and terme them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artaxashta Artaxasata or Artaxiasata as Strabo writeth townes named from the kings name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ahashueroth The fourth Daniel 11.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius Artaxashta or Artaxasta thorough Ezra from Chap. 7. as the Massorites there note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artaxerxes These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ochus These three are passed ouer in Nehemiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darius Neh. 12. The Greekes whole Alexander the great the notable horne in the forehead of the Goate-bucke His posteritie Hercules and Alexander These with the principall parters of his kingdome make the bellie and the sides of brasse the Leopard with foure heads and the Goate-buckes notable horne and the foure that came vp for it The Greekes parted The Southerne all are in Strabo Geog. 17. Ptolemy Lagides 1. horne the king of the South Dan. 11.5 Ptolemy Philadelphus 3. horne v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernice his daughter is married to the king of the North and killed Ptolemy Euergetes her brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that standeth vp from the Impe of her rootes 5. horne v. 7. Ptolemy Philopator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. horne v. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He in whose times the lawlesse Iewes will be stirring and perish Ptolemy Epiphanes He had with his wife Cleopatra Syria in dowrie v. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— horne The Northerne all are in Appians Syriac Seleucus Nicator 2. horne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 5. Antiochus Soter who dealt in no special sort against the Iewes and therfore is omitted in Gabriels speech Antiochus Theos 4. horne v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seleucus Callinicus soone killed Antiochus the great v. 10. 6. horne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee that marrieth his daughter to the king of the South he shall also consume Iudaea Seleucus Philopater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the taxer 9. horne v. 20. Antiochus Epimanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vile the 10. horne v. 21. These kings make the iron of the two legs and somewhat of the iron and clay thinking by mariages to make attonement for Syria and Iudaea but further falling out These also such as are noted with Hebrew make the ten hornes of the fourth beast and in these dayes the Iewes the high Saintes begin to recouer their kingdome In particularitie Daniel speaketh no further of them The clay weaknes of the Images legs Southerne Ptolemy Philometor and Ptolemy Physcon Ptolemy Lathurus Ptolemy Auletes the Piper Cleopatra Strab. 17. All after the third Ptolemy were corrupt in wantonnesse and ruled cruelly But the seuenth and eighth the Piper specially Northerne two at once Demetrius Soter Demetrius Nicator Antiochus brother to Demetrius he killed himselfe Cleopatra wife to Demetrius killed him she had maried her brother Antiochus and had children by Demetrius Seleucus and Ant. Grypus Seleucus was kild by his mother Cleopatra Grypus poisoned his mother Seleâ—cus he droue out Cyzicen was killed by Antiochus An. Cyzicenus he droue out Grypus Antiochus who maried his mother in lawe Selene Tigranes droue him out And Pompey refused to suffer his sonne to raignâ— Antiochus Eupator Alexander Diodotus who maried Ptolemies daughter Tryphon killed by Antiochus Trogus Pompeius noteth that thus by the discord of the brethren of consanguinitie the East became vnder the people of Rome And so all may see how iron and clay the mixture in mans seed not cleauing together giueth testimonie to Daniels vision Of the times and yeares which these kings raigned WHereas these prophane kings are compared with Scripture we must take heede lest we grant vnto them a longer time of raigne then the holy text hath for the same ages for so we disanull the authoritie of Gods word Yet former ages haue bene in that blame a long time This may be spoken of them in generall that the whole yeares of no kings out of Gods people haue or were to haue their whole summe in holy record Besides heathen are so vncertaine that they agree not for the yeares of any one king betwixt Nebucadnezar and Iulius Caesar Yet when heathen are throughly examined from age to age by particular testimonies and by the liues of most famous men they shall be found to agree very well so with that which Scripture testimonies liues require Though strong errors like hedges of thornes stop the passage of the truth The truth must be confirmed from them for better satisfaction of such as braue more in heathen studies then Diuinitie Of the Chaldeans time of raigne THe Iewes agree vniuersally that from the first of Nebuchadnezar vnto the death of Belshazar the time is seuentie yeares And if Christian Commenters had followed them in that agreement and truth it had bene better with vs. Whereas the second captiuitie by some the third by some others is made the beginning of the seuentie yeares so a great rent is made in the holy storie Of the Persians true times and erronious sleights that deceiued From Darius Hystaspeos age about 20. at Babels fal he liuing but 43. vnto Xerxes warre 6. yeares after his death are 30. yeres Then Artaxerxes raigned at home Herod and Ctes Artaxerxes in all 42. Clem. 1. Storm He died in the seuenth of the Peloponnesian warres Thuc. Ochus 8. cleare y. 16. with his father 11. with his son Artaxerxes 42. Clem. Ochus three Darius about fiue Summe 130. Of the Grecians times from Clemens but Epiphanius differeth in twelue yeares excesse and Maximus Monachus cometh shorter Alexander sixe yeares Ptolemie Lagides fortie Ptolemie Philadelphus seuen and thirtie Ptolemie Euergetes fiue and twentie Ptolomie Philopator seuenteene Ptolemie Epiphanes foure and twentie In this age Iuda recouereth their owne gouernement Ptolomie Philometor fiue and thirtie Physcon nine and twentie Lathurus sixe and thirtie Auletes nine and twentie Cleopatra two and twentie Summe 300. The Romans vnto our Lords death threescore years so arise 490. Thus we may see how they litle examined the heathen who could not see that some agreed most exactly with the Scripture Nowe Suidas hath for all the Greekes times about thirtie yeares lesse then Clemens They who thinke that true may pardon the Greekes thirtie in their fortie of excesse past from Lysanders vnwalling Athens or Phyle stirres in the life of them who sawe it and heard Dinarchus cite their testimony against Demosthenes after Alexanders death of which sort Aeschines and Demetrius Phalereus are cited by them selues and others Such as heard not of Greciaes most moÌ„strous lying may pay the one with the other In sound learning and religion that must stand in summe which best agreeth with scripture for the same times otherwise Greekes disagree for ech kings yeres The Nobles of
enforcement to beholde that Christ will destroy the Citie and Holy place in the age folowyng His prayer is penned with speciall regarde euen of the very Ebrew syllables to the prophets from whom the matter of his speach is taken Those places must be marked IN the first yeere of Darius the sonne of Achashuerosh of the seede of Madaj in which he was made king ouer the realme of the Chaldeans In the first yeere of his reigne I Daniel marked by bookes the number of the yeeres whereof the word of the Lord had been vnto Ieremie for accomplyshing in the ruines of Ierusalem seuentie yeeres And I turned my face vnto the Lord the God and sought by prayer and supplication and fasting and sackcloth and ashes And I prayed vnto the Lord my God saying Oh Lord the mightie God the great and fearefull who keepeth the couenant and the mercie toward them which loue him and towarde them which keepe his commandementes VVe haue sinned we haue transgressed we haue done wickedly we haue rebelled and we haue turned backe from thy commandementes and from thy iudgementes And we haue not obeyed thy seruantes the Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kinges to our Princes and to our Fathers and to all the people of the land Thou hast O Lord the righteousnesse and we open shame euen this day euery one of Iudah and the dwellers of Ierusalem and all Israel the neare and the farre off through al the countries whither thou hast dryuen them for their offence wherein they haue offended thee O Lord we haue open shame our Kinges our Princes and our Fathers as we haue sinned against thee The Lord our God hath the tender mercies and forgiuenesse albeit we haue rebelled against him And haue not obeyed the voyce of the Eternall our God to walke in his lawes which he hath layde before vs by the ministerie of his Seruantes the Prophetes Yea all Israel haue transgressed thy law and turned backe that they woulde not heare thy voyce Wherefore there is poured vpon vs the curse and the oth that is written in the law of Moses the seruant of God Because we haue sinned agaynst him And he hath confirmed his wordes which he spake against vs and against our iudges that iudged vs. For vnder the whole heauen hath not bene done the like as hath bene done vpon Ierusalem As it is written in the Law of Moses all this euil is come vpon vs. Yet haue not we besought the eternall our God that we might turne from our iniquities and vnderstand thy truth Therefore the Lord our God was watchfull concerning the euill and brought it vpon vs. For the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which he hath done seeing we obeyed not his voyce And now O Lord our God that hast brought forth thy people out of the land of Egypt by a mighty hand and hast gotten thy selfe a name as this day we haue done wickedly O Lord according to all thy righteousnesse let now thine anger and thy wrath be turned away from thy citie Ierusalem thine holy mountaine For because of our sinnes and for the iniquities of our fathers Ierusalem thy people are a reproch to all that are about vs. And now heare O my God the prayer of thy seruant and his supplication and make thy face to shine vpon thy sanctuarie that lyeth desolate for the Lordes sake Encline O my God thine eare and heare open thine eyes and see our desolations and the citie whereupon thy name is called for we present not our supplications before thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare ô Lord forgiue ô Lord giue eare do defer not for thine own sake ô my God For thy name is called vpon thy citie vpon thy people And as I was yet speaking and praying and confessing my sinne and the sinne of my people Israel and presenting my supplications before the Eternall my God for the holie mountaine of my God Euen as I was yet speaking the man Gabriel whom I had seene afore in a vision came vnto me flying with vehemencie vntill he touched me at the time of the euening oblation And he gaue vnderstanding and talked with me said Daniel I am come forth to giue thee skill of vnderstanding At the beginning of thy prayers came forth the word which I am come to tell because thou art greatly beloued Therefore conceiue the word g and perceiue the cleare vision The cleare vision for the certaine time of redemption vvherein the Iewes through all the Gospell agreed and also all the East as Iosephus recordeth and Tacitus and Suetonius do both touch it Seuentie seuens of yeares is pared out for thy people and for thy holy citie to consume wickednesse and to abolish sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring righteousnesse euer-lasting and to seale vision and prophet and to shew-Messias the Holy of Holiest 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 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 cōtinued 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
DANIEL HIS CHALDIE VISIONS AND HIS EBREVV BOTH TRANSLATED AFTER THE Original and expounded both by reduction of heathen most famous stories vnto the exact proprietie of his wordes which is the surest certaintie what he must meane and by ioyning all the Bible and learned tongues to the frame of his worke Let him that readeth Daniel vnderstand Mat. 24. The vvise vvill vnderstand Dan. 12. AT LONDON Printed by Richard Field for William Young dwelling neare the great North doore of Paules where the other workes of the same author are to be sold 1596. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LL. OF HER M. MOST HONORABLE PRIVIE COVNSEL THE Prophet Nathan right H. told Dauid of a sonne that should build a temple vnto God and sit vpon a throne for euer touching whom as Daniel penneth all his booke which I present vnto your Lordships I request your pacience to iudge by a short summe what vse my explicatiō may haue in our Church and state That speech of Nathans was commonly vnderstood of Salomon but indeede belōgeth more vnto his brother Nathan to whom Dauid gaue the Prophets name that by it the godly might see from what line he should come which alwayes sate on the right hand of the father And that the Elder sonne of Bathsheba for whom Dauid made the most heauenly Psalme of repētance should not want his dignitie God gaue him praerogatiues verie fit to allure the world vnto higher matters He built by Gods commaundement a temple of Masons worke sate after a sort in Gods speech vpon the throne of the Eternall Yet God spake vnto him for the people and he vnto God before the people wordes touching that his kingdome should not stand And in his whole booke that teacheth how all things vnder the sunne are vanitie the whole drift is to expoūd the truth of the promised throne VVhen his line should end in Ie-Choniah the Eternall Iah sweareth that if Choniah were a signet vpō his finger he would plucke him thence and pluckt his name from the kings and preacheth ô earth earth earth write him childlesse for none of his seede shall sit vpon Dauids throne Him Nebuchadnezar kept in prison 37. y and ouerthrew Salomons kingdome and temple with all the implements that Iudah should looke to the other house of Dauid for the true throne Then Ierusalem was to be taught a new in what sort they should see to peace For them the booke of Daniel is a Commētary handling principal points of their seuentie yeares thraldome seuen times that space vnto Christ his ascention to reigne in the house of Dauid for euer who destroyeth vtterly as with a floud Citie and tēple to shew that such outward things of mans worke could not be fit for to be meant in the most glorious promise vnto Dauid So Ierusalem surprised by the Chaldeā and razed by the Romane is the limites of his story For the middle space he hādled certaine principall heads touching Zorobabels people and the enemies Zorobabel was the onely of Nathan that bare rule and that to build a temple and to receaue the promise of Christ as in Ag. 2. Then his familie hath an expresse declaration what throne belongeth vnto them For they are termed the Sainctes of the high Trinitie who shall possesse a kingdome for euer yea for euer and euer And Daniel sheweth thrones set vp one like the sonne of man comming into the world and againe ascending vnto the king euerlasting and reigning aey ouer all nations And this much is the summe of their comfort Touching the kingdome he nameth the nations that should successiuely take it from thē with open iniurie to their Religion The Chaldeans had begun The Persians cōquering them should continue Next Great Alexander So interchangeably the Seleucidae and Lagidae vnto ten tyrannical kings But afterwardes they should be weakened that Daniels people might hold their own kingdome He nameth the Romanes but not as enemies here vnto their Religion yet toucheth their comming vp that all might know by what nation Christ should be kild when by his birth time the fourth kingdome should fall through the Romanes And they should be the second Babylon to Ierusalem But seeing they medled not with the Iewes vntill they called for their helpe that when the Machabees had vsurped long a kingdome against Iacobs will no lesse enemies to Zorobabels house then the others as their familie perished alike vtterly so the seueritie of God was not to prophecie a comfort against the Iewes calamities called for by their own prophanesse as it were open request For Caesar and Pompey were called into partaking by striuing Machabees and before had made league and friendship with Iudah Therefore comforts in such dealings might not be sent frō heauē The plainnesse of Daniel is great telling of matters that all the world would note Strabo knew Nebuchadnezars greatnes Berosus better Abydenus toucheth his propheticall traunce as hearing of that his Proclamation or Epistle sent vnto all the world Cyrus Conquest of Babel all nations knew Xerxes fall was more in speech Alexāders stories better knowen in most people then their owne his victories ambition of Godhead quick death and ruine of familie And againe his Captaines partitions of spoyles their falling to foure chiefe kingdomes and two of them principall Syria and Aegypt comming vnto perpetuall strife among them selues these heathē obserued who knew likewise the strāge successe of Ptolemie Lagidas the stranger of Seleucus Nicator their league in friendship their sonnes falling out their seeking atonement by that Mariage of Berenice their greater warres vpon her death the ouerrunning of Syria to win the syrname 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a further reuenge in Philopators victory Againe the other sides conquests to syrname Antiochus great his Cleopatras mariage with Ptolemie his inuading Grece his fall by Rome his Church robbing his two sonnes Church robbing their three extraordinarie deathes these matters be most famous amōg the heathē And Antiochus Epiphanes subtiltie in ouerreaching his brother and two nephewes his comming vp in Syria his three inuasiōs of Aegypt his endeuour and crueltie to haue extinguished Iudahs Religiō these matters are the most famous of any in heathen stories VVhen we adde vnto them the iest of Augustus how it was better to be Herods hog then his sonne because of his slaughter at our Lordes birth and Vergils harping at a child comming from heauen noysed doubtlesse by Iewes and the expectation of all the East of a king arising then to rule all the world and Tacitus for Christ Pilate and Christians lastly the manifold writers of Ierusalems fall the last part then we shal haue open all the humane points of Daniels booke VVhen we ioyne from Diuinitie storie Nathans prophecie for Nathan Salomons Eldership in a touch of throne and Temple the threefold charge to write Iechonias
childlesse the counsell of God in the kingdomes fall the blessed title of Nathans house the high Sainctes and kings for euer the thrones one for God and an other for the sonne of Dauid the setting vp of kingdomes to deale with Dauids throne to take notice of their Religion the time of a kingdome eternall prefixed in a most plaine speech long before and made famous by 120. nations paying Iuda a subsidie to returne and our Lordes mediation from the Gospell this being done Daniels matters wilbe all knowen vnto vs. The tongues which he vseth may somewhat trouble vs why he should write the greater part of his booke in Chaldie and the same matter againe in Ebrew and why his Ebrew hath affected peculiaritie of phrases yet reasons sensible may soone be rendred The Chaldie tongue was both knoweÌ„ to his natioÌ„ should soone be their vsuall wheÌ„ they had lost their owne in Babylon Besides the North East South Dialectes Syriaque Arabique Aethiopian were neare the Chaldie so that with a little paynes they might learne it Now it was fit for Dauids throne ruling all the world to be penned into the largest language of the world and then most florishing So he sheweth that God setteth vp kingdomes and putteth down kingdomes and how a kingdome froÌ„ heaueÌ„ staÌ„deth for euer This he teacheth in Chaldie as also the state of the world to come neuer shewed so clearely before He declareth how the faithles tyrants perish for euer and Iuda raigneth by Christ as by him also all nations do VVheÌ„ his visions name the oppressours and his nation the oppressed then he writeth in Ebrew and prophetique phrases knowen onely to his learned brethren The summe of him is this and his phrase is thus I thinke my commentations vpon him somewhat profitable to the good of our state Them I commend to your L L. to be regarded according to the sage honour of her M. gouernement Your Lordships to commaund HVGH BROVGHTON To the Christian Reader of Daniels plainnesse WHen this Prophet is cleared from the opinion of hardnesse which men do conceiue of him then with hope of perfecting labour desire to reade him wil increase And the holy man must be cleared For otherwise men would think Daniel a tormeÌ„ter of soules rather thâ—n a teacher if he wrote vnto all nations in their greatest perplexities matters vnfit for their capacitie Besides the duty of clearing him facilitie will be at hand For the matters which onely make him hard are soone taught Stale errours still hinder the negligent in the truth who runne vpon custome and will take no paines to examine the right But thus it doth stand When the promise of Nathan is considered touching the throne of Dauid to stand for euer and the case of Salomonâ— house weighed how in Iechâ—nias it fayled vtterly then the house of Nathan the next brother cometh in first Zorchabel then two families of him Abiud for the Kings right Rhesa father vnto our Lord then the hardest part is gone All must graunt that this hath bene long hid For scant any of the world marke our Lords right line from the text Yet a few words might open it fully Onely many vnpatient of the truth cause griefe and thereupon some more difficulty otherwise all here requisite might be soone knowne For the matter is the easiest standing vpon a plaine storie and the principles are so few that a child might write them They are often handled that such as care for theÌ„ may be instructed many wayes The next matter of darkenesse ariseth touching the nations oppressors and oppressed The doubt sprang for that Daniel in his Chaldy visions nameth neither The solution is easie In his Ebrew visions he nameth both the one and the other and they can containe no other matters then the Chaldy Therefore the nations in all are doubtlesse And seeing Cha. 8. in a vision vpon Babels fall Elam first next Iauan haue all the dealings vnto the ende of wrath the last dealer must be Iauan Also the afflicted in the last dealings are termed Daniels people and the holy people and they are afflicted for the holy couenant Where any may see of what times he was to speake For who knoweth not that the last afflictions that the holy Iewes had with loosing their lands reuenues was vnder Antiochus Epiphanes Now the nations being knowne the places wil be known And for vndoubted certenty the land Tzeby on the holy mountaine is named The soyle of the afflicted The middle sea and dead sea haue it betwixt them and Tzeby is in Ezekiel the attrihute of Iudaea And the places of the visions are the fittest for these poincts At Eular and Tigris the plaine sights were shewed Which should import dealings from Kings of those quarters All this while nothing bringeth in the Romanes They are reserued to greater harmes And such as bring them into Daniel where they are not blamed disturbe learning as much as they disturbe the world But Daniel is not to blame He giueth no cause why men should so deceiue themselues And thus these parcels the most in difficulty are made easie Another is no lesse vniustly blamed the time which he hath most cleare telleth plainly Yea onely he telleth when the first captiuitie began how he was of it The end is most famous in him And the phrases for our Lords death time would make a learned Varro amazed The seueÌ„ty Hebdomades We haue here greater matters theÌ„ how he at 84. had written seuenty Habdomades of books And neuer any could be plainer then he in that If we will not beleeue him but heathen forged studies we should try particulars So true heathen would beare record vnto Daniel Now heathen 2000. yeares haue filled all Libraries full of lyes with forged Olympiades forged Chaldeans forged Atchontes of Athens and forged Consuls that the vnstayed and vnlearned now adayes can triumph to see what store of leasings can be brought against Daniel But the same wil not see how all the millioÌ„s of Iudah of Christians vpon the other captiuitie writings checke the errour So againe Daniel is cleared One poinct remaineth his tongues where any may see that in the Chaldy he studied for plainnesse writing in the most generall tongue yet neare Arabique and so as most generall yet For his Hebrew the learned may not complaine for to them it is easie And all should be senslesse if in plaine matters and matters of daunger he might not haue leaue to hide his minde from the wicked Further difficulties we haue not in him after the consideration of Dauids throne and two families Salomons falling Nathans standing for euer of the nations oppressed long kept close for safetie in his later speeches named for certaintie of the oppressors likewise and of their countreys and last of his times and tongues The difficulties of which being softened none can tell what to imagine hard And to mollifie the readers labour I will contriue into matter following
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
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 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 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 Know then marke From the outgoing of the word to restore and to build Ierusalem vnto Messias the gouernour seuens be seuē afterwards seuens sixtie and two In the other it shalbe restored and builded street wall and troublous shall these times be In that after seuens sixtie two Messias shalbe kild and nothing to himselfe Thereupon the Citie and holy place shall he destroy euen the gouernours owne people in the next generation and their end shalbe with a flood and at the end of the warre shalbe a finall iudgement of vtter desolations But he shall make strong the Testament 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 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 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 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 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 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 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
euent of this matter THe HeatheÌ„ for this story as in my former of Greeks must be my warraÌ„t Thus it dependeth vpoÌ„ the friendship vvhich vvas betwixt Ptolemie Lagides and Seleucus Nicator vvho 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 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 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 marcheth vnto Syria and vnto Babylon and now first the Parthians rebell vpon the stirres in the kingdome of the Seleucidae Thou all might see vvho is the true God wheÌ„ 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 â—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 how they seeke by mariages to make agreement vvhich cleaueth together no better then Iron and Clay but that the marier and marieâ— 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 â—7 Bâ—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 reuâ—â—â— Seleucus fleate vvraâ—â— 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 So the king of the South shall come into the kingdome and returne into his owne land Of Antiochus surnamed the Great .6 horne But his sonnes shall warre and gather a multitude of great forces And the one shall 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 ChristiaÌ„s 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 wheÌ„ 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 WheÌ„ce wheÌ„ 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 sorâ—â—â— are obtained Souldiers from other bandes called vnto this seruice are dayly practised for all cheualrie and the Ambassadors from Antiochus vnto Ptolemy are â—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 vnto Seleucia as much by pretence of iustice as by strength 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
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