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

For the Apostle in the eleventh to the Hebrews saith, that the only thing that made Abel's Sacrifice acceptable, was faith. Now then forasmuch as the heathen men did in their sacrificing imagine God to be fleshly, and that they could make their atonement with him by such means, they busied themselves about outward things, and considered not that inasmuch as we be faulty, it standeth us on hand to have an excellenter ransom than we can bring any. If we had a hundred worlds to give, they were not enough too redeem any one misdeed that we have done against God. Therefore the Sacrifice that should answer for all our sins must of necessity be heavenly. The heathen men considered not this: but stood poring upon the shadow of it, as the Turks and Jews do yet still at this day, who by their often washing of themselves both even and morn, and at noon, and by their other Ceremonies, confess themselves to be defiled, and to have need to be cleansed by some others, and yet do renounce our Lord Jesus Christ who is the very cleanness whereby we must be made clean, according also as in very deed it is he that hath wiped away all our spots. Seeing it a so then, all they that keep any Ceremonies in hope to get any favour at Gods hand by them, do not only beguile and martyr themselves in vain without any profit: but also do certainly provoke Gods wrath still more and more. Now we on our side are taught that our Lord Jesus Christ hath shed his blood too wash our souls withal. Then if we seek any other ••nzing or purgatory besides, ⟨image 220⟩surely it is an intolerable treachery. And if Saint Paul spake so of the Ceremonies of the law: what shall we say of all the toys and gewgaws that are nowadays in popery? For behold, the Papists ween to win much by taking of holy water, by babbling this and that, by keeping of holidays, by tiring themselves in gadding on some pilgrimage, by setting up a wax candle before some puppet, by chanting mass by note, and by saying of thus many or thus many times their beads over. I say they hope well to make atonement with God by such means. But it is certain that they plunge themselves the deeper in hell, and cast themselves further into Satan's snares by it, as though they had confederated themselves with him to their own destruction.

For the Apostle in the eleuenth to the Hebrues saith, that the only thing that made Abels Sacrifise acceptable, was faith. Now then for asmuch as the heathen men did in their sacrifising imagin God to be fleshly, and that they could make their attonemēt with him by such meanes, they buzied themselues about outwarde things, and considered not that in asmuch as we be faultie, it standeth vs on hand to haue an excellenter raunsome than we cā bring any. If we had a hundred worlds to giue, they were not ynough too redeeme any one misdeede that we haue done against God. Therfore the Sacrifise that should answer for all our sinnes must of necessitie be heauenly. The heathen men cōsidered not this: but stood poring vpon the shadow of it, as the Turkes and Iewes do yet still at this day, who by their often washing of themselues both euen and morne, and at noone, and by theyr other Ceremonies, confesse themselues to be defyled, and to haue neede to be clenzed by some others, and yet do renounce our Lord Iesus Christ who is the very cleannesse whereby we must be made cleane, according also as in very deede it is he that hath wiped away all our spottes. Seeing it a so then, all they that keepe any Ceremonies in hope to get any fauour at Gods hand by them, do not only beguile and martir themselues in vayne without any profit: but also do certeinly prouoke Gods wrath still more and more. Now we on our side are taughte that our Lord Iesus Christ hath shed his bloud too wash our soules withall. Then if we seeke any other nzing or purgatory besides,