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…

22 It pleased the Apostles. That tempest was made calm not without the singular grace of god, so that after the matter was throughly discussed, they did all agree together in sound doctrine. Also the modesty of the common people is gathered by this, because after that they had referred the matter to the judgement of the apostles & the rest of teachers, they do now also subscribe to their decree: & on the other side, the ⟨p. 375⟩apostles did show some token of their equity, in that they set down nothing concerning the common cause of all the godly, without admitting the people. For assuredly this tyranny did spring from the pride of the pastors, that those things which appertain unto the common state of the whole church, are subject (the people being excluded) to the will, I will not say lust, of a few. We know what a hard matter it is to suppress the slanders of the wicked, to satisfy most men who are churlish and froward, to keep under the light & unskilful, to wipe away errors conceived, to heal up hatred, to appease contentions, to abolish false reports. Peradventure the enemies of Paul & Barnabas might have said, that they had gotten letters by fair and flattering speeches: they might have invented some new cavil: the rude and weak might by and by have been troubled. But when chief men come with the letters, that they may gravely dispute the whole matter in presence, all sinister suspicion is taken away.

22 It pleased the Apostles. That tempest was made calme not without the singular grace of god, so that after the matter was throughly discussed, they did all agree togeather in sounde doctrine. Also the modestie of the common people is gathered by this, because after that they had referred the matter to the iudgement of the apostles & the rest of teachers, they do now also subscribe to their decree: & on the other side, the ⟨p. 375⟩apostles did shew some token of their equitie, in that they set downe nothing concerning the common cause of al the godly, without admitting the people. For assuredly this tyrannie did spring frō the pride of the pastours, that those things which appertain vnto the common state of the whol church, are subiect (the people being excluded) to the wil, I wil not say lust, of a few. We know what a hard matter it is to suppresse the slanders of the wicked, to satisfie most men who are churlish and froward, to keep vnder the light & vnskilful, to wipe away errors conceiued, to heal vp hatred, to appease cōtētions, to abolish fals reports. Peraduēture the enemies of Paul & Barnabas might haue said, that they had gotten letters by fair and flattering speeches: they might haue inuented som new cauill: the rude and weake might by and by haue beene troubled. But when chiefe men come with the letters, that they may grauely dispute the whole matter in presence, all sinister suspition is taken away.