The Institution of Christian Religion

Wherefore then serve exhortations? For this purpose: if they be despised of the wicked with an obstinate heart, they shall be for a witness unto them when they shall come to the judgement seat of the Lord, yea and even now already they beat and strike their conscience: for howsoever the most froward man laugheth them to scorn, yet can he not disprove them: but thou wilt say, what may silly miserable men do, if the softness of heart, which was necessarily required to obedience, be denied him? Nay rather, why doth he excuse him self, when he can impute the hardness of heart to none but to himself? Therefore the wicked that are willingly ready to ⟨p. 29⟩mock them out if the might, are thrown down with the force of them whether they will or no. But the chief profit toward the faithful is to be considered: in whom as the Lord worketh all things by his spirit, so he leaveth not the instruments of his word, & useth the same not without effect. Let this therefore stand which is true, that all the strength of the godly resteth in the grace of God, according to that saying of the Prophet:¹ I will give them a new heart that they may walk in them. But thou wilt say: Why are they now admonished of their duty, and not rather left to the direction of the holy ghost? why are they moved with exhortation, sith they can make no more haste than the stirring forward of the holy ghost worketh? why are they chastised if at any time they be gone out of the way, sith they fell by the necessary weakness of the flesh? O man, what art thou to appoint a law for God? If it be his pleasure, that we be prepared by exhortation to receive the self same grace, whereby is wrought that the exhortation is obeyed, what haste thou in this order to bite or carp at? If exhortations and rebukings did nothing else profit with the godly, but to reprove them of sin, they were even for that thing only to be counted not altogether unprofitable. Now, forasmuch as by the holy ghost working inwardly, they much avail to inflame the desire of goodness, to shake of sluggishness, to take away the pleasure and venomous sweetness of wickedness, and on the other side to engender a hatred and irksomeness thereof: who dare cavil that they are superfluous? If any man require a plainer answer, let him take this:

Wherfore then serue exhortations? For thys purpose: if thei be dispysed of the wycked wyth an obstynate hearte, they shall be for a witenesse vnto them when they shall come to the iudgemente seate of the Lorde, yea and euen nowe alreadye they beate and strike their conscience: for howesoeuer the moste frowarde manne laugheth them to scorne, yet canne he not disproue them: but thou wilte saie, what may sylly miserable menne do, yf the softenesse of heart, whyche was necessarily required to obedience, be denied him? Naye rather, why doth he excuse him selfe, when he canne impute the hardenesse of heart to none but to hymselfe? Therefore the wycked that are wyllyngely readye to