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, let this doctrine be preached, and we must needs all stoop and yield: for, shame and fear will not suffer us to reply against our God. And to say the trueth, what shall we get by our reasoning and disputing? For, we must feel, in despite of our teethes, that we are not condemned in vain, since it is God that judgeth us. And yet notwithstanding every of us will return home to his house, and be no whit moved thereat: and the thing that hath been told us will not touch us at all. We will well enough agree that we are all sinners, and that every man is guilty before the Lord: But do we in the mean while feel the burden of our sins, and be displeased with them, and besides, are we stirred up to seek for the favour of our Lord Jesus Christ, and deny our selves? No, no: and yet we think we are sufficiently discharged, if we say that we are sinners. And that which is worse we shall oftentimes see men boldly cover and cloak their sins ⟨image 120⟩when they are accused and convinced of them. Ho good Sir, will they say, It is very true that all men are sinners. Surely, if a man exhort a wicked blasphemer of the name of God, or some such one as hath committed a cursed and horrible deed, he will deny it at the first chop: and never confess it but by constraint. But what if he see him self to be convicted? In very deed Sir, will he then say, we are all sinners. And that is as much to say, that thou art a wicked hypocrite that thus scornest God. Thus we see that under these general words, there are very many which will find out this excuse, to the end they would not have their filthiness known as it ought to be And for this cause, after the Prophet had said, That all have erred, he addeth, Every one, every one, as if he should have said, look not general what mankind is, but let every man sift himself a part, and consider and way well with your selves what you are. For, the way to cause us to be touched with the judgements of God, and to be brought to true humility is, whenas we are brought to repent us of our wickedness, & that every man in this sort shall as it were, have secretly examined his own conscience. Thus we see the meaning of the Prophet.

Nowe, let this doctrine bée preached, and wée must néedes all stoupe and yéelde: for, shame and feare will not suffer vs to reply against our God. And to say the trueth, what shall wée get by our reasoning and disputing? For, wee must feele, in despite of our téethes, that wée are not condemned in vaine, since it is God that iudgeth vs. And yet notwithstanding euery of vs wil return home to his house, and bee no whit moued thereat: and the thing that hath béene tolde vs will not touch vs at all. Wée will well enough agrée that wee are all sinners, and that euery man is guiltie before the Lorde: But doe wée in the meane while féele the burden of our sinnes, and be displeased with them, and besides, are we stirred vp to séeke for the fauour of our Lorde Iesus Christe, and deny our selues? No, no: and yet we think we are sufficiently discharged, if wée say that wée are sinners. And that which is worse wée shall oftentimes sée men bouldly couer and cloke their sinnes