D. Son Daily Readings - Full Audiobooks

*Edited Subtitles & Transcript

Chapter 1 The Knowledge of God

0:00 [1] The Knowledge of God

2:39 [2] Self-knowledge impossible without the knowledge of God

7:53 [3] An awareness of God is common to all

*The reference is to Cicero's essay ‘The Nature of the Gods’, I.16.43.

**Again, Cicero's ‘Nature of the Gods’ (I.42.118) appears to be Calvin's source. The idea is found, however, in other writers, including Plato (Laws, X.889E) and Sextus Empiricus (‘Against the Professors’, IX.54).

***Caligula, Roman emperor (A.D. 37-41), whose depravity and impious excesses, as recorded by Suetonius (‘Lives of the Caesars’, IV.51), were only matched by his bouts of superstitious terror.

13:16 [4] The seed of religion is perverted by self-will

16:05 [5] The twin evils of superstition and craven fear

*Lactantius, Christian apologist of the early fourth century, author of the Divine Institutes, a spirited attack on pagan beliefs and philosophy. Calvin probably has in mind his ‘Divine Institutes’, I.6.25; IV.2.5; IV.4.3.6-7.

**Calvin's Latin text of 1539 identifies the pagan poet as Statius (‘Thebaid’, III.661).

21:02 [6] What true godliness entails

*Plato, ‘Phaedo’, 107C; ‘Theaetetus’, 176B, where likeness to God is represented as the ultimate goal of the wise.

**Not an exact quotation, but an inference drawn from Odysseus' dialogue with Gryllus. Cf. Plutarch, ‘Moralia’, XII.992E.

25:30 [7] God revealed in his manifold works of creation

*Galen, Greek physician (second century A.D.), author of many works on anatomy and physiology, including the ‘De usu partium’ referred to here. He continued to be a recognised medical authority throughout the Middle Ages and well into the sixteenth century.

31:23 [8] God revealed in his works of providence

35:00 [9] God accessible to the heart

38:31 [10] Man is sadly blind to the message of God's works

*Plato, ‘Timaeus’, 33B.

45:46 [11] God's word is a necessary addition to his works

48:45 [12] God's truth accessible only through Scripture

51:21 [13] Scripture's authority is not determined by the church

*The notion of the church as the final interpreter and judge of Scripture was vigorously defended by contemporary Roman theologians, whose work Calvin knew well. Among them were Johannes Cochlaeus, De authoritate ecclesiae et scripturae (1524), and Johann Eck, Enchiridion locorum communium (I525, I532).

55:39 [14] Scripture is authenticated by the Holy Spirit’s inner witness

58:18 [15] Secondary proofs of Scripture's authority: its wisdom and truth

01:01:53 [16] Secondary proofs of Scripture's authority: the history of the church

01:06:08 [17] Error of the Spiritualists who abandon Scripture

*Calvin's preferred name for those who laid claim to special revelation of the Spirit was Libertines. The term describes a loose array of illuminists, enthusiasts and mystics, some perhaps with Anabaptist connections, but all impatient of a religion bound by the written word and a fixed creed. Cf. Calvin's later treatise, ‘Against the Sect of the Libertines Called Spiritual’ (1545).

01:10:42 [18] Scripture never a dead letter when joined to the grace of Christ

01:14:38 [19] Agreement of Scripture with the witness of creation

*The 1539 ‘Institutes’ read 'Jehovah'.

**The 'third title' is ‘Elohim’, transliterated from the Hebrew in the 1539 text.

***See below, Chapter 4, ‘Faith’

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin

Robert White Translation (2014) (1541 edition)

Confessions Book 13 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 Intro

0:09 Confessions 1

02:17 Confessions 2

06:03 Confessions 3

07:35 Confessions 4

09:25 Confessions 5

11:06 Confessions 6

12:29 Confessions 7

14:33 Confessions 8

16:52 Confessions 9

19:47 Confessions 10

21:14 Confessions 11

24:07 Confessions 12

25:56 Confessions 13

*[See John 3:29. The friend of the Bridegroom is Paul]

29:04 Confessions 14

31:58 Confessions 15

*[Ps.8:4. By ‘hands’ Augustine understands the writers of the Scriptures.]

37:29 Confessions 16

38:36 Confessions 17

41:17 Confessions 18

46:21 Confessions 19

50:31 Confessions 20

54:33 Confessions 21

*[i.e. ἰχθύς, a fish, the acrostic formed from the Greek words Ἰησοῦς Χριστός Θεού Υιός Σωτήρ ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour’]

**[i.e. as dry land is raised above the sea.]

1:00:45 Confessions 22

1:03:50 Confessions 23

1:09:13 Confessions 24

1:16:12 Confessions 25

1:18:54 Confessions 26

1:25:18 Confessions 27

1:26:48 Confessions 28

1:28:10 Confessions 29

1:29:50 Confessions 30

1:31:32 Confessions 31

1:34:26 Confessions 32

1:37:30 Confessions 33

1:38:58 Confessions 34

1:42:08 Confessions 35

1:42:48 Confessions 36

1:43:36 Confessions 37

1:44:25 Confessions 38

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)

Confessions Book 12 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 intro

0:09 Confessions 1

1:21 Confessions 2

2:45 Confessions 3

*[See Gen.1:2. ’Earth was still an empty waste, and darkness hung over the deep’ (Knox)]

4:18 Confessions 4

5:18 Confessions 5

6:13 Confessions 6

9:51 Confessions 7

11:55 Confessions 8

*[See Gen.1:6. 'God said, too, Let a solid vault arise amid the waters, to keep these waters apart from those' (Knox).]

14:52 Confessions 9

16:15 Confessions 10

17:33 Confessions 11

22:28 Confessions 12

24:28 Confessions 13

26:24 Confessions 14

27:51 Confessions 15

36:47 Confessions 16

39:28 Confessions 17

43:57 Confessions 18

45:49 Confessions 19

47:37 Confessions 20

49:31 Confessions 21

51:54 Confessions 22

*[See Gen.1:2 ‘Already, over its waters, stirred the breath of God’ (Knox).]

55:49 Confessions 23

57:20 Confessions 24

59:24 Confessions 25

1:04:37 Confessions 26

1:06:22 Confessions 27

1:09:12 Confessions 28

1:12:49 Confessions 29

1:18:07 Confessions 30

1:20:04 Confessions 31

1:21:52 Confessions 32

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)

Confessions Book 11 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 intro

0:08 Confessions 1

2:11 Confessions 2

*[The allusion is to Ps.28:9(29:9). The deer penetrating the forest are to be taken figuratively as those who are gifted to understand the Scriptures.]

8:42 Confessions 3

*[See Gen.1:1.'God, at the beginning of time, created heaven and earth' (Knox).]

10:37 Confessions 4

12:24 Confessions 5

14:56 Confessions 6

17:24 Confessions 7

19:28 Confessions 8

21:34 Confessions 9

23:44 Confessions 10

25:07 Confessions 11

27:01 Confessions 12

28:26 Confessions 13

31:29 Confessions 14

33:38 Confessions 15

39:24 Confessions 16

40:42 Confessions 17

42:07 Confessions 18

46:19 Confessions 19

47:22 Confessions 20

48:57 Confessions 21

51:27 Confessions 22

53:36 Confessions 23

58:34 Confessions 24

1:01:08 Confessions 25

1:02:20 Confessions 26

1:05:29 Confessions 27

1:13:43 Confessions 28

1:16:59 Confessions 29

1:19:03 Confessions 30

1:20:27 Confessions 31

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)

Confessions Book 10 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 intro

0:07 Confessions 1

1:18 Confessions 2

3:21 Confessions 3

7:04 Confessions 4

11:17 Confessions 5

13:03 Confessions 6

*[Anaximenes of Miletus, the philosopher, who lived in the sixth century в.с. His teaching was that air is the first cause of all things.]

19:51 Confessions 7

21:19 Confessions 8

29:40 Confessions 9

31:38 Confessions 10

34:02 Confessions 11

35:58 Confessions 12

37:42 Confessions 13

39:04 Confessions 14

43:37 Confessions 15

45:39 Confessions 16

50:31 Confessions 17

53:41 Confessions 18

55:12 Confessions 19

57:30 Confessions 20

1:01:14 Confessions 21

1:05:28 Confessions 22

1:06:30 Confessions 23

1:10:53 Confessions 24

1:11:57 Confessions 25

1:13:57 Confessions 26

1:15:09 Confessions 27

1:16:29 Confessions 28

1:18:59 Confessions 29

1:20:13 Confessions 30

1:24:17 Confessions 31

1:33:43 Confessions 32

1:35:05 Confessions 33

1:39:17 Confessions 34

*[Saint Ambrose’s ‘Evening Hymn’; see Book ix, chapter 12]

1:45:55 Confessions 35

1:53:14 Confessions 36

*[The allusion is to Is. 14:13,14]

1:57:41 Confessions 37

2:04:11 Confessions 38

2:05:28 Confessions 39

2:06:53 Confessions 40

2:10:08 Confessions 41

2:11:12 Confessions 42

2:13:45 Confessions 43

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)

Confessions Book 9 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 intro

0:06 Confessions 1

2:36 Confessions 2

7:19 Confessions 3

11:48 Confessions 4

23:51 Confessions 5

25:01 Confessions 6

27:52 Confessions 7

31:20 Confessions 8

38:12 Confessions 9

44:11 Confessions 10

50:37 Confessions 11

54:30 Confessions 12

*From Saint Ambrose’s ‘Evening Hymn’

Trs. J. D. Chambers, 1854

1:02:53 Confessions 13

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)

Confessions Book 8 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 intro

0:08 Confessions 1

4:59 Confessions 2

11:32 Confessions 3

16:03 Confessions 4

19:06 Confessions 5

24:39 Confessions 6

33:00 Confessions 7

37:17 Confessions 8

41:58 Confessions 9

44:18 Confessions 10

51:21 Confessions 11

56:40 Confessions 12

*[Rom.13:13,14] Saint Augustine does not quote the whole passage, which begins, ‘Let us pass our time honourably, as by the light of day, not in revelling and drunkenness,’ etc.

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)

Confessions Book 7 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 intro

0:08 Confessions 1

5:05 Confessions 2

7:21 Confessions 3

10:45 Confessions 4

12:40 Confessions 5

17:39 Confessions 6*[The doctor previously mentioned in BookIV, chapter 3]

25:41 Confessions 7

29:10 Confessions 8

29:59 Confessions 9

36:03 Confessions 10

38:54 Confessions 11

39:51 Confessions 12

41:54 Confessions 13

44:12 Confessions 14

45:30 Confessions 15

46:33 Confessions 16

47:45 Confessions 17

50:55 Confessions 18

52:48 Confessions 19

56:18 Confessions 20

58:57 Confessions 21

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)

Confessions Book 6 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 intro

0:07 Confessions 1

3:43 Confessions 2

6:53 Confessions 3

11:31 Confessions 4

15:18 Confessions 5

19:37 Confessions 6

24:48 Confessions 7

29:38 Confessions 8

33:10 Confessions 9

36:57 Confessions 10

41:00 Confessions 11

46:23 Confessions 12

50:06 Confessions 13

51:35 Confessions 14

53:30 Confessions 15

54:52 Confessions 16

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)

Confessions Book 5 - St. Augustine (Full Audiobook)

0:00 intro

0:07 Confessions 1

1:43 Confessions 2

4:01 Confessions 3

10:11 Confessions 4

11:43 Confessions 5

15:09 Confessions 6

19:26 Confessions 7

23:03 Confessions 8

28:46 Confessions 9

32:54 Confessions 10

39:03 Confessions 11

40:28 Confessions 12

42:34 Confessions 13

45:12 Confessions 14

Confessions by Saint Augustine

R. S. Pine-Coffin Translation (1961)