Thirteen sermons of Master John Calvin, entreating of the free election of God in…Thirteene sermons of Maister Iohn Caluine, entreating of the free election of God in…

And how? when any of the people had committed adultery, & that he had so offended, what grief soever it had been, he should only have deserved to be punished: and ought then a whole country to have answered it? Now we see here that a miserable heathen, an unbeliever, and a poor blind person, knew that the land should be defiled by an adulterer: and that if this remained unpunished, notwithstanding before God, lo an whole people culpable therein, in respect of ⟨image 101⟩the temporal punishment. It is true that God knoweth how to turn the chastisements that he sendeth to them that are innocent from that fault to their profit: For if they suffer, which consented not unto the evil, this shall not be altogether as if they had been faulty: But God turneth this to their salvation. In the mean while so it is that he never chastiseth them without cause: if we see it not now with our eye, yet when all those registers shall be opened, then we shall find, that God hath not gone (as they say) indirectly and awry. And when he sendeth general punishments upon a whole people, for one particular fault as it seemeth, nevertheless he knoweth well that all be not innocent therein, as it is expressly said here, and as also Abimilech understood. For when adulter••• are committed, and be not punished, lo an infection which creepeth over the whole land: but shall we yet say that a man is innocent therein, when we close our eyes, & when we suffer all this to overflow? Although a man be no judge but a private person, yet he ought to oppose himself as much as lieth in him.

And howe? when any of the people had committed adultery, & that he had so offended, what greefe soeuer it had beene, hee should onely haue deserued to be punished: and ought then a whole countrie to haue answered it? Nowe we see heere that a miserable heathen, an vnbeleeuer, and a poore blinde person, knewe that the land shoulde be defiled by an adulterer: and that if this remained vnpunished, notwithstanding before God, loe an whole people culpable therein, in respect of ⟨image 101⟩the temporall punishment. It is true that God knoweth how to turne the chastisements that hee sendeth to them that are innocent from that faulte to their profite: For if they suffer, which consented not vnto the euill, this shall not bee altogither as if they had beene faultie: But God turneth this to their saluatiō. In the meane while so it is that he neuer chastiseth thē without cause: if we see it not now with our eye, yet when all those registers shalbe opened, then we shall finde, that God hath not gone (as they say) indirectly and awry. And when hee sendeth generall punishmentes vpon a whole people, for one particular fault as it semeth, neuerthelesse he knoweth well that all bee not innocent therein, as it is expressely said heere, and as also Abimilech vnderstoode. For when adulter are committed, and be not punished, loe an infection which creepeth ouer the whole land: but shall we yet say that a man is innocent therin, when we close our eyes, & when we suffer all this to ouerflowe? Although a man be no iudge but a priuate person, yet he ought to oppose himself asmuch as lyeth in him.