A17694:53
Four sermons of Master John Calvin entreating of matters very profitable for our time,…Foure sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin entreating of matters very profitable for our time,…
Four sermons of Master John Calvin entreating of matters very profitable for our time, as may be seen by the preface: with a brief exposition of the LXXXVII. Psalm. Translated out of French into English by John Field.Foure sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin entreating of matters very profitable for our time, as may bee seene by the preface: with a briefe exposition of the LXXXVII. Psalme. Translated out of Frenche into Englishe by Iohn Fielde.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for Thomas Man, 1579
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 the second, that being certain of a good cause, we be so inflamed as it becometh us, to follow God throughly whither soever he calleth us: that his word have such authority with us as it deserveth: & that being withdrawn from this world, we be as it were rapt up & ravished to seek the heavenly life. But this is a thing more then strange, that the light of god shining at this day, as clearly as ever it did, that there is so small zeal as it is pitiful to behold. If we be not confounded with shame, it is so much the worse: For to be brief if we should come before that great judge: where the evil that we have laboured to cover, shall be brought to light, with such rebukes & reproaches, we shall have wherewith to be altogether swallowed up. For if, we be bound to bear witness to GOD according to the measure of knowledge which he hath given us from whence I pray you is it that we are so fearful & so cold to enter into combat, seeing that he hath in such sort manifested him self in this time, that it may be said that he hath opened and displayed the great treasure of his secretes? Must it not heeds be said that we would not have any thing too do with God? For if we had any regard of his majesty, we durst never be so bold too turn the doctrine which proceedeth from his mouth, into a philosophy or I know not into what idle speculation, To be short ⟨p. 16⟩there is no excuse that we should not be greatly a••• med, yea that we should not have an horrible condemnation, having known so much of the trueth of God, and having so little courage to maintain it. Above all when we shall look unto the Martyrs that have bin in times past, we shall find passing great cause to detest the villainy that is in us. For the greatest part were not so mightily exercised in the holy scripture, to have through knowledge to dispute of all things they knew that there was one God, whom they ought to worship & to serve. Also that they were redee••• by the blood of Jesus Christ, to the end they might p•• the confidence of their salvation in him and in his grace. And f••ther that all that which had •in fo••• […] was nothing but f••th & […] whereby […] condemn all Idolatry and superstitions.