The Institution of Christian Religion

To bear these assaults, faith doth army and fortify her self with §21the word of God. And when such a tentation assaileth, that God is our enemy, because he is sharp against us: faith in the other side answereth, that even when he punisheth he is also merciful, because his chastisement cometh rather of love than of wrath. When faith is stricken with this thought that God is a revenger of iniquities▪ against that stroke he setteth his pardon ready for all offences, so oft as the sinner resorteth to the mercifulness of the Lord. So a godly mind how so ever it be in marvellous wise tossed and vexed, yet at length riseth up above all dangers, and never suffereth the confidence of Gods mercy to be plucked away from it: But rather what so ever contentions do trouble and weary it, in the end they turn to the assuredness of this confidence. And hereof this is a proof, that the holy ones, when they think themselves most of all pressed with the vengeance of God yet even then do make their complaints to the same God: and when it seemeth that they shall not be heard at all, even then nevertheless they call upon him. For to what purpose were it, to make their moan to him from whom they hoped for no comfort? truly they would never find in their hearts to call upon him, unless they believed that there were some help at his hand prepared for them.¹ So the Disciples, in whom Christ blameth their smallness of faith, complained in deed that they perished, but yet they called to him for help. And when he rebuketh them for their small faith, yet he doth not reject them from the number of his, nor maketh them of the number of the unbelievers, but stirreth them to shake of that fault. Therefore we affirm again that which we have above spoken, that the root of faith is never plucked out of a godly heart, but sticketh so fast in the bottom, that how so ever it be shaken and seem to bend this way or that way, the light thereof is so never quenched or choked up, but that it lieth at least hidden under some embers:

To beare these assaultes, faith doth armie and fortifie her self with §21the worde of God. And when such a tentation assayleth, that God is our enemie, bicause he is sharpe against vs: faith in the other side answereth, that euen when he punisheth he is also mercifull, bicause his chastisement cometh rather of loue than of wrath. When faith is striken with this thought that God is a reuenger of iniquities agaynst that stroke he setteth his pardon redy for al offenses, so oft as the sinner resorteth to the mercifulnesse of the Lord. So a godly minde how so euer it be in maruelous wise tossed and vexed, yet at length riseth vp aboue all dāgers, and neuer suffreth the confidēce of Gods mercie to be plucked awaye from it: But rather what so euer contentions do trouble and wery it, in the ende they turne to the assurednesse of this cōfidence. And herof this is a profe, that the holy ones, whē they thinke themselues moste of al pressed with the vengeance of God yet euen then do make their complayntes to the same God: and when it semeth that they shal not be heard at all, euen then neuerthelesse they call vpon him. For to what purpose were it, to make their moane to him from whome thei hoped for no comfort? truely they would neuer finde in their heartes to cal vpon him, vnlesse they beleued that there were some helpe at his hande prepared for them.