The Institution of Christian Religion

The .xiii. Chapter. That there is taught in the scriptures one offence of God from the very creation, which essence containeth in it three persons:

The .xiii. Chapter. That there is taught in the scriptures one offence of God from the very creation, whiche essence conteineth in it thre persons:

That which is taught in the scriptures concerning the incomprehensible §1and spiritual essence of God, ought to suffice not only to overthrow the foolish errors of the common people, but also to confute the fine subtleties of profane philosophy. One of the old writers seemed to have said very well, That God is all that we do see, and all that we do not see. But by this mean he hath imagined the godhead to be poured out into all the parts of the world. Although God, to the intent to keep men in sober mind, speaketh but sparely of his own essence, yet by those two names of addition that I have rehearsed, he doth both take away all gross imaginations, and also repress the presumptuous boldness of mans mind. For surely his immeasurable greatness ought to make us afraid, that we attempt not to measure him with our sense: and his spiritual nature forbiddeth us to imagine any thing earthly or fleshly of him. For the same cause he often assigneth his dwelling place to be in heaven. For though, as he is incomprehensible, he tilleth the earth also: yet because he seeth our minds by reason of their dullness to lie still in the earth, for good cause he lifteth us up above the world, to shake of our sloth and sluggishness. And here falleth to ground the error of the Manichees, which in appointing two original beginnings have made the devil in a manner equal with god. Surely this was as much as to break the unity of God and restrain his unmeasurablenesse. For where they have presumed to abuse certain testimonies: that showeth a foul ignorance, as their error it self showeth a detestable madness. And the Anthropomorphites are also easily confuted which have imagined God to consist of a body, because oftentimes the scripture ascribeth unto him a mouth, ears, eyes, hands, and feet. For what man yea though he be slenderly witted doth not understand that God doth so with us speak as it were childishly, as nurses do with their babes? Therefore such manners of speech do not so plainly express what God is, as they do apply the understanding of him to our slender capacity. Which to do, it behoved of necessity that he descended a great way beneath his own height.