A17693:13
A sermon of the famous and Godly learned man, master John Calvin chief Minister…A sermon of the famous and Godly learned man, master Iohn Caluine chiefe Minister…
A sermon of the famous and Godly learned man, master John Calvin chief Minister and Pastor of Christs church at Geneva, containing an exhortation to suffer persecution for following Jesus Christ and his Gospel, upon this text following. Heb. 13. 13. Go ye out of the tents after Christ, bearing his rebuke. Translated out of French into english,A sermon of the famous and Godly learned man, master Iohn Caluine chiefe Minister and Pastour of Christs church at Geneua, conteining an exhortation to suffer persecution for followinge Iesus Christe and his Gospell, vpon this text following. Heb. 13. 13. Go ye out of the tents after Christe, bearing his rebuke. Translated out of French into english,
London: printed by Robert Waldegrave for Edward White, 1581London: printed by Robert VValdegraue for Edward VVhite, 1581
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.
A certain painim could well say, that it was a miserable thing for a man to put away the causes wherefore he doth live to save his life, nevertheless he and such like never knew to what end men were set in the world, and for what cause they live. It ⟨p. 5⟩is true that they had good knowledge to say that a man ought to follow virtue, that a man ought to behave him self honestly,1 and without reproach: but all their virtues were but colours & smokes, we know much better, to what our life ought to be employed: that is to glorify God, to the end he might be our glory, without this the woe is over us, and we can not prolong our life, as much as one minute more of time on the earth, in the which we do bring so much the more malediction upon our own heads. Notwithstanding we are not ashamed, to purchase here in this world a certain few days, for us to lament in, renouncing thereby the everlasting kingdom, separating our selves from him, by whose virtue we are maintained in life. If a man demand of the veriest ignorant persons, or else of the most brutest of the world, for what cause is it that they live, they dare not simply say that it was, to eat, drink, and sleep,2 for all men do know that they were created to a more noble and more excellent end, & what end can we find else but to honour God, and to suffer our selves to be ruled by him, as children of a good father, to the intent that ⟨image 7⟩after we have ended the voyage of this corruptible life, we may be received into his eternal inheritance, behold this is the principal cause of our life, and the self same altogether, when we make account thereof that we are incarnated to a beastly life, the which is worse then a thousand deaths, what may we allege for our expenses, for to live, and not to know, wherefore it is against nature plainly. And to reject the causes, for the which we live, under the pretence of a foolish appetite, for to have a certain respite of three days, to the end to dwell in the world being separate from god, I can not tell how a man shall call such a frenzy and rage.
A certaine painime could well saie, that it was a miserable thing for a man to put awaie the causes wherfore he doth liue to saue his life, neuertheles he and such like neuer knew to what ende men were set in the worlde, and for what cause they liue. It