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…

Now here might a question be demanded, why S. Paul setteth the heathen men on even ground with the Jews, seeing that God had set such odds betwixt them. For it might seem that all the promises were disannulled: and that were a doing of wrong unto God, rather than unto men. If we grant (as of necessity and reason we needs must) that Gods choosing of Abraham's offspring, was not in vain, and that his telling of them, that he accepted them too be of his household & Church, was not too deceive them: they must needs be nearer & more familiar unto God, and they must needs have some mark whereby too be gathered unto him. It seemeth then that S. Paul should not have abased the Jews after that sort. But in another place he showeth, that all this gear agrees full well, if we consider the Jews (on the one side) in the state of (Gods) chosen and peculiar people: and (on the other side) what they be (of themselves) and what they have deserved before God. For in the Epistle too the Romans,¹ after that S. Paul hath given sentence upon the whole world, showing that there is not any one which is not damned and forlorn: he moveth this question: Seeing then that God gathered Abraham's linage, and dedicated it wholly too himself, what shall become of them? Shall there be no holiness in them? For it seemeth else that God had but dallied, and that his saying in the holy scriptures, that he had not dealt so with any other nation, was nothing worth. But S. Paul sayeth,² that of a truth men ought too commend the grace that God vouchsafed too show forth upon his people: and so consequently that they are too be preferred before all the whole world, so far forth as they be endued with the benefits which they had by Gods promises. Howbeit he addeth forthwith, that inasmuch as they be descended of Adams race, and are sinners, as well as all other men, and there is nothing in our whole nature, but corruption and frowardness: all men must be fain too stoop, and all of us must needs acknowledge, that one of us cannot be shoaled out from another, according as we have seen heretofore in the second chapter too the Galatians,³ where S. Paul told S. Peter thus: Yea, we be Jews by nature, and it seemeth that we ought too go alone by our selves, seeing that God is our King, and hath sanctified us, and vouchsafeth too dwell among us.