Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 3 · Chapter 14 – Chapter 16
Cap. 14. What is the beginning of iuſtification, and the continuall proceeding therof.
TO the intent yt theſe things which are ſpokē may ye better bée vnderſtood, he taketh in hand to diſcuſſe what righteouſnes may be in ye whole courſe of mans lyfe, and he diuideth all men in to foure partes, and entreateth ſeuerally of eueryevery one: of the firſt, frō the firſt to the ſixt: of the ſecond and third, iointly, in the 7. and 8: of the fourth, from the 9. to the 21.
1 The firſt of them is,Ier. 17.9 Gen. 8.21 that they that are endued with no knowledge of God, are drowned in idolatry, in thē is found no ſparke of goodnes, from the crowne of the head to the ſole of the foote: The outwarde ſhewe alſo of godlineſſe, is of no price and eſtimation before God.
2 There is great differēce betwéene ſome of a better note, & other ſome moſt lamentable: they are alſo the giftes of God whatſoeuer excellent giftes appeare in the vnbeléeuers, and God bleſſeth them with the bleſſinges of this preſent lyfe, that among men doe folow vertue.
3 What ſo euer is done of the vnbeléeuers, although it ſéeme laudable, is yet for two cauſes corrupted, that is to ſay, by impuritie of heart: and becauſe they deſpiſe the right end, Auguſtine ſayeth,Lib. 4. cont. Iulianum. that all they that are ſtrangers from the true religion of the one God, how ſo euer they be counted worthie of admiration for opinion of vertue, are not only worthie of no rewarde, but rather are worthy of puniſhment, becauſe they doe with defiling of their heart, beſpot the pure good thinges of God. For though they be inſtrumentes of God, to preſerue the fellowſhip of men, with iuſtice, continencie, temperancie of mind, valiantnes and wiſedome; yet they doe very euilly execute theſe good works of God, bicauſe they are reſtrained frō euil doing, not by ſincere louelove of goodneſſe, but either by only ambition, or by louelove of them ſelues, or by ſome other crooked affection.
4 Which thing alſo he otherwiſe ſheweth, firſt becauſe they hauehave not Chriſt. Saint Iohn ſayeth,1. Ioh. 5.12. that there is no life without the ſonne of God: who ſo hauehave no part in Chriſt, what manner of men ſo euer they be, what ſo euer they doe or goe about, yet they run forwarde with their whole courſe into deſtruction, and the iudgement of eternall death.Aug. ad Bonifa. in Cap. 5. Heb. 11.6. Auguſtine ſayeth, Our religion diſcerneth the righteous from the vnrighteous, not by lawe of works; but by the very law of Fayth: without which, thoſe that ſeeme good works, are turned into ſins.
5 Moreouer,Ioh. 5.25. Iob. 41.2. Ephe. 2.10. 1. Tim. 1.9 Rom. 11.6. by wonderfull ſetting the grace of God directly againſt the natural ſtate of man, that is to ſay, firſt becauſe we are dead: ſecondly, becauſe wée are nothing, till béeyng lightened with his grace, we be rayſed, and as it were made a newe creature.
6 Laſt of all, (albeit he feare leaſt he ſhould do wrong to the mercies of God, which doeth ſo carefully trauell in prouing of this thing, as though it were doubtful & dark) by the teſtimony of Eſai, Eſ. 59.15 Rom. 5.6 Col. 1.2. 1. Cor. 6.11 1. Pet. 1.2and a moſt ſtrong reaſon: and that to take away the errour of the common people: who although hée confeſſe that no mā hath deſerued, that Chriſt ſhould perfourme our redemptiō, yet that they may enter into poſſeſſion of redemption, they thinke they are holpen by their good workes. Séeing there is no righteouſnes at all, but that which is acceptable to God, what acceptable thing can there procéede from his enemyes, whome hée wholly abhorreth with all their doings? And moſt certayne it is yt we are deadly and profeſſed enemyes of God, till being iuſtified, we are receiued into friendſhip, then if iuſtification be the beginning of louelove, what righteouſnes of workes can goe before?
7 Thoſe whō he had diuided into the next thrée partes, they truely which beginning wt Sacramentes, deniyng God wt their déeds by the vncleannes of life, whom they confeſſed in mouth are only in name Chriſtians, & they which hyde the wickednes of the hypocriſie of ye hart with vaine ſhewes, he putteth both vnderunder this reaſon: No holy thing vndoubtedly commeth from them, but vtterly damnable, firſt out of Haggee.Hag. 2.12
8 Moreouer out of Eſai & Auguſtine, who ſayeth,Eſai. 1.14. Pro. 15.8. That fauour with God is not procured to any perſon by workes, but contrariwiſe, that workes do then pleaſe, and neuer til then, when the perſon hath firſt founde grace in the ſight of God.
9 Comming to the fourth place, that is to ſay, of them which being regenerate by the holy Ghoſt, doe meditat true holines, he confeſſeth that they do walk in the way of the Lorde by the guiding of the holy Ghoſt,1. Kin. 8.5. yet there commeth nothing ſo perfecte from them, which is not ſprinckeled & corrupted with ſome rottennes of the fleſhe, eſpecially when we hauehave to deale with the iudgementes of God.
10 Moreouer, although it might bée that wee ſhoulde hauehave ſome thorowly pure and perfect workes, yet one ſinne is enough to blotte and quench out all remembrance of the former righteouſnes:Eze. 18.24. Iam. 2.10. and therefore we can be iuſtified by no meanes by our workes.
11 Laſt of all, the Scripture doeth manifeſtly teach that the faythful,Rom. 4.13. Hab. 4.7. Rom. 4.7. how ſo euer they excell in good workes, are iuſtified by only Fayth, and frée imputation of righteouſnes.
12 The ſtarting hole, wherwith the ſchoolemen ſéeke to eſcape by, when they ſay that good works are not by outward worthines in themſelues of ſo great value, that they be ſufficient to purchaſe righteouſnes; but this, that they be of ſo great value, is of grace accepting thē: is confuted.
13 No workes of ours can of themſelues make vsus acceptable and pleaſing to God: for it is proper to Chriſte only. And by ſo much more are they deceiued in thoſe things which they teach, about making ſatiſfaction:Leui. 18.5. Gen. 3.17. Phi. 3.13. firſt, by the works of ſatiſfaction, becauſe ſatiſfactions being once takē away, thoſe things muſt néedes fall downe.
14 Moreouer becauſe that ſaying of Chriſt doeth betoken farre otherwiſe,Luk. 17.10 When you hauehave done all, &c.
15 He ſheweth yt the obiection which they take out of Paule, that among the Corinthians he did of his own wil yeld of his right, which otherwiſe hée might hauehave vſed, if he had would, maketh nothing for them: firſt by enterpreting the place, ſecondly by a generall doctrine taken out of Chryſoſtome, Lu. 17.7. Eſai. 1.12.That all our works are due to the Lord, euen as the poſſeſſions of bondmen: thirdly, that their ſupererogations are nothing els but vaine trifles.
16 In this behalfe there are chiefly two peſtilences to be driuen out of our mindes:Pſal. 143.… Iob. 10.11. that we put no affiance in the righteouſnes of workes, and that we aſcribe no glory to them: but whē our affiance is driuē away, al glory alſo muſt neceſſarily depart.
17 It is ſeuerally ſhewed, that in the foure kindes of cauſes, none doth accord with workes in the eſtabliſhing of our ſaluation: but the cauſe of procuring the eternall life to vsus, is ye mercy of the heauenly Father, and his frée louelove toward vsus.Iob. 3.16. Rom. 3.23.24. The materiall cauſe is Chriſt with his obedience, by which he hath purchaſed righteouſnes to vsus, ye formall or inſtrumental cauſe is Faith, and the finall cauſe is ye ſhewing of ye righteouſnes of God, & the praiſe of his goodneſſe.
18 Hée taketh away two obiections that may be obiected: firſt that holy men doe oftentimes ſtrengthen and comfort themſelues with remembrance of their own innocency and vprightnes, & ſometyme alſo forbeare not to reporte of it: which although it may two wayes bée done, yet it maketh nothing for them, & firſt ſéeing the godly ones doe not this, to reſt vponupon the affiance of workes, and to derogate any thing from frée iuſtification.
Gen. 24.10. Pro. 14.26. 2. Kin. 20.4. Ephe. 3.18.19 Moreouer bicauſe they do nothing but by the fruites of their vocation, call to minde yt they are adopted of the lord, into the place of children.
20 Therfore he concludeth that they attribute nothing to their deſertes: nor derogate any thing from the frée righteouſnes which they obtaine in Chriſt, which alſo he ſheweth by a notable example of Auguſtine, which is this: I do not ſay to the Lorde, deſpiſe not the workes of my handes, or I hauehave ſought the Lord with my hands, and hauehave not bin deceiued. But I doe not commend the works of my hands: for I feare leaſt when thou haſt loked vponupon them, thou ſhalt finde more ſins then merits. Only this I ſay, this I aske, this I deſire, Deſpiſe not the workes of thy handes, behold in me thy worke, not mine: for if thou beholdeſt mine, thou damneſt me: if thou beholdeſt thine, thou crowneſt me: for whatſoeuer good workes I hauehave, they are of thee.
21 The other, yt the Scripture ſheweth, that the good works of the faithfull are cauſes why the Lorde doeth good to them, they are cauſes truely, but inferiour cauſes,Rom. 8.3. Rom. 6.13. and thoſe thinges which depend of frée iuſtification, are not againſt it. Moreouer, in theſe ſpéeches he rather noted the order, then the cauſe.
Cap. 15. That thoſe thinges that are commonly boaſted concerning the merites of workes, doe ouerthrow as well the praiſe of God in giuing of righteouſnes, as alſo the aſſurednes in giuing of ſaluation.
AFter he hath ſhewed that works are not auaileable to iuſtification, he now ſetteth to be diſcuſſed whether they deſerue fauour wt God or no.
2 The name of merite was euill applied to workes by the old fathers, yet they had a godly meaning, as appereth by Auguſtine, Chryſoſtome & Bernard. Auguſtine ſayeth,Pſal. 88. Eze. 36.31. when man ſeeth that what ſo euer good he hath, he hath it not from him ſelfe, but from his God: he ſeeth that al that which is praiſed in him is not of his owne merites, but of the mercy of God.
3 Good workes doe both pleaſe God, and are profitable to the doers of them, that they may receiue for rewarde the moſt large benifits of God, not becauſe they ſo deſerue, but becauſe the goodnes of God hath of it ſelfe appointed this price vntounto them: as that which beſtoweth good workes and their commendations vpō vsus, that they may neuertheles ſéeme after a certain maner to remaine with him.
4 How two places muſt be vnderſtood which ye Papiſts abuſe, to cōfirm their error: and except they take that ſenſe, they offend two waies againſt the common doctrine of the ſcripture, the verie wordes of Eccleſiaſticus are theſe:Eccle. 16.14. Heb. 13.16 foreign. Hée ſhal make place to eueryevery mercy: and eueryevery man ſhal finde according to his works. In the words of the Apoſtle is nothing els, but that ſuch ſacrifices do pleaſe and are acceptable to god.Mat. 25.21. Eſai. 55.1. And albeit Chriſt ſayeth, that to him that hath, ſhal be giuen: and that the faithful ſeruant ſhall be ſet ouer many thinges, that hath bin faithfull ouer litle: yet he ſheweth that the increaſe of the faithfull are the gifts of his frée goodneſſe.
5 Which he proueth by that yt Paule calleth Chriſt the only foundatiō:1. Cor. 3.11. 1. Cor. 1.10. for he is ſo, the foundation that wée hauehave all thinges in him, but nothing in our ſelues, as he ſeuerally ſheweth.
6 The Schoolemen hauehave long tyme taught the world farre otherwiſe: that is to ſay, that Chriſt hath deſerued for vsus the firſt grace, that is the occaſion of deſeruing: but now it is our part, not to let goe the occaſion offred, as though he only had opened the gate, in the meane whyle, leauing to vsus to goe in by our owne power.
7 Herevpon folowed certaine other thinges, firſt that they take from vsus the iuſtification of Fayth: Moreouer, that drawing good workes from the power of frée will, they ſteale from God ſomewhat to giuegive to man in the prayſe of good works: thirdly, that although they continually call vponupon good workes, yet in the meane tyme they ſo inſtruct their cōſciences,Ephe. 2.10. yt they neuer dare hauehave affiance, that they hauehave God well pleaſed, and fauourable to their good workes.
8 He concludeth, that the foundation which he hath laid, doth plentifully ſuffice both to doctrine & exhortation, and alſo to conſolation.
Cap. 16. A confutation of the ſlaunders, wherby the Papiſts goe about to bring this doctrine into hatred.
HE doeth not therefore aboliſh good workes,1. Cor. 1.3…. becauſe hée denyeth them to bée iuſtified by good workes.
2 That alſo is moſte falſe, that the mindes of men are withdrawne from the affection of well doing, when wée take from them the opiniō of meriting, he proueth by two reaſons:Heb. 9.14. Rom. 6.6.1 S. Tit. 2.11. 1. Cor. 3.16. firſt if this only be entended, whē men ſerue God, that they looke to rewarde, or let out to hyre, or ſell their labours to him, they litle preuayle, for God will be fréely worſhipped, fréely loued; He alloweth yt worſhipper, which when all hope of receiuing rewarde is cut off, yet ceaſſeth not to worſhip: Moreouer, if men bée to be pricked forwarde, no man can put ſharper ſpurres vntounto them, than thoſe that are takē of the end of our redemption and calling.
Rom. 12.1. Mat. 5.16. 2. Cor. 9.7. Pſal. 130.4.3 This Methode of teaching is more auailable to the purenes of life, then if in thruſting in of merits, thou ſhouldeſt beate out ſome ſeruile and conſtrayned obediēce of the law, although this kinde of exhortation be profitable, and vſed in the Scriptures.
4 It is a moſt vaine ſlaunder yt men are allured to ſinne, when we affirme that frée forgiuenes of ſinne wherin we ſay righteouſnes conſiſteth, which is fréely giuen vsus in Chriſt, who bought it with a price: for our filthines is ſuch as is neuer waſhed away, but with the fountaine of his moſte precious blood: now if we once hauehave receiued any good thing, howe can we but dread, beyng once cleanſed, to wallow our ſelues againe in the myre, as much as in vsus lyeth, to trouble and infect the purenes of this fountaine? I hauehave waſhed my féete ſayeth the faithfull ſoule,Ca…. 5.3. howe ſhall I againe defile them.