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…

Nevertheless the Lord did divers times restore them to a tolerable order. All the which notwithstanding, neither the remembrance of their first deliverance, nor the rod that was laid upon them, so oftentimes to chasten them, nor the present feeling of punishments, nor the often pardoning of them, could keep them in awe, but that by shaking of the yoke of God, they procured new mischiefs to themselves. Moses had told them before how it would come to pass, that when they were fat and well fed, they would kick again: but the thing in deed was far worse, what doth the story of the Judges rehearse, but continual backslidings? Wherefore if any be offended at the sundry shakings, whereunto they see the Church subject in this world, let them caste their eyes upon that Glass, and they shall leave won deringe to see them have uncertain abiding upon Earth, who with so great unconstantnesse of faith do waver before God. After that the Kingdom of David was erected, there seemed a more ⟨image 38⟩certain & grounded kind of a state like to continue, to have been stablished. But that lamentable slaughter of the Pestilence, which by the space of three days after a monstrous manner raged in the world, abated greatly that felicity. By and by after the death of Solomon, the body of the Realm was divided, and the torn members ceased not afterward to byte one another. And moreover both Kingdoms were miserably turmoiled by foreign wars. Shall we say their destiny drove them thereunto? Nay rather they themselves through their sins enforced and hastened the vengeance of God. For even wherein they seemed most innocent, namely while David goeth through with numbering of them, because it was the peculiar fault of one man: yet the holy History sayeth plainly that God was wroth with them all. At length followed that great conversion little differing from utter destruction, when all the whole Nation was led captive to Babylon. But surely if their own desperate stubbornness had not driven them headlongs, they had never ⟨p. 27⟩come to this point of misery. Their return after threescore and ten years, was unto them another birth. Notwithstanding, as soon as they were returned home, straight ways forgetting so great a benefit, they degenerate again into sundry kinds of naughtiness. Some defiled themselves with Heathen marriages:

Neuerthelesse the Lord did diuers times restore them to a tollerable order. All the which notwithstandinge, neither the remembrance of their first deliuerance, nor the rodde that was laide vpon them, so oftentimes to chasten them, nor the present féelinge of punishments, nor the often pardoning of them, could kéepe them in awe, but that by shakinge of the yoke of God, they procured newe mischiefes to themselues. Moyses had tolde them before how it would come to passe, that when they were fatte and well fedde, they would kicke againe: but the thing in déede was farre woorse, what doth the storie of the Iudges reherse, but continuall backeslidinges? Wherefore if any be offended at the sundry shakinges, wherunto they sée the Churche subiect in this worlde, let them caste their eyes vppon that Glasse, and they shall leaue wō deringe to sée them haue vncertayne abidynge vppon Earthe, who with so great vnconstantnesse of faithe doo wauer before God. After that the Kingedome of Dauid was erected, there séemed a more