A17698:1602
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.
Furthermore as touching the request of Moses: it is a strange case that he should desire to be wiped out of the book that God had written:1 for he knew well it was unpossible. He was not so ignorant but that he knew Gods determination to be unchangeable, and that his choosing of those that are his can not by any means be altered. And therefore this request seemeth to be unordinate, yea and utterly disagreeing to faith. But we must mark that in this zeal Moses respected not precisely what was possible to be done: but only meant to pray God that he being but one man might perish rather than the whole people should perish, so as he himself might answer for all the evil that had been done if it were possible. And besides that, we have to mark here, that Moses matched Gods glory with the welfare of the people to whom the promises were given. For he persuadeth himself that it was not possible that that people should be utterly rooted out, but that Gods trueth must be abolished therewithal, because God had bound himself to the offspring of Abraham: and therefore that if that people had been cut off, God should have seemed to be variable. He could well have found out some mean incomprehensible to man: but Moses could judge no further than he was able to conceive. Now then forasmuch as he was at his wits end in this case, and God was to be found faithful and soothfast by performing of his covenant: therefore doth he forget himself, and is carried away rather to offer himself as it were in a sacrifice of cursing, than that Gods name should be blasphemed, or that it might be said that he had not kept promise, or that he had changed his purpose. Hereby we see that Moses might pray faithfully: and yet notwithstanding not look simply & alonely to the right of the case. How might it be done? He was moved thereto by a passion, how be it ⟨p. 402⟩not by a choleric and fleshly passion, but by such a zealous passion to Godward, as carried him above all state of man. Nevertheless (as I have said afore), these things must not be drawn to a general rule, (for we have not the spirit of Moses):
Furthermore as touching the request of Moses: it is a straunge case that hee shoulde desire to be wiped out of the booke that God had written:1