Works, Book 4 · Letter 8
EPISTLE VIII.
Mr. Mede's Answer to Mr. Hayn's Second Letter, about several passages in Daniel and the Revelation.
SIR,
I Received yours at the Commencement: wherein I found, if I should answer to every part, I should have as many Questions to dispute as I sent you Theses: The experience of which multiplications in that kind makes me so backward in Collations by writing, So that I can with much more patience endure to be contradicted, than be drawn to make Reply. But all this time, the truth is, I had no leisure, nor yet have, and am presently also to go into the Countrey, where I shall stay some weeks, and have no opportunity to write. That I might not therefore in the mean time seem too much too neglect you, I have caused a Scholar of yours to write out something I had by me in a Paper long ago written, wherein you may further see my Opinion, and some part of the grounds thereof.
When I return, and have more leisure, I shall answer to what I find Principal in your Replies; but not to what is Circumstantial: for so the business would grow too tedious for my pen. In the mean time I would desire you to believe that I have read the most that hath or can be said for that Opinion, either by the chief Patrons thereof, Broughton and Iunius, or their followers, Polanus, Piscator, D. Willet; and that whilst I was yet free, and first began with these kind of studies; and yet found nothing that could in the least measure perswade me to be of their mind: And I see now that the modern Writers, and even some of their Scholars, return to the ancient opinion, and forsake their Masters in this point. This I speak, not to boast of my reading in this controversie, but to shorten your Discourses which you may send hereafter; you shall need but touch, and spare the labour of so much enlargement. But a word or two to your Reply.
Whereas you say, The ground of the expectation of the coming of Christ when be came, was the Fall or expiration of the Fourth Kingdom; I utterly deny it. The ground was the near expiration of Daniel's 70 weeks, concurring with the foreign of the Fourth Kingdom, the Roman; during which his Kingdom was to be first revealed, and at the end of which consummated. Besides, I acknowledge no place, in this account of Kingdoms, for the Greeks after Antiochus Epiphanes, where the Holy Ghost*Dan. 8. 23. See the last Discourse but one in Book III. Regnum Romanum est Regnum quartum Danielis. Argum. 3. expresly placeth the end of that Kingdom; much less will admit Cleopatra to prolong it, and and that too after the Romans had subdued Iudaea.
You mistake my Answer, That the Roman or Fourth Kingdom was revealed to Daniel in imagine confusa. For I meant it neither absolutely, as if it had no distinction in its description, nor in comparison with the former Three, than which in that place it is more particular and distinct. But I meant it was in imagine confusa, in respect of those distinct. States and times thereof which were revealed unto S. Iohn, and not unto Daniel: that it was confused in comparison of that which was more particular of the same subject: As is Daniel's description of the second and third Beast in the seventh Chapter, compared with that more particular description of the same in the eighth and eleventh Chapters.
Whereas you say, The Iews since Christ brought in this opinion of the Roman to be the Fourth Kingdom, that so they might the better maintain their expectation of Messiah yet to come, because that Kingdom was yet in being; I say, it was affirmed by whosoever first affirmed it without all ground, authority, or probability; the contrary also being easie to be proved, viz. That the Iews were of this opinion before our Saviour came; as appears in Ionathan Ben Vziel, the Chaldee Paraphrast, and by the fourth Book of Esdras, which, whatsoever the authority thereof be, is sufficient to prove this, being written by a Iew, (for it is, saith Picus, the first of their seventy Books of Cabbal… ) and before our Saviour's coming, as appears by many passages of Messiah expected, and yet to appear within four hundred years after that supposed time of Esdras. Certainly he that wrote it meant no hurt to Christians; as will easily appear to him that that reads it, and finds the Name Iesus, and so often mention of the Son of God. Which I note, in case you should rather think it written after Christ. If it were, it was certainly by a Christian. The ancient mention thereof is by Clemens Alexandrinus Anno 200. though I know some body affirms the first mention thereof is by S. Ambrose, two hundred years after; sed fallitur. Yet I take not the Book to be Canonical Scripture.
As for the Christian Doctors, it is well known that both Iustin Martyr (within 30 years of S. Iohn's death) and Irenaeus were of this opinion, and knew no other amongst Christians; and yet they both lived and conversed with the Apostles immediate Disciples, and the latter of them brought up at Polycarpus's feet, who was S. Iohn's Disciple, and could relate to Irenaeus (as himself saith) what S. Iohn was wont to do and speak. Therefore Eusebius was not worth the naming, as caught with this trap; seeing it cannot be proved that ever any Christian before him or after him, till after S. Hierome's time, held the contrary; and then too was soon checked and not heard of again till the last Seculum.
But as for the opinion you would perswade to, it was first broached by Porphyrie, an enemy of Christ, to the end he might prove the Prophecy of Daniel counterfeit, and written about the time of the Maccabes, soon after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, and so prophesied nothing but ab eventu, as meaning by the Fourth Kingdom the Seleucidae, &c. not the Roman. See S. Hierome upon those Chapters of Daniel 7. & 11. and you will admire the Expositions and Evasions of Porphyrie should be the same almost, yea in circumstances, with those of Iunius, &c. But S. Hierome in his time knew no Christian that had been of that opinion. Let any man shew as much for what you affirm of the Iews, as insinuators of this opinion in praejudicium fidei Christianae.
The Purport of the Four Kingdoms in DANIEL: or The A. B. C. of Prophecie.
THE FOUR KINGDOMS in Daniel are twice revealed: First, to Nebuchadnezzar, in a glorious Image of Four sundry Metals; secondly, to Daniel himself, in a Vision of Four diverse Beasts arising out of the Sea. The intent of both is by that succession of Kingdoms to point out the time of the Kingdom of Christ, which no other Kingdom should succeed or destroy.
Nebuchadnezzar's Image Daniel 2.
Nebuchadnezzar's Image points out Two States of the Kingdom of Christ. The First to be while those times of the Kingdoms of the Gentiles yet lasted, typified by a Stone hewen out of a Mountain without hands, the Monarchical Statue yet standing upon his feet. The Second not to be until the utter destruction and dissipation of the Image, when the Stone having smote it upon the feet, should grow into a great Mountain, which should fill the whole earth. The First may be called, for distinction sake, Regnum Lapidis, the Kingdom of the Stone; which is the State of Christ's Kingdom which hitherto hath been: The other, Regnum Montis, the Kingdom of the Mountain, (that is, of the Stone grown into a Mountain, &c.) which is the State of his Kingdom which hereafter shall be. The Intervallum between these two, from the time the Stone was first hewen out (that is, the Kingdom of Christ was first advanced) until the time it becomes a Mountain (that is, when the*Rev. 10. 7. Mystery of God shall be finished) is the Subject of the Apocalyptical Visions.
Note here, first, That the Stone is expounded by Daniel to be that lasting Kingdom which the God of Heaven should set up. Secondly, That the Stone was hewen out of the Mountain before it smote the Image upon the feet, and consequently before the Image was dissipated; and therefore that the Kingdom typified by the Stone, while it remained a Stone, must needs be within the times of those Monarchies, that is, before the last of them (viz. the Roman) should expire: Wherefore Daniel interprets, Ver. 44. That in the dayes of these Kingdoms (not after them, but while some of them were yet in being) the God of heaven should set up a Kingdom which should never be destroyed, nor left (as they were) to another people; but should break in pieces and consume all those Kingdoms, and it self should stand for ever. And all this he speaks as the Interpretation of the Stone; Forasmuch (saith he) as thou sawest that a Stone was cut out of a Mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold. Here make the full point; For these words belong not to that which follows (as our Bibles by mis-distinguishing seem to refer them,) but to that which went before of their Interpretation. But the Stone's becoming a Mountain he expounds not, but leaves to be gathered by what he had already expounded.
Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts, Dan. 7.
The same Kingdoms of the Gentiles are typified here which were in the former of Nebuchadnezzar's Image; namely, the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman. Only Nebuchadnezzar's Image pointed out both States of Christ's Kingdom, first Lapidis, then Montis: But Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts omits the first, (which was to be while the Fourth Beast yet lived) and designs the last only, when that ruffling Horn's time being finished, and the Beast destroyed, The Ancient of daies gives the Son of man a Kingdom, wherein all nations, tongues and people should serve and obey him. Dan. 7. 13.
The Reason: Nebuchadnezzar, a Gentile, was a Type of the Gentiles, who were to have their part in both estates of Christ's Kingdom; wherefore both are shewn him. Daniel, a Iew, was a Type of the Iews, who…e nation should have no share in the first, but only in the last, and therefore the last is only shewn him.
This Vniversal Kingdom of the Son of man revealed in the clouds of heaven, which Daniel here saw, and which the Angel expounds to be the Kingdom of the Saints of the most High, Rev. 11. 15.is the same with that voiced in the Apocalyps, upon the sound of the seventh Trumpet, All the Kingdoms of the World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Compare them.
Whence it will follow, That those finishing times of the Fourth Beast, called A Time, Times, and half a Time, during which that wicked Horn should domineer and ruffle it among his ten Kings, are the self-same Time which the Angel in S. Iohn forewarn th… should be no longer, as soon as the seventh Angel began to sound, Chap. 10. 6.
The self-same Times, whose finishing the same Angel swears unto Daniel (in the same form and gesture he doth to S. Iohn) should be the period of those wondrous afflictions of the Church, and of the scattering of the power of the holy people, Dan. 12. 7.
And consequently, those very Times of the Gentiles whereof our Saviour speaks, Luke 21. 24. that the treading down of Ierusalem and dispersion of the Iews should last until the Times of the Gentiles were finished: even the same Times whereof*See this Prophesie of Tobit explained in pag. 579. Tobit harped, Chap. ult. That notwithstanding Iudah should again after a while return and build a second Temple, yet should not the Vniversal restitution be, nor Israel return from all places of their Captivity, foreign.
Lastly, the same Times with S. Iohn's Apocalyptical Times of the renewed Beast's blasphemous reign, and profanation of the Temple and City of God forty two months, or 1260 days: Forasmuch as the same Kingdom of our Lord Christ is the immediate and common consequent to them all.
Compare them.
When Daniel's times are done, the Son of man comes in the clouds of heaven, to receive the Empire of all the Kingdoms of the world, Dan. 7. 14.
When S. Lukes times of the Gentiles are finished,*For foreign, v. 25. …, T…en shall be Signs: So the Hebrews use that copulative, and the Greek Testament with them. then shall be Signs in the Sun and Moon; the Son of man comes also in the clouds of heaven, ver. 27. the redemption of Israel, ver. 28. and the Kingdom of God is at hand, ver. 31.
When S. Iohn's Apocalyptical Beasts forty two months reign with the Witnesses 1260 days mourning, determine; the Ark of the Covenant is seen in heaven, and all the Kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, Apocal. 11. 15. ad finem.
An APPENDIX.
The First coming of Christ was to be while the Fourth Kingdom was yet in being; his Second, when it should end. The hewing of the Stone out of the mountain, (which is the rearing of the Kingdom of Christ) was before it smote the Image upon the feet, and upon the destruction thereof became so great a Mountain as filled the whole earth. Therefore the hewing out of this Stone was while this Image was yet in being.
Daniel himself interprets the Stone to be the Kingdom of Christ, (not Christ himself) and saies that the God of heaven should set it up in the days of those Kings, or Kingdoms, that is, adhuc currente horum Regum periodo, vel diebus Tetrarchiae hujus nondum expletis, whilest the daies of those Kingdoms of the Gentiles yet lasted, or before they expired; namely, whilst the last of those Kingdoms was still current and in being. He that shall here expound [in the daies] to mean [after the days] shall give me leave not to believe him, unless also he can perswade me, that the Stone which smote the Image was hewed out of the mountain after the Image was dashed in pieces and vanished.
The Iews in our Saviour's time expected the Messiah's coming before the times of the Fourth Kingdom expired. For they looked it should be destroyed by him after he was come, and then the Kingdom restored to Israel. According to that of Dan. 7. when the Beast should be slain and his body destroyed, the Kingdom should be given to the people of the Saints of the most High. Only they thought not the distance between the first coming of Christ and his destruction of the Fourth Beast to be so long. Whence was that question of the Apostles to our Saviour at his Ascension, Wilt thou now restore the Kingdom to Israel.Acts 1.
But I am gone much further than ever I intended, and therefore will here make an end. I make question whether you can read my scribling: If you can, I hope you will excuse my hast. And so I commend you to the divine protection, and am
Your loving Friend, Ioseph Mede. Christ's Colledge, Iuly 22.