Sermons upon Deuteronomy

for Satan hath always this policy with him, to make men busy their wits about the things that they see with their eyes as whereunto he seeth them inclined. For all our seeking is to content God with fair covers; and though we never come nigh him in very deed; yet would we fain pay him with a sort of pelting trifles. The Jews then esteemed their circumcision enough & too much, but yet in so doing they abused it, because they regarded not the thing that God meant to show them thereby, but were tied altogether to the visible sign. Therefore doth Moses rebuke them, saying: think not that the having of circumcision in your bodies, is all that you have to do: for Gods giving of that sign unto you, was to help your infirmity, of purpose to lead you further thereby, namely to bring you to true repentance. For when ye once perceive that all that ever is of your own nature bringeth nothing but cursing: you shall see that all of it is to be done quite and clean away. Therefore bethink ye to mortify your selves: as if he should say, Circumcision consisteth not in the outward paring away of the flesh, but the trueth thereof is within: it is your hearts that must be circumcised. Moses his meaning hereby, is not to condemn the outward sign: but to show the true use of it, which folk had corrupted through superstition and hypocrisy. Accordingly whereunto Joel saith,¹ Rend your hearts, & not your garments. Wherein his meaning is, not that men should no more show any token of repentance by humbling ⟨p. 441⟩themselves before God, but to show that all that ever men do by outward signs, (as by rending of the hair from their heads and beards, by much weeping, by knocking upon their breasts, and by all other manner of gestures that may show them to be abashed, & in manner out of comfort before God) is nothing, except the hart be broken afore. Even so, circumcision is utterly unprofitable, unless the hart be circumcised as well as the body.

for Satan hath alwaies this policie with him, to make men busie their wits about the thinges yt they see with their eyes as whereunto he seeth them inclined. For all our seeking is to content God with faire couers; and though we neuer come nie him in verie deede; yet would we fain pay him with a sort of pelting trifles. The Iewes then esteemed their circumcision ynough & too much, but yet in so dooing they abused it, because they regarded not ye thing yt God ment to shew thē therby, but were tied altogether to ye visible signe. Therfore doth Moses rebuke them, saying: thinke not yt the hauing of circumcision in your bodies, is all yt you haue to doe: for Gods giuing of yt signe vnto you, was to help your infirmity, of purpose to leade you further therby, namely to bring you to true repentāce. For when ye once perceiue yt al yt euer is of your own nature bringeth nothing but cursing: you shall see that all of it is to be done quite and cleane away. Therefore bethinke ye to mortifie your selues: as if he should say, Circumcision consisteth not in the outwarde paring away of the fleshe, but the trueth thereof is within: it is your heartes that must bee circumcised. Moses his meaning hereby, is not to condemne the outwarde signe: but to shewe the true vse of it, which folke had corrupted through superstition and hypocrisie. Accordingly whereunto Ioell sayth,