A Short vievv of the Persian Monarchie and of Daniels weekes Beeing a peece of Beroaldus workes with a censure in some points LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Orwin 1590. A short view of the Persian Monarchie and of Daniels weekes being a peece of Beroaldus workes THe Persian Monarchie is first named siluerie because the people of God after the Temple restored and the Citie Ierusalem walled liued peaceablie vnder the Persians But how long this continued or how manie Kings it had neither the Historiographers of our time nor the prophane doo sufficientlie know which thing they doo declare in their diuers and vncertaine Histories showed foorth and published by them to the world of these matters But wee because we know the former Persian Kings out of the holie Scripture and the latter the prophane histories dooth mention of this matter therefore we are able more certainlie to determine than either Herodotus or Iosephus or Manetho or Metastenes or Ctesias from whō the true report of these matters is vsed to be cited Concerning the time and continuance of the Persian Monarchie we cannot doubt seing the beginning is apparāt out of the holy scripture and wee vnderstand from prophane Stories the ouerthrowe to bee by Alexander the Great Therefore let vs first speake of the time wherein the Persian Empire bare sway then of the Kings who gouerned that siluer Emperie which succeeded the golden Monarchie of the Babylonians The Persian Monarchie begins from that yeare in the which Cyrus the great was first aduaunced by God to the rule of Asia after Darius the Mede whom the holie Oracles call the King of Persia and endeth and is determined in the death of Darius the sonne of Arsanes for then no man resisting the Wealth of the Persians came to Alexander the great and Asia which before obeied the Persians became subiect to him Now the first yeare of Cyrus the greater or of the King of the Persians falls into the third yeare of the fourescore Olympiade which was from the beginning of the world three thousand foure hundred seuentie two and was the yeare since Rome was built 295. fortie yeares after the Kings were banished and exiled the Citie which wee vnderstand to be certaine laying down the times in order as they bee expounded in the holie Scripture and the Olympiades conferred and laide together with these and also the yeares of the continuance of the Citie of Rome And those things which haue been otherwise defined by prophane Writers and Writers of our time we haue obserued to be vnture Yet the death of Darius the last King of the Persians the prophane Historie referres to the first yeare of the hundred thirteenth Olympiade and that yeare is the fift of Daniels nineteenth weeke and the yeare of the Citie built foure hundred and fiue twentie and the yeare of the world three thousand three score two From which account of time we vnderstand that the Persian Monarchie is to haue allotted to it for the continuance a hundred and thiritie yeares although otherwise hereof other men haue determined But we cannot misse because we haue the time of the deliuerance from Babilon which is the beginning of the Persian Empire certainlie set downe and defined by the holie Scripture and the times which follow as the death of Darius the last King of Persia and of Alexander the great set downe faithfullie those who dissent from vs we are able by good reason to disprooue that especiallie seeing the exact time is set downe in the Scripture when Cyrus the greater began his Empire and the death of Alexander the great which fell in the next Olympiade from the death of Darius is agreed confessed and determined of manie Historiographers For then there was a more assured obseruation of the Greekish Historie manie learned and notable men hauing comprehended them in their writings agreeing in the setting downn of the accoūt of those times But those things which fell out before these times haue not so faithfullie been by Writers collected whereby it commeth to passe that the prophane storie is verie obscure which obscuritie we are able to dispearse to make cleere by that computation of time which we haue laide downe because this is grounded from a most vndoubted obseruation gathered from holie scripture which is not necessaire for vs at this time to handle more at large seeing it hath been handled before In the which treatise we haue set downe the exact account of time determined in the holie scripture which as it may bee referred to prophane stories if it hath little beene obserued by former Writers may yet now bee vnderstood by the table of this Chronicle continued and successiuely drawen downe from the beginning of the world euen vnto our times Now concerning the Kings of Persia who ruled these hundred thirtie yeares the place of Daniel which is in his eleuenth chapter and second verse is of great vse to the vnderstanding of the truth which is in this sort Beholde yet three Kings shall stand vp in Persia and the fourth shall be richer than they all and when he is growen great through his riches hee shall stirre vp all against the King of Graecia From this place of Daniel wee vnderstand that Persian King which afflicted Graecia with warre to bee the fift Monarch of the Persians from Cyrus the greater but the fift King in order from Cyrus by those things which he did from the monuments of prophane Writers wee doo finde to bee Xerxes for the Angel opened these things to Daniel in the third yeare of King Cyrus as it is cap. 10. ver 2. Because therefore besides Cyrus there were yet to bee 3. Kings of Persia after whom the fourth was to inuade Graecia by warre whom al prophane histories doo witnes to be Xerxes by good right therfore we say that Xerxes the terror of Graecia was the 5. Emperor of the Persians from Cyrus the greater Now who were Kings in the times which fell out betwixt these the holie writings doo suggest vnto vs who doo pursue and faithfullie expound the Historie of those Mesne times so farre as their knowledge concernes the Church of God by these names of Assuerus Darius Artaxerxes wee haue these Kings expressed in holy Writ who that they may be distinguished from other Kings who had likewise the same names they are to be assigned and set out by those epithites and surnames which may bee most agreeable and fit the present matter and historie which wee repeate out of Esdra and Nehemiah To Assuerus therefore wee will adde the surname of Artaxerxes Darius we will name Assyrius and we will surname Artaxerxes Pius for he bestowed a great care on the Church of God as afterwards shalbe vnderstood And that wee may proceede orderlie let vs first handle Assuerus who is made knowen vnto vs from Esdras historie In the which historie the 4. chapter and 6. verse The Enemies of the people of God
are said in the beginning of the reigne of Assuerus to haue written an accusation against the Inhabitants of Iuda and Ierusalem whereby it came to passe that thorough the Edict of the same Assuerus to whom wee haue added the surname of Artaxerxes because afterward the scripture nameth him by the same name the worke of the house of God ceased Now there is often and vsuall mention of this Assuerus Artaxerxes in the booke of Ester whoÌ„ by this we vnderstand to succeede immediâ—â—lie Cyrus in gouernment because in the 4. of Esdr the 5. vers the work of the house of the Lord is said to be hindred vnder Assuerus all the dayes of Cyrus King of Persia euen to the reigne of Darius the King of Persia Now that this Assuerus succeeded Cyrus in gouernment whose Viceroy before he had been in Persia and Vicegerent in Cyrus name we may gather out of the beginning of the first of Ester Where in the first chapter and third verse according to the Hebrew it is said that the strength of Persia and Media was before him and it is said that there were in presence before him in his Court Noble men and Princes or Rulers ouer Prouinces 127. ouer whom hee gouerned whome many moneths he entertained with princely entertainment But the greater and more able part of the strength of Persia and Media which was then said to be in the Court of Assuerus was before in expedition with Cyrus the greater Now after Assuerus wee place Darius whom we haue named Assyrius for a difference from others who are called in the said Monarchie Darius because in the 6. of Ezra the 11. the Iewes are said to haue kept a solemn feast of sweete bread seuen dayes in mirth because the Lord had made their hearts glad and had turned the hart of the King of Assur towards them to helpe their hands in the work of the house of the God of Israel But this Darius Assyrius is mentioned in the beginnings of the prophecies of Aggey and Zacharie vnder whom the building of the temple of God was begun anew Whose praise is that the building of the temple intermitted vnder Assuerus Artaxerxes by his authority was begun againe and finished Which we gather from the Prophecie of Aggey and Zacharie but chieflie we vnderstand it from the historie of Esdras for in the fourth chapt 24. verse it is said that the house of the Lord was intermitted vnder Asserus nor begun againe before the 2. yeare of Darius the King of Persia but in the 6. chapt 14. vers it is thus spoken of the house of God built vnder Darius Assyrius But the Elders of Iuda built and prospered according to the prophecie of Aggey the prophet and Zacharie the sonne of Addo and they edified and built the God of Israel commaunding them and Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes Kings of Persia Now he in this verse who is in the last place called Artaxerxes seemeth to be Assuerus Artaxerxes by whom it hath been saide before the worke of the Lord was hindred vnlesse our coniecture deceiue vs because by reason of Hester and Mardochey he fauoured the proceedings of the people of GOD the which before he greatly misliked For peraduenture when he now waxed old Darius Assyrius beeing consorted in gouernment with him he also commaunded the temple of God to be built Darius chieflie busying himselfe thereabouts as the diuine Oracles haue witnessed to vs. Also that Artaxerxes may be he whom we name Pius vnder whome by Nehemias the Citie was compast about with a wal and the temple obtained his ornaments Others referre the word Artaxerxes to Darius Assyrius as if and were put in stead of of that is to say because the surname of Artaxerxes was proper to the kings of Persia as Caesar was a common name to the Emperours of Rome and Pharao to the auncient Kings of Egypt as after Alexander the great the name of Ptolomey was attributed to all the Kings of Egypt till Egypt was reduced to the form of a prouince by the Romanes But to Darius Assyrius wee adioyned in succession Artaxerxes Pius of whoÌ„ there is mention made as it were in a new historie in the seuenth chapter and first verse after this manner After these words In the kingdome of Artaxerxes the King of Persia Esdras the sonne of Seraias there is added This Esdras went vp from Babilon and he was a sleight Scribe in the lawe of Moses which the Lord God gaue to Israel And the King gaue vnto him all his request according to the hand of the Lord which was vpon him For as it shalbe touched afterwards Iudea did then seeme Zorobabel being dead to want a Ruler For which cause in the seuenth yeare of Artaxerxes Pius Esdras is sent into Iudea with commaundement to compound the causes of the people of God For so in the said 7. chap. 24. vers it is said But thou Esdras according to the wisedome of thy God which is in thy hand appoint Iudges and Gouernours to iudge the people which is beyond the Riuer to wit those that knowe the Lord yet also teach freelie those which are ignorant From the same Artaxerxes Pius afterwards Nehemias is sent into Iudea to compound ecclesiasticall causes in the tweÌ„tieth yeare as it is largely expounded in the second of Nehemias Seeing therefore Artaxerxes Pius is thus knowen vnto vs out of the Historie of Esdra Nehemia we haue made him to succeede Darius Assyrius Wherefore we know from the holie Scripture these Kings to wit Cyrus Maior Assuerus Artaxerxes Darius Assuerus Artaxerxes Pius whom Xerxes the terrour of Graecia succeedeth the fifth in succession from Cyrus Maior And thus we haue named the former kings of Persia staying our selues vpon the authoritie of holie Scripture carelesse in the meane while of Herodotus and Ctesias and of others who follow Herod or Ctesias of whom we wil speake afterwardes Now who those Kings were who succeeded this Xerxes in Persia we collect out of the prophane storie Xerxes was the sonne of Artaxerxes Macrochir that is the long handed whome hee succeeded in the Kingdome From whose twentie yere they who reckon the beginning of Daniels Seuens may now perceiue how far they are from the truth when they take this Artaxerxes Longimanus the sonne of Xerxes for Artaxerxes Pius who peraduenture was the grandfather of Artaxerxes Longimanus But after Artaxerxes Longimanus Darius Nothus begotten by him succeeded in the Kingdom Artaxerxes Mnemon that is by surname the Rememberer succeeded Darius Nothus beeing his bastard whose brother was Cyrus called the lesser famous in the Greeke historie and in Xenophon who was fellow in Armes with him against Artaxerxes After Artaxerxes Mnemon Ochus his sonne reigned ouer the Persians Then Arses the sonne of Ochus who being destroyed with his whole familie had for his successor Darius the last king of Persia whom Diodorus Siculus in his 17. booke sayth to be
Gentiles and I will fill the house with glorie saith the Lord of hoasts Thus farre Beroaldus Now that the said seauens of Daniel may the more easelie be vnderstood because many Interpreters both Graecians Latines haue in certaine places departed from the Hebrue text shall be added in this place an interpretation as neere answering the Hebrue words as we can Dan. 9. 24. SEVENTIE SEVENS of yeares are cut out for thy people and for thy holy Citie to consume wickednes to abolish sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring righteousnes euerlasting and to seale Vision and Prophet to shew CHRIST the HOLIE of HOLIE Know then marke from the outgoing of the Word to returne to build Ierusalem vnto CHRIST the GOVERNOVR shal be seuen seuens of yeares and sixtie two seuens in the other it shalbe restored and builded Streete and Wall and troublous shall these times be In that after the sixtie and two seuens CHRIST shalbe killed and not for himselfe thereupon the Citie and holy place shall hee destroy the GOVERNORS own people to come and their ende shalbe with a Flood and at the ende of warre it shall haue a finall iudgement to desolation But he shal confirme the Testament for manie the last Seauen when in HALFE THAT SEAVEN he shall finish the Sacrifice Oblation Afterwards by an Armie abhominable he shall make a desolation euen till vtter destruction and finall Iudgement flowe vpon the desolate The iudgement of Henrie Wolphius touching Beroaldus may fitly be ioyned here THe fourth Article of the time changed being the seuenth of the olde testament conteineth foure hundred and ninetie yeares Daniels seauentie weekes It beginneth from the first yeare of Cyrus and endeth in the ioyfull most famous Iubilee of all Iubilees in the yeare wherein Christ suffred being the truth of that type or figure Daniels words concerning those seauentie seauen are diuerselie interpreted by the learned but in my iudgement of all other most learnedlie and most truelie hath Matthew Beroald in his Cronicle deliuered the minde of the Prophet The seuentie begins from the going foorth of the Word to repaire and reedifie Ierusalem to wit of that Word which is set down in the second of the Chr. and the last verse Neither frō anie other time can this beginning be set down for the Citie Temple are not repayred in one yere Furthermore when the Prophet diuideth the seuens into two parts into seuen and sixtie and two seauens the first Seuen he referres to the troublesome times in the which the street ditch are said to be renued and built againe which is certainlie knowen to haue been finished in fortie and nine yeares Thirdly he doth so interpret the words of the Prophet that is And after sixtie and two seauens Christ shalbe killed that he saith these seuens be ended in the passion of Christ and after this that there was nothing to be looked for but a finall destruction and desolation of the Citie and Temple all which are most notorious And in the 24. ver he doth so describe the ende of the seuens that it cannot otherwise be vnderstood then to fall out in the passion of Christ For he saith To consume impietie to shut vp sinne to purge iniquitie to bring in euerlasting iustice to fulfil vision prophet to annoint the Holie of Holiest Who knoweth not that these things wer performed when Christ said All things are finished To conclude that which is said And in the halfe of the seauen he shall cause to cease oblation and sacrifice is trulie expounded of Christs preaching which he began in the fourth yeare of the last seauen To this may be added a parcell of Bucholcerus words touching the exposition of the last halfe seuen for the vse of them that little are acquainted with this part of Scripture but some words of his where the matter well suffereth shalbe omitted such as would require a long speach vpon them LEt vs come to the declaration of the residue of the 9. of Daniel in the which the ende of the seuentie seuens is described The first seauen seauens are 49. yeares because euerie seauen cōteineth seauen yeares Those former 49. yeares runne out vnder Esdra and Nehemias reedifying the Temple To these let there be added sixtie and two seauens that is to say 434 yeare they surmouut vnto sixtie and nine weekes or 483. There remaineth one seauen that is the last seauen in the halfe whereof Christ did teach three yeare a halfe till by his death vpon the crosse he purged sinne and ended the seuens Diuersitie of exposition grewe by reason of this He shall confirme the couenant for manie in one seauen For that the seauenth yeare or last of the last seauen might be complete manie haue extended the ende of the seauens vnto the preaching of the Apostles and to the 4. yeare after the death of Christ Others haue been of another opinion We by their fauour doo thinke that Daniel plainlie pointed out the person and the course of life of the onely Messias that by great aduise the last seuen is deriued from all the former For the halfe of the last seauen doth belong vnto the Messias and to his wonderfull workes that seauen tolde the Messias to be come in that seauen Christ the Annoynted began to teach he established a new lawe and abrogated the olde hee tooke away sinne cleansed iniquitie fulfilled the prophecies he finished the work of redemption and brought eternall righteousnes Neither can these seuens which Daniel here mentioneth be ascribed vnto the Apostles that is to cleanse sinne to take away iniquitie to bring righteousnes for this is the dutie of the onely Messias to the finishing whereof Daniel saith the last seuen is appointed and he saith this twice first generallie and then speciallie Generallie He shal confirme the couenant in one seauen Speciallie In the halfe of the seauen he shall make to cease the Sacrifice So that is generall After 62. weekes Christ shalbe slaine Where it might be doubted whether immediately after the 62. weekes fullie ended the Messias was to be slaine The particular therefore which teacheth the confirmation of the couenant or Christs preching to be tied to the half of the last seuen expoundeth the generalitie of both Therefore it is not Daniels meaning He will confirme the couenant in one seauen that is to say the last yet running out and continuing Yet least the time of Christs ministerie shuld be referred vnto all the last seauen or to the beginning thereof he addeth by way of correction in the halfe of the last seauen that at once hee might teach Christs ministery should bee referred to the last half of the last seauen Otherwise if 3. yere a halfe be reckoned from the beginning of that seauen and be ended in the midst thereof seauentie weekes should not be accomplished but 69. seauens a halfe that is 487. yere not 490. Reuerent Beda
saw this who in his booke of the account of times the 7. chapter writeth after this manner Christ was not staine immediately after the 62. seauens but in the ende of the seuentieth seauen which so farre as we can coniecture he separated from the other because he was to speak more of this hereafter For both Christ was crucified in that and of a faithlesse people he was denied not onely at his passion but continuallie from the time when Iohn began to preach him The halfe of the last seauen was the 15 yeare of Tiberius Caesar when after the baptisme of Christ the cleansing by sacrifices amongst the faithfull began to be contemned Thus farre Beda More of Bucholcerus the Reader may fetch frō himself The Conclusion This Treatise was thought needfull in this time wherein some would make this Prophecie of Dan. 9 to bee worse than nothing as speaking of a certaine number of yeres to mens opinion hethertoo but not so to bee vnderstood Therein the Iewes woulde triumph ouer all Christians that viged this prophecie for describing Christs time and Christian should ken small thankes for that newe opinion as also little to them that cannot see this point to be of speciall vse Here Strangers opinions were brought to stay the rashnes of the vnlearned who thinke all things new that they know not The Writer of the obseruations vpon this translated by I A. a friend of his in an Apologie of his owne writeth more at large vppon that The Lord giue iudgement in all points FINIS * Rather from Darius named in vers 1. * That he was the 4. it shalbe shewed hereafter There be seuerall Kings of those names but for time in this order Artaxerxes to whom an epistle was writtenn against the Iewes soone after their returne Assuerus and Darius Artaxerxes There Artaxerxes Assuerus are seuerall men and the former is named last because to him was ioyned the narration of the letter which caused the temples worke to bee staied The Ebrewes who shoulde haue skill in their owne stories hold this Darius to bee the sonne of Ester This Artaxerxes and Assuerus whom being two he nameth one person may bee known not only by this Authour but also by Dan. 10. 11 to haue had a short reigne and Darius vnder whom the Temple was built was of antiquitie holden most commonly excepting some one or two learned to begin his reigne no whit aboue thirtie yeares from Babels fall but rather shorter much though a shorter time should hardly be graunted But 107. yeares frō Cyrus as some would should be too much for 50000. being men at Cyrus Monarchie to be workefull for the Temple * Heere And might be held as the Hebrues holde it for which is Here his iudgmēt staggreth Any man may know by the text and the time that Darius also Arraxerxes grāting authoritie to build the temple the worke being finished in Darius sixt yeare after that Ezra the the sonne of Saraiah comming to Ierusalem frō Babel is the seauenth of Artaxerxes either the two termes must needes as Hebrues assuredly hold signifie one person or the two must reigne at once * This is most holden and plaine The selfe same man as by the Scripture examined anie may see and Hebrues with maine Latines holde * The time for the yeare seauenth vpon the sixt and the name of Artaxerxes that went before in the second of Darius graunting the building of the Temple show the two names signifie but one King as was touched before Seraias case best discusseth the whole time of the Persiās For seeing Seraias was killed by Nabucadnezzar 52. yeares before Cyrus tooke Babylon and Esdras is commonly graunted to haue seene the Persians last reigne It is as much as olde age can suffer in one mans life aged 50. yeares before that the Persians should reigne in that mans life 130 yeares more For so he must match Isaacks yeares 180 and that so hee did or came neare it may be proued by manie likelihoods It is but a bare conjecture for to imagine that Esdras omitted his father or grandfathers two or three betwixt him and Seraias No man hath authoritie to forme more than is to the Bible “ Zorobabel was aliue the yere before and yonger than he Who was also Darius Pius Longimanus seemeth to be that brother of Xerxes of whose quiet reigne Iustine writeth Herodotus writeth that the sonne of Atossa Ester is she gate the Kingdom though he took one brother for the other * This would not soone be graunted nor at all he was elder than Lōgimanus and ruler of the wars of Greece and not with the Iewes Ezra 4. * The particular Kings of Persia neuer were neuer will be knowen by Writers For times touching scripture of 49. yeares for the chiefe worke of walling lerusalem to that Aben Ezra wilagree and no Hebrue wil grant that they reigned aboue 130. yeres but rather cōe farre short And flout manie closely in Seder Olam as grosely deceaued that giue the Persians 250. yeares though not the most part were so much deceiued The fiue generations of Iosuahs posteritie to Iuddue will compell them to graunt nere that somme but to more than that no likelihood can vrge “ This somme will not soone be disprooued though the particular Kings be not agreed vpon which yet 〈◊〉 neuer agreed vpon not anie learned Christians for the Bible is compelled to take notice of Metastenes a forged author yet deceaued manie * Not all the Kings because they touch not the common weale * To teach the vanitie of this consent wee may mark out of Pausanias other accounts for men of that age as Oebotas is in Olympiade the sixt and Xenophō in 25. but in Triclinius in 79. both winners of the footerace Of Xenophō Pindarus made an Ode Infinite varietie of Writers disanulleth this cōsent Nay rather later in part than he for he seemeth to touch the Persiās ouerthrow to haue been for hindring of the Temple Ezra 6. 13. Dan. 11. The power of Persia raised against Greece was to look for a sharp punishment frō him whose eies were a flame of fire for the sorrow caused to Daniels people * The terme weekes much entangleth the weake and requireth a comment in English for a terme plaine in Ebrue or Greeke * Daniel praied for restoring of the Citie and the Angel accordingly ioineth to the grant ofreturne the building of the Citie that wee should not seek for sundrie times to take the beginning of our account vnles whē God maketh a thing plaine we will be finding out inuentions The very matter dooth still driue him to grāt these two names to mean one King or two beginning reigne together Esters sonne he shuld be thoght that so fauored the Iewes If any cā speak better thā this to the text of Daniel he shall doo verie well to helpe the world with it Iosephus regarded custom of speach rather thā truth sometimes vnwares he
speaketh well theÌ„ he is voide of parcialitie Often he foloweth heathen or of malice crosseth prophecies and his whole nation theÌ„ his authoritie is nothing * And the Talmud Zoar and commentaries commonly * To the foundation in some plain forwardnes wherefore in the 3. of Cyrus Daniel was in heauinesse for the worke hindred Iosephus in Euseb dem 8. to the full finishing of the Temple reckoneth 49. yeres Though hee make some account of a nuÌ„ber certaine in Olympiades he might rather for this than anie thing else blame the heathen of vncertaintie In the Image legs chapt 2. fourth beast chap. 7 buckes hornes chap. 8. and in a proper speach chapt 11. and 12. * There is no word in Daniel which handleth the Romanes dealing against the lewes vntill they denie and kill Christ after the 490. Y. for which time their citie was called the holy Citie There onely the Romanes be noted and tearmed a wing or campe of Infidels or abhominable The not able horne in the forehead of the Bucke is the first King of Iauan Dan. 8. His Kingdome is a Leopard with 4. wings Dan 7. Ephes 1. * The Hebrue might be better translated for plaines but for smal things men should not fight The Greek Hebrue are omitted which bare English men neede not to be troubled with though he set them downe Whereas Mat. Beroaldus expoundeth the halfe seuen not onely the time of our Lords death to conteine the ministerie of doctrine which maketh strong the couenaunt for many that is the heatheÌ„ and the same time to cause sacrifice to cease as well by the doctrine teaching of that as by the Lords verie death Of this the reader is to be admonished least he should thinke him to say that Christ should die in halfe that seauen whereof he is of some vniustly blamed as also an other of his iudgement In Cereâ—â— * Carthusianus ap 11. expoundeth Beda That by dayes 1260. must bee vnderstood all the time of the Euangel call lawe because Christ had preached so long a time Beda vnderstood that time to haue been an allusion to the time of our Lords preaching * He followeth the Greekes most grosse errour by mistaking the Septuaginta vpon Gen. 15 11 The 4 yeare of the Olympiad 202. supposing his owne accoÌ„pt to be true as he placed Cyrus otherwise Olympiades are of no certaintie 784. For one yeares difference a modest student will not striue * A speciall point For if by proper scripture from Adam deriued our Lords time of suffering might not be shewed a matter most needful wished of al had been omitted but God omitteth nothing good for vs. * The Iewes feare disputing vpon this text more than anie other and lest meddle with it in their comments Zoar vpoÌ„ that place doth confesse the nature of God conteined in Shiloh and most Rabbines expound that place of Christ * Because it is not good to haue differing translations for smal points is one kingdom this for his was borrowed from a defender of his iudgment * Though these words be not in the text yet for light of the argument they may well be vsed so doo the best that profes folowing of the Hebrue They think it no departing from the Hebrue to adde words for explication and nothing is more vsuall It is maruell that some of iudgement blame so vsuall and lawfull a matter * Though many Translaters runne on the middle of the seauen yet many the eldest and the late follow the proprietie of the Hebrue word which most often is taken for halfe neuer for middle but when the matter forceth that signification But the whole sum of 490. yeare here suffreth it not to be wrested