The Institution of Christian Religion

They allege the saying of Peter, which Luke rehearseth in the Acts:§2 I find in truth that God is not an accepter of persons:¹ but in every nation he that doth righteousness is acceptable to him. And hereupon they gather that which seemeth to be undoubted, that if man doth by right endeavours get himself the favour of God, it is not the beneficial gift of God alone that he obtaineth salvation: yea that God doth so of his mercy help a sinner, that he is by works bowed to mercy. But you can in no wise make the Scriptures agree together, unless you note a double accepting of man with God. For, such as man is by nature, God findeth nothing in him whereby he may be inclined to mercy, but only misery. If therefore it be certain that man is naked and needy of all goodness, and on the other side full stuffed and laden with all kinds of evils, when God first receiveth them: for what quality, I pray you shall we say that he is worthy of the heavenly calling▪ Away therefore with the vain imagining of merits, where God so evidently setteth out his free mercifulness. For, that which in the same place is said by the voice of the Angel to Cornelius, that his prayers and alms had ascended into the sight of God, is by these men most lewdly wrested, that man by endeavour of good works is prepared to ⟨image 278⟩receive the grace of God. For it must needs be that Cornelius was already enlightened with the Spirit of wisdom, sith he was endued with true wisdom, namely with the fear of God: that he was sanctified with the same Spirit, sith he was a follower of righteousness, which the Apostle teacheth to be a most certain fruit thereof.² Al those things therefore which are said to have pleased God in him, he had of his grace, so far is it of that he did by his own endeavour prepare himself to receive it. Truly there can not one syllable of the Scripture be brought forth, that agreeth not with this doctrine, that there is none other cause for God to accept man unto him, but because he seeth that man should be every way lost, if he be left to himself: but because he will not have him lost, he useth his own mercy in delivering him. Now we see how this accepting hath not regard to the righteousness of man, but is a mere token of the goodness of God toward men being miserable and most unworthy of so great a benefit.