A17698:2095
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 may gather a good exhortation; which is, that when we see Gods honour impaired any manner of way, it must grieve us at the heart, according to the generally saying of the Psalm,1 concerning all reproaches. I say we must not bear with any thing whatsoever it be, whereby Gods honour may be impeached or defaced. But what? Little (in deed) is this doctrine embraced nowadays. For blasphemy hath his full scope every where; and if a body §10be to be reproved for so doing; though a dozen persons be at the hearing of the blasphemy; yet shall not a man find so much as one witness. In this case God ordaineth all both small and great to be his advocates, and he will have every man to do him service in it. For it needs not to be said to a man, Have a care to bewray blasphemy when ye hear it: No for he is known to have been present; and yet if he be asked of it, he doeth but wring §20his groyne like a swine, and say, I heard him not. Such folk are well worthy, not only that God should pluck their ears from their head, but also utterly overwhelm them. They be monsters that can hear the name of their maker blasphemed, and yet cover such filthiness and suffer it to abide unpunished. Is it not reason that God should show how it is he to whom they be to yield account for it? And though he wink at it, yet let not us think that they which §30forswear themselves so untrustily, shall scape scot-free, but that in the end GOD will show how it is not without cause that he hath pronounced, that to favour evil is worse than to do evil. For it may be that he that doeth the evil is carried to it by choler or by some other affection: but as for him that cloaketh it, he is not only a partaker of it, but also a wilful justifier of it as it were in despite of GOD: and that is an utter perverting of the order of nature.§40 And therefore let us learn by that which is told us here, that every of us must bear such zeal to the maintenance of Gods honour, as not to spare any kin or friend, if they steppe up to set themselves against him to whom we belong, and to whom we owe all service, going about to overthrow his seat, and to disappoint him that he may no more reign among us.