John Calvin (76)
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Ambiguity is the fortress of heretics.
Wherever the knowledge of it is taken away, the glory of Christ is extinguished, religion abolished, the Church destroyed, and the hope of salvation utterly overthrown. John Calvin: Selections from His Writings (95)
There is but one family which ought to be reckoned, both in heaven and on earth, both among angels and among men—if we belong to the Body of Christ. For outside of Him there is nothing but dispersion
By the "wisdom of God," he designates this magnificent theater of heaven and earth replenished with numberless wonders, the wise contemplation of which should have enabled us to know God. But this we do with little profit; and therefore he invites us to faith in Christ--faith which, by a semblance of foolishness, disgusts the unbeliever.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 6
The first part of a good work is the will, the second is vigorous effort in the doing of it. God is the author of both. It is, therefore, robbery from God to arrogate anything to ourselves, either in the will or the act.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 3
If we can no more bear fruit of ourselves than a vine can bud when rooted up and deprived of moisture, there is no longer any room to ask what the aptitude of our nature is for good.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 3
even infants bringing their condemnation with them from their mother's womb, suffer not for another's, but for their own defect. For although they have not yet produced the fruits of their own unrighteousness, they have the seem implanted in them. No, their whole nature is, as it were, a seed-bed of sin, and therefore cannot but be odious and abominable to God.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 1
how richly does he supply us with the means of contemplating his mercy when, as frequently happens, he continues to visit miserable sinners with unwearied kindness, until he subdues their depravity, and woos them back with more than a parent's fondnessInstitutes, Book 1 Chapter 6
(such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity. Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and not to the Lord also- he being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 1
men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 1
God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation. Institutes Lib. III. c. 21,5(Opera, Vol. II. pp. 682, GS3)
There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence. Commentary on Luke 24:45
You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy.
The fanaticism which discards the Scripture, under the pretense of resorting to immediate revelations is subversive of every principle of Christianity. For when they boast extravagantly of the Spirit, the tendency is always to bury the Word of God so they may make room for their own falsehoods.
How do we know that God has elected us before the creation of the world? By believing in Jesus Christ.
Now we shall possess a right definition of faith if we call it a firm and certain knowledge of God's benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
It is a sign of a perverse and treacherous disposition to wound the good name of another, when he has no opportunity of defending himself.
when he says, Judge not. It is not necessary that believers should become blind, and perceive nothing, but only that they should refrain from an undue eagerness to judge: for otherwise the proper bounds of rigor will be exceeded by every man who desires to pass sentence on his brethren.
Commentary on Matthew
there exists in the human mind and indeed by natural instinct, some sense of Deity, we hold to be beyond dispute, since God himself, to prevent any man from pretending ignorance, has endued all men with some idea of his GodheadInstitutes, 1.3.1
There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.
This, therefore, we must try to do if we would be disciples of Christ, in order that our minds may be steeped in such reverence and obedience toward God as to be able to tame and subjugate to his command all contrary affections. Thus it will come to pass that, by whatever kind of cross we may be troubled, even in the greatest tribulations of mind, we shall firmly keep our patience. For the adversities themselves will have their own bitterness to gnaw at us; thus afflicted by disease, we shall both groan and be uneasy and pant after care and sorrow; thus we shall be smitten by the pain of disgrace, contempt, injustice; thus at the funerals of our dear ones we shall weep the tears that are owed to nature. But the conclusion will always be: the Lord willed, therefore let us follow his will…If it be clear that our afflictions are for our benefit, why should we not undergo them with a thankful and quiet mind? Therefore, in patiently suffering these tribulations, we do not yield to necessity but we consent for our own good.
We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh. We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours. Conversely, we are God's: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God's: let his wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions. We are God's: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal.
The Psalmist testifies that the Divine Law was his school-master and guide in leading a holy life. He thus by his own example, prescribes the same rule to us all; and it is highly necessary to observe this rule; for while each of us follows what seems good in his own estimation, we become entangled in inextricable and frightening mazes...the word of God is set in opposition to all human counsels. What the world judges right is often crooked and perverse in the judgment of God, who approves of no other manner of living, than that which is framed according to the rule of his law.
the spiritual man, to the extent he is endowed with the Spirit of God, judges everything, but is judged by 'no thing,' because he is subject to no human wisdom or reason.
it is the best instrument for enabling them daily to learn with greater truth and certainty what that will of the Lord is which they aspire to follow, and to confirm them in this knowledge [use 3]Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 7
The second office of the Law is, by means of its fearful denunciations and the consequent dream of punishment, to curb those who, unless forced, have no regard for rectitude and justice. Such persons are curbed not because their mind is inwardly moved and affected, but because, as if a bridle were laid upon them, they refrain their hands from external acts, and internally check the depravity which would otherwise petulantly burst forth. [use 2]Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 7
the Law is a kind of mirror. As in a mirror we discover any stains upon our face, so in the Law we behold, first, our impotence; then, in consequence of it, our iniquity; and, finally, the curse, as the consequence of both. [use 1]Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 7
The more shameful, therefore, is the presumption of those who throw heaven open to the unbelieving and profane, in the absence of that grace which Scripture uniformly describes as the only door by which we enter into life.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 6
If there were merely a command and no promise, it would be necessary to try whether our strength were sufficient to fulfill the command; but since promises are annexed, which proclaim not only that aid, but that our whole power is derived from divine grace, they at the same time abundantly testify that we are not only unequal to the observance of the Law, but mere fools in regard to it.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 5
God works in his elect in two ways: inwardly, by his Spirit; outwardly, by his word. By his Spirit illuminating their minds, and training their hearts to the practice of righteousness, he makes them new creatures, while, by his word, he stimulates them to long and seek for this renovation.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 5
That your mind depends more on the agency of God than the freedom of your own choice, daily experience teaches. Your judgement often fails, and in matters of no great difficulty, your courage flags; at other times, in matters of the greatest obscurity, the mode of explicating them at once suggests itself, while in matters of moment and danger, your mind rises superior to every difficulty. In this way, I interpret the words of Solomon, "The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them" (Prov 20:12). For they seem to me to refer not to their creation, but to peculiar grace in the use of themInstitutes, Book 2, Chapter 4
When his light is taken away, nothing remains but blindness and darkness: when his Spirit is taken away, our hearts become hard as stones: when his guidance is withdrawn, we immediately turn from the right path: and hence he is properly said to incline, harden, and blind those whom he deprives of the faculty of seeing, obeying, and rightly executing.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 4
But to show our utter destitution, he argues that we merit nothing, because we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has prepared; again intimating by these words, that all the fruits of good works are originally and immediately from God.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 3
For as a body, while it contains and fosters the cause and matter of disease, cannot be called healthy, although pain is not actually felt; so a soul, while teeming with such seeds of vice, cannot be called sound.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 3
The human mind receives a humbling blow when all the thoughts which proceed from it are derided as foolish, frivolous, perverse, and insane.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 3
Accordingly, Augustine, who had at one time thought that the discourse related to the natural man, afterward retracted his exposition as unsound and inconsistent. And, indeed, if we admit that men, without grace, have any motions to good, however feeble, what answer shall we give to the apostle, who declares that we are incapable of thinking a good thought? (2 Cor 3:5)Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 2
That the Apostle is speaking of the regenerate is apparent from this, that after saying "in me dwells no good thing," he immediately adds the explanation, "in my flesh."Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 2
So indulgent is man toward himself, that, while doing evil, he always endeavors as much as he can to suppress the idea of sin. It was this, apparently, which induced Plato (in his Protagoras) to suppose that sins were committed only through ignorance.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 2
When the Spirit describes men under the term "darkness," he declares them void of all power of spiritual intelligence.Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 2
since it is manifest that men whom the Scriptures term carnal, are so acute and clear-sighted in the investigation of inferior things, their example should teach us how many gifts the Lord has left in possession of human nature, notwithstanding its having been despoiled of the true good.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 2
in reading profane authors, the admirable light of truth displayed in them should remind us, that the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 2
All the weapons of impiety must be bruised, and broken, and burnt in the fire; you must remain unarmed, having no help in yourself. The more infirm you are, the more the Lord will sustain you.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 2
The Lord certainly does not deprive his servants of the light of the sun or the moon, but as he would alone appear glorious in them, he dissuades them from confidence even in those objects which they deem most excellent.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 2
he who is most deeply abased and alarmed, by the consciousness of his disgrace, nakedness, want, and misery, has made the greatest progress in the knowledge of himselfBook 2 Chapter 2
How few are there who, when they hear free will attributed to man, do not immediately imagine that he is the master of his mind and will in such a sense, that he can of himself incline himself either to good or evil? It may be said that such dangers are removed by carefully expounding the meaning to the people. But such proneness of the human mind to go astray, that it will more quickly draw error from one little word, than truth from a lengthened discourse.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 2
May the Lord grant that we may engage in the contemplation of the mysteries of God's heavenly wisdom with ever increasing devotion to God's glory and our edification.
Here Peter Lombard has displayed gross ignorance (Lombard, lib. 2 dist. 31). When investigating the seat of corruption, he says it is in the flesh (as Paul declares), not properly, indeed, but as being more apparent in the flesh. As if Paul had meant that only a part of the soul, and not the whole nature, was opposed to supernatural grace.Institutes, Book 2 Chapter 1
Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.John Calvin's preface to Pierre Robert French translation of the New Testament (1534)
The prohibition to touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a trial of obedience, that Adam, by observing it, might prove his willing submission to the command of God.Institutes Book 2 Chapter 1
it is the merest trifling to substitute a bare permission for the providence of God, as if he sat in a watch-tower waiting for fortuitous events, his judgments meanwhile depending on the will of man.Institutes Book 1 Chapter 18
You infer that danger is not to be guarded against, because, if it is not fatal, you shall escape without precaution; whereas the Lord enjoins you to guard against it, just because he wills it not to be fatal.Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 16
the eternal decree of God by no means prevent us from proceeding, under his will, to provide for ourselves, and arrange all our affairs. And the reason for this is clear. For he who has fixed the boundaries of our life, has at the same time entrusted us with the care of it, provided us with the means of preserving it, forewarned us of the dangers to which we are exposed, and supplied cautions and remedies, that we may not be overwhelmed unawares.Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 16
When he desired that Jonah should be thrown into the sea, he sent forth a whirlwind. Those who deny that God holds the reins of government will say that this was contrary to ordinary practice, whereas I infer from it that no wind ever rises or rages without his special command.Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 16
let the reader remember that the providence we mean is not one by which the Deity, sitting idly in heaven, looks on at what is taking place in the world, but one by which he, as it were, holds the helm, and overrules all events.Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 16
there is no random power, or agency, or motion in the creatures, who are so governed by the secret counsel of God, that nothing happens but what he has knowingly and willingly decreed.Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 16
though the divine glory is displayed in man's outward appearance, it cannot be doubted that the proper seat of the image is in the soul.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 15
the image of God which is beheld or made conspicuous by these external marks, is spiritualInstitutes, Book 1 Chapter 15
the point on which Scriptures specially insist is that which tends most to our comfort, and to the confirmation of our faith, namely, that angels are the ministers and dispensers of the divine bounty toward us... we are told how they watch for our safety, how they undertake our defense, direct our path, and take heed that no evil befall us.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 14
In Scripture, then, we uniformly read that angels are heavenly spirits, whose obedience and ministry God employs to execute all the purposes which he has decreed, and hence their name as being a kind of intermediate messengers to manifest his will to men.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 14
The duty of a theologian, however, is not to tickle the ear, but confirm the conscience, by teaching what is true, certain, and useful.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 14
if Scripture does not direct us in our inquiries after God, we immediately turn vain in our imaginations.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 14
I have thought it better not to touch on various topics, which could have yielded little profit, while they must have needlessly burdened and fatigued the reader. For instance, what avails it to discuss, as Lombard does at length (lib. 1 dist. 9), whether or not the Father always generates? This idea of continual generation becomes an absurd fiction from the moment it is seen, that from eternity there were three persons in one God.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 13
The distinction is, that to the Father is attributed the beginning of action, the fountain and source of all things; to the Son, wisdom, counsel, and arrangement in action, while the energy and efficacy of action is assigned to the Spirit.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 13
The words Father, Son, and Holy Spirit certainly indicate a real distinction, not allowing us to suppose that they are merely ephithets by which God is variously designated from his works. Still they indicate distinction only, not division.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 13
Nothing, indeed, can be more preposterous than to enjoy those noble endowments which bespeak the divine presence within us and to neglect him who, of his own good pleasure, bestows them upon us.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 6
Shall we, by means of a power of judging implanted in our breast, distinguish between justice and injustice, and yet there be no judge in heaven?Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 5
it is not the mere fear of punishment that restrains him from sin. Loving and revering God as his Father, honoring and obeying him as his Master, although there were no hell, he would revolt at the very idea of offending him.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 2
We must be persuaded not only that as he once formed the world, so he sustains it by his boundless power, governs it by his wisdom, preserves it by his goodness, in particular, rules the human race with justice and judgment, bears with them in mercy, shields them by his protection; but also that not a particle of light, or wisdom, or justice, or power, or rectitude, or genuine truth, will anywhere be found, which does not flow from him, and of which he is not the causeInstitutes, Book 1 Chapter 2
It remains for us to seek in him, and in prayers to ask of him, what we have learned to be in him.
So long as your mind entertains any misgivings as to the certainty of the word, its authority will be weak and dubious, or rather it will have no authority at all. Nor is it sufficient to believe that God is true, and cannot lie or deceive, unless you feel firmly persuaded that every word which proceeds from him is sacred, inviolable truth.Institutes, III.2.6
O, grant, that being ruled by thy Spirit, we may surrender ourselves to thee, and so acquiesce in thy Word alone, that we may not deviate either to the right hand or to the left, but allow thee alone to be wise, and that acknowledging our folly and vanity, we may suffer ourselves to be taught by thy Word.Lecture 36 on Jeremiah
Predestination we call the eternal decree of God, by which He has determined in Himself, what He would have to become of every individual of mankind. For they are not all created with a similar destiny; but eternal life is foreordained for some and eternal death for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the other of these ends, we say he is predestinated either to life or to death.Institutes, Book III, Ch. XXI, Sec. 5.
And let us not take it into our heads either to seek out God anywhere else than in his Sacred Word, or to think anything about him that is not prompted by his Word, or to speak anything that is not taken from that Word.John Calvin, Institutes, Book 1
Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.
The whole man, from the top of the head to the sole of the foot, is so flooded, as it were, that no part remains without sin, and so everything that comes from him is considered sin. Institues 2.1.9
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