Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 70
Quest. 70. Of the number of Pasches, which Christ solemnized in the dayes of his flesh, whereby the time and yeares of his preaching is certainly gathered.
1. Whereas in the ende of the former question fowre Pasches are assigned, the second whereof should be mentioned Iohn. 5. 1. yet it is not expressely said to be the Pasche, but generally a feast of the Iewes: there are diuerse opinions conceiued hereof. 1. some thinke it was the feast of the Pentecost, which immediately followeth after the Pasche, which Iohn spake of before, c. 2. v. 13. of this opinion are Cyril, Chrysostome, Euthymius, Theophylaect, Thomas, Lyranus, i… the explanation of that place: But this cannot be: 1. after that Pasche Iohn 2. our Sauiour stayed a while in the citie: then he left the citie and Iudaea, and returned into Iudaea againe, and staied there a good while, Iohn 3. 23. after that he departed out of Iudaea, and went by Samaria to goe into Galile, at what time there were yet 4. moneths to haruest, Iohn. 4. 35. All these things could not be done in the space of fifty dayes betweene the Pasche and Pentecost: and beside the time of haruest is in the monethmonth Iiar, the next vntounto Nisa…, which answereth vntounto our March: wherefore this could not be the feast of Pentecost, which is not two moneths from the Pasche. 3. when a feast of the Iewes is named simply without any addition, it is vsually taken for the feast of the Passeouer, which was their chiefe and principall feast, as is euident, Matth. c. 26. Luk. 22. Iohn. 13. 2. An other opinion is, that this was one of the winter feasts, which were three, one of the dedication of the Temple, instituted by Iudas Macchabeus, lib. 1. Macchab. c. 4. which was kept the 25. day of the 9. monethmonth Cisleu: the second was the feast of the reedifying of the second Temple vnderunder Zerobabel, which was vponupon the 3. day of the last monethmonth Adar, whereof see Ezra. 6. 15. the third was the feast of lottes ordained by Mordecai and Esther, vponupon the 14. and 15. of the same monethmonth Adar, as is declared Esther. 9. some one of these three feasts, some thinke this to hauehave beene: so Caietan in 5. c. Ioan. Melchior Canus lib. 11. de loc. Theolog. But this is not like: for these were none of the principall feasts which were instituted by Moses at the Lords appointment: But this was a principall feast of the Iewes, because it is simply called a feast without any other addition, as is shewed before. 3. Wherefore vponupon the former reasons, this was likely to be the feast of the Passeouer, after the which in the next monethmonth immediatly followeth haruest: and in the former chapter it is said, there were 4. moneths then to haruest, c. 4. 35. And although in the next chapter following, c. 6. 4. mention is made of the Pasch, that letteth not, but that this may be the Pasch also: for it is vsuall with the Euangelists to ioyne things together which were done farre asunder, omitting many things comming betweene: as Matthew immediatly after the baptisme and 40. daies fast of our blessed Sauiour, treateth of the calling of the Apostles, which was done a good while after: So Iohn here omitteth those things which were done by our Sauiour betweene the 2. and 3. Pasch, especially because they are handled at large by the other Euangelists, Matth. c. 12. to 14. Mark. 2. to the 6. Luk. 6. to the 9.
2. As some would thus abridge the number of the feasts, and bring them to three: so some others would enlarge the number of them: as they which thinke that there passed a yeare betweene the baptisme of Christ, and the first miracle which he did in Cana of Galile: so that they thinke one of the Passeouers, which followed next after the baptisme of Christ, to be passed ouer in silence: to this opinion inclineth Pererius, and holdeth it to be an auncient receiued tradition. But this is confuted before, qu. 69. artic. 6.
3. Ios. Scal. also thinketh that there were fiue Passeouers between the baptisme of Christ, & his passion, making that mentioned, Matth. 12. 1. & Luk. 6. 1. to be the 3. Passeouer▪ beside those other 4. mentioned by the Euangelist S. Iohn: as is noted before, quest. 69. opinion the 4. But what small ground there is of this assertion, there it is likewise shewed.
Wherefore this remaineth as the best resolution, that because Christ onelyonly kept 4. Passeouers, neither more nor lesse after his baptisme, (as M. Lydyat well collecteth pag. 177.) that he liued onelyonly 3. yeares and so much as was from his baptisme to his first Passeouer, and so was put to death in the 33. yeare of his age: Now for the further manifestation hereof, before we proceede, it shall not be amisse breifely to touch the verie time of the yeare when Christ was borne, and the verie day of his passion.