The Institution of Christian Religion

Then let this be the second distinction, that when the reprobate are §33stricken with the scourges of God, they do already after a certain manner begin to suffer pains by his judgement, and though they shall not escape unpunished, for that they have not taken heed to such tokens of the wrath of God, yet they are not punished to this end, to make them come to a better mind: but only that, to their great hurt, they should prove God to be a judge and revenger. But children are beaten with rods, not that they should thereby be punished of God for their sins, but that they should thereby profit to amendment. Therefore we take it that they rather have respect to the time to come, than to the time paste.¹ This I had rather express in Chrysostoms words than mine own. For this (saith he) God doth lay pain upon us, not punishing our sins past, but correcting us against time to come. And so saith Augustine: That which thou sufferest, that for which thou lamentest, is a medicine to thee and no pain, a chastisement and no damnation. Put not away the scourge, if thou wilt not be put away from the inheritance, &c. Know ye brethren that all this misery of mankind when the world groaneth is a medicinal sorrow, and not a penal sentence. &c. These sentences I have therefore thought good to allege, that the manner of speech that I have above written, should not seem to any man new and unused. And hereunto serve all the con plaints full of indignation wherein the Lord oftentimes doth expostulate of the unkindness of the people, for that they stiffly despised all punishments. In Isaiah he saith:² To what purpose should I strike you any more: from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, there is no whole place. But because the Prophets are full of such sayings, it shall be sufficient to have briefly showed that God do the punish his church for none other intent, but that it should be tamed and amend. Therefore when he did caste Saul out of the kingdom,³ he punished him to revengement: When he toke from David his young son, he corrected him to amendment. According to this meaning is that to be taken which Paul saith, when we are judged of the Lord, we are corrected, that we should not be damned with this world.