Ioannis Calvini Institutio Christianae religionis

231쪽

os the Son os God unt a perfeci man uiato the meaSure filio statur of the su aes of Christ. V o Wo eo that thoughGod could asil mali his Hople perfeci in a Single moment, yet it asino his ill that the should ro to mature age, but undo the education os the Church. e se the means e X preSsex the reachin Os the eavent doctrine is assignedio the pastors. e See that allor place unde the Same regulation, in orde that the ma submit themselves illigentiones and docilit os indo be ovurned by the pastors vli are appotnted for his purpOSe Isaiah ad long osore describsed the kingdoniis Christ by this charactor Spiritthat is pon thee, an in Word whicli I have ut in thymo uili, halliso departis ut os thy mouth nor ut of the mouthos th Soed nor ut of the mouth of thy seed' Seed, romtiencos orth and sor over. V , Hunc it folio us that ali horrieci the spiritual ood for their ouis, hicli is extende tolli in by the and of the Chiarch, deserve to peristi illi hun-ger an Nant. It is God Who inspires iis illi faith, ut it isthrough the instrumentalit os the gospei, accordin to the declaration os aut that aith cometh by hearing. V q Soalso the pomer o Save resides in God, ut a the Same postle testisies in another placu, he displays it in the reachin os thegospei. illi his desigri, in forme ages e commande solemn assemblies to e hel in the sanctuary that the doctrine taught y tho morith of the pri est might maintain the unit ostii salti, and th designis hos magnificent illes, here thetemplo is callud God' rest, ' his sanctuary, ' and dwelling- place, ' here heris Sald strueli et w00n the cherubim, V r)

dignit os thoinuavent doctrino hiel the vie os a mortaland despised man would thurinis greatly diministi That we a lino , heres ore, that Ne have an ineStimabie reasiare communicate to Scirona arthen esseis, s God hirnsulscomes for Nard, and as hecis the Author of this arran gement, Sohe will uincknowledged a present in his institution There- fore, after havin forbidden his peopte to devoto theniselves to

232쪽

them Withoiit propheis. Νοψ, si dixtio reser his ancient peopte to anguis, ut aise V earthi teachors, ho trulydischarge the ossice os anguis, o in the presentiay, he is pleasexto each us by the instrumentalit of men Andisssorineri he was not content illi the writiei laru, ut appotnte the pri est a interpreters, at hos lip the eopte tight inquire it true meaning So, in the present day, he not Ialyrequire u to e attentive to reading, ut has appotnte teucher Dr Our assistance. his is attonde With a WosoldadUantage For On the ne and it is a good proos of urobedience hon Ne isten to his ministors, jus ait he ereaddressin us himself an on the ther, he has provide forour infirmity by choosin to add res iis through the mediumo human interpreters that he may Neetly ullurem to him,rather han to drive us Way rom him by his thunders. nulli propriet os his familia manne os eaching, is evident toal tho pious, froni the terror illi hicli the majest os God justi uiarm them Those ho conside the authorit os thedoctrine a Wealiened by the meannes of the men horare calludi teach it, betra their ingratitude; ecause mong S many excellent gist With hicli God has adornu manliindicit is a peculia privilege, that he dei gnso consecrate men 'ilip and longue to his service, that his voice a be ear in thum. Letis no theres ore, on Our paris, e reluctant to receiV and obe the doctrine os salvation proposedo us ut his Xpresscommand so though the pomeris God is no confinest to externa means, et he has confine iis to the Ordinar mannero teuching th fanatica rejecter os Whicli necessarii involvethem selves in many sata sitares. Maia are urged by ride, o disclain, or enVy, to persuade themselves that the can profit sufficiuntly by readin and meditatin in private, and o todespis public assemblies, an consider reachin RS UnneceS-sary. ut since the do ali in thei pomero dissolvo and breali afunder tho bondis uni ty, hici ought to e reservedinviolabie, O Ono of them scapos thecius punishment of this implous reach, ut the ali involve thom selves in pestilenterror an perniciolis revertes. heres ore, in orde that the pure simplicit os aith a nourishomon us, et Us O bereluctant O se his exercis of ioty, hicli the Divine institution has hown tot necessary, and Whicli odio repentedlycommend to S. There has neve been Dund Among the moSt Xtravngant os mortals, ne insolent nough to a that W Ought O hut Our ars against God; ut the propheis and pio u tea chers, in ali ages have ad a dissiculi contost illithe iched, hos arrogarice an neve submit to e taught

233쪽

the doctrino. Foroli salthsul unde the forme dispensationmere directed to uel tho sucum God in the Sanctuary si anditiis is o frequonti repente in the la , fori Other reRSOn, but ecause tho doctrine of the in and the exhortations of the

propheis exhibited to them a vel image of God a Pauldeclaros that his proachin display the glor os God in thesaco os Iesus Christ. V v And in s much the greate detest tion ought eo holit hos apostatos, ho malae it thei studyto cause divisions in churches, ascis the would rivo away thesheop rom the old, and thro them in to the aw of Olves. Hul et iis remember hal e have quoted rom aut thattho Chureli an onlyrae disied by the reachin of this ord, and that the ninis have o common ond of union to old them together, an longe than, hil loarnin and prosilingwith ne accord the observe the oriter hic mod has pre- scribo foro h Church. It was principali sor his end a Iliave ali ead Statod that tho ait fui unde thecia Nere commande to reSor to the sanctuary beenus Moses no Onlycelebratus it a the residelice of God, utilio Niso declaros it tobe the placo here God has fixed the recor of his nam o)which ithout tho doctrine os piety, e laini SuggestS, Ouidb os o uso. And it is undo ubtedi so the fame eason that David complains, illi rea bit ternes os solii, of ein pre- vente from acces to ille tabernacle by the tyrannica cruolayos his euenitus. X To an person perhap thi appear tobe a puerile lamentation, ecnus it could e ut a very trivialloSS, and no a privation os much satisfaction to e absoni romthe our of the temple providet he were in the possession fother pleasures. ut by this ne trouble, an Xiety, and Sorro , he complain that he is rieved tormented, and almOS consumed uenus noth in i more valited by e evers hanthis assistance, by hicli God gradu ad raises his Hoplo romone degre of elevation O another. For it is ais to e re- marked that God always manis stud him suis to th hol sa-thers, in the mirroris his doctrine, in suo his manno that heirknowledge of him a spiritual Heno the temple asno oni calle his face, ut in orde to uarii against ut superstition, as also designa texa his Oolstool. y Αn this is that happy conjunction in the unit of the faith spolion os by

234쪽

roos S. AS is it cremo in the o ver of God o descend in any Way to S, and et a the Samo time noto mulie an Changeos place, o to confine us to earthi mentis, ut atheroo Sethemis vehicles to elevate us OKard his celestia glory,

Which filis at things illicit immensi ty, as et a tranScendSth heavens in iis sublimi ty. VI. OW, a the presentinge has linessed a violent disputereSpecting the essioney of the ministry, ome Xaggerat in itS dignit beyoni mensure, and thors contenditi that it is crimina transsero mortat an os liat properi belong tothemoly Spirit, to suppos that minister und ea cher penetrate

the minit undisoari, o as to corroc the Endnes of the ne, and themur ines of the other, rivo must proceod ora decision Osthi Controversy. The argumonis advaneo on both fide maybe ea sit reconcito by a cares ut observation Os the passage S in

Whicli God the Author os proaching, connectin his Spirit illiit, promisos that it hali 0 folio sed illi succes or hos in Whicli, Separatin himself rom nil externa uids, he attributes

the commenoement of suith, as Quis it Subsequent progreSS,

dient to the wisdom of tho just. a Christ declares that hesent his disciplos that tho should bring orth ruit' b fromthei labours. What that ruit as, is briost defined by Peter,

235쪽

VII. rom ha has been suid, Ι conceive it mus no beovident What judgment, ought to forin respecting the Church, whicli is visibi to ou eyes, an salis under ou knowledge. For, have remari e that the wor Chur si is sed in the sacred Scripture in Wo enses. Sometimes, hen the mentionili Chureli, the intend that Whicli is ready such in the si glitos God into'hichion ure received but thos Whoi adoption a d grace are the children os God, and by tho sanctificationis the Spirit are the true member of Christ. And thon it comprohoniis no Only the ninis ut any one time resident on artii, ut ad theoloci, o have lived rom tho boginning of the worid. ut themor Churemis frequently usod in the Scripturus to designato the wholo uuitude, dispersed ad ver the ortu, ho proses tomorshi one God and Jesus Christ, ho are initia ted into hissaith by baptism, fio testis thei unit in truo doctrine and charit by a participation of the aereo Supper, Who Onsent O

236쪽

tho ord os the Lord, and preserve the ministry hioli Christhas institutud o the purpos os reachiniit. In his Churchare inchidei man hypocrites, ho have noth in os Christ ut

237쪽

them. V 49 But that e may have a Clear in dorstandiri of the whol of this subjoci, tot iis procoed by the followin Steps That tho universa Church is the whole uuitude, collected frona ali nations, ho though dispersed in colintries idely distant rom non ther, nevertheles consent to the fame trullio Divine doctrine, an aro united by the ond of the amore gion ilia in his universat Church re comprehon dedparticular churche S, distribute necordin to human necessityin various towns and villa ges und that ach of these respectivel is justi distinguis sed by the amo und authorit os achur and that individuals Who, ni profeSSion o piety, reonrolled amon Churches of the Samo description though theyare rean Stranger to an particula Chiarch, do nevertheles in Sonae respeet elong t it, idolio are expelle froni it napublic decision Thore is sonio disserenoe, hoWever in the modeos judgin reSpectin private perSons an Chiarches. For it ma happen, in the caSe of persons hom e thini altogetherunWorth of the societ of the pious, that, On account O the common consent of the Churin by hicli the are tolerate in theiod o Christ, Ne may be obligod orirent them aibrethren, and to class them in the numberis bellevers. In ur priUnte opinion e approVemo os Such perSon a member of the Church, but o leave thoin the station the holi among the eo ple of God, ill it o talion way rom them y legitimate Ruthority. But respecting the congregation itSel , must formo different judgment. f tho posses uno honoui the ministr of the word, and the administration of the sacramenis, they re, Without nil dolabi, entillud to e considoro Mas a Church bucaus it is

os the universa Church, hieti diabolica spirit have alWayS been endeaVOuring to destroy and at the fame time ithout intersering With the authorit of thos legitimate assonabiles, whicli loca convenione has distribu ted in disserent places. X. e have statod that tho martis by hicli ho Chiarchis ora distinguis ted ars the reachin of the or and the

administrationis the sacraments For these an no here e Xi St

appearance of the Church, hic licis liable o no suspicion Or

238쪽

Church is callod alio holis os God the illa and round os truth. V V Uor in these ord Paul signi sies that in orde tokoup tho truthis God rom ein lost in the worid the Chiarchis iis ait fu guardian; bocalas it has boui the wil os God, by tho ministr of tho Church, o preserve the pure reachingos his Nord, and to manifes himself as u affectionate ather, Whil ho ourishes soliti Spiritual ood, and provides allthings conducive totur Salvation. Nor is it mali raisu that

doparture rom the Chiarch is a renunciationis God and Christ. And suci a criminal dissension is o much the more to beavoided, ecause, hile e endenUour, a sar a lie in urpower, O deStro the truthis God, e deserve to e rustiud with the mos powersul thunder of his rath. Nor is it possibi to imagine a more atroclous crime thun that Sacrilegious perfidy, hicli violates the conjuga relation that theoni bugotten Sonis God has condescende iri forni illi us. XI. et iis, there re diligenti rotain hos character impresse dispon Our indS, and Stimate them accordiu to the judgmen os God For there is nothing that Satan abours more t accomp Sh than to remove an deStroy one or both of them at ne time to efface an obliterat these martis, an Soto tali away ali true and gonuine distinctionis tho Chureli intanother to inspire iis illi contemptis them, and o to riveus ut os the Church by an pen Separation. H his subile tyi has happened that in Some age the pure reachin os thewordias altogether diSappearex an in the present da horis labouring illi the fame malignit to Verturn ille miniStry whicli, hoWevor, tu is has ordained in his Church so that is it were alieni ny the edificationis the Church ould bo quiloat an end. o dan gerous, then, ho satia i the temptation, when it even eriter into the hear os a man to illidrarum im- sol isto that congregation in hicli e discover thos sigiis

239쪽

are thers, hichore controverted among the clitarche S, et

Without destroying the unit oscili faith. For hy should there bo a division on this poliat, is ne chiarch e of

240쪽

tity, ascis the were ali eady ecome di Sembodio spiriis, do-spisu tho societ os ali mei in horn the could disco vorinnyremain os human infirmity. Such, in ancient times, ero the Calliari, an also the DonatistS, ho approache to the sanae folly. Such in the presentiay, are Some of the Ana baptists, who ould se thought to have made advances in piet beyond