A17722:306
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…
Thirteen sermons of Master John Calvin, entreating of the free election of God in Jacob, and of reprobation in Esau A treatise wherein every Christian may see the excellent benefits of God towards his children, and his marvellous judgements towards the reprobate, first published in the French tongue, & now translated into English, by John Field, for the comfort of all Christians.Thirteene sermons of Maister Iohn Caluine, entreating of the free election of God in Iacob, and of reprobation in Esau A treatise wherin euery Christian may see the excellent benefites of God towardes his children, and his maruelous iudgements towards the reprobate, firste published in the French toung, & now translated into English, by Iohn Fielde, for the comfort of all Christians.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for Thomas Man and Toby Cooke, 1579London: printed by Thomas Dawson for Thomas Man and Tobie Cooke, 1579
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is true that Isaac had the hurt, when the other demanded of him, that he would promise & swear unto them not to wrong them nor hurt them: For they had had sufficient proof, that they had not found him a violent man, nor one given to do any harm. Wherefore come they then to disquiet him farther? He might have put all this back: but he doth yield something of his right: ⟨image 136⟩as when we would purchase peace amongst men, we must always have this mean, not to give it them wholly, who have done us wrong: but for all that, not too too extremely too challenge and hold whatsoever belongeth unto us, without yielding unto them one crumb, (as they say) thereof. For if every man should be so given to his own particular right, men could never be united and knit together: and although they were, they could never cease from day to day too have new occasions to devour and eat up one another. There is therefore but one way to nourish peace and concord: and that is, that no man seek that which is his own: as also S. Paul maketh mention thereof, speaking unto us of Charity, 1. Corinth. 13. Chapter, where he sayeth expressly, That Charity hath this property, Not too seek her own. And further, when he exhorteth us too live peaceably, and that we should love brotherly fellowship, and that none of us should give him self too ambition, nor have a desire too be more, greater, and higher, and too have the upper hand: For the word which he useth, meaneth, there should be no desire of superiority or having the upper hand. Now, as long as we shall have this desire (as I have said,) Lo as it were a fire blowed up and kindled: there are a thousand ways which Satan will find to set us at such discord, at war, dissension, & such contention, that it should seem we would overthrow all. So, let us mark well, to the end that we may dwell in ⟨p. 128⟩friendship & brotherly concord with our neighbours, it behooveth every one that he forsake and yield of his own right, and that every one keep not this extremity, to say, I will keep whatsoever is mine, & will pursue it, and forgo nothing by no manner of means whatsoever. When we shall deal thus, certainly the Devil will always find some cunning, to kindle the fire of discord and strife of words, & in the end of war. This therefore is that which we have to learn concerning this text.