A17694:56
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.
that is, That we are called and appointed to suffer persecution. 1As if he should say: that such is the condition of our Christianity: that we must needs enter in and pass through this path, if we will follow Jesus Christ. In the mean time, too ease our infirmity, too sweeten and mitigate the trouble and heaviness that persecutions may bring unto us, we have this great and sweet comfort, & that is, that in suffering for the Gospel, we follow as it were step by step the Son of God, and we have him for our guide. If it had been simply said unto us, that to be Christians we have to march through all the opprobryes of the world, to come freely to death as often as it should please God, we should have had some colour as it should seem to reply, that this were a very strange thing and far from our nature, to wander so without a guide. But seeing we are commanded to follow our Lord Jesus, his leading is more right and honourable, then for us to refuse it. But to the end that we may be better touched, it is not only said that Jesus Christ goeth before us as our Captain: but that we are conformed to his image: as S. Paul hath spoken in the 8. to the Romans,2 that God hath ordained all those whom he hath adopted to be his Children, that they should be made conformable to him who is the head and pattern of all. Are we so nice and dainty that we will endure nothing? then must we renounce the grace of God, whereby he hath called us to the hope of salvation. For these are two things, that can not be sundered, too be a member of Jesus Christ, & to be exercised with many afflictions. Surely we ought a great deal more to esteem such a conformity ⟨p. 18⟩with the Son of God than we do. It is true that in the world, to suffer for the Gospel is a thing condemned: but seeing that we know that Infidels are blind, ought not we to have clearer & better eyes than they? It is ashamed to be afflicted of them which occupy the place of justice: but S. Paul showeth us by his example that we have greatly to rejoice our selves in the wounds of Jesus christ, as it were in certain imprinted marks, by which God acknowledgeth us, and avoweth us for his. And we know what S. Luke rehearseth of S. Peter & John:3 to wit, that they rejoiced, that they were accounted worthy too suffer infamy & reproach for the name of our Lord Jesus.