A17698:3923
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.
Moreover Moses showeth that God will no more spare a whole country, than one man: least they should shroud themselves under the multitudes of people that give themselves to wickedness,§20 and think thereby to scape the better cheap before God. It is expressly said that if any man sin he shall be punished:1 and if a whole land be faulty, God will wrap them all likewise into one fardel. Therefore let us not blear our eyes wilfully as we see the Papists do, who vaunt themselves this day, because the number of such as are inclined to their superstitions is not small. They boast them of their great multitude, making it their buckler against §30both God and men. And thereupon they do despise us, and it seemeth to them, that they may of good right condemn the pure and true religion. But contrariwise God telleth us, that when a whole land hath forsaken the right way, that rebellion of theirs shall not go unpunished, albeit that the multitude of them which be faulty, be never so great. Finally we must beware that we follow not one an other to do evil: for if a blind body do lead the way, he §40shall fall into the ditch, and likewise they that follow him: he shall not exempt them by his fall. We must therefore understand, that when God calleth us, we must stick unto his voice, and obey it: and if all the world fall away, and every man go astray, yet must not we ground our selves upon the examples that we see, as if we would say, It is lawful for me, for many have this custom. We may not make that a law, but we must stand steadfast in the obedience of our §50God. This is the thing which we have to remember concerning this place, where Moses speaketh not of every man particularly, but of the whole land, using the comparison of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Adama and Zeboim: according to the common manner of the holy scripture, where the Prophets do put men in mind of the dreadful punishment which God sent upon those cities. And indeed S. Jude saith in his Epistle, that it is as it were a mirror of the fire that §60is prepared for the wicked,2