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

13 Then was Daniel brought before the kyng, and the kyng spake and sayd vnto Daniel: art thou that Daniel which art of the children of the captiuitie of Iudah, whom my father the kyng brought out of Iewry?

14 Now I haue heard of thee that the spirite of the holy Gods is in thee, and that light and vn∣derstandyng and excellent wisedome is founde in thee.

15 Now therefore wise men, and Astrologians haue bene brought before me, that they should read this writyng and shew me the interpreta∣tion

therof: but they could not declare the inter∣pretation of the thyng.

16 Thē heard I of thee that thou couldest shew interpretations, and dissolue doubtes. Now if thou canst read the writyng and shew me the in∣terpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple and shall haue a chayne of gold about thy necke, & shalt be the thyrd ruler in the kyngdome.

Here the kyng doth not acknowledge his carelesnes, but doth aske Daniel without shame, and doth aske him as a captiue: Art thou that Daniel of the captiuitie of Iudah, whō my father caryed away? He semeth here to speake contēptu∣ously, that he might briue Daniel to flatter him like a bond slaue: Although we may read this sentence as though Belt∣sazar should enquyre by maner of admiration: art thou that Daniel? J haue in deede heard of thee: He had heard of late and regarded him not, but now when extreme necessitie pres∣seth him, hee geueth some honour to Daniel. I haue heard therfore (sayth hee) that the spirite of the Gods is in thee, that thou canst dissolue doubtes, and disclose secrete thinges. As con∣cernyng the spirite of the Gods, we haue sayd before, that kyng Beltsazar after the commō maner of the heathen, ma∣keth no difference betwixt God and the Angels: for those miserable men could not extoll God as it was conuenient, so that the Angels should be as it were vnder his féete. But yet this maner of speach doth shew that men were neuer so brutish, but they did ascribe vnto God euery thyng that was excellent: like as we sée euen of prophane writers all such thynges to be called the good giftes of the Gods, which did serue for the commoditie of men, or had in them selues any excellency or worthynes. Thus the Chaldees called the gift of vnderstandyng or knowledge which was rare and excellent, the spirite of the Gods, because they did know that men did not atteine nor get vnto them selues the gift of prophecy by their owne industry and diligence: but that

this is a heauenly gift. Therefore they are compelled to geue God his prayse. But because the true God was vn∣knowne vnto them, they spake intricatly, and (as I sayd) they called the Angels Gods, because in y^e darkenes of theyr ignoraunce they could not discerne who was the true God. How soeuer it be, Beltsazar here declareth in what estima∣tion he had Daniel.

But he affirmeth that he hath thys thing onely of other mens report: whereby hys dulnes is agayne declared. For he ought to haue knowledge of the Prophet by trial and ex∣perience: but when he is content onely wyth the bare ru∣mor, hereby doth it appeare how proudly he despised the teacher that God offered, and yet would neither consi∣der nor acknowledge hys owne wickednes. Howbeit God doth thus oftentymes wring out a confession from the wic∣ked, whereby they should condemne themselues, although they would most gladly anoyde it.

To the same effect also tendeth that which he sayth: all the wyse men and Southsayers, and Enchaunters were brought forth before me, which should read the writing vnto me, and open the interpretation: but (sayth he) they could not. For God did punish hym when in hys extreme necessity he shewed that all the Chaldees and Soothsayers, in whom yet he put his whole trust, did nothing profit hym. Seyng then hys hope fayled hym, hereby he acknowledgeth that he was deceaued when he nourished the Mages & Soothsayers, and thouht that he was well defended wyth counsayle, so that he had them with him. In the meane season, that the holy Prophet was reiected, it was intolerable vnto God, & that worthe∣ly. Beltsazar doth cōfesse thys, although he doth not thinke it. Therfore haue I sayd that the cōfession was not frée nor voluntarily, but violently extorted and wrong forth by the secret power of God.

And he doth promise also vnto Daniel the same which he had promised before vnto the Mages: Thou shalt be clo∣thed with purple (sayth he) if thou read this writing, and thou shalt haue a chaine of golde about thy necke, and thou shalt be

the third in my kingdome. But euen then was hys kyng∣dome at an end: and yet doth he offer thys dignitie vnto Daniel wythout all care. Wherby it appeareth that the ter∣rour which God had stricken hys hart wythall, was gone and vanished: like as men takē wyth a phrenesy are merue∣lously vnquiet, and so can haue nothyng certayne, and they wyll so leap vp in the midest of their feare, as though they would clime to the heauen or flie in the ayre. Euen so thys tyrant although he tremble at the iudgement of God, yet doth he retayne a secret pride in hys hart, and imagineth that he shall be a kyng for euer, whiles he doth thus pro∣mise vnto others both riches and honours.