by whose wrath the earth is shakē, by whose wisedome the wise are takē in their sutteltie, by whose purenesse all thinges are proued vnpure, whose righteousnesse the Angels are not able to beare, whiche maketh the innocent not innocent, whole vengeance when it is ones kindled pearceth to the bottome of hel. If he (I saye) sit to examine mens doynges, whoe shall appere assured before his throne?Esa. xxxiij xiiij. whoe shall dwell with a deuouryng f…er? sayth the Prophet. Whoe shall abide with continuall burninges? he that walketh in righteousnesses & speaketh truth, &c. But let suche a one come forth, what so euer he be. But that answer maketh, that none cōmeth forth. For this terrible sayeng soundeth, to the cōtrarie: Lord if thou marke iniquities,Ps. …xxx.ii… Iob. iiij.xvij. Lord, who shal abide it? truely all must needes immediatly perish, as it is writtē in an other place: Shall man be iustified if he be compared with God, or shall he be purer than his maker? Beholde they that serue him are not faythfull, and he hath found peruersnesse in his Angels. How much more shall they yt dwell in houses of …aye, & that hauehave an earthly fundation, be consumed with mothes? th…y shalbe cut downe from the mornyng to the euenyng.Iob. xv.xv. Beholde among his Saintes there is none faythfull, and the heauens are not …ane in his sight: how much more is man abhominable and vnpro…table, whiche drinketh iniquitie as water? I graunt in deede that in the booke of Iob, is mention made of a righteousnesse that is hyer than the kepyng of the lawe. And it is good to vnderstande this distinction: bicause although a manne did satisfie the lawe, yet he could not so stand to the triall of that righteousnesse that passeth all senses. Therefore although Iob be cleare in his owne conscience, yet he is amased, and not able to speake, bicause he seeth that very angelike holinesse can not appease God, if he exactly weye their workes. But I therfore wil at this time ouerpasse that righteousnesse which I hauehave spoken of, bicause it is incomprehensible: but only this I saye, that yf our life be examined by the rule of the written lawe, we are more than senslesse if so many curses wherewith the Lorde hath willed vsus to be awaked do not torment vsus with horrible feare, and among other this general curse,… xxvii.x…vii. Cursed is eueryevery one that doth not abide in al ye thinges that are written in this boke. Finally al this discourse shalbe but vnsauorie and colde, vnlesse eueryevery mā yelde himself gilty before the heauenly iudge, and willingly throwe downe and abace himselfe, beyng carefull how he may be acquited.
To this, to this I say, we should hauehave lifted vp our eyes, to learne rather to tremble for feare, thā vainely to reioyse. It is in deede easy so long as the cōparison extendeth no further than men, for eueryevery mā to thinke himself to hauehave somwhat which other ought not to despise. But when we rise vp to hauehave respect vntounto God, then sodenly that cō fidence falleth to the ground and commeth to nought. And in the same case altogether is our soule in respect of God, as mans body is in respect of the heauen. For the sight of the eye, so long as it cōtinueth in vewyng things that lie nere vntounto it, doth shew of what pearcing force it is, but if it be ones directed vp to the sunne, then bryng daseled and dulled with the to great brightnesse therof, it feleth no lesse feblenesse of it self in beholding of the sunne, than it perceiued strength in beholdyng inferiour thinges. Therfore let vsus not deceyue our selues with vayne confidence, although we compt our selues eyther egal or superiour to other menne: but that is nothyng to God, by whose will this knowlege is to be tried. But if our wildenesse can not be tamed with these admonitions, he will answer to vsus as he sayd to the Pharisees: you be they that iustifie your selues before men:Luc. xvi.xv. but that which is hie to men is abhominable to God. Now goe thy way and proudely boste of thy righteousnesse among men, while God from heauen abhorreth it. But what say the seruantes of God that are truely instructed with his Spirit?Ps. xliii.ii. Entre not into iudgement with thy seruant, because eueryevery liuing mā shal not be iustified in thy sight. An other sayth, although in somwhat diuerse meanyng.Iob. ix.viij. Man can not be righteous with God: if he will comende with him, he shall not be able to answer one for a thousand. Here we nowe playnely heare what is the righteousnesse of God, euen such as can be satisfied with no workes of men, to whom when it examineth vsus of a thousand offenses, we can not purge our selues of one. Such a righteousnesse had that same chosen instrumēt of God Paule conceyued,i. Cor. iiii.iiij. when he professed that he knewe himselfe gilty in nothyng, but that he was not thereby iustified.
And not only such examples are in the holy Scriptures, but also all godly writers do shewe that they were alwaye of this minde. So Augustine sayth.Ad …. lib. 3. ca. 5. All the godly that grone vnderunder this burden of corruptible flesh, and in this weakenesse of life, hauehave this only hope that we hauehave one mediatour Iesus Christ the righteous, and he is the appeasement for our sinnes. What sayth he? If this be their only hope, where is the confidence of workes? For whē he calleth it only, he leaueth none other.Super cāt. serm. 61. And Bernard sayth. And in deede where is safe and stedfast rest and assurednesse for the weake, but in the woundes of the Sauiour? and so much the surer I dwell therein as he is mightier to saue. The world rageth, the body burdeneth, the deuel lieth in waite I fall not, bicause I am bulded vponupon the sure rocke. I hauehave sinned a greuous sinne my conscience is troubled, but it shall not be ouertrobled, bicause I shall remember the woundes of the Lord. And hereupon afterward he concludeth. Therefore my merite is the Lordes takyng of merciemercy,… psal. qui. habitat sermo. 15. I am not vtterly without merite, so longe as he is not without mercies. But if the mercies of the Lord be many, then I also hauehave as many merites. Shal I sing mine owne righteousnesses. Lord I will remember only thy righteousnesse. For that is also my righteousnesse, for he is made vntounto me righteousnesse of God. Againe in an other place.I… cant. sermo. 13. This is the whole merite of man, if he put his whole hope in him that saueth whole man. Likewise where reteyning peace to him self he leaueth ye glorie to God. To thee (sayth he) let glorie remaine vnminished: it shalbe well with me, if I hauehave peace. I forswere glorie altogether, least if I wrongfully take vponupon me yt whiche is not mine owne, I lose also that whiche is offred me. And more plainely in an other place he sayth: Why should the church be careful of merites, which hath a surer and safer waye to glory vponupon the purpose of God? So there is no cause why thou shouldest aske, by what merites we hope for good things,Eze. xxxvi.xx…j. & xxx… specially when thou hearest in the Prophet, I will doe it, not for your sakes, but for myne owne sake, sayth the lord. It sufficeth for merite, to know that merites suffice not. But as it sufficeth for merit not to presume of merites, so to bee without merites sufficeth to iudgement. Whereas he freely vseth this word Merites for good workes, we must therein beare with the custome. But in the end his purpose was to make Hypocrites afrayde, that wildly range with licentiousnesse of sinnyng agaynst the grace of God. As afterward he expoundeth himself, sayeng: Happy is the Church that neyther wanteth merites without presumption, nor presumption without merites. It hath wherupon to presume, but not merites. It hath merites, but to deserue not to presume. Is not the very not presuming a deseruyng? Therfore it presumeth so much the more boldly, bicause it presumeth not, hauyng large matter to glorie vponupon, euen the many mercies of the Lord.
This is the truthe. The exercised consciences perceyue this to be the only sanctuarie of safetie, wherein they may safely rest themselues when they hauehave to do with the iudgement of God. For if the Starres that semed moste bright in the night season, doe loose their brightnesse with sight of the sunne, what thinke we shall become euē of the rarest innocencie of man, when it shalbe cōpared with the purenesse of God? For that shalbe a most seuere examination, that shall pearce into the most hidden thoughtes of the heart,i. Cor. iiij… ii. and (as Paule sayth) shall reuele the secretes of darknesses, and disclose the hidden things of the heart, whiche shal compell the lurking and vnwillyng conscience to vtter al thinges that now are fallen out of remembrance. The Deuell our accuser will presse vsus, whiche is priuie to all the wicked deedes that he hath moued vsus to doe. There the outward pompous shewes of good workes which now only are estemed, shal nothing profit vsus. Only the purenesse of will shalbe required. Wherefore the Hypocrisie, not only wherby eueryevery mā knowyng himself gilty before God desireth to boste himself before men, but also wherwith eueryevery man deceiueth himselfe before God (as we be al inclined to stroke & flatter our selues) shal fal downe confounded, howsoeuer it now be proude with more than drō ken …oldnesse. They yt bend not their wit to such a sight, maye in deede for a short time swetely & pleasantly frame a righteousnesse to themselues, but it is such a righteousnesse as shalbe by & by shaken awaye frō them at the iudgement of God: like as great richesse heaped vp in a dreame do vanish away frō men when thei awake. But they that shal earnestly as it were in the sight of God, enquire of the true rule of righteousnesse, shal certainly finde that al the workes of mē, if they be iudged by their owne worthinesse, are nothing but defilinges & filthinesse: that y• which amōg the cōmon people is accōpted righteousnesse, is before God mere wickednesse: that that whiche is iudged puritie, is vnclennesse: that that whiche is reckened glorie, is but shame.
From this beholding of the perfection of God, let it not greue vsus to descend to loke vponupon our selues without flatterie or blinde affectiō of louelove. For it is no maruel if we be al so blinde in this behalf, for as much as none of vsus doth beware of the pestilent tendernesse toward himself, which (as ye Scripture crieth out) naturally sticketh fast in vsus all. To eueryevery man (sayth Salomon) his owne way is right in his own eyes.P…o. …xi.ij …xvi.ij. Againe. Al the wayes of mā seme cleane in his owne eyes. But what▪ Is he acquited by this blindnesse? No. But (as he further sayth in the same place) the lord weyeth y• heartes, that is to say, while man flattereth himself by reason of the outward visore of righteousnesse that he beareth in resemblance, in ye meane time the lord with his balāce examineth y• hidden vnclennesse of the heart. Therfore sith we so nothing profit with such flatteries, let vsus not wilfully mocke our selues to our owne destructiō. But that we may trie our selues rightly, we must necessarily cal back our cōscience to the iudgement seate of God. For we do altogether neede his light to disclose ye secret foldinges of our peruersnesse, which otherwise lie to depely hidden. For then, and neuer til then, we shal clerely perceiue what is meant hereby: that man beyng rottennesse & a worme,Iob. xv.x…. Iob. xiiij.iiij. Iob. ix.xx abhominable & vaine, which drinketh wickednesse as water is far from being iustified before God. For whoe shuld make yt cleane that is cōceiued of vncleane seede? not one mā. Thē shal we also finde yt by experience, which Iob sayd of himself: If I wil goe about to shew my self innocent, mine own mouth shal condēne me: if I will shewe my selfe righteous, it wil proue me wicked. For that is not meant of one age only,Esa. iiii.vi but of al ages, whiche the Prophet in old time complayned of Israel, that all went astraye like shepe, that eueryevery one turned aside to his owne way. For he there cōprehendeth all them, to whom the grace of redemption should come. And the rigorousnesse of this examinatiō ought to procede so far, till it subdue vsus, so that we be fully throwen downe withall, and by that meane prepare vsus to receiue the grace of Christ. For he is deceyued that thinketh himselfe able to receyue the enioyeng of this grace, vntill he hauehave first throwē downe all hawtinesse of minde.i. Pet. v.…. This is a knowen sayeng: that God confoundeth the proude, and geueth grace to the humble.
But what way is there to humble our selues, but that we beyng altogether needy & empty, should geue place to the merciemercy of God? For I do not call it humblenesse, if we thinke that we hauehave any thing remayning with vsus. And hetherto they hauehave taught a very hurteful hypocrisie, that hauehave ioyned these two thinges together, that we muste thinke humbly of our selues before God, and that we must make some accōpt of our owne righteousnesse. For if we confesse to God contrarie to our owne thinking, we do wickedly lie vntounto him: but we can not thinke as we ought, but that by and by all that semeth glorious in vsus must be troden vnderunder foote.Ps. …. Therfore whē thou hearest in ye Prophet, that there is prepared saluation for the humble people, and abacemēt for the eyes of the wicked: First thinke, that there is no entrie open to saluation, vntil thou hauehave layed away all pride & taken to thee perfect humblenesse: then, that the same hūblenesse is not a certaine modestie whereby thou geuest ouer to the Lorde a heare bredth of thine owne right, as they are called hūble before men that do neither presumptuously aduaunce themselues, nor reprochefully triumph ouer other, although thei stād vpō some estimation of their owne excellence: but an vnfained submission of a minde throwen downe wt feling of his owne miserie & nedinesse. For it is so eche where described in ye word of God. When the lord sayth thus in Zephanias:Zepha. l… xi. I wil take away out thee him that outragiously reioyseth, & I wil leaue in the middes of thee ye afflicted man, & the poore man, & thei shal trust in the lord: doth he not there plainely shewe whoe be humble? euen they that lie afflicted with knowledge of their owne pouertie. On the other side he calleth the proude, outragious reioysers, bicause mē ioyeng in prosperitie ar wōt to reioyse without measure. But to the hūble whom he purposeth to saue, he leaueth nothing but to trust in ye Lord. And likewise it is sayd in Esaye:Esa. lxvi.ij. Esa. lvii.xv. Whome shal I looke vntounto, but to the poore & contrite in spirit, & him that feareth my wordes? Againe: The hie and excellent, that inhabiteth eternitie, his name is holy, that dwelleth on hye, and in the holy place, and with the contrite and humble spirit, to quicken the spirit of the humble and the heart of contrite. When thou so oft hearest the name of contrition, vnderstand thereby the wound of the heart, that suffreth not a man throwen downe on the ground to ryse agayne. With such contrition ought thy heart to be wounded, if thou wilt accordyng to the sayeng of God be aduaunced with the humble. If that be not done, thou shalt be brought lowe with the mighty hāde of God to thy shame and disgracement.
And our beste Schoolemaister thinking it not enough to shewe it out in wordes, hath also set out vntounto vsus in a parable the image of true humilitie as in a painted table.Luc. xixij▪ xiij. For he bryngeth forth a Publicane that standyng a far of, not daryng to lifte vp his eyes to heauē, with much knocking his brest prayeth in this wise: Lord be mercifull to me a sinner. Let vsus not thinke these to be tokens of fayned modestie, that he dare not loke vp to heauen, nor to come nerer, that with knockynge his brest he confesseth himselfe a sinner: but let vsus know that they bee testimonies of inward affection. On the other side he setteth the Pharisee, whiche thanketh God that he is not of the common sorte of men, eyther an oppresser, or an vnrighteous man, or an adulterer, bycause he fasted twyse on the Sabbat, and gaue tithes of all that he possessed. He do the wyth open confession acknoweledge that the righteousnesse which he hath is the gift of God: but bycause he standeth in confidence that he is righteous, he departeth from God vnfauored and in hatred. The Publicane by acknowledgyng of his owne wickednesse is iustified. Hereby we may se, how great is ye estimatiō of our hūbling vsus before God: so that the heart can not be open to receiue his merciemercy, vnlesse it be first voide of al opinion of his owne worthinesse. When this opinion hath possessed the place, it shutteth vp the way for Gods merciemercy to entre. And that no man should doubte herof, Christ was sent of his father into the earth with this cōmissiō, to bryng glad tidinges to the poore,Esa. lxi.i. to heale the contrite in heart, to preache libertie to the captiue, & deliuerance to them that were shut vp in pryson, and to cōfort them that mourne: to geue them glorie for ashes,Matt. x….xxviij. Matt. ix.xiij. oyle for mournyng, the robe of prayse for the spirit of sorrowe. According to this cōmission, he calleth none but them that labour and are lodē to take part of his liberalitie. And in an other place he sayth: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
Therfore if we will geue place to the callyng of Christ, let all arrogancie & carelesnesse depart far awaye from vsus. Arrogancie groweth of a foolish persuasion of our owne righteousnesse, when a man thinketh himself to hauehave somwhat, by the deseruing wherof he may be cō mended before God, carelesnesse may be euen without any persuasion of workes. For many sinners, bicause beyng drōke with swetenesse of vices they think not vpō the iudgement of God, lie as it were senslesly amased with a disease of drousinesse, yt they aspire not to the merciemercy offred them. But we must no lesse shake of such dull sluggishnesse, than we must caste away all vaine confidence of our selues, that we maye without encombrance hasten to Christ, that we beyng empty & hungry may be filled with his good thinges. For we shal neuer sufficiētly hauehave trust in him, vnlesse we vtterly distrust of our selues, we shall neuer sufficiētly raise vp our courages in him, vnlesse thei be first throwē downe in our selues. We shal neuer sufficiētly hauehave consolatiō in him, vnlesse we be first desolate in our selues. Therfore we be then mete to take hold of & obteyne the fauour of God, casting away al trust of our selues, but trusting vponupon the only assurednesse of his goodnesse, when (as Augustine sayth) forgettyng our owne deseruinges,De uerbis apest. ca. 8. we embrace the giftes of Christ. Bicause if he sought deseruinges in vsus, we should not come to his giftes.Serm. 15. in cant. Wherewith Bernard very well accordeth, cō paryng proude men to vnfaythful seruantes, that arrogantly clayme any thyng be it neuer so litle to their owne deseruinges: bicause they do wrongfully kepe to themselues the prayse of grace passyng by thē, as if a wall would saye that it bryngeth forth the sunbeame whiche it receyueth through a window. But, not to tary longer herevpon, let vsus take a short but a generall and sure rule, that he is prepared to take parte of the frutes of Gods merciemercy, that hath vtterly emptied himselfe, I will not saye of righteousnesse, whiche is none at all, but of the vayne and windye image of righteousnesse. Bicause eueryevery man so much hindereth his receiuing of the liberalitie of God as he resteth in himself.