A17698:1669
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.
Howbeit on the other side, let us understand, that if Aaron was fain to pass through Gods hand, because he did but consent unto evil, & was punished although he clave not to it: (for to speak properly, his consenting was no consent at all:1 for he said unto them, what mean you ye wretched people? and in scorn of their idolatry: Lo here thy Gods O Israel (quod hee) which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. as if he should say, is a calf become thy redeemer? Aaron then did after a sort withstand them, and yet notwithstanding I call it a consenting, inasmuch as he swerved and suffered himself to be carried away with their importunateness:) Now if God (say I) did punish his high priest Aaron after he had advanced him to so great & so high dignity: what will he do to us? ⟨p. 425⟩Therefore let us learn to withhold our selves from evil, & by no means to consent thereto: unless we intend to wrap our selves in condemnation with the wicked, as we see did partly befall unto Aaron. I say but partly, for God used mercy towards him, because the punishment was but temporal, because it was upon his body only, and concerned only this present life. And surely God is exceeding gracious & favourable to us when he punisheth us in our bodies, at such time §10as we deserve to be utterly rooted out, and when he vouchsafeth to be contented with some chastisement of this transitory life, he showeth therein that he is minded to use great gentleness towards us. And yet for all that though we deserve to perish with the wicked, when we resist them not, ne forsake their companies and confederacies: yet it pleaseth God to spare us, and to show himself merciful towards us, though at the lest, we do in our own bodies suffer somewhat §20in respect of this present life.
Howbeit on the other side, let vs vnderstand, that if Aaron was faine to passe through Gods hande, because he did but consent vnto euill, & was punished although he claue not to it: (for to speake properly, his consenting was no consent at all:1 for he said vnto them, what meane you ye wretched people? and in scorne of their idolatrie: Lo here thy Gods O Israel (quod hee) which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt. as if hee shoulde say, is a calfe become thy redeemer? Aaron then did after a sort withstande them, and yet notwithstanding I call it a consenting, inasmuch as hee swarued and suffered himselfe to be caryed away with their importunatenesse:) Nowe if God (say I) did punish his high priest Aaron after he had aduanced him to so great & so high dignitie: what wil he do to vs?