A17698:2170
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.
For first & foremost when a beast died so alone of it self, it was unholy aforehand, & the very §60only touching of it was able to make a man unclean. And that was the cause why God did so forbid his people to eat thereof. Again, the blood of it was settled in it, & we have seen already how it was not lawful for the Jews to eat blood, & that was because that in the blood we have as it were a lively image of the soul & of the life: & Gods meaning was to teach his people to abstain from all cruelty. And hereof we have the reason expressed in Genesis,1 at such time as Noah and his offspring were forbidden to eat blood; where it is added that we must spare men, because a man is the image of God, & whosoever doeth any outrage unto him, shall not scape unpunished. Now then, Gods care was not for the beasts when he forbade the Jews the eating of their blood: but his intent was to teach them by that means to abstain from all cruelty, so as they should be loth to do any outrage, and specially any murder. But as for us in these days we be not in such bondage.2 For our Lord Jesus Christ hath freed us by his death and passion. Nevertheless, howsoever we fare, the groundwork abideth still; so as a man may forbid a little child to handle a knife, least he should hurt himself with it: and yet an elder body also is to be foresended from hurting of himself, whereas yet notwithstā ding, the handling of a knife were not evil for a child but in respect aforesaid.3 And therefore God who took the Jews as little children, forbade them strictly the things that are permitted us at this day. Howbeit, the final end is all one both to them & us: insomuch that we must consider, that if Gods will was to have the Jews kindhearted, & to know that the shedding of blood is a detestable thing: the same ought also to be regarded of us at this day, although the figure thereof be abolished. True it is (as we read in the xv. of the Acts) that the Apostles forbade the Gentiles to eat blood or any thing that is strangled:4 but that was not for any sin that was in so doing. It was to avoid occasion of offence, because (as it is there alleged) Moses was read openly, & the law was published abroad in all Cities, so as they heard it there forbidden. The Jews could not abide at the first, to see them eat blood, which named themselves Christians: for it was a loathsome thing to them.