A17698:1840
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.
Now he speaketh afterward of strange Gods. For the wellspring of all evil, is the not knowing what God we should serve. If men be to seek in that point, needs must all the rest of their life be utterly uncertain, & wrapped up altogether in error. And therefore it is not for naught that God stā death upon this point, that men should know him, & serve & worship only him alone. For when we say we must serve no strange Gods: it importeth two things. The first is that we should be able to discern who is our God, so as we ground not our selves upon false opinion or fancy, but upon substantial certainty: which thing cannot be if we give way to our own mother wit. For that is the root whence all the superstitions in the world have sprung. And the very cause of the huge confusion that is still in the world at this day, is that men take leave continually to imagine whatsoever comes in their heads. O (say they) I trow God will like well of this: & to my seeming, such a thing is good Now if men behave themselves so after their own imagination, all things must needs be out of order. Ye see it is even a very sea gulf. Therefore let us learn to give ear to God when he speaks to us, & let us not take leave to conceive any thing of him, otherwise than is showed us by his word. This then is the first point, that we should learn to discern our God from all the Idols which the world forgeth to it self: & therewithal that we should not attempt any thing, but ⟨p. 472⟩that which he alloweth. For the Papists can well enough protest, that their intent is to serve the God that made both heaven & earth; & so also do the Jews & Turks: the case is common to them all. But yet for all that, ye see how the Turks have wound themselves into a maze of superstitions, through the deceitfulness of their Mahomet who hath bewitched them. Again the Jews on their part are grown out of kind, & have mingled the Law with their own inventions, refusing the redeemer that §10had bin promised them, who is the very foundation of all the religion which they should have held. And as for the Papists, the world sees how they have corrupted all trueth, & turned it utterly into lying. Therefore let us learn, that if we will not worship strange Gods▪ we must so hold our selves in awe, as we attempt not any thing, unless we be sure that it is according to Gods will.