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Gen 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Man is less than God in all his ways, ergo evil, even Adam, who only approximated God, i.e. made in His image.

That is not a quote from Luther or Calvin, unless you are now claiming that both men wrote the bible.

I posted: "please give a quote from either or both men [Luther or Calvin or both] that states clearly and unambiguously that God is the author, creator, and cause of evil."

I think the burden is on you to offer up your evidence that you are "certain that I read recently that the early Protestant reformers, that would include Luther and Calvin, made the same distinction that Kolokotronis makes between God's foreknowledge and God's will."

Especially since your error contradicts much of this thread, the article which began it, and Reformed Protestant doctrine in general.

I gave you five links which detail the rebuttal. Let's see what evidence you have since you're the one making the charge.

Unless it's just a hunch on your part.

"I posted: "please give a quote from either or both men [Luther or Calvin or both] that states clearly and unambiguously that God is the author, creator, and cause of evil."

Calvin Commentary Isaiah 45:

"Making peace, and creating evil. By the words "light" and "darkness" he describes metaphorically not only peace and war; but adverse and prosperous events of any kind; and he extends the word peace, according to the custom of Hebrew writers, to all success and prosperity. This is made abundantly clear by the contrast; for he contrasts "peace" not only with war, but with adverse events of every sort. Fanatics torture this word evil, as if God were the author of evil, that is, of sin; but it is very obvious how ridiculously they abuse this passage of the Prophet. This is sufficiently explained by the contrast, the parts of which must agree with each other; for he contrasts "peace" with "evil," that is, with afflictions, wars, and other adverse occurrences. If he contrasted "righteousness" with "evil," there would be some plausibility in their reasonings, but this is a manifest contrast of things that are opposite to each other. Consequently, we ought not to reject the ordinary distinction, that God is the author of the "evil" of punishment, but not of the "evil" of guilt."