INSTITUTES
OF
THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
By
JOHN CALVIN
Translated by
HENRY BEVERIDGE
VOLUME 1 of 2
CONTENTS
Introduction | i |
Prefatory Address by John Calvin to Francis I., King of France | |
The Epistle of Calvin to the Reader, prefixed to the Second Edition | |
Subject of the Present Work, by Calvin | |
Calvin's Epistle to the Reader, prefixed to the last Edition revised by the Author | |
Method and Arrangement, or Subject of the Whole Work | |
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BOOK FIRST.—OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR | |
Argument | |
Chapter 1.—Connection between the Knowledge of God and the Knowledge of Ourselves. Nature of the Connection | |
Chapter 2.—What It is to Know God. Tendency of This Knowledge | |
Chapter 3.—The Knowledge of God Naturally Implanted in the Human Mind | |
Chapter 4.—The Knowledge of God Stifled or Corrupted, Ignorantly or Maliciously | |
Chapter 5.—The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World | |
Chapter 6.—The Need of Scripture, as a Guide and Teacher, in Coming to God as a Creator | |
Chapter 7.—The Testimony of the Spirit Necessary to Give Full Authority to Scripture. The Impiety of Pretending That the Credibility of Scripture Depends on the Judgment of the Church | |
Chapter 8.—The Credibility of Scripture Sufficiently Proved in so Far as Natural Reason Admits | |
Chapter 9.—All the Principles of Piety Subverted by Fanatics, Who Substitute Revelations for Scripture | |
Chapter 10.—In Scripture, the True God Opposed, Exclusively, to All the Gods of the Heathen | |
Chapter 11.—Impiety of Attributing a Visible Form to God. The Setting Up of Idols a Defection from the True God | |
Chapter 12.—God Distinguished from Idols, That He May be the Exclusive Object of Worship | |
Chapter 13.—The Unity of the Divine Essence in Three Persons Taught, in Scripture, from the Foundation of the World | |
Chapter 14.—In the Creation of the World, and All Things in It, the True God Distinguished by Certain Marks from Fictitious Gods | |
Chapter 15.—State in Which Man was Created. The Faculties of the Soul—The Image of God—Free Will—Original Righteousness | |
Chapter 16.—The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. Each and All of Its Parts Governed by His Providence | |
Chapter 17.—Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence | |
Chapter 18.—The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He Continues Free from Every Taint | |
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BOOK SECOND.—OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE REDEEMER, IN CHRIST, AS FIRST MANIFESTED TO THE FATHERS, UNDER THE LAW, AND THEREAFTER TO US UNDER THE GOSPEL | |
Argument | |
Chapter 1.—Through the Fall and Revolt of Adam, the Whole Human Race Made Accursed and Degenerate. Of Original Sin | |
Chapter 2.—Man Now Deprived of Freedom of Will, and Miserably Enslaved | |
Chapter 3.—Everything Proceeding from the Corrupt Nature of Man Damnable | |
Chapter 4.—How God Works in the Hearts of Men | |
Chapter 5.—The Arguments Usually Alleged in Support of Free Will Refuted | |
Chapter 6.—Redemption for Lost Man to be Sought in Christ | |
Chapter 7.—The Law Given, Not to Retain a People for Itself, But to Keep Alive the Hope of Salvation in Christ until His Advent | |
Chapter 8.—Exposition of the Moral Law | |
Chapter 9.—Christ, Though Known to the Jews under the Law, Yet Only Manifested under the Gospel | |
Chapter 10.—The Resemblance Between the Old Testament and the New | |
Chapter 11.—The Difference Between the Two Testaments | |
Chapter 12.—Christ, to Perform the Office of Mediator, Behoved to Become Man | |
Chapter 13.—Christ Clothed with the True Substance of Human Nature | |
Chapter 14.—How Two Natures Constitute the Person of the Mediator | |
Chapter 15.—Three Things Briefly to be Regarded in Christ—viz. His Offices of Prophet, King, and Priest | |
Chapter 16.—How Christ Performed the Office of Redeemer in Procuring Our Salvation. The Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ | |
Chapter 17.—Christ Rightly and Properly Said to Have Merited Grace and Salvation for Us | |
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BOOK THIRD.—THE MODE OF OBTAINING THE GRACE OF CHRIST. THE BENEFITS IT CONFERS, AND THE EFFECTS RESULTING FROM IT | |
Argument | |
Chapter 1.—The Benefits of Christ Made Available to Us by the Secret Operation of the Spirit | |
Chapter 2.—Of Faith. The Definition of It. Its Peculiar Properties | |
Chapter 3.—Regeneration by Faith. Of Repentance | |
Chapter 4.—Penitence, As Explained in the Sophistical Jargon of the Schoolmen, Widely Different from the Purity Required by the Gospel. Of Confession and Satisfaction | |
Chapter 5.—Of the Modes of Supplementing Satisfaction—viz. Indulgences and Purgatory |