A17694:77
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.
And yet they are not contended thus proudly too tread under foot the most precious graces of God, but they also scorn them which fly into strange countries to seek them, & to rejoice in them. As touching their haughtiness, whereby they bear themselves in hand, that Sermons, Common prayers, and the Sacraments are things superfluous and vain, there need no other testimony to excommunicate, and banish them out of the Church of God. And that it is even so, Saint Paul, saith not that the order which God hath set in his Church, is only for the rude and ignorant: but he maketh it Common for all, exempting none. He hath ordained (saith he) Apostles, Fa•••••, and Doctour•, 1for the establishing of the Sain•••, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we […] of f••th, a•• a perfect m•n, into the measure of a •••fecte age in Christ. Let us mark well that he saith not that God hath left the Scripture to the end that every one should read it alone: But he hath instituted a policy wherein certain are appointed to teach & under this he comprehendeth all other things which doeth, as it were depend thereupon. Wherefore though every one may read it privately, this leaveth not but that they should hear it also publicly. And to whom directeth •e ⟨image 36⟩but that they should hear it publicly. And to whom directeth he himself? to great & small indifferently. And doth he say that this is for one day? No surely he commandeth that this course be kept even until death: for this was the time of our perfection. They therefore which disdain to keep themselves in this range to profit in faith and all virtue by the common order of the Church, they can by nothing so much cut themselves of from the fellowship of the children of God as by this. Let them excuse the matter as finely & as craftily as they list: yet the sentence of S. Paul is most clear, that none is neither aught to be accounted of the body of christ, unless that he submit himself to this general rule. Wherefore my brethren let us humble our selves and let us not tempt god,