A17698:1663
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.
And herein we see that he had not an eye to men, nor to their worthiness, but will have them to think §20themselves beholden to him for all things: insomuch that he overcometh all the lewdness & frowardness of men by his goodness, adopting even those to be of his house & to be his heirs, which show themselves unworthy of the good that he had done for them. That is the thing which we have to bear in mind. And we must mark that Moses spake not for his own time only; but that the same doctrine toucheth us as much or more at this day, than ever it did them: specially if we §30can consider the likeness that is between us & the people of old time. In deed we have not nowadays the law written in tables of stone; but we have Gods grace much largelier towards us, & which deserveth to be much more highly esteemed, because we be sure that he taketh us for his church, & will have us to be ruled by him. Now let us see whence this proceedeth, & what is the cause thereof. True it is that if we have an eye to the things that were given us in our father Adam, we be creatures §40shaped after the image of God. But we (to the uttermost of our power) have defaced Gods image in us,1 & we be so marred & corrupted by original sin, that God disclaimeth us, & we be not worthy to be counted his creatures: & yet for all that, he vouchsafeth to gather us to himself. For in baptism we have gods covenant engraven as it were in our bodies;2 whereby he doth us to understand, that he vouchsafeth to take us for his people & inheritance. Now have we any worthiness §50whereby to attain to so great a benefit? Alas, no: for we be guilty aforehand of the defacing of gods image. True it is that that cometh of the root of the first man: but yet are not we our selves faultless. Again, how have we withdrawn our selves from God, even after baptism? for we have not only committed small faults, as befalleth to the faithful to do: but also in the time of our idolatry & superstition, we have brought to nothing all the grace that was promised us in baptism, we have renounced §60