Divers sermons of Master John Calvin, concerning the divinity, humanity, and nativity of our…Diuers sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, concerning the diuinitie, humanitie, and natiuitie of our…

Now, these men think that they have no need of the death and passion of Jesus Christ: but they will partly confess that they have need: and yet we see it clean otherwise: because they keep fairs and markets of their merits, and have of them to sell and resell, to the end they would have others to settle them selves and trust upon such profanation. Moreover, forsomuch as there is in Popery, both men and women hypocrites, they are even so many horns or powers set up against God: For this pride is always in them, to say, what good Sir? I beseech you if I deserve not, to what purpose were it for me to have so many good devotions, to cause so many Masses to be sung, to have chanted so much, to have run so many times from one Altar to an other, to have prayed to such a Saint, & to have made such & such a feast: To be short, they have always this cursed & hellish opinion with them, that God is bound, & greatly beholden unto them. Thus we see how Satan so deceiveth them with such illusions, as that they cannot possibly feel to what end the death & passion of our lord Jesus Christ serveth them. The other sort, trust not to their merits, for drunkards, whoremongers, and wanton people will not say, we are like unto little Angels, we have lived well, we have been earnest in our devotions: But will sport them selves (as I have already said) and think to escape the hand of God by mocking and scorning. And for this cause, the Prophet calleth us all here, & saith, Consider ye poor souls in what case you stand, until such time as God hath showed you his compassion in our Lord Jesus Christ his Son: For you have all erred, & are all like lost sheep. Mark his meaning: for he saith, We all, because he putteth in himself. Yea verily, for we have already seen, that the Jews were included within this general curse of men, because they thought that they should have bin exempt out of it: For they were ever thus foolish arrogant, as to think that because God had adopted & chosen them, that they were a great deal more worthy then the rest. Now, the Prophet foldeth them up here in everlasting death, until such time as they seek for the remedy of their deliverance in Jesus Christ. We are then all included within this condemnation: & he putteth in this word, All, to the end there should be no exception of any: as if he should have said.

Now, these men thinke that they haue no néede of the death and passion of Iesus Christ: but they will partly cōfesse that they haue néede: and yet we sée it cleane otherwise: because they kéepe faires and merkets of their merites, and haue of them to sell and resell, to the ende they would haue others to settle them selues and trust vpon such profanation. Moreouer, forsomuch as there is in Popery, both men and women hypocrites, they are euen so many hornes or powers set vp against God: For this pride is alwayes in them, to say, what good Syr? I beséech you if I deserue not, to what purpose were it for mée to haue so many good deuotions, to cause so many Masses to be soonge, to haue chaunted so muche, to haue runne so many times from one Aulter to an other, to haue praied to such a Saint, & to haue made such & such a feast: To bée short, they haue alwayes this cursed & hellish opinion with them, that God is bound, & greatly beholdē vnto them. Thus we sée howe Satan so deceiueth them with such illusions, as yt they cannot possibly féele to what end the death & passion of our lord Iesus Christ serueth them. The other sort, trust not to their merittes, for drunkardes, whoremongers, and wanton people will not say, wée are like vnto litle Angels, we haue liued well, we haue béen earnest in our deuotions: But wil sport them selues (as I haue alredie said) and think to escape the hand of God by mocking and scorning. And for this cause, the Prophet calleth vs all here, & saith, Consider yée poore soules in what case you stād, vntil such time as God hath shewed you his compassion in our Lord Iesus Christ his Sonne: For you haue al erred, & are al like lost shéepe. Mark his meaning: for he saith, We all, because he putteth in himself. Yea verely, for we haue alredie séene, yt the Iewes were included within this general curse of men, because they thought that they should haue bin exempt out of it: For they were euer thus foolish arrogāt, as to think yt because God had adopted & chosen thē, yt they were a great deale more worthy then the rest. Now, the Prophet foldeth them vp here in euerlasting death, vntil such time as they séeke for the remedie of their deliuerance in Iesus Christ. We are then all included within this cōdemnation: & he putteth in this word, All, to the end there should be no exceptiō of any: as if he should haue said.