A17698:1283
Sermons upon Deuteronomy
The sermons of M. John Calvin upon the fifth book of Moses called Deuteronomy faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpit; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneva, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chief matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alleged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the fifth booke of Moses called Deuteronomie faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpet; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneua, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chiefe matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alledged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for George Bishop, 1583
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.
Again, let us not deal further than God biddeth us, but let us be faithful executors of his words,1 & not stir one finger further than he saith, do thus or thus. To be short, he that giveth his enemy but a fillip, is guilty of murder before god. But he that putteth a wicked man to death, not being led thereto by any wicked affection, but because his office requireth it: is just and allowed of God, and his executing of such punishment is a sacrifice §40unto him. According as we see that Moses speaketh thereof, specially when the idolatry that the people had committed was to be punished, in which case he sayeth, Sanctify your hands unto the Lord.2 And how? What manner of holiness was it whereof Moses spake there? It was that they should kill all the idolaters that had defiled themselves, & put the corrupters of the true religion to death. And whom commanded he to do it? Even the Levites, even those which ought to have bin y• mirrors §50of all pity & lovingkindness. Even the Priests whom God had dedicated to himself were nevertheless appointed to be the executors of that rigour. And upon whom? Even upon their own kinsfolk, and they might not bear with them. Seeing then that we see this: let us learn that such as do Justice, (conditionally that they intermingle not their own affections and revenges, but endeavour to serve God & to execute the charge that is committed unto them,) do sanctify their §60hands in so doing, and the rigour which they use is commendable. That is to say, if they have compassion upon the poor creatures that perish: then that rigour of theirs being so qualified, is an acceptable sacrifice unto God. And on the contrary part, if we do but stir one finger upon displeasure for any wrong that is done unto us,3 yea or be but provoked to grunt at them that shall have misused us: by and by it is murder before God. And so let us learn, not to seek fond excuses to revenge our selves, under pretence that God hath told us that the wicked must be destroyed and rooted out: but let us have a good and well stayed zeal, so as we overshoot not our selves to say that men may step forth to do this or that on their own heads, but that they must tarry till God have given sentence, and then execute the same, as we see is said of it in this text.