150 BOOK IV. The Special Part. Treating in particular of the moft Celebrated Epocha's, mentioned in Sacred or Profane Hiftory: ranked according to Antiquity. CHAP. I. Of the Epocha of the World. RULES. I. In order to the adjusting of the Epocha of the Creation of the World; the following particulars must be carefully minded. 2. 1. Due regard is to be had to the Computation of the Sacred Writ of the Old Teftament, which contains 1656 years from the Creation to the Deluge. Neither ought thefe intervals of Time to be neglected, which are tranfmitted to Pofterity by Prophane Hiftories. 3. From whence it will appear that by right comparing the Sacred and Prophane Hiftories, there must be counted 3949 years, according to the Dionyfian or vulgar Ara, from the first beginning of the World to the Birth of Chrift. 4 It feems very probable, that by Gods Special Direction the first year of the World was alfo the first of the Sab to bc C Sabbatic and Jubilean Cycles. 5. The first day of the World ufes to be fixed in one of the Cardinal points of the Sun; to wit, either the Equi nox or the Solstice. 6. Both the Holy Scripture and the most Ancient Monuments of Prophane HiStory, Seem to intimate that the Beginning of the first year of the World ought to be conftituted in Autumn, which has induced us to fix the first day of the World in the Autumnal Equinox. 7. And forafmuch as by the confent of the most exact Chronologers, the first nights immediately after the Creation of the World were enlightned by one of the principal Lunar Phafes, their Hypothefis ought also to be taken into confideration. 8. Neither ought the opinion of fome other Chronologers to be neglected, whom aintain, that (ince the Hebdomatic or Weekly Cycle has continued without interruption from the Mofaick Hexaemeron,to our time; it may be gathered from thence, that the first day of the faid Hexacmeron, has likewife been the first Feria. II. From thefe and the like Characters, Scaliger affirms that the World was created in the year of the Julian Period 764, on the 26th day of O&tober and the first Feria,in the eighth Solar Cycle, and the fourth Lunar Cycle. III. Wherefore there being according to Scaliger's Computation, 763 years and 9 Months difference 'twixt the beginning of the Julian Period and the beginning of the World: If the faid number of years and Months be added to the number of years of the World, the Product will be correspondent to the year and Month of the Julian Period. But if the fame be fubftracted from the Julian Period, there remains the time which is counted from the fift beginning of the World. a certain Foundation able at temp Whether S. 1. NOT only the Gextiles, who according to the the fixing Opinion of Pythagoras, Plato, and some of of this E- Ariftotle's Followers, acknowledged neither the Beginpocha upon ning nor End of the World; but also fome of the Christian Philofophers, have ridiculed the Chronolois a reafon-gers for attempting to determine any Seafon of the year, for the Creation of the World; looking upon it as a frivolous Queftion, and not worth the enquiry of the Learned; it being, fay they, evident that the Times of the Seasons vary in the World according to the different Climates. But whilft thefe Gentlemen pretend to ridicule the Chronologers, they make themselves ridiculous to all the World: For tho' it be undeniable, pursuant to the Spherical Difpofition of the Terreftrial and Celestial Globes, that there must needs be obferved at one and the fame time a great variety ofSeafons in different Climates, yet does not that in the leaft affect the Chronologers, who without the leaft refpect to the Seafon, determine their times by the ingrefs of the Sun into the Cardinal Points of the Zodiack. It is not §. 2. The Gentiles were as little follicitous about the impoffible year it felf, as about the time of the year, when the to find out World was created: According to Cenforinus De D. the time of N. c. 21, Varro did constitute three feveral intervals the Creati of time; the first from the beginning of the World to on of the the Deluge called anaor; the fecond to the Olympiads World. Mund, and the third enfuing upon the Olympiads, gxv. And Ptolemy himself lib. 3. magn. Construct. reprehends thofe, who pretend to determine the true Epocha of the World. But the Gentiles are not the only People that exclaim against the prefumption of the Chronologers, in pretending to remedy an Evil which they look upon as incurable. There are alfo not a few among the Chriftians who confider this Era no otherwife than the Gordian Knot, not to be diffolved by Humane Art. Of this opinion are Gabriel Rollenbagius, Gerard John Voffius, Nicolaus Malerius, and Dionyfius Petavius Ratio.temp. part. 2.1.2.c.1.But among 'em all, no body inveighs fo much against the Chronologers upon this fcore,as Ifaac Peyrerius in his Treatife concerning the Pra-Adamites. Indeed, I cannot altogether agree in my Opinion with those who would perfuade us that Scaliger's Scaliger's Epocha of the World is fo demonstratively proved as to be paft all Contradiction: Nevertheless, 1 could on the other hand never find any fatisfaction in Scepticism. It is therefore my Opinion, (1.) That all the Characters (alledged as fuch by Scaliger) are not equally Authentick, fome of them being certain, others uncertain. (2.) Among the faid Characters, that of the Interval, which we have faid to be betwixt the time of the Epocha of the World,and the Dionyfian Era of Christ, ought be preferred before the reft. (3.) That tho' the Characters of Scaliger are not infallible; yet are they more certain than thofe introduced or made ufe of by his Adverfaries. (4.) To conclude of the validity of these Characters, they ought to be all taken together, no Judgment being to be given of all from the uncertainty of one in particular. 5. At leaft thefe Characters are of ufe to invalidate the Opinions of others; tho' at the fame time they can't pofitively refolve all the doubts of every curious enquirer. S. 3. There has been as much difpute among the of the parChronologers concerning the true Method and Order ticular Inof the particular intervals, as about the whole interval tervals beit felf, betwixt the Epocha of the World and the Dio- twixt the nyfian Era of Chrift. I agree with those, who them in the following Order: range Epocha of the World and the DiYears. ra of onyfian. E From the Creation of the World to the De-1656 Cbrift. luge, Gen. 5. 3. feq.c.7.6. are From thence to the Birth of Abraham, Gen.} 292 11.11. feq. From thence to the Vocation of Abraham,? Gen. 12. 4. From thence to the departure of the Jews out of Egypt, Ex. 12. 40. Gal. 3. 17. From thence to the 4th year of the Reign of Solomon, or the Building of the Temple, i Reg. 6. I. From thence to the Reign of Jeroboam, 1 Reg. II. 42. 75 £} 430 } Reg.} 480 36 From the 390 From thence to the end of the years of the From thence to their return out of their Cap- From Cyrus to the fecond year of Darius No- From thence to the Deftruction of the fecond Therefore from the Creation of the World, to And whereas the fecond Deftruction of jeru falem hapned in the year of the vulgar Æra of Chrift of The whole Interval betwixt the Creation of the World and the vulgar Era of Christ, remains S 3949 Reasons for §. 4. It being evident that this Account is founded the main- upon the Teftimony of the Holy Writ, till the time of taining of the Deftruction of the fecond Temple; and that we this Hyp have but once called to our Aid the ancient and true thefis. Monuments of prophane Hiftory; I fee no reason why the fame fhould not carry along with it at least a great probability. For, granting (what is objected by fome) that a difference ought to be allowed betwixt the years and days, in the time of the Patriarchs and our time, this does not deftroy the certainty of these Intervals of years, it being by the confent of the Learned put long ago beyond all queftion, that the years mentioned by Mofes in the firit Book of his Hiftory, were either Solar or Luna-Solar years; or, at leaft, not much different from the Solar, and confequently from the Fulian year; of which we fhall have occafion to fay more hereafter in the Epocha of the Deluge. TheObjecti §. 5. After many Contefts arifing concerning the dif on of Ifaa ference of fome years, Ifaacus Voffius has fome time acus Voffi-go declared open War againit the whole Body of Chrous examin-nologers, in his Differtation publifhed in the year 1658, under the following Title, A Differtation concerning the true Age of the Worldspherein it is demonftrated that |