A16078:2543
A harmony upon the the three Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentary…A harmonie vpon the the three Euangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentarie…
A harmony upon the the three Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentary of M. John Calvin: faithfully translated out of Latin into English, by E.P. Whereunto is also added a commentary upon the Evangelist S. John, by the same author.A harmonie vpon the the three Euangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentarie of M. Iohn Caluine: faithfully translated out of Latine into English, by E.P. Whereunto is also added a commentarie vpon the Euangelist S. Iohn, by the same authour.
Londini: printed by Thomas Dawson, 1584
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
At a certain time. God was able in one moment to heal them altogether: but as miracles have their end, so have they also their mean, as Christ saith,1 when so many were dead in the time of Elisha, there was but one only boy raised up again: when as there were so many hungry widows in the time of the drought,2 Elijah did only help one in her need.3 So it was sufficient for the Lord to show some token of his presence upon a few sick people. But the manner of healing which is described in this place, doth sufficiently teach us, that there is nothing more unconuenient then that men should make the works of God subject to their judgement. For, I pray you, what help and remedy could they look for, by the troubling of the water? But the Lord doth by such means accustom us unto the obedience of saith, when he doth things contrary to our reason. We do too too greedily follow those things which besides the word of God do please our reason. Therefore to the end he may make us obey him, he objecteth oftentimes those things, which are contrary to our reason. Therefore we do then declare and prove our readiness to be taught,4 when as shutting our eyes, we follow the bare word, although we seem to our selves that we shall have no reward for our labour. The like example have we in Naaman the Assyrian, whom the Prophet sent unto Jordan to have his leprosy cured, but he contemned this at the first as a mock, yet at length he perceiveth in deed that God doth so work contrary to mans reason, that yet ⟨p. 110⟩notwithstanding he doth never deceive or mock us. In the mean while the troubling of the water was a manifest token that God doth use the elements freely at his own pleasure, and doth challenge to himself the effect of the work For this is a vice too common, to ascribe unto the creatures that which belongeth to God alone. But it shall be a point of too much foolishness to seek the cause of health, in the troubled water. Therefore he doth so commend the external sign, that by the beholding of the same, the sick may be compelled to look unto him who is the only author of grace.