A17698:2672
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 let us come to that which Moses interlaceth here, insomuch as thou shalt observe all these things which I command thee, to love the Lord thy God, to keep all his commandments, and to walk in his fear. Here he maketh (as ye would say (a kind of conjuration, as if he should adjure the people after this manner; Look well to this commandment that ye despise it not, if ye love the Lord your God and seek to obey him. As if he should say. In deed §50a man would think at the first sight that this were nothing: but be you sure that your God will have you to observe such humanity diligently. And therein he trieth whether ye be loving and obedient unto him or no. To be short, Moses meant to show here, that this commandment is of great importance before God, to the intent that men should not despise it. And heerewithall we have to mark, that we cannot omit any of the things that God §60commandeth, without doing wrong to the Lawmaker: for it is an embasing of his authority. And for that cause is it said that he which despiseth any of the least things that are contained in the Law,1 and imbreweth men with the like contempt, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; that is to say, shall be utterly shaken off. Our Lord then will have us to reverence his Law, and to observe it without respect of this or that, so as we must not allege, This is a small matter, this a venial sin, there is no great conscience to be made of it. When GOD hath opened his holy mouth, and vouchsafed to ordain one thing or other; becometh it us to make small account of it? If a Lord Great master speak a thing, men say not; is the matter great or small? but thus they say, the king spake it. And if that that may suffice in mortal creatures; shall we reply to the contrary, and make it an occasion of evil doing and of rebelling against the living God, when he declareth his will unto us? Shall we say it is a thing of no great importance, and that it is not so grievous and heinous an offence? Indeed there are some commandments which our Lord urgeth more than othersome, but yet must we in all cases and all respects observe that which our Lord Jesus Christ sayeth: Those things ought to be done,2 and the other not to be left undone: