A17698:2276
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.
After this, Moses addeth a law that served but for the common weal of the Jews, the substance whereof continueth nevertheless unto us at this day. If thy brother an Hebrew (saith he) or thy sister an Hebrewess §50be sold unto thee, let him serve thee the space of six years: At the end of that term thou shalt release him. And at thy releasing of him, thou shalt not send him away empty, but thou shalt give him some Corn or some Cattle according to thy ability, that he may feel of the blessing which the Lord thy God hath given thee, and that the same may be as a hire unto him. Now we must mark, that in those days there were no such servants as are nowadays which take certain wages by the year: but they were in bondage after §60the manner of those whom we call bondslaves in Barbary & in other countries in these days. So then they were all slaves at that time, & among the heathen that bondage was endless: insomuch that if a man had lived a hundred lives, yet should he never have bin released, unless his master had pitied him. Moreover, the man that had such slaves might marry them, & forasmuch as the wretched souls were not free themselves, their children also were in bondage like the beasts that we have. If a man have Horses, Kine, Cattle, or Sheep, he reapeth the fruit of them: & so did they with their bond servants at that time. And surely the state of bondage as it was then through the whole world, was very hard. For it was Lawful even among Christians. It is not commanded to be abolished: We see that whereas S. Paul speaketh of masters that had such bondservants & were faithful, he biddeth them not to set them quite at liberty,1 but to deal gently by all kind of means. Know ye (saith he) that you have one common Master in heaven, & that your servants be Gods children as well as you: and therefore deal gently with them, & hold them not in such thraldom as the unbelievers do. S. Paul, that is to say the holy Ghost speaking by his mouth, thinketh it to be enough. Howbeit forasmuch as the Jews were privileged, & God had chosen them for his own inheritance: it behoved some moderation or mitigation to be among them, so as they should not use so extreme rigour as was among the Heathen.
After this, Moses addeth a law yt serued but for ye common weale of ye Iewes, ye substance whereof continueth neuerthelesse vnto vs at this day. If thy brother an Hebrewe (sayth he) or thy sister an Hebrewesse