A17698:4040
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.
That is the thing which Moses meant to teach us in speaking here of Sehon and Og. Now he addeth farther, that the Israelites should do unto all the nations whom God would deliver into their hands, according as it is commanded them here. It should seem at the first sight, that the people ought much rather to have used mercy, than so to have rooted them out utterly.1 But (as we have seen heretofore) God had said unto them: You shall spare none, neither little nor great; all the race of them must be rooted out: for I will not have any of them remain unto you. Now it seemeth to be a kind of cruelty, that notwithstanding that they yielded them selves, and craved mercy, yet they should nevertheless be all killed. Yea, but yet for all that, seeing God had spoken it, the people were of duty to execute it, & not to be wise to the contrary, nor to gloss upon the word of God, or to reply unto it at all. We see then that when men will needs swim betwixt two streams, and make a medley between the word of God & their own fancies; they mar all. There is nothing better than to follow that which God showeth & commandeth us. For if we take upon us to be too forecasting, he will laugh our presumption to scorn▪ & in the end we shall be accursed. Let us mark then, that seeing it was Gods will that all those people (to wit, the Canaanites, Pherezites, & their like) should be rooted out: it was the duty of the Israelites to do that which was given them in charge: for there was none but GOD him self that could be Judge thereof. Yet notwithstanding, it is certain that God dealt not excessively in punishing those people: for he had long time patiently waited for their amendment; ever since the time of Abraham had they bin unreformable; they had bin spared four hundred years. But were they thereby any whit amended? Nay, they were become worse than ever they were: was it not reason then,2 that after god had so long borne with them, he should lay his hand upon them at the last? [Yes verily;] & therefore let no body murmur in this behalf against god, as though his vengeance were too rough. And in very deed it is a wondrous thing ⟨p. 1075⟩that men cannot content themselves with the justice of God how moderately soever he use it When we perceive any over great iniquity (specially if it touch our selves, & that we receive damage & hurt thereby) we cry unto God: