A commentary upon the whole Old Testament, added to that of the same author upon the whole New Testament published many years before, to make a compleat work upon the whole Bible. Vols. 2-4. Wherein the divers translations and expositions, literall and mysticall, of all the most famous commentators both ancient and modern are propounded, examined, and judged of, for the more full satisfaction of the studious reader in all things, and many most genuine notions inserted for edification in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. A work, the like unto which hath never yet been published by any man, yet very necessary, nor only for students in divinity; but also for every Christian that loveth the knowledge of divine things, or humane, whereof this comment is also full. Consisting of IV parts. I Upon the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. II Upon the historical part, from Joshua to Esther. III Upon Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomons Song. IV Upon all the prophets both great and small. By John Mayer, doctor of divinity.

The Preface:

THE prophesie of Daniel, hath beene much impugned of old, and stiffly denyed by many to be Canonicall Scrip∣ture. 1. By Porphyrie the Disciple of Plotinus, who said, that this Book was not written by the Prophet Daniel, but by some other man in his name, & that not till the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, that persecuting tyrant, who reigned over Syria, & compelled many by punishments to forsake the Law of God. Then saith he, was this Book written, not by any Propheticall spirit, but under a pre∣tence of prophesying relating things done, in the time of the aforesaid Antio∣chus. And he saith further, that the Histories here written in the former 6 chap∣ters were true, but from thence forth that which is written by way of pro∣phesying came from a false and lying spirit. Thus that railer against the Christian religion, who wrote 15 Bookes against Christianity, and in the 12 Book thus against this Prophecy of Daniel. But that not Daniel, but hee was a notorious lyar, appeareth from the time, when hee saith, that this book was written, viz. in the dayes of Antiochus Epiphanes. For Josephus saith, * 1.1 that the Prophecy of Daniel was shewed to Alexander the Great, and therein that vision of the Goat, chap. 8. 5. representing him in his swift and speedy subduing of all Kingdomes and Nations, and betwixt Alexander and Antio∣chus Epiphanes were 140 years. Against this Porphyrius wrote Theodoret and Je∣rome relating these things touching him. 2. Celsus also impugned this book, * 1.2 as not being Canonicall Scripture, against whom Origen wrote 8 Bookes. 3. Many Rabbins of the Jews have rejected it likewise as not Canonicall, as Polanus saith, that he living sometime in Moravia, where he used the help of * 1.3 some Rabbins for the understanding of the Hebrew tongue, heard them say, that they acknowledged not Daniel to be authenticall, and therefore seldome read it, especially because that chap. 9. the death and passion of the Messiah, and the time when, is so evidently forth. Therefore they read it not amongst the people, lest hereby they should be turned to Christ, finding out how they had been by them deceived. But the antienter Rabbins generally have ac∣knowledged Daniel to be Canonicall Scripture, as appeareth in their placing it in their Banobathca in Pereh Primo amongst their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Polanus saith. And therefore some of them have written Commentaries hereupon, as Rabbi Solomon, Rabbi Levi, Ben. David, Rabbi Abraham, &c. and some have alleadged Daniel as authenticall to confirm points of Faith, as Rab. Moses Hadarsian Ben. Jieskaki in suo Perus. super Gen. R. Abba fil. Cahena.

And Christ whose authority is above all others, speaketh of Daniel as a true Prophet of God, saying, When yee see the abomination of desolation spoken of by * 1.4 Daniel the Prophet, &c. and experience hath aboundantly proved the same in the fulfilling of the things herein foretold touching the Persian, Grecian and Roman Monarchies. And hitherto of the authority of this Prophecy, now for the adjections to Daniel, it it be demanded whether they be Cano∣nicall Scripture also or no? Jerome resolveth us, saying, that they were by Origen and Apollinaris, who wrote against the blasphemer Porphyrius, counted but fables, and so he also calleth them, saying, that they were written by a certain Priest called Daniel, a familiar friend of Nebuchadnezzars, and are not in Hebrew, but in Greek onely, whereas all Canonicall Scriptures were set forth in Hebrew, as the Holy tongue before the coming of Christ, and therefore although they and Eusebius adjoin them to Daniel, yet they doe it not without markes in many places put to, to shew the uncertainty of the cre∣dit of many things therein, so likewise Eusebius; And whereas Daniel the authour of them, was a Priest, our Daniel was of the Kings seed; and touch∣ing all Apocryphals he speakes of them but as dirt in comparison of Cano∣nicall Scripture, in that saying of his, grandis prudentiae est aurum in luto quaerere, But to returne to Canonicall Daniel, he began to prophesie saith Polanus, * 1.5 one year after that Ezekiel began his Prophesies, which Clem. Alex. noteth to have beene Anno Mundi 3359. in which year also Nahum prophesied. The year following An. 3360. Daniel when he had learned the Caldean tongue, began to minister to King Nebuchadnezzar, and continued in the Propheti∣call * 1.6 Office 70 years. For the tongue wherein hee writeth it is part Hebrew, and part Caldee. Hebr. chap. 1. and 2. to v. 4. thence forth Caldee to the end of chapter the seventh, from whence again to the end of the Prophesie he wrote in the Hebrew tongue.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Joseph. antiq. l. 11. c. 8.
• * 1.2

  Theodoret. Hieron. Origen.
• * 1.3

  Amandus Polanus.
• * 1.4

  Matth. 24. 25.
• * 1.5

  Polanus. Clemens. Alex∣and. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.6

  Buc. colin. Chron.