70th year. And this is the opinion adopted by the most judicious Chronologers and Divines, Vossius, Usher, Marsham, Kennedy, Capellus, Patrick, Wells, &c.

VI. The patriarchal generations, both before and after the deluge, according to the shorter Hebrew computation, are repugnant to the course of nature.

Arrian, the historian, justly observes:

"It is natural that they who are soonest liable to old age and death, should in proportion to the shortness of their life arrive soonest at the flower and vigour of their age.' The converse is also concisely expressed by Augustine: Tanto serior erat proportione pubertas, quando vitæ major immensitas. "The time of puberty was so much slower in proportion, when the length of life was so much greater." And the following objection to the curtailed generations before the deluge, is strongly urged by Eusebius:

"Since according to the most ancient copy preserved among the Samaritans, and which agrees with the Septuagint version, they who lived after the flood, down to Abraham, did not beget children until after the age of 100 years, and so many more as these copies give them, what reason can be assigned, why their predecessors [before the flood], whose lives were many years longer, should begin to beget children sooner? and not rather at the ages set down in the Septuagint? On mature consideration, therefore, we must incline to the latter computation, and necessarily conclude, that the Jewish Hebrew reckoning of the times from Adam to Abraham, is wrong in all the ages [or generations] except three, Jared, Methuselah, and Lamech; and that the Samaritan computation is only wrong in the period from Adam to the flood: for in the years from the flood to Abraham, it agrees entirely with the Septuagint."

Dividing human life into three periods, it appears from observation and experience, that the generative powers continue in full vigour during the second period. And according to this rule, Noah was near the close of his second period, when at the age of 600 years he begat Japheth, his eldest son, and two years afterwards, Shem, his second son; and probably after the same interval, at least, Ham his youngest. It was not probable, therefore, that the age of puberty among the Antediluvians, who lived to 900 years and upwards, began sooner than 160 or 170 years, corresponding to 14 or 15 years at present.

Thus, by the same rule Terah's eldest son, Haran, was born at the commencement of his second period; and Abraham, his youngest, near the close of it; bearing a remarkable analogy to Noah's case.

Among the Greeks, the celebrated legislator Solon, divides human life into ten periods, of seven years each: the third, he reckons the age of puberty, from 14 to 21; the fifth he recommends as the age of marriage, from 28 to 35.

Πεμπτη δ' ώριον ανδρα μεμνημενον αρ' γαμου ειναι,
Και παιδων ζητειν εξοπίσω γενεην.

"In the fifth, 'tis time for man to think of wedlock.
And seek to leave behind a progeny of sons

And this accords with Hesiod's rule:

Μητε τριηκοντων ετεων μαλα πολλ' απολειπων,
Μητ' επιθεις μαλα πολλα γαμος δε τοι ὡριος οὗτος.

"Marry not very much under thirty years,

Nor very much over: this is the seasonable age t."

:

But this standard, founded in nature and verified by experience in all ages of the world, is violated by the shorter Hebrew computation to suppose, for instance, that Cainan, Malaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, begat children between 60 and 70, is to the full as preposterous as to suppose the same of children now, between five and six years. It is repugnant to the orderly course of nature; whose regular "measures" and proper seasons," Hesiod recommends us to "mind in all things."

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Μετρα φυλασσεσθαι• Καιρος δ' επι πασιν αριστος.

VII. The shorter Hebrew computation is also absurd, or inconsistent with history, sacred and profane.

1. Eusebius well remarks: "The error of the Jewish Hebrew text is evident from this; that it makes Abraham and Noah contemporaries, which is inconsistent with all history; for, since according to the Hebrew text, there are no more than 292 years from the flood to Abraham; and since, according to the same text, Noah survived the flood 350 years; it follows that he lived to the 58th year of Abraham!

To this judicious remark we may add:

* See Solon's verses, in Philo, de Mundi opificio, p. 18. Edit. Colon. 1613.
Hesiod. opera et dies, vers. 695.

2. Upon this supposition, Idolatry must have begun and prevailed, and the patriarchal government have been overthrown by Nimrod and the builders of Babel, during the life-time of the second founder of the human race, and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

3. If Shem lived until the 110th year of Isaac, and the 50th year of Jacob, why was not he included in the covenant of circumcision made with Abraham and his family? or why is he utterly unnoticed in their history?

4. How could the earth be so populous in Abraham's days, or the kingdoms of Assyria, Egypt, &c. be established so soon after the deluge? As remarked by Sir Walter Raleigh: see page 230.

To this objection, Newton replies:

"The four kings from the coasts of Shinar and Elam, who invaded and spoiled the Rephaims, and the inhabitants of the countries of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the kingdoms of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, were pursued and beaten by Abraham, with an armed force of only 318 men: the whole force which Abraham and the princes with him could raise." Chron. p. 180.

But these 318 men were merely Abraham's own domestics ;; and "the princes," nothing more than three young neighbours, who personally joined his party, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre : and he defeated the combined forces of the enemy, not by force, but by stratagem: for he pursued them in their retreat, and overtook them on the fifth night, secure and careless; and attacked them on two different sides of their camp, when they were oppressed with sleep and wine. As we learn from the joint testimony of SCRIPTURE and Josephus, Ant. 1, 10, 1. And the reflection of the Jewish historian is suitable thereto : "The event shewing, that victory does not depend upon a multitude, and a great armament; but that spirit and valour will overcome any number of adversaries in battle."

This stratagem was not unlike that by which Gideon afterwards defeated the numerous host of the Midianites, Judg. vi. 12-22. when THE LORD fought for Israel; as he did for Abraham also.

But proceeds Newton: "And Egypt was so thinly peopled before the birth of Moses, that Pharaoh said of the Israelites, 'Behold the people of the children of Israel are more and

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mightier than we:' and to prevent their multiplying and growing too strong, he caused their male children to be drowned."

This also is a misinterpretation of Scripture: the meaning is clearly explained in the sequel: "Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply; and it come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.”—Here it is evident, that Pharaoh did not then consider the Israelites as "more and mightier than the Egyptians;" but only used this precaution to prevent their future increase; and in case of a foreign war, to prevent them from making a powerful diversion, and effecting, not the conquest of Egypt, but their own escape from slavery. And Pharaoh, we find, was not afraid to pursue 600,000 of the Israelites, able to bear arms at least, if they did not carry them, with 600 chosen chariots, and we may be assured an army proportionable thereto, and probably equal at least to that of the Israelites: which gives us rather a high idea of the population of the country at that time. And we learn from Manetho, that at the time of the expulsion of the Shepherd kings, by the native Egyptian princes of upper Egypt, (which took place by the ensuing rectification of Egyptian Chronology, about 27 years before the regency of Joseph) the Egyptian army which besieged Avaris or Pelusium, their chief retreat, consisted of 480,000 men: and the expelled Shepherds amounted to 240,000 souls.

VIII. I shall close this chain of evidence with an observation deduced from the review of the various opinions entertained of the epoch of the Creation. P. 211, &c.

The whole weight of antiquity and of the earliest Fathers of the Church, is decidedly in favour of the longer Greek computation, Origen and Jerom excepted; who reckoned it B.C. 4830, and B.C. 3981, respectively; acting under Jewish influence *;

* Jerom was reproached by Rufinus, and not without reason, for conceding too much to the Jewish notions, and to his Hebrew preceptor, Bar Anina, whom Rufinus styles Barabbas, in derision.

Rufinus Hieronymo.

Proposito CHRISTO simul et Barabba, ego CHRISTUM elegi: tu cum illis clamas qui dicunt, Non hunc sed Barabbam.'-Nolo 'sapientiam' quam Petrus et Paulus non docuit; nolo veritatem' quam Apostoli non probaverunt. Apostatæ quidem et Judæi [nempe Aquila, Theodotion, et Symmachus] interpretati sunt ea, quorum lectione Judæi maxime utuntur.-Illi te in hæc mala præcipitant; illi pessimis suis artibus tibi nimium placent. Tom. 4, p. 424-450.

and whose authority is more than compensated by that of the learned chronologers, Theophilus and Eusebius; who expressly applied themselves to the study, which the others only noticed casually or incidentally. We may, therefore, without hesitation, adopt the conclusion of Eusebius.

"Wherefore it is with reason that in our chronology we follow the version of the Septuagint; which was made, as it appears, from an ancient and uncorrupted Hebrew copy." Syncell. Chronograph. p. 88, 89.

ART. III. REJECTION OF THE SECOND CAINAN.

THE Septuagint version, however, is not to be followed implicitly it requires correction in some parts; and principally in the case of the Second Cainan, interpolated between Arphaxad and Salah, to whom a generation of 130 years is assigned.

1. Its high antiquity indeed, previous to the Christian Era, cannot be denied: for it is taken into account by Demetrius, a heathen chronologer, who wrote in the reign of Ptolomy Philopator, about B.C. 220. He reckoned 3624 years from the Creation to the descent of Jacob's family to Egypt; but this is the exact amount of the Septuagint computation, including Cainan's generation: For from Adam to the birth of Abraham, is 3334

נשקו בר ; CHRIST

And Jerom himself confesses, that he gave up the important text of "THE SON [OF GOD,"] Psalm ii. 12. which he had justly called a most signal prophecy concerning "Adorate filium," for the rendering of Aquila and Symmachus, "Adorate pure," not to give room to Jewish calumny and superciliousness, boasting of their superior knowledge of the Scriptures. "Ne qua nobis ab Hebræis calumnia fieret; solent enim ridere de nobis, et attollere supercilium et inflatis buccis ructare Scientiam Scripturarum.”

From the days of Ignatius indeed, who died A.D. 116, the constant objection of the Jews was, "If I find it not in the primitive Scriptures, I credit not what is said in the

Gospel."

Hence it was not uncommon for the Christian Churches to send deputies, as it were, to the Jews, praying and beseeching that "they would grant them a share of their Hebrew verity:" As the same Rufinus relates, who is surely an excellent counter-authority to Jerom.

* The Jews, instead of 2, Bar, "a Son," read, Bor, "purity," altering the vowel points.