Matthew Poole and continuators on Daniel 11:38

38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces : and a god whom his fathers knew not, shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

Ma[illegible: 1 letter]zzim of strengths or strong holds, the Phaenicians Worshipped Mars the God of Wars, which Antiochus did Worship but we are come to the Romans; and though many have conjectured several senses of this [non-Latin text not transcribed] translated God of Forces, yet none comes nearer then Mr. Mede, who interprets it of Daemons, or tutelar Gods which the Romans should Worship with Christ, supposing them to be Angels or Saints: This is not to be thought a novel opinion, for many of the Fathers say that this Ma[illegible: 1 letter]zzim is the Idol that Antichrist should worship. So the meaning is that in Christs seat or place the Temple, they should worship Saints and Angels with Christ, as the preposition imports, together with Christ. Which its notorious they do, that which made this place obscure was, that men generally took this strange God for an Idol, which indeed the Iews call the Gentiles Gods so, and so doth V.T. often, because forrein to the true God, which was their God, but the true God was forreign and strange to the Romans because their Gods was Idols. Therefore the Philosophers called Christ, [non-Latin text not transcribed], a strange God, this God they should honour with Gold and Silver and pretious Stones; the vulgar Translates Ma[illegible: 1 letter]zzim Protector, and we know too well how the Romanists adorn the Churches and Shrines of these their patrons and tutelar Saints, Psal. 27.1. and 28.8. and 31 3. And the Fathers sometimes fatally hit upon this expression at the first setting, and honouring of Martyrs, calling them strong Holds, and strong Towers of defence, but the Council of Constantinople called them the Devils strong Holds, thus they called their Images also.

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