Two myftical Numbers ending at one and the fame point,afford us light into this Queltion; the one is Daniels one thousand three hundred thirty five dayes, Chap.12.12, the other his two thoufand three hundred, Chap.8.14. I fhall fay no more as touching the first then what I have al ready written in my Key, judging what I have there laid down; Thefi 20. and Thefi 37. to be fufficient as to it. My prefent Difcourfe fhall therefore proceed upon the latter, viz. of the two thousand and three hundred dayes, Cons

The common-road opinion,is that the little Horn mentioned in this eight of Daniel is to be understood of Antiochus Epiphanes;the two thoufand and three hundred days to be natural dayes, a day confifting of four and twenty hours to the whole ma king up fix years, three months, and twenty dayes, which the Authors & Favourers of this opinion ap ply to the time of Antiochus rage against the Jews.

Now in order to our anfwer hereunto, let us premile, That the Feet and Toes of the Great Image, Chap.2. The little Horn Chap.7. The vile perfons Chap. 1. who is defcribed from yerl 21. to vetf.40, and the little Horn in his fecond State, or focond waxing great,in this eighth Chapt ter, are ope and the fame, the very fame fate of perfon (if a particular perfon be here meant ) is fignified by all there.

And this needs no proof, becau's the common opinion hath granted it, by making application H &

of

of all that the Holy Ghoft hath spoken, as touching either of these, to that horrible Monster Antiochus Epiphanes; thereby plainly confeffing that one and the fame thing is fignified in the aforefaid parts of each Prophefie.

This premifed, let us examine what truth there is in this principle fo much hugged and contended for by many, as the onely door of light into Daniel.

And although more can hardly be faid in anfwer hereunto then what hath been already by fome worthy men of later times, who have oppofed themselves to this opinion, as Mr. Archer in his Perfonal Reign, The Author of Clavis Apocalyptica ad incudem revocata, but above all, the learned Parker in his Daniels Vifions and Prophefies expounded; yet because in principles that men are wedded too (as ordinarily they are to all, be they right or wrong, that have but a crowd of learned men to Patronize them) they had rather (to ufe the Popish Proverb) beleeve as the Church beleeves, then look out for an Author that is contrary to their mind. I think it worth my rains in oppofition to this opinion,to prefent here (though I fhall but multiply whilft I lo do things already publifhed) fome of thofe Arguments that are and may be brought againft it; not doubting but that those who fincerely love truth, will fee reason enough to be of my mind; as for others, who following the genius of this age, which is to be fick, fullen, and humorfome, when any truth croffeth thofe principles they have received by tradition from their Forc-fathers, have a principle or a

will (I know not which I may call it) that they will not fee any thing but with the eyes of their Fore-fathers, or the multitude of the learned Doctors of the time, let Scripture or right reason fpeak ever fo clear or puntual; I leave fuch to the judgement of being yet farther blinded.

But to come to the opinion it felf, the Question is, whether doth this Propkefie, Chap.8. run upon Antiochus Epiphanes or no? This refolved,it will be eafily determined whether the dayes are Natural or Prophetical.

To this I answer, That Antiochus Epiphanes, notwithstanding Commentators have fearfully and fhamefully fretched the Text, Reafon, and the very finews of the ancient Hiftories to gather up fomething that might colourably make the whole to agree to him, cannot be the perfon here meant, unleffe we look upon him as a common Tyrant and Perfecutor, and fo I deny not but that many things fpoken of Antichrift that Grand Tyrant and Perfecutor of the Saints, may very fitly be applied to him. Yea I think withail that there might be a fpecial defign of God in it, that many of the things here mentioned fhould be fairly appliable to him and others, that fo thereby doors of miftake might be left open, and by it the Prophefie kept fealea (which otherwite in an ordinary way could not have been) untill the appointed time. And the fame defign feems to me to run alfo through the Book of the Revelations, in opening which it is very cafic to millake, if every thing which hath a plautible look, and fair colour outwardly, may prelently be taken up as an Inpretation,

H 3

Bur

But to paffe this, and come to the thing, That this Prophefie (as holds the common opinion) fhould terminate in Antiochus Epiphanes, and fo have its fulfilling before the firft coming of Chrift, cannot be.

My Reafon is, Because it will not agree to the mind of the Holy Ghost in any one of Daniels four Prophefies before mentioned.

First, To begin with that of the Great Image, Chap.2. This opinion doth no way correlpond with the truth of that Prophefie.

Becaufe that Prophefe runs down into the latter dayes (or the end of dayes, as our new Annotationists upon the Bible render it) verf.28. But there is a God in Heaven that revealeth fecrets, and maketh known to the King Nebuchadnezzar what hall be in the latter dayes. But this cannot be, fhould the whole have its accomplishment two hundred years before Chrifts birth, as this opinion doth, and muft neceffarily maintain; for Antiochus Epiphanes whofe Kingdome they will have to belong to the Feet and Toes (which are the extreme and utmost parts of the Image, and therefore the clofe of the Prophefie) reigned two hundred years before the birth of Christ.

2 Because the Iron legs are called the fourth "Kingdome or Monarchy, verf. 40. And the fourth ·Kingdome fhall be strong as Iron; but this opinion which applies the legs and feet to the Race of the Seleucida, and Antiochus Epiphanes one of that Race, makes the Iron legs and feet a part of the third Kingdome of Monarchy; for the houfe of the Seleucida and Antiochus Epiphanes, are Tube by

by Chronologers generally reckoned as a part of the third or Grecian Monarchy,

3 Because the fourth Kingdome is that which breaks in peeces all the foregoing Kingdomes and Monarchies, ie. it fubdues to it felf whatsoever was before fubject to any of the other Monarchies, verf. 40, for as much as Iron breaketh in peeces and fuodueth all things, and as Iron that breaketh all thefe, fhall it break in pecces and bruife.

This alfo appears from verf. 35. because the ftone that finites, upon its fmiting, breaks the Braffe, the Silver, the Gold, as well as the Iron and Clay, though yet it fmites no other but the feet of Iron and Clay, which thews that w ever was in the three first parts of Gold, Silver, Braffe, was now by fucceffion come to the Iron and Clay, which mitten, the whole is broken. But this was never done by the Seleucida in general, nor Antiochus Epiphanes in fpecial, therefore cannot relate to him or them, but had a punctual fulfilling in the Roman Monarchy, which fucceeded the Grecian, and fwallowed up whatsoever the foregoing Monarchies, poffelfed...

4 Because in the dayes of thefe Kngs the God of Heaven fets up his own Kingdom, verf.44. But this Kingdome (according to the principle of those who are our Opponents, who beginit not till Chrifts Birth) was not fet up in the dayes of the Seleucide, nor of Antiochus Epiphanes; for the whole Kingdome of the Seleucide, you the whole Greek Empire (lower then which this H 4

opi