A17698:2293
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.
But now Moses addeth an exception to the law, whereby he had commanded to set servants at liberty after six years service; and he sayeth that if any servant be so well contented with his state,§50 that when his master is ready to send him away & to give him reward, he will say unto his master; Nay sir, I had lever to tarry still in thy house because I find myself well at ease: then shall his master take an Awl, & bore through his servants ear in token that he is his for ever. Yet was not this done without consideration of the case, as is written in the xxi. of Exodus. For there it is said expressly that the master shall call to the Judges,1 that the matter may be inquired of by them. For otherwise,§60 every master might have made the world believe, that his servant was desirous to be his for ever. Therefore it behoved the thing to be proved; and then was his ear bored through at the door, to the end that the matter might be done openly to the sight of all men. For in such cases there might have been much collusion, yea, and also compulsion, and a man might have been so urged by constraint of much beating, that he would have consented to have been in perpetual bondage. But when the thing was done in open sight, so as the Judges were called to the matter: then was there no deceit, neither could they be beguiled which did so yield themselves into bondage.
But nowe Moses addeth an exception to the law, wherby he had commanded to set seruants at libertie after sixe yeres seruice; and he sayeth that if any seruant be so well contented with his state,§50 that when his master is readie to sende him away & to giue him reward, he will say vnto his master; Nay sir, I had leuer to tary still in thy house because I finde myselfe well at ease: then shall his master take an Aule, & boare through his seruants eare in token that hee is his for euer. Yet was not this done without consideration of the case, as is written in the xxi. of Exodus. For there it is sayde expressely that the master shall call to the Iudges,1 that the matter may bee inquired of by them. For otherwise,§60