A Letter to a Friend Touching Mordecais Age, Title page – Printer to the reader
A LETTER TO A FRIENDE, TOVCHING MARDOCHAI HIS AGE, which helpeth much to holde the trueth, for that chiefe prophecie of our ſaluation, in Gabriels ſeuenties, which ſhew that moſt exactly 490. yeeres after the Angels ſpeech Chriſt the moſt holy ſhould be killed to giuegive life. Dan 9.23.
1. Cor. 1.25.
The fooliſhnes of God is wiſer then men.
Imprinted for G.S. and W.W. 1590.
OMNE BONV̄ SUPERNE
The Printer to the Reader.
THat the Letter folowing might better be vnderſtoode, I requeſted the Autour, that one ſpeciall Text might be ſet before it, as he had tranſlated it. Dan. 9, 24. I heard him affirme, that none, for ſkill in Hebrew woulde blame that Tranſlation: and though many differ, it was not for ignorance of the toong: but by their conceite touchyng the matter, drawyng the wordes as they iudged of the whole cauſe. Thus he tranſlated that poynt, which was Gabriels ſpeeche: who came to Daniel, praying at the time of the euening offering, or three of the clocke, or ninth houre by Scripture phraſe: (*For ſo he vvriteth in the Letter.at which houre 490. yeeres after moſt exactly, our Lorde gaue vp the ghoſt:) and tolde, that at the beginning of his ‡So th'authour taught: that euen the faythles Ievve Aben ezra vponupon Dan. 9. beginneth the tyme from the vvorde that came foorth at Daniels prayer, and endeth it vvhen Chriſt is ſealed: And that the Ievv, though he coulde not caſt the times particularly, nor knevv Chriſt to be the moſt Holy, yet durſt not depart from the proprietie of playne vvordes, to peruert the ſpech of the lyuing GOD, and he vvyshed others that circumſpection. Such as begin and ende to that effect may not make here a certaine number for an vncertaine.prayer came foorth the worde (or anſwere from God) which he came to ſhew: and ſaith thus. Seauentie ſeauens (of yeeres) are cut out, for thy people, and for thy holy Citie: to conſume wickednes, and to abolyſh ſinnes, and to make reconciliation for iniquitie, and to bring righteouſnes euerlaſting, and to ſeale Viſion and Prophet, and to ſhew Chriſt the Holy of Holy. Know & marke: from the outgoing of the Worde, to returne & to buylde Ieruſalem, vntounto Chriſt the gouernour, ſhalbe ſeauen ſeauens (of yeeres) and ſixtie and two ſeauens: (in th'other) it ſhalbe reſtored and buylded, Streete and Wall, and troublous ſhall theſe times be. In that after the ſixtie and two ſeauens Chriſt ſhalbe killed: and not for him ſelfe: therevpon the Citie and holy place ſhall he deſtroy, the Gouernours owne people to come: and their ende ſhalbe with a Flood: and at the ende of warre, it ſhall hauehave a finall iudgement to deſolation. But he ſhall confirme the Testament for many the laſt Seauen: when in Halfe that ſeauen he ſhall ende the Sacrifice and Oblation. Afterterwardes by an Armie abominable he ſhall make a deſolation: euen tyll vtter deſtruction and finall iudgement flow vponupon the deſolate. And this much for the Readers preparation, to vnderſtand the Epiſtle folowing.