neatly when he says that in the right kind of fear the Christians,‘when
recognizing their own misery (miseriam suam secum recognoscentes),
learn to depend wholly upon the Lord’.^211 The Latin phrases depict
the complexity of the recognitive act: as in Ficino, they describe
areflexive act in which the introspection leads to a new and heter-
onomous self-understanding. While there is probably no direct
dependence between Ficino and Calvin, they both speak of how
people‘recognize themselves’in a new, heteronomous, and identity-
changing manner.
In his elaboration of the confession of sins, Calvin repeatedly
speaks of recognition. When the priest recites the public confession,
it happens‘in order that each one might better be led to a just
recognition of himself’(ad iustam sui recognitionem).^212 When we
stand before the sight of God in the sacred assembly,‘recognition of
our own unworthiness’(indignitatis nostrae recognitio) takes place.^213
Only through accusing themselves can people acknowledge (agnosco)
the benefit of their liberation.^214 The entire church can also perform
recognition(recognitio)^215 of its faults. These acts of recognition in
confession serve the renewal of self-understanding.
When describing self-denial as the sum of Christian life Calvin
admonishes Christians to return to humility through‘recognizing our
faults’.^216 Through loving a stranger a Christian ‘may recognize
toward him the many and great benefits with which God has bound
you to himself’.^217 Calvin compares obedience to the behaviour of
horses: if left in idleness they no longer‘recognize their rider, whose
command they previously obeyed’.^218 In such examples, both the
confession of sins and the kindness of God appear as the objects of
recognition:
Exhortation to forbearance is not to be based principally upon the
acknowledgement of sin (a peccati agnitione)...in the very harshness
of tribulations we must recognize (recognosco) the kindness and gener-
osity of our Father towards us, since he does not even then cease to(^211) Inst.3, 2, 22;Inst-E568. recognoissans/recording/erkennen und betrachten.
(^212) Inst.3, 4, 10;Inst-E635. recognoistre/reknowledging/selbserkendtnis.
(^213) Inst.3, 4, 11;Inst-E635. recognoissance/reknowleging/betrachtung und bekendtnis.
(^214) Inst.3, 4, 11;Inst-E635. cognoistre/acknowledge/erkennen.
(^215) Inst.3, 4, 14;Inst-E638. recognoissance/reknowleging/bekentnis.
(^216) Inst.3, 7, 4;Inst-E694. recognoissans/reknowleging/betrachtung.
(^217) Inst.3, 7, 6;Inst-E696. recognoissions/knowest/betrachten.
(^218) Inst.3, 8, 5;Inst-E705. recognoissent/know.
The Latin Traditions 103