A little book of John Calvins concerning offences whereby at this day divers are…A little booke of Iohn Caluines concernynge offences whereby at this daye diuers are…

Moreover, that which I have briefly touched before, is to be called to remembrance, that although alteration of things do minister occasion of many faults: yet every thing is wont to be noted more narrowly, and to be found fault with more strictly, if ought be then amiss: than if no alteration had happened at all. How deep a golf of ignorance was in the Papistry, how horrible the mist of their errors was, it maketh us astonied to remember. It was a great miracle of God, that Luther and others that laboured with him in restoring the doctrine of godliness, could by little and little wade out of it. Divers do cavil that they are ⟨p. 77⟩offended, and come not to the Gospel, or else proceed not in their race already begun, because they have not seen all things at one instant: and because so high a piece of work was not polished every inch of it at the first day, who seeth not how excessive this daintiness is? For they do in likewise, as if a man should accuse us, that at the first dawning of the day, we do not yet see the noon Sun. Nothing is more common than these con plaints, why was not exactly prescribed unto us by and by, what it behoved us to follow? why was this hidden more than other things? shall there be any end at all, if it be suffered from time to time to proceed any further? Undoubtedly they that talk so, do either envy that the servants of God should profit, or else it grieveth them that the kingdom of Christ is promoted to better & better. The same waywardness appeareth in every small trifle: which although they deserve not to be so lightly pardoned: yet they ought not to exasperate us in such sort that we should loth the Gospel. Let the Monks & other Masters of the popish Synagogue ⟨image 89⟩babble never so unsavoury old wives tales, let them deform the Scripture with never so absurd glosses: and these good men can find in their hearts to bear with all this. But if any thing happen to pass from any of our sort not so aptly applied, they allege that they are kept from hearing us, as it were by some heinous Offence, odious to God and man. They patiently bear with wresting the testimonies of the Scriptures, with sentences ilfavoredly hanging together, and with frivolous reasons in their old writers:

Moreouer, that whiche I haue briefly touched before, is to be called to remembrance, that although alteratiō of things doo minister occasion of many faultes: yet euery thinge is wonte to be noted more narrowly, and to be founde faulte with more streightly, if ought be then amisse: than if no alteration had happened at all. How déepe a goulfe of ignorance was in the Papistrie, howe horrible the miste of their errours was, it maketh vs astonied to remember. It was a great miracle of God, that Luther and others that labored with him in restorynge the doctrine of godlinesse, could by little and little wade out of it. Diuers doo cauill that they are