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 where we say that the substance of the Gospel is comprehended in the person of the Son of God, this is not only to say that Jesus Christ came into the world, but that we should know also what his office is, what charge God his father hath committed unto him, and what virtue & power he hath, which thing we ought to mark well: for from thence we may gather the difference of the Gospel according to S. John, ¹and those which the other three wrote. The four Evangelists agree very well in this, that they declared unto us, how the son of god appeared in the world, that he became true and very man, like unto us in all thing, sin excepted. Afterwards they declare unto us, how he died, rose again, and ascended into heaven. To be short, all that was committed unto him, to draw us to God his father by, is declared and set forth unto us therein. But there are two things which are peculiar to S. John: One is,² that he stayeth and standeth upon the doctrine of Jesus Christ, more then the other Evangelists do: The other, that with a greater liveliness he declareth unto us Jesus Christs virtue and power. True it is, that the other Evangelists speak well of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, but that is rather briefly and shortly, as who have collected some small Summaries and Abridgements thereof.³ But S. John maketh a long and large declaration thereof, as we see in the sixth Chapter, where mention is made of that miracle which he wrought in the wilderness, when he refreshed & fed so great a multitude. For thereupon S. John cometh to enter into ⟨image 9⟩speech, and to show how Jesus Christ is the bread of eternal life. We see then this doctrine of Jesus Christ, which was declared at large by S. John, and that with a more great dilating & discoursing thereon, then is set out by the other Evangelists, yea we see that they quite and clean omitted that doctrine. So much also may be said of the rest: for after that he hath touched some miracles and histories,⁴ he always cometh back to the doctrine, and taketh occasion to enter into the matter, to handle and speak of the power of our Lord Jesus Christ: as from the xii. Chapter till you come to the history of the Passion he entreateth of nothing,