Commentary on Daniel, Title page – To the reader
COMMENTARIES of that diuine Iohn Caluine, vponupon 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.
Daniell. 2.
¶ The ſtone cut foorth of the mountaine without handes, ſhall breake in peeces the braſſe, the yron, the clay, the ſiluer, and the gold. &c.
AT LONDON. Imprinted by Iohn Daye, ouer Alderſgate. 1570.
¶ Cum gratia & Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis.
¶ To the Reader.
GOod Reader, blame not this thyng I beſech thee, which I hauehave done in this plaine and rude ſort, for the commoditie of the ſimple and vnlearned: whom I did thinke vnable to comprehende in theyr myndes, and to apply vntounto their conſciences theſe learned Cōmentaries of this diuine Caluine, vnles they were ſomethyng abbridged and ye expoſitions of the Hebrue wordes, which would hauehave bene ſomethyng darke in our lā guage, omitted. Wherfore, as I do profeſſe my ſelfe to bee one of his ſcholers, and do prayſe God for the ſame more then for any earthly matter: ſo do I not of arrogancie alter or chaunge any thing in his writynges. But becauſe I do know right well that if he were alyue hym ſelfe, he would ſuffer all his doings to be applyed to the commoditie of the Church: therfore now whē I do offer his trauayles to the vnlearned of our Engliſh nation, who are deſirous of the ſame, I do ſo preſent them as may be moſt comfortable to their conſcience, and leaſt tedious to ſuch ſimple perſons as are not able to comprehend all his large and learned diſcourſes. And this abbrydgement do I make but in the two firſt Chapters and in few places beſides: puttyng into print at this preſent, the one halfe of the booke of Daniell, conteynyng the firſt vj. Chapiters, which do treate of the particular hyſtories wrought by God in hys tyme, and therfore ſemeth vntounto me farre diuerſe from the latter vj. Chapters: wherin he prophecieth of all thynges that ſhould come vntounto the elect people vntill the commyng of Meſsias, and toucheth alſo ſome thynges that be generall vntounto all, euen to the end of the world. The which latter part alſo I do meane (by Gods grace) to publiſh for the inſtruction of our nation in theſe obſcure Prophecies, if I can perceaue this former trauayle to be well accepted of the godly, which is my deſire, and whom I do exhorte in the Lord, to read the Scriptures attentyuely, to meditate the ſame diligently, to pray continually.
A. G.