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

Here Nebuchadnezer is pushed further forward: for I must use thys worde, because he doth not receaue y^e wor∣ship of the true God in hys hart to forsake his errors, as I haue sayd. It is therefore as though God did thrust hym forth by force to publish thys decrée. The decrée in déede of it selfe is commendable and Godly, but Nebuchadnezer was caryed wyth a blynde and suddayne motion, because Godlines had taken no roote in hys hart. Therefore is he alway onely beholding the miracle. So is hys fayth parti∣lar, and also the feare of God in hym was fruitles. Why then doth Nebuchadnezer séeme to be a patrone of Gods glory? Verely because he was afraid by y^e miracle. Where∣fore beyng not otherwayse moued, he could not be retay∣ned in the reuerence of one God. Finally thys zeale that he pretendeth is nothyng els but a motion that easely vani∣sheth. And thys is profitable to be noted. For we sée many caried wyth a vehement zeale to set forth Gods glory, but because they want knowledge and iudgement, thys can not be counted prayse worthy. And many also do much more wickedly, as we sée in Popery, where many proclamations of kynges and Princes flie abroad. If a man aske thē what maketh them so hote and feruent that they spare not mans bloud? forsooth they pretēd a zeale of God: but it is a mere raging madnes where true knowledge doth not guide it. We must consider therefore that no law can be made nor any decrée published of religion and of the worship of God, except the true knowledge of God confirme it, and be sene in it. Nebuchadnezer verely in thys decrée had a good ground: but (as I haue sayd) it was onely a particular motion in hym. But they that wyll now bée counted Chri∣stian

Princes, do onely rage vnder the pretence of a zeale, and so lyke cruell beastes do sheed innocent bloud. Wherefore? Because they do not discerne betwixt the true God and the Idols. But this shalbe touched afterward.

Nebuchadnezer doth extol the God of Israel. But how doth he know that he is the high God? Verely by one token of hys power onely. But he despised that which was the principall: to vnderstand by the law and the Prophetes who that God was and what was hys wyll. So do we sée the glory of God to be maintayned but in one part only: and in the meane season that which was the chife in hys worship and in true holynes, to be despised and left out. The pu∣nishment is great, that he should be cut in péeces and hys his house made a Iakes which speaketh blasphemy against the God of Israell. Where we note, that seuerity is not to be condemned, where the true worship of God is maintayned euen wyth sleit punishmētes. But we must be assured of a true iudgement in the cause. But of this al∣so I wyll speake afterward. As for that which followeth: that there is none other God which can deliuer after this maner, it doth confirme that which I touched before: that this king did not regard in hys decrée, eyther the law of God, or any other part of religion, but onely that he was moued by this miracle, so that he neither could nor would suffer any thing to be spoken in reproch agaynst the God of Israell. Wher∣fore thys onely thyng is worthy blame in this decrée, that he doth not enquire nor search who is that God, that he may be drawen by a sure perswasion to publish the decrée.