A17692:119
Four godly sermons against the pollution of idolatries comforting men in persecutions, and teaching…Foure godlye sermons agaynst the pollution of idolatries comforting men in persecutions, and teachyng…
Four godly sermons against the pollution of idolatries comforting men in persecutions, and teaching them what commodities they shall find in Christs church, which were preached in French by the most famous clerk John Calvin, and translated first into Latin and afterward into English by divers godly learned men.Foure godlye sermons agaynst the pollution of idolatries comforting men in persecutions, and teachyng them what commodities thei shal find in Christes church, which were preached in French by the moste famous clarke Ihon Caluyne, and translated fyrst into Latine and afterward into Englishe by diuers godly learned men.
London: printed by Rouland Hall, 1561
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.
My labour is so well known and can not be wanted that I can hear live of my labour. What shall I do amongst strange and unknown men, having neither Halfpenny nor Farthing, and shall be holpen by the acquaintance, friendship, favour or relief of none? And it may be in deed that such excuses may be partly true: And to reason no more about the matter that it is a thing very grievous and unpleasant not only to leave the country wherein thou waste borne, but also that place wherein by long and familiar conversation there seemeth, to be now gotten a certain disposition of nature.
My labour is so well knowen and can not be wanted that I can heare lyue of my labour. What shall I do amonges straunge and vnknowen men, hauynge neyther Halfepeny nor Farthyng, and shall be holpen by the acquaintaunce, frendshyppe, fauour or reliefe of none? And it may be in dede that suche excuses maye be partly trewe: And to reason no more aboute the matter that it is a thynge verye grieuous and vnpleasant not onely to leaue the countrey wherein thou waste borne, but also that place wherein by longe and familiar conuersation there semeth, to be nowe gotten a certayne disposition of nature.
But all these yet imagine, how they may set before their eyes those impediments whereby they may stop the way whereby they should come unto GOD, that is to say: Though they do not find the matters so hard and intricate as they make them: Yet will they cover them selves gladly with what cloaks they can. And when they have poured forth these grievous & ⟨image 88⟩miserable complaints they think that they have stopped Gods mouth, and that he doth them great injury if he still charge them as though he would compel them to those things which were not possible to be done. Truly I have nothing to answer to these things but that which is written in the psalm .lxxxiiii. that is that the faithful passing by the valleys and dry wilderness that want all water, will dig themselves pits and cisterns. And I think this sufficient to overcome them that will not resist God of obstinate malice. Wherefore they that see themselves so beset with so great discommodities & dangers that they can see no way nor path to go by, must remember that even the desert places, wherein there is no drop of water to be gotten ought not to let their journey. And that we may understand this sentence more sensibly & plainly, we must mark that Gods purpose is to be sought of his children, not by the green meadows that may delight them with variety of sweet flowers, neither by the sweet arbres and pleasant shadows: but by rough and steep ways by hills and dales by ditches & sand pits, by barren