A17662:669
The Institution of Christian Religion
The institution of Christian religion, written in Latin by master John Calvin, and translated into English according to the authors last edition. Seen and allowed according to the order appointed in the Queens majesties injunctionsThe institution of Christian religion, vvrytten in Latine by maister Ihon Caluin, and translated into Englysh according to the authors last edition. Seen and allowed according to the order appointed in the Quenes maiesties iniunctions
London: printed by Reinolde Wolfe & Richard Harison, 1561London: printed by Reinolde VVolfe & Richarde Harison, 1561
Book 2 › Chapter 11: The xi Chapter. Of the difference of the one Testament from the other.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now I come to the third difference, which is taken out §7of Jeremiah,1 whose words are these. Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with your Fathers, in the day when I toke them by the hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt, the covenant that they made void although I ruled over them. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. I will put my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their hearts, and I will be merciful to their iniquity. And no man shall teach his neighbour, and no man his brother. For they shall all know me, from the least unto the most. Of which words the Apostle took occasion to make this comparison between the law and the Gospel, that he called the law a literal, and Gospel a spiritual doctrine:2 the law, he said, was fashioned out in Tables of stone, the Gospel written in hearts: that the law was the preaching of death, the Gospel the preaching of life: the law the preaching of damnation, the Gospel the preaching of righteousness: that the law is made void, that the Gospel abideth. Sith the Apostles purpose was butte to declare the meaning of the Prophet, it shall be sufficient that we weigh the words of one of them, to attain the meaning of them both. All be it, there is some unlikeness between them. For the Apostle speaketh more odiously of the law than the Prophet doth: and that not in simple respect of the ••we, but because there were certain naughty men, having a wrong zeal to the law, which did with perverse love of the ceremonies, obscure the brightness of the Gospel. He disputeth of the nature of the law, according to their error & foolish affection. Therefore it shall be good to note that peculiarly in Paul. But both of them, because they do by comparison set the old and the new testament, the one against the other: do consider nothing in the law, but that which properly belongeth unto it. As for example. The law doth commonly in every place contain promises of mercy, but because they are borrowed from ells where, therefore they are not reckoned as part of the law, when the mere nature of the law is spoken of.