A17690:57
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.
For he hath not said of the Sun, the Stars, or any other creature how excellent soever it be,1 I will make now a chief work, which may be to mine own Image and likeness. So then the Evangelist after that he had spoken of the power of that word of God, which spreadeth it self to all creatures, he cometh to men. And in this he showeth unto us, that if men behold the goodness of God in every place where they look, they cannot but much more consider and behold the same, within their own persons. And forasmuch as God hath done us this honour, that we are magnified & made excellent in our selves, insomuch that the very Pagans and Heathen have called Man a little world,2 because we may see in him a principal work that surpasseth all the rest, good reason is it, that we should know & confess in it, the virtue and power of God. It is true that we may behold God in all his creatures, but when he manifesteth himself in man, then we see him, as it were by face and countenance: whereas looking upon him in other creatures, we see him darkly, and as it were on the back parts. So then albeit that it be said, that God is made visible unto us in his creatures, yet it so falleth out, that in them we see but as it were, his feet, his hands, and his back: but in Man we see as it were his face. Not that it is his face, so that we can behold him there in imperfection I mean ⟨image 17⟩not so,3 for I speak not now of divine and heavenly things, but only of this, that it hath pleased God to be known in this world to high and low. Behold then the sum of that which S. John sayeth, to wit, that that life was that light of men: as if he should say, It is true, that there is in deed a certain life spread abroad over and in all creatures. And what manner a one is that, even that all things are made and preserved by that word of God:4 but yet there is a more excellent matter in man, to wit, the soul, understanding & reason. For a man shall not be without sense & feeling, as stones: he shall not be without understanding & reason as brute beasts: but he hath a more excellent life, yea even to behold the things which are above and beyond the world. Now consequently he addeth: that that light shineth in the darkness, and that the darkness comprehended it not.