A17698:4131
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 see yet better by that which followeth, that the malice and rebellion of the people was ⟨p. 1101⟩the cause why Moses used such severity. For it is said that he was very mild and gentle:1 and yet how speaketh he? What manner of speech doeth he use? I have known you of long time to be very hardhearted and stubborn, and at this day, I perceive not that you be any whit amended; nay ye be rather waxen worse and worse: ye be become wild beasts, evermore rebelling against GOD, and how much more then will ye do so after my death? As if he should §10say, I know you to be such as will never be good. And now must I have recourse to heaven and earth: for I find no sufficient witness among you: I must call the senseless creatures, to show that the heavens and the earth, albeit they have neither reason nor understanding, shall appear before GOD to cry for vengeance against you. In speaking after this manner, Moses might seem to be the sharpest, the roughest, and the cholorickest man that ever was: and that was against his §20nature. But what? Hereby we do so much the better perceive, that the people were in manner unreformable and past hope of recovery, and that there was none other way to deal with them but after such a fashion. And indeed, if we compare Moses with God, what is all the mildness that may be in a mortal man in respect of the fountain of all goodness? For albeit that Moses was of a meek spirit, so as there was nothing in him but meekness, and that he was as §30mild as the scripture speaketh: yet notwithstanding, all the goodness which he could have was but a little drop of that which GOD had shed out upon him by his holy spirit. In GOD we find all perfection of goodness: yet do we see how sharp and rough he is against men. And whence cometh that, but of our grieving of him? Insomuch that he is fain (as ye would say,) to transform himself, because we cannot find in our hearts to suffer him to §40behave himself towards us, as he would in following his goodness, which is infinite and unmeasurable in him. So then, we see that the frowardness of the people of Israel was horrible, seeing that GOD and his servant Moses, (who bare the mark of the goodness and meekness of his holy spirit) were driven to behave themselves so roughly.