A little book of John Calvins concerning offences whereby at this day divers are…A little booke of Iohn Caluines concernynge offences whereby at this daye diuers are…

And therefore it shall be expedient, to have a description of all times gathered together, to the intent that every one of us may from thence set before our eyes, examples meet to assuage our miseries, as often as the race and need shall require.

And therefore it shalbe expedient, to haue a description of all times gathered togither, to the entent that euery one of vs may from thence set before our eyes, examples méete to asswage our miseries, as often as the race and néede shall require.

Howbeit ere I proceed any further, it is needful to note whereupon so many and so sundry changes whereby the Church of God is oftentimes turned and ⟨p. 25⟩as it were wheeled about, do arise. The knowledge of this thing is not to be fetched from far & obscure conjectures, seeing the continual starting of men from God, hath broken the course of his grace, which otherwise had been continual: which thing ye may understand almost from the beginning of the world. When Moses speaketh of Seth and his son Enos, it is there recited that at the same time, the name of God was begun to be called upon. Whereby we understand, that the true worshipping of God, (which in the cursed offspring of Cain was in manner utterly decayed) was restored anew again, that it might thrive & flourish in the world. Scarce eight generations passed, when all the posterity of them whom God had segregated to himself for his own children, had thrown themselves in such wise into all kind of wickedness, that with themselves they destroyed by flood of water, all the whole world defiled with their abominations. At such time as the Church was brought to eight persons, it seemed then at leastwise so purged, that the little seed which ⟨image 37⟩remained, should of it self bring forth nothing but pure holiness. And yet anon after, it diminished almost by the fourth part. The posterity of Japheth also, within a while after fleeted away. There remained no more but the household of Shem, the which it self ere it was any long time, grew out of kind also: so that God did worthily exclude from him a great part of it. When the Offspring of Abraham, being by wonderful power brought out of Egypt, had passed the read Sea, and was going toward the land of Promise, who would not of lucky beginnings have judged that there should have ensued a continuance of a happy state? Notwithstanding, even the very same, in whose deliverance God had showed so manifest a proof of his power, made no end of sinning, until such time as by horrible means, they were all destroyed in the wilderness. At length the children of them toke possession of the said land: but yet such a possession, as well near in six hundred years after, had no stability, because they themselves through their