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 above all things let us hold fast that which Saint Paul in the first to the Romans calleth the power of God to the salvation of all believers.¹ Then as for the worldlings and such as are swollen with pride and overweening like Toads, let them despise the Gospel as much as they list, and let them perish in their own cursedness: and in the mean while let us with all humbleness of faith embrace the son of God, who offereth himself to us of purpose, to lift us up to the glory of the kingdom of heaven. But here is yet more: namely that Saint Paul matcheth Stumbling, and the preaching of the Gospel together as things inseparable. It is true that we must eschew all stumblingblockes as much as is possible:² for woe be to him by whom stumblingblockes come. But yet must Jesus Christ reign, and have his full scope, though all the whole world should stumble at him. The word Stumblingblocke, importeth a stop, hinderance, or let, as if there were a rough and stony way that had some thorns and bushes, or some other comberances in it, the same were a means too make men stumble. Now it were to be wished that Jesus Christ might go on freely, and that all the world would receive him, and that nothing might stop the preaching of the Gospel from the one end of the world to the other. I say we ought to wish it as much as in us is. Howbeit let us learn that God intendeth to try the obedientnesse of our faith, by giving Satan the bridle who casteth many stumblingblockes and cumberances in our ways.³ Too be short, our Lord Jesus Christ is not without cause called a stone to stumble at, and a stop for all men too dash against, and by that means too break their necks.⁴ And in the end (as it is said in Saint Luke) they must be crushed by that stone, for it is to hard for their stubbornness. And this is very much for our behoof. For we see many men so nice, that if men agree not to the Gospel out of hand, they think themselves quite and clean discharged and set free before God, from maintaining the quarrel or case any longer. If all Kings and Princes had caused it to be proclaimed by the sound of a trumpet, that there should […] no more fighting against Gods ⟨image 278⟩