DANIEL HIS CHALDIE VISIONS AND HIS EBREVV BOTH TRANSLATED AFTER THE Original and expounded both by reduction of heathen most famous stories vnto the exact proprietie of his wordes which is the surest certaintie what he must meane and by ioyning all the Bible and learned tongues to the frame of his worke Let him that readeth Daniel vnderstand Mat. 24. The vvise vvill vnderstand Dan. 12. AT LONDON Printed by Richard Field for William Young dwelling neare the great North doore of Paules where the other workes of the same author are to be sold 1596. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LL. OF HER M. MOST HONORABLE PRIVIE COVNSEL THE Prophet Nathan right H. told Dauid of a sonne that should build a temple vnto God and sit vpon a throne for euer touching whom as Daniel penneth all his booke which I present vnto your Lordships I request your pacience to iudge by a short summe what vse my explicatiō may haue in our Church and state That speech of Nathans was commonly vnderstood of Salomon but indeede belōgeth more vnto his brother Nathan to whom Dauid gaue the Prophets name that by it the godly might see from what line he should come which alwayes sate on the right hand of the father And that the Elder sonne of Bathsheba for whom Dauid made the most heauenly Psalme of repētance should not want his dignitie God gaue him praerogatiues verie fit to allure the world vnto higher matters He built by Gods commaundement a temple of Masons worke sate after a sort in Gods speech vpon the throne of the Eternall Yet God spake vnto him for the people and he vnto God before the people wordes touching that his kingdome should not stand And in his whole booke that teacheth how all things vnder the sunne are vanitie the whole drift is to expoūd the truth of the promised throne VVhen his line should end in Ie-Choniah the Eternall Iah sweareth that if Choniah were a signet vpō his finger he would plucke him thence and pluckt his name from the kings and preacheth ô earth earth earth write him childlesse for none of his seede shall sit vpon Dauids throne Him Nebuchadnezar kept in prison 37. y and ouerthrew Salomons kingdome and temple with all the implements that Iudah should looke to the other house of Dauid for the true throne Then Ierusalem was to be taught a new in what sort they should see to peace For them the booke of Daniel is a Commētary handling principal points of their seuentie yeares thraldome seuen times that space vnto Christ his ascention to reigne in the house of Dauid for euer who destroyeth vtterly as with a floud Citie and tēple to shew that such outward things of mans worke could not be fit for to be meant in the most glorious promise vnto Dauid So Ierusalem surprised by the Chaldeā and razed by the Romane is the limites of his story For the middle space he hādled certaine principall heads touching Zorobabels people and the enemies Zorobabel was the onely of Nathan that bare rule and that to build a temple and to receaue the promise of Christ as in Ag. 2. Then his familie hath an expresse declaration what throne belongeth vnto them For they are termed the Sainctes of the high Trinitie who shall possesse a kingdome for euer yea for euer and euer And Daniel sheweth thrones set vp one like the sonne of man comming into the world and againe ascending vnto the king euerlasting and reigning aey ouer all nations And this much is the summe of their comfort Touching the kingdome he nameth the nations that should successiuely take it from thē with open iniurie to their Religion The Chaldeans had begun The Persians cōquering them should continue Next Great Alexander So interchangeably the Seleucidae and Lagidae vnto ten tyrannical kings But afterwardes they should be weakened that Daniels people might hold their own kingdome He nameth the Romanes but not as enemies here vnto their Religion yet toucheth their comming vp that all might know by what nation Christ should be kild when by his birth time the fourth kingdome should fall through the Romanes And they should be the second Babylon to Ierusalem But seeing they medled not with the Iewes vntill they called for their helpe that when the Machabees had vsurped long a kingdome against Iacobs will no lesse enemies to Zorobabels house then the others as their familie perished alike vtterly so the seueritie of God was not to prophecie a comfort against the Iewes calamities called for by their own prophanesse as it were open request For Caesar and Pompey were called into partaking by striuing Machabees and before had made league and friendship with Iudah Therefore comforts in such dealings might not be sent frō heauē The plainnesse of Daniel is great telling of matters that all the world would note Strabo knew Nebuchadnezars greatnes Berosus better Abydenus toucheth his propheticall traunce as hearing of that his Proclamation or Epistle sent vnto all the world Cyrus Conquest of Babel all nations knew Xerxes fall was more in speech Alexāders stories better knowen in most people then their owne his victories ambition of Godhead quick death and ruine of familie And againe his Captaines partitions of spoyles their falling to foure chiefe kingdomes and two of them principall Syria and Aegypt comming vnto perpetuall strife among them selues these heathē obserued who knew likewise the strāge successe of Ptolemie Lagidas the stranger of Seleucus Nicator their league in friendship their sonnes falling out their seeking atonement by that Mariage of Berenice their greater warres vpon her death the ouerrunning of Syria to win the syrname 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a further reuenge in Philopators victory Againe the other sides conquests to syrname Antiochus great his Cleopatras mariage with Ptolemie his inuading Grece his fall by Rome his Church robbing his two sonnes Church robbing their three extraordinarie deathes these matters be most famous amōg the heathē And Antiochus Epiphanes subtiltie in ouerreaching his brother and two nephewes his comming vp in Syria his three inuasiōs of Aegypt his endeuour and crueltie to haue extinguished Iudahs Religiō these matters are the most famous of any in heathen stories VVhen we adde vnto them the iest of Augustus how it was better to be Herods hog then his sonne because of his slaughter at our Lordes birth and Vergils harping at a child comming from heauen noysed doubtlesse by Iewes and the expectation of all the East of a king arising then to rule all the world and Tacitus for Christ Pilate and Christians lastly the manifold writers of Ierusalems fall the last part then we shal haue open all the humane points of Daniels booke VVhen we ioyne from Diuinitie storie Nathans prophecie for Nathan Salomons Eldership in a touch of throne and Temple the threefold charge to write Iechonias
enforcement to beholde that Christ will destroy the Citie and Holy place in the age folowyng His prayer is penned with speciall regarde euen of the very Ebrew syllables to the prophets from whom the matter of his speach is taken Those places must be marked IN the first yeere of Darius the sonne of Achashuerosh of the seede of Madaj in which he was made king ouer the realme of the Chaldeans In the first yeere of his reigne I Daniel marked by bookes the number of the yeeres whereof the word of the Lord had been vnto Ieremie for accomplyshing in the ruines of Ierusalem seuentie yeeres And I turned my face vnto the Lord the God and sought by prayer and supplication and fasting and sackcloth and ashes And I prayed vnto the Lord my God saying Oh Lord the mightie God the great and fearefull who keepeth the couenant and the mercie toward them which loue him and towarde them which keepe his commandementes VVe haue sinned we haue transgressed we haue done wickedly we haue rebelled and we haue turned backe from thy commandementes and from thy iudgementes And we haue not obeyed thy seruantes the Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kinges to our Princes and to our Fathers and to all the people of the land Thou hast O Lord the righteousnesse and we open shame euen this day euery one of Iudah and the dwellers of Ierusalem and all Israel the neare and the farre off through al the countries whither thou hast dryuen them for their offence wherein they haue offended thee O Lord we haue open shame our Kinges our Princes and our Fathers as we haue sinned against thee The Lord our God hath the tender mercies and forgiuenesse albeit we haue rebelled against him And haue not obeyed the voyce of the Eternall our God to walke in his lawes which he hath layde before vs by the ministerie of his Seruantes the Prophetes Yea all Israel haue transgressed thy law and turned backe that they woulde not heare thy voyce Wherefore there is poured vpon vs the curse and the oth that is written in the law of Moses the seruant of God Because we haue sinned agaynst him And he hath confirmed his wordes which he spake against vs and against our iudges that iudged vs. For vnder the whole heauen hath not bene done the like as hath bene done vpon Ierusalem As it is written in the Law of Moses all this euil is come vpon vs. Yet haue not we besought the eternall our God that we might turne from our iniquities and vnderstand thy truth Therefore the Lord our God was watchfull concerning the euill and brought it vpon vs. For the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which he hath done seeing we obeyed not his voyce And now O Lord our God that hast brought forth thy people out of the land of Egypt by a mighty hand and hast gotten thy selfe a name as this day we haue done wickedly O Lord according to all thy righteousnesse let now thine anger and thy wrath be turned away from thy citie Ierusalem thine holy mountaine For because of our sinnes and for the iniquities of our fathers Ierusalem thy people are a reproch to all that are about vs. And now heare O my God the prayer of thy seruant and his supplication and make thy face to shine vpon thy sanctuarie that lyeth desolate for the Lordes sake Encline O my God thine eare and heare open thine eyes and see our desolations and the citie whereupon thy name is called for we present not our supplications before thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare ô Lord forgiue ô Lord giue eare do defer not for thine own sake ô my God For thy name is called vpon thy citie vpon thy people And as I was yet speaking and praying and confessing my sinne and the sinne of my people Israel and presenting my supplications before the Eternall my God for the holie mountaine of my God Euen as I was yet speaking the man Gabriel whom I had seene afore in a vision came vnto me flying with vehemencie vntill he touched me at the time of the euening oblation And he gaue vnderstanding and talked with me said Daniel I am come forth to giue thee skill of vnderstanding At the beginning of thy prayers came forth the word which I am come to tell because thou art greatly beloued Therefore conceiue the word g and perceiue the cleare vision The cleare vision for the certaine time of redemption vvherein the Iewes through all the Gospell agreed and also all the East as Iosephus recordeth and Tacitus and Suetonius do both touch it Seuentie seuens of yeares is pared out for thy people and for thy holy citie to consume wickednesse and to abolish sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring righteousnesse euer-lasting and to seale vision and prophet and to shew-Messias the Holy of Holiest Of the 70. seuens SEuentie seuens make 490. in ordinary speach But that Daniel might conceaue how at the beginning of his prayer vpon considering of Ieremy for that 70. yeares of captiuitie ended God tooke notice of his meditation the Angel toucheth that seuentie shewing how exactly seuen times that space is declared afore hand for the Iewes prerogatiue continuance of Ceremonies and meditation how reconciliation of sinne is truly made That euery Sabbath in the meane vvhile they might learne to enter into the rest of Christ How the 70. seuens end the holy Chronicle FIue as it were chaines of time are in Scripture all drawen through so many seuerall matters The first is cōtinued through the Ages of the Fathers vnto the death of Terah who falling into Idolatrie gaue occasion to end that honour of making the Fathers to draw the worldes age in theirs After the death of Terah Abraham hath the promise of Christ and is called vnto Chanaan For that promise one tenour of certaintie is linked vnto the Lambe Temple and Salomons death after his Idolatrie and held on while Abrahams tribes held the faith of Christ Thēce a new state measure of it as a third chaine cōmeth in Iudah holdeth a kingdome vnto Sedekiahs captiuitie and Ieroboam draweth Israel to sinne vvhich time is termed Israels sinne by God to Ezekiel chap. 4. vvhen he sheweth vnto him the fall of Ierusalem with which fall also famous 40. yeares of Iudahs vvarning must end Which 40. are complete from Ieremies prophecying in the 13. of Iosias at the beginning of the 19. of Nebuchadnezer when the citie vvas brent And that continuance of Iudahs kingdome is in one summe giuen by God 390. y. Ezek. 4. The particulars vvherof are cast by the kings of Iudah Israel iust into that summe by sundry learned And Abraham Ben Dauid in Cabala sheweth that the Iewes vniuersally but that they hid
Massoreth in Nu. 3.39 doeth shew which be they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Aethiop letters I take Greeke * Onely the finall formes which you see put alone in the margent argue that the same in the text must be meant for hundreds as they meane Here the reader must helpe the print where the text of the right colume should chaunge place with the left a When the worke of the Temple was hindered Ezra 4 14. b That is He brast out a fyre vpoÌ„ the enemy euen the Chaldean By displacing a dumme letter he maketh his name to meane so See what it was Cha. 1 7. c Ebr. Trueth expounding signes Eb. Zaba army by Aben ezra meanyng the wars told here Time it is by Ralbag Both fall out fitly therefore I thought good to ioyne both d Conteyned in cha 11 12. e Of this that he saw vpon Tigris f Because Iudahs enemies had preuailed to the hindrance of y e Temples buylding g He putteth a distinction for the seauens of yeeres tolde chap. 9 24. And for them the translation must be a lyke though Weekes be the ordinary fit tearme here h Called Tigris of Greekes in notation Sharp-swift The Persians chiefe glory was in those quarters and likwyse the Selâ—ucianes Throne And Seleucus Nicator buylt vpon Tigris Seleucia the most famous towne of all which he buylt a The person that next speaketh termed a resemblance in fight as a man is thought to be Gabriel named chapt 8 16. at whose coÌ„mying to hym Daniel was frighted fel in a slumber on his face to the ground and was touched by him set vppon his feete who also chap. 9 25. telleth of Christ as here agayne b That is Archangel Iude. 9. which terme is hence taken here Angels are the first princes in comparison with rulers on the earth and the captayne of their host is the first of this company a Or my sorrowes turned but the matter telleth whether is principally fit though both go togeather b Euen to shew what shal befal thy people as it was tolde vers 14. c A 120 yeeres after this visioÌ„ great Alexander set on Asia Now whereas Cyrus perished in the Scythian warres soone after the hinderance of the Temple and Cambysessone after by a wound in the thigh geuen by himself against his wyll and Darius Hystaspis lyued but 43. Y. in Ctesias aged about 20. Y. at Tomyris and Cyrus warre and for Esters sake had somewhat a longer reigne that Darius her sonne by the Iewes myght be of some good yeres to helpe Iudah wheÌ„ he reigned in Xerxes absence styl after and Xerxes great army perished to the astonishment of all the world we must in all those affayres looke vnto the Angels speach and consider the gouernment of God by the army of heauen for Iudah tearmed the Army of heauen And likewyse for the kings that reigned after Darius that buylt Ierusalem that they had somewhat better successe yf we enter into the sanctuary of this vision we may see what the counsell of God was touching them and vse heathen stories for a commentary vpon this place c A 120 yeeres after this visioÌ„ great Alexander set on Asia Now whereas Cyrus perished in the Scythian warres soone after the hinderance of the Temple and Cambysessone after by a wound in the thigh geuen by himself against his wyll and Darius Hystaspis lyued but 43. Y. in Ctesias aged about 20. Y. at Tomyris and Cyrus warre and for Esters sake had somewhat a longer reigne that Darius her sonne by the Iewes myght be of some good yeres to helpe Iudah wheÌ„ he reigned in Xerxes absence styl after and Xerxes great army perished to the astonishment of all the world we must in all those affayres looke vnto the Angels speach and consider the gouernment of God by the army of heauen for Iudah tearmed the Army of heauen And likewyse for the kings that reigned after Darius that buylt Ierusalem that they had somewhat better successe yf we enter into the sanctuary of this vision we may see what the counsell of God was touching them and vse heathen stories for a commentary vpon this place d This attribute sheweth who Michael must needes be holden not a created angel but the only Archangel the captayne of the host of the Lord the sonne of God who thought it no robbery to be equal with God And so much y e name signifieth Only Christ standeth for his church which al the world seeketh to oppresse a So that by the Angel the golden head was broken to powder by the petition of the watcher the axe was layde to the roote of the tree the Lion pluckt and Balshazar slaine that the Stons power might be knowen and the highest myght be seene to sit vpon the fiery throne with bookes open and the hand wryting might be perceiued to come from God and Michael to stand vp We are lykewyse to regard Christ a gouerner through al these kinges that shal reigne before the buyldyng vp of the Temple So this angelique oration may be vnto vs as a booke of the warres of God euen to call prophane writers to the vse of holy stories and profe of the Gospel which after these so many particulers was in the set time to be shewed b That is propriety of the visions of the Image Beastes which we may not expound but according to the Angels commentary which standeth in matters so famous that men out of the Church wyl bring vs stories most exactly agreeyng with the Angels wordes that our enemies may be good iudges c After Darius named afore Cyrus Artaxasta or Artaxerxes called of the Grekes Cambyses and Achashuerosh that maryed Ester called Darius sonne of Hystaspis To these three the Persians gaue these attributes Cyrus was a father Cambyses a maister Darius a whorder vp Herodot in Thalia d Xerxes that receyued from Darius great store besides the yeerely reuenues Aeschylus the Greeke poet in Persis a tragedy made vpon Xerxes flight bringeth in Atossa that is Adassa talking of this great wealth how God brought the Persian pride into a net to spoyle all their riches So famous God would haue euery part of the Angels oration that the stages in Graecia myght heare how for some angring of God that huge campe and that cloude of men as Themistocles speaketh in Heredot was sâ—attered beside al hope of men a Daniel knew without any further telling what would be the successe for hinderyng the Temples buyldyng from the firy throne Chap. 7. and from the flamyng eyes Chap. 10. euen that they shold feele the discomfiture of all their strength for that and haue their former kinges soone cut off How soone they were cut off Herodotus and Ctesias will conclude that to vs. For Herodotus maketh Darius Hystaspis to be aged about 20. yeeres when Cyrus prepared warres against Tamyris and to die 6. yeeres before Xerxes entring into Graecia and by Ctesias he lyued but 43.
childlesse the counsell of God in the kingdomes fall the blessed title of Nathans house the high Sainctes and kings for euer the thrones one for God and an other for the sonne of Dauid the setting vp of kingdomes to deale with Dauids throne to take notice of their Religion the time of a kingdome eternall prefixed in a most plaine speech long before and made famous by 120. nations paying Iuda a subsidie to returne and our Lordes mediation from the Gospell this being done Daniels matters wilbe all knowen vnto vs. The tongues which he vseth may somewhat trouble vs why he should write the greater part of his booke in Chaldie and the same matter againe in Ebrew and why his Ebrew hath affected peculiaritie of phrases yet reasons sensible may soone be rendred The Chaldie tongue was both knoweÌ„ to his natioÌ„ should soone be their vsuall wheÌ„ they had lost their owne in Babylon Besides the North East South Dialectes Syriaque Arabique Aethiopian were neare the Chaldie so that with a little paynes they might learne it Now it was fit for Dauids throne ruling all the world to be penned into the largest language of the world and then most florishing So he sheweth that God setteth vp kingdomes and putteth down kingdomes and how a kingdome froÌ„ heaueÌ„ staÌ„deth for euer This he teacheth in Chaldie as also the state of the world to come neuer shewed so clearely before He declareth how the faithles tyrants perish for euer and Iuda raigneth by Christ as by him also all nations do VVheÌ„ his visions name the oppressours and his nation the oppressed then he writeth in Ebrew and prophetique phrases knowen onely to his learned brethren The summe of him is this and his phrase is thus I thinke my commentations vpon him somewhat profitable to the good of our state Them I commend to your L L. to be regarded according to the sage honour of her M. gouernement Your Lordships to commaund HVGH BROVGHTON To the Christian Reader of Daniels plainnesse WHen this Prophet is cleared from the opinion of hardnesse which men do conceiue of him then with hope of perfecting labour desire to reade him wil increase And the holy man must be cleared For otherwise men would think Daniel a tormeÌ„ter of soules rather thâ—n a teacher if he wrote vnto all nations in their greatest perplexities matters vnfit for their capacitie Besides the duty of clearing him facilitie will be at hand For the matters which onely make him hard are soone taught Stale errours still hinder the negligent in the truth who runne vpon custome and will take no paines to examine the right But thus it doth stand When the promise of Nathan is considered touching the throne of Dauid to stand for euer and the case of Salomonâ— house weighed how in Iechâ—nias it fayled vtterly then the house of Nathan the next brother cometh in first Zorchabel then two families of him Abiud for the Kings right Rhesa father vnto our Lord then the hardest part is gone All must graunt that this hath bene long hid For scant any of the world marke our Lords right line from the text Yet a few words might open it fully Onely many vnpatient of the truth cause griefe and thereupon some more difficulty otherwise all here requisite might be soone knowne For the matter is the easiest standing vpon a plaine storie and the principles are so few that a child might write them They are often handled that such as care for theÌ„ may be instructed many wayes The next matter of darkenesse ariseth touching the nations oppressors and oppressed The doubt sprang for that Daniel in his Chaldy visions nameth neither The solution is easie In his Ebrew visions he nameth both the one and the other and they can containe no other matters then the Chaldy Therefore the nations in all are doubtlesse And seeing Cha. 8. in a vision vpon Babels fall Elam first next Iauan haue all the dealings vnto the ende of wrath the last dealer must be Iauan Also the afflicted in the last dealings are termed Daniels people and the holy people and they are afflicted for the holy couenant Where any may see of what times he was to speake For who knoweth not that the last afflictions that the holy Iewes had with loosing their lands reuenues was vnder Antiochus Epiphanes Now the nations being knowne the places wil be known And for vndoubted certenty the land Tzeby on the holy mountaine is named The soyle of the afflicted The middle sea and dead sea haue it betwixt them and Tzeby is in Ezekiel the attrihute of Iudaea And the places of the visions are the fittest for these poincts At Eular and Tigris the plaine sights were shewed Which should import dealings from Kings of those quarters All this while nothing bringeth in the Romanes They are reserued to greater harmes And such as bring them into Daniel where they are not blamed disturbe learning as much as they disturbe the world But Daniel is not to blame He giueth no cause why men should so deceiue themselues And thus these parcels the most in difficulty are made easie Another is no lesse vniustly blamed the time which he hath most cleare telleth plainly Yea onely he telleth when the first captiuitie began how he was of it The end is most famous in him And the phrases for our Lords death time would make a learned Varro amazed The seueÌ„ty Hebdomades We haue here greater matters theÌ„ how he at 84. had written seuenty Habdomades of books And neuer any could be plainer then he in that If we will not beleeue him but heathen forged studies we should try particulars So true heathen would beare record vnto Daniel Now heathen 2000. yeares haue filled all Libraries full of lyes with forged Olympiades forged Chaldeans forged Atchontes of Athens and forged Consuls that the vnstayed and vnlearned now adayes can triumph to see what store of leasings can be brought against Daniel But the same wil not see how all the millioÌ„s of Iudah of Christians vpon the other captiuitie writings checke the errour So againe Daniel is cleared One poinct remaineth his tongues where any may see that in the Chaldy he studied for plainnesse writing in the most generall tongue yet neare Arabique and so as most generall yet For his Hebrew the learned may not complaine for to them it is easie And all should be senslesse if in plaine matters and matters of daunger he might not haue leaue to hide his minde from the wicked Further difficulties we haue not in him after the consideration of Dauids throne and two families Salomons falling Nathans standing for euer of the nations oppressed long kept close for safetie in his later speeches named for certaintie of the oppressors likewise and of their countreys and last of his times and tongues The difficulties of which being softened none can tell what to imagine hard And to mollifie the readers labour I will contriue into matter following
introductions to his whole summe and Graces and ioyne the kings and Pictures for him pictures afore set in another booke which coming foorth greater with greater lendeth Daniel the former willingly To him they beloÌ„g The summe and graces of Daniel THe holy Prophet Daniel telleth what Kingdomes shall oppresse Dauids house from Iudahs captiuitie vnto the birth of our Lord and endeuour to controll their Religion Also of our Lord he sheweth his continuall protection and payment of his foes his coming into the world his making strong the Couenant for all nations his precious death his glorious ascention and his kingdome ouer all nations And lastly how he will destroy the Citie and Temple finishing the policie which he gaue by Moses that Iewes and Gentiles may be equally Gods people Those kingdomes which Daniel setteth forth are first the Chaldeans who destroyed the Citie Temple Kingdome and house of Salomon and meant in Babel to haue set vp idolatrie The next is a ioynt power of the Medes and Persians who ouerthrew them and would haue made their owne kings as Gods stayed the building of Gods Temple and sought to destroy the Iewes nation The third is compact of all the States of Greeke-land who put downe the former In Alexanders power which King in his pride earnestly laboured to be holden as a God and caused the Leuites to name their sonnes Alexanders and all the Iewes to take their dates from his reigne The fourth and last is of the same natioÌ„ for their Kings called Seleucidae and Lagidae by the first of their houses dwelling North and South from Iuda situated betwixt them both By these Iuda was most vexed and endeuour vsed to haue abrogated the holy Couenant At our Lords birth these nations were fully spoyled of all gouernement and another set vp to whom tribute was payd ouer all the world In plentifull varietie Daniel setteth them forth First in a huge image of foure mettals beaten to powder and he expoundeth the Image so that by a prophane king he is therefore highly aduaunced Long after he seeth them in a sort fit for a spirituall man to iudge of in foure sauage beasts cast into the fire ioyneth a most heauenly exposition and comfort of his nation how from his people an eternall kingdome shall fill all the earth Againe the kingdome of Babel is figured by a Tree touching in height the heauens in breadth the corners of the earth and to that also Daniel affordeth an exposition Likewise the other kingdomes are semblanced by a Ramme and Goat-bucke and both in sundrie hornes and now all the Nations are plainly named who be therein contained So sixe times euery one State is declared all ouer the later declarations adding clearenesse to the former Moreouer the seuenth Narration most plaine as teaching in proper language is not wanting for the coming vp idolatrie chastisement and ouerthrow of these kingdomes A skilfull Reader must fetch from others the dayly dealings which the wisedome of God knew at needlesse to foretell by Daniel and therefore he passeth them ouer in their due places the Reader shall find them marked in obseruations vpon the Prophet The comfort of the holy people is most sweete in this Booke Christ in prophane eyes is a base stone and heathen Kings goodly mettals but he beateth them to dust and becometh a great mountaine In Daniels eâ—en they are beasts cast into fire and the Sonne of man coming in the clouds into the world afterwards going vnto the Ancient of dayes he sitteth on an eternall throne Sundry other heauenly apparations Daniel hath as when the wonderfull Numberer called in Daniel Palmoni calleth an Angel Gabriel and biddeth him teach Daniel the verie dayes from the first of the rage against Moses lawes vnto the last of the Grecians dealing against the Temple And after that his senses had bene acquainted with so exact an accompt vnto the very day for a particular hinderance of the truth he seeth a hand writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 MENE MENE and soone the former Angel numbreth most exactly the time vnto our Lords death And againe soone after he hath a vision like that of Christ in the Reuelation and of three Angels one silent another teaching him the summe of his booke in plain speeches another asking a question of times and taking an answer with the very particular dayes of two famous neare matters These two confirme the wonderfull accompt of Christ his owne set time for redemptioÌ„ Dan. 9.24 Farther then which the date of times might not go in the Prophets beyond the glorifying of the King but therein it was to rest By like reuolutions men might know that Christ would graunt them the like space to repentance that they losed not their land as he gaue in the wildernesse to prepare them that should enter into the land And so it fell out alike 40. yeares they spent in the wildernesse 40 after our Lords death in the land And so the whole warning that Daniel gaue the Iewes to beware of their Deluge is iust in space the same that Lamech gaue to the old world at Noahs birth 600 yeares afore the flood From Nebuchadnezers first yeare 70 of captiuitie thence 7 times that space in expressed wordes layd downe in Scripture and 40 afterwards not recorded nor to haue bene recorded in scripture but marked of heathen by the euent This is the compasse of Daniels times which they that cast not aright shal be disturbed The state of the world when he wrote and the tongues vvhich he vsed call vs to farther admiration His Prophecie was written in the most distressed times of the world to be such a iewell that being seene it might haue redressed the calamities of those dayes For when the kingdome of Iudah was to be plagued by the tust God all the world was plagued also with more alterations of kingdomes and warres then had bene afore And then God by Daniel writeth first in the heathens language the Syriaque or Chaldy tong which East South best knew In that he sheweth how the Image of the worldly poÌ„pe all the wicked are made as dust before the winde and prophane Empires are as beasts troubling the sea of life perishing at the last in a fierie lake froÌ„ the throne of a Iudge euerlasting with whom there is no shadow of change Also he telleth of the kingdome that cannot be corrupted set vp by one like the Sonne of man coming in the cloudes and going againe vnto the ancient of dayes to sit for euer in glory All this and other matters of the present Age Daniel penneth in the language most knowne of any one that the heathen might be benefited Notwithstanding the Iewes haue in this worke their prerogatiue For in the tongue vsed onely of them he penneth the selfe same matter naming plainly what people he afore spake off and that in sundrie sortes for exact certaintie And he limiteth the
time when all nations should be brought into the holy couenant in a more wonderfull sweet speech for the present matter and for the frame of all the Bible then a mans minde could euer haue thought vpon Yea though one had an hundred mouthes and an hundred tongues a voyce of steele he should not be able to shew the vse of his two tongues how plentifull commodities they haue his Chaldy or Syriaque and his Hebrew We haue no Chaldy saue two Chapters of Ezra so ancient as his by 400. yeares And of such as write thence in Chaldy translating the Hebrew Onkelos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the author of Targum Ierusalemy vpon the Law Ionathan Ben Vziel vpon the Prophets and the vncertaine translaters of the other holy bookes all their workes make great vse of halfe his the Chaldy part and so doth the Syriaque translater of the New testament continually frequent his style Neither was the Aethiopian ignorant of him or negligent to vse his phrases Also the Arabique Translaters of both Testaments chalenge as good a part in him as any of the former And although none but Linguists can throughly iudge of this commoditie yet any man may see what great honour God gaue to the Prophet that draweth his little Chaldy through so many and so large workes of those diuerse nations Euen as the Chaldeans gaue cups of cold water to Daniel when he requested it rather than of the Kings wine God would not haue them loose their reward but made that language which they taught him to haue honour through all the world vnto this day I omit how his Chaldy style teacheth to distinguish old Rabbines in either Talmuds from new by the tenour of the Grammer and stirreth iudgement to marke by the style later Rabbines from the elder Yet I may not choose but warne somewhat of this Also in our dayes the Chaldy paraphrastes are beholding to him For whereas they were so confused that to Grammer of them could be made the learned Mercerus and others after him vowell them after Daniels Chaldy to their great honour and all wisemens contentment Nowe touching his Hebrew style wherein he penneth the vision of the Ramme and Goate his owne heauenly prayer Gabriels speech for the name and office of Christ containing all skill of knowledge an heauenly vision of Christ in holy view the Hebrew style of all this and yet more specially for a long oration of the stouter Persian kings fall of great Alexander his rising and fall his houses rooting out his Captaines many parting the spoyle but foure principall and of them two houses dealers with the Iewes and their particular dealings vnto Antiochus Epiphanes his rage from placing of his Idoll three yeares and an halfe his falles after the placing of that Idoll one at the day 1290. another at the day 1335. his comfort by an argument from the resurrection in all these troubles this rare matter hath not onely wisdome but wit for specialty of style that blasphemous Porphyry and all might haue seene more than a mans wit in the Hebrew phrase Such his matter and languages be To conclude we see how in troubles he pictures the camping of the Angels about Christs seruants what enemies they should haue and what those should suffer how and when Christ by him selfe vvould make reconciliation for sinne and sit on the throne of glorie how in the most common tongue the matter is spoken so farre as men then could quietly accept it how peculiarly it was spoken for the peculiar persons and in a peculiar phrase vvhere the wicked otherwise would haue raged intollerably And we may see how Daniel ioyneth both Testaments ending the Ceremonies and breaking the partition vvall of the old and laying the foundation and groundworke of the New Also how God perfect in all knowledge draweth the Heathen Stories from Herodotus vnto Liuie to be seruants vnto Diuinitie that vvhen all the world had marked all the particulars of the Persians and Greekes fallen out according as it vvas foretold they might assure themselues that the matters touching their calling into the heauenly Ierusalem should be likewise in due time accomplished This much may be holden in some sort the summe of the gracious Daniel his Graces but the thūder of Gods power as Iob speaketh in a like matter vvho but he in his text or one of Daniels vvisedome is able to declare Now let vs hasten to his matter taking by the vvay the Kings of his narrations and vsing grauē pictures to the pictures of his pen in due place But by the vvay the Reader must be shewed faults of printing Faults escaped In B 2. reade sooner killed then Euergetes died And in Prol. Epiphanes 8. horne not 9. In Chap. 9.14 the Lord was watchfull In H 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. not 4. In I 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sentence is Search and you shall find it In the Arab. Geogr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abel Phada Ismael I trow is the author I thought by the notatiō that γ was the letter and not # but the notation in the Arabique Psal 3. Lifted vp is fittest In pag. vlt. l. 1. who heard not was heard Lin. vlt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Further faults the gentle reader must search THE KINGS BELONGING to the Image in DANIEL Chaldeans NEbuchadnezar by notation Nabo Esa 46.1 is Lord of keeping or storing Euil-Merodac a principall is Merodac Ier. 50.2 Bel-She-Azar Bel is he that storeth Bel-Tash-Azar Daniels name is of the same notation And Bel-Azar or Belesis in Diodorus Siculus book secōd where he hath most noble stories doubtlesse meant of our Daniel how in warres he preuayled encouraging nations by prophecies of victorie Here the three kings beare names of three Babylonian Gods Nabo Merodac Bel as Abbakuk noteth that the Chaldean would attribute this his strēgth vnto his God Ab. 1.11 The Massorites vpon the fift of Daniel note for both their names thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is frō the beginning of the booke vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that night was kild c. Ch. 5.30 Beltesh-Azar-Bel-sh-Azar ω Shin is written before κ Aleph But after That night Chap. 5.30 Belt-κsh-zar Bel κsh-zar κ Aleph is written afore ω Shin Of this I was specially to warne because euen the Hebrew printers whom eye sight should haue guided haue not obserued the difference none of all without some negligence so that but for the Massorites the text had bene corrupted and my obseruations should be thought to disagree with the originall vpon Chap. 1.5.7.8 and 10. These three Chaldean kings make the golden head the Lion the 〈◊〉 as the Persians and sundred Greekes haue their armes Of the Persian kings whereof they whose names are in Hebrew are extant in scripture The Greeke names are as heathen write
Antiochus dealings ouer ReligioÌ„s which the Angell termeth against euery God and which phrase S. Paul translateth against all that is called God or vvorship and how he exalteth himselfe against the God of Gods Polybius toucheth the former and the bookes of Machabees the later Thus Polybius in Athenaeus vvriteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In sacrifices and honours about Gods he surmounted all that euer reigned Olympieum in Athens and the huge Images at Delos altar argue that The prophane Polybius might thinke of his Religions vehemencie for the vrging vvhich vvas for the Iewes vnto it vvhich must be countenanced vvith great charges And concerning his exalting of him selfe against God for all the Law dayes 2300. for the temple Ierusalem and Gods people vvith torments and death three yeares and an halfe the Machabees shew that vvhither once for all I referre the reader There it vvill appeare how he did set his hart against the holie couenant how he had intelligence vvith the forsakers of the holy couenant Iason Menelaus and such vvhich were come to the fulnesse of sinne how he by great promises allured to mischief the couenant and much preuailed how he advaunced in honour heathen vvhom he fauoured to rule the many in Iuda and parted the land into a gaine how armes from his polluted the Sanctuarie vvith banquetting harlots and Idolatrous sacrifices and inhibited all Moses Religion and required practise of his heathen and punished the refusers many dayes by sword flame captiuitie spoile how the Machabees vvere holpen vvith little helpe how the teachers by all good example and giuers of true knowledge in holie couenant vvere ouerthrowne As Eleazar their old Scribe vvith his most graue oration and the seuen brethren vvho handled this Angels oration most diuinely all these matters may thence be fetched And specially how he neuer vvas moued vvith the tendernesse of vvomen but tormented them against all nations humanitie for their lawes that is often and much recorded But touching his owne concubines Tarsenses and Malleotae rebell by Theodoret for that their towns were giuen to queanes allowance Now for the God of all might how in his place he honoreth yea a God he honoreth vvhom his fathers knew not Iupiter Olympius and causeth the forces of the God of all might to haue a strange God and maintained by Apollonius the authour of abominations the most lothsome infidels as the lothsome beastes in Leuiticus and souldiers working desolation these points all together may be fetched better froÌ„ the Machabees then here mixed The Angell vvas here to take speciall heed that his phrases should be darke for heathen and cleare for them that knew the Ebrew Prophets style In opening of them a speech somwhat long must come in after their translation And the wicked dealers against the couenant he shall make prophane by guile but the people that know their God shall lay hold and practise And the teachers among the people shall giue instruction to many who shall be ouerthrowen by sword and by flame by captiuitie and by spoyle many dayes And wheÌ„ they are ouerthrowen they shalbe holpen with a little helpe But many shall ioyne vnto them fainedly And some of the teachers shalbe ouerthrowen to be tryed and to be purged and to be whited vnto the times end For the set time is yet to come And the king shall do what he list and exalt him selfe and magnifie himselfe aboue all that is called God and against the God of Gods shall he speake swelling things and prosper vntill the anger be finished for a seuere iudgement is to be executed And vnto the Gods of his fathers will he haue no regard likewise vnto the tendernesse of women or vnto any God he will haue no regard but will magnifie himselfe aboue all As for the God almightie in his place he will honour yea a God whom his fathers knew not will he honour with gold with siluer and with precious stones and with iewelles So he shall deale that the forces of the almightie shall haue a straunge God Whom he fauoreth he shall greatly aduaunce and make them rulers ouer many and shall part the land to be a sale Antiochus his third voyage into Egypt against Ptolemie Philometor And at the end of time the king of the South shal push at him the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind with charet horses and shippes many and shall come through countreys and flow and passe ouer Also he shall come into the Tzeby land and many landes shalbe ouerthrowen But these shalbe safe from his hand Edom and Moab and the chiefe of the sonnes of Ammon Also he shall stretch forth his hand ouer countreys specially the land of Aegypt shall not escape But he shall haue power ouer the hid treasure of gold and siluer and ouer all the iewels of Aegypt and Lubin and Cushim shalbe with his passages How Antiochus bestowed the spoiles of Aegypt and of other countreys as Polybius in Atheneus recordeth as a witnesse vnto the holy Angell I Thinke good to lay downe here Polybius wordes touching Antiochus vvho came vp poorely and saw his father distressed and his brother likewise when both vvere forced to Church-robbing The summe is this that he bestowed infinite cost vpon a triumph to imitate Paulus Aemilius hauing gotten the vvealth by spoiling young Philometor and breaking league vvith him by the contributions of his friendes and by robbing most Churches Wherein he would manifestly be aboue euery God The learned vvill best like the authours owne vvordes neither can our tongue so vvell expresse them Thus Athenaeâ—s bringeth Polybius vvordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This record I hold much worth seeing it agreeth so fitly with the robbing of Aegypt and also might well be the cause of his necessitie proceeding from prodigalitie to spoyle the temple of Persepolis mentioned 2. Mach. 9. An old opinion that the Romanes are one of the foure kingdomes in Daniel made men draw them as enemies to Gods people into this oration They are in the commers vvith shippes from Chittun indeede therein Daniel remembring BalaaÌ„ knew that hence the Romanes might should encrease to afflict Assur and Eber whose chiefe Christ vvas and that they should hold-on vnto the end and specially be the lothsome infidels vvhich should destroy Ierusalem But the Romanes dealt not against the holie Iewes lawes of Religion vvhich matter here was to be handled nor medled vvith the Iewes till the nation by sedition called for them and Gods seueritie vvas not to giue them comfort touching ill called for by their owne loosenesse but against such as by force continued the vvith-holding of their kingdome And no vvord here vvill agree vvith the Romanes vnlesse vve dare make Scripture a nose of vvaxe The Iewes indeede since the dayes of Methargem Ierusalemy would haue the Romanes meant one of Daniels foure kingdomes and yet them selues the onely nation blessed
Eusebius and other Christians vvould draw the Romanes in but vvould also haue heathen Christians to be afflicted here So the Angell is made to speake in the cloudes and all gracious Daniel sealed vp as vnexplicable and the stories drawen beyond Christ afore they reach neare vnto him and Iewes hardened and Christianitie vveakened and all Libraries pestered vvith errours of infinite confusion And vnlesse vve be content to rouoke our erroneous notes for the Romanes in Daniel chap. 2.7 and here 11. and likewise for Ezek. 38. and a little vpon Zacharie 6. for the foure Monarchies vve shall do our selues great iniurie and breake the law which forbiddeth to lay a stumbling blocke afore the blind and I feare be counted of small conscience in Religion He that vvould vvillingly continue an errour to disturbance of the Bible is no better affected then those foure beastes that goe into the riuer of burning fire Herein Printers should specially shew conscience that their actions continue not errour for gaine after blame iust and profitable Of Antiochus Parthian war and breaking without hand chap. 8. and casting into the fier chap. 7. But tydings shall trouble him from the East and from the North and he shall go forth with great heate to destroy and sacke many And he shall plante the tents of his court betweene seas at holy mount Tzeby and he shall come to his end and none shall helpe him CHAP. 12. A further explication of the afflictions vnder Antiochus Epiphanes and notes vpon the vvhole oration ANd at that time shall stand vp Michael the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shalbe a time of trouble such as hath not bene since there began a nation vnto that time and at that time thy people shalbe saued all that shalbe found written in the booke The better resurrection and the worse Eb. 11. to life and to Iudgement Iohn 5. For the many of them that sleepe in the earth of dust shall awake some to life euerlasting and some to all shame to lothsomnesse euerlasting And the wise shall shine like the brightnesse of the firmamēt they that turne the many to righteousnesse like the starres for euer and euer Of keeping close these Prophecies And thou Daniel shut vp the words and seale the booke till the ende of the time Many will search through and this knowledge shall encrease The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hiding of the minde which Daniel vsed ANd here I thinke it not amisse to shew Daniels owne practise in style of sealing vp his sense euen where he vvriteth in the common language the Chalde tongue folowing the order of his Chapters And first of all though he onely handle the first captiuitie yet he vvould not date it from the first of Nebuchadnezar as lothing to haue a prophane king ouer Gods people to beare a date of their thraldome taking vnto himselfe being of Iudahs kings that honour of measuring the captiuitie So vers 1. and last of chap. 1. he must be vnderstood as setting the limites of the 70. yeares In chap. 2.1 he vvonderfully telleth the date from his owne standing afore the king closly comparing himself with Ioseph for the like time and Nebuchadnezar vvith Pharaoh In expounding the Image vvhen he began vvith telling how the feete perish and commeth last vnto the head that perished first this pleased Nebuchadnezar as though he should not soone fall In the same speach vvhen he ioyneth iron brasse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaspa and Caspa clay and siluer he sheweth his care to please the cruell tyrant and his own readynesse of wit in the allusion besides the depth of the natures that siluer termed Caspa of desire is but Chaspa mere dust And through the whole matter his silence touching Iuda and leauing the oppressed by the iron as though all nations had felt the iron of the legges this holpe his people and the ignorance of his closenesse made 1500. yeares errour in vs. The third and fourth and fift Chapters neither needed nor suffred hiding therein he fully setteth forth the Babylonian shame and Gods glorie So in the sixt he dealt vvith the Persians The seuenth bears his vvit in Belesh-zar shewing that Bel becommeth a fire of sorow from the fierie throne Likewise in speaking first of the last beastes ruine and returning to speake of the former and vsing termes of equiuocation as vve yet mistake them that the Chaldeans could picke no quarell For thus the vvordes might seeme to meane vers 12. Concerning the others beastes they had taken away their dominion yet their liues vvere prolonged for a certaine time and season What the argument calleth for and how the vvordes will abide another sense all may see Like vers 18. Vau signifying And or vvhich the taking one for the other vvould keepe Daniels people from blame and they might see an exposition in the Chapter Therein also his terming of the Iewes the Sainctes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them the holy Trinitie that conteined no danger yet great vvisedome While the kings of Iudah liued Iakim Iackin Zedekias prophane as heathen God vvould shew kingdomes ouer them in no vvorse sort then they vvould vvish to appeare as in the Image and then he gaue his own people no name a bad he might not a good vnder those kings he could not But vvhen Salomons house vvas extinct and our Lordes ancestours right commeth in then it was fit that a name should be giuen them of the highest approbation And all this vvhile he durst aduenture to vvrite in the commonest language of East and South to helpe many and danger none But chap. 8. vvhere Babels fall is gathered by Elam arising and Elam fell by Iauans arising the nations be named Iudah surely described to any Iew and he is commaunded to close it vp then he not onely dissembled his griefe for his people that should fall from being starres but vvriteth in Ebrew and vseth termes that amaze the vnbeedy vnto this day Palmonie Tzeby amazed the vvicked Iewes continually In the ninth he is vvonderfull vvhere while he penneth his own words he plainly teacheth by his stile how ready he was in Moses and the Prophetes When he penneth the Angels he maketh a cloude white towards Israel blacke towards Aegypt Thence a true Israel may looke to our Lordes death forward and turne vnto Moses euen by Sabbates iourneys and thence may see heathen confusion of stories In the tenth he hid his minde not telling vvherefore he fasted because in Persia he might not blame the kings hinderance of the Temple vvhen his griefe is relieued by shewing how foure kings Xerxes campe shall soone fade he knew that Tigris swift vvaters vvere a fit resemsemblance of the speede and knew that they should be punished for the Temple By keeping close his minde he saued his from danger And any that
2. Sam. 7.14 1. Chron. 3.5 Luke 3.31 Psal 51. 1. Chr. 29.23 1. King 9.6 1. King 8.47 Eccl. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iah Choniah made the kings name 2. King 25.27 Chap. 1. 9. Chap. 7. Chap. 7. * AlexaÌ„ders iniurie was in that the Priests for one yeare should name their sonnes Alexanders all Iudah should take their dates from his raigne he their Emperour would be a God Daniels plainnesse * In Theoph. * Euseb 9. Diod lib. 18. and 19. Pausan in Attic. App. in Syri Polyb. 5. Appian Strabo Tacitus Macrob. 2. Aegl Suâ—tonius Tacitus Ben Arama vpon Exod. Ierem. 22. Dan. 7. * R. Akiba vpon Dan. 7 in Sanedrin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan 9.24 Dan. 6. Extra 1. Few wordes containe the whole suÌ„me of Daniel for all his chiefe heads What kingdoms in Daniel oppresse the religion of Gods people * Romanes that medled not with religion How euerie kingdome is seuen times spoken of This vision should haue cut off all doubt for Daniels kingdomes This specially might end all controuersie The degrees of his visioÌ„s The times 2300 dayes Chap. 8. Chap. 5. Chap. 9. * Chap. 1.13 Chap. 12. Three yeres and half and dayes 1290 and dayes 1335 al these are the first from the polluting of the holy Temple vnto the recouerie the other two vnto seuerall comforts against Antiochus which the present Age should marke euen to the exact dayes The whole summe of Daniel is 600 yeares froÌ„ since the Chaldeans tooke Ierusalem vntill the Romans toke it The tongues of Daniel The Zohar noteth this truely and wonderfully A generall knowledg of Law Gospel is taught in Daniel by kingdomes many perishing one standing The phrase of 70 seuens being coÌ„pared with former times wil shew that God ruled al times of Iudah in an order easie to consider Chaldy Syriaque Aethiopian Arabique all foure vse Daniels Syriaque * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 2.26 is in no Chaldy but in the Aethiopian Heb. 2. and 4. c. A wonderful recompence to the Chaldeans for vsing Daniel well Daniels Chaldy caused the Chaldy paraphrastes new honour in our age so perpetuall is the holy mans glorie Elias Leuita moued a question whether the Chaldy could bee brought to Art That GordiaÌ„ knot was cut by breaking all their vncerteinty with Daniels sword by our learned Christians Prophecies in the East tongues for matter recorded in the Westerne should stirre studie honor of studie for both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The planets were their chiefe Gods termed of foretelling as Nabo or of kinghood as Ched is mat 26. in Arabike Mar Dan. 2. Rac. Gen. 42. in Onkelos Shed in Mat. 27. in Arab Sac Ier. 25 and Kimchi in ALN Nego Venus in Rabbines coÌ„monly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * The negligeÌ„t auncient giue Cyrus Cambyses Darius y. spent together before Babel sel the same distinct after and to Darius 46. who liued but 43 Codoman giueth Artax I. 59. fully Plâ—t to Art II. 62. to helpe out the 100 erronious The record of Euripid. 75. in Suid. of Timoth being in those his times in which Philip raigned this will ende the strife heatheÌ„ other liues infinite as Aristides daughters Dem. Phal Lais and Demost acquaintance Platoes Dionys and all commonly then of fame will cut about 40. y. off at a clap * Alexanders Epistle to Darius in Arrianus argueth that Ochus raigned but a litle afore Philips death Yet Olympikes giue him liberally a score of yeares * The ArabiaÌ„s in an Arabike commentarie vpon Gen. 10. haue Suidas iust number at our Lordes birth so belike agreeing here with Suidas * For Zorobabels house the onely then true and right princes of all the world Daniell hath his reuelations and his 490. yeares are to be compared with their liues in two families * The testimonie of Iosephus that Iaduah and Sanballat saw Greâ—â— AlexaÌ„der wherin both Iewes and Gentils hitherto agree that by Ezra and Nehemias personages vtterly coÌ„futes all heathen vsed chronicles * Here consider an easie accompt of Gods prouident gouernement since Moses tymes In the seuenth yeere the lande was parted Thence the first of Samuel falleth in the seuenth Iubilie thence vnto this yeere are seauen seauenties See verse 21. Y. W. 3402. * Esay tolde of this Ch. 39.7 * They had ben all named of God a iudge mercifull and strong That is Belkeepeth treasure but see Cha. 10. how he altereth it § A practise of Leuit. 11. ‡ The effect of Salamons prayer 1. king 8 50. * Or to the Melzar that is Stewarde a name of an office ‡ Therein his whole booke excelleth declaryng the commyng vp idolatry chastisement fall of the Babylonians Medes- -Persians Grekes whole parted and how Christ defendeth the holy Iewes vntyll the redemptioÌ„ § 3407.3471 * Then the 70. of Captiuity ended and the seauen seauenties are told for redemption out of Satans captiuity by our Lordes death erectyng a kingdome ouer al the earth * As Ioseph in the seconde after skil in dreames expoundeth Pharaohs so God disposeth these times alyke the enchanters alyke guydeth aduanceth Ioseph Daniel alike * While the visions are generall and cause the Iewes no danger so farr Daniel writeth in the Syriaque tongue general ouer the east al hence to the 8. chapter But when the oppressors be named Medes Persians and Greekes both whole and also parted about Iuda into Egypt and to the North and the Iewes ar plainly described the people whom god defendeth then the eyght chapter and al after he writeth in Ebrew hath a commandement to keepe close the playne exposition in ch 12.4 * Or in the end of dayes that is vnto Christ as Eb. 1.1 and so Gen. 49. Esa 2. Ezek. 38 * In holy Daniels eyes they are foure beastes which to prophane mens capacity god sheweth as goodly â—owers * Babel alone 70. yeeres not Assur § Medes and Persians two kingdoms here as one agaynst the Iewes 130. yeeres ‡ Great Alexander with the whole power of Greeke states which made him then king for the Persian warre Diod. book 16. syxe yeere †The Legs are in Cha. 11 the successours of Alexander in two the mightiest kingdoÌ„es Egypt and the North the one 294. yeres The errour of taking in hyther the RomaÌ„s is hurtful to al Daniels booke and to all christianity and other stories hath no colour of trueth from Daniel * The Stone is the power of Christ weake base in mens eyes vnles they looke on the fâ—â—â—e throne Dan. 7. ¶ Whom euen the Iewes nation but the wittie prophet hydeth that
and fiue Laodiceas after his mothers name nyne after his owne Seleucias foure after his wyues three Apameas and one Stratonicea Now the most famous of them were the Seleuciae the one vpon the Sea the myddle Sea and Seleucia vpon Tigâ—is and Laodiciea in Phoenice or the land of Isâ—ael and Antiochia vnder mount Libanus and Apamea of Syria Other cities he tearmed by Grecian or Macedonian cities or by his owne workes or king Alexanders Wherefore you shall finde in Syria and further many of Greeke many Macedonian cities names Berroea Edessa Perinthos Maronea Callipolis Achaia Pellâ— Oropus Amphipolis Arethusa Astacos Tegea Chalcis Larissa Herea Apolonia and in â—â—rthia Sâ—â—â—ra Calliope Charis Hecatompolis Achaia In the Indianâ— Alexandreschata Some are named by victories of Seleucus himselfe Nicephorion in Mesopotamia and Nicopolis in that Armenia which is next to Cappadocia This heathen catalogue of Townes built by one man is a condemnation of the Rabbineâ— that wil not take notice what king and kingdome must be meant by the Angel in this place Aben Ezra confesseth that the king Gog is here meant and it is their common graunt aâ— Kimchi sheweth in many of the Psalmes that when the house of Gog is ouerthrowen the Messias reigneth Then let vs examine Ezekiel with Daniel Ezekiel chap. 38. nameth Gog Magog Meshec Tubal Gomer Togarma the North quarters Paras Cush and Put shall ioyne with them The Greekes there rightly speake for Mosoch as they reade it Tubal and Thorgamâ— that the Nations about Pontus Cappadocians Galathians Iberes and Armenians are meant For in those quarters those sonnes of Iaphet left monumentes in the names of Nations Mountaines or Riuers which argue who left them with lesse change in consonantes and vowelles then Strabo often complaineth that he findeth in Greeke writers for Nations names So that the confession of Aben Ezra and the arguments of many our learned that Seleucidae are meant by Gog in Ezekiel may well be considered here touching the king of the North. And specially Gods goodnesse how by the state of the time all the world might know when Christ was to come into the world and be acquainted with one tongue wherein the Apostles might write Ezekiel telleth that when Gog the Seleucidae were ouerthroweÌ„ the Lord would be glorified ouer all the earth Now seeing the Seleucidae were Greekes and continued their strength by Greekes officers and armies as also the Ptolomies by this meanes the Greeke tongue spread long before ouer the west bare sway also ouer the East South And wheÌ„ Romans whose owne proper language was Latin had ouerrun all those dominions and spake in all their gouernmeÌ„t a strange language in Seleueus townes all might know that Christ was to be borne soone after And to this day the Iewes hold that vpon Gogs fall Christes comming ought to be as Kimchi named by me aboue very often and Rambam in More Nebuchim Christians who make Ezekiel in Gog speake of things to fall out after the comming of Christ vnto the end of the world haue been a great furtherance of many Iewes eternall destruction and entangâ—â—ng also much of this Chapter and their owne ruine a About 70. after AlexaÌ„ders death b The Lagidae and the Seleucidae c Bernice D. to Pt. Philadelphus d Antiochus Theos or the God who had already a wife called Laodice by whoÌ„ he was poysoned Berenice by her sonnes kilde with her child and all her traine Philadelphus soone after this mariage dyed e The states of Asia Iust 27. f Ptol. Euergetes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word not vsed afore g Seleucus Callinicus h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnuowelled is either Idols or else high states That maketh Translaters differ And the allusion is pleasant how the Angell comforteth Iuda in that the Idolatrous are as the Idolles with God And extremely taunteth the superstition of Magog or Hierapolis i The name of Egypt in a storie of Alexanders successours must needes cut off all controuersie touching the king of the North and Magog that none but Seleucidae can be the men So that the verie name Egypt being vsed here in the storie which all Heathen would presently acknowledge to set forth Ptolemie surnamed Euergetes that is Gracious Lord for spoyling Syria and againe in the end of the Chapter vers 42. and 43. and in an history no lesse then a Prophecie of Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria spoyling Egypt this one terme might haue kept both Iewes and Gentiles from bringing the Romans or Turkes to be meant here in these stories opening properly the Image and the Beast But as we bring the prophane Empire into those sayings which are spoken of Antiochus Epiphanes So the Iewes Raloag and Aben Ezra saw no reason why the continuers of the Empire Constantine and other Christians and the Turke might not be brought in If once men graunt that these matters fall out in the last dayes and not as reason required drawe vnto Christ his first comming And because it is euident that Christ was not to come vntill these matters fell out vpon a false supposit on borrowed from vs they continue a leprosie of the worlde A sufficient preseruatiue against which the Angell left one word euen Egypt vsing it once twise thrise So one word spoken in due forme is like Apples of gold and wittie workes of siluer Prou. 25.10 * Diodorus booke 17.18.19.20 Which falleth out after the death of Soter and not long before the death of Philadelphus * Brennus from Britanie and Fraunce then did warre into the East Deut. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The not marking of this point hath postered all libraries with books giuing strength vnto Iewes and Turkes to make ChristiaÌ„s thought senslesse and condemning their owne selues in far the greatest part of our own writings The learned of late see it The vnlearned should not striue To the legs of the Image these matters belong a If by seditioÌ„ at home he had not bene called home he had easily won all the kingdome of Syria Iust 27 b Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great Of them Appian Alexandreus wrot thus After Theos Seleucus the sonne of Theus and Laodice reigneth in Syria syrnamed Callinicus After Seleucus two sons of Seleucus either according to his age Seleucus and Antiochus Seleucus being weake and poore vnable to rule his armie was poysoned by his friends and reigned onely two yeares Antiochus was syrnamed Megas or the great and reigned 37. yeares These be the two kings which here be meant And an heatheÌ„ indiffereÌ„t eueÌ„ AppiaÌ„ sheweth vnto vs why the Angel â—hould name theÌ„ in the plural nuÌ„ber soone turne â—o the singular Polybius recordeth to the same effect Booke 4. in these words Antiochus was the yonger sonne of Seleucus Callinicus He vpon his fathers death wheÌ„ the kingdome came to his brother at the first led a priuate life in the higher part of the kingdome Soone after wheÌ„ his brother passed ouer the
Polybius will serue to shew his spoiling nature here touched How he came by his kingdom and was able to ouerflow Appian aboue shewed that euen by two wealthie kings helpes His pretence of right was the society made with his brother who I thinke is here named the Prince of the couenant or agreement To meane it of Ptolemy Philometor who reigned first sixe yeares after him it may be thought somewhat harder The spoiling and robbing of his owne countrey may well be vnderstood to be for Attalus and Eumenes armies that made him king against the states will who denied him the honor of the kingdomes He began to reigne in 137 of the Greeks 1. Mach. Which account must be taken from Alexanders death and not begin 14 yeares later where men imagine that because then Alexanders family was vtterly rooted out the Captaines were called first kings they fixed their date For if Claudius Ptolemie say true that from the first of Nabonassar 424. Alexander dyed the seuenth of Philometor is thence 574. The first of Philometor being at 142. after Alexanders death his seuenth should be at Antiochus his first and so he could not be set vpon by Antiochus This sheweth what vncertaintie heathen haue in their supposed exquisite particulars And herein Codoman deserueth prayses for amending the common errour from Greekes as we expounde them Likewise the Romanes recordes for Paulus Aemilius go hard whose triumph falleth after Antiochus death by the former recknings My partener Beroaldus herein twise followed the common errour which by the way I was to amend * Seleueus Philopater loued his fathers steps of Church-robbing Iason of Cyren abridged by him which wrote the second of the Machabees sheweth how Seleucus would haue robbed the Temple of Ierusalem Although that booke is full of Rabbique trickes and hath some openly Talmudicall as making Nehemias to be all one with Zorobabel the builder of Altar and Temple as the Babylonian Talmud doth in Sanedrin hath many childish flourishes yet as we vse heathen euen fables for substance of a narration though couered with light stuffe we may cite that author for so much hearing from God by heathen what Seleucus would be His poysoning is here described a breaking not by face to face not by warres So close guile as poysoning must be the third kind Appian in Syriaques sheweth all thus When Antiochus the Great was dead Seleucus his sonne succeeded And he did set free his brother Antiochus from the Romanes hostage yeelding his sonne Demetrius in lieu of him Now when Antiochus returned from hostage and was about Athens Seleucus dyeth by the trecherie of one Heliodorus that was about him That Heliodorus vsurped the reigne but Eumenes and Attalus remoue him and settle Antiochus in it winning that mans fauour being now vpon offences in suspition of the Romanes And so Antiochus the sonne of Antiochus the great obteined the reigne of Syria He had his syrname Epiphanes because the kingdome being catched at by others he cometh to be seene their king Mark how the Angel touched all these matters and moe h With Antiochus dealings against Aegypt his doings against Iudaea fall out it he was to take still in his way His inuasiō of Aegypt is hādled in Liuie booke 45. How he pretended to helpe there one brother against the other two Ptolemies they were and wan all Aegypt but Alexandria and left it to th'elder brother But he had a great garrison still at Pelusium That made the elder brother suspect him and thanke him but onely for a fashion for all his helpe here it is told The brethren agreed Antiochus returned with a fleet by sea and campe by land into Aegypt and requireth Cyprus to be graunted him with Pelusium and the soyle about it Ptolemie craueth the Romanes ayde who then had their fleet neare Popilius is sent with letters from the Romane state commanding Antiochus to depart from Aegypt the king taking the letters said he would consult vpon an answer Then Popilius draweth a circle about him with his staffe and biddeth him consult within that He was fayne to yeeld though it greeued him to the hart Ptolemie thanketh the Romanes as hauing his kingdome by their fauour and Antiochus likewese sendeth to Rome word that they shall in all things commaunde him So we see how these legges draw now to be clay like and how the little horne hath broken once three hornes his brother his sonne Demetrius and his sisters sonne king of Aegypt whereby the mariages make iron to be clay * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed Daniel 1. only and here * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 24 6.5 Is a most oratorious expositiō of the phrase †2. Thess 2 4. Translateth this better then mans wit would * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 2. * The Angel to Daniel or Iere. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is plain which terme is for God not an Idol Iere. 16.19 He of purpose vseth all hard terms What could be hard vnto a learned Hebrew and who would let enemies know his minde * as chap. 8. ◠Ezek. 20. * The Romanes can not be holdē any of Daniels foure kingdomes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses phrase Num. 24. vsed here made Daniel know by like reuolutiōs that the Romanes here arising shold afflict as these four kingdomes and hold on vnto the end and he knew that they should be the killers of Christ * The blasphemer of Christians Cornelius Tacitus commending this Antiochus saith that if he had not bene hindered by the Parthian warres he had drawen the Iewes from their as the blasphemer spake barbarous superstition As the testimonie of Sathan is cited in the Gospell so may his be hither for this Florus in Liuies abridgement LIX doth touch the warre of Anthiochus king of Syria and Phraates the Parthian But Tacitus commeth neare the wordes To destroy and sacke many Who the many be the next verse doth shew they that dwell betweene seas at holy mount Tzeby Now Tzeby vsed vers 16. and chap. 8.9 in Daniels owne phrase from Ezek. 20. was a plaine designatiō of Iudaea Moreouer the Babyloniā terme of a court Aphadno should argue a Babylonian king The terme hard to Greekes and plainest to Iewes and fittest for the matter to teach and saue them from harme that here beareth a sweet grace in it Moreouer the phrase planting of the tentes of his court is most fit for Antiochus who chasing at Iudas Machabaeus prosperities stayed halfe his army and his sonne with Lysias ruler of all from Euphrates vnto Aegypt to haue destroyed Ierusalem and the Iewes memorie vtterly Now the comming to his end is plaine that of one man not of a Romane Aristocratie all must be vnderstood and the breaking without hand touched in chap. 8. is in effect the same here where all mans helpe is remoued and sicknesse from Gods hand is closly meant 1. Mach. 3. and 6.
and terme them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artaxashta Artaxasata or Artaxiasata as Strabo writeth townes named from the kings name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ahashueroth The fourth Daniel 11.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius Artaxashta or Artaxasta thorough Ezra from Chap. 7. as the Massorites there note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artaxerxes These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ochus These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius Neh. 12. The Greekes whole Alexander the great the notable horne in the forehead of the Goate-bucke His posteritie Hercules and Alexander These with the principall parters of his kingdome make the bellie and the sides of brasse the Leopard with foure heads and the Goate-buckes notable horne and the foure that came vp for it The Greekes parted The Southerne all are in Strabo Geog. 17. Ptolemy Lagides 1. horne the king of the South Dan. 11.5 Ptolemy Philadelphus 3. horne v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernice his daughter is married to the king of the North and killed Ptolemy Euergetes her brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that standeth vp from the Impe of her rootes 5. horne v. 7. Ptolemy Philopator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. horne v. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He in whose times the lawlesse Iewes will be stirring and perish Ptolemy Epiphanes He had with his wife Cleopatra Syria in dowrie v. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— horne The Northerne all are in Appians Syriac Seleucus Nicator 2. horne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 5. Antiochus Soter who dealt in no special sort against the Iewes and therfore is omitted in Gabriels speech Antiochus Theos 4. horne v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seleucus Callinicus soone killed Antiochus the great v. 10. 6. horne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee that marrieth his daughter to the king of the South he shall also consume Iudaea Seleucus Philopater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the taxer 9. horne v. 20. Antiochus Epimanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vile the 10. horne v. 21. These kings make the iron of the two legs and somewhat of the iron and clay thinking by mariages to make attonement for Syria and Iudaea but further falling out These also such as are noted with Hebrew make the ten hornes of the fourth beast and in these dayes the Iewes the high Saintes begin to recouer their kingdome In particularitie Daniel speaketh no further of them The clay weaknes of the Images legs Southerne Ptolemy Philometor and Ptolemy Physcon Ptolemy Lathurus Ptolemy Auletes the Piper Cleopatra Strab. 17. All after the third Ptolemy were corrupt in wantonnesse and ruled cruelly But the seuenth and eighth the Piper specially Northerne two at once Demetrius Soter Demetrius Nicator Antiochus brother to Demetrius he killed himselfe Cleopatra wife to Demetrius killed him she had maried her brother Antiochus and had children by Demetrius Seleucus and Ant. Grypus Seleucus was kild by his mother Cleopatra Grypus poisoned his mother Seleâ—cus he droue out Cyzicen was killed by Antiochus An. Cyzicenus he droue out Grypus Antiochus who maried his mother in lawe Selene Tigranes droue him out And Pompey refused to suffer his sonne to raignâ— Antiochus Eupator Alexander Diodotus who maried Ptolemies daughter Tryphon killed by Antiochus Trogus Pompeius noteth that thus by the discord of the brethren of consanguinitie the East became vnder the people of Rome And so all may see how iron and clay the mixture in mans seed not cleauing together giueth testimonie to Daniels vision Of the times and yeares which these kings raigned WHereas these prophane kings are compared with Scripture we must take heede lest we grant vnto them a longer time of raigne then the holy text hath for the same ages for so we disanull the authoritie of Gods word Yet former ages haue bene in that blame a long time This may be spoken of them in generall that the whole yeares of no kings out of Gods people haue or were to haue their whole summe in holy record Besides heathen are so vncertaine that they agree not for the yeares of any one king betwixt Nebucadnezar and Iulius Caesar Yet when heathen are throughly examined from age to age by particular testimonies and by the liues of most famous men they shall be found to agree very well so with that which Scripture testimonies liues require Though strong errors like hedges of thornes stop the passage of the truth The truth must be confirmed from them for better satisfaction of such as braue more in heathen studies then Diuinitie Of the Chaldeans time of raigne THe Iewes agree vniuersally that from the first of Nebuchadnezar vnto the death of Belshazar the time is seuentie yeares And if Christian Commenters had followed them in that agreement and truth it had bene better with vs. Whereas the second captiuitie by some the third by some others is made the beginning of the seuentie yeares so a great rent is made in the holy storie Of the Persians true times and erronious sleights that deceiued From Darius Hystaspeos age about 20. at Babels fal he liuing but 43. vnto Xerxes warre 6. yeares after his death are 30. yeres Then Artaxerxes raigned at home Herod and Ctes Artaxerxes in all 42. Clem. 1. Storm He died in the seuenth of the Peloponnesian warres Thuc. Ochus 8. cleare y. 16. with his father 11. with his son Artaxerxes 42. Clem. Ochus three Darius about fiue Summe 130. Of the Grecians times from Clemens but Epiphanius differeth in twelue yeares excesse and Maximus Monachus cometh shorter Alexander sixe yeares Ptolemie Lagides fortie Ptolemie Philadelphus seuen and thirtie Ptolemie Euergetes fiue and twentie Ptolomie Philopator seuenteene Ptolemie Epiphanes foure and twentie In this age Iuda recouereth their owne gouernement Ptolomie Philometor fiue and thirtie Physcon nine and twentie Lathurus sixe and thirtie Auletes nine and twentie Cleopatra two and twentie Summe 300. The Romans vnto our Lords death threescore years so arise 490. Thus we may see how they litle examined the heathen who could not see that some agreed most exactly with the Scripture Nowe Suidas hath for all the Greekes times about thirtie yeares lesse then Clemens They who thinke that true may pardon the Greekes thirtie in their fortie of excesse past from Lysanders vnwalling Athens or Phyle stirres in the life of them who sawe it and heard Dinarchus cite their testimony against Demosthenes after Alexanders death of which sort Aeschines and Demetrius Phalereus are cited by them selues and others Such as heard not of Greciaes most moÌ„strous lying may pay the one with the other In sound learning and religion that must stand in summe which best agreeth with scripture for the same times otherwise Greekes disagree for ech kings yeres The Nobles of
Iuda that touch principally the booke of Daniell IN sundrie partes and sundrie maners spake God of Redemption to the fathers before the dayes of Dauid and to him he promised that his seed should sit vpon a throne for euer That speech was fit to allure all men vnto searching of the spirituall kingdome But the carnall still vnderstood that carnally The ten tribes despised it and went to Ohelehem and Elohehem to their owne tents and Gods Salomons house hoped to hold still that outward kingdome would not beleeue otherwise the most of them till the Chaldean tooke away and ouerthrew all their state When the visible kingdome fell all Iuda was to be resolued what should become of Dauids throne The whole booke of Daniel is a satisfaction for that perplexitie cleare being considered for that point how Salomons house being extinct in Iechoniah the house of Nathan from Salathiel Pedaiah and Zorobabel come to be heires of the kingdome But as the kingdome of Christ first suffers hath glorie after so they and their faithfull shall be conformed Babel the Medes with Elam and Greekes whole and parted shall rob them but they shall possesse a kingdome for euer and euer And when the seuentie yeares of Babels rage giue a tast of Gods defence and reuenge they are told of that celestiall speech how at seuen times that space the most holy will bring an eternall kingdome opened for all Thereupon the faithfull of the nation go from Babell vnto Ierusalem where the Lord should be king and restore the state and build the Temple Ezra and Nehemia declare their storie vnto Iaduah who and Sanballat saw great Alexander The troupes of them are starres for the storie vnder the Persians to checke heathen that with false regester of times as poeticall Heliades or Phaetontiades will disanull the prophecie of the due season And specially the kingly families of Zorobabel whose regester in the two Euangelistes is more worth then all heathē records Thus it standeth Zorobabel 1. Abiud 2. Eliakim 3. Azor. 4. Sadok 5. Achin 6. Eliud 7. Eleazar 8. Matthan 9. Iacob 10. Ioseph The succession of these ten heires to the Crowne must with our Lordes three and thirtie yeares make vp 490. They were afflicted to be about 45. yeares eache one before they tooke to build families Zorobabel 1. Rhesa 2. Iohanna 3. Iuda 4. Ioseph 5. Semei 6. Matthathie 7. Maath 8. Nagge 9. Hesli 10. Nahum 11. Amos. 12. Matthathie 13. Ioseph 14. Ianna 15. Melchi 16. Leuie 17. Matthat 18. Helie 19. Marie 20. Iesus Daniel CHAPTER 1. The beginning and the ende of the seauentie yeeres captiuitie IN the thirde yeere of the reigne of Iehoiakim king of Iudah came Nebuchadnezar king of Babel vnto Ierusalem and layde siedge agaynst it And the Lorde gaue into his handes Iehoiakim king of Iudah and part of the vessels of the house of God and he caried them into the lande of Shinar the house of his goddes and he caried the vesselles into the treasurie of his goddes And the king spake to Aspenaz lord Chamberlaine that he should bring certaine of the children of Israel of the kinges seede and of the noblest Springalles without any blemishe and goodly in fauour and skilful in al wisedome and wel seene in knowledge and witty of vnderstanding and of abilitie in them to stande in the kinges Palace and to teach them the learning tongue of the Caldeans And the king appoynted them a prouision day by day of a portion of the kinges meate and of the wine of his drinkes so to noorysh them three yeeres that at the ende thereof they myght stande before the kinge Now among these were certayne of the chyldren of Iudah Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah On whom the Lord Chamberlayne set other names and he set on Daniel Belteshazar and on Hananiah Shadrach and on Mishael Meshach and on Azariah Abednego But Daniel set in his hart that he woulde not defile hymselfe with the portion of the kinges meate nor with the wine which he dranke Therefore he made request to the chiefe Chamberlayne that he shoulde not defile hym selfe Now God had caused the chiefe Chamberlaine to fauour and pittie Daniel And the chiefe Chamberlaine sayde vnto Daniel I feare my Lord the king who hath appoynted your meate and your drinke VVherefore should he see your faces worse lykeing then the other springalles which are of your sort then shall you make guylty my head vnto the king Then sayd Daniel to Melzar whom the chiefe Chamberlaine had set ouer Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah O proue thy seruantes tenne dayes and let be geuen to vs some Pulse to eate and water to drinke Then let our countenances be looked vpon before thee and the countenances of the springalles that eate of the portion of the kinges meate and as thou seest deale with thy seruantes So he gaue eare to them in this matter and prooued them tenne dayes And at the ende of ten dayes their countenances appeared fayrer and fatter in flesh then all the chyldren which did eate the portion of the kings meate And Melzar tooke away the portion of their meate and the wine that they shoulde drinke and gaue them Pulse And to these springalles all foure to them God gaue knowledge and skill in all learnyng and wysedome also Daniel had vnderstanding in all visions and dreames At the ende of the dayes that the king had commaunded to bring them in then the chiefe Chamberlaine brought them before Nebuchadnezar And the king communed with them and none of them all was founde like Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah and they stoode before the king And in all matters for wysedome of vnderstanding that the king inquired of them he found them tenne tymes better then all the enchaunters and astrologians that were in all his realme And Daniel continued vnto the first yeere of king Cyrus CHAP. 2. The state of the Hebrewes vntill the birth of our Lord vnder the Caldeans Medes-Persians and the Graecians The kingdome of Christe shall after that fill the whole earth Daniel is a new Ioseph IN the second yeere afterwardes in the raigne of Nebuchadnezar Nebuchadnezar dreamed dreames and his spirite was disquieted and his sleepe brake on him Then the king commanded to call the Enchanters Astrologians and the Sorcerers and the Caldeans for to declare to the king his dreames So they came and stoode before the king And the king sayd vnto them I haue dreamed a dreame and my spirite was troubled to knowe the dreame Then spake the Caldeans to the king in Syriaque O king lyue for euer Tell to thy seruauntes the dreame and we wyll shew the interpretation And the king answered and sayd to the Caldeans the thing is gone from me yf ye wyll not make me know my dreame with the interpretation thereof ye shalbe cut in peeces and your houses shalbe made a dunghill But yf