A17690:43
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…
Divers sermons of Master John Calvin, concerning the divinity, humanity, and nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ as also touching his passion, death, resurrection, ascension: together with the coming down of the holy Ghost upon his Apostles: and the first sermon of S. Peter. The order of which you shall find in the page ensuing.Diuers sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, concerning the diuinitie, humanitie, and natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christe as also touching his passion, death, resurection, ascention: togeather with the comming downe of the holy Ghoste vpon his Apostles: and the first sermon of S. Peter. The order of which you shall finde in the page ensuing.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for George Byshop, 1581
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.
So then, because we be carnal, he must needs stut and stammer as it were, or else he would not be understood of us. By this then we see, that we are to understand, that God is as it were become little, and hath abased him self, that he might declare him self unto us: And that so it is, tell me, how should it be possible to express what Gods majesty is, If we speak mens speech & words? Is it not think you a far unequal measure? S. John then albeit he be the holy Ghosts instrument, speaketh not of these matters, according to their greatness, & yet notwithstanding he speaketh in a speech, which is as it were unknown to us. And therefore we must conclude, that the secrets which are contained in this place, are ⟨p. 4⟩not so openly & plainly declared, as that we are able to understand the same, in such sort as we understand the matters of the world: but let us content our selves with that which is here simply declared unto us: for our Lord knew that which was sufficient for our good,1 and he applied himself unto us and our infirmity, in such sort that he hath not forgotten or omitted any thing which was good & profitable for us to know. So let us learn to keep us fast to this purity and simplicity of his doctrine, considering how the world in this behalf hath been foully abused by foolish imaginations, and vain speculations, and by a certain devilish boldness: For when the question hath been to handle these matters, men have overwhelmed them selves in as much as they meant (besides the revelation of the doctrine) to search out with a certain curiosity & boldness, the eternal essence and being of Almighty God: as a man in the Papacy shall hear disputations that are made thereof, even as if men disputed of a flock of Goats, or I know not whereof. They have no more reverence to God, than to a beast: Now we need not seek out a better witness against the doctrine of the Sophisters of Sorbonne to know that the Devil reigneth there,2 and hath always reigned there, than this. And this I say, that albeit their doctrine were not false, yet so it is that when men see they have so little reverence and regard to Gods majesty, we must needs say that it is a devilish doctrine, even that I mean, which is at this day practised, by the Sophisters & Sorbonists, in all the Popes Colleges.