JOHN CALVIN: 'THE TRUE CALLING OF WOMEN' (5)

Posted at Purely Presbyterian:

John Calvin
The 19th Sermon
upon the second chapter of 1 Timothy

[Part Five]

Despisers of this blessed vocation.

1. The World.

True it is notwithstanding, that such as are scoffers and scorners of God, will think it strange, that Paul speaking here of the salvation of women, bringeth them to this, that if when they be with child and take their grief patiently, and also the travail, and bring up their children, this is to come again into favour with God. But what? Let it be sufficient for us that the Holy Ghost who is a Judge good enough, hath so given sentence. And therefore let us not think it strange: for although men will judge vices and virtues according to their own fancy, yet it is God alone that must value our works, and tell what they are worth. Hath God condemned any thing? It is a wise matter for us to praise, it will serve to much purpose. On the other side, that which we set nothing by, God esteemeth it highly, and setteth much by it. As for example, the travail that women have in child bearing: it is true that to the world, it is a matter of no great price: but yet if they have an eye to God, that he hath made them subject to it, and that they are the traces of Eve’s sin, if in such a combat, they sigh and groan to him, he receiveth such an obedience. To be short, we must bear away this lesson, That obedience is better than all the sacrifices in the world. [1 Sam. 15.22]

2. Papists.

Yea and this is not only to beat back the scoffs and scorns of profane fellows and such as contemn God, but also to beat down the pride of Hypocrites, which forge and build I know not what dreams, as they list [desire] to exempt themselves from marriage. As amongst the Papists, to have an household, seemeth to be a polluted state of the world: and thus use that Nuns and Friars, and all the rabble of hellhounds to speak, This man is of the world, that is to say, he is married: This man is of the Church, that is to say, Spiritual. And while they use these kind of speeches they account marriage as a profane and filthy thing.

And this is a shameful thing that a Pope [Siricius], that Antichrist durst spew out this devilish blasphemy, that “they which are in the flesh, can not please God” [Rom. 8.8]: that is to say, they that are married. These are the good expounders of the Scripture, that came out of this hellish cave. But what is taught us here by God’s authority and from him? To wit, that, if Nuns and Friars boast themselves of their chastity, and to live in idleness, and call this a spiritual state, God sheweth that it is a detestable and cursed kind of life. Let us learn therefore, that if a woman be among her household, and be busied about her children, to wipe them, and comb them, and dress them: or if she be a nurse, and be up day and night, and suffer cold and heat to give them suck, if she bear it patiently, knowing that it is God’s good appointment, and he alloweth of it, this is a sweet smelling sacrifice to him.

Let the Nuns therefore tarry still in their convents and cloisters, and in their brothel houses of Satan. Yea I put the case they were not whores as they are, yea and worse than that, vile and shameful Sodomites, committing such heinous and abominable acts, that it is horrible to think of, I put the case I say, there were none of all these villainies, yet all the chastity they pretend is nothing before God, in comparison of that which he hath appointed, that is to say, that albeit it seem but a vile thing, and a matter of none account, for a woman to take pains about housewifery, to make clean her children when they be arrayed, to kill fleas, and other such like, although this be a thing despised, yea and such, that many will not vouchsafe to look upon it, yet are they sacrifices which God accepteth and receiveth, as if they were things of great price and honourable.

Source: https://purelypresbyterian.com/2020/05/23/the-true-calling-of-women-john-calvin/