Fragments on history and prophecy.

And as the prophesies of the old Testament remained in obscut|r|ity till Christs first coming & then were interpreted by Christ & bec the interpretations became the religion of Chri\s/tians: so the Prophesies of both Testaments relating to Christs second coming may remain in obscurity till that coming & then be interpreted by divine authority & the interpretations become the religion of Gods people for the future.

N|T|he fabulous wi|r|itings of Ctesias have {so} \yet/ much more obscured the true history of these monarchies the first great Monarchies by representing them much ancienter then they were & filling up y^e times with long catalogues of kings. So he represents the walls \& ornaments/ of Babylon built by Semiramis \neare the flood/ & yet out of \a Isaiah {ch}/ the remains of Berosus ^[1] \compared with Isaiah chap 23.13/ it appears that they were built by Nebuchadnezzar & y^e city founded \by the Assyrians/ but about 14|5|0 years before. {it} So also he makes y^e fall of ruin of Nineve & the buil d division of y^e Assyrian monarchy to have happened two hun between the Medes & Babylonians to \have/ happened about \at least/ 260 years before it did & {rem} fi thereby makes \has made/ y^e kingdom of y^e Medes \much/ ancienter then it was \& multiplied its kings/ & {multi} e|t|he kingdom of y^e Assyrians he |has| raised as high as |y^e| times of the flood:|.| & the reconciling these things Whence Eusebius & some other|s| have made two ruins of Ninive & two \successive/ Assyrian Monarchies \succeeding one y^e other/, the first according to Ctesias, the last according to truth. He stands alone |in extravagant |in {sic} writing| in \writing/ things not easy for him to know| & {D} therefore I cannot forbear w^th that learned & judicious writer S^r Iohn Marsham to suspect him. |The names of the Assyrian kings were frequently compounded of Assar, Adon, {Belus}{Belas} Pul, & such other words as occurr not in y^t|y^e| list \names/ of |y^e| kings w^ch Ctesias hath set down in his list, & therefore y^t list can scarce be genuine|

Xenophon looks like a writer of better credit for he write in his institution of Cyrus writes of things done not many ages before his time \his time/ & hi|a|s framed he|i|s book very like true history. & yet \But/ whilst I consider that he has erred in written as distinctly \& particularly/ as if he had lived in y^e time of Cyrus & followed his Court, & yet has erred in most of the main strokes of |y^e| history I cannot forbeare to reccon his book any thing else \much better/ then a Romance \contrived only to represent Cyrus a Hero/. [He had learnt by pop that Cyrus was son of Cambyses a Persian & Mandane daughter of Astages king of y^e Medes & conquered y^e Kings of y^e Lydia & Babylon & upon this founda seems to have invented almost all y^e rest, not consulting {y^e} {illeg} but how to rep nothing so much as how to represent Cyrus a fine Prince.] For he has ^{r} made the kingdoms of Media & Persia distinct \different/ from one &|a|nother & {Cambyses put} Cambyses put {put all put} Cambyses the father of Cyrus to be King of y^e Perians: whereas they were \but/ one kingdom & Cambyses was only Prefect of President of Persia under y^e King of the Medes. He has made Cyrus before he was king of y^e Persians to have warred under y^e King of the m|M|edes against the kings of Babylon Lydia & Babylon \& conquered them not for himself but for that king/ & after all his wars were finished to have become king of Persia by y^e death of his father & reigned only seven years & & after y^e death of y^e king of Media to have inherited <2v> that kingdom also in right of his wife, & yet Cyrus in the beginning of his wars conquered y^e King of Media & after \by/ that conquest became also king of y^e Persians & reigned {illeg} over them by the consent of all Chronologers 30 years together & t|w|hen \after/ he was king conquered the L Kingd|s|oms of Lydia & Babylonia not for another & added their kingdoms not to another's kingdom but to his own. For so soon as he had conquered Babylon he put forth \ended the seventy years captivity (Ier 25.12) &/ put forth a Proclamation Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, God hath given me all the kingdoms of y^e earth &c Ezra. 1. The king of Media whom A{s}{t} Cyrus conquered was Astyages the father of Mande|a|ne, & Cyarares {sic} was the prede \certainly/ King before Astyages: but Xenophon has inverted their order & made Cyaxeres \to be/ y^e son & successor of Astyages all the & produced his re|i|gn over Media till after the time taking of Babylon by Cyrus. |Neither can y^e|

There are \seem to be still/ other great mistakes \in Xenophon/, as to make y^e king of Babylon \to be/ slain in battel agais by Cyrus & to make Assyria \to be/ a province of y^e King of Babylon & to make Susa a distinc{k}|t| kingdom w^th a king of its own \& Cyrus to have made an expedition into Egypt. {sic}/. Well therefore did Cicero censure say \write/ Cyrus ille a Xenophon te non ad historiæ fidem scriptus est sed ad effigiem justi imperij. ^[2] Nor was Cyrus a man of so good moral {edu} conduct as Xenophon has represented if we may believe his contemporary Plato. For Diogenes Laertius \And/ Plato in Legibus, |as| saith ^c[3] Diogenes Laertius saith, {sic} hujus \Cyri/ Instiutionem fictitiam esse ne enim Cyrem talem fuisse. I cannot therefore forbeare to suspect such opinions as have been collected from this book of Xenophon alone & particularly that of Cyaxeres \Astyages/ king of y^e Medes being the Darius Medus mentioned in Daniel. For this opinion has no other foundation then that Daniel was Cyrus warred under Cyaxeres against Babylon & conquered {illeg} it \in/ Belshaza|z|ar's reign & {co} whereas & conquered him: whereas it appears by the remains of Berosus & Megasthenes that Belshazar was slain by a conspiricy of y^e Babylonians & y^t Darius the Mede who succeeded him was conquered by Cyrus. S^r Iohn Marsham seeing the inconsistency of this Hypothesis has framed another as if Cyaxeres was Darius \the Mede/ was king of Susa only Cyaxeres y^e son of Phraortes king of y^e Medes& Persians left had two sons Astya both called Astyages, |&| to <3r> one of w^ch \called Astyages/ he left Media the kingdome of Media seated at Ecbatane & to y^e other \called Darius both Darius & Astyges {sic} he let/ Persia w^th some part of Medes. The first This makes me cautious therefore of trusting to this author unless where he is backt by other authors of good credit who did not tran{s} borrow from him. Herodotus, as he was ancienter {so} then either Ctesias or Xenophon {so}|&| had opportunity of informing himself by conversing w^th y^e Persians \Syrians & Egyptians/ so he seems to have w|b|een inquisitive & to have written what he thought was true.|,| Something indeed is to be allowed to his humour of \notwithstanding that he/ \has/ endeavourin|ed|g to write extraordinary things for drawing his readers into admiration. but notwithstanding this his relations agree best w^th scripture & other {Berosus the rema} & other \ancient/ records of {best} best account of so y^t I acc I know For his relations agree so well {w^th} I say not this to detract from Xenophon. For {F Cy} y^e little of his book Cyropædia or y^e i|I|nstitution of Cyrus shews that he designed not to write a history as Herodotus did but {d} under the dress of history to teach morals & polity & under \in Cyrus to/ th propose a pattern {illeg} of \{e} good education &/ disciple {sic} to Princes & such as his readers. If he attained this he had his end: but for history we must go to others authors.

I know that \the learned/ S^r Iohn Marsham, has endeavoured \in some things/ to help our|t| {illeg} \the story of/ Xenophon {b}{f} by r representing that Cyaxeres (he who destroyed Nineve) had two sons, both called Astyages & to y^e one left his kingdom divided between their|m|, giving \Ecbatane &/ Media {Ec} to y^e one & Persia w^th some part of Media \Elymais (a part of Persia)/ to y^e other; that the latter was y^e Mandane y^e mother of Cyrus was y^e daughter of y^e latter & that Cyrus conquered y^e former & from y^e time of that victory reigned over Media 30 years but not over Persia & warred under the latter & but not over Persia, that Astyages y^e grandfather of Cyrus was Darius \the/ Mede & took Susa by|u|t {r} & yet reigned & took Susa & on that account is said to take the kingdom & to be king of the Caldeans, but yet never reigned over Babylon, that he had a Son called Cyaxeres {w}|to| whom he left his kingdom & under whom Cyrus warred against Lydi the Kings of Lydia & Babylon & whose kingdom Cyrus inherited after his death & thereby became king {.} of Babylon & then releases|d|{illeg} y^e Iews from captivity. But all this as tis a new invention so it has no foundation in antiquity. {That} \For first y^t/ Astyages took Susa is said w^thout any other evidence then an erroneus criticism of Scaliger. The Poet Æschylus had said y^t Sus Xerxes by his great expedition into Greece had evacuated the falling Susa. Scaliger alters y^e <3v> order of the verses & makes y^e Poet say that y^e first of the two Kings of |y^e| Media|es| who reigned before Cyrus (y^t is saith S^r Iohn, Astyages) had taken & emptied y^e falling \Susa/ by taking it. On the contrary the prophet Ieremy describing the fall of the kingdom of Babylon makes Susa {con} {the} a part of {thi} it till that|en||.| fall How is Shesha|ch| taken! & how is y^e praise of y^e whole earth surprised|!| how is Babylon become an astonishment Ier 52.41. Secondly that \Astyages /Astyages &\/ Darius y^e m|M|ede & Astyages \are y^e same/ is an opinion of y^e Christians collected only from y^e Story of Bel & y^e Dragon. For there tis said that king Astyages was \(chap 1.1)/ Cyrus of Persia is made successor to king &|A|styages & in as \he is/ in Daniel he (chap 6.28) to Darius y^e Mede. But yet it follows not from thence that they \|his| predecessors/ are y^e same, for Cyrus succeeded Dar Astyages m|in| Media & & Darius \long after/ in Babylon If they Cyrus was y^e immediate successor of \them/ both & they be {illeg} y^e same then \one & the same King then Cyaxeres is excluded & so/ the whole story of Xenophon representing how Cyrus warred under Cyaxeres y^e son & successor of this {D}{C} Astyages or Darius falls to y^e ground & how {illeg} at length \married the daughter of this Cyaxeres &/ suceeded {sic} him in y^e Kingdom, falls to y^e grownd, & S^r Iohn Marshams hypothesis falls with it. For by excluding Astya Cyaxeres y^e second of y^e two kings of y^e Mede Xenophons two kings |Certainly Herodotus makes Cyrus y^e immediate successor of y^t Astyages wh{a|o|t} was th the father of his \{he}/ mother Mandane the{y} mother of /his grandfather.\| Thirdly that to represent that Daniel by saying that Darius was made king over the Chaldeans realm or kingdom of y^e Chaldeans meant nothing more then that the he \Darius/ became king of the Chal took Susa, is to make him speak as improperly as if one should say that y^e king of France by conquering Flanders becam be{illeg}came king of Spane. \The Province of/ Susa was no part of Chaldea, mu much less was it the \realm or/ Kingdom of y^e Chaldeans. Daniel tells us plainly that when Belshazzar king of y^e Chaldeans was slain ,|&| Darius y^e Mede took y^e kingdom. And w|W|hat kingdom wa|bu|t that of y^e Chaldeans over w^ch of w^ch Dari Belshazzar was king: {s} that is y^t he succeeded Belshazzar who was slain at Babylon. He does not say y^e province of Susa but y^e kingdom of Belshazzar. But I{f} \And tho/ S^r Iohn \indeed/ contends y^t y^e last words should have been set in y^e beginning of y^t next chapter, |:| \yet/ I answer that |but| y^e division of y^e b|B|ible into chapters is but a late invention. The story ought to be read w^thout interruption. For whilst Daniel saith y^t Darius took y^e kingdom & does not in y^e following words describe what kingdō this was, he must mean the kingdom spoken of before, that of y^e Chaldeans over w^ch Belshazzar reigned at Babylon till Darius took it. {Then} {illeg} {D} Lastly to make two kingdoms of y^e Medes & Persians & two Astyages & two Cyaxes {sic} \reigning in them & this w^thout any authority in antiquity/ looks so much like sl|p|litting one king & one ^{[Editorial Note 1]} kingdom |two| |kingdom into two that I reccon it too hard a notion without some & two kings into four & one kingdom into two that I cannot assent to it. These prejudices being removed, I now proceed to y^e describe y^e four Monarchies.| ^[4][5]

3{Hy} Cyrus Darius, Ahashuerus & Artaxexes {sic} mentioned successively \after {illeg} Cyrus/ {in} |(|Ezra 4, |)| are Darius Hystaspis, Xexes & Artaxerxes Longimanus. For Ahashuerus , or Achsweros, A was in the Greek pronunciation Ax{e}{a}res & Xex|r|xes: For he who in Tobit is called Assuerus (ch 14.15) was by y^e Greeks called Cy-Axeres, \that is Prince Axeres/ & Artaxerxes is sometimes put for Artax Art-axerxes & the later Greek|s| Historians wrote Artax Artaxe Art-axeres for Art-axerxes. And he who in the \sacred/ History of HEs{t}\h/er is called Ahasuerus in|s| in y^e appcryphal {sic}l history of H Esther called Art-axerxes that is great X Xerxes the great, the particle Art signifying great in y^e Pe{r}sian tongue. So then the names agree. & as But as the And for the History A{n}d so also do the Histories for Ezra saith that that {sic} y^e people of y^e land h{ir}ed counsellours all the days of against the Iews to p|f|rustrate their purpose \[of bui{ild}ing the Temple]/ a{ll} the days of Cyrus king of Persia & [further] untill the reign of Darius k{ing} of Persia. This Darius therefore favoured the building j|I|ews in bu their work of t{he} Temple & therefore was Darius Hi|y|staspis, but after his reign being over they p{e}ople of y^e land wrote an accusation against them in the beginning of the reign {of} \{h}is successor/ Ahasuerus or Xerxes \& again in the reign of his successor Artaxerxes/ [not to hinder the building of the Temple (for that was now finished) but to hinder the building of the City. & the wall. The words of their letter \to Artaxerxes/ run thus. Be it known unto y^e King that the Iews w^ch came up from thee to us (that is Ezra & his companions) are come unto Ierusalem, building the b rebellious & bad c|C|ity & have set up the walls thereof & joyned the foundations &c. Then follows the Hereupon y^e King replied Give ye now commandment that this|ese| City men cease that this City be not builded till another commandment shall be given from me. And when y^e copy of king Artaxerxes letter was read they went up in hast to Ierusalem to unto y^e Iews & made them \to/ cease by force & power All this concerns not y^e Temple Temple but y^e City |&| wall \the building of/ w^ch were not attempted till after the Temple was finished. And therefore the next words So ceased the work of the house of God w^ch is at Ierusalem. So it ceased unto y^e second year of y^e reign of Darius belong not relate not to y^e reign of Artaxerxes but to that of Cyrus, the historian, after he had brought down a short narrative of y^e {h}|a|ffairs of the Iews through y^e reigns of Cyrus Darius Ahas Xerxes & Artaxerxes, returning back to y^e reign|s| of Cyrus & Darius. And this is confirmed by the \1^st/ book of Ez|s|dras where the|is| same story of Artaxerxes is intermixed w^th the story of Zerubabel & Ieshua, \Cyrus & Darius/ \Cyrus/ & after both stories til|s| added that |how after they had laid the foundation of the Temple| y^e heathen of y^e land hindred the finishing of the building [of y^e Tem house of God] all the days of that king Cyrus lived: So they were hindred from building all the days of untill y^e second year of Darius . & in y^e second year of his reign Aggæus & Zacharias prophesied &c. In the book of Ezra the story of Ahasuerus & Artaxerxes is \Cyrus/ Darius is interrupted by the story of Ahasuerus & Artaxerxes but in y^t of Esdras the \whole/ story of Cyrus & Darius from y^e beginning of Ezra {e} y^e 2^d chap. of Ezra to y^e end of y^e 6^t chapter is told w^thout interruption & the story of Artaxerxes is inserted \story of Cyrus is interrupted by that of Artaxerxes/ \inserted/ \in the story of Cyrus/ immediately after y^e first chapter of Ezra. & the whole \all the rest of {emperor} the/ story of Cyrus & Darius from y^e beginning of y^e 2^d chapter of Ezra to y^e end of y^e sixt chapter is told w^thout interruption & I take the book of Esdras to be the best interpreter of the book of Ezra. Artaxerx{e}s is therefore inserted \in both books/ w^thout due order of time & is no more the predecessor of Darius then of Cyrus, but being y^e successor of Ahassuerus the successor of {Dar}ius h{e} must be Artaxerxes Longimanus, & they \Iews/ that came up from him <4v> began to rebuild Ierusalem & y^e Wall were Ezra & his companions who {had{illeg}} {p} |in his seventh year| came up w^th a commission large enough to encourage them {in} \to attempt/ such a work They attempted it therefore but were prohibited till Nehemiah {afterward} \came w^th/ a {w{ork}} commission & compassed it in y^e 20^th year of y^e King.

And that it was in this Kings reign & not in the reign of Artaxer{xes} Mnemon that Ezra & Nehemiah came up is further confirmed by this|e| c{ir}cumstance|s| that w^th in y^e 7^th year of y^e King when Ezra came to Ierusalem he found there Iozabad the son of Ieshua & Noadiah y^e son of Binnui Levites Ezra 8.33 w^ch Ieshua & Binnui were Levites in y^e first year of Cyrus Nehem 10.9 & 12.8. And that Zachariah y^e son of Ionathan the son of Shemajah |the son of Mattaniah| was at y^e dedication of the wall |(|Nehem. 12.35|)| w^ch Shemajah was Pries{t} in y{^e} first year of Cyrus (Nehem 12.6, 18) as was also his father Mattaniah Nehem 11.17 And that in recconing up the Priests & Levites w^ch were in y^e day{s} of Iojaki{ng}|m| the son of Ieshua \the High Priest/ tis said These were in the days of Iojakim the {s}on son {sic} of Ieshua the son of {Iozadack}{Iozadak} & in y^e days of Nehemiah y^e Governor & {of} Ezra the Priest y^e scribe. Nehem 12.26. And after the 32^th year of this {Ar}taxerxes Eliashib the son of Iojad|k|im was High Priest Nehem. 13.28. For \Now/ From {y^e}{y^t} 1^st year of Cyrus to y^e 33^th year of \this/ Artaxerxes is about an hundred year{s} w^ch in as much time as two generations can well reach unto whereas from the first of Cyrus to y^e 33^th of Artaxerxes Mnemon is {al} about 160 years w^ch {{is}} too long for y^e generations above mentioned.

{S}|1|. The History of y^e return of y^e Captivity under Zerubbabel & Ieshuah in the first \& second/ year of Cyrus is conteined partly in y^e three first chapters of Ezra & partly in Nehemiah from y^e 5^t verse of y^e 7^th chapter to y^e 9^th verse of y^e 12^th. And y^e feast of Taberna{t}|c|les mentioned in Ezra 3.4 is described at large in Nehemiah 8.

2. The Temple was finished in y^e 7|6|^t year of Darius Hystaspis.

3. Darius, Achsuerus ,|&| Artarerxes {sic} mentioned successively in Ezra 4 are Darius Hystaspis, Xerxes & Artaxerxes Longimanus & Cyrus Darius & Artaxerxes mentioned successively in Ezra 6.14 are Cyrus Darius Hystaspis & Artaxerxes Longimanus

4 Ezra & Nehemiah flourished in y^e reign of Artaxa|e|rxes Longimanus. &

5 The 7^th year of Artaxeri|e|s {sic} full in w^th y^e       year of y^e     Olympiad.

6 The years in Daniels Prophesies are Iewish Lunisolar years.

7 The birth of Christ

8 The death of Christ.

9 Daniels weeks

10 The Ram & Goat

11 The scripture of truth.

12 The four Beasts

13 The Horns of y^e 4^th Beast.

The book of Daniel is a collection of papers partly historical relating to the life of Daniel, & partly prophetical. The historical papers are conteined in the first six chapters And the collection seems to have been made a little after the death of Daniel \the Prophet/: for y^e Collector seem{s} in the end of th author of the first chapter saith that |of| Daniel \that he/ continued to y^e first year of Cyrus, that is, to his first year over Med Persia & Media & third year over Babl|y|lon. The six first six chapters are written of Daniel \& his three friends/ b partly by Nebuchanezzar partly by other her|a|nds: the six{t} last are prophetick visions written by Daniel himself. And In \In order to understand these visions I designe in/ the following discourse I designe to explain some |types &| phrases \used in these prophesies/ which relate to the general state of the Church & tend to {un} un the unfolding of the prophesies, \in the last ages; &/ s|p|articularly what is to be understood by ^{[Editorial Note 2] 1} the Host of heaven, ² the Prince of the Host, ³ the Prince of Princes, \4 the Messiah the Prince,/ ⁵ the Sa|H|oly Covenant, ⁶ the Sanctuary of strength, {⁹} the transgression of desolation, the Host of the little|ast| Horn of the He Goat , & he, {t ⁸} the desolation of the Host \of heaven/ the last end of{¹⁰} the Indignation , & the against the holy covenant, ¹¹ the last end of the indignation, & {t} the host of th w^ch was given to the last horn of the Goat in transgression against the holy covenant, |&| 12 the time of the end. the desolation of the host of heaven, the transgression of desolation \or abomination of desolation/, the indignation against the holy covenant, the last end of the indignation, & the time of the end.

The book of the Law being received by the Samaritans was written \& received/ before the captivity of the ten tribes. This |is| the book of the law which Hilkiah the High Prei|ie|st found in the Temple in the reign of Iosiah after it had been lost in the reign of his grandfather Manasses who was captivated by the Babylonians. This is that book of the law w^ch Iehosaphat sent \w^th/ his Princes w^th \&/ some of the Priests & Levites to teach \be taught/ \teach the book of y^e law/ in all the cities of Iudah.|,| And two hundred years before the captivity of the ten tribes. From the I This book being handed down to posterity came into descended to the Samaritans & was preserved by them in the ancient character, while the Iews lost it in the captivity of Masses|na|sses & found it again \in the Temple/ in the reign of Iosiah, & altered the after the return from the Babylonian captivity changed the character to that w^ch they had learned in Chaldea. The books of kings |The books of Samuel & kings are one continued history & these {sic} \& the Chronicles/ were written at the same time with e| & |y^e| Chronicles were written at one & the same time because the|y| quote one another. They were composed out of ancienter records \books/ because the {sic} quote those books. They were copied verbatim from those ancienter books because they cite th frequently agree with one another for many sentens|c|es |together.| The books of kings \Samuel/ are a cont Samuel & kings are one continued history The book of Ezra begins with the two last verses of the second book of Chronicles & therefore was originally a part of that book & has been broken of from it. And by conqu|se|quence Ezra was the compiler of all these books.

– but t|T|he Pentateuch is compo{les}sed of the Law of Moses & & \the/ history of Gods people together & the history hath been \taken |collected| from several books/ such as were The book of the generations of Adam, Gen. 5, N|&| the book of the wars of the Lord Num. 21.14. And For this This book of wars conteined what was done at the Red Sea & afterwards in their ju|o|urneying \of Israel/ through the wilderness, w^ch (Num 21.14) & |& therefore might be written by Moses himself. And it| might conteine \also/ the wars in|o|f Ioshua in conquering Canaan, [Some things also \For/ Is|o|shua wrote \some things/ in the book of the Law of God which are not now in the Pentateuch] \(Ios 24.26./ & might also \therefore might/ write his own wars in the book of warrs \those being the principal wars of God/. These were publick books & therefore not written without the authority of Moses & Ioshua. And of these

The books of Ioshua Mose Ioshua Iudges & Ruth were

The Pentateuch & the books of Ioshuah & Iudges contein one continued history of Israel down to the death of Sampson|.| & Where the Pentateuch ends the book of Is|o|shua begins & where the book of Ioshua ends the book of Iudges begins. And therefore \all/ these books seem to have been {w} composed out of the writings of Moses Ioshua & other Records by one & the same author after the death of Ioshua Sampson, & most probaly {sic} in the <5v> reign of Saul \or David/. For \Pentateuch &/ the books of Ioshua \the/ Iudges & Ruth were written when there was a king in Israel. Gen. 36.31 Iud. 17.6, & 18.1 & 19.1 & 21.25 & Ruth 1.1.

The book of Ruth was written in honour of David & therefore \it was written /it was written\/ after he was annointed to be king by Samuel to be king. And not much after, because the history of his great Grandfather Booz & of others who lived in the times of the Iudges could not have been \distinctly/ remembered above two or three generations, & also because the |Originals &| genealogy of David is only \are/ set down in this book to give him credit, but nomention {sic} is here made of his reign or wars|r|s. They judge well therefore who reccon Samuel the author of this book: for it was written by way of introduction to this|e| history of David

At the t|d|edication of the Temple of Solomon when the Ark was brought into the most Holy, there was nothing in it but the two Tables. Wh 1 King. 8.9 Whence I gather that \& therefore/ when y^e Philistims took y^e Ark, they took out of it the book of the Law & the {G} golden pot of Manna & Aarons rod. And this \& other/ loss|es| \under the Philistims/ might give occasion in the days of Samuel to the collecting out of the writings of Moses & Ioshua to the collecting \composing/ of the Pentateuch out after his victory over the Philistims to \the/ collecting \of/ |to Samuel (after Israel had some respite from the oppression of their enemies to recollect the {sic}| the writings of Moses & Ioshua & the Records other \the/ Records of the Iudges & out of them to the composi|e|ng out of them the Pentateuch & the books of Ioshua & Iudges in the form in w^ch we now have them. And considering that Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, the Pentateuch w^ch conteined the laws by w^ch he was to judge them, could not be composed without his authority. He was a \sacred/ writer (1 Sam. 10.25) & well versed in the history of the nation of Israel as well as in the law (1 Sam. 12.8, 9, 10, 11) & had leasure in the reign of Saul, & the book of Iasher w^ch is quoted in the book of Ioshua (Ios. 10.3|1|3) was {{illeg}} in being at the death Saul (2 Sam. 1.18.) They judge well therefore who ascribe the books of Ioshua Iudges & Ruth to Samuel, & the Pentateuch is not of a later date. |In the book of Genesis (ch 36.31) the race of the kings of Edom is set down till the days \reign/ of Saul, but not till the conquest of Edom by David |&| & the Pentateuch in the form now extant was composed between the beginning of Saul's reign & the conquest of Edom by David. T|t|he end of that race of Kings p|d|etermines the time when that the Pentateuch was put into the form now extant.|

The books of Samuel & Kings are one continued history.

The {illeg}

Samuel is reputed the author of the first book of Samuel till the time of his death|.| b|B|ut considering that it begins with the genealogy & birth of Samuel & was written in honour of him & conteins his life, I had rather believe th & that the two books of & ends w & death & ends w^th the death of Saul; & that the two books of Samuel are of a piece & continue the history till the time of the kings \Davids/ last sickness & the attempt of Adonijah to {re{illeg}} succeed him & it seems to \& are a very full history of those times & cite/ & that {in} the in these two books no authors are cited: it seems to me that they were origini|a|lls composed by the disciples of Samuel in honour of their master & contin\u/ed by them first to the death of samuel & Saul & then to the death last sickness of David the king whom Samuel had annointed to succeed Saul. |Or if they were begun by Samuel they were carried on by his disciples.|

The books of Kings & Chronicles contein the cite many \other/ authors & as the \book of the/ Acts of Solomon, the book of y^e Chronicles of the kings of Israel, the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Iudah. the boo And the books of Chronicles cite the book of Samuel the Seer, the book of Nathan the Prophet & the book of Gad the Seer, {T} for the acts of David; the book of Nathan the prophet, the prophesy of Ahijah the Shilonite & the visions of Iddo the Seer for the Acts of Solomon; the book of Sema Shemajah y^e prophet & the book of Iddo the Seer concerning genealogies for the {t}|a|cts of Rehoboam & Abijah. The book of the kings of Israel & Iudah & Israel for the reign \acts/ of Asa, Ioash, Amaziah, Iotham, Ahaz \Hezekiah Manasseh & Iosiah/ the book of Iehu the son of Han{illeg}ani the Seer for the acts of Iehosaphat: \&/ the book \visions/ of Isaiah for the acts of Vzziah ,|&| Hezekiah. These books were therefore collected out of the historical writings of the ancient Seers & Prophets &|A|nd because the books of the Kings & Chronicles quote {one} another they were written at one & the same time. . . . . . . . . . time of the end. And {bec} the book of the first book of the Chro this time was after the return from y^e Babylonian captivity because they bring |d|own the history of Israel & Iudah & the genealogies of the kings of Iudah & of the high Priests to the|a|t captivity. And the book of Ezra was a part of the book of Chronicles & had|s| been divided from it. For it begins w^th the two last verses of the second book of the Chronicles |And the first book of Esdras begins w^th the two last Chapters of the Chronicles second book of the Chronicles|. Ezra was therefore the compiler of these books \of the Kings & Chronicles & brought down the history to his own time. {sic}/. He was a ready scribe in the law of God & for assisting him in this work Neemias founded a library & gathered together the Acts of the Kings & the Prophets & of David & the Epistles of the kings concerning the holy gifts. \2 Maccab. 2/ By the Acts of David I understand \here/ the second book|s| of Samuel.|,| Out of or at least <6r> the second book. Out of the Acts of the kings & the \or/ historical writ composed from time to time he compiled the by the Prophets he copied \composed/ the books of the kings, the Chronicles of the kings of Israel Iudah & the Chronicles of the kings of Israel, joyning those Acts together in due order of time|.| & reducing them into the In doing this he copied the words of the authors as is manifest from hence that the books of the kings & Chronicles frequently agree w^th one another in words for many sentences together. Where they agree in sense there they agree in words. So also the Psalms composed by David Moses David & others he down to his own times he collected into one volume. And I reccon him the collector because in this collection I meet w^th Pl|s|as|l|ms as late as the Babylonian captivity but w^th none later. So also \And/ the prophesies of Isaiah written at several times he has collected into one body. And the rest of the prophe like for \those of/ Ieremy & the rest of the prophets down to the days of the second Temple.

And the book of Daniel is in like manner a collection of papers written at several times. . . . . . . . . . . to be Ezra. The book of Ionah is the history of Ionah written by another hand.

The Israelites were five \several/ times greatly oppressed by their enemies, The Philistims oppressed them 40 years & by reigning & every time upon shaking of the yoke of their oppressors made a great reformation in religion. For The Philistims oppressed them in the reign of forty years & by reigning over them gave the name of Palestine to their land{.} & upon shaking of their yoke Samuel reformed them \& made them put away their strange Gods & return to serve y^e Lord/ & |he| put their law & their history down to his own times into {an} the form now extant. Then Sesak oppressed \invaded/ them & spoiled the temple & upon shaking of the yoke of the Egyptians Asa renewed the covenant with God & brought into the temple new vessels of gold & silver & his son sent men to teach the book of the law in all the cities of Iudah. The|n| \the/ king of Babylon Assyria captivated Manasses & his Princes & after that captivity Iosiah repaired the Temple renew caused the book of the law to be read & renewed the Covenant. \Then/ Nebuchadnezzar captivated Zedekiah & his princes & upon the return of that Captivity \Zerubbabel/ Ezra & Nehemiah recollected t rebuilt the Temple, recollected the sacred writings reduced them into order, & read the law to the people & renewed the covenant|.| with God And \when/ Antiochus Epiphanes spoiled the Temple, commended the Iews to forsake y^e law upon pain of death & burn the sacred books to be burnt, & upon recovering from this oppression Iudas Maccabæus gathered together all those things \writings/ that were lost. But in these troub 2 Macc. 2.14. But in these troubles the book of y^e chronicles of the kings of Israel was entirely lost & part of the {b} prophesies of Isaiah have been added to the end of the prophesies of Zechary & the Book of Ezra has been separated from the book of the Chronicles & the set together in two several orders; in one order in the book of Ezra received into y^e Canon & in another order in the first book of Esdras, |And after the Roman captivity the Iews at length for preserving their scriptures & traditions, committed their traditions to writing & painted their scriptures & agreed upon an edition of their sc{rip}tures & pointed it ‡| |it ‡ & counted the {illeg} letters of every sort in every book that the & by preserving only this editions|n| the ancienter various lections (except what can be discovered by means of the septuagent \version/) are lost, & such marginal notes or other corruptions as by the errors of the transcribers, had crept into the text before this edition & the greek version, ha{r}|v|e crept into the text, are now scarce to be corrected.|

The ancient Iews distinguished the sacred books into the Law the Prophets & the Hagiographa or holy writings, & read only the l|L|aw & the Prophets in their Synagogues. . . . . . . . . the|n| books now extant the Hgiographa {sic} .

Amongst the Prophets Daniel is most distinct in order of time & most easy to be understood. And therefore in those things w^ch relate to the last times he must be made the key to the rest. And in order to understand him . . . . . . . . . . the time of the end.

W|I|n the infancy of the nation of Israel when God had given them a law & made a covenant with them to be their God if they would keep his commandments; as often as they revolted to the worship of other Gods, he sent Prophets to reclaim them \as often as they revolted to other Gods \the worship of other Gods// & upon their returning to him they \sometimes/ renewed the covenant w^ch they had broken. These Prophets he continued to send till the building of the second Temple days of Ezra: But after their prophesies were read in the synagogues, {they} \those prophesies/ were the thought sufficient. For if they wo|pe|ople would not hear {illeg} Moses & the old prophets, they would hear no new ones not no not tho one should rise from should rise from the dead. T At length when a new truth was to be preached to y^e Iews & Gentiles |(namely that Iesus was the Christ {) }| God sent new Prophets & teachers: but after this doctrine was preached & the writings of the \new/ Prophets & Apostles \was|er|e/ received & read in the synagogues of the Christians, prophesy ceased a second time. |And as the Israelites Israel often revolted so the Apostles foretold a fading away among the Christians| We have Moses the Prophets & Apostles & w the words of Christ & if we will not hear them we shall be worse \more inexcusable/ then the Iews. |For| And They \the prophets/ have fortold that there should be as these {was|er|e} a falling away as {t}|I|srael often revolted & brake the covenant \& renewed it/ so there should be a falling away among the Christians & in latter days God would \destroy the wicked &/ make a new covenant w^th <6v> his people And now the Beas{t} – – – – ancient throne we are to expect the rise of the ten horns For they were to receive their power as kings \at/ the same time with the Beast. And accordingly upon the death of Thedosius the northern barbarous nations began to rise from their seats & invade first the eastern & then y^e western Empire, & in those wars erected within the space of 12 or 14 years brake the {D} Empire into \erected within the Empires/ the \new/ kingdoms of y^e Britains, Francs, \Burgundians, –/ Vandals, Suevians, Alans in Spain, Alans in France, Visigoths, {Hunns {illeg}} |& Hunns or| Ostrogoths|.| besides that The Ostrogoths at first seated themselves under the Hunns in y^e Empire under the Hunns, but at length shook of their yoke & became supreme. And As the ten horns gave their strength & power & stren{t|g|{t}{h}} {sic} to the Beast, so when the Dragon gave the Beast his power & his throne & great authority it may be recconed that he became one of his horns. And according to this reconing the|re| Beast will have \will be/ tenn horns besides re|th|e remaining part of the western Empire to w^ch they give their power. & strength.

Or rather, he And now I suppose it was that he made Valamir Theodemir & Videmir captains or Kings over three bodies of the Visigoths. These Visgoths \Ostrogoths/ according to Procopius came over the Rhene Danube about the same time that the Vandals & Alans passed the Rhene & the Visigoths invaded Italy & besieged Rome, that is, about the year 407 or 408. They lived quietly for a time under the Hunns in Pannonia, but [upon the commencing of these \{illeg}/ warrs of the Huns had \now assisted Attila & for that end had under the conduit of/ Valamir Theudemir & Videma|i|r made captains or kings over t ( the sons of Vandali\si/us) made their captains or kings. This was about the year 444|3| or 444. & under their conduct assisted the Hunns being assissed {sic} by the Ostrogot] but now assisted Attila & for that end had

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but insisted most upon the {clear}|{genuine}| reading. A|B|ut soon after Socrates Cyril of Alexandria Pope Leo I, Prosper, Cassian, Beda, Fulbertus Carnotensis &c spread the corrupt reading.

Again, in Iohn 19.40

In Acts 13.41, some body has attempted to change

Yet threscore & two weeks shall [the City] return & be built the street be built & the wall, but in troublesome times: & after threscore & two weeks y^e

^[6]\For understanding the descriptions of these Monarchies /& Kingdoms\ made {So|D| toge} by Daniel,/ It is to be observed that all Daniels Beasts continue in being till the|is| end. of the pro |to the end of| For he tells us that the three first Beasts had their diminons {sic} taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a time & season & time that is till their dom the stone cut out of the mountain fell upon the feet of the Image & c untill the greatness of y^e dominion under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High|.| & \For then/ the stone cut out of the mountain without hands shall fall upon the feet of smites the Image upon its feet & break|s| in pieces the iron the brass the silver & the gold & grow a \representing the four monarchies & grow|s| into a/ grat|ea||t| mountain \filling the earth/, or untill the kingdom w^ch God shall then set up, shall break in pieces the \nations of the/ fou{illeg}r kingdoms \of the nations/ represented by those metalls & succeed them The four Bas|ea|sts are therefore are all of them still in being notwithstanding that the dominions of the f the|r|ee first have been taken away. And therefore we are to look for the heads, horns, & wings & bodies of these four Beasts in four \four/ distinc {sic} regions or countries. The two eagles wings of the Lyon are still in Media & Chaldæa, but they have \have been been/ pluckt, ^{[Editorial Note 3]} that is {their} \{his}/ dominion w|h|as \the dominion of this Beast has been/ taken away|.| ^{[Editorial Note 4]} {_{5}{se}}by Cyrus (viz^t by Cyrus) & the Beast {rem} was left \only/ standing upon his hinded|r| feet with a mans heart to signify that he remained alive after his dominion was taken away The Bear had three ribbs in his mouth to distinguish his conquests from himself. The four w|h|eads & four wings of the Leopard were placed \seated/ in {Eg}|Gr|eece & {Mino} Eg|As|ia Minor Syria & Egypt. And therefore the ten \eleven/ horns of the fourth Beast are to bee looked for \seated/ in the regions westwar on this side Greece & Egypt. And there we have found them. The Roman Empire therefore on this side Greece & Egypt was \is/ the proper body of the Beast & the rest \{of}/ the Empire eastward as \{only}/ the residue w^ch he stamped with his feet.|,| |& {illeg} {fourth set upon} {as the body of y^e} {day found}| \is the residue of the four Empires so far as he conquered them./

And in the same manner He Goat & the Ram with their severl {sic} horns are to be distinguished. The Ram with his two horns is the kingdom of Media & Persia, & the first horn \which rose up first/ is the kingdom of Media from the beginning of that Monarchy or \from/ the taking of Nineveh by Cyaxeres |which rose up before the kingdom of Persia| And as the Ram comprehends the two first Monarchies, so the Goat comprehends the two last. His four horns s|a|re the same with those of the Leopard, & his last horn \after their dominion {illeg}/ |in the latter time of their dominion a little horn arises out of one of them| \&/ grows mighty but not by his own power & there|for| reigns after the \after them &/ \power &/ \under the d|p|omini|wer|on which took away the dominion/ dominion of the {third} Be Leopard as taken away by |that is under the dominion of power of| the fourth Beast|.| & grows mighty under by the power \{or deaths dominion}/ of {that} Beast \For after he \is grown {illeg} mighty &/ has taken away the daily sacrifice he is to reign {1300} years & then to stand up against the Prince of Princes & be broken without hand/ This last horn \in the latter time of the four/ rose out of one of the|m| four & was at first a little one And such w & then grew mighty but not in|by| his own power. And such was the kingdom of Pergamus. And It rose in Asia minor in the time reign of the four horns & at first it was nothing but a {stron} more then the city Pergamus with its castel {t}|&| the villages round about it. Then in the reign of Attalus its third king Prince it enlarged its dominion over a considerable part of Asia minor & being in friendship with the Romans, it sided with them in a war against Antiochus magnus & by their ast|i|stance enlarged its dominion over all Asia on this side the mountain Taurus. A And at length Att it was left to the Romans by the last will & Testament & of Attalus |II| its last King & by their power \& under their government/ grew mighty towards the south & towards the east & towards Iudea \the land of delight/ conquering Syria Iudea & Egypt. & by him he magnified himself against the host of heaven (the Christians both Iews & Gentiles) & being the Apocalyptic Dragon who had his throne in {R}{D}{p}|P|ergamus, he cast down some of the stars to the ground{s} & rose up against {Chris} \Michael/ the Prince of the Host \Iesus Christ/ & took away the daily worship \of his servants/ & cast down the place of his sanctuary to grownd, & practised & prospered.

And the same thing is repeated in the Scr Prophesy of the s|S|cripture of truth, where in these words. And after him Arms shall stand up & they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength. As המלך{illeg} sign (Dan. 11.8) signifies after the King, so \here/ המנן \may/ signifies {sic} after him, that is, after the king|dō| of the north \the king of the north/ a ki Or if it signify out of him, the meaning may be that him the little horn of the He-Goat shall stand up. He stood up by conquering Syria \Phenicia/ & Egypt, & then took away the daily sacrifice.

And in the same manner the He|Ra|m & the He Goat are to be distinguished from one another. The Ram with his two horns is the kingdom of Media & Persia & his horn w^ch rose up first is the kingdom of Media w^ch rose up before the kingdom of Persia. And as the Ram comprehends the two first Monarchies so the He-Goat comprehends the two^{illeg} last. His four horns are the same with those of the Leopard. And in the latter time of their kingdom a little horn rose out of one of them & grew mighty towards the south & towards the east & towards Iudea, & the land of delight, that is by conquering Egypt & Syria & {Phœnicia} when the reign of the third \in it rose up in a region to the south north-west of these kingdoms/ & grew great /mighty\ \mighty/ by conquering Egypt & Syria & Phœnicia \to the south east/ & reigned after the four horns \& grew mightier then any of them/. It grew mighty but not by its own power [& therefore this \forreign/ power could be no other then that {this}|which| took away the dominion of the Leopard four horns {was}{w^th} \of the Leopard & therefore was/ the power of the fourth Beast|.| w^ch \For this power/ took away the dominion of the third.] |✝| < insertion from the top of f 10r > ✝ It grew mighty but not by its own power; not by the power of the Leopard or He- He Goat or any of its horn any of the four horns for it rose up in aft the latter end of their dominion \kingdom/; not by the power of the Le He Goat or Leopard, for then it would have been mighty by its own power. It grew mighty by a power w^ch reigned over it after the dominion of the four horns was taken away, & by consequence [by a power which took reigned over the Leopard ] {sic} after its|the| dominion \of the Leopard/ was taken away & its life prolonged|]| by a \forreign/ power w^ch took away the dominion of the Leopard & reigned after \over/ him{.} & this was the power of the fourth Beast. ^{[Editorial Note 5]}It reigned a long time after the dominion of the four horns was taken away, & contiued {sic} till the time of the end even till the last end of the indignation < text from f 9v resumes > It reigned a long time after the the {sic} dominion of the four horns was taken away. For after it was grown mighty it took away the daily sacrifice & cast down the Sanctuary to y^e grownd & {continued after} that \it was to/ reign{ed} \things |things were| {t}|s|o continue|d| in this state/ two thousand three hundred years untill before the sanctuary should be cleansed |& this {ar}{on} is called the time of the end| & then he was to stand up against the Prince of Princes \called Michael the great Prince/ .|&| be broken without hand. And all this may agree to the kingdom of Pergamus. It For this kingdom at first was nothing more then the city of Pergamus with c|i|ts castel & villages revolting from Lysimachus king of Thrace, & of the north west parts of Asia Macedon, Caria, Lydia & Phrygia: but in the last ye two years before the death of Antiochus magnus {b}was enlarged over by the assistance of y^e Romans \it/ was enlarged over all Asia minor on this side the mountain Taurus, & was afterwards \it was/ inherited by the Romans by the last will & testament of its king Attalus & by their power \& under their administration \as successors to its kings/ it/ grew mighty \towards the south & towards the east & towards the holy Land/ conquering Syria Palestine & Egypt, & then |it|ta|oo|king away the daily sacrifice & casting down the Sanctuary \to the grownd/ & at length separated from the Latins, & {doing} \is/ now under the dominion of the Turks, h

And the same thing is repeated in the scripture of truth Prophesy of the scripture of truth. For after Daniel had there mentioned the Kingdom of Persia then reigning, & that the kingdom of Greece should stand up with a mighty dominion & be broken into the four great kingdoms represented by the four horns of the \Leopard &/ Goat, & \had/ described the actions of two of those horns called the kings of the south & north untill the Romans conquered Macedon the chief of the four horns: he proceeds \thus in the following words/ to the /the\ descript|be|ion of|ption| \of/ ^{[Editorial Note 6]} the little horn w^ch of the Goat w^ch was to reign after the four rise up in the latter end of the reign of dominion reign of the four & grow mighty of \of/ the power in w^ch this little horn was to grow mighty: And after him \saith he/ arms shall stand up & they shall take away the daily sacrifice pollute the sanctuary of strength & place the abomination pla take away the daily sacrifice &|c.| set upth the abomination of desolation w^ch was to continue 1260 d As המלך (Dan 11.8) signfies after the King so here המנן may signify after him. Arms are put for a military force & so signify the same thing with the horn of a Beast. These arms rose up \stand up that is they begin now to stand up over the Greeks. They stand up/ by conquering Macedon & Greece, \&/ inheriting the kingdom of Pergamus, & extending the dominion thereof over Syria Phœnicia & Egypt, & {s}|w|hen \they were risen up they over the four kingdoms they of the Greeks they/ took away the daily sacrifice, & at length set up the abomination of the Mahuzzine|m|s which was to stand at least 126|9|0 years. And in the mean time Daniel was to rest {&} in the dust & at \after/ the end of the days to stand in his lot with those that awake out of the dust after the great tribulation in which Michael the Prince of Princes, & the little horn should stand up against one another. \☉/ < insertion from higher up f 10r > ☉ \&/ encouraged them that did wickedly against the holy covenant, \&/ caused them |of understanding| who instructed the people to fall by the sword by flame by captivity & by spoile many days, ||& then| & this {new King} did according to his will & after the|se| heathen persecutions this king did according to his will &| exalted & magnified himself above every God & {illeg} spake marvellous things against the God of Gods & \was to/ prospered till the indignation or long captivity of the Iews should be accomplished, not regarding the God of his fathers nor the |lawful| desire of {sic} weomen \in matrimony/ nor any God but magnifying himself against above all, & in conjunction with a strange God setting up the \lasting/ worship \abomination/ of Mahuzzim{g}|{s}|. And \For/ this abomination was to continue \a worship w^ch was to stand/ at least 1290 years. [And at the time of the end the king of the South was to push at him & the king of the north to come against him like a whilwind {sic} & pass over, & under the power of the king of y^e north {n}|h|e is to go forth with great fury & utterly to make away many in the great tribulation in w^ch Michael the great Prince of Princes, the great Prince of Daniel people shall stand up against him.] And in the mean time Daniel was to rest & stan after the after the end of the days \years/ to stand in his lot with those that awake out of the dust after the great tribulation in which Michael the Prince of Princes & the little horn (but not by his own power) & Michael the Prince should go forth with great fury to destroy & utterly to make away many & Michael the great Prince of Princes should stand up against him |[|& bring him to his end & deliver the people of Daniel & put an end to the Indignation.] < text from f 9v resumes >

In the r|d|ays of his first horn \H {sic}/ h|H|e {illeg} is the Kingdom of Greece \on this side Media & Persia & continues in a mon. form/ during the reign of |& \{re}/ under| Alexander the great & his two successors Philip \{Arideus}/ & {A} his brother, & Alexander his \young/ son |he| And continued in a monarchical form represented by his first horn & then br|a|ok|ke|e |into| the four kingdoms in|of| Greece Asia, Syria & Egypt represented by the \his/ four horns {of} the Goat & Leopard. And in the latter time of their kingdom when their domion {sic} was ready to be taken away, a little horn rose out of one of them & grew mighty but not in|by| his own power, not in|by| the power of the any of the four horns for for that was expiring, not by the power of the Goat for that would have been his own \the/ power \of his horn/ but in a forreign power which was to reign over the Goat. He grew mighty towards the south & towards the east & towards the land of delight. Egypt Syria & Palestine. I He reigned a long time after the dominion of the other horns was taken away. For the|is| Vision was at the time of the end & and at the last end of the indignation or {t} captivity of \against/ the Iews; & after \he/ was grown mighty it|he| took away the daily worship & sacrifice & cast down the sanctuary to the grownd & in this state things continued 2300 years before the sanctuary was cleansed. And all this points out the kingdom of Pergamus. For this kingdom at first was – – –

And all this is described more at large in the Prophesy of the s|S|cripture of truth. {&|F|}or this Prophesy is nothing else then a commentary upon the Prophesy of the Ram & He-goat. And here Daniel after he \had/ mentioned the kingdom of Persia then flourishing & that – – – of y^e Goat, he describes the actions of two of those horns, w^ch {illeg} called the kings of the South & north untill the Romans conquere{d} Macedon eighth year of Antiochus Epiphanes in w^ch the Romans conquered the kingdom Macedon the chief of the four kingdoms, that is, untill the time of the end of th \four horns began to to {sic} fall or untill/ latter time of their kingdom. w|A|nd then he \breaks off &/ proceeds thus to describe the little horn of the Goat together with the Power in w^ch he was to grow mighty.

that is all the time from the \persecution of Nero \the war against the Iews to the death/ &/ destruction of the \of the heathen persecutions from \that of Nero & y^e Roman destruction taking away of {the dis}// Temple to the end of the heathen persecutions & victory of \to the/ death of the Licinius |the last the heathen Emperor of the Greeks. A. C. 323.| who ^{[Editorial Note 7]} ended the race of heathen Emperors reigning over the Greeks A. C. 323. Then they \that fall/ shal be holpen with a little help (in the reign of Constantine the great:) but some of them of understanding shall still fall & | For the king shal do according to his will & exalt & magnify himself above every God & speake marvellous things against the God of Gods & prosper till the Indignation or captivity of the Iews shal have an end; not regarding the God of his fathers nor the desire of weomen, nor any God, but

And as the He Goat \in the reign of his last horn/ was to stand up against the Prince of Princes \but not by his own power/ & \to/ be broken without hand: so the Arms which stan|oo|d up after the king of the north & take away the daily sacrifice are at length to go forth with great fury (but not by this|eir| own power \but by the power of the K. of {north}/) {to | & to} destroy & utterly to make away many \but shall come to their end./ & \For/ Michael \the Prince of Princes/ the great Prince who standeth for the children of Daniels people, the Prince of Princes is to stand up against him And in this conflict there is to be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation (the great Tribulation spoken of by Christ) [Mat. 24.21] & Daniels people is|are| to be delivered & many that sleep in the dust are to be rewarded awake & be rewarded & Daniel is to stand in his lot among them at the end of the days.

For the better understanding of these things it is to be noted that Daniel distinguishes the times of the He Goat into four \three/ grand periods. The first conteins his reign by his own power {till|w^ch|} till {A}|the| ships of Chittim come against him & the Romans conquer Macedon. And this period is noted by saying that the devices of Antiochus Epiphanes \against the holy coven^t/ shall not prosper <10v> for yet the end is to be after a certain time. The next period lasts while the Goat in {sic} mighty in the reign of his horn but not by his own power, & the|i||s| ends withe the breaki{n}g of the Roman Empires into the Greek & Latins Empires. And this is noted by saying that after the saints shall be holpen with a little help, those of understanding shall fall again even to the time of the end because it is yet for a time appointed. The third period therefore begins where the people of God after they have been holpen with a little help begin to fall again. And this is distinguished into three parts. The first is untill the reign of the king|dō| of the south, the second is during the reign of this kingdom & the third is during the reign of the kingdom of the north.

The Churches, Monasteries & religious houses being to the saints &

– to rule over many [by dedicating \to them/ the Churches, Monasteries, Nunneries & religious houses in every city \country/] & shall divide the earth [among them] for a patrimony, giving lands to those religious socie|t|ies & dedicating {illeg}|the| lands to the saints to whom the societies are dedicated. For as the lands dedicated to the {Chur} Bishopric of Rome are said to be given to S^t Peter & are called his patrimony, so the lands dedicated to any other Saint are the patrimony of that saint. As God is in scripture – – – – strong holds. And as the lands dedicated to the {t} given to the Bishopric of Rome are said to be given to S^t Peter & are \usually/ called his Patrimony so the lands Church lands given to \Churches Abbies/ Monasteries & other religious societies are the Patrimony of the Saints to whom the societies with their lands are dedicated.

Church, Abby, Monastery, \&/ Nunnery, religious house & society, being – – saint, & the

For \in {the}/ that kingdom arose out of the kingdom of Macedon Thrace & Phrygia in the reign of Lysimachus over those countries. It \arose by the revolt of Philetærus from Lysimachus &/ was at first exceeding little being only a castle the town of Pergamus with its castel & a f \& {a small d} & a small {districk}/ in Phrygia. {w^ch re}volted from Lysimachus It was By degrees it increased in power & at length took fro{m} the kingdom of Syria almost all Asia on this side the mountain Taurus And beating also the Gauls to whom it had been tributary, the governour of Pergamus was saluted king by his army. Afterwars|d|s it lost part of its territories to Antiochus the great but recovered all again by the assistance of the Romans. And continuing in strickt league with the Romans, it re|a|ssisted them in conquering the kingdom of Macedon in the eight year of Antiochus Epiphanes, Sept 5 Anno {Samuelis} 969 933 Seleus. 145 Sam. 933.

It is further to be conceived that when the woman fled from y^e Tem into the Wilderness she fled from the Temple on mount Sion in|th|rough the Wildernes of Arabia to the great city Babylon.|,| He & by this flight changed her Metropolis. Her first Metropolis was \seven Candlesticks representing/ the seven cities of Asia |represented by the seven Candlesticks in the first|, her second was the great City seated on seven mountains \in the Wilderness/. These mountains are literally the seven Hills on w^ch the {m} old Rome was seated, mystically \the/ \they are/ seven cit head cities, the seven head cities of the seven kingdoms w^ch remained after three of the first ten {m}{w} horns of Daniels fourth Beast were fe{l}l before the little horn. In opposition to the seven {As} \Mountains are Cities & as/ the four heads of the Leopard signify the four cities {k} chief kingdoms into {t} w^ch the greek Empire was \became/ divided a|f|t|er| the death \reign/ of Alexander the great, so the four \seven/ heads of y^e Beast are four & seven |in being called mountains are the royal cities of seven| contemporary kingdoms of w^ch the body of the Beast is composed,|:| after after three of the first {is} \w^ch kingdoms from their first division are/ are And \& when/ the Woman fled from the seven churches of Asia {to} \she {&} became/ the seven Churches of the{illeg}|s|e Cities|.| in These kingdoms in respect \on several respects are either t/ of their first division are constantly named the ten horns or ten kings but in respect of the number w^ch remained after three of them wer fell they are also the seven heads \division/ are also called the ten horns & ten kings. The Woman in flying from the Temple on mount Sion, fled from y^e seven Cadlesticks {sic} in that Temple w^ch are the seven churches of Asia & ceased to be illuminated by their lamps, & became the seven Churches of the cities represented by the seven mountains, & wo her people arriving at this new Metropolis worshipped the king of Babylon & his golden image.|,| And while the Babylonians tread under foot the holy City & a new Temple is built for those of the Captivity who will \do/ not worhsip them, as is thus described.

Ar|R|ise |&| measure the Temple \of God/ & |y^e| Altar & them that worship therein [that is their courts] but the court w^ch is w^thout the Temple leae|v|e out & measure it not for it is given |un|to the Gentiles & they sha the holy City they shall \they/ tred|a|d under foot forty & two months. All w^ch is an allusion to Ezekiels measuring the And I will give power |un|to my two Witnesses, & they shall prophesy 1260 days \cloathed/ in sackcloth. \These are the two Olive trees & the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth./ All w^ch is an allusion to Ezekiel|'s| measuring the Temple in y^e time of the Babylonian captivity, to signify that it should be rebuilt; & {illeg}|to| Zerubbabels rebuilding the T second Temple with its ( court \three courts,/ & the Altar with its court & the \a new/ court for \(the court{s} of the Temple, the {a} a new court of the altar & the new court of/ them that worship therein called the weomens court ,|)| & leaving unbuilt the outward court w^ch in Solomons Temple had been the peoples court {.}{,} & during all the reign of the Persians w^ch was two hundred years continued unbuilt & was given to the gentiles & \so that/ when the Greeks rebuilt it \it/ was called the gentiles |court.| And it alludes also to the prophesying of Haggai & Zechary at the building of the second Temple . {sic} & to the two Olive trees w^ch \in the prophesies of Zechary/ empty themselves into y^e Candlestick of this Temple Zech 4.     {illeg} Only instead of one Candlestick here are two to represent the two Witnesses. These Pro Witnesses in being called two Candlestick Olive trees & two Candlesticks are two Churches. For Candlesticks signify Churches Apoc. 1.20 & so do Olive trees Rom 1.17, 24. And these are \the churches of \✝/ |\the/ nations represented by the two| the iron leggs of Nebuchadnzzars {sic} Image/ the Churches of the earth & sea |[|above described. |]| |the Churches represented by the two leggs of the son of Man who in the form of an Angel sets his right foot upon the |s|ea{rth} & his left upon the earth. Thus is the Temple distinguished from the former by the number of candlesticks. In that there were seven Candlesticks to represent the seven Churches of Asia in this there are two candlesticks to represent the two Churches called the two witnesses & two Prophets.|

While the Dragon reigns over the whole R. Empire, the 144000 represent the saints of the whole & so do the two witnesses: but when the Dragon give|s| the Beast his throne & retires into the east the 144000 retire with him & become \being/ the name of the saints in his kingdom & the two Witnesses retire into the west being \hence forward/ the name of the saints of the earth & sea within the kingdom of the Beast. For

The Tabernacles & f{i}|ir|st Temple with the seven Candlesticks & seven Lamp{l}|s| \therein/ are the Church of God within the kingdom of the Dragon & the {ten ho} \& when the Beast rises out of the sea & receives the kin Dragons throne a/ second Temple with its two Candlesticks {was} \is built to represent/ the true Church of God within the kingdom of the Beast. {illeg} While the Dragon reigns over the whole Empire & includes the Beast in his mystical body the \first Temple & 7 Candles &/ 144000 are the true church of the whole , but so soon a \Empire/ & include the two Witnesses in their mystical body but when y^e Dragon retires gives his throne to the Beast & retires into y^e {east}, the Be \Eastern Empire, the first Temple \7 {candles}/ &/ 144000 retire with him & the \second Temple &/ two Witnesses become the name of the true Church within the kingdom of the Be{set}|ast| in the Western Empire. For the first Temple does not cease before y^e building of a second. {illeg} The Woman flyes from the Dragon & from this Temple into the wilderness & there she reigns over her Beast & a new Temple is built for the saints within their dominions \in the wilderness. {sic}/. For the Angels of the seven Churches po sound the seven Trumpets & pour out the seven vials at the \seven/ sacrifices of the se in this|e| \first/ Temple, & the two at the same time the two witnesses have power to send fire out of their mouth (like Elijah) against those who \will/ hurt them & have power to turn the waters into blood & smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will, that is, they & the seven Angels have a joynt power of smiting the earth with \all/ the seven plagues of the seven Trumpets & seven Vials of wrath & therefore they are \both of them/ contemporary to all those plagues They prophesy all this time but do not put on sackcloth till the abomination of desolation be set up. When the Gentiles set up the abomination of d worship of images in then they begin to be Gentiles properly so called & from that time they \it may be truly said y^e Gentiles/ {&} tread the holy city under foot 42 mo{n}ths, the two witnesses prophesy in sackcloth 1260 days, the woman is fed & nourished in the wilderness \in her place of honour by the {illeg} merchants of the earth & fares deliciously/ {&}|a| time times & haf|l|f a time or 1260 days, & the Beast acts by the agreement of the ten kings in religion under the dominion of the woman. For at first the ten kings differ in religion <11v> |both| from the woman & from one another. And its some time before they agree & submit to her & give their kingdom to her Beast so that she may be said to sit upon him, w^ch dominion is her place in the wilderness where she is nourished 1260 days in the wilderness 1260 days. And from that time the it may be said \also/ that times & laws are given into the hands of the little \horn/ of Daniels fourth Beast: the the|r|ee horns w^ch h opposed it or hindred it{s} rise being first pluckt up by the roots And all this time the two witnesses prophesided in the kingdom of t chiefly with respect to the western Empire \chiefly in the kingdom of y^e Beast/ because they were killed by the Beast & lay dead in the streets of the great city w^ch for its spiritual fornication is called Sodom \being the great Whore/ & for its cruelty \& oppression/ Egypt {illeg} where \or in whose kingdom/ o^r Lord was crucified. out of w^ch God will at length bring his people, & also {t} the great city where or in whose dominion o^e Lord was crucified that {b} is \new/ Babylon. These Witnesses have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophesy, that is they have the power of Elijah & prophesy in y^e days of reign of Iezabel reign of Iezabel, in a dry & barren season country compared in this prophesy to a wilderness.

So then the Dragon the Woman & the Te T fir first Temple Tabernacle or first Temple with its candlesticks & worshippers represent the whole Roman Emi|p|ire & \with/ the Church diffused through it untill during \in/ the primitive times untill the Empire beco|a|me divided \into two Empires/: & then for representing the |two| parts of y^e {t} both Empires \with their Churches/ distinctly, one Beast rises out of y^e sea & anon|t|her Beast rises out of the earth & a new \second/ Temple is built, & |&| \that/ the \& the two/ \& the two/ Empires {t|w|}ith their Churches false & true may be represented by \&/ the Dragon & first Beast, the second Beast & Woman & the two Temples w^th their Candlesticks & worshippers {& pr} are put for the two Empires with their Churches false & true: the distinguishing of all w^ch is necessary for understanding this prophesy.

& the Dragon & first Beast are put for the two Empires, the second Beast & Woman for their false Churches & the two Temples w^th their Candlesticks & worshippers them that worship in them for the \two/ true Churches diffused through them.

The 144000 being thus{e} separated from them that worship the Image of y^e Beast & receive his mark retire \from them/ \interdicted society & retire from the court of the people/ into the inward court {is} standing {illeg} at the eastern gate of that court where the Levites used to sing at the sacrifices \there with the Lam where the Lamb is & standing w^th the Lamb as it were upon the sea of glass/ |on mount Sion| before the throne & the elders & y^e four Beasts, th they sing a n that is between the Altar & \suppose at/ the Eastern Gate of that Court where the Levites used to sing at the sacrifices, they si{g}ng a new song at the seven \seven/ sacrifices while their Angels represented |{illeg}| by the seven lamps of this Temple po sound the seven trumpets & pour out the seven Vials of wrath at those \the same/ sacrifices. And in the mean time the twelve tribes worship the Dragon & the image of the Beast in the outward Court of the Temple w^ch is the \or/ court of the people \their own Court the outward court of the Temple till the seven plagues be fulfilled./ & in their synagogues: they being \For they are/ the synagogue of Satan who say they are Iews & are not, & the inhabitants of the Earth & Sea to where the Dragon came down \being convened in the Temple, in the {sic} outward Court where the Dragon came down to them/ when he was cast out of heaven by Michael |& where he reigns over them till he is cast into the bottomless pit. {sic}|. |[|The {illeg} heaven out of which they \he/ were|as| cast is \the inner court/ the Court of the Temple & Altar where the th\r/one of God is placed in this prophesy. {T} The He came down among the inhh|a|bitants of the earth & Sea who worship in come \who came {illeg} thither/ \assembled in the outward court/ from all parts of the earth & Sea to worship|,| there & there he reigns over them \seating himself in the kingdom of Pergamus/ till the seven plagues be fulfilled. |[|When he was first cast out of heaven & came down among the inhabitants of the earth & Sea he placed \had/ his throne in the kingdom of Pergamus. And at the Church at y^e same time God had |also| his Church in Pergamus. Henceforward there was a great struggle between the Kingdom of Pergamus & the But after Christ spewed the Church of Laodicea But when the Dragon made war upon the remnant of the womans seed & in a mystical sense killed those that would not worship the image of the Beast, that is dissolved their assemblies or bodies Ecclesiasto|i|cal or religious assemblies \& banished interdicted buying & selling to those who received his not the mark {of} that is expected them the society of/: {sic} then Christ spewed the visible Church of Laodicea out of his mouth |the|is| people: then Christ spewed the Church of Laodicea out of his mouth| not all the ch{r}istians of Laodicea but the visible Church . {A} And wh{en h}{o b}e of that City that is the visible Church Catholic represented at that time by the Church of Laodicea & from that time the Dragon {g} reigns over the inhabitants of the earth & sea havin worship the Image of the Beast in y^e outward Court{s} of the temple & in their synagogues, & the Dragon reigns over them having his throne in Pergamus. While the \seven/ Church|es| of Asia were the \in a/ visible form & represented the visible or any of them remained in a visible outward form representing the visible Church Catholick, Christ wrote epistles to them: but after they|ir| were \outward form was/ dissolved by the Dragon, & their number reduced to 144000 worshipping in the inward Court; he left of writing to them, & \they/ continued in the inward court singing a new song, that is prophesying & testifying against the \12 Tribes y^e nations/ inhabiting the Earth & sea. For singing is prophesying & prophesying & prophesying is testifying.

When the woman fled \from y^e Dragon/ into the wilderness it is to be conceived that she fled from the Temple w^ch was opened in heaven that Iohn might see the visions of the Woman & Dragon therein, & that she left in this Temple the remnant of her seed w^ch keep the commandm^ts of God & have y^e testimony of Iesus, & that the Dragon returning from y^e woman makes \made war/ upon this|e| remnant in the|is| Temple while the Woman fled \was flying/ through the Wilderness of Arabia to Babylon, & that the|is| remnant are \were/ the |the {sic} remainder of the {illeg} seven| churches of {by} w^ch worshippd {sic} God in this Temple [& are {must have} \w^ch that they/ continued to be \were still/ represented by the seven candlesticks untill the Dragon makes \made/ war upon them \continued to be/ were \still/ illuminated by the seven lamps]. The seven Candlesticks were at first the whole woman, but after her flight they were only this remnant.

It is further to be conceived that this Temple \being the Temple of Ierusalem/ stood on mount Sion, & was the same Temple with that on mount s|S|ion in w^ch the 144000 stood w^th the Lamb before the throne & before the four beasts Animals & before the Elders, & that the 144000 are they that {illeg} worship God in this Temple & by consequence the remnant of the Womans seed \or some part thereof |or so many of them as were sealed. {sic}|/. For they were sealed out of all the 12 Tribes of Israel who \& those Tribes/ worshipped in the Temple on mount of Ierusalem on mount Sion where the Lamb took the book & opened the seales thereof.

And therefore when all are killed who will not worship the Image of the Beast & all are interdicted by none are suffered to buy & sell except those who {rec} have the nam mark or name or number of the name of the Beast: we are to conceive that this is done by a persecution of the remnant of the Woman seed, & {illeg}|that| the|is| remnant is persecution is the war which the Dragon went to make upon this remnant. First the Dragon make persecuted the woman & makes \made/ her fly \from this Temple/ into the Wilderness & then so soon as she is g escapes|d| from him he turns ceases to pers turns|ed| from pursuing her & in anger goes \went/ to make war upon the remnant of her seed, {illeg} & [by the influence of the two horned Beast] interdicts|ed| by|u|ying & selling to all who will not re receive|d| not the mark or name or number of the other Beast. And thereupon all receive that mark or name or number except the 144000 who \by/ persisting\t {sic}ing/ in y^e truth \get the victory &/ are sealed {f}{F} w^c|t|h the name of God on their foreheads & stand on mount Sion with the Lamb.

It is further to be conceived that this persecution was raised by the influence of the two horned Beast. For When the first W He spake as the Dragon & was the \Prophet &/ Church of the Dragon & therefore the Dragon acted by his advice in matters of religion. He deter declared what ought to be done & in \those/ matters of religion & y^e Dragon was the temporal power w^ch put it in execution. {W} When the first Beast had been slain & revived & rose out of the sea the second Beast deified him & caused men (the subjects of the Dragon) to erect an image to him \made the Image speak as an Oracles/ & to worship it & to receive th{e|is|} \the/ mark \of this God deified Beast/ upon pain of being interdicted by|u|ying & selling \by the temporal power of the Dragon/. He had power to bring down fire from heaven upon earth in the sight of men, that is, to excommunic ex bring down war & persecution upon those that will not worship the Beast & his Image & rec{i|e|}ive his mark, & to cause them to be \either/ killed or excommunicated interdicted by|u|ying or selling \by the civil power magistrate/. For fire signifies war & this war w is the war w^ch the Dragon made upon w^th |went to make upon| the remnant of the Woman's seed. First the \fals Prophet/ excommunicates|d| that remnant & them & in pronouncing the excommunication {swings} \brought/ down a lighted torch \(as the custome is ) in excommunications)/ from above his head, w^ch is bringing down fire from heaven in a litteral sense, & then he delivers|ed| them up to the temporal power to be interdicted by as hereticks to be interdicted buying & selling, & banished humane society.

And since the two horned Beast sets up the worship of the other Beast by the power of the Dragon: it may be thence concluded that the Dragon & two Beasts are at this time of one & y^e same religion. All the world won{e}|d|ered after the beast & they worshipped [also] the Dragon w^ch gave power to the Beast. They all deserted the temple of God on mount Sion to worship these new Gods {r}|e|xcept the 144000: & this is what Christ calls spewing the Church of Laodicea out of his mouth.

Henceforward therefore the seven lamps in this Temple illuminate only the 144000, & the seven Churches represented by the seven Candlesticks being \overcome by the Nicolaitans &/ reduced to \this/ small a number, receive no more Epistles from Christ but to admonish them to oppose the rise & growth of those dangerous enemies: but \while they /yet\/ continue \still/ to worship God in his Temple & while their Angels represented by the{se}{ir} \seven/ lamps sound the seven Tumpets {sic} \at the sacrifices in this temple/ & pour out the seven vials of wrath , they stand {on} \at the \same/ sacrifices in this Temple the 144000/ |,| sing a new song or w standin at those |at the same| sacrifices, standing \all the time/ on mount Sion & on the sea of glass untill the solemnity be ended. [For this song seven times ended is repeated is the voice of the seven thunders. uttered by the uttered by the cloud w^th \w^ch/ the Angel is cloathed who stands on the \Sea &/ earth & sea, & the 144000 are that cloud.]

As the name of God in the forehead of the 144000 is opposed to the mark or name of y^e Beast on the forehead of his worshippers so the number of the|se| sa|14|4000 sealed on that have y^e name of God o \144000 &/ is opposed to the number of the Beast 666. & to count the|is| number \last number with relation to the former/ may be to count it in the same <12v> manner as the former number was counted. That number was counted not by extracting the root, for it is not a square number but by     multiplying 1200 \the number sealed in every Tribe/ by {the} \its divisor/ 12 the number of \all/ the twelve Tribes: A & this number 666 may \in little manner/ be counted by multiplying two number 222 by 3 its divisor 3. {sic} \& there is no other way of counting it in such a manner./ Now 222 consists of three binary numbers & \in the Pythagorean philosophy/ the binary is a cursed number , Pythagoras in the Pythagorean Philosophy because it divides from unity, & \the divisor/ 3 is the number of numeral letters χσ χξστ in the number of the Beast & the divisor 3 \three/ \& the divisor 3/ is the number of {let} into w^ch the great city of parts into w^ch y^e great City was divided at its fall as \the divisor/ 12 is the number of the Tribes of Israel. And as 12|th|e divisor 12 is y^e number of the \12/ Tribes of Israel so \the divisor/ 3 is the number of B parts into w^ch [the great city is divided at its fall. Tis also the number of Wos|e|s in inflicted on the worshippers of the Beast & the number of their Gods for they worship the Dragon the Beast & the Imag{e} of the Beast, & the number of descriptions of the seven plagues for they are described by y^e seven Trumpets seven Thunders & seven Vials of wrath. & the number of parts into w^ch] the earth \& trees/ & the sea & the \the sea & ships, the/ rivers &|the| sun moon & stars of \& & day & night of/ \the/ great Babylon \city are {sic}/ are divided, & into into {sic} w^ch also the great city is divided at its fall & {illeg} \the same number is also/ a fit symbol of the Dragon B\e/ast & his Image |&| the Dragon that old serpent, the Dragon the \the|r|ee/ Gods of \Gods worshipped by/ the Babylonians.] Let us therefore conceive that the [Dragon & 144000 continue in this Temple, & that y^e] 144000 are the true Church of God {w^th} the kingdom of y^e Dr. & continue in y^e Priests court upon y^e steps a singing a new song upon the steps at the eastern gate of y^e Priests court |where y^e Levites used to signg at y^e sacrifices, while the Dragon continues among the inhabitants of the earth & sea \& by consequence/ in the outward Court, \& by consequence in/ the court of the people, being cast {in} out of y^e court of the Priests in the battel w^ch he had w^th Michael.|