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…

11. 12 He severally wipeth away all the reasons wherewith he laboureth to overcome this: and the objections wherewith he endeavoureth against the truth that we are not justified by free imputation,¹ which the Apostle plainly affirmeth, his first objection is this, that Christ is made wisdom, which belongeth to none, but to the eternal word, Therefore Christ in that he is man, is not wisdom. But the answer is, that the only begotten Son of God was in deed his eternal wisdom, but the name is of Paul diversly given, because all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are laid up in him: that therefore which he had with his father,² he disclosed unto us: and so that which Paul saith is not referred to the essence of the son of God, but to our use, & is rightly applied to Christ his nature of manhood,³ because although he shined a light in the darkness before that he ⟨image 152⟩did put on flesh, yet it was a hidden light, till the same Christ came forth in the nature of man the shining Sun of righteousness, which therefore calleth himself the light of the world. It is foolishly objected that the power of justifying is far above both Angels and men,⁴ forasmuch as this hangeth not upon the worthiness of any creature, but upon the ordinance of God, for Angels can prevail nothing to satisfy God that are not thereunto appointed, but that belongeth to Christ being man: & albeit Christ is called the author of life, in respect that he suffered death,⁵ to destroy him that had the power of death, yet the honour is not taken away from whole Christ, as he was openly showed God in the flesh; but a distinction only made how the righteousness of God is conveyed unto us, that we may enjoy it. Neither do we deny that, which is openly given us in Christ, to proceed from the secret grace and power of God;⁶