the errors, which it is natural for them to commit in things of that intricacy.

I. Many difficulties in Chronology are occafioned by not obferving, that that which had been faid before in the general is afterwards refumed and delivered in the particulars contained under it. For the total fumm of any term of years being fet down first, before the particulars have been infifted upon and explained, has led some into mistakes, by suppofing, that the particulars afterwards mentioned were not to be comprehended in it, but to be reckoned apart, as if they had happened afterwards in order of Time, because they are laft related in the courfe of the Hiftory. Thus Gen, xi. 26. it is faid that Terah lived feventy years and begat Abram ; and vers. 32. that the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. But Gen. xii. 4. it is written that Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran: which is inconfiftent, if we fuppofe that Abram lived in Haran till the Death of his Father Terah: but if we confider that the whole number of years which Terah lived is fet down Gen. xi. 32. and that the departure of Abram out of Haran, which is related Gen. xii. yet happened before his Fathers Death, there will be no inconfiftency; but it will be evident, if Terah was but feventy years old when Abram was begotten, and Abram was but seventy five years old when he went out

of

*

Qu. Sup:

of Haran, that Abram left his Father Terah in Haran, where he lived after Abram's departure" from him to the age of two hundred and five years. Tho during his Father's life he did upon occafion return to Haran. For the final removal of Abram was not till the death of his Father, as we learn from A&s vii. 4. And if this way of relating that in General firft, which is afterwards fet forth in the Particulars, be attended to in the Interpretation of the Scriptures, it will afford a Solution of many difficulties; as St Austin has obferved, which Aug. otherwife are inexplicable. Others fuppofe Genef. Es Abram was the youngest of Terah's Sons, tho 25. mentioned firft, and then there is no difficulty in the Chronology; only by this and other inftances we may obferve that the eldest Bro ther is not always placed firft in Scripture, but fometimes the youngest, out of refpect to him, for his favour with God, and his greater dig nity and worth and therefore whatever dif ficulties in Chronology arife upon this fuppo fition, that the Son first named muft therefore neceffarily be first born, proceed from a miftake.

2. Sometimes, the principal number is fet down, and the odd or leffer number is omitted, which being added to the great or prin cipal number in fome other place, causes a difference not to be reconciled, but by confidering that it is cuftomary in the best Authors

not always to mention the leffer numbers, where the matter doth not require it. And we have evident proof of this in the Scriptures. The time of the fojourning of the children of Ifrael in the land of Canaan, and of their dwelling in Egypt is faid to be the fpace of four hundred years, Gen. xv. 13. Acts vii. 6. which yet was in all four hundred and thirty years, Exod. xii. 40. Galat. iii. 17. The Ifraelites, who came out of Egypt, are computed to be fix hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty, Num.i. 46. ii. 32. but Mofes fpeaking of them, Nam. xi.21. leaves out the three thousand and five hundred and fifty. Jerubbual or Gideon is faid to have had threefcore and ten Sons by his Wives, befides Abimelech, whom he had by a Concubine, Judg. viii. 30, 31. and Abimelech is of ten said to have flain these threefcore and ten brethren, tho Jotham the youngest of them is at the fame time faid to have escaped, Judg.ix. 5, 18, 24, 56. The Benjamites that were flain, Judg. 20. 35. are faid to be twenty and five thonfand and an hundred men, whereas verf.46. they are reckoned only twenty and five thoufand men. i Cor. xv. 5. we read that our Saviour was feen of Cephas, then of the twelve, tho St Matthias was not chofen into the number of the Apostles till after the Ascension of Chrift, and St Mark fays precifely that he appeared unto the eleven as they fat at meat, Mark

xvi. 14. Thus in Heathen Authors the Trojan Fleet is faid to confist of

*

Si, inquam, Numerus non

cum dicimus mille naves iiffe ad Trojam, centumvirale effe judicium Romæ, Varro de Re Ruft. lib. ii. c. 1.

Thucyd. lib. i. c. 1o.

a thoufand Ships, whereas eft ad amuffim; ut non eft, Homer makes them two hundred more, as† Thucydides reckons them, or one hundred fixty fix, by his Scholi afts counting, but the Hiftorian did not care to be fo punctual. The Judges ftiled Centumviri amongst the Romans, were at first five more than an hundred, and afterwards *al-*Plin. lib. moft twice that number, yet till they re- vi. Epift. tained the fame name, as the LXXII. Inter-33. preters are commonly ftiled the Septuagint. Since therefore it is manifeft, that the leffer Number are fometimes omitted both in the Old and New Teftament, as well as in other Authors, and the principal and greater numbers, whether more or less than the precife Calculation, are only fet down, and at other times the leffer numbers are fpecified, it is reafonable to make abatements for this in adjusting the accounts of Chronology,

3. Sometimes an Epocha may be mistaken by Chronologers: as Gen. vi. 3. And the Lord faid my Spirit fhall not always strive with man: for that he alfo is flesh, yet his days fhall be an hundred and twenty years. But from Gen. v. 32. compared with Gen. viii. 13. the Flood muft happen but an hundred years after thefe words feem to have been fpoken: tho if we compute not from the time, when this was threatned,

but from the beginning of Man's Apoftacy, which we may fuppofe then to have been already Twenty years, there will be no difficul ty in it. Or elfe the Threatning, tho placed after it,might be denounced Twenty years before the Five hundreth year of Noah's Age, which falls under the obfervation above-mentioned of St Austin. † St Jerom indeed fays + Hieron. that the time allowed mankind for Repantance Qu. in Genef. was fhortned for their Contumacy, and the Flood was brought upon the World twenty years fooner than was defigned, if their Provocations had not haftned it.

4. Variations in Chronology may fometimes proceed from the likeness of two words, which occafioned the writing the one for the other. Thus Acts xiii. 20. fome,read, si Te Telang gigs, not or releanoators. Some famous Copies, from whence moft others now remaining may have been tranfcribed, might happen to be uncorrect in fome of thefe lefs material parts of Scripture: the Numeral Letters, were eafily mistaken,as we fee our Figures now are; and when they numbred by Letters, mistakes might the oftner happen, becaufe the Tranfcribers might unawares write down a Letter of the foregoing or following Word instead of the true Numeral Letter, when there was any likeness between them; and the Hebrew Letters being fome of them fo very much alike, might be a readier occafion of mistake, This change of Numeral Letters fome think to have