GREGORII OPUSCULA OR NOTES OBSERVATIONS UPON Some Passages of SCRIPTURE With other Learned Tracts WRITTEN BY JOHN GREGORY M. A. and late Chaplaine of Ch Ch in Oxon. LONDON Printed for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1650. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS UPON SOME PASSAGES OF SCRIPTVRE By I. G. late Master of Arts of Christ-Church OXON R. Hillel said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si non ego mihi quis mihi Et cum ego mihimet ipsi quid ego si non modo quando The second Edition LONDON Printed by R. C. for Richard Roiston dwelling in the Angel in Ivie-lane MDCL TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD BRIAN Lord Bishop of Sarum and Tutour to both their Highnesses The most Illustrious CHARLES the Prince of Wales and the most noble JAMES the Duke of York my most Honored Lord and Patron Right Reverend Father in God YOUR Lordship hath oftentimes call'd upon me to goe out and shew the people their Transgressions and the House of Jacob their sins Next to my owne conscience I confesse my selfe bound to give your Lordship satisfaction To fall foul upon the degenerous and intractable nature of this people cannot answer you for it doth not me I doe not say I am not eloquent and therefore that you would send by the hand of Him whom you should send When I am indeed able for these thing I doubt not so have Him with my mouth because I mean to leave all my self out There was never more provocations for all men to speak then now when all the mischief that other ages did but imagine are practised by a Law and in the mean time the dumbe Asses are taught to forbid the madnesse of the Prophets The Harvest is confessedly Great but then the Labourers are not few And if while so many are thus excellently imployed about the rest of the Building some one or other doe as well as hee can towards the making good of the Ground-work I think he may be let alone at least The hopes of the Superstructionâ—ly from the assurance of the Foundation I shall give them leave to be Pillars This I am sure is the Corner-stone and I need not tel you how rejected I mean it not of all but of the Common Builders If the Church be an Ark he that hath never so little to do with the Compasse though he sit still in his place yet does as much or more then all the other necessary Noise in the Ship the Comparison is quit of arrogance for it holdeth in the design it is not meant of the performance The course I have run here is Labour too and in the same Vineyard And I trust my self for this that my accounts will bee as well pass't above if I reckon upon these pains the pretence whereof though not so popular yet is as substantially proficient towards the main Aedification I have principally endeavoured to redeem my Reader from that slavery by which I have so long sate down my self in not printing so near as I could I have not the same things over again I am sure I have set downe nothing but what I beleive if more sometimes then I wel understood I have company enough and the acknowledgement of an errour is more ease to me then the committing of it was Why I should make these addresses to your Lordship there is all the reason in the world what have I but what I have received from you and that which is would be Nothing of it selfe Rayes of incidency contract no warmth upon the Earth unlesse reflected back upon their originall Sun My Lord As once the Sons of the Prophets said unto the Man of God Behold now the place where we dwell is too straight for us Wee are humbly expecting the last course of that Iudgment which began at the House of God What shall be done to the dry Tree or where the sinner will appear is to be left to him to whom vengeance belongeth The Great Genius of this Place must now burn a while like those Subterraneous Olibian Lampes under the Earth We shall see it but not now we shall behold it but not nigh Bernardin Scardâ—onius de Priscis civibus Paià vin Lib. 1. Have salve sit tibi terra Levis Abite hinc pessimi fures Quid vostris vultis cum oculis Emissitiis Your Lordships most faithfull Servant and Chaplain JOHN GREGORY To the Reader THE Mahumentans say Chronicon de viâ—is Mahumet successor Ben Sidi Aali de Dogmat. Musle mannor vid. Maronit De Morib Orientâ—â— C. 14. that the first thing that God created was a Pen Indeed the whole Creation is but a Transcript And God when he made the world did but write it out of that Copy which he had of it in divine understanding from all Eternity The Lesser worlds or men are but the Transcripts of the Greater as Children and Bookes the Copies of themselves But of other Bookes the Wise man hath pronounced upon them their doome already that in making them there is no end and that the reading of them especially many of them is a weadinesse unto the flesh But if you will heare the end of all there is one Booke more besides the great Volume of the World written out of God himselfe such a one as may indefatigably be meditated in day and night This indeed is the only Text wee have all other Bookes and arts and men and the world it self are but Notes upon this So unworthy are they to unloose the Seales of this Booke or to looke thereon who recessefully and impertinently pretend to a Spirit of Interpretation Ephraims that feed upon the winde This is indeed a Spirit that bloweth where it listeth and no man can tell whence it cometh nor whither it will goe I would have you tell me by this spirit of what kinde the Dyall of Ahas was or how the Sunne could goe ten degrees backwards For the kinde I 'me sure 't was like none of ours now in use and if the Retrocession could be meant of the shadow and some men look no further the same thing may be made to fall out every day upon an ordinary Dyall Pet. Nonius and notwithstanding what a good Mathematician hath said to the contrary in a Site and Position of Spheare without the Tropicks Therefore the going back is to be meant of the Sun it selfe Tell me by the same Spirit how darknesse could be upon the Face of the whole Earth at the Passion of our Saviour and no Astronomer of the East nor any man of all that Hemisphere excepting those of Hierusalem perceive it Make it good if you can out of the mouth but of two witnesses what 's Phlegon and Apollophanes or if the first be one the Notice is so single that it will not serve to celebrate but bring the Wonder into doubt The Sun was not totally Eclipsed as to all the World One Hemispheare of his body shined still And the Face of the whole Earth
name and comparing with any that was ever writ by the hand of Man That this Booke was written in Chaldee is certain for R. Moses Ben Nachman quoteth it so out of Chap. 7. v. 5. c. v. 17. c. in the Preface to his Comment upon the Pentateuch One of the Bookes of the Maccabees are known to bee in Hebrew and the worst of all the company and excepted against by Bellarmine himselfe though appointed to bee read in our Churches that is the fourth Esdras will bee clearely of another credit and Reputation to you Ms Arab. in Arch. Bibl. Bâ—d if you read it in the Arabick The story of the Woman taken in Adultery hath met with very much adversity Saint Hierome noteth it wanting in severall Copies of his time The Paraphrast Nonnus had nothing to say to it Nor is it noted upon by Theophylact c. The Armenian Church as one of their Priests informed me allow it not a place in the body of the Gospell but reject it to the latter end as suspected peice The Syriack Paraphrast leaveth it out that is the Printed Paraphrast But in some of the Manuscripts it is found to bee though not received as the rest of Scripture but written upon with this Asterisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is not of the Text. But the Arabick hath it and in the Greek Manuscripts it wanteth but in one of seaventeene sed ita saith Beza ut mira sit sectionis varietas enough to make me he saith so too ut de totius istius narrationis fide dubitem But Eusebius noted long agoe Eccles hist lib. 3. fol. 32. b. that the setter forth of this History was the ancient Papias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that it was to bee had in the Gospell Secundum Hebraeos Et suspicari merito quis possistâ— saith Drusius ex Evangelio illo ad exempladia rimanasse though I shall conclude from hence but as he doth with a Nihil affirmo To say nothing here of Salomons Psalter lately put forth by de la Cerda our account of Davids Psalmes is 150. but the Arabick and some other Translations set downe one more Josephus Hypomnesticus saith that David made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph Christian graec Ms Athanas ia Synop an infinite number of Psalmes Athanasius saith he made 3000. and reckoneth this to bee one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In the Greek Psalters it is no rare thing to meet with it in the Manuscripts 'T is extant in more then one or three in our publick Library One hath it in Magdalen Colledge another in Trinity Colledge and a third in Corpus Christi Colledge given them by Claimund their first President In the late printed Copies you are not to looke for it but in the older ones you will finde it in that of Aldus especially And Justine Decaduus who wrote the Epistle to the Reader tels you that having gotten so excellent an Assistant as Aldus indeed was they were resolved to begin to the world printing was not very ancient then with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Booke of Psalmes inspired by God And yet they reckon this supernumerary for one of the company You may take it perhaps as forbidden by the Laodicean Canon among the Idioticall Psalmes But the Arabick Scholia to that Cannon will minde you of another matter Ioseph Aegypt Cod. Concil Arab Ms in Arch. Roan Bibl. Bod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. No man shall read in the Church any other Psalmes then those of David for it had beene related to the Holy Synod that certaine men among the Heretickes had made to themselves other Psalmes over and above those which were made by the Prophet David and that they read them in the Church saying for themselves boastingly that they were good and honest men as well as David the Prophet and that they were able to Prophency as well as Hee And they alleadged for themselves out of the Booke of the Acts that of the Prophet Joel Your Sonnes and your Daughters shall Prophecy and your old men shall see Visions c. And there were that received these new made Psalmes but the Councell here forbids them But I can tell you something which will not make very much towards the repute of this Psalme In the Maronites Edition you find the Number in the head of it and which is worse then that it is there said that David fell'd the Gyant with three Stones which he flung out in the strength of the Lord. You will not easily meet with either of these things in the Manuscripts Here are severall to be seen and one I have of my owne but all without mentioning the Number or this Particular The Revelation of Saint John you know what Erasmus himselfe hath said of and how little Beza hath said to that What if it be wanting in some of the Syriack Copies 't is extant in others 'T is wanting in a Manuscript Arabick translation in Queenes Colldge The Printed Arabick hath it so the Coptick Armenian c. What if the Laodicean Canon acknowledge it not It is more to be marvail'd at that it should be found in the Apostolicall In the Greek I do not say but in the Arabick Translation it is thus mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sixth is the Revelation of Saint John called Apocalipsis Judicious Calvin once askt his opinion concerning the Apocalypse made answer Bodin method Histor c. 7. sub init ium cap. Se penitus ignorare quid velit tam obscurus scriptor qui qualisque fuerit nondum constat inter eruditos That for his part he was altogether ignorant what that obscure Author would have and that no body yet knew who or what he was For the first part of the Answer it will passe well enough Cajetan said right Exponat qui potest The latter words if they were his doe not become the Writer of the Revelation or the man that spake them Kerstenius in his Notes upon the Lives of the foure Evangelists written in Arabick letteth fall this Observation Observandum quoque est hunc Authorem ne verbo quidem uno mentionem facere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Joannis quam quidem hunc Evangelistam in Pathmo scripsisse asserunt qua authoritate ipsi videant atque ideo semper iste liber inter Apocrypha reputatus est You are to note here too saith he that this Author maketh not any mention at all of Saint Iohns Apocalyps no not in one word and therefore they would do well to consider what they doe who affirm that this Evangelist wrote that booke in Patmos Indeed the Booke was ever yet reckoned among the Apocrypha And yet his great reason is because this Arabick Authour maketh no mention of the Booke But you will finde the Learned man it might easily bee very much mistaken His order is not to make a full and answering translation of the Arabick but to turne the principall
and best understood sense of it as to him and so to set down the Text. He takes the same course in this matter Iam itaqueverba Arabica ad locos hos tres pertinentia adscribere tempestivum est Quorum periodum ultimam doctioribus hujus linguae relinquimus I shall lay no claime to the Doctioribus but I doubt not to read the words right and then the place will easily be understood The Period which hee will not undertake upon is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abogalmasis indeed signifieth nothing it should be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abogalubsis there 's but one letter mistaken and then the English of it will be And it is said that John delivered the Apocalyps to Pheugir This Pheugir was a Disciple of his as the same Arabick Author saith before The leaving of this Booke out of some Copies is just nothing against it you may say as much and as justly too of the Canonicall Epistles and there is the same reason for all These were more lately written and therefore not so soon received into the Canon as the rest I think every man ought to have a very reverend and singular opinion of that Epistle of Clemens Romanus to the Corinthians and yet I doe not thinke that either this or the rest of that Booke was of Teclaes owne hand writing no more then I beleive that Iohn Fox translated the Saxon Gospels into English I have seene the third Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians in the Armenian Tongue beginning Paul a Servant of Jesus Christ c. And an Epistle of the Corinthians to Saint Paul in the same Tongue beginning Steven Lib Ms Armenice cum versione Ital. apud ingeniosissimum virum Gilbertum North. c. to our Brother Paul greeting Kirstenius saith that there be many Epistles of Saint Paul in Arabick which we know not of yet The Armenian Priest I mentioned before told me they had more Bookes of Moses then we But now to discharge my selfe of all this that hath been said and to give up a sincere and sober account of the thing An indifferent man of any Nation under heaven could not deny but that this Booke throughout discovereth an incomprehensible secret power and excellency enabled to make any man whatsoever wise to Salvation And that Canon of it which is undoubtedly received on all hands is sufficiently entire And for detracting any the least jot or title from this unlesse it be notoriously made knowne to be heterogeneous and abhorrent and he that beleeveth this too must not make hast God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life But for him that shall adde any thing thereto though it were a new Epistle of Saint Paul as to Seneca or the Loadiceans and as good as any of these we have God shall adde unto him the Plagues that are written in this Booke You must not reckon of the Scripture by the bulk It were the biggest Book in the world if it were lesse then it is and it was purposely fixed to that proportion it hath that it might compare and comply with our Size and Magnitude If you would have all written that Solomon disputed from the Cedar in Libanus to the Hysop that growes upon the wall or all that which was done and said by One that was Greater then he and spake as never man did The world it selfe would not be able to containe the Bookes that should be written Amen that is The Lord let it be so as it is ¶ It will not be so successeful an argument for this Book to the miraculous conservation and Incorruption of the Text. The Alcoran it selfe hath had much better luck That of the Old Testament how tenable soever it hath been made by their encompassing and inaccessible Masora I doe not finde it so altogether though wonderfully enough entire But for the New there 's no prophane Author whatsoever caeteris paribus that hath suffered so much at the hand of time And what of all this Certainly the providence was shewed to be greater in these miscarriages as we take them then it could have beene in the absolute preservation God suffered Tares to be sowed in the Genealogies while men slept or in some elementall parts that we might not insist upon those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Ben. Bar Jonah's Itinâ—rary Extracta quaestionum as these things are called and kept by the Jewes themselves It is an invincible reason for the Scriptures part that other escapes should be so purposely and infinitely let passe and yet no saving or substantiall part at all scarce moved out of its place To say the truth These varieties of Readings in a few by-places doe the same office to the maine Scripture as the variations of the Compasse to the whole Magnet of the Earth The Mariner knowes so much the better for these how to steere his Course ¶ For the style of this Scripture it is unspeakable good but not admirable in their sense who reckon the height of it from the unusualnesse of the phrase The Majesty of that Booke sits upon another Throne He that was among the Heardsmen of Tekoah did not write like him that was among the Priests at Anathoth Read Ben Syra and the Arabick Centuries of Proverbs Read the Alcoran it selfe Though the saying of our Saviour It is easier c. was originally It is easier for an Elephant Alcoran in Sirrat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Azoar 17. c. Yet Mahomet expresseth as our Saviour did They shall not saith he enter into Paradïse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till a Camell goe through a Needles eye You will get more by that Book to this purpose if you make no worse use of it then you should Yet you must have a care too for the Authors of that good confused heape have elsewhere exprest loosely enough They say in another Surat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Angels and God himselfe too say prayers for his Prophet that is that God prayes for Mahomet An odde saying you may think and yet how much different can you make it to be from that of ours where it is said that the Spirit maketh intercession for us c. but doe you make this use of it It is from hence that the Mahumetans expresse the memory of the Dead in God especially of the Prophet himselfe by those strange words Peace and the Prayer of God be upon them But if you would raise a Reputation upon our Scripture like your self and the dimensions of a man take it from those without I should think it to be very well that Aben Rois in his Arabick Commentaries upon Aristotles Moralls translated into Latine should call the greatest man of the East Augustin Steuch in Iob. ult Beatum Job Blessed Job and to urge him for an example of Fortitude Galen in his Booke De usu partium not knowing what to say to the haire of the Eye-lids why it should so strangely stand
at a stay and grow no longer takes an occasion to undervalue Moses his Philosophy and saith of God Neque sâ— lapidem repente velit facere hominem efficere id poterit c. yes but he could even of these Stones too But Old Orpheus sayes that the man that was born out of the water so Moses indeed is to be called in the Aegyptian did well and Dyonysius Longinus one that knew what belonged to expression having first of all cast a scorne upon his Homer saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Lawgiver of the Iews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no ordinary man neither was in the right when hee brought in his God saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let there bee Light and there was Light c. If you see what Strabo Tacitus Justin Diodorus Siculus * See the translation of Abu Maasciar or Albumazar Introductor lib. 5. c. 9. Ptolomy c. have said as to this you will be no great loser in your Faith by the hand I have thus much left to wish and I hope I doe it well to this Booke that it might be read so farre as this is possible in a full and fixt Translation And upon that a Cleare and disengaged Commentary The way to doe this will not be to doe the Work a great and undertake the whole or any considerable part of the Booke by one man if he could live one Age. How little we have gotten and lost how much by those who have prayed to God they might live to make an end of all the Bible in Commentaries you cannot chuse but perceive enough You must not thinke to looke upon this mirrour of the word as you are to be seene in Roger Bacon's Perspective Vbi unus homo videbitur plures where one man will seeme to be more then so No Break the Glasse in peices and see every one a face by himselfe He that shall thus begin to build may perhaps be one of those that will be able to finish Leo Moden Di gli Riti Hebraici Part. 1. The Jewes when they build a house are bound to leave some part of it unfinished in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem The best Master Builder that shall come to this worke will be forc't to doe so too And yet if those that have undertaken upon the whole had in stead of that compleated but one small part This House of God and Tabernacle of good men had been reared up ere this He that goeth upon this with any Interest about him Let him doe otherwise never so admirably he does indeed but translate an Angel of Light into the Devill I would not render or interpret one parcell of Scripture to an end of my owne though it were to please my whole Nation by it if I might gain the World These Wresters of the Booke are unstable if not ignorant men and it will follow that they must needs doe it to their owne Destruction When all these things are fitly and understandingly resolv'd upon It would be good too to bring these principall matters as neare to a Standard as we can that we might have something to trust to and settle upon Some say that the Heavens could not move unlesse the Earth stood still I am sure since the Earth began to turne about the Kngdome of Heaven hath suffered a violence of Rest and doth not seeme to be so open to all Beleevers as before I am sorry I have so much to accuse my Nation of that ever since the times of Hen. the 8. they should goe about in amaze of Reformation and not know yet how to get either us or themselves out I am not much given to the Admiration and amusements of Astrologicall matters therefore I will not tell you plainly here what * Giafar Abu Maasciar Belchita commonly called Albumaâ—ar Abalachi putteth our Religion under the Dominion of ☿ inde saith Roger Bacon intricatioribus et prâ—fundis maxime momentis laborat propter impedites illes ☿ motus Eccentrum Eccentri It is indeed like enough to ☿ in one sense It is good with the good and bad with bad Facit homines ancipitis naturae semper nova excogitantes qui non quie scunt non adeo manifeste sua agenteâ— Ranzovius Alchindus saith that we are signified by the Woman Planet unde orator in signâ—is pictutu decorari solent What because you Turkes have none Would the Religion had no more to doe with that Planet then so Others put us under the Sunne I think they cannot tell what to put us under very well Silen saith that we are governed by the Moone and the Scots by ♄ If it be so then ♄ is not so dull a Planet as R. Bacon tooke him for who giveth this reason why the Jewes rested upon the Saturday But as to the first our Eshwid quoteth an old Astrologer to say as much and with this Vnde Angli vagi sunt instabilâ—s nunc ad summum nunc ad imum delati Dist 8. cap. 1. fol. 42 a. Ptolomy placeth us under ♈ and ♂ unde impatientes regni c. saith he Cardan addeth that therefore we are a rebellious and unlucky Nation semper novos ritus legis divini cultus fabricantos aliquando quidem in mâ—lius but for the most part in deterius in Tetrab C. 3. Tex 1 2. Hali Aben Ragel saith that he found in an old Booke called Andilareprosu that the signe of the world is Aries T is the same with ours And it were well that the fashion of the whole had not lesse passed away then that of the Divises or be Britannes They did right to call us a people by our selves for I thinke we are like to no body else Ptolomy Cardan Silen Alchindus Eshwid Roger Bacon c. say of us And yet the Sage Guido Bonate Zoroaster in chiefe to some Almanacke men I cannot chuse but give you notice of This Gymnosophist in the 13 Chapter of his First part tels you that Christ himselfe was an Astrologer and made use of Elections The same Man in the third Chapter at his third Part is busie to let you know under what Figure of the Heavens you are to pare your Nailes But that which I indeed intend to say to you is this In the Geographicall Resemblances I finde that Maginus could liken Scotland to nothing But for England 't is fancied by some to come very neare the fashion of a Triangle I am sure 't is farre enough from a Square or that Honest man in Aristotle who falleth still upon his owne Legges The Arabick Nubian Geographer likeneth us to an Estrich indeed we have digested Iron enough But this is that silly thing which leaveth her Egges in the Earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wilde Beast may break them She is hardened against her young Ones as though they were not hers her labour is in vaine without feare And why
strong Swell'd her vext Unitie into a Throng Charming Confederates their mixt Powers to reach To storm the Fort for Shee had made the Breach Till the Fresh Host possest of everie Part Whil'st Gouts secure thy Joints the Rest thy Heart Thy over-number'd Corps at last did fall No one sick Patient but an Hospital M. LL. TO THE MEMORY OF My dear Friend and Tutor Mr. JOHN GREGORY I 'L not accuse thy Fall that well-plac'd Fate Made thee th' Desire of th' Age no more the Hate 'T is just it wants what it contemns that They Wander unpitied who despise the way Fools their own Sentence still and Judgement are They beg their Ill and suffer that false Pray'r Nor will we pity Thee since what thy Minde In its Restraint and Prison could not finde Press'd with its Body and the Time it now Free'd from th' ungratefull Loades does clearly know Truth 's thy Possession and what e're begun Of Knowledge here ends how in Vision Errour and Wonder cease and that Pure Fire Which when it cover'd lay and shaded here Thou could'st not fully by its languishing Faint Ray discover the True Face of things As colours are not judg'd i th' Twilight where Wants Darkness to be hid and Light t' appeare Shines out unclouded now and does enjoy All its High Essence dares a Bright Full Day Of Knowledge where Pure Unmix'd Light does streā No false Refraction nor Errours in the Beam No Doubtfull Colour that Veyl of Shade and Light Disguises things no Distance breaks the sight But that Unbounded Glory that Certain Light Commands all Objects Sure and Infinite Let it not wrong thy Memory that we Admiring what thou Now art doe pass by Thy Knowledge Here as if 't were wanting no What Man could find Thou need'st not Dye to know Language was thine and what that Language frames Thou wert not seen onely in Empty Names Those the Materialls of thy Knowledge were But not the Work Thou onely enter'dst there Where Others rest and loaden with their rich Prey Thou brought'st home thence Arts numerous as They. 'T were idle to recount them by thine own Remains th' hast left us they are greater known Then by our Faint Report 'T is They must raise Trophies that will outlive all Lesser Praise For to the same Duration Sacred be The Aged Relique and the Memory R. GOODRIDGE UPON THE DEATH Of my Loving Friend Mr JOHN GREGORIE SUre it must needs bee so or els I shou'd Think Providence but little understood The State of things when a dull sensless Tree Stand's and outlive's a Jewish Pedigree But Man whose Knowledg might new Worlds create And so compose a wiser Book of Fate Him the least breath must scatter into Air As if his dust not yet compacted were For I don't speak of one whose Destinie Was but to make a Sermon and so die Such as the Law deliver in a Cloud Thicker then God at first did and as loud Such as blaspheme by Preaching ne're have don Until their Comments make an Alkaron Who scare the Turk from beeing Christian And Indians fear they then should put off Man Hee search't Religion's Source Gospel and Law From Moses in the Flags to Christ in Straw And was so skill'd in these Antiquities That hee could almost tell where Moses lie's Who was †'T is the opinion of a Learned man that Melchisedeck was not called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 becaus hee had no Father and Mother but becaus it was not known who his Father and Mother were Melchisedeck's Father Rectifie A Jew ev'n in 's own Genealogie Who saie's hee die'd too soon that had liv'd o're All Ages whatsoever were before And knew so much of Language that alone Hee might have sav'd all Nations in their own Idiome and Dialect though there never fell A Cloven Tongue or other Miracle Great Citizen of the World though thou die'dst here Yet thus wee prove thou wert born Every where And like the Sun too didst thou never sleep But when wee call'd it Night thou still didst keep Thy journey on till with as large an Eie Thou viewd'st the Univers as much as hee But thou could'st not endure alass to run O're the same Circle still so having don Surveying this our Globe thou went'st to see * Galileans probably conjectured all the Planets were inhabited Worlds What other worlds did do aswel as wee Thus art thou fled and left us here to bee Sad Ruines of an Universitie VVhat Ignorant Malice could not reach unto Nor War it self thy single Fate did do The World began at Noon but thy bright Raie More glorious Sun did set at thy Mid-daie Now wee do'nt mourn our State for at thy Fall 'T is fit this Kingdom perish World and all Our heap of Stones at Christ-Church prove's to bee But a more spatious Monument to thee And when wee purifi'd from this Age shall name And dedicate a Temple to thy Fame Wee 'l call this Island thine which is no less Famous for thee then it 's unhappiness When Cities Temples burnt shall bee forgot And Sacrilege too the prais of thee shall not Parents shall hither bring their Sons of Years To paie their Tribute in a Sea of Tears And pointing to thy Tomb crie There are found Oxford and Gregorie in one yard of Ground Fr. Palmer Upon the much deplored Deceas of Mr John Gregorie Chaplain of CHRIST-CHURCH HEnce Exclamations on Disastrous Fate Let none here call the Stars unfortunate Or rail at Lachesis The Soul that 's gon Scorn's such a whining Celebration And dare's that Autor whosoe're hee bee To search into the Stars so far as hee Since Life was lent him 'till hee had a view Of all the Mysteries that Nature knew And had a perfect Knowledg of each Art That either Rome or Athens could impart 'T was time now Learning 's banisht to suspend His labor and to get to his Journei's end Should this so sad Intelligence bee sent The Hebrews and Chaldeans would lament The Syrians and Arabians though so far VVould send to know this an Ambassador But vain and fruitless would their Labor bee VVhen none could give an Answer t' it but Hee Hee so admir'd of all that had alone Diversitie of Tongues for 's Portion So fluent so redundant in them all That each which hee had got seem'd Natural The Pious Fates gave him a lingring Death Fearing all Arts might perish in one breath But fearing too that if hee should live long All Nations would again becom one Tongue They added this Confusion to the world And thus together too his Ashes hurl'd Asscend Departed Saint to bee a Guest To Dialogue with Abram and the rest Thou hadst most Tongues but know thy Joie's excess Is far more now then Angels can express Epitaphium Joannis Gregorii NE premas Cineres hosce Viator Nescis quot sub hoc jacent Lapillo Graeculus Hebraeus Syrus Et qiu Te quovis vincet Idiomate At nè molestus sis Ausculta caussam
this Reason from the unhealthfulness of the Place which happened to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. by the varietie and constancie of the diseases which reigned among the People For besides the general distemperature of the air of Egypt which was calidus nocivus Joh. Leo African hot and hurtful as it is affirmed by * one that knew it well insomuch that a Plague at Grand Cairo could cut off twentie thousand in one daie besides I saie these more universal Conditions Philo intimateth from a particular Caus that there should bee a more usuall Mortalitie heer then elswhere and that was The Concours of all manner of living Creatures to â—his Place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And it is to bâ—â— conceived that the Autor meaneth by this not onely a multitude of Men but also that great varietie of strange Beasts and Fowls which were continually bred up about the Court in Alexandria mention whereof is made by Ptolomie the King in his Commentaries Lib. 12. which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And these Creatures were transported from all parts of the world and there bred up not onely for their Raritie and the Kings Recreation but also to furnish his Table for so it seemeth by Ptolomie's words in that Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where hee noteth concerning those Phesants that were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the King of Egypt had of them not onely brought out of Media but also hatch'd at home in such a Number that his Table might bee served with them when hee pleased though wee may observ by the waie that these kinde of Birds in those daies were for the most part kept for the Eie rather then for the Bellie insomuch that Ptolomie the King in the book before cited professeth that hee never tasted of a Phesant in all his life whereupon Athenaeus observeth That if this noble King had liv'd in his daies wherein the Luxurie was such that everie man must have a Pheasant at his Table though hee had alreadie written 24. Books in this kinde yet hee saith that hee would surely have written one more purposely to note out this thing This by the waie becaus Philo saith that the Places within the Citie were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of all manner of Creatures And this howsoever urged by him onely for a greater Caus of Infection yet it may bee thought by som to have a further aim for the Egyptian beeing aware of this that the Jew was bound to make a distinction between clean and unclean beasts might apprehend it in the strictness and therefore carefully remove the Seniors from the verie sight of those things which were an abomination unto them But in this wee have but prevented the Curious and therefore if the Conjecture bee not sound enough it may bee the less regarded But more then what is urged by Philo for the ill disposition of the place may elswhere bee observed The Prophet Nachum saith that Alexandria is situate upon the waters not onely becaus the waters laie all about it but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they were conveied into it under ground as Chimhi there hath it And the Arabian more plainly in the Nubian Geographie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the river Nile comming from the West runneth under the Arches of all their Houses The manner how this was don is set down by John Leo in his description of Africa Cuique ferè domui Civitatis ingens cisterna concamerata crassisque innitens fornicibus substructa est in quas exundans Nilus per Aquaeductum in planitie magno artificio constructum extra Alexandriam deductus sub eâ—us moenibus demittitur c. This artificial conveiance of the River though it bee otherwise acceptable to the Inhabitants yet it could not bee without som annoiance to the Air the Complexion whereof suffered much alteration by the noisom vapors which rose up out of the waters which in tract of time putrified in their Cisterns It is the experience of this John in the words following Cisternae porrò temporis successu turbidae ac coenosae redditae plurimis aestivo tempore languoribus occasionem praebent c. And the same Autor affordeth us yet another inconvenience to make us more sure of the Insalubritie of this Place And it ariseth by reason of certain little Gardens planted near to the Citie the fruits whereof were of such an ill Condition that the Inhabitants were thereby made subject to verie noxious Feavers and manie other diseases for so John reporteth in the Chapter aforesaid Juxta aquaeductum per quem Nilus in civitatem transmittitur exigui visuntur Horti sed quorum fructus ad maturitatem perventi accolas noxiis febribus aliisque morbis afficiunt c. These things considered the Reason was good why the Isle should bee chosen rather then the Citie to bee a Place for the Interpreters Thus much therefore wee are com to know upon good Autoritie that our Translation was made in the great Tower of the Isle Pharos near to Alexandria in Egypt wee go on to a more distinct designation of the Place the consideration whereof shall also discover unto us after what manner the thing was don FOr the Manner of the Translation The opinion of som is that the Seniors were assembled in one and the same place where they performed the work by comparing what was severally don by each of them and delivering up that for granted which could bee agreed upon by all This opinion hath received it's ground from the words of Aristaeas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And indeed the incouragement from hence for that waie seemeth to bee verie good the words themselvs beeing scarcely able to bear anie other construction then according to that which hath been said Nevertheless it is believed by others that they did the work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as John Zonaras hath i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Each of them beeing in a several Room and when the work was finished they all met and compared together what everie Man had don and it was found that they differed nothing either in sens or manner of expression but agreed in all c. This later waie of the Storie however it may seem to exact upon our belief as making Report of more incredible circumstances yet it may bee taken up upon the greatest trust of Antiquitie having to alledg for it self the constant and most undeniable Testimonie of the Antients The Jews report it from an immemorial Tradition which their Talmudists deliver in the 10 Book of Soeder Moed in the Chap. Megillah Nikra which is the 3d. and fol. the 8. B. and the 9. A. where the text of the Talmud saith on this manner Talmud in Soed Moed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is There is no difference between the Sepharim and the Tephillim and Mezuzoth save onely that the Sepharim may bee written in anie Language but the
but as one daie therefore after six daies that is six thousand Years duration of the World there shall bee a seventh daie or Millenarie Sabbath of Rest concerning which Justin Martyr to Tryphon the Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And there is a certain man among us whose name is John one of the Apostles of Christ who in his Apocalyps hath foretold of a thousand Years to bee enjoied in Jerusalem In the Revelation made to him by those which shall believ in our Christ The same also was asserted by Papias Bishop of Hierapolis Apolinarius and Irenaeus as S. Hierom in his Catalogue and hath been of late daies by verie Learned men awaked out of a long sleep and even now is by som to no good ends more then enough resented Though this was wont to bee one of the reasons why the Revelation was accounted but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gregorie Nyssen and not called by S. John's but the Heretick Câ—rinthus his name Other Asspersions raised upon this Book by Eusebius Dorotheus Dionysius c. are summed up by Erasmus and more forcibly urged then fully answered by Beza I may add that the Canon of Scripture wee go by groundeth much upon that Enumeration subjoined to the last Canon of the Council of Laodicea which yet is not found in the verie antient Manuscripts Gretser mentioneth one and I meet with another here at home Synodic Gr. Ms. in Arch. Baroc B. Bod. Nor is it exstant in Joseph's Arabick Code where onely the Canon of the Council is set down with a note upon the Idiötical Psalms And yet in the same Code in the Apostolical Canons contrarie to the trust of all the Greek Copies Cod. Concil Arab. Ms. in Arch. Roan B. Bod. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Revelation of S. John called the Apocalyps but immediately follow the Constitutions of Clement and recommended to the Church upon as equal terms In a Manuscript Arabick Translation of the New Testament in Queens College onely this Book of the Revelation is wanting In the Arabick lives of the four Evangelists observed upon by Kirstenius the note is Observandum quoque est hunc Autorem né verbo quidem uno mentionem facere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Joannis P. Kirsâ—en in Vit. 4. Evan Arab. fol. 50. quam quidam hunc Evangelistam in Patmo scripsisse asserunt quâ autoritate ipsi videant Atque adeò semper iste Liber inter Apocrypha reputatus est But the Autor doth make mention of the Apocalyps in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but this period saith Kirstenius doctioribus hujus linguae considerandum relinquimus I dare not own the doctioribus but the Reading should bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the meaning is And the report go's that S. John delivered up the Apocalyps to his Disciple Phughir So express is the mention and no stronger the Tradition But in derogation to a Book wherein too much may so soon bee said at least enough bee the writing never so Canonical the Argument is most intractable and to the usuall reach of Men so intricate and lost in Mysterie that unless the Times reveal faster then yet they have don no man will bee found worthie to open and to read the Book neither to look thereon Chap. 5.4 Not to repete over Cajetan's Exponat cui Deus concesserit Calvin the Man whose prais is in the Interpretation of the word of God Sententiam rogatus de Libro Apocalypseos so Bodin report's him ingenuè respondit â—e penitùs ignorare quid velit tam obscurus Scriptor Joh. Bodin Mâ—th Hist c. 7. qui qualÃsque fuerit nondum constat inter Eruditos But this later part of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerneth mee not so pertinently as the former that is the six thousand Years duration of the World unto which more then what was said before must bee added out of Lactantius Sicut ipsum hominem Deus die sexto ultimum fecit c. ità nunc die sexto magno verus homo verbo Dei fingitur that as God made man last in the sixth daie Lactant. L. 7. c. 14. so in the great sixth daie or Millenarie of the World the true man was made by the Word of God Hee saith also that mention was made of this Tradition by the Sibylline Oracles the great Hermes and the old Histaspes King of the Medes More expresly Clemens Timotheus and Theophilus as they are quoted by Joannes Antiochenus Melala Joh. Antioc Ms. in Arc. Barr. Bib. Bod. Chronograph l. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That upon the sixth daie as the Scripture hath foresaid God made man and man fell by sin so upon the sixth daie of the Chiliad or sixth Millenarie of the World our Lord Jesus Christ came into this World and saved man by his Cross and Resurrection To the same purpose Aelfric an Abbot of our own in his Treatise of the Old and New Testament to Sigwerd of East Hoolon ê§ adam ge tacnude þeondam sixtan daege geseapen Æ¿aes þarh god usne helend crist þe come to þissere Æ¿osulde on þaere sixtan ylde us ge eSniÆ¿oSe to his ge licnesse That Adam who was shapened by God upon the sixth daie betokeneth our Saviour Christ who came into this World in the sixth Age thereof and renewed us after his own likeness For this duration of the World I think it well enough retorted upon Lactantius by one of the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God hath not made haste to do according to this saying for as Lactantius compute's the Time is alreadie past and gon and yet the World continue's to bee as in the daies of old c. R. Azarias in Imre Binah c. 43. fol. 142. though som of us Christians have so little to do and think our selvs so well acquainted with the unsearchable waies of God Cunmannus Fliusbachius as to bid our Readers take it upon their word Mundi hujus aetatem supra sex millia annorum tanquam certam immotam metam quam Deus mundo sapienti inscrutabili consilio determinavit non excursuram esse c. And what will becom of the Millenarie Sabbath of Rest if the six thousand Years whereon that depend's bee of no weightier consideration But to weaken or defend the Tradition I have no ingagement upon mee It yieldeth mee this Observation That in the Opinion of those which held it Our Saviour was to com in the Flesh in the sixth Millenarie of the World But by the Hebrew Account the Messiah was to com long before as the Angel Gabriel prophecied in the seventie Weeks determined upon that People It amounted therefore to this That either the Tradition must com down to the Text or the Text made to com up to that In the Arabick Catena and there onely I finde the Imputation laied upon the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That the Jews cut off from the Ages of the World 3600 Years co conceal the Epiphanie of Christ that their Books might not convince them of the contrarie c. Caten Arab. C. 19. I begin to think how readily Morinus and others of the Romish Partie will resent this Testimonie Learned Men I confess but of a strange brow to pretend to the world Chronologiam juxta Lxx Interpretum numeros subductam Antiquis Hebraeorum codicibus videri conformem That the Chronologie computed according to the Numbers in the Septuagint probably differeth not from the Antient Hebrew Coppies But for the Sinceritie of the Hebrew Text the Foundation of God and man standeth sure And for that of Julius Africanus the onely thing which hath been urged to purpose in this Caus it shall bee unexspectedly answered Julius Africanus saith That the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. themselvs delivered this Computation of years taught by the Sprit of God in Moses and out of the Hebrew Histories c. Not meaning as Morinus would have him that the Greek account was drawn from the Antient Originals of Moses but as Joannes Antiochenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For like as God made Man in the sixth daie as Moses expoundeth Psal 90. Orat Mos c. who also hath it in his writings That one daie of the Lord is as a thousand years c. So in the sixth Millenarie daie our Lord Jesus appeared And this was all Moses had to do with it That the things was don by the Jews I denie not but by those I mean the Hellenists And I take upon mee that the Corruption proceeded not by subduction from the Hebrew but the accession to the Greek Scripture and that it was don hard by the times of the Translation and to no other end then to what I pretended which was to make the Accounts fall even with their Tradition of the Messias coming in the sixth Millenarie of the world as it falleth out by the Epilogisms of Demetrius cited by Alexander Cornelius Eupolemon cited by Clemens Alexandrinus Euseb P. Evang. p. 248. Timotheus and others cited by Joannes Antiochenus differing som from the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But all agree in this that our Saviour came in the sixth Chiliad The distinctest Enumeration of this Account is that of Theophil Antioch before the Insertion of the Caïnan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is Adam was 330 Years old when hee begat Seth Seth 205 Enos Enos 190 Caïnan Caïnan 170 Malaleël Malaleël 165 Jared Jared 162 Enoch Enoch 165 Methusala Methusala 187 Lamech Lamec 188 Noah Noah 500 Sem Sem 100 Arphaxad Arphaxad 135 Sala Sala 130 Eber Eber 134 Phalec Phalec 130 Ragau. By this Account there passed from the Begining of the World to the 700 Year of Noah's life 2362 Years from thence to the 130 Year of Phalec 529 which added to the former Summ maketh up from the begining of the World to the same time 2891 Years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as the same Period of Theophilus From the Flood to the time at which Abraham our forefather begat Isaac 1036 Years from Isaac the son of Abraham to the Sojourning of the People with Moses in the Wilderness 660 Years from the death of Moses to the death of David the Patriarch 498 Years from thence to the Captivitie in Babylon 518 Years from the begining of Cyrus to the end of Aurelius verus 744. Years that is from the Flood to the death of Aurelius 3456 Years to which if wee add the 2362 Years from the Creätion to the Flood the Total is 5818 Years Substracting from thence 192 Years from the 42 of Augustus to the death of Aurelius our Saviour cometh into the World in the 626 Year of the sixth Millenarie But the Tradition as otherwise delivered will have it so That our Saviour must com precisely at the sixth hour of the sixth daie or verie middle of the sixth Millenarie So the Arabick Catena 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Cat. Arab. Ms. in Arch. Bib. Bod. The Lord Christ was to bee manifested after the end of 5500 Years for the Redemption of Adam as bee promised saying unto him The sixth daie at noon I will com unto thee and redeem thee Caten Arab ubi Suprá And therefore Eustathius Antiochenus observeth That Christ was Crucified the sixth Hour of the sixth Daie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to intimate the middle of the sixth Millenarie The form of the Period as it standeth to this Alteration is drawn up by the Patriarch Nicephorus in his Chronicon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5500. So Joannes Antiochenus Eusebius the Aethiopian Calendar c. But also the Tradition especially required that the 6000 Years should bee equally divided by the times of Phalec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith Eustathius Antiochenus Phalec in the Hebrew signifieth Division and the time of the World's duration was divided by his daies into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Joannes Antiochenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joan. Antio Ms. Lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From Adam to Phalec 3000 Years according to the Prophecie So Cedren p. 12. Suidas in Phalec and Hesychius in the Questions of Anastasius To reconcile the Numbers to this it was proceeded after this manner By the Period of Theophilus The interval from Adam to Phalec was 2891 Years To this 110 Years were to bee added First therefore and to make it look the more unlike a cheat they cut off 20 Years from Methusala's summ and whereas Theophilus had reckoned him at 187 they set him down 167 as in som Copies it still standeth Then it was from Adam to Phalec 2871 Years This don they insert a new Caïnan assigning Him 130 Years which added to the former summ precisely maketh up 3001 Years from Adam to the 130 Year of Phalec And therefore Caïnan was not taken into the Seventie out of S. Luke as the learned Grotius prejudged but contrarily which how likely it might bee don by such in whose opinion this Translation stood upon the same terms as S. Luke's Original is not hard to bee believed And yet the Arabick Catena can tell you the verie daie of this Caïnans death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And Caïnan died upon Fridaie the thirteenth of Elul and his Sons embalmed him and buried him and lamented over him 40 daies Caten Arab. C. 32. And they make him the Patriarch of a Nation but agree not Eustathius Antiochenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Sogdians Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Gasphenians Fasti Siculi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Sarmatians Cedren saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That hee read the Giants Books to the men of his Time which hee found by chance as hee was walking in the
the first of the reign of Seleucus and 3638 of the World CHAP. XI Aera Dhilcarnian IS the same with the Alexandrea Graecorum and hath nothing proper but the Name which it self also is nothing but Alexander in other words as by the Arabick Geographer and otherwise 't is made known Dhilcarnain that is habentis duo cornua as Albumazer's Translator expresseth it So Alexander was called with relation to the Ram in Daniel's Vision as som divine but then they are fain to read it Ailcarnain not considering that it is not the word in Arabick as in Hebrew for a Ram the Arabians if they had meant thus would have said not Aiie but Hamelcarnain but let that pass for the word written in it's own language manifestly importeth no more then one that hath two horns So Alexander saith Christman might bee called either for that his Empire was bipartite into Asia and Syria which is not altogether so true or otherwise for that hee joined the East and West together with Conquests holding as it were the two Hornes of the World in his Victorious hands And this hee saith becaus as Hercules in the West so Alexander set up two Pillars for a non ultra to the Eastern World The Arabians themselvs saie more For though the more commonly known Historians of this Conqueror Q. Curtius and Arrian out of his Ptolomie and Aristobulus take no notice of Alexander's falling in the Western World Cedren excepted wheresoever hee had it yet the Arabick Geographer doubteth not to affirm that hee was the man by whose appointment and Design that Isthmos Gaditanes was cut out and the Atlantick Ocean let into the Mediterranean so making that Streight or Fretum therefore not to bee term'd Herculeum now called the Sreights of Gibralter or as it should bee Gebal Tarec that is Tarec's Hill so called saith the Arabick Geographer from Tarec the Son of Abdalla who having transported his Barbarians over the Streight secured his Army with the Natural fortification of that Place Geographus Arabs 1. par cl 4. But why Alezander should bee called Dhilcarnain or habens duo cornua Scaliger's reason is beyond exception and which Petavius himself could not choos but commend Alexander to rais himself a reputation of Divinitie suborned the Priest to entitle him the son of Corniger Ammon thenceforth the Cyrenians who had formerly used to express this Jupiter horned in their Coins transferred this honor to the Conqueror and so the reputed son as the Father was known by the name of Corniger which when it came to the Arabians was to bee said as here it is Dilcarnian CHAP. XII The Jews Aera ALexander the Great with his Grecian Armie marching towards Jerusalem with all intention of hostilitie the High Priests and Levites came forth to meet him all in their Holie Garments The King beholding this reverent Assemblie made an approch himself alone and drawing near to the High Priest fell down and worshipped The Captains wondring to see the son of Jupiter Ammon who had given command that all men should worship him himself to fall down to a Jew Parmenion drew near and made bold to ask him the question To whom Alexander 'T is not the Priest saith hee but his God whom I adore and who in his verie habit appeared unto mee long ago at Dius in Macedonia and encouraged mee in my undertakings for the Empire of Asia This don the King ascended the Temple where Sacrifice first don to God the prophecie of Daniel was brought forth the high Priest turning to that place which foretelleth of a mightie Prince of Graecia that was to conquer the Persians which the circumstances well agreeing the King readily applyed unto himself and so departed verie well pleased and full of hope leaving the People to their Antient peace Antiquitat Lib. 11. So their Historian Josephus and the Book Taanith Cap. 9. But it is added moreover by Abraham the Levite in his Cabala that the High Priest by waie of acknowledgment made faith to the King that all the children which should bee born that year to the holie Tribe should bee called by his Name and moreover that from the same Time they would henceforth compute their Minian Staros or Aera of Contracts c. fol. 3. CHAP. XIII Aera Dionysiana Philadelphi A Celestial year is such an one as kéepeth touch with the Sun the Months whereof begin at his entrance into the Signs precisely and especially serving for the Prognostication of the Seasons Such a kinde of year Dionysius an Astrologer in Egypt set up after the example of Metan and others as by Theon 't is noted upon Aratus The Aera whereof hee fixed in the first yeare of the famous Ptolomie surnamed Philadelph 'T is often cited in the Almagest which also giveth Testimonie that this Aera began in the 463 of Nabonassar's Thosh Ptolm lib. 10. C. 4. 5 Almagesti which was the fourth year of the 123 Olympiad answering to the 4429 of the Julian Period which was the 3665 of the world's Creätion The Cycle of the Sun was 5 and the Moon 2. But neither was this this year of Dionysius meerly coelestial 't was also civil as Scaliger discovereth yet of no greater use in Historie to reconcile one place in that golden book as the same Autor termeth it of Jesus the son of Sirach That wise man saith that in the 38 year when Evergetes was King hee came into Egypt c. but how could that bee saith Scaliger seeing this Ptolomie raigned but 26 years To saie as som do that hee meant the years of his own life Emendat Temp. lib. 5. or the life of Evergetes is rather to excuse the Autor then interpret him And therefore 't is to bee said that hee referreth to the Dionysian Account in the 38 whereof hee might com into Egypt in the time of Evergetes And therefore Petavius upon his Epiphanius first and again in his Doctrina Temporum had little reason to fall so foully upon the much more learned Autor of this and manie other admired Revelations CHAP. XIV Aera Hispanica JVlius Caesar in the fourth of his Dictatorship appointed his Mathematicians to the Correction of the Roman Year Dion lib. 11. which is the begining of the Julian Account The The 283 whereof Censorinus saith was the 1014 of Iphilus and that the 986 of Nabonassar Therefore the Julian Account began the 703 of Nabonassar which was the 4669 of the Julian Period and 3905 from the Worlds Creätion The Cycle of the Sun was 21 and the Moon 14. Seven Years after and 38 before the Nativitie of Christ the Spaniards beeing brought under the subjection of the Empire received also this form of year their Aera from that time forth bearing Date from hence which though it was the fifth of Augustus yet the Style went in the Dictators Name and so the King Alphonso would bee understood in his Tables when hee calleth this Term Aera Caesaris meaning the Dictator CHAP.
was don as they could This new form was fixed in the Aequinox observed by them the Sun entring the first point of Aries Thursdaie the 18 of Phrurdin at two of the Clock in the afternoon in the 448 year of Jesdagard and 471 of the Hegira which was 1079 of the Incarnation according to Dionysius The Cycle of the Sun was 24 the Moon 16. This Aera from the Style of the Emperor was called Gelaloea that is Aera Augusta or Imperatoria as that word signifieth in the Persian Dialect CHAP. XX. What is Proleptical and what Historical Time HIstorical Time is that which is deduced from the Aera Orbis Conditi Proleptical is that which is fixed in the Chaos The Jews call it tempus Tohu as the Chaos is called by their Moses Gen. 1. So the new Moon which they suppose to bee upon the second of the fix daies that is if the Luminaries had then been they call Novilunium Tohu for that as yet there was neither Sun nor Moon The first example of Proleptical Time was given by the Greek Church who in their Computations follow the Holie Scripture of the Septuagint Therefore their Aera Orbis Conditi is sixed in 5500 year Ante Christum Natum Their more Artificial men perceiving that this vast Epilogism was good for somwhat els besides the measuring of Times applied it to the Characters and they found that divided by 19 and 28 it gave the Circle of the Sun and Moon but divided by 15 it gave not the true Indiction therefore they added 8 to the summ and so it became a Technical or Artificial Period comprehending the three Characters and becaus it supposed 8 years of the Tohu it was Proleptical but which the Times following not considering reckoned Historically as if the Aera Orbis had then been fixed but are thus to bee corrected This Account is used by the Maronites Grecians and generally by the Eastern Church it is called Aera Graecorum or more properly Periodus Constantinopolitana from the Seat of the Empire where it may seem to have been devised By this Example Scaliger made up his Julian Period which it self also as this consisteth of Time partly Historical and partly proleptical CHAP. XXI Considering the Causses of that infinite Varietie which is found to bee amongst Chronologers FRederick Husman in his Epistle to the Elector Palatine reckoneth up 40 several Opinions concerning the Connection of those two famous Aera's this of Christi Nati and that other of Orbis Conditi And I doubt not but this diversitie might bee redoubled if anie bodie would undertake that such frivolous pains The extremest varietie is that of the Greek and Hebrew Scripture making a difference of two thousand years an occasion justly taken by som equally to disparage the autoritie either of the one or the other For it cannot bee but that this Epilogism must bee detracted from the Hebrew or superadded to the Greek there beeing no mean waie of reconciliation But certainly the Hebrew though I hold it not so everie waies incorrupt as if not one jot or title of the same suffered the common fate of time yet I believ it to bee the Original and by the incredible diligence of the Masora subservient to the greater providence of God to retain more of it 's own puritie then anie other Scripture whatsoever and therefore that it resteth in the Greek Translation to account for this difference yet neither do I think that choice Assemblie so neglected by God in a matter so importantly cared for by him as to recede so fouly from their Original I rather cast this corruption upon the dregs of Time assuring my self that this imposture was put upon us by the Hellenists those among them who affected that antient Heresie of the Chiliasts the conceit whereof I affirm to bee the occasion of this corruption Other differences in that Connexion have these lesser Causses That profane Historie maketh no certain account of Time before the Olympiads That in the Romane affairs a most important piece of Historie the Consulships are not registred in the Fasti with that distinction and care as was necessarie experience whereof hath been made by the industrious examinations of Onuphrius and Cuspinian That the Historians themselvs generally did not consider so much the designation of Time otherwise then with a reference to their own Aera's which were but uncertainly fixt That manie of them wrote not the Historie of their own Times That som of them took libertie to relate those things inclusively which others related exclusively That several Nations reckoned not by the same form of years That all Nations not Christian affected an Opinion of greater Antiquitie then their own beginings endevouring therefore to leav the Storie of their rising as possibly uncertain to posteritie as in them laie So the Egyptians tell us of Heroes past who by their reckoning reigned long before the world was made which they saie with as much credit as the Indians tell us that they have out-liv'd four Suns alreadie and that this which wee have is the fifth from their begining To saie nothing of Janbazar Tsareth and Roani men that lived before Adam's time as the book Heubattish make's report and that one Sombasher was Adam's Tutor But the greatest caus of all is for that Professed Chronologers of our own times such as Funccius Beroaldus Bucholcer nay Satian Baronius Torniellus and Gordon themselvs were altogether unacquainted with anie Artificial waie of this work not knowing how to make application of Natural and Civil Characters to the assuring of Times One of the first who began to know what was to bee don in this matter was the most learned and perceiving Mercator who Instituted a Chronologie by waie of Demonstration Astronomical To this begining somthing by Crentzeim was added but verie much more by Bunting the Autor of a most elaborate Chronologie demonstrating by the Characters of Eclipses the Sun and Moons Circles and with Calculation of everie Eclips since the world began But this Art hath received greatest perfection from that excellent work of Scaliger de Emendat Temporum upon whose grounds Calvisius hath erected a most incomparable Chronologie for demonstration of time by Eclipfes and Cycles of the Sun and Moon severally applyed to everie year yet wanting so much to accomplishment as may seem to bee added by the incredible pains of Helvicus who excelleth Calvisius though otherwise excelled by him in Synchronismes infinitely added and the application of the Julian Period which why Sethus Calvisius should not measure is verie much to bee marvelled These two therefore put together make up Chronologie everie waies absolute and brought to such a perfection as needs not to bee added unto for though I doubt not but that even those also are somtimes failing as for som other necessarie and unavoidable defects so also for that they are not throughly advised whose Tables Astronomical they best and most securely may follow Yet I assure my self the differences caussed by this