A17698:982
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.
And when we have thus considered how God curseth and abhorreth all adulteries: we must proceed further, and reach out and apply the same to all manner of whoredom. True it is that he which breaketh the faith of wedlock committeth a double offence, and it is much more heinous as I have said already. But yet must we always come back to this point, that Gods meaning is that men shall not only not commit any thing against marriage, but also that they shall not lead a beastly life, so as whoredom may have full scope, and unmarried folk run loose to give over themselves to lewdness with every one whom they meet with, like bru•e beasts: but that we should be pure and clean both in body and mind. For it is said, that not only our souls,1 but also our bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost, as was declared even now.2 And they be Saint Pauls own words, where he telleth the Corinthians that it was too too much to their reproach and shame, to suffer fornication and whoredom among them as they did. Know ye not (saith he) that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost: Behold, God hath done us the honour to choose these wretched bodies of ours which not only are frail vessels but also rotten carcasses and earth. GOD (I say) notwithstanding this, hath so inhonored them, as to vouchsafe to make them the temples of his holy spirit, that he may dwell there: & shall we go welter them ⟨p. 226⟩in all filthiness, and make hoggescotes or swines sties of them? What a treachery is that? Again, that is not all.3 Let us have an eye whereunto S. Paul leadeth us. Our bodies are members of Jesus Christ: therefore if a man give over his body to whoredom, it is all one as if he tore Christs body asunder. For it is certain that we cannot mingle Gods son the fountain of all cleanness, with our filth and loathsomeness. Now then if a man cast himself into whoredom: it is as §10much as a rending of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ in pieces, as much as in us lieth. Not that we can do it in deed: for the son of God is not subject to us to be so dishonoured at our hands: but yet are we guilty of such traitorousness, forasmuch as we would have committed such injury against him. Now then let us learn that God will have every of us not only to keep our faith and troth in marriage for his own part: