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

But here he citeth them to Gods judgement, as if he should tell them that they might well enough content men and stop their mouths: but yet for all ⟨image 323⟩that they must be fain too come to account before the heavenly judge. And therefore all your shifts (sayeth he) will stand you in no stead. It is true that these excuses will easily be admitted among men, and (as I have touched already) many men will hold their ministers at the staves end, and there shall be nothing but quarrelling with them. For their ears are so itching, that a man shall hardly find one of a hundred which will not be glad to here such matters, and to add some scoff besides, or else too make the sauce sharper. This is too common a case. Nevertheless Saint Pauls doctrine extendeth generally too all the excuses that we be wont to make when we would justify our evil doing, or make men believe that the Crow is white. First of all therefore let us have an eye too the ground that Saint Paul treateth of here. Now the case concerneth the finding of the ministers of Gods word. He willeth men that they should not beguile themselves. And why so? For it is a fond thing to say, why should not the Ministers of Gods word labour for their living, seeing they ought to give example unto others? When they come out of the pulpit, can they not spend the rest of the time in some labour, that they might not burden the Church? This will easily be received of such as gabble after that fashion, thinking themselves too have a good case, and too be very zealous of the common welfare and of the order of the Church. But such men deceive themselves. For there is nothing in them but malice, and Satan thrusteth them forth thereunto, to the end to make the world to loth the doctrine of salvation, or at leastwise too set light by it and to scorn it. [That is the very wellspring], thither must we go, and there must we hold us. So then, it is not without cause that S. Paul warneth the Galatians, too beware that they beguile not themselves in using these fair colours. And secondly we must also apply this warning of Saint Pauls generally to all the coverts which we take in going about too disguise things, for we will always have wherewith to clear our selves, if men will believe us:

But heere he citeth them to Gods iudgement, as if he should tell them that they might well ynough content men and stoppe their mouthes: but yet for al ⟨image 323⟩