The Institution of Christian Religion

But most plainly of all do these places set forth the true substance §3of Christ, which do comprehend both natures together: of which sort there are very many in the gospel of him. For that which is there red is singularly belonging neither to his godhead nor to his manhood, but both together:¹ that he hath received of his father power to forgive sins, to raise up whom he will, to give righteousness, holiness and salvation, to be made judge over the quick and the dead, to be honoured even as the father is:² Finally, that he is called the light of the world, the good shepherd, the only door, the true Vine. For such prerogatives had the son of God, when he was showed in the flesh: which although he enjoyed with his father before the world was made,³ yet he had them not in the same manner or the same respect, & which could not be given to such a man as was nothing but man.⁴ In the same meaning ought we to take that which is in Paul: that Christ after the judgement ended, shall yield up the kingdom to God & the father: Even the kingdom of the son of God, which had no beginning, nor shall have any ending: but even as he lay hid under the baseness of the flesh, and abased himself taking upon him the form of a servant,⁵ and laying aside the port of majesty, he showed himself obedient to his father: ⟨image 168⟩and having performed all such subjection, at length is crowned with honour & glory,⁶ and advanced to the hiest dominion, that all knees shall bow before him: so shall he then yield up to his father both that name & crown of glory, & what so ever he hath received of his father, that God may be all in all. For to what purpose is power and dominion given him, but that the father should govern us by his hand? In which sense it is also said, that he sitteth at the right hand of the father. But this is but for a time, till we may enjoy the present beholding of the godhead. And here the error of the old fathers can not be excused, which while they toke no heed to the person of the Mediator, have obscured the natural meaning of almost all that doctrine that is read in the gospel of John, and have entangled themselves in many snares. Let this therefore be unto us the key of right understanding, that such things as belong to the office of the Mediator, are not spoken simply of the nature of God, nor of the nature of man.