A17698:1960
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.
But there hath bin yet a far more outrageous disorder in the Lords Supper. For therein our Lord Jesus Christ meant to show us, that his will is that we should settle our whole trust in him,1 because we be fed with his substance, & therefore we must not seek life any where else than in him: we must not eat there & drink somewhere else; for we have there full suffisance for the sustenance of our souls▪ we have yt full perfection of all goodness in him. That is the thing which he showeth us by his holy supper, & his will is that we should receive y• bread & wine in witness thereof, and that it should be distributed among us, to the end we should be knit together in him,2 to become members of his body. But on the contrary part, they have set up the abominable Mass, & will needs sacrifice Jesus christ. And whereof comes that? Even of that they understand not that they usurp the office which is allotted to him in the holy scripture, according whereunto he hath offered up himself once for all, & behold, men will needs take upon them to counterfeit him, for by their own saying, it is all one sacrifice. Yet for all that, they be but Apes to Jesus Christ. For it becometh them not to take upon them the office that is not allotted unto them. Again they will needs make a mingle-mangle of all things: for they not only disguise & falsify all things that were ordained by our Lord Jesus Christ,3 but by all likelihood are fully bent to fight furiously against his institution. Jesus Christ ordained that the bread & wine should be divided among the faithful. But it is enough with them that one do take it all, & eat it up alone. Yea & when the people come of purpose to communicate with them, (which is but once a year) they be fain to content themselves with the one part of it, & the other part is reserved. Besides this, there is no opening of Gods word, their saying is that they go to receive their God, & they make a charm & sorcery of their consecrating of the bread & wine. Thus ye see how proudly they be turned away from Christs ordinance, so as they could not devise how to fight against him with more violence. Now sith we see these things, we ought to acknowledge Gods grace in drawing us out of such confusion. And therewithal let us mark, that Gods standing so much upon that point that his people should not do what they liked themselves, is not without cause. For why? we see what men are when they once go astray.