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…

24 Certain which went out from us. We see that there was no respect of persons among these holy men: which doth always corrupt sound & right judgements. They confess that there were knaves of their own company: & yet they do no whit flatter them, or through corrupt favour incline to cover their error, yea rather in condemning them freely, they spare not even themselves. And first they pluck from their faces that visor, which they had abused, to deceive withal. They boasted that they were privy to the meaning of the apostles: the apostles reprove them & condemn them of & for lying in that false pretence: when they utterly deny that they did command any such thing: again, they accuse them far more sharply, that they troubled the church, & subverted souls. For by this means they bring them in contempt & detestation with the godly, because they cannot be admitted but to their destruction. But false teachers are said to subvert souls, because the truth of god doth edify or build them up, and so this speech containeth a general doctrine, unless we will willingly have our souls drawn headlong from being any longer temples of the holy ghost, & unless we desire their ruin, we must beware of those, which go about to lead us away from the pure gospel. That which they say touching the keeping of the law, doth only appertain unto ceremonies: though we must always remember, that they did so entreat of ceremonies, that both the salvation, and also the righteousness of men did therein consist. For the false apostles did command that they should be kept, as if righteousness came by the law, and salvation did depend upon works.

24 Certain which went out frō vs. We see that there was no respect of persons among these holy men: which doth alwayes corrupt sound & right iudgements. They confes that there wer knaues of their own cōpany: & yet they do no whit flatter thē, or through corrupt fauour incline to couer their error, yea rather in condemning them freely, they spare not euen thēselues. And first they pluck frō their faces that visure, which they had abused, to deceiue withal. They boasted that they were priuie to the meaning of the apostles: the apostles reproue them & condemn them of & for lying in that false pretence: when they vtterly denie that they did cōmand any such thing: againe, they accuse them far more sharply, that they trobled the church, & subuerted souls. For by this means thei bring them in contempt & detestation with the godly, because they cānot be admitted but to their destruction. But false teachers are said to subuert soules, because the truth of god doth edifie or build them vp, and so this speech containeth a general doctrine, vnlesse we will willingly haue our soules drawen headlong frō being any longer temples of the holy ghost, & vnlesse we desire their ruine, we must beware of those, which go about to lead vs away from the pure gospel. That which they say touching the keeping of the law, doth only appertain vnto ceremonies: thogh we must alwaies remember, that they did so intreat of ceremonies, that both the saluation, and also the righteousnes of men did therein consist. For the false apostles did command that they should bee kept, as if righteousnes came by the law, and saluation did depend vpon workes.