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

Exhort they men to live chastely, without doing other men wrong, or without any covetous desire, so as every of us should content himself with that he hath, be patient in adversity, bear wrongs and reproaches, and in all things show ourselves to be the Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ by forsaking ourselves? There is not one word with them of these things. But the good works which they set afore us are, that we must go devoutly too Mass, take holy water before we enter into the Church, be cross ourselves, kneel down before a stock, worship a puppet, gad on pilgrimages, keep such a feastfull day, found a Trentall, deal doles for the dead, and do this and that. So then, all these hypocrites which will needs become righteous by their own works, have nothing but gewgaws and dotages: and yet for all that, they think themselves so holy and perfect, that nothing is amiss in them. They think that God ought to content himself with the great number of murlimewes and countenances which they make. But that is not the coin wherewith he must be payed: for his law is spiritual. He looketh not upon the outward gesture, nor upon the things that carry a fair gloss before men, insomuch that if men set their minds too much upon his own Ceremonies, he rejecteth it utterly: And that is a thing well worthy the marking. For ⟨image 104⟩men seek still some starting hole, that they might not yield themselves to the obeying of God: and they bear themselves in hand, that when they have once dispatched their fond devotions, then they be well discharged, and all the rest of their sins must be forgotten, because they ransom them by that means. The thing therefore which we have to mark here, is that Saint Paul strove here against such men, as never wist what it was too serve God in good earnest, nor never entered into their own consciences. And even such are these Shavelings in the Popedom, and those naughtipacks that have their full scope there: I mean not only the Cardinals and these horned beasts the Bishops, (for men know that they be the filthiness which infecteth the whole world) but I speak also of those that are called doctors, the upholders of their Catholic faith. It is certain that they be but mockers of God, they never entered into their consciences to examine themselves earnestly, neither had they ever any remorse of conscience.

Exhort they men to liue chastly, without doing other men wrong, or without any couetous desire, so as euery of vs shoulde content hymselfe with that he hath, be patient in aduersitie, beare wrongs and reproches, and in all thynges shewe ourselues to bee the Disciples of our Lorde Iesus Christe by forsaking ourselues? There is not one word with them of these things. But the good workes which they set afore vs are, that we must go deuoutely too Masse, take holywater before we enter into the Church, be crosse ourselues, kneele downe before a stocke, worship a puppet, gad on pilgrimages, keepe suche a feastfull daye, found a Trentall, deale doales for the dead, and do this and that. So then, all these hipocrites which will needes become righteous by their owne workes, haue nothing but gewgawes and dotages: and yet for all that, they thinke themselues so holy and perfect, that nothing is amisse in them. They thinke that God ought to content himselfe wyth the great number of murlimewes and countenances which they make. But that is not the coyne wherewith he must be paied: for his lawe is spirituall. He looketh not vpon the outward gesture, nor vpō the things that carrie a faire glosse before men, in somuch that if men set their minds too much vpon his owne Ceremonies, he reiecteth it vtterly: And that is a thing well worthy the marking. For