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

Daniel doth first speake here in the kinges person: af∣terward he declareth what came to the king. But it may seme strange that Daniel sometimes bringeth in the king of Babylon speaking, then speaketh he in his owne person, and afterward bringeth in the king speaking him selfe. Howbeit seing this varietie doth neither obscure the sense nor make it doubtfull, we ought not to be troubled there∣with. The summe of this chapter is: Because that Nebu∣chadnezer was playnly taught, that the only God of Is∣raell was to be worshipped, and he was compelled to con∣fesse this for a space, yet because he departed not from hys supersticions, yea and what so euer he had conceiued of the true God it rested not in his hart, but vanished away by and by: therefore is he worthely punished like a beast for so great ingratitude. God would haue him to be more and more blinded, as he vseth to doo with the reprobate, and sometimes with the elect also. When they will runne from sinne to sinne, God lowseth them the reyne till they cast them selues down headlong. Afterward eyther he reacheth them his hand, or he draweth them backe with hys secret power, or bringeth them into order by hys rods and cor∣rections and so humbleth them. Thus dyd he with the king of Babylon.

We will consider the dreame afterward: but here we briefely note that the king was admonished that he might perceiue in the end, that he had no excuse of his stubbernes and contempt. God might worthely in déede haue stricken hym as soone as hee dyd sée that he was not truely conuer∣ted: but before God would punish hym so seuerely (as we shall sée afterward) he would monish hym, to proue if there were any hope of repentance. And although he dyd séeme to receiue that thing with great modesty that God

declared by the dreame, and Daniel dyd interpretate vnto hym, yet dyd he professe with hys toung that which he had not in his hart. And thys thing is manifest, because that where he ought to haue trembled, to haue bene carefull and to take héede vnto him selfe, yet ceased he not from hys pride, but boasted him selfe to be a king of kinges, & Baby∣lon to be the quéene of all the world. Because therefore he dyd speake so proudly after he was admonished by the pro∣phet, we perceiue that the dreame dyd nothing profit hym. But God by this meanes would make hym more inexcu∣sable. Agayne, although no fruite therof did straight wayes appeare, yet by long processe of time, when God touched his hart he did know more playnely that this punishment was sent vnto him of God. Therefore was this dreame an entrey and as it were a preparatiue to repentance. And lyke as the séede semeth to putrify in the earth before it bring forth his fruite: so also sometymes God worketh ley∣surely, & causeth that his doctrine which semed vnprofita∣ble a long time, becommeth at the length fruitefull and of force. Now come I to the wordes.

The preface of the decrée is: Nebuchadnezer the king to all people, nations and langages which dwell in all the world: that is, vnder his dominion. For he would not haue this vnderstād of Scithia or Fraunce, or other farre countreys, but because his dominion stretched farre and wide, he spake proudly: as we sée the Romanes call theyr Rome the imperiall sea of all the world, yet were they not lordes ouer all. Nebuchadnezer therefore doth here proudly set forth the largenes of his Monarchy, when he sendeth forth his decrée to all people and nations vpon the whole earth. Af∣terward he ioyneth this: I thought it good to declare the signes & wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. There is no doubt, but that at length he perceiued that he was pu∣nished for his ingratitude, because that he had geuen glory vnto the one and true God, onely by toung and outward shew, and afterward fell agayne to his olde superstitions, yea he would neuer cast them of at all. Therefore do we sée

that this king was oft chastised before he would take profit of Gods correction.

Let vs not merueile then if God doo often smite vs with his hand, for dayly experience doth try vs to be slouth∣full and very sluggardes at Gods admonitions. When God therefore will bring vs to repentance, he must of ne∣cessity beate vs oftentimes, because either we are nothing moued when we are chastised by his hand, or if that we doo seme for one time wakened, yet doo we returne a∣gayne by and by to our olde sinfull slumber. It is of neces∣sitie therefore that the scourges be doubled. This do we sée in this present history as in a glasse. How be it this was a singular benefit of God, that Nebuchadnezer did geue place at the length, after that God had chastised him many times. Yet know we not whether this confession came forth of a true and vnfeyned repentance: I do leaue that in doubt. Yet I doo nothing doubt but that Daniel doth re∣hearse this decrée, to declare that the king was in the end compelled to confesse the God of Israell to be y^e onely God, and to publish the same to all people and nations vnder his dominion.

In the meane ceason this is to be noted, that this de∣crée of the king is praysed by the spirite of God. For Dani∣ell doth rehearse it for none other purpose, but to declare the fruite of the conuersion in the king. Wherefore thys is with out al controuersy, that king Nebuchadnezer hath testified his repentance when he magnified the God of Is∣raell before all the world, and appoynted a penalty for all them which spake blasphemously agaynst that God. Ther∣fore is this place oft cited by Augustine agaynst the Dona∣tistes: for they would haue bene suffered still vnpunished when they maliciously troubled the Church, when they corrupted the pure doctrine, yea when they tooke vpon them to robbe like theues and rage like murtherers. For it was manifest that diuerse were then murthered by them and o∣thers maymed. When these men liued so wickedly, yet would they haue their wickednes to go vnpunished: & thys

they helde for a principle, that no man ought to be punished for holding a contrary religion.

For the which thing some at this day are to much bent to contention. It is euident what they séeke. For if a man marke them, they are wicked contemners of God, at the least they would haue nothing to be certayne in religion. Therefore doo they labour to ouerthrow and, as much as in them lyeth, to destroy all the principles of religion. There∣fore that they may poure forth theyr poyson, they striue thus stoutly for impunity & deny that heretikes and blas∣phemers ought to be punished. That impudent Castalio is one of them, and his felowes, and other such like. Such were then the Donatistes. And therefore (as I haue sayd) Augustine doth often times cite thys place, and declareth that it is shamefull slackenes when Christian princes doo not by punishing the heretikes and blasphemers, main∣tayne Gods glory: considering that Nebuchadnezer which was neuer truely conuerted, yet by a certayne secret insti∣gation published this decree. How so euer it is, it is eui∣dent enohgh to such as are modest and voyd of contenti∣on, that this decree of Nebuchadnezer is commended by the testimony of the spirite. If it be so, it foloweth conse∣quently that it is the duety of kinges to defend Gods true worship, & to punish seuerely prophane contemners, who labour either to make nothing of true religiō, or adulterate and corrupt the true doctrine with their errors, and so dis∣sipate the vnity of fayth and trouble the concord of the Church. This is playne by the text of the prophet.

Nebuchadnezer sayth first: It is good for me to declare the signes and the wonders which God hath wrought with me. At the first he began to declare what God had done, but it vanished away. Therefore after that God had twise or thrise chastised him, at the length he confesseth that it is good and glorious for him to declare the wonderfull workes of God. And he breaketh forth into an exclamation: how great are his signes, how wonderfull are his mighty workes? his king∣dome is an eternall kingdome and his dominion for euer It is no

doubt but Nebuchadnezer would stirre vp his subiectes to reade this decrée more diligently, and to know the great∣nes thereof, that they might geue them selues to serue that true and only God. He calleth the hygh God the God of Israell vndoubtedly. Yet doo we not know whether he had cast away his supersticions or no. And I do rather thinke the contrary, that he had not cast of his errors, but that he was compelled thus to geue glory vnto the true God. He dyd then so knowledge the God of Israell to be the hygh God, that he dyd ioyne vnto hym the inferior Gods as companions and mates: as all the faythles haue perceiued that there was one hygh God, but they imagined therewith an heape of other Gods.

So then dyd Nebuchadnezer confesse the God of Is∣raell to be the hye God, yet dyd he not correct the Idolatry that was vnder his dominion: yea he mingled altogether his false Gods with the God of Israell, and so left not hys corruption. He doth greatly celebrate Gods glory, but that is not enough vnles all superstions be abolished, that that only religion which is prescribed in the word of God may haue place, and the pure and perfit worshyp of God may only florish.

To be short, this preface may be some token of a nota∣ble conuersion. But we shall sée streight wayes, that Ne∣buchadnezer was not wholly pourged from his errors. Wherefore we ought to be the more moued, where we sée the king wrapped in many errors to be so rauished with the admiration of Gods power, that he exclameth & cryeth out because he coulde not expresse that which he had in his hart.

Notes

• Epist. 166. ad Dona∣tistas.