A17698:1929
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.
Let us proceed to that which Moses addeth, namely that men must not deal so with God: by which saying he meaneth, that the Jews must not go about to honour the living GOD by building up the altars, Chapels, or any other of all the filthy things again which they had beaten down. As if he should say, GOD will not be served after the manner of Idols, and therefore regard not what the heathen have done, follow them not, neither fashion your selves to their example: but hold you to this one rule, of doing that which your God commandeth you. And this is well worth the noting: for when we have condemned Idolatry, we cease not for all that to imagine that God liketh well that we should do the same things in honour of him, which were done by the unbelievers: and it appeareth by the dealings in the Popedom. After that the Gospel had been preached to the world, men fell to mingling of all manner of superstitions of the heathen with the true service of God. And what was the ⟨p. 495⟩cause thereof? The heathen had their Pilgrimages: and men knew well it was a devilish abuse: nevertheless they did not put them quite and clean away, they did but only change them. In stead of going on pilgrimage to such an Idol, they go now to our Lady of Laurette, to 1the holy handkerchief, to Saint Michael, to Saint James, and to visit the holy Sepulchre. Men should have utterly rooted out all the things that had been so brought in by Satan, and in §10steed thereof they did but change them. Whereas men saw that the heathen made great feasts, and kept a great number of solemn holy days in honour of their Idols: O (quoth they) we must no more do soe, for that were a serving of the devil: but let every parish make a Church-holiday, to play, to dance, and to feed in till they burst again, and all in the honour of God. Besides this, let every one have their patron, and let them worship him. And so in stead of the §20solemn feasts that were among the heathen, let others be brought in among us. O sirs (say they) these things are not done any more in honour of the Idols; but in honour of Saint Martin. And then let them dance and play the drunkards, for all is well enough so it be done in the honour of God. Again the heathen were wont to keep a holy day which they called the feast of all Spirits: and we must change the word and have the feast of all Souls.