The Institution of Christian Religion

But his marvellous order of governing the world is worthily called a bottomless depth: because while it is hidden from us, we ought reverently to worship it. Right well hath Moses expressed them both in few words.¹ The secrete things (sayeth he) belong to the Lord our God: but the things revealed belong to us and to our children for ever. We see how he biddeth us not only to study in meditation of the law, but also reverently to look up unto the secrete Providence of God.² And in the book of Job is rehearsed one title of this depth, that it humbleth our minds. For after that the author of that book in surveying up and down the frame of the world, had honourably entreated of the works of God, at length he addeth: Lo, these be part of his ways, but how little a portion hear we of him? According to which reason in an other place he maketh difference between the wisdom that remaineth with God, and the measure of wisdom that he hath appointed for men. For after he hath preached of the secretes of nature, he saith that wisdom is known to God only,³ and is hidden from the eyes of all living creatures. But by and by after he sayeth further, that it is published to the end it should be searched out, because it is said unto man, behold the fear of God is wisdom. For this purpose maketh the saying of Augustine: Because we know not all things which God doeth concerning us in most good order,⁴ that therefore in only good will we do according to the law, because his Providence is an unchangeable law. Therefore ⟨image 72⟩sith God doth claim unto him self the power to rule the world, which is to us unknown, let this be to us a law of soberness and modesty, quietly to obey his sovereign authority, that his will may be to us the only rule of justice, and the most just cause of all things. I mean not that absolute will, of which the Sophisters do babble, separating by wicked and profane disagreement his justice from his power, but I mean that Providence, which is the governess of all things, from which proceedeth nothing but right: although the causes thereof be hidden from us.