A17698:4159
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.
Seeing then that the case standeth so with men when they cut themselves off, yea & banish themselves out of Gods kingdom after he hath gathered them to him, and showed himself willing to take them to be of his household: worthily be they to be condemned for folk void of wit and reason, and their unthankfulness §40is too too detestable.
Seeing then that the case standeth so with men when they cut themselues off, yea & banish themselues out of Gods kingdome after he hath gathered them to him, and shewed himself willing to take them to be of his housholde: worthily bee they to be condemned for folk voide of wit and reason, and their vnthankfulnes §40is too too detestable.
And that is the cause why Moses speaketh so roughly, saying: They have marred themselves towards him: yea but they were such as be no more his children. It is certain that God had chosen Abraham's linage, with condition to be father to them all. And therefore he sayeth by his Prophet Ezekiel,1 that the children which came of them, were begotten unto him. True it is that all men in general are called Gods §50children: but yet that title belongeth alonely by privilege to those that be of his church. Let us mark well then, that in respect of adoption, the children of Israel ought to have been held and avowed for the children of God. But it is said here, that they were not so: for they were grown out of kind, accordingly also as God complaineth by his Prophet that their fathers dealt unfaithfully with him, for they had begotten strange children, that is to say, they had so corrupted §60themselves, that there was no more soundness in them, neither belonged they at all to the house of Abraham, but had so wrapped themselves in the wickedness of their forefathers, that God saw not any thing in them belonging unto him. Now then we see, to what purpose Moses said that they had marred themselves, meaning those that are not Gods children, whom he blameth for their depriving and disappointing of themselves through their own malice, of the inestimable benefit and honour which God had bestowed upon them. For what a thing is it that we may be so bold as to call upon God, as our Father, and resort unto him familiarly, and to be received as his children? And even so was it with the linage of Abraham: but they continued not in the possession thereof. Who was to be blamed for that? It was because they yielded not to God the honour due to their father, as he himself complaineth by his Prophet Malachi,