The accomplishment of the prophecies; or The third booke in defence of the Catholicke faith contained in the booke of the high & mighty King Iames. I. by the grace of God King of Great Brittaine and Ireland. Against the allegations of R. Bellarmine; and F.N. Coëffeteau & other doctors of the Romish church: by Peter Du Moulin minister of the word of God in the church of Paris. Translated into English by I. Heath, fellow of New College in Oxford.

THE PROPHECIE CON∣tained in the 7. chapter of Daniell. CHAP. 8. (Book 8)

1 In the first yeare of Belshazzar king of Babell Daniel saw a dreame, and there were visions in his head, vpon his bed: then he wrote the dreame, & declared the summe of the matter.

2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold the 4 windes of heaven stroue vpon the great sea.

3 And 4 great beasts came vp from the sea one divers from an other.

4 The 1 was a Lyon and had Eagles wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were pluckt off, & it was lifted vp from the earth and set vpon his feete as a man, and a mans heart was given him.

5 And behold, another beast which was the second, was like a Beare, and stoode vpon the one side: and hee had three tuskes in his mouth amongst his teeth, and they said thus vnto him, Arise and devoure much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, & lo there was an other like a Leopard, which had vpon his backe 4 wings of a fowle: the beast had also 4 heads and dominion was given him.

7 After this I saw in the visions by night, and behold the fourth beast was feare∣full, and terrible, and very strong. It had great iron teeth, it devoured, and brake in peeces, and stamped the residue vnder his feet: & it was vnlike to the beasts that were before it, for it had 10 hornes.

8 As I considered the hornes, behold there came vp amōg thē another little horn, before whom there were 3 of the first horns pluckt away: and behold in his throne there were eies like the eies of man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things.

I beheld till the thrones were set vp, and the ancient of daies did sit, whose garment was as white as snowe, and the haire of his head like the pure wooll: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheeles like burning fire.

10 A fiery streame issued, and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministred vnto him,, and ten thousand thou∣sands stood before him: the iudgement was set, and the bookes opened.

11 Then I beheld, because of the voice of the presumptuous words which the horne spake: I beheld even till the beast was slaine, and his body destroyed, and giuen to the bur∣ning fire.

12 As concerning the other beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their liues were prolonged for a certaine time and season.

13 As I beheld the visions by night, behold one like the sonne of man came in the clowdes of heaven, and approached vnto the ancient of daies, and they brought him before him.

14 And he gaue him dominion & ho∣nour, and a kingdome: that all people, nations and languages should serue him: his domini∣on is an everlasting dominion, which shall ne¦ver be taken away, and his kingdome shall never be destroyed.

15 I Daniel was troubled in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of mine head made me afraid.

16 Therefore I came vnto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this: so he told me, and shewed mee the inter∣pretation of all these things, saying,

17 These 4 great beasts, are 4 kinges which shall arise out of the earth.

18 And the Saints of the most high shall receaue their kingdome, which they shal possesse for ever, even for ever and ever.

19 After this I would knowe the truth of the fourth beast, which was so vnlike to al the others, very fearefull, whose teeth were of yron, and his nayles of brasse: which de∣voured, brake in peeces, and stamped the re∣sidue vnder his feet.

20 Also to knowe of the 10 hornes that were in his head, & of the other which came vp, before whome three fell, and of the horne that had eies, and of the mouth that spoke presumptuous things; whose looke was more stout then his fellowes.

21 I beheld, and the same horne made battell against the Saints, yea and prevailed against them.

22 Vntill the ancient of daies came, & iudgement was giuen to the Saints of the most high: and the time approached that the Saints possessed the kingdome.

23 Then he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdome in the earth, which shall be vnlike to all the kingdomes, and shall devoure the whole earth and shall tread it downe, and breake it in peeces.

24 And the 10 hornes are 10 kings that shall rise out of this kingdome, and ano∣ther shall rise after them, and he shall be vn∣like to the first, and he shall subdue 3 kings.

25 And shall speake wordes against the most high, and shall consume the Saints of the most high, and think that he may change times and lawes, and they shall be giuen into his hand vntill a time, and times, and halfe a time.

26 But the iudgement shall sit, & they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it vnto the end.

27 And the kingdome, and dominion, and the greatnesse of the kingdomes vnder the whole earth shall be given to the holy peo¦ple of the most high, whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome, and all power shall serue and obay them.

The Exposition.

1 In the first yeare of Belshazzar king

of Babel Daniel saw a dreame, and lying vpon his bed, had his head troubled with visions, the matter of which dreame hee did afterward commit to writing.

2 And behold here what hee hath written of it. I had a vision by night, and it seemed vnto mee that the windes com∣ming from the foure quarters of the world blew vpon the sea, that is to say, that the people and nations (whom the holy scrip∣ture doth often compare to the sea) had many divers and contrary tumults to dis∣turbe them.

3 And out of the midst of these peo∣ple, and nations came fowre great beastes of different shapes, figuring 4 great di∣verse Empires, which should reigne in the world.

4 The first beast which did represent the first Empire, to wit, that of Babylon, was like vnto a Lyon, to note his noble∣nesse, and valour, and had the wings of an Eagle, to note the speedy atchieuements of his conquests. And I beheld till this ac∣tiue vigour was taken from him, and that being spoiled of his bestiall fiercenesse, he learned the lesson of obedience, and was taught to abstaine from blood, that so hee

might liue with humanitie like a man, and not with crueltie like a beast.

5 After this Empire succeeded the Empire of Persia, figured by a bear, which lay along vpon one side, either because his cōquests did stretch from east to west, or else because he was like a beare resting himselfe, which never lyeth farre of from the prey which hee hath seized vpon. And this beare amongst many other teeth had 3 great teeth or tuskes, signifying that a∣mongst many other kingdoms which this Empire should possesse, hee should haue 3 great and mightie kingdoms: that of Per∣sia, that of Media, & that of Babylon. And God being incensed against men sent out this beare to make them dye.

6 After the fall of this Empire, be∣hold a third Empire rose vp, to wit, that of the Macedonians, figured by a Leopard, because of its crueltie, subtiltie, and cele∣rity, represented by the 4 wings. And this Empire was forthwith divided into foure kingdoms, which are the kingdoms of the Seleucidae in Asia maior, the kingdome of Antigonus in Asia minor, the kingdome of the Ptolomies in Egypt, and the king∣dome of Greece, and God gaue vnto this

Empire to raigne over the earth.

7 After this Empire there arose ano∣ther Empire figured by a most dreadful & mightie strong beast. It had mighty king∣domes and provinces vnder it; it did scat∣ter and ruinate, tyrannizing over those whom it did not slay. And this Empire was differing in force and power from the Empires that went before, and had 10 parts and principall provinces vnder it, & as it fell to decay, ten kingdomes also did arise out of the division thereof.

8 As I stood wondring at the great∣nesse of this Empire from which 10 king∣domes did arise, behold a Monarch grow∣ing like a little horne amidst the other, that sprang vp from betweene these king∣domes, which for his share did possesse such a portion of this Roman Empire, as there is of 3 to 10, that is to say, well neer the third part, and had the eies of humane vnderstanding, having contrived the buil∣ding of his kingdome by wonderfull po∣licie, and spoke prowdly and arrogantly, boasting that he could not erre, that hee was the supreme iudge in matters of faith and religion, that he was a vice-God, and God vpon earth, King of kings, the head

and spowse of the Church, his holynesse, and a disposer of kingdomes.

9 I considered with my selfe howe this Bishop did advance himselfe, & con∣tinue, vntill the thrones mounted vpon wheeles, were set in their proper places, that is to say, vntill the day of iudgement were well onward, and hard at hand, and the Lord God sat down vpō these thrones who is called the Ancient of daies, because he is from before all time, & from before all antiquitie, and hee was cloathed with the light, and had a head all hoary gray, to signifie his age, his throne was like the flame, and the wheeles of his throne were as burning fire.

10 His iudgments like a fiery stream went from before his presence. An infinite number of Angels stood before him, wai∣ting his pleasure. So he sate him downe to iudge the world: and that hee might pro∣ceed with equity, all his bookes were o∣pened. To wit, the booke of the sinnes of men mentioned in the 65 chap. of * 1.1 Esay, and in the 20. of the Apocalyps; as also the booke of the afflictions of the faithfull, mentioned in the * 1.2 56 Psalm; & the booke of life wherein the elect are registred, mē∣tioned

in the 13 of the Apocalyps, and 17.

11 And I beheld with admiration, how this sonne of perdition spoke prowd words, till at last his Empire was destroy∣ed, and the body of this Roman Monar∣chie abolisht, & the keyes thereof thrown into everlasting fire.

12 And al dominion was taken from the other beasts, albeit they had continu∣ed for a long time in the world.

13 As I was ravisht by night with the contemplation of this vision, I saw the sonne of God our Lord Iesus, which came downe from heauen, carried vpon the clouds, and hee approached vnto God his father which sate vpon the throne. And his father made him sit on his right hand to iudge the world.

14 Giuing him a name aboue all names, and all power both in heaven and in earth, so that every knee shoulde bowe before him, and all people should giue him glory, and praise. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shal not pass away, and his kingdome shall not bee de∣stroyed.

This was the vision of Daniel, the mea∣ning whereof when he required, it was gi¦uen

him by one of the Angels that stood by in these words,

17 These 4 great beasts are foure kings that shall arise out of the earth.

18 And the Saints of the most high shall receaue the kingdome, which they shall possesse for ever, even for ever and ever.

The Exposition.

17 These 4 great beasts signifie foure Realmes or Monarches, that shal arise out of the earth.

18 Who being once abolisht, God shall giue his faithfull servants the king∣dome of heauen, which they shall enioy everlastingly. This exposition having not satisfied Daniel concerning that which he desired most to know, to wit, what was meant by the fourth beast that had tenne heads, and the little horne that grew out, the same Angel doth expound it more at large vnto him, saying,

23 The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdome in the earth, which shall be vnlike to all the kingdomes, and shall devoure the whole earth, and shall tread it downe, and breake it in peeces.

24 But the 10 hornes are 10 kings that shall rise out of this kingdome, and another

shall rise after them, which shall be vnlike to the first, and he shall subdue 3 Kings.

25 Hee shall speake words against the most high, and shall consume the Saints of the most high, and think that he may change times and lawes, and the Saints shall be giuē into his hand vntill a time, and times, & half a time.

26 But the iudgement shall be held, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it vnto the end.

27 That the kingdome, and dominion, and the greatnesse of the kingdomes vnder the whole heaven, may bee given to the holy people of the most high; the kingdome of which people is an everlasting kingdome, and all the powers shall serue and obay them.

The Exposition.

23 The fourth beast signifies the fourth Empire on the earth, which shall differ from the other Empires in greatnes and violence, and shall conquer all the earth, and subiect it, and wast it.

24 But the 10 horns which shal arise out of it, are 10 kingdomes which shall spring vp from the dissipation of this Empire, & shall divide it into 10 peeces. But after that these kingdomes shall bee erected a∣mongst

them, whose Empire shall bee al∣together divers from the others, to wit, the Bishop of Rome: for hee shall ••ule vn∣der the shew of religion, & spiritual pow∣er; and shall possesse well neere the third part of the provinces of the ancient Em∣pire, and keepe them vnder him.

25 He shall speak blasphemy against God, and persecute the Church, and take vpon him to change the course of the year and make the daies holy or prophane at his pleasure: hee shall take vpon him also to change the law in cutting off the secōd commandement, and denying that it is sinne to transgresse the last, and dispen∣sing with other commandements, & pre∣scribing lawes of equall authority with the law of God, yea and of more authori∣tie, and the Church shall bee held captiue vnder him for the space of 1260 yeares.

26 But the day of iudgement shall come: and Iesus Christ comming into the world shall take his dominion from him, and shall destroy him vtterly.

27 To the end, that a soueraigne do∣minion over all worldly greatnesse may be giuen to the Church of God, which is the assēbly of the Saints, to which church

God hath given an euerlasting kingdome and all power both of men and diuels shal be subiect vnto it.

The Proofe.

Albeit this exposition doe explaine it selfe, and be full of perspicuitie: yet to re∣moue all difficulties, I will cleere 6. points in which the whole proofe of our exposi∣tion doth consist, and will shew.

1 That the Roman Empire falling to decay in the West, and the East, was divi∣ded into parts or kingdomes, which Dan. v.7. and 24. saith are vnderstood by the 10 hornes of the fourth beast. II. That the Bi∣shop of Rome doth possesse well neer the third part of the ancient Roman Empire. III. That the Bishop of Rome doth chāge times and the law. IV. What the meaning of a time, times, and halfe a time is, during which tearme, the Saints shall bee made slaues, and the church kept in bondage. V. What this Empire & dominion is that is giuen to the Saints. VI. That vpon good reason by the fourth beast we vnderstand the Roman Empire, and by the little horn the sonne of perdition, which is called An¦tichrist

by the Ancient, as likewise by our aduersaries.

1 The diuision of the ancient Empire into tenne partes is most euident. Danie•• makes 10 kingdomes to bee borne out o•• the dispersing of the Romā Empire, and a∣midst this a little horn to spring vp & grow out. To find the accomplishmēt therefore of this prophecy, we are to look whether a little before the Pope became an earthly Monarch (for Daniel saith that these hornes here doe signifie Realmes) the Ro∣man Empire were not diuided into tenne Realmes. We haue shewed already that in the yeare 755 the Pope began to lay the foundation of his earthly Empire, and of a Bishop to become a Monarch. Nowe a little before, (that is to say in the seauenth age) the Roman Empire was diuided into 10 peeces or kingdomes. 1, There was the kingdōe of the Frēch, which held France & a part of Germanie. 2. The kingdome of the English Saxons, which held great Brit¦tain. 3 The kingdōe of the Visigots which held Spaine. 4. The kingdome of the Lum∣bards in Italie. 5. The kingdome of the Sclavonians which held Illyria, and the countries thereabout▪ 6. The kingdome of

the Huns and the Avarians in Hungarie & Austrich. 7. The kingdome of the Bulga∣rians reigning in Bulgaria and Seruia, &c. 8. The kingdome of the Sarasens of Da∣mascus that held Syria, and reigned in the East. 9. The kingdome of the Sarasens of Barbarie that reigned in Affricke, which about this very age did inuade Spaine and passe into Fraunce. 10. To which if yee ad that which as yet was held in possession by the Emperour of Constantinople, yee shall find 10 Realmes, euery one posses∣sing his part of the ancient Roman Em∣pire: and this, a little before that this little horne shewed himselfe, that is to say, be∣fore the Pope began to take his place a∣mongst Princes, and to lay the foundati∣ons of his Roman Monarchie.

2 That the portion of the Roman Empire, which the Pope hath vnder him, hath such a proportion in respect of the whole extent of the Empire, as there is of three to ten, that is to say, that hee doth possesse little lesse thē the third part there∣of: this is easily proued to bee true, if it please any to take but a map, and a payre of compasses, or else only to measure the countries of the Empire with his eies. The

Pope did never possesse any thing, nor ne∣ver had any dominion over Greece, Asia, Syria, Arabia, Egypt, or Affrick. For as for the incursions of our French into Syria, E∣gypt and Constantinople, they were no∣thing else but violēt motiōs, which lasted but for a small time, and did rather shew thē plant the Popes dominion in the East. Now all these countries being put toge∣ther make vp a little more then two thirds of the Roman Empire, the rest hath beene vnder the Pope, wherein hee hath planted his Monarchie: wherevnto moreouer hee hath added certaine prouinces that were never subiect to the Ancient Roman Em∣pire, as Polonie, the north part of Germa∣nie, Denmarck, and Swethland, and nowe of late a part of the Indies. But Daniel lookt not to these adiunctions, for hee speakes only of the diuision of the Roman Empire.

3 As for the changing of times, and the law, it is the Pope that takes vpon him to make the yeares shorter or longer. It is not long since that Gregorie the 13 did contract the yeare by 10 daies: it is the Pope that makes holy daies of common daies, which can if it please him, transport

the month of Iuly into Ianuarie; taking the authoritie vpon him of the ancient priests of Rome instituted by Numa, who proclaimed the holy daies, and thrust in odde days into the yeare at their pleasure. It were a needlesse labour for me to shewe more particularly howe hee changeth the law, seeing that my whole second booke is spent in declaring howe the Pope doth oppose himselfe against the word of God. Seeing also that hee boasteth that hee can dispense with oathes and vowes made to God, that he can dissolue compleat mar∣riages, although they bee not violated by adulterie: that hee can dispense with chil∣dren for obaying their parents in honest things, and with subiects for being faith∣full to their Prince. That he can giue a mā leaue to marry his own neece contrary to the commandement of God. That hee can keepe Princes from reading the holy scrip¦ture, contrary to an expresse commande∣ment that is giuen them in the 17 of Deut. v. 18. Whereupon his Doctours also say and write in their glosses vpon the De∣crees of the Church of Rome, and in their bookes of controuersies, that the Pope cā dispense against the Apostle, and against

the old Testament. And that hee can dis∣pense with the commandement of the Lord wherein he saith, Doe workes worthy of repentance: as hee doth indeed dispense with it by his Indulgences.

4 Next followes the exposition of these words, A time, times, & halfe a time, which is the tearme during which, Daniel saith, the Saints shall be kept in bondage, and the church held captiue. These words at the first seeme strange, but being com∣pared with other places where there is mention made of the continuance of the dominion of Antichrist, are easie to be vn∣derstood. We haue seene in the 13 Chapt. of the Apocalyps, v. 5. that the Romā Em∣pire after the healing of its wound by the Papacie, must continue 42 months, which make 3 yeares and a halfe, that is to say, 1260 mysticall daies, which amount to so many yeares, according to the stile of the Scripture: as we haue shewed by many ex∣amples in the exposition of the said pas∣sage of the Apocalyps. Now 3 yeares and a halfe, are one yeare, two yeares, & halfe an yeare, so that the spirit of God by an admirable correspondency of the Pro∣phecies doth say the same thing in diuers

words, and doth tell vs before hand that the kingdome of Antichrist and the bon∣dage of the Church vnder his dominion must continue 1260 yeares, which as wee haue shewed by vndoubted proofes, must begin in the yeare of our Lord, 755.

5 As concerning the kingdome, and dominion over all things which God gi∣ueth to his Saints, and the faithfull, al∣though they seeme servants and strangers in this world, Daniel herein speakes ac∣cording to the stile of the Scripture, which calleth them Kings, Apoc. 1. v. 6. & 5. v. 10 He hath made vs kings and priests vnto God his father. And in the 1. Epistle of S. Peter Chap. 2. the faithfull are called a Royall Priesthood. Now they are kings, both be∣cause they raigne already in Christ, which is one body with vs, so that the kingdome which he now possesseth ouer all things is ours: as also because that in the last day of iudgement, the faithfull shall iudge the world, and the Angels; as the Apostle S. Paule saith in the 1. to the Corinth. Ch. 6. That is to say, that they shall bee the asses∣sours of the sonne of God, and approuers of the iudgment which he shall pronoūce against the wicked, and against the divels.

As also because that in the glory to come after the last day, they shal be aboue those which reigned over them, and shall bee kings whilst the mightie ones of this world, which were enimies to the church, shall be made slaues.

6 It remaines that we see, whether they that hold that there is no mention at all made in this Chap. of the Roman Em∣pire, nor of Antichrist, but only of the kingdome of the Seleucidae: and of Anti∣ochus Epiphanes, can be excused.

The ancient Doctors hold with vs, that in this chapter Antichrist is spoken of, as Hierome, and Theodoret vpon this place, S. Cyprian in his booke of exhortation to martyrdome. S. Austin in the 23. chap. 20. booke of the citie of God. And our adver∣saries are of the same opinion. They of the Ancient which by a little horne vnder∣stand Antiochus Epiphanes, doe withall vnderstand Antichrist by the same horne, for they hold that Antiochus was a figure of Antichrist▪ and that which is said of the one, agrees also to the other.

As for mine owne part I finde this Pro∣phecie so cleere, that it is hard to doubt of the meaning; and indeed amongst all the

chapters of holy scripture, this did ever seeme excellent vnto me, and I could ne∣ver satisfy my selfe with admiring it. What deepnesse of wisdome there is in it! what cleerenesse of Prophecies! how many re∣markeable circumstances! what excel∣lent accord with the reuelation of S. Iohn! yee shall find the same stile in both places in the same matter. Whosoever shall take this prophecie from Christians to appro∣priate it vnto the Iewes only, goes about as it seemes to mee, to stop vp a great win∣dow, at which God doth let in his light vnto vs, and to take away no small stay & comfort from our faith: besides that they doe shut their eies of set purpose, and con∣test against experience. Yet let vs heare what they alleage.

They lay for a foundation, that the 2. chap. and the 7. speake both of one and the same thing, and that the vision of the foure beastes hath the same signification with the image that had his head of gold, his breast of siluer, his belly & his thighes of brasse, his legs part of yron and part of clay. That is to say, that both of these visi∣ons doe signifie foure Monarchies, vnder which the Iewish Church was held in cap¦tiuitie;

I doe not deny but that the 3 first Monarchies are the same, in the 2. and 7. chap. But the fourth Empire here called the fourth beast, is altogether divers from the feet of the image in the second chap∣ter.

1 For this fourth beast is described here as more able and strong then the 3. former, and his lookes are said to be more stout then his fellowes, v. 20. On the con∣trary the fourth kingdome in the 2. chapt. is made to be farre weaker then the other. For Daniel in the 42. verse saith, that it shall be partly strong, and partly broken, and makes it so farre inferiour to the former monarchies, as yron & clay are in respect of gold and silver.

2 Likewise when Daniel saith that the third Monarchy (which is that of the Ma∣cedonians) had 4 heads, who sees not that hereby he vnderstands, that the Empire should be divided into 4 kingdomes? As Daniel himselfe also doth expounde him∣selfe in the 8. chapt. v. 22. The kingdome of the Seleucidae being one of the 4 king∣domes into which the Empire of Alex∣ander is divided, what probability is there that in the verse following hee shoulde

make these very Seleucidae a diverse beast, which but in the verse going before, hee had made to bee one of the heades of the beast? To salue the matter, they tell vs of diuers confusions within the kingdome of Aridaeus, Antipater, and Cassander, where they seeke for 4 kings opposing one an other at the same time, but cannot finde them; and say they should, yet is it likely that Daniel should rather speake of the diuisions that fell out in a little corner of Alexanders Empire, then of those that fell out in the whole Empire, being that these were the greater of the two without all comparison? Or who will thinke that Daniel in this place doth speake onlie of the diuisions of the country of Macedon, which had nothing cōmō with the Iewes, and omit those of Syria where the church dwelt?

3 Nor are they lesse troubled, if not more, to finde 10 Seleucidian kings, after whom they will haue Antiochus Epipha∣nes to rise. For they are faine to thrust in the Ptolomies to make vp this number, which did invade or ouerrun Syria. But Daniel saith that these 10 kings shall a∣rise out of the decayed Empire, and it cā∣not

be said that the Ptolomies did rise out of the kingdome of the Seleucidae, seeing that they did rise against the Seleucidae. They speake therefore▪ as if I shoulde saie, that Brennus did rise out of the kingdome of Romulus, or the Tarquins, whereas he did rise vp against their state, & poste∣rity. And last of all, should we grant them that which they would haue, yet can they not make vp their number. For they make this Antiochus to bee the tenth of these kings, contrary to the expresse words of Daniel, which saith that this little horne shall rise vp after the ten kings: he is none of the ten therefore.

4 And they are as much out in the ac∣ceptiō of the word, kings, which through∣out this whole chapt. doth not signifie the person of kings, but the kingdomes, or Monarchies. As it appeareth by the 17. verse in these words, the 4 beasts are foure kings, where they themselues cōfesse that by the word kings, we are to vnderstande Monarchies.

5 Besides, I know not how they can finde that fulfilled in Antiochus, which Daniel saith in the 22. verse, to wit, That he shall subdue 3 kings; for histories re∣port

no such thing of this man.

6 Herevnto adde that, if (as they would haue it) the third beast doe signifie the Empire of Alexander only, & not that of the Seleucidae; too, then this Empire must continue but 6. yeares, which is ma∣nifestly opposit to that which Daniel saith verse 12. That the liues of these beasts were prolongued, for a certaine time and season.

7 Nor can it be said, with what vio∣lence they wrest the words of the 13 ver. where Iesus Christ is described comming in the clowdes of heauen. They would haue this not to be spoke of his comming at the last day, but would haue it to be vn∣derstood of his incarnation, when neuer∣thelesse it cannot be said without absur∣ditie, that he came down from heauen vp∣on the clowdes.

8 But to what ende shoulde Daniel speake so often of the glorification of the Saints, and of their heauenly kingdome, if hee spake but only of the humiliation of Iesus Christ, and not of the last iudge∣ment?

9 The space also of three yeares and an halfe, exprest by a time, two times, and halfe a time, can not agree to Antiochus.

For in the 8. chapt. ver. 14. where this An∣tiochus is manifestly spoken off, it is saide that hee shall wast the Sanctuarie for the space of two thousand▪ three hundreth mor∣nings & evenings, which amount to more then 6 yeares. And note that these words, mornings, & euenings, are purposely ad∣ded, to shew that he speaketh of common and ordinarie daies, and to distinguish thē from the three mysticall yeares, and an halfe, spoken of in this chapt.

10. On the other side all their obiectiōs against this explication, aime at this chief¦ly, to shew that the Roman Empire is not spoken off in the 2. chap. of Daniel, which we do not deny; but this lets not but that it may be spoken off in this chapt.

11 And, to say truth, they presuppose without reason that Daniel speakes this here but only for the Church of the Iews. For what inconvenience is there if we say that God did reueale something to his prophet concerning the Christiā church? Seeing that in the 12 chapt. he doth appa∣rantly prophecie of the resurrection, and euerlasting life; And do not they contra∣dict themselues, being that they woulde haue Daniel in the 6. verse speake of the

confusions that hapned in Macedō, where the Iewes had no interest, and which did not concerne them at all?

12 Last of all I say, that the vision mentioned in the 2. chapt. had beene re∣peated in vaine in the 7. if there were no diuersitie in them, and if the second appa∣rition of the same vision did not teach vs some thing that was not contained in the former.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esa. 65. v. 6 Behold it is written be¦fore me: I wil not keepe si∣lence.
• * 1.2

  Ps. 56. v▪ 8 Thou purest my teares in ••o thy bottle, are they not in thy regi∣••••er?