The Institution of Christian Religion

This distinction is gathered out of many places of the Scripture.§2 God so loved the world,¹ that he gave his only begotten son, that who so ever believeth him, shall not perish. We see how the love of God holdeth the first place, as the sovereign cause or original, & then followeth faith in Christ, as the second or nearer cause. If any man take exception and say, that Christ is but the formal cause, he doth more diminish his power than the words may bear. For if we obtain righteousness by faith that resteth upon him, then is the matter of our salvation to be sought in him, which is in many places plainly proved. Not that we first loved him,² but he first loved us, and sent his son to be the appeasing for our sins. In these words is clearly showed, that God, to the end that nothing should withstand his love toward us, appointed us a mean to be reconciled in Christ. And this word Appeasing, is of great weight: because God after a certain unspeakable manner, even the same time that he loved us, was also angry with us until he was reconciled in Christ. And to this purpose serve all those sayings: He is the satisfaction for our sins.³ Again: It pleased God by him to reconcile all things to himself, appeasing himself through the blood of the cross by him, &c. Again. God was ⟨image 184⟩in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to men their sins.⁴ Again: He accepted us in his beloved son. Again. That he might reconcile them both to God into one man by the crown. The reason of this mystery is to be fetched out of the first chapter to the Ephesians, where Paul, after that he had taught that we were chosen in Christ, addeth therewithal, that we have obtained favour in him. How did God begin to embrace with his favour them whom he loved before the making of the world, but because he uttered his love when he was reconciled by the blood of Christ? For sith God is the fountain of all righteousness, it must needs be, that man so long as he is a sinner, have God his enemy & his judge. Wherefore the beginning of his love is righteousness,