A17698:884
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.
Moses hath given us understanding thereof, as is showed sufficiently in the Book of Exodus,1 For God having set forth his Law in the twentieth of Exodus, which he uttered unto Moses, telleth him to what end it tended, saying that he had ordained the Sabaoth day, to be as a warrant of the sanctifying of the people of Israel unto him. It is (sayeth he) a badge of my holiness which I have ordained among you. Now when as the scripture speaketh to us of being made holy unto GOD: it is to separate us from all things that are contrary to his service. But where is such pureness to be found? We be in the world, and we know that in the world there is nothing but utter frowardness and naughtiness as sayeth Saint John in his Canonical Epistle.2 But men need not to go out of themselves to have battle against God and his righteousness: for all our senses and all our affections (sayeth Saint Paul in the eight to the Romans) are enemies unto God.3 When men give heed to their own thoughts, desires, likings, and lusts: they make open war against God. We know how it is told us in the sixth of Genesis, that all that ever man can imagine is always evil,4 and that all that ever man deviseth in himself and hath of his own store, is utterly untoward and corrupt afore God. So then, we see well that we cannot be sanctified to our God, that is to say, we cannot serve him undefyledly, except we be separated from the defilings that are contrary to him, and that the things which are of our own nature be abolished. Now it was requisite that all these things should be figured to the ancient fathers, because Jesus Christ was not yet fully revealed unto them. But we in these days have the full accomplishment and performance of all things in Jesus Christ. And for proof thereof,5 Saint Paul sayeth that the old man is crucified with him. Whereas Saint Paul speaks after that sort of the old man, he meaneth the things that we have from Adam, all which must be ripened and done away. Not as touching the substance of our body or of our soul, but as touching the naughtiness that is in us. The blindness that maketh us to go astray, and the wicked lusts & likings which are utterly disobedient to Gods righteousness, must be beaten down, because they be drawn from Adam. And how is that done? Not by our own power or policy: