Continued from yesterday's post on Calvin:"There is discernment in the human mind to this extent, that it is naturally influenced by the love of truth: the neglect of this in the lower animals is proof of their base unreasoning nature. However, this love of truth fades out before it reaches the goal and then falls away into vanity. Because the human mind is unable, through obtuseness, to follow the right line of enquiry, after various attempts and stumbling from time to time like a person groping in the dark, it eventually gets utterly confused. This just proves how unfit the mind is to search for the truth and to find it. It labours under another serious defect, in that it often fails to discern what sort of knowledge it should try to acquire. So, influenced by mere curiosity, it tortures itself with unnecessary and useless discussion, either not referring at all to essential matters or giving them only a superficial and contemptuous glance. It hardly ever studies them with serious purpose...I do not dispute that some philosophical writings occasionally come across some wise and relevant comments on the nature of God, but they are invariably tinged with confused fantasies. The Lord has given such philosophers a slight awareness of His Godhead, so that they cannot plead ignorance as an excuse for blasphemy. At times he has prompted them to proclaim their views in such a way as to be their own condemnation. Seeing, they saw not. Their discernment was not enough to lead them the truth, far less to grasp it: it was like that of a confused traveller seeing his surroundings momentarily by a flash of lightning, and then disappearing before he can move a step. Such assistance can never help him to find the right path. Many wicked lies get mixed up with the tiny particles of truth in the writings of these philosophers. Not one made the slightest contribution to the assurance of divine favour, without which man's mind will always remain in the chaos of confusion. Human reason cannot begin to answer the great questions as to what God is in Himself, and what He is in relation to us" (93-94).
Stay tuned for part 3 tomorrow as I will quote Calvin's explanation of the only answer to man's dilemma. In addition, someone informed me that the particular version of Calvin's Institutes that I placed as a recommended book was too expensive, so I replaced it with an abridged version that can be purchased via Christian Book Distributors (look on right side of blog page and just click on the picture of the book). I own both the abridged and unabridged versions. Currently, I am reading through the abridged version. It is translated nicely by Henrey Bevenridge. Hilary Osborne tweaked the translation to make it even better. I am not a fan of anything abridged, but with this abridged work you get a great feel for the overall contents of the complete version of the Institutes. Plus, the abridged version is only $12.99.
Blessings,
Andy
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