A17692:39
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
Sermon 2: The .ii. sermon conTEINING AN EXHORTATION to suffer persecution, that we may therein fo…
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.
Let us now mark well that, these two reasons do pertain to our duty, and must be Joined together, that the one may •n no wise be separated and disjoined from the other. It is mete therefore to take our beginning of this that we ⟨image 28⟩understand and know, what is our Christian religion, what faith it is that we ought to hold and follow, what rule of life god hath given us. Nether must we only have our minds instruct with this godly doctrine, but also have our minds so armed and prepared, that we may freely and boldly damn all errors, lies, and superstitions, which Satan hath brought in to the world, to corrupt the pure simplicity of gods doctrine. Therefore it is no marvel, that there is so small a number of men, that have a ready mid and desire to suffer for the gospel, and that the greatest part of them, ye profess them selves Christians, knoweth not the power of the Christian religion, and there own profession. All men in a manner are negligent, and have no desire or very small, to here and read, who thinketh it sufficient, if they have gotten some small taste of the Christian faith. And this is the cause why there is seen in these no surety and constancy of mind, and that so soon as they come in to any conflict, they are so abashed, as though they should him & by utterly perish for which consideration our desire ought to be greater ⟨image 28⟩to pursue and search out most diligently gods truth, that therewith our hearts may be persuaded with out any doubt. Nether is this all to have such knowledge and understanding. For we see many so well travailed in gods doctrine that they seem as though they were stained & died there with, in whom never the less there is no desire and love of god, no more truly then if they had known nothing at any time of the godly doctrine, but by a certain unsure, light, and wavering opinion. But what other cause is there of this so great uncertainty and levity, but that they did never perceive in there mind the majesty of the holy scripture. And truly if we would rightly way, that it is god that speaketh to us therein we would here him with more diligence, attention and reverence. If we would think in reading the scripture, that we are in the school and discipline of angels, we should have an other manner of desire to exercise our selves in that doctrine, which is set forth to us, to comfort, strengthen, & instruct our minds.