Commentaries of the diuine Iohn Caluine, vpon the prophet Daniell, translated into Englishe, especially for the vse of the family of the ryght honorable Earle of Huntingdon, to set forth as in a glasse, how one may profitably read the Scriptures, by consideryng the text, meditatyng the sense therof, and by prayer

¶ The Meditation vpon the 36. &c.

Daniel describeth the golden head to be the kyng of Ba∣bylon, because that in respect of the other thrée it was the best, yet was it of it selfe wicked and cruell, but the world euer waxeth worse and worse. The which thyng as it was an admonition to the Iewes to be content with theyr state: so is it vnto vs to take héede that we bee not caryed away with y^e long custome of sinne in these our wretched tymes.

Agayne, he nameth the Persian kyngdome to be of siluer, and so inferiour to the first Monarchie: not that it was in∣feriour in power and dominion, but because it was worse in ambition, in crueltie, in vice and corruption, as Isay the 13.* 1.1 doth before prophecie. And as y^e Monarchies dyd grow greater and greater, so dyd their vices encrease, that men might sée their madnes which desire to haue Princes of so great power and dominions: As though any one mā were able to rule any one kyngdome, and that this were not ra∣ther playne and euident, that such excessiue dominions are

lyke great ragyng riuers that runne ouer the bankes, to the great dammage of their neighbours,* 1.2 as Isay well no∣teth chapter. 8.

So is the thyrd named of brasse the Macedonian, not so much for the strength as because it was worse: to cause the Iewes still to wayte for the eternall kyngdome of Christ which is of mercy and iustice. And the fourth of yron the Romane, because it brake down all before it, and was most cruell both to the Iewes and to other nations. Yet the féete shal be parte of potters mettal, parte of yron, sayth Daniel, which can not well be matched together but the one will breake the other: which doth signifie the cruel murther that began betwixt the two first brethren and continued mani∣festly amongest them in their ciuill warres though they were ioyned in kynred, to declare vnto the godly that that kyngdome of the Romanes was not it that they should stay vppon: but that they should alwayes buyld theyr fayth and hope vpon this stone cut forth of the mountaine with∣out hands, and vpon that kyngdome which the God of hea∣uen should rayse vp after these kynges, which kyngdome should neuer be destroyed, but shall destroy all these kyng∣domes, and it shall stand for euer.

Now, this kyngdome of Christ doth not destroy the kyngdomes of the world for any other cause, but because that they are enemyes to his kyngdome. Therfore Daniel speaking of this matter doth treate of a thyng thē knowne, and afterwardes euidētly felt of y^e Iewes from time to time, that is to say, that these Monarchies are enemyes to the kyngdome of God. For the Chaldees had throwen downe the temple of God, and as much as in them lay they ende∣uoured them selues to destroy all his true worshyp. As for the Medes and Persians, although by Cyrus and Darius at the first libertie to returne from the captiuitie was graun∣ted, yet were the Iewes so miserably handled by the kinges folowyng and by their officers and deputies, that the most of them dyd rather chuse to lyue in exile then to returne in∣to their countrey. Thirdly, though Alexander of Macedo∣ny

one tyme spared them, yet the kynges that succeded him most cruelly vexed them, spoiled and slue the most true wor∣shippers of God, and burned Gods holy Testament: so that it is no maruaile though Daniel set the kyngdome of Christ agaynst such Monarchies. As for the Romanes we knew how proudly they despised the God of Israel, and though they had Pantheon wherin they worshipped all the Idols and Gods of all the nations that they Conquered, yet would they not geue any honor or place to hym at all.

Agayne, how they hated Christes Gospell, how cruelly they murthered the Christians, and labored by all meanes to diffame and banish forth of the world the doctrine of sal∣uation, the matter is most manifest. Therfore Daniel to ad∣monish the faithful what should be their condition and state to the comming of Christ, doth pronounce all those Monar∣chies and kyngdomes to be so many enemyes to God and to the kyngdome of his sonne Christ, and that therfore they must be destroyed. And hereby he doth exhorte to patience, that the faithfull do not faint in so great miseries and per∣secutions as the proude tyrauntes should styrre vp agaynst them so oft and many tymes. And Daniel sayth that this stone is hewen forth of the mountaine without handes, to signifie his diuine byrth & sending frō the heauens, so that his dominion & kyngdome must be separate frō all earthly Empyre, because it is immediatly from God and heauenly.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Isay. 13.18.
• * 1.2

  Isa. 8.6.7.