A17698:1977
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 afterward here is leave given by God to his people, to eat flesh throughout all the §10land of Canaan, so it be not of any Sacrifices, tithes, burnt offerings, Heave offerings, or first fruits. It shall be lawful then for you to eat of all common flesh every where; but as for that which shall have bin sacrificed unto me, let it not be eaten of in any other place, than in the same which I shall have chosen to set my Sanctuary in. Howbeit, he addeth one word more here, saying: according to the blessing which thy God shall §20give thee. Here we see first of all, that it were not lawful for us to eat one bit of bread, unless we were sure in our minds that God giveth it us and that we have leave of him to eat it. And that is the cause why Saint Paul requireth faith where he speaketh of eating and drinking;1 saying that whatsoever is not of faith, is sin. And whereof treateth he there? Even of the eating of flesh or of herbs, of bread or of fish, and of all manner of food: and he saith that it must be done with faith. As how? Some §30will say that faith is too precious a thing to be mingled with corruptible meats. Yea, but we must be sure in all our life, that we attempt not any thing which may displease God, or that is not lawful for us to do by his leave or warrant given unto us. Therefore in the foresaid text, by the word Faith, Saint Paul meaneth the record that we have in our eating and drinking, that God showeth himself a father to us, by giving us food to nourish our bodies withal:§40 and that our using of the benefits which the earth yieldeth, is not by stealth as though we would rob him of them; but as it were by receiving them at his hand. When a father giveth his children every one his pittance, saying, hold here, & eat it: it is no more than God doth daily unto us, when we be certified by his word, that he hath given power to the earth to bring forth corn & wine for our use, & delivered us the beasts & all other things to eat of. We must assure our §50selves that the growing & increasing of victuals in the world cometh not by haphazard, but of Gods ordinance, who hath appointed them to feed us through his goodness. I told you this doctrine is very needful. For what a thing were it, if we could not eat a morsel of bread without offending God? And yet S. Paul avoweth it to be so. And why?