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plus discere poterant, quam ex mille crucibus ligneis aut lapideis. Nam in aureas et argenteas, avari mentes et oculos tenacius forte defigunt, quam in ulla Dei verba. Et quos quœso vocant idiotas ? Hos scilicet quos Dominus theodidactos agnoscit."—(P. 53, 54.) |
sui sacrificio, sanguineque ablueret, nos denique reconciliaret Deo patri? Ex quo uno plus discere poterant quam ex mille crueibus ligneis aut lapideis: nam in aureas et argenteas avari mentes et oculos tenacius forte defigunt, quam in ulla Dei verba." (Supra, sec. 7.) |
From the above extracts, which furnish a far better idea of the nature of the changes which the Work has undergone than any other mode of explanation could have given, it appears that the whole of the original text, with the exception of two or three sentences, is preserved entire in the last edition. These extracts are believed to form a fair average specimen of both editions, and so far discountenance the idea, which appears to be not unfrequently entertained, that the first edition was as defective in quality as in bulk. On the contrary, the quality was such that even Calvin despaired of being able to improve it, and accordingly left it as it originally fell from his pen—an enduring monument of his consummate ability, and a striking confirmation of the remark which has been made, that, when his opinions on any subject were formed and expressed, it was after such careful and thorough investigation as made it unnecessary for him afterwards to alter them.
After the exposition of the Decalogue several collateral topics are briefly discussed. In regard to the great end of the Commandments, the following passage, though given with some variations in the last edition, deserves to be quoted:—
"Facile autem est perspicere quo tendant omnia: nempe ad docendum charitatem. Ac primum, ut Deum timeamus, amemus, colamus, ipso confidamus ipsum invocemus ac requiramus, ab ipso omnia expectemus, in ipso præsidia nostra collocemus, in ipso quiescamus: quæ summa est
