Commentary on Isaiah, Title page – Translators dedication
A COMMENTARY VPONUPON THE PROPHECIE OF ISAIAH. By Mr. IOHN CALVIN.
WHEREVNTO ARE ADDED FOVRE TABLES: The firſt touching places of Scripture alleaged: The ſecond, of the principall matters handled: The third, of Authors and diuers names mentioned: Th… fourth, of certaine texts cited out of Iſaiah in the new Teſtament, which by the Author in the Commentarie are compared and reconciled.
TRANSLATED OVT OF FRENCH INTO ENGLISH: BY C. C.
Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the ſinne of the world. Iohn 1.29.
To him alſo giuegive all the Prophets witneſſe, that through his name all that beleeue in him, ſhall receiue remiſsion of ſinnes. Act. 10.43.
Lord, who will beleeue our report? And to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed? Iſai. 53.1. Iohn 12.37.38.
AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON, and are to b… … by William Cotton, dwelling in Pater noſter Row, at the ſigne of the golden Lion. 1609.
TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE, HENRIE, PRINCE OF GREAT BRITTAINE, SONNE AND HEIRE APPARANT TO our Soueraigne Lord, IAMES King of Great Brittaine, &c. AND TO THE MOST NOBLE AND VERTVOVS PRINCESSE, THE LADY ELIZABETHS GRACE, his Highneſſe moſt deare Siſter; all honour and happineſſe, with eternall glorie through Chriſt IESVS.
MOſt gracious and renowned Princes, hauing tranſlated out of French into our Engliſh tongue, the booke of the prophecie of Jſaiah, interpreted and expounded by Maſter John Caluin, of reuerend memorie: I humblie craue that it may be publiſhed vnderunder your moſt Princely names and protection. The reaſon of this my humble petition is, that the honor of ſo noble a worke may not be imbaſed by the meanes of my endeuours. This Prophet by birth was the ſonne of Amos, eſteemed by many to hauehave been brother to Azarias King of Iudah, and Father in law to King Manaſſes: which being ſo, this Prophet was by birth of the blood Royal, and deſcended of the houſe of Dauid, which for the promiſe of Chriſt to come of him, was the moſt noble houſe of all the Kings of the earth. Being ſo borne, his education could not be but Princely, and his bringing vp in all good learning, wiſdome, vertue and honor. His ſpirituall graces, not attained vntounto by ordinarie meanes, but inſpired into him immediatly by the Spirit of God, were excellent. This appeareth particularly in the ſixth Chapter of this Prophecie, declaring that an Angell of God with a burning coale taken from the Lords Altar, and laide to the mouth of the Prophet, refined his lips and his tongue, that they became pure and precious as the fineſt Gold. The ſame is manifeſt in all the booke of his Prophecie; wherein both the light and the heate of that heauenly fire appeareth. For he not onelyonly declared the will of God ſincerely, according to the lawe and teſtimonie deliuered to Moſes, but alſo foreſhewed the future euents of the Kingdome of Judah, and of all the flouriſhing ſtates and Kingdomes of his time.
He Prophecieth alſo of the birth of Ieſus Chriſt, as if hee had been taught by the Angell Gabriel; who brought the annunciation and meſſage of it to the bleſſed Virgin his mother. Of his paſſion and death he ſpake, as if with the Apoſtle John he had ſtoode by when he was crucified. His reſurrection he deſcribed, as if with all the Apoſtles he had ſtoode vponupon Mount Oliuet, where the Lord tooke the cloude of glorie as his heauenly Chariot to aſcend and goe vp to his Father. His zeale and indignation againſt ſinne is euident eueryevery where, in his ſharpe reproofes of the offences of all eſtates.
Finally, the booke of his Prophecie beareth written in the head of it the names of foure Kings, in whoſe time he prophecied; and before whom as a veſſell of golde he bare the name of God with great honour. All which things being royall, it ſeemed to me moſt conuenient that his booke ſhould ſtill beare in the front of it the names of Princes. And as hee foreſhewed that Kings ſhould bee Foſterfathers, and Queenes Nurces of the Church of Chriſt, ſo my deſire was that his booke might be publiſhed vnderunder the names and protection of Chriſtian Princes.
Moreouer, I was led hereunto by the example of this Interpreter, whoſe expoſition vponupon Jſaias propheſie I tranſlate; namelie, of M. John Caluin, a man in his time of excellent pietie and learning; and one of the great lights, whereby it hath pleaſed God both to chaſe away the errors of poperie, as the darknes of the ſhadow of death; and to cauſe his maruellous and comfortable light of the Goſpell to ſhine vntounto this preſent age. For hee dedicated his firſt expoſition of this booke to the young Prince, King Edward the ſixth, of famous memorie, for the princelie graces, for the zealous louelove of true religion, and of al heroical vertues; wherewith in his young yeeres he raiſed an admirable expectation of future glorie, if his precious life had long continued. He was alſo moſt worthily renowned with higheſt glorie, for that gracious reformation in religiō, which was eſtabliſhed by his regal authority, and which our Engliſh Church at this day with great comfort doth enioy, vnderunder the happie gouernment of our Soueraigne Lord the King, your moſt noble and renowned Father.
Furthermore, the ſame Author ſetting out againe this Commentarie, amplified and enlarged, he dedicated this ſecond edition to our late moſt gracious Queene Elizabeth, worthie of eternall memorie in this Kingdome, for the reeſtabliſhing (after a few yeeres alteration) of the zealous reformation of her moſt vertuous brother. Which example hath led mee in moſt humble manner to ſeeke for the ſame worke, the high patronage and protection of ſuch Princes, like thoſe to whom hee preſented this his ſeruice.
To whom I know none ſo like as your ſelues, both in regard of your high eſtate, and alſo in like moſt noble deſcent from the vnited houſes of Yorke and Lancaſter. Beſides which reſemblance, your Highneſſe alſo is of like yeeres to the yong Prince King Edward, and in the eies of all the kingdome, of like hope of excellent vertue and zealous proceedings in the aduancement of Chriſtian religion.
In like manner your Grace reſembleth the moſt gracious late Queene Elizabeth, both in her royall name, and alſo in the conſtant expectation of all men, to expreſſe in time all the princely vertues and graces that ſhined in that moſt renowned Princeſſe, from this Weſterne part of the world, to the furtheſt Eaſt, and to the riſing of the Sunne.
In which reſpects, eſteeming ſuch a dedication, moſt like that which my author made of his owne worke, I hauehave moſt humblie craued that this my tranſlation of it might bee vouchſafed the honour to hauehave your Princelie names written in the beginning of it. For notwithſtanding the great difference that is betweene a reuerend learned writer and expounder of the holie Scriptures, and the tranſlator of ſuch an expoſition, yet this meane ſeruice hath alſo his good vſe in the Church of God; and is of long and tedious labour to ſuch as take paines therein; which being gratiouſlie accepted, may encourage others to trauell in this kind, and cauſe many to giuegive thankes to God for you both, by whoſe moſt princely fauours and protection, they are made partakers of ſuch worthie writings. And I ſhall alwaies pray Almightie God, with this new yeere, to multiply many more vponupon you, and dailie repleniſh your hearts with all princely and heroicall graces, that may enable and adorne Princes of ſo hie eſtates, amongſt this people.
Your Highneſſe, and Graces most humblie deuoted, in all loyall and dutifull affection, CLEMENT COTTON.