A17698:4379
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.
And he sweareth by himself, accordingly as the Apostle toucheth it in the sixth to the Hebrews. When we swear, we call God to witness as our Judge if we lie.1 But it is not so with God; he cannot find a greater than himself to swear by. He saith therefore, I am alive, as if he should say, Nay, whosoever he be that holdeth not himself §30to the sentence which I do now pronounce, he derogateth my glory as much as if he meant to abolish me quite and clean, and to declare that I am no more God. But if I be God, it must needs be perceived in the execution of the things which I do now speak. I am contented that men shall henceforth take me but for an idol or a dead thing, if they find not my sayings true in deed. When God speaks after that fashion, ought it not to make the hair to stand §40up upon o•r heads, if we esteem not his word to be very certain? Yes. And so we see my former saying yet better confirmed, namely that it is not for us to reply any more when God hath once spoken, but we must take the matter to be out of all cry, as though we saw the thing already done before our eyes. But let us see now whereat God aimed: for it is certain that he sweareth not but for our welfare. It is not for his own sake, he taketh neither §50good nor harm by it, but he hath regard of us. And in token thereof he saith, That he will whet the edge of his sword, that it shall be as a flaming sword, and that he will take Judgement in his hand, that is to say, that he will hold his assizes to show himself to be the Judge of the world, and that as then all his enemies must be confounded, and all adversaries be brought to nought. And whereas God speaketh here of the edge of the sword, we must §60not imagine that he useth any material sword, for that cannot agree to him: but we know he hath all sorts of punishments to chastise men withal as seemeth good to himself. For in very deed, all the swords in the world do serve to execute Gods ordinance. When war is to be had, well may princes assemble great armies: but it is God that must bear the stroke. Then if there be fifty thousand men in arms on the one side, and forty thousand on the other: we must not think that God is that while asleep in heaven: for all they are of his waging. And although the two armies be set one against an other: