Sermons of M. John Calvin, upon the.X.Commandments of the Law, given of GodSermons of M. Iohn Caluine, vpon the.X.Commandementes of the Lawe, geuen of God

Lo, for what cause Moses here addeth in express terms, The eternal or everliving, thy GOD hath so commanded thee: As if he did say: True it is, that men will kick and fling, when they shall be rained with any bridle of obedience, one shall never have their good will and leave, to have them in subjection. Again, their pride and arrogance always stirreth them up to a desire of lifting them selves over high. So then there shall be no voluntary subjection, before God begin to work, and to put thereunto his hand. But will you be rebellious unto God (saith he) when you enter into these disputes? Must he bear rule over me? And must I obey him, when he is no better than I? If you so envy at men, see God opposeth him self, and he will know whether he shall be obeyed & served of you or no. And when he sendeth you his lieutenants, & you will not receive them, it is a sure & certain sign, that you refuse also his yoke, in such wise, that his justice is violated, & he perceiveth that he is despitefully entreated of you. Sithence it is so, know ye (saith Moses) that the children which are rebellious to fathers & mothers, shall have happily to allege this or that: and the people which are occasions of seditions and troubles, shall well have some fair tale for their defence, but this shall serve them to no purpose. And why? Because that God, which hath established rules & superiorities in the world, will also that we maintain them. He hath pronounced the sentence herein which cannot be called back & retracted. When God hath given forth his ordinance & decree, we must make no question of our duty, but rest therein, & have our mouths ⟨p. 53⟩stopped. Now besides all this, our Lord useth much goodness & kindness towards us, to win us the better to our duty, & to allure us to obey our superiors, when he adjoineth in the end a special promise. It is true, that we have above seen, that God showeth mercy in a thousand generations upon them which love him: and this was annexed unto the commandment, where God declared unto us, that he would his service should be kept in all purity, that we decline not to idolatry and superstition. But the promise which is there, is extended to the whole law, as we have seen: but this is belonging only to the commandment of obeying of fathers & mothers.

Loe, for what cause Moses here addeth in expresse termes, The eternall or euerliuing, thy GOD hath so commaunded thee: As if he did say: True it is, that men wil kicke and fling, when they shalbe rained with any bridle of obedience, one shall neuer haue their good will and leaue, to haue them in subiection. Againe, their pride and arrogancie alwayes stirreth them vp to a desire of lifting them selues ouer high. So then there shall bee no voluntarie subiection, before God beginne to worke, and to put therevnto his hand. But will you be rebellious vnto God (saith he) when you enter into these disputes? Must he beare rule ouer me? And must I obey him, when he is no better than I? If you so enuie at men, see God opposeth him selfe, and he will know whether he shalbe obeied & serued of you or no. And when he sendeth you his lieftenants, & you wil not receiue them, it is a sure & certein signe, that you refuse also his yoke, in such wise, that his iustice is violated, & he perceiueth that he is despitefullie entreated of you. Sithence it is so, know ye (saith Moses) that the children which are rebellious to fathers & mothers, shall haue happily to alledge this or that: and the people which are occasions of seditions and troubles, shal wel haue some faire tale for their defence, but this shal serue them to no purpose. And why? Because that God, which hath established rules & superiorities in the world, will also that we mainteine them. He hath pronounced the sentence herein which cannot be called back & retracted. When God hath geuen forth his ordinance & decree, we must make no questiō of our dutie, but rest therin, & haue our mouthes