A17698:762
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.
Nay rather it is worthy of praise that a stout fellow being inured to the wars, should go through with his duty. For if he offer no man any wrong, but behave himself valiantly when he cometh to the encounter, doeth that deserve blame? No: but as I said afore, Gods meaning is to show us, that we ought to tender our neighbours lives in such sort, as not to wish their death, nor to further the same, unless we intend to violate his image. That is the thing in effect, which is here set out unto us. Now then if God do so abhor the manslaughters that are committed when men assail us, so as we seem to have just cause to defend our selves: I pray you what is to be said to it when men fall to quarrelling with their neighbours, & will needs shed blood of set purpose? What meaneth this? Suppose we that Gods curse is not doubled upon the ⟨p. 173⟩land, when such crimes are borne withal and maintained? It is said that if a murder be let pass, and the doer of it scapes unknown, Gods wrath is thereby provoked: and if the murderer be known, then is it a more heinous crime to let him scape unpunished. But if a thief lye in wait for a man that mistrusteth no such thing, and setteth upon him: is it not a plain spiting of God, if that be suffered? And if it be not any one man that is assaulted, but there are such over §10lusty mates as will say, let us kill and slay, & when they have their swords out, they care not against how many they draw, but make a common havoc, and such slaughter as all is on a gore blood: are not the folks that stir up such broils, worse than the thieves and robbers in the woods? Men will at leastwise mistrust thieves in a forest: but [who would think] that where there should be civill order, where Laws [ought to] reign, where there is a seat of Justice: there §20men would fill all things with blood, and violate so many images of God as come in their way, & that the same should be suffered? I pray you is it not a bewraying that we be loth that GOD should reign among us, or have us under his protection? Yes. Therefore let us mark well what is said here concerning wilful murders, how there is no pardon for them, but God will have them rooted out of the world and executed by Justice, which have violated his image.§30 And why?