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…

Yet we see the malice, or at leastwise the corruption of men is such, that that thing which happeneth extraordinarily unto Christ, followeth as customably, as if it were most of all pertinent to his Office. Now come I unto them, who otherwise refusing not to embrace the Gospel of Christ, would nevertheless have it without Offences. I have to do with such as are Christians: Would they have Christ free from all Offence? then must they go forge thee a new one: For the Son of God cannot be any other, than of such sort as he is preached in the Scriptures. Or else they must alter all mens natures and dispositions, and go make all the world new again. We hear what the Scripture sayeth: This is incident, not only to the person of Christ, but also to all the whole doctrine: neither is it lasting for a time only, but it shall continue through the whole course of the doctrine. Howe preposterous then are they, who in these days reject the doctrine of the Gospel now springing up again, only in this respect, because they find ⟨p. 4⟩therein the self same thing, that was told of before by the Prophets and the Apostles. And yet for all that, they will be counted Christians: what if they had chanced to have been in those days, when the Gospel was first of all newly preached, at which time there was almost no kind of Offence but it swarmed out of the Gospel? How soon would they have separated them selves from Christ? how would they have quaked for fear, least of never so slight a touch they might have been blasted with some infection? If they say they would not have done so then: why are they so spicec•scienced in these days? why do they not now also acknowledge the same marks in Christ? But an Offence is an odious thing, & to modest natures horrible. Who denieth that? Neither do I say that Offences are willingly to be sought after. Let us shun them as much as may be. But a Christen mans hart ought to be fortified in such wise, that what Offences so ever break out upon him, he never forsake his place, nor swerve from Christ one hear breadth. Who so ever is not furnished with this ⟨image 16⟩constancy that he may wade through all Offences unvanquished, understandeth not yet what his Christendom availeth him. But it is a hard matter to resist Offences, specially considering our feebleness & imbecility. I grant it surely:

Yet we sée the malice, or at leastwise the corruption of men is suche, that that thinge which happeneth extraordinarily vnto Christe, followeth as customably, as if it were moste of all pertinent to his Office. Now come I vnto them, who otherwise refusinge not to embrace the Gospell of Christe, woulde neuerthelesse haue it without Offences. I haue to doo with such as are Christians: Would they haue Christe frée from all Offence? then must they goe forge thée a newe one: For the sonne of God cannot be any other, than of such sorte as he is preached in the Scriptures. Or els they muste alter all mens natures and dispositions, and goe make all the worlde newe agayne. We heare what the Scripture saieth: This is incident, not onely to ye person of Christ, but also to all the whole doctrine: neither is it lastinge for a time onely, but it shall cōtinew through the whole course of the doctrine. Howe preposterous then are thei, who in these daies reiect the doctrine of the Gospell now springing vp againe, onely in this respecte, bicause they finde