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

Paul, and let not our faith be shaken down by such loftiness, nor by the wiles that are cast in our way by those hypocrites and falsifiers, which have perverted Gods doctrine: For in the end the fame will happen too them (saith he) which is reported of the house of Abraham, namely, drive out the son of the bond woman, for he shall not be ••ire All they then that vaunt them selves to be faithful, and win needs be taken to be of ⟨image 248⟩Gods household, shall be cut off as rotten members, and not have any part or piece of inheritance there. And it is moreover a right excellent lesson, which containeth a very profitable admonition, even to confirm the thing which I have touched already, which is, that the pomps of this world must not blear our eyes, to carry us away at a gaze when we see great solemnities and gorgeous deckings. If a man should believe no further than he sees, when the Pope were in his Pontificalibus, he might be taken for a God, he hath so many knickknacks glistering about him. And no marvel though many be amazed at it, as though one had knocked them on the head with a club, and become as good as brute beasts. For why? men are so given to judge fleshly, that they be worse than little children in things that concern Gods kingdom. But yet for all this, behold, Saint Paul saith, that they which have the primacy, and are all in all, and are dreaded of every man, and finally which bear the title of first begotten, are oftentimes but Ishmaelites, so as they be but bastards, allege they their eldership never so much. But if S. Paul were alive at this day, that one text of his were enough too make him too be burnt a hundred times. For let men write and speak as much as they list, and they can not more lively decipher or bewray that the Pope and all his clergy are a heap of Ishmaelites and filthy bastards, which fight against God, and all his true and right begotten children, according also as Moses hath reported it. For what else allege the Papists for them selves, save that it is not a day or twain ago, or a hundred years ago that they have had possession: but that they have kept their traditions and Ceremonies these eight or nine hundred years? But surely even in this behalf also they lye, and are past shame. But put the case that the world had not appayred these eight hundred years:

Paule, and let not our fayth bee shaken downe by such loftinesse, nor by the wiles that are cast in our way by those hypocrites and falsifiers, which haue peruerted Gods doctrine: For in the ende the fame will happen too them (sayth he) which is reported of the house of Abrahā, namely, driue out the sonne of the bonde woman, for he shall not be ire All they then that vaunt them selues to bee faythfull, and win needes bee taken to bee of