A17690:602
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.
Now, it is here said, That before the Apostles preached the Gospel throughout the world, God sent down his holy spirit upon them: to the end we might know, that they delivered nothing as from them selves, but faithfully distributed the thing which God had commanded them. We see then to what purpose this present history must serve our turns: For if we were not assured that the Apostles had as it were, become new men, and that God had given them a sure and certain token which declared, that he allowed, and authorized them, what should become of our faith? Surely it would be but a running opinion. For thus we might well enough say, I think so, or, it should seem so: But it were impossible for us to say, that we were rightly and firmly grounded & stayed thereon. For, what is in man? And therefore because this world is nothing but vanity,1 it is very meet we should, according to the saying of the Apostle, take Anchor hold in heaven. Here then we see, how we may ride out, all storms & tempests: so that whatsoever either the world, or the Devil devise, yet are they not any way able to hurt us: But we shall always have a sure faith which shall never bend one way or other, when we shall take this for a grounded principle, That it is God that guideth & calleth us to himself, & that the doctrine which is taught us, is his pure & undoubted trueth. Lo then, to what end we must refer the whole sum & effect of that which we have at this present read: Forsooth, even to this end & purpose, that when God raised up this mighty wind, his meaning was to declare by a visible sign, that he had chosen the twelve Apostles to carry the glad tidings of salvation hither & thither. In very deed, there were at that time but eleven of them: But yet there remained always a full ⟨p. 172⟩and settled number, because that Matthias was placed in Judas stead. Thus we see, that the number was filled up which was before scattered: howbeit this want, was but for a little while, as appeareth by the words of Saint Luke in the first Chapter going before.2 Here now we see the full number of the twelve Ambassadors of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom he had before chosen and marked. Nevertheless, it was meet he should furnish them with graces sufficient and requisite for so high and wonderful a calling.