Quest. 3. How Nebuchadnezzar could write vnto all the people in the world.
1. Caluin thinketh, that here the king superbe locutus est, spake proudly, as making him∣selfe Lord of the whole earth: as the Romanes, because they had a large dominion, called Rome Dominam totius orbis, the Ladie of the whole world: so also Polan. But that Nebu∣chadnezzar did not this of any ostentation, may appeare both by the ende of his writing, which was to set forth the power of Gods kingdome, and by his stile, he contenteth him∣selfe with one title, calling himselfe king, whereas the Emperours of Rome vsed many swel∣ling titles of their conquests, as Parthicus, Persicus, Germanicus, &c. of Parthia, Persia, Ger∣mania, and such like, Bulling.
2. The same author maketh this the reason, because now this epistle, beeing preserued vnto our times, as the rest of the Scriptures by the spirit of God, is indeed written and made knowne to all people: but this seemeth not to be the literall and historicall meaning.
3. Pappus saith he writte to all people and languages, not onely to those which were sub∣iect vnto him, but he was desirous to make knowne the workes of God to all people in the world So also Oecolampad. vnder these nations comprehendeth the South and West parts of the world, as Mauritania, Spaine, for he was known in those parts as Strabo writeth, lib. 15. non enim praecipit, sed hortatur, for he in this epistle cōmandeth not, but onely exhorteth: But it is euident by the forme of the decree which he made before, concerning euerie people, nation, and language, where he onely meaneth such nations, as were subiect vnto him: for his lawe could not bind those which were not subiect: that the inscription of this epistle must be taken in the same sense.
4. Wherefore as R. Saadiah, well expoundeth, he vnderstandeth here onely his owne kingdomes, as of Persia, Assyria, Egypt, which are said to be the whole earth: because he was monarcha orientis, the Monarch of the East parts, Lyra, which was the most famous and flourishing part of the earth: the principall part then is taken for the whole, Geneuens.
