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…

23 Coming to their arguments,¹ first because they reason, from the office and duty of Angels, secondly, from the place of Jeremiah, he wipeth away both.² If they will compare holy men departed, to Angels,³ they should prove that they are ministering Spirits, to whom is committed the ministry to look to our safety, to whom the charges given to keep us in all our ways, to go about us to admonish & counsel us, to watch for us, all which things are given to Angels, but not to them. No man dare execute the office of an Advocate before an earthly Judge, unless he be admitted: Why should worms then have so great liberty to thrust unto GOD those for Patrons, to whom the office is not enjoined? As for the place of Jeremiah we may reason of the contrary, that neither Moses nor Samuel made intercession for the people of Israel, therefore there was no intercession at all of the dead ⟨image 179⟩men, therefore no other make intercession at all, seeing they are so far from that gentleness, goodness, and carefulness of Moses: therefore the meaning of the place is, that if Moses had been alive to have been their Patron,⁴ or Samuel to whose prayers the Lord showed him self so tender, they should have but only delivered their own souls.

23 Comming to their argumentes,¹ first bicause they reason, from the office and duetie of Angels, secondly, from the place of Ieremy, he wipeth away both.² If they will compare holy men departed, to Angels,³ they shoulde proue that they are ministring Spirits, to whome is committed the ministerie to looke to our safetie, to whom the charges giuen to kéepe vs in all our wayes, to go about vs to admonish & counsell vs, to watch for vs, all which things are giuē to Angels, but not to them. No man dare execute the office of an Aduocat before an earthly Iudge, vnlesse he be admitted: Why should worms then haue so great libertie to thrust vnto GOD those for Patrons, to whom the office is not enioyned? As for the place of Ieremy wée may reason of the contrary, that neither Moses nor Samuell made intercession for the people of Israell, therefore there was no intercession at all of the deade