The suruey of popery vvherein the reader may cleerely behold, not onely the originall and daily incrementes of papistrie, with an euident confutation of the same; but also a succinct and profitable enarration of the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill Christs ascension, contained in the first and second part thereof: and throughout the third part poperie is turned vp-side downe.

CHAP. II. Of the time of repairing the temple in Hieru∣salem.

KIng Cyrus in the first yeare of his raigne, as hee was the Persian monarke,* 1.1 set the Iewes at liberty and appointed them to build the Temple againe in Hierusalem. I say (as monarke) because (as learned men write) hee had raigned certain yeres in Persia, before he tooke Babylon & became the monarke. Cambyses and other aduersaries did a long time hinder the building of the Temple, so as it had not the accom∣plishment vntill the sixt yeare of Darius Assuerus, Esdr. 6. vers. 15. Albeit Darius in his second yeare gaue commande∣ment, that the worke should go forward, Esdr. chap. 4. ver. 24.

The first difficultie.

The Iewes obiected against our Sauiour Christ, that their

temple was 46. yeares a building. Ioh. 2. vers. 20. yet by the supputation already made, in the fourth section of the first chapter and second booke, it cannot be so much.

The answere.

I say first, that concerning the supputation of yeeres, there is great varietie amongst historiographers. Eusebius recko∣neth the time from the 55. Olympiade to the 64. Olympiade inclusiuè, that is, 40. yeres: others reckon. 21. yeres; others 23. others 30. neither agreeing with the account of the Iews, neither yet with the raign of the monarks. I say secondly, that the tēple was 46. yeres in building, as the Iews affirmed who best knew the time: and their assertion is not dissonant from the raigne of the monarks: for Cyrus raigned 30. yeares, Cam∣byses 8. yeares, Smerdes 7. moneths, Darius sixe yeares, and Nehemias after that builded vp the walles.

The replie.

The temple was finished in the sixt yeare of Darius, as re∣cordeth Esdras,* 1.2 and so wee want one whole yeare and fiue months of the 46. yeeres, whereof the Iewes spake.

The answere.

I answer that the temple is said to be finished in the 6. yere of Darius, because all the worke in effect was then accom∣plished; neuerthelesse some part thereof was left vndone, because Nehemias after that builded vp the walles, as wee reade in the first, second and third chapter of his booke.

The second difficulty.

Cambyses (Esdras, 4. verse. 6.7) is called Assuerus and Arta••••rxes, so as the names seeme to be confounded.

The answere.

I say first, that Cambyses successor to king Cyrus a louing and mercifull Prince (who furthered in all respectes the god∣ly desire of the Iewes) was a naughtie, wicked and tyran∣nicall regent, one that wholly bent himselfe against God, and against his peculiar flocke. Wherein appeareth the vncertain∣tie of mans felicitie in this worlde, while a godly father hath to his successor, a wicked and vngodly sonne; a sonne that reuo∣keth the priuiledges which his father gaue to the people of God. But his life was short, miserable and bloudy, the proper reward of all brutish tyrannie. For as hee mounted vppon his horse, hee sodainly fell vpon his dis••ased sword, and so had a bloudie end. I say secondly, that Artaxerxes is a name com∣mon to all the kinges of Persia; to which name Assuerus is equiualent with the Hebrewes; and so Cambyses is indifferent∣ly called Artaxerxes or Assuerus, as is saide in the first obser∣uation.

The third difficultie.

Esdras writeth that the Iewes were appointed by three se∣uerall kinges of Persia, to reare vp againe their temple. Esdras 6. verse 14. and therefore not only at the first by Cy∣rus, and afterwardes by Darius, but also by Artaxerxes the third.

The answere.

I aunswere as I said before, that Artaxerxes is the com∣mon name to all the kinges of Persia; which obseruation, if it once be forgotten, many difficulties will ensue thereupon. When Esdras therefore saith (by the commaundement of Cyrus and Darius, and Artaxerxes) it is all one as if hee had saide (and Darius, which is also called Artaxerxes:) for the

particle (and) is there not copulatiue, but expositiue, as in other places also.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esdras. 6▪ vers 3.
• * 1.2

  Esdras▪ 6. ver. 15.