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

The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and hiding of the minde, which Daniel vsed.

ANd here I thinke it not amisse, to shew Daniels owne practise in style of sealing vp his sense, euen where he vvriteth in the common language the Chalde tongue, fo∣lowing the order of his Chapters. And first of all, though he onely handle the first captiuitie: yet he vvould not date it from the first of Nebuchadnezar: as lothing to haue a prophane king ouer Gods people to beare a date of their thraldome: & taking vnto himselfe, being of Iudahs kings that honour, of measuring the captiuitie. So vers. 1. and last of chap. 1. he must be vnderstood, as setting the limites of the 70. yeares. In chap. 2.1. he vvonderfully telleth the date from his owne standing afore the king: closly compa∣ring himself with Ioseph for the like time, and Nebuchad∣nezar vvith Pharaoh. In expounding the Image, vvhen he began vvith telling how the feete perish, and commeth last vnto the head that perished first, this pleased Nebu∣chadnezar, as though he should not soone fall. In the same speach vvhen he ioyneth iron, brasse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chaspa and Caspa, clay and siluer: he sheweth his care to please the cruell tyrant, and his own readynesse of wit in the allusion: besides the depth of the natures, that siluer termed Caspa of desire, is but Chaspa, mere dust. And through the whole matter, his silence touching Iuda, and leauing the oppres∣sed by the iron, as though all nations had felt the iron of the legges, this holpe his people: and the ignorance of his closenesse made 1500. yeares errour in vs. The third and fourth and fift Chapters, neither needed nor suffred hi∣ding:

therein he fully setteth forth the Babylonian shame, and Gods glorie. So in the sixt he dealt vvith the Persians. The seuenth bears his vvit in Belesh-zar, shewing that Bel becommeth a fire of sorow from the fierie throne. Like∣wise in speaking first of the last beastes ruine: and retur∣ning to speake of the former: and vsing termes of equiuo∣cation, as vve yet mistake them: that the Chaldeans could picke no quarell. For thus the vvordes might seeme to meane: vers. 12. Concerning the others beastes, they had taken away their dominion: yet their liues vvere prolon∣ged for a certaine time and season. What the argument calleth for, and how the vvordes will abide another sense, all may see. Like vers. 18. Vau signifying And, or vvhich, the taking one for the other, vvould keepe Daniels people from blame: and they might see an exposition in the Chap∣ter. Therein also his terming of the Iewes the Sainctes of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 them the holy Trinitie, that conteined no danger: yet great vvisedome. While the kings of Iudah liued: Iakim, Iackin, Zedekias prophane as heathen, God vvould shew kingdomes ouer them in no vvorse sort, then they vvould vvish to appeare, as in the Image: and then he gaue his own people no name: a bad he might not, a good vnder those kings he could not: But vvhen Salomons house vvas ex∣tinct, and our Lordes ancestours right commeth in, then it was fit that a name should be giuen them of the highest approbation. And all this vvhile he durst aduenture to vvrite in the commonest language of East and South: to helpe many, and danger none. But chap. 8. vvhere Babels fall is gathered by Elam arising: and Elam fell by Iauans arising, & the nations be named, & Iudah surely descri∣bed to any Iew: and he is commaunded to close it vp: then he not onely dissembled his griefe for his people, that should fall from being starres: but vvriteth in Ebrew, and vseth termes that amaze the vnbeedy vnto this day: Palmonie, & Tzeby, amazed the vvicked Iewes continually. In the

ninth he is vvonderfull: vvhere, while he penneth his own words, he plainly teacheth by his stile how ready he was in Moses and the Prophetes. When he penneth the Angels: he maketh a cloude white towards Israel, blacke towards Aegypt. Thence a true Israel may looke to our Lordes death forward: and turne vnto Moses euen by Sabbates iourneys: and thence may see heathen confusion of stories. In the tenth he hid his minde: not telling vvherefore he fasted: because in Persia, he might not blame the kings hinderance of the Temple: vvhen his griefe is relieued by shewing how foure kings & Xerxes campe shall soone fade he knew that Tigris swift vvaters vvere a fit resem∣semblance of the speede, and knew that they should be pu∣nished for the Temple. By keeping close his minde, he sa∣ued his from danger. And any that considered the Iewes state might know his counsell. Now touching Iudah vn∣der the Seleucide, and Lagidae, and the describing of the legges of iron, there he hideth his minde most vvittily. Da∣niel might vvell thinke that some heathen vvould learne Ebrew: and Ebrewes reuolt vnto heathen, and tell his se∣crets, vnto the kings spoken off. To preuent that he so fil∣leth his speech vvith phrases of difficultie, that none but the humble vvill seeke to vnderstand him. So the pro∣nounes for Seleucus Nicator and his vvhole description, vvill vvearie any slouthfull: vers. 5. and so phrases of Be∣renices case, specially 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the verbe. Likewise in Pt. Euer∣getes, vers. 9. the transposing of termes deceaued the sleepy. And ofter the terme Many signifying the Iewes nations many, vvould entangle many an enemy. Now in Antiochus Epiphanes matters, he vseth many closures. The holy co∣uenant, for the Religiō of Moses: the Sanctuary of Mauz, for, of God: and Mauzim, all strength that is almighty, in, vers. 38. and 39. the fortes of Mauzim for the tem∣ple of Ierusalem, and sundry particles of difficultie, but vn∣to a practised Ebrew in vers. 38. and 39. Also Chaldie

termes as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Aphadno, his court, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 treasures, vvith strange Eb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for agreement, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for, in his steed, these vvould vvearie the prophane: and all that count not the kingdome of heauen vvorthy sear∣ching for, as an hid treasure. Also Michael the great Prince, named great by an Angel, in the company of two other Angels, this vvould disturbe the vnstayed: vvho knew not vnto vvhat former person, as Palmony and Mes∣sias, this vvas to be referred. The notation vvould teach such as knew the holy Trinitie, vvho the person vvas no lesse then vve are vvarranted from Apo. 12. and from S. Iude. In the Apocalypse, vvhere Michael and his Angels fight, Christ and his seruantes come in the exposition. In S. Iude the burier of Moseh is Michael, vvho in Deut. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Eternal. Also the authour of this speech, the Lord rebuke thee Satan, is in Zacharie the Eternal, and the Angel of the Eternal: By this vve may vvell know vvho Michael must be. And all of stayed iudgement will soone acknowledge, that it cannot stand vvith the playn∣nesse vvhich is in Christ, that the Angel should call Da∣niel vnto any speculation of Archangel, but of the sonne of God: nor to teach him to vvade in things vvhich he could not see, to hold any created Angel our great Prince. An∣gels are in Esay of one degree called by the Argument in handling, Seraphim: Burners (of the Citie and Temple) in Ezekiel Cerubim by Mosehs terme: in whom one sise and measure sheweth how all are equally ministring spirites, to be sent on seruice for such as are to inherite Saluation. As Palmony in the eight Chapter is expounded the most holy Christ in the ninth: and none vvas there aboue Ga∣briel but he, so none here may be. And vvhen our Lord, Iohn. 5. disputeth of the resurrection, as a vvorke for the sonne of God, therein calling vs hither, he expoundeth clos∣ly, vvho Michael must be. These points keepe Daniel mysticall vnto all that be not of the Church. As all his book

must needs be hid from them that vveigh not, vvhat point of Religion touching Dauids throne vvas now to be ope∣ned. But they vvho know that all Iudah seeing Salomons house at end, vvould require from God a further explica∣tion of Dauids sonne and throne Eternal, spoken by Na∣than. 2. Sam. 7. and consider that Daniel is a Commenta∣rie vpon that point: that the crowne shalbe ouerturned, o∣uerturned, ouerturned: (as in Ezekiel,) vntil he commeth to vvhom it belongeth: they vvho know that, vvill soone know vvhat Daniel must meane: euen that all his booke is but an explication of that doubt: how Salomons house being extinct, our Lords godly house continueth the right: and how all nations stand vp against it: first vnder Chams brode, of Babel, next vnder Sems Elam: all this in the East: and long vnder Iaphets Westward, that Greeke might be made common for Noahs Prophecie and allusion vnto Ia∣phets name: of perswading in his language to dwel in Sems tentes. This being considered, the vvhole frame of the ho∣ly storie vvill tell how much of the building might belong to Daniel or any Prophet, for to make vp. And this vvas not he to tell in his booke: but to giue closly an answere, vn∣to the close demaund of all his owne nation. Little vvould the heathen haue beleeued him, that the house of Zoroba∣bel were the high Sainctes: that Zorobabel should be as a signet in due time, that mountaines should be playne a∣fore Zorobabel: and that Zorobabel had a name tea∣ching by and for vvhom the Golden Babylonian head should be fanned. These points would heathen no more re∣gard, then Herod regarded Ioseph, the carpenter: and the Machabees, Iacob, Matthan Eleazar. So vve see that Salathiel and Pedaiah in Babylon, vvere of no account: and Zorobabel in Iudah of small authoritie: and Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Sadok, Eliud, not so much as named in any place, beside the holy register. The notation of their names compared vvith Psalme. 89. vvould teach vvhat their

hope was: and that Psalme bringeth Aethan as chiding with God for straunge dealing in the promise of the king∣dome: so that a certaine Spanish Iew cited by Aben Ezra being at his wittes end, would not reade the Psalme. If Iuda to this day could not conceaue a right the nature of their kingdome: much lesse vvould the heathen haue re∣sted in plainnesse, ioyfull onely for the vvorld to come: when they beleeued not that the vvorld was made: nor that the highest ruled the kingdomes of men. Christ him selfe spea∣keth in vers. 10. The wicked will not vnderstand: but the wise will vnderstand. To them it is giuen to know the my∣steries of the kingdome of heauen: and to them which are without, all things are in Parables. For that cause, both a charge is giuen here to shut vp the wordes and to seale the booke: and in phrases Daniel doth the same, and in all his Methode. And as in due time many ranne to search, whereby knowledge likewise encreased▪ So we should search now that our knowledge might encrease.

Notes

• Daniel one∣ly mentio∣neth the first captiui∣tie.
• None, with∣out marking an allusiō in the Chaldy, can euer know why Daniel shold breake the natiue order of speech: for clay, iron, brasse, siluer, gold.
• Fiue points of great im∣portance haue bene mistaken in expounding Daniels 7. chap. The name Bel∣ash-zar: euē of Ebrew Printers: the Sainctes of the high: who they be, who there hold the kingdome: the speech of the three former beastes: who the fourth beast means and specially all the speeches which in truth are of Antiochus Epiphanes.
• Arraxasta that granted leaue to go forward with the temples worke doth acknow∣ledge closly why Xerxes campe was ouerthrowē.
• Here in Da∣niel is the hardest text to translate of any that I know.
• Names of Christ: Pal∣mony. chap. 8. Messias. chap. 9. Mi∣chael. chap. 10. & 12. Al∣so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 chap. 3. euen by Midras Rab. Stone cut without hands. chap. 2. and one clothed in white linnen &c. chap. 20. and 12. and Prince of the armie. chap. 8. Mi∣chael there by Aben Ezra.
• The Scrip∣ture neuer reacheth of any superio∣ritie in crea∣ted Angels: but as aboue earthly Princes.
• Bar Kapra in Ierusalemy: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Rab∣bins saw by Noahs allu∣sion: that the new Testa∣ment was to be written in Greeke.
• The Iewes to this day looke for a pompous kingdome, silly cay∣tifes.