Institutes 3.11.9 — OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. BOTH THE NAME AND THE REALITY DEFINED.

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**OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. BOTH THE NAME AND THE REALITY DEFINED.**

If he objects that this work by its excellence transcends human, and therefore can only be ascribed to the divine nature; I concede the former point, but maintain, that on the latter he is ignorantly deluded. For although Christ could neither purify our souls by his own blood, nor appease the Father by his sacrifice, nor acquit us from the charge of guilt, nor, in short, perform the office of priest, unless he had been very God, because no human ability was equal to such a burden, it is however certain, that he performed all these things in his human nature. If it is asked, in what way we are justified? Paul answers, by the obedience of Christ . Did he obey in any other way than by assuming the form of a servant? We infer, therefore, that righteousness was manifested to us in his flesh. In like manner, in another passage (which I greatly wonder that Osiander does not blush repeatedly to quote), he places the fountain of righteousness entirely in the incarnation of Christ, “He has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” ( 2 Cor. 5:21 ). Osiander in turgid sentences lays hold of the expression, righteousness of God , and shouts victory! as if he had proved it to be his own phantom of essential righteousness, French, “Il magnifie la justice de Dieu tant et plus; mais c’est pour triompher comme s’il auoit gagné ce poinct, que la justice de Dieu nous est essencielle;”—He magnifies the righteousness of God above measure; but it is to triumph, as if he had gained this point, that the righteousness of God is essential to us. The French adds “signifiant, que ceux desquels il parle ont nagé entre deux eaux; pource qu’ils aimoyent mieux garder leur bonne reputation au monde, qu d’etre priser devant Dieu;”—meaning, that those of whom he speaks were swimming between two streams; that they preferred keeping their good reputation in the world, to being prized in the sight of God. French, “Pour ceste cause j’ay accoustume de dire que Christ nous est comme une fontaine, dont chacun peut puiser et boire à son aise et à souhait; et que par son moyen les biens celestes sourdent et decoulent à nous, lesquels ne nous profiteroyent rien demeurans en la majesté de Dieu, qui est comme une source profonde;”—For this cause I am accustomed to say, that Christ is to us like a fountain, of which every man may draw and drink at his ease, and to the fill; and that by his means heavenly blessings rise and flow to us, which blessings would profit us nothing, remaining in the majesty of God, which is, as it were, a profound abyss.

Source

• source-manifest/institutes — Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, tr. Beveridge 1845 (PD)
• evidence_grade: D_doctrinal_textbook