A17727:26
Three propositions or speeches, which that excellent man M. John Calvin, one of the…Three propositions or speeches, which that excellent man M. Iohn Caluin, one of the…
Three propositions or speeches, which that excellent man M. John Calvin, one of the pastors of the Church of God in Geneva had there To which also is added, an exposition upon that part of the catechism, which is appointed for the three and fortieth Sunday in number. Translated into English, by T.VV.Three propositions or speeches, which that excellent man M. Iohn Caluin, one of the pastors of the Church of God in Geneua had there To which also is added, an exposition vpon that parte of the catechisme, which is appointed for the three and fortieth Sunday in number. Translated into Englishe, by T.VV.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for George Bishop, 1580
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
John,1 and the other three Evangelists, insomuch, that to speak rightly, the Gospel according to S. John, is, as it were the key, too give us some entrance and opening to the other. For if we read S. Matthew, S. Mark, and S. Luke, we shall not so well know wherefore Jesus Christ was sent into the world, as when we shall have read S. John. Having read S. John, we shall know afterwards too what end it serveth us, that Jesus Christ hath wrought, and also that he hath taken mans flesh, and that he died and rose again: We shall know I say, what is the end and substance of all these things in reading this Gospel. And this is the cause why he standeth not so much upon the history, ⟨p. 5⟩as we shall see by the order which he will keep hereafter. It is true, that these things rightly deserve, to be more largely deduced & laid out: but because there is great matter in the Text which we have to expound, I do but touch these things as briefly as I can. Wherefore let us content our selves with that which we have summarily & shortly touched, concerning the office of Jesus Christ:2 that is to say, that S. John declareth unto us how he was sent of God his father, to the end he might accomplish and make perfect the salvation of men. He declareth how he took mans flesh, nnd how he dyed also, and rose again, that he is the pledge of Gods love, that he is (as it were) the soul of our redemption, & that Gods promises are in him ratified and established. Moreover we must mark (as I have already said) that S. John toucheth the stories more briefly then the other three Evangelists do,3 but for all that he stayeth him self more upon the substance of the matter, that is to say, too declare unto us what the doctrine of Jesus Christ is: and what charge ⟨image 22⟩God the father hath committed unto him: and to be short, what is his virtue, his power, and goodness towards us. As concerning the signification of the word in it self, Gospel is as much too say, as a good news or glad tidings: but this word ought to be unto us as it were hallowed or sanctified, to the end to cause us to hate the things of this world, and to the end that we might know, that all our goodness and our felicity, joy, and glory is in Jesus Christ alone.