An apologie in briefe assertions defending that our Lord died in the time properly foretold to Daniel For satisfaction of some students in both vniuersities. H. Broughton.

A DEFENCE OF I. CALVIN, our notes vpon the Geneua Bible, Emma∣manuel Tremelius, Matthew Beroaldus, Henrie Wolphius, and Romists yeelding vnto them, Gil∣bert Genebrard, and others: for the beginning, ending, and certeintie of Daniels seauens, con∣teined in Gabriels speech, the key of the old Testament, by H. B. of the same opinion in Conc. Ser.

THeir beginning is so cleare by the Text, that the sharpest aduersarie is driuen to grant this for their beginning, as follow∣eth: Quod ad rationes attinet è scriptura sacra, etsi mihi quidem maximè videatur rationi esse consentaneum, ut verbum ex∣istimetur id significare quod versibus superiorib. Gabriel com∣memorat, verbum Iehouae eiusque decretum, uti explicaui∣mus: quoniam tamen referri potest ad illud tempus quores ip∣sa implenda fuit, non tamen quo primum enuntiata est, idcir∣co relinquatur nobis liberum, ut potuisse iudicemus id tem∣pus designari, quo Cyrus Iudaeis libertatem concessurus erat è Babilonica captiuitate redeundi, & instaurandi Hierosoly∣ma. Pag 150. Taken out of a Lecture booke written.

And also this much for the ending of them: Septua∣ginta septimanis completis excisus est Christus. A man would haue thought, that he who was driuen to graunt such a carefull limitation for beginning & ending, should not seeke an impossibilitie for a greater space in the mid∣dle partes than the whole is.

Notwithstanding his strife is against Art, himselfe, Daniel, all men, and against an Angell, in these wordes: Si Angelus dixisset post octies septuaginta annos excidetur Christus, hic quidem praecise & proprie loquutus esset Ange∣lus: quoniam precise ab eo tempore intercesserunt anni 560.

This is farre worse: Constat per synecdochen certum nu∣merumpro incerto poni, ita in hoc ipso Danielis loc restatiam nobis confirmandum: non posse praecise intelligi annos 490: sed alium aliquem numerum, incertum per certum. First take this much against his vncertainty, for propriety. After∣wardes against his account of 560. yeres.

1 The proprietie of Scripture whereupon actions of men must be altered through all the worlde, is surer than heauen and earth, which shall passe: but it shall not.

2 He that granteth an Antichristian, that the fulnes of time for redemption, differeth 70. yeres from the An∣gels speech, turneth the proprietie of Scripture against our faith, and shaketh Gods word: whereby prophane∣nesse onely will beare sway, and the Gospell shall be no∣thing worth.

3 He maketh the Angell a greater deceauer than e∣uer Apollo was: speaking so, that of two thousande yeres none euer, Iew nor Gentile vnderstoode him vn∣till 1590. in a matter touching a principle of faith.

4 He maketh Daniel not to vnderstande his owne prophecie: who yet saith, he vnderstoode, and that the Angel came to teache him knowledge: and professedly confuteth Daniels meaning. He should haue found vpon his victorie farre more glorie, if he had plainely tolde his hearers, that he would teach Daniel better to vnderstand the Angel: though he told them not obscurely in dispu∣ting that Daniel vnderstood it not: and granteth or must grant that Daniel thought it properly spoken: and so is the prophet of mine opinion and with me confuted.

5 The charge to vnderstand Daniel Math. 24. were in vaine for a time indefinite: for still the mind would be vnquiet, if 70. yeares before the worde required, that all things should be performed.

6 Seauen in a trope signifieth many: so seauenty sea∣uen must signifie an exceeding great number. So extrea∣mitie of Iudaisme shoulde be established. For the Iewes looke yet for Christ to come, and hold him bad that pre∣scribeth a time.

7 The ceremonies haue no warrant from expressed wordes, when they shoulde ende: but cleane contrary, are long to continue, for any word of prophet, if Ga∣briels speech be indefinite.

8 It were in vaine to lay downe so exact a Chroni∣cle from Adam to Cyrus, that Iewes or Gentiles of olde haue rightly helde those yeares plainely, the learned of them, if from Cyrus to Christ, where most neede was, a certaine speech shoulde be vttered, but an vncertaine meaning left, and no Scripture handle the cause.

9 Iewes and Gentiles hitherto vnderstood Gabriel in proprietie: and a small Librarie wil affoord a hundred seuerall writers witnesses hereof.

10 The deadly enemie Aben Ezra granteth, that the time is from the word to Daniel, vntil the Messiah is sea∣led: and also that it is 490. yeares.

11 The Pharisees might haue obiected Scripture a∣gainst Christ, Matth. 16. touching the time, if it had not properly fallen out: when our Lord doth blame them for not knowing the time.

12 Herod had not feared: nor the sage Magy come to Ierusalem: nor after, Andrew, the Samaritans, and they Luk. 19. Act. 2. or they that were in Barcozbas daies, loo∣ked for a Messias: but by Scripture. If proprietie had bin cast off 70. yeares further, some simple, 70. yeres sooner

would haue looked for Christ. But none did.

13 Auctor Chazon Moed and Barbinel should iustly accuse all Christians of extreame ignorance in this text, if all haue bin deceaued, who thought that Gabriel limi∣ted the time for Christ.

14 To part an indefinite time, reason can not suffer, and no author euer went about: therefore it passeth rea∣son to make not onely the seauentie seauens vncertaine, but the 7. also, the 62. also, the one also in his two partes.

15 Daniel knew before Gabriel came to him euerie point of that which the angel spake of, sauing the time when our Lord should dye. Wherefore either that is it which he taught him: or he spake vntruly in promising to teach him knowledge.

Conclusion. Seauentie seauens of errours may be ob∣iected against the inuentor of that opinion: wherefore it must be abolished.

Obiections of aduersaries.

1 The 400. yeres Gen. 15. are not exact: so Gabriels yeares, may be taken for a number vncertaine.

2 Likewise the 300. yeares Iud. 11.

3 Also the time of the three dayes, and three nights tolde by our Lord for being in the graue, are not iust so fully.

4 Likewise many expoūd the Angel as in his com∣mentary or second spech, cutting of his last seauen in the middle, and some of the aboue named so do: therfore it is not precisely. 490. yeares.

5 As autor Concentus maketh the three yeres and halfe which are in Apoc. 13. to be spoken by a synecdo∣che: so may Gabriels seauens be.

Answers.

The first is exact, and alwayes hath so ben taken, from

since Ismael persecuted Isaak, vntil the departure from Egipt: yeares precisely 400.

Moreover, if by a prophet from the old testamēt any could proue it contrould, he should helpe himselfe no∣thing: for God by propriety shoulde tel what he meant, and give warrant for a trope.

So the spech of Iephte for the. 300 yeresis controld by Scripture, and was such as the cause required. For wher∣as the king of Ammon complained of iniury done at the comming from Egipte, not knowing, or not regardinge the. 40. yeares continuance in the wildernes, it had ben a curiositie for Iephte to be quarreling for that which no∣thing altered the pley: and so he speaketh of the time from their owne supposition. 305. it was. But who in that case woulde be trifling for the od fiue.

For the three dayes, and three nightes, the Euange∣lists make the meaning plaine, shewing that the sixt day our Lord was buried, and arose the first day.

The fourth obiection is twise faulty. For it woundeth the obiecter more sharpely. For if the angel said 490. yeres sauing three yeares and an halfe, he calleth to a most straight reckoning.

Moreouer, how can he make vp 560. precisely, if the angel cut of three yeres & an halfe. But that the angel in his commentarie crossed not his owne text, many lerned old and new shew: and to striue for such quirkes it is no grauitie. The vse of the text is to shew the time of redem∣tion expressing a redeemer. If men further will contend, the Church of God hath no such custome.

Lastly if the 3. yeres & half & Gabriels seauens be e∣qual concerning trope & propriety: by a consequent the Pope shuld be freed frō being Antechrist: by the general testimony of writers, that hold Daniels spech to be pro∣per: & so a learned mā that so thinketh by his owne voice shuld disgrace his learned works writtē against the Pope.