counteth an 180. yeares from the beginning of the kingdome of the Greekes vnto Antiochus whereas it is euident 1. Mac. 1. 21. that Antiochus came against Ierusalem in the 143. yeare Oecol and beside whereas it is said in the text vnto the euening and morning it is euident that neither moneths or yeares are here to be vnderstood but so many naturall dayes Cal. Theodoret by the euening vnderstandeth the beginning of their calamitie by the morning the ende thereof but the phrase of Scripture sheweth that thereby the naturall day is comprehended which consisteth of the day and night As Gen. 1. throughout the chapter the euening morning were the first day and the second day so the rest 3. It remaineth then that by these 2300. dayes so many daies precisely must be vnderstood which make 6. yeares 3. moneths 20. dayes counting 365. dayes to a yeare Bulling 4. Some doe here reade onely a 1300. dayes Osian So also reade Montanus and Pagnin but the Hebrewe word alephaijm beeing put in the duall number signifieth two thousand Vatab. Iun. Polan Oecolamp Quest. 25. When this tearme of 2300. beganne and ended 1. Melancthon beginneth this tearme in the yeare of the kingdome of the Greekes an 145. and endeth it in the yeare 151. when Nicanor and his armie were destroyed and the whole land recouered but seeing euident mention is made that Antiochus began to afflict Ierusalem in the 143. yeare 1. Mac. 1. 21. this teame must not take beginning after that and seeing also that all this desolation is prophesied to happen vnder Antiochus Epiphanes who was this little horne this tearme must not be extended after the death of Antiochus who died in the 149. yeare 1. Mac. 6. 16. 2. Some do begin this tearme in the 143. yeare when Antiochus went proudly into the Sanctuarie and tooke away the golden altar 1. Mac. 1. 23. And so this tearme of 6. yeares shall determine in the 148. yeare when Iudas Macchabeus recouered the citie purged the Temple then the 3. moneths and odde dayes are counted ouer and about to finish the purging sanctifying of the Temple Bull Pererius extendeth them to the death of Antiochus which was in the 149. yeare But this account cannot stand for from the beginning of the 143. yeare to the purging of the Sanctuarie by Iudas which was in the ninth moneth Chisleu the 25. day in the 148. yeare is not 6. yeares there wanteth 3. moneths and 5. dayes 3. Calvin will haue the sixe yeares to ende in the moneth Chisleu in which moneth the temple was polluted but 3. moneths after the moneth Chisle◠the sixe yeares beeing expired it was cleansed in the moneth Adar and he noteth for this 1. Macchab. 4. 36. But there is no such thing obserued cōcerning any particular time the contrarie is euident in the 52. v. following that in the moneth Chisleu not Adar the temple was cleansed in the 148. yeare as three yeares before it had beene defiled in the same moneth in the 15. of Chisleu 4. Iunius whom Polanus followeth beginneth this time in the 142. yeare the sixt moneth and 6. day and so the full summe of 6. yeares 3. moneths and 20. dayes will come out in the 148. yeare in the ninth moneth the 25. day He beginneth the reckoning of this desolation of Ierusalem when Menclaus with other wicked men first obtained licence of the king to followe the ordinances of the heathen 1. Mac. 1. 14. and 2. Mac. 4. 25. And this seemeth to be the best account for though it cannot be precisely gathered out of the storie of the Macchabees when this tearme of a 2300. yeares beganne it must haue a perfect ende at the cleansing of the Sanctuarie which was in the 148. yeare on the 25. day of the ninth moneth Chisleu Pererius answereth that it is not necessarie to vnderstand that this cleansing of the Sanctuarie should be in the verie ende sed prope finem but toward the ende But the contrarie is euident out of the text that after the 2300. dayes then shall the Sanctuarie be cleansed But they which beginne the sixe yeares in the 143. yeare cannot ende this tearme at such time as the Sanctuarie was cleansed but extend it further 5. Some as Pererius noteth to make this tearme ende iust at the cleansing of the Sanctuarie doe read a 2200. dayes but this is an euident controlling of the text which speaketh of a 2300. dayes 6. Pappus indifferently summeth these dayes either from the first spoyling of the citie in the 143. yeare and so they shall ende in Antiochus death or from the setting vp of the abhomination of desolation in the 145. yeare in the moneth Chisleu 1. Macchab. 1. 57. and then they shall ende in the ouerthrowe and subuersion of Nicanor and his host which was two yeares after Antiochus death But this beeing a prophetical prediction must haue a certaine and definite accomplishment it cannot indifferently be taken two wayes I preferre therefore the fourth interpretation as the best 7. Now whereas c. 7. 25. there are assigned a time two times and a part that is 3. yeares and 10. dayes for the desolation of the Sanctuarie but here the summe of 2300. dayes maketh sixe yeares 3. moneths 20. dayes This must be vnderstood of all the time from the first defection or falling away of the people by the procurement of wicked Menelaus which was in the 42. yeare as is before shewed and then followeth Antiochus first comming to Ierusalem when he layd wast the citie and spoyled the people in the 143. yeare but the 3. yeares must beginne from the second comming of Antiochus in the 145. yeare when he set vp the abomination of desolation And therefore here menion is not made onely of the iniquitie of desolation and treading downe of the Sanctuarie but of the armie also that is the Lords people and the citie Polan 8. Herein also appeareth Gods mercie who now afflicteth his people in measure he fulfilleth not all out seuen yeares in the desolation of the citie and temple whereas before he punished them with a captiuitie of seuentie yeares Oecolampad Quest. 26. When the kingdome of the Greekes so often mentioned in the booke of the Macchabees tooke beginning 1. Lyranus is of opinion that the raigne of the Greekes should begin from the death of Alexander comment in 1. lib. Macchab. c. 1. But this cannot be for after Alexanders death for the space of 13. or 14. yeares there was no certaine succession of the kingdom Alexanders captaines one warring against another till those fowre kingdomes of Macedonia Asia Egypt Syria were setled 2. Ioannes Annius is yet more bold and controlleth those numbers set downe in the storie of the Macchabees that whereas Antiochus is said to beginne his raigne in the 137. yeare of the kingdome of the Greeks he saith it was the 153. yeare from the death of Alexander from whence the kingdome of the Greekes must be counted in
Iunius in his last edition 201. but in the first he reckoneth for the whole time of the Persian Monarchie but an 129. yeares Beroaldus whom H. Br. followeth an 130. which seemeth to be the best computation for the reason before alleadged namely Nehemiahs age 2. Now there is as great diuersitie in the seuerall raignes of the kings Cyrus some thinke to haue raigned 30. yeares as Cicero lib. 1. de diuinatio Clemens lib. 1. stromat Iustine Eusebius Sulpitius giueth vnto him 31. Herodotus 29. Annius Driedo and Lucidus 22. yeares after Darius the Mede Xenophon yeeldeth him but 7. yeares Bullinger 16. the Hebrewes generally but three namely in the Persian Monarchie he might raigne before divers yeares in the kingdome of Persia M. Lydyat aloweth to Cyrus 30. yeare ouer Persia and 7. ouer the whole Monarchie Cambyses raigned 8. yeares as some thinke Herodotus Eusebius Bullinger as some but 6. yeares Iosephus lib. 11. antiquit as some 9. yeares Sulpitius as others 19. yeares Clemens Alexandrin Iunius giueth vnto Cyrus and Cambyses together but 9. yeares in his annotations both in his first and last edition M. Lydyat 17. yeares Smerdes who vsurped the kingdome fayning himselfe to be the brother of Cambyses raigned but 7. moneths as Herodotus so also Lydyat 10 moneths as Theodoret a whole yeare as Iosephus Iunius Darius the sonne of Hystaspis raigned 19. yeares as Tertullian 30. yeares as Orosius 31. M. Lydyat 46. yeares as Clemens Alexandrin 36. yeares as Herodotus lib. 2. Sulpitius lib. 2. Eusebius 12. yeares according to Ab. Ezra Iunius in his first edition giueth him twentie yeares 36. in his last Xerxes is supposed to haue raigned 20. yeares as Oecolampad Lydyat 21. as Diodorus Sulpitius Orosius 26. as Clemens Alexandrin lib. 1. stromat 22. yeares Iun. edition 3. Artaxerxes Longimanus raigned 37. Melancthon ex Metasthene Iun. edition 1. 40. Pererius agreeing with the most historians 44. as Bullinger 46. as M. Lydyat 40. yeares Iun. edition 3â— Darius Nothus raigned 8. yeares as Clemens Alexand. and H. Br. proleg in Daâ—iel 60. yeares as Phylostratus lib. 1. de vit Apollon 19. yeares according to Eusebius Beda Bullinger M. Lydyat with others 18. yeares Iun. edit 1. 19. yeares Iun. edit 3. Artaxerxes Mnemon raigned 40. Perer. Oecolampad 43. as M. Lively M. Lydyat out of Diodorus Siculus 62. yeares as Plutarke 36. as Bullinger 35. as Melancthon out of Metasth 10. yeares Iun. edit 1. 3. yeares edit 3. Ochus raigned 3. yeares as H. Br. in proleg in Dan. 23. yeares according to Tertullian and Diodorus Siculus and Iun. edit 3. 22. edit 1. and M. Lydyat 24. yeares as Sulpit. 26. yeares as Eusebius Beda Melancthon Bulling Arses or Arsanes the sonne of Ochus raigned 1. yeare according to Tertullian 3. yeares as Sulpit. Diodor. so also Iun. edit 1. and 3. and M. Lydyat 4. yeares as Euseb. Beda Darius the last raigned 3. yeares as Clemens 4. yeares as Sulpit. 5. yeares as Iun. edit 3. 6. yeares as Euseb. Beda 21. yeares as Tertullian Now then if we lay the yeares of these Persian kings together first the smallest numbers of their raigne then the greatest it will appeare what great oddes there is in the account According to some According to others Cyrus raigned yeares 3 Cyrus raigned yeares 30 Cambyses 6 Cambyses 8 Darius Hystaspis 30 Darius Hystaspis 46 Xerxes 20 Xerxes 26 Artaxerxes Longhand 37 Artaxerxes Longhand 46 Darius Nothus 8 Darius Nothus 60 Artaxerxes Mnemon 36 Artaxerxes Mnemon 62 Ochus 3 Ochus 26 Arses 1 Arses 4 Darius Codoman 3 Darius Codoman 21 the summe is 147. yeares the summe is 329. yeares So then the difference betweene these two accounts is of an 182. yeares By this it is euident that there is small certentie to be had from forren stories concerning the Persian Monarchie either for the names number or yeares of their kings whereupon Burgensis thus concludeth Historiae illorum temporum praecipâ—e regum Persarum Medorum sunt plenae diversitatibus contradictionibus c. The histories of those times specially of the Medes and Persians are full of diuersities and contradictions in so much that they onely doe not varie in the continuance of some kings but some histories also name some kings that other histories make no mention of To this purpose Paul Burgens addit 3. in 9. Daniel Now will we proceede to examine the seuerall opinions before set downe qu. 34. 39. Quest. That Daniels weekes doe signifie a certen definite number of yeares This may be prooued by sundrie reasons against their opinion who doe thinke that in this number of Daniels weekes there is not signified a precise tearme of yeares but generally all that time which should follow vnto the comming of the Messiah But that a certen and definite number of yeares is signified and intended by these 70. weekes it may thus be shewed 1. That number of yeares whose beginning and ende is expressed must needes be a definite and certen number beeing so bounded and limited but the beginning and ende of this tearme is described they take beginning at the going forth of the word and they ende at the Messiah 2. The manner of phrase declareth as much 70. weekes are cut out or determined the Lord had as it were cut out seuered and appointed this time for the comming of the Messiah to performe these things here prophesied 3. That number is definite and certen which is diuided into parts but so is this whole number of 70. weekes it is diuided into three parts into 7. weekes 62. weekes and one weeke 4. This number of 70. weekes answereth vnto the tearme of 70. yeares beeing that number multiplied 7. times therefore as the one is certen so is the other 5. Further that time which we are bid to obserue and marke and to attend such things as fall out therein must be a certen and definite time for how els should it be obserued and marked but such was this time here designed by Daniel and the euents which followed it as our Sauiour saith Mar. 24. 15. When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place let him which readeth consider it But how could the euent of this prophesie be obserued and considered if some certen direction were not giuen by the time to finde it out 40. Quest. That Origens account can not stand beginning the 70. weekes at Adam and ending them in the destruction of Ierusalem 1. Origen to make this account good taketh euery weeke for 70. yeares to euery day of the propheâ—icall weeke allowing tenne yeares but no where in the Scripture is a weeke so taken but either for a weeke of daies or for a weeke of yeares 2. This whole summe according to his account taking euery weeke for 70. yeares will amount to 4900. yeares but the whole time from the first to the second Adam is not much aboue 4000. yeares not yet so much in some account so that this
be vnderstood vpon thy people that is to finish their sinnes and to seale vp their iniquities by the annointing of the Messiah this was the speciall intendment and scope of these weekes yet so as if they reiected this gratious offer then destruction should come vpon them see more of the meaning of these words qu. 19. before 2. Our blessed Sauiour speaketh not there of Daniels propheticall weekes but onely of the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet it followeth not because it is here spoken of that therefore necessarily it should be comprehended within the compasse of the 70. weekes 3. There is no disorder at all in the prophesie for Daniel hauing propounded briefly and ioyntly together the slaying of the Messiah and destruction of the citie afterward commeth to handle them seuerally in the next verse and more fully so did the Prophet before v. 25. for hauing spoken of the 7. weekes and 62. weekes ioyntly he afterward returneth to the 7. weekes after the which the streete and wall should be built and then to the 62. weekes 4. Lyranus well expresseth the reason why the destruction of Ierusalem iâ— mentioned though it be not within the compasse of the 70. weekes quia factum fuit in poenam mortis Christi ponitur immediate c because it happened and came as a punishment for the death of Christ it is put immediatly after 48. Quest. That the 70. weekes ende not after the destruction of Ierusalem 1. Eusebius ending the 69. weekes in the first yeare of Herod beginneth the 70. and last weeke at the baptisme of Christ and extendeth it 70. yeares to the time of the Emperour Traian for so long the Apostolical preaching continued Iohn the Euangelist suruiuing till then But here Eusebius committeth two great errours first in diuiding the 70. weeke so farre by the space of 60. yeares from the 69. weekes secondly in giuing 70. yeares to the last weeke whereas he accounted euery of the formet weekes but at 7. yeares a peece 2. Some Hebrewes as Hierome in his commentarie vpon this place rehearseth their opinion beginning the 70. weekes from Darius the Mede doe end 62. of them in the destruction of the citie by Titus the other 8. weekes they extend vnto the destruction of the Iewes and of their citie vnder the Emperour Adrian Here they manifestly commit two errours 1. they count the 7. weekes last after the 62. weekes which must be counted first 2. the yeares from Darius to the Emperour Adrian make aboue 600. 3. Some set the ende of these weekes further off toward the ende of the world at the comming of Antichrist who after three yeares and an halfe should be destroyed and then the euerlasting kingdome of Christ should be set vp So Hyppolitus and Apollinaris who notwithstanding make two beginnings of the weekes Hyppolitus 50. yeares before Cyrus and Apollinaris at the natiuitie of Christ. But these doe manifestly faile in their account for 1. the weekes must neither beginne so sonne nor so late as hath beene before shewed 2. Hyppolitus continuing 69. weekes to the birth of Christ referreth the 70. weeke to the ende of the world whereas it must followe the other weekes immediately 3. from Christs birth there are alreadie past aboue a 1600. yeares therefore Apollinaris account of the 70. weekes hath no shewe of reason at all Quest. 49. That the 70. weekes must ende at the passion of Christ. Here there are two opinions 1. Some will haue the 70. weekes ende 3. yeares and an halfe after the passion of Christ which time is allowed for the preaching of the gospel and so they beginne the last weeke at the baptisme of Christ. 2. Others thinke that the 70. weekes must precisely ende at the passion and death of the Messiah 1. Of the first opinion are Theodoret and Zonaras 1. tem Annal. which beginne at the 20. yearo of Artaxerxes Longimanus and end the 62. weekes at the death of Hyrcanus from whence to Christs baptisme they count 7. weekes more and then in the middes of the last weeke the Messiah was slaine so there remained afterward 3. yeares and an halfe for the preaching of the Gospel Eusebius beginneth the 69. weekes in the 6. yeare of Darius Hystaspis and endeth 69. of them in the first of Herod about the death of Hyrcanus the 70. weeke he beginneth at the baptisme of Christ and endeth 3. yeares and an halfe after Ioannes Lucidus lib. 7. de emendat tempor beginneth at the 20. yeare of Artaxerxes and endeth fowre yeares after Christs passion so also before him Lyranus Pererius concurreth with them who maketh the 69. weekes to ende at the baptisme of Christ beginning at the 20. of Artaxerxes Longimanus and the seuenth weeke then to beginne which was finished 3. yeares and an halfe after Christs passion so also M. Lydyat in his booke de emendat tempor pag. 75. and 173. But Osiander goeth beyond all these and will haue the 70. weeke beginne after Christs passion Pererius reason is this because 69. weekes must be counted vnto Messiah which ende in Christs baptisme when he was declared to be the sonne of God from heauen whereas he liued before a priuate life therefore from thence the last weeke must beginne And the better to vphold his opinion of his so beginning and ending these 70. weekes he vseâ—h these three helpes 1. he counteth these 70. weekes after the yeares of the Moone which consist of 12. moneths and no more whereof 490. make but 475 yeares of the Sunne wherein 13. moneths goe to the yeare 2. these 70. weekes are so called though there want halfe a weeke to the passion of Christ to make vp a round number the odde yeares are omitted as the like is to be seene in other places of Scripture as Gen. 15. the Lord telleth Ahraham his seed should soiorne 400. yeares which were indeede 405. from Isaaks birth till their comming out of Egypt Iunius also in his first edition vpon this place thinketh the odde yeares to be omitted to make the 70. weekes answerable in proportion to the 70. yeares of captiuitie 3. his third euasion is that whereas from the 20. of Artaxerxes are found to be 477. sunne yeares which exceede the 490. moone years more by then two he saith there are two kinds of numbring inclusiuely when as the numbers where the account beginneth and endeth are included and exclusiuely when as they are excluded as Matthew saying that after sixe dayes Christ was transfigured c. 17. and Luke after eight dayes c. 9. the first numbreth exclusiuely not reckoning the dayes where the account beginneth and endeth the other includeth both Contra. First the Angel expoundeth himselfe how the 69. weeke must be vnderstood vntill the Messiah should be slaine in the last week they determine then not at his Baptisme but at the weeke wherein he should be slaine Secondly concerning his cautels 1. the Scripture vseth not to count according to the moone yeares but according
loue I were nothing Pintus 3. But there are some which are the faithfull seruants and true Prophets of God who haue both the gift of Prophesie with the vnderstanding therof and are also in Gods fauour and in the state of grace such an one was Daniel Quest. 4 v. 1. Why Daniel maketh mention of his name Belteshazzar What the meaning of this name is is shewed before c. 1. quest 28. But Daniel nameth himselfe here Belteshazzar for these cause 1. voluit hoc vaticinium celebre esse per omnes nationes he would haue this prophesie famous among all nations where he was knowne rather by the name of Belteshazzar then by the name of Daniel Calvin 2. by this meanes though he were called by a strange name yet he would make it knowne se non alienum esse à populo Dei that he was not enstranged from the people of God but continued still in their communion 3. And hereby also Daniel intimateth that he was the same man vnto whom the former visions were shewed and the vnderstanding of secret things and so by this meanes this vision was receiued with greater credit and authoritie Polan Quest. 5. v. 2. Why Daniel was so long in heauines 1. Theodoret thinketh this was one cause thereof because all of the Iewes hauing libertie to returne yet many of them beeing in loue with the pleasures of Babylon neglect◠in patriam reditu tanto beneficio vti noluerunt neglecting to returne into their countrey would not vse so great a benefit But if this had beene the cause Daniel would not haue deferred the time of mourning so long for this backewardnesse of the people was knowne in the 1. yeare of Cyrus when the people had licence to returne 2. An other cause of Daniels mourning is supposed to haue beene the remembrance and consideration of so many heauie things as were foreshewed him in time to come to befall his people 3. As also because it was reuealed vnto him to what blindnesse and obstinacie his people should growe as to put to death the Messiah Perer. But if either of these had beene the cause Daniel would not haue put off his mourning so long for the first was signified vnto him in the 3. of Balthazar c. 8. and the other in the 1. of Darius c. 9. But this mourning of Daniel was in the 3. yeare of Cyrus two yeares after 4. Therefore this indeede was the cause the people which were returned had begunne to reedifie the Temple and presently they were hindred by Cambyses Cyrus beeing occupied in warres abroad this hard newes came to Daniel in Persia and therefore he mourneth entreating the Lord that the businesse might goe forward Iun. Polan Oecolampad Pellic. with others Quest. 6. Of the time that Daniel mourned which was three weekes of dayes 1. This is added of dayes by way of distinction because in the former chapter he had spoken of weekes of yeares Polan 2. Some thinke he mourned 3. weeks to signifie the Trinitie gloss interlin but that is too curious 3. Some because the people hauing leaue to returne in the first of Cyrus had deferred their iourney vntill this 3. yeare and therefore Daniel mourneth 3. weeks for euerie yeare a weeke least this negligence should haue beene layd vnto the peoples charge Hugo but this is contrarie to the storie Ezra 2. where it is declared that they beganne to build the Temple in the second yeare therefore they did not put off their returne vnto the third yeare 4. Further Hugo hath an other conceit that as Daniel fasted 21. dayes before the Angel appeared which represented Christ so the Church hath the like vse to fast 21. dayes before the aduent But such superstitious customes are not grounded vpon either precept or example in Scripture superstition was the mother and founder of such inuentions 5. This then was the cause Daniel herein sheweth his constancie not that sorrowe is valued before God by the length of time but Daniel continueth in fasting and prayer expecting still some comfortable answer from God he therefore giueth not ouer vntill he sawe that the Lord graciously inclined vnto his prayer Iun. 6. And in that he fasted 21. dayes in the 1. moneth the 1. day which was the newe moone which they were commanded by the lawe to keepe with reioycing seemeth to be excepted Iun. 7. And whereas within this time they vsed to keepe the Passeouer which was a time also of reioycing it seemeth that in the captiuitie that solemnitie was omitted and so thinketh R. Leui whereupon Theodoret reprooueth the Iewes in his time who vsed to celebrate the Pasch with all the rites and ceremonies thereto belonging wheresoeuer they were whereas by Moses lawe it was onely to be kept in the place which the Lord should chuse Quest. 7. Of Daniels abstinencie v. 3. I ate no pleasant bread In the Hebrewe it is called bread of desries which Theodoret taketh to haue beene common bread because it was desired of all but it rather signifieth some fine pleasant bread such as whitebread or manchet is to browne Vatab. for afterward he speaketh of wine which is a pleasant and principall drinke from the which also Daniel abstained it is not like that for 3. weekes he did eat no bread at all 2. Now in that Daniel the space of 3. weekes refrained the drinking of wine and eating of pleasant bread or meate it seemeth that before he vsed them so that Daniels abstinencie when he did chuse at the first to be fedde onely with bread made of pulse c. 1. seemeth only to haue beene for a time which some thinke was for that he was now in yeares and therefore it was not fit he should vse such a sparing and course diet as he did before or now he was at his owne finding and needed not to be forced to eat any meate that was polluted but might prouide such as he thought best himselfe Lyran. Perer. But this rather was the cause as M. Calvin well noteth that now there was not the like danger as then in eating delicate meates for then they were vsed as baits to corrupt Daniel and winne him from his faith and religion But afterward Daniel elapsus è Diaboli Regis insidijs hauing escaped the snares of Sathan and of the king vseth greater libertie Quest. 8. Of the custome and vse of anointing which Daniel also forbeareth Hierome here writeth that the Persians in stead of bathes vsed to anoint themselues ye◠to besmeare themselues all ouer with ointment as Plinie writeth lib. 13. c. 1. which they did both to defend themselues from the intemperat heat and to keep their bodies in health Lyran. this custome of anointing was verie auncient Plinie in the same place saith it was not in vse in the time of the Troiane warte But that is not so for Diodorus Siculus lib. 2. c. 1. reporteth how a king of Egypt called Miridies allowed vnto his wife for ointment and other ornaments of her bodie
Iun. Polan Quest. 19. What is meant by a time two times and an halfe v. 7. Some doe take this for an vncertaine and indefinite time Some for a certaine and limited tearme and of both sorts there are sundrie opinions Of the first sort 1. some doe thinke that the time of the afflictions of the people of God certissimum esse apud Deum sed nobis incognitum is certaine with God but to vs vnknowne Bulling B. so that the meaning is no more but this these things shall most certainely come to passe but whether post modica vel multa temporis intervalla after a long or short time it is not knowne to vs Bulling 2. Some because the time is here halued doe thinke that thereby is signified modicum tempus a short time a little while and doe expound it by that place Apoc. 6. 11. They should rest for a little season vntill their fellow seruants c. were fulfilled Oecolampad Pappus 3. But some contrariwise here vnderstand a long time tempus hic ponitur pro longo tractu tempora pro longiore tractu here time is put for a long tract or continuance times for a longer M. Calv. Genevens Now all these opinions are confuted by these reasons 1. because the same phrase of a time two times and a part of time are taken before c. 7. 25. for a certaine and definite tearme therefore it is like to be so taken here 2. this time is diuided a part of time therefore it is a certaine and definite number for that which is vncertaine and indefinite vseth not to be deuided into parts 3. And what comfort had there beene in this prescription and naming of time if there were giuen no certaine direction how long this troublesome time should continue 4. Of the second sort some take this for a certaine number of yeares whereof some vnderstand by daies yeares some so many daies literally by a time two times and an halfe which make yeares three and an halfe or a part that is daies 1225. or thereabout are signified so many yeares 1200. and odde which Melancthon beginneth from Daniels time whereof 600. yeares were expired vnto Christ and about 600. yeares after the sect of the Mahumentans did spring in the East and religion beganne to be corrupted in the West by the Bishops of Rome 5. Osiander beginneth this tearme where Melancthon endeth it and continueth it vnto the destruction of the Romane Antichrist and of his tyrannicall kingdome But all these things here must be accomplished while the Church of the Iewes yet continued which are here called the holy people 6. They which vnderstand by a time two times and an halfe a yeare two yeares and an halfe as indeede they signifie as c. 4. seuen times during the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzer are vnderstood to be feuen yeares some doe referre it vnto the time of Antichrists tyrannie who shall rage againâ—t the Church of Christ three yeares and an halfe as Christ preached three yeares and an halfe Hierome Lyran. Hugo Pintus with others But they thinke that their Antichrist shall beare sway longer in the whole yet the heate of his most cruell and outragious persecution shall continue but 3. yeares and an halfe But this interpretation is refused vpon the former reason because this prophesie concerned the holy people of God that then was and beside that imagination of some one singular person to rise vp to be Antichrist is but a fabulous and phantasticall conceit as is before shewed c. 11. Controv 2. 7. This time then here prescribed and limited precisely signifieth three yeares and an halfe or rather part of time for so long continued the desolation of the Sanctuarie vnder Antiochus which beganne in the 145. yeare the 15. day of the moneth Casteu 1. Macchab 1. 57. and ended in the 148. yeare on the 25. day of the same moneth 1. Macchab. 4. 52. so that the euent of the historie doth very fitly explane this prophesie Iun. Polan But against this exposition which Porphyrius also did hit vpon Hierome thus obiecteth 1. if the time two times and an halfe that is three yeares and an halfe must be referred vnto Antiochus whereof mention is made before c. 7. 25. then that which followeth also in the same place v. 27. The kingdome vnder the whole heauen shall be giuen vnto the holy people of the most high c. and all Princes shall serue him must be applied either to Antiochus or to the people of the Iewes which is manifestly false 2. the defolation of the Temple continued but three yeares as Iosephus writeth l. 12. c. 10. but this tearme is of three yeares and an halfe 3. Lyranus obiecteth that the persecution vnder Antiochus continued sixe yeares from the yeare 143. 1. Macch. 1. 21. to the yeare 148. 1. Macch. 4. 52. Answ. 1. There is no consequent that those words which follow should be either vnderstood of Antiochus or of the Iewes who neuer ruled ouer the whole world for there the Prophet sheweth the destruction and ruine of the tyrannie of Antiochus by Christ to whome raigning spiritually in his Church there called the holy people the kingdome should be giuen ouer the whole earth 2. The word chatzi signifieth not onely the halfe but the part of a thing as the same is expressed by an other word pelag c. 7. 25. which signifieth a diuision and so indeede the desolation of the Temple continued iust 3. yeares and a part of a yeare namely tenne daies as is before shewed therefore Iosephus is deceiued which maketh account but of three yeares for there were tenne daies aboue 3. The persecution vnder Antiochus was either of the citie with spoiling also and robbing onely of the Temple or in laying wast the Sanctuarie and causing the daily oblation to cease the first continued aboue sixe yeares euen 2300. daies as is prophesied c. 8. 14. but the other endured onely three yeares and ten daies so these diuers persecutions had their diuers tearmes and both may well stand together Some thinke that this tearme of 3. yeares and an halfe sheweth the tearme of Christs persecution in the daies of his flesh which was iust so many yeares M. Br. this prophesie may haue such an analogicall application but the historicall accomplishment was vnder Antiochus as hath beene sufficiently prooued 20. Quest. Of the meaning of the words v. 7. When he hath made an ende to disperse the hand of the holy people Some referre these words to the comming of Christ in the flesh some to the ende of the world some to the daies of Antiochus 1. Of the first sort some giue this sense when God hath dispersed the hand that is the place and citie of this holy people which came to passe in the destruction of Ierusalem then these things shall be fulfilled Iun. in comment But 1. beside that the Iewes after they had put Christ to death were not worthie to be called the people of God but were reiected of
seasons which the father hath kept in his owne power Perer. and so he saith in effect Goe thy way nihil amplius dicturus sum I will say no more at this time vnto thee Vatab. Pintus But it appeareth by the explanation which followeth that Daniel was not altogether repelled 2. Wherefore in part Daniel hath his request pleniorem explicationem Christus exhibuit Christ doth more fully explane the former prophecie of the time of the persecution M. Br. partly he faileth in his desire for he obtaineth not singularem minutam istarum rerum cognitionem a particular and seuerall knowledge of these things which are sealed vp vntill the time come when they should be fulfilled Iun. in commentar for if all these things had beene particularly expounded aforehand the faith and patience of Gods seruants had not beene so fully tried if euery thing had beene manifest as in their sight before for as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 5. 7. We walke by faith and not by sight 23. Quest. Of those words v. 10. The wicked shall doe wickedly and none shall haue vnderstanding what wicked he speaketh of 1. Some expound this place by that place 2. Pet. 3. 3. that in the last daies there shall be mockers which shall say Where is the promise of his comming that although some shall profit by the Lords chastisments and thereby be purged and made white yet others shall be secure passing their time in pleasure and carnall delight Oecolampad euen as it was in the daies of Noe and Lot Bulling But the vnderstanding or not vnderstanding here spoken of is concerning the prophesie of this booke as Lyranus obserueth which concerneth not the afflictions of the last times otherwiâ—e then by way of analogie 2. Pererius and Pintus thinke that the wicked may attaine vnto some knowledge but it shall be infructuosa cognitio an vnfruitfull and vnprofitable knowledge But this rather is giuen as a reason why they shall doe wickedly because nihil intelligent quia excaecati sunt they shall vnderstand nothing because they are blinded Calv. the knowledge of these secrets and mysteries shall be kept from their eyes 3. Here then is speciall relation had vnto the false brethren that should be in those daies of persecution which â—hould giue way vnto Antiochus wicked proceedings and labour to seduce and betray their brethren Iun. annot which should not haue any care to obserue the accomplishment of this prophesie nor compare the euent therewith of these the Angel foretold before c. 11. 34. Many shall cleaue vnto them fainedly And as it was in those daies of persecution so should it be afterward as S. Paul saith 2. Tim. 3. 12. All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution but the euill men and deceiuers shall waxe worse deceiuing and beeing deceiued of such also speaketh S. Iohn Apoc. 22. 11. He that is vniust let him be vniust still he that is filthie let him be filthie still c. 24. Quest. What the abomination of desolation is mentioned v. 11. 1. Hierome and Theodoret vnderstand hereby the discontinuing of the true seruice of God by Antichrist at his comming he shall bring in an horrible desolation and abolish the true seruice of God he shall Dei cultum interdicere forbid the seruice and worship of God But neither doth this prophecie concerne the ende of the world nor yet shall there be any such singular Antichrist 2. Pererius and Pintus with other Romanists vnderstand this of the abrogating of the sacrifice of the Masse and in stead thereof Antichrist shall command himselfe to be worshipped so also Hug. Card. Antichristus se exhibebit ad adorandum Antichrist shall cause himselfe to be worshipped But 1. that idolatrous sacrifice of the Masse is rather the abomination of desolation it selfe whereby the true seruice of Christ and the right vse of the Eucharist according to Christs institution is abolished 2. neither shall this abomination be Antichrist himselfe but he shall set vp this abomination as it is saide before c. 11. 31. They shall set vp the abomination c. that is wicked Antiochus with his captaines he that setteth vp and that which is set vp is not the same 3. Bullinger thinketh it is abominanda gentis vrbis vastatio the abominable laying wast of the nation and citie of the Iewes at the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans but this prophesie was rather fulfilled in Antiochus time as afterward shall be shewed 4. M. Calvin vnderstandeth the sacrifices of the Iewes which were abominable after the sacrifice of Christs death performed vpon the crosse so also Pëllic but the daily sacrifice of the Temple was not taken away presently after Christs death 5. Osiander thinketh this abominable desolation to be the idolatrous seruice brought into the Church by the Romane Antichrist but then can not the time here described by daies agree for more then so many daies or moneths hath the true seruice of God beene corrupted by them and so many yeares as here are named daies God forbid that Antichrists corrupt religion should continue 6. Wherefore this abomination which shall be set vp was no other but the profanation of the Temple by Antiochus when he caused that abominable idol of Iuppiter Olympius to be brought into the Temple and the daily sacrifice to cease 1. Macchab. 1. 57. 2. Macchab. 6. 2. And hereof mention is made before c. 8. 13. and 11. 31. likewise c. 9. 27. but there the abomination of desolation is spoken of which should be set vp in the finall destruction of the citie and Temple by the Romanes as is shewed c. 9. quest 88. Quest. 25. The 1290. dayes mentioned v. 11. how to be taken 1. Lyranus taketh this to be the tearme of Antichrists tyrannicall raigne in the ende of the world euen 3. yeares 6. moneths and 12. dayes so also Pererius but he counteth onely 10. odde dayes so also Pintus with other Romanists thinke that Antichrist shall raigne 3. yeares and an halfe but as Bullinger saith it is not like that Antichrists kingdome should continue ad tempus vsque adeo breue for so verie a short time 2. Bullinger sheweth how the Iewes warre before the finall destruction of the citie begunne by Vespasian in the 14. yeare of Nero his raigne and ending the second yeare of Vespasian continued about a 1290. dayes that is 3. yeare and an halfe but the text is that these dayes must beginne from the time of that abhominable desolation and continue onely during that time but after these warres which held 3. yeares and an halfe that desolation of the citie and Temple beganne which then ended not but continueth vnto this day 3. Some by so many dayes vnderstand so many yeares a 1290. yeares so long Osiander thinketh that the profanation of religion should continue vnder the Romane Antichrist from the first beginning thereof vnto the vtter ruine of Antichrist But we trust that God will not suffer that man of
sinne so long to afflict his Church 4. Some vnderstand here no certaine but an indefinite and vnlimited time as Oecolamp multiplicatione dierum longum tempus Antichristianae impietatis agnoscas by the multiplying of dayes knowe that the time of Antichrists impietie shall be long so also Calvin by this number of dayes thinketh that tempus immensum a great time is signified 5. Pellican contrariwise inferreth magnus numerus sed breue tempus significat a great number of dayes but it signifieth a short time that the Iewes sacrifices should not long continue after Christs death But in that this number receiueth an addition of 45. dayes which make with the former summe a 1335. dayes it is euident that a certaine time is hereby signified 6. Wherefore that which he called before a time two times and an halfe is here explained to be 1290. dayes that is 3. yeares 7. moneths and about 13. dayes which must beginne from the profanation of the Temple by Antiochus which was in the 145. yeare the 15. of Casleu which was the ninth moneth 1. Mac. 1. 57. and must ende 45. dayes before Antiochus death Iunius setteth downe the time precisely when the 1290. dayes ended in the 15. day of the moneth Xanthicus which is the 11. moneth in 48. yeare when Antiochus by his publike edict and writing confirmed and ratified the Iewes religion restored by Iudas Macchabeus But the time will not agree if we beginne from the profanation of the Temple from the 15. of the 9. moneth Casleu in the 45. yeare from whence to the 15. of the 11. moneth Xanticus in the 48. yeare are but 3. yeares and iust 2. moneths therefore Iunius in his commentarie to helpe this beginneth the profanation of the Temple in the 15. day of the 4. moneth in the 145. yeare and citeth 1. Macchab. 1. and so the time will agree but there the moneth Casleu is named 1. macchab 1. 57. which was the ninth not the 4. moneth 1. Macchab. 4. 52. therefore I rather with Polanus thinke that the 1290. dayes determine at such time as Iudas Macchabeus had prosperous successe against the Ammonites with their captaine Timotheus after he had cleansed the Temple and Antiochus himselfe was forced to suffer the Iewes to enioy their libertie and religion and this was 45. dayes before the death of Antiochus though the precise and particular time be not expressed in storie Quest. 26. The tearme of 1335. dayes expounded 1. This tearme of 45. dayes added to the former number of a 1290. dayes maketh it a 1335. dayes so many dayes after the death and slaughter of Antichrist shall Christ come in his maiestie Hierome with whom consenteth herein Pererius and the Romanists in generall because they thinke by this meanes to free the Pope from this imputation to be Antichrist But this opinion cannot stand 1. they cannot assigne the right cause why these 45. dayes should be giuen after the death of Antichrist Theodoret thinketh that in this space Henoch and Elias shall preach vnto the world but Hyppolitus holdeth and so the Romanists generally that they shall be slaine by Antichrist some thinke this respite shall be giuen for the repentance of the world but 45. dayes is a small tearme for repentance God gaue the old world an 120. yeares for their repentance 2. if Christ shall come to iudge the world iust 45. dayes after the death of Antichrist then the verie day of Christs comming may be knowne before which is contrarie to the Scripture 3. Lyranus thus argueth that whereas at the comming of Christ there shall be great peace and securitie eating and drinking and feasting this great securitie would aske a larger space then of 45. dayes 2. Lyranus noteth that some Hebrewes take these dayes for so many yeares that after the setting vp of that abhomination in the Temple there should be a 1335. yeares to the comming of their Messiah But they are herein much deceiued for if they reckon from the setting vp of the idol by Antiochus in the Temple which was as Eusebius counteth in the 153. Olympiad there are runne aboue a 1700. yeares if from the last setting vp of the image of Adrian which was in the yeare of the Lord an 140. according to Eusebius then are there expired aboue a 1460. yeares from thence 3. M. Calvin thinketh that this addition of 45. dayes signifieth no certaine time but onely hereby is signified that although the time seeme to be prolonged for the deliuerance of the Church yet the godly should waite with patience so also Oecolampad Pellican But this adding and putting to of one number to another euidently sheweth that a certaine summe of yeares or dayes is intended 4. Melancthon putteth both these numbers of a 1290. and a 1335. together which make 7. yeares and three moneths which tearme he beginneth in 145. yeare of the Greeks and endeth in the 151. yeare when Nicanor was ouercome But these two numbers haue the same beginning from the time that the daily sacrifice should cease 5. Some by these two summes put together vnderstand so many yeares namely two thousand six hundred and odde whereof 6. hundred were expired at Christs comming and two thousand should runne out afterward But who can define whether the world shall yet continue 400. yeares the day yeare or houre is not reuealed 6. Osiander thinketh this last summe of a 1335. yeares to be set for the continuance of the kingdome of Antichrist vnderstanding so many yeares but he thinketh it is not known when this tearme taketh beginning because God would haue the time of Christs comming to iudgement kept secret But neither shall the kingdome of Antichrist continue so many years neither doth this prophesie properly but by way of analogie cōcerne the latter times 7. Bullinger taketh these 45. dayes to beginne from the taking of the citie for immediately after many were sold into captiuitie condemned vnto the mines and stone quarries some reserued for triumph therefore he should be thought an happie man that suruiued vnto the ende of these dayes But these miseries of the Iewes continued longer then 45. dayes or 40. yeares after the destruction of the citie and what happinesse could there be vnto that nation to see their Temple and citie layed wast 8. Therefore these 45. dayes added to the former summe are prescribed to shewe the death of Antiochus which was in the 149. yeare as 1. Macchab. 6. 16. though the verie moneth and day of his death be not expressed in that historie yet it is without question that it was 45. dayes after the religion of the Iewes was restored and their state setled Iun. Polanus Thus haue we fowre tearmes set downe concerning the persecution of Antiochus 1. 2300. dayes c. 8. 14. which maketh 6. yeares 3. moneths and 20. dayes which comprehendeth the whole time from the first beginning of that persecution before the Sanctuarie was defiled see more hereof c. 8. quest 24. 2. there is a time two times and a
yeare after this was Daniel cast into the Lyons denne as is declared c. 6. 10. The visions in the 11. chap. Daniel had in the first yeare of Darius the visions in the 10. chap. in the 3. yeare of Cyrus which Pappus reduceth to the yeare 3438. but it was the yeare 3427. Bullinger Quest. 7. Of the whole time of Daniels age and time of prophesying 1. Isidorus giueth vnto Daniel an 110. yeares and thinketh he liued vnto the raigne of Darius Hystaspes but this assertion ouerthroweth it selfe for from the third yeare of Iehoiakim when Daniel went into captiuitie vntill the raigne of Darius Hystaspes are counted an 128. yeares vnto the which the age of Daniel beeing added which Pererius holdeth to haue beene but tenne all his yeares will make an 138. Perer. praefat 2. Pappus counteth from Daniels first captiuitie ann 3354. vnto the 3. yeare of Cyrus which he maketh ann 1438. 92 yeares but he is much deceiued for they can come but to 82. yeares for the 3. yeare of Iehoiakim was 8. yeares before Iechonias captiuitie from the which the 70. yeares must be numbred which ended the first yeare of Cyrus then 2. yeare more of Cyrus raigne must be put too which in all make but 82. 3. Therefore Osianders reckoning hath the best ground who iudgeth that Daniel liued an 100. yeares he was 18. when he went into captiuitie in the third yeare of Iehoiakim from whence to the 3. yeare of Cyrus are yeares 82. which beeing added to the former number make iust an 100. yeares Quest. 8. Why Daniel is not mentioned to haue returned with the rest out of captiuitie Iosephus writeth lib. 10. Antiquit. that Daniel built at Ecbatane in media a goodly tower which remained vnto his time so fresh and beautifull as if it had been but lately builded which the Kings of Persia made such account of as that they made it the place of their sepulture and committed the keeping thereof to one of the Iewish Priests but Daniel himselfe was buried at Babylon whereupon this question is mooued seeing Daniel liued vnto the third yeare of Cyrus raigne after the Edict was sent forth for the restitution and returne of the Iewes why that he returned not with the rest To the which it may be answered 1. That Daniel beeing now striken in yeares an 100. yeare old was vnfit in respect of his great age to take so long a iourney 2. Or rather that he remained to be the protector or defender of the Iewes which were left behind in Babylon as many there staied still 3. But of all other it is most like that he was thought a necessarie man to be imployed about the king for the good of his Nation and to helpe forward their cause as Theodoret thinketh that Cyrus was taught of Daniel that prophesie of Isai c. 45. wherein Cyrus is brought in by name that he should procure the deliuerance of the Lords people Quest. 9. Of the times wherein Daniel liued compared with fâ—rrâ—n Curonicles and of the memorable things which happened therein 1. The third yeare of Iehoiakim where Daniel began his captiuitie Pererius thinketh to fall out iust in the 32. Olympiad and the 105. yeare from the building of Rome and the 3. yeare of Cyrus raigne vnto the which Daniel attained he maketh to concurre with the 3. yeare of the 55. Olympiad and from the building of Rome 200. Bullinger accounteth it otherwise the first time which was the 3. yeare of Iehoiakim he maketh answerable to the 3. yeare of the 38. Olympiad and the 125. yeare from the building of Rome the 3. of Cyrus he setteth against the 59. Olympiad and the 209. yeare from the founding of Rome therefore of these things there is no great certentie 2. The memorable things which happened in the time of Daniels captiuitie which Pererius maketh to containe 90. yeares but in iust account they make but 82. yeares as is before shewed were these for within this compasse of time happened three captiuities of the Iewes vnder Iehoiakim Iechonia and Zedekiah with their deliuerance and returne into their countrie three great Prophets were amongst the Iewes Ieremiah Ezekiel Daniel Among the Romanes were kings Ancus Martius Tarquinius Priscus Seruius Tullus among the Grecians flourished the 7. wise men At this time was Craesus king of Lydia among the Chaldeans Nebuchadnezzar of the Medes Cyaxares and Cyrus founded the Empire of the Persians the kingdomes of the Iewes Chaldeans Medes were dissipate and three famous cities Ierusalem Nineueh Babylon destroyed Perer. Quest. 10. Of the excellencie vse and vtilitie of this booke of Daniel 1. This booke is commended by the worthines of the author the Prophet Daniel a man beloued of God to whom he reuealed the mysteries and secrets of his will whom the Prophet for his pietie and vprightnesse ioyneth with Noah and Iob Ezech. 14. 14. and commendeth for his wisdome Ezech. 28. 3. 2. Beside the excellencie of the matter doth set forth the price of the worke 1. First concerning ciuill matters it treateth of the change and alteration of states and kingdomes 2. For Diuine it hath the most cleare prophesies in all the olde Testament of the time of the Messiahs comming 3. Therein are set forth examples of excellent vertues of abstinencie in Daniel of constancie in the three children which were put into the fierie ouen of pietie in Daniels thrice praying in a day vnto his God 4. Therein are contained the heauenly doctrines of the blessed Trinitie of the resurrection of the bodie c. 12. of redemption and remission of sinnes purchased by Christ death c. 9. 5. Many admirable and miraculous things are here set forth as the walking of the three children vntouched in the fierie ouen of Daniels beeing in the Lions denne of the transplantation of Nebuchadnezzer from beeing a king to liue amongst bruite beasts 6. yea therein are conteined all wayes of Prophesying which are either by dreame or vision sensible apparitions or illumination of the mind all which wayes and meanes the Lord vsed to reueale and declare his will to his seruant the Prophet Quest. 11. Of the authoritie of the prophesie of Daniel 1. The Iewes doe derogate much from the authoritie of this booke not counting it among the Propheticall writings of the which there are three opinions 1. Some thinke that the Iewes doe not reiect the prophesie of Daniel but onely count it among the bookes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy writings for they diuide the olde Testament into the lawe contained in the fiue bookes of Moses and the Prophets which are eight Iosua the Iudges Samuel the Kings Isaiah Ieremie Ezekiel the twelue Prophets and into the holy writings as they call them whereof there are nine Iob Dauid the Prouerbs Ecclesiastes the Canticles the Chronicles Daniel Ezra Ester So Pererius praefat Likewise Hugo Cardinal who maketh two kind of Prophets some that had onely gratiam prophecialem the gift and grace of prophesie others which beside the
Hast thou found me O my enemie that is hast thou met with me Quest. 27. vers 25. Why Arioch nameth Daniel to be one of the captiues rather then of the wisemen 1. Some thinke he nameth him of Iudah because he had heard that diuers excellent Prophets had beene of that tribe Lyran. Pintus but that is not like for the famous Prophets which liued about that time in the captiuitie were Ieremie and Ezekiel who both were of the kindred of the Priests Ierem. 1. 1. Ezeck 1. 3. and so not of Iudah 2. Therefore Gods prouidence rather appeareth herein that as Daniel was not before in the assemblie of the wisemen so now he should not be counted among them that the interpretation of the dreame should onely be acknowledged to proceede from God and not be ascribed to the skill and cunning of any wisemen 3. Hugo Card. following the ordinarie gloss noteth here that Daniel was of the tribe of Iudah and not a priest sicut in fine continet fabulae Belis as is contained afterward in the fable of Bel c. he calleth that supposed historie of Bel and the dragon a fable which among the Romanists is held for canonicall 4. Bullinger here obserueth well in that the Lord refused the great wisemen of Babylon who were had in great reputation for their learning and wisedome and preferreth a poore captiue infirma mundi fortissimis esse robustiora that the weake things of the world are stronger then the mightie as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 1. 27. God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mightie Quest. 28. vers 26. How the king is said to answer no question beeing demanded The word hhanah or ghanah which properly signifieth to answer is taken simply for to speake as Iob 3. 2. Iob cursed his day and Iob answered and said so is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed in the newe testament as Math. 11. 25. at that time Iesus answered and said I giue thee thankes O father c. and yet no man asked him there any question Pintus so Mark 11. 13. when Iesus came to the figtree and found nothing but leaues it is said Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering said where the word answered is superfluosly added as it is vsed in the Hebrewe tongue and therefore the Syrian interpreter onely readeth and he said so in this place then answered the king and said the word ganah answered is added ex abundanti as we say more then neede see Beza in his annota vpon that place Quest. 29. vers 27. Why Daniel denieth that any of the wisemen of Babel could expound this dreame 1. Daniel reckoneth vp 4. kind of wisemen among the Chaldeans the first are called cachinim wisards which by coniectures and casting of lots did gesse of things to come the second ashphin which by the aspect and sight of the starres did make coniecture of things the third chartummim which consulted with spirits of these three see before Qu. 7. the fourth sort are called gazrin of the word gazar to cut and they were they which did open and cut the entrals of sacrifices and by the sight thereof diuined of things to come Polan 2. All these Daniel denieth to be sufficient or able to finde out this secret and that for these causes 1. least men should arrogate vnto themselues diuine knowledge 2. that from henceforth the king should not exact any such thing of his wisemen which was farre beyond their reach 3. that he might stay from putting in execution his bloody sentence against the wisemen Iun. Quest. 30. vers 28. VVhether God onely be the reuealer of secrets and things to come It will be obiected on the contrarie that the heathen often had dreames whereby they knewe things to come and the like oracles they receiued at Delphos which were not giuen by God but vttered by spirits Hereunto we answer 1. that many of those oracles were false ambiguous and doubtfull as those which were giuen to Craesus and Pirrhus 2. many of them were deuised either by them who affirmed they had such dreames or by the writers to win more credit thereby 3. And if some such dreames and oracles tooke place either verie sewe of them did hit which might be by chance and hap hazzard as we say a fewe onely of a great number falling out or the deuill by the subtiltie of his nature by some naturall signes might foresee the effects and euents which should follow or he might foretell such things as by Gods permission he should effect himselfe Pere Polan 4. And as their dreames were vncertaine so were they as vncertainely interpreted as the dreame which Darius had before he encountred with Alexander some expounded to signifie the victorie that he should haue against him some gaue a contrary sense as Q. Curtius writeth lib. 3. Tullie giueth an other instance how one going to the Olympike games had a dreame that he was turned into an eagle one wisard interpreted it that he should ouercome because the Eagle is superiour to all other foules an other turned it the contrary way that he should haue the worse because the eagle driuing other birds before her commeth last of all so then the Gentiles had neither any diuine dreames and such as they had they could not interpret Pere Quest. 31. vers 28. VVhat Daniel meaneth by the latter dayes 1. Some doe expound it of all the time from thence when Daniel expounded this dreame vsque ad consummationē seculs vnto the ende of the world Hierome which were then to be fulfilled complenda modo incepta but alreadie begun Hugo But Nebuchadnezzars thoughts extended not so farre to the ende of the world but onely to knowe what should come to passe after him and according to his thoughts so was the dreame answerable as Daniel sheweth vers 29. 2. Some by the latter dayes vnderstand the comming of Christ extremitas dierum vocatur Christi aduentus the extreame or latter dayes are the comming of Christ because the Gospel is as it were the perfection and renewing of all things Caluin Bullinger so also Lyranus because mention is made in this vision of the kingdome of Christ quod est vltimum regnorum which is the last of all kingdomes but if it were onely vnderstood of Christs comming then all the times following betweene Nebuchadnezzars raigne and Christs comming should be excluded 3. Much lesse for the same reason is it vnderstood de vltima mundi aetate of the last age of the world from the comming of Christ vnto the ende of the world as Pintus for then Nebuchadnezzar should haue had no reuelation of the times which should immediately followe wherebout his thoughts were most of all troubled 4. Wherefore by this word acharith are signified posteriora tempora the latter times Pellican or consequentia the times following Polan as the word is taken Gen. 49. 1. where Iacob declareth to his sonnes the things which should come to passe
interpretation of Christs birth yet holdeth the first comming of Christ to be here signified by this reason propheta admonet exordia regnt Christi fore contempta the Prophet admonisheth that the beginning of Christs kingdome shall be base and contemptible c. because he likeneth it to a small stone at the first but the second comming of Christ shall be glorious Quest. 56. The description of the kingdome of Christ by the Prophet vers 44. 45. 1. It is described by the adiunct of time when it should come in the time of those kings which held the fourth Monarchie toward the ende thereof 2. by the manner it shall be raised vp as from a small beginning 3. by the efficient it shall be set vp by God 4. by the eternitie of it it shall stand for euer neither apt to fall of it selfe neither shall it be surprised by any other for these two are the causes of the alteration of kingdomes internall within themselues or externall by foorren power 5. by the effects it shall breake and destroy all other kingdomes as the Prophet Zachatie sheweth cap. 12. 3. 6. by the firmenes and surenesse thereof compared vnto a stone 7. by the originall or beginning it was cut out of a mountaine the beginning thereof was from heauen from abnue as our blessed Sauiour himselfe Iohn 3. 13. no man hath ascended into heauen but he that came downe from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen 8. by the manner of his comming which shall be sudden and vnlooked for as a thing that is cut out at once 9. by the manner of administration it shall be cut out without hands that is any humane helpe 10. by the power thereof it shall breake in peices c. Polan Quest. 57. That this kingdome which God shall raise vp must be vnderstood of the kingdome of Christ. Vers. 44. The God of heauen shall set vp a kingdome Caluin here setteth downe certaine reasons out of the Rabbine Barbinel whereby he would prooue that this kingdome cannot be referred to Iesus the sonne of Mary his reasons are these six in all 1. Seeing these foure kingdomes here described are terrene and visible the fift also which should destroy the other must be also visible for vnlike things cannot be compared together Contra. 1. It is not necessarie that all things should be like in a comparison nay here is rather an opposition betweene the 4. kingdomes and this fifth then a comparison and in that it is to destroy the rest it must be vnlike vnto the rest the Rabbines argument therefore followeth not The fift kingdome shall destroy the former foure Ergo it shall be of the same kind with the rest the contrarie is better inferred that therefore it shall be vnlike vnto the rest 2. Ar. If religion made a difference between these kingdomes then were they not foure but one for all of them were giuen to idolatrie and so followed the same superstition Contra. 1. It is necessarie that the 5. kingdome which should abolish all the rest should differ in the truth and sinceritie of religion from them but it is not necessarie that the foure Monarchies one destroying and confounding another should be of diuerse religion for kingdomes that are of the same superstition may be one enemie vnto another as one error may be contrary to another 3. Argum. It is said of this kingdome that it shall not be giuen vnto an other but the Turke now possesseth a great part of the kingdome of Christians And among themselues also religion is diuided and many distast the Gospel therefore this cannot be vnderstood of the kingdome of Christianitie Contra. 1. By this kingdome which God should raise vp is not vnderstood any visible or externall kingdome though the Turke haue surprised the terrene kingdomes and nations which sometime the Christians possessed yet the spirituall kingdome of Christ is not resigned vnto them nor to any other 2. Euen among Christians there may be diuisions and many carnall men may liue in the Church but they belong not to the spirituall kingdome of Christ though they remaine in the externall societie of the visible Church 4. Argu. If this be the kingdome of Christ who was borne vnder Augustus Caesar when the Romane Monarchie in a manner beganne then the fourth Monarchie and this fifth kingdome should beginne together which cannot be for the one must be the ruine and destruction of the other Contra. 1. To this Caluin answereth that the Monarchie of the Romanes beganne not with the Caesars but long before when the Macedonian kingdome was dissolued 2. But this is an vnsufficient answer 1. because it was no Monarchie till the time of Iulius Caesar but the gouernment before that was sometime Democraticall popular sometime Aristocraticall gouerned by Consuls therefore till it became a Monarchie it could not be the fourth kingdome here spoken of 2. Though the fift kingdome and the fourth beganne not together yet the same inconuenience followeth if they continue together for the fift kingdome when it commeth must be the ruine of the other this argument therefore of the Rabbine is inuincible against their opinion which make the Romane Monarchie this fourth kingdome 3. Therefore to the Rabbines argument we make this further answer that this fourth kingdome diuided into two as consisting of two legges was the Monarchicall state of Syria and Babylon where the sonnes and ofspring of Seleucuâ— raigned and of Egypt where the Ptolomies succeeded one another as is before shewed quest 50. And so indeed this fift kingdome was the ende of the other 5. Argum. The fourth kingdome and the fift can not stand together the one beeing the ruine of the other but vnder Constantine and other Christian Emperours of the Romane state the Gospel of Christ flourished therefore it cannot be meant of that kingdome Contra. 1. Caluin here answereth that the kingdome of Christ non debet referri ad tempus natiuitatis must not be referred to the time of his natiuitle but to the preaching of the Gospell and when the gospell beganne to be published then the Romane Empire after Traianus time was translated to strangers to heardmen and swineards and beastly monsters 2. This answer is likewise insufficient 1. for as soone as Christ was borne his kingdome beganne in the dayes of his flesh as the Angel in the annuntiation of Christs birth to the virgine Marie telleth her that God would giue him the throne of his father Dauid and he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob c. 2. the gospel was neuer more published in the world then in the Apostles time while yet the Romane Empire continued in the name and stocke of the Caesars 3. though the Empire was deuolued to strangers not of Caesars familie yet was it still the Latine and Romane Empire and therefore was the same Monarchie 3. Wherefore vnlesse the Romane Monarchie be disclaimed here from beeing this fourth kingdome this argument cannot be answered for the
iudgement 2. The execution followeth which is of two sorts in iustice in condemning the beasts v. 11 12. and in mercie in setting vp the kingdome of his sonne Christ and his Church v. 13 14. 31. Quest. Whether the finall iudgement in the ende of the world be here described 1. Some thinke that the forme of the finall iudgement of the world is here set forth as they which either by the little horne vnderstand Antichrist who as they imagine shall come in the ende of the world as Lyran. Hug. and likewise they which by the fourth beast vnderstand the Romane Empire or the Turks as Bullin Oecol Osian But seeing this vision and that of the Image c. 2. in effect is all one as there the stone cut out without hands that dashed the image in pieces signifieth Christ in his first not in his second comming for that stone grew into a mountaine and filled the earth but after Christ commeth to iudgement his kingdome shall be at the full it shall not afterward encrease see this confirmed by other reasons c. 2. qu. 55. So this iudgement here described must be referred vnto Christs first comming And if the fourth beast be the kingdome of the Seleucians as is before prooued at large then these thrones must be set when that beast was destroied 2. Burgensis is of opinion that the first vision concerneth the first comming of Christ when he dashed the image in pieces in that all idolatrie of the Gentiles was abolished at his comming but this he referreth to the finall iudgement when all the kingdomes and Monarchies of the earth shall be destroied and Christ onely shall raigne But Thoring taketh exception here to Burgensis that all idolatrie was not abolished at Christs comming seeing in many nations it continued long after Christs comming into the world and yet in Asia Africa and some places of Europe is practised This rather maketh against Burgensis that seeing in this vision there is a description of the foure Monarchies which were represented in that image c. 2. that the same manner of iudgement by the comming of Christ for the destruction of those Monarchies is in both places signified 3. Calvin misliketh that this place should be vnderstood of the second comming of Christ and yet he holdeth this fourth beast to be the Romane Empire both these can not stand together for the Romane Empire was not iudged nor dissolued at the first comming of Christ. 4. Therefore by the iudgement of God here shewed in this manner to the Prophet is better vnderstood the processe of the diuine iustice against these Monarchies which were all dissolued before the first comming of Christ. In like manner is the iudgement of God described in the ouerthrow of Senacherib which came against Ierusalem Psal. 76â— 9 10. Thou didst cause thy iudgement to be heard from heauen c. when thou O Lord arose to iudgement to helpe all the meeke of the earth Iun. Polan 5. But yet we so vnderstand here the iudgement of God vpon these kingdomes at the first comming of Christ as that it is also a type and figure of the finall iudgement this iudgement beginneth at the first comming of Christ Genevens and shall be perfected at his second comming when all the enemies of Christ and his Church vniuersally shall be destroied 32. Quest. v. 9. Who is said to be the Auncient of daies and how 1. Some vnderstand here the person of the Father because mention is made v. 13. of the sonne of man which approached vnto the Auncient of daies Polan so also the ordinarie glosse taketh it But Christ is there called the Sonne of man in respect of his humane nature as he is God he is the Auncient of daies from all eternitie as God the Father is as he is called the euerlasting father Isa. 9. 6. 2. Some by the Auncient of daies vnderstand Christ the Mediatour Christus antiquus dierum introducitur Christ is brought in as the auncient of daies who is the lambe that was slaine from the beginning of the world Oecolampad But Christ as the Mediator God and man is described afterward v. 13. where he is called the Sonne of man and approacheth to the auncient of daies the Sonne of man then and that Auncient of daies are not all one 3. Wherefore by the Auncient of daies the euerlasting God is signified Iun. the Father Sonne and holy Ghost who were from all eternitie for concerning the person of the Father our Sauiour saith My Father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgement to the Sonne Iob. 5. 22. So Hugo Deus aeternus iudicabit the euerlasting God shall iudge not God the Father onely by his sonne as Osiand but although the person of the Sonne onely shall appeare non deerit pater spiritus sanctus yet there shall not be wanting both the father and the holy Ghost Vatab. 4. God is said to be the Auncient of daies both in respect of his eternitie who was from the beginning before all time and shall continue for euer Iob. 36. 26. The number of his yeares can not be searched out And of his wisdome it is said Iob. 12. 12. Among the auncient is wisdome and in the length of daies is vnderstanding 33. Quest. How God was seene of Daniel who is inuisible 1. God in his inuisible nature such as he is in his diuine essence was neuer seene of any The Apostle calleth God the King euerlasting immortall inuisible 1. Tim. 1. 17. who dwelleth in light that none can attaine vnto whome neuer any man saw neither can see 1. Tim. 6. 16. 2. And yet if God would not be seene at all the Apostle would not haue said of Moses that he saw him which is inuisible Heb. 11. 27. God then did shew some visible signes of his presence vnto his seruants not beeing in deede any such thing as he appeared as fire or any such thing but he reuealed himselfe induit varias formas pro captu hominum c. and put on diuers shapes according to mens capacitie as it was fit for them to see God and they were able to beare Calv. Polan 34. Quest. How iudgement is said to be set seeing God is Iudge from euerlasting 1. The Lord applieth himselfe to our weaknes and imbecillitie for although the Lord be Iudge for euer yet he doth not alwaies exercise iudgement So then while the Lord suffereth the wicked to preuaile in the world and deferreth their punishment he seemeth vnto men not to sit in iudgement whereupon the seruants of God doe vtter these speaches Psal. 10. 1. Why standest thou so farre off and hidest thee Psal. 13. 1. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord 2. But when the Lord sheweth himselfe and sendeth forth his iudgements then he seemeth to vs to sit in his throne as Psal. 7. 6. the Prophet saith Arise O Lord in thy wrath and list vp thy selfe against the rage of mine enemies we doe not so effectually acknowledge God to be
Iewes Temple by the Romanes there are past aboue a 1500. yeares 2. Osiander applying this prophecie to the Turke by three yeares and an halfe which containeth in his estimate a 1178. daies but it commeth to a 1278. daies vnderstandeth so many yeares from the first rising of Mahomet in the yeare 613. so long he thinketh the Turkish tyrannie shall rage but it is not necessarie that all the halfe time should be fulfilled it sufficeth that the tearme exceede somewhat a thousand yeares But this can not hang together that if the account be of so many yeares an hundred or two should be cut off from the reckoning for this were to make the prophecies very vncerten 3. Now some precisely here would haue vnderstood three yeares and an halfe which time they limit for the tyrannie of Antichrist in the ende of the world Hierom. Lyran. Hug. But this is an vncerten and vnprobable opinion that Antichrist shall raigne iust three yeares and an halfe before the comming of Christ for 1. then it might be gessed at what time Christ should come to iudgement if we may come so neare as within 3. yeares and an halfe 2. S. Paul sheweth that the Romane Empire onely letted the comming of Antichrist 2. Thess. 2. 7. which beeing long since dissolued the Empire beeing translated to Germanie and the name thereof onely left Antichrist must be alreadie reuealed to the world 4. The historicall sense then is that the very time is here described how long Antiochus should be suffered to change the times and lawes in polluting the Temple and abolishing the sacrifices which was iust three yeares and tenne daies for this desolation beganne in the 145. yeare of the kingdome of the Seleucians the 15. day of the moneth Chisleu 1. Macch. 1. 57. and in the 148. yeare the 25. day of the same moneth Chisleu the true worship of God was restored and sacrifices offered And 80. daies after that which maketh in all 1290 daies on the 25. day of the moneth Xanticus the last but one in the same yeare 148. Antiochus confirmed the Iewes lawes and manner of worship 2. Macch. 11. 33. Iun. annotat The historie then beeing so correspondent vnto the prophecie we neede not search any further for the right meaning thereof 53. Quest. What is meant by the halfe or diuiding of time v. 25. The word properly signifieth a diuiding and so consequently a part phalag is deriued of phelag to diuide whence Peleg had his name because in his time the earth was diuided Gen. 10. 25. whereupon some doe read a part of time Iun. Polan Montan. or diuiding of time Genevens the Latine following the Septuag readeth dimidium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 halfe of time which reading because it is retained and vsed Apoc. 12. 14. is not to be refused 1. Some now by this diuiding of time vnderstand not any set tearme as Calvin who thereby thinketh to be signified that those daies should be diuided that is shortened for the Elect sake Melancthon thus interpreteth that when the Turke is come to the height of his power subita fiet inclinatio there shall be a sudden change and inclination But if time doe signifie a yeare according to the propheticall phrase as c. 11. 13. the times of yeares beeing expired then the halfe or part of time shall signifie the halfe or part of a yeare 2. Hierome by the halfe vnderstandeth iust sixe moneths and so 3. yeares and halfe maketh an 1260 daies Apoc. 12. 6. which is all one with 42. moneths Apoc. 11. 2. Pint. But 3. yeares and an halfe make iust 1278. daies counting 15. daies ouer in the 3. yeares and 3. daies ouer in sixe moneths therefore precisely there are not by this account 3. yeares and an halfe 3. Iunius whome Polanus followeth by this part of time noteth to be signified ten daies onely but that cannot be the diuiding or halfe of time which reading is before approoued because of that place Apoc. 12. 14. 4. Wherefore rather this place is expounded by that Dan. 12. 11. from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away shall be a 1290 daies So that it is counted the halfe of time beeing much about it though it sometime come short as in the summe of a 1260 daies there want 18. daies of 3. yeares and an halfe and sometime shoote ouer as in 1290 daies there are 12. daies more then three yeares and an halfe 54. Quest. How this kingdome is said to be giuen to the holy people v. 27. which is said v. 14. to be giuen to the Sonne of man 1. Because first and principally this kingdome is giuen vnto Christ as the first borne of euery creature and in him communicated vnto the Saints his members there is no contradiction betweene these two places for so both the spirituall kingdome as likewise the Priesthood is in this life graciously communicated by Christ our head vnto his members as the Apostle saith Apoc. 1. 6. He hath made vs Kings and Priests to God euen his father As also through Christ his members are made partakers of his euerlasting kingdome as our blessed Sauiour saith Luk. 12. 32. Feare not litle flocke it is your Fathers will to giue you a kingdome 2. Here then that cauill of the Iewes may easily be remooued who by this would gather because the holy people are here mentioned to whome this kingdome is giuen that by the Sonne of man vers 14. the Messiah is not vnderstood but the whole posteritie of Abraham and so likewise here But whereas the Prophet saw one as the sonne of man that can not be applied to Abrahams posteritie who could not be said to be as man they were then men beeing and existing but Christ is said to be as the Sonne of man because he was not yet incarnate this vision was praeludium incarnationis c. a forewarning of his incarnation So then v. 14. the author and foundation of this spirituall kingdome which is giuen vnto the Church is signified for vnlesse Christ did sit at the right hand of God and had all power giuen vnto him the Church should haue no kingdome at all Calvin 3. An other cauill also of Barbinel may be answered who will haue this vnderstood of an earthly and terrene kingdome the kingdome vnder the whole heauen is giuen vnto them for this ignorant Rabbin maketh a difference betweene beeing in the earth and of the earth the spirituall kingdome of Christ is in the world though it be not of the world Ioh. 18. 36. 4. And whereas this kingdome is generall ouer all the earth it must be extended further then ad primum exordium to the first beginning for the Gospel of Christ was not at the first preached ouer all the world but was receiued onely of a few it was in processe of time propagated into all parts of the world Calvin 4. Places of doctrine 1. Doctr. Of the authoritie of Scripture v. 2. Daniel spake and said Daniels writing is here
minister in beeing sent abroad into the world to dispatch the affaires committed vnto them other stand by as assistants not beeing sent forth as the other but they attend to know the will of God and to giue direction vnto the ministring spirits And further they assigne the foure higher orders which are Soraphim Cherubim Thrones Dominions to the Angels assistant and the fiue inferiour Angels Arkangels Vertues Powers Principalities to the ministring Angels But whether sort be more in number the assistant or ministring spirits it is not agreed among them Gregorie thinketh that the number of ministring spirits is greatest lib. 17. moral c. 9. Dyenisius Areopagita cited by Pererius is of the contrarie opinion that the higher the Angels are in degree the more they exceede in number Contra. 1. Here is no distinction of the offices of diuers sorts of Angels but onely a description of their office and ministerie they stood before the Lord to minister for so is this phrase of standing vsed c. 1. 19. They stood before the king and the Apostle saith Are they not all ministring spirits which Pererius interpreteth that they doe not all minister immediatly but some immediatly by others but this interpretation is taken away by the words following sent forth to minister Then all the Angels are sent forth to minister as it pleaseth God to employ them they doe not stand still before the Lord as informers of the rest 2. This difference then of Angels some ministring some assistant beeing taken away the other question is superflous which should exceede the other in number 3. And concerning those nine orders of Angels it is but a curious conceit those seuerall names doe shew that there are degrees and diuersitie of gifts among the Angels but so many distinct orders can not thereupon be granted See more hereof Synops. Centur. 2. err 1. 5. Controv. The glorious persons of the Trinitie are not to be represented by any image v. 9. The Auncient of daies did sit From this place the Romanists inferre that it is no more inconuenient to picture and expresse by image the Trinitie or any person thereof as they did sometime appeare then it was for them so to appeare But there is great difference betweene the appearing of the Trinitie in some visible shape as God the father as an auncient man the Sonne in the shape of a young man and the holy Ghost in the likenes of a doue and the picturing of them 1. The one was Gods speciall dispensation but the other is forbidden to make any image to be worshipped 2. this apparition did not continue but eftsoone vanished away but pictures are permanent and so are dangerous 3. the apparition was made onely to the Prophet here but pictures are seene and beheld of all which are in danger to stumble at them the argument then followeth not because it pleased God so to appeare therefore he may be so described and pictured 4. the apparition was a figure of Gods speciall presence but so is not an image God is not declared thereby more to be present then where there is no image at all 6. Controv. Against the Vbiquit aries which hold an omnipresence of Christs humanitie v. 14. And he gaue him dominion and honour Hence the Lutherans would inferre that the very essentiall power of the deitie is communicated vnto the humane nature and so consequently this propertie to be euery where and in all places at once Contr. 1. They imagine that this power was giuen onely to the humane nature of Christ whereas it was giuen vnto his whole person in respect of the office of his Mediatorship this dominion was giuen to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man 2. Whereas this great power they would haue giuen by Christs diuine nature to his humanitie it is euident out of the text that it was giuen by the Auncient of daies vnto the Sonne of man 3. And because in the text it is called an euerlasting dominion they hereby vnderstand that dominion which was without beginning and shall be without ende whereas this dominion giuen vnto Christ God and man had a beginning with his incarnation but shall haue no ende and this is euident v. 27. where this kingdome which is communicated vnto the Saints the members of Christ is also called euerlasting yet that kingdome hath a beginning Polan 4. Beside that which is finite can not be capable of that which is infinite the humane nature then of Christ can not receiue the infinite power and omnipotencie of the deitie Pappus answereth that although in it selfe it be not capable yet by the power of God to the which nothing is impossible it may be made capable of that infinite power and glorie Contr. Gods power indeede is infinite and he is able to doe more then he doth or will the question is not of Gods power but of his will and purpose which is that our blessed Sauiour as he hath assumed our very flesh with the naturall properties thereof so he should reteine them still as the Apostle calleth him the man Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 2. 5. 5. Those things which are peculiar and proper vnto a thing can not be communicated really vnto an other thing without the destruction thereof it is proper to the diuine nature to be infinite omnipotent omnipresent and to the humane to be finite and in one place at once if now the humane nature should become infinite omnipotent omnipresent it should loose the properties of the humane nature Pappâ—â— againe answereth that there may be a reall communication of properties without the destruction of the thing as yron made redde hoate keepeth the properties of yron still as the thickenesse the heauinesse and such like Contra. 1. The properties of the fire are not communicated really to the yron but certaine effects onely for if the yron had the very propertie of heate it would continue hoate still the fire beeing taken from it and if the fire should impart the properties of lightnesse to the yron it should be no more heauie but the very nature thereof would be changed 2. Like as then the bodie as long as it liueth is animated by the soule beeing quickned with agilitie vital spirits and heat yet the soule communicateth not the essentiall properties thereof vnto it so the humane nature of Christ is glorified and in a manner deified by the God-head yet each of the natures reteine their essentiall properties still 7. Controv. That diuturnitie and long continuance without interruption is no infallible note of the Church v. 14. His dominion shall be an euerlasting dominion Bellarmine inferreth from hence that the Church is discerned and knowne by the durable state and continuance thereof Contra. This is spoken of the spirituall and inuisible kingdome of Christ begunne in this life and perfected in the next It followeth not because the Vniuersall Catholike Church of Christ which is not alwaies visible in the world is perpetuall that a particular visible
can be no probable cause shewed of the ending of these weekes which by Pererius account will bring vs to the 10. yeare of Artaxerxes Mnemons raigne whome he supposeth to be Esters Assuerus for in that storie there is no speciall note made of the 10. yeare but of the 3. yeare wherein he made a feast to his nobles Esth. 1. 3. of the 7. yeare when he married Esther c. 2. 16. and of the 12. yeare when Haman procured the decree against the Iewes c. 3. 7. 6. Some beginne these 7. weekes at the 20. yeare of Artaxerxes Longimanus and ende them at the 2. of Artaxerxes Memor M. Lydyat pag. 78. But beside the difference in this computation betweene him and Pererius who bringeth the 7. weekes from the 20. of Longimanus to the 10. of Memor or Mnemon no reason can be assigned of the breaking off and diuiding those 7. weekes from the other he saith that other cities of Iudea beganne then to be builded but with much trouble but Daniel maketh mention onely of building Ierusalem in this place 7. Iosephus Scalliger lib. 6. de emendat tempor M. Iunius M. Liuely in his Persian Monarchie and Polanus beginne these 7. weekes in the 2. yeare of Darius Nothus and ende them in the 32. of Artaxerxes Mnemon when Nehemiah returned after he had finished the building of the citie vnto the king of Persia Nehem. 5. 14. there remained 17. yeares after Darius second whom they held to haue raigned 19. yeares which make the summe of 49. yeares in which space of time both the Temple and citie were builded But against this opinion it may thus be obiected 1. the 7. weekes and the 70. weekes haue the same beginning from the going forth of the word which is before prooued at large to haue beene in the first of Cyrus quest 43. 2. they beginne these weekes where they should ende for these 7. weekes were the time of the intermission and breaking off of their worke in building the citie and Temple the Angel sheweth how long that worke should be interrupted after the which they should beginne to build 8. M. Iunius then in his former edition beginneth these weekes in the first of Cyrus and endeth them in the 20. yeare of Longimanus when Nehemiah had his commission giuen him so also H. Br. in his commentarie But from Cyrus 1. to the sending of Nehemiah in the 20. Artaxerxes Longimanus must needes be aboue 49. yeares in account for the foure former kings of Persia Cyrus Cambyses Darius the sonne of Hystaspis and Xerxes had more then 30. yeares among them 9. Wherefore the best reckoning of these 7. weekes is this to beginne them with M. Calvin Oecolampad M. Br. in Cyrus first and to ende them in the 6. of Darius Longimanus when the Temple was finished and in the 7. yeare was Ezra sent and in the 20. by the same king Nehemiah my reasons are these 1. from the first going forth of the word which was in Cyrus time must these 7. weekes take beginning which make 49. yeares the time is too short to end them in the raigne of Darius Hystaspis which was within 49. yeares and too long to extend them to Darius Nothus who was the sixt king of Persia which was about 70. yeares from Cyrus first therefore one must be taken betweene them and that was Darius Artaxerxes called Longimanus who was next before Nothus Longimanus is held by the most to haue raigned 40. yeares which yeares added to the raigne of 4. kings before Cyrus Cambyses Darius Xerxes will make too many for the account of 49. yeares to the 2. of Nothus 2. The Temple was 46. yeare in building as the Iewes say Iohn 2. which yeares must be accounted from the 3. of Cyrus when the building beganne to be hindred for the which cause Daniel was in heauines 3. weekes of dayes Dan. 10. 3. so we shall haue the summe of 46. yeares from Cyrus 3. and of 49. from Cyrus 1. to the finishing of the Temple But it will be obiected that it was Darius Nothus in whose 6. the Temple was built because he had an Artaxerxes going before him Ezra 4. 7. and an other after him Ezr. 6. 14. and 7. 1. and so he was in the middes betweene two Artaxerxes Longimanus and Mnemon and that must needes be Nothus Ioseph Scalliger lib. 6. de emendat temp Answ. That Artashasht mentioned Ezra 4. 7. who sent a rescript to hinder the building of the citie and Temple was not Artaxerxes Longimanus but Cambyses who was a chiefe hinderer of the building of the Lords house 1. Longimanus is held of all to haue beene a friend vnto the Iewes 2. In the accusation sent to Artashasht they say that the Iewes did build and lay the foundation of the walles Ezr. 4. 12. they speake as of a thing then in doing which could not be so many yeares more then 40 after in Longimanus time for the worke was intermitted vnto the time of Darius Ezra 4. 5. this complaint then was made to Artashasht prince vnder Cyrus namely Cambyses his sonne who had the administration of the kingdome his father beeing occupied in forren warres abroad so Iun. edition 3. Vatab. H. Br. Though Assuerus be mentioned before v. 6. which was Darius Hystaspis how in the beginning of his raigne an accusation was made against them that prooueth not the Artashasht following to be Longimanus but the storie returneth to shewe the originall of that accusation which formerly had beene made 3. That place Ezr. 6. 14. prooueth not an other Artashasht to haue succeeded Darius there are diners opinions 1. Some thinke that Artaxerxes Mnemon caused such things to be finished which belonged to the ornament of the Temple which was made an ende of in his fathers time ex Vatabl. but here the finishing of the Temple is ascribed to Darius and Artashasht together not to one after an other 2. Iunius thinketh that Artashasht raigned together with his father but it is not like that in the second yeare of Darius when the worke beganne that Darius sonne was so old as to take the administration of the kingdome vpon him 3. Some by Darius vnderstand Darius the Mede who ioyntly with Cyrus gaue that commandement at the first and by Artashasht they vnderstand Longimanus Iun. annot edit 1. 4. Some thus read Darius that is Artashasht Vatab. and M. Br. nameth him Darius Artashasht which seemeth to haue beene a common appellation to most of the Persian kings Iun. Genevens annotat in Ezra 7. 1. I preferre this latter for in the first commandement which was giuen vnto the Iewes to returne onely mention is made of Cyrus 2. Chron. 36. 32. Ezra 1. 1. Darius then called king of Persia which was Longimanus Ezra 4. 24. the same is Artashasht called here king of Persia and Ezra 6. 22. king of Ashur and Nehem. 13. 6. king of Babel a part of the kingdome beeing by the figure Synecdoche
in respect whereof this beginning is 2. An other opinion is that Christ when he was baptized was onely entred into his 30. yeare about some 13. dayes so Pererius vrging the strict words of Luke that Christ began then to be about 30. yeare old and maketh Ireneus with others to fauour this opinion the first thus writeth lib. 2. aduers. haeres c. 39. Ad baptismum venit c. he came to baptisme not hauing yet fulfilled 30. yeares but beginning to be about 30. yeare old as S. Luke signifieth Pererius iudgement here is agreeable to the words of the text sauing that he holdeth Christ to haue beene borne in December whereas there must be 3. yeares and an halfe betweene Chists baptisme and his passion as is shewed afterward 3. A third opinion is of Epiphanius haeres 50. that Christ was 30. yeares old within two moneths whom he holdeth to haue beene borne vpon the sixt day of Ianuarie and to haue beene baptized in his 30. yeare two moneths before the ende thereof about the sixt of Nouember But the word beginning which S. Luke vseth sheweth that he was toward the beginning rather then the ende of his 30. yeare 4. Wherefore it is more probable that Christ was baptized in the beginning not in the ende of his 30. yeare in the sixt moneth Tisri whereof this reason may be yeelded out of Daniel because Christs death ended halfe of a weeke wherein the couenant was confirmed which beganne at his preaching immediately after his baptisme H. Br. Concent And if the 70. weekes must ende iust at the death of Christ as is prooued before quest 49. and Christ beginning to preach immediately after his baptisme preached 3. yeares and an halfe it must followe that he was baptized in the beginning of his 30. yeare And in this sense Christ is said in proper speaking to be thirtie yeare old when he was but entring into his thirtie yeare see more hereof quest 71. and 72. following 5. M. Lydyat thinketh that Christ dimidia ex parte exegerat annum aetatis tricesimum had passed the halfe of his 30. yeare when he was baptised and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning he referreth to his preaching not to his age But I encline rather to the former opinion 1. for there is no mention made at all of Christs preaching in respect whereof he should be said to beginne the words doe thus stand in the text and Iesus himselfe was as it were of thirtie yeares beginning c. 2. neither did Christ immediately after his baptisme beginne to preach he was first tempted 40. dayes in the wildernes next after his baptisme as S. Luke sheweth in the next chapter 3. and if Christ were baptised in the middest of his 30. yeare and after that liued 3. yeares and an halfe beeing put to death in the spring it will followe that he was also borne about that time of the yeare which is also M. Lydyats opinion which is verie improbable as shall be shewed afterward quest 71. following 6. But M. Lydyat hath yet a more strange opinion he thinketh that Iohn Baptist began to preach 4. yeares before Christ was baptised in the 15. yeare of Tiberius raigne and that Christ was baptised in the beginning of the 19. yeare of Tiberius and suffred in the 22. yeare his chiefe reasons are these 1. There are 30. yeares at what age Christ was baptised from the 41. of Augustus wherein Christ was borne to the 19. of Tiberius 2. The Temple was in building 46. yeares Ioh. 2. which beganne to be built in the 18. yeare of Herod whence vnto the 15. yeare he would say 19. yeare of Tiberius are 47. yeares 3. Iohn was not imprisoned and put to death before the 20. and 21. of Tiberius for presently after Iohns beheading followed the battell betweene Herod and Aretas king of Arabia for repudiating his daughter and marying Herodias his brothers wife which was in the beginning of Vitellius gouernement which was in the 21. yeare of Tiberius as Cornel. Tacitus testifieth lib. 6. Annal. 4. The yeare wherein Christ beganne to preach was a sabbaticall yeare as appeareth Luk. 4. but there was no sabbaticall yeare after the 15. yeare of Tiberius till the 20. To this purpose M. Lydyat lib. de emendat tempor from p. 169. to p. 176. Contra. Though I will not of purpose oppose my selfe to so excellent a Chronologer who hath taken great paines in this kind of studie which I professe not yet because that his opinion is singular I hope I may without offence examine his reasons to giue him occasion further to consider of them least the common aduersarie might take aduantage thereby 1. The 30. yeares of Christs age were expired in the 15. yeare of Tiberius from the 41. of Augustus wherein Christ is held to haue beene borne and M. Lydyat maketh mention of one Petavius a learned Chronologer of Paris who prooueth that Christ must be borne 30. yeares before the 15. yeare Tiberius p. 153. 2. That place in Ioh. c. 2. must be vnderstood of the building of Zorobabels Temple not of Herods as hath beene shewed before quest 58. 3. Iohns troubles beganne before the 20. yeare of Tiberius for when Herod tooke his brother Philips wife Herodias his brother was then liuing at what time Iohn reprooued him but Philip died in the 20. yeare of Tiberius Ioseph lib. 18. c. 6. and the warre vpon that occasion might followe some yeare after 4. That yeare wherein Christ preached was not a sabbaticall yeare Christ prepareth them by his preaching against the acceptable yeare which was that wherein he suffred which was both a sabbaticall and Iubile yeare for the Iubile beeing a type of Christ in whom we should enioy the true Iubile in the remission of sinnes the figure and shadowe and the bodie must agree together 5. But that Christ was baptized in the 15. yeare of Tiberius S. Luke putteth it out of doubt c. 3. 1. M. Lydyat answereth that the Euangelist assigneth that yeare for the beginning of Iohns preaching not for Christs baptisme for Iohn must haue a longer time giuen him then so to prepare the way for Christs to preach and baptize p. 171. But as Iohn Baptists birth was but 6. moneths before Christs so the like time might suffice for his fore-running in preaching the Euangelists set downe the baptisme of our Blessed Sauiour as following immediately vpon the preaching of Iohn yea S. Iohn saith that the next day after his solemne baptizing he saw Iesus comming vnto him Iohn 1. 29. Quest. 69. How many yeares Christ liued on earth and in what yeare of his life Christ was put to death 1. Some were of opinion that Christ liued 46. yeares at the least that the bodie may answer to the shadowe the substance to the figure because the materiall Temple which was a figure of the true Temple Christ Iesus is said to haue beene 46. yeare in building Ireneus thinketh that Christ liued 50. yeares because
of that place Ioh. 8. where the Iewes say vnto Christ thou art not yet 50. yeare old c. And he further addeth this reason that it was not fit that Christ should beginne to preach in his youth but should take that graue function vpon him when he grewe in yeares Irenaeus lib. 2. aduers. haeres cap. 39. But 1. the Iewes words speaking but by gesse are not much to be weighed though some in that place doe reade fourtie for fifty Chrysost. 2. there may be as great grauitie in young yeares as in age for not yeares but the graces and gifts of Gods spirit doe bring authoritie 3. And if Christ had liued so many yeares it is not like that the Euangelistes would haue passed ouer in silence the great workes which Christ did in that time whereas they onely set downe those things which Christ spake and did vnto the 4. Passeouer after his baptisme which was in the 30. yeare of his age 2. If Christ had liued aboue 40. toward 50. yeares he could not haue suffred vnder Tiberius in whose 18. yeare he is generally held to haue died beeing baptized in his 15. yeare Luk. 3. 1. for Tiberius raigned but 23. yeares in all 2. An other opinion is that Christ died the same yeare namely the 30. complete wherein he was baptized and so preached but one yeare so Tertullian lib. aduers. Iudaeos and Clemens Alexandrin lib. 1. stromat who groundeth his opinion vpon that place taken out of the Prophet Luk. 4. 19. that he should preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord But 1. it followeth not because mention is made of the acceptable yeare in the singular that Christ peached but one yeare in all yeare is here taken either generally for the acceptable time or it hath speciall reference to that true Iubile the yeare of remission wherein Christ suffred for our sinnes 2. in the Euangelists there is mention made of fowre seuerall Passeouers after Christs baptisme as shall be euen now shewed therefore Christ liued and preached aboue a yeare after his baptisme 3. Some other thinke that Christ liued but 31. yeares and preached but two yeares after his baptisme of this opinion was Apollinaris Bishop of Laodicea as Hierome reporteth in 9. Daniel and Cyrillus Alexandrin seemeth to affirme the same in 29. c. Isaiae Seuerus Sulpitius also lib. 2. sacr histor seemeth to be of the same iudgement who writeth that Christ liued 4. yeares of Herods raigne and 9. yeares of Archelaus and then died in the 18. yeare of Herod the Tetrach all which make but 31. yeares This opinion is refelled by the former reason because the Euangelists make mention in the Gospel of 4. Passeouers after Christs baptisme which could not be in the space of two yeares 4. Iosephus Scaliger is of opinion that Christ suffred in the 35. yeare of his age holding that Christ was baptised in the beginning of his 31. yeare and after his baptisme mention is made of fiue Pasches the first Ioh. 2. 13. the second Iohn 5. 1. the third Matth. 12. 1. and Luk. 6. 1. when the Apostles plucked the eares of corne which was as S. Luke saith the second Sabbath namely after the Pasche for then the eares of corne beganne to be ripe the fourth is mentioned Iohn 6. 4. when he fedde the fiue thousand the 5. was the last Pasche wherein our Blessed Sauiour suffred S. Paul also speaketh of the perfect age of Christ at his resurrection Ephes. 4. 13. which is at 35. yeares Contra. 1. That Christ was not 30. yeares complete when he was baptized is shewed in the former question and the words of the text are against it that Christ was then beginning to be 30. yeare old 2. that Christ suffred after the 18. yeare of Tiberius which will followe if Christ died in his 35. yeare is against the common receiued opinion which assigneth the 18. yeare for Christs passion which is gathered by the account of the Olympiads for Christ is held to haue beene borne in the 4. yeare of the 194. Olympiad and to haâ—e suffred in the 4. yeare of the 202. Olympiad the distance of yeares is iust 33. and no more 3. That Pasche which Iohn speaketh of cap. 5. 1. is like to be the same mentioned Math. 12. 1. and Luk. 6. 1. as Pererius well obserueth when after the Pasche the Apostles pulled the eares of corne which may be the reason why Iohn passeth ouer in silence all that was done betweene the second and third Pasche which immediately he speaketh of c. 6. 4. because the the other Euangelists doe set forth at large what happened betweene the second and third Pasche Matth. c. 12. toc 13. Marke from the second to the 6. Luke from the 6. to the 9. If fiue Passeouers could haue beene assigned out of the same Euangelist then he said somewhat But out of diuerse Euangelists who doe not followe the same order of time the number cannot so certainely be gathered 4. that is but a weake reason taken from the fulnesse and perfection of Christs age Augustine by the same reason thinketh that we shall rise againe about the age of thirtie because Christ died in that age lib. 22. de ciuitat Dei c. 15. And indeede at that age men are in their strength beeing fit for any employment either of the bodie or mind as Ioseph at that age stood before Pharaoh and Dauid at that age beganne to raigne 5. Some thinke that Christ died in the 34. yeare of his age not complete but onely begunne some 3. moneths and certaine dayes so Beda lib. de ration tempor c. 45. Albertus Magnus in commentar epistol Dyonis Onuphrius in Chronicis Beda his reason is because he thinketh Christ to haue beene baptized when he beganne to be 31. yeare old and from thence preached 3. yeares and an halfe But this opinion is contrarie to the text which saith he beganne to be 30. not 31. yeare old and by this meanes Christs death is cast into the 19. yeare of Tiberius which also Onuphrius thinketh contrarie to the receiued opinion that Christ was borne in the 42. yeare of Augustus and died in the 18. yeare of Tiberius 6. An other opinion yet is that Christ was baptised in the beginning of his 30. yeare but beganne not to preach vntill the beginning of his 31. yeare when he wrought that miracle by changing water into wine which is thought to haue beene done the same day twelue-moneth after he was baptized and yet the time of his preaching was 3. yeares and an halfe so Pererius lib. 11. in Daniel quest 7. opinion 4. But 1. it is not like that Christ beeing baptised and then publikely called by his fathers voice from heauen to be a teacher of men and therefore they are charged from heauen to heare him would so long deferre the execution of his holy function 2. Pererius in this assertion is contrarie to himselfe for if Christ died as he prooueth at large in the 33. yeare of
his age and preached three yeares and an halfe then could not his preaching be deferred vnto the beginning of his 31. yeare for 3. yeares and an halfe counted from thence will fall into his 34. yeare But concerning the time when Christ began to teach more shall be said when we come to speake of confirming the couenant v. 27. 7. M. Lydyat thinketh that Christ died in the 33. yeare of his age almost complete pag. 176. But then it would followe that he was borne about the same season of the yeare wherein he suffred about the vernall equinoctiall or spring time which opinion is refused as improbable quest 71. following 8. Wherefore the best resolution is this that Christ died in the 33. yeare of his age not complete but about the middest thereof not after 3. moneths as Pererius but 6. moneths after his 32. yeare complete The first part of this assertion that Christ suffred in his 33. yeare is thus prooued 1. because by the Romane Chronologie he is held to haue beene borne in the 42. of Augustus inchâ—aâ—e or begunne and to haue died in the 18. of Tiberius the distance of yeares is iust 33. for Augustus raigned 56. and then Tiberius succeeded 2. the same is prooued by the Olympiads as is before shewed Christ was borne in the 4. yeare of the 194. Olympiad and died in the 4. yeare of the 202. Olympiad 3. Pererius further prooueth that Christ died in the 33. yeare of his age by this astronomicall calculation It is agreed vpon that Christ suffered vpon the 15. day of the moneth hauing eaten the Passeouer vpon the 14. day at euen according to the lawe the next euening before Againe Christ died vpon the Iewish Sabbath eue which is our Friday for otherwise he had not risen againe vpon the Lords day which was the third day after But in none of the yeares of â—hrists age from the 30. to the 37. did the 15. day of the moneth fall out vpon the sixt day of their weeke our friday but onely in the 33. for in the 31. yeare the 15. day of the moone was vpon the 27. of March vpon tuesday in the 32. on the 15. of Aprill vpon tuesday likewise in the 34. on the 23. of March on wedensday in the 35. on the 11. day of Aprill on monday But in the 33. yeare onely within this compasse for of the other yeares before the 30. or after the 35. there is no question the 15. day of the moone concurred with the 3. of Aprill vpon friday as may be gathered counting the yeare of the Lord by the Dominicall letter therefore Christ onely suffered in the 33. yeare of his age 4. After Christ was baptized and beganne to preach there were onely fowre Pasches which he kept in the last whereof he died as may be gathered out of the Gospel of S. Iohn the first Pasche is mentioned cap. 2. 13. the second c. 5. 1. the third Iohn 6. 4. and the last when he suffred to the which belong the 11. 13. and 18. chapters of S. Iohns Gospel these 4. Pasches were kept in three yeares and odde moneths which were between the baptisme of Christ and the first Pasche But about the number of these Pasches there is some doubt as now shall be further shewed in the next question following The other part of the assertion that there must be 6. moneths betweene the season or time of the baptisme of Christ and of his blessed passion is thus prooued because Daniel ending the 70. weekes in the death of Christ precisely speaketh of halfe a weeke set apart for the confirming of the couenant which beganne at Christs baptisme and causing all other sacrifices to cease we must then haue halfe a seuen of yeares exactly from the baptisme of Christ vnto the time of his passion Quest. 70. Of the number of Pasches which Christ solemnized in the dayes of his flesh whereby the time and yeares of his preaching is certainly gathered 1. Whereas in the ende of the former question fowre Pasches are assigned the second whereof should be mentioned Iohn 5. 1. yet it is not expressely said to be the Pasche but generally a feast of the Iewes there are diuerse opinions conceiued hereof 1. some thinke it was the feast of the Pentecost which immediately followeth after the Pasche which Iohn spake of before c. 2. v. 13. of this opinion are Cyril Chrysostome Euthymius Theophylaect Thomas Lyranus iâ— the explanation of that place But this cannot be 1. after that Pasche Iohn 2. our Sauiour stayed a while in the citie then he left the citie and Iudaea and returned into Iudaea againe and staied there a good while Iohn 3. 23. after that he departed out of Iudaea and went by Samaria to goe into Galile at what time there were yet 4. moneths to haruest Iohn 4. 35. All these things could not be done in the space of fifty dayes betweene the Pasche and Pentecost and beside the time of haruest is in the moneth Iiar the next vnto Nisaâ— which answereth vnto our March wherefore this could not be the feast of Pentecost which is not two moneths from the Pasche 3. when a feast of the Iewes is named simply without any addition it is vsually taken for the feast of the Passeouer which was their chiefe and principall feast as is euident Matth. c. 26. Luk. 22. Iohn 13. 2. An other opinion is that this was one of the winter feasts which were three one of the dedication of the Temple instituted by Iudas Macchabeus lib. 1. Macchab. c. 4. which was kept the 25. day of the 9. moneth Cisleu the second was the feast of the reedifying of the second Temple vnder Zerobabel which was vpon the 3. day of the last moneth Adar whereof see Ezra 6. 15. the third was the feast of lottes ordained by Mordecai and Esther vpon the 14. and 15. of the same moneth Adar as is declared Esther 9. some one of these three feasts some thinke this to haue beene so Caietan in 5. c. Ioan. Melchior Canus lib. 11. de loc Theolog. But this is not like for these were none of the principall feasts which were instituted by Moses at the Lords appointment But this was a principall feast of the Iewes because it is simply called a feast without any other addition as is shewed before 3. Wherefore vpon the former reasons this was likely to be the feast of the Passeouer after the which in the next moneth immediatly followeth haruest and in the former chapter it is said there were 4. moneths then to haruest c. 4. 35. And although in the next chapter following c. 6. 4. mention is made of the Pasch that letteth not but that this may be the Pasch also for it is vsuall with the Euangelists to ioyne things together which were done farre asunder omitting many things comming betweene as Matthew immediatly after the baptisme and 40. daies fast of our blessed Sauiour treateth of the calling of the Apostles which was
day Philip was called and Nathaniel Ioh. 1. then the 3. day after was the mariage in Cana of Galile Ioh. 2. 1. and then it is saide v. 13. that the Iewes Passeouer was at hand But this opinion can not hold 1. Christ after he was baptised presently was tempted in the wildernesse as S. Marke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediatly the spirit driueth him into the wildernesse Mark 1. 12. And S. Luke thus writeth c. 4. 1. Iesus beeing full of the holy Ghost returned frō Iordan and was led by the spirit into the wildernes the first thing then that fell out after Christs baptisme was his tēptation which continued 40. daies how then could that miracle be 3. daies after Christs baptisme 2. Therfore it is to be vnderstood that it was the 3. day either after he came into Galile or rather the 3. day after he had that conference with Philip Nathaniel 4. Wherefore the best resolution is that Christ was baptized about the beginning of September when he beganne to be 30. yeare old and the reason hereof is grounded vpon Daniels halfe weeke for whether we beginne the 70. and last weeke from the baptisme of Christ or the latter halfe weeke for there are of both opinions as is shewed before but the latter is more probable we must to make vp this halfe weeke haue 6. moneths from the season wherein Christ was baptized to the time of the Passeouer 73. Quest. Vpon what day of the weeke Christ suffered and whether vpon a festiuall day To know vpon what day of the weeke Christ suffered we must finde out when he did eate his Passeouer 1. Epiphanius thinketh that he did eate it vpon the third day of the weeke at euen when the fourth day begunne with the Iewes who reckon their ciuill day from the euening But this can not be for then if Christ are his Passeouer either vpon the 3. or 4. day he must haue suffered the 5. which was the day following and then he must haue risen againe iust vpon the Iewes Sabbath not on the morrow after the Sabbath as the historie of the Gospel sheweth 2. Ios. Scaliger thinketh that Christ did eate the Passeouer in the eue of the 6. day and the day following which was part of the 6. day he suffered But this cannot be for the Passeouer was to be killed vpon the 14. day of the Moone betweene the two euenings which was as Scaliger well obserueth out of Iosephus from the time of the euening sacrifice which was about the ninth houre to the going downe of the Sunne which was the space of 3. houres but the 15. day beganne not till after Sunne-set therefore that space betweene the two euenings was the ende of the 14. day which was at this time the fift day of the weeke not the beginning of the 15. day which was the sixt of the weeke Now further Iosephus Scaliger holdeth that Christ and the Iewes did eate their Passeouer both at the same instant vpon the 14. day at euen according to the law and that the next day he suffered which was the first day of vnleauened bread And for the better maintenance of this assertion he presseth these arguments 1. Otherwise the Iewes should haue aduantage against vs who obiect that Christ suffered not vpon any festiuall day wherein they kept the Passeouer and so the type and the substance agreed not together 2. the Grecians to vphold their opinion that the Eucharist must be ministred with leauened bread because Christ gaue vnto his disciples leauened bread do also affirme that Christ did eate the Passeouer one day sooner then the Iewes did eate it 3. he vrgeth that place of S. Mark 14. 12. the first day of vnleauened bread when they sacrificed the Passeouer his disciples said vnto him hence he inferreth that at the same time the Passeouer was generally eaten when Christ also did eate it 1. Ans. In this question Bellarmine with other Romanists concurre with Ios. Scalig. but Bellarmine is answered els where and therefore I will onely examine Scaligers arguments 1. If the Iewes vpon a blind tradition deferred the Pasch to auoid the concurrence of two Sabbaths which should haue bin this yeare wherein Christ suffered if the first solemne day of the Pasch had bin kept according to the law vpon the 15. day for their ordinarie Sabbath followed the next yet Christ kept it as the law prescribed so suffered that day wherein the Pasch should haue bin solemnized the typical lamb the true lambe this notwithstanding agreed together because Christ was sacrificed at that time when the first day of the Passeouer should haue bin kept by the law though the Iewes by a corrupt custome vsage kept it not 2. The Grecians may ground an error vpon a true position it followeth not because Christ preuented the common eating of the Passeouer that therefore he eate the Passeouer with leauened bread for that had bin against the law Exod. 12. 8. for although leauened bread were not yet put out of the Iewes houses yet Christ sending his disciples before might prouide vnleauened bread for his paschal supper and as the Grecians hereupon ground their opinion that the Eucharist is onely to be ministred with leauened bread so the Romanists on the otherside doe as stiffely maintaine their superstition that vnleauened bread onely must be vsed holding that Christ at the same time did eate the Passeouer with the rest of the Iewes 3. S. Marke respecteth the right time appointed by the law for the Passeouer not the corrupt vsage which the Iewes had taken vp so then that day was the first of vnleauened bread at euen by right of the institution though it were not so in practise among the Iewes and therefore S. Luke saith then came the day of vnleauened bread wherein the Passeouer ought to be sacrificed But now the contrarie is euident out of the Gospel that the Iewes receiued not the Passeouer generally vntill the eue after Christ was crucified 1. It is said they themselues came not into the common hall least they should be defiled but that they might eate the Passeouer They did not then eate the Passeouer till the euening after Christs passion Iosephus Scaliger answereth that the sacrifices which were offered in the feast of the Passeouer were called the Passeouer as well as the Paschal lambe alleadging that place Deut. 16. 2. Thou shalt offer the Passeouer to the Lord thy God of sheepe and bullocks c. But here the phrase is to sacrifice the Passeouer which was as well referred to the offering of the other sacrifices as the paschal lambe Contr. Yet to eate the Passeouer is not otherwise vsed in the Gospel then of the eating of the Paschal lambe 2. If the Iewes had eaten the Paschal lambe the same night with Christ then the next day should haue beene a solemne festiuall day wherein they should haue done no seruile worke as is appointed Exod. 12. 16.
But they did much seruile worke vpon this day as in carrying the crosse pitching of it into the ground raising of it vp nayling Christ vnto it And indeede they themselues also resolued not to put Christ to death vpon the feast day Mark 14. 2. Ioseph Scaliger here answereth that the day wherein Christ suffered was the first day of vnleauened bread but not of the paschal solemnitie But this distinction is contrarie to the place before alleadged out of Exodus where the 15. day which was the first of vnleauened bread as likewise the seauenth and last are named to be daies of solemne assemblies wherein no seruile worke should be done sauing about that which they did eate 3. The day wherein Christ suffered is called the preparation of the Passeouer Ioh. 19. 14. it was not then the day of the Passeouer it selfe Ioseph Scaliger answereth that the preparation was not the whole day but onely after the ninth houre as he alleadgeth out of a certaine Edict of Augustus But 1. it appeareth that the preparation was the whole day at the least from the sixt houre as in the same place the Euangelist saith it was the preparation of the Passeouer and about the sixt houre 2. If then it were the preparation of the Passeouer then was not that day the first of the Passeouer 4. Paulus Burgens somewhat to helpe out this tradition of the Iewes his countreymen who deferred the Pasch if it fell out vpon the 6. day of the weeke to auoid the concurrence of two festiuall daies saith there was a double account of the 14. day of the Moone vna vera legitima secundum veram computationem Christi c. one was the true and lawfull day according to the true computation of Christ who knew all the mysteries of the law the other was legitima secundum communem assuetam computationem aliorum lawfull also according to the common and accustomed computation of others c. M. Lydyat also sheweth that the difference betweene the obseruation of the Pasch betweene our blessed Sauiour and the Iewes did arise hereupon because Christ reckoned the daies according to the computation of the naturall years but the Iewes followed the Syro-Grecian account found out by Callippus beginning the moneths not as the Hebrewes at the new Moone but as the Grecians beganne their moneths so that the Iewes began their moneth Nisan as the Grecians did their moneth Xanthicus which that yere beganne one day after the new Moone Lyd. de emend temp p. 179. Both these might very well concurre together that the Iewes did keepe another day of the Passeouer then Christ and his disciples both vpon a blind tradition to auoide the concurrence of two Sabbaths and because they followed a strange computation But it is euident hereby that they did not eate the Passeouer the same day with Christ and that they did breake the law of Moses in receiuing a forren computation of their moneths which was not lawfull howsoeuer Burgensis in fauour of his countreymen excuse it by the vsuall custome 74. Quest. Who are meant by the people of the Prince to come v. 26. There are diuerse expositions of these words 1. Some doe put the people in the accusatiue case he shall destroy the citie and Sanctuarie the people of the Prince to come 2. Some doe make it the nominatiue the people of the Prince to come shall destroy the citie and of either of these interpretations there are diuerse kinds Of the first 1. Some read thus he shall destroy the citie with the captaine to come Sept. but the word with is not in the originall 2. Iunius thus interpreteth he that is the Messiah the Prince shall destroy the people of the Prince his owne people which shall come that is which shall be then So also M. Br. he shall destroy the people of the Prince in the next generation But 1. it should seeme not to be so proper a speach he that is the Messiah the Prince should destroy the people of the Prince that is his owne people 2. and in the original there is no coniunction to couple them together the words standing thus and the citie and the Sanctuarie shall destroy the people c. but in this sense a coniunction must be supplied and the people c. 3. and though the word nagid prince were before ioyned with Messiah yet here beeing put alone it is not necessarie so to vnderstand it of the Messiah 4. neither were the Iewes then the people of the Messiah whom they had reiected and crucified 2. Of the second sort are these interpretations 1. Polanus giueth this sense the people of the Prince to come that is the Gentiles who should become the people of Christ beeing conuerted to the Gospell shall destroy the citie But the Romanes were not at that time when they sacked Ierusalem conuerted to the faith of Christ and so not his people 2. M. Liuely by this word to come vnderstandeth the strangers and commers which are opposite to inhabitants as the word is vsed Gen. 42. 5. the sonnes of Iacob came to buy food among those that came so his meaning is that the citie and Sanctuarie should be surprised by strangers and commers but the word haba to come seemeth rather to be referred vnto the time following then to the condition of the people though it be true that Ierusalem was spoiled by forreners and strangers 3. Some reade the principall people of the Prince or captaine to come Vatab. and he thinketh the destruction of the citie to be imputed vnto the people rather then their captaine because Titus would haue defended the Sanctuarie from the spoile of the souldiers but the word is nagid which signifieth a Prince not principall and the other obseruation seemeth to be somewhat too neere and curious 4. Oecolampadius by this captaine vnderstandeth Pompey the great who tooke Ierusalem and slew 12000. Iewes and afterward Crassus robbed the Temple and then Herod and Sosius made hauocke of the citie But this captaine with his people were to come after the Messiah was slaine which was spoken of immediately before 5. Wherefore by the Prince and people to come are signified Vespasian and Titus his sonne with the Romane armie which should besiege the citie and destroy both it and the Temple as Bulling Calv. Osiander doe well vnderstand it so also Lyranus and this is agreeable to that prediction of our Blessed Sauiour Luk. 19. 43. The dayes shall come vpon thee when thine enemies shal cast a trench about thee c. and shall make thee euen with the ground c. here the destruction of the citie is ascribed to the enemies not to the Messiah their Prince 6. Hugo thinketh it may be applyed also to that destruction of the citie which was after this by the Emperour Elius Adrianus But our Sauiour appointeth the time when all this should be fulfilled Matth. 24. 34. This generation shall not passe till all these things be done
7. But by two wayes chiefely was this couenant ratified and confirmed by the declaration and publishing thereof by his preaching and by the sealing thereof by his most precious blood like as a Testament is first declared and written and then confirmed by the death of the Testator So in the death of our Blessed Sauiour was the couenant before set forth by his preaching fully established as Oecolampad Scimus c. in morte ipsa proprie foedus confirmari c. we know according to the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes that the couenant was properly confirmed in his death c. And this further may be made plaine thus 1. by the type and figure as Moses tooke the booke of the lawe and reade in it and then sprinkled the blood vpon the people saying this is the blood of the couenant Exod. 24. 8. so the booke of this couenant declared by Christs preaching was made sure in his blood 2. This also appeareth by the institution of the Lords supper where Christ saith of the cuppe representing his blood this is the newe Testament in my blood c. Luk. 22. 20. that is a signe seale and representation thereof 3. the Apostle sheweth this also by the nature and condition of a Testament which is confirmed when men are dead Heb. 9. 17. and so in this place the Septuagint translate the Hebrewe word berith by the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 testament for the word signifieth both a couenant and a testament as Budeus sheweth in his commentaries for the ratifying then and confirming of this will and Testament of our Sauiour his death and passion was necessarie with the shedding of his most pretious blood for the remission of our sinnes Quest. 84. When this testament beganne to be ratified and confirmed by the preaching of Christ. 1. Pererius deliuereth it as an auncient tradition and a receiued opinion that Christ beganne not to preach and worke miracles till a yeare after he was baptised for the first miracle which he wrought in Cana of Galile they hold to haue beene done the same day tweluemoneth wherein he had beene baptised 2. But this opinion may be easily refuted 1. the words of S. Peter Act. 1. 21. are directly against it of these men which haue companied with vs all the time that the Lord Iesus was conuersant among vs beginning from the baptisme of Iohn vnto the day that he was taken vp from vs must one of them be made a witnesse with vs of his resurrection Here it is euident that Christ beganne to preach after he had receiued Iohns baptisme Pererius by the baptisme of Iohn here thinketh all that time to be vnderstood wherein Iohn baptized till he was imprisoned but that can not be for Iohn beganne to baptize before Christ came vnto his baptisme and before Christ was baptized he preached not neither shewed himselfe publikely therefore the beginning can not be vnderstood to be from Iohns baptisme in that sense 2. Seeing Christ was publikely in his baptisme called from heauen to the office of teaching in that it is saide Heare him it is not like that our blessed Sauiour would intermit that holy function a yeare together 3. Before that miracle in Cana of Galile he entertained Disciples as is euident Ioh. 1. as Andrew and Peter Philip and Nathaniel therefore euen then he beganne to be a publike teacher 4. If Christs preaching beganne a yeare after his baptisme in the beginning of his 31. yeare then could he not preach and confirme the Couenant halfe a weeke that is 3. yeares and a halfe seeing he is generally held to haue died in his 33. yeare wherefore euen presently after his baptisme as soone as his 40. dâ—â—â—s fast was ouer Christ beganne to preach and shew his power in working of miracles 85. Quest. v. 27. In the halfe of the weeke he shall cause the sacrifice to cease when this halfe weeke beganne 1. R. Shelamo thus interpreteth the halfe weeke that a little before the destruction of Ierusalem after the Iewes had violated the truce taken betweene them and the Romanes for 7. yeares then in the middes of the weeke that is in the fourth yeare of those seuen the Romanes came and besieged the citie But it is shewed before qu. 82. that this is but a Rabbinicall conceit that any such truce was made betweene the Romanes and the Iewes 2. Some doe likewise refetre this halfe weeke to the destruction of Ierusalem that in the middes thereof that is the 5. yeare before the ouerthrow of the citie the Romanes came laid siege vnto it Iun. Polan M. Lively But this sense can not be admitted because it hath beene prooued alreadie qu. 49. that these 70. weekes and euery part thereof determined in the death of Christ. 3. Iosephus Scaligor hath a conceit by himselfe that this 70. and last weeke must be deuided the one part thereof he alloweth for the time of Christs preaching namely 4. yeares and an halfe the other for the destruction of the citie two yeares and an halfe more But here two exceptions may iustly be taken 1. he diuideth this weeke the one part aboue 30. yeares from the other whereas euery part of these weekes must one succeede an other 2. he diuideth two yeares and an halfe from the rest but that maketh not halfe a weeke 4. Some beginne this halfe weeke at the death of Christ and continue it afterward when the sacrifices and rites of the law beganne to be abolished by the Apostles as we read Act. 15. Perer. Pint. Melancth M. Lydyat in ann 4043. Osiand sauing that Osiander maketh it the first halfe of the last weeke the other the latter But it hath beene prooued alreadie that these yeares must ende in Christs death 5. This halfe weeke then is better taken for the latter halfe part of the weeke which beginneth at the baptisme of Christ and endeth at his passion so Bullinger saith per praedicationem Euangelij mortem Domini nostri Iesu Christi constat legem esse abrogatam by the preaching of the Gospel and by the death of Iesus Christ it is euident the law was abrogated so also Hugo beginneth this halfe weeke in the 15. of Tiberius at Christs baptisme for then in the baptisme of Christ hostiarum legalium purificatio paulatim coepit vilescere the purifying of the legall sacrifices beganne by little and little to waxe vile Thus also expoundeth the author of the Scholasticall historie as Pererius sheweth in the very ende of his 10. booke vpon Daniel and vnlesse we ende the 70. and last weeke at the passion of Christ it will not ende in a yeare of Iubile for Christ is held to haue died in a yeare of Iubile that the shadow may agree vnto the bodie see before qu. 66. toward the ende 86. Quest. How and when the sacrifices were caused to cease and were abolished 1. R. Shelamoh thinketh that this is vnderstood of the ceasing of the sacrifices in fact when
kings not king L. S. of Persia. 14 Now I am come to shew thee what shall befall thy people in the latter or ensuing I. not last L. daies for yet the vision is for many daies not of these daies I. daies put absolutely without any other addition signifie many 15 And when he spake these words vnto me I set my face toward the ground and held my tongue 16 And behold as the similitude of man of the sonnes of men H. touched vpon H. my lips then opened I my mouth and spake and said to him that stood before me O my Lord by the vision my sorrowes are returned I. G. not my ioynts are turned out of their place L. V. B. or my inward parts are turned S. the word tzir signifieth sorrow anguish and I haue reteined no strength 17 For how can the seruant of that my Lord talke with that my Lord A. P. better then how can this seruant of my Lord talke with that my Lord. I. or how can the seruant of this my Lord talke with this my Lord. V. Pol. or how can the seruant of this my Lord talke with my Lord beeing such an one B. G. the demonstrative zeh that or yonder is in both places ioyned with adonai Lord see more qu. 17. following for as for me there remained no strength to me neither is there breath L. S. B. G. spirit V. the soule I. A. the first rather left in me 18 Then there came againe added H. and touched me as the appearance of a man and strengthened me 19 And said O man much desired peace be vnto thee be strong and be of good courage be strong be strong H. and when he had spoken vnto me I was strengthened and said Let my Lord speake for thou hast strengthened me 20 Then said he Knowest thou wherefore I am come vnto thee for now I will returne to fight against the Prince of Persia and as soone as I goe forth am going forth H. the Prince of Grecia shall come commeth H. not is come L. S. 22 But I will shew thee that which is expressed decreed G. appointed S. in the Scripture of truth and there is none that holdeth confirmeth himselfe H. with me in these things but Michael your Prince 3. The questions and doubts discussed 1. Quest. Of the excellencie of this vision reuealed in this Chapter and the two next vnto Daniel This vision which Lyranus counteth the ninth from the beginning of this booke c. 2. but indeede it is but the fourth vision which Daniel properly had beginning at the 7. chapter It is a most worthie and excellent vision in diuers respects 1. because of the preparation Daniel fasted and humbled himselfe 3. weekes of daies before this vision was shewed vnto him 2. The reuealer of this vision was the chiefe of the Angels euen Christ himselfe as is further shewed qu. 12. following who appeared not in the ordinarie shape of a man but in a glorious manner his bodie was as the Chrysolite and his face like lightning c. v. 6. Perer. 3. Whereas other visions were darke and obscure this vision is plaine and manifest and therefore it is said the word is true or proper not figuratiue H. B. 4. This vision is continued and contained in these three last chapters which was all one vision so were not any of the other so long continued and produced Iun. Polan 5. It is saide the time was long when these things should be fulfilled many yeares after some read and the power and force is great for the word is tzaba which signifieth an armie and so some of the Rabbins vnderstand here an armie of Angels which appeared to Daniel but the first seemeth to be the better sense Iun. Polan Some thinke that this was a long prophesie the accomplishment whereof is extended vnto the ende of the world Bulling Perer. But though in the last chapter mention be made by occasion of the resurrection yet this prophesie was properly fulfilled before the times of the Messiah though typically it may be applied to the times succeeding as concerning the perfection of Antichrist prefigured by Antiochus and other accidents which did befall the Church of Christ. 2. Quest. How the third yeare of Cyrus is here to be vnderstood 1. Some Greeke copies here for the third yeare doe read the first yeare of Cyrus the occasion of which error Theodoret thinketh to be this because it is said c. 1. 21. that Daniel was vnto the first yeare of Cyrus which doubt Theodoret thus taketh away because in the originall it is saide vnto one yeare of Cyrus not to the first But it is euident that in the Hebrew phrase one is taken for the first the solution then is this that Daniel continued in authoritie with the Babylonian kings and ministred vnto them as long as that Monarchie continued and then he serued Cyrus and Darius Lyran. Perer. Polan 2. This third yeeare of Cyrus some vnderstand to be the 4. yeare from the solution of the captiuitie first Darius raigned one yeare and died in the beginning of the next and then Cyrus succeeded But Cyrus and Darius raigned together because it is said c. 1. 21. that Dael was vnto the first of Cyrus which was in the first of Darius also for otherwise he should be omitted with whom Daniel was in great grace 3. The better opinion is that Cyrus in the verie first yeare when Babylon was taken gaue the Iewes libertie to returne in the second yeare they beganne to build and were the same yeare hindred and in the beginning of the third yeare this vision was reuealed vnto Daniel 4. This was the third and last yeare of Cyrus raigne ouer the Persian Monarchie who raigned 30. yeares in all and in the 28. yeare of his raigne ouer Persia he tooke Babylon Polan Pellican he did not raigne 30. after the taking of Babylon as M. Liuely Pererius with others thinke Quest. 3. Of Daniels vnderstanding of this vision Here is to be considered a threefold distinction of those which haue visions 1. Some haue visions but they vnderstand them not such were Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and Balthazar and of these Gregorie saith cum aliquid ostenditur intellectus non tribuitur prophetia minime est when any thing is shewed and vnderstanding not giuen it is no prophesie neither are they Prophets to whom such things are shewed c. And Augustine saith magis Ioseph Propheta fuit qui intellexit c. Ioseph was rather a Prophet who vnderstood the dreame then Pharaoh which had it and vnderstood not 2. Some there are which may vnderstand in some sort and haue the gift of prophesying and yet not be in the state of grace such an one was Balaam who vttered most cleare prophesies of things to come And that the gift of prophesie may be separated from the grace of God and charitie the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 13. 2. If I had the gift of prophesie c. and had no
better then yet a tearme remaineth to the appointed time I. ad or there is an other time limited L. V. other is not in the originall for there is a time appointed B.G. but here the preposition is omitted 36 And this king I. the king caeter but the article set before noteth some speciall king shall doe what he list according to his will H. he shall exalt himselfe and magnifie himselfe aboue against L.B.G. all that is God yea aboue the God of gods he shall speake maruelous things he shall speake maruelous things against the God of gods B.G.L.V. but the distinction rebia comming betweene doth distinguish the sentences and shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made in the decree of God B.G.A. the determination shall be effected I. but the verb is in the pretreperfect tence the definition is perpetrated that is effected L. but the thing decreed and defined was not yet come to passe when impietie is come to the extremitie V. but impietie is not in the text 37 He shall not haue any minde vnderstand H. vnto the gods not god L. the word â—lohee is in the plural of his fathers nor to the desires of women not he shall be in the desires of women L. for the negatiue lo must be supplied nor to any god shall haue any minde for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all 38 But in his place that is of the true God shall he honour the god of munitions that is whome he set vp in his strong holds the God of strength V. to whome he ascribeth his power the god Mauzzim B. G. L. S. but it is no proper name as the next verse sheweth as for the God of strength he shall worship in his place I. Pol. Br. they vnderstand Mauzzim here to be the true God which can not be see qu. 46. 10. euen the god whome his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold and with siluer and with pretious stones and with pleasant things 39 And he shall make to be for holds or places of defence strong places or places of munition S. he shall make for the munition of the god Mauzzim V. or he shall doe this to defend Mauzzim L. or this shal he do in the holds of Mauzzim B. G. but Mauzzim is here no proper name he shall commit the munitions of the God of strength to a straunge god I. but Mauzzim here is not taken for the true God see qu. 47. 7. with a strange god whome he that acknowledgeth V. â— better then whome he shall acknowledge B. G. I. whom he shall not acknowledge L. but there is no negatiue in the originall he shall encrease with glorie and shall cause them to rule ouer many and shall diuide the land for a price V. for gaine B. G. gifts S. not freely L. or in stead of a price I. see 47. qu. 7. 40 And about the time of the ende not and of time B. G. S. or appointed time L. at the last V. that is toward the ende of his daies shall the king of the South push at him and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlewind with charets and with horsemen and with many shippes and he shall enter into the countries and ouerflow and passe through 41 And he shall enter also into the pleasant land or glorious L. excellent V. beautifull I. tzebi H. into the land of Sebain S. but it is here no proper name and many countries shall be ouerthrowne but these shall escape out of his hand euen Edom and Moab and the chiefe of the children of Ammon 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also vpon the countries lands H. and the land of Egypt shall not escape 43 But he shall haue power ouer the hid treasures of gold and of siluer and ouer all the pretious things of Egypt and the Lybians and the Ethiopians blacke Mores G. shall follow him I. at his footesteppes H. not in their munitions S. or the Lybians and Ethiopians shall be in his passage L.V.G. see qu. 48. in the ende 44 But the tidings out of the East and North shall trouble him therefore he shall goe forth with great wrath not with a great multitude L. to destroy and slay V. or bequeath to slaughter I. roote out G. B. many 45 And he shall plant pitch L. the tabernacles of his palace his tabernacle Apadno L. or Aphadano S. see qu. 50. betweene the two seas in the glorious and holy mountaine mountaine of glorie and holines H. yet he shall come to his ende or when he is come to his ende I. V. and none shall helpe him 3. The questions and doubts discussed 1. Quest. Whether this vision in the 11. Chap. be diuers from the former vision in the 10. chapter 1. Hierome who taketh the first words of v. 1. to be vttered by Daniel that he praied for the prosperitie of Darius thinketh that this vision is diuers from the former for that happened in the third yeare of Cyrus c. 10. 1. this in the 1. of Darius and so his opinion is that at what time Daniel praied for Darius in his first yeare then these things were reuealed vnto him by the Angel and so there is in the text a sudden change of the person for in the 2. v. the Angel speaketh behold now I will shew thee whereas the former words were vttered by Daniel And this he saith is not vnusuall in Scripture for a person suddenly to be brought in not mentioned before as Psal. 32. v. 7. after Dauid had said thou art my secret place then v. 8. the Lord is brought in speaking I will instruct thee and teach thee the way that thou shalt goe c. Of this opinion with Hierome are the author of the scholasticall historie Albertus and Carthusian Hug. Cardin. 2. But the better opinion is that this vision conteyned in this chapter is continued with the former which Lyranus prooueth because this chapter beginneth with the Hebrewe coniunction vaâ— which sheweth a coherence with the former And it may further be thus confirmed in the former chapter v. 14. the Angel saith I am come to shewe thee what shall come to thy people in the latter dayes But these things are not there declared to the Prophet the things then which should befall the people of God which the Angel came to declare to the people are those things which are expressed in this chapter 3. Some doe make this verse a part of the former chapter and will haue this to be the sense as Michael helped me so I againe helped Michael Vatab. Bulling But it shall appeare in the 3. question that the Angel saith not here that he helped or strengthened Michael but Darius rather Quest. 2. v. 1. Who it was that here saith I stood vp c. 1. Hierome whose opinion is in part shewed before thinketh that Daniel speaketh these words that he prayed vnto God for Darius that his kingdome might be
their flesh was boyled in hoate caldrons The like report Iosephus maketh of that cruell persecution verberati diuersis cruciatibus fatigati c. they beeing scourged and wearied with diuerse torments yet beeing aliue were hanged vp vpon pearches the children which were circumcised were strangled and hung about their parents neckes lib. 12. antiquit c. 6. 7. And of these persecutions seemeth the Apostle to speake Heb. 11. 35. 37. they were racked c. they were stoned they were hewed asunder they were tempted or they were burned as Iunius and Polanus thinke it should be reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were slaine with the sword c. Quest. 42. Of the consolation of the afflicted Church of the Iewes v. 34. 35. v. 34. They shall be holpen with a little helpe The Lord forgetteth not his Church in their affliction but sendeth them a breathing time and some helpe to comfort them in the middes of their trouble This consolation here propounded consisteth of three parts 1. it is described by the adiunct the small helpe that shall be raised vnto them 2. by the ende wherefore God suffreth them to be afflicted namely to purge and trie them 3. by the circumstance of the time which shall not continue but so long onely as God hath appointed Concerning the first for the other two parts are plaine enough 1. the Hebrewes vnderstand this small helpe of some Emperours which fauoured the Iewes such were Seuerus and Antoninus 2. Some referre it vnto the time of Iulian who gaue the Iewes libertie to build the temple againe but he did it fainedly for he intended thereby onely the aduancement of idolatrie and the defacing of Christian religion 3. Oecolampadius interpreteth this little helpe of the fauour shewed by some Emperours vnto the Christians as Marcus Aurelius protected them and by those that should cleaue vnto them fainedly he vnderstandeth the heretikes as Cherinthus Menander the Ebonites with other who ioyned with the Christians yet were great enemies vnto the truth of Christian religion But all these opinions may be confuted by one and the same argument because here is a continuance of the same historie from v. 30. he which was repelled by the shippes of Chittim which were the Romanes is the same which persecuteth the Church here the Romanes are not these persecutors but they somewhat bridled and stayed the persecutor 4. Some further applie this to the last times of persecution vnder Antichrist that then the Saints shall resist him but by small helpe Hierome Indeede typically this Scripture may be so applyed but historically it was performed in the time of Antiochus as Pererius obserueth 5. Wherefore here there is euident relation vnto the Macchabees vnto Mattathias and his sonnes who beeing but an handfull and a small companie in respect of Antiochus and his armie yet God so prospered this small helpe that the tyrannie of Antiochus was somewhat stayed for the time and in the ende of the appointed time after three yeares and certaine dayes from the abolishing of the daily sacrifice which beganne the 15. day of Casleu in the 145. yeare 1. Mac. 1. 57. the Temple was cleansed on the 25. of the same moneth in the 148. yeare 1. Macchab 4. 52. Now while this small helpe prospered some as the text saith did but cleaue fainedly vnto them there were diuerse that as long as they preuailed which stood for the lawe would seeme to ioyne with them but if their busiâ—esse went not forward then they were as readie to take part against them and such we shall finde to haue beene amâ—â—g the Iewes in the time of the Macchabees as that storie maketh mention that were but false brethren Bulling Polan Quest. 43. Of Antiochus pride and the exalting of himselfe against God v. 36. And the king shall doe what him list c. In this second persecution which Antiochus mooued against the Iewes which consisteth of three parts first it hath beene shewed what ministers and instruments he should vse secondly what the faithfull should endure and suffer now followeth the third part what Antiochus himselfe should doe And his acts are either concerning religion in abrogating all religion both true and false v. 36. 37. and in establishing a newe religion of his owne v. 38. or such as concerne ciuill and politike matters vers 39. But interpreters doe much differ in the exposition of this Scripture of whom it should be vnderstood 1. The Hebrewes take this king to be Constantine the great of whom Ab. Ezra is not ashamed to tell these lies that there were but 318. which receiued the Christian religion which afterward he coÌ„pelled all Princes and people to embrace But all this is false he thinketh there were no more Christians but onely those 318. Bishops which were assembled in the Nicen Councel neither did Constantine coÌ„pell any to receiue the Christian faith but forbad the worship of Idols and protected the Christian religion but he was so farre from lifting himselfe vp against God that euerie where he commanded Churches to be erected to the honour of Christ in whose name he ouercame his enemies Some of the Iewes vnderstand this king to be Vespasian some an Emperour that should rise vp after Iulian who seemed to fauour them so well they agree together 2. Oecolampadius and Melancthon will haue this king to be the Pope and Turke who both are blasphemous against God but the Prophet speaketh but of one king neither is it like that the Angell breaking off at the persecution vnder Antiochus would immediately ioyne the historie of such things as should come to passe aboue a thousand yeare after for so many yeares and more came betweene Antiochus persecution and the beginning of the Monarchie of the Turke and of the tyrannie of the Pope 3. M. Calvin thinketh this place not to be vnderstood of any one king but of a continued gouernement which he referreth to the Monarchie of the Romanes not beginning at Iulius Caesar but at such time as they beganne to oppresse Iudea as first Pompey tooke the citie though he spared the Temple after him Crassus spoiled and robbed the Temple whose insatiable couetousnesse was such in those countries that he was hated of all in so much that when he was slaine they filled his skull full of gold and carried it vp and downe in derision The Romanes exalted themselues against God for they tooke vpon them to determine who should be counted Gods and Cicero in his oration pro Flacco speaketh basely of the God of the Iewes not holding him worthie to be compared with Bacchus or Venus and that Iudea beeing so often ouercome was hated of all the gods Tâ—us M. Calv. But although diuerse of these things here prophecied of may by way of analogie be applyed to the Romanes whose pride was into lerable and their superstitious religion a verie prophanesse yet they cannot well be vnderstood here seeing at that time there was no king
a farre diuers end then Christs passion was for Christ suffered for our redemption his members suffer not for that ende for Christs offering was sufficient which otherwise should haue beene imperfect if it needed any other supplie but they suffer both for themselues to be made conformable vnto Christ and for the confirmation and example of others in which sense S. Paul saith 2. Tim. 2. 10. I suffer all things for the Elects sake that they may also obtaine saluation So Thomas Aquinas well expoundeth passiones sanctorum prosiciunt Ecclesiae non quidem per modum redemptionis sed per modum exempli exhortationis c. the passions of the Saints doe profit the Church not by way of redemption but of example and exhortation according to that saying 2. Cor. 1. 6. Whether we be troubled it is for your consolation and saluation c. 10. Controv. That the Saints merits as they are diuers doe not merit diuers degrees of glorie v. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament Though we admit that there shall be diuersitie of glorie among the Saints in the next world as one starre differeth from an other in glorie yet two errors are here to be taken heede of 1. the curiositie of the heretikes called Cataphryges whose sect-masters were Montanus and his two Prophetesses Prisca and Maximilla who imagined that the bodies of the Saints should some exceede the Sunne in glorie an hundred fold some more some lesse which is a curious and idle fansie and speculation the Scripture saith that the righteous shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of Christ but by how many degrees their bodies shall exceede the brightnes of the Sunne it is a superfluous and curious inquisition 2. The Romanists thinke that this difference and diuersitie of glorie is measured vnto the Saints according to their diuersitie of merit which is a great error mens works as they are great and small shall be a rule according to the which men shall be iudged but the greatest works are not meritorious of the least degrees of glorie as Christ teacheth his disciples to say Luk. 17. 10. When ye haue done all those things which are commanded you say ye are vnprofitable servants 11. Controv. The Scriptures not so obscure but all may be admitted to the reading of them v. 4. Thou Daniel shut vp the words c. Hence Pererius inferreth that not onely this prophesie of Daniel but other bookes of Scripture also are obscure and hard to be vnderstood it should be as a cloased booke to them that would reade it and thereupon he crieth out against heretikes meaning in his Iesuited or rather Iudasited sense the Protestants which should affirme omnem diuinam Scripturam cuilibet etiam de vulgo facilem esse perviam that all the diuine Scripture is easie and plaine to be vnderstood euen of euery one of the common people Likewise the Rhemists doe falsely charge the Protestants to say that the Scriptures are so easie that they may not onely be read but expounded of the learned and vnlearned and that euerie one may make choise of such sense as himselfe liketh in 1. Pet. 3. vers 16. Contra. 1. They doe here notoriously slaunder the Protestants fot we denie not but that many places in Scripture are hard to be vnderstood neither do we giue libertie to ouery one to expound the Scripture as they list 2. But this we affirme that the doctrine of faith and of all things necessarie to saluation is set forth in plaine and manifest places of Scripture to the reading whereof euen the vnlearned may safely be admitted as our Blessed Sauiour exhorteth generally all Search the Scrptures for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life Ioh. 5. 39. 3. Neither doth it followe because some things in Daniels prophesie are hard that all the Scripture is so and yet the hardnesse of this prophesie was but for a time for when these things were accomplished then the meaning thereof plainely appeared And therefore Daniel is bid to seale it vp but for a time See more of the perspicuitie and plainnesse of Scripture Synops. Centur. 1. err 6. 12. Controv. Bellarmine confuted who by diuers arguments out of this chapter would prooue the Pope not to be Antichrist 1. Argum. Antichrist shall raigne onely 3. yeares and an halfe called here a time two times and an halfe which is defined to be a 1260. daies Apoc. 11. 3. and 12. 6. But the Pope hath raigned in the Church now more then 1500. yeares at the least therefore the Pope is not that Antichrist Bellarm. lib. 3. de Rom. pontif c. 8. Ans. 1. The proposition is false for this place of Daniel is vnderstood of Antiochus that so long the Sanctuarie should lie prophaned and polluted by him he was indeede a type of Antichrist but not in euery respect as namely in the time and continuance of his tyrannie types doe not answer in euery respect vnto the thing that is shadowed forth but onely in that wherein they are types as Dauid and Salomon were types of Christ yet it followeth not that Christs kingdome shall continue but 40. yeares because they raigned no longer 2. That tearme of a 1260. daies mentioned in the Apocalyps Polanus taketh to signifie that time precisely namely 3. yeares and an halfe when the Church of Christ fled from Ierusalem vnto a towne called Pella where they were preserued during which time the citie was besieged and at the last taken and destroied but these daies are rather taken prophetically for so many yeares 1260. during which time the mysterie of iniquitie did worke in the Church which tearme some beginne in the yeare 300. so Napier vpon the Reuelation propos 36. Iunius also taketh those daies for so many yeares Apoc. 11. 3. 3. In that he saith the Pope hath raigned 1500. yeares in the Church therein he confesseth that the Pope is the Antichrist that taketh vpon him to raigne in the Church whereas S. Peter saith 1. ep 5. 3. Not as though ye were Lords ouer Gods inheritance And thus also is euident by his confession that the said tearme of a 1260. daies taken for yeares and beginning in the yeare 300. will make that summe of 1500. and somewhat more 2. Argum. When Antichrist commeth all externall ceremonies of religion shall cease and the publike worship of God but so is it not vnder the Pope for they haue the daily sacrifice of the Masse Ergo. Bellarm. lib. 3. c. 7. Ans. 1. Whereas it is here said v. 11. That the daily sacrifice shall be taken away it is vnderstood not of Antichrist but of Antiochus who in deede caused the daily sacrifice to cease as the author of the bookes of the Macchabees taketh it 1. Macchab. 1. 57. and Ioseph lib. 2. antiquit c. 10. so also Chrysostome expoundeth and Hierome vpon the 11. chap. v. 30 31. 2. Neither is it true that all outward ceremonies of religion shall
Antiochus caused him to be killed neither was he any of the ten hornes he was not king before Antiochus these three hornes then are rather three kingdomes which this litle horne should surprise p. 84. 2. Iunius by a time two times and a part vnderstandeth the tearme of 3. yeares and 10. daies during which the profanation of the Sanctuarie continued But then the spirit of God had of purpose wrapped vp a manifest historie in obscure tearmes and the word here vsed signifieth rather halfe then a part of time this propheticall prediction of a time two times and an halfe is in the Apocalyps applied to signifie the whole time of the persecution of the Church vnder Antichrist which is set forth by such obscure tearmes to the ende that the time of Christs comming which should immediatly follow after that tearme ended be not knowne Graser p. 86. Ans. 1. Though Philopators horne that is gouernment in Egypt were not pulled away yet his power and dominion ouer Syria was remooued by Antiochus Epiphanes and so his horne there was broken And although Antiochus entred peaceably by flatterie yet he might secretly contriue the death of Seleucus his elder brother as he did the third horne plucked vp before him was not Demetrius but rather Antiochus his father whome he procured to be slaine in a certaine sedition see before c. 7. qu. 28. in the ende 2. The time of prophaning the Temple is expressed in prophetical tearmes as other prophesies are not with affected obscuritie but to the ende that they might be held in suspense vntill they saw the accomplishment thereof the word pelag vsed c. 7. 25. and chatz c. 11. 7. signifieth not onely an halfe but a part of time see before c. 12. qu. 19. in the end In the Apocalyps there is an allusion to this time but the historicall accomplishment was before the first comming of Christ. Argum. 11. Whereas Iunius vnderstandeth c. 7. 11. by the slaying of the beast the death of Antiochus by the destruction of his bodie the extirpation and rooting out of his familie and by giuing it to the burning fire the torments which he endured beeing aliue Graserus thus obiecteth 1. That S. Paul referreth this to the destruction of Antichrist which he setteth forth in three degrees the reuealing or detecting of that wicked man the consuming of him by the spirit of Christs mouth and his vtter abolishing with the brightnes of his comming and he vnderstandeth not the first comming of Christ in the flesh as Iunius but his glorious comming to iudgement 2. Thess. 2. 8. Graser p. 89. 2. Whereas Iunius thinketh the little horne described in the vision in the 7. c. and in the 8. c. to be the same Graserus thinketh that the little horne spoken of in the 7. signifieth Mahomet and the little horne in the 8. the Pope p. 92. 3. Whereas Iunius thinketh that the historie of this little horne is more fully described in the end of the 11. ch these reasons are against it 1. because no mention is made in the 11. ch of the ten hornes nor of the three hornes taken away before the little horne 2. nor of the eyes and mouth of the little horne 3. and his end is farre diuers for c. 7. his bodie is destroied and giuen to the burning fire but in the 11. chap. he is described dying by some fatall disease as beeing forsaken of his friends p. 98. Ans. 1. S. Paul may in the same phrase of speach set forth the destruction of Antichrist whereby Daniel describeth the death of Antiochus and yet not vnderstand the same thing As in the Apocalyps the Euangelist in the phrase of speech alludeth to diuers visions in Ezekiel and Daniel and yet applieth them to a diuers purpose 2. The litle horne spoken of c. 7. and c. 8. is the same as may appeare by the description of it it is in both places called a little horne in the 7. it hath a mouth speaking presumptuous things v. 8. and in the 8. ch v. 25. he shall extoll himselfe against the Prince of Princes Mahomet and the Pope came too late to be historically vnderstood by this little horne for this little horne must come forth out of one of the foure hornes which did rise vp in the place of the great horne which was Alexander beeing broken But there was no remainder of Alexanders kingdome long before the rising vp of the Mahometane or Popish sect 3. It is not necessarie because the particular historie of the little horne is more at large followed c. 11. that therefore there should be a rehearsall of the same things which were touched before concerning the same horne but rather one vision supplieth that which was omitted in the other for to what purpose should the vision be renewed if the same things in euery respect should be iterated The foure Euangelists doe write the same historie of the doings and sayings of Christ yet some haue one thing that is not to be found in an other And the diuers relation of the ende of Antiochus is no such matter to insist vpon for the diuersitie is herein that chap. 7. the destruction of the beast that is of the kingdome of the Seleucians is set forth and in the 11. c. the death of Antiochus as is before shewed at large c. 7. qu. 38. Argum. 12. Graserus proceedeth to deliuer and confirme his owne interpretation of these visions by the fourth beast he vnderstandeth the Romane Empire and by the two legges of the image the two parts of the Romane Empire one in the East the other in the West which was extended in length from one to the other 700. Germane miles this diuision beganne vnder Augustus and Antonius afterward Constantine built new Rome in the East and these two legges to this day are the Turke in the East and the Pope in the West p. 99. 100. Ans. That neither the Romane nor Turkish Empire is signified by the two legges of the image c. 2. nor by the fourth beast c. 7. is at large shewed before c. 2. qu. 49. and c. 7. qu. 21. whether I referre the Reader And further this euident argument there is thereof that the toes of the image beeing partly of yron partly of clay are saide to mingle themselues with the seede of men they shall ioyne in marriage one with an other but that band shall not hold this was euidently performed when the kings of the North and South were linked in marriage together as Ptolome Philadelphus gaue his daughter Berenice to Antiochus Theos in marriage as is prophesied Dan. 11. 6. see c. 11. qu. 20. 21. and the king of the North namely Antiochus Megas gaue his daughter to wit Cleopatra to wife to Ptolome Epiphanes c. 11. 17. Seeing that the Prophet himselfe expoundeth the vision shewing how and of whome this mingling of seede is to be vnderstood they wearie themselues in vaine that seeke for the accomplishment of this prophesie elswhere as Graserus