A17698:1992
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.
Hereunto Moses addeth, that the people should refrain from eating the blood of beasts. Whereby he doeth us to understand, that we must so use Gods creatures, as we abhor all cruelty. For at the first sight it seemeth an unnatural thing to kill the beasts to whom GOD hath given life, by knocking of them down and by cutting of there throats. It seemeth to be a changing of Gods ordinance, and an utter perverting of all things, when men take leave to do such things. Yet notwithstanding our Lord saith that men may lawfully eat the flesh of beasts,1 and that he hath created them for mans use. Nevertheless to the intent to inure his people to meekness, he willeth them to abstain from blood. But that served but for the time of the Law and the ceremonies. For as we have seen already, our Lord governed the people of old time as little babes. And we know that men teach young children all things that are good: but forasmuch as they have not yet the capacity to use things as they that are come to mans estate: men hold them in awe, and suffer them not to have things at will which are lawful of themselves. As how? Men beat a child for handling a knife, because he cannot tell yet how to use it. So then GOD used a childish kind of instruction and as it were rudiments, or even as we say, the A, B, C, to enter that people withal which was yet rude and weak; but yet we know what the end and intent of the Law was, in commanding men to abstain from the blood of beasts. For Gods will was that men should abhor all cruelty. And the same exposition hereof is set down by Moses himself in the ninth Chapter of Genesis.2 For after the flood God declareth that men may well eat the flesh of beasts, so they forbear to eat of their blood. And why is that? Because it is to be considered, that the soul or life of every living thing is after a sort represented by the blood. And I forbid you all manslaughter (saith GOD:3) bear well in mind that men are created after mine own image: and therefore ye must not work any outrage one to an other. For whosoever sheddeth mans blood, shall have his blood shed by man. We see (I say) that the respect which our Lord had, was not of the brute beasts: but rather that his meaning was to hold us together in brotherly love.