The Institution of Christian Religion

But as the persuasion of the fatherly love of God is not fast rooted in the reprobate, so do they not soundly love him again as his children, but are led with a certain affection like hired servants. For to Christ only was that Spirit of love given, to this end, that he should pour it into his members. And truly that saying of Paul extendeth no further,¹ but to the elect only: The love of God is poured abroad into our hearts by the holy Spirit that is given us, even the same love that engendereth the same confidence of calling upon him, which I have before touched. As on the contrary side we see God to be marvellously angry with his children, whom yet he ceaseth not to love: not that in himself he hateth them, but because his will is to make them afraid with the feeling of his wrath, but to the intent to abate their pride of flesh, to shake of their drowsiness, and to move them to repentance. And therefore all at one time they conceive him to be both angry with them or with their sins, and also merciful unto them: because they not feignedly do pray to appease his wrath, to whom yet they flee with quiet assured trust. Hereby it appeareth that it is not true that some do counterfeit a show of faith, which yet do lack the true faith, but while they are carried with a sudden violent motion of Zeal, they deceive themselves with false opinion, And it is no doubt that sluggishness so possesseth them, that they do not well examine their heart as they ought to have done. It is likely that they were such to whom (as John witnesseth) Christ did not commit himself when yet they believed in him:² because he knew them all, and knew what was in man. If many did not fall from the common faith (I call it common, because the faith that lasteth but a time hath a great likeness and affinity with the lively and continuing faith) Christ would not have said to his Disciples:³ If ye abide in my word, then are ye truly my Disciples, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. For he speaketh to them that had embraced his doctrine, and exhorteth them to the increase of faith, that they should not by their own slothfulness quench the light that is given them.⁴ Therefore doth Paul affirm, that faith peculiarly belongeth to the elect, declaring that many vanish away, because they have not taken lively root.