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

We have seen heretofore ⟨p. 256⟩how every of us ought to behave himself, insomuch that the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the preaching of the Gospel,¹ saith that the way must be made level, and that the thing which was rough and crooked before, must now be made smooth and straight. Well then, we must do what we can that it may be so. Howbeit forasmuch as God will have us to be humbled, and that there must needs be stumblingblocks and comberances, and it cannot be but that Jesus Christ must reign in the mids of his enemies: let us go forward and defy all Satan's practices, and not mislike of the Gospel for it, though we see never so many stumblings and stumblingblockes abroad in the world. Now S. Paul having said so, addeth, I would to God that all they which trouble you were cut off. It may seem at the first blush, that S. Paul is moved here with to much choler, when he wisheth that all those which sow their darnel and errors abroad to pervert Gods pure doctrine should be dispatched, that the devil might possess them, and that they might never find mercy at Gods hand. For so doth the word Cut off betoken. But we must mark, that the zeal which we ought to have of Gods glory, forgetteth all worldly respects, when they be put into the balance together. Howbeit before we go any further, let us first note that in this word Cut off, S. Paul hath spoken by a similitude. For those rascals that had corrupted and falsified the doctrine of the Gospel, strove for Circumcision. Well then (saith he) pare off and cut off as much as ye list, and yet all your seeking is but to have other men busied about such pelting trifles as well as your selves. But as for me, I would that all such deceivers were quite and clean cut off, and that God would sink them or root them out, & so cast them off and damn them, as they might not have any hope of salvation. Now let us come to that which I have touched. I told you shortly, that when men make war against God, we must become such deadly enemies unto them, as we must utterly put out of mind all kindred and friendship, and all that else is: for otherwise we do not our duty in any wise unto our God, who, seeing he beareth the name of our father, and doth us the honour to take us for his children, ought at the least to have his glory esteemed of us above all things. But we must pass on yet further.

VVe haue seene heretofore ⟨p. 256⟩