lier Can one vndertake to tell a mans age and put 130. yeares for 230. and not lye And if Moses omitted it who knewe it The teacher of Moses was none other but hee which measureth the waters in his fist peiseth the heauens in his spaÌ„ne holdeth all the dust of the earth in an half-pint weigheth the mouÌ„taines in a balance and who could teach him howe to haue instructed Moses better in the waye of knowledge When such perverse crooked notes disannulling that which Gods letters speaketh come before our Bibles as a furtherance of the simple what marveile is it if blinde guides leade the blinde into the ditch Infinite store of such hath the same introduction to the Bible enough to entangle all that beleeue them to make the Bible seeme vnexplicable One gentleman of the North complained to â—e how that paynes entaÌ„gled him Such erroneous paynes â—hould be openly coÌ„demned and not solde but to the learned that can iudge of vntruethes Touching the 230. yeres â—n what daliance with prophane Heathen the 70. feigned not one hundred onely to Adam but 1250. more vnto oâ—hers many vnto Nachor I haue shewed at large in a treatise of Sem or Melchisedek and in my little booke of long paynes â—hewing scripture concent And I iudge this a Translatours â—uetie to shewe the right meaning of old hid doeings whiche by mistaking blame the holy letters An other Table of no lesse poison pretending to reconcile Saint Matthew and Saint Luke is prefixed to the newe Testament in our great Bibles which I blamed in print sharpely and since it hath not bin printed but thousands enough to poison an whole nation were solde afore That table firste denieth in effect six places where Achaziah is father properlie to Ioas while it endeth Salomons house in Ioas casting downe six testimonies of him whose worde made all the frame of nature too stande That table would flee in a storie that needes must speake properly vnto a straunge vse of wordes but comon reason should haue taught that a strange kinde of speach is not often vsed in one and the same matter neither may it be vsed but where the narration was cleared afore Ezra when he penned the Chronicles from the plain story of the Kinges vseth termes in rare elegancie and hard but for the matters familiaritie when he nameth the six thirtie yeres Malcuth Asa when Asa had not passed seauentene in reigne Nowe Malcuth being kingdome or reigne and the time agreeing with six and thirtie yeares from Iudahs kingdome parted away from Ieroboams the matter telleth what Ezra meaned and his round summe from many particulars in a narratioÌ„ knowne had great clearenes Whereas the kings storie might not haue bene penned at the firste so Nowe where in a carefull narration of longe discourse Ioas commeth sonne to Achaziah saued by Achaziahs sister at an yere olde and after a tyranny of sixe yeares at seauen is made king the denying of sonages proprietie here is nothinge lesse then to make a flat lye and for six places of one tenour a sixfold stumbling against the holy Ghost who hath planted in maÌ„ a spirit that should teach him knowledge against which they that striue shalbe condemned of their owne harte In an other place Ezra vseth Ben very elegantly For it signifieth Sonne or Belonging too and that in great varietie So Achaziah is Ben a sonne of twentie two yeares when his father died at fourty Nowe when Ezra shewing how he came of Athaliah the daughter of Omry properly daughter to Achab but he nameth Omry to call the reader to consider his purpose for Omries kingdome whose kingdome at Iorams death stood fourtie two yeares layd downe by manie parcels in the kings often Synarchies when Ezra the learned shewing the troubles of all this kingdome sayth He was Ben of fourty two yeares the terme left his first significatioÌ„ for his vsuall in a trope Affected vnto or Belonging vnto the famous two and forty yeares This dealing in Ezra declared not onely his owne readinesse in the story but also his nationes common readinesse They knewe well that Ezra could not haue from God any authoritie to check Gods former authoritie nor yet to speake any thing but that they might iudge off And doubtles he would speake as they at the first might allowe and the blinde acquainted with the Scripture would not stumble And so the ordinarie Commenter in Ebrew Ralbag playnneth all vpon this Two and twentie yeares old was Achaziahu when he reigned and one yeare raigned he in Ierusalem and his mothers name was Athaliahu the daughter of Amri king of Israel Therevpon Ralbag writeth letters that speake thus 2. King 8.16 Marke that 2. Chr. 22. it is saide Ben of two and fourtie yeres And marke that his count in the Chronicles was not of the birth of Achaziahu but from the time of the arising of the kingdome of Omri And because he was of â—is seede it befell him that he was killed with the king of Israel And thus goeth the summe After thirtie and one yeare of Asa Omri raigned ouer all Israell and raigned after that sixe yeres and Achab his sonne twentie two and Achaizahu two yeares and Ioram â—ame to the twelueth Beholde then the two and fourtie yeares of the kingdome of Achab. And for His mothers name was Athaliahu the daughter of Amri that sheweth the reason of his phrase For she â—as properlie the daughter of Achab. Thus the Rabbine sheweth howe Ezra expoundeth the Kinges storie for Amries daughter being properlie Achabs leauing the propre time as vnmoveable as anie rocke and for memory bringing many parcells to one summe And therein must a Translatour be so fullie settled where propertie can not be altered as carefull to allowe and followe the trueth of the Ebrewe copy And if the Lord tell six times that Ioas the King was sonne to Achaziah tables preteÌ„ding to reconcile Saint Matthew Saint Luke breaking of Salomons house in Achaziahu and bringing Ioas to Nathan though Europe embraced them and our Bibles bare them in their harte afore the holy Gospell yet a sounde Translatour must loth them as a leprosie How circumspectlie we haue done herein wee should consyder to abolishe with publique authoritie our ouersightes and vnskilfulnes mother of lothing all religion Many that finde vs rawe in matters of plaine storie the grounde of all and sett before our eyes will lesse thinke that in matters of collection and plyable affection of argumentes and things of the worlde to come we should be of any sound iudgement And Christians should not be as the Athenians whom Demosthenes taunteth for being like doggs that bite the stone flong at them and not the flinger blaming not the authours of the fault but the tellers what is committed The wise will alwayes loue vnderstanding as the wicked can not abide it This table poysoning all simple that vse it maketh the fathers of our Lorde all these Symeon
lier Saint Stephen sayth that Abraham was brought by God from Charan after his fathers death but we make the speach vttered Gen. 12.1 to be spoken in V R a calling as wel of Therah as of Abraham yet Moses order of speach defendeth who sheweth that Terah died in Charan vpoÌ„ whose death he endeth his section to make a separation full and absolute from the matter following of Abrahams calling Philo the Greeke Iewe vnlike the late malicious is fully of Stephens minde and sheweth that opinion to haue bene then generall But Iewes malice being increased shuffled the promise made to Abraham into three score yeares of Terahs life so to obscure all the matter as not being Abrahams peculiar in Terahs life time Saint Stephen his Angelique tongue might haue holpen here but that we pervert his words Yet I am not to speake much here of this matter because this poinct toucheth not corruption of text vnlesse we vrge that our shufflinge of Abrahams promise into Terahs life and translatinge thus Gen. 12.1 The Lord had sayde vnto Abraham get thee c. being referred vnto his calling from Vr prooues the Perasha or Ebrew section very vnfit in the middle of a matter as doubtles it should be most vnfit So this speach may properlie belonge to the writt and letter But this matter doeth most touche the second poinct of making scripture false by ill traÌ„slating rather then blameth the text One place more hath the holy martyr as Saint Luke did penne it where some blame the writt and moe can not tell what they may say of it Saint Luke Act. 7. maketh Iacobs familie to be of seauentie fiue soules whereas Moses in Ebrew hath but seauentie And an Arabique translation written as none are yet printed I trowe brought vnto me from the Indianes hath but seauentie soules Here is matter for a skilfull translatour to worke vpon to defende and cleare Saint Luke and I deeme it will not be hard to doe For thus the case standeth The Septuagint adde vnto Moses Persones fiue to Ioseph vnborne when Manasses and Ephraim were but seauen or eight yeares old at Iacobs comming to Egypt a sonne and a grandechilde to Manasses Machir and Gilead to Ephraim two sonnes Sutelah and Tahan with Sutelahs sonne Eden all these fiue accordingly doe they summe all to be seauentie fiue soules Great reasons moued them which fewe wordes can not make plaine Saint Luke writing in Greeke was to followe the Greeke though Saint Stephen spake as the Ebrew stood And the Arabique translatour that folowed the Ebrew in a neare language which should be conferd with the Ebrew not with the Greeke in Gen. 46. shewed a profound iudgement regarding as S t Luke did nations weakenes whereof vnto this day fewe knowe Saint Lukes minde though it be not darke if wee had looked vnto the Septuaginta Like vnto Saint Stephens abridgement of old large stories commeth Paules oration Act. 13. where he reckoneth the nineteene Iudges thirtene defendours six offenders all their times as they in troubles ruled and dated two at once yeeres after a sorte foure hundreth and fiftie So it is most exactlie after Saint Paules sort of reckoning and so Iosephus reckoneth the Iudges yeares when for the 480. 1. King 6.1 he maketh 592. yeares Here the Rhemistes marre the text and the whole narration neither bewe faultles who for yeres but 339. propre say about 450. the hundreth and eleuen of the oppressours nothinge â—ugmented the worldes age therfore in proprietie 450. can not be sayde about 450. and in a kinde of speach it was exactlie so and not about 450. And these examples may bee sufficient to shew a Translators care for defence of the text Many are ready froÌ„ both Testaments One kinde I cannot passe ouer which Daniel hath in two examples where but for the Massorites Bible the common copies would coÌ„tinue errour Daniel turneth the notation of a Chaldean kinges name and his owne Chaldean name into cleane contrarie significations by transposing one vnsounded letter Bel is the authour of wealth and Bel is a fyre of sorrowe these are cleane contrarie as darknes and light sinne iustice idols and the throne of God The like is in Daniels Chaldean name which breaketh out a fyer of sorrowe from Gods fierie throne against such as held Bel a protectour of store treasure Vnlesse we ioyne both the Great Venetians Bibles none printed will here giue a Translator that which he must performe right writing for notation in the former name But in Daniels Chaldy name the text in Plantines Bible is syncere marking the difference of it Cha. 1. and Chap. 10. And this poinct onely being so full of wisedome in Daniel should mooue anie wise nation to peruse their translation though it had no other imperfectioÌ„ TheÌ„ matter is a pearle and an holy thing where hogges and dogges shall see no peace of the heauenly Ierusalem and such as coÌ„temne this matter wilbe no better in Daniels eyes whose rare commendation from men and Gabriel is for vs not for him selfe The next labour to this no better obserued of vs should beware making vntruethes in turning the Bible into our tongue The like harme cometh by notes that would make the world false I would that examples of lesse plentie were in this kinde though their store may stirre to cure the soare And first for no lesse then the third part of the worlde touching Iapheth our Father we stayne his birth-right when our translatioÌ„ maketh him yonger theÌ„ Sem GeÌ„ 10.21 where Sem should be brother to Iapheth the eldest The record of yeares the situation of the wordes the Greekes vniuersall consent vnaltered in any of their translations knowen the preualent consent of Ebrewes for the most that way noted in Chimehi the king of Grammarians in Gadal the custome that God preferreth not the Eldest to be Christ his father these and such things should haue caused to lothe not to folowe the vulgar Latin For as a dead flye putrifieth a boxe of precious oinctment so one such oversighte doth vnto an whole booke and is a thorne to the side and eyen An other thorne pricking the hart of good Iosephs fame is in Gen. 44.5 by not marking the plaine exact proprietie of the Ebrew touching Iosephs siluer cup. Is not that it in which my Lord drinketh and for which he would search throughlie So the wordes in their first signification meane so olde Onkelos tooke them so the sence is sensible And again in Iosephs speach the same is alike Know you not that a man as I can search throughly But we haue in our best Is not that the cup in which my Lord drinketh and for which he consulteth with prophecies or in which he prophecieth And what man would euer speake so senselesse There the note goeth thus He went not to the coniurers for any matter but this is sayde by dissimulation to increase the crime So
of Calamities in Omri that kingdome ended Iudah should begin their stirres in the seauenth seaueÌ„ hold it throughlie when such a wicked broode of Iezabel reigned in Iuda that God killed three Leprosed the next plagued the people Kinges stocke left the good K. Ezekias longe sonne-lesse shewing how vnwilling he was to continue the kingdome left Manasse to shed blood calling as Abels for Babylon-punishment and for some tast carieth the King thither killeth Amon telleth Iosias plainly of captiuitie and by Sophonie of paying his sonnes prisoneth Ioachaz giueth Ioakim the burial of an asse captiueth and blindeth Sedekias killeth his children sweareth that Iechonias shall dye childlesse biddeth all the earth the earth the earth to marke it that none should think Christ the king of glorie to descend after the flesh of Iezabel Al these mischiefes the Iewes knew and consydered full well that the two and fourtie yeares was most famous among them that to be called a Babe of that two and fourtie yeares was to be noted as most openly cursed from as we saye his mothers belly and if that had bene coÌ„sydered Ezra had bene cleared and the curse vpon the later Kings weighed neither would men euer haue bin so senselesse as to haue brought in Nathans house the holy seede at the first to be plagued in the first yeare of coming to the kingdome yea and the first yeare of comminge into the world For they that make Ioas to bee of Nathan must graunt that absurditie also If the swift Scribes readines had bred in vs heedinesse al these calamities had not made Iews triumph in disputation where myne eyes and eares were ten witnesses that by our Euangelistes we could not proue that Christ came of Dauid If Ezra had bene marked Ieremie for Chonias had bene marked Troiaque nunc stares Priamique arx alta maneres The Church had increased and not lost and the pen had kild more Turkes then our sworde and made Iewes to haue made vs better Iewes the true praise of God For when the storie is cleared faith is wonderfull much holpen And the Persones bee much to the story But our strangenes in Scripture exceedeth neither to vnderstand by our selues nor to learne by others discoursing nor yet to accompt of weightiest matters And in trueth this is a paradoxe double As Iosaphat little thought that Iezabels daughter at the least Achabs would in Achaziah ruinate his house that one such matter should ouerthrow the kingdome so scholers litle though that one syllable Ben being vnpropre in the two and fourtie yeres but supposed proâ—re and contrary-wise propre in Ioas but supposed in our cursed table vnpropre should disturbe all the Bible â—et as the little sparke of the tongue enflameth the whole whele of the creatioÌ„ so one syllable beeing mistaken hath â—indled a flame through all our Bible that must bee quenâ—hed or the carelesse Vc-alegon that hindereth shal finde a â—reater fyer from the white iudge in Daniel before whom â—ookes are opened which will note all errours But now seeing I haue as my entrance of speache shewed many â—â—inctes to handle besides clearing of the original writ or â—â—tter and the bewaring least in our translation or notes â—â—e make lies I may not pursue our oversightes for these â—â—inctes with any further discourse Here I will shewe a litle of a stranger in a man very wel learned and accepted in our soyle to whom I offred conference and sent vnto â—im noted what I blamed and answere was made that â—he Church should iudge And in milde quietnes I referr â—t to the Churches iudgement My blame is that this Laâ—in translation for to much curiositie shrinketh from the plaine vse of termes which euery harte will tell ought to haue bene reserued I reuerence the learned worke but mine owne nation more and thinke my time spent this way not the lesser to weigh Ebrewes with the Greeks vntill both agreed vpon a trueth sensible to euery harte For the story of Kinges all their chayne of storie I must differ First for the chayne of Iudahs kingdome in Ezechiels thrie hundreth ninty years therevpon for twentie two years of Anarchy in Israel which are swallowed vp and thervpon foure twentie in the time of Azariahs reigne and therevpon for Amatziahs reigne whereof he would haue full eleuen years spent in banishment and therevpon the swalowing vp of eleuen yeres Anarchy which in trueth should be betwixt Amaziahs death and Azariahs reigne and thervpon seeing he maketh Azariah eight and twentie yeere a lepre Iotham raigneth after his fathers death in the seconde of Pekach being but fiue and twentie yeares old rayneth but sixteene yeres he twise wresteth the text further then natiue light wil suffer In the same tenour we the French folowing him must wrestle whether we saye better for Osee that he preached seauentie yeares or they for fiftie yeares The simple must be taught whether is deceyued otherwise they wil cast off both So for the sinne of Israel in Ezechi 4. whether Ieroboams calues or somewhat in Salomons 27. be meant And herevpon all the autoritie of the second of the Chronicles howe natiue iudgement can defende it in his sense and likewise whether he ouerthrowe not Ezra Nehemiah Ester Aggei Zachari and puts Daniels seauens to a plunge and Mat. 1. and this proposition God hath recorded the worlds age froÌ„ the creation to the redemption Hitherto the Chayne of Iubilees will belonge and such other matters as will folloe in their sequel These poinctes must needes be named least fame of straungers drawe vs hereafter to denie our owne good as it hath done heretofore into all the former errours that hereafter we may looke to trueth and auncient warraÌ„t stronger then any late professours exameÌ„ it before our people be troubled with any new editioÌ„ in which euery one who wil should haue ful speach for all poincts of doubt Thus I blame this worke for novationes not his owne For bad Iewes invented all this disturbance of very malice to breake of the fiue chaines whiche drawe from Adams fal vnto our Lords resurrectioÌ„ which where they are knoweÌ„ of Christ also confessed Which though I haue made famous already yet I think it not tedious to handle them often For they are a greater ornament to the necke then anie chayne of Cethem Paz or any other the finest golde The first reacheth all cleare as the sunne from the beginning of time to the death of Abrahams Father the authour of idolatrie in Christ his Line and cause of ceassing the accompt for particular mens age in that tenour The next beginneth vpoÌ„ his death with a new promise of Christ making Abraham heyre of the worlde From that to the Lawe Temple and Salomons death an other vndowsable is continued His idolatry was worthy to haue that ended for which his kingdome was parted and Ieroboam did set vp calues for Gods whiche doeing is commonlie called The
sinne of Israel TheÌ„ Iuda onely is Gods kingdome and it for honour of Asa is called the kingdome of Asa That is reckoned by comparison of Iuda with Israel in the kings booke by Iuda onely in the Chronicles And by one summe in the fourth of Ezechiel from the sinne of Israel vnto an end where fourtie yeares also for an other matter famous then in action is full concluded The preaching of Ieremie in playnnes dignitie and fame doeth make fourtie yeares from his beginning in the thirteeth yere of Iosias vnto the end of the kingdome ruine of Citie and Flames of Temple the Arkes destruction The golden Candlesticke with his seauen stalkes twoo tweÌ„tie bowles eleven Knoppes nine Flowres that goodlie worke of Bezeleel that reasted in the shadowe of God then it was burst then all Moses Curtines and all that Chyram the kinges of Tyre the Father of Salomon Chyram the Tyrian artificer made to Salomon the one by procuration the other by trade all these goodlie thinges left the Temple shewed Christ his wrath Then Sedekias lost his eyes that neuer would see TheÌ„ Saraias father to Ezra was killed for badnes in high sacrificehood the death of whom being in recorde killeth all comon receyued greke accomptes thence to great Alexander by Ezra one man liuing thither then Sedekias children were killed the only hope of Salomons stocke And this was a famous marke to ende the third chayne vpon such a famous punishment of idolatrie and end of Moses ceremonies poore elementes in deed that Christ from Ezekiels vision full of eyes might appeare in the ambre light and purenes This marke was a goodlie piller at which the thirde chayn might be fastened as the kingdome of Asa beginning was a piller for the other ende Such famous markes the holy style shoteth at hauing a fourefold string to the bowe Iuda Israel both in parcells Iuda sole and one totall summe Which chaine if a Translatour breake as Ralbag Iarchi Seder Olam and others malicious doe stealing linkes nowe from the one nowe from the other he will foure times disturbe all the kinge storie and Ezekiel and shall roove at such dimme markes for beginning and ending Ezekiels three hundred and nientie yeares as neuer can argue any golden chaine to drawe the world vnto Christ but be worse then a cankred wier one of linkes all broken asunder And as a good harte would bleede to see the Second parte of the Prophetes that of the holy story most fayre printed with the goodly hedge of the Massorites directing the copyers that they neuer misse to be cut in pieces and all authoritie of them for euer abolished So a good heart would grone closely weepe to haue the sense of the holy story all chopped as hearbes to the pot And who so euer hath a cleare tast in Scripture will thinke that neuer any wormewood made waters bitterer then such senses would be to the tast of an Eliu and a Iob which would iudge by eares as the palate by taste And nowe by three Chaynes as Maister Caluin marked no moderate men can misse for the time from since Satans fierie tongue did sett the wheele of the whole creature on flame vntill the Chaldean Serpent-race burned the Temple the allurement of nationes vnto the worship of him that made the Temples of the heauens A fourth chaine cometh for Gods enimies short as shewing Gods lothing to bring them in this draught cariage of seauentie yeres And commonly we adde some seauen linkes of yeares that so Iuda should bee seauentie seauen yeares in Babel disturbe prophecies infinitely Though â—n this place the Iewes vniuersally agree with that which Ieremy should force vs vnto The fifte chayne reacheth from Babels fall to our Lordes death This was knowen in the Apostles time to all Iewes and commeth infinitely to â—he regarded in the newe Testament And this one poinct â—s enough to stoppe all Antichristian mouthes that the sonnes labours haue a better story then that of Bitias Atlas â—â—oller in Didoes court euen his labours through all ages â—â—ll Christ shewed a newe worlde where all that marke it shalbe as the sunne in the kingdome of the Father And this one worke trayleth infinite heathen almost theyr eueâ—y booke to be weighed and founde full of chaffe voyde of golde light as vanitie being tryed by the holy Bible Nowe they that graunt a fiue-parted chayne thus to â—each must needes graunt that they who breake it in anie one place make all the rest to be vaine and voyd of counsell and they that thrust idle linkes of their owne copper be as counterfaiters and forgers of metalles and if they drawe the time farre longer then the particulars will beare it out they drawe into pieces all the body of story as Nabycadnezar gaue in sentence ouer his Chaldeans This standing thus I trust euery man of harte will require in a translatour much care and skil for euery one of those linkes no lesse then faith and skill in a goldsmith yea and so much more as the matter is more precious though not a small number shewe that they would rather haue the trueth of God to perish then former ignorance detected But such must be vtterly coÌ„temned with as good stomaches as they bring The Iudge that sitteth vpon the fierie throne can as all men knowe and wil as Moses telleth pay them home when their foote shall fall And I hope all learned will ioy to haue their good learned paynes bettered and scoured from that rust whiche otherwise would cankre the whole Now I wil returne to touche the worke I speake of as I shewd what Rabbines deceyued it who to a bad ende of purpose in their owne counsell this did speake against their coÌ„science The obseruing of these matters will breede plentie of dexteritie in the story of the Kings which some Ebrews thinke that Ierem. penned as Ezra the Chr. In summe this much I thinke of that learned Latin work and of the late French edition which foloweth it that in the obseruationes much iniurie is done to the trueth of story Examples may these be taken Amazias raigned at Ierusalem nine and twentie yeares sayeth the text The notes checke it that he raigned but seauenteene yeres and liued at Lachis bannished all the rest Amazias was killed and when his sonne was sixteene yeares old the people of the lande made him king The notes make him reigne all the time of his fathers banishment The text telleth that he began to reigne in the seauen twentieth of Ieroboam that he was then sixteene yeares olde and so he should be about foure at his fathers death a regentship of eleauen yeares should goe betwixt The notes make him raigne foure twentie yeares afore that time that is eight yeres afore he was borne The text maketh him reigne two and fiftie froÌ„ Ieroboams seauen twentie The notes make him
then stroken with a leprosy to continue eight twentie yeares The text teacheth that Iotham at his fathers death was but fiue twentie yeares old So by the former note he should iudge the people afore he was born three yeres The notes to auoyd that expounde the text thus Hee was fiue and twentie yeares olde when he reigned that is when he ruled the kingdome in his fathers leprosie and he raigned sixteene yeres that is after his fathers death If this had bene done in myne owne nation I would haue blamed it more largely But I loth to disgrace a learned paynes but for infinite necessity And our trauels might haue more cleared the regentship of Azarias and the two and twentie yeares of Anarchy that earthquake of the state and the styrres called Iezreel and likewise for Ezekiels 390. yeares where the French notes returne to the right trueth against their owne particulars in all these errours wee in a fewe wordes might haue kept our nation from liking strange opinions Other matters of this Latin worke for the last Prophetes times Zorobabels house I haue written against his learned defendor therin though not here D.R. whom I name for honors sake He deserued great coÌ„mendation for hazarding his fame whether 2000. yeares errours holden almost generally ouer all Greekes and Latines Libraries could be set on flame with a fire of iudgement taken from the holy authour And I trow all of hart and our language will confesse that parte cleared by my paynes how so euer some feared to stande to an arbitrement reported that they had passed as learning would require them and all to determine Yet hearing what infinite millions were against me they thought it the safest way to haue all in suspense But I thought it a duetie vnto God and my countrey to cleare not only the cause but all the Bible by Gods helpe in our tongue and to seeke for the next kingdomes helpe if that labour at home should be blasphemed ExperieÌ„ce in Daniel the hardest booke cleared I hope in the very dedication may shewe how soone and easilie much holden past hope of achieving may be accomplished And now to leaue strangers I will returne to our owne vpon Daniel where I blame our paynes that while we make two Nebuchadnezars and misse of the Images time and fourth Monarchy and ill translate Gabriels oration for redemption and in our argument Cha. 12. taxe Daniel for obscuritie who hath the greatst plaines that euer the matter could suffer While this runneth currant all the Bible wil coÌ„plaine that we doe exceedingly darken it Neither doe I thinke it better to haue the trueth of Daniel hid then antiquity disgraced for missing But nowe I haue discoursed more largely of my two first poinctes then I well may vppon all the sixe following howe heede must be taken least the Ebrewe writt or Greeke of the newe Testament bee blamed and least in translation or exposition the holy booke be pestered thorough vs with vntruethes or haue anie one at all One errour more I would haue spoken off for a place of Daniel ill translated but it is to great to bee opened vnto the people least they want stay in moderation I did obiect it with sharpnes not the least vnto a scholer of high place and great recompence for his studie who tooke it in good part and sage moderation And so I trust hee will take all the rest Such affection will cause him selfe and others some great reast which little medling bredeth The third care in a Translatour which ought to bee as that person which Nebuchadnezar sawe by night watchful and holy is that in speaches of the Prophetes where the holy servauntes of God speake of purpose termes doubtfull where the prophane would otherwise skoph or persecute there the true cleare light with full warrant be kindled in the tongue vsed of him If he write for a natioÌ„ that professeth the trueth and not for prophane Lagidae as the â—eptuagint who liuing in those styrres of the iron clay â—egges of Daniels image not cleauing togither and of the warres of Seleucidôn and Lagidôn which the Angel vttered vnto Daniel of purpose in harde phrases for the Iewes safetie they liuing in these very times had crossed all the Angels wisedome if they had opened vnto their prophane â—art that which Gabriel hid for their good But our case â—owe is nothing like theirs in christiaÌ„ kingdomes Wherfore a Translatour should aboue all thinges be ready in all â—â—riptures where such hidinge of the minde is vsed 〈◊〉 ready Ebrician that seeth one of vnperfect studie labouringe to translate will tell almost for euery place where a Translatour would misse And touchinge â—â—ch as in Daniel haue deceyued translatours them I haue â—â—ted in my commentationes vpon him dedicated vnto â—me of you Nobles and others of honorable Gentrie to 〈◊〉 regarded according to the sage honor of her Maiesties â—uuernement By Daniel most of anie because hee liued â—â—der the prophane these tenours of speach and wonderâ—â—ll witty hiding of the minde may be consydered soundâ—e to be had in heart readilie In such places a man worâ—hie the name of an Ebrewe professour wilbe most ready â—s in matters most weighed searched tryed and peysed by him in the golde balance of Ebrewe diligence where ordinarie plaine speaches require not to be so much thought vpon who would not looke better about him that should finde this going currant for Gods word The foure beastes are foure Kinges who shal take the kingdom of the Saints of the most high and holde the kingdome for euer euen for euer and euer This can not stande with religion anie more then Tartarus can be Paradise eternall woe blessednes Here an Ebrician would longe before he came to the place thinke vpon the rocke where others made shipwracke and marke how the Particle Vau one letter was a key to open or shut the sense So in Daniel againe Ch. 7. ver 12. As coÌ„cerning the other beastes they had their dominion taken away but their liues were prolonged for a certen time and season This speach vnspeaketh it self For the beast is the Empire and when the Empire is gone the beast is no more a beast but staÌ„deth on his feete as a man when a priuate mans heart is giuen him as in ver 4. of ch 7. Agamemnons man in Euripides beholding the Emperour writing for Iphigenia his daughter to come to bee sacrificed and by fatherly affection blotting againe writing and againe razing marveyleth at his crosse dealing This dealing iâ— more marveylous no naturall affection here caried but vnacquaintance with Daniel and with the Ebrew tongue And reason might tell that the speach crosseth it selfe And herein I must commende my L. of Canterburies grace who though he thought it not an officers parte to admitte soone a new translation and when I had presented vnto him selfe and his patronage the seauen first chapters all the Chaldy part