Ioannis Calvini Institutio Christianae religionis

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tion than the propheis bufore them -namely, O Xpound the ancient Scripture, an to ho that tho hings dolivere incit Were accomplislied in Christ; ut his the were ni toto DOm the Lord that is o say, unde theauidance and dictationo the Spirit o Christ. For Christ limite thei mission bythis conditiora, lieni ordore them to go an teuch, O the fabrications of their Wii presumption, ut halsouver he had commande them. g An nothin could e more explicitthan hat he nixon another occasion: me not e called Rabbi; sor ne is our Mastur, even Christ. V sh Torax his more deepi in their inds, he repent it Wice in the Same place. An beenus their ea ness was Such that the wereunable to comprehendolis things hicli the had 0ard and learned rom theraps of thoi Mastur, the Spiritis truth aspromise to them, O lea them into the rue understandin ofali hings si For that restriction is to se attentivel remurked,

Master o sar his ostice X tended, represent nothin a lest for himself or thers, ut o dispunso the doctrine committedio them by God. I any an speati, V says se, det imSpeati a the oracles of God V k that is, not illi usitationor hincertainty like person consciolis fio Suffcient authority, but illi the oble confidoneo hich beeomes a Servant f

God furnishe with his cortain commission. What is his ut rejectin ali the inventions os the human indi sporn Whateverhead the may proceed in orde that the pure ordis God

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is his ut removin ali the decrees, Oroather inventions smen, hateuer e thei Station, that the ordinances os Godalone a be observem These are the spiritual ,eapons,

Hol Spirit, and there re their ritings are to e received asthe oracles of God; ut succeedin miniSters have no ther ossico than to each hat is revealed an recorde in tho Sacre Scriptures. e conchide, thon, that it is notiso test totaithsul ministorso frame an ne doctrine, ut that it be- hove them sinapi to adhere to the doctrine to hicli God has made ali subjeci, Withou any Xception In mali in this ObServation m desigia is to stio , no Only What is lawsul toindividuals, ut also to tho universa Church. illi respecti particula perSons, aut had certaini been appotnted by the Lord an postle to the Corinthians et ho donis that ho hadan dominion ver thei faith. in Who an no dare toarrogatu O himself a dominion hicli aut testi fies id notbulon to him Z f he had sanctione suci a licens of eaehing that hale ver the pastor deli vered, he might require, RS amatior os right that the sanae hould se impliciti bo evud, hoWould neve have recommendod to the sanie Corinthians stach a regulation a this I et the propheis Speah tW O three, und

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impossibi sor an man to hesitate ho has reatly known What faith s. For it ought to est ori suci firmaround n to tandinvincibi and undismayod in opposition to Satan to nil tho in chinations os hell, an to ali tho assauit of the worid. his stabitit Ne had sin in tho Nor os Godolone Besides the renSon hieli orare iere sequire to conside is os universa application that o dentes to an the right os promulgatin an ne artici os salth, in ordo that he alone maybemur Master in spiritua doctrine, as e lone is truo beyondali possibilit os ducet viti or bo in deceived Thi reason is nocles applicabie to the hole Church than to evor individual

X. ut is his pomer, hicli, have hoWn to elon to the Church, o comparuit illi that hic hinas no sor Someage past been lai med ver the eoplo os God by tho spiritualtyranis ho have salsely ea sed themSelves bis ops an prelates os religion there id e no more resemblance than there is belween Christ an Helial. t is no ni intention ore toeXpos the humes ut method in hicli the have exercised thei tyranny Q Shali ni state the doctrine, hicli the deseri in the present age, notistit by their ritings, ut also bysire and word As ille tali it for grante that a universalcounci is the truo represontative of the Chureli, havin RSsumed this principie, tho at ne determine, a beyon ad do ubi, that Such counciis are unde the immediate direction of thuΗol Spirit, and there re anno err. o the them-selves influenc the eo unctis, and even constitute them, thelae is that the assume to thumsolves ad that the contendsor a bolongin to the counetis. Tlio wish ur uitli, there-sore, to standis sali ut thei pleasure, that haleve the may have determine on ne id o the ther, a be implicitly received by ur mirid fas sussy decide&; so that is the approve ofany thing me muSt approve of the fame Without an hesitation an is the condemn any thing, e must unite in the condemnationis it. A the fame time, a Cordiri to thei oWn caprice, an in contemptis tho ordis God the fabricate doctrines Whicli, orio ther reason than his, the require to e be-lieved For the acknowledge O man as a Christian, WhOdoes no fudy assent to ad thei dogmas, assirmative a med aS

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negativo, is no With an explicit, at least illi an implici salth,

hecauso the protend that the Chureli has aut Orit to aliene artioles of faith. XI. First, et iis ea by What arguments the prove his authorit to have been given to the Church and then o halisee ho sar thei allegation respecting the Church contribututo suppor thei cauSe. The Church, the say, has Xcellent promisses, that he is neve tot sorSuhen by ChriSi her Sponse,

s ather, and he hali ive ou another Onas Orter even the Spirit os truth r ho made these promises no Ont to the apostles considered asin Ody, Ut to very one of the number, an ovon to the ther discipies homi ha alaead received, or fio ere aster ard t be adde to them. OW, henthe interpret theSe promiSeS, replete illi peculia consolation, in uel a Sons a is the were iveri to no individua Christian, ut ni to the whole Churcii collectively, What is hisbut deprivin ali Christians of the considerico illi hicli such promise oughto animate them y ere I do no duri that the wholo societ os belleVers, uin adornod illi a manis id variet os gi sis, poSSeSSe a more ample an preciOu trensiare of heavent Wisdom, than eaeli particula individual Doriori intend that hos things are spolien os e evers in common, Sis the wer ali quali enduod illi the spirit os understand- in and doctrineri ut e mus no allo the adversaries os Christ, in des eiice of a ad cause, to re S the Scripture to a sensu hicli it a no intende to convey. Leavin this remarii, Di reely acknowledge that the Lor is continuali pre- sunt With his servanis, and that he uides them by his Spiritu that this is no a spirit of error, ignorance, utSehood, O darkness, ut alio Spirit os isdom, an revelation an truth, stomo hom the ma certaini learn the thing that regivon to them is God, V or, in ther ords may lino Nwhat is tho ope os his calling, and what the richos of theglor of his inheritanc in the ainis. V s B ut ascit is nothingmore than the firs fruits a kind of forotast os that Spirit thalis onjoyed by boliever in the present State, even by thos Osthom ho are favoured illi more Xcellent graces than therS, there re main nothin sor them, ut that, conscious os their

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imbecili ty the soli cito usi confine themselvos Within thelimits of the wor os God lost, is the procoed a by thoir

ueliose tuachin alone trulli is distinguishod rom salso hood. For ali conses With aut that tho have not et attained themarii; theres ore the rather res on to ard dati improve-ment, than boast os persection st)XII. ut tho mill objoet, that whntevor is partiali attributedio very ne of the ainis, complete ly an persecti belong to

the whole Clivrch. ot villistanding the plausibilit os this position, et Udon it to e truo Uadmi that o distributos the gist os his Spirit by moasuro to evor member of his

have Some Spol and wrinlites, and that Somethiniis stili antingto thei sanctification. Howvain and visionar is it to imagine the Churchol ready porsecti holy an immaculate, hilo allit member Rre the subjecis os corruption an impurit It is triue that the Church is sanctifiod by Christ, ut it is ni thecommen ementis thoi sanctification that is seon in tho present Stateri the end und perfeci completion Dit illae hon Christ, tho oly osmolius, hal fili torul and sentiret With his holinuss. It is likewis truo that iis pol and wrinlites arees aced, ut in sueti a manno that the are in a dati eourseo obliteration, ill Christin his coming hali entiret effae all

aSSert, illi the Pelagians that tho righteousnes os belleveriis persect in the present lisse, and with the Calliari and Donatist S.

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must allo no infirmit in tho Church. The ther passage, SWe RV uli enit Soen, has a meantia totali disserunt romWhat tho preto d. or ustor Paul had instructo 1 Timoth in the tria natur of the ossice os a bis op ho says, These thingsPwrite iant theo that thou mayost know ho thou oughtestio boliave thysoli in themotis of God an to ensore his conscientioli attention to this object ho adiis that the Chiarchit sol is alio illa and round of the truth. V in No v Whati the menti in Os his expression, ut that tho truth of God is preServe in the Clitarch, and that by the minis tr os proaching

themselves explain it, that ascit is overnod by the Spirit ofGod it a Sasol procoed ithout tho ord that hi ther-SOeVer i goes, it an ne illior thini nor sponti an thing that is no trueri and theres ore, that is it determine any thiniboyondo beside tho Divine ord, the sameos O be conSidere in noother light than a a certain oracle os God. s e grant thesirsi potnt, that tho Church anno er in things essentiat toSMUution Our mea in is that iis securit Doni error is Wingi it renouncin ut iis Wn isdom, an submittin it sol tothemoly Spirit, o bo aught y metitis of the wor of GOd. This, then, is the disseretico etWeon us They ascribe to the Chiarch an authorit indopendunt of the word maintain itto e uno xed to tho ord, und inso parabie Dona it. And whati there Surpri singuli ut the spous and disciplei Christ is subjectio hortord and Mastor, o as O bo assiduousi an sedulou Styawnitin his commanos and instructioni For it is the ordo ofa et regulate sami ly so the wis to obe the command of the hvsband Qt is tho ordor of a weli disciplinod school that nothinii hos res hero lut the instructions os the maSter.

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Christ has made an on os speaking. In his manno it illdistriast ali the inventions os iis oWn uason 'ut in thos things in hicli it is supporte by the wor os God, it illisol aver Witti uia distriis o hesitation, ut ill est pon it illi Stron certaint an unShalien constancy. Thus confidin intho amplitude of the promise scit has received, it ill avo an excellent Suppor sor iis fuith so that it cannot doub that tho Holy Spirit, ilio est guide in the right Way, i alWay presentwith it; ut, at the samo time it, ill remember What aduanta ge

more is to e expecte froni his Spirit, than that he illen ghton Our iud to disco ver the truth of his doctrine. Whorosor it is ver judiciousi observe by Chrysostom, that many boas of tho Hol Spirit; ut in hos Who speali romtheniselves his is a salse protenue. As Christ testifi0d that hospake no Os himself, ecause e palae rom the la and the prophetS, O, is, Under the ante of the Spirit, an thin boobtrudud that is no contuine in the gospei, et iis no belloveit. For a Christ is the accomptishment of the la an the propheis socis the Spirit, of the gospei. V These are the ordsos Chrysostom. NoW, it is eas to inserio great is the erroros ur adversaries, ho boas of the Hol Spirit for no thor

an inconsistent illi the Nord of God, heroas it is his determination to e connected illi the word by an indissolii biebond and this a declared by Christ heia e promissed imio his Church. An sole is in potnt O sael. The sobrie tywhichol, Lor has onco proscribedo his Chureli, he illhave t be perpetuali observed an he has sorbiddon the Church to ad any thin to his vord, oro diministi an thingstonicit This is the inviolabi docre o God and of thomoly

protend that the Chureli is overned by the Spirit ithout

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things O say unto Oii, ut e canno bear them noW; 'sa)and that these are the ordinancos hiet have been received byuSage and custom Without ille Scripture. ut liat effronteryis ore e trayod conses that the discipies ere ignorant, and not ver docile, hen the Lor made his declaration to them ut the were notis stupid When the committed their doctrine to riting, RS O rende it necessar for them uste

recor in those ritings a perfeci System of evangelica doctrine Let iis grant Our opponentS, O WeVer, What theyask: ni let them enumerate thos things hicli require tobe revealed, and are o containe in the apostolica writings.

that is utinecessarn For even children know that the apOS-tolicori tings, hicli these men represent a incomplete undessentiali deficient, contain the fruit os that revelation hichtho Lord then promiSed them. XV. What, a they, di no Christ place the doctrines and decrees of the Church eyon ali controverSy When he Ommando him ho hould dare to contradiet it to e regarded as aheathen an and a publican ' a In the rs place,

Christ in that ex malles no mention os doctrine, ut Illyasseris the authorit of the Church in pronounc in censures forthe correction o vices, in ordo that iis judgmen may no beoppOSed by any Wh are admonishedis reproVed But leavingiliis remari , it is astonishing that he havem more modeStythan to presume o Ous of that passage For hat mill theyextor fronicit, ut that it is unia sulci despis the consent of the Church, hicli never OnSenis to any thing Xcept the

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man. For the se ho wid a door is pone to tho coissand aviis of the impious, is, asser that the decision osmen ure to e received by Christians as urticles of faith. It salso to e remari ed that Christ spolio nec ordin to the Stab- shest orderis his Wn time, an gave his num to the an-hedrim, that his discipies might earn sterWard to reverenee the solemn assemblies of the Chiarch. And thus On the principio os ur adversaries, ver Cit an village ould hau an equaliberi to frame ne artioles of aith. XVI. The exaniplos hiel the allege re noth in to the purpose They a that the baptiSin os insanis arOSe, o somuch rom any XpreS command of Scripture, as rom thede re of the Chiarch. It ould e a moSt miserable asylium,

is in desone os insant baptism, o ere compelle to averecOurSe to the mere aut horit os tho Church ut it ili bestio I in another place that the fac is ver difforent. Sowhon the objeci, that the Seriptures nowhere assirin What Wasprono unce in the Counci os mice, that he Son is of tho fame Substance illi the ather, the do groat injur to the athersos that councit, ascis the had presumptuouSi condemned Arius fortavin refuso to subscribe to thei language, hileti profosse at the doctrino hich is containe in tho ri-tings of the prophet an apostles Tho Ord consubstantiat. 6166υσιος, I consess, is noto be Dund in the Scripture ut While, On the ne haud it is o osten affirmo that hero is ut One God, and On the ther, Christ is o requonti calle thetrue and terna God, ne illi ho ather, ha hau th Νicone ather dono, ut simply Xpresse the natura Sense of the Scripture, in declaring tho ather und the Son to eis nound the samo substances Αn Theodoret the historian statos that Constantino the emperor pono that councit illi ho sol-lowin preliminar address In disputes On Divine subjecis, me are to adhere to the doctrino of themoly Spiritu th books of the evangelist an apostles, illi the oracles of the propheis fuit reveat to iis the illis God. heres ore, layingaside ali discord, et iis talio the decision os ali question indobat froin the word of the Spirit. V There a no ne atthat time lio opposed thes hol admonitions. o ne ob-j etod that the Chureli might addisomoth in os iis Wn thattho Spirit hastio revea ludi very thin to the apOSiles, or at lenSt, that tho had not transmitted the wholerio posterit in riting, o any thiti of the like nature. Is hat Our adversuries conte nil sor e true, in the firs place, Constantine acted injustly in do priving the Churchis iis o ver an in the neXt laee, wlion non os the isti ops roseo vindicate that O Ner their

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stoia the mus have botrayed the rights of the Church. Butfrom the Statement of Theodoret, that the rendit received What was aid by the emperor it is evident that this novo dog

transse to the colanetis, hicli the con Sider a repreSentingili Church anxit may surthor e affirmed that thei violent contentions so the poWer of the Church, are Withi Otho Vie Nili an to ascribe ali that the ean Xtori, to the Roman pontissand his satellites Besore Iinter on the discussion os his queStion, it is necessar sor me to premis tW bries observations. First, is in his chapter Pam ather Severe On ur opponentS, itis no thates Would sho the ancient councilites honori thanthe deserve Ι venerate them froni In heari, and wisti themto receive rom ali men the horiou to hicli the are entillud; but here soni limit must be observed that e ma derogate nothinis roni Christ. O , it is the prorogative o Christ topreside ver at counetis, an to havem mortat man associaled

ilian Our adversarie require, I in no induce to do his roman se a that the counciis ould avour thei cause an opposeo urS FO a We are Susticienti armen by the wor os the Lord, and need noliseeli an surther assistanc for the complete ostab shment of ur doctrine, and the tota subversion os opery, O, On the ther and is it ore necessary the ancienteo unciis ould urnish us in a reat meastare illi sufficient argument for Oth these object S. ΙΙ. et iis nox come to tho subjeci itsuis. 1 cit' inquiro dwhat is the authorit os counciis coordin to the Scriptures, there is no promise more ample or Xplicit than his declarationos Christ hure two or three re at hered together in my