Of the 70. seuens.

SEuentie seuens make 490. in ordinary speach. But that Daniel might conceaue how at the beginning of his prayer vpon considering of Ieremy for that 70. yeares of captiuitie ended, God tooke notice of his meditation, the Angel toucheth that seuentie: shewing how exactly seuen times that space is declared afore hand: for the Iewes pre­rogatiue, continuance of Ceremonies and meditation, how [Page] reconciliation of sinne is truly made: That euery Sabbath in the meane vvhile they might learne to enter into the rest of Christ.

How the 70. seuens end the holy Chronicle.

FIue, as it were, chaines of time are in Scripture: all dra­wen through so many seuerall matters. The first is cō ­tinued through the Ages of the Fathers vnto the death of Terah: who falling into Idolatrie, gaue occasion to end that honour, of making the Fathers to draw the worldes age in theirs. After the death of Terah, Abraham hath the pro­mise of Christ, and is called vnto Chanaan. For that pro­mise: one tenour of certaintie is linked vnto the Lambe, Temple and Salomons death, after his Idolatrie: and held on, while Abrahams tribes held the faith of Christ. Thēce a new state, measure of it, as a third chaine, cōmeth in. Iu­dah holdeth a kingdome, vnto Sedekiahs captiuitie: and Ieroboam draweth Israel to sinne: vvhich time is termed Israels sinne: by God to Ezekiel, chap. 4. vvhen he sheweth vnto him the fall of Ierusalem: with which fall, also famous 40. yeares of Iudahs vvarning must end. Which 40. are complete from Ieremies prophecying in the 13. of Iosias, at the beginning of the 19. of Nebuchadnezer when the citie vvas brent. And that continuance of Iudahs kingdome is in one summe giuen by God. 390. y. Ezek. 4. The particu­lars vvherof are cast by the kings of Iudah & Israel, iust into that summe, by sundry learned. And Abraham Ben Dauid in Cabala sheweth that the Iewes vniuersally, but that they hid their minde, held the time so. The fourth chaine containeth the cōtinuance of Nebuchadnezars 70. yeares. Whereof 18. are past afore the kingdome of Iudah falleth. And this chaine vvas made afore hand, and when it came to the last linke, the hād writeth vpō the wall that [Page] God MENE MENE, had numbred, had numbred: and Da­niel had a chaine of gold for expounding of it. As Ouid gi­ueth the Sun foure horses which draw him: Pyroeis, Eous, Aethon, Phlegon: So more fitly may these foure drawers of the Sunne be termed: The first a fierie Pyrocis: The next vvhere Abraham commeth from the East is Eous: The third vvhen the temple is burnt, is Aethon truely. And the fourth in heat against Babel is verily from the fierie throne aparching Phlegon. The fift passeth all admiratiō: that vvhich here the Angel giueth, to draw all the vvorld vnto Christ.

How the Chaine of Iubilees attendeth vpon this.

IF this chaine be made by him that made also that of Iu­bilees, vvhich must begin vvhen Iesus conquereth and parteth the land: (that is in his eight yeare:) it will, by fif­ties end vvith this summe: and if it do so, there is a double strength. Now it doth so most exactly. For yeares are by this chaine beginning at Iosuahs eight 1400. Iubilees 28. at our Lords death. Wherefore that golden chaine vvhich Homer giueth vnto his Iupiter: by vvhich all the Gods drawing could neuer plucke him downe, but he could hang them, land and sea in the middest of the ayer: fastning it in the top of the heauens: that is nothing in Imagination to the strength of this: at which though Iewes and Gentiles, plucke now adayes neuer so feloniously, or boysterously, they shall not preuaile: But vvhen this findeth particular triall euen by heathē approbation, as mens liues, it draweth them to be set in balances and founde higher then vanitie: as I shewed for Ebrew liues in the Preface.

Of Daniels People.

AS Daniel prayed for Gods People, so he had this king­ly honour, that they are termed his People: euen such [Page] of the nature. As Aben, Ezra rightly doth take it for to seale Messias.

An exposition of the former Law phrases: by the common termes of men.

25 Our Lord Mat. 24. giueth the same commaundement for this oration. Let him that readeth Daniel vnderstand. The contempt of which commaunde­ment hath bene the ruine of the world. Cyrus in Ezra maketh proclamation of suffring and helping Israel to returne to dwell at Ierusalem. In that graunt the building of the Citie for houses and distinction of streetes, must needs be vnderstood. at .49. y. troubles it is by clearer graunt, walled: in a tyth of this time: by Nehemiah hauing speciall regard vnto this parcell of Prophecie. Know then marke. From the outgoing of the Ezra. 1.1. word to restore and to build Ierusalem, vnto Here onely in Ebrew and twise here Messias commeth a meere proper name: hence made famous Iohn. 1.41. and 4 25. Also hence the time of his comming was granted by all sides. Now the 62. seuens are parcelled alone one­ly, that the last may be handled alone, for our Lords storie: in speach of which he handleth first the principall matter: our Lords death: nothing to him be­ing iust, but for vs, and nothing to hold him in the graue, who can raise vp him selfe; So he expounds reconciliation for sinne with bringing in of eternall iu­stice. Also he expoundeth how thereupon the Cities prerogatiue shall cease: from being an holy Citie. That he doth with most vehement termes: Knowing how the Iewes ioyed in their Citie: marke the wordes. Messias the gouernour seuens be, Iohn. 1.41.4.25. seuē: afterwards, seuens sixtie and two. In the other, it shalbe resto­red and builded street & wall and See Ezra & Nehem. troublous shall these times be.

26 In that after seuens sixtie & two Mat. 16.21. [...]* Messias shal­be Hence doth S. Paule say: I taught nothing but that which Moses and the Prophetes taught: that Christ was to suffer and being the first from the dead, should shew light vnto the People (Iewes) and to the nations. And afore, Iesus our Sauiour, after his Disciples knewe assuredly that he was the Christ the sonne of God, the Rocke. Deut. 32.7. thence he teacheth how he must be killed and rise againe: but they did hardly conceiue it. Now they who doubt in what part of the seuen our Lord should die: are too diligent. For that was taught first of all: before any partition: euen at 490. from his speech.kild, and Mat. 17.1.nothing to himselfe. Thereupon the Citie Act. 6. to come [...]* plainly mea­neth so. and holy place shall he destroy: euen the go­uernours owne people, in the next Mat. 24.34. generation: and their end shalbe with a flood: and at the end of the warre shalbe a finall iudgement of vtter deso­lations.

[Page] 27 But he shall make strong the Testament, [...] Many, not Iewes but all As Rom. 5.15. [...], all, & Mat. 26, 28. to the Many the last seauen. Yea halfe that seauen shall bring to an end sacrifice and offering. Afterward by an armie of lothsome infidels he shall make de­solation, euen till vtter wast and finall iudgement be powred vpon the desolate. The heathens calling, into the rest of Christ, sealed in Baptisme, bread & wine: the burying of Moses, the lothsomnesse of Rome, that killed our Lord, and Iudahs iust fall for infidelitie conclude all: handled here seuerally as they belonged not but collaterally, vnto the former speech of v.24.

A reduction of the Gospell vnto the oration of Gabriel.

THe oration of Gabriel containeth an abridgement of the new Testament: and all the Gospell may be easily reduced vnto it. The booke of S. Matthew will be suffici­ent for example: when we touch by the way some speciall poinctes of the other Euangelists. And first of all, the be­ginning from Abraham and holding on to Ioseph by the kings right, that toucheth how Christ is [...] Gouer­nour, is here twise the at­tribute of Messias: and erroniously applyed in the later place vnto the Romane Emperour, by the Iewes & by vs, tho­rough vn­heedinesse in one Hebra­isme. [...] King, prince and gouernour of Iudah. And there the speech of Emma­nuel declareth how he is the most holy: and the name Ie­sus for sauing his people from their sinnes, that plainely sheweth who maketh reconciliation for sinne. Now the coming of the wisemen, called in Persique, Magi, vnto Ie­rusalem, that had his plaine ground hence. For by the ho­ly citie, none but Ierusalem was meant: and vnder the Persians this doctrine was first embraced and made fa­mous: of a king to arise at Ierusalem: at 490. y. which matter so cleare, was easily kept in memory 457. that when [Page] 33. afore the end a Comet did in the aire argue in the East a cleare fauour of a noble light, they knew that a king was meant: and could thinke of none, but of the famous one, whose kingdome was foretold that it should be at Ierusa­lem by the 490. yeares, and begin at 30. later then their present time. Likewise when 30. y. after, Iohn cometh bap­tizing, and telling that the kingdome of heauen was come, the nation was nothing astonished: but knew the phrase vsed in Daniel, Chap. 2. for the state which should be in Iudah, next after the manifest abolishing of the image there: The age of 30. yeares is made so fa­mous: by rare men & by the Law that almight looke for somewhat in Christ aun­swerable vn­to that. which began when our Lord was born in Bethleem, and the Angels proclaimed his birth, (and the tribute of the Romanes ouer the world, argued all the images ruine, by the exaction of a generall tribute ouer all nations) and was to be proclaimed openly in the state when the king was 30. yeares old: as Dauid was raigning in Ebron: the Le­uites by the Law Num. 4. entring into the worke of the ta­bernacle, a token of this worke: and fittest at that age as Ioseph at 30. ruled Aegypt: and three of each other fa­thers, from Selah, he, the next saue one, Peleg, the next to him saue one Serug were fathers at 30. where God would neuer haue disposed thrise equalitie of yeares in fathers, but for a monument [...] and tresadmirable.

Now the Baptizing argueth most of all a common con­sent of the nation, that an admission into a new kingdome, of troupes together was then looked for. The Babylonian Talmud recordeth in Iebamoth pag. 76. and Rambam (the expounder of it in plaine Ebrew) in Asure Biah. pe­rek 13. that in the dayes of Dauid and Salomon, Baptizing was vsed in Iudah for proselytes. Autorised hence for the rest of Christ; from Moses toyle of Ceremo­nies.when many thousands of heathen became Proselytes: they were admitted onely by Baptisme without Circumcision: as the Iewes in Aegypt washed their garments vpon their calling thence: and the leapers their bodies: and likewise the sa­crificers washed their bodies, at their function. So now when the testament was to be made for the Many, that is, [Page] for all nations, Baptisme was not strange, neither is Iohn an astonishment for that: but demaunded whether he be Elias or Christ, or that speciall Prophet named in Deute­ronomie: where the agreement in time gaue occasion of all the demands. Moreouer In that our Lord repea­teth in chap. 7 19. the very syllables of Iohns words, 3.10. he ther­in approueth his authori­tie. The like do the Pro­phets often. when our Lord preacheth openly, he confirmeth Iohns speech: saying, repent, for the king­dome of heauen is come: & speaketh as Daniel of the king­dome that neuer shall be corrupted, Chap. 2. which king­dome is here expounded. Likewise when the Lord maketh that famous Sermon vpon the mount, all his speech tendeth to shew the nature of the kingdome of heauen: how it is not pompous, but for the poore in spirite, for the mourning, for the meeke, for hungrie and thirstie of iustice: and to be short, for the godly persecuted. And the rest of his Sermon remoueth Pharisaicall hinderances of accesse into such a kingdome.

Hither belong the miracles most clearely, to shew that God spake by his sonne Psal. 2. the The Syriaque [...] Heb. 1.3. frō Esa. 4. & the 70 in [...] and Ionathā expounding all that of Christ with Ieremie and Zacharies both for the same, these by one terme open all the couenant. Brightnesse of glorie, [...] Esa. 4. which washeth the vncleannesse of the daughters of Sion, bringing in eternall iustice. The raising vp of dead by his owne authoritie, the making wine of water presently, the multiplying of corne and fish: these were works proper vnto the Sonne of God. And these, fit for the striker and the healer. The cleansing of leprosies, the strengthening of palsique nerues and lunatique braines, the cooling of bur­ning agues: the raising vp of the bowed▪ the sight-gift vn­to the blind, the freshing of the withered hands, the gift of legs to the lame, eares to the deaffe, tongue to the dumbe, eloquence vnto the stammering, and healing of all sicknes­ses: these doings expound Esay, and shew who taketh away all our infirmities, and bringeth in iustice eternall So the casting out of deuils might make any Iannes or Iambres confesse the finger of God: and the kingdome of heauen to be come in the due time: the deuils expresly confessed the holy one of God, & the Sonne of God: as the deuillish Aben [Page] Ezra doth vpon v. Where only Christ is na­med plainly Messias, there the Iewes denie the terme to be a Nowne proper: and yet to the verse afore they ioyne Messiah: as meant there. Such a spirit of giddinesse is in them. Christians of iudgement should more ioye in the twise spoken [...] his nāe here by the Angel, thē in anie worldly delight. This well-handled might turne Turke and Iewe. For on this they stagger in this, whether Messias was to be killed, and was the son of God after the spi­rit of sancti­fication. 24. acknowledge Christ the most holy: though where twise he is named Messias and onely there, and in the exposition, he there would place earthly sinfull persons. But the Pharisies were openly pronounced of our Lord to be of their father the deuill: that stood not in the truth, but became a murtherer from the beginning. The Psalmist might see a walker on the sea. The breaches of the waues were mightie: but his voyce rebuked the seas: As the sea was his and he made it: so it bare him vp like the dry land: yea the sea reioyced and the store of it, when a fish payed tribute: and shewed that Christ knew what fish had swallowed a stater: and how the same would come quicke to Peters angle: when also fish at his commaunde­ment came so into the nets, that they ouer-laded two botes: and did come also great ones 153. into the net, and brake it not: there Dauid must be remembred how the fish of the seas, that passe through the passage of the paths of the seas, shew vnto what man all things were made subiect. Here Iob might see a walker vpon the mountaines of sea: and glorie larger then the sea: and here the fish would tell him this much. Also the earth could not stand still, but must acknowledge who setled it. Here Ezekiel might haue seene after an earthquake, the fountaine of all resurrection: & Amos vvould tell, that vvhen the Sonne darkened the Sunne at noone day, Israel should take heede of vtter dark­nesse: where Malachie would teach, that there the Sunne of iustice arose with health in the skirts of his garments. Moreouer Elias would tell, that the mind which rent the stones, if they saw not God in it, would after send a fire v­pon Citie and Sanctuarie, when the Lord should not be in it. Vpon these miracles the Centurion sayd▪ Truely he is the Sonne of God, and so the most holy. The fasting a [...] Moses and Elias: and shining before Moses and Elias talking of his Exodus passing at Ierusalem, there Law & Prophet say: here in Daniel is told the wisedome, and here [Page] is the place of vnderstanding. The resurrection maketh the Iewes [...] by their owne terme in Ierusalemy, [...] in S. Paul. When they make Isaak to beare his owne crosse, to be after a sort recouered from death, to be thereby as it were the ground of all their prayers. They speake many things of open trial by the third day: & make this the glory of all. Thus in Midras Bereshith they do speake. Vpon the third day Abraham did lift vp his eyes. It is written he will quicken vs after two dayes: the third day he will raise vs vp: and we shall liue a­fore him. In the third day of the Patriarkes it is writ­ten: and Ioseph spake vnto them the third day: in the third day of the spies it is written; & hide your selues there three dayes. Ios. 2. In the third day of the Law it is written; and it fell out on the third day: so in the third day for Ionah: as it is written; and Ionah was in the whales bellie three dayes and three nights. And in the third day of the ascending from captiuitie it is written: and we were there three daies, & in the third day shalbe the resurrection (as it is written:) he will make vs aliue after two daies Hosea 6. and in the third day it is spoken in Ester: In the third day Ester did put on the [...] (properly) kingdome: the kingdom of her fathers house. By what iustice? Thus do the Rabbines speake: Now all these looked vnto the resur­rection: wherin the Church and her assemblie of the righ­teous put on the kingdome: now also the ascention sheweth iustice brought in, confirmed by the wind, fires tongues, & speaking of these matters to all nations vnder the heauen: a [...] all the miracles of the Gospell belong directly hither. All further speeches of doctrine keepe them within this compasse which followe after the sermon vpon the moun­tain: or yet went afore it. The chiefe heads shalbe touched: for our Lords speeches in the Gospel, & his doings or suf­frings, which all tend to the strēgthening of this testament [Page] for the many. And seeing this must be in effect the same that Moses law was: the chief of it, the difficulties taught in ceremonies, and poin [...]ts peruerted by the Pharisees, were to be handled by our Lord, and the knowne matters to be recorded by his Apostles: as where S. Luke recordeth his line to Adam, that chaine draweth all the storie vnto it: and all the times be starres for the same. Such things were to be penned. But our Lords speeches How they belōg to the speech here of making strong the couenant. touch vs. Many ora­tions are of his Godhead in S. Iohn. They are a cōmentary vpon the first entrance of Genesis: as Iohn beginneth with a commentarie for it and him. How God resteth on the Sabbath and yet worketh, the Sonne doth teach: and the ioyning from God, of Adam and Eue, this is brought as a ground of expounding Deut. 24. Adams fall from the be­ginning, with Satans murther is taught expresly: that none of vs should stagger in that: and how, as Pharisies, all natu­rall be Satans childrē. Abel is termed the iust: & his death applyed vnto Ierusalems destruction here told. The care­lesse at the flood are remembred: and the calling of [...] from East and West directly belongeth hither. A­braham for that is cited, as vvith whom they shall feast in heauen: so in forsaking all for Christ, and for seeing his passion in Isaak, for immortalitie, in that God was, after his death the God of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob. The name of Israel, and Angels ascending and descending, are mentioned principally. Moses cometh vvholly as a Mar­tyr and witnesse of Christ. Matth. 17. His miracles be glaunced at, by the finger of God: where 2. Tim. 3.8. Menachoth. 9. fol 85. Ae­gyptians in Numenius. lib. 3. Euseb. pr [...] p. 9. Iannes and Iam­bres damne the Pharisies. The 12. in the Apostles num­ber, and the 70. in the Disciples, shew that our Lord ho­noured and made glorious the Law, as Esay told of him. The Law for euery commandement is expounded by him, as by one that could season speech: the two tables: by two generall commandements: to heare that Iehouah, our God, Iehouah is one, who must be loued vvith all the minde, [Page] soule and strength: And the neighbour, as a man vvould vvish to be loued Against Ie­rusalemy. Nedar▪ Per. 9. that doth teach to strik one that stri­keth. of another. Messiah is taught with faith for the first commandement: for the second, spirituall ido­latrie maketh the Iewes Satans sonnes: their swearing, as by Their Tal­mud stil hath the phrase. their heads in priuate speeches is corrected as a light naming of God: the superstitious befooling of the Sab­baths rest is often controlled: honour to parents is ap­plyed against Pope-like greedie begging for the Church. Murther is drawen (against the [...] the rabbines la­ter then Ez­ra. Kadmonim or old Rab­bines the cited, and rested vpon, the bare vvords; vnto vn­iust anger or taunts. Likewise adulterie vnto the sole de­sire. Witnesses are taught to testifie vvithout sinne: and the ambition of desiring thy neighbours, is drawen also vn­to giuing all away, that Christ may be followed. The Iu­dicials in sundry heads are drawen to a greater charitie, then the ciuill officer can force: and all by this lavv: Thou shalt be perfect vvith Iehouah thy God. And there the ground of all learning is handled: the applying of all actiōs vnto the nature of God, manifested in his creation: in shi­ning and rayning vpon good and bad. All Leuiticus vvas expounded to the Samaritan [...]: in that the ceremonies of it should haue their end: and the Iubilie for setting all free, is explaned from Esay. The lifting vp of the serpent is ope­ned vnto Nicodemus: & from Deuteronomie the hanging vpon the tree past not vnhandled: vvhere Christ being lifted vp vvill dravv all vnto him. Moreouer the com­maundement, Giue glorie vnto the Eternall, the ROCKE, that is conueyed vnto the chiefest speech of all the nevve Testament, and scope here: vvhere Christ is acknow­ledged the ROCKE. A matter vvhere Iew & Pope make shipwracke of al. The Iewes In Ierusale­my Thaan. where the bloud com­meth vp to the horse bridles. Pe­rek. 4. fol. 69. col. 1. cōfesse, that the ROCKE gaue them vp to the Romanes. And Rome vvill haue the Rock to be vnder them. As though for killing of Christ they had deserued that honor: and cannot see, that God vnchange­able must needes plague them for euer for that, aboue all [Page] all nations vnder the cope of heauen. And vvhere as in that same song of Moses, Our Lordes holy wordes, though few, & his works open all the Law. the Iewes are reiected: that is spoken often by our Lord. So he affoordeth vnto vs the marrow of all the Law. His going to Aegypt, suffering, and fortie dayes viewing the land, is ouer-set in vvorkes: to Israel, Lambe, Isaacke, and twelue spies, and his shining like the sunne, with his ascension to Enoch, his assumption & yeres according to the sonnes course. As the Prophets are com­mentaries vpon the Law: so it belōging vnto the suffrings here told, they must all likewise, belong.

The syna­gogues god­ly discipline, was the same which the Lord spea­keth off: and the Apostles practised: as any may yet see, in the Talmud. Though Pharisaical parts marre all, [...]And in his expositions, in his phrases, and in his actions he goeth through them all. Besides the expresse Prophets, the Ebrewes particular decrees, and learned speeches were to be confirmed. Such as plaine reason of all knevv to be good. Our Lord reuerenced the diuine schoole of Sanedrin at twelue: sitting amongst them, hearing them and posing them: the reuerence of all gestures, which their decrees haue for the synagogue, & reading of the Law, was shewed by him selfe. Iust excommunication allowed: and their law of excommunicating them who misuse authoritie pra­ctized euen vpon the Scribes and Pharisies and all Ierusa­lem. And all their doctrine of traditions now in the Tal­mud vtterly damned. Yet what they had from the ancient, worthy praise he alloweth, all that termes, phrases, and prouerbiall sentences: The world to come, the dead, ta­sting death, resurrection of the dead, Their Ge­mara. Bera­choth. 9. [...], forgiuenesse in this world, Paradise, Gehenna, and Ge­henna large [...]. in Mid. Til. eating and drinking the ob­iect of faith, eating and drinking in the world to [...]ome, ca­rying of the crosse of Christ. These are taken from E [...]r [...]e Doctors common vse, yet abiding in record, yea and to sin­gular vse, jod and pricke: and in the Greeke prouerbiall speech Α and Ω after the Ebrews, from Aleph vnto Tha [...]. In Ben Arama. So he taunteth the Talmuds [...] Raka: the swearing by the head: the Corban: their Abothenu & [Page] Rab. Such he blamed. And thus, he that was in the forme of God, and held it no robberie to be equall with God, yet tooke the forme of a seruant: and the speeches of the base. Yea and to looke backe to some of his workes and wordes, we shall see more how he condescended vnto vs. From the water of Iewes Purification he made his wine: From Bap­tisme vsed of them without commaundement, and of small authoritie: he autorizeth a seale of entring into the rest of Christ: vsing the Iewes weaknesse as an allurement thi­ther. From bread In Rābam, [...], at the Passeouer, washing, a speciall sort of sitting [...] bid­ding cele­brate, remē ­bring Messias dayes, and Egypts thral dom, dipping their soppes, thankes or blessing with a loafe, and a cup of wine, & thereupon a Psalm song: all these our Lord went through. and wine vsed with the Lambe, being without all commaundement of Moses, but resting vpon the common reason giuen by the Creator, he autorizeth a seale of his owne selfe, of his very flesh and bloud, that vve should still eate and drinke it, and feede vpon the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world, vntill we grow into the perfect man, into the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. And as the housholder at the Lambes suppers end, blessed God, first taking bread: and againe taking the wine: so, that we should not turne his seale into superstition he followeth that plainnesse. Shewing the summe the same: a Lambe for Lambe: and bread with wine of higher authoritie, and likewise after, as they vsed, he song the Psal 113. fit for the matter. From the Iewes synagogue, where they medled not with ceremonies no more then we now, (they with Circumcision as we with Bap­tisme) from their sincere orders, grounded vpon the plaine light of reason, (against which nothing but ambi­tion can once open the mouth) he setled an order for euer for his Church: whereof his Apostles shew the practise: and he caused their enemies euen the Pharisies, to record all the Apostles maner to haue bene from Ezra. And gaue speciall charge to his Apostles, [...] Rambam & Ierusalemy in [...] agree much with the A­postles. [...], and not to be titled [...], by vvhich terme Demosthenes distinguisheth Athens from policies of Kings, titled [...] and [...]. This should haue [Page] bene marked by the Bishop of that Citie through vvhose policie Christ was crucified: who will be titled Soter and Euergetes, yea and Theos, more to be skopht of all Iewes and Turkes, then the Seleucidae and Lagidae were of Plutarch in Aristide, and such others. Our Lord forbad not his disciples to desire to be first: but requireth that their superioritie should be in seruice. And their practise taught the world, how rightly they vnderstood his charge. Our Lord and his Apostles laboured to teach all men, re­nowming and making glorious all the Law. The Pope and his, to disgrace and to corrupt all: to winne a superioritie, to continue in blindnesse, and to be openly guiltie of whole ignorance touching the kingdome of heauen. But I must returne vnto the Lordes speeches, for reduction of all the holy Ebrewes learning vnto the Gospell. One thing here he was not to stand vpon: the Massorites or Ebrew Gram­marians diligence for the Ebrew text. But in two wordes he confirmeth all their paines: borowing termes frō them: [...], and [...]. Twentie times doth the spirit han­dle the alphabet order: once in Psal. 25. But for one Greeke copy where the names of the letters are found, that would not soone bee seene, by reason of [...] in o­ther letters. 37.111.112. eight times in 119. once in 145. in Salomon once, sixe times most distinctly for the confusion of Iudah, in Ieremies Lamenta­tions. Yet all this while no one letter is named. Belike when Iuda came from Babel, and kept their tong by scholes, not by dayly speech, they first vsed those names. And before that, Greekes had them: as Sigma or San, old in Herod. And Homers books are named after the letters. To con­firme the Ebrewes the Lord nameth one of two kinds. One with a name, Ebrew and Greeke [...]. In Homer. ‘ [...].’ And [...]. Likewise in the elder Talmud the Ierusalemy jod is han­dled most famously, and so fit for this matter, as any thing lightly can be found. Three matters of jod are hand­led: the two first somewhat hard to expresse: one an accu­sation [Page] of Salomon, exprest in Ebrew by jod: another of more difficulty: the third shall come after the Ierusalemy. [...]

This speech the Ierusalemy hath for jod: Ierusalemy in Cohen Gadol. fol. 20 b. how it is not a small matter that jod is taken away from Saraj to make Sarah: which the Greeke hauing not in their tongue, could not so augment, but were fame to vse the augmentation in r, to make Sarra: which poinct the holy Ghost followeth [...] Rom. 4 19.9.9. Heb. 11.11. 1. Pet. 3.6.still in the Greeke new Testament, calling therein still to mind, jod reiected. But when jod taken from Saraj, being the last letter of a womans name, cometh first to make Ie­sus, in the sonne of Nun, jod appeareth The Ebrews hold it a law to be straitly obserued, as from Gods maiesty, that Saraj and A­bram should be no fur­ther their names. The Prophets & Apostles keepe it. not contemned, that well might it be a prouerbiall speech: One jod in the Law will not be found idle. And so we see how he before whom all the earth is like the dust of a ballance, yet descen­deth vnto our speeches for the least letter of all the Ebrew, and vnto the name of it, to the countenancing of the Grā ­mer studie, as a most learned profession: that the Ebrew and Greeke should not be despised without open contempt of Christ his authoritie. Now the name of [...] a prick is rare. Plutarch hath the terme. None beside of heathen that I remember. S. Mathew and S. Luke both haue it. Though punctum hath no quantitie, yet the terme here is of great quantitie and dignity. The Iewes note fifteene wordes in the Law with Psalmes and Prophets, The Masso­reth in Nu. 3.39. doeth shew which be they. pricked ouer the heads, for speciall deepe consideration: and so written from the first copies: and Ramban prefacing to Moses, declareth how all the Ebrewes honour the war­ning of waightie matter in them. They call them [...]. [...]. For Aethiop. letters I take Greeke. But that terme is not vsed in the Ebrewish of S. Mat. nor in the Syriaque, or Arabique. Neither be any of all their terms anciēt. The Aethiop. is neare the Greek. So that we [Page] are to search whether prickes as the fifteene strange: or other prickes which are vowels or accentes be meant. The [...] prickes onely of marking, and likewise accents are no part of the word. Therefore, I trow, vowel prickes must needs be meant. Which poinct conteyneth the most exqui­site depth of the Ebrew tongue. And so far doth our L. con­descēd to our studies: as to omit neither Ebrew nor Greek: but taketh a touch that authorizeth all the rest. Now as I made this long digression, of our Lords confirming the couenant, with descending vnto Rabbine studies, I thinke it not amisse to ioyne Rabbines hither: not for one jod: but for all the twenty and two letters how often they are vsed. Thus the case standeth. Rabbi Sadaias learning from the Massorites how oftē euery letter came in Ebrew: searched for Scriptures which had the like number: most from Numeri and Ezra: and from such sentences made Tetrasticon or foure verses for memory from those mat­ters: not vnto any further wit for sense. Now he beginneth his verses with Aleph: where he speaketh of Alephs number: with Beth for the like: and so for euery letter: & taketh wordes whose first letters arithmetique being ta­ken for so many thousands in the first verse: and in Onely the finall formes which you see put alone in the mar­gent, argue that the same in the text must be meant for hundreds as they meane. ordi­narie arithmetique in the second: matcheth the number of the letter. So in [...]

Aleph in the first telleth, that of Aleph he intreateth. [...] and [...] being 42 in arithmeticke, and the first letters of their wordes make here 42000. the other three first let­ters [...] make 377 in ordinarie Ebrew arithmeticke. So Aleph is vsed times 42 377. By this the student may helpe himselfe. Onely this warning may withall go, that sometime his textes, which I write in rubrique, could not affoord an exact agreement: but come very neare. Now the sonnet of the Rabbine shall speake.

A repetition of Babels fall.

1 AND in the first yeere of Darius the Madaj, So that by the Angel the gol­den head was broken to powder: by the pe­tition of the watcher, the axe was layde to the roote of the tree, & the Lion pluckt, and Balshazar slaine: that the Stons power might be knowen, and the highest myght be seene to sit vpon the fiery throne, with bookes open: and the hand wryting might be perceiued to come from God: and Michael to stand vp. We are lykewyse to regard Christ a gouerner, through al these kinges, that shal reigne before the buyldyng vp of the Temple. So this angelique oration, may be vnto vs as a booke of the warres of God: euen to call prophane writers to the vse of holy stories, and profe of the Gospel, which after these so many particulers, was in the set time to be shewed. I stoode a strength and a fortresse vnto him.

¶ Of 4. Persian kinges, plagued for the Temple.

2 And now I will tell thee the That is, propriety of the visions of the Image & Beastes: which we may not ex­pound, but according to the Angels commentary: which standeth in matters so famous, that men out of the Church, wyl bring vs stories most exactly agreeyng with the Angels wordes: that our enemies may be good iudges trueth. Yet After Darius named afore, Cyrus, Artaxasta, or Artaxerxes called of the Grekes Cambyses: and Achashuerosh, that maryed Ester, called Darius, sonne of Hystaspis. To these three, the Persians gaue these attributes: Cyrus was a fa­ther, Cambyses a maister, Darius a whorder vp. Herodot in Thalia three kinges stande vp to Paras: and the Xerxes, that receyued from Darius great store, besides the yeerely reuenues. Aeschylus the Greeke poet, in Persis a tragedy, made vpon Xerxes flight, bring­eth in Atossa (that is) Adassa, talking of this great wealth & how God brought the Persian pride into a net, to spoyle all their riches. So famous God would haue euery part of the Angels oration: that the stages in Graecia myght heare, how for some angring of God, that huge campe and that cloude of men, as Themistocles speaketh, in Heredot▪ was s [...]attered, beside al hope of men. fourth shalbe farre richer then they all: and through his strength [Page] by his riches, he shall Daniel knew without any further telling, what would be the successe, for hinderyng the Temples buyldyng from the firy throne Chap. 7. and from the fla­myng eyes Chap. 10. euen that they shold feele the discomfiture of all their strength for that: and haue their former kinges soone cut off. How soone they were cut off, Herodotus and Ctesias will con­clude that to vs. For Herodotus maketh Darius Hystaspis to be aged about 20. yeeres, when Cyrus prepared warres against Tamyris, and to die, 6. yeeres before Xerxes entring into Graecia: and by Ctesias he lyued but 43. yeeres. So about 30. yeeres after Cyrus voyage, this story of the Persians fell out: and like the waters of sharpe swift Tigris, the other kinges dayes fled away. ‘What times of the Persians Gabriel passeth ouer.’ Soone after Xerxes voyage, Darius a young king at home, furthereth the Tem­ples worke, and acknowledgeth the hand of God to haue payde Kings and people for their hinderance. Seeing his 20. toucheth the 49. for buyldyng Ierusalem: as it was shewed els where, his second falleth at 32. from the returne. That Iewes and Gentiles may be founde to agree for one purpose by seuerall occasions. The Temple and religion had no further hinderance by the Persians: Wherefore the Angel passeth ouer all their tymes vnto Alexander, yeeres neare 100. Ester, Ezra, Nehemiah, Aggai, and Zachari, shew the further dealinges of those yeeres. stirre vp all agaynst the king­dome of Iauan.

❧ Of Alexander, and his family.

3 Afterwardes a mightie The belly of brasse, the body of the Leopard: and the notable horne, Alexan­der the great: with all speede he conquered Asia, and would needes be made a God: vpon the successe, that he did what he listed. Of Iudea he required, that their dates should be taken from his reigne: and all the Sacrificers sonnes borne that yeere, should be called Alexanders. Into Graecia he sent to be helden a God of them. And Callisthenes the Philosopher, that disswaded him from seeking that honour, was caried about in a cage, in a most opprobrious sort. That made him to be cut off quickly, & his family to be rooted out, as the Angel foretelleth. king shall stande vp, and beare a great dominion, and do as he lyst.

4 And when he standeth vp, his Arideus his brother, Philips sonne, was made king in Macedonia: Olympias, Alexanders mother killed him: Cassander killed her, and poysoned Alexanders two sonnes, Hercules and Alexander, Paus. in Boeot. So Alexanders family was rooted out. He that wil see further streames of fyre, issuing from Gods throne, vpon all these families, how Cassander and his house fell, and how all the rest, shall finde this most plentifully marked in Greekes, euen to euery one of his Macedo­nian Captaynes, how all their families perysh, sauyng two: as God ordeyned af­flicters of Iudah. Diodorus Siculus recordeth much of this, in his bookes 18.19.20. Appian, Pausanias, and Polybius parcels. Thus it was. After Alexanders death, his principal Captaynes agreed, that Alexanders brother Arridaeus, should be King, vntyll his sonnes came to be elder: And Perdiccas should be Regent: and Seleucus in his office, Maister of the Horse: an office next the hyghest. And by counsayle, the Prouinces were thus appoynted: Ptolemy, should haue Egypt: Laomedon, Syria: Phylotas, Lycia: Pithon, Media: Eumenes, Paphlagonia: Antigonus, Pamphylia, Lycia, and great Phrygia: Cassander, Caria, Meleager, Lydia: Leonnatus, Phrygia vpon Hellespontus: Lysimachus, Thrace: Antipater, Macedonia: other prouinces should continue with such as Alexander had pla­ced in them. Hereupon, riuers of fire flamed from the Throne. Dan 7. and the spoylers spoyle them selues. Perdiccas quickly killeth Meleager. Ptolemy set­led in Eg [...]pt, killed the former incumbent Cleomenes, a friende to Perdiccas. Perdiccas commeth agaynst hym with all his power: is soone killed, beyonde all mans expectation. Antipater is then Regent: and the partition altered, and Antigonus made Byshop (Episcopos) of Asia: and Seleucus Duke of Babylon. After this, Ptolemy also remoueth Laomedon from Syria (and Iudea) and hol­deth it. Philotas kilde Pithon: he, and Eumenes are kylde by Antigonus. Anti­pater dyed by olde age: thereupon styrres in Macedonia roote out Alexanders house, when Olympias kilde Arrideus and Cassander, sonne to Antipater, kilde both Alexanders chyldren. Antigonus he grew myghty, and dryueth Seleucus to flight, from Babylon to Egypt: and becommeth so great, that in Persia he was holden voyde of all controuersie, the Lord of Asia: he had robbed Seleucus of Babylon, and wan Syria from Ptolemy, and subdued vnto hym selfe all from Me­dia to Hellespontus. But Ptolemy recouered much of Syria agayne. He & Cas­sander rulyng Macedonia in his fathers roome, and Ptolemy and Seleucus, make now the foure heades of the Leopard, and the foure notable HORNES. Lysimachus onely of the small Dukes was least: he also ioyneth agaynst Antigo­nus. Antigonus the principal of the foure, prepareth agaynst them, and dry­ueth Ptolemies Garrisons from Syria, and Phoenice or Iudea. Ptolemy sendeth Seleucus to Babylon: who recouereth his owne Countrey: and Antigonus ouer­came Ptolemy by sea at Cyprus: where Demetrius his sonne is named a King, by the souldiers. Thereupon the rest also, are, of their souldiers, crowned. At the last, Antigonus is kylde, and his Countries parted among the foure Conquerours. Seleucus obteyned Syria, from Euphratres vnto the sea, and hygh Phrygia: And soone all thence to the ryuer Indus. Here Iudea becommeth litigious, in that Ptolemy had it, lost it, wan it, and lost it agayne: and at [...]he last it falleth by a kinde of agreement, for the most part to Seleucus. Lysimachus after this was kil­led by Seleucus▪ App. in Syr. And Cassanders chyldren were all kylde. Paus. So, exactly and properly, two houses onely remayne of all Macedonians, that were souldiers with Alexander to be myghty in the worlde: the one in Babylon and the North partes, the other in Egypt. Further matters of these two houses, we may pursue vpon occasion offered from the textes folowyng. 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.

5 And the Ptolemy La­gides the fyrst HORNE. king of the Egypt, named vers. 8. & 42. & 43. where Edom, Moab, and Ammon, ioyned togeather, helpe very much to keepe the speach certayne, of what men it was to be vnderstoode. The countries of Ptolemy Lagides are reckoned by the Poet Theocritus thus: Eidyl. 17. Egypt, Pheoenice, the Arabias, Syria, Lybia, Ethiopia, Pamphylia, Cylicia, Lycia, Caria, the Cyclades: the knowledge of this wyl helpe vs for some speaches folowyng in this prophet: and for Ezekiels 38. chapter. South shalbe Daniel should regard his strength principally, how it toucheth Iudah. And so it fell out. For Ptolemy soone after he helde Egypt, inuaded Iudea: and tooke Ierusalem on a Sabbath, pretending frendshyp, and not hostilitie. Agatharchi­des Chius, and Ioseph. Antiquit. 12. strong: and an Seleucus Nicator, or, Conquerer: the seconde HORNE. other of Alexanders, not Ptolemyes: though some take it so, the whole tenour of the speach wyll haue it meant of a seuerall kingdome, and not of Pto. Philadelphus. The Angel speaking to Daniel, knew that he would helpe hym selfe by the matter, in all doubtfull tearmes. And as I touched it afore, he was to speake somewhat darkely, for tht Iewes safety. his Princes, who shalbe Euen touching Iudea. For though Ptolemy wan it from Laomedon, and often re­couered it frō Antigonus, yet in the last conquest ouer Antigonus, it was agreed vpon, that Seleucus should hold Syria: as his house pleadeth in Polyb. book. 5. stronger then he, and beare dominion. His dominion shal­be the Seleucus had kingdomes vnderneath hym 72. and was the greatest of all Alex­anders successours. He was so strong, that when vpon a tyme a Bull going to be sacrificed of Alexander, brake loose, he alone set vpon hym, and killed hym with his handes, and no other weapon. Whereupon, he bare in his armes Hornes. App. in Syriac. This heathens obseruation is not vnfit to draw men further to consider: how from his house hornes aryse, in an other respect. He buylt cities through his whole kingdome: Sixteene Antiochias, after his fathers name, 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 Tig [...]is, and Laodiciea in Phoenice (or the land of Is [...]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, Pell [...], Oropus, Amphipolis, Arethusa, Astacos, Tegea, Chalcis, Larissa, Herea, Apolonia: and in [...]rthia, S [...]ra, Calliope, Charis, Hecatompolis, Achaia. In the Indian [...] 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 Rabbine [...], 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 (a [...] 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 Thorgam [...] ▪ 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 o­uerthrowē, 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 whē Romans, whose owne proper language was Latin, had ouerrun all those dominions and spake in all their gouernmēt 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 entang [...]ng also much of this Chapter and their owne ruine. 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.

6 And at the ende of About 70. after Alexā ­ders death. certaine yeares, The Lagi­dae and the Seleucidae. they shal­be ioyned together: and the kings Bernice D. to Pt. Phila­delphus. daughter of [Page] the South, shall come to the king of the Antiochus Theos, or the God: who had already a wife called Lao­dice, by whō he was poy­soned: Bere­nice, by her sonnes kilde with her child and all her traine: & Philadel­phus soone after this mariage, dyed. 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 The states of Asia, Iust. 27. her strengthener, in those dayes.

7 But an Ptol. Euergetes. impe from her roots shall stand vp in his [...] a word not vsed afore. place and he shall come against the army: & shall come into the force of the Seleucus Callinicus. king of the North, and deale against them, and win.

8 And their Goddes, with their [...] 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. states, with their precious vessels of siluer and gold, shall he cary in­to captiuitie into 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. Egypt. And he shall stand, yeares, aboue the king of the North.

How Heathen that neuer knew Daniel recorde the euent of this matter.

THe Heathē for this story, as in my former of Greeks, must be my warrāt. Thus it dependeth vpō the friend­ship vvhich vvas betwixt Ptolemie Lagides and Seleu­cus Nicator: vvho Diodorus booke 17.18.19.20. ioyned helpe continually, to make them selues strong. ‘ Magas, sonne to Ptolemie Lagides, bro­ther by mother also vnto Pt. Philadelphus maried the daughter of Antiochus Soter, sonne to Seleucus. He, vn­dertaking warres against his brother Philadelphus, cau­sed his father in law to breake the league, vvhich Seleu­cus and Lagides their two fathers made.’ Therupon Phi­ladelphus sendeth forces into Antiochus countries, Which fal­leth out af­ter the death of Soter, and not long be­fore the death of Philadel­phus. to busie him at home. This much Pausanias recordeth in Atticis. This breach wearying both sides, might wel force them to seeke a new attonement, which here the Angell telleth: and Appiane the prophane writer, doth recorde for good diuinitie vse, in these wordes in Syriac. ‘After Se­leucus, the first successour vvas Antiochus, surnamed Soter, that is, a Sauiour: because he droue the Brennus from Bri­tanie and Fraunce then did warre into the East. French out of Asia: He married his stepmother Stratonice, like to dye for loue of her: the Phisitian Erasistratus told the father. Which matter is most famous in many Heathen vvriters: and among them infamous. And 2. Cor. 5. the H. Gh. seemeth to call his storie into minde. Next, vnto him vvas Antiochus begotten by that mariage, called of the Milesians Theos, the God, because he did put downe their Tyrant Timark.’ This God vvas poysoned by his wife: two he had, Laodice, and Berenice, the DD. of Pto­lemie Philadelphus. Laodice kild him, and after him Berenice, and an infant of Berenices. In reuenge of that, Ptolemie her brother, being then king, killeth Laodice, [Page] marcheth vnto Syria, and vnto Babylon: and now first the Parthians rebell, vpon the stirres in the kingdome of the Seleucidae. Deut. 32. [...] Thou all might see vvho is the true God, whē the very enemies are sufficient iudges. Foretel euents vvithout helpe, none but God can. Here an Angell from God foretelleth matter most fit for the Iron & Clay shew­ed to Nebuchadnezar 68. yeares ago: and [...]n heathen is an indefferent recorder of the euent. And vve see then vvho be the persons vvhich the Angell speaketh off, what daughter, of a father king of Egypt, is maried, and to what king of Syria, vvhat successe it had: and vvho being an impe from her rootes reuengeth her death, and inuadeth the others kingdome: The not marking of this point hath postered all libraries with books giuing strength vn­to Iewes and Turkes, to make Christiās 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. how they seeke by mariages to make agreement: vvhich cleaueth together no better, then Iron and Clay, but that the marier and marie [...], dye for it: and the killers vvith the killed, pay for their doings. These be most noble examples: to shew the iustice of the Iudge sitting vpon a fierie Throne. He that maried his fathers vvife: (vvhich verie mariage is most famous and infa­mous among the Heathen) first is troubled vvith warres for his owne daughter: that his incestuous sonne is driuen for peace, to mary vnto the disturbance of all his kingdome: and admitting a title of God, dyeth not a men, but by poyso­ning from his owne vvife. Of Seleucus Callinicus Iu­stine vvriteth▪ and bestoweth his [...]7. B [...]oke to be a verie fit Commentarie for the storie of this Prophecie, and for the iustice of Gods iudgement. There Seleucus, through Laodices pricking forward, beginneth his reigne vvith the death of his stepmother Bernice, and her child Ptolemy her brother warreth: the Cities in Asia reu [...]. Seleucus fleate vvra [...]: he scant saued his naked bodie [...] [...] brother Antiochus banked for his kingdome, tell robbers kild him: Eumenes was much from him: Ptolemy, and the French spoyled him: He dyed by a fall off an house: so paying for his murther▪ This the Heathen noteth.

[Page] 9 So the king of the South shall come into the kingdome: and If by sedi­tiō at home he had not bene called home: he had easily won all the kingdome of Syria Iust. 27 returne into his owne land.

Of Antiochus surnamed the Great .6. horne.

10 But his 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 heathē indifferēt, euē Appiā shew­eth vnto vs why the Angel [...]hould name thē in the plural nūber: & soone turne [...]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, whē the kingdome came to his brother, at the first led a priuate life, in the higher part of the kingdome. Soone after, whē his brother passed ouer the Mount Taurus with his forces, and was killed by guile, he obteined the king­dome: being then not past fifteene. Also for the time Polybius writeth thus. A­bout one time Ptolemy left this life by sicknesse, & Ptolemy called Philopator succeeded in the kingdom. At the same time Seleucus fitz Seleucus Callinicus or Pogon departed this life, & Antiochus his brother succeeded in the king­dome of Assyria. This was by his account about 100. yeares after Alexanders death. These be thou are good co [...] enters for this, too as for all the rest. sonnes shall warre, and gather a multi­tude of great forces: And the one shall Antiochus continued voyages and ouerflowed with prosperou [...] successe. Now he was restored▪ a [...] the Angel telleth Polybius vnwares expoundeth Da­niel▪ Booke .5. He sheweth how Diodotus Lieutenant to Philopator in Coele­syria, (wherein Iudea is) euill recompenced for good seruice, agreed with An­tiochus to yeeld vnto him the Cities in Coelesyria. He willingly accepted that hope: and the matter was put in speedy execution. By the way he wan Seleu­cus his ance [...]tour [...] strongest hold, situated betwixt Cilicia and Phoenice, vpon the sea that is betwixt Cyprus and Phoenice, which Euergetes wanne from his father, and Philopator held. Presently Diodotus sent him word, that he held Ptolemais himselfe for him, and Tyrus by one Panaetolus. One Nicolaus from Philopator besieged Diodotus: but Antiochus campe raised the siege, & wan both Townes well furnished for warres. Then lesser townes yeelded without resistance. When Ptolemy openly betrayed, neither could, nor sought to help. So Antiochus recouered the most places of Syria and Phoenice. continue voyages, and ouerflow and ouer-run, & shalbe re­stored, and shall warre at the others fortresse.

Of the great Armies of Antiochus and Ptolemy Philopator.

Polybius recordeth, how Antiochus was put in hazard for all his kingdome beyond Taurus, by Molon & Alex­ander two brethren, who despising his young yeares, meant to haue hold all. Christiās must marke, that God wil haue his word true besides mans hope. His elder brother Sel. Cerannus was soone dispatched. But that Gods word may be cleare: the other finding his owne mightiest seruants rebels: God, beside his hope, doth bring them to horrible killing of themselues, & hath his enemies (as Theodotus aboue named) mightiest traytors for him: he represseth (be­ing a child) his home enemies: and also beside hope, preuai­leth by his forraine: so farre as God had foretold. But whē so much is accomplished, then as farre againe beyond mans expectation, God peyseth the ballaunce to the other side. Ptolemy Philopator fled to Memphis his chief strength. Agathocles and Sosibius, his chiefe gouernors and coun­sellers, had no better hope of safetie, then to seeke delay by sending Ambassadors for peace: and stirred the Rhodians, Byzantians, Cyzicens, and Actolos to do the same. Whēce whē they came to both kings, they found oportunity for Ptolemy to prepare all things needfull for warres. Cap­taines of Greekes of best fame, and of all sor [...] are obtai­ned. Souldiers from other bandes called vnto this seruice, are dayly practised for all cheualrie: and the Ambassadors from Antiochus vnto Ptolemy are [...]n Memphis most gently entertained: but see not what preparation he ma­keth in Alexandria. Antiochus hauing obtained the most part of Syria and Phoenice, had no great care to pra­ctise his Armie: but thought, that he should without warre haue the rest to yeeld: and that Ptolemy durst ne­uer now hazard his whole estate. In this hope he thought to match Ptolemies Ambassadours, who came to him [Page] vnto Seleucia, as much by pretence of iustice, as by strength. Here we may see how the counsell of God is brought a­bout in mans cōfusiō: that Iudaea should be stil vexed, betwixt two kingdomes mightie North and South: & the legs of Dani­els Image beare a pro­portiō from him which proportio­ned all the earth. This parti­cular na­ming of pla­ces neare Iudaea may serue to ma­ny good pur­poses, beside the present argument of shewing what special care the gra­cious good­nes of God had, for to make these matters cleare which might allure all the world vnto Christ. Antiochus sayd, that his surprizing of Seleucia was no iniurie vnto Ptolemie: because those quarters were won from Antigonus Monophthalmus by Ptolemies helpe for Seleucus, not for him selfe: and that then also Coele Syria by agreement was graunted vnto Seleucus, that Ptolemy warred for Seleucus, and not for him selfe: and that this was the common graunt of all the Kings. When Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus ouercame Antigo­nus, they sware that Coele Syria should belong to Seleu­cus. The Ambassadour, from Ptolemy spake for their side, of great Leage-breach, of Theodotus treason, of Antiochus inuasion of Ptolemy Lagides possessions: say­ing, that Lagides helpt Seleucus vpon this condition, that Seleucus should haue Asia, and he should hold Coele Syria and Phoenice to himselfe: but after long debuting nothing was concluded: and thereupon Antiochus prepared to winne the rest of Syria. But Gaza is fortified by Ptole­my. Sundrie townes Polybius reckeneth that he conque­red: Through he commeth to Berytos, recouering Botrys and Theou Prosopon. He burnt Trieris and Calamus by the way. Of Sidon he missed: but wanne Philoteria set vpon Iordan. Thence he commeth to Atabyrion, (Tabor) on a Mountaine fifteene furlongs high, and surpriseth it. There Hippolochus a Thessalian falleth vnto him from 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 [Page] 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 In th'Arab. Geogr. it is called [...]: where [...]: that is, stan­ding high af­ter the Arab. is the fittest notation. 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.

11 And the king of the South shall The Angel vseth Dani­els terme, Cha. 8.7. spo­ken no else­where, shew­ing his no­tice, reue­rence, and loue to Da­niel. deale fiercely, and Polybius liuing with Scipio the noble warrier in this age recordeth this warre, in more particulars, then Penelope saw the description of the Troian: where was Simois, where Priamus palace, where Achilles, where Vlysses tents: and all other affaires. He describeth Raphia where they fought: how it is the next Citie to Egypt after Rinocolura: and neare Gaza. He reckeneth the chieftaines, of what nation they were: what companies, and what nations they had vnder them: of what number, as Ptolemies footemen 70000. Horse 5000. Elephants 73. Antiochus footmen 62000. Horse 6000. Elephants 102. Also he telleth all the fighting: where at the last, beyond all hope, Philopater hath a great victorie, and such an hand ouer Antiochus, that if he could haue pursued with courage, he might haue spoyled him of his kingdome. The 12. v. may well containe the pride of Philopater against God, and destruction of the Iewes: handled Mach. 3. And as well may be applied vnto the greatnesse of his victorie, and licentiousnesse thereupon: which Iustine booke 30. doth note to haue bene the beginning of the decay of his court. Also Polybius noteth, that Cleomenes king of Spar [...], being with him a prisoner, seeing his behaui­our, vpon aduantage slue him. 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.

12 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.

[Page] 13 For the king of the North shall againe All these matters may best be hād­led together: proceeding in one tenor of victories. We may see here most liuely howe Iudaea is wa­sted by the fourth beast, which hath teeth of iron & steely wea­pons: & how it treadeth vnder foote that which it doth not eat. Ioseph. Ant. 12.3. toucheth the most of all this. How Antiochus wanne Iudea: how after Philopaters death, Antiochus Epiphanes sent Scopas into Syria, who recoue­red many townes, and by warres ouercame Iudea: how Antiochus not long after ouercame Scopas, & destroyed a great part of his armie: how the Iewes yeelded vnto him willingly: and holpe him to besiege Ptolemies garrisons which held the castle. For all this, Polybius booke 16. is cited of Iosephus, that the heathen stil may be iudges of Daniel. Also he recordeth the placing of his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy Epiphanes: yeelding vnto him Coele Syria, Samaria, Iudea & Phoenice, in the name of a dowrie. Moreouer he recordeth what fauour he shewed vnto the Iewes for their willingnesse of subiection, and affording victuals vnto his armie: how he restored Ierusalem, left almost voyd of men (so it was wasted by his armies afore, and warres of contrarie victors) and how he graunted many immunities for the Citizens and the Priests. All this from the verie Decree of Antiochus. Moreouer he touched Lydia & Phry­gia reigned by Antiochus: and how from Mesopotamia and Babylonia he re­moued thither 2000. families of Iewes: as the most trustie of all his subiectes, & fittest to represse all stirres there that the Lagidae made vpon losse of those countreys. And for proofe of his narration he bringeth an whole Epistle of Antiochus written to his Generall Zeuxis. That record testifieth how manie Iewes resisted the king of the North. Now touching them which were caried away by Philopaters allurements, to be lawlesse, and to forsake religion, An­tiochus Decree graunting all Iudah their owne lawes, containeth also in effect the rooting out of the other: and plaine reason would tell that Iudah would stirre him vnto that. Their allurements from religion is touched. Machab. 3. how the king of Egypt entised Iewes vnto Atheisme. Appian also in his Sy­riaques toucheth much of this: how Antiochus wanne from Ptolemy, Syria and Cilicia: and came with an exceeding great armie: how he pretended the giuing of his daughter in mariage to Ptolemy: and yet thought to haue inua­ded Egypt: and missing of that hope gaue to Ptolemy his daughter, and Syria in dowrie. This much the heathen knew. The Angell telleth euen his heart and counsell: that by his daughter he thought to haue dispatched Ptolemy Philometor: and noteth his dulnesse: how when he meant to dispatch the o­ther, his action tended rather to destroy her. But that she tooke another safer course. Also for the Isles, that is Greekes countreys, and the beginning of fal­ling out with the Romanes Appian doth record that. He nameth Hellespon­teos, Aeoleas, Ionas, Phocaea, Euboia, Delos, Samos, conquered by him: and also his going ouer vnto Thrace. And how Smyrnaei with Lampsaceni and o­ther [...] resisting him, sent Ambassadours vnto the Romane Proconsul: who de­bated the matter with Antiochus, why he should come from Media to Helle­spontus with so great an armie: and why he tooke Syria and Cilicia from Pto­lemie: how after many other Ambassages, nothing toward peace falling out, & Antiochus raigning ouer many and mightie nations set vpon the sea coasts, and Romanes being killed and captiued in Delos, the Romane warres brake out▪ and Lucius Scipio the Consul [...]s ordained General: The [...] or state here named: To whom the famous warrior Scipio Africanus the first is ioyned an assistant. Now Annibal [...], his aduersarie, the Carthaginian was with An­tiochus: yet that Gods counsel might stand, he could not rule Antiochus with his best counsels, to haue inuaded Italie and haue wasted it: as Annibal had done. But in Graecia he fought, and vpon small losses he fled: voyd of all coun­sell, leauing strong holds full of treasure, armour, and victuals whole for the enemie; still complaining that God was against him: and dealing as one from whom: God had taken away all iudgement. He sought after this peace with great offers: but liked not of refusall, and fought againe, and was put to ex­treme shame, as the Angel here doth terme it. These were the conditions. That he should relinquish all Europe, and all Asia, vnto the Mount, [...], called so [...], by the greatnes, [...]. Which name sheweth the East tongues much alike: through the East it reached. He might not come further West: besides he should yeeld vp all his Elephants: and so many ships as he should be com­maunded: should giue twenty hostages such as the Generall should prescribe, and for the charges of the warres forthwith 500. Euboica Talents, and in 12. yeares twelue hundreth, by equall yearely portions, and restore all captiues. These conditions of shame he was faine to take. And among the pledges An­tiochus his sonne was one: who, being of as bad disposition as an Antichrist, starteth hereafter from Rome to be ouer the people of God: that we should lesse maruell, when the like should arise there againe. Appian recordeth these matters for Greekes: Liuie, more at large for the countreys of Latine studies: and Iustine for children: that if we had applyed these stories of Cleopatras ma­riage in Egypt, and Berenices into Syria, Assyria, or Babylonia, we might see the legges of Daniels Image expounded: and when we marked such sedition springing hence that ouerthrew both kingdomes, and the chiefest here hand­led and all written euen of heathen, we might see how sure Daniels words are: who saw, that as iron could not be mixed with clay, so these affinities of one Macedonian kindred should neuer hold sure atonement. 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.

14 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.

15 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.

16 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 Heb. hand. forces.

17 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.

18 And he shall turne his face vnto the So in Gen. 10. the coun­treys of Grae­cia all about Hellespont, are termed: as Daniel knew & hea­then should not know. 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.

19 And he shall turne his face vnto the fortes of his owne land: but he Iustin. b. 32. sheweth that Antiochus being prest by the Romanes with an heauie tribute, either for couetousnesse or for neces­sitie, as he went to spoyle a temple Dindymei Iouis, he was killed. Strabo an ancienter, speaketh more likely: that going about to rob a temple of Bel in E­lam, the nation did set vpon him and killed him. The Angel telleth that his ruine should be in his own land. Now the Angels speech: He shalbe no more found: that, toucheth the maner of his death: as he was killed by a tumult Barbarian in sacriledge: and left voyd of all glorie. Thus the sixt horne was broken: as the seuenth Ptolemie Philopator by Cleomenes. Polyb. 5. shalbe ouerthrowne and fall, and be no more found.

Of Seleuc. Philopator, the 9. Horne.

20 Then shall stand vp in his [...]. lieu or steed, the Angels terme, new, but plaine in forme. 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 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.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.

21 In his place there shall Here sixe yeares storie is comprised: how Antio­chus was vile as an hostage & prisoner, but viler for his manners▪ called there­fore Epima­nes, witlesse, of Polybius in Athenaeus: in whom his maners are noted to be strange: part of them shall be here layd downe. He would (saith Polybius) sometimes steale out of the Court from his seruants, into any part of the citie, and be a second or a third in any com­panie: often found in golddsmithes shops, and a companion with the cōmon sort, and the basest strangers that came to towne: & when he should perceiue any youths minding a drinking together, he would steale vpon them, with his pot and Musique: that the most part would for the strangenesse leaue the com­pany. Also oftentimes casting off his royall robes, he would walke in a gowne in the courtes, crauing an office, and taking one by the hand, embracing ano­ther, he would desire them to giue him a voyce: sometimes that he might be Steward of the market: sometimes Shiriffe: and obtaining his office he would sit in an iuorie chaire, after the Romanes maner, and heare the market bar­gains with great sadnesse: wherby the better sort could not tell what to thinke of him: some thought him verie simple: some others starke mad. Likewise in his gifts he was no wiser. He would giue some, dise, some, dates, some gold: & meeting some whom he neuer saw afore, he would bestow vpon them vnho­ped rewards: in sacrifices and honouring the God, he passed all that haue reigned. The Olympeion of Athens, and the huge image at Delos altar shew that. He vsed to wash him in the common bathes, full of the basest sortes: and had tankards of the dearest ointments caried in for him. Where when a cer­taine man sayd: Happy are you Kings, which vse such sweete sentes: he sayd nothing then, but on the morow, as the other was bathing him selfe, he came vpon him, and caused a verie great pot of the dearest ointment stacte, to be powred on his head, that all standing by tombled in ointment: & some falling downe for the slipperinesse caused laughter, as did the King him selfe. What infinite thousandes of poundes he bestowed on a Triumph, hauing heard of Paulus Aemylius the Romane Generall, it would be too long to tell. That fell out when he had spoyled Aegypt, in his last voyage. And this of 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. 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.

22 And by armes ouerthrowing they shalbe ouer­throwne before him, and shalbe broken, as also the 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. Prince of the couenant.

23 Through the ioyning together with whom, he shall worke deceiptfully: and shall come vp and [Page] ouercome with a small people.

24 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 thē: 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.

25 Also he 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. 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.

26 And they that eate [...] vsed Daniel 1. on­ly and here▪ the portion of his meate shall breake him: and the other army shall ouerflow, and many slaine shall fall.

27 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.

28 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.

29 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.

[Page] 30 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.

31 And armes shall stand on his part, which shall pollute the Sanctuary of strength, and shall take a­way the cōtinuall 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. M [...]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 [Page] 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 Religiōs, 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 [Page] 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 frō 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.

32 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.

[Page] 33 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.

34 And whē they are ouerthrowen, they shalbe hol­pen with a little helpe: But many shall ioyne vnto them fainedly.

35 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 [...] Mat. 24 6.5. Is a most o­ratorious expositiō of the phrase. yet to come.

36 And the king shall do what he list: and exalt him selfe, and magnifie himselfe aboue all ( 2. Thess. 2 4. Translateth this better then mans wit would.that is cal­led) God: and against the God of Gods shall he speake [...]. 2. Pet. 2. swelling things, and prosper vntill the an­ger be finished: for a seuere iudgement is to be executed.

37 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.

38 As for the God 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. 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.

39 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.

40 And at the end of time the king of the South shal as chap. 8. [...]. 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, [Page] and flow and passe ouer.

41 Also he shall come into the Ezek. 20. 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.

42 Also he shall stretch forth his hand ouer coun­treys: specially the land of Aegypt shall not es­cape.

43 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 Athe­nae [...]s bringeth Polybius vvordes.

[...] [Page] [...].

This record I hold much worth, seeing it agreeth so fit­ly with the robbing of Aegypt: and also might well be the [Page] cause of his necessitie (proceeding from prodigalitie) to spoyle the temple of Persepolis mentioned. 2. Mach. 9. The Ro­manes can not be holdē any of Dani­els foure kingdomes. 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 [...] 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. Chittun indeede: & therein Daniel remem­bring Balaā, 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 [Page] 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.

44 But 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. tydings shall trouble him from the East, and from the North: and he shall go forth with great heate to destroy and sacke many.

45 And he shall plante the tents of his Eb. [...] a Babylonian terme, often vsed in the Babylonian Talmud. The Greeke kept it [...]. court be­tweene seas at holy mount Tzeby: and he shall come to his end, and none shall helpe him.

The better resurrection and the worse: Eb. 11. to life, and to Iudgement, Iohn. 5.

2 For the many of them Iohn. 11. that sleepe in the Gene. 1. earth of Gene. 3. dust, shall Esa. 26. awake: some to life euerlasting, and some to all shame, to Es. 66. vlt. The Scrip­ture of like phrases teach vs to make the force of euerie word here vsed. lothsomnesse euerlasting. [Page] With the naming of life Eternall, he toucheth the glorie of it: which here is layd before the eyes in shining termes: a tast whereof Daniel felt in the glorie of the Angel Gabriel that came to him now, chap. 10. Whose brightnesse he could not abide: and the description of Christ was more glorious. Now all that be faithfull are told here, that they shalbe like Angels. Our Lord translateth this sentence thus: Then the iust shall shine as the sun, in the kingdome of their father. Here the Angels was to name in trou­bles, for the more stay of the people: The wise counsellers: and keepers of the people in the holy couenant: As Mattathias, & Iudas that had M. C.B.I. in his standart, the first letters of [...]. Who is like vnto thee ô Eter­nal, among the Gods? Such was Eleazar the old man, and valiant Martyr: such were the seuen brethren and the mother that suffered together: and the holie Ghost doth record their saluation in their hope of the better resurrection, & that they saw the promise afore hand: as they might vnto the verie houre. But we may not thinke that any other faithfull be lesse in glory. A poore trades mā who in small knowledge ouercommeth Satan, fighteth as valiant a combat as Daniel, who hath openly the armie of heauen to assist him. Now all the iust are of vnderstanding in Gods couenant, learned and wise: and shew occa­sion vnto others of the like: though some are more employed herein and soo­ner called, and beare longer the burden: who haue the timelier ioy. In iustice giuen be Christ equall to all, we are saued: & thereby euery one faithfull shall shine as the sunne. This Conclusion is heauenly against the persecutions of Antiochus: and Daniel might know hence that when our Lord, who is acy in the forme of God, came in the flesh, he would shew a tast of his glorie, as he shewed to Peter, Iames, and Iohn vpon the mountaine, which as he comman­ded the Disciples not to tell, vntill his resurrection, so Daniel hides it from prophane enemies, who would turne all into floures, or fables: and as hogges rent the holy people, for casting pearles vnto them. Therefore an holy charge foloweth. 3 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.

The like cō ­mandement was giuen. chap. 8.26. Where Elam and Mada [...], and Iauan were named. Here though they be not na­med, they are so plainly described, that any learned heathen would tell right­ly what kingdomes must be meant. Now that the Prophet should not sorow for closing such profitable matter, he is comforted: that when these matters out: many will search further to abound in knowledge: as the Iewes in the Machabees are testified to haue done. And Romanes too deale with these matters, as Vergil, Aeg. 4. Polybius, Dion Cassius, Tacitus and many others, and Porphyrie in Eusebius commendeth the Iewes skill in Prophecie, which doubtlesse this booke gaue them: to tell euents for these dayes. 4 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, Daniel one­ly mentio­neth the first captiui­tie. 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. None, with­out marking an allusiō in the Chaldy, can euer know why Daniel shold breake the natiue order of speech: for clay, iron, brasse, siluer, gold. 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: [Page] 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 Fiue points of great im­portance haue bene mistaken in expounding Daniels 7. chap. The name Bel­ash-zar: euē of Ebrew Printers: the Sainctes of the high: who they be, who there hold the kingdome: the speech of the three former beastes: who the fourth beast means and specially all the speeches which in truth are of Antiochus Epiphanes. 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 [Page] 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. Arraxasta that granted leaue to go forward with the temples worke doth acknow­ledge closly why Xerxes campe was ouerthrowē. And any that considered the Iewes state might know his counsell. Now touching Iudah vn­der the Seleucide, and Lagidae, and the describing of the legges of iron, there he hideth his minde most vvittily. Da­niel might vvell thinke that some heathen vvould learne Ebrew: and Ebrewes reuolt vnto heathen, and tell his se­crets, vnto the kings spoken off. To preuent that he so fil­leth his speech vvith phrases of difficultie, that none but the humble vvill seeke to vnderstand him. So the pro­nounes for Seleucus Nicator and his vvhole description, vvill vvearie any slouthfull: vers. 5. and so phrases of Be­renices case, specially [...], the verbe. Likewise in Pt. Here in Da­niel is the hardest text to translate of any that I know. Euer­getes, vers. 9. the transposing of termes deceaued the sleepy. And ofter the terme Many signifying the Iewes nations many, vvould entangle many an enemy. Now in Antiochus Epiphanes matters, he vseth many closures. The holy co­uenant, for the Religiō of Moses: the Sanctuary of Mauz, for, of God: and Mauzim, all strength that is almighty, in, vers. 38. and 39. the fortes of Mauzim for the tem­ple of Ierusalem, and sundry particles of difficultie, but vn­to a practised Ebrew in vers. 38. and 39. Also Chaldie [Page] termes as [...], Aphadno, his court, and [...] treasures, vvith strange Eb. [...] and [...] for agreement, and [...] for, in his steed, these vvould vvearie the prophane: and all that count not the kingdome of heauen vvorthy sear­ching for, Names of Christ: Pal­mony. chap. 8. Messias. chap. 9. Mi­chael. chap. 10. & 12. Al­so [...] chap. 3. euen by Midras Rab. Stone cut without hands. chap. 2. and one clothed in white linnen &c. chap. 20. and 12. and Prince of the armie. chap. 8. Mi­chael there by Aben Ezra. as an hid treasure. Also Michael the great Prince, named great by an Angel, in the company of two other Angels, this vvould disturbe the vnstayed: vvho knew not vnto vvhat former person, as Palmony and Mes­sias, this vvas to be referred. The notation vvould teach such as knew the holy Trinitie, vvho the person vvas no lesse then vve are vvarranted from Apo. 12. and from S. Iude. In the Apocalypse, vvhere Michael and his Angels fight, Christ and his seruantes come in the exposition. In S. Iude the burier of Moseh is Michael, vvho in Deut. is [...] the Eternal. Also the authour of this speech, the Lord rebuke thee Satan, is in Zacharie the Eternal, and the Angel of the Eternal: By this vve may vvell know vvho Michael must be. And all of stayed iudgement will soone acknowledge, that it cannot stand vvith the playn­nesse vvhich is in Christ, that the Angel should call Da­niel vnto any speculation of Archangel, but of the sonne of God: nor to teach him to vvade in things vvhich he could not see, to hold any created Angel our great Prince. An­gels are in Esay of one degree called by the Argument in handling, The Scrip­ture neuer reacheth of any superio­ritie in crea­ted Angels: but as aboue earthly Princes. Seraphim: Burners (of the Citie and Temple) in Ezekiel Cerubim by Mosehs terme: in whom one sise and measure sheweth how all are equally ministring spirites, to be sent on seruice for such as are to inherite Saluation. As Palmony in the eight Chapter is expounded the most holy Christ in the ninth: and none vvas there aboue Ga­briel but he, so none here may be. And vvhen our Lord, Iohn. 5. disputeth of the resurrection, as a vvorke for the sonne of God, therein calling vs hither, he expoundeth clos­ly, vvho Michael must be. These points keepe Daniel mysticall vnto all that be not of the Church. As all his book [Page] must needs be hid from them that vveigh not, vvhat point of Religion touching Dauids throne vvas now to be ope­ned. But they vvho know that all Iudah seeing Salomons house at end, vvould require from God a further explica­tion of Dauids sonne and throne Eternal, spoken by Na­than. 2. Sam. 7. and consider that Daniel is a Commenta­rie vpon that point: that the crowne shalbe ouerturned, o­uerturned, ouerturned: (as in Ezekiel,) vntil he commeth to vvhom it belongeth: they vvho know that, vvill soone know vvhat Daniel must meane: euen that all his booke is but an explication of that doubt: how Salomons house being extinct, our Lords godly house continueth the right: and how all nations stand vp against it: first vnder Chams brode, of Babel, next vnder Sems Elam: all this in the East: and long vnder Iaphets Westward, that Greeke might be made common for Noahs Prophecie and allusion vnto Ia­phets name: Bar Kapra in Ierusalemy: [...] The Rab­bins saw by Noahs allu­sion: that the new Testa­ment was to be written in Greeke. of perswading in his language to dwel in Sems tentes. This being considered, the vvhole frame of the ho­ly storie vvill tell how much of the building might belong to Daniel or any Prophet, for to make vp. And this vvas not he to tell in his booke: but to giue closly an answere, vn­to the close demaund of all his owne nation. Little vvould the heathen haue beleeued him, that the house of Zoroba­bel were the high Sainctes: that Zorobabel should be as a signet in due time, that mountaines should be playne a­fore Zorobabel: and that Zorobabel had a name tea­ching by and for vvhom the Golden Babylonian head should be fanned. These points would heathen no more re­gard, then Herod regarded Ioseph, the carpenter: and the Machabees, Iacob, Matthan Eleazar. So vve see that Salathiel and Pedaiah in Babylon, vvere of no account: and Zorobabel in Iudah of small authoritie: and Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Sadok, Eliud, not so much as named in any place, beside the holy register. The notation of their names compared vvith Psalme. 89. vvould teach vvhat their [Page] hope was: and that Psalme bringeth Aethan as chiding with God for straunge dealing in the promise of the king­dome: so that a certaine Spanish Iew cited by Aben Ezra being at his wittes end, would not reade the Psalme. If Iuda to this day could not conceaue a right the nature of their kingdome: The Iewes to this day looke for a pompous kingdome, silly cay­tifes. much lesse vvould the heathen haue re­sted in plainnesse, ioyfull onely for the vvorld to come: when they beleeued not that the vvorld was made: nor that the highest ruled the kingdomes of men. Christ him selfe spea­keth in vers. 10. The wicked will not vnderstand: but the wise will vnderstand. To them it is giuen to know the my­steries of the kingdome of heauen: and to them which are without, all things are in Parables. For that cause, both a charge is giuen here to shut vp the wordes and to seale the booke: and in phrases Daniel doth the same, and in all his Methode. And as in due time many ranne to search, whereby knowledge likewise encreased▪ So we should search now that our knowledge might encrease.

An Angel demaundes how long the wonders of Antiochus dealings shall preuaile: and hath an answere from chap. 7.25. that it shall conti­nue three yeares and an halfe. And thereupon the Greekes hand set vpon the holy people shalbe brused.

5 The great­nes of these matters here is set forth, by the Angels attē ­dance & de­sire to looke into them: likewise the certaintie by the number of witnesses, two, yea three in all, as among men the law holdeth that proofe sufficient. That certaintie must needes import plainnesse in the matter. The place at Tigris was fittest to betoken dealings in time at those quarters: As at Eulai the Riuer Daniel saw Paras and Madai rise and fall. Vpon Tigris Seleucus built Seleucia. There abouts also this Antiochus after his Church robbing was foyled. Moreouer the notation is very fit. [...] sharpe, [...] swift: As these dealings vpon Gods ene­mies should be sharpe and swift. Strabo noteth that the Riuers name is an arrow in the Medes tongue: and so it is by Curtius in the Persian. And both nations seeme to haue the same language either wholly or neare. The name and fame of the Riuer is ancient. In Adams Paradise it was one of the foure: that, with it, as the first of Ebrew stories began: so the last in the Ebrew Pro­phetes should end. God tendereth in all points mans weakenesse: to contriue much into a little roome, to be easier learned & remembred. There Babel did set vp a Tyrannie, at the towres building: and Nemrod of the yongest house began rebellious dealings. There Elam sonne of Sem wanne the superioritie from Senear and Nemrod: thence they and two more come against Abraham, and fall. And as Aegypt in Pharaoh after Babel troubled the Church, so in these dealings they do: that by admonition of place all might be better wayed. Full many be the like reuolutions for places and times in the Ebrew stories: which obseruation will helpe much. The Angels demaund is like Iohn Bap­tistes of Christ, for his Disciples surenesse, not for his owne doubt. The matter was shewed to Daniel Chapter 7. There commeth vp in the fourth beast one little horne, which brake three hornes, & had eyes like a humane man, but a mouth speaking great matters, vntill thrones of iudgement were set vp, and for the great words which the horne spake, the beast was k [...]ld, and the bo­dy cast into the fier. There that horne made warre with the iholy: vntill the auncient of dayes came, and Iudgement was giuen to the Sainctes of the ho­ly Trinitie, and the Sainctes held their kingdome. There the Angel expoun­deth it of one king that should abase three: which Antioch. did: first to Seleu­cus, next to Demetrius, thirdly to Ptol. Philometor. The same should speake wordes against the highest, and consume the Sainctes of the high Trinitie, and thinke to alter times and law: and touching that point, they should be giuen into his hand, for a time, and two times, and halfe a time. Now the terme time put for a yeare, was seene chap 4. in Neb. & the Angel could not be ignorant of that: But whereas all Antiochus dealings against Moses were. 2300. dayes a­fore the 25 of Casleu, to distinguish the whole rage from the remouing of the sacrifice, that was to be noted. And those dealings are termed wonders. Se­ing the [...] continuall sacrifice was [...], as Christes death was: the counsell of Christ in giuing that into a Tyrants controlment, and the Sabbath which had bene since Adams time, and his holy seruants to be tormented; this was indeede a great wonder. The reason was rendred, chap. 11.35. and here vers. 10. Christ telleth it in the same termes that the Angel vsed: onely he altereth their order, as I will shew when I come vnto the verse. The answere foloweth.Then I Daniel looked: and behold, two others stood, one on this side the brinke of the riuer, and one on the other side the brinke of the riuer.

6 And he said vnto the mā clothed in linnen, which was vpō the waters of the riuer, at what time shal­be the end of these wonders?

[Page] [...] a speech of difficultie: to the vne­brewed, but plaine by the matter. 7 And I heard the man The at­tire here, & the whole persons description chap. 10.5.10.5. sheweth a sacrificer holy, and higher then the heauens. Moreouer the gesture of standing vpon the waters importeth that of the Psalme: how as God calmeth the waters, so he calmeth the waues of nations. And this vision answereth vnto Iobs speach: that God walketh vpon the high waues of the seas. The metaphors and visions of the Scripture haue a cleare resemblance of that which is taught for mens affaires. Besides, the gesture and oth calleth into minde, Deut. 32. a comfort euen for these times. I kill and make aliue, I strike and I make whole: and none can take away from my hand. When I lift mine hand vnto heauen, and say, as I liue for euer, if I whet the blade of my sword, and my hand lay hold on iudgement, I will requite vengeance vnto my aduersaries, & pay my foes. I wil make drunke my arrowes with bloud: and my sword shall eate flesh: from bloud of slaine and captiue: from the head of vengeance vpon the enemy. Reioyce ô heathen with his people. For he will reuenge the bloud of his seruants: and pay venge­ance vnto his aduersaries: and be reconciled vnto his people. The wordes of Moses begin their execution in this place, and hold on vnto the full calling of the heathen. So the gesture of lifting vp the hand and swearing calleth all this vnto Daniels minde. The summe of the matter here conteineth two things: the rage of Gods enemies, and the punishment. The rage is for three yeares and an halfe. So the terme, Time, by synecdoche in Dan. 4. as I told was taken: and Greekes commonly at this day: call an yeare a Time, and three yeares three [...] times. This time was noted by Iosephus in Bell. Iud. 1. [...]. That is, Antiochus syrnamed Epipha­nes surprised Ierusalem by force, and held it three yeares, and six monethes, & is cast out of the countrey by the sonnes of Chashmonai, that is: the Macha­bees. He presently hindred the continual offring, when his Idolatrous garri­sons being abominations through Idolatry, and desolaters by trade, held the holy temple. Iosephus also here handleth the brusing of the hand set vpon the holy people, vnder the casting of Antiochus out of all the countrey. The Rab­bines commonly note the same: euen in the Babylonian Talmud, & Rambam writeth a common place [...], as [...]. Iohn. 10. vpon the recouerie of the temple. There also the driuing out of Antiochus is handled. The Iewes testi­monie should be strong against them selues & good for our surenesse, for fame of matter here told. Thus Rābam writeth in his first Tome in Megilah & Cha­nucha Perek 3. Tremellius nameth his worke Talmud. In the time of the secōd temple Iauan gaue decrees ouer Israel: and abrogated their Policie: and suf­fred them not to studie the law and commaundementes: and layd hold vpon their substance and their daughters: and they went into the temple: and made breaches, and polluted the cleane. And Israel was in great distresse through them, which oppressed greatly, vntill the God of our fathers pitied them, and saued them out of the others hand, and deliuered them, and the Chashmo­naim (The Machabees) the high Priests kild them, and saued Israel from their hand: & set vp a king of the Prists more then 200. yeares afore the secōd deso­lation. And when Israel preuailed against their enemies, and destroyed them, it was the 25. of Chasleu, and they entred into the temple, &c. and for this cause the wise men of that generation ordeined that eight dayes beginning from the 25. of Chasleu should be celebrated with gladnesse and songes: and they kind­led candels, in the euening at their houses doores euery night of the eight. And these dayes are called [...]. Dedication, and they admit no mourning nor fasting: as the dayes of Purim. Thus the goodnesse of God forced them to keepe a famous memorie of their deliuerance from their persecution. Vpon which storie, they should looke into the Prophecie: which none can denie to be for a vehement persecution: and common reason would tell them that the first which fell out in the vehemency here told, must needes be meant by this. The consideration of this storie with the Prophecie, would haue taught them of the person, the teller of the time: the high sacrificer: who would himselfe suf­fer in like sort, three yeares & an halfe, all gaine saying of sinners: teaching that which these visions declared. They held their owne kingdome about 150. yeares in reasonable quietnesse: but they to whom Christ gaue victories, dis­disdained the office of white linen and continuall sacrifice, and 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. clothed in linen which was vpon the waters of the riuer, when he held vp his right hand, and his left hand vnto heauen, and sware by him that liueth for euer, that it shalbe for a time, times, & an halfe: & at the finishing of bru­sing the hand, that is, vpō the holy people all these things shalbe finished.

Daniels demaundes concerning the time when the Iewes should begin to recouer their state from the Greekes: with speeches of Christ touching the darknesse of all the oration, and counsel for the afflictions of the godly.

8 And I heard, but 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 thē 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 spokē, 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 takē 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. vnderstood not: then said I, ô my Lord when shalbe the end of these things?

9 And he said, go thy way Daniel. For the words are closed vp and sealed till the end of the time.

10 Many shalbe purified, whited and tryed: But the the wicked will do wickedly: and none of the wic­ked will vnderstand: but the wise will vnderstand.

[Page] 11 And from the time of taking away the continu­all sacrifice, and of setting vp the Infidel gar­risōs destroying the tem­ple: as in Rambam a­boue was shewed. lothsome of de­solation, dayes shalbe a thousand two hundreth and ninetie.

12 Happie is he that is patient, and commeth vnto dayes a thousand three hundreth thirty and fiue. Daniel knew the end of those wonders mentioned by the Angel, when it should be: from chap. 8. euen with the clensing of the tēple: But knew not the speciall note of their beginning. In answering cōcerning two points for the brusing Seleuci [...]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 Seleucid [...] ̄n, which in the 145. he hindered. Three yeares, seuen moneths & some 13. dayes might be in this while. Another cōfort is added, for the patiēt in these persecutiōs: euē 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. Seleucid [...]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-Seleucid [...] ̄n or Gog perished, by the Latin natiō 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 reuelatiōs 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.

13 And thou, go to the end, and rest, and stand in thy lot vnto the end of the dayes.