the daily facrifice and the tranfgreffion of the defolator, to give both the fanctuary and the host to be troden under foot; i. e. declar'd that very state of the Jewish Church whilft the Courts of the Temple, or the Holy City were to be given to the Gentiles and to be troden under foot by them, from the Days of Titus Vefpatian; which, diftinctly from all the other Visions in Daniel, or in the whole Bible, is determin'd by EveningMornings, and folemnly ftil'd the Evening-Morning Vision; which is not explain'd by the Angel when all the reft are; which is in a particular manner afferted to be True and Certain; which was to be feal'd and shut up, as of no ufe for a long time; which is exprefly faid to be for many days or times long future; and which, laftly, had no completion in thofe ages with the reft of the foregoing Prophecy, as has been already prov'd: Lemma. I. This Vifion, I fay, which determins the Period of the Chur- Prius ches Pollution to 2300 days, from the time it was feen, does most exactly and furprizingly agree with the computation above i. e. to A. D. 1716. For 2300 Chaldean years of 360 days apiece are equal to 2266 Julian years, and 344 days, or in a round Number to 2267 Julian years; and the date of the Vifion is in the third Dan. 8. 1. year of the Reign of Belshazzar King of Babylon, who is call'd Nabonadius in) the Aftronomical Čanon; and as far as can poffibly be determin'd from that Canon and Xerophon compared together, exactly correfponds to the year of the Julian Period 4162. If therefore we add to that year 2267 Julian years, we fhall arrive at the 6429th year of the Julian Period, i. e. to the grand Period fo often mentioned. A. D. 1716.

Scholium, 4. It may not be improper to obferve here alfo the exact agreement of the two last famous numbers in Daniel with the ftate of things in the Chriftian Church, agreeably to our present interpretation of the Apocalypfe. Daniels words are these.

7. And when he shall have accomplished to fcatter the power of the holy people all these things shall be finished.

8. And I heard but I understood not: then faid I, O my Lord what shall be the end of these things.

9. And he said go thy way Daniel; for the words are closed up and fealed till the time of the end.

10. Many

Dan. 12. 7.

10.-19.

10. Many fhall be purify'd, and made white, and tryed: But the wicked fhall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall underftand, but the wife fhall understand.

11. And from the time that the daily facrifice fhall be taken away, and the abomination of the defolator be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

12. Bleffed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred five and thirty days.

13. But go thon thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and ftand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Now concerning thefe numbers; which I own to be the moft obfcure of any in Daniel; and perhaps of any in the whole prophetick writings; I fhall propose an almost new Opinion of my own, or rather Conjecture; for I do not fee foundation for any thing more hitherto. In order to the explaining of which I obferve concerning them.

(1) That thefe Prophecies, and thofe adjoining to them belong to the Times after the deftruction of Jerufalem, and the great difperfion of the Jews thereupon; as appears by the words firft fet down, And when he shall have accomplish'd to fcatter the power of the holy people all these things shall be finished. For whether we interpret this accomplishing to fcatter by the beginning, or by the ending their difperfion, it however appears to belong to the great Captivity ofthe Jews begun by Titus Vefpatian, and not at all to that affliction they endured under Aniochus Epiphanes. I obferve,

(2) That thefe Vifions were to be fut up and conceal'd from all Men, even from Daniel himself, till towards the end of the World, or the time when they fhould be moft of them fulfill'd: as appears by the words here, go thy way DaSee alfo Ifa.29. niel; for the words are clofed up, and fealed till the time of the end: or, as it is in the fourth verfe foregoing, but thou O Daniel fout up the words and feal the Book even to the time of the end. Nay that time of the end feems to be particularly characteriz'd in the next words by the vaft Improvement of Knowledge and Learning at that time: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge or learning fhall be increafed. Whence I obferve,

(3) That

(3) That fince 'tis but in these two or three laft Centuries that Learning has been fo particularly improv'd, as every body is fenfible; and fince most of the things prophecyed of by Daniel, do now appear to have been fulfill'd; thefe laft Ages and the prefent, are the only ones wherein, according to the Prophecy it felf, the understanding of thefe Vifions could be expected: and *therefore by the way the particular expofitions of the Ancients, are not much to be regarded by us in thefe matters. I observe, (4) That fince thefe Prophecies relate to the Times after the taking away the daily facrifice, and fetting up the Abomination of the Defolator, not by Antiochus Epiphanes, but by Titus Vefpatian; as appears by the feattering of the Power of the holy People,to be accomplish'd alfo at the fame time; 'tis not unreasonable to date them from that time, rather than from the times of Antiochus; which are not at all concern'd herein. I obferve farther,

(5) That thefe 1290. & 1335. Days, or years thereby meant, may fairly be expounded, not of Chaldean but of Julian years: becaufe here is no date from the times of the Chaldeans, or of Daniel; or from any time in which the Chaldean year continu'd in the World: but all belongs to the interval after the deftruftion of Jerufalem: and we know that no other than the Julian Year obtain'd then over all the Roman Empire. I obferve therefore in the last place,

(6) That these two Numbers will most naturally hint to us those two remarkable Preludes to the Proteftant Reformation; or moft Eminent Discoveries of the Frauds and Idolatry of Antichrift, and beginning of thofe Publick Seceffions from him (of whofe Duration the Angel had juft before been fpeaking) which laid the Foundations of the English and German Reformations. For if we add the former Number 1290 Years to A. D. 70, the Year of the Deftruction of Jerufa

Confequitur Patrum autoritatem in negotio Antichrifti & noviffimorum temporum (utut in aliis multum iis tribuendum fit) omnino nullam effe: utpote quorum ætate Myfterium illud juxta Angeli prophetiam adhuc claufum & obfignatum foret: non igitur effe cur hic Patrum opinationibus tantopere moveamur, ut multi folent. Med. De numeris Danielis. p. 891. lem;

Oxf. 1508.

we shall come to t A. D. 1360. the very time of the beginning of Wickliff's famous oppofition to Antichrift, as Helvicus exactly places Him; and as the Author of his life affures us in thefe James's life of words. He began to defend his Opinions when he was very Young, Wickliff at the and continued till he was very Old; conftantly retaining and mainend of his Apo-taining the fame, some few excepted: which he reformed and logy for him refined more and more, as he grew in Years and Knowledge. He was Doctor of Divinity almost 30 Years: and for fome few "Years Parfon of Lutterworth in Leicestershire. He had fom'time been Fellow of Merton, and Mafter of Baliol College: • and, as fome write, benefic'd in Oxford. He began to be fa'mous about the year of our Lord 1360. and dyed in the year 1387. in high favour both with God and Men. And the fame is fully attefted by the very Learned Mr. Wharton in his Appendix ad particular account of Wickliff in thefe words: Claruit anno Hiftoriam Cl. 1360. quo circiter tempore ingravefcentes avi fuperftitiones, imCave Literari- manem, Ecclefia jam diu inolitam, Romani Pontificis tyrannidem, am ad A. D. erronea fidei dogmata in fcholis paffim recepta, & turpiffimam vitiorum labem ab omnibus admissam, a plerifque etiam defenfam voce ac Scriptis acriter oppugnare Capit: præfertim vero Regie Poteftatis atque Ordinis Ecclefiaftici Jura contra immanes Pontificis Romani & fratrum mendicantium ufurpationes conftanter pariter ac erudite propugnavit. And Bale himself, from whom 'tis probable the reft have taken this date, fays thus. Illum aternus Pater (anno poft Servatorem natum MCCCLX.) per fuum fufcitavit fpiritum, ut in mediis impiorum locuftarum tenebris pro fua ftaret veritate magnanimus Jefu Chrift pugil; fieretque adverfus Antichriftos invictissimum ejus etatis organum. De Scriptor. Britan. Centur. 4. Vit. 1. And his preaching

1360.

If we take Daniels ara, that is the ceafing of the daily facrifice by the deftruction of Jerufalem and the Temple, which was in the year of our Lord 70, and add unto 70 that number 1290 limited by the fame Prophet, it cometh to the year of our Lord 1360. about which time the excellent John Wicklieve in England, and fhortly after Johannes de Rupefciffa in France, whofe labours upon the Apocalypfe are faid to be extant, prophecy'd, or rather declar'd many Prophecies out of the Apocalypfe concerning Antichrift. G. S. Sacræ Heptades p. 186. 187. See the Catalogue of Wickliffs writings; of which not a few are against Antichrift. in Bale Cent. 4. Vit. 1.

had

had fuch great fuccefs, that his Doctrine foon fpread over the Nation, and laid a Happy Foundation for the English Reformation afterwards. Nor was it confin'd to England alone but fpread it felf as far as Bohemia: and, as we fhall fee prefently, the Bohemian Seceffion was occafion'd by Wickliff's Doctrine diffufed there. For if we add the fecond of Daniel's laft Numbers 1335 to A. D. 70 we shall come to A. D. 1405. The very time of the publick fpreading of Wickliff's Opinions by John Hufs, and Jerom of Prague and others in Bohemia. For tho' Helvicus places them three or four years later, yet did they certainly begin fo foon if not fooner and at that time were become famous. Hear one of the Hiftorians, Quoad Ecclefiam Latus, p. 134. "puriorem in Bohemia agminatim feceffio fiebat a Romana Ecclefia, [ineunte nimirum feculo decimo quinto. ] Ejus feculi quarto

C

anno Praga publice difputarunt Jacobus & Conradus Čantabrigienfes Viclefi difcipuli; -docentes præterea Papam esse Antichriftum: Joannis Huffi nempe tanta erant efficacia Conciones. And this is confirm'd by the t words and Hiftory of Hus himfelf, who dates the beginning of his preaching from A.D. 1401. and whofe Publick Troubles with the Court of Rome, upon account of it began A. D. 1409. So that his famous oppofition to Antichrift is well dated from the middle year A. D. 1405. For as we find by his Hiftory that his

*For befides that number of 1290. the number of 1335. to which the Prophet Daniel gives a blessing is also fulfilled. For account that from the defolation of the Temple, and ceafing of the daily Sacrifice, which happen'd about the fame year of our Lord 70. add I say to that 70 the number of 1335_and it cometh fully to the year of our Lord 1405-Soon after which time was affembled the great Councell of Constance-In the fame Councell the Godly Bohemians Johannes Hus and Hieronymus Pragenfis openly protefted against the Pope: faying that if he did not follow Chrift in his life, he was not Chrifts Vicar. G. S. Sacræ Heptades p. 187. 188. 189. [In Hus's Works you have a great many remarkable Treatifes of Antichrift, no small part of his writings being of that nature.]

+ Scripfi libellum de corpore Chrifti primo anno mex prædicationis qui fuit, ut æftimo, Annus Domini 1401 Inquit Huff. Duo mandata Archiepifcopi Pragenfis, & Huffi ad Papam Gregorium XII Appellatio, unde turbarum publicarum initium, ad A. D. 1409 pertinent. Huff. Opera. p. 39. & 86