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A51311
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A plain and continued exposition of the several prophecies or divine visions of the prophet Daniel which have or may concern the people of God, whether Jew or Christian : whereunto is annexed a threefold appendage touching three main points, the first relating to Daniel, the other two to the Apocalypse / by Henry More ...
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More, Henry, 1614-1687.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing M2673; ESTC R5104
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236,862
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422
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the true servants of God who will never suffer them to be tempted above what they can bear which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are Temporal but the things that are not seen are Eternal Even to the time of the end that is To the time of their ending For God had set his time wherein these afflictions of his Church should end as bounding all human affairs by his Power and Providence so that there may be a respiration to his people from these extremities of affliction And therefore there is put an end to this affliction of his Church because it was foreseen that another would begin as it is intimated to us by what follows according to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because it is yet for a time appointed The vulgar Latin has it Quia adhuc aliud tempus erit Because there will be yet another time namely of persecution of the Church of God viz. under the Roman Empire Pagan and Pagano-Christian Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Elliptical speech as was observed above v. 27. Which verbatim is thus to be rendred Because yet-again at the time appointed subaudi There will be a persecution of my People or Church viz. under the Roman Empire whose succession begins in the next verse For hitherto is described from vers 21. the Reign and feats of Antiochus Epiphanes But that now the times of the Roman Empire succeed both the mention of A Time and Times and half a time Ch. 12. 7. and those other numbers there vers 11. that point to them and that vast gap that would be betwixt Antiochus his time and the Resurrection of the dead mentioned v. 2. may sufficiently assure us To which you may add that the Passage here from the Greek Empire to the Roman in the next verse is as distinct and plain as from the Persian to the Greek vers 3. and the like great success and Prosperity expressed in both in that of both Kings it is said And he shall do according to his will * Which therefore cannot be understood of Antiochus Whence they that would drag what follows of the Prophecy to that scope are fain to run back and apply the same things that were predicted before and so make the Prophecy to tautologize Besides many things are most wretchedly distorted and very weakly and faintly accommodated to the person of Antiochus Which Calvin being sensible of applies all to the Roman Empire from the times of the Roman Empire after Antiochus his death to the coming of Christ. In which besides that many things are dilute or forced he leaves a vast gap as well as those others viz. from the beginning of the Gospel to the Resurrection Which makes the Prophecy less worthy of that Pompous Preface to it viz. the Prefatory vision Ch. 10. as I noted above Wherefore there can be no doubt with them that consider the matter but that this Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth does not only here pass from the Greek Empire to the Roman upon the death of Antiochus and the vanquishing of Perseus the last King of Macedonia by Aemylius Paulus and turning his Kingdom into a Roman Province but that the Prophecy continuedly goes on though in general strokes through the whole series of times of the Roman Empire to the end of the world or general Resurrection And that as there has hitherto been predictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Literally or Historically to be understood of the affairs of the Persian and Greek Kingdome and more particularly of those two parts thereof the Kingdoms of Syria and Aegypt where the real gests of Antiochus Epiphanes are foretold and are but onely as other Historical parts of Scripture drawn to a Typical sense so whatever follows touching the affairs of the Roman Empire has a plain Historical meaning and is so to be understood till its utter dissolution So that there will be no room left for such a Chimerical Antichrist as some of the Fathers have fancied and others have been either themselves such children or would have others to be such as to believe them Wherefore bidding adieu to Hugo Grotius and laying aside all the fancifull and Chimerical Crotchets of mistaken Antiquity I shall clear the sense of the remaining part of this Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth as follows 36. And the King shall do according to his will and shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every God This may be understood of the Roman Empire at large and the words be rendred thus Then shall a King do according to his will shall have all things go prosperously according to his desire by King understanding here as it is elsewhere in Daniel a State or Kingdome which is here the Roman upon the expiration of the Greek Empire Macedonia being conquered by the Romans of which Perseus was the last King contemporary to Antiochus whom Daniel foretels to reign Ch. 8. in the latter time of the Greek Kingdome And therefore the Roman is very fitly here supposed to succeed it after Antiochus Epiphanes the rest of his Successours being taken no notice of for the same reasons that all but one after Xerxes are past by in the Persian Empire And this Roman King or Kingdome is said to magnify himself above every God in that the Romans by sacred charms called out the Gods of those Cities they conquered and so as it were led them captive to Rome See my Synops. Prophet Book 2. Ch. 10. And shall speak marvelous things that is blasphemous against the God of Gods that is The officers of this Roman Power shall do so namely against Christ Jesus himself who was truly God as well as man and therefore the God of Gods and yet was he in word and deed most despightfully used by them and crucified And how the God of of Gods viz. the God of Israel was despised by the Romans a man may collect from that greatest Wit of the Roman Empire Marcus Cicero and one of the best men of them who yet speaks but contemptibly of the Religion of the Iews as unworthy of the greatness of the Roman name and Empire and insults over their Nation as less befriended by the Gods because they were vanquished and subjected to the Romans If a person of his quality went so far in reproach to the God of Israel what would others of less sagacity and morality blurt out See his oration pro Flacco And shall prosper till the Indignation be accâ—…mplished for that that is determined shall be done And yet they shall prosper notwithstanding this their villany towards Christ and bloudy persecution of his members wherein he was again reproached and blasphemed till the determined time of this rage ran out and that the Empire became Christian which was certainly determined to be
Scribae aut legis Doctores c. These were not the Scribes or Doctors of the Law but men that studied the Law for that purpose that they might keep it such as Mattathias and Iudas Maccabaeus who incouraged many to the observance of the Law with the peril of their lives and made that they willingly underwent killing with the sword burning captivity and a thousand such like jeopardies says he And Cornelius à Lapide speaks much-what to the same sense interpreting those that understand among the people though of the Priests chiefly yet also of the Laity Which is therefore the more lively Type of those that encouraged the people of God against the Idolatrous tyranny of Antichrist there being those that instructed them so both of the Clergy and Laity So that the Pontiâ—â—cian Party have no reason to lay such things in the dish of the Reformed these of their own Church here approving of it For both Gasper Sanctius and Cornelius à Lapide were members of the Church of Rome Yet they shall fall read rather Though they shall fall By the sword and by the flame and by captivity and by spoil many daies Though these things be in their eyes and they be in a manner certain to undergo them to be either killed by the sword burnt at the stake banished out of their countrey or despoiled of their goods yet those that know their God will not desist to instruct those they have the opportunity to instruct touching their duty in Religion and adherence to the true worship of God nor will others be discouraged to follow their counsell to keep a good conscience nor be driven to Gentilism by the terrour of men they knowing whom they serve and being so sure of their reward Else it were as if there were no God upon Earth and that the Supreme Power of every Countrey were absolutely the God of that Countrey and that there were no difference of moral good or evil nor any Religion truer or more obligatory one than another which is the very Quintessence of Atheism But this pious party of the Iews was otherwise persuaded and stood to the truth with the hazard of their lives and all that they had as is copiously set down in the books of the Maccabees 34. Now when they shall fall they shall be holpen with a little help Mattathias with his five sons amongst whom was Iudas who was called Maccabaeus he will open a way toward their liberty See 1 Macc. 2. 1. and 2 Macc. 5. But many shall cleave to them with flatteries The Hebrew word here for 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Lubricitates â—â—ipperinesses as well as flatteries so that the sense may be That many shall joyn themselves to them 〈◊〉 not firmly and sincerely There shall not be an immediate firm union from one principle which is the hearty love of God and unfeigned zeal for the purity of his worship but their adherence will be from By-respects of Ambition or Covetousness or the like of each which we see an example in some of those that sided with Iudas Maccabaeus against Antiochus his forces Of Ambition and desire of Fame in Ioseph and Azarias who when they had heard of the valiant acts which Iudas and Ionathan had done said Let us also get us a name c. 1 Macc. 5. 55. But their success was accordingly for they were routed by Gorgias and slain of them two thousand men vers 60. But the example of Covetousness is that in those slain in the battle which Iudas fought with Gorgias the Governour of Idumaea the men of Iudas his side that were slain were such as under whose coats were found things consecrated to Idols of the Iamnites or Idumaeans as Grotius would have it which is forbidden the Iews by the law Here we see plainly that some of Iudas his company who was himself so sincere a zealot for the true worship of God adhered to the Cause part out of Ambition part out of Covetousness which therefore was a more infirm or lubricous adhesion And it were desirable that those who oppose Antichrist as these did the Type of him Antiochus Epiphanes held together in a more sincere principle and then the opposing of him I mean in Polemical Theology for I have nothing to do with other Polemicks or Politicks would prove more successful It was Calvins complaint in his time upon this Text That in that little number that had withdrawn themselves from the Idolatries of the Papacy major pars says he plena est perfidiâ dolis which is something an harsh censure understanding it in the grosser way as if they wittingly and resolvedly were such But so few are touched with the sincere and hearty love of the pure worship of God or oppose the Papacy upon this just and laudable jealousy for His Honour and the Support of the Power of true Religion and right knowledg of God such as destroys the body of sin in us that being encumbred with these unknown Hypocriâ—…es or better assured that many things in Popery are grosly false than that the great articles of Religion wherein we seem generally agreed on all sides are assuredly true or that not so much the purity of Gods worship as the splendour power and worldly Interest of the Priesthood is to be the measure of a prudent and well moderated Reformation I say mens minds and consciences being darkened with such prejudices and they seeking their own Interest or following their own Humour rather than sincerely affecting that the power of true and pure Religion should prevail it is no wonder we have no better success in opposing the Papacy than Ioseph and Azarias or those that had under their coats things consecrated to the Idols of the Idumaeans had in opposing Paganism For it is two to one but that he will be vanquish'd by the Popes Champions whoever enters the lists with them who hath already as the Proverb is a Pope in his belly 35. And some of them of understanding shall fall that is Some of them that know their God in the sense above explained shall fall the Septuagint turn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in the former verse where the same Hebrew word is used viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify to be in misery in several places in the New Testament So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has not a Moral sense but Physical as the following words do more fully assure us To try them to purge and to make them white And therefore these troubles that seem so direfull and Tragical to mortal men proceed from the love of God to his own that he may make them more pure and consequently better fitted for Communion with himself And this is that which St. Paul suggests 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction and such is all that wicked men can inflict upon