A17698:971
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.
Now have we the effect of this commandment, Of not killing. What remaineth then, but that we pray God so to guide us, as we may frame our selves to his will? For it is to no purpose to allege that his speech is dark: Or to allege that there be so many commandments, as we cannot bear them in remembrance: (for God speaketh in a word or twain, and useth briefness to take away all excuse.) Or to allege that we wot not whereat to begin: for he showeth us it: namely that in stead of taking leave to do evil as we have bin wont to do, bearing our selves in hand that the thing which we do is no great nor no deadly crime: we must contrariwise think always thus, if I do my neighbour ⟨p. 223⟩the least harm that is possible to be named, I am a murderer before God. When we be willing to do evil, see how the devil blindeth us, to be desirous at the first dash to kill one and to cut his throat. This (as I said) is an ugly thing. For even nature restraineth us, that we can not be so mad as to say, I will kill. But if a man displease us, and we be no more but angry with him: all is well, it passeth away as a smoke, and to our own seeming, it is nothing. Again, have §10we once conceived any grudge, we think it is to be pardoned if we requite like for like, so we do it not with overgreat violence. Moreover if a man do but bend his fist to strike or to beat: •ush, it is still but a blow, it is no deadly offence. Lo how men dispense with themselves. And why? Because all their imagining is how to lessen their faults. But we must keep a contrary way to this, as GOD telleth us: namely that when we go about to strike and §20to beat, or when we go about to do wrong, or when we go about to conceive any hatred or heartburning: we must set murder before our faces, and think thus with our selves: Wretched creature, whither goest thou? whither throwest thou thy self? Wilt thou make thy self guilty of murder before God? So then let us no more allege that we wot not whereat to begin: for God showeth it us, and we cannot be ignorant of any thing but through our own wilfulness: & §30therefore in the end it must needs be known, that we listed not to lift up our eyes, to see the things which we ought to have seen most manifestly. Those are the things which we have to gather upon this place.