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 Prayer.

GRaunt almighty God, seing thou hast purchased vs by the precious bloud of thine owne sonne that we should not be in our owne power, but that we should be geuen wholy vnto thy faythfull seruice: that we may study and endeuour our selues to consecrate our selues wholy vnto thee, and to offer our selues in body and soule so vnto thy seruice, that we may be ready rather to suffer an hundreth deathes thē to fayle from the true and pure worship of thy maiesty: and especially that we may so exercise our selues in prayer, that we may flye vnto thee euery moment, and yelde vp our selues vnto thy fatherly care, that thou mayst gouerne vs by thy spi∣rite, defend vs and strengthen vs vnto the end, whiles that we be gathered into that heauenly kyngdome

which thy onely begotten sonne hath purchased wyth hys bloud. Amen.

We beganne to declare the false accusation of Daniel wherewith he was accused vnto king Darius. The nobles of the kingdome (as I haue sayd) came craftely vnto y^e king. For if they had begonne wih Daniel, the king might haue broken of their communication: but they speake of y^e kinges decrées: they declare what daunger may come vnlesse all the kinges proceedinges be obeyed: and by this subtilty we per∣ceaue that they obtayned their purpose. For the king confir∣meth that which they had spokē: to wit, that it was not law∣full to disanull any thing which was published in the kinges name. For kinges flatter themselues in their dignity, and whatsoeuer pleaseth them, they will haue it to be coūted for an heauenly oracle. That decree was wicked and detesta∣ble wherein Darius did forbid any thing to be asked of God: yet will hee haue this to remayne stable lest his maiestie should decay amongest his subiectes. In the meane season he doth not consider what may folow thereof. Wherefore we are taught by this example that there is no vertue so rare in kynges as modesty: and yet that no vertue is more necessa∣ry. For the more authority that they haue, the more it be∣commeth them to take héede that they folow not their owne lust and pride, neither that they thinke it lawfull whatsoe∣uer it pleaseth them to decrée.