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…

Seeing that by faith he had purified. This member is answerable to that former adjunct which he applied to god: as if he should say, that god who knoweth the hearts, did inwardly purge the Gentiles, when he vouchsafed to make them partakers of his adoption, that they might be endued with spiritual cleanness. But he addeth farther that this purity did consist in faith. Therefore he teacheth first that the Gentiles have true holiness without ceremonies, which may suffice before Gods judgment seat. Secondly he teacheth that this is attained unto by faith, & from it doth it flow. In like sort Paul gathereth,¹ that uncircumcision doth not hinder a man but that be may be counted holy and just before god: because Circumcision did follow after righteousness in the person of Abraham, and by order of time it was latter. But here ariseth a question, whether that purity which the fathers had in times past were unlike to that which God gave now to the Gentiles. For it seemeth that Peter distinguisheth the gentiles from the Jews by this mark, because being content with the cleanness of the heart alone, they need no help of the Law. I answer that the one of them differ from the other, not in substance, but in form. For God had respect always unto the inward cleanness of the heart: and the ceremonies were given to the old people only for this cause; that they might help their faith. So that cleanness as touching figures and exercises, was only for a time, until the coming of Christ, which hath no place among us at this day: like as there remaineth from the very beginning of the world unto the end, the same true worship of God, to wit, the spiritual worship: yet is there great difference in the visible form, Now we see that the fathers did not obtain righteousness by Ceremonies, neither were they therefore pure before God: but by the cleanness of the heart. For the Ceremonies of themselves were of no importance to justify them: but they were only helps, which did accidentally (that I may so term it) purge them: yet so that the fathers and we had the same truth. Now when Christ came, all that which was accidental did vanish away: and therefore seeing the shadows be driven away, there remaineth the bare & plain pureness of the heart.

Seing that by faith he had purified. This member is answerable to that former adiunct which he applied to god: as if he shuld say, that god who knoweth the hearts, did inwardly purge the Gentiles, when he vouchsafed to make them partakers of his adoption, that they might be indued with spirituall cleannes. But he addeth farther that this puritie did consist in faith. Therefore he teacheth first that the Gentiles haue true holines without ceremonies, which may suffice before Gods iudgmēt seat. Secondly he teacheth that this is attained vnto by faith, & from it doth it flow. In like sort Paul gathereth,