Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 7.djvu/79

 CALVIN but also carnal, inasmuch as they corrupt Christian purity; therein differing, like true martyrs of Christ, from the fantastic persons who suffer for mere absurdities. Secondly, feeling assured of the good cause, we must be inflamed, accordingly, to follow God whithersoever He may call us: His word must have such authority with us as it deserves, and, having withdrawn from this world, we must feel, as it were, enraptured in seeking the heavenly life.

But it is more than strange that, tho the light of God is shining more brightly than it ever did before, there is a lamentable want of zeal! If the thought does not fill us with shame, so much the worse. For we must shortly come before the great Judge, where the iniquity which we endeavor to hide will be brought forward with such upbraidings that we shall be utterly confounded. For, if we are obliged to bear testimony to God according to the measure of the knowledge which He has given us, to what is it owing, I would ask, that we are so cold and timorous in entering into battle, seeing that God has so fully manifested Himself at this time that He may be said to have opened to us and displayed before us the great treasures of His secrets? May it not be said that we do not think we have to do with God? For had we any regard to His majesty we would not dare to turn the doctrine which proceeds from His mouth into some kind of philosophic speculation. In short, it is impossible to deny that it is to our great 53