A17698:1680
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.
Nevertheless let us mark that although God have extended the said grace of making us all Levites or Priests, to all the members of his Church: yet hath he not utterly abolished the order of his Church, but his will is to have some certain men appointed to the preaching of his word. And that is the thing which is meant here in the second place, where he saith, that they shall stand before the Lord to serve him, and finally that they shall bless in the Lords name. The same must be put in ure at this day by the ministers of the word. For although God have called us all in common, to be served and honoured at our hands: yet doeth he require a special service at their hands whom he setteth over his Church to be the shepherds thereof, that is to wit, that they should show the way, and always be in a readiness to serve God. And this service importeth that the Levites should maintain the religion pure and uncorrupted among the people, and show the Jews that they ought not to deal with the superstitions of the heathen, and what God it was which had delivered them, and to be short, that they should always hold the people in obedience to the true faith. And for the same cause GOD allotted them not any one certain country or shire to dwell in, but dispersed them throughout the whole land. We know there was not any one tribe which had not Levites among them. And why was that? For God could well enough have gathered them together, so as they might have bin all together in Jerusalem where the temple was, and in the places near abouts, and have had ⟨p. 428⟩some portion assigned them as well as the rest of the tribes had. But he did not so: but his will was that in every country, city, shire, and region, there should always be some Levites, that the people might everywhere be taught, and the seed of faith be everywhere spread abroad. For had there been any certain country assigned to the Levites: it had been enough to have abolished the remembrance of God, and to have laid all teaching under foot. But forasmuch §10as God had appointed the tribe of Levy to preach his word, and to bear abroad the message of salvation: he gave them no certain portion to dwell in, but his will was to have them dispersed abroad everywhere. And for proof thereof, we know how the prophet saith that GOD made his covenant with the tribe of Levy.1