Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 3
The thirde booke entreateth of the manner howe to receiue the grace of Chriſte, and what profite doeth growe vntounto vsus, and what effectes thereof.
The Argument.
THE principall places which hee entreateth of in this booke are ſeuen: all which notwithſtanding after a ſort, yet the chiefeſt part clearely doe belong to the entreating of faith. And firſt hee ſheweth howe it commeth to paſſe, that thoſe thinges profite vsus which are ſpoken of Chriſt, that is to ſay, not by our owne power, but by the ſecret and ſpeciall working of the ſpirite, Chapter firſt. Moreouer becauſe the ſpirite worketh this good onelyonly, by no other meanes then by faith, hee ioyneth a iuſt entreatie of faith, Chapter 2. Thirdly, to the intent that this holſome faith may the better bee made knowne, ſhewing what fruite doeth neceſſarily come thereof, hee proueth that true repentance doeth alwayes proceede from it, and reaſoneth much thereof, from the thirde to the tenth. Firſt, entreating generally of repentance, Chapter 3. Moreouer of papiſticall repentance, and for that cauſe of Contrition, Confeſſion, and Satisfaction Chapter 4. Of indulgences alſo, and Purgatorie, Chapter 5. Laſt of all, that hee may ſpecially ſpeake of true repentance, that is, the two partes thereof, of mortification of the fleſhe, and quickenyng of the ſpirite: ſo deſcending to the life of a Chriſtian man, which conſiſteth in both of them, from the ſixth to the tenth. Fourthly, more plainely to ſhewe what the profite of this faith is, and what effectes followe, Firſt hee entreateth of iuſtification of faith, from the eleuenth to the eighteenth. Moreouer, of Chriſtian libertie, which is as it were an appendix of iuſtification, Chapter 19. Fifthly, hee deſcendeth to prayer, becauſe the ſame is the principall exerciſe of faith, & as it were the mean or inſtrument wherby we dayly take holde of Gods benefites Chapter 20. Sixtly becauſe before hee had ſaide (in the firſt Chapter) that all men doe not indifferently imbrace the communication of Chriſte, which is offered through the Goſpell, but they onelyonly whom GOD vouchſafeth by the power of the holye Ghoſt, and ſpeciall grace. Leaſt this ſhould ſeeme abſurde, hee ioyneth a ſpeciall treatiſe of Gods Eternall election, from the one & twentie, to the foure and twentie. Laſt of alll, becauſe manie wayes it may bee greeuous vntounto vsus to bee exerciſed vnderunder this harde warfare which alwayes accompanieth the lyfe of a Chriſtian man, hee proueth the ſame may bee pacified by meditation of the reſurrection: and for that cauſe hee ioyneth an entreatie thereof Chapter 25.