John Calvin, The Necessity
of Reforming the Church (1543)
The
Evils Which Compelled Us
to Seek Remedies
The first point, as I merely advert to it for the
purpose of clearing my way to the other two, I will endeavor to dispose of in a
few words; but in wiping off the heavy charge of sacrilegious audacity and
sedition, founded on the allegation that we have improperly, and with
intemperate haste, usurped an office which did not belong to us, I will dwell
at greater length.
If it be inquired, then, by what things chiefly the
Christian religion has a standing existence amongst us, and maintains its
truth, it will be found that the following two not only occupy the principal
place, but comprehend under them all the other parts, and consequently the
whole substance of Christianity: that is, a knowledge, first, of the
mode in which God is duly worshipped; and, secondly, of the source from
which salvation is to be obtained. When these are kept out of view, though we
may glory in the name of Christians, our profession is empty and vain. After
these come the sacraments and the government of the church, which, as they
were instituted for the preservation of these branches of doctrine, ought not
to be employed for any other purpose; and, indeed, the only means of
ascertaining whether they are administered purely and in due form, or
otherwise, is to bring them to this test. If any one is desirous of a clearer
and more familiar illustration, I would say, that rule in the church, the
pastoral office, and all other matters of order, resemble the body, whereas the
doctrine which regulates the due worship of God, and pointsout the ground on
which the consciences of men must rest their hope of salvation, is the soul
which animates the body, renders it lively and active, and, in short, makes it
not to be a dead and useless carcass.
As to what I have yet said, there is no controversy
among the pious, or among men of right and sane mind.
Let us now see what is meant by the due worship of
God. Its chief foundation is to acknowledge him to be, as he is, the only
source of all virtue, justice, holiness, wisdom, truth, power, goodness, mercy,
life, and salvation; in accordance with this, to ascribe and render to him the
glory of all that is good, to seek all things in him alone, and in every want
have recourse to him alone. Hence arises prayer, hence praise and thanksgiving
� these being attestations to the glory which we
attribute to him. This is that genuine sanctification of his name
which he requires of us above all things. To this is united adoration,
by which we manifest for him the reverence due to his greatness and excellency;
and to this ceremonies are subservient, as helps or instruments, in order that,
in the performance of divine worship, the body may be exercised at the same
time with the soul. Next after these comes self-abasement, when, renouncing the
world and the flesh, we are transformed in the renewing of our mind and living
no longer to ourselves, submit to be ruled and actuated by him. By this
self-abasement we are trained to obedience and devotedness to his will, so that
his fear reigns in our hearts, and regulates all the actions of our lives.
That in these things consists the true and sincere worship which alone God approves, and in which alone he
delights, is both taught by the Holy Spirit throughout the scriptures, and is
also, antecedent to discussion, the obvious dictate of piety. Nor from the
beginning was there any other method of worshipping God, the only difference
being, that this spiritual truth, which with us is naked and simple, was under
the former dispensation wrapped up in figures. And this is the meaning of our
Saviour's words, "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers
shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23). For by these
words he meant not to declare that God was not worshipped by the fathers in
this spiritual manner, but only to point out a distinction in the external
form: that is, that while they had the Spirit shadowed forth by many figures,
we have it in simplicity. But it has always been an acknowledged point, that
God, who is a Spirit, must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.
Moreover, the rule which
distinguishes between pure and vitiated worship is of universal
application, in order that we may not adopt any device which seems fit to
ourselves, but look to the injunctions of him who alone is entitled to
prescribe. Therefore, if we would have him to approve our worship, this rule,
which he everywhere enforces with the utmost strictness, must be carefully
observed. For there is a twofold reason why the Lord, in condemning and
prohibiting all fictitious worship, requires us to give obedience only to his
own voice. First, it tends greatly to establish his authority that we do not
follow our own pleasure, but depend entirely on his sovereignty; and, secondly,
such is our folly, that when we are left at liberty, all we are able to do is
to go astray. And then when once we have turned aside from the right path,
there is no end to our wanderings, until we get buried under a multitude of
superstitions. Justly, therefore, does the Lord, in order to assert his full
right of dominion, strictly enjoin what he wishes us to do, and at once reject
all human devices which are at variance with his command. Justly, too, does he,
in express terms, define our limits, that we may not, by fabricating perverse
modes of worship, provoke his anger against us.
I know how difficult it is to persuade the world
that God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by his
word. The opposite persuasion which cleaves to them, being seated, as it were,
in their very bones and marrow, is, that whatever they do has in itself a
sufficient sanction, provided it exhibits some kind of zeal for the honor of
God. But since God not only regards as fruitless, but also plainly abominates,
whatever we undertake from zeal to his worship, if at variance with his
command, what do we gain by a contrary course? The words of God are clear and
distinct, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." "In vain do they
worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," (1 Sam.
15:22; Matt. 15:9). Every addition to his word,
especially in this matter, is a lie. Mere "will worship" (ethelothreeskeia)
is vanity. This is the decision, and when once the judge has decided, it is no
longer time to debate.
Will your imperial majesty now be pleased to
recognize, and will you, most illustrious princes, lend me your attention,
while I show how utterly at variance with this view are all the observances, in
which, throughout the Christian world in the present day, divine worship is
made to consist? In word, indeed, they concede to God the glory of all that is
good; but, in reality, they rob him of the half, or more than the half, by
partitioning his perfections among the saints. Let our adversaries use what
evasions they may, and defame us for exaggerating what they pretend to be
trivial errors, I will simply state the fact as every man perceives it. Divine
offices are distributed among the saints as if they had been appointed
colleagues to the supreme God, and, in a multitude of instances, they are made
to do his work, while he is kept out of view. The thing I complain of is just
what every body confesses by a vulgar proverb. For what is meant by saying,
"the Lord cannot be known for apostles," unless it be that, by the
height to which apostles are raised, the dignity of Christ is sunk, or at least
obscured? The consequence of this perversity is, that mankind, forsaking the
fountain of living waters, have learned, as Jeremiah tells us, to hew them out
"cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13). For where is it that they seek for salvation and every other good?
Is it in God alone? The whole tenor of their lives openly proclaims the
contrary. They say, indeed, that they seek salvation and every other good in
him; but it is mere pretence, seeing they seek them elsewhere.
Of this fact, we have clear proof in the
corruptions by which prayer was first vitiated, and afterwards in a great
measure perverted and extinguished. We have observed, that prayer affords a
test whether or not suppliants render due glory to God. In like manner, will it
enable us to discover whether, after robbing him of his glory, they transfer it
to the creatures. In genuine prayer, something more is
required than mere entreaty. The suppliant must feel assured that God is the
only being to whom he ought to flee, both because he only can succor him in
necessity; and also, because he has engaged to do it. But no man can have this
conviction unless he pays regard both to the command by which God calls us to
himself, and to the promise of listening to our prayers which
is annexed to the command. The command was not thus regarded when the
generality of mankind invoked angels and dead men promiscuously with God, and
the wiser part, if they did not invoke them instead of God, at least regarded
them as mediators, at whose intercession God granted their requests.
Where, then, was the promise
which is founded entirely on the intercession of Christ? Passing by
Christ, the only Mediator, each betook himself to the patron who had struck his
fancy, or if at any time a place was given to Christ, it was one in which he
remained unnoticed, like some ordinary individual in a crowd. Then, although
nothing is more repugnant to the nature of genuine prayer than doubt and
distrust, so much did these prevail, that they were almost regarded as
necessary, in order to pray aright. And why was this?Just
because the world understood not the force of the expressions in which God
invites us to pray to him, engages to do whatsoever we ask in reliance on his
command and promise, and sets forth Christ as the Advocate in whose name our
prayers are heard. Besides, let the public prayers which
are in common use in churches be examined. It will be found that they are
stained with numberless impurities. From them, therefore, we have it in our
power to judge how much this part of divine worship was vitiated. Nor was there
less corruption in the expressions of thanksgiving. To this fact, testimony is
borne by the public hymns, in which the saints are lauded for every blessing,
just as if they were the colleagues of God.
Then what shall I say of adoration? Do not men pay
to images and statues the very same reverence which
they pay to God? It is an error to suppose that there is any difference between
this madness and that of the heathen. For God forbids us not only to worship
images, but to regard them as the residence of his
divinity, and worship it: as residing in them. The very same pretexts
which the patrons of this abomination employ in the present day, were
formerly employed by the heathen to cloak their impiety. Besides, it is
undeniable that saints � nay, their very bones, garments, shoes, and
images � are adored even in the place of God.
But some subtle disputant will object, that there
are diverse species of adoration: that the honor of dulia [veneration],
as they term it, is given to saints, their images, and their bones; and
that latria [worship] is reserved for God as due to him only,
unless we are to except hyperdulia [high veneration], a species
which, as the infatuation increased, was invented to set the blessed virgin
above the rest. As if these subtle distinctions were either known or present to
the minds of those who prostrate themselves before images. Meanwhile, the world
is full of idolatry not less gross, and if I may so speak, not less capable of
being felt, than was the ancient idolatry of the Egyptians, which all the
prophets everywhere so strongly reprobate.
I am merely glancing at each of these corruptions,
because I will afterwards more clearly expose their demerits.
I come now to ceremonies, which, while they ought
to be grave attestations of divine worship, are rather a mere mockery of God. A
new Judaism, as a substitute for that which God had distinctly abrogated, has
again been reared up by means of numerous puerile extravagancies, collected
from different quarters; and with these have been mixed up certain impious
rites, partly borrowed from the heathen, and more adapted to some theatrical
show than to the dignity of our religion. The first evil here is, that an immense
number of ceremonies, which God had by his authority abrogated, once for all,
have been again revived. The next evil is that, while ceremonies ought to be
living exercises of piety, men are vainly occupied with numbers of them that
are both frivolous and useless. But by far the most deadly evil of all is, that
after men have thus mocked God with ceremonies of one kind or other, they think
they have fulfillled their duty as admirably as if these ceremonies included in
them the whole essence of piety and divine worship.
With regard to self-abasement, on which depends
regeneration to newness of life, the whole doctrine was entirely obliterated
from the minds of men, or, at least, half buried, so that it was known to few,
and to them but slenderly. But the spiritual sacrifice which
the Lord in an especial manner recommends, is to mortify the old, and be
transformed into a new man. It may be, perhaps, that preachers stammer out
something about these words, but that they have no idea of the things meant by them
is apparent even from this � that they strenuously oppose us in our
attempt to restore this branch of divine worship. If at any time they discourse
on repentance, they only glance, as if in contempt, at the points of principal
moment, and dwell entirely on certain external exercises of the body, which, as
Paul assures us, are not of the highest utility (Col. 2:23; 1 Tim. 4:8). What
makes this perverseness the more intolerable is, that the generality, under a
pernicious error, pursue the shadow for the substance, and, overlooking true
repentance, devote their whole attention to abstinences, vigils, and other
things, which Paul terms "beggarly elements" of the world.
Having observed that the word of God is the test
which discriminates between his true worship and that which is false and
vitiated, we thence readily infer that the whole form of divine worship in
general use in the present day is nothing but mere corruption. For men pay no
regard to what God has commanded, or to what he approves, in order that they
may serve him in a becoming manner, but assume to themselves a licence of
devising modes of worship, and afterwards obtruding them upon him as a
substitute for obedience. If in what I say I seem to exaggerate, let an
examination be made of all the acts by which the generality suppose that they
worship God. I dare scarcely except a tenth part as not the random offspring of
their own brain. What more would we? God rejects, condemns, abominates all
fictitious worship, and employs his word as a bridle to keep us in unqualified
obedience. When shaking off this yoke, we wander after our own fictions, and
offer to him a worship, the work of human rashness,
how much soever it may delight ourselves, in his sight it is vain trifling,
nay, vileness and pollution. The advocates of human traditions paint them in
fair and gaudy colors; and Paul certainly admits that they carry with them a
show of wisdom; but as God values obedience more than all sacrifices, it ought
to be sufficient for the rejection of any mode of worship, that it is not
sanctioned by the command of God.
We come now to what we have set down as the second
principal branch of Christian doctrine: that is, knowledge of the source from
which salvation is to be obtained. Now, the knowledge of our salvation presents
three different stages. First, we must begin with a sense of individual
wretchedness, filling us with despondency as if we were spiritually dead. This
effect is produced when the original and hereditary depravity of our nature is
set before us as the source of all evil � a depravity which begets in us
distrust, rebellion against God, pride, avarice, lust, and all kinds of evil
concupiscence; and making us averse to all rectitude and justice, [it] holds us
captive under the yoke of sin; and when, moreover, each individual, on the
disclosure of his own sins, feeling confounded at his turpitude, is forced to
be dissatisfied with himself, and to account himself and all that he has of his
own as less than nothing; then, on the other hand, conscience (being cited to
the bar of God) becomes sensible of the curse under which it lies, and, as if
it had received a warning of eternal death, learns to tremble at the divine
anger. This, I say, is the first stage in the way to salvation, when the
sinner, overwhelmed and prostrated, despairs of all carnal aid, yet does not
harden himself against the justice of God, or become stupidly callous, but,
trembling and anxious, groans in agony, and sighs for relief.
From this he should rise to the second stage. This
he does when, animated by the knowledge of Christ, he again begins to breathe.
For to one humbled in the manner in which we have described, no other course
remains but to turn to Christ, that through his interposition he may be
delivered from misery. But the only man who thus seeks salvation in Christ is
the man who is aware of the extent of his power: that is, acknowledges him as
the only priest who reconciles us to the Father, and his death as the only
sacrifice by which sin is expiated, the divine justice satisfied, and a true
and perfect righteousness acquired; who, in fine, does not divide the work
between himself and Christ, but acknowledges it to be by mere gratuitous favor
that he is justified in the sight of God. From this stage also he must rise to
the third, when instructed in the grace of Christ, and in the fruits of his
death and resurrection, he rests in him with firm and solid confidence, feeling
assured that Christ is so completely his own, that he possesses in him
righteousness and life.
Now, see how sadly this doctrine has been
perverted. On the subject of original sin, perplexing
questions have been raised by the schoolmen, who have done what they could to
explain away this fatal disease; for in their discussions they reduce it
to little more than excess of bodily appetite and lust. Of that blindness and
vanity of intellect, whence unbelief and superstition proceed, of inward
depravity of soul, of pride, ambition, stubbornness, and other secret sources
of evil, they say not a word. And sermons are not a whit more sound. Then, as to the doctrine of free will, as preached
before Luther and other reformers appeared, what effect could it have but to
fill men with an overweening opinion of their own virtue, swelling them out
with vanity, and leaving no room for the grace and assistance of the Holy
Spirit?
But why dwell on this? There is no point which is more keenly contested, none in which our
adversaries are more inveterate in their opposition, than that of
justification: namely, as to whether we obtain it by faith or by works. On no
account will they allow us to give Christ the honor of being called our
righteousness, unless their works come in at the same time for a share of the
merit. The dispute is not, whether good works ought to be performed by the
pious, and whether they are accepted by God and rewarded by him; but whether,
by their own worth, they reconcile us to God; whether we acquire eternal life
as their price; whether they are compensations which are made to the justice of
God, so as to take away guilt; and whether they are to be confided in as a
ground of salvation.
We condemn the error which enjoins men to have more
respect to their own works than to Christ, as a means of rendering God
propitious, of meriting his favor, and obtaining the inheritance of eternal
life: in short, as a means of becoming righteous in his sight. First, they
plume themselves on the merit of works, as if they laid God under obligations
to them. Pride such as this, what is it but a fatal intoxication of soul? For
instead of Christ, they adore themselves, and dream of possessing life while
they are immersed in the profound abyss of death. It may be said that I am
exaggerating on this head, but no man can deny the trite doctrine of the
schools and churches to be, that it is by works we must merit the favor of God,
and by works acquire eternal life; that any hope of salvation unpropped by good
works is rash and presumptuous; that we are reconciled to God by the
satisfaction of good works, and not by a gratuitous remission of sins; that
good works are meritorious of eternal salvation, not because they are freely
imputed for righteousness through the merits of Christ, but in terms of law;
and that men, as often as they lose the grace of God, are reconciled to him,
not by a free pardon, but by what they term works of satisfaction � these
works being supplemented by the merits of Christ and martyrs, provided only the
sinner deserves to be so assisted. It is certain that, before Luther became
known to the world, all men were fascinated by these impious dogmas; and even
in the present day, there is no part of our doctrine which
our opponents impugn with greater earnestness and obstinacy.
Lastly, there was another most pestilential error, which not only occupied the minds of men, but was regarded as one of the principal articles of faith, of which it was impious to doubt: that is, that believers ought to be perpetually in suspense and uncertainty as to their interest in the divine favor. By this suggestion of the devil, the power of faith was completely extinguished, the benefits of Christ's purchase destroyed, and the salvation of men overthrown. For, as Paul declares, that faith only is Christian faith which inspires our hearts with confidence, and emboldens us to appear in the presence of God (Rom. 5:2). On no other view could his doctrine in another passage be maintained: that is, that "we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15).