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…

Doest thou not cease to pervert. He calleth all that means whereby the Lord bringeth us unto himself, the ways of the Lord. He testifieth that this is plain and straight: and he accuseth the sorcerer, for making the same, crooked, full of turnings, and doubtful, with his boughts and turns. Whence may be gathered a profitable doctrine, that it cometh to pass through the subtlety of Satan that we do not readily with straight course go unto the Lord. For he showeth us in his word a plain way and such as is not thorny. Wherefore we must take good heed of seducers, which trouble the way with their ditches or thorns, or else make the same hard and unpleasant. And it shall be convenient to repeat here, that which I touched before, that the servants of Christ must not be blamed if they do sore inveigh against the professed enemies of sound doctrine: unless we will accuse the holy Ghost of intemperance. Neither am I ignorant how easily men may fall in this point, for which cause godly teachers must take so much the more heed, first that they favour not the affections of the flesh too much under the colour of zeal: secondly, that they break not out with headlong and unseasonable heat, where there is yet place for moderation: thirdly, that they give not themselves over to foolish and uncomely railing: but only that ⟨p. 298⟩they express the unseemliness of the thing by gravity and weight of words. Such was the vehemency of holy zeal and of the spirit in the prophets, which if dainty and soft men judge troublesome and raging, they consider not how dear and precious Gods truth is to him. Now there riseth not one Elimas to subvert the faith, but many, and those which are far more wicked. For we see with what sacrilegious boldness they despoil God of all honour, with what filthy corruptions they profane all religion, how cruelly they throw miserable souls headlong into eternal destruction, how unseemelily they mock Christ, how filthily they disfigure all the whole worship of God, with what cruel reproaches they rent the holy truth of god, with what barbarous tyranny they lay wast the church of God: so that you would say that they tread god under foot. And yet there be many crabbed philosophers, who would have these furious Giants flattered and clawed by the back.

Doest thou not cease to peruert. He calleth all that meanes wherby the Lord bringeth vs vnto himselfe, the wayes of the Lorde. Hee testifieth that this is plaine and streight: and hee accuseth the sorcerer, for making the same, crooked, full of turninges, and doubtfull, with his boughts and turnes. Whence may be gathered a profitable doctrine, that it commeth to passe through the subtiltie of Satan that wee doe not readilie with streight course goe vnto the Lord. For he sheweth vs in his worde a plaine way and such as is not thornie. Wherefore wee must take good heed of seducers, which trouble the way with their ditches or thornes, or els make the same hard and vnpleasaunt. And it shall bee conuenient to repeate here, that which I touched before, that the seruants of Christe must not be blamed if they doe sore inueigh against the professed enemies of sound doctrine: vnlesse we will accuse the holy Ghost of intemperancie. Neither am I ignorāt how easily men may fall in this point, for which cause godly teachers must take so much the more heed, first that they fauour not the affections of the flesh too much vnder the colour of zeale: secondly, that they breake not out with headlong and vnseasonable heat, where there is yet place for moderation: thirdly, that they giue not themselues ouer to foolish and vncomely railing: but only that