. As experience shows, God scarcely one man in a hundred is met with who fosters it, once received, in
his heart, and none in whom it ripens much less shows fruit in season
Psalm 1:3. Besides while some may evaporate in their own
superstitions and others deliberately and wickedly desert God, yet all
degenerate from the true knowledge of him. And so it happens that no real piety remains in the world. But as to my statement that some erroneously slip into superstition, I do not mean by this that their ingenuousness should free them from blame. For the blindness under which they labor isalmost always mixed with proud vanity and obstinacy. Indeed, vanity joined with pride can be detected in the fact miserable men do not rise above themselves as they should, but measurehim by the yardstick of their own carnal stupidity, and neglect sound investigation; thus out of curiosity they fly off into empty speculations
They do not therefore apprehend God as he offers himself, but imagine him as they have fashioned him in their own presumption. When this gulf opens, in whatever direction they move their feet, they cannot but plunge headlong into ruin. Indeed, whatever they afterward attempt by way of >worship or service of God, they cannot bring as tribute to him, for theyfools of themselves Romans He had said before that �they
became futile in their thinkingRomans 1:21. In order, however,
that no one might excuse their guilt, he adds that they are justly blinded.
For not content with sobriety but claiming for themselves more than is right, they wantonly bring darkness upon themselves � in fact, they become fools in their empty and perverse haughtiness. From this it
follows that their stupidity is not excusable, since it is caused not only by vain curiosity but by an inordinate desire to know more than is fitting joined with a false confidence.
Calvin's Institutes: 1:4
