The Institution of Christian Religion

And truly God doth claim and will have us give unto him an almightiness, not such as the Sophisters do imagine, vain, idle, and as it were sleeping, but waking, effectual, working and busied in continual doing. Nor such a one as is only a general beginning of a confused motion, as if he would command a river to flow by his appointed channels, but such a one as is bent and ready at all his particular movings. For he is therefore called almighty, not because he can do and yet sitteth still and doth nothing, or by general instinct only continueth the order of nature that he hath before appointed: but because he governing both heaven and earth, by his Providence so ordereth all things that nothing chanceth but by his advised purpose.¹ For whereas it is said in the Psalm that he doth whatsoever he will, therein is meant his certain & determined will. For it were very fond to expound the Prophets words after the Philosophers manner, that God is the first Agent or doer, because he is the beginning and cause of all moving: whereas the faithful ought rather in adversity to ease themselves with this comfort, that they suffer nothing but by the ordinance and commandment of God, because they are under his hand. If then the government of God do so extend to all his works, it is a very childish cavillation to enclose it within the influence of nature. And yet they do no more defraud God of his glory than themselves of a most profitable doctrine, whosoever do restrain the Providence of God within so narrow bounds, as if he suffered all things to be carried with an ungoverned course according to a perpetual law of nature. For nothing were more miserable than man if he should be left subject to every motion of the heaven, the air, the earth and the waters. Beside that by that mean the singular goodness of God toward every man is to much unhonourably diminished. David crieth out that babes yet hanging on their mothers breasts are eloquent enough to magnify the glory of God,² because even so soon as they be come out of the womb, they find food prepared for them by his heavenly care.

And truely God doth claime and will haue vs geue vnto him an almightinesse, not such as the Sophisters do imagine, vaine, idle, and as it were sleping, but waking, effectual, working and busied in continual doing. Nor such a one as is only a general beginning of a cōfused motion, as if he would commaunde a ryuer to flowe by hys appointed chanels, but such a one as is bent and redy at al his particular mouinges. For he is therfore called almighty, not because he can do and yet sytteth stil and doth nothing, or by general instinct only continueth the order of nature that he hath before appointed: but because he gouernyng both heauen and earth, by his Prouidence so ordreth all thynges yt nothyng chaunceth but by hys aduised purpose.