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 when they ween too do God service, they pluck away the honour that belongeth to him, and set up Idols after their own fancy. Seeing then that the world hath not known God in true wisdom, and by the order of nature: God was fain to try another way, as he did. For if we judge after our natural wit, it is a kind of stark folly to say, that the son of God, the head of the Angels, the Lord of glory, the wellspring of life, the person to whom all majesty belongeth, was not only made a mortal man, and clothed with our state: but also utterly abased,¹ (as Saint Paul saith in the second too the Philippians) yea and became subject too our curse, and bare the name of sin, which is more. When a man speaketh to us in such phrase of speech, it must needs seem strange to us as it is in deed. But we must submit our selves with all lowliness, and consider that forasmuch as we have not profited by the things that god hath showed us from the beginning both in heaven and earth, we must be fain to come to this other school. Thus much concerning this strain where Saint Paul saith, then is the stumblingblocke of the Cross put away. But to be short, we must gather upon this Text, that if there be any absurdity in the Gospel according to our understanding, the same must not make it out of taste with us, but we must consider that God intendeth to try our obedience, by sending us to the death of of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that there we see as it were the gulf of hell, seeing that the son of God is there to bear our condemnation, and is become our surety there to pay all our debts. Again let us consider further, that from death there was a goodly passage unto glory, which appeared in his resurrection. For the Son of God having suffered through infirmity, (that is to say, according to the ordinance of God his father, and according to his own good will also, whereby he consented to submit himself to such bondage) and having suffered in such wise that he overcame death by the power of his holy spirit: he obtained such a victory, as all knees must now bow before him, and he hath a name above all names, ⟨p. 255⟩and men must know that all the Majesty of God appeared and shone forth in his person. Thus ye see that we need not to be ashamed of the Gospel.

And when they weene too do God seruice, they plucke away the honor that belongeth to him, and set vp Idols after their owne fancie. Seing then that the world hath not knowne God in true wisedome, and by the order of nature: God was fayne to trie another way, as he did. For if we iudge after our naturall wit, it is a kind of starke folly to say, that the sonne of God, the heade of the Angelles, the Lorde of glorie, the welspring of life, the persone to whome all maiestie belongeth, was not onely made a mortall man, and clothed with our state: but also vtterly abased,