The institutions of Christian religion, written by the reverend father, M. John Calvin, compendiously…The institutions of Christian religion, written by the reuerend father, M. Iohn Caluin, compendiously…

4 This he confirmeth by the Scriptures & by Augustine, which are these.¹ The love of God is incomprehensible, and unchangeable: for he began not to love us, since the time that we were reconciled to him by the blood of his son: but before the making of the world he loved us, even before that we were any thing at all, that we might also be his children, with his only begotten son, therefore where as we are reconciled by the death of Christ, it is not so to be taken, as though the son did therefore reconcile us unto him, that he might now begin to love us, whom he hated before: for we are reconciled to him that already loved us, to whom we were enemies by reason of sin. And whether this be true or no which I do say,² let the Apostle bear witness, He doeth commend, saith he, his love towards us, because when we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, he therefore had a love to us, even then when we were enemies to him, & wrought wickedness. Therefore after a marvellous & divine manner he loved us, even then when he hated us: for he hated us, in that we were such ⟨image 95⟩as he had not made, & because our wickedness had on every side wasted away his work, he knew how in every one of us, both to hate that which we our selves had made, and to love that which he had made.

4 This he confirmeth by the Scriptures & by Augustine, which are these.¹ The loue of God is incomprehensible, and vnchaungeable: for he began not to loue vs, since the tyme that we were reconciled to him by ye blood of his sonne: but before the making of the world hée loued vs, euen before that we were any thing at all, that we might also be his children, with his only begotten sonne, therefore where as wée are reconciled by the death of Christ, it is not so to be taken, as though the sonne did therfore reconcile vs vnto him, that hée might nowe begin to loue vs, whom he hated before: for we are reconciled to him that already loued vs, to whome we were enimies by reason of sinne. And whether this be true or no which I doe saye,²