A17722:59
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.
Let us therefore keep this mean: that is to say, to hearken to that which God doeth propound unto us: and as soon as he shall once shut his mouth, let us have all our understandings locked up & captive, and let us not enterprise to know more, then that he shall have pronounced unto us. Now therefore see how the stock of Abraham was chosen before all the rest of the world, forasmuch as God so would: but this was not yet enough: For it behoveth that his free election be yet better confirmed unto us. And this is it that is here showed unto us, in the person of two brethren. For behold Rebecca which bare Jacob & Esau: was the one better than the other? S. Paul expoū ding this place saith. And they were not yet been. 1How ⟨image 25⟩then could they have obtained favour and grace before God for their merits? for Jacob had done neither good not evil no more then Esau. Why then doth God make him the greater? It behoveth not that we enter into any deeper disputation of this matter, unless it be to adore with astonishment the secret counsel of God, through which, those which seemed good to him are elected, and the other rejected. See then how God would yet give greater glory & beauty to his mercy, when he had chosen Jacob before Esau. For in deed he might have well placed Jacob the foremost, when the Infants should come forth from their mothers womb. Men may well understand, that this was not by any adventure: as it is said in the Psalm: Thou hast drawn me out from my mothers womb: And God manifesteth a singular power, when children come into the world. And why then did not he permit & ordain that Jacob should have the privilege of birthright? For this was meet since he meant to banish Esau out of the church, and would have Jacob to remain there, & to succeed in the place of his father Isaac and Abraham. And why doth God then pull him back, & make him inferior to his brother, as touching the law of nature, and afterwards setteth him above him? In this we see that God would shut out all glory of man, that he would that all height should be thrown down, and that men should bring nothing of their own: to the end to say: I have attained such or such a good thing. I have gotten it by mine own industry. We see then that which I have already touched:
Let vs therfore keepe this meane: that is to say, to hearken to that which God doeth propounde vnto vs: and as soone as hee shall once shutte his mouth, let vs haue all our vnderstandings locked vp & captiue, and let vs not enterprise to knowe more, then that he shal haue pronounced vnto vs. Nowe therefore see howe the stocke of Abraham was chosen before al the rest of the worlde, forasmuch as God so would: but this was not yet enough: For it behoueth that his free election be yet better confirmed vnto vs. And this is it that is here shewed vnto vs, in the person of two brethrē. For beholde Rebecca which bare Iacob & Esau: was the one better thē the other? S. Paule expoū ding this place saith. And they were not yet beene.