haue beene Therefore Plutarchs doubt for any thing that I can see had no reason at all but seemeth to sauour of an vsuall custome of the Academicall sect which was alwaies readie furnished to dispute on eyther side pro or contra eyther for the truth or against it For this is most certaine that hee followeth that reckoning by Olympiads himselfe in many places as giuing credit thereunto and making no doubt thereof In his treatise of the ten Orators he saith that Andocides was borne in the 78. Olympiad when Theogenides was gouernour of Athens And that Callias was gouernour in the 92. Olympiad and that Isocrates was borne vnder Lysimachus in the 86. Olymp. 22. yeares after Lysias whose birth he setteth in the second of the 80. Olympiad in the yeare of Philocles all which reckonings agree very perfectly to the ancient Olympick account and the Histories of Thucidides Xenophon and Diodorus Siculus Plinie in the fourth Chapter of his 36. booke hath these wordes Marmore scalpendo primi omnium inclaruerunt Dipoenus Scyllis geniti in Creta insula etiamnum Medis imperitantibus Priusquam Cyrus in Persis regnare inciperet hoc est Olympiade circiter quinquagesima The first of all other for grauing of marble were famous Dipoenus Scyllis born in the Iland of Creta whilst yet the Medes bare rule before Cyrus began to raigne in Persia that is about the 50. Olympiad Hereof Matthew Beroald in the second Chapter of his booke of Chronologie gathereth that Cyrus began in the 50. Olympiad by Plinies testimonie herein dissenting from other who placed his beginning in the 55 but whosoeuer commeth with an euen minde to the truth may easilie perceiue another meaning in Plinie that the words hoc est Olympiade circiter 50 ought not to be referred to that which is said of Cyrus priusquam regnare inciperet before he began to raigne but the former part of the sentence giuing vs this to vnderstand the time wherin Dipoenus Scyllis were famous engrauers in Marble to haue beene about the 50. Olympiad in the dayes of the Medes Soueraigntie before Cyrus had got it away from them to the Persians Thus no dissention at all betweene Plinie and other but great agreement is found Much other such like stuffe is brought of Beroaldus from diuers authors by cold coniectures not any sure knowledge all for the most part in that kind as maketh either against himselfe or nothing for him Pericles being a yong man was of some of the aged sort in Athens thought to fauor Pisistratus the tirant in countinance speech as Plutarch telleth in his life which could not bee as Beroaldus supposed except the old men who had knowne Pisistratus had at that time beene a hundred yeres old A thing in his iudgement vnlike to bee true It is not so vnlike as strange that a man of his learning and reading should iudge so of it seeing that we read of many examples of men of those yeares Valerius Corninus who was Consull of Rome six times liued full out a hundred yeares and likewise Metellus Pontifex Solinus in his Polihistor telleth that Masinissa begot his Sonne Methymnus at 86. yeres age In the time of Claudius Caesar one T. Fullonius of Bononia was found to be 150. yeres of age which in Lydia was a common thing as by Mutianus is reported Terentia the wife of Cicero liued 107. Clodia 115. Many other by Plinie are recorded in his seuenth booke the 48 49 50 Chapters in diuers countries betweene a hundred and a hundred and 50. yeares olde But of all other one Xenophilus liuing 105. yeares without anie disease or hurt of his bodie was wondred at That Gorgias Leontinus a famous Oratour much about that time with Pericles liued 109. yeares wee haue the testimonie of Appolodorus his Chronicles in Diogenes Laertius within one yere acknowledged also by Plinie Euen in this our age at home in our own countrie it is no strange thing to find examples of such as liued out that time which Beroaldus accounted so incredible that he could not perswade himselfe of it to be true but his incredulitie is no proofe to weaken the credit of credible writers But I will not strike with him for this to graunt it a thing vncredible let vs examine his reckoning Pericles died in the third yeare of the 87. Olimpiad not the 88. as Beroaldus saith before his death he had beene one of the chiefe gouernours of the Athenian common wealth fortie yeares This Cicero teacheth in his third booke de oratore so the beginning of his authoritie falleth to the three yeares not of the 78. as Beroaldus would but the 77. Olympiad About that time some olde men gaue this iudgement of him that he was like Pisistratus and might not that be done but of such as were then a 100 yeres old surely yes for Pisistratus died not past threescore yeares before whereof 22. had passed from the Marathon battaile and 20. more from the expelling of Hippias out of Athens declared by Thucidides and 18. before from the beginning of Hippias who succeded Pisistratus Yet some more besides these must bee added to the old mens age to haue knowledge of Pisistratus in his life time to deale liberally let that time be twentie yeres before the death of Pisistratus so their age is left foure score yeres very vsuall at this day in diuers lusty men although I would haue this obserued which Plutarch writeth that iudgement to haue bin giuen of Pericles when hee was a young man whereby some aduantage yet might farther be taken if it were a matter worth the standing vpō Aelianus in his third book the 21. chapter saith Beroaldus telleth of Themistocles that being a childe and as hee came from Schoole meeting Pisistratus the tyrant was willed by his ouerseer attending vpon him to goe out of the way which he refused to doe and asked if there were not roome enough for him besides Whereunto is repugnant that which Iustin telleth in his second booke that Themistocles was a young man at the Marathon war when he must needes be at the least 66. yeares olde if Aelianus say true for the sonnes of Pisistratus after their fathers death raigned 36. yeares witnessed by Herodotus in his fift booke then after were twentie more to the Marathon fight and before Themistocles could in such an answer shew so stoute a minde against the tirant it is like he was ten yeares of age Beroaldus here also in his account is deceiued mistaking Herodotus who in Terpsichore indeede affirmeth that the Pisistratan stocke raigned 36. yeares yet not meaning thereby as Beroaldus would faine haue it that Pisistratus his children raigned so long after their fathers death but that the whole time of father and sonne was in all so much This appeareth by Aristotle an author for credit very sufficicient in the fift booke of his politickes the twelft chapter making the whole raigne of the Pisistratan stocke 35. yeares that is 17.
The Reader is here to know that in the Hebrew we haue word for word Seuentie weekes is determened A verbe singular being ioyned with a nowne plurall by an vsuall custome of the holy tongue when a thing spoken in generall is to bee applied to euerie part As in the twelft chapter of Iob the seuenth verse Aske the beastes and it shall teach thee that is euerie one of them shall teach thee And in the Prouerbes of Salomon the third chapter the 18. verse in their originall tongue They which holde wisdome is made blessed that is to saye they are made blessed euery one of them So here the same kinde of speech being vsed 70. weekes is determined importeth thus much that euerie one of those weekes particularlie from the first to the last shall bee precisely and absolutely complet Which force contained in these wordes I might not omitte In English thus it may be expressed Seuentie weekes euery one are determined vpon thy people Thy people that is thy countreymen the Iewes for this is a common speech often vsed in the hebrew tongue to call that people mine of which I am one As in the first chapter of Ruth the 15. verse the Moabites are called the people of Orpha a woman of Moab Thy sister is gone backe to her people So in the 10. verse of that chapter the Iewes are called Naomies people We will returne to thy people with thee And the same Ieremies people in the lamentations the 3. chapter and 14. verse where he complaineth that he was a laughing stocke to all his people Here then in like manner by Daniels people are vnderstoode the Iewes whereof he was And vpon thy holy citie The holy citie is Ierusalem mentioned in the nexte verse so called because it was the place consecrate to the holy worship of God Esa the 52. chapter 1. verse put on thy bewtifull garmentes O Ierusalem holy citie And in the 4. chapter of Math. the 5. verse the diuell caried him to the holy citie and set him vpon a pinacle of the temple But why is it called Daniels citie was it because God had forsaken it as though it were now to be called any others rather then Gods citie So the learned father Hierom thought but herein deceaued For being a holy citie it must nedes bee also Gods citie It was rather called Daniels citie ether of his birth or bringing vp therein As in the ninth chapter of Mathew Capernaum is called Christs citie because he dwelt in it And Rama in the first book of Samuel the first chapter is called the citie of Elcana and the citie of Samuel in the 28. chap. of that booke And Rogelim the citie of Barzillai in the second of Samuel the 19. the 38. verse Let me die sayeth he in my owne citie By this which I haue sayde of Daniels people and Daniels citie it may appeare howe wide Hierom shot from the marke with some other of the ancient fathers interpreting it as though God had forsaken both and giuen them ouer as well the Iewes as Ierusalem To end sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being as the Masorites terme it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keri of these wordes that is the true reading thereof signifieth properly to consume finish or end sinne And therefore Hieroms interpretation Vt finem accipiat peccatum that sin may haue an end is good Neither doe I se how that other of sealing vp sinnes can heere be warranted This abolishing and finishing of sinne was wrought and fulfilled by our blessed Lord and redeemer Christ Iesus He was that vnspotted lambe of God which tooke away the sinnes of the world the first of Iohn the 29. verse In the end of the world he once appeared to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe Hee was once offered to take away the sinnes of many Heb. 9.26.28 He washed vs from our sinnes in his blood In the first of the Reuelation the 3. ver He deliuered vs from sinne By him the bodie of sinne is destroied we are dead to sinne that it should not haue dominion ouer vs. See the 6. chapter to the Romans 6.11.14.18 verses Hee condemned sinne in the flesh Whosoeuer is borne of God can not sin Christ therefore fulfilled this heere spoken of by Daniell that is to say Rom 8.3 1. Ioh. 3.9 made an end of sinne two wayes first in iustifying vs from sinnes past and quitting vs from the guilte thereof And secondly in sanctifying vs from sinnes to come so as though wee afterward sinne yet wee cannot be seruantes vnto it Neither of them was or could bee performed by the lawe For the lawe causeth wrath Rom. 4. Heb. 10.1 Heb. 10.4.11 It could neuer sanctifie the commers thereunto The sacrifices thereof could not take awaye sinnes Iesus Christ onely was the fulfiller hereof according to the saying of Ezechiel the prophet in his 36. chapter the 35. verse I will powre cleane water vpon you and clense you from all your filthynesse A new harte also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and J will take away the stonie hart out of your body and I will giue you a harte of flesh And I will cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keep my iudgements and doe them And to make reconciliation for iniquitie by appeasing and pacifiyng God his wrath against sinne Which was the effect of Christ his death offering vp him selfe an acceptable sacrifice to God for the sinnes of the world â—om 5.10 â—om 5.1 By his death we are reconciled to God VVe haue peace toward God through Christ To bring euerlasting righteousnesse The declaration hereof we haue in the epistle to the Hebrewes from the 12. ver of the 10. chap. vnto the end of the 18. verse of the same There wee are taught that by the sacrifice of Christ Iesus once offered remission of sinnes is obtained for euer so as after there can be no other propitiatorie oblation for them Here therefore the euerlasting righteousnes of Christ is opposed to the righteousnesse of the law to the obtaining whereof dayly sacrifices were offered But Christ hauing once made reconciliation for our sinnes by his blood therby purchased vnto vs euerlasting saluation and righteousnesse which in the 9. chapter and 12. ver of that Epistle is called euerlasting redemption The priesthood of christ is euerlasting Heb. 7.24 Heb. 9.11 Heb. 8.2 9.11.12 And of good thinges to come euerlasting His sacrifice once for all euerlasting And the sanctuarie into which he entred euerlasting And lastly the saluation redemption and righteousnesse which he purchased for vs is euerlasting So there is great difference betwene the Leuiticall priestes and Christ and betweene their oblations and his sacrifice Of this effect in bringing righteousnesse he hath this name to be called the Lorde our righteousnesse in the 23. chapter of the prophet Ieremie the reason whereof is giuen by the blessed Apostle in the first
then he yet so as he hath likewise done that for other which Scaliger did for him that is left somewhat behind to bee vnderstood of other which himselfe neuer attained Especially in the 26. verse where it is said that after those 62. weekes Messias shall be cut off Where Master Iunius vseth some wresting by turning the future tence into the preterperfect and leauing out some coniunctions and changing other thereby making the accusatiue case of the nominatiue reiecting the ancient interpretations Greeke and Latin without any cause These inconueniences they are of force driuen vnto who by the word Messias doe not with Eusebius and the Hebrew expositors vnderstand the anointed gouernours Some may here say vnto mee Is it not plaine by the 24. verse that Daniel in this prophesie speaketh of Iesus Christ the redeemer of the worlde of whose death so many singular and notable effects are declared therein of abolishing sinne of reconciling sinners vnto the fauour of God and bringing euerlasting righteousnesse and fulfilling whatsoeuer had been foretold by the former Prophets of him I answere to this that of all other places in the old Testament touching the comming of Christ whereof there is great store that verse of Daniel is most excellent and cleere yet withall I deny that by the name of Messias in the verses following Christ our Sauiour is vnderstood For neither the true account of yeares will suffer it nor the text of holie Scripture beare it But how then is it here sayd that 70. weekes were decreed for abolishing sinne and making attonement if Christ came not in the ende of those 70. weekes The meaning is that within the space of those 70. weekes Christ by his passion should worke that redemption and saluation from sinne and wrath to the world As Tertullian speaketh in his booke against the Iewes where writing of the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ he saith that it was perfected in the time of Tiberius Caesar Intra tempora septuaginta hebdomadarum within the times of the seuentie weekes I am not ignorant that by the Hebrew writers it is a thing acknowledged and granted that Christ came in the verie ende of those weekes For they held that their Messias should begin to raigne at the destruction of Ierusalem And therefore Rabbi Leui ben Gershom expounding those wordes of this text to bring euerlasting righteousnesse and to seale vp vision and prophet referreth the fulfilling thereof to the kingdome of Christ which hee calleth the fift kingdome because it was to succeede the other foure spoken of before in the second and seuenth chapters of this prophesie It was an olde tradition amongst the Hebrews of auncient time receiued from the schoole of Elias declared in their Talmud in the treatise Sanhedrim the eleuenth chapter and diuers other places that the world should endure sixe thousand yeres whereof two thousand should bee voyd without the lawe two thousand vnder the law and two thousand the time of Christ Whereby the iudgement appeareth concerning the comming of Christ that it should be at the desolation of the holie citie immediatly after the ceasing of the law For the law then ceased and all the ceremonies thereof ended when Ierusalem the seat of God his worship according to that lawe was destroyed by Titus and neither place nor people there left anie longer for the law-seruice of God Diuers such testimonies of the auncient Hebrewes are recorded by Philip of Morney Lord of Plessie in his book of the truth of Christian Religion the 29. and 30. chapters wherby he gathereth that it was a common opinion among them that the Messias should come about the destruction of the Temple R. Hama the sonne of Hauina in the same chapter of the Talmudicall treatise before alleadged sayd that the sonne of David should not come so long as any soueraigne authoritie were it neuer so small remained in Israel Also R. Mili alleadging Rabbi Eliezer the sonne of Simeon sayd that Christ should not come vntill there were a cleane riddance of all Iudges Magistrates in Israel And R. Moses Haddarsan vpon the 49. of Genesis gaue this iudgement of the Iewes Senate consisting of seuentie Elders or Iudges called Sanhedrim that they were not to cease before the comming of the Messias Let vs then examine when the authoritie of those Iudges and all gouernment ceased in Ierusalem that thereby wee may know the time of Christ his comming by the Hebrew writers opinion That honorable Lord of Plessie in his booke before mentioned hauing cited the testimonie of Philo in his booke of Times to proue that Herod slew al the Sanhedrim about the 30. yeare of his raigne affirmeth that to be the time wherein the soueraigntie and iurisdiction of Iuda did cease not for a few dayes or yeares but for a continual time How this may stand for trueth I cannot perceiue For to say nothing of that fained Philo an author forged in the shop of Annius his toying braine it is well knowne that the common-wealth of Ierusalem and Iewrie flourished with princely rule and other gouernment of Magistrates yea of the very Sanhedrim themselues aboue three score and ten yeares after that time euen to Ierusalems desolation Christ in the 30. yeare of Herod was yet vnborne who about the 33. yeare of his age in the sixteenth of Matthew foretold to his Disciples what he was to suffer of the Elders and chiefe Priests and Scribes All these were gouernours and rulers of the citie and by the name of Elders the best interpreters haue especially vnderstood those Sanhedrim hauing great reason for it For these Sanhedrim were nothing els but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 70. Elders of the great Consistorie or iudgemeat place in Ierusalem As by Elias Leuita they are described in his Tishbi The old Rabbins in their Talmud haue borowed from the Greeke tongue many words whereof this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanhedrim is one signifying a sitting of Iudges or Senatours together in councell or iudgement So it is taken in the 107. Psalme the 32. verse by the Chaldie interpreter where for these Hebrew wordes there vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let thē praise him in the sitting that is the assemblie of the Elders The Targum hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Let them praise him in the sitting together of the wise expressing the word of sitting by Sanhedrim as Synedrion in Greeke is taken Christ therefore in the fift of Matthew saying Whosoeuer calleth his brother Raca 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be bound ouer to a sessions or sitting meaneth the sitting in iudgement of the Sanhedrim applying his speech to the manner of the ciuill iudgements in Ierusalem Iosephus in his 20. booke of Antiquities the eight chapter telleth that when Festus the Romane gouernour was dead Ananus the high priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made the assemblie of the Iudges to sit by whom Iames the brother of Christ was adiudged to be stoned This happened