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 And I heard but vnderstood not then said I ô my Lord when shalbe the end of these things And he said go thy way Daniel For the words are closed vp and sealed till the end of the time 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 And from the time of taking away the continuall sacrifice and of setting vp the lothsome of desolation dayes shalbe a thousand two hundreth and ninetie Happie is he that is patient and commeth vnto dayes a thousand three hundreth thirty and fiue And thou go to the end and rest and stand in thy lot vnto the end of the dayes The Conclusion Thus Daniel had a sufficient Cathechisme for all the world bringing the heauens downe vnto the earth that the earth might be exalted vnto heauen Daniel would teach heathen to season their humane stories with diuinitie Strabo knew that Nebuchadnezar was an Hercules reached vnto Spaine and brought a Colonie vnto Pontus But Daniel was to tell him who gaue the Lion such wings Diodorus thought the Chaldeās great Philosophers but Daniel telleth what deceiuers they were recordeth their own kings censure and how yong Ebrewes were found ten times better then they how corruptiō leasing was their practise how whē the king had forgotten his dreame they promise an exposition when he forgot it not but told them they could say nothing how a matter written from heauen on the wall chap. 5. passed their skill Hence Diodorus might haue bene wised Likewise Abydenus who recordeth Nauocodrosors traūce might by Daniel haue seene it clearer And so Herodotus might haue gottē more hearers in Olympia if to Cyrus surprising of Babel he could haue ioyned Daniels 5. chap. The same text would haue made Xenophōs Muses more Attique shewing how in bāquetting the Chaldeā king was kild Athenaeus with his Berosus and Ctesias for the same feast might see God serue with sauce So for Cyrus death Herodotus might haue learned the cause with learning Daniels fasting And the writers of Susan the Citie of Darius Hystaspis made the glory of Persia might see in Daniels visions chap. 8. Susans honours confirme his booke Aeschylus Herodotus might haue penned the one his Tragoedy the other his story more plentifully then they did of Gods stroke in Xerxes fall if they had looked into Daniel much they marked but might more Diodorus again with Arrianus for Alexander might haue seene all told in Daniel And Diodorus might haue marked frō what curse Alexanders Captaines made such a slaughter among thē selues Here he might haue seene why he should say that Ptolemy Lagides came vp by helpe frō heauē why Seleucus became soone greatest and haue brought true Prophecies for that Pausanias might behold to what vse he noted the affinitie and league betwixt Lagidas and Seleucidas and how Philadelphus name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made famous the mariage beginning betwixt the two legges Appian and Iustin might haue made not Polybius Trogus but Daniel their author Polybius in the pleading for Syria might haue beheld Iudah cast as a bone betwixt two dogs Here Liuy had for him by whō it fell out that Antiochus came into the West with a camp of nations scant heard of in Italy Medes Cadusians such many names strange in West eares by whō Antiochus wanted counsell that he was soone brought to losse of almost all his death in Strabo Iustin should haue bin referred to Gods counsell in Daniel Iason of Syren that noted Church robbing in Seleucus should haue noted the text in Daniel And in Antiochus Epiphanes his comming vp into Syria his 3. voyages into Aegypt his crossing of Ebrewes lawes his death his vile nature Polybius Liuie Athenaeus Florus Appian all might know these dealings foretold Also Tully that termed Iudahs Religion a Barbarous superstition and the people a nation borne to bondage might guesse by Daniel that the iudge on the fierie throne the stander vp for Daniels people would haue his tongue pricked for those speeches And the same orator might haue guessed by skill in Daniel why the Romanes feared to helpe Aegypt the clay legs by their faigned Sybilles was heard by some Iewes counsell who would tell that when the legges were broken from God all assisters of them should be as resisters of God So Brennus of our nation with his great campe was plagued as a resister while the legges were iron and Antiochus that droue his company out of Asia was syrnamed Soteria Sauiour And therein Pausanias might haue seene the counsell of God Again where Vergil bringeth in Augustus triumph ouer Cleopatra and Antonie euen vltima Bactra frō East hence Extremos hominum Morino◠he might haue seene how God called nations from the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe to behold the breaking of Daniels image to thinke of a child comming from heauen as Vergil peruersly heard By Daniel not Venus Neptune Minerua nor Actius Apollo should haue bene the giuer of victorie but the God of heauen Daniel must needes be holden a stately authour that hath all these so much belonging to him and the goodliest part of all Vergils wit that in Augustus triumph licking the dust of the toes of Daniels image Yea former Romane affaires of Pompey and Iulius Caesar the one kild in Aegypt for helping the king the Piper out of the dust the other for Cleopatra those duly looked vnto would iustifie the firie throne of Daniel Yea all the stories of the Romanes comming vp being here yet not as enemies to Gods holy couenant but men rewarded for plaguing the legges all commenteth vpon Daniel Besides Augustus iest in Macrobius how it was better to be Herodes hog then his sonne that iustifieth the storie of persecution at our Lordes comming from the cloudes to make a tabernacle among vs. Ouer and besides all this the speech of wicked Tacitus against Christ crucified vnder Pontius Pilate and of Christian Religion these haue a good vse for Daniel and all the declaration of the Iewes calamities in the last destructiō of Ierusalem or euer since written by prophane heathen all serue Daniel alike And the matters are so plaine that if men would but grope they might haue found Christ in Daniel where the pompous of this world be fanned as chaf the wicked as beastes burne in fire vnquenched and the humble may finde iustice Eternal to shine like the sunne in the kingdome of the Father Psal 119.96 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Iuda that touch principally the booke of Daniell IN sundrie partes and sundrie maners spake God of Redemption to the fathers before the dayes of Dauid and to him he promised that his seed should sit vpon a throne for euer That speech was fit to allure all men vnto searching of the spirituall kingdome But the carnall still vnderstood that carnally The ten tribes despised it and went to Ohelehem and Elohehem to their owne tents and Gods Salomons house hoped to hold still that outward kingdome would not beleeue otherwise the most of them till the Chaldean tooke away and ouerthrew all their state When the visible kingdome fell all Iuda was to be resolued what should become of Dauids throne The whole booke of Daniel is a satisfaction for that perplexitie cleare being considered for that point how Salomons house being extinct in Iechoniah the house of Nathan from Salathiel Pedaiah and Zorobabel come to be heires of the kingdome But as the kingdome of Christ first suffers hath glorie after so they and their faithfull shall be conformed Babel the Medes with Elam and Greekes whole and parted shall rob them but they shall possesse a kingdome for euer and euer And when the seuentie yeares of Babels rage giue a tast of Gods defence and reuenge they are told of that celestiall speech how at seuen times that space the most holy will bring an eternall kingdome opened for all Thereupon the faithfull of the nation go from Babell vnto Ierusalem where the Lord should be king and restore the state and build the Temple Ezra and Nehemia declare their storie vnto Iaduah who and Sanballat saw great Alexander The troupes of them are starres for the storie vnder the Persians to checke heathen that with false regester of times as poeticall Heliades or Phaetontiades will disanull the prophecie of the due season And specially the kingly families of Zorobabel whose regester in the two Euangelistes is more worth then all heathē records Thus it standeth Zorobabel 1. Abiud 2. Eliakim 3. Azor. 4. Sadok 5. Achin 6. Eliud 7. Eleazar 8. Matthan 9. Iacob 10. Ioseph The succession of these ten heires to the Crowne must with our Lordes three and thirtie yeares make vp 490. They were afflicted to be about 45. yeares eache one before they tooke to build families Zorobabel 1. Rhesa 2. Iohanna 3. Iuda 4. Ioseph 5. Semei 6. Matthathie 7. Maath 8. Nagge 9. Hesli 10. Nahum 11. Amos. 12. Matthathie 13. Ioseph 14. Ianna 15. Melchi 16. Leuie 17. Matthat 18. Helie 19. Marie 20. Iesus Daniel CHAPTER 1. The beginning and the ende of the seauentie yeeres captiuitie IN the thirde yeere of the reigne of Iehoiakim king of Iudah came Nebuchadnezar king of Babel vnto Ierusalem and layde siedge agaynst it And the Lorde gaue into his handes Iehoiakim king of Iudah and part of the vessels of the house of God and he caried them into the lande of Shinar the house of his goddes and he caried the vesselles into the treasurie of his goddes And the king spake to Aspenaz lord Chamberlaine that he should bring certaine of the children of Israel of the kinges seede and of the noblest Springalles without any blemishe and goodly in fauour and skilful in al wisedome and wel seene in knowledge and witty of vnderstanding and of abilitie in them to stande in the kinges Palace and to teach them the learning tongue of the Caldeans And the king appoynted them a prouision day by day of a portion of the kinges meate and of the wine of his drinkes so to noorysh them three yeeres that at the ende thereof they myght stande before the kinge Now among these were certayne of the chyldren of Iudah Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah On whom the Lord Chamberlayne set other names and he set on Daniel Belteshazar and on Hananiah Shadrach and on Mishael Meshach and on Azariah Abednego But Daniel set in his hart that he woulde not defile hymselfe with the portion of the kinges meate nor with the wine which he dranke Therefore he made request to the chiefe Chamberlayne that he shoulde not defile hym selfe Now God had caused the chiefe Chamberlaine to fauour and pittie Daniel And the chiefe Chamberlaine sayde vnto Daniel I feare my Lord the king who hath appoynted your meate and your drinke VVherefore should he see your faces worse lykeing then the other springalles which are of your sort then shall you make guylty my head vnto the king Then sayd Daniel to Melzar whom the chiefe Chamberlaine had set ouer Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah O proue thy seruantes tenne dayes and let be geuen to vs some Pulse to eate and water to drinke Then let our countenances be looked vpon before thee and the countenances of the springalles that eate of the portion of the kinges meate and as thou seest deale with thy seruantes So he gaue eare to them in this matter and prooued them tenne dayes And at the ende of ten dayes their countenances appeared fayrer and fatter in flesh then all the chyldren which did eate the portion of the kings meate And Melzar tooke away the portion of their meate and the wine that they shoulde drinke and gaue them Pulse And to these springalles all foure to them God gaue knowledge and skill in all learnyng and wysedome also Daniel had vnderstanding in all visions and dreames At the ende of the dayes that the king had commaunded to bring them in then the chiefe Chamberlaine brought them before Nebuchadnezar And the king communed with them and none of them all was founde like Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah and they stoode before the king And in all matters for wysedome of vnderstanding that the king inquired of them he found them tenne tymes better then all the enchaunters and astrologians that were in all his realme And Daniel continued vnto the first yeere of king Cyrus CHAP. 2. The state of the Hebrewes vntill the birth of our Lord vnder the Caldeans Medes-Persians and the Graecians The kingdome of Christe shall after that fill the whole earth Daniel is a new Ioseph IN the second yeere afterwardes in the raigne of Nebuchadnezar Nebuchadnezar dreamed dreames and his spirite was disquieted and his sleepe brake on him Then the king commanded to call the Enchanters Astrologians and the Sorcerers and the Caldeans for to declare to the king his dreames So they came and stoode before the king And the king sayd vnto them I haue dreamed a dreame and my spirite was troubled to knowe the dreame Then spake the Caldeans to the king in Syriaque O king lyue for euer Tell to thy seruauntes the dreame and we wyll shew the interpretation And the king answered and sayd to the Caldeans the thing is gone from me yf ye wyll not make me know my dreame with the interpretation thereof ye shalbe cut in peeces and your houses shalbe made a dunghill But yf
you shew the dreame and the interpretation of it ye shall receiue of me guyftes and rewardes and great honour therefore shew me the dreame and the interpretation thereof They answered the seconde tyme and sayde let the king tell his seruantes the dreame and we wyll shew the interpretation thereof Then the king answered and sayd of a certaintie know I that ye woulde buy the time because you see the thing is gone from me But yf you wyl not make knowen to me the dreame there is but one decree ouer you For ye haue prepared lying corrupt wordes to speake before mee tyll the time be changed Therefore tell me the dreame that I may know if ye can shew me the interpretatiō therof Then the Caldeans answered before the king and sayd there is no man vpon earth that can shewe the thing that the king speaketh off Yea there is neyther King Prince nor Lord that asked such thinges at an Enchanter or Astrologian or Caldean Yea the thing which the king demaundeth is rare and there is none other that can shew it vnto the king except the Goddes whose dwelling is not with flesh Herevpon the king was in anger great furie and commanded to destroy all the Sages of Babel And a decree came foorth and the Sages were killed and they sought Daniel and his felowes that they might be killed Then Daniel stayed the counsell and edict through Arioch the kinges Prouost martial which came forth to kill the sages of Babel He spake and sayd to Arioch the kinges officer Why hasteneth the decree from the king Then Arioch made knowen the matter vnto Daniel So Daniel went and prayed the king that he would giue him time and he would shew the king the interpretation Then Daniel went to his house and made knowen the matter to Hananiah Mishael and Azariah his fellowes That they shoulde beseeche the God of heauen for grace in this secret that Daniel his felowes should not perish with the rest of the sages of Babel Then to Daniel in a vision by nyght was this secret reuealed Then Daniel blessed the God of heauen Daniel spake sayd The name of God be praysed for euer and euer For wisedome and courage are his And he changeth the times and seasons he taketh away kinges and setteth vp kinges he giueth wisedome to the wise and vnderstanding to those that haue vnderstanding He discouereth the deepe and the hid thinges he knoweth what is in the darknes and lyght dwelleth with him I thanke and prayse thee O God of my fathers that thou hast giuen me wysedome and courage and hast made knowen to me now the thing wherfore we prayed to thee making knowen vnto vs the kinges matter Hereupon Daniel went to Arioch whom the king had appoynted to destroy the sages of Babel he came and sayd thus vnto him Destroy not the sages of Babel but bring me before the king and I wyll shew the king the interpretation Then Arioch in all haste brought Daniel before the king and thus sayd vnto him I haue found a man of the captiues of Iudah that wyll make knowen to the king the interpretation Then answered the king and sayd vnto Daniel whose name was Belteshazar Art thou able to make knowen vnto me the dreame which I haue seene and the interpretation thereof Daniel answered before the king and sayd The secrete which the king hath demaunded no Sages Astrologians Enchanters entral-lookers are able to shew vnto the king But there is a God in heauen that reuealeth secretes and maketh knowen to the king Nebuchadnezar what shall be in the dayes folowing The dreame and the visions of thine head vpon thy bed are thus O king thy thoughtes on thy bed ascended what should come hereafter and he that reuealeth secretes maketh knowen to thee what shall come to passe As for me not for any wisedome that I haue more then any other liuing is this secret reuealed vnto me but that the king may knowe the interpretation and that thou mightest know the thoughtes of thine hart O king thou behewest and soe there was a huge Image this Image was great and his brightnesse was excellent it stoode before thee and was terrible to beholde The Kingdomes that ouerruled the holy Ebrewes Babylō .70 yeares Medes Persianes .150 Alexander state .6 Magog Egypt .294 y ◠Image reigned .500 y◠This Image had his Head of fine Golde his Brest and Armes of Siluer his Bellie and his Sides of Brasse His Legges of Iron and his Feete part of Iron and part of Clay Thou beheldest tyll a Stone was cut without handes which smote the Image vpon his feete of Iron and Clay and brake them in peeces Then was broken togeyther the Iron the Clay the Brasse the Siluer and the Golde and became like the chaffe of a sommer batne-floore and the winde caried them away and no place was founde for them and the Stone that smote the Image became a great Mountayne and filled the whole earth This is the dreame and the interpretation thereof wyll we tell before the king O King thou shalt be a King of Kinges For the God of heauen giueth thee a kingdome power and strength and glory And of all places where the chyldren of men dwell the beastes of the fielde the foules of the heauen giueth he into thy handes and maketh thee ruler ouer them all thou art the Head of Golde And after thee shall arise another Kingdome vnder thee of Siluer and another a thirde kingdome of Brasse which shall rule ouer all the earth And the fourth kingdome shall be hard lyke iron For as much as iron breaketh and beateth to powder all thinges Euen as iron bruseth all these shall it breake and bruse Whereas thou sawest the feete and tooes part of the Potters clay part of Iron it shalbe a deuided kingdome and there shalbe in it some of the rigour of Iron as thou sawest Iron mixed with earthy clay As the tooes of the feete were part of iron part of clay the kingdome shalbe partly hard and shalbe partly brittle Also whereas thou sawest iron mixed with earthy clay they shall mingle them selues in the seede of man but they shall not cleaue one to another euen as iron can not be mixed with clay And in the dayes of these kinges shall the God of heauen set vp a kingdome which shall neuer be corrupted and the kingdome shall not be giuen to an other people but it shall breake and finishe all these kingdomes and it shall stande for euer Whereas thou sawest that the Stone was cut out of the Mountaine without handes and that it brake in pecces the Iron the Brasse the Clay the Siluer and the Gold the great God maketh knowne to the king what shall come to passe hereafter Thus the dreame is true the interpretation therof is sure Then the king Nebuchadnezar fell vpon his face and worshypped Daniel