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…

And the joyful falling out of these things, which are witnesses to us of Gods faithful carefulness in preserving his Church, if they take not from ⟨p. 39⟩us all sense of offending, we are more nice and squeamish than we ought to be. Yea rather this kind of loathing is not tolerable, if in the plain path we through our own lewd imagination, do caste stumbling blocks in our way.

And the ioyfull fallinge out of these thinges, which are witnesses to vs of Gods faithfull carefulnesse in preseruinge his Churche, if they take not from ⟨p. 39⟩vs all sence of offendinge, we are more nice and squeymish than we ought to be. Yea rather this kinde of lothinge is not tollerable, if in ye plaine path we through our owne leude imagination, doo caste stumblingblockes in our way.

But if in his old people the misfortunes and calamities of the Church had always this goodness in them, to bring the help of God out of hand with them, and the grevouslyer they were pressed with the Cross, so much the more evidently God showed that the Church was raised by his hand, and upheld when it was raised: we may much more plainly see the same under the reign of Christ. If the Church through continual success in peace had enjoyed a flourishing and pleasant state, since the Gospel began to be published to the world, undoubtedly this had been an usual order after the manner of man, which all men would have passed over in disdain. But seeing that against so small and contemned a handful, by and by boiled out the hatred of all nations and all states: seeing the name of a Christian was of long time ⟨image 51⟩everywhere so hated and detested, that every minute of an hour it was in all places at the point of destruction: seeing cruelty was every where by sundry means executed against all them ye durst give never so light & slender an inkling of Christianity: seeing the whole world conspired to put out the remembrance of them from the earth: and that the Church nevertheless after a sort continued from time to time: here doth appear a certain unwonted power, and a certain secrete working, which cannot be expressed. This I say: when the dens of wild beasts in forests and mountains were Christian mens Churches: when they could no where dwell in safety, and that they were utterly slandered and hated of all men: who would not have been afraid to have professed the Gospel, except he had been stirred thereto by the spirit of God? And yet from time to time, many, even with strife of set purpose to take upon them such despite, flocked willingly into that miserable & slavish fear. As soon as any one had professed Christ, he was not only caught