Divers sermons of Master John Calvin, concerning the divinity, humanity, and nativity of our…Diuers sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, concerning the diuinitie, humanitie, and natiuitie of our…

Now we have here to note that by reason of the condemnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are pardoned, and all our sins buried, & shall never again rise up against us before the majesty of God: when we speak of the forgiveness of our sins, it is not spoken as though God had so discharged us, as if we, had throughly contented & paid him: but we are acquitted by his mere liberality. And although we are guilty before him, yet forgetteth he all, & receiveth us to mercy,¹ because, as the prophet saith, he casteth our sins into the bottom of the sea: but by the way we have also here to note, that this was no free forgiveness unto the person of our lord Jesus Christ, for it cost him the setting on, as we say. Now if we consider, what a grievous, cruel, & slanderous death this was which he abode: & besides, what anguishes his soul endured, when he was called before the judgement seat of God his father to abide our condemnation: if we consider well, of all this gear I say, we shall find that our Lord Jesus Christ hath made a wonderful payment for the discharging of our sins. Lo here, how we at this day are freed of them. And hereof, we are throughly to consider: for the devil hath continually gone about to darken this doctrine, because it is the chiefest article of our faith. In the beginning of the world, God would have sacrifices offered unto him, for the forgiveness of sins. And why was that? Forsooth, it was to this end and purpose, that men should not trust unto him, but by the mean of a sacrifice and the shedding of blood. And therefore, they all protested in their sacrifices that they were not able to come near unto god, except they had been redeemed, by the purging of their sins & iniquities, which was to be done, by our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet by the way, neither Jew nor Gentile but trusted to their own merits, & thought themselves able to make satisfaction unto God by them. Here then we see, that the devil even at the time withdrew miserable sinners from our lord Jesus Christ, & from the payment which he had made by his death & passion. And yet now, see in what case the papists are For they will confess that we have full remission of our sins by the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, yea, but that is as they think only before baptism. For thus they reason:

Now we haue héere to note that by reason of the condemnation of our Lord Iesus Christ, we are pardoned, and al our sinnes buried, & shal neuer again rise vp against vs before the maiesty of God: whē we speak of ye forgiuenes of our sins, it is not spokē as though God had so discharged vs, as if we, had throughly cōtented & payde him: but we are acquited by his méere liberality. And although we are guilty before him, yet forgetteth he al, & receiueth vs to mercie,