The Institution of Christian Religion

But yet the doubt is not dissolved. For either we must make Camillus like unto Catiline, or else in Camillus we shall have an example that nature, if it be framed by diligence, is not altogether without goodness. I grant in deed that those goodly gifts which were in Camillus both were the gifts of God and seem worthy to be commended, if they we weighed by themselves, but how shall they be proves of natural goodness in him? must we not return to the mind, and frame our argument in this sort? If a natural man excelled in such uprightness of manners, then nature is undoubtedly not without power toward the study of virtue.¹ But what if the mind were perverse and crooked, and following any thing rather than upright straightness? And that it was such there is no doubt, if you grant that he was a natural man. Now what power of mans nature to goodness will you rehearse unto me in this behalf, if in the greatest show of pureness it be found that he is alway carried to corruption: Therefore, lest ye commend a man for virtue, whose vices deceive you under virtues Image, do not so gene unto the will of man power to desire goodness, so long as it remaineth taste in her own perverseness. Albeit this is a most sure and easy solution of this question, ⟨p. 19⟩that these are not common gifts of nature, but special graces of God, which he diversly and to a certain measure dealeth among men that are otherwise ungodly. For which reason we fear not in common speech to call one man well natured, and an other of evil nature, and yet we cease not to include them both under the universal state of mans corruption, but we show what special grace God hath bestowed upon the one, which he hath not vouchsafed to give to ȳe other, when his pleasure was to make Saul king, he formed him as a new man: & that is the reason why Plato alluding to the fable of Homer, saith that kings sons are created notable by some singular mark, because God providing for mankind, furnisheth these with a principle nature whom he appointeth to bear government: & out of this store house came all the great Captains that are renowned in histories. The same is also to be thought of private men.

But yet the doubte is not dissolved. For eyther we muste make Camillus like vnto Catiline, or els in Camillus we shall haue an example that nature, yf it bee framed by diligence, is not altogether without goodnesse. I graunte in deede that those goodly giftes whyche were in Camillus bothe were the giftes of God and seeme worthy to bee commended, if they we weyed by themselues, but how shall they bee proues of naturall goodnesse in hym? muste we not returne to the minde, and frame our argumente in this sorte? If a naturall manne exelled in suche vprightenesse of manners, then nature is vndoubtedly not without power towarde the studie of vertue.