Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 2 · Doctrines
4. Places of doctrine.
1. Doct. That God onelyonly hath the knowledge of things to come.
Vers. 11. There is none that can declare it except the gods: Hierome hence inferreth, that euen in the opinion of the wisemen and Soothsayers of Babylon, none hath the knowledge of things to come, but onelyonly God, by the which it is euident, that the Prophets foretelling things to come spake by the spirit of God, Bulling. By this argument the Prophet sheweth the vanitie of the Idols of the heathen, and conuinceth them to be no gods, Isay, 41. 23. shewe the things that are to come hereafter, that we may knowe, that yee are gods.
2. Doct. Of the immortalitie of the soule.
Vers. 4. O King liue for euer: These heathen men voide of the true knowledge of God, in wishing eternall life vntounto the king, doe shewe their opinion of the immortalitie of the soule: which shall further be prooued, 1. by the testimonie of Scripture. 2. by the demonstration of reason. 3. and by the euidence of forren and heathen witnesses.
1. The Scripture plentifully testifieth, that the soule liueth after it is separated from the bodie: as in that the Lord calleth himselfe, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iaacob, long after their death, Exod. 3. 6. whereupon our Sauiour inferreth, that he is not God of the dead, but of the liuing: So Elias prayed vntounto God to hauehave his hostesses child restored to life in these words, I pray thee let this childs soule returne vntounto him againe, 1. King 17. 22. his soule then was aliue, for otherwise it could not returne to his bodie. Salomon saith that the spirit returneth to God that gaue it, Eccle. 12. 7. In the parable Luk. 16. the soule of Lazarus was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome.
2. 1. Seeing God is most iust, and will recompence euerie man according to his life, the righteous shall hauehave reward, and the wicked punishment, which is not alwaies seene in this life, it must needs be, that God should execute his iustice in another life. 2. Seeing vertue, which is in the minde is immortall; the subject also thereof, the soule must also needes be immortall. 3. And the soule beeing not subiect to corruption, is consequently immortall: for that which is incorruptible is immortall. 4. All things hauehave a place of rest, as the center is vntounto bodies: the soule is restlesse in the bodie, and neuer is at quiet; if then it should not hauehave a place of rest elswhere, it should be more miserable then any other creature. 5. And how could the soule thinke of things immortall or desire them, if it were not it selfe immortall.
3. By these reasons, and such like the heathen beeing perswaded, beleeued the immortalitie of the soule: as Antiochus in his epistle to Lysias, that beginneth, Since our father is translated to the gods, &c. 2. Macchab. 11. 23. In the funeralls of such Romane Emperours as had deserued well of the commonwealth, they vsed to set an eagle, and to put fire vnderunder, which the eagle feeling soared aloft: whereby was signified, that the soule or spirit ascended vp into heauen: Herodian, Pythagoras, and Thales Milesius, were strong maintainers of the immortalitie of the soule, likewise Plutarkain epistol. consola. and Seneca, lib. de morte immatura. Euripides held coelos esse aeterna animarum domicilia, that the heauens, are the eternall houses of the soules. Many such like testimonies and examples might be brought from the heathen to this purpose.
3. Doctrine. Of the vanitie of Soothsayers.
Vers. 4. Shew thy seruants the dreame, and we shall shewe thee the interpretntion. These foolish Soothsayers promise much vntounto the king, but they were able to performe nothing: for afterward cap. 4. when the king told them his dreame, they could say nothing: so they are liberales in verbis, &c. liberall in words, but they can not performe that which they promise: It is euident then, that there is no art or certaine rule to interpret dreames, or to coniecture of things to come; but it is an extraordinarie gift, that commeth from God. Po. So the Lord saith by his Prophet: Isay 44. 25. I destroy the takens of the Soothsayers, and make them that coniecture fooles. &c.
4. Doctrine. Of the mutabilitie of Princes fauours.
Vers. 12. He commanded to destroy all the wisemen of Babel. Nebuchadnezzar who had before highly rewarded the wisemen, and greatly fauoured them, now in his rage, without any iust cause, commandeth them to be slaine: such small certaintie there is in the fauour of Princes. Dauid at his first entertainement was in Sauls fauour, but not long after he hated him as much, wen he returned from the slaughter of Goliah. Ioseph at the first was much fauoured of Potiphar, but vponupon the false suggestion of his wife, he soone cast him out of his fauour. Alexander the great made great account of his friends Parmenio, Philotas, Clitus, Calisthenes, but in the ende he so hated them, as that he would neuer be reconciled vntounto them, but killed them: therefore the Prophet Dauid saith, it is better to trust in the Lord, then to hauehave any confidence in princes: Pintus.
5. Doct. The sentence of death ought not hastily to be executed.
Vers. 15. Daniel said, why is the sentence so hastie from the king? Daniel findeth fault with the hastie execution of the kings sentence; shewing that in such cases long deliberation should be vsed, and great aduisement taken: This was the error of Theodosius the Elder, who when one of his gouernours was slaine in a commotion at Thessolonica, commanded a great number of the people to be put to the sword: for which his bloody fact he was excommunicated of that couragious and religious Bishop S. Ambrose: Theodoret lib. 5. Tripart. 9. Polan.
6. Doctrine. Of Gods prouidence.
Vers. 21. He changeth the times and seasons: This is an euident place to shewe that things are not gouerned by chance in the world, but ruled by Gods prouidence: Meminerimus in tot mutationibus, &c. fulgere Dei prouidentiam, &c. let vsus remember that Gods prouidence shineth in so many mutations and changes in the world, &c. Caluin. If things that seeme so vncertaine, as times and seasons, the change of weather, the variable disposition of the ayre, be yet directed by Gods prouidence, then all other things must depend of the same cause. This alteration cannot be altogether ascribed to nature, for naturall causes worke certainely and orderly, and to chaunce much lesse, for that were to take God out of the world, as either he were carelesse thereof, or impotent, as not beeing able to guide it, but leaueth it to chaunce: But the Prophet sheweth that all creatures doe waite and depend vponupon God. Psal. 104. 27.
7. Doct. Of the mutable state of kingdomes.
Vers. 22. He taketh away kings, he setteth vp kings, &c. The state then and condition of kings, though it seeme to be least subiect to change of all other callings, vntounto men, yet God, the king of kings, can turne and winde them at his pleasure, the preacher saith, that out of prison (one) commeth to raigne, when he that is borne in his kingdome is made poore: Thus Balthazar, Cyrus, Alexander, Caesar, Pompey, soone lost both their kingdomes and liues: Pere. And as these auncient kings and kingdomes were soone ouerturned: so it is still: Anno 1523. Christierne king of Denmarke, with Isabel his wife sister, to Charles the fift, was driuen out of his kingdome and realme, and died in prison, when he had liued 27. yeares in captiuitie. Anno 1567. Iohn Duke of Saxonie, was depriued of his dukedome, and carried captiue to Maximilian the Emperour. Anno 1568. Ericus king of Suetia the sonne of Gostavus, was deposed from his kingdome, and died in prison.
And as God pulleth downe kings, so he setteth other vp: Matthias Hunniades was taken out of prison to be a king: So was Elizabeth, our Late renouned Soueraigne, succeeding her sister Marie: Anno 1577. Ioannes king of Suecia, was from the prison aduanced to be king: Polan.
8. Doct. A good King hath many carefull thoughts of his kingdome and commonwealth.
Vers. 29. O King, when thou wast in thy bedde, thoughts came into thy minde: This great king euen in the night thought of his kingdome, what should befall it after his dayes: euen the care thereof made him he could not sleepe. Bulling. he was not addicted altogether to his ease and pleasure: as Balthazar, who the same night that the citie was taken gaue himselfe to eating and drinking, Dan. 5. Like vntounto this Nabuchadnezzar, was the great king of Persia Assuerus, who when he could not sleepe, caused the Chronicles to be read vntounto him, Ester 6. 1.
9. Doct. Of the kingdome of Christ, as he is God, and as he is Mediatour, God and man.
v. 44. The God of heauen shall set vp a kingdome. The kingdome of Christ, is either his naturall kingdome, which he had from all beginning togither with the Father and the holy Ghost, which is called the vniuersall kingdome whereby he ruleth in heauen and earth: which kingdome as he assumed not, so he shall neuer lay it downe.
There is also regnum donativum, the kingdome which is giuen to him of his Father, as he is Mediatour, God and man: whereof he speaketh, Matth. 28. 18. All power is giuen vntounto me is heauen and earth: this is that speciall and particular kingdome, which he exerciseth more specially in his Church, in protecting and defending the same against all the enemies and aduersaries thereof.
This kingdome giuen vntounto Christ, is likewise considered two waies, it is either the kingdome of grace, whereby he guideth his Church in this world, directing them vntounto euerlasting saluation; or the kingdome of glorie in the next life, when he hath brought his Church and companie of the Elect vntounto euerlasting saluation in heauen, there to raigne for euer: Polan.
10. Doct. Daniels prophesie of Christs euerlasting kingdom, containeth the whole summe of the Gospel.
v. 44. A kingdome, which shall neuer be destroied, &c. This euerlasting kingdome of Christ, resting not in his person alone, but beeing communicated to all his members, comprehendeth the whole summe of Euangelicall doctrine: for the Elect cannot raigne for euer with Christ, but death must first be destroyed, and sinne the cause thereof: the bodies also of the Saints must rise againe from death: so then in this prophesie of Christs euer-during kingdome, is included the faith of remission of sinnes, of the conquest of death, and of the resurrection. Bulling. Melancth.
11. Doct. Of the certentie of our saluation.
v. 44. And it, shall stand for euer. As Christs kingdome is sure and cannot be shaken in himselfe, so neither can it hauehave any alteration or change in his members: Christus tam in se, quam in suis membris citra vllum mutationis periculum dominatur, Christ as well in himselfe, as in his members doth rule without any feare or daunger of change, Calv. for he hath made vsus partakers of his kingdome by faith, by which we stand: for he by his grace is able to make vsus stand: of our selues by nature we are changeable eueryevery moment, but by the power and grace of God, our state in Christ is certen and vnchangeable, as S. Peter saith, We are kept by the power of God through faith vntounto saluation, which is prepared to be shewed in the last time, 1. Pet. 1. 5.
12. Doct. Religion ouerthroweth not the policie and forme of Commonwealths.
v. 48. He made him gouernour ouer the whole prouince of Babel. Daniel beeing made a chiefe gouernour in Chaldea, did (no doubt) iudge the people according to the lawes of the countrey, which differed much from the politicall state of the Israelites: by the which it is euident, that necessarily eueryevery countrey is not now tied to the iudicials and policie of Moses; neither is religion an enemie to the forme of gouernment in Commonwealths, beeing grounded vponupon equitie: Papp. for the Apostle saith, The powers that be, are ordained of God, Rom. 13. 1. wheresoeuer, and howsoeuer, the administration and gouernment beeing iust and equall.