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INSTITUTES

 

OF

 

THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION

 

 

By

 

JOHN CALVIN

 

 

Translated by

 

HENRY BEVERIDGE

 

 

 

VOLUME 1 of 2


 

CONTENTS

 

Introduction

i

Prefatory Address by John Calvin to Francis I., King of France

3

The Epistle of Calvin to the Reader, prefixed to the Second Edition

21

Subject of the Present Work, by Calvin

22

Calvin's Epistle to the Reader, prefixed to the last Edition revised by the Author

24

Method and Arrangement, or Subject of the Whole Work

27

 

 

BOOK FIRST.—OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR

35

Argument

36

Chapter 1.—Connection between the Knowledge of God and the Knowledge of Ourselves. Nature of the Connection

37

Chapter 2.—What It is to Know God. Tendency of This Knowledge

40

Chapter 3.—The Knowledge of God Naturally Implanted in the Human Mind

43

Chapter 4.—The Knowledge of God Stifled or Corrupted, Ignorantly or Maliciously

46

Chapter 5.—The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World

50

Chapter 6.—The Need of Scripture, as a Guide and Teacher, in Coming to God as a Creator

64

Chapter 7.—The Testimony of the Spirit Necessary to Give Full Authority to Scripture. The Impiety of Pretending That the Credibility of Scripture Depends on the Judgment of the Church

68

Chapter 8.—The Credibility of Scripture Sufficiently Proved in so Far as Natural Reason Admits

74

Chapter 9.—All the Principles of Piety Subverted by Fanatics, Who Substitute Revelations for Scripture

84

Chapter 10.—In Scripture, the True God Opposed, Exclusively, to All the Gods of the Heathen

87

Chapter 11.—Impiety of Attributing a Visible Form to God. The Setting Up of Idols a Defection from the True God

90

Chapter 12.—God Distinguished from Idols, That He May be the Exclusive Object of Worship

104

Chapter 13.—The Unity of the Divine Essence in Three Persons Taught, in Scripture, from the Foundation of the World

108

Chapter 14.—In the Creation of the World, and All Things in It, the True God Distinguished by Certain Marks from Fictitious Gods

140

Chapter 15.—State in Which Man was Created. The Faculties of the Soul—The Image of God—Free Will—Original Righteousness

159

Chapter 16.—The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. Each and All of Its Parts Governed by His Providence

171

Chapter 17.—Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence

182

Chapter 18.—The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He Continues Free from Every Taint

198

 

 

BOOK SECOND.—OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE REDEEMER, IN CHRIST, AS FIRST MANIFESTED TO THE FATHERS, UNDER THE LAW, AND THEREAFTER TO US UNDER THE GOSPEL

207

Argument

208

Chapter 1.—Through the Fall and Revolt of Adam, the Whole Human Race Made Accursed and Degenerate. Of Original Sin

209

Chapter 2.—Man Now Deprived of Freedom of Will, and Miserably Enslaved

221

Chapter 3.—Everything Proceeding from the Corrupt Nature of Man Damnable

248

Chapter 4.—How God Works in the Hearts of Men

265

Chapter 5.—The Arguments Usually Alleged in Support of Free Will Refuted

272

Chapter 6.—Redemption for Lost Man to be Sought in Christ

292

Chapter 7.—The Law Given, Not to Retain a People for Itself, But to Keep Alive the Hope of Salvation in Christ until His Advent

299

Chapter 8.—Exposition of the Moral Law

314

Chapter 9.—Christ, Though Known to the Jews under the Law, Yet Only Manifested under the Gospel

363

Chapter 10.—The Resemblance Between the Old Testament and the New

368

Chapter 11.—The Difference Between the Two Testaments

387

Chapter 12.—Christ, to Perform the Office of Mediator, Behoved to Become Man

400

Chapter 13.—Christ Clothed with the True Substance of Human Nature

409

Chapter 14.—How Two Natures Constitute the Person of the Mediator

415

Chapter 15.—Three Things Briefly to be Regarded in Christ—viz. His Offices of Prophet, King, and Priest

425

Chapter 16.—How Christ Performed the Office of Redeemer in Procuring Our Salvation. The Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ

433

Chapter 17.—Christ Rightly and Properly Said to Have Merited Grace and Salvation for Us

453

 

 

BOOK THIRD.—THE MODE OF OBTAINING THE GRACE OF CHRIST. THE BENEFITS IT CONFERS, AND THE EFFECTS RESULTING FROM IT

460

Argument

461

Chapter 1.—The Benefits of Christ Made Available to Us by the Secret Operation of the Spirit

462

Chapter 2.—Of Faith. The Definition of It. Its Peculiar Properties

467

Chapter 3.—Regeneration by Faith. Of Repentance

508

Chapter 4.—Penitence, As Explained in the Sophistical Jargon of the Schoolmen, Widely Different from the Purity Required by the Gospel. Of Confession and Satisfaction

532

Chapter 5.—Of the Modes of Supplementing Satisfaction—viz. Indulgences and Purgatory

571

 


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