A17698:867
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.
Howbeit to make this matter the easier to be understood, many do bear themselves in hand that when they swear by their faith, it is not §40material. Indeed the most part of them swear by nothing at all: for they have no more faith than dogs: they have neither conscience nor Religion. But yet shall not the name of Faith fail therefore to be esteemed afore God: for he setteth much store by it, and counteth it as a holy thing, which cannot nor ought not to be so unhallowed, except we will needs make our selves guilty, and run in danger of the threat that is uttered here, as we see. Now then let us mark §50well that it is not enough for us to have forborne to swear expressly By God: but also that if a man swear by his faith, or use any confirmation wherein there is any mark of Gods majesty: his name is unhallowed in so doing. And what shall then become of such as not only use false oaths to countenance their matters withal, and swear at all adventure and as it were in scorn and mockery: but do also spite God with horrible blasphemies, so as they spare §60neither flesh, blood, nor death nor any thing else? Are such men to be held as only guilty of simple abusing of Gods name? No: but as guilty of the heinousest villainy that can be done. Behold our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory, abased himself for a time, as sayeth S. Paul. Now if there were no more but this,1 that he being the fountain of life, became a mortal man, and that he having dominion over the Angels of heaven, took upon him the shape of a servant, yea even to shed his blood for our redemption, and in the end to suffer the curse that was due unto us:2 were it convenient that notwithstanding all this, he should now adays in recompense thereof be torn in pieces, by the stinking mouths of such as name themselves Christians? For when they swear by his blood, by his death, by his wounds and by whatsoever else: is it not a crucifying of Gods Son again as much as in them lieth, and as a rending of him in pieces? And are not such folk worthy to be cut off from Gods Church, yea and even from the world, and to be no more numbered in the array of creatures? Should our Lord Jesus have such reward at our hands, for his abasing and humbling of himself after that manner?