A17698:47
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.
Furthermore, if we do not so, if we subdue not our selves to the hearing of our God, & suffer our selves to be taught by him all the time of our life: let us be afraid least he execute the vengeance upon us, which he threatened once to the people of Israel by his Prophet Isaiah, saying that his law should be to them as a book shut up and sealed,1 so as if it were offered to men of skill, they should say, the letters are not to be seen, there is a scale upon then, I cannot §10tell what is within it: And if it were offered to ignorant and unlearned men: they should answer, we be not book learned, we never went to school, we cannot read. Lo how God punisheth all such as walk on in their brutishness, and will never submit themselves unto him. True it is, that God beareth with us for a time, and that (as I said afore) although we be worthy to be cut of from his house, & to be bereft of his truth, so as he should give us up into Satan's hands,§20 to be blinded with lies and to be poisoned by him: yet notwithstanding, our God having pity upon us, assayeth still to win us to himself. But if we continue still in refusing the good doctrine, and become never the better for it at the years end, than we were at the first day: at length this threat must needs light upon us, namely that we shall take the holy scripture into our hands, and have it preached unto us, and yet we shall understand never a whit of it,§30 though we be never so witty: and that when as the unlearned shall say, I wot not what it meaneth, it shall also be as a letter folded up and fast sealed, even to them that are skilfullest and sharpest witted. Wherefore let us stand in fear of such threatenings: and least our light be turned into darkness, let us take hold of the opportunity which God offereth us nowadays, that we may fare the better by his continual speaking to us after that sort.
Furthermore, if we doe not so, if we subdue not our selues to the hearing of our God, & suffer our selues to be taught by him all the time of our life: let vs be afraide least he execute the vengeance vppon vs, which he threatned once to the people of Israell by his Prophet Esay, saying that his lawe should be to them as a booke shut vp and sealed,1