Commentary on Isaiah, Authors letter 1
TO THE MOST HIGH AND RENOWMED PRINCESSE, ELIZABETH, Queene of England, &c. A moſt gracious defender of the true Christian Faith.
IOHN CALVIN.
ALthough in correcting and poliſhing of this Commētary, moſt noble Queene, I hauehave trauelled with ſuch diligence, that it may well be eſteemed a new booke: yet becauſe in the firſt edition it was dedicated to your brother King Edward, who in his infancy farre ſurpaſſed the men of his time; whoſe memorie alſo I wiſh euer to flouriſh, as worthily it deſerues: I was determined to alter nothing touching the inſcription. But becauſe in this miſerable and wofull ſcattering of the Church, and the aboliſhing of the ſincere doctrine which hath happened in ſo ſhort a ſpace, with an incredible violence; this booke, with the whole word of God, was baniſhed England for a time: and that now as I hope it ſhall be receiued (as before) at your happie entrance into that kingdome; I hauehave committed no abſurditie, as I thinke, if together with the name of ſo worthy and excellent a King, I alſo ioyne yours; which all good men do both louelove and honour. Yea, beſides this occaſion which thus offers it ſelfe; neceſsitie alſo may ſeeme to require that I ſhould intreate your fauour touching this Commentarie in particular; the baniſhment whereof hath (I am well aſſured) been much lamented by very many of the faithfull, your louing ſubiects.
Although I confeſſe my meaning is not ſo much to obtain… your fauour onelyonly in reſpect of my labours, as humblie to beſeech, yea and by the ſacred name of Christ to adiure you, that not onelyonly all good bookes may againe find intertainement, and bee freely vſed in your kingdome vnderunder your allowance: but alſo that you be carefull in the first place, of that true religion which hath been ſhamefully corrupted. If Ieſus Chriſt, the onelyonly ſonne of God doth iustly challenge this of all the Kings of the earth, then hath he bound you, most noble Queene, with a more holy band to put your ſacred hand to ſuch a worke. For in that time wherein your ſelfe, the daughter of a King, were not free from that dreadfull tempest ruſhing downe ſo furiouſlie vponupon the heads of all the faithfull; (this Lord Ieſus I ſay) plucking you ſafe thereout, albeit you had your part with them in the feare of this danger; he hath obliged you to vow your ſelfe and all your deſignes to his ſeruice. And ſo farre is it off that you hauehave any cauſe to bluſh in reſpect of ſuch a deliuerance, that contrariwiſe God hath therein giuen you ample and plentifull matter of reioycing, in vouchſafing thus to conforme you to the Image of his ſonne; vntounto whom our Prophet among other glorious titles giues him this, namely, That out of priſon, and from iudgement was he taken, and exalted vntounto a ſoueraigne degree of celeſtiall rule and dominion. As it is not a common honour then to reſemble ſuch a Patron: ſo as oft as you ſhall call the ſame to mind (which you ſhould neuer forget) out of what perplexed and wofull feares you are eſcaped through Gods prouidence, who hath in a viſible manner as it were, reached forth his hand from heauen vntounto you. Know yee, that he ſets this marke before you; namely, that with a feareleſſe conſtancie, and an inuincible magnanimitie of mind, you ſhould interchangeablie reſerue vntounto your Protector and Redeemer, that right which vntounto him appertaineth; and ſetting all other buſineſſes aſide (with which on all ſides you ſhall be enuironed in theſe beginnings of your reigne) you will (which I nothing doubt of) giuegive ſuch order that his ſeruice vnworthilie corrupted for a time in your countrie, may bee there reeſtabliſhed in its firſt glory.
And if Satan endeuour to terrifie, or weaken you in propoſing many and great impediments; you know of whom you ought to craue courage, cheerefully to goe on, and to ouercome all obſtacles. God alſo for his part, who approoues of mens particular actions, will crowne in you his worke, with an happie and wiſhed end.
Moreouer, your dutie to religion, moſt excellent Queene, ſhould the rather prouoke you; ſeeing our Iſaiah requires, that Queenes ſhould be no leſſe nurcing mothers to his Church, then Kings the nurcing fathers thereof. Neither are you only bound to purge out the filth of poperie againe; and that the flocke lately affrighted and diſperſed, be againe gathered together and foſtered: but that you alſo call home the baniſhed exiles, who choſe rather to loſe the preſent profits of their natiue countrie, then there to continue, whileſt pietie was chaſed thence. Here is the ſumme of your thankefulneſſe towards God, and a ſacrifice of a moſt ſweet ſauour, namely, that the faithfull ſeruants of God, who were conſtrained to wander to and fro in farre countries for the profeſsion of the Goſpell, may now returne home to their houſes by your fauour.
As for vsus, who for good cauſe hauehave bitterly bewailed ſo lamentable a ſpectacle (we, I ſay) hauehave iuſt occaſion giuen vsus now to be glad, and to gratifie you, when by the clemencie of your eie, we preſently ſee the way made open to our brethren, not onelie to ſerue God with freedome in your Maieſties dominions; but alſo to be a meanes whereby others may enioy the like benefit there with them.
To conclude, moſt noble Queene, if of your fauour you accept (as I hope you will) this teſtimonie of the reuerence which I owe to your Greatneſſe; though many may eſteeme the ſame ſmall and contemptible: yet ſhall I thinke my ſelfe abundantly recompenced, and will all my life endeuour by all meanes poſsible to manifeſt my thankefulneſſe to your Highneſſe for the ſame.
The Lord guide and gouerne you, moſt noble Queene, by his Spirit of wiſdome; ſtrengthen you with inuincible fortitude; defend and inrich your Highnes with all ſorts of bleſſings. From Geneua, the yeere 1559. Ianuarie the 15. which, as they ſay, is appointed for the day of your Coronation; for which cauſe I did the more willingly ſet pen to paper, hauing obtained ſome releaſe from a quartan Ague.