The Institution of Christian Religion

By which words he confesseth, that the faithful are guilty of sin, in so much as they are subject to the lusts of the flesh.

By which wordes he confesseth, that the faithfull are gilty of sinne, in so much as they are subiect to the lustes of the fleshe.

But this that it is said, that God purgeth his church from all sin,§11 that he promiseth that grace of deliverance by Baptism,¹ & fulfilleth it in his elect, we refer rather to the guiltiness of sin, than to the very matter of sin. God truly performeth this by regenerating them that be his, that in them the kingdom of sin is abolished (for the holy ghost ministereth them strength, whereby they get the upper hand and are conquerors in the battle) but it ceaseth only to reign & not so to •well in them.² Therefore we so say, that the old man is crucified, & the law of sin abolished in the children of God, that yet there remain some leavings, not to have dominion in them, but to humble them by knowledge in conscience of their own weakness. And we confess that the same are not imputed, as if they were not: but we affirm that this cometh to pass by the mercy of God, that the holy ones are delivered from this guiltiness, which otherwise should justly be reckoned sinners and guilty before God. And this sentence it shall not be hard for us to confirm, forasmuch as there are evident testimonies of the scripture upon their matter. For what would we have more plain, than that which Paul crieth out to the Romans chap. vii.³ First both we have in an other place showed, and Augustine proveth by strong reasons, that Paul there speaketh in the person of a man regenerate. I speak not of this, that he useth these words, Evil & Sin, that they which will speak against us may not cavil against those words: but who can deny, that a striving against the law of God is evil: who can deny a withstanding of Justice to be sin? Finally, who wll not grant that there is a fault, where is a spiritual misery? But all these things are reported of this disease by Paul. Again, we have an assured demonstration by the law, by which this whole question may easily be discussed. For we are commanded to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our powers. Sith all the parts of our soul ought so to be occupied with the love of God, it is certain, that they satisfy not the commandment that conceive in their heart any desire, be it never so little, or suffer any such thought at all to enter into their mind, as may withdraw them from the love of God into vanity. For what?