introductions to his whole summe and Graces and ioyne the kings and Pictures for him pictures afore set in another booke which coming foorth greater with greater lendeth Daniel the former willingly To him they beloÌ„g The summe and graces of Daniel THe holy Prophet Daniel telleth what Kingdomes shall oppresse Dauids house from Iudahs captiuitie vnto the birth of our Lord and endeuour to controll their Religion Also of our Lord he sheweth his continuall protection and payment of his foes his coming into the world his making strong the Couenant for all nations his precious death his glorious ascention and his kingdome ouer all nations And lastly how he will destroy the Citie and Temple finishing the policie which he gaue by Moses that Iewes and Gentiles may be equally Gods people Those kingdomes which Daniel setteth forth are first the Chaldeans who destroyed the Citie Temple Kingdome and house of Salomon and meant in Babel to haue set vp idolatrie The next is a ioynt power of the Medes and Persians who ouerthrew them and would haue made their owne kings as Gods stayed the building of Gods Temple and sought to destroy the Iewes nation The third is compact of all the States of Greeke-land who put downe the former In Alexanders power which King in his pride earnestly laboured to be holden as a God and caused the Leuites to name their sonnes Alexanders and all the Iewes to take their dates from his reigne The fourth and last is of the same natioÌ„ for their Kings called Seleucidae and Lagidae by the first of their houses dwelling North and South from Iuda situated betwixt them both By these Iuda was most vexed and endeuour vsed to haue abrogated the holy Couenant At our Lords birth these nations were fully spoyled of all gouernement and another set vp to whom tribute was payd ouer all the world In plentifull varietie Daniel setteth them forth First in a huge image of foure mettals beaten to powder and he expoundeth the Image so that by a prophane king he is therefore highly aduaunced Long after he seeth them in a sort fit for a spirituall man to iudge of in foure sauage beasts cast into the fire ioyneth a most heauenly exposition and comfort of his nation how from his people an eternall kingdome shall fill all the earth Againe the kingdome of Babel is figured by a Tree touching in height the heauens in breadth the corners of the earth and to that also Daniel affordeth an exposition Likewise the other kingdomes are semblanced by a Ramme and Goat-bucke and both in sundrie hornes and now all the Nations are plainly named who be therein contained So sixe times euery one State is declared all ouer the later declarations adding clearenesse to the former Moreouer the seuenth Narration most plaine as teaching in proper language is not wanting for the coming vp idolatrie chastisement and ouerthrow of these kingdomes A skilfull Reader must fetch from others the dayly dealings which the wisedome of God knew at needlesse to foretell by Daniel and therefore he passeth them ouer in their due places the Reader shall find them marked in obseruations vpon the Prophet The comfort of the holy people is most sweete in this Booke Christ in prophane eyes is a base stone and heathen Kings goodly mettals but he beateth them to dust and becometh a great mountaine In Daniels eâ—en they are beasts cast into fire and the Sonne of man coming in the clouds into the world afterwards going vnto the Ancient of dayes he sitteth on an eternall throne Sundry other heauenly apparations Daniel hath as when the wonderfull Numberer called in Daniel Palmoni calleth an Angel Gabriel and biddeth him teach Daniel the verie dayes from the first of the rage against Moses lawes vnto the last of the Grecians dealing against the Temple And after that his senses had bene acquainted with so exact an accompt vnto the very day for a particular hinderance of the truth he seeth a hand writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 MENE MENE and soone the former Angel numbreth most exactly the time vnto our Lords death And againe soone after he hath a vision like that of Christ in the Reuelation and of three Angels one silent another teaching him the summe of his booke in plain speeches another asking a question of times and taking an answer with the very particular dayes of two famous neare matters These two confirme the wonderfull accompt of Christ his owne set time for redemptioÌ„ Dan. 9.24 Farther then which the date of times might not go in the Prophets beyond the glorifying of the King but therein it was to rest By like reuolutions men might know that Christ would graunt them the like space to repentance that they losed not their land as he gaue in the wildernesse to prepare them that should enter into the land And so it fell out alike 40. yeares they spent in the wildernesse 40 after our Lords death in the land And so the whole warning that Daniel gaue the Iewes to beware of their Deluge is iust in space the same that Lamech gaue to the old world at Noahs birth 600 yeares afore the flood From Nebuchadnezers first yeare 70 of captiuitie thence 7 times that space in expressed wordes layd downe in Scripture and 40 afterwards not recorded nor to haue bene recorded in scripture but marked of heathen by the euent This is the compasse of Daniels times which they that cast not aright shal be disturbed The state of the world when he wrote and the tongues vvhich he vsed call vs to farther admiration His Prophecie was written in the most distressed times of the world to be such a iewell that being seene it might haue redressed the calamities of those dayes For when the kingdome of Iudah was to be plagued by the tust God all the world was plagued also with more alterations of kingdomes and warres then had bene afore And then God by Daniel writeth first in the heathens language the Syriaque or Chaldy tong which East South best knew In that he sheweth how the Image of the worldly poÌ„pe all the wicked are made as dust before the winde and prophane Empires are as beasts troubling the sea of life perishing at the last in a fierie lake froÌ„ the throne of a Iudge euerlasting with whom there is no shadow of change Also he telleth of the kingdome that cannot be corrupted set vp by one like the Sonne of man coming in the cloudes and going againe vnto the ancient of dayes to sit for euer in glory All this and other matters of the present Age Daniel penneth in the language most knowne of any one that the heathen might be benefited Notwithstanding the Iewes haue in this worke their prerogatiue For in the tongue vsed onely of them he penneth the selfe same matter naming plainly what people he afore spake off and that in sundrie sortes for exact certaintie And he limiteth the
2. Sam. 7.14 1. Chron. 3.5 Luke 3.31 Psal 51. 1. Chr. 29.23 1. King 9.6 1. King 8.47 Eccl. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iah Choniah made the kings name 2. King 25.27 Chap. 1. 9. Chap. 7. Chap. 7. * AlexaÌ„ders iniurie was in that the Priests for one yeare should name their sonnes Alexanders all Iudah should take their dates from his raigne he their Emperour would be a God Daniels plainnesse * In Theoph. * Euseb 9. Diod lib. 18. and 19. Pausan in Attic. App. in Syri Polyb. 5. Appian Strabo Tacitus Macrob. 2. Aegl Suâ—tonius Tacitus Ben Arama vpon Exod. Ierem. 22. Dan. 7. * R. Akiba vpon Dan. 7 in Sanedrin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan 9.24 Dan. 6. Extra 1. Few wordes containe the whole suÌ„me of Daniel for all his chiefe heads What kingdoms in Daniel oppresse the religion of Gods people * Romanes that medled not with religion How euerie kingdome is seuen times spoken of This vision should haue cut off all doubt for Daniels kingdomes This specially might end all controuersie The degrees of his visioÌ„s The times 2300 dayes Chap. 8. Chap. 5. Chap. 9. * Chap. 1.13 Chap. 12. Three yeres and half and dayes 1290 and dayes 1335 al these are the first from the polluting of the holy Temple vnto the recouerie the other two vnto seuerall comforts against Antiochus which the present Age should marke euen to the exact dayes The whole summe of Daniel is 600 yeares froÌ„ since the Chaldeans tooke Ierusalem vntill the Romans toke it The tongues of Daniel The Zohar noteth this truely and wonderfully A generall knowledg of Law Gospel is taught in Daniel by kingdomes many perishing one standing The phrase of 70 seuens being coÌ„pared with former times wil shew that God ruled al times of Iudah in an order easie to consider Chaldy Syriaque Aethiopian Arabique all foure vse Daniels Syriaque * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 2.26 is in no Chaldy but in the Aethiopian Heb. 2. and 4. c. A wonderful recompence to the Chaldeans for vsing Daniel well Daniels Chaldy caused the Chaldy paraphrastes new honour in our age so perpetuall is the holy mans glorie Elias Leuita moued a question whether the Chaldy could bee brought to Art That GordiaÌ„ knot was cut by breaking all their vncerteinty with Daniels sword by our learned Christians Prophecies in the East tongues for matter recorded in the Westerne should stirre studie honor of studie for both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The planets were their chiefe Gods termed of foretelling as Nabo or of kinghood as Ched is mat 26. in Arabike Mar Dan. 2. Rac. Gen. 42. in Onkelos Shed in Mat. 27. in Arab Sac Ier. 25 and Kimchi in ALN Nego Venus in Rabbines coÌ„monly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * The negligeÌ„t auncient giue Cyrus Cambyses Darius y. spent together before Babel sel the same distinct after and to Darius 46. who liued but 43 Codoman giueth Artax I. 59. fully Plâ—t to Art II. 62. to helpe out the 100 erronious The record of Euripid. 75. in Suid. of Timoth being in those his times in which Philip raigned this will ende the strife heatheÌ„ other liues infinite as Aristides daughters Dem. Phal Lais and Demost acquaintance Platoes Dionys and all commonly then of fame will cut about 40. y. off at a clap * Alexanders Epistle to Darius in Arrianus argueth that Ochus raigned but a litle afore Philips death Yet Olympikes giue him liberally a score of yeares * The ArabiaÌ„s in an Arabike commentarie vpon Gen. 10. haue Suidas iust number at our Lordes birth so belike agreeing here with Suidas * For Zorobabels house the onely then true and right princes of all the world Daniell hath his reuelations and his 490. yeares are to be compared with their liues in two families * The testimonie of Iosephus that Iaduah and Sanballat saw Greâ—â— AlexaÌ„der wherin both Iewes and Gentils hitherto agree that by Ezra and Nehemias personages vtterly coÌ„futes all heathen vsed chronicles * Here consider an easie accompt of Gods prouident gouernement since Moses tymes In the seuenth yeere the lande was parted Thence the first of Samuel falleth in the seuenth Iubilie thence vnto this yeere are seauen seauenties See verse 21. Y. W. 3402. * Esay tolde of this Ch. 39.7 * They had ben all named of God a iudge mercifull and strong That is Belkeepeth treasure but see Cha. 10. how he altereth it § A practise of Leuit. 11. ‡ The effect of Salamons prayer 1. king 8 50. * Or to the Melzar that is Stewarde a name of an office ‡ Therein his whole booke excelleth declaryng the commyng vp idolatry chastisement fall of the Babylonians Medes- -Persians Grekes whole parted and how Christ defendeth the holy Iewes vntyll the redemptioÌ„ § 3407.3471 * Then the 70. of Captiuity ended and the seauen seauenties are told for redemption out of Satans captiuity by our Lordes death erectyng a kingdome ouer al the earth * As Ioseph in the seconde after skil in dreames expoundeth Pharaohs so God disposeth these times alyke the enchanters alyke guydeth aduanceth Ioseph Daniel alike * While the visions are generall and cause the Iewes no danger so farr Daniel writeth in the Syriaque tongue general ouer the east al hence to the 8. chapter But when the oppressors be named Medes Persians and Greekes both whole and also parted about Iuda into Egypt and to the North and the Iewes ar plainly described the people whom god defendeth then the eyght chapter and al after he writeth in Ebrew hath a commandement to keepe close the playne exposition in ch 12.4 * Or in the end of dayes that is vnto Christ as Eb. 1.1 and so Gen. 49. Esa 2. Ezek. 38 * In holy Daniels eyes they are foure beastes which to prophane mens capacity god sheweth as goodly â—owers * Babel alone 70. yeeres not Assur § Medes and Persians two kingdoms here as one agaynst the Iewes 130. yeeres ‡ Great Alexander with the whole power of Greeke states which made him then king for the Persian warre Diod. book 16. syxe yeere †The Legs are in Cha. 11 the successours of Alexander in two the mightiest kingdoÌ„es Egypt and the North the one 294. yeres The errour of taking in hyther the RomaÌ„s is hurtful to al Daniels booke and to all christianity and other stories hath no colour of trueth from Daniel * The Stone is the power of Christ weake base in mens eyes vnles they looke on the fâ—â—â—e throne Dan. 7. ¶ Whom euen the Iewes nation but the wittie prophet hydeth that
and fiue Laodiceas after his mothers name nyne after his owne Seleucias foure after his wyues three Apameas and one Stratonicea Now the most famous of them were the Seleuciae the one vpon the Sea the myddle Sea and Seleucia vpon Tigâ—is and Laodiciea in Phoenice or the land of Isâ—ael and Antiochia vnder mount Libanus and Apamea of Syria Other cities he tearmed by Grecian or Macedonian cities or by his owne workes or king Alexanders Wherefore you shall finde in Syria and further many of Greeke many Macedonian cities names Berroea Edessa Perinthos Maronea Callipolis Achaia Pellâ— Oropus Amphipolis Arethusa Astacos Tegea Chalcis Larissa Herea Apolonia and in â—â—rthia Sâ—â—â—ra Calliope Charis Hecatompolis Achaia In the Indianâ— Alexandreschata Some are named by victories of Seleucus himselfe Nicephorion in Mesopotamia and Nicopolis in that Armenia which is next to Cappadocia This heathen catalogue of Townes built by one man is a condemnation of the Rabbineâ— that wil not take notice what king and kingdome must be meant by the Angel in this place Aben Ezra confesseth that the king Gog is here meant and it is their common graunt aâ— Kimchi sheweth in many of the Psalmes that when the house of Gog is ouerthrowen the Messias reigneth Then let vs examine Ezekiel with Daniel Ezekiel chap. 38. nameth Gog Magog Meshec Tubal Gomer Togarma the North quarters Paras Cush and Put shall ioyne with them The Greekes there rightly speake for Mosoch as they reade it Tubal and Thorgamâ— that the Nations about Pontus Cappadocians Galathians Iberes and Armenians are meant For in those quarters those sonnes of Iaphet left monumentes in the names of Nations Mountaines or Riuers which argue who left them with lesse change in consonantes and vowelles then Strabo often complaineth that he findeth in Greeke writers for Nations names So that the confession of Aben Ezra and the arguments of many our learned that Seleucidae are meant by Gog in Ezekiel may well be considered here touching the king of the North. And specially Gods goodnesse how by the state of the time all the world might know when Christ was to come into the world and be acquainted with one tongue wherein the Apostles might write Ezekiel telleth that when Gog the Seleucidae were ouerthroweÌ„ the Lord would be glorified ouer all the earth Now seeing the Seleucidae were Greekes and continued their strength by Greekes officers and armies as also the Ptolomies by this meanes the Greeke tongue spread long before ouer the west bare sway also ouer the East South And wheÌ„ Romans whose owne proper language was Latin had ouerrun all those dominions and spake in all their gouernmeÌ„t a strange language in Seleueus townes all might know that Christ was to be borne soone after And to this day the Iewes hold that vpon Gogs fall Christes comming ought to be as Kimchi named by me aboue very often and Rambam in More Nebuchim Christians who make Ezekiel in Gog speake of things to fall out after the comming of Christ vnto the end of the world haue been a great furtherance of many Iewes eternall destruction and entangâ—â—ng also much of this Chapter and their owne ruine a About 70. after AlexaÌ„ders death b The Lagidae and the Seleucidae c Bernice D. to Pt. Philadelphus d Antiochus Theos or the God who had already a wife called Laodice by whoÌ„ he was poysoned Berenice by her sonnes kilde with her child and all her traine Philadelphus soone after this mariage dyed e The states of Asia Iust 27. f Ptol. Euergetes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word not vsed afore g Seleucus Callinicus h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnuowelled is either Idols or else high states That maketh Translaters differ And the allusion is pleasant how the Angell comforteth Iuda in that the Idolatrous are as the Idolles with God And extremely taunteth the superstition of Magog or Hierapolis i The name of Egypt in a storie of Alexanders successours must needes cut off all controuersie touching the king of the North and Magog that none but Seleucidae can be the men So that the verie name Egypt being vsed here in the storie which all Heathen would presently acknowledge to set forth Ptolemie surnamed Euergetes that is Gracious Lord for spoyling Syria and againe in the end of the Chapter vers 42. and 43. and in an history no lesse then a Prophecie of Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria spoyling Egypt this one terme might haue kept both Iewes and Gentiles from bringing the Romans or Turkes to be meant here in these stories opening properly the Image and the Beast But as we bring the prophane Empire into those sayings which are spoken of Antiochus Epiphanes So the Iewes Raloag and Aben Ezra saw no reason why the continuers of the Empire Constantine and other Christians and the Turke might not be brought in If once men graunt that these matters fall out in the last dayes and not as reason required drawe vnto Christ his first comming And because it is euident that Christ was not to come vntill these matters fell out vpon a false supposit on borrowed from vs they continue a leprosie of the worlde A sufficient preseruatiue against which the Angell left one word euen Egypt vsing it once twise thrise So one word spoken in due forme is like Apples of gold and wittie workes of siluer Prou. 25.10 * Diodorus booke 17.18.19.20 Which falleth out after the death of Soter and not long before the death of Philadelphus * Brennus from Britanie and Fraunce then did warre into the East Deut. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The not marking of this point hath postered all libraries with books giuing strength vnto Iewes and Turkes to make ChristiaÌ„s thought senslesse and condemning their owne selues in far the greatest part of our own writings The learned of late see it The vnlearned should not striue To the legs of the Image these matters belong a If by seditioÌ„ at home he had not bene called home he had easily won all the kingdome of Syria Iust 27 b Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great Of them Appian Alexandreus wrot thus After Theos Seleucus the sonne of Theus and Laodice reigneth in Syria syrnamed Callinicus After Seleucus two sons of Seleucus either according to his age Seleucus and Antiochus Seleucus being weake and poore vnable to rule his armie was poysoned by his friends and reigned onely two yeares Antiochus was syrnamed Megas or the great and reigned 37. yeares These be the two kings which here be meant And an heatheÌ„ indiffereÌ„t eueÌ„ AppiaÌ„ sheweth vnto vs why the Angel â—hould name theÌ„ in the plural nuÌ„ber soone turne â—o the singular Polybius recordeth to the same effect Booke 4. in these words Antiochus was the yonger sonne of Seleucus Callinicus He vpon his fathers death wheÌ„ the kingdome came to his brother at the first led a priuate life in the higher part of the kingdome Soone after wheÌ„ his brother passed ouer the
and terme them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artaxashta Artaxasata or Artaxiasata as Strabo writeth townes named from the kings name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ahashueroth The fourth Daniel 11.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius Artaxashta or Artaxasta thorough Ezra from Chap. 7. as the Massorites there note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artaxerxes These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ochus These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius Neh. 12. The Greekes whole Alexander the great the notable horne in the forehead of the Goate-bucke His posteritie Hercules and Alexander These with the principall parters of his kingdome make the bellie and the sides of brasse the Leopard with foure heads and the Goate-buckes notable horne and the foure that came vp for it The Greekes parted The Southerne all are in Strabo Geog. 17. Ptolemy Lagides 1. horne the king of the South Dan. 11.5 Ptolemy Philadelphus 3. horne v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernice his daughter is married to the king of the North and killed Ptolemy Euergetes her brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that standeth vp from the Impe of her rootes 5. horne v. 7. Ptolemy Philopator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. horne v. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He in whose times the lawlesse Iewes will be stirring and perish Ptolemy Epiphanes He had with his wife Cleopatra Syria in dowrie v. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— horne The Northerne all are in Appians Syriac Seleucus Nicator 2. horne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 5. Antiochus Soter who dealt in no special sort against the Iewes and therfore is omitted in Gabriels speech Antiochus Theos 4. horne v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seleucus Callinicus soone killed Antiochus the great v. 10. 6. horne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee that marrieth his daughter to the king of the South he shall also consume Iudaea Seleucus Philopater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the taxer 9. horne v. 20. Antiochus Epimanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vile the 10. horne v. 21. These kings make the iron of the two legs and somewhat of the iron and clay thinking by mariages to make attonement for Syria and Iudaea but further falling out These also such as are noted with Hebrew make the ten hornes of the fourth beast and in these dayes the Iewes the high Saintes begin to recouer their kingdome In particularitie Daniel speaketh no further of them The clay weaknes of the Images legs Southerne Ptolemy Philometor and Ptolemy Physcon Ptolemy Lathurus Ptolemy Auletes the Piper Cleopatra Strab. 17. All after the third Ptolemy were corrupt in wantonnesse and ruled cruelly But the seuenth and eighth the Piper specially Northerne two at once Demetrius Soter Demetrius Nicator Antiochus brother to Demetrius he killed himselfe Cleopatra wife to Demetrius killed him she had maried her brother Antiochus and had children by Demetrius Seleucus and Ant. Grypus Seleucus was kild by his mother Cleopatra Grypus poisoned his mother Seleâ—cus he droue out Cyzicen was killed by Antiochus An. Cyzicenus he droue out Grypus Antiochus who maried his mother in lawe Selene Tigranes droue him out And Pompey refused to suffer his sonne to raignâ— Antiochus Eupator Alexander Diodotus who maried Ptolemies daughter Tryphon killed by Antiochus Trogus Pompeius noteth that thus by the discord of the brethren of consanguinitie the East became vnder the people of Rome And so all may see how iron and clay the mixture in mans seed not cleauing together giueth testimonie to Daniels vision Of the times and yeares which these kings raigned WHereas these prophane kings are compared with Scripture we must take heede lest we grant vnto them a longer time of raigne then the holy text hath for the same ages for so we disanull the authoritie of Gods word Yet former ages haue bene in that blame a long time This may be spoken of them in generall that the whole yeares of no kings out of Gods people haue or were to haue their whole summe in holy record Besides heathen are so vncertaine that they agree not for the yeares of any one king betwixt Nebucadnezar and Iulius Caesar Yet when heathen are throughly examined from age to age by particular testimonies and by the liues of most famous men they shall be found to agree very well so with that which Scripture testimonies liues require Though strong errors like hedges of thornes stop the passage of the truth The truth must be confirmed from them for better satisfaction of such as braue more in heathen studies then Diuinitie Of the Chaldeans time of raigne THe Iewes agree vniuersally that from the first of Nebuchadnezar vnto the death of Belshazar the time is seuentie yeares And if Christian Commenters had followed them in that agreement and truth it had bene better with vs. Whereas the second captiuitie by some the third by some others is made the beginning of the seuentie yeares so a great rent is made in the holy storie Of the Persians true times and erronious sleights that deceiued From Darius Hystaspeos age about 20. at Babels fal he liuing but 43. vnto Xerxes warre 6. yeares after his death are 30. yeres Then Artaxerxes raigned at home Herod and Ctes Artaxerxes in all 42. Clem. 1. Storm He died in the seuenth of the Peloponnesian warres Thuc. Ochus 8. cleare y. 16. with his father 11. with his son Artaxerxes 42. Clem. Ochus three Darius about fiue Summe 130. Of the Grecians times from Clemens but Epiphanius differeth in twelue yeares excesse and Maximus Monachus cometh shorter Alexander sixe yeares Ptolemie Lagides fortie Ptolemie Philadelphus seuen and thirtie Ptolemie Euergetes fiue and twentie Ptolomie Philopator seuenteene Ptolemie Epiphanes foure and twentie In this age Iuda recouereth their owne gouernement Ptolomie Philometor fiue and thirtie Physcon nine and twentie Lathurus sixe and thirtie Auletes nine and twentie Cleopatra two and twentie Summe 300. The Romans vnto our Lords death threescore years so arise 490. Thus we may see how they litle examined the heathen who could not see that some agreed most exactly with the Scripture Nowe Suidas hath for all the Greekes times about thirtie yeares lesse then Clemens They who thinke that true may pardon the Greekes thirtie in their fortie of excesse past from Lysanders vnwalling Athens or Phyle stirres in the life of them who sawe it and heard Dinarchus cite their testimony against Demosthenes after Alexanders death of which sort Aeschines and Demetrius Phalereus are cited by them selues and others Such as heard not of Greciaes most moÌ„strous lying may pay the one with the other In sound learning and religion that must stand in summe which best agreeth with scripture for the same times otherwise Greekes disagree for ech kings yeres The Nobles of
was turned in me into corruption I reteyned no strength Yet I heard the voyce of his wordes And when I heard the voyce of his wordes I fell in a slumber on my face and my face was towardes the ground Now beholde an hand touched me and set me vpon my knees and vpon the palmes of myne handes And he sayd vnto me O Daniel thou gracious man vnderstande my wordes which I speake vnto thee and stande vpright For now am I sent to thee And when he had spoken this speach to me I stoode trembling Then he sayd vnto me Feare not Daniel For from the first day that thou diddest set thine hart to vnderstande and to chasten thy selfe before thy God thy wordes were heard and I am come for thy wordes But the prince of the kingdome of Paras stoode against me And beholde Michael the first of the chiefe Princes came to helpe me and I remayned there by the king of Paras Now I am come to shew thee what shall befall thy people in the time hereafter For yet the vision is for those dayes And when he had spoken these wordes vnto me I set my face towardes the grounde and I became dum And beholde that resemblance in sight as a man touched my lyppes Then I opened my mouth and spake and sayd vnto him that stoode before me O my Lord by the vision my ioyntes are loosed in me and I retayne no strength And how can this seruant of my Lord talke with this my Lord thus am I since euen now no strength standeth in me nor breath is left in me Than againe he in sight as a man touched me and made me strong And sayd feare not gracious man peace be to thee be strong againe I say be strong And when he had spoken vnto me I was strengthened and sayd Let my Lord speake for thou hast strengthened me Than sayd he Knowest thou wherefore I am come vnto thee And now I will returne to fight with the Prince of Paras and when I am gone away the Prince of Iauan commeth But I will shew thee what is written in the Scripture of trueth And there is none that strengtheneth him selfe with me in these thinges but Michael your Prince CHAP. 11. Gabriel geueth now an exposition of the matters figured by the Image great goodly and tirrible by the beastes that came out of the Sea and by the other that battered at the riuer Vlai in more particuler sort then the former three expositions of those three visions shewed the matter so that this is the seauenth time that the same nations are spoken off thrife figured and as often expounded afore This speach teacheth of their particular dealinges in such playnnes as the Heathen afterwardes penned their doinges He reckoneth how many kinges of Persia shalbe soone cut off or ouerthrowen for hindering the worke of the Temple Thence he passeth ouer to great Alexander and geueth an abridgement of all his stories his arising his fall and his houses of his foure principall successours of the many others lesser then they of two the mightiest whose families should all their time both clayme the kingdome of Iudah And he geueth an historie aforehand of ten Kinges the ten hornes of the fourth Beast shewing in them the rigour of the iron legges and iron teeth how not only they deuoured Iudah in their taxes and other yeerely reuenues but trode it more downe by their continuall camping in it from both their chiefe kingdomes And in Antiochus Epiphanes the last instrument of wrath against the Holy couenant he continueth a long speach as he was chiefly to be looked vnto of his treacherous comming vp in Syria by poysoning his brother of his preparing against Egypt where by the way Iudah felt the beginning of the 2300. dayes oppression of his great successe in his first voyage into Egypt of the seconde with bad successe and his vehementer rage against the Temple by his returne through Iudea which rage helde three yeeres and an halfe of a thirde voyage wherein he spoyled Egypt exceedingly and returned through Iudea to Elymais and of his death by the hand of God All these thinges are handled of him so particularly that all the wyse of those dayes might be confirmed to stande to the trueth seeing aforehand what should be their euent and all of all ages marke in whom the last visions of Daniel ended that the prophecies might draw men vnto Christ and not beyonde him as the Iewes now adayes woulde peruert his sayinges and turne them in most senselesse wyse against Christianitie and to their owne eternall ruine For all this Heathen stories are for vs sure witnesses of the Angels meaning A repetition of Babels fall AND in the first yeere of Darius the Madaj I stoode a strength and a fortresse vnto him ¶ Of 4. Persian kinges plagued for the Temple And now I will tell thee the trueth Yet three kinges stande vp to Paras and the fourth shalbe farre richer then they all and through his strength by his riches he shall stirre vp all agaynst the kingdome of Iauan ⧠Of Alexander and his family Afterwardes a mightie king shall stande vp and beare a great dominion and do as he lyst And when he standeth vp his kingdome shalbe broken shalbe deuided toward the foure windes of the heauen and not to his posteritie nor according to his dominion which he bare For his kingdome shalbe pluckt vp and be for others beside those ¶ Of the two legges ioyned to the belly and sides cha 2. the two kingdomes which remayned of Alexanders Princes which make the fourth beast with ten hornes And the king of the South shalbe strong and an other of his Princes who shalbe stronger then he and beare dominion His dominion shalbe the greatest dominion Of the mixture of Iron and Clay how the two parted Kingdome the two legges Dan. 2. ioyned in mans seede and Mariages cleaueth together as Iron and Clay a daughter of the South king being giuen to the Northren And at the ende of certaine yeares they shalbe ioyned together and the kings daughter of the South shall come to the king of the North to make agreement But she shall not retaine the strength of the arme Neither shall he stand and his arme And she shall be giuen ouer and they that brought her and he that begat her and her strengthener in those dayes But an impe from her roots shall stand vp in his place and he shall come against the army shall come into the force of the king of the North and deale against them and win And their Goddes with their states with their precious vessels of siluer and gold shall he cary into captiuitie into Egypt And he shall stand yeares aboue the king of the North. How Heathen that neuer knew Daniel recorde the
Philopator to his great encouragement hauing foure hundred horse Pella Camous Gephron Abila Galatis became also his And Gadara one of the strongest holds there In Arabia Tarabata Massana was won by him with much paines thereupon Rabat Aman where companies that shrunke vnto him he sent to keepe the quarters of Samaria All this Polybius recordeth that we may looke vnto the Angels words how he should prosper so farre as the Angel sayd Make voyages and ouerflowe and recouer his fathers losses and come euen vnto the fortresse of Egygt to fight with the King of the South at his owne Fortresse at Raphia Of which towne Strabo speaketh thus Beyonde Gaza standeth Raphia where the field was fought betweene Ptolemy the fourth and Antiochus the great Then Rinocolura Syrbonis and other parts of Egypt So famous God would haue the Angels terme here of Fortresse to be Of Ptolemy Philopator and his Armie gotten to be great against Antiochus the great after which victorie he is a seauenth Horne to Iudah And the king of the South shall deale fiercely and come forth and fight with the other with the king of the North and shall set forth a great multitude and the other multitude shall be giuen into his hand And that multitude shalbe ouerthrowne and his hart will be hautie and hauing cast downe tennes of thousands yet he shal not be of force For the king of the North shall againe set foorth a greater multitude then the former And at the end of times that is yeares he shall come often with a mightie armie and great riches Wherfore in those times many shal stand against the king of the South But the lawlesse children of thy people will be caried away at the stablishing of the vision and shall come to nothing And the king of the North shall come and cast vp mounts and shal surprise any the strongest towne the armes of the South shall not be able to withstand him nor his chosen people nor any kind of strength be to withstand But he that cometh against him shall do what he list and none shall stand before him And he shall stand in the land Tzeby and it shall he wasted by his forces And he shall set his face to come with the might of all his kingdome pretending matter of agreement which he shall bring about For he shall giue him a daughter of women euen as to destroy her But she will not stand I meane she will not be for him And he shall turne his face vnto the Isles and take many But a state shal make his shame rest on him selfe without his owne shame he shall pay him againe The death of Antiochus the great And he shall turne his face vnto the fortes of his owne land but he shalbe ouerthrowne and fall and be no more found Of Seleuc. Philopator the 9. Horne Then shall stand vp in his place a sender foorth of an extortioner in the honour of the kingdom But he shalbe broken within few dayes yet not in open anger nor in battell Of Antiochus Epiphanes the 10. horne in whom the iron of the Syriaque legge doth end and on whom the rest of Daniel goeth how he is a litle horne a plucker away of three before him of his brother by Heliodorus sleight though he after would haue raigned of his brothers sonne and of his sister Cleopatras sonne and how he had eyes like a priuate man and a mouth speaking presumptuous things In his place there shall stand vp a vile person to whom they shall not giue the honour of the kingdome but he shall come quietly and get the kingdome by subtleties And by armes ouerthrowing they shalbe ouerthrowne before him and shalbe broken as also the Prince of the couenant Through the ioyning together with whom he shall worke deceiptfully and shall come vp and ouercome with a small people Vnto a quiet state and vnto the fatnesse of the countrey shall he come and he shal do that which his fathers haue not done nor his fathers fathers he shall spoile and rob and scatter riches among theÌ„ also he shall forecast deuises against the strong holds and this for a good while The dealings of Antiochus Epiphanes touching Ptolemie Philometor and Iudah whence the troubles of Iuda 1. Mach. begin Also he shall stirre-vp his strength and his hart against the king of the South with a great armie and the king of the South shall combat in warre with an armie very great and strong But he shall not stand because they will cast deuises for him And they that eate the portion of his meate shall breake him and the other army shall ouerflow and many slaine shall fall And both the kings harts shalbe set on mischief at one table leasing will they speake But it shall not prosper for the end is yet to come at a set time And he shall returne into his land with great riches And shall set his hart against the holy couenant and practise and preuaile and returne into his owne land And at a set time he shall come againe into the South but it shall not be as the former and as a later voyage For shippes of Chittim shall come against him wherefore he shall fret yet returne and fume against the holy couenant and practise and returne and haue intelligence with them that forsake the holy couenant And armes shall stand on his part which shall pollute the Sanctuary of strength and shall take away the coÌ„tinuall sacrifice they shal set vp their lothsome faithlesse worker of desolation The dealing of Antiochus against Iudaea I Thinke it good to touch briefly all Antiochus dealings against Iudaea here together vvhich are conteind vers 28. and from vers 30. vnto vers 40. vvholly Thus it standeth at his going to Aegypt he delt vvith the Iewes that forsake Gods Law and there begin the dayes 2300. in the 142. since Alexanders death In 143. he returneth and dealeth in open crueltie then he had further intelligence vvith them tha forsake thet holy couenant This is plentifully handled in 1. Mâ—ch 1. vers 23. how he polluted and robbed the temple After two full yeares 145. of the Greekes Iason a mischieuous dealer against the holy couenant with 1000. men did set vpon Ierusalem and made great slaughter sparing none Now Antiochus returning from Aegypt and knowing this thought that the nation would rebell and minded to vveaken them more 2. Mach. 5.11 He surprised the holie Citie hauing Menelaus his leader vvho most vvickedly forsooke the holie couenant he destroyed 80000. in three dayes some slaine some sold and he charged that no age nor sex should be spared and such as fled vnto the hous-toppes should be kild cruelly So young and old men and vvomen boyes gyrles and infants vvere slaine This the Angell foretold that they should fall by sword fire captiuitie spoiles he should not regard the tendernesse of vvoman Now touching
Antiochus dealings ouer ReligioÌ„s which the Angell termeth against euery God and which phrase S. Paul translateth against all that is called God or vvorship and how he exalteth himselfe against the God of Gods Polybius toucheth the former and the bookes of Machabees the later Thus Polybius in Athenaeus vvriteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In sacrifices and honours about Gods he surmounted all that euer reigned Olympieum in Athens and the huge Images at Delos altar argue that The prophane Polybius might thinke of his Religions vehemencie for the vrging vvhich vvas for the Iewes vnto it vvhich must be countenanced vvith great charges And concerning his exalting of him selfe against God for all the Law dayes 2300. for the temple Ierusalem and Gods people vvith torments and death three yeares and an halfe the Machabees shew that vvhither once for all I referre the reader There it vvill appeare how he did set his hart against the holie couenant how he had intelligence vvith the forsakers of the holy couenant Iason Menelaus and such vvhich were come to the fulnesse of sinne how he by great promises allured to mischief the couenant and much preuailed how he advaunced in honour heathen vvhom he fauoured to rule the many in Iuda and parted the land into a gaine how armes from his polluted the Sanctuarie vvith banquetting harlots and Idolatrous sacrifices and inhibited all Moses Religion and required practise of his heathen and punished the refusers many dayes by sword flame captiuitie spoile how the Machabees vvere holpen vvith little helpe how the teachers by all good example and giuers of true knowledge in holie couenant vvere ouerthrowne As Eleazar their old Scribe vvith his most graue oration and the seuen brethren vvho handled this Angels oration most diuinely all these matters may thence be fetched And specially how he neuer vvas moued vvith the tendernesse of vvomen but tormented them against all nations humanitie for their lawes that is often and much recorded But touching his owne concubines Tarsenses and Malleotae rebell by Theodoret for that their towns were giuen to queanes allowance Now for the God of all might how in his place he honoreth yea a God he honoreth vvhom his fathers knew not Iupiter Olympius and causeth the forces of the God of all might to haue a strange God and maintained by Apollonius the authour of abominations the most lothsome infidels as the lothsome beastes in Leuiticus and souldiers working desolation these points all together may be fetched better froÌ„ the Machabees then here mixed The Angell vvas here to take speciall heed that his phrases should be darke for heathen and cleare for them that knew the Ebrew Prophets style In opening of them a speech somwhat long must come in after their translation And the wicked dealers against the couenant he shall make prophane by guile but the people that know their God shall lay hold and practise And the teachers among the people shall giue instruction to many who shall be ouerthrowen by sword and by flame by captiuitie and by spoyle many dayes And wheÌ„ they are ouerthrowen they shalbe holpen with a little helpe But many shall ioyne vnto them fainedly And some of the teachers shalbe ouerthrowen to be tryed and to be purged and to be whited vnto the times end For the set time is yet to come And the king shall do what he list and exalt him selfe and magnifie himselfe aboue all that is called God and against the God of Gods shall he speake swelling things and prosper vntill the anger be finished for a seuere iudgement is to be executed And vnto the Gods of his fathers will he haue no regard likewise vnto the tendernesse of women or vnto any God he will haue no regard but will magnifie himselfe aboue all As for the God almightie in his place he will honour yea a God whom his fathers knew not will he honour with gold with siluer and with precious stones and with iewelles So he shall deale that the forces of the almightie shall haue a straunge God Whom he fauoreth he shall greatly aduaunce and make them rulers ouer many and shall part the land to be a sale Antiochus his third voyage into Egypt against Ptolemie Philometor And at the end of time the king of the South shal push at him the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind with charet horses and shippes many and shall come through countreys and flow and passe ouer Also he shall come into the Tzeby land and many landes shalbe ouerthrowen But these shalbe safe from his hand Edom and Moab and the chiefe of the sonnes of Ammon Also he shall stretch forth his hand ouer countreys specially the land of Aegypt shall not escape But he shall haue power ouer the hid treasure of gold and siluer and ouer all the iewels of Aegypt and Lubin and Cushim shalbe with his passages How Antiochus bestowed the spoiles of Aegypt and of other countreys as Polybius in Atheneus recordeth as a witnesse vnto the holy Angell I Thinke good to lay downe here Polybius wordes touching Antiochus vvho came vp poorely and saw his father distressed and his brother likewise when both vvere forced to Church-robbing The summe is this that he bestowed infinite cost vpon a triumph to imitate Paulus Aemilius hauing gotten the vvealth by spoiling young Philometor and breaking league vvith him by the contributions of his friendes and by robbing most Churches Wherein he would manifestly be aboue euery God The learned vvill best like the authours owne vvordes neither can our tongue so vvell expresse them Thus Athenaeâ—s bringeth Polybius vvordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This record I hold much worth seeing it agreeth so fitly with the robbing of Aegypt and also might well be the cause of his necessitie proceeding from prodigalitie to spoyle the temple of Persepolis mentioned 2. Mach. 9. An old opinion that the Romanes are one of the foure kingdomes in Daniel made men draw them as enemies to Gods people into this oration They are in the commers vvith shippes from Chittun indeede therein Daniel remembring BalaaÌ„ knew that hence the Romanes might should encrease to afflict Assur and Eber whose chiefe Christ vvas and that they should hold-on vnto the end and specially be the lothsome infidels vvhich should destroy Ierusalem But the Romanes dealt not against the holie Iewes lawes of Religion vvhich matter here was to be handled nor medled vvith the Iewes till the nation by sedition called for them and Gods seueritie vvas not to giue them comfort touching ill called for by their owne loosenesse but against such as by force continued the vvith-holding of their kingdome And no vvord here vvill agree vvith the Romanes vnlesse vve dare make Scripture a nose of vvaxe The Iewes indeede since the dayes of Methargem Ierusalemy would haue the Romanes meant one of Daniels foure kingdomes and yet them selues the onely nation blessed
Eusebius and other Christians vvould draw the Romanes in but vvould also haue heathen Christians to be afflicted here So the Angell is made to speake in the cloudes and all gracious Daniel sealed vp as vnexplicable and the stories drawen beyond Christ afore they reach neare vnto him and Iewes hardened and Christianitie vveakened and all Libraries pestered vvith errours of infinite confusion And vnlesse vve be content to rouoke our erroneous notes for the Romanes in Daniel chap. 2.7 and here 11. and likewise for Ezek. 38. and a little vpon Zacharie 6. for the foure Monarchies vve shall do our selues great iniurie and breake the law which forbiddeth to lay a stumbling blocke afore the blind and I feare be counted of small conscience in Religion He that vvould vvillingly continue an errour to disturbance of the Bible is no better affected then those foure beastes that goe into the riuer of burning fire Herein Printers should specially shew conscience that their actions continue not errour for gaine after blame iust and profitable Of Antiochus Parthian war and breaking without hand chap. 8. and casting into the fier chap. 7. But tydings shall trouble him from the East and from the North and he shall go forth with great heate to destroy and sacke many And he shall plante the tents of his court betweene seas at holy mount Tzeby and he shall come to his end and none shall helpe him CHAP. 12. A further explication of the afflictions vnder Antiochus Epiphanes and notes vpon the vvhole oration ANd at that time shall stand vp Michael the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shalbe a time of trouble such as hath not bene since there began a nation vnto that time and at that time thy people shalbe saued all that shalbe found written in the booke The better resurrection and the worse Eb. 11. to life and to Iudgement Iohn 5. For the many of them that sleepe in the earth of dust shall awake some to life euerlasting and some to all shame to lothsomnesse euerlasting And the wise shall shine like the brightnesse of the firmamēt they that turne the many to righteousnesse like the starres for euer and euer Of keeping close these Prophecies And thou Daniel shut vp the words and seale the booke till the ende of the time Many will search through and this knowledge shall encrease The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hiding of the minde which Daniel vsed ANd here I thinke it not amisse to shew Daniels owne practise in style of sealing vp his sense euen where he vvriteth in the common language the Chalde tongue folowing the order of his Chapters And first of all though he onely handle the first captiuitie yet he vvould not date it from the first of Nebuchadnezar as lothing to haue a prophane king ouer Gods people to beare a date of their thraldome taking vnto himselfe being of Iudahs kings that honour of measuring the captiuitie So vers 1. and last of chap. 1. he must be vnderstood as setting the limites of the 70. yeares In chap. 2.1 he vvonderfully telleth the date from his owne standing afore the king closly comparing himself with Ioseph for the like time and Nebuchadnezar vvith Pharaoh In expounding the Image vvhen he began vvith telling how the feete perish and commeth last vnto the head that perished first this pleased Nebuchadnezar as though he should not soone fall In the same speach vvhen he ioyneth iron brasse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaspa and Caspa clay and siluer he sheweth his care to please the cruell tyrant and his own readynesse of wit in the allusion besides the depth of the natures that siluer termed Caspa of desire is but Chaspa mere dust And through the whole matter his silence touching Iuda and leauing the oppressed by the iron as though all nations had felt the iron of the legges this holpe his people and the ignorance of his closenesse made 1500. yeares errour in vs. The third and fourth and fift Chapters neither needed nor suffred hiding therein he fully setteth forth the Babylonian shame and Gods glorie So in the sixt he dealt vvith the Persians The seuenth bears his vvit in Belesh-zar shewing that Bel becommeth a fire of sorow from the fierie throne Likewise in speaking first of the last beastes ruine and returning to speake of the former and vsing termes of equiuocation as vve yet mistake them that the Chaldeans could picke no quarell For thus the vvordes might seeme to meane vers 12. Concerning the others beastes they had taken away their dominion yet their liues vvere prolonged for a certaine time and season What the argument calleth for and how the vvordes will abide another sense all may see Like vers 18. Vau signifying And or vvhich the taking one for the other vvould keepe Daniels people from blame and they might see an exposition in the Chapter Therein also his terming of the Iewes the Sainctes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them the holy Trinitie that conteined no danger yet great vvisedome While the kings of Iudah liued Iakim Iackin Zedekias prophane as heathen God vvould shew kingdomes ouer them in no vvorse sort then they vvould vvish to appeare as in the Image and then he gaue his own people no name a bad he might not a good vnder those kings he could not But vvhen Salomons house vvas extinct and our Lordes ancestours right commeth in then it was fit that a name should be giuen them of the highest approbation And all this vvhile he durst aduenture to vvrite in the commonest language of East and South to helpe many and danger none But chap. 8. vvhere Babels fall is gathered by Elam arising and Elam fell by Iauans arising the nations be named Iudah surely described to any Iew and he is commaunded to close it vp then he not onely dissembled his griefe for his people that should fall from being starres but vvriteth in Ebrew and vseth termes that amaze the vnbeedy vnto this day Palmonie Tzeby amazed the vvicked Iewes continually In the ninth he is vvonderfull vvhere while he penneth his own words he plainly teacheth by his stile how ready he was in Moses and the Prophetes When he penneth the Angels he maketh a cloude white towards Israel blacke towards Aegypt Thence a true Israel may looke to our Lordes death forward and turne vnto Moses euen by Sabbates iourneys and thence may see heathen confusion of stories In the tenth he hid his minde not telling vvherefore he fasted because in Persia he might not blame the kings hinderance of the Temple vvhen his griefe is relieued by shewing how foure kings Xerxes campe shall soone fade he knew that Tigris swift vvaters vvere a fit resemsemblance of the speede and knew that they should be punished for the Temple By keeping close his minde he saued his from danger And any that
which woulde cause them to be more hated of the heathen * In comparisoÌ„ of Iuda and in dealing against them vnto Antiochus Epiphanes or somwhat further § In mariages which are handled in cha 11.6 17. †When the kingdomes of the Selucides and the Ptolomies are fallen ‡ Iohn the Baptist looked to this and our Lord also saying the kingdome of heaueÌ„ is come and so did S. Paul 1. Tim. 1.17 ¶ witty Daniel telleth first how the last shalbe destroyed not how Nebuchadnezars house first should fall So he dealeth in Chap. 7. verse 11. 12. * This was about two yeres afore the captiuity of Iechonias an encoragement for the faythful to go willingly to Babylon their owne nobles being so aduaunced there * Y.W. 3408 * Chaldy officers must be tearmed of vs after ours next theirs in vse notation Seeing onely the captiued with Daniel are accused we may know that this was afore Iechonias captiuitie some yeere or two about Nebucadnezars seauenth yeere * The vnperfect speach argueth his heate * The doubtful wordes in the Heathens spech haue been wel taken of the ancient as they best myght meane * Yet wicked Ioakim would not ceasse to deale amysse in Iudah vntyl he was buried as an Asse and had his carcase made as dung being cast away vnburied Ier. 22. 36. * The common distinction of the chapter here agreed not with the argument wherfore I left it The chastisement of the Idolatrous king ‡ Y.W. 3443. * He had not conquered Egypt vntil after 27. of Iechonias or his owne 34 Ezek 30. Wherefore this vision should be about his 36. Y. And this proclamation about an yeere or two before his death at 45. Y. reigne 8. yeeres after the vision § Y.W. 3435. ‡ This place argueth that he forsooke not wholy his Idolatry * As Salomons Temple that seuen yeeres workâ— of many thousandes was by him destroyed That is He hath numbred he hath weighed and they deuide * We may see many reasons why the Chaldeans coulde not reade this Scripture They knew not God to be one and to rule mens affayres Besides they knew not their owne impietie but sayd in their hart There is no God Wherefore they knew not who should be weighed specially in the Ballance And touching the Medes and Persians now their besiegers they litle thought that they could surprise the strong Babel and bragged how they were victualled for 20 yeeres siege as Xenophon recordeth Thus the matter was hard for them The wisedome of Daniel is rare in his commentaries in telling first the storie of the true God in whom we liue mooue and haue our beeing after of Nebuchadnezars greatnesse and iust fall of worse dealing in Belshazar and therevpon how God numbred the yeeres of his kingdome and how the twise telling imported a numbring with a witnesse and full ending of it and whom specially God weighed and how he maketh the partition by Madaj and Paras who are the Parsin partners he departeth somewhat from the wordes to cleare the matter the better And we are to marke the liuely prouidence touching the families of Scripture Babel the oldest wicked monument which was buylt to the great ruine of all the godly Families by Nimrod the Nephew of cursed Cham to the great griefe of Sem and Iapheth wherevpon Adams one tongue was made 70. which Babel ended the Iewes language the first tongue that it was common in no Kingdome after that This kingdome is ouerthrowen by Madaj of Iapheth and Elam of Sem that all should here remember Noahs time and his speach touching Iapheth and Sem. The kinges of which two Patriarkes are presently called to the fayth ioyned in Conquest and Empire and proclayming of Gods trueth ouer all the worlde and both are taught in the heauenly Oration of Gabriel the cleare summe of both Testamentes from Dan. 9 24. And touching the syllables of Paras Peres as Gods eye regarded the allusion So Madai a Meater or Measurer is more euident and to be as well noted but lesse needed wanting being the playner that we might looke euen vnto Iapheths tongue how God ruled it in the geuing of a name to his thirde sonne Madaj * In MENE MENE †Xenophon had heard how Cyrus entred Babel on a nyght when the Chaldeans kept a great Feast and brake into the Palace when the Courtiers were banqueting kild the King § Darius being â—2 at the fall of Babel which reigned 70. yeeres falleth to be borne at the eight yeere of Nebuchadnezar when he caried the king Iechoniah captiue and all the Nobles and ten thousande valiant men and all Ierusalem and all sauing the base of the land and had caried away all the treasure of the house of the Lord and brake all the vessels of the Temple which king Salomon made Then Madai who with Elam must reuenge the cause of Iudah had a Prince borne Doubtlesse the wyse Iewes woulde tell the Medes of their expectation and the King would better affect Iudah I can not see to what better purpose Daniel should tel the kinges age then how God prouided a remedâ—â— when he strake * Darius Madaj a searcher out and a requiter Ezra the learned Scribe cha 10 16. vseth the worde Darios beside all ordinarie forme of grammer for to search iust in the letters of Darius in searching out impietie alluding vnto the kings name office Psal 10 15. * Y.W. 1471. A wonderfull yere for Babels fal Lionshumblenes the Angels oratioÌ„ two Emperours christian Proclamations a generall subsidy ouer 120 nations for Iudahs returne a Chaldy one but in ver 3 it is playne that principall is meant b When the originall is also our language as 15 tymes y-then or by theÌ„ in this chap. in Daniels tonge it is an ouersight not to marke it § The Chaldy terme of Daniel is also Ebrew from psal 2. in Wherefore did the heatheÌ„ RAGE or keepe a stir And doubtles Daniels spirite thought of Dauid his fathers terme * Chap. 5 13. § Chap. 2 12. a That the wyl of none should seeke further meanes to destroy Daniel b So Bath the Arabique here in Mat. 21 17. is taken Tenath fasting Dacheuâ—n musicque Cauâ—n windowes Bal an hart be Arabique in Daniels termes as Aben Ezra noteth c With a voyce not distressed as that of the king was Chap. 4 1. Chap. 4 6. Chap. 2 44. * Daniel transposeth y e dome-letter Aleph in y e kinges name geuing him closely a notation fit for the vision Bel-she-Azar is Bel is he that storeth ryches But this name is Bel on fire by the enemy God as I touched it afore The Massorites note the diuersitie of the writing vpoÌ„ Dan. 5 and translaters shold not omit that * For Babel destroyed Iudahs kingdome Paras meant once to haue destroyed the whole natioÌ„ in one day Alexander required Iudah to take the date from his conquestes to name the Priestes sonnes Alexanders all
Polybius will serue to shew his spoiling nature here touched How he came by his kingdom and was able to ouerflow Appian aboue shewed that euen by two wealthie kings helpes His pretence of right was the society made with his brother who I thinke is here named the Prince of the couenant or agreement To meane it of Ptolemy Philometor who reigned first sixe yeares after him it may be thought somewhat harder The spoiling and robbing of his owne countrey may well be vnderstood to be for Attalus and Eumenes armies that made him king against the states will who denied him the honor of the kingdomes He began to reigne in 137 of the Greeks 1. Mach. Which account must be taken from Alexanders death and not begin 14 yeares later where men imagine that because then Alexanders family was vtterly rooted out the Captaines were called first kings they fixed their date For if Claudius Ptolemie say true that from the first of Nabonassar 424. Alexander dyed the seuenth of Philometor is thence 574. The first of Philometor being at 142. after Alexanders death his seuenth should be at Antiochus his first and so he could not be set vpon by Antiochus This sheweth what vncertaintie heathen haue in their supposed exquisite particulars And herein Codoman deserueth prayses for amending the common errour from Greekes as we expounde them Likewise the Romanes recordes for Paulus Aemilius go hard whose triumph falleth after Antiochus death by the former recknings My partener Beroaldus herein twise followed the common errour which by the way I was to amend * Seleueus Philopater loued his fathers steps of Church-robbing Iason of Cyren abridged by him which wrote the second of the Machabees sheweth how Seleucus would haue robbed the Temple of Ierusalem Although that booke is full of Rabbique trickes and hath some openly Talmudicall as making Nehemias to be all one with Zorobabel the builder of Altar and Temple as the Babylonian Talmud doth in Sanedrin hath many childish flourishes yet as we vse heathen euen fables for substance of a narration though couered with light stuffe we may cite that author for so much hearing from God by heathen what Seleucus would be His poysoning is here described a breaking not by face to face not by warres So close guile as poysoning must be the third kind Appian in Syriaques sheweth all thus When Antiochus the Great was dead Seleucus his sonne succeeded And he did set free his brother Antiochus from the Romanes hostage yeelding his sonne Demetrius in lieu of him Now when Antiochus returned from hostage and was about Athens Seleucus dyeth by the trecherie of one Heliodorus that was about him That Heliodorus vsurped the reigne but Eumenes and Attalus remoue him and settle Antiochus in it winning that mans fauour being now vpon offences in suspition of the Romanes And so Antiochus the sonne of Antiochus the great obteined the reigne of Syria He had his syrname Epiphanes because the kingdome being catched at by others he cometh to be seene their king Mark how the Angel touched all these matters and moe h With Antiochus dealings against Aegypt his doings against Iudaea fall out it he was to take still in his way His inuasiō of Aegypt is hādled in Liuie booke 45. How he pretended to helpe there one brother against the other two Ptolemies they were and wan all Aegypt but Alexandria and left it to th'elder brother But he had a great garrison still at Pelusium That made the elder brother suspect him and thanke him but onely for a fashion for all his helpe here it is told The brethren agreed Antiochus returned with a fleet by sea and campe by land into Aegypt and requireth Cyprus to be graunted him with Pelusium and the soyle about it Ptolemie craueth the Romanes ayde who then had their fleet neare Popilius is sent with letters from the Romane state commanding Antiochus to depart from Aegypt the king taking the letters said he would consult vpon an answer Then Popilius draweth a circle about him with his staffe and biddeth him consult within that He was fayne to yeeld though it greeued him to the hart Ptolemie thanketh the Romanes as hauing his kingdome by their fauour and Antiochus likewese sendeth to Rome word that they shall in all things commaunde him So we see how these legges draw now to be clay like and how the little horne hath broken once three hornes his brother his sonne Demetrius and his sisters sonne king of Aegypt whereby the mariages make iron to be clay * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed Daniel 1. only and here * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 24 6.5 Is a most oratorious expositiō of the phrase †2. Thess 2 4. Translateth this better then mans wit would * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 2. * The Angel to Daniel or Iere. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is plain which terme is for God not an Idol Iere. 16.19 He of purpose vseth all hard terms What could be hard vnto a learned Hebrew and who would let enemies know his minde * as chap. 8. ◠Ezek. 20. * The Romanes can not be holdē any of Daniels foure kingdomes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses phrase Num. 24. vsed here made Daniel know by like reuolutiōs that the Romanes here arising shold afflict as these four kingdomes and hold on vnto the end and he knew that they should be the killers of Christ * The blasphemer of Christians Cornelius Tacitus commending this Antiochus saith that if he had not bene hindered by the Parthian warres he had drawen the Iewes from their as the blasphemer spake barbarous superstition As the testimonie of Sathan is cited in the Gospell so may his be hither for this Florus in Liuies abridgement LIX doth touch the warre of Anthiochus king of Syria and Phraates the Parthian But Tacitus commeth neare the wordes To destroy and sacke many Who the many be the next verse doth shew they that dwell betweene seas at holy mount Tzeby Now Tzeby vsed vers 16. and chap. 8.9 in Daniels owne phrase from Ezek. 20. was a plaine designatiō of Iudaea Moreouer the Babyloniā terme of a court Aphadno should argue a Babylonian king The terme hard to Greekes and plainest to Iewes and fittest for the matter to teach and saue them from harme that here beareth a sweet grace in it Moreouer the phrase planting of the tentes of his court is most fit for Antiochus who chasing at Iudas Machabaeus prosperities stayed halfe his army and his sonne with Lysias ruler of all from Euphrates vnto Aegypt to haue destroyed Ierusalem and the Iewes memorie vtterly Now the comming to his end is plaine that of one man not of a Romane Aristocratie all must be vnderstood and the breaking without hand touched in chap. 8. is in effect the same here where all mans helpe is remoued and sicknesse from Gods hand is closly meant 1. Mach. 3. and 6.
the 2. Mach. chap. 9 cleare this And now we are come vnto the end of wrath The Angell touched Babels fall the Persians punishment in Xerxes campe the speedie comming vp of Alexander his pride death and rooting out of his house his foure chief their reduction vnto a couple their place in North and South their falling out and seeking agreement by mariages and what ten afflicted Iudah vehemently and setteth forth the last so fully that none can doubt who the man should be and for all this heathen are good recorders So Daniels difficulties are opened by him selfe and for Antiochus Epiphanes he writeth rather a story then a prophecie Obseruations more touching the afflictions for comfort be added with explications but no new Princes matters a Eb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Babylonian terme often vsed in the Babylonian Talmud The Greeke kept it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The name is in Iud. 9. and Apoo. 12.7 * When Antiochus going to warre against Parthia leaueth Lysias behind him to haue rooted out the Iewes then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Michael that is he who is in the forme of God and holdeth it no robbery to be equall with God euen the Angell of the couenant shall stand in the Iewes defence * The terme of Daniels people in this place must needes meane the Iewes and here their troubles for Religion not the heathen Christians affliction must be vnderstood * Now it is euident that the holy Iewes nation were neuer tormented for true Religion through their whole state but vnder Antiochus Epiphanes Therefore it is cleare that the Angell spake here of those dayes And this one speech might haue kept Daniel in his true meaning that we should not draw men beyond Christ for these troubles stories before we draw them to him * The pronouncing of Iewes saluation in troubles and suffering persecution maketh the cause yet plainer and euery argument here should be reckoned of high price specially the end of afflictions that they bring vs vnto saluation through which afflictions all must goe who will liue godly in Christ as they are chosen of eternitie vnto this state This terme of booke from Moses and booke of life Philip. 4 3. Apoc. 3 5.13.8.20.15 all these are chained with references of the later vnto the former and that of Moses is expounded in the verse folowing with open cleare and proper naming of the resurrection in Moses properly neuer named but taught by strong consequences as in telling that the earth was cursed vnable to afford blessednesse here in shewing Enochs yeares and taking away into paradise as the Arabique translation of Ebrew 11. hath for the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also in Abrahā Isaack Iacob and Sarah who being pilgrimes and straungers in Chanaan without all purpose of returning to Mesopotamia professed that they looked for a Citie whereof God was the builder When the Eternall Angell Iehouah the God of Abraham Isaak and Iacob conteineth in describing of him selfe the gift of life to those Patriarches by reason that he is the God of the liuing and not of the dead the doctrine of life Eternall is sure but so taught that prophane Epicures cannot reach so far as to reply once against it Likewise where God saith Deut. 32. I kill and quicken the order of the speech conteineth the resurrection and the best meaning that can be grounded by Religion and proprietie vpon Gods words that is the right meaning The Ebrewes vpon Leuiticus 26. render a great reason why Moses neuer nameth life Eternal nor death Eternal plainly but the generall terme LIFE signifieth the one and so by death meaneth the other and for keeping the law promiseth corne wine peace victories many children and conteineth not life eternal but vnder a couering thus My tabernacle shalbe amongest you and I will be your God Likewise why for breaking the law he propoundeth but outward punishments and with addition Of his Face being against them weightie matter doe they bring of Moses counsell When the law was giuen scant any were in the world who beleeued that God was made the world and ruled it Where if open speeches of Eternal state after this world had bene told their vnbeliefe therein would haue kept them from all searching touching the present world his gouernement and of God his being and vnitie Therefore by open things he prouoketh them vnto the vnuisible closly The Prophets did the like alluring by outward blessings vnto the Eternal and by outward sorowes as weeping gnashing of teeth fire and brimstone Topheth and such betokening Eternall miserie But for the time when the holy Iewes were to lose land and life then plainly the resurrection is named euen here In Chapter the seuenth A kingdome for euer yea for euer and euer is named but so in phrase that some translaters turned that vnto the wicked One Printer did amend the fault which stood by mistaking a little particle Van But the next edition wallowed in the former mire That sheweth our weakenesse touching speeches of Eternall life when we know not whether the phrases touch the blessed or the cursed The speech here expoūdeth the former And the holy Ghost in the Epistle to the Ebrewes handleth this place most properly as one spoken for the comfort of the Iewes that liued in Antiochus persecutions Ebrewes 11.35 They were racked refusing to be set free that they might obteine the better resurrection Who cannot see that the phrase of better resurrection calleth vs vnto this place Moreouer the Gospell hath a speciall relation vnto this place Iohn 5.21 The feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was kept the dedication told 1. Mach. 4.59 at Ierusalem it was winter and Iesus walked in the Temple in the porch of Salomon and the Iewes compassed him about said how long doest thou keepe our soules in doubt if thou be Christ tell vs plainly Iesus said vnto them my sheepe here my voyce and I giue them life euerlasting and none can take them from my hand My Father who gaue them me is aboue all and no man can take them from my Fathers hand I and the father am one Here we see the notation of Mi-cha-el one with the Father Now the giuing of life Eternall vnto them whom the father gaue him that is which are found written in the booke and keeping them that none can take them out of his hand these shew who is Michael that standeth vp for his people And the attribute of great Prince as afore the first of the chiefe Princes that is translated by the Sainctes Paul and Iude Archangel And as the voyce of the trumpet is Gods voyce Psal 47.6 where the Lord ascendeth with the voyce of a trumpet so he did at the law giuing and Christ saith Iohn 5. the dead shall here the voyce of the sonne of God all which are in the graue shall here his voyce and they shall go such as haue done good into the resurrection of life and such as haue
would be heathen-like kings and brought in Saducisme Yet our Lord called them much vnto consideration of this text For his disputations that he raised vp the dead at the later day his present miracles of the raising Talitha his being at the Dedication feast his speech there that he was the sonne of God his phrase of Lazarus sleeping taken hence from vers 2. his speech with Martha that he is the resurrection his perswasion that she acknowledged him to be the sonne of God which was to come into the world that is by Daniels phrase the Prince of the people which honour no created Michael might vsurpe and as I touched his suffring vnder the Pharisies a time two times and halfe a time from the 15. of Tiberius beginning vnto halfe his eighteenth all these dealings still called vnto these matters And this matter being twise told should haue bene easie vnto them specially hauing so many antecedents that nine hornes rushed afore Antiochus Epiphanes he was a long dealer not onely against Syria but also against Iudaea before this time of placing his garrison in Ierusalem commeth to be in recorde And seeing thrise here times neare halfe a seuen should fall out in straunge euentes they should looke diligently vnto our Lordes halfe seuen †Daniel hauing heard of affliction for three yeares and an halfe in generall termes hauing no note from what speciall marke the time should begin was to confesse that he vnderstood not He knew in chap. 8. that by dayes 2309. from Antiochus first checking of Moses law the temple should be recouered But knew not whence this account here should begin Moreouer by reason that the brusing of the hand plaguing the holy Ebrewes was here ioyned and he might well thinke that it should not fall out presently with the recouerie of the temple he was to require a further explication The Lord doth answere and first acquainteth him further with the whole matter shewing that as the Angel bad him close vp and seale the words that pearles should not be cast before hogs nor holie things before dogges so these matters were to be spoken in such sort that vntil the age of their execution the particulars should not be euident The triall of the faithfull required that whose practise in martyrdome had not bin so great if the season of their deliuerance had bene clearely told For they would haue for a time withdrawen theÌ„ selues Here the repeating of vers 35. from chap. 11. of the Angels speech though there the order went tried purified whited this sheweth one and the same persecution to be meant And seeing we expound that of Antiochus times and not of the Romanes this also being spokeÌ„ a confirmation of that must be equally of Antiochus wherein I maruell how antiquitie could euer misse The remouing of the continuall sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be takeÌ„ for the first remouing that could fall The terme Tamyd or daily sacrifice must stand in his propre sense For a trope may not be vsed but where the hearer may easily discerne it from proprietie otherwise the speaker may be charged of vntruth Also the holy people and Daniels people should argue that the Iewes were meant here and so they hold vniuersally by reason that we cary these stories beyond Christ they do the like As Aben Ezra maketh the litle horne to be the Turke and locketh for speciall affliction three yeares and an halfe vnder him So men make the word of God flexible And we should haue taken heede of the warning here None of the wicked will vnderstand But men of skill will vnderstand Now seeing the very prophane heathen speake that of Antiochus Epiphanes which agreeth exactly with the ende of the last the 11. chap. and these points are but a commoration vpon them and no new states matters the prophane would tell vs that we entangle our selfe wilfully wilfully disturbe all the Bible mistaking whole nations for the Images legs peruerting the markes of mariages in it mistaking the fourth beast what kingdomes it conteineth disgracing the speech of the Buck openly shewing therein the end of wrath disgracing extremely all this last oration drawing likewise Ezekiel for Gog and Magog out of place confounding Daniel with the reuelation and confounding the tenour of narrations for nations through all the Bible Moses layd downe what nation should be the holy people vntill Christ came and how all the other families should striue against that The Prophets were to be but commenters vpon him to lead vnto Christ not beyond him and they might terme no one nation holy but Israel and were to shew how all the auncient nations of Babels dispersion would be busie with Israel While we confound this distinction we confound with it all narrations of Scripture The wise will vnderstand it to be so Now as he that seeketh doth find and he that asketh receaueth he that knocketh obteineth opening alwayes so to Daniel this now falleth out By mentioning one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or marke and adding two neare matters touching brusing of the hand set vpon the holy people he is fully contented and satisfied in these wordes †Infidel garrisoÌ„s destroying the temple as in Rambam aboue was shewed †Daniel knew the end of those wonders mentioned by the Angel when it should be from chap. 8. euen with the clensing of the teÌ„ple But knew not the speciall note of their beginning In answering coÌ„cerning two points for the brusing Seleuciâ—n the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or mark of the other is taken a marke of sacrifice Men count the dates of kings reigne stately But God holdeth other matters of greater account as the promise vnto Abraham Gene. 12.430 afore the law the persecution and Ieroboams idolatrie 390. afore the Temples flames Daniels prayer 490. afore the passion and chap. 8. a marke backward the Temples clensing after 2300. dayes dealing against Religion in some sort So here the taking away of the continuall sacrifice is made a date for a day of payment for a double payment from God Antiochus was inforced to confirme Religion restored by Iudas in the 148. yeare of Seleucidâ—Ì„n which in the 145. he hindered Three yeares seuen moneths some 13. dayes might be in this while Another coÌ„fort is added for the patieÌ„t in these persecutioÌ„s eueÌ„ the death of the persecutour As the martyrs told him that God would pay him The closse blessing of the patient imported what kind of comfort was meant in that summe fortie fiue dayes after the other the death of Antiochus should fall out in 149. Seleucidâ—n 1. Mach. 6.16 Though mans obseruation reacheth not commonly vnto dayes yet when for the yeares they speake well by Gods authoritie added we may gather the iust dayes And these were the points which were fit for to be reuealed in particulars the restoring of the sacrifice the tyrants death Now further matters how the clay of the legges should be broken how the fourth beast should do when his hornes hence are broken and the Buckes vnhorned fading body euen how Demetrius and Antiochus sonne fall out Antiochus race should end Demetrius house should be deuided they should match with Aegypt and perish like dogges these matters might be marked by humane skill and they touched not matter worthy particular prophecie nor the Iewes great care And Daniel knew in what yeare from his talke he would come into the world by which time an euident token should be ouer all the world that the house of-Seleucidâ—Ì„n or Gog perished by the Latin natioÌ„ and tongue reigning in those quarters and he knew the very nation that should reigne euen the next ofspring of Cittim vnto the Macedonians the Cetij which was the first name of Italians in Sudas in Latine And therefore the maner of brusing the Greekes and particular dealings were to be sealed vp as needing no long warning And so the Lord concludeth that Daniel should looke for no mo reuelatioÌ„s all his life time but rest in these continue contented with his rare lot if any thing was sealed touching the Persian kings payment thirtie yeares hence Ezra should see it for the temples hinderers Agge and Zacharie should reueale it Now the visions of Zacharie for our Lordes comming and Ierusalems fall they touched not this argument of sorow fasting of Daniel some points were to be reserued vnto the Temples ornaments