The commentaries of M. John Calvin upon the Acts of the Apostles, faithfully translated…The commentaries of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the Actes of the Apostles, faithfully translated…

22 The multitude came together. When Luke declareth that there was great concourse of the people made, after that a few men of no reputation, to wit, such as did juggle and cousin to get gain, and whose filthiness was well known, had made some stir: he teacheth with what fury the world rageth against Christ. Foolishness and inconstancy are in deed common vices among all people, and almost continual, but the wonderful force of Satan doth therein bewray it self, in that those who are in other matters modest & quiet, are for a matter of no importance in a heat, & become companions of most vile persons, when the truth must be resisted. There was never a whit more modesty to be found in the judges themselves: if we consider what was their duty. For they ought by their gravity to have appeased the fury of the people, & to have set themselves stoutly against their violence, they ought to have aided & defended the guiltless: but they lay hands on them outrageously, & renting their garments, they command them to be stripped naked & whipped, before they know the matter. Surely the malice of men is to be lamented: whereby it came to pass, that almost all the judgement seats of the world which ought to have bin sanctuaries of justice, have bin polluted with the wicked & sacrilegious oppugning of the gospel. Notwithstanding the question is, why they were cast in prison, seeing they were already punished: for the prison was ordained for the keeping of men? They used this kind of correction, until they might know more: and so we see the servants of Christ more sharply handled, than adulterers, robbers, and other most vile persons. Whereby appeareth more plainly that force of Satan in stirring up the minds of men, that they observe no show of judgment in persecuting the gospel. But though the godly be more hardly handled for defending the truth of Christ, than are the wicked for their wickedness: yet it goeth well with the godly, because they triumph gloriously before god & his angels in all injuries which they suffer. They suffer reproach and slander: but because they know that the marks of Christ are in greater price & more esteemed in heaven, than the vain pomps of the earth, the more wickedly and reproachfully the world doth vex them, the greater cause have they to rejoice.

22 The multitude came togither. When Luke declareth that there was great concourse of the people made, after that a few men of no reputation, to wit, such as did iuggle and cosin to get gaine, and whose filthines was wel knowen, had made some sturre: he teacheth with what fury the world rageth against Christ. Folishnes and inconstancie are in deed common vices among al people, and almost continual, but the wonderful force of Satan doth therein bewray it self, in that those who are in other matters modest & quiet, are for a matter of no importāce in a heat, & become companions of most vile persons, when the truth must be resisted. There was neuer a whit more modestie to be found in the iudges themselues: if we consider what was their duty. For they ought by their grauity to haue appeased the fury of the people, & to haue set thēselues stoutly against their violence, they ought to haue aided & defended the giltles: but they lay hands on thē outragiously, & renting their garmēts, they cōmand them to be stripped naked & whipt, before they know the matter. Surely the malice of men is to be lamented: whereby it came to passe, that almost all the iudgement seates of the world which ought to haue bin sanctuaries of iustice, haue bin polluted with the wicked & sacrilegious oppugning of the gospel. Notwithstāding the question is, why they were cast in prison, seing they were already punished: for the prison was ordained for the keeping of men? They vsed this kind of correction, vntil they might know more: and so we see the seruants of Christ more sharply handled, than adulterers, robbers, and other most vile persons. Whereby appeareth more plainely that force of Satan in stirring vp the minds of men, that they obserue no shew of iudgment in persecuting the gospel. But though the godly be more hardly handled for defending the truth of Christ, than are the wicked for their wickednes: yet it goeth wel with the godly, because they triumph gloriously before god & his angels in all iniuries which they suffer. They suffer reproch and slander: but because they know that the marks of Christ are in greater price & more esteemed in heauen, than the vaine pompes of the earth, the more wickedly and reprochfully the world doth vex them, the greater cause haue they to reioyce.