The Institution of Christian Religion

After the first manner this seemeth to be spoken. He taketh away the lip from the speakers of truth,¹ and taketh away reason from the Elders. He taketh the heart away from them that are set over the people, he maketh then to wander where no way is. Again, Lord why haste thou made us mad,² and hardened our heart, that we should not fear thee• Because they judge rather of what sort God maketh men by forsaking them, than how he performeth his work in them. But there are other testimonies that go further: as are these of the hardening of Pharaoh. I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, that he do not hear you,³ and let the people go. Afterward he saith, that he hath made heavy and hardened his heart. Did he harden it, in not sustaining it? That is true in deed: but he did somewhat more that he committed his heart to Satan, to be confirmed with obstinacy. Where upon he had before said:⁴ I will hold his heart. The people went out of Egypt, the inhabitants of that country came fourth and met them like enemies. By whom were they stirred up? Truly Moses affirmeth to the people,⁵ that it was the Lord that had hardened their hearts. And the Prophet reciting the same history, saith, that he turned their hearts,⁶ that they should hate his people. Now can you not say, that they stumbled being left without the counsel of God. For if they be hardened and turned, then they are of purpose bowed to that self thing. Moreover so oft as it pleased him to punish the transgressors of the people, how did he perform his work in the reprobate? so as a man may see, that the effectualness of working was in him, & they only did service as ministers.⁷ Wherefore sometime he threatened that he would call them out with his whistle, sometime that they should be like a net for him to entangle them, and sometime like a mallet, to strike the Israelites. But specially he then declared how he is not idle in them, when he called Sennacherib an Are, which was both directed and driven by his hand to cut. Augustine in one place doth not amiss, appointeth it after this sort: that in as much as they sin, it is their own: in as much as in sining they do this o that it is of the power of God, that divided the darkness as pleaseth him.