A17698:4065
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.
Now let us come to that which he addeth. He sayeth, That all Israel shall be gathered together, and that they shall read the law before men, women & little children. When he saith, Thou shalt assemble the people, he doth again make it manifest that men will never come at God unless they be thrust forward & pricked as oxen or asses: & that §20serveth to make us yet more ashamed of such recklessness. For little children need not to be exhorted to break their fast, they can very well ask their food; the great ones also are desirous enough to be fed, every man hath care enough for his belly: we need no solicitors to come unto us to say, And will ye not dine? But in the mean while, behold, our souls starve, if they want the food which God hath ordained for them: and yet who is he that careth for it? Who is he that §30cometh to seek that food? None. Therefore it is said, Thou shalt assemble the people. We see them what beastliness there is in us: albeit that we think our selves to be very able, & that every of us boasteth himself to be a reasonable creature, & that we have wit & discretion to govern our selves: magnify we our selves neversomuch after that manner, yet seek we nothing but to perish in our ignorance: and we be so far off from seeking God, that he is fain to give us many strokes §40with the spur to draw us unto him, because we be so ill disposed: yea & we see the example hereof in our selves, in so much that if there were not an hour appointed for it, how many should a man find that would have the regard to say, Let us hear the word of God, that we may have some teaching? Nay, even when the hour is come, & the bell hath bin tolled, even then still the most part make none account thereof. I speak not of them which have small leisure thereunto, & which have §50some excuse: but of such as have ease & all things at will, insomuch as they know not how to bestow the time, they are even weary of it & wot not what to do, nor (as they say) how to drive away the time; and yet rather than they will go to the church, they will sit down idly in their houses, or else in the streets rather than come to hear a sermon. It is certain that there be some venomous toads, which gnash their teeth against the word of God, & do flee from it as much as §60they may; but there be others which come thither, they wot not wherefore, saving that they look for no teaching.