A17722:56
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.
So then we see that they, who for a time have ⟨image 23⟩place in the church, & bear the title of the faithful & of the children of God, may well be so accounted before men, but they are not written in the book of life: God knoweth them not, nor avoucheth them for his. Hereby we are admonished, not proudly to vaunt our selves, nor to be drunken with sottish presumption, when God shall show us this favour, to bring us into his church: but let us walk in purity, & labour to make sure our election, & to have the testimony thereof in our hearts, by the holy Ghost, & not to trust only to the outward title & appearance, which we may pretend before the world: see what we have here too mark. And moreover we are taught a far greater thing: and that is in the first place: that albeit God had established his covenant with Abraham, yet notwithstanding he would declare that this was not all, to have made offer of his grace: but that it behoved that he choose according to his liberty, such as he thought good, & that the rest should remain in their cursed state. And therefore S. Paul allegeth this place to apply it to the secret election of God, through which before the foundation of the world, he chose those as seemed good unto him. Now this is a very high and profound matter, but when it shall be farther declared, every one may make his profit of it, so that we be attentive unto it. And for the remnant, let us receive that, which the holy scripture showeth unto us, with sobriety, & let us not desire to be wiser, than is lawful for us: but let us rest in that which God shall speak unto us, & moreover let us be humble, not to reply against ⟨p. 16⟩him, nor to bring forth our fantasies before him, as though we would plead against God: but acknowledging that his judgements are bottomless: let us not search farther therein, then is permitted unto us. Now it behoveth that we handle these things in such sort, that that which at the first show seemeth to be dark, be made more easy to us. We have already seen that God hath chosen Abraham's seed. Now if a man would ask, why or by whom he was brought so to do: he shall not find that Abraham was any worthier then others: as we have already largely enough handled this matter.
So then we see that they, who for a time haue ⟨image 23⟩