The Institution of Christian Religion

But what way is there to humble our selves, but that we being altogether needy & empty, should give place to the mercy of God? For I do not call it humbleness, if we think that we have any thing remaining with us. And hitherto they have taught a very hurtful hypocrisy, that have joined these two things together, that we must think humbly of our selves before God, and that we must make some account of our own righteousness. For if we confess to God contrary to our own thinking, we do wickedly lie unto him: but we can not think as we ought, but that by and by all that seemeth glorious in us must be trodden under foot.¹ Therefore when thou hearest in the Prophet, that there is prepared salvation for the humble people, and abasement ⟨p. 184⟩for the eyes of the wicked: First think, that there is no entry open to salvation, until thou have laid away all pride & taken to thee perfect humbleness: then, that the same humbleness is not a certain modesty whereby thou givest over to the Lord a hear breadth of thine own right, as they are called humble before men that do neither presumptuously advance themselves, nor reproachfully triumph over other, although they stand upon some estimation of their own excellence: but an unfeigned submission of a mind thrown down with feeling of his own misery & neediness. For it is so each where described in the word of God. When the lord saith thus in Zephaniah:² I will take away out thee him that outrageously rejoiceth, & I will leave in the midst of thee the afflicted man, & the poor man, & they shall trust in the lord: doth he not there plainly show who be humble? even they that lie afflicted with knowledge of their own poverty. On the other side he calleth the proud, outrageous rejoicers, because men joying in prosperity are wont to rejoice without measure. But to the humble whom he purposeth to save, he leaveth nothing but to trust in the Lord. And likewise it is said in Isaiah:³ Whom shall I look unto, but to the poor & contrite in spirit, & him that feareth my words? Again: The hie and excellent, that inhabiteth eternity, his name is holy, that dwelleth on high, and in the holy place, and with the contrite and humble spirit, to quicken the spirit of the humble and the heart of contrite.