A17698:1948
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.
And hereof we have to gather, that after as God uttereth his will unto us, so are we the §10more bound to follow the same. For if we knew not what to do, and that God had let us alone in suspense: we might have some excuse for our doing of things as seemed good to our selves. For why? Our Lord hath not bin so gracious to us as to say unto us expressly, Thus shall ye do: And therefore we may do according to our own skill, seeing we have no express word to the contrary. After that manner might a man reply. But now that God hath witnessed his will unto us, we §20must stoop to it, and it is not lawful for us to add any thing thereto, For that were as much to say, as we would fall to scanning whether God or we were the wiser. And what a presumption were it, if we would needs have better things than those which he enjoineth us? Yet notwithstanding, if men cannot find in their hearts to yield to the things that GOD commandeth, they enter into this devilish presumptuousness of purposing to be wiser than God hath §30given them leave to be. Wherefore let us learn, that when we have once assurance what God alloweth, we must rest wholly upon it. And herewithall we must mark, that God did not without cause give the people of old time so many rules to show them how to do sacrifice. When we read the things that are contained in Leviticus, to our seeming there be many needless things. For God might well have said in few words, I will have a Temple, and there will I §40have you to sacrifice unto me. But there are such a sort of commandments as may make a man amazed and out of his wits. And what is the cause thereof? True it is that all things were made and done according to the pattern that Moses had seen in the Mount,1 as God himself declareth. And thereby we be done to understand that the figures, (although that at this day we know not perfectly in all points to what use they served) had a spiritual truth, which may §50be referred to the things which we have nowadays by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:2 for he is the very body and substance of all the shadows that were under the Law.