The Institution of Christian Religion

Hereby we may judge how pestilent is that doctrine of the Schoolmen,§38 that we can no otherwise determine of the grace of God toward us, than by moral conjecture as every man thinketh himself worthy of it. Truly if we shall weigh by our works how God is minded toward us, I grant that we can attain it with any conjecture, be it never so slender: but sith faith ought to have relation to a simple & free promise, there is left no cause of doubting. For with what confidence (I beseech you) shall we be armed, if we say that God is favourable unto us upon this condition, so that the pureness of our life do deserve it? But because I have appointed one place properly for the discussing hereof, therefore I will speak no more of them at this present, specially forasmuch as it is plain enough, that there is nothing more contrary to faith, than either conjecture or any thing near unto doubting. And they do very ill writhe to this purpose that testimony of the Preacher which they have oft in their mouths:¹ No man knoweth whether he be worthy of hatred or love. For (to speak nothing how this place is in the common translation corruptly turned) yet very children can not be ignorant what Solomon meaneth by such words: that is, that if any man will judge by the present state of things, whom God hateth, or whom God loveth, he laboureth in vain, and troubleth himself to no profit for his pains: sith all things happen alike, both to the righteous and the wicked, to him that offereth sacrifices and him that offereth none. Whereupon followeth, that God doth not alway witness his love to them to whom he maketh all things happen prosperously, nor doth always utter the hatred to them whom he punisheth.² And that he doth to condemn the vanity of mans wit, sith it is so dull in things most needful to be known. As he had written a little before, that it can not be discerned what the soul of a man differeth from the soul of a beast, because it seemeth to dye in like manner. If any man will gather thereof, that the opinion that we hold of the immortality of souls, standeth upon conjecture: may he not worthily be counted a mad man? Are they then in their right wits which gather that there is no certainty of Gods grace, because we can conceive none by the carnal beholding of present ⟨image 204⟩