The sermons of M. John Calvin, upon the Epistle of S. Paul too the…The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin, vpon the Epistle of S. Paule too the…

The .xliiii. Sermon, which is the second upon the sixth Chapter.

The .xliiii. Sermon, which is the second vppon the sixth Chapter.

5. Servants, be obedient too such as are your masters as touching the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your hearts, as unto Christ, 6. Not with eye service, as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the vvill of God from the hart, 7. Serving the Lord with good will, and not men: 8. Assuring your selves, that every man, be he bond or free, shall receive of the Lord the good that he shall have done. 9. And you masters, do the like unto them, forbearing threats, assuring your selves that the Lord both of them and of you is i• heaven, & that in him there is no respecting of the outward appearance of persons.

5. Seruauntes, bee obedient too such as are your maysters as touching the fleshe, vvith feare and trembling, in singlenesse of your hartes, as vntoo Christ, 6. Not vvith eye seruice, as men pleazers, but as the seruantes of Christ, dooing the vvill of God from the hart, 7. Seruing the Lord with good will, and not men: 8. Assuring your selues, that euery man, bee he bond or free, shall receyue of the Lord the good that he shall haue doone. 9. And you maysters, do the like vnto them, forbearing threates, assuring your selues that the Lord both of them and of you is i• heauen, & that in him there is no respecting of the outward appearance of persons.

We have seen already, that besides the general rule which God hath given too all men, here are also several warnings, how every man should behave himself in his degree and calling. And we have seen already what the husbands ought too be towards their wives, and how the wives should behave themselves towards their husbands: what gentleness parents ought too use towards their children, and what subjection children ought too use towards their parents. Now Saint Paul speaketh of Masters and Servants, howbeit, not of such servants as we have now adays, for at that time there were no servants that served a year or two for wages, but they were held in bondage for life and death, and were in the same taking that they be whom now adays we call bondslaves. But we need not too stand any longer as now too have further knowledge of them. Yet notwithstanding we have great cause too praise God for taking away of such bondage from among men. For no doubt but it was too excessive an authority which masters had in those days over their servants. They held them as brute beasts, and they had liberty too kill them