A17698:3486
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 let us come now unto that which is said. The Jews are commanded, To gather great stones, & to whitelime them over, & so to engrave the law of god upon them, that the letters might be easily read, & secondly they are commanded To build an altar on the hill of Hebal, & there to sacrifice unto God. As touching §40the altar we have already said, that it was a special witness of the peoples doing homage unto god for that land which they knew they held of him. For in deed the law was there engraved, to the intent that the remembrance thereof should be renewed, & that the doctrine thereof should be laid open and made common unto all men; & that at their first entrance into that land they might have a mark to put them in mind, to say: This is a land dedicated unto God. And like as princes set up their §50arms & their ensigns in the ends & borders of their seignories & kingdoms: even so the arms of God were set up in that place, that men might see not a puppet or some such other thing: but the law of God written, to the intent that men might say, Behold it is the living God that hath dedicated this people unto himself, & chosen them for his service, that he might be honoured & called upon of them. Thus ye see in effect what we have to bear in mind. But before we pass any farther, let us §60consider why it is said that they shall not make or build the altar of carved or polished stones, and that they must not lift up an hammer or any other tool upon it, but that the stones must be taken as they come to hand, without any •itting of them, by reason whereof it should be but as a rude heap. This place hath without cause much troubled many men, neither could they in the end find out the meaning of it without some allegory, saying, that when God commanded to have the altar made of rough & unhewn stones, it was to show that he taketh no pleasure in any inventions of men, & that he will have no curious workmanship in his altar, to the intent we should be warned, that to serve him aright we must make no mingling with our own devises, as in deed we see it is not lawful for men to forge at their own pleasure any service of God, for he liketh of obedience above all things: & so this sense of theirs is in it self true, but it is nothing to the meaning of the place. Moses hath an eye unto another thing, to wit, that there should be but one altar to sacrifice unto God.