An Apology in Brief Assertions, Title page – Author to the reader
AN APOLOGIE IN BRIEFE ASSERTIONS DEFENDING THAT our Lord died in the time properly foretold to Daniel.
For ſatisfaction of ſome ſtudentes in both Ʋniuerſities.
H. BROVGHTON.
LONDON, Imprinted by WILLIAM KEARNEY dwelling within Creeple-gate. 1592.
To the right noble Lord, Sir Peregrine Bertye Knight, Lord of VVilloughby and Eresby.
ARiſtotle the wittie philoſopher (right Honorable) noteth, that as the eyes of Battes are affected towardes the light in the day: ſo is the minde of our ſoule to thoſe things, which of Nature are verie manifeſt.
That appeareth in all our ſtudies: wherein, after manie yeeres paines, we get but that which in the ende we ſee to hauehave been cleere in the firſt, if our eyes had been opened to behold them: and finde that we may ſoone ſhewe vntounto others, manifolde obſcure points quicklie, which our ſelues were long in ſearching.
Your Lordſhip by experience in my ſtudies, may bee a fit example herein. For, whereas I ſpent manie yeeres labour in ſearching the Concent of holy Writers, which hauehave penned for vsus the Booke of Truth, cleering the Prophecies vntounto their euents, through the right Famylies and courſe of times, and to compell other Hebrewes and Greekes to ſerue them: your Lordſhip learned after little direction, that which I could not finde in paines of long continuance: and that no leſſe for Scripture, than for old Heathen ſtories.
And euen as I was long in contriuing of them into an order, which ſoone might hauehave been ſeene: ſo others, in ſtudie my Ancients, of great fame and deſert, for matters triable by ey-ſight (and thereupon euident vntounto all, who will reſt vponupon Gods authoritie) either will not, or can not ſee that, which now I beholde as cleere as the Sunne in his greateſt brightnes: and I knowe that your Lordſhip doth no leſſe.
Yea, who would not be our ſuretie? when the ſtriuer is confuted with the verie title of the Defence, THAT CHRIST our Lord died in the time properly foretold to Daniel. Alſo, who would not acknowledge the weaknes of mans minde, when this Apologie is found extreamely needfull, for satisfaction of ſome Students in both Vniuerſities? One learned man of the one Vniuerſitie told mee, that an aduerſarie had turned all againſt mee, all of all degrees: in ſo cleere a caſe, that hee preſently was driuen to yeeld vntounto mee, as ſoone as he heard the proprietie for which wee ſtroue. For when I told him of Gabriels prophecie, I asked him, whence the time muſt be counted, and whether? He ſaid, from the ſpeaking, and vntounto our Lord his death. I bad him tell their D. that he muſt doo ſo too. So he doth, ſo he yeeldeth vntounto mee, ſo our cauſe had been determined by the ſtriuer, if the blindnes of ſome had not ben meruailous: who hauing loſt their hold, (not three daies before they perceiue it, as the Babylonians) but three yeeres, yet triumph of a victorie: ſo that ſome of the other Vniuerſitie, began a little to triumph with them. Hereupon this Apologie I write in defence of my ſelfe, of Daniell the wiſe, of Gabriel the angell, and of mine Aduerſarie, againſt himſelfe: that the middle ſpace cannot by religion, learning, arte, or wit, be holden vncertaine: neither hath he Heathen concent anie thing worth, but in the parts deſpiſed, by all Writers vponupon the Prophetes and Apoſtles, and alſo by prophane Greekes, the moſt ancient, and the lateſt. Theſe two poynts end the controuerſie. I commend to your Lordſhippes protection my cauſe: which (I thinke) ſhall more neede authoritie, than skill to defend it. Art careth not for the manie of Aduerſaries: yet to bridle manie ſtriuers vnſeaſonable and vnreaſonable, authoritie of high perſonages, (who priuately maye deale) is now for mee ſpecially requiſite.
Your Honours to commaund: Hugh Broughton.
The Autor to the Reader.
TOuching the iudgement of thoſe Diuines, which I cyte, for their expoſition of Daniels prophecie, it were long to bring their whole ſtyle: the ſumme is this, That from the end of the Babylonian captiuitie, the firſt ſeauen muſt be reckoned: and the laſt hath in it our Lords death. With that mure aduerſarie once agreeeth: yet goeth againſt himſelf, ſaying, that the Angel meant no certaine time: and that 107. yeeres are betwixt the returne, and the building of the Temple. 75. more than I hold, and 5, leſſe thence to Tiberius than I make. The whole I make 70. ſeauens, and ſtand to that: he once 70. and againe 80. and againe a number vncertaine: which he thinketh, that Olympiades can bring to certaintie of, not 490. yeeres, but 560. preciſely. And he thinketh for this to diſanul the common iudgments of Iewes and Greekes vppon the Scripture: and that accompts from Olympiades with Romanes and Chaldeans can make his cauſe good. This I am to ouerthrow, by that wit, learning, and religion, vtterly forbid to hold vncertainty, where the limits be certain in Daniel for our Lords redemption. And that particulers from the Prophets, holden of Church and Synagogue, as I doo, are holden aright; and that prophane teſtimonies faile him. In handling prophane teſtimonies: The fall of Troy, Olympiades, Cyrus Monarchie, Xerxes warre, Lyſanders, Alexanders: the diſtaunces of theſe I am driuen to handle, & proue that in all theſe, euen faithles Greeks diſproue them, whom mine aduerſarie followeth: and alſo they whom he moſt alloweth, do him vtterly confute. He reading among men yong in yeres, yonger in theſe ſtudies, and not putting in print his Lectures: I entered abruptly into the cauſe, to meete with ſtriuers, haſtie to broach ſtreames of errors.