A17689:26
Of the Life or Conversation of a Christian Man
Of the life or conversation of a Christen man, a right godly treatise, written [sic] in the latin tongue, by master John Calvin, a man of right excellent learning and of no less godly conversation. Translated into English by Thomas Broke Esquire Paymaster of Dover. An[no] M. D. XLix. The first day of JanuaryOf the life or conuersation of a Christen man, a right godly treatise, wyrtten [sic] in the latin tonge, by maister Iohn Caluyne, a man of ryghte excellente learnynge and of no lesse godly conuersation. Translated into English by Thomas Broke Esquier Paymaister of Douer. An[no] M. D. XLix. The first day of Ianuary
London: printed by John Daye and, 1549London: printed by Iohn Daye and, 1549
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.
But god so little delighteth, either in the flatterers of the common peoples ears, or in their proud hearts, that he telleth them that they have received their reward in this world & maketh harlots and other open sinners nearer to the kingdom of heaven, then such. But we have not yet declared with how many & how great ⟨image 23⟩hinderances a man is let from desiring of goodness, so long as he hath not denied him self, for it was truly said long ago: a world of sins to be hid in the soul of a man. And thou cast find none other remedy, but that first denying thy self, and setting aside the consideration of thy self, thou do apply thy whole mind to seek those things, which our Lord requireth of thee: & to reckon, that therefore only they are to be sought for, because they please him.
But god so litle deliteth, either in the flatterers of the cōmon peoples eares, or in their proud hertes, that he telleth them that they haue receyued their rewarde in thys worlde & maketh harlottes and other open synners nerer to the kyngdome of heauen, then such. But we haue not yet declared wyth howe many & howe greate ⟨image 23⟩hynderaunces a man is let from desirynge of goodnes, so longe as he hath not denyed him selfe, for it was truly sayed long ago: a worlde of sinnes to be hidde in the soule of a mā. And thou cast fynde none other remedye, but that first deniynge thy selfe, and settynge asyde the consideration of thy selfe, thou do applie thy whole minde to seeke those thinges, whiche oure Lorde requireth of the: & to reckē, that therfore onelie they are to be sought for, because they please hym.
Furthermore this denial of our self hath respect partly unto men, and partly or rather chiefly unto God, for when the scripture biddeth us so to behave our selves among men, that we give honour unto them before our selves: and that with great faithfulness, ⟨image 23⟩we bestow our selves all together upon doing good to them: it giveth those commandments which our mind can not understand, except it first lack his own natural wisdom. For every man thinketh, through the blindness wherewith we all run headlong into the love of our own selves, that he hath a just cause to advance him self, and to despise all other in respect of him self. If God have given us any thing which is not to be repented of, we putting our delectation therein, by and by are high minded, and do not only swell, but also well nigh burst for pride. The vices wherewith we abound, those we both diligently hide from other men, and in flattering of our selves, reckon them light and small, yea and other whilst delight in them as