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…

of the Acts of the Apostles,¹ that God hath not manifested himself unto us, without a large testimony & witness, because we may behold him in all his creatures. So then, in as much as all things were made by his word,² we must know that he is our eternal God. There are certain Heretics that suppose, that this word of God, had beginning in the creation of the world, because there was never any speech had of the word, until such time as the world was created: As Moses saith, God said, let there be light, and the light was made, &c. Now they would infer here upon that that word then began. Is it so? we may rather contrariwise by that conclude, that that word is eternal. For if a man begin to do some thing, we can not thereupon say, that he was not before that. If this be true in creatures what will it be, when we shall come to God? So then albeit that word of God hath not spread abroad and made manifest the power thereof, before the creation of the world yet none can thereupon conclude, that it was not already before that time. And this is that which S. John meant to set out & declare by this manner of speech, wherein it is said, that all things were made by this word. Moreover let us mark,³ that when we speak of God the Father and of his word, we say then, that God made all things whatsoever, and that by his word: and this word by, is attributed only unto Jesus Christ. True it is that when we speak of God singly and by himself, and without distinction of the persons, we may well say, that all things are by and from God: but when there is a distinction, as in this place there is, behold then the propriety which belongeth and agreeth to Jesus Christ, to wit, that all things were made by him. And this is that distinction of persons which I have already spoken of, that is, that all things are of God the father, but that Jesus Christ is the mean thereof Mark then what S. John meant as if he should say, that God by his word hath made all things. Wherefore God showeth that he is the fountain of them all and that it must needs be that he should make and create all things, but yet by the mean and power of that his word.

of the Actes of ye Apostles,¹ that God hath not manifested himself vnto vs, without a large testimony & witnesse, because we may behold him in all his creatures. So then, in as much as al things were made by his word,