Sermons of M. John Calvin upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the GalatiansSermons of M. Iohn Caluine vpon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Galathians

and if we intend to have it acceptable to God, and the end of it to be good and for our welfare, surely God must knit us together. And he hath given us his Son,¹ who is called our peace, too the end we should all of us fall in order under him. Then if we mind to have good and holy peace, let us aim us at this mark of yielding our selves under the obeisance of Gods son, that he may be our head and we his body, like as there is but one Church. But if any man go about too withdraw us from our Lord Jesus Christ: let us rather bear all the hatred, outrages, and madness of the world, than to seek such agreement. And let us not be afraid of all the reproach that can be done unto us according as nowadays we shall be falsely slandered as stirrers up of many strifes. yea verily, but what can we do with it? For it behoveth us to abide still in the truth of the Gospel, or else woe be unto us. If the Papists will not agree with us, but be utterly wilful in the stubbornness that is seen too be in ⟨p. 59⟩them: we must be contented to be at defiance with men, seeing they purpose too turn us from the peace which we should have with God by the means of his Son, who not without cause beareth that title as I told you before. Therefore when they cry out upon us, we must be fenced with this answer of Elijah which he made unto Ahab. Art not thou he (said Ahab) that troublest Israel?² For the Prophet was accused (as we be nowadays) because he laboured to bring the people back again too the pureness of the Law, and fought against the superstitions and Idolatries that had bin devised: [by reason whereof] the king thought verily that Elijah had been come to make trouble sedition, and uproars, according as the princes of this world could find in their harts always to welter in their own filth, & pass not of the serving & honouring of God, but all is one to them [what come of it] so they may be maintained in their state. But the Prophet answered him, saying: [It is not I,] but it is thou and thy fathers house. For they that will not agree unto God, nor hold themselves to his service in such wise as he hath appointed it in his word: they [say I] are the troublers of the world, and the parties that ought to be blamed for all the uproars, variances, and debates that happen.

and if we intend to haue it acceptable to God, and the end of it to be good and for our welfare, surely God must knit vs togither. And hee hath giuen vs his Sonne,