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…

Their ways. If he had only said that men were deceived until that time through gods sufferance, we might easily gather thereby, that all men can do nothing else but err, so long as they be not governed of god. Yet he speaketh far more plainly, when he calleth errors the ways of men. For we are plainly taught by this, what the wisdom and understanding of mans mind can do in beholding and keeping the way of salvation. All people (saith he) have walked in their own ways, that is, they have wandered in darkness and death: it is all one as if he should say that there is no sparkle of true reason in all the whole world.

Their waies. If hee had onely saide that men were deceiued vntill that time through gods sufferance, we might easily gather thereby, that all men can doe nothing els but erre, so long as they be not gouerned of god. Yet hee speaketh far more plainely, when hee calleth errours the wayes of men. For we are plainely taught by this, what the wisdome and vnderstanding of mans mind can doe in beholding and keeping the way of saluation. All people (saith he) haue walked in their owne wayes, that is, they haue wandered in darknesse and death: it is all one as if hee shoulde say that there is no sparkle of true reason in all the whole world.

Therefore there is but one rule of true godliness, that is, that the faithful, casting from them all confidence in their own wit, do submit themselves to god. For the ways of men are now, as they were in times past: & the examples ⟨p. 340⟩of all times teach how miserably blind those men be, who have not the word of God to give them light, though they think they can pass other men in quickness of sight. Immediately after the Beginning of the world, the more part fell away unto divers superstitions and wicked worshippings: whence came that? Save only because it pleased them to follow their own imaginations? When it might have seemed that the world was purged with the flood, it fell again straightway to the same vices. Therefore there is nothing more deadly then to lean to our own wisdom. But Paul and Barnabas show no cause here why the Lord suffered the world to err so long: and assuredly we must count the will of god alone, the chiefest law of equity. God hath always a good reason for his works: but because it is oftentimes hid from us, it is our duty reverently to wonder at his secrete counsel: we must in deed confess, that the world was worthy of such destruction: but there can no other reason be brought why the Lord had mercy rather on one age then on another, save only because it seemed good to him that it should be so. Therefore Paul calleth that time which was appointed of God for preaching the gospel,