Sermon of Master John Calvin, on the history of Melchizedek Wherein is also handled,…Sermon of Maister Iohn Caluin, on the historie of Melchisedech Wherein is also handled,…

until such time as we be wholly confounded in our selves, and be so roused up & awakened, as that no hypocrisy nor dissimulation make us believe this or that, ne yet remain in a dead sleep of security: but that we find our selves to be like most miserable damned and lost souls, and such as the judgements of God do so persecute, as that we know not which way to turn us, and to be in such a desperate case as if we saw present death before us, and the hand of God armed to execute the sentence of the curse which he pronounceth against us. And this is the definition of the righteousness which we are to note, if we will have it rightly defined. We see also why it is said in the fifteenth of the Acts, where Saint Paul speaking of the ceremonies of the law saith, that we must be justified by our Lord Jesus Christ, of all the things whereof the law of Moses could not justify us. This word the Law, carrieth here a long tail with it: for, we must understand why S. Paul, especially speaketh of the ceremonies of the law, when as he saith, that works cannot any ways make us acceptable before God. Now the Papists, ⟨p. 151⟩and many of the ancient Fathers which knew not the scriptures, but were as a man would say half Philosophers, were wonderfully troubled about this word the Law, and though that Saint Paul contended not about moral works as they called them: that is to say, that he went not about to deny that we were not righteous before GOD, if we lived chastely, temperately, soberly, wronging no man, and holding all such other like moral virtues: they thought that Saint Paul touched none of this, but meant in very deed that all these works, partly deserved salvation: but they thought that the ceremonies of the law could no way be profitable to justification. Now this imagination is too too gross folly: for, first, Saint Paul never once spake of the ceremonies of the law.

vntill such time as wee be wholly confounded in our selues, and bee so rowzed vp & awakened, as that no hypocrisie nor dissimulation make vs belieue this or that, ne yet remaine in a dead sleepe of securitie: but that we finde our selues to be like most miserable damned and lost soules, and such as the iudgements of God do so persecute, as that we know not which way to turn vs, and to be in such a desperate case as if we saw present death before vs, and the hand of God armed to execute the sentence of the curse which he pronounceth against vs. And this is the definition of the righteousnes which wee are to note, if wee will haue it rightly defined. Wee see also why it is sayd in the fifteenth of the Acts, where Saint Paul speaking of the ceremonies of the law saith, that we must be iustified by our Lord Iesus Christ, of all the thinges whereof the lawe of Moses could not iustefie vs. This word the Law, carrieth here a long taile with it: for, wee must vnderstand why S. Paul, especially speaketh of the ceremonies of the law, when as hesaith, that works cannot any waies make vs acceptable before God. Now the Papists,