The Institution of Christian Religion

but I speak of the true worshippers of God, which when they see themselves oppressed with the examination that they have made, do add also this saying of John:¹ If our own heart do accuse us, God is greater than our heart: and so they quake for fear at the sight of that judge, whose knowledge far surmounteth our understanding.

but I speake of the true worshippers of God, whiche when thei see themselues oppressed with the examinatiō that they haue made, do adde also this saieng of Ihon:¹ If oure owne heart do accuse vs, God is greater than oure heart: and so thei quake for feare at the sight of that iudge, whose knowledge farre sourmounteth oure vnderstandinge.

1. 1i. Joh. iii xx.i. Ioh. iii xx.

But whereas a great part of the world rested them upon such §18flatteries, wherewith so deadly a poison was tempered, this came not so to pass, because they believed that God was satisfied, or because they them selves were fully satisfied: but that the anchor caste as y• were in the mid sea, should rest a little from sailing, or as a wayfaring man weary and fainting, should lye down in the way. I labour not much in proving this. For every man may be witness to him self. I will in a short sum show, what manner of law this was. First simply it is impossible, and therefore it can do nothing but destroy, damn, confound, and cast in ruin and desperation. And then when it hath led sinners from the true feeling of their sins, it maketh then hypocrites and ignorance of God and themselves. For while they are wholly busied in reckoning up of their since, in the mean time they forget the secrete sink of vices, their hidden Iniquities, and inward filthiness, by knowledge whereof they should chiefly have weighed their misery. But this was a most certain rule of confession, to acknowledge and confess the bottomless depth of our evil to be so great as passeth our understanding.