A17698:386
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.
We have seen heretofore how God being determined to harden Sehon, letted not for all that to cause him to be summoned, to the end he should have let the children of Israel pass without doing them harm, and without showing himself to be their enemy. And therewithal it hath been showed, that GOD will send message of peace unto men: & yet notwithstanding knoweth §10that the same shall stand them in no stead, but to make them unexcusable. After the same manner, the Gospel is preached to a great number, who notwithstanding do but become the worse for it, and God knoweth right well that no profit shall come thereof, but that they shall be rebellious still. Why then doeth he call them to him? To bereave them of all excuse, and to lay open their malice and ungodliness. For so long as men abide undiscovered, GOD §20seemeth after a sort to do them wrong. But when he sendeth them his word, then bewray they themselves what they be, and their unbelief is manifestly proved. And so let us understand that our Lord knoweth well what the end of the preaching of his word shall be: y• is to wit,1 that it shall become the savour of death to a great sort: but yet will he not cease to appoint his word to be preached still: and that doeth he for good and just cause, namely to the end §30that men should be the more condemned. But yet for all this, it is the preachers duty to offer peace unto all men, according also as our Lord Jesus Christ saith to his Disciples,2 wheresoever ye come, offer peace: and if they that hear you be unworthy thereof, your peace shall return to you again. As if he should say, There shall be no loss at all, you shall try what is in men, and the friendly greeting which you shall bear unto them, shall be as a touchstone, to the end they may not be able to say, that God hath not visited them nor had no care of them: and so shall they be proved to have rejected his grace.
WEe haue seene heretofore howe God being determined to hardē Sehon, letted not for all that to cause him to be summoned, to the end he shold haue let the children of Israel passe without dooing them harme, and without shewing himselfe to be their enemie. And therewithall it hath bene shewed, that GOD will sende message of peace vnto men: & yet notwithstanding knoweth