saluation purchased by Christ the Lord the three and thirtieth yere of his age But that three thirtieth yeare of the Lord vnexpired falleth into the eighteenth Y. of Tiberius Caesar because in the fifteenth yere of Tiberius beginneth the thirtie of the Lord whereby the one and thirtieth yeare of our Lord falleth into the sixteenth yeare of Tiberius and his thirtie two yeare runneth into the seuenteenth yeare of Tiberisn then the three and thirtieth yeare of the Lord must needes be referred to the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius which because they be grounded on the testimonies of holie Scripture and not on the vncertaine opinions of men they appeare to bee true and certaine But that the Lord Iesus Christ accomplished two and thirtie yeares a halfe on earth the auncient Church also acknowledged as reuerent Bed a hath witnessed in his booke of the Nature of things the fortie seuenth chapter whose words are these For the faith of the Church if I am not deceiued embraceth this that the Lord liued in the flesh somewhat more than two and thirtie yeares vnto the time of his passion because he was baptized at thirtie yeres as the Euangelist Luke witnesseth and preached three Y. an halfe after his baptisme as Iohn teacheth in his Gospel not onely by the time of the Passeouer but also in his Reuelation Daniel also in his vision appointeth the very same propheticallie Surely the holy apostolike Church of Rome testifieth that she reckoneth this faith euen by those notes which she vseth yerely to write in her waxe things where calling into the peoples minde the time of the Lords passion noteth alwaies three and thirtie yeare lesse than Dionysius reckoneth from his incarnation These things Beda deliuereth of the age of the Lord Iesus But I am ignorant what place of the Reuelation teacheth it but we may think that this was confessed in olde time by some receiued Cabala or tradition Eusebius in his 8. booke second chapter of the demonstration of the Gospell confirmeth this saying Surely it hath been recorded in written Storie that all the time of the teaching and dooing of miracles of our Sauiour was three yeares and a halfe which is truly the halfe of one seauen In a sort Iohn the Euangelist will declare this to them who shall attentiuely consider his Gospell Thus farre Eusebius Afterwards Abbas Vspergensis saith in the life of Tiberius The three and thirtieth yeare of his incarnation our Lord Iesus suffered in his flesh and rose again Also Nicephorus Callistus concludeth the first booke of his histories thus This first booke of histories conteineth three thirtie yeres the beginning taken from the two and fortieth yere of the reigne of Augustus Caesar now wexing old in the which our Lord Iesus Christ with flesh came foorth of the holie Virgine but the ende ending in the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius Caesars reigne which truly is from the creatiō of the world 5538. but was from the birth of our Lord three and thirtie These out of manie may suffice from which it is apparant that the time of the life of the Lord Iesus on earth was well knowen to the auncient Fathers Whereof yet the Diuines of our time doo so dispute that a matter of it selfe plaine enough they doo so enwrap and infolde that it is very hard for them to vnloose themselues from their trifling lets Therefore in the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius and the three and thirtieth of Christ the Lord we haue concluded the seuentie seuens of Daniel which to what yeares of the Olympiades or to the Citie of Rome or to the creation of the world they are to bee referred may most certainly be gathered out of the continuance and comparison of times determined by the authoritie of holie Scripture as is noted in the Table But the eighteenth yere of Tiberius is the fourescore 4. yeare from the building of Rome but of the world created three thousand nine hundred sixtie one which notation of time to be diligentlie considered and not to be ouerpassed careles or slothfullie the oracles of the Prophets concerning these matters doo declare But so diligent a care and carefulnesse which the Scripture vseth in noting downe these times shuld sharpen our diligence and shake out of vs all sluggishnes wherefore there is no reason why this our paines should be despised of anie or misliked seeing it consisteth and is grounded on the word of GOD and not on the traditions or opinions of men But by this we vnderstād that the knowledge of these times do chieflie concerne vs because they were written for vs who are come to those acceptable times to that grace which we haue also obteined which trulie now lōg agoe hath been prophecied by the oracles and foretellings of the Prophets For as the Apostle Peter saith in the first chapter of his first epistle Of this saluation the Prophets enquired searched who prophecied of the grace to come on you searching in what time or after what season the spirit of Christ which was in thē did foretel the suffrings which should come to Christ and his glorie to come to whom it was reuealed that not for themselues but for vs they did showe those things which now are declared vnto vs by thē who preach the Gospel vnto vs the holie spirit hauing been sent from heauen which things the Angels desire to behold So Peter the Apostle commendeth the greatnes of the grace communicated vnto vs in his time foretold and foreended by the Prophets that the Angels also doo admire it and doo desire to behold the complement thereof whereof that the elect be not defrauded wee must striue by all meanes The fruite also which floweth from these times is not to be omitted because the Iewes by the demonstration of them may be cōuinced to yeeld yet at the length vnto Christ and rest themselues in Christianitie and leaue off to blaspheame To which purpose wee must not onelie ioyne Daniels seuens but also Iaacobs prophecie which is in this sort in the 49. of Genesis 10. The Scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a Ruler out of his loynes till Silo come that is his son to wit Iuda and he shalbe the expectation of the Gētiles For that this ver is thus to be interpreted the Rabbines also confesse the truth compelling them for they say Silo signifieth Beno that is His sonne which is the Messias Christ the Lord the sonne of Iuda For Christ the Lord rose from Iuda as is confirmed and taught by the Scriptures Heb. 8. 14. To this the Prophecie and testimonie of Aggey the Prophet beeing added is of no small force in which the ancient Rabbines acknowledge the presence of Christ the Lord to bee signified with the which hee was to beautefie the second Temple which place is cited out of the 2. Aggey the 8. And I will mooue all Nations and the desired shall come to all the
first ioyned league with the Carthaginians After the Kings were exiled Rome the Consulls had ruled the Common-weale eight and twentie yeares before the first passage of Xerxes into Graecia But Rome was in subiection to Kings 243. yeare as Sextus Rufus maketh computation deducting the times of the Kings From that time if you reckon 28. yeare we shall come to the 3. yeare of the 74. Olympiade Now it is manifest and apparant by this that Pausanias and Diodorus Siculus as also Polybius moreouer Dionisius Halicarnasseus who is of their iudgment others who haue likewise noted these times vnto vs haue all erred because Cyrus Maior King of Persia ruled the Kingdome after Darius the Mede in the third yeare of the 80. Olympiade as the times determined by the testimonie of holie Scripture doo conclude And after Cyrus these three Kings succeeded in Persia Assuerus Artaxerxes Darius Assyrius and Artaxerxes Pius But the 20. yeare of Artaxerxes Pius the Temple was whollie restored and it is noted that the Citie Ierusalem was compassed with a wall as afterwards will appeare out of the historie of the seuen first seuens of Daniel But the seuenth seuē which is the limit of this time is ended in the third yeare of the 92. Olympiade Moreouer there is reckoned the 32. yeare of Artaxerxes Puis in the 13. of Nehem and the 6. vers which falleth out in the third yeare of the 95. Olympiade So it appeareth how farre these Writers are from the true obseruing of the times seeing it may seeme that the passing of Xerxes into Graecia was only about the 90. Olympiade because Artaxerxes Pius must haue reigned in Persia before Xerxes the terrour of Graecia as it is apparant out of the Prophecie of Daniel in whose eleuenth chaper and 2. verse it is plainlie said After Cyrus 3. Kings shall rule in Persia before Xerxes who shal trouble all Graecia Yet Xerxes might goe downe into Graecia vnder Artaxerxes Pius when hee was elected King For euen as vnder Cyrus reigned Assuerus so vnder Artaxerxes Xerxes might reigne and the Persian Monarchie euē as the Romanes at one time might haue manie Imperators By this it appeares that the errors admitted by prophane Historiographers and the Chronicles of our time in the supputation of times may be espied and in some part amended But it is requisite for vs for this time to pretermit that care to referre it vnto some other time least by handling of other matters we may seeme to haue forgot our own purpose These things haue been thus laid downe by vs out of the holie Scriptures concerning the Persian Monarchie and the Monarchs of Persia to lay open in some part the truth of the Persian Historie and to purge it from fables But now we are to come to the seuens of Daniel which in the chapter going before we haue taught to haue been deuided by the Angell into three parts yet so as he hath selected seuen out of them hath appointed them to the restoring of the Temple and the Citie Then he dooth enumerate sixtie two in the which the Church of God was afflicted diuerslie In the third place the last which is the seuentieth hath been set downe which hath with it the conclusion and end of all the ceremoniall of the lawe But the seuen forenamed seuens in the first place because they signifie a yearely time doo make fortie and nyne yeres for that number seuen times seuen doth amount vnto the Historie whereof the writings of Nehemias and Esdras doo conteine which the Latins comprehend in one volume so as the booke of Nehemias they call the second booke of Esdras And Ierome in his Episle to Paulinus concerning the books of holy scripture saith that Esdras Nehemias were streightned into one volume from the which this present Historie of seuen seuens or weeks is to be deriued And in the first chapter of Esdras the Edict of Cyrus is laid downe by the which the people of God is restored to his libertie after 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon The people being returned into their Country the third chapter teacheth that the Altare was first built in the which they offered sacrifices to God which giueth vs also to vnderstand that in the second yeare after the returne into their Countrey the foundations of the temple were laid by Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel Prince of Iuda and by Iosua the sonne of Iosedeck the high Priest In the fourth chapter Esdras teacheth that the building of the Temple was hindred by the commandement of Assuerus Artaxerxes nor begun again to be builded before the second yeare of Darius Assyrius But in the sixt chapter he sheweth the Temple was finished in the sixt yeare of Darius Assyrius Zorobabel and Iosua imploying and busying themselues chiefely about it being thereunto incited by the Prophets Aggey and Zacharie The Temple being restored and almost finished Zorobabel Prince of Iudea may be thought to die because Esdras is sent to Iuda from the King of Persia as Viceroy with agreat companie of voluntarie Iewes who remained in Chaldea after the Edict of Cyrus and the departure of their Countrey men who beeing by God awakened had rather leaue their wealth in Babylon to liue in their owne countrey than by enioying it to liue in a strange Countrey Yet Esdras is sent to Iudea chiefly to constitute Rulers Iudges who might minister iustice to the people thereby to establish the state of the Iewes Commonweale which is done in the seuenth yeare of Artaxerxes Pius as it is in Esdr the 4. the 24. After Esdras the same Artaxerxes Pius sendeth as his Embassador Nehemias with authoritie and commaundement for couering the gates of the Temple that is for finishing the building of the Temple as also for walling the Citie Ierusalem as it is in 2. Nehem and the 8. Now Nehemias had this Embassage in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes Pius as it is in the first verse of the 8. chapter which was 13. yeres after Esdras was sent Embassador to Iuda Yet Nehemias was ruler and protector ouer Iuda 12. yeares as it is declared in the 5. chap. and 14. verse But how great paines Nehemias tooke in fortefying the Citie Ierusalem and compassing it with a wal is declared from the second chapter to the seauenth And in the 6. chapter and 15. vers is declared the great diligence which both hee and the Iewes vsed in fortefying the Citie Ierusalem so great a worke being finished within fiftie and two dayes being the fiue twentieth of the moneth Elul which in our account is August And thus we haue the first seuen seuens fullie ended that is in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes Pius in the which Nehemias came to Iuda For so the Angel foretold Dan. chap. 9. verse 25. that to the building againe of streete and walls should be seuen seuens and that in a troublesome time The hostile attempts of the aduersaries of the people of
ouer to the sixtie and two seuens which follow which we will handle shortly least we be tedious The sixtie two seuens which succeede the seuen before spoken of begin from the twentie and one yeare of Artaxerxes Pius which is the fourth yeare of the ninetie two Olympiade from whence beginneth the eight of Daniels seuens But this time is ended and compassed in the beginning of the seuētieth seuen which falleth into the second yeare of the hundred one Olympiade when Quintus Tiberius Nero reigned in Rome after Octauius Augustus the yeare from the Citie built seuen hundred seauentie eight Now what was the state of the church in these seuentie two seuens is opened and taught by the visions of Daniel as before we haue said Therefore in the seuenth chapter of Daniel foure Monarchies are propounded vnder foure terrible beasts vnder whom the people of GOD was diuerslie afflicted Whom although earthlie and sen suall men desired to destroy consume yet they could neuer remooue the people of God from their constancie and faith God miraculouslie preseruing and defending his Church But the Iewes Commonwealth liued prosperouslie enough vnder Artaxerxes Pius when that Persian King vnto whom the rest of Asia and Syria obeyed cared for it and the people of God For hee after the death of Zorobabel compounded and established the Church causes as may be vnderstood by the Commentaries of Esdras and Nehemias After this Artaxerxes Pius wee haue taught the Empire of the East or the Persian Empire to succeed to Xerxes the terror of Graecia but from this Xerxes immediately to Alexander the great doth the Angel passe passing ouer the other Kings of Persia because they were inferiour in renowme to Xerxes neither greatlie regarded the causes of the Church but suffering them to passe according to the time being ouer seriouslie busied exacting and gathering vp of tributes and the yearely reuenue By the going downe of Alexander into Syria it might be thought that the Church of God should sustaine great dammage by reason of his warre against Tyrus and against Egypt for the going downe out of Phoenicia into Egypt is through Iudea and Alexander the great was verie angrie with the Iewes because they had denied him aid and prouision and because they tooke the Persians part whome they then obeyed Besides religion and true godlinesse dissenting from others who were idolaters prouoked wicked men and contemners of God against the people of God But God in whose hand are not onely the hearts of Kings but of all men reconciled Alexander to his people and brought the insolencie of a foolish and proud yong man intollerable through successe of his victories to a moderation and caused him to performe great signes and arguments of fauour to those with whom hee seemed to be most displeased Therefore in this Historie we may obserue the same which we vnderstand to haue fallen out in the first times of the Church of Israel betweene Laban and Iaacob Gen. 31. 24. For Laban with an exasperate minde and with a great band pursued Iaacob who fled from him in hope to finde Iaacob vnprouided to ouerthrow his substāce Yet this boldnesse of Laban God in a wonderfull manner kept vnder forbidding him not onely not to deale rashlie with Iaacob but not so much as to speake rashlie to him so God repressed this furious man and compelled him to seeke his friendship whom he went about to destroy In the same manner God made Alexander the great an insolent and proud king displeased with his people that is the Iewes whom in hope he had now deuoured and destroyed so quiet as a sheepe and brought him to wonder at thē and to preserue them whom he went to destroy But the Successors of Alexander some of whom ruled Asia some Egypt afflicted the Iewes afterwards with diuers miseries because when the one lay in waite for the others life wealth and Kingdome and destroyed thēselues through mutuall warres both of them aimed at Iudea as a reward of victoire These Histories which Daniel hath set downe in few words prophane Writers haue at large layde downe in their Writings from which wee vnderstand the word of God to be most true and all things to be gouerned by diuine decree and prouidence Neither doo we acknowledge the Church of God to bee subiect vnto the iniuries of tyrants without his certaine appointment And there are extant learned interpretations vpon Daniel not onely of auncient Diuines but also of later and of our time by the which his Visions and the Histories theretoo pertaining are expounded There are also added to Daniels writings certaine mens Cronicles by the which manie histories of Scripture are opened and explaned wherefore we neede not in this place be anie longer in the expounding of the Greeke and Romane Monarchies which are handled shortly in Daniels writings yet to those Monarchies Iudea became subiect euen as to the Persian Monarchy these sixtie and two seuens But we will onely by the way note this in this argument that the Greekish Monarchie is called that power of Alexander the great and his Successours which was afterwards ouerthrowen by the Romans as afterwards also the Romans which obscured all others was ouerthrowen by the Gothes But it is therefore callec the Greekish Monarchie because in the 8. of Daniel the 21. vers the Goate bucke which is Alexander the great is said to bee the King of the Graecians For by a common consent of all Graecia at a Councell helde at Corinth Alexander the great was declared Emperour of Graecia to pursue the Persians by warre Whereby it came to passe that the Macedonian Empire of Alexāder is named in Scripture the Graecian long before that Alexander was borne But Philip the Father of Alexander the great hauing ouercome the Graecians at Chaeronea commaunded himselfe to be called not the King but the Duke of Graecia as Iustine in his ninth booke declareth whose example Alexander the great following summoning the Cities of Graecia to appeare at Corynth after he had setled the state of the Kingdome hee caused himselfe to bee chosen Duke of Graecia in his fathers place as Iustine declareth in his eleuenth Therefore being chosen the Reuenger of Graecia so oftentimes inuaded by the Persians inuaded Asia which he subdued with that speede as the holie Oracles before opened to Daniel and had declared and denounced that those who meruaile at the felicitie of Alexander and as it is commonly called the fortune are to be sent to the diuine decrees ouer Kingdomes and to be admonished of the diuine will prouidence on which the condition state of all men dependeth Therefore what the Kingdome of Alexander the great was like to be how to bee diuided vnto maine it is easie to bee found out of Daniel In the which it is to be marked that by reason of the scituation of Iudea the Kings of the North are said to be the Kings of Asia and