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

Before that Daniel doth rehearse the writing, and be∣fore he geueth the interpretatiō therof, he admonisheth the kyng of the cause of thys wonder. For it had not bene mete to haue begonne with the reading, to haue sayd [mene me∣ne] as we shall sée in the end of the Chapter: the king could not so haue profited by such a short maner of speach. But here he declareth that it is no maruaile though God did stretch forth hys hand or put forth y^e likenes of a hand which

did write the kynges destruction, because the kyng had ob∣stinatly prouoked Gods wrath. We sée then why Daniel beginneth wyth thys history, that Nebuchadnezer was a great Monarch, that he had subdued the whole world vnto hym, that all men feared hys countenaunce: agayne, that he was cast downe from the throne af hys kingdome, euen for thys purpose, to make it more playne that Beltsazar did not trespasse of ignoraunce, because that he ought soberly and modestly to haue behaued himself, considering that no∣table and meruelous example of hys Grandfather. But be∣cause thys domesticall admonition did nothing profit hym, Daniel declareth that the tyme is now at hand when God wyll shew his wrath vpon him, euen by a fearefull wonder. Thys is the summe. But as touching the wordes, he sayth first of all, that there was geuen to king Nebuchadnezer from God an Empire, a maiestie, honor, and glory: as if he should say, he was magnified and adorned of God, that he should be the Monarch of the whole world.

We haue sayd before, and Daniel wyll repete it agayne in many places, that kyngdomes do not come vnto men by chaunce and fortune,* 1.1 but from God, as Paul sayth: that there is no power but of God. And God wyll haue hys proui∣dence to appeare after a speciall maner in the distribution of kyngdomes. For although God gouerne y^e whole world, and thynges which séeme most small in the gouernment of mankinde are ruled by hys hand: yet hys speciall prouidēce doth appeare most euidently in kingdomes and Empires. And Daniel to confirme thys doctrine, addeth: that for the gaeat authority that God gaue hym, all men did tremble before hym. Whereby he signifieth that the glory of God is im∣printed in kynges persones so long as he wyll haue thē to raigne. Thys can not be outwardly séene, but the mat∣ter it selfe declareth it playnely, that kynges are armed wyth authority from God, in that they are able thus to re∣tayne vnder their hand and at their appointment, great multitudes of men: for amongest mortall men, euery one desireth to be the chiefe. How doth it then come to passe,

seyng ambition is so fixed in all mēs harts, that many thou∣sands wyll submit thēselues vnto one, and suffer thēselues to be ruled, yea that they can suffer at the handes of such many iniuries? What is the cause hereof, but that God doth arme wyth the sword and power, whom he wyll haue to be excellent in the world? This reason therefore is dili∣gently to be noted that the prophet saith, that all did tremble at y^e sight of king Nebuchadnezer, because God had made hym great, that is to say, because God would haue hym ex∣cellent aboue others in the world.

God hath many causes and those many tymes most se∣cret, why he doth extoll him and cast downe an other. How¦beit this must we know without all doubt, that no kyngs come to authority vnles GOD lend them hys hand, and styll stablishe them therein: and when hee wyll take away their power, they fall spedely: not that there commeth any∣thing by chaunce in these mutations and chaunges, but be∣cause that God, as is written in the booke of Iob,* 1.2 doth loose their girdles whom he had before girded.

Then it followeth: whom he would kill he killed, whom he would he did smite Some thinke that the abuse of the kinges power is here noted. But I had rather take it simply, that Nebuchadnezer had authority to cast downe whom he would, and to exalt whom he would that it was in hys po∣wer to geue lyfe and to take away lyfe. I do not therefore referre these wordes to tyrannicall lust, as though Nebu∣chadnezer had murthered many innocentes, had shed mās bloud without reason, or had spoyled many of their posses∣sions, and had made other rich or raysed them to honours: I do not take it so: but that it was in hys power either to kill or to geue life, to set vp or to cast downe.

To be short, me thinke that Daniel doth here describe what power kynges haue, which may thus fréely deale wyth their subiectes: not because it is lawfull, but because none dare speake agaynst it. For whatsoeuer pleaseth the king, all mē are compelled to agrée thereunto, or at the least no man dare stirre against it. Seing that kynges then haue

such liberty, Daniel declareth that this kyng Nebuchad∣nezer was not raysed hereunto by hys owne industry, wis∣dome, or counsayle, or by hys good fortune: but he saith that he gate thys great Empire, and that he was terrible vnto all, because God had adorned hym wyth that glory. In the meane tyme yet it behoueth all kynges to regard, what is lawfull and what GOD permitteth them to do. For as they are kynges, so must they consider also that they must once geue accomptes to the most high kyng. We can not gather hereby then that kinges are constitute of God to be lawles, to liue without order and to do what they list. But the Prophet (as I haue sayd) speaketh of the power that they haue. And seing that kinges haue power of death and life ouer their subiectes, he saith that the life of them al was in king Nebuchadnezers hand.

Then he sayth: VVhen his heart was lifted vp, then was he cast downe from the throne of his kingdome, and they spoyled him of his dignitie. He prosecuteth that which he began. His purpose is to declare to kyng Beltsazar, that GOD for a space doth suffer their pride which do forget hym when they haue gotten high authoritie. Therfore sayth he: kyng Nebuchadnezer thy grandfather was an hye Monarch: this did hée not atteine of himselfe, neither yet did hée re∣teine the Empire and cōtinue therein, but as he was stayd & vpholden by the hand of God. Now the trāsformation of him into a boast, was a notable document, that their pryde can not alwayes bee suffered, which are vnthankefull vnto God, and do not acknowledge that they do reigne by hys benefite. VVhen his hart therfore was lifted vp (sayth he) and his mynde was set vpon pride, there came a sodaine chaunge. Hereby shouldest thou haue learned O kyng, and all his po∣steritie, to deceiue your selues no longer with pride: but ra∣ther the exāple of this thy forefather should strike thy hart. Wherfore this writyng is set before thyne eyes, whereby thou mayst vnderstand that both thy kyngdome and thy life are euen now at an end.

And this sentence is to be noted, that Daniel sayth: That

his heart was hardned in pride. For he geueth vs to vnder∣stād, that he was not puffed vp sodainly with a light folie, as vayne men many tymes vse to bee when there is no cause, and no inward motion of the minde goeth before: but hée would vtter vnto vs a greater matter, that this pride had now bene nourished in his hart along tyme: as though hée should say, that he was not taken with a sodaine vayne mo∣tion, but that hée had so long bent him selfe vpon pride, that he was obstinate and hardened therin.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 13 1.
• * 1.2

  Iob. 12.18