A17698:3518
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.
whosoever inventeth any manner of Idolatry, whosoever deviseth any manner of superstition, he maketh Idols. And that is not to serve the living God, but rather to follow §30their own fancies and imaginations: and therefore they are all accursed. Ye see then how we ought to expound this place. And Moses meant to set down unto us in this place such a particular, as wherein we might most evidently see an intolerable corrupting of the worship of God. For when God is so misshapen in any painting, or in any puppet, or in any other piece of wood or stone, that men will there represent his Image & say, It is a resemblance of him: it is too gross §40and outrageous dealing. Indeed men think not so; as we see in popery, how they say, Lo yonder is God, and a remembrance of him. And are they not so brutish that they think there is no divine majesty in heaven, unless it be represented there in the shape of an Idol? But they which have any taste what GOD is, and have heard any syllable of his word, where it is said that God is an immortal and infinite spirit,1 the fountain of life: do know that he hath too great injury §50done unto him, to be represented by a dead thing and by a corruptible creature, and to have his name given unto a puppet as if he were but a creature, & less than we. They therefore which have, but a small taste of this doctrine, do abhor the setting up of an idol, and the imagination of serving God by going thereto, & that any should pray to a dead thing, or look for health from it, which can do nothing, neither good nor bad. Therefore if this were well marked, we should §60find that Moses meant in this place to make Idolatry more detestable, according to that rule which we have heretofore expounded. Yet notwithstanding we have two things to note in this place: the one is, that God can not suffer his infinite majesty to be represented under stone, wood, painting or in any other creature in the world. What must we do then when the case concerneth the worship of GOD? We must lift up our minds above the world, and know that we may not stick fast here below, nor make any Idol or puppet unto him: for he can not abide it. That is one point to be noted.