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Show The third Booke of the firstpart ‘Cuarnfa, Cuarin§.45 ofthe Hiftorie ofthe World. : neal §.1V. Sundry opinions ofthe Kings which reigned in Babylon during the 70.yeeres, Xenaph. Cyropeddibyte hs Kings reigned in Babylon, during thefe feuenty yeares of the Captiuity,and how long each ofthem did wearethe Diademe itis a hatter of nogreatim. portance to know , for as much as neither their adts were notable inthe age wherein they liued,northe length of their reigns,any wayhelpfull to the concordance oftimes, fore-going or fucceeding. Theconquefts recounted by Xenophow of Syria, Arabieforratherfome part ofit)Hyrcania,Bacria,andperhaps of {ome other Countries, 19 may feemefruits of the victories obtained by Nebuchadnezzar the Great (or byfome of his Anceftors) in the former partof his life, before he betooke himfelfe to eafe, and to the fumptuousbuilding ofhis great Babel, for the houfe of his Kingdome, andforthe honout of his Maiefty , where it may feeme that hee and his Heires keptagreat ftate, anddid verylittle. Theidle behauiour ofthe 4/jrian Souldiers, in fuchskirmifhesas afterwards they had with the Medes, doth argue noleffe. For whereas vnder Nebachad. nezzar, they were foftout and induftrious, that(to omit other proofes) they attempted, and finifhed, that hardy piece of worke, of winning the {trong City of Tyr, by ioyning vnto itthe continent, filling vp the deepeand broad channell ofthe Sea, diui- dingit fromthe maine with a mole, or peereof earth, andother matter ; the repara- 2° tion whereof, whenthe Sea had wafhed it away , was thevery greateft of Alevaders workes : inthetimes following, they became timorous, that they durft not approach nearer to the enemy than their bowes wouldcarry, but were ready to turne their backs, fome Author of equal credit with the reft,might very well haue foutidanddeferued as good belicfe, as any of thofe thitlgs which they haue deliueredin this point. For fome 4 thereate,who following /o/ephia; deriuc that Empire, as by defcetit from fatherto fon, ineph.Antig throughfiue generations ; beginning with Wabuchodonofor the great, and giving to him !20<4?-12,, 43.yeates;to Enilmitrodach 18. to Niglifar the fonne ofEuilmeredach 40. to Labofardach the fonne of Wigt:fer 9.Moneths, andlaftly to Balthafar (whom Jofephus intimates to be ofthe race of Wabuchodono/or , without naming his father) 17.yeares. And this opini- on (faué that he forbéares to reckoti the yeates, and plainly calls Balsha/ar the fonne of Labsfardach) Saint Hierome doth follow , alledging Berofas and /efephusas a {etator of 10 Rene/us.for his Authors;thoughBerofés, as heis cited by so/ephus , report thie matter far otherwife. For hetells vs that Euilmerodach the fonne ofNabuchodonofor did reignie but tof-contr..<p two years,being forhis wickedneffe andluft,laine by his fifters husband Wézigl/foroor; who occupied the kitigdome after himfoure yeares, andleft it to his owne fonne Labeferdach , who being an ill-conditioned boy, was at the end of nine monethsflaine by fch as were about him, andthe kingdomegiuento one Wabonidus, who held it by the election of the Confpirators, andleft it vrito Cyrus after17.yeares. This relation ill a grees with that of Yu/ephus,and both ofthemas bad with the Scriptures, in numbereytherofyeares,or Ofgenerations; yet the particularities which they handle, haue procuted vntothiem fome authority, fo that the names whichthey tiaue inferted,are takenasit 20 wetevpon truft. There is athird opinion which makes the three laftkings brethien,and fonnes of Enilweerodach , and this may well enoughagrée with the Scripture : though I had rather beleeue xenophon,whofaiththat the laft King of Babyloz was immediate fucceffourto his father. But whereas the Author ofthe Scholefticall Hiftory,whois foun= Xeneph.cyrol as foone asany,thoughinferiour in numbers,aduenturing within the diftance offeredto Xenoph.cyro~ ped. Lie l,3. det ofthis opinion, placeth betweene him that tooke feru/alem, and Exilmerodach, ano- 44+ charge them. thet Wabuchodoxofor : plaine enoughitis that he hath, out ofany Hiftory facred or pro- reigne oftheir feuerall Kings, vaworthy ofthe great labourthat hath in yaine beeneta- Sewerus,and Theodoret , vpon better groutid haue fuppofed, that Exi/meredach and Balthafar-were brethren and fonnes of the great Nabachodonofor. This is built on the fifth Nowastheir actions from the end ofNebuchadnezzars warres, till the ruine oftheir Empire, were not worthy to be recorded ; fo was the diftinction oftheir times, and ken in that bufineffe. For whenit is granted,that the captinity ofIude,ending withthat Empire,lafted 70.yeares, weemayas reafonably forbeare to fearchinto the particulat 3 continuance oftwoorthreeflothfull Kings,as we are contentedto be ignorant ofthea- fane,as little warrantto guide him, as we hauereafon to follow him. Eu/ebias, Sulpitius Chapter of Daniel,wherein Balthafar (for of Eailmeredach there is none that euer doub- $9ted)is often called nabuchodonofor his fonne. And fo common grewthis explication, that S. Hierome called it the vulgar opinion. Butthe place of leremy before cited, proues that Bsltha/ar was not the forine indeed,but the grand _childe ofthat great Conquerour, though by the phrafe very commonin Scripturesjand familiar in thofe Eaiterne langua> ges ofthe Patriarchs,andtheir children liuing inthe Egyptsan feruitude;reftingfatislied in both withthe generall affured fumme. 8¢s,he was called the fon. Yet for as muchas manyhaue trauelled in this bufineffe , vpon defire (as I take it)to approuethe beginning and end ofthe 70. years, not only by the reignes ofotherPrinces, ruling elfe-where,but by the times of the Affjrians themfelues : I will not refufe to takea little paines in collecting their opinions,and fhewing what I thinke may beft be rodach,Nephews ofNabuchodonofor fourteenyears ;that is, to Reg- A/farthe eldeft fon ia Yeates, to Lab-A/jar Dach the fecond fonnefixe yeares, and to Bslthafar the third heldforlikely,ifthe certaine truth cannot be found. The opinions are many, and greatly repugnant, both in recounting the Kings themt- 4g felues, and in fetting downe theyears oftheir feuerall reignes. The firtt (as take it)the fureft, is theirs, who meerely follow the authority ofthe Scri ptures, without borrows ing any helpe from others. Thefe name onely three Kings, Nabuchadwezzar, Ewilmertdach,and Balthafar. Neither haue they onely the filence ofDaniel, who names none o* uey 4° Tothis accompt agreeing with the Scriptures , both inthe whole fumme'of yeares; and inthe numberofgenerations;I haue fometimefiibferibed; as not daringto reiectan "ppeatance oftruth,vponno greater reafon than becanfe the Author was of Asaius his edition. Yet could Tnotfatishe myfelfe hérei; both for that none ofthe Ancient,and ateSst Writers as deferiete be regarded; have - _ this' sand for'thar in making Ba/tha/a7'ficceed vntohis brotherin the kingdome, and Notvnto his father,he is wholly againft Xenophon, whole Hiftory ofthe elder Cyrds in his Affjrian watte T cannot flichtly valuein'miany refpeéts,and efpecially becaufeit is thertobee their warrant, butthe prophecy ofieremy precifely , and ina mannet pur ofely teaching the very fame. For God, by the mouth ofthat Prophet , fhewing that Jerem.27,7. ne being abfolute Lord ofall, would difpofe ofall according to his owne will,andm* King it knownthat he had put fome Countries here named,into the hands ofthe king Babel, faith thus : dvd all Nations{hallferue himand his Sonne, and his Sonnes Sonnet,' it the very timeofhts Land come alfo; then many Nations andgreat Kings{ballferue shemfilsts ofbin. Thefe words exprefling the continuance ofthe Chaldean Em pireand umber0? the Kings,will hardly be qualitied with anydiftinGtion.But indeedI finde noother ne ceffitie of qualification to be vfed herein, ‘than fuch'as m y growout ofmens defire © reconcile the Scriptures vnto profane authors. And this defire were hot vaiu confentof all hiftories were onthe one fide, and theletter of the holy Text were 4 on the otherfide. But contrariwife,the Authors whicharecited in this cafe,are fo repugnant other,& the proofes of their different reports arefo flender& ynfufficient, thatthe ceifion of thee Princeshad itnot bin thys delivered in Scriptures, but onlyfet ae" , Anains his Metajthenes hits very rightly the feuenty years of captiuity, giving to Naacbodono/or 45. yeates ; to Euilmerodach 30. yeares, and tothe three fonnes of Ewilme= besain tothe Scriptures,inthe taking ofBebylen,while the king wasat his drun~ <cn feaft, so, Setking therefore diligently into all circumftances that mightgiueanylight inthis ootcurity; T found manifert proofe, that thetime allotted vnto Balehafar, by Aanius hisDaz.ch.8.vagh Ktetafthenes, was farre fhort of the truth, which eachis‘enonghto renderall fifpected that he* 127 ts = "e in diftributing what part 6f the 7ouyeates he pleated amongft the reft. Forin but te fags of BalthafarDaniel {awa vifion,after which he was ficke cettaine dayes, wards = erofevp,he did the Kings bufinelle': from which bufineffe,that he did afte z ppeailen idraw himfelfe,and line retired,long that he was forgotten in the Court,it by the many words which the old'Queene vied to fet out his fufy borti sie Plainly, fia‘eney, and by the Kingsasking 6Phim, when te cameinto his prefence, whether-he were |