Institutes Home

Book 1: Of the Knowledge of God the Creator

Outline and Argument

Chapter 1. The knowledge of God and of ourselves mutually connected. - 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 judgement 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.