epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and 30. verse where hee sayth that Christ was made righteousnesse vnto vs. To seale vp vision and prophet A testament or couenant in writing is neuer sure before the seale be set vnto it That maketh all good That confirmeth and giueth strength And therfore by a metaphor or borrowed speach to seale vp vision and prophecie is as much as to confirme the same So the word is taken in the 3. chapter of Iohns gospell and 33. verse He which receaueth his testimonie hath sealed vp that God is trewe that is confirmed Whatsoeuer in the old testament had been foretold and promised by the holy prophets of God concerning Christ his birth his redeeming the elect from thrall and sauing from sinne his forerunner his preaching his miracles his humility betraying for money death resurrection ascnceon and glorious kingdome were all most certainly performed by him in their dew time The verifying and fulfilling whereof was as it were a seale for sure confirmation of the vndoubted truth thereof And for this cause the time of vision and prophet is limited to the comming of Christ and the cleare preaching of the gospel in his kingdome wherby he was to verifie confirme and fulfill the same This we are taught in the beginning of the epistle to the Hebrewes in these wordes God in times past spake often and many wayes to the fatheres by the prophets But in these last dayes he hath spoken to vs by his sonne And to anoint This interpretation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I dare commend vpon my knowledge to the Church of GOD for good if euer any hath been good It is sure as heauen and earth no sillable amisse VVhich I speake to this end that no man doubt to receaue and hold fast this for the vndoubted truth of God in this place cōcerning the annointing of Christ being an excellent point of diuinitie whereof he euen tooke his name to bee called Messias or Christ that is annointed Ioh. 1.42 For the better vnderstanding whereof wee are to know that in time of the lawe the holy priestes prophets and kinges when they first tooke their offices vpon them were annointed with holy oile And this was the ceremonie of consecrating them to the seruice of God in those callinges For the annointing of priestes we haue the commaundement of God in the last chapter of Exodus the 13. verse where speaking to Moses of Aaron Thou shalt sayeth God annoint him and sanctifie him that hee may minister vnto me in the priestes office For the prophets annointing we haue the example of Elizeus annointed by Elias to be a prophet his stead And for kinges many testimonies in VVhereof I wil bring onely 2. one of Dauid annointed king ouer the house of Iuda The other of Salomon annointed kinge by Tsadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet 2. Sam. 2.4 Now Christ was the trewe high priest enduring for euer 1. Reg. 45. much more excellent then the priests of the law Heb. 7.24 and 8.6 Act. 3.22 He was also that excellent prophet commaunded to be heard in al things Lastly he is the eternall king to whome God gaue the throne of his father Dauid Luk. 1.32.33 to raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer of whose kingdome shall be no end Christ then hauing in himselfe alone al those dignities of King Priest and Prophet at once together to the which other were annoynted seuerally someone some another was therefore by a certaine kinde of excellencie called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the annoynted The Law Priests Prophets and Kings were annoynted with materiall holy oyle but Christ with the spirituall oyle of the holy Ghost which in the 45. Psalme is called the oile of gladnes God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes that is with the holy Ghost which therefore in the first Epistle of Iohn the second chapter the 20. and 22. verses is called an oyntment by a translation taken from the annoyntings of the Law Yee haue an oyntment from him that is holie This spirituall annoynting of Christ is spoken of by Esay in his 61. chapter the first verse The spirit of the Lord is vppon mee therefore hath hee annoynted mee Hee hath sent me to preach good tydinges vnto the poore Clemens Alexandrinus hereof touching Christ his annoynting hath this saying 1. Strom. Our Lord Christ the holy of holies who came and fulfilled Vision and Prophet was annoynted in the flesh with the spirit of his father Therfore those materiall annoyntings of the law were nothing els but tipes and figures of this spiritual annoynting of Christ The holie of holies That is the most holie Christ was endued with the holie Ghost without measure Iohn 3.34 Euen a verie fountaine of holinesse of whose fulnesse wee are all made holie Christ Iesus saith Paul is made vnto vs sanctification Hereof in the first of Luke 1. Cor. 1 30. the 35. verse he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that holie one Ch. 7. v. 26. Hee is in the Epistle to the Hebrewes sayde to be an high Priest holie innocent vndefiled seperate from sinners and made higher than the heauens and therefore not without cause in this place called most holie The Popes holines striueth with Christ about this tittle at least to be equal with him challenging to himselfe the name not to bee called holie which were enough for a spotted man but that is not enough for him he will bee as good as Christ euen most holie yea holinesse it selfe or nothing at all Well if he can say so much for himselfe to haue that title as Gods word sayeth for Christ let him take it otherwise let him see howe hee can auoide Antichristian pride Thus the generalitie of Daniels weekes is declared so plainely pointing out the comming of Christ the effects thereof as though hee had read the writings of the Euangelists the Apostles or had beene an eye-witnes in the time of Christ to the verifying and fulfilling of these thinges Now followeth a more speciall and particular handling of them deuided into three parts in the other three verses The 25. verse The going forth of the word Moses in Deut. the fourth chapter thirteenth verse saith That God declared vnto Israell his couenant euen the ten wordes and wrote them vpon two Tables of stone meaning therby the ten commandements Assuerus commanded his seruants to bring Vashti the Queene before him Hest 1.12 but she would not come at his word that is at his commandement When the same king had decreed that all the Iewes in his dominion should bee destroyed For publishing thereof the Posts went out in all haste by the kinges word which was nothing els but his commandement So here by the word going forth is to be vnderstood a commandement which then is saide to goe foorth when it is first sent to bee published and proclaimed as in
A TRVE CHRONOLOGIE OF THE TIMES OF THE PERSIAN Monarchie and after to the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romanes WHEREIN BY THE WAY briefly is handled the day of Christ his birth with a declaration of the Angel Gabriels message to Daniel in the end of his 9. chap. against the friuolous conceits of Matthew Beroald Written by EDVVARD LIVELIE Reader of the holie tongue in Cambridge AT LONDON Printed by Felix Kingston for Thomas Man John Porter and Rafe Iacson 1597. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MY VERY HOnorable good Lord my Lord the Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace THE knowledge of former times most reuerend by prophane authors recorded for the great profit and delight thereof hath not without cause beene alwaies highlie esteemed of the best wisest men in Heathen common wealths guided only by natures law the word of life not knowne amongst them This keepeth the memorie of thinges done of old and in spite of death preserueth still in some sort as it were the life of Noble ancestors who by their prowesse and wisedome for guiding the course of mans life aright haue left most worthie examples and notable patternes of vertue behind them To Christians it hath this more to commend it selfe that it bringeth much light to the vnderstanding of God his worde and greatlie auaileth to the aduancement of that trueth wherby soules are wonne to the Lorde wherefore I cannot but meruaile at the shall I terme it follie or rather madnes of those men which for the continuance of the Persian Monarchie and the raigne of the seueral kings therin are bold to reiect the true histories of ancient writers who liuing in the times thereof haue set forth the same for the ages to come The cause and maine ground whereof is nothing else but their owne error in misunderstanding holie Scripture by wrested interpretation making flat contradiction betweene the spirite of God and prophane truth So not onelie wrong is done to those excellent men who by their paines haue deserued well but also euen the certaintie of Gods worde it selfe by this meanes is weakned made doubtfull and called into question For it is not possible that one truth should be repugnant to another Now because truth as Augustine writeth in his second booke de doctrina Christiana is the Lordes wheresoeuer it is found therefore euerie Christian in dutie bound to stand for the maintaining thereof against all aduersaries so farre forth as his strength will serue I haue according to my pore talent vndertaken the defence of the true Historie Chronologie of the Persian times against the aduersaries thereof and withall an exposition of the Angell Gabriels message to Daniel agreeable thereunto The one that is my account of the times in fast perswasion I hold so sure as that I stedfastlie beleeue scarse 2. yeres vnder or ouer if any at all will be easily disprooued which in so great a number were a small matter in regard of those mens conceipt who are bold at one dash to chop off no lesse then a hundred yeares For the other I meane my exposition by reasō of interpreters disagreement among themselues hauing not like euidence I referre my selfe to learnings skill the iudgement of cunning Linguists and sound Diuines In English rather then in Latine I haue chosen to set foorth this treatise for no other cause in the world but one That as my owne Countriemen in their natiue language by reason of Mathew Beroald the first brocher of the new Chronologicall History of the Persian Empire translated into English and some other bookes doe read the wrong in danger thereby to bee seduced So likewise in the same their mother tongue by this my paines they may see the right so hold themselues therein from going astray This my labour I am bolde to present vnto your Grace sundrie reasons moouing me thereunto For hauing in intent sought herein the vpholding of truth to the good of my Countrie and the benefitte of Christ his Church amongst vs the chiefe care wherof for these matters appertaineth vnto your Grace I feared not the checke of vnseemely boldnes if by the honour of your Graces name I should seeke to commend the same Your great loue of learning and kind good will to Students hartned me on But aboue all my especiall motiue hereunto was the earnest desire of my heart to shew some token of my dutifull remembrance of your great kindnes heretofore so many waies shewed vnto mee That I was first scholler and after fellow of Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge it proceeded of your louing minde and fauorable good wil vnto me besides other benefits many some greater then the forme which were too long to recite In regard whereof if it may please your Grace to accept of this acknowledgement of my dutie I shall account the same my duty doubled Thus with my hartie desire of your Graces happy estate long to cōtinue to the glory of God the good of his Church and the wealth of this land your own sounde comfort I most humbly take my leaue of your Grace this 24. day of Nouember in the 1597. yere of Christ our Lord. Your Graces most bounden EDVVARD LIVELIE A TRVE CHRONOLOGIE OF THE TIMES OF THE PERSIAN MONARCHIE CIcero if euer any other was one which verified that doctrine of the blessed Apostle Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians that the wisedome of God of the wisest of the world was accounted foolishnes The learning of the Grecians all artes pertaining to humanitie beeing held together to vse his owne tearme in a certaine kindred betweene themselues hee had in great price The knowledge thereof he admired the professors he honoured and by quicke conceit and sharp wit together with earnest trauaile and diligent study therein he grew to that ripenes of deepe knowledge and sweet speech wise counsell whereby he became the rare ornament of his countrie the precious iewell of his age and the great glorie of the world far beyond al before him neuer ouertooke of any after him But touching true diuinity the people of God with the word of life amongst them they were no better esteemed of him then Paul and his preaching was of the learned Philosophers of Athens being mocked for his labour and acounted a babling toole Let his owne mouth make proofe hereof in an Oration which he made for Lucius Flaccus beeing at that time accused amongst other matters for detayning great summes of gold sent yearely vpon deuotion by an vsuall custome out of Italie and some other prouinces of Rome to Ierusalem This action of his client withstanding the Iewes herein he greatly commendeth Ierusalem the holie and glorious seate of God his seruice hee calleth a suspitious and backebyting Citie The deuout worship of God and the holy religion of the Iewes he termeth barbarous superstition by great contempt in regard of the glorie and ancient customes of the Roman Empire in the end he concludeth
originall tongue If wee faile in either of these there is no hope to knowne what Daniell meant by his weekes For neither good interpretation alone is enough without exact chronologie nor this without the other serueth much to purpose The sundring of these two things which must needes stand together hath beene the cause of such turning and tossing this excellent peece of Scripture in so many mens heades so many waies therefore in these two thinges especially shall be the imployment of my paines if happily thereby this noble text of Scripture may receaue some light to the clearer perceauing thereof Marcus Varro a learned Roman as Censorinus telleth in his booke De die natali measured all time by three spaces whereof one was from the beginning of men to the first flud for the ignorance of the things which happened therein called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnknown The second from that floud to the first Olympiad for many fables and tales therein reported tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fabulous The third last from the first Olympiad to his age containing more certaine truth of historie therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 historicall This was Varro his iudgement commended by Cicero also in his first booke of Academicall questions where speaking to Varro hee vseth these words Thou haste opened the age of thy countrey and ordering of times Vnto Varro herein agreed Iulius Affricanus in his third booke of Chronicles As Eusebius witnesseth in his tenth book De praeparatione Euangelica vntill the time of the Olimpiads saith Affricanus there is no sure knowledge in the Greeke Historie all thinges beeing confusedly written without agreement betweene themselues But the Olimpicke times haue beene exactly handled of the Grecians by reasō of regestring their acts and records therein of no longer time then euery foure yeares space Censorinus after him speaking of the time from the first Olimpiad In this space saith he was neuer any great dissentiō or controuersie among writers for computation of time except in some sixe or seauen yeares at the most And euen this little that was Varro himselfe by his great skill and diligent paines at the length discussed and founde out the truth and shewed cleare light by which the certaine number not of yeares onely but euen of daies might be perceaued The Grecians saith Chitraeus in his Chronicle haue no certaine computation of times and order of yeares before the Olimpiads This was the iudgement of the best learned in all times in all countries for all kinde of skill concerning the certaine accoūt of time by Olimpiads vsed of the Grecians receaued of the Romanes followed and commended of Christians euen the flower of thē the most ancient Fathers Clemens Alexandrinus Eusebius Hierome Orosius and other for knowledge of Gods worde most famous and renowned continued kept from age to age not contradicted with reason of anie Except peraduenture some to shew the finenesse of their wit by Sophistrie might cauill against it For the better vnderstanding of that which hath bin and shall hereafter be said of Olympiads it shal not be amisse here to shew what is meant thereby Olympia was a certaine place of Greece where games of running wrestling leaping such like were instituted by Hercules in honor of Iupiter Olympius wherof the place was called Olympia and the games Olympiads Olimpiac games the sports of Olympia which after Hercules for a long time beeing discontinued were at the length renewed againe by Iphitus King of that countrie about seauen hundred seauentie and fiue yeares before the birth of our Sauiour Christ Beeing so reuiued they were from that time forward continued by the space of a thousand yeres and more after euery foure yeares in sommer about the month of Iuly solemnized This foure yeares space was called Olympias By these Olympiads the Grecians numbred their yeares counting from that time wherein they were begun againe by Iphitus As appeareth by Velleius Paterculus Solinus Phlegon Pausanius Censorinus who all referre the beginning thereof to Iphitus neyther for this matter that I know of amongst writers is there any doubt at all Beyond Iphitus I cannot warrant any certaine account of yeeres among the heathen greatly meruailing at the folly of those men who busie themselues in searching for sure knowledge by ordered times many ages before A Christian Prince not long agoe standing much vpon his parentage by this kinde of men was seduced A trifling Courtier perceiuing his humor made him beleeue that his petigree in ancient race of royall blood might be fetched from Noa his Arke wherewith being greatly delighted forthwith he laid all busines aside and gaue himselfe wholly to the searche of this thing so earnestly that hee suffered none to interrupt him whosoeuer no not Embassadors themselues which were sent to him about most waightie affaires Many meruailed heereat but none durst speake their mind till at the length his Cooke whō he vsed sometime in stead of a foole told him that the thing which hee went about was nothing for his honor for now saith he I worship your Maiestie as a God but if we goe once to Noas Arke wee must there your selfe and I both be a kinne This saying of his foolish Cooke cast him in a dumpe and stayed the heat of his earnest studdy and brought him to a better mind from his vaine error in deceiueable times farre beyond the compasse of truth which as before hath bin shewed was limited from the first Olimpiad downeward within these limits of time by the testimonie of Varro Affricanus Censorinus the Iudgements of manie other learned men in all ages being certaine and void of error is the reach of Daniels weekes yea to come nearer home by 200 yeares and more within that part thereof which by the learning wisedome and knowledge of excellent men hath beene made most famous that is to say from the Persian Monarchie in the first yeare of Cyrus to the second of Vespasian Emperour of Roome wherein the Cittie of Ierusalem was destroyed and the Iewes common wealth ouerthrowne within the lists and compasse whereof the fulfilling of this Prophesie is contained euen Beroaldus himselfe though an aduersarie of the receaued Grecians Chronologie in his 2. booke and 2. chapter where hee saith that before the times of Cyrus the Greek Histories haue no certainty seemeth to acknowledge some truth of Historie afterward whereof he giueth this reason because in Cyrus his age were the 7. sages of Greece liuing together one of them beeing Colon the Athenian acquainted with Croesus King of Lydia who fought against Cyrus This whole space from the beginning of Cyrus his raigne to the destruction of the holy Cittie by Titus containeth 629. yeares from the Olimpiad wherein Cyrus began to the same season of that yeare wherein Ierusalem Temple and Citie was set on fire For the Persian kings raigned by the space of 230. yeares From the death of the last King of Persia to the birth of Christ
who of all the rest had the hardest hap in his imperiall state receiued by wrong continued in toyle ended in woe after sixe yeares which by Eusebius Isidorus Hierom and others was the time of his raigne The whole number and generall summe of all from first to last is two hundred and thirtie yeares so by this reckoning of euerye seuerall kings raigne is found nine or ten monethes in the whole aboue the Olympick account from the end of the first yeare of the 55. Olympiad These months must bee taken partly from the one and twentieth of Xerxes beeing not fullie expired as appeareth by Diodorus Siculus giuing him not ful one twentie yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more than twentie And partlye from Arses whome Bagous a faithles Eunuche poysoned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is nowe raigning the third yeare saith Diodorus about the beginning of his seuenteenth book thereby signifying that it was not fully compleat and partly also from the sixt of the last Darius which was not whollie perfectly finished For Artaxerxes Mnemon begun his raigne in the end of the Peloponnesian warre or a little after in the month of Aprill as may bee gathered by Diodorus Siculus in the end of his thirteenth booke compared with Thucidides Thucidides saith it begun in the beginning of the spring two months before the yeares end which time by Codoman and others skill fell to the first of Aprill It lasted saith Thucidides seuen and twentie yeares and some few dayes more Darius died after the peace made betweene the Athenians and the Lacedemonians saith Diodorus Siculus meaning that peace which made an end of the warre Giuing therefore him three and fortie and Ochus three and twentie and Arses three all perfect they must end about that season in the first yeare of the hundred and eleuenth Olympiad Arses I graunt reached to that yeare yet not to that moneth of Aprill by a good while For Philip king of Macedonia was slaine by Pausanias in that hundred and eleuenth Olympiad the first yeare thereof witnesses Arrhiames and Diodorus and that in winter about the foure and twentie of Ianuarie as Chitraeus affirmeth in his Chronologie But Arses was poysoned and Darius had succeeded him while Philip was yet a liue and had purposed to haue made warre against him as Diodorus writeth Hereby it is euident that neither Arses his three yeares nor Codomans sixe yeares could be fully ended seeing that he was slaine in summer about the beginning of the third yeare of the hundred and twelfth Olympiad as appeareth by Arrhiames Thus are found from the beginning of the fiue and fiftieth Olympiad to the death of the last Monarch of Persia two hundred and thirtie yeares And from Cyrus thither two hundred and nine and twentie yeares and more by gesse about two or three moneths And lastly from Cyrus to Darius now the second time by Alexander vanquished in which conquest many make an ende of the Persian Empire two hundred and eyght and twentie yeares and a halfe These times of the Persian Monarchie being I know not by what mishap brought into question and great controuersie among the learned and withall of great importance for the vnderstanding of God his word haue neede to bee strengthened with all force that may bee And therefore I will yet make further search for stayes and props as it were to vpholde them Eusebius in his tenth booke de Preparatione Euangelica saith that the second yeare of Darius Hystaspis was the first of the threescore and fift Olympiad so found iust by the former reckoning The warre of Xerxes that Darius his sonne and Nephew to Cyrus of all other was the most famous Who led against Greece the greatest armie that euer was heard of before or after of twentie hundred thousand fighting souldiers for the huge multitude thereof drinking running riuers drie and as Cicero saith walking vpon the Seas and sayling on the land because that hee digged through great mountaines to make the seas meete for his nauie to passe And in other places of the sea made bridges to goe ouer a foote Leonides a valiant king of Sparta to the wonder of all ages following onely with foure thousand men encountred resisted and fought with that powerfull hoste at the straights of Thermopylae Xerxes at the first sent fifteene thousand then twentie thousand and last of all fiftie thousand against them At euery time making choyce of better men then before First begun the Medes bearing hatefull mindes against the Grecians with desire of reuenge for the slaughter of their kinsemen a little before at Marathon Next after them fought the Persian souldiers themselues in whom the Persian king of all other nations vnder him reposed most confidence Yea of these Persians were chosen the most valiant men amongst them all called the immortals because their number neuer decayed Last of all was a choyce companie of the chiefest men of all the whole hoast for stoutenes valour and courage picked out from the rest And they also stirred vp by great promises of rich rewards All these fighting against that handfull of the Grecians had like successe a great number was slaine many wounded the rest put to flight Xerxes maugred thus stayed by a few from passing further into Greece was at his wits ende till such time as one of that countrey had informed him of another way by which some of the armie came vpon the backe of Leonides and so inclosed him on both sides which Leonides hauing intelligence of by a secret friend a little before sent all the rest of his companie home sauing fiue hundred These he encouraged and the more to enable them for battell exhorted them to dine before with resolued mindes to take their supper among the dead Which done and night come they inuaded the Persian campe came to the kings Pauilion slew all that were in it wandred to and fro seeking the king who a little before had got himselfe away and killing on both sides as they went The Persians in the darke not discerning the matter were greatly amazed ran out of their tents they wist not whether fearing nothing so much as this that the whole power of Greece had set vpon them In this hurlie burlie they slew one another till the day light bewrayed the trueth when Leonides with his souldiers fought still At the length wearied with ouercomming and oppressed on euery side with mayne force of that powerfull number they dyed in the middest of their enemies with glorie hauing slaine to the number of twentie thousand The battailes wherein Xerxes had this welcome into Greece many olde writers with great agreement refer to the beginning of the seuentie and fiue Olympiad Diodorus in his eleuenth booke writeth that Xerxes warred against Greece in the first yeare of the seuentie and fiue Olympiad Callias then being Maior of Athens Dyonisius Halicarnassaeus in the beginning of his ninth booke agreeth hereunto naming that very yeare of the same Olympiad and the
of Pisistratus himselfe and 18. after of his children And so is Herodotus to be vnderstoode giuing them 36. in all onely differing from Aristotle in a yeare Whereby it may be thought that Pisistratus raigned some few moneths more aboue 17. yeares so his reckoning comes short by almost twentie yeares Againe there was another Pisistratus the sonne of Hippias and Grand childe to the elder Pisistratus before spoken of who in the yeare of his Maioraltie dedicated in the market place at Athens the Altar of the twelue Gods as Thucidides writeth of him in his sixt booke And this in my iudgement is the man to whome that Historie in Aelianus may be fitly applied and stand very well with that which Iustin hath concerning Themistocles fighting at Marathon Yea but Plinie in his 34. booke writeth that the Athenians the same yeare wherein the kings of Rome were driuen out being the fourth of the 67. Olympiad set vp the images of Harmodius and Aristogiton who had killed Hipparchus the tyrant farre wide from that which Dionysius telleth in his sixt booke that Hipparchus was ruler at Athens in the 71. Olympiad What say you to that Nothing but that Beroaldus being belike ashamed of his follie in bringing such an argument calleth it in againe as it were by answering that it was another Hipparchus which Dionysius speaketh of Another argument he taketh from Dionysius Halicarnassaeus in his fift booke making the warre at Marathon later by sixteene yeares then the death of Brutus thereby referring the yeare to the fourth of the 71. Olympiad which by Cicero seemeth cast to the 73. wherein Coriolanus a Senator of Rome made warre against it Here we haue nothing but vntrueth vpon vntrueth fit groundes for such a rotten building for sixteene yeares after that of the first Consuls which was by Dionysius the first of the 68. Olympiad in the end whereof Brutus was slaine reach not to the fourth of the 71. but to the second of the 72. Olympiad wherein the same Dionysius in plaine words placeth that warre As for that of Coriolanus against Rome it happened in deed in the first of the 73. Olympiad onely three yeares after the other And therefore Cicero in his Brutus affirming not that this of Coriolanus was at the same time with that other of the Persians but almost at that time speaketh a trueth dissenting nothing at all from Dionysius It followeth in Beroaldus the same Dionysius in his ninth booke Diodorus Siculus agreeing vnto him saith that Xerxes went to warre against Greece in the 75. Olympiad when Callias gouerned Athens that is twelue yeares after the Marathon fight being past to that of Xerxes at Salamis Glossa corrumpit textum the glosse here marreth the text with a manifest vntrueth for neither Dionysius nor Diodorus maketh aboue eleauen yeares distance betwixt those battailes the one placed in the second of the 72. Olympiad the other in the first of the 75 almost in the beginning thereof Now let any man count the distance betweene on his fingers ends and see if he can finde twelue yeares But to omit this and come to the purpose Gelo was at the time of Xerxes his warre by Pausanias and Herodotus tyrant of Syracusae And Gelo tyrant of Syracusae by Plutarch in the life of Lysias the Orator in the second of the 82. Olympiad So the war of Xerxes must by this reckoning come backe neere 30. yeares after the 75. Olympick sport Plutarchs words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in English thus much Lysias an exceeding rich man was the sonne of Cephales grand childe of Lysanias the sonne of Cephales his father Cephales was a Syracusian borne and flitted to Athens for loue partly of the citie and partly of Pericles the sonne of Xanthippus who perswaded him thereto being his friend and host or as some say for that hee was driuen from Syracusae at such time as it was subiect to the tyrannie of Gelo. He meaneth that Lysias was borne Being borne at Athens vnder Philocles the next ruler after Phrasicles hee was first brought vp with the noblest children of the Athenians about the second yeare of the 83. Olympiad Afterward being fifteene yeares olde he went to Thuriae a citie of Italie Praxiteles then being Maior of Athens as followeth there in Plutarch Philocles was Maior at Athens in the second yeare of the 80. Olympiad as Diodorus declareth Then was Lysias borne and being about eyght yeres olde in the second yeare of the 82. Olympiad he was brought vp with other noble mens children in Athens and therein continued till the yere of Praxiteles his gouernement which was the first of the 84. Olympiad as we reade in the same Diodorus and the fifteenth of Lysias his birth Where can Beroaldus now finde in this place of Plutarch that Gelo was tyrant of Syracusae in the second yeare of the 82. Olympiad What meant he so cōfidently to burst forth into this cōplaint Tam incerta sunt apud aut hores rerum istarum tempora So vncertaine are the times of these matters what reason had hee for it For hee that vnderstandeth Greeke and compareth Plutarchs owne words with that which Beroaldus gathereth by them will bee ashamed I beleeue of such an interpreter being so blinded with conceited affection that hee seeth not what is written and careth not what he saith Plutarch doth notablie in this place confirme the receiued ancient Chronologie of the Greekes so farre he is by any disagreement from weakening their credite Let vs now examine one or two other places of Beroaldus concerning the time of Xerxes fighting in Greece In the eyght chapter of his third booke Pausanias sayth Beroaldus telleth in his Arcadikes that Xerxes then passed into Greece when Gelo gouerned at Syracuse which is likewise witnessed by Herodotus in his seuenth booke But that same Pausanias in his Eliaca affirmeth that Gelo held the gouernment of that citie in the second yeare of the 72. Olympiad Except it be a strange thing that one king should continew his raigne by the space of twelue yeares This argument of Beroaldus is not worth a rush to proue disagreement betweene ancient writers referring Gelo his tiranie some to the second of the 72. Olympiad other to the first of the 75. when Xerxes passed into Europe for the beginning of his dominion was about the second of the 72. Olympiad as Dionisius Halicarnassaeus declareth in the seauenth booke of his Roman Antiquities And the end thereof in the 75. Olympiad the thirde yeare thereof as Diodorus witnesseth in the eleauenth booke of his Historicall librarie So both might stand together well enough Beroaldus hath yet more matter from Pausanias in his Eliaca who referreth the ouerthrow of Mardonius at Plateae the next yeare after Xerxes inuaded Greece to the 75. Olympiad whereas Diodorus Siculus saith that Xerxes in that Olympiad inuaded Greece both can not bee true The worde Olympias pertaineth sometime to the game itselfe celebrated euerie first yeare of
by 30. tyrants being as wee are taught by Xenophon the 28. yeare of the Peloponnesian war which A. Gellius referreth to the 347. of Rome from which summe 28. according to Xenophons reckoning being taken away there remayneth the 319. of the Citie for the beginning of that warre As for Diodorus Siculus it is vntrue that he referred the beginning of that warre to the third of the 87. Olympiad for in flat wordes hee acknowledgeth Thucidides the cheefe of all other authors for it to referre it to the first of that Olympiad neither is there against it in Diodorus anie thing to be found As the beginning of that war is vncertaine so the end hath as much controuersie I thinke euen so that is iust none at all if Authors may bee suffered to speake for themselues to open their meaning and declare their minde but let vs see this great controuersie The greatest part of authors saith Beroaldus taught that war to haue continued 27. yeares Yet Aemilius Probus saith it lasted but 26. And Xenophon giueth it 28. and a halfe here is great ods The wordes of Aemilius probus are these in the life of Lysander Lysander Lacedaemonius magnam reliquit sui famam magis foelicitate quà m virtutem partam Athenienses enim in Peloponnesios sexto vicessimo anno bellum gerentes confecisse apparet Id qua ratione consequutus sit latet Non enim virtute sui exercitus sed immodestia factum est aduersariorum Quid quod dicto audientes suis imperatoribus non erant dispalati in agris relictis nauibus in hostium peruenerunt potestatē Quo facto Athenienses se Lacedaemoniis dediderunt Lysander the Lacedemonian saith he left a great fame of himselfe which he got rather by good lucke then prowesse for it is well knowne that he subdued the Athenians hauing made warre against the Peloponnesians sixe and twentie yeres but how hee obtained this is not so apparent for this happened not by the manhood of his owne armie but the disorder of the Athenians who not ruled by their captaines but scattered abroad from their ships came into their enemies power which being done the Athenians yeelded themselues There are three seuerall times set downe by good Authors for the end of this warre One was Lysanders victorie by sea against the Athenians at a towne in Hellespont called Aegos Potamoi that is Gotes floud where Lysander espying his oportunitie when the Athenians leauing their ships had gone to the townes there about for prouision of victuals sodainely set vppon them and tooke to the number of a hundred and foure score euerie one except eight or nine which by flight escaped away Hee tooke also 3000. men with their Captaines besides a great number slaine which thing being done the spoyle taken he returned with minstrelsie and great mirth hauing as Plutarch saith atchieued a great matter with a litle labour and in an houre space made an end of a long warre From the beginning of the war to this ouerthrow whereby the Athenians power was nowe so weakned that they could not hold out any longer and so an ende made of that warre as Plutarch writeth where about 26. yeares and therefore Aemilius Probus respecting that time as by his owne words manifestly appeareth his account is true Thucidides with the greatest part of writers for the end of that warre goe about a yeare further to the peace concluded with the Athenians and the pulling downe of their walles so making the continuance 27. as before is prooued So there is as much disagreement between these two times set for the Peloponnesian war the one by Thucidides the other by Aemilius Probus as there is difference betwixt these two waies the one from London to Ware the other from London to Hodsdon and thence to Ware If meaning may be taken without cauelling at wordes the like may bee sayd of Xenophon not withstāding what soeuer Beroaldus bringeth against the credit of his historie before spoken of in regard of some coruptiō which in his pinion hath happened in the notes and numbers of Olympiads and yeares Xenophon saith hee referreth the 93. Olympiad to that yeare wherein Enarchippus was Ephorus at Sparta After whom in the same historie the next is named Pantaeles ordeyned Ephorus in the 22. yere of the Peloponnesian warre which beeing so the yeare of Enarchippus that is Pantacles Pyteas Archytas Endicus in whose yeare Lysander the war being ended and the walles of Athens throwen downe returned home by this meanes it must expire at the 25. yeres end Contrarie whereunto Xenophon affirmeth in plaine wordes that Lysander went home after 28. yeares and sixe months an end being made of that war in the 29. yeare thereof for which cause he also numbereth 29. Spartan Magistrats vnder whom the warre continued Thus far Beroaldus for answere whereunto I will first set downe the wordes of Xenophon as they lie whereby it may appeare what Xenophons meaning was In the first place speaking of Enarchippus his yeare he vseth these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And this yeare saith Xenophon expired wherein the Medes also rebelling against Darius king of the Persians became his subiects againe In the yeare following the temple of Minerua in Phocaea by the fall of a thunderbolt was set on fire After winter was ended Pantacles being Ephorus and Antigenes bearing rule at Athens In the beginning of the spring when 22. yeares of the warre were past the Athenians sayled to Proconesus with all their Armie Thence moouing to Chalcedon and Byzantium c. In their wordes are contained the acts of three diuers yeres One of the Medes rebellion against Darius which was the 24. Another of Mineruas temple burning when Pantacles was Ephorus beeing the yeare following that is the 25. The third of the Athenians sayling to Proconnesus after 22. yeres past of the Peloponnesian war which was the 23. and therefore before these wordes In the beginning of the spring c. I haue set a full point to distinguish them from the former as pertayning to a diuers yeare for here Xenophon goeth backe againe to that which had happened two yeares before A thing vsuall enough in writers when they will make their historie with more consequence coherence the better hang together to goe backe from one matter to another before omitted and so to prosecute it on an end without interruption I need not goe farre for examples in Xenophon himselfe if it were a thing to be stood vpon This for Xenophons meaning after some diligent reading and perusing the place was my iudgement wherin afterward I was more confirmed by Diodorus Siculus and Codoman For Codoman in the fourth booke of his Chronologie very flatlie affirmeth that these wordes in Xenophon In the beginning of the spring c. begin the 23. yeres of the Peloponnesian war yea he is so farre from thinking with Beroaldus the yeare of Pantacles gouerning though immediatly before mentioned to be all one with this that
which was not the 301. of Rome as Beroaldus saith making dissention betweene Authors where there is none at all but the 304. for adding threescore to the 244. wherein the last king was expelled the summe is 304. But what shall we say then to Dionysius Haelicarnassaeus who is contrarie to himselfe in his second book affirming those ten Cōmissioners to haue beene in the 300. yeare of Rome Euen this that it is an increase of Beroaldus his vntruths for there speaking of the Lawes which Romulus the first king ordained and namely of that whereby it was made lawfull for a father to sell his owne child that this Law saith hee was not made by the Decemuirs who three hundred yeres after were appointed to that businesse it is gathered by this ordinance of Numa Patri post hac nullum ius esto vendendi filium let it not be lawfull hereafter for the father to sell his sonne It is manifest in this place that the 300. yeare is accounted not from the building of the Citie but from the time wherein Romulus established the common wealth with lawes which was after the foundation of the Citie layed Otherwise this historiographer most vndoubtedly perfectly and exactly declareth the yere of their authoritie to be the 303 of the Citie Thus there is no cause at all for Beroaldus so earnestly with such heat to complaine of great ignorance and disagreement in these Authors one from an other beeing in truth at great concord betweene themselues and dissenting only in shew and yet all the dissention which he nameth if it were so indeede consisteth within the space of three or foure yeares betwixt 300. and 303. But that all these are wide from the true time of the Decemuirs in his opinion aboue threescore yeares hee can prooue both by prophane storie and holy scripture If Beroaldus can doe this I will say hee is a cunning iugler let vs see how Hermodorus the Ephesian the interpreter of the Decemuirs lawes was acquainted with Heraclitus and flourished in his dayes and Heraclitus citing the writings of Pythagoras must needes be after Pythagoras Againe Pythagoras reached to the times of the Peloponnesian warre as may be prooued by this that Lysis one of his familiar friendes instructed Epaminondas in Philosophie who died long after that warre Heereof we may conclude that Heraclitus and Hermodorus his friende with him flourished in the time of the Peloponnesian warre and that the Decemuirs lawes are there to bee placed The fingering of this feate is too grosie to deceiue any mans eyesight who is but carefull to marke somewhat nerelie First this is an vnprouing proofe that Heraclitus was later than Pythagoras because hee alleadgeth some sentence out of his workes for it is an vsuall thing for those which are of one standing as wee say and equall in time to read the bookes one of another Cicero liued in the same age with Varro yet notwithstanding he had recourse to his writings and alleadged vppon occasion the contents thereof The other argument touching Pythagoras his reaching to the Peloponnesian warre by Lysis and Epaminondas being the mayne reason of all is as vayne as that which a little before I haue made playne Lastlie though it were graunted that Heraclitus and Hermodorus were in the time of the Peloponnesian warre yet for all that the Decemuirs lawes might be before that time interpreted by the same Hermodorus as well as Master Beza his first interpretation of the new Testament was many yeares before the late taking of Calis by the Spanyards and yet the same light of God his Church at those dayes still shining therein This is such a sorie Sorites as maketh me meruaile what conceite came in Beroaldus his head to bring it As likewise that colde coniecture out of Liuie which followeth concerning the twelue tables of the Decemuirs lawes to be in the 370. yeare of Rome is as farre and further from Liuies minde in playne wordes otherwhere declared as threescore is from three The second weapon wherewith Beroaldus fighteth against the Latine historie is some doubt concerning the time of the French mens taking Rome in the 365. yeare from the building of that citie and the first of the 98. Olympiad For Plutarch in the life of Camillus hauing declared the receaued opinion concerning the time thereof that it happened a few more then 360. yeares after Rome was builded addeth this doubting speech If it seeme credible that an exact account of these times had been so long preserued seeing that euen the confusion of that time hath brought some doubt and controuersie to other later Plutarch least hee should seeme without cause to haue made that doubt bringeth this reason that the fame and rumor of that warre wherein Rome by the French was taken presentlie was spread abroad in Greece and came to the eares of Heraclides Ponticus and Aristotle whereby may bee gathered that it happened in the time of king Phillip of Macedonia in whose dayes those authors liued saith Beroaldus The raigne of this king began about the 105. Olympiad seuen and twentie yeares after the common receaued time of that taking of Rome set by other and endured full foure and twentie yeares For answer to this doubt I am to let the reader vnderstand that the French men discontented and vnquiet in minde for their ill successe at their taking of Rome being driuen out againe and all their pray taken from them by Marcus Furius Camillus came diuers times after into Italie and namely in the 406. yeare of Rome being the fourteenth of Philip the Macedonian King when Aristotle was about foure and thirtie yeares olde In this yeare Lucius Furius Camillus being Consull and he alone Consull after his fellowes death the French inuaded Italie with a mightie power Amongst them one at that time for stature of bodie passing other chalenging any one of the Romane hoste whosoeuer durst fight with him was with the Consuls leaue set vpon by M. Valerius a valiant Captaine In this combate a rauen came suddainely to the Romane champion and sat vpon his Helmet and flew vpon the French man against his face with bill and talents fighting till at the length being greatly amazed thereat he was slaine by Valerius Who thereof tooke name to bee called Coruinus in memorie of the rauens fighting for him which was interpreted to haue come from God The French men after the death of their champion so miraculouslie slaine were discomfited and fled and durst not of a long time after come against the Romans And this was the battaile by all likeliehoode which Aristotle and Heraclides Ponticus spake of For it is confessed by Plutarch himselfe that the conquerer of the French at that time was called Lucius in Aristotle which agreeth to this time wherein Lucius Camillus was Consull alone and conquerer not to the taking of Rome when Marcus Camillus father to this man had giuen them the ouerthrow As for the taking of Rome then mentioned by Heraclides and
Aristotle which was by a rumor and vncertaine reporte noysed abroad the cause thereof might bee that they were the same people then vanquished who before had taken it So it is true in regarde of the men One argument more is yet behinde reserued as may seeme to the last place as of all the rest most forcible to disturbe the set boundes of the Peloponnesian warre and thereby those of the Persian Empire The force of this argument in the conceite of Beroaldus is so strong and pythie as that it cannot possibly suffer the ancient accounte of those times to stand Let vs saith Beroaldus first set downe that which is reported by Polybius a graue author in his first booke that the Lacedemonians hauing gotten the soueraigne Empire of Greece by their victorie against the Athenians in the ende of the Peloponnesian warre scarse held it by the space of twelue yeares after In the next place this wee are to knowe that the same Lacedemonians were spoyled of that their Empire by the Thebans in the famous battaile fought betweene them at Leanctra in the second yeare of the 102. Olympiad whereof this for a certaintie followeth that the Peloponnesian warre ended about the time of the 100. Olympiad For it is manifest by Xenophon that the ende of it was in an Olympicke yeare This is the reason of all other so sure vndoubted and strong in the opinion of Beroaldus but in very deede as friuolous ridiculous and childish as euer any was framed To make good my saying let the author himselfe speake with his owne words which be these not farre from the beginning of his first booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lacedemonians sayth Polybius striuing many yeares for the soueraignetie of Greece after they had once gotten it kept it scarselie twelue yeares entire without trouble and losse Indeede if Polybius had sayde that the Lacedemonians had quite and cleane lost their whole dominion within twelue yeares after they had obtained it as Beroaldus maketh him say the reason which hee vseth had been good to bring the ende of the Peloponnesian warre within three yeares of his reckoning so much hee is wide after his wonted manner for they were wholie spoyled of that cheeftie by Epaminondas generall of the Theban armie in the second of the 102. Olympiad From which the twelfth yeare backward is the third before the 100. Olympiad and the second of the 99. But there is as much difference betwixt the authors word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the interpretation of Beroaldus as betweene breaking a mans head and killing him out right It is true and that which Polybius ment that the Lacedemonians about twelue yeares after Lysanders victorie against the Athenians at Aegos Potamoi whereby they became Lordes of Greece lost much of their dominion by the valour of Conon an Athenian Captaine who ouercame the Lacedemonians in a battel by sea toke fiftie of their shippes and 500 of their men whereby diuers Cities fell from the Lacedemonians vnto him as Diodorus Siculus declareth in his fourteenth booke yet for all this they stood still recouered much again afterward til at the length they were vtterly dispossessed of all by the Thebans who gaue them a deadly blow Heereby it appeareth that it was no part of Polybius his meaning to make only twelue yeares from the end of the Peloponnesian war to the Lacedemonians vtter ouerthrow but to that conquest of Conon ouer them by sea fight before spoken of And if this bee not enough to make that appeare sufficiently Polybius himselfe yet once againe shall make it manifest and all gainesayers as dumbe as a fish which would gather by his testimonie that the fielde at Leuctra was fought within 12. yeares after the Peloponnesian warre for within one leafe after the former sentence he declareth that the battaile at Leuctra was nor twelue but 34. yeares after that other at Aegos Potamoi whereby they won the soueraigntie of Greece that is to say 18. to the Frenchmens taking of Rome and sixteene more afterwarde to the fight at Leuctra and that not obscurely or in a riddle but very flatly in plaine words though not vnderstood by the Bishop of Sipontū who for these words of Polybius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is after the battaile by sea at Aegos Potamoi translated Post Xerxem a Cymone superatum After Xerxes was ouercome by Cymon which was long before the time spoken of by Polybius and no part of his meaning at all By this one place may bee seene what intolerable shifting hath beene vsed of Beroaldus to make his matter good affirming Authors to say that which they neuer meaned yea which they are as flat and plaine in manifest words against as may be But euery vaine color deceiueable shew is good enough for such as are disposed to wrangle out new deuises by cauelling Sophistrie As for that which followeth out of Xenophon to prooue that assertion of Beroaldus it hath neyther head nor foote and is vnworthie of an answere and therefore I purpose not to trouble the reader with my confuting such paltrie stuffe except peraduenture some will professe to frame it into an argument of some shew or color at the least then will I also professe my skill to answere it and to turne all against him for the truth as knowing Xenophon to haue nothing for his conceited opinion but much against it Hitherto I haue particularly answered all the Sophisticall elcnchs and reasonlesse reasons vnproouing proofes of Beroaldus out of prophane Histories one by one wherewith to the trouble of God his Church and the darkening of his worde hee hath stuffed so many papers without leauing any one to my knowledge vnanswered except the last out of Xenophon for the cause before declared Touching his scripture proofe so often vrged against the auncient Chronologers of the Persian times it shall by God his assistance appeare hereafter how vain it is And thus much touching the first part concerning the chronologie of the Persian Monarchie Now followeth the second contayning 328. yeares and a halfe not much vnder or ouer from the death of the last king of Persia to our Sauiour Iesus Christ the proofe hereof is good for that Christ our blessed Redeemer was borne in the third yeare of the 194. Olympiad Eusebius to omit the testimonies of other Fathers declareth in his Chronicles at this yeare and Olympiad writing thus Iesus Christ the sonne of God was borne in Bethleem of Iuda in which yeare the saluation of Christians began which therefore is also counted the first yeare of the Christians saluation Darius the last king of the Persians was slaine neere the beginning of the third yeare of the 112. Olympiad The distance is the number before declared The same is prooued by the Chronologicall Historie of the yeares of Rome the building whereof by Solinus Dionysius Eratost henes and other learned Authors is set in the first yeare of the seauenth Olympiad the trueth whereof
the first of Ester the ninteenth verse If it seeme good to the king let a royall word goe forth from him that is Let a commandement by the kings authoritie be published In the second chapter of this Prophet the twelfth verse The decree went forth the wise men were slaine In the second booke of the Machabies the sixt chapter and eight verse Thorough the counsell of Ptolomie there went out a commandement into the next cities of the heathen against the Iewes to put such to death as were not conformable to the manners of the Gentiles In the second chapter of Luke the first verse there went out a decree from Augustus Caesar that all the world should be taxed To build againe Ierusalem In Hebrew to returne build Ierusalem Of this a little after toward the end of this verse Vnto Messias the Gouernour The worde Messias in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and with vs annoynted So these three in signification are all one Messias Christ Annoynted The Hebrew word in the holy Scripture attributed sometime specially to the persō of Christ Iesus our Lord as in the first of Iohn the 42. ver we haue found the Messias And in the second Psalme the second verse The Rulers tooke counsell together against the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and against his Messias or Christ that is against Christ Iesus our Lorde as the place is expounded in the fourth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles Sometime more generally to any annoynted Priest as in the fourth chapter and fift verse of Leuit. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Annoynted Priest shall take off the bullockes blood or to the annoynted Prophets Touch not mine annoynted doe my Prophets no harme Psa 105.15 Or lastlie to the kings and chiefe gouernours of the people Thus Saul in the first of Samuel the 24. chapter and 7. verse and Dauid in the 2. of Samuel the 19. chapter and 22. verse is called the annoynted of the Lord. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying any Ruler or Gouernour is vsed sometime of kinges as in the first of Samuel the tenth chapter the second verse where Saul is called the Gouernour of the Lords inheritance and in the second of Samuel the seauenth chapter Dauid is called the ruler of Gods people and Ezechias in the second booke of the Kings the 20. chapter and fifth verse In all those places this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vsed Sometime it is giuen to other inferiour rulers or gouernours as in the 2. of Chronicles the 11. chapter and 11. verse Hee repayred the strong holdes and set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Gouernours therin and in the 19. chapter and last verse of the same booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zebadias the Ruler of the house of Iuda shall be for the kings affaires and in the 11. chapter of this Prophet Daniel the 22 verse the Prince and chiefe gouernour of the Jewes is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So there is no let by the force and signification of the word but that it may bee well referred to the chiefe ruler of the Iewes common wealth in Ierusalem after the building thereof Seauen weekes It is great pittie that this message of the holy Angell contayning a most excellent Prophesie from Gods owne mouth should be so peruerted and depraued as it hath beene by those which picke out this sence as though hee said there should be from the out-going of the commaundement to Messias 69. weekes in all A strange interpretation such I dare boldly say it as by the Hebrew text can neuer bee vpheld That interpretation which I haue made leauing a stay or rest at seuen weekes as the halfe sentence being past and continuing the 62. weekes with the other part of the sentence following to the end of the verse and not referred to the former as part of one whole number with them by the Hebrew text is most sure and vndoubted and iustifiable against all the world contayning that which God himselfe in his owne wordes hath vttered neyther more nor lesse but the verie same which Gods Angell deliuered to Daniel by word and Daniel to the Church by writing in the holie tongue and this once againe it is From the going forth of the word to build againe Ierusalem vnto Messias the gouernour shall be seauen weekes and threescore and two weekes it shall be builded againe street and wall and in trouble some times Marke the wordes consider their order and weigh well the rests As I finde in the Hebrew so I haue Englished that is the truth of interpretation be it vnderstood as it may It shall be builded againe Word for word in the original tongue is written It shall returne and be builded which learned Hierome verie learned lie translated thus Iterum aedificabitur It shall bee builded againe This is a familiar phrase in the Hebrew peoples mouth For proofe whereof take a view of these places First of that in Malachie the first chapter and fourth verse We will returne build the desolate places It is as much to say as we wil build them againe also in the 26. chapter 18. verse of Genesis Isaak returned and digged the wels of water which beeing digged in the dayes of Abraham the Philistians after his death had stopped The meaning is therfore that he digged them againe rightly vnderstood by the Greeke interpreters called the 70. thus trāslating it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He digged againe Hierome agreeing thereunto rursus fodit In the sixt chapter of Zacharie the first verse I returned and lifted vp my eyes and saw which Tremellius verie wel translated thus Rursus attollens occulos meos vidi Againe lifting vp my eyes I saw That therefore which some interpreters here haue imagined concerning the returne of the people from the captiuitie of Babilon is to vse the old prouerbe nothing to Bacchus an interpretation farre from Daniels purpose The like reason is of that before written in this verse to returne and build Ierusalem being in sence the same which there I haue translated and Hierome long before me to build againe Ierusalem Moreouer it shall be builded importeth as much as if hee had said it shall continue builded or beeing once builded it shall so remaine by the space of 434. yeares before the desolation thereof come as Saadias and Gershoms sonne expounded the meaning of the word The 26. verse Shall Messias be cut off The signification of the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is much more large then to slay as by the most part of interpreters it is here taken and reacheth to any cutting off eyther by death or banishment or any other kinde of abolishing whereby a thing before in vse afterward ceaseth Ioel. 1.8 The new wine is cut off from your mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amos 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will cut off the inhabitant of
to Nehemias ioyneth these two together the building of the walles and a king set ouer the Iewes It is reported saith Sanballat among the heathen that thou the Iewes thinke to rebell for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayest bee their king according to their wordes Thou hast also ordained Prophets to preach of thee in Ierusalem saying there is a king in Iuda These two thinges then begun together the Citie builded and the annoynted Gouernour thereof as also the end of both was at one time declared in the 26. verse After those 62. weekes shall Messias be cut off and the Citie and Temple shall the people of the come Gouernour destroy Thus whereas Daniel hath deuided his 70. weekes into three parts The first of them hath his true meaning by text and time approued from the decree to build Ierusalem to the same building finished and the established gouernment in it beeing the space of 49. yeares The second part containeth 62. weekes wherein Ierusalem so builded with the common wealth and state and princely gouernment thereof was to continue that is to say from the building of the Citie finished and the Prince or ruler appointed in the 32. of Artaxerxes Mnemon vnto such time as the ruine and fall of the same Citie began which was about the nine yeare of Nero For about that time Albinus the Roman Gouernour of Iudea Ierusalem by his great couetousnes and crueltie in most wofull manner oppressed the Iewes for bribes euen selling them to be spoyled and robbed of their goods at the will and pleasure of most lewd ruffins and bad persons As Josephus declareth in his second booke of the Iewes warre the thirteenth Chapter inferring thereof that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seedes of Ierusalems captiuitie approching was from that time sowne meaning that those troubles vnder Albinus were the beginnings of the Iewes thraldome and vndoing as indeede they were which in the twentieth booke of antiquities the eight chapter hee declareth more plainely where hauing spoken of the great miserie of the Iewes which they suffered by the mercilesse crueltie of Albinus hee vseth these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From that time forward saith Iosphus especially our Citie began to be sicke and all things going then more and more to decay The wofull calamities of Ierusalem euery day falling more and more to wracke after the gouernment of Albinus by a borrowed speech hee termeth sicknes In the beginning of that yeare at the feast of the Tabernacle it was that a certaine man of the common sort brought vp in the countrie called Iesus the sonne of Anani as a messenger by diuine motion from God to foreshew the vtter ruine and desolation of Ierusalem to come in that last weeke of the 70. which was yet behinde in the streetes of the Citie cryed day and night a voice from the East a voice from the West a voice from the foure windes a voice against Ierusalem and the Temple a voice against Bridegroomes and Brides a voice against all the people The Magistrates and Nobles of the Citie not abiding his outcries brought him before Albinus who caused him with scourges to bee torne to the bones when the sillie wretch neyther wept nor craued anie mercie but at euery stroke answered woe woe to Ierusalem In this manner crying hee continued seuen yeres more without anie hoarsnes or wearines neyther cursing them that hurt him nor thanking them that releeued him At the length going on the walles with this crie woe woe to the Citie and the Temple the people hee added these wordes woe also to my selfe and was presently slaine with a stone hurled by an Engine at him from the enemie beseeging the Citie Thus the second part of this Prophesie foreshewing how long the Iewes common wealth after the ordering thereof should continue before it began to decay contained 62. weekes that is 434. yeares for the 32. of Artaxerxes Mnemon was the fourth yeare of the 101. Olympiad towards the end wherof the building of Ierusalem was finished and the Iewes common wealth appointed and the first yere of the last weeke was the second yeare of the 210. Olympiad beginning toward the end of it in the spring time of the yeare The space included containeth the full number before declared The third last part is one weeke euen the last of all the 70. wherein after the former 62. weekes expired Messias that is the last Ruler was cut off and the gouernement of the Citie quite extinct for when their last king Agrippa in the twelfth yeare of Nero foure yeares before the destruction of the Citie went about to perswade the people to obey Florus the Roman deputie by whose tyrannie they had beene incomparably more vexed and oppressed then in the time of Albinus his predecessor The people were so stirred against him that they could not containe themselues any longer but threw stones at him and droue him out of the Citie as Iosephus declareth in the sixteene chapter of the second booke of the Iewes war If any here obiect that Caius Caesar the Emperour of Rome after the death of this Agrippas father made Iudea a prouince to bee gouerned by a Roman Deputie and bestowed on this Agrippa the kingdome of Chalcis which pertained to his vncle Herod I answer that this Herod had his kingly Pallace in Ierusalem and obtained of C. Caesar for himselfe his successors not onely the rule and power ouer the Temple and whole treasurie but also authority of chusing the high Priests and deposing them at his pleasure and the calling of the iudges together and other matters pertaining to the seruice of the Leuites and Priestes in Gods Temple All which his Soueraignty dyed in this last weeke about foure yeres before the destruction of the Citie yea before in the time of Albinus in the beginning of this last weeke anarchie and vnrulie disorder begun to rise and good gouernment to fall which Iosephus immediatly before the worde concerning the seedes of Ierusalems thraldome sowen in the second booke of the Iewes war the thirteenth chapter before by me cited seemeth in this short speech to signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tyrranie or vsurped gouernment was exercised by manie This beginning of misrule by little and little grew to further increase till at the length the king was driuen out and not long after al other magistracy of Ierusalem was likewise abolished all good gouernment ceased as Iosephus in plaine words declareth in the fourth booke and fift chapter of the Iewes warre that the citie was without a ruler to guide it And in the second chapter of the fift booke that all law of man was troden vnder foot and the law of God made a scorne and the lawes of nature it selfe disturbed All things were ordered by the will of lawlesse ruffians their pleasure stood for law A most pitifull disorder and tumultuous anarchie raigned amongst them by the wilfull malice of gracelesse rebels appoynting
vnder the gouernour Albinus not long before the destruction of the citie Whereby may bee gathered that magistracie iudgement and gouernment yea the authoritie of the 70. Iudges called Sanhedrim continued long after Herods 30. yere and was not cut off till the desolation of Ierusalem brought it to an end For when the warres begun to worke the desolation thereof then king Agrippa by seditious rakehels was driuen out of it then were the Sanhedrim deposed at the rebels will and other base men set vp in their stead as Josephus telleth in the fift book of the Iewes warre the first chapter Then was the Priesthood and all good order made a mockerie The rebellious cutters did what they list no lawes to restraine them no magistracie to punish them no authoritie to bridle them They ruled al at their own pleasures themselues as they would good gouernment was turned into anarchie and disorder and Ierusalem became as Iosephus termeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a citie without a guide And this it is that Daniel sayth touching Messias to bee cut off in the last weeke of the seuentie meaning the rule and authoritie of the annointed gouernour as before I haue expounded the place Thus by the iudgement of the Hebrew writers in their auncient monuments the comming of Christ falleth to the fall of the Iewes common-wealth in the ouerthrow of Ierusalem when gouernment and authoritie ceased therein which long before had been foretold by the Patriarch Iacob in the 49. of Genesis in that old prophesie of his concerning the comming of Christ The scepter shall not depart from Iuda nor a law giuer from betweene his feete till Shiloh come and him shall the people gather themselues vnto For together with this diuine oracle of Daniel that other most ancient and excellent prophesie of Iacob hitherto not perfectly and cleerely according to the true meaning therof declared of any that I know of may receiue light Many haue sought the fulfilling of that prophesie in the first comming of Christ at his birth but without straying it could neuer yet be there found For the meaning of it was that in the tribe of Iuda should bee royall supremacie and gouernmēt of Magistrates for the good of the Iewes vpholding of their Common-wealth till the comming of Christ whose new spirituall raigne by the preaching of the Gospell should abolish their old earthly kingdome and outward policie So was the place vnderstood by the Hebrew Doctors aforenamed R. Hama R. Mili R. Eliezer The Chaldie paraphrasts both of them most excellently expound the place which themselues vnderstood not being like therein vnto Virgils Bees which make honey for other and not themselues First Onchelos interpreteth it in this manner A Magistrate exercising authoritie of the house of Iuda shall not depart nor a Scribe of his posteritie for euer till Christ come to whom the kingdome pertaineth and him shall the people obey The other called the interpreter of Ierusalem thus Kings of the house of Iuda shall not faile neither skilful law-teachers of his posteritie vnto the time wherein the king Christ shall come vnto whom the kingdome pertaineth and all the kingdomes of the earth shall be subdued vnto him If Christ came when authoritie was gone and authoritie went away at Ierusalems fall needes must one comming of Christ bee referred to the ouerthrow of that citie R. Moses of Tyroll Bioces looked for the comming of Christ towards the end of the second Temple being led thereunto partly by their owne reckoning vpon Daniel and partly by a text in the last chapter of the prophet Esay the seuenth verse where it is sayd Before her throwes came vpon her she was deliuered of a manchilde Some of the Rabbines sayd Messias was borne the very same day that the second temple was destroyed in supposing that scripture of Esay to be therein fulfilled In their book called Bereshith Rabba is read this parable As a certaine Iew was at plow an Arabian passing by hearing one of his oxen low bad him vnyoke because the destruction of the Temple was at hand And by and by hearing also the other low bad him vnyoke out of hād because the Messias was alreadie come R. Abon in another place telling the same What neede we saith he to learne it of the Arabians seeing the text it selfe declareth it Iosephus in the seuenth booke of the Iewes warre the twelfth chapter writeth that in the holie Scripture was found an olde prophesie that at the time of the ouerthrow of Ierusalem a king should come out of Iewrie who should raigne ouer all the world which he by flattering falshood interpreted of Vespasian This prophesie in those daies was bruted abroad in many mens mouthes euery where yea some write that it was engrauen in an open place of the castle at Ierusalem which as Iosephus writeth made the Iewes at that time so readie to rebell And this was the cause that so many fained themselues to be the Messias about that time of the destruction of the Temple Vnder Cuspius Fadus one Theudas a iugler made the people beleeue that he was a prophet would deuide the waters of Iordan that they should goe ouer drie as they had done long before miraculously in the time of Ioshua by the power of God And when Felix was the Romane gouernour of Iudea one comming out of Egypt fayning himselfe to bee a prophet perswaded the people if they would follow him to mount Oliuet they should see the walles of Ierusalem fall downe And afterward one Barcozba so called of his lying tooke vpon him to bee the Messias and seduced many but in the end performing not the deliuerance looked for at his hands he was knocked on the head for his lying and slaine All these tooke aduantage of the time being answerable to their intent and of the peoples disposition then looking for their promised Christ Moreouer there was yet another prophesie bruted amongst them that Doctor Hillels schollers should neuer faile till Christ were come The youngest of them was R. Iochaman the sonne of Zacheus who liued to see the destruction of the Temple and also the miracle of a great gate thereof a little before opening of it selfe which Iosephus speaketh of in his seuenth booke and twelfth chapter of the Iewes warre Whereat this R. Iochaman being amazed remembred this saying of the Prophet Zacharie in the beginning of his 11. chapter Open thy gates O Libanus and let fire consume thy cedars applying the place to the comming of Christ Furthermore they had amongst them these olde traditions touching the tokens of Christes comming When Christ the sonne of Dauid cōmeth sayth R. Iudas there shall be few wise men in Israell and the wisdome of the scribes shall stinke and the schooles of diuinitie shall become brothelhouses R. Nehorai sayd that good men in Israell should bee abhorred and mens countenaunces past shame at Christes comming And R. Nehemias sayd that wickkednesse should bee multiplied without measure
were about 328. yeares and a halfe And thence to the desolation of Ierusalem set on fire 70. and a halfe with two monthes or there about The proofe of these three partes in this order I minde to follow But before I come to the right path as it were of the Persian times It shall be requisite first to take certaine stumbling blockes out of the readers way whereof one is the opinion of the Hebrewe writers who by great reason should haue been skilfull in these matters in regard of their deliuerance from slauish captiuitie and many other benefits graunted vnto them by the Persian Kinges Some of these writers reading in the 11. of Daniell of a fourth king to raigne in Persia and presently after a prophesie of the ouerthrow of that Empire by Alexander the great thought there could not possibly be any more than foure in all The names forsooth of these foure they gather from Esdras making mention in his fourth chapter of Cyrus Assuerus Artaxerxes Darius then after in his seuenth chapter of another Artaxerxes Now lest that Esdras should seeme by fiue names to dissent from Daniell speaking onely of foure kings they make the first Artaxerxes to be all one with Assuerus and because the last king of Persia ouercome by Alexander in the Histories of diuers nations was knowne by the name Darius to make all good they say he had likewise two names one Artaxerxes the other Darius This was Aben Ezras opinion one of the wittiest best learned amongst them R. Moses a Spaniard and Priest came somewhat nearer to the trueth parting these two names Assuerus and Artaxerxes mentioned in the 4. of Ezra betwixt two seuerall Kinges and so by his iudgement they were fiue in number Others as R. Sadiah and Abraham Dauison counting Daniels fourth king not from Cyrus but from Darius the Mede inclusiuely leaue onely three kinges for the Persian Monarchie to runne out vnder them that is first Cyrus and after him Assuerus the third and last Darius the supposed Sonne of Ester by Assuerus But howe can this agree with Esdras in whome fiue names of the Persian Emperours are recorded Well enough say they for Assuerus the first Artaxerxes were one and the same And likewise Darius and the second Artaxerxes by Abraham Dauisons opinion Now concerning the yeares of their raigne Aben Ezra maketh this reckoning of his three former kinges yeares Cyrus to haue continued three yeares Assuerus foureteene Darius twelue the rest of that Monarchie expired in Artaxerxes whose 32. is mentioned in scripture but Dauison giueth to Cyrus three to Assuerus sixteene to Darius 32. In whose second as he sayeth the Temple was builded and himselfe slaine 30. yeares after by Alexander But the most generall and receaued opinion seemeth to bee that which is declared in their Hebrew Chronicles Rabba and Zota that the whole time of the Persian kingdome was 52. yeares counted from the first of Darius the Mede whereof 18. were spent before the building of the Temple and 34. after This is the Rabbinicall stuffe of the chiefe Masters of the Hebrewes being at ods betwixt themselues dissenting from others therefore not without cause doth Pererius in his commentaries vppon Daniell speaking of this chronologie of theirs say that it is false fained full of faultes toyes ignorance absurditie and vnconstancie and altogether ridiculous as it is indeede Temporarius is more sharpe bitter against them The Thalmudists Cabbalists and Rabbines saith he are blinde in the Persian times and the writinges of the Iewes herein plaine proofes of pittifull ignorance in them who can reade the chronologies of the Rabbines their Seder Olam Rabba their Seder Olam Zota their Historicall Cabbala without laughing Therefore the knowledge of times is not to bee fetched from the dotings of these men being more blinde than moules All this which they say is true I confesse The Church of God for other matters is much beholding to the Hebrew Rabbines beeing great helps vnto vs for vnderstanding holy scripture in many places as well of the new testament as the olde but touching the knowledge of the Persian Empire wherein they should haue bin most cunning they were as blinde as beetles no light herein amongst them for knowledge to be seene but darkenes for ignorance enough and too much The reason whereof is that they wanted the key as it were of prophane Histories and secular learning to vnlocke the shut hid meaning of Daniels oracles Without the which by scripture alone it cā neuer be opened Some of them not disdaining to read the Latine and Greeke histories by the direction of these guides went not so far astray Iosephus in his Antiquities prooueth it This may suffice to cleare the right way from the first stumbling blocke Annius Viterbiensis hath been another to the downfall of many setting forth certaine ancient chronicles vnder the names of Berosus Manetho and Philo and together with them one other of the Persian Monarchie fathered vpon Metasthenes an ancient Persian Wherein he reckoneth the kinges of the Persian Monarchie eight in number in this order First Cyrus then ancient Artaxerxes Assuerus After him Darius with the long hande the fourth Darius Nothus the fift great Artaxerxes Darius Meneon the sixt Artaxerxes Ochus the seuenth Arses the eight last an other Darius The whole time of these kings he maketh 190 yeres These books thus commended with such glorious titles of noble and ancient Historiographers were in great request and much followed of many learned men and excellent Diuines for a long time embracing thē as the only true Chronologie of all other and alleadging their authorities as oracles from heauen vndoubted and sure beeing indeede nothing else but masking counterfaites couered with the glorious titles of auncient and famous writers At the length they were found out and detected by the cunning of diuers skilfull men who searched vnto them and sifted them nearely Volaterranus in his fourteenth book giueth no credit vnto them Lewes Viues in his preface to the eighteenth booke of Augustine de ciuitate dei calleth them monsters and dregges friuolous bookes of vncertaine Authors Gerardus Mercator counteth of them no better than Fables and false and forged writinges Ioseph Scaliger inueyeth sharply against them in many places terming them lies dreames forged and fained stuffe And the Author thereof himselfe he calleth vnlearned and shameles Iohannes Vargara Beatus Rhenanus Functius Beroaldus Pererius and Temporarius All these haue vncased these counterfait Authors and taken the visardes from their faces But especiallie aboue all the rest the two last named Pererius Temporarius haue laied thē open to the wide world to appeare that which in very deed they were That is not the true Berosus Mauetho Metasthenes Philo thēselues But all false and forged out of Annius his shop of lies Whome Temporarius therefore calleth a triffeler a iugler a deceauer and the books so set forth by him toyes lyes legerdemaine witcherie bastards