Institutes of The Christian Religion
By John Calvin
A New Translation, by Henry Beveridge, Esq
Volume First
Edinburgh: Printed for The Calvin Translation Society
M.DCCC.XLV
Table of Contents of this Electronic Version:
The Printers to the Reders.
The Original Translator's Preface.
Prefatory Address
The Epistle to the Reader
Subject of the Present Work
Epistle to the Reader
Method and Arrangement, or Subject of the Whole Work
General Index of Chapters
Book First
Book Second
Book Third
Book Fourth
Book First: Of the Knowledge of God the Creator
1. The knowledge of God and of ourselves mutually connected. -
Nature of the connection.
2. What it is to know God,--Tendency of this knowledge.
3. The knowledge of God naturally implanted in the human mind.
4. The knowledge of god stifled or corrupted, ignorantly or
maliciously.
5. The knowledge of God conspicuous in the creation, and continual
government of the world.
6. The need of Scripture, as a guide and teacher, in coming to God
as a Creator.
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 judgement of the church.
8. The credibility of Scripture sufficiently proved in so far as
natural reason admits.
9. All the principles of piety subverted by fanatics, who
substitute revelations for Scripture.
10. In Scripture, the true God opposed, exclusively, to all the
gods of the heathen.
11. Impiety of attributing a visible form to God. - The setting up
of idols a defection from the true God.
12. God distinguished from idols, that He may be the exclusive
object of worship.
13. The unity of the Divine Essence in three Persons taught, in
Scripture, from the foundation of the world.
14. In the creation of the world, and all things in it, the true
God distinguished by certain marks from fictitious gods.
15. State in which man was created. The faculties of the soul - The
image of God - Free will - Original righteousness.
16. The world, created by God, still cherished and protected by
Him. Each and all of its parts governed by His providence.
17, Use to be made of the doctrine of providence.
18. The instrumentality of the wicked employed by God, while He
continues free from every taint.
The Institution of The Christian Religion, wrytten in Latine, by
maister Ihon Calvin, and translated into English according to the
authors last edition.
Seen and allowed according to the order appointed in the
Queries maiesties injunctions.
Imprinted at London by Reinolde Wolfe & Richards Harison. Anno.
1561. Cam privilegio ad imprimendum folum.
The Printers to the Reders.
Whereas some men have thought and reported it to be [very great
negligence in us for that we have so long kept back from you [this,]
being so profitable a work for you, namely fithe maister J[ohnne]
Dawes had translated it and delivered it into our handes more than a
tweluemoneth past: you shall understande for our excuse in that
behalfe, that we could not wel imprinte it soner. For we have ben by
diverse necessarie causes constrained with our earnest entreatance
to procure an other frede or oures to translate it whole again. This
translation, we trust, you shall well allow. For it hath not only
ben faithfully done by the translator himself, but also hath ben
wholly perused by such men, whoes ingement and credit al the godly
learned in Englande well knowe I estheme. But since it is now come
forth, we pray you accept it, and see it. If any faultes have passed
us by oversight, we beseche you let us have your patience, as you
have had our diligence.
The Institution of Christian Religion, written in Latine by M. John
Calvine, and translated into English according to the Authors last
edition, with sundry Tables to finde the principall matters
entreated of in this booke, and also the declaration of places of
Scripture therein expounded, by Thomas Norton.
Whereunto there are newly added in the margent of the booke, notes
containing in briefs the substance of the matter handled in each
Section.
Printed at London by Arnold Hatfield, for Bonham Norton. 1599
The Original Translator's Preface.
Prefixed to the fourth edition 1581, and reprinted verbatim in all
the subsequent editions.
T[homas] N[orton], the Translator to the Reader.
Good reader, here is now offered you, the fourth time printed in
English, M. Calvin's book of the Institution of Christian Religion;
a book of great labour to the author, and of great profit to the
Church of God. M. Calvin first wrote it when he was a young man, a
book of small volume, and since that season he has at sundry times
published it with new increases, still protesting at every edition
himself to be one of those qui scribendo proficiunt, et proficiendo
scribunt, which with their writing do grow in profiting, and with
their profiting do proceed in writing. At length having, in many
[of] his other works, travelled about exposition of sundry books of
the Scriptures, and in the same finding occasion to discourse of
sundry common-places and matters of doctrine, which being handled
according to the occasions of the text that were offered him, and
not in any other method, were not so ready for the reader's use, he
therefore entered into this purpose to enlarge this book of
Institutions, and therein to treat of all those titles and
commonplaces largely, with this intent, that whensoever any occasion
fell in his other books to treat of any such cause, he would not
newly amplify his books of commentaries and expositions therewith,
but refer his reader wholly to this storehouse and treasure of that
sort of divine learning. As age and weakness grew upon him, so he
hastened his labour; and, according to his petition to God, he in
manner ended his life with his work, for he lived not long after.
So great a jewel was meet to be made most beneficial, that is
to say, applied to most common use. Therefore, in the very beginning
of the Queen's Majesty's most blessed reign, I translated it out of
Latin into English for the commodity of the Church of Christ, at the
special request of my dear friends of worthy memory, Reginald Wolfe
and Edward Whitchurch, the one her Majesty's printer for the Hebrew,
Greek, and Latin tongues, the other her Highness' printer of the
books of Common Prayer. I performed my work in the house of my said
friend, Edward Whitchurch, a man well known of upright heart and
dealing, an ancient zealous gospeller, as plain and true a friend as
ever I knew living, and as desirous to do anything to common good,
especially by the advancement of true religion.
At my said first edition of this book, I considered how the
author thereof had of long time purposely laboured to write the same
most exactly, and to pack great plenty of matter in small room of
words; yea, and those so circumspectly and precisely ordered, to
avoid the cavillations of such as for enmity to the truth therein
contained would gladly seek and abuse all advantages which might be
found by any oversight in penning of it, that the sentences were
thereby become so full as nothing might well be added without idle
superfluity, and again so highly pared, that nothing could be
minished without taking away some necessary substance of matter
therein expressed. This manner of writing, beside the peculiar terms
of arts and figures, and the difficulty of the matters themselves,
being throughout interlaced with the school men's controversies,
made a great hardness in the author's own book, in that tongue
wherein otherwise he is both plentiful and easy, insomuch that it
sufficeth not to read him once, unless you can be content to read in
vain. This consideration encumbered me with great doubtfulness for
the whole order and frame of my translation. If I should follow the
words, I saw that of necessity the hardness in the translation must
needs be greater than was in the tongue wherein it was originally
written. If I should leave the course of words, and grant myself
liberty after the natural manner of my own tongue, to say that in
English which I conceived to be his meaning in Latin, I plainly
perceived how hardly I might escape error, and on the other side, in
this matter of faith and religion, how perilous it was to err. For I
durst not presume to warrant myself to have his meaning without his
words. And they that wet what it is to translate well and
faithfully, especially in matters of religion, do know that not the
only grammatical construction of words sufficeth, but the very
building and order to observe all advantages of vehemence or grace,
by placing or accent of words, maketh much to the true setting forth
of a writer's mind.
In the end, I rested upon this determination, to follow the
words so near as the phrase of the English tongue would suffer me.
Which purpose I so performed, that if the English book were printed
in such paper and letter as the Latin is, it should not exceed the
Latin in quantity. Whereby, beside all other commodities that a
faithful translation of so good a work may bring, this one benefit
is moreover provided for such as are desirous to attain some
knowledge of the Latin tongue, (which is, at this time, to be wished
in many of those men for whose profession this book most fitly
serveth,) that they shall not find any more English than shall
suffice to construe the Latin withal, except in such few places
where the great difference of the phrases of the languages enforced
me: so that, comparing the one with the other, they shall both
profit in good matter, and furnish themselves with understanding of
that speech, wherein the greatest treasures of knowledge are
disclosed.
In the doing hereof, I did not only trust mine own wit or
ability, but examined my whole doing from sentence to sentence
throughout the whole book with conference and overlooking of such
learned men, as my translation being allowed by their judgement, I
did both satisfy mine own conscience that I had done truly, and
their approving of it might be a good warrant to the reader that
nothing should herein be delivered him but sound, unmingled, and
uncorrupted doctrine, even in such sort as the author himself had
first framed it. All that I wrote, the grave, learned, and virtuous
man, M. David Whitehead, (whom I name with honourable remembrance,)
did, among others, compare with the Latin, examining every sentence
throughout the whole book. Beside all this, I privately required
many, and generally all men with whom I ever had any talk of this
matter, that if they found anything either not truly translated, or
not plainly Englished, they would inform me thereof, promising
either to satisfy them or to amend it. Since which time, I have not
been advertised by any man of anything which they would require to
be altered. Neither had I myself, by reason of my profession, being
otherwise occupied, any leisure to peruse it. And that is the cause,
why not only at the second and third time, but also at this
impression, you have no change at all in the work, but altogether as
it was before.
Indeed, I perceived many men well-minded and studious of this
book, to require a table for their ease and furtherance. Their
honest desire I have fulfilled in the second edition, and have added
thereto a plentiful table, which is also here inserted, which I have
translated out of the Latin, wherein the principal matters
discoursed in this book are named by their due titles in order of
alphabet, and under every title is set forth a brief sum of the
whole doctrine taught in this book concerning the matter belonging
to that title or common-place; and therewith is added the book,
chapter, and section or division of the chapter, where the same
doctrine is more largely expressed and proved. And for the readier
finding thereof, I have caused the number of the chapters to be set
upon every leaf in the book, and quoted the sections also by their
due numbers with the usual figures of algorism. And now at this last
publishing, my friends, by whose charge it is now newly imprinted in
a Roman letter and smaller volume, with divers other Tables which,
since my second edition, were gathered by M. Marlorate, to be
translated and here added for your benefit.
Moreover, whereas in the first edition the evil manner of my
scribbling hand, the interlining of my copy, and some other causes
well known among workmen of that faculty, made very many faults to
pass the printer, I have, in the second impression, caused the book
to be composed by the printed copy, and corrected by the written;
whereby it must needs be that it was much more truly done than the
other was, as I myself do know above three hundred faults amended.
And now at this last printing, the composing after a printed copy
bringeth some ease, and the diligence used about the correction
having been right faithfully looked unto, it cannot be but much more
truly set forth. This also is performed, that the volume being
smaller, with a letter fair and legible, it is of more easy price,
that it may be of more common use, and so to more large
communicating of so great a treasure to those that desire Christian
knowledge for instruction of their faith, and guiding of their
duties. Thus, on the printer's behalf and mine, your ease and
commodity (good readers) provided for. Now resteth your own
diligence, for your own profit, in studying it.
To spend many words in commending the work itself were
needless; yet thus much I think, I may both not unruly and not
vainly say, that though many great learned men have written books of
common-places of our religion, as Melancthon, Sarcerius, and others,
whose works are very good and profitable to the Church of God, yet
by the consenting judgement of those that understand the same, there
is none to be compared to this work of Calvin, both for his
substantial sufficiency of doctrine, the sound declaration of truth
in articles of our religion, the large and learned confirmation of
the same, and the most deep and strong confutation of all old and
new heresies; so that (the Holy Scriptures excepted) this is one of
the most profitable books for all students of Christian divinity.
Wherein, (good readers,) as I am glad for the glory of God, and for
your benefit, that you may have this profit of my travel, so I
beseech you let me have this use of your gentleness, that my doings
may be construed to such good end as I have meant them; and that if
any thing mislike you by reason of hardness, or any other cause that
may seem to be my default, you will not forthwith condemn the work,
but read it after; in which doing you will find (as many have
confessed to me that they have found by experience) that those
things which at the first reading shall displease you for hardness,
shall be found so easy as so hard matter would suffer, and, for the
most part, more easy than some other phrase which should with
greater looseness and smoother sliding away deceive your
understanding. I confess, indeed, it is not finely and pleasantly
written, nor carrieth with it such delightful grace of speech as
some great wise men have bestowed upon some foolisher things, yet it
containeth sound truth set forth with faithful plainness, without
wrong done to the author's meaning; and so, if you accept and use
it, you shall not fail to have great profit thereby, and I shall
think my labour very well employed.
Thomas Norton.
Calvin, Institutes on the Christian Religion, Volume 1
(continued in part 2...)
---------------------------------------------------
file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/epl-04:cvin1-01.txt
.
