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…

But because this first point doeth only contain a confession concerning the worship of the God of the fathers, I th•nke that he doeth rather speak generally of the Jewish religion, or of the Christian faith which did flow thence. Paul was a Citizen of Rome, notwithstanding as he came of the Jews by his ancestry, he confesseth that he continueth in the religion which he had learned of the fathers. And to this end doeth the adverb of likeness tend: for it showeth a known thing, namely, the manner of worship whereunto the Jews were addicted. He maketh express mention of the God of his fathers, because it was not lawful for a man that was a Romaine to receive the doctrine of the Law unless he had come of the Jews. Also he toucheth his adversaries, which handle him so cruelly: whereas notwithstanding ⟨p. 544⟩they both worship one God. I (saith he) worship the same God (according to the manner delivered by mine ancestors) which they themselves worship, and even as they worship him. Neither doth that hinder because he was fallen from the ceremonies of the Law, and was content with the spiritual worship of God. For Paul thinketh it sufficient for him to wipe away that blot of impiety which his adversaries had falsely cast upon him. Therefore the Papists are ridiculous, who feign that Paul alloweth all manner antiquity. We say they worship the God of our fathers with Paul, as the custom was delivered to us from hand to hand: as if (even they themselves being judges) it were sufficient for the Jews or Turks to hold up the same buckler against the faith of Christ. But the apostle meant nothing less than simply to ground religion in the authority of ancestors, and to defend his godliness with that defence, which might have bin common to all the superstitions of the Gentiles: he meant only to stop the mouth of his adversaries. Nevertheless he taketh this for a plain matter, that the Fathers from whom the Jewish religion came, were good and sincere worshippers of God: so that the Jews which were not degenerate might well boast, that the God of their fathers whom they worshipped, was the only creator of heaven and earth: & that the country gods of all the rest of the world, were mere and vain inventions.

But because this first point doeth onely containe a confession concerning the worshippe of the God of the fathers, I th•nke that hee doeth rather speake generally of the Iewish religion, or of the Christian faith which did flowe thence. Paul was a Citizen of Rome, notwithstanding as he came of the Iewes by his auncestrie, hee confesseth that hee continueth in the religion which hee had learned of the fathers. And to this ende doeth the aduerbe of likenesse tende: for it sheweth a knowne thing, namely, the manner of worshippe whereunto the Iewes were addicted. Hee maketh expresse mention of the God of his fathers, because it was not lawfull for a man that was a Romaine to receiue the doctrine of the Lawe vnlesse hee had come of the Iewes. Also hee toucheth his aduersaries, which handle him so cruellie: whereas notwithstanding