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…

Notwithstanding this demonstration seemeth to have been in vain, ⟨p. 426⟩because they might readily have said, that images and pictures were placed in temples to testify gods presence: and that none was so gross but that he knew that GOD did fulfil all things. I answer that that is true which I said a little before, that idolatry is contrary to it self. The unbelievers said that they worshipped the gods before their images: but unless they had tied the godhead and power of God to Images, & had hoped to be holpen thereby, would they have directed their prayers thither? Hereby it came also to pass that one temple was more holy then another. They ran to Delphos that they might fetch the oracles of Apollo thence: Minerva had her seat and mansion at Athens. Now we see that Paul doth touch that false opinion, whereby men have always bin deceived: because they feigned to themselves a carnal God. This is the first entrance into the true knowledge of god, if we go without our selves, & do not measure him by the capacity of our mind. Yea if we imagine nothing of him according to the understanding of our flesh, but place him above the world, & distinguish him from creatures. From which sobriety the whole world was always far: because this wickedness is in men naturally to deform Gods glory with their inventions. For as they be carnal & earthy, they will have one that shall be answerable to their nature. Secondly after their boldness they fashion him so as they may comprehend him. By such inventions is the sincere & plain knowledge of God corrupt:¹ yea his trueth as saith Paul is turned into a lye. For who soever doth not ascend high above the world, he apprehendeth vain shadows & ghosts instead of God. Again unless we be carried up into heaven with the wings of faith, we must needs vanish away in our own cogitations. And no marvel if the gentiles were so grossly deluded and deceived, to include God in the elements of the world, after that they had pulled him out of his heavenly throne: seeing that the same befell the Jews, to whom notwithstanding the Lord had showed his spiritual glory.² For it is not without cause that Isaiah doth chide them for including God within the walls of the temple. And we gather out of Steven his sermon,³