John Calvin Commentary Acts 23:4

"And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God`s high priest?" — Acts 23:4 (ASV)

Those which stood by said. By this it appears that they were all sick of one disease. For why do they not rather blame Ananias, when they saw that he had quite forgotten all modesty, and that he broke out into violence and beatings in a barbarous manner? For even this turned to the reproach of them all.

But this is a marked thing among hypocrites: they look closely into other people’s faults and overlook their own. Again, this pride is coupled with tyranny, so that their subjects, and those who are under them, may do nothing, but as for themselves, they may do whatever they want.

So it is today in Popery: the more liberty that impure clergy grants to itself, and the more carelessly it grows wanton and pollutes the whole world with the sins which flow from it, the more strictly do they rule and restrain the tongues of the people. Therefore, if anyone dares so much as to whisper, a little liberty causes them to make outrageous outcries as if it were heinous sacrilege.