Daniel — Book front (modern spelling)

The Argument of the Book of Daniel

Daniel of the tribe a of Juda,¹ and b royal blood²,³ about the age of ten years, was carried into Babylon with other children for hostage, when Nabuchodonosor invaded the kingdom of Juda, in c the third year of⁴ king Joakim. His whole life ( in all about an hundred and ten years )⁵ was most pious, with such zeal of God's honour, and common good of his country, that he was called by an Angel, d vir desideriorum,⁶ the man of (godly) desires: e whom also Ezechiel,⁷ elder in years, prophesying part of the same time, joined with Noe and Job for example of holy men; recounting him also the most renowned of his time for wisdom.⁸ Whose loyal fidelity towards the king of Babylon, was so clear, that his malignant enemies said expressly of him: f We shall not find against⁹ this Daniel, any occasion, unless perhaps in the law of his God. His book as well in respect of¹⁰ various important narrations of things done: as of most high divine Mysteries is very excellent: but withal very obscure, for that many things here inserted, seem hardly to agree with other authentical histories; some things also are intricate in themselves; nor placed in order of time as they happened: and many things so briefly related, that they can not be understood, without the knowledge of profane histories. As S. Jerome affirmeth Epist. 103.

But as for another difficulty which¹¹ some make, denying the Prayer of Azarias, with the Hymn following¹², and the histories of Susanna, Bel, and the Dragon¹³, to be Canonical Scripture¹⁴, it is partly solved already, in the Annotations before the Book of Tobie: where is showed, that it is no just exception against these, and other parts of holy Scripture of the old Testament, because they are not in the Hebrew Edition, being otherwise accepted for Canonical by the Catholic Church. And further it is very probable that¹⁵ these parcels were sometimes either in the Hebrew or Chaldee tongue, in which two languages ( part in one, part in the other ) the rest of this book was written. For from whence else could the Septuagint Interpreters, Theodotion, Symmachus, and Aquila translate them ? In whose Editions S. Jerome found the same. But S. Jerome, some will say,¹⁶ calleth these histories fables, and so did not account them Canonical Scripture. First we answer,¹⁷ that he reporting the Jews' opinion useth their terms, not explicating his own judgement, intending only to deliver sincerely that which he found in the Hebrew: Yet would he not omit to insert the rest, advertising withal that he had it in Theodotion's translation. Which answer is clearly justified by his own testimony ( li. 2. c. 9. adversus Ruffinum ) in these words: Whereas I relate ( saith he ) what the Hebrews say against the history of Susanna, and the Hymn of the three children, he that for this reputeth me a fool, proveth himself a sycophant. For I did not explicate what myself judged, but what they are wont to say against me. Secondly we answer,¹⁸ that if S. Jerome did not think these parts to be Canonical, yet seeing so many other ancient Fathers, and now the whole Church hold them for Canonical, we so believe them to be. For albeit the ancient Councils,¹⁹ and others that recite catalogues of holy Scriptures, do not expressly say, as the council of Trent lastly doth ( Sess. 4. ) that all the parts of books by them recited, are Canonical; yet they do not except any parts of this Book: and therefore speaking indefinitely, do indeed include all, and not exclude any parcels usually read in the Church as these are. Moreover very many ancient Fathers do expressly allege these parts as Divine Canonical Scriptures. Of many we shall cite some.

The prayer of Azarias is alleged as²⁰ divine Scripture by S. Cyprian, Ser. de lapsis. by holy Ephrem, li. de humilitate comparanda. ca. 9. by S. Chrysostom, ho. de tribus pueris. Leontius Cyptius, apud Eutym. par. 1. Panopliæ, tit. 8. Patianus, Parenesi in Pœnitentiam. S. Augustin, Epist. 122. & li. de natura boni. c. 16. S. Fulgentius, ad Venatiam de pœnitentia. c. 16. Likewise the Hymn of the three children is²¹ alleged by most of the same, and by divers others. As by S. Jerome himself, in c. 3. ad Galatas, & Epist. 49. de muliere septies icta: S. Ambrose, Præfat. in Psalmos; & li. 6. in Lucanum, c. 2. Concilium Toletanum, c. 13.

In like manner the history of Susanna is²² cited as holy Scripture by S. Ignatius, Epist. ad Magnesianos. Tertullian, li. de corona militis. S. Cyprian li. 1. Epist. ep. 8. & 40. S. Chrysostom. Ho. 1. in fine, hath a whole sermon of Susanna, as upon holy Scripture. S. Ambrose, li. 1. de Officiis, c. 18. li. 3. c. 14. & li. 3. de Spiritu Sancto. c. 7. S. Augustin, Tract. 36. in Ioan. & Ser. 118. & 242.

Finally the histories of Bel,²³ and of the Dragon are judged Divine Scripture by S. Cyprian, li. 1. Ep. ep. 4. & li. 3. ep. 1. & li. 4. ep. 6. S. Basil, ho. in divites avaros. S. Athanasius, in Synopsi briefly explicating the argument of this whole book, maketh express mention of the Hymn of the three children; and of the histories of Susanna; and of Bel, and the Dragon.

To conclude therefore with whom we began,²⁴ S. Jerome speaking of this whole Book, saith: Daniel temporum conscius,²⁵ & totius mundi philoistor, lapidem præcisum de monte sine manibus, & regna omnia subvertentem, claro sermone pronuntiat. Daniel skilful of times, a studious historiographer, in clear speech showeth the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which overthroweth all kingdoms. Signifying the principal contents of this book to be, that all other kingdoms (namely for example sake, the four great Monarchies, the first of the Chaldees, the second of the Medes and Persians, the third of the Grecians, and the fourth of the Romans ) should be overthrown, one after another; and only the kingdom of Christ our Saviour, born of a perpetual virgin, shall be permanent for ever. More particularly this Book may be divided into²⁶ three parts. In the first six chapters especially²⁷ are declared ( for most part in manner of history ) certain acts of Daniel, with the other three Hebrew children, and of the kings of Babylon. In other six chapters is more directly prophesied of Christ; and of Antichrist; of the perpetual glory of Christ's kingdom, and utter destruction of the others; with the end of world, and general judgement. In the two last chapters are contained the histories of holy Susanna; and of the idols Bel, and the Dragon.