21. sequ For although mention is there made of three Years yet by no means were they compleat and separately reckoned as is evident from the Place just mentioned On the contrary 't is evident that this Hypothesis brings in a new Method destitute of all Probability For if for Example the Beginning of the Sabbatic Year should fall upon the Vernal Month Nisan which would sometimes happen the Jews could not gather the Fruits because of the Religion of the Year and consequently on the preceding Year they would hardly have given themselves the trouble of Sowing but neither was it lawful to sow about Tisri the Autumnal Month of the same Year Therefore they could not mow about Nisan the Year following It was therefore necessary for 'em to wait till they could have the Harvest of the 3d Year § 7. The Absurdity of that Opinion is The Mystic Sabbatic Cycle hence evident For admitting it the Sabbatic Years would undoubtedly be wholly deprived of their best Character when amongst the Sabbatic Years from the faithful Tradition of Historians the intercepted time divisible into aliquot Parts should not always be 2401 Days or the Quantity of a mystic Sabbatic Cycle § 8. The Author of (y) Sâ—lâ— Temp. p. â—1 in vind p. 4. the mystic Chronology The manner how the Author of mystic Chronology would prove his Opinion about the Sabbatic and Jubilean Years premises some Hypotheses which he says are founded in Scripture and which are granted by all that allow of the Old Testament whether Christians Jews or Turks 1. That God made the World in six Days 2. That on the 7th he rested from the Work of the Creation 3. That any 7th from this and consequently all the Multiples of 7 following one another in Arithmetic Progression as 7. 14. 21. 28 c. were made Sabbaths or destin'd for Rest in Memory of the preceding six Days Creation and resting on the 7th 4. Therefore if from any Sabbath we go backwards by the spaces of 7 Days or the Interval of a Week we shall at last come to that Day of Divine Rest 5. And this is an inseparable Property resulting from the Institution it self and the Divine Fact viz. That it should be a Multiple of the Time and calls back into our Memory and points at the Divine Rest and the very individual Day thereof 6. That God instituted a Sabbatic Year as wâ—ll as a 7th Day in memory of his Rest in which he also would have the same (z) Lev. 25. 4. Arithmetic Progression 7. That in the Sabbatic Years he would have observed and commanded the Observation not only of an (a) Lev. 25. 4. Arithmetic Progression but also a Geometric one viz. the Square of the Sabbatic Year or 7 7 49 Years he instituted for the Jubile 8. The Sabbatic Year ought to be neither greater nor less than the time of Labour and a Fruits or Culture of the Earth which in this Year God would have omitted 9. That time must be greater than 49 and less than 366 Days 10. That there is no Number betwixt 49 and 366 by which we can return back again to the Root 7 unless 343 viz. the Cube of 7. From these Hypotheses he says follows this Apogogic Syllogism Every memorial time of Divine Rest taken from the 7th Day of Creation ought to be multiple of the Number 7 and by a given Regression viz. both Arithmetic and Geometric in a given Proportion viz. Septuple to point out the first of the Divine Rest or the Individual 7th of the Creation But the Mosaic Sabbatic and Jubilean Years are a memorial time of Divine Rest begun on the 7th Day of the Creation Ergo c. And hence further he adds an Epistomonic Syllogism as he calls it Whatever Years ought to be multiple of the 7th Day of Creation and shew the same by a regression as well Arithmetic as Geometric must consist of some Number betwixt 49 and 366 between which 't is impossible they should be either more or less than 343 But the Sabbatic and Jubilean Years ought to be multiple of the 7th Day of Creation and shew it by a Progression as well Arithmetic as Geometric and to consist of a Number betwixt 49 and 366 Therefore 't is impossible that the Sabbatic and Jubilean Years should have either more or fewer Days than 343. 10. 10 c. This is the Basis of this mystic Computation but which is built upon the Sand For first of all our Mysteriographer puts us in mind of a strange Agreement betwixt Christians Jews and Turks in their admitting of the Old Testament But how great soever the Agreement of the two former be that of the Turks is a Dream of the Author Indeed we know the (b) Hotting in Hist Orient p. 409. Turks value the Law of Moses believe that Christ is the Son of Mary the Spirit of God his Word and his Apostle but only in such a sense as Mahomet has left them The Turks tell us of many things depraved in the old many things omitted and many added Nor do they acknowledge the History of the Creation or the first Week from the Mosaic Writings as the Christians and Jews do but are wont to report many Fables of them which that Impostor invented as when God made Adam the Throne of God Paradise c. he held in his Hand a Pen â—00 Miles long and 80 broad Besides the Turks keep not the 7th but the 6th Day of the Week holy contrary to Moses So little occasion has our Author from the Agreement of the Turks for the Foundation of any of their Hypotheses nor according to the sense of his 5th Hypothesis will meet with great Agreement betwixt the Christians and Jews The Times of our Saviour's Nativity his Circumcision of the Eremetic Fast c. are Memorials of those things which hapned long since though no one ever yet of any mystic Multiples Further the 6th 8th and 9th Hypotheses are no where extant in the Old Testament nor are they received by any Christians if you except our (c) Hanlinus Author and his Disciples nor are they granted by the Jews not to mention the Turks God had no respect to the first Sabbath in constituting this System of Years that from the 7th Day of the Creation the Quantity of the Year should be deduced by an Arithmetic and Geometric Progression there are no Footsteps of it in that place our Author has cited in Leviticus But the rest are evident So very false do we find our Author's Philosophy when we consider the (d) Lev. 26. 3 4 5. Amplitude of of the Divine Promises In short the Author of this mystic Computation has acted ignorantly when he makes one of his Limits a System of 366 Days when the Jews knew nothing of it their Annus Communis being 354 Days their Annus Embolimaeus 384 and the Mean 367. Having shewed the Falsity of these Hypotheses we easiy see
Days of unleavened Bread Upon which there was Oblation of Fruits and from whence seven Weeks (l) Lev. 18. 15. were reckoned till Pentecost and therefore the Sabbaths betwixt the Pasca and Pentecost were thus named The Saturdays before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quasi modo geniti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Miscricordias Domini 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jubilate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cantate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vocem jucunditatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exaudi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pentecosten § 7. After many other Fabulists Menasseh Ben Of the Sabbatic River which the Jews were wâ—nt to alledge in Testimony â—f the Sabbath which was sanctified by God Israel (m) In Concil Quaest 36. in Exodum writes that the Sabbatic River is a Testimony of the Sabbath sanctified by God whereof mention is made in the Babylonian and the Jewish Talmud Rabat Jalcut and Josephus also an Historiographer of great Authority makes mention of it as running through Phoenicia in Assyria which after six Days of its own Accord stops its rapid Course and afterwards runs after the same manner and therefore it received the Name of the Sabbatic River from its Rest on the seventh Day Others (n) R. Moses 〈…〉 will have it that this River is Gozen over which the ten Tribes pass'd and at the Coming of the Messiah they shall be freed from their Captivity and according to the Ancient Wisemen (o) Cap. 4â— 9. Isaiah speaks of the People beyond this River which is commonly called Flumen Lapidum But these are childish Fables of the Jews For the above-mentioned Josephus says This River runs very swift on the Sabbath Day These are Rivers that run only out of the Brains of the Rabbi's which are near a-kin to the Poets § 8. (p) Photius in Excerptis ad Nichom Not only among the Gentiles accustomed What we ought to judge of the Numb 7 which determines the Cycle of the Feriae to Superstition was the Number 7 had in great repute but also amongst the Christians many wonderful things are spoken of the mysterious Character 7. Nor has Augustine (q) Lib. 5. Quaest super Deut. Lib. 2. de Cive Dei cap. 21. escaped the Prejudice who makes 7 of 3 and 4 a very perfect Number The firstof these viz. 3. says he is wholly odd and denotes Excellency the other is perfectly equal and denotes the Mother of Justice Equability and a sacred Agreement in things This Number 7 is also assum'd into the most sacred Mysteries is concerned in the Formation of Corporeal Things and appears a Symbol of Perfection Others as Philo Robertus Pontanus c. reckon up those things wherein the Number 7 is concerned as almost all Sacrifices were offered by sevens as 7 Bullocks 7 Rams which always was observed by that mercenary (r) Numb 23. 1. Prophet Balaam Nor do we want Examples of it among the Gentiles as in that Passage of the Poet Nam grege de intacto septem mactare juvencos Praestiterit totidem lectos de more bidentes And those who reckon up the Mysteries of the Number 7 tell us that the chief Feasts of the Jews were reckoned to 7 Months of the Year and continued 7 Days in the Pasca they the unleavened Bread 7 days and then they reckoned 7 Weeks to the Pentecost many joyful Days were celebrated in the 7th Month. Wisdom built her House upon 7 Pillars In the Lamp of the Sanctuary there were 7 Candles St. John in the Revelations saw 7 Golden Candlesticks and in Zachary a Stone had 7 Eyes In the New Testament there were 7 Deacons chosen and through the whole Apocalypse of St. John the different State of the Church is described by the Number 7 Christ commands him to write to the 7 Churches of Asia and their 7 Angels The mystical Book was sealed with 7 Seals 7 Angels with 7 Trumpets and 7 Vials represented the State of the Church in the last Days They yet add to these in Natural things that there are 7 Planets 7 fixed Stars called the Pleiades the 7 Hyades and both the Bears are figured with 7 Stars There are 7 habitable Climates in the Earth The Structure of the Humane Body is 7 Feet And innumerable other things are wont to be alledged by (Å¿) Vide Philonem passim in suis Scriptis Roberti Loei Angli Pâ—â—giationem veri sublati p. 25. Meursii denarium Pythagoriâ—â—â—â— c. those who seek Mysteries in the Number 7. § 9. In Section the 3d and 4th of this Chapter The naming of Days in Weeks is not the same now among the Jews and Christians as it was at first we have given an Account of the Denomination of the Days in the Week among the Jews and in § 3d. Ch. 2d of the accounting by Feriae among the Romans and Eastern Christians But now we all use the Names of the Planets in the Days of the Week § 10. The Order of the Planets if you The reason why the same order of the Planets in naming the Days of the Week was not observed among the Ancients consider their Spheres or Orbs is express'd by this memorable Versicle Post SIMSVM sequitur ultima LVNA subest But there 's nothing attended to less than this in the Names of the Days of the Week Dio (t) Lib. 37. Hist Rom. Cassius gives us the reason and Original of this which he that pleases may read at length and understand upon what Grounds they first fixed the Musick of the 7 Spheres and how they would have the Days of the Week concerned in it The Custom of the Egyptians in these musical Proportions tho' known every where was formerly unknown to the Ancient Greeks therefore each had their distinct Way § 10. In ancient times the 7th Day of the Of thrse Days of the Week which among divers People have been kept holy Week was kept holy which Custom owing its Original to the Divine Institution the Jews at this time observe but the Christians have receded from it distinguishing themselves in this matter from the Jews consecrating the first Day of the Week to Divine Worship And Examples of this Worship seem to be fetch'd even from the time of the (u) John 20. 19 26. Acts 15. also 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 1 and â— Apostles Certainly except Christians could alledge Apostolick Tradition they would scarce with so much Religion and Constancy have observed the first Feria or Sunday That Melito a Cotemporary of Justin would have wrote a whole Book upon that Matter that whole Companies of the Faithful would have incurr'd the Suâ—picion of the Idolatrous Worship on Sunday that they would even with their Blood (w) Tertul. Apol. Cap. 16. testifie their Sanction of that Day For the Martyrs being asked (x) D. Danhov disp dec oct §. 5. Hast thou kept the lord's-Lord's-day answered I am a Christian and cannot pass it by The Africans in Guinea
observe Wednesday which they call Dio Fetissos and abstain from their accustomed Labours on that Day The Turks every Year observe Friday either from the Command of Mahomet or from an ancient idolatrous Custom brought from the Indians to the Arabians on which those Worship their chief Deity called Venerem CHOBAR of which Worship Jerome takes notice in the Life of Hilarius in these Words He came to Elusa says he by chance on that Day where the Anniversary had occasioned a Concourse of the People of the Town in the Temple of Venus For they worship her before Lucifer to whose Worship the whole Nation of Saracens is devoted § 11. A Common Year for Example being The Reason why all Julian Years begin not on the same Day ended which begins upon one Day the second Year begins not upon the same but the next Day after And if that should happen to be a Bissextile the second Year would have begun on the third Day after the reason of which from the Quantity of our Year is evident For the Common Year having 365 Days in it or 52 Weeks and one Day over and the Bissextile 2 Days over and above the 52 Weeks divide either 365 or 366 by 7 the Days in one Week so that if the Year begins on a Monday the last Day in the Year will be on a Monday and then the first Day of the next Year must be Tuesday § 12. Whoever will give himself the Trouble What 't is we understand by Roman Nundinae of inspecting fully into this matter may peruse (y) Lib. Saturn Cap. 16. Vide etiam Fred. Tâ—â—â—â—annum Macrob. which in short is this That upon the 8th Day not the 7th they met in the Fields to sacrifice for the Dead and consult the Country-Affairs and promulgate Laws that were establish'd and afterwards upon the ninth Day they consulted about Trade and City-Affairs and these Concourses of People were called Nundinae Some say they were instituted by Romulus Others by Servius Tullius § 13. Among other Praises of Constantine the Of the time the Roman Nundinae were abrogated and the Feriae primae substituted in their room Great this is not the least That on the Lord's Days or Sundays he commanded the Gentile Legions to pray For thus (z) Lib. 4. de Vita Constant M. Cap. 19. Eusebius When he had taught all his Soldiers to sanctifie this Day of Salvation which we call the Day of Light or Sunday he gave leisure to those who by Divine Instinct believed that they should freely frequent the Church of God and pray unto him without Molestation And others who had not yet been sensible of the Divine Doctrine he commanded by another Law That on Sundays they should go out into the Fields of the Suburbs and there use all together the same Form of Prayer upon a Signal given CHAP. III. Of the lesser Sacred Annual Character or the Sabbatic Cycle 1. The Sabbatic Cycle is a System of 7 Lunae-solar Years continually recurring instituted by God for this reason That the Earth and Men might have their Vicissitudes § 1. THE Sabbatic Years are of Divine Institution as may be seen at large Lev. 25. 2. where the Earth and the Vines were to be plough'd and gathered for 6 Years and the 7th Year to rest and not be cultivated See also Exod. 23. 11. The beginning of the Sabbatic Cycle was the 7th inclusive from the time when the Division of the Land into which the Israelites were then about to enter was to be made by (a) Exod. 46. Lot If this be observed all the Sabbatic Years will doubtless be rightly fixed and no Errors about it can happen if not we have no certain Character can be assigned us to proceed upon § 2. Calvisius (b) Isâ—g Chron. c. 25. when other Authors disagree Of those Years that are certainly Sabbatic among themselves has fixt these The 15th Year of the Reign of Hezekiah (c) 2 Kings 19. 29. King of Juda was Sabbatic The Year in which Antiochus Eupater (d) Mâ—c 6. 49. besieged Jerusalem was Sabbatic The Year in which Simon Maccabaeus was slain by (e) Josephus l. 4. c. 28. Ptolemy was Sabbatic The Year of the Captivity of Jerusalem by Herod (f) Ibid. was Sabbatic The Year before the Destruction of Jerusalem (g) Ibid. by Titus Vespasian was Sabbatic The Year of Christ 1189 was (h) Mâ—t. Pâ—tis Sabbatic The Year of Christ 1602 was (i) Jâ—daecrum Calend. Sabbatic Besides these of Calvisius others might doubtless be fixt § 3. There are (k) Lauren. Codomont l. 2. Câ—ron Quaest 40. temp l. 3. Chron. Dem. p. 103. Chronol myst in sole temp p. 22. some who tell us that the Their Opinion must be false wâ—â— assert that by the Divine Command the Sabbatic Cycle was in use among the Jews before the distrâ—bâ—tion of tâ—eir Land by Lot first Sabbatic Year of the Law was that in which the Israelites being brought by Moses to the Borders of Jewry and Land of Canaan a little after the Death of Moses began to enter and possess it under their Captain Joshua So that they will have this Cycle to begin 7 before what is assigned by Scaliger Calvisius and before these Eusebius But this agrees not with the Divine Precept For the Jews at that time did not enter into the Land of Canaan For altho' the Tribes of Reiâ—ben Gad and ½ of Menasses received the Kingdom of Sihon and Bashan from Moses yet it was not to these only but the whole People that the Divine Command was given Nor was the Land on this side Jordan properly called (l) Nunb 32. 29 30. 31 and 32. also 33. 51. also 35. 14. Canaan Nor did the Tribes inhabit it to whom it was assigned For these ought with the rest of the (m) Ibid. Tribes to pass over Jordan from whence after many Years they (n) Josh 22. 3 and 4. returned again Add to these things That Moses in Deuteronomy which Book he proposed to the People only one (o) Cap. 1. 3. Month before his Death speaks of the Land of Promise not as yet possest but to be possest Deut. 6. 10. But when the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the Land c. Therefore it can't be said Israel was entred into the Promised Land to wit Canaan before the Death of Moses § 4. Although by what precedes it is certain Whether we are to think that the Sabbatic Cycle was analogous to the Hebdomadic and consequently whether it can be of the same use in determining the first Year of the World that the Historical Beginning of the Sabbatic Cycle is to be derived from the Distribution of the Land by Lot yet we shall not reject their Opinion who think that God in ordaining this Cycle had respect to the Sabbath of Days and that therefore the first Day of the World was also the first in the
Assembly several Persons skilful in Calculation being gathered together did as it were constitute a Circle of 19 Years as an Example for following Generations This Circle they called Enneadecaeterida Let us follow that Example not that we ought to doubt with any vain Opinion concerning so great an Assembly but true Reason being found in it let the Affections of all so concur that upon the same Night our Sacrifice may be offer'd for the Resurrection of our Lord. § 6. Altho' we say that we have those things Whether the Christians received the Lunar Cycle from the Jews which the Christians first invented from the Latter Jews yet from the Scope which the first Authors of the Cycle intended it seems apparent that they examined the secret Writings of the Jews lest they should celebrate at the same time the Feast of the Pasca with Unbelievers For suppose the ancient Lunar Cycle together with the Pascal Times were different from the Cycle of the Jews certainly Christians could not know by the Use of the same Cycle at what time the Jews would celebrate the Pasca nor how they ought to refrain from the sacred Things of their Adversaries (d) Ration pag. 9. de doct Temp. T. 1. p. 615. Isaacus Argyrus confirms my Opinion in this that before the Pasca of the Christians the Judaic one was placed which in the Holy and first Oecumenic Synod the Holy Fathers so constituted that it might be observed in what Day of the Week the Pasca of the Jews fell that on the following Lord's Day the Christians might perform theirs § 7. Tho' the first Authors of the Lunar Cycle thought that 19 Lunae-Solar Years were equal to Whether or no the first Authors of the Lunar Cycle thought that 19 Luna-Solar Tears or 235 Lunations were equal to 19 equal Jul. Years The manner how the Ancients us'd the Lunar Cycle noting down Pascal Limits from its Numbers 19 Julian Years yet 't is not so if we regard Mathematical Rigour for they will fall betwixt both For 19 Julian Years make 6939 D. 18 H. but 19 Lunar Solar Years contain only 6939 D. 16 H. 32′ 20″ whose difference is 1 H. 27′ 40″ yearly And so much do 19 mean New and Full Moons lose every 19 Years which in about 1257 Years make four Days almost § 8. To find the just time of the Pasca the ancient Christians as was now said used the Lunar Cycle and that the Use hereof may more largely appear we shall lay down the whole Lunar Cycle with the Pascal times in which the utmost Limits are the 23d of March for upon this Dâ—â— the Author of the Vernal Equinox would have it fall which the Full Moon Pascal ought always to precede very nearly and April the 19th whence Christians would never celebrate their Pasca before the 22d of March or after the 25th of April To which the ancient Verses of those Computers have Relation Extremum Pasca monstrat tua passio Marce Item Pasca nec undenas Aprilis ante Kalendas Nec post septenas Maii valet esse Kalendas C. ☽ 1 T. P. April 5 2 Mar. 25 3 April 13 4 April 2 5 Mar. 22 6 April 10 7 Mar. 30 8 April 18 9 April 7 10 Mar. 27 C. ☽ 11 T. P. Apr. 15 12 Apr. 4 13 Mar. 24 14 Apr. 12 15 Apr. 1 16 Mar. 21 17 Apr. 9 18 Mar. 29 19 Apr. 17 But in the Gregorian Year the Pascal Limits are found by the Lunar Cycle till the Year 1700 from the following Table C. ☽ 1 T. P. April 12 2 April 1 3 Mar. 21 4 April 9 5 Mar. 29 6 April 17 7 April â—â— 8 Mar. 26 9 April 14 10 April 3 C. ☽ 11 T. P. Mar. 23 12 Apr. 11 13 Mar. 31 14 Apr. 18 15 Apr. 8 16 Mar. 28 17 Apr. 16 18 Apr. 5 19 Mar. 25 § 9. Some think that for its Worth and The Reason why the Character of the Lunar Cycle was in times past called â—he Golden Number great Use that it might be compared with Gold and from this Comparison take its Name whereas it was a Rule for the Ancients in calculating the Full and New Moons upon which account (e) Ration p. 9. de doct temp T. 1. p. 615. Petavius says Beginning at any Year For Example from that which gives a New Moon on the 23 d of Jan. Feb. 21st March 23 d c. Vpon those Days he wrote the Figure 1 in the Margin of the Calendar on the 2 d Year they considered and found the New Moons got forward about 11 Days viz. on Feb. 10. and March the 12th c. and against those Days they placed in their Calendar the Figure 2. So on the 3 d 4th and following Years upon those Days that the New Moon fell every Month they placed the Figures 3 4 c. against them in the Calendar And at last having past over 19 Years they renewed the same Figures again These were the Figures or Numbers in the Calendar which were called the Golden Number Others relate that the Alexandrians in times past sent this Cycle to the Romans in a Silver Table writ with Golden Figures and thence they took their Name CHAP. VII Of the Cycle of Indiction 1. The Cycle of Indiction is a System of 15 Julian Years perpetually recurring that the times of certain Pensions might be made known to the Roman Subjects § 1. SOme of the Graecians will have Indictio quasi in Actio and Cedrenus is admired What we ought to understand by tâ—e Name Indiction for following this Opinion Onuphrius will have Indictio to come ab Indice Crucis seen by Constantine when he fought against Maxentius But these are frivolous Conjectures Indictio rather comes ab indicere and was particularly used at first to denominate a certain Species of Pensions (a) Apud Pudaeum in Pandect p. 83. Ascanius reckons up three kinds of Pensions or rather Pensitations well known to the ancient Romans First the Canon to which Imposts Tributes c. were referr'd Secondly the Oblation at this time called the Aids And Thirdly the Indiction which the Ancients called Collecting Cicero also calls it collected The Greeks call this Cycle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the same Sense that the Olympias is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which last Words are used by the Writers of the Antiochian History By the (b) Pallad de Rebus Gestis Chrysost Cod. Theod. de Indulg Debit Latines Distributiones and Fusiones were commonly used instead of Indictiones § 2. There are many Opinions in this matter The chief are these (c) Lib. 11. de doct temp item in Ration p. 1. l. 6. c. 1. First Dionysius Of the Original and Antiquity of these Indictions Petavius brings a great many Opinions about the time but thinks them all Conjectures (d) Canon Isagog l. 3. p. 179.
of the Solar Motions require § 5. The Gregorian Hypothesis is this that That the Authors of the Gregorian Calendar have not rightly corrected the Fault of Hipparchus Period the Sun and Moon are not together in the same Place of 304 years as Hipparchus had taught but after 312 which Cycle of Years the Gregorian Correctors have substituted instead of that of Hipparchus hereby acting absurdly two ways First the Authors of this Cyclic Method have taken away from this Lunar Cycle worse than any before them and without any reason have deduced their Reckoning rather from Cycles than Computation 2dly nor have they rightly observed the Laws of the Celestial Motions for which way soever you calculate you shall never make 312 Solar Years and 312 Lunar Years that they should exactly coincide with a constant perpetual Revolution § 6. Those who undertake to correct the How the Errors of the Ancients have been corrected by Lunae-Solar Calculations Lunae-Solar Cycles and other Periods of the same nature seem to me not very unlike those who take up Water in a Sieve for both of 'em lose their Labour We cannot successfully find the Lunae-Solar Morions except by Tables built upon Celestial Observations whereby we fully know the Times of the Aequinoxes the Varieties of the Lunar Phases coming this way only to the Archives of the Stars when those that have declined this way and endeavouring to substitute another Period in the room of that of Hipparchus could never have another Recompence but Errors for their Errors So that the Pope himself was once amazed when he saw the Jews the Slayers of Christ his Colleagues in the Paschal So that Christophorus Clavius was compelled to write to the Eternal Infamy of the reformed and ancient Periods Demonstrandum erit Maestlino in Kal. Greg. alios errores praeter quatuor reperi Oh the Folly of the Age Pray how many Full Moons Paschals for 't was for their sakes that so much Pains were taken partly in mending partly in constituting a-new the Periods of the Ancients could those little Parasites while they were nourished 10 Years at Rome by Gregory be able to compute with a little diligence for the Tables of Celestial Motions without the use of fallacious Cycles and Periods So that they were able to avoid many Errors of which Clement VIII wrote foolishly enough when he said vitari non potuerint In short there is no Cycle no Period however ingeniously contrived which we can pronounce sufficient to reconcile the Motions of the Sun and Moon by an accurate useful and perpetual Agreement CHAP. III. Of the Victorian Period 1. The Victorian Period is a System of 532 Lunae-Solar and Julian Years which being elapsed the Characters of the Moon fall again upon the same Day and Feria and revolve in the same Order according to the Opinion of the Ancients 2. 'T is otherwise the great Paschal Cycle because the Christians first used it to find the true time of the Pascha's 3. But the Sum of these Years arises from the Multiplication of 29 into 28 the Numbers of the Lunar and Solar Cycle § 1. THO' there were many Victorius's by Name as Victorius Pictaviensis who Of the Author of this Period suffered Martyrdom under Dioclesian and another about the Year of Christ 324 who in a Roman Synod met in Trajan's Baths was condemned because he presumed to argue about the Paschal Cycles received into the Church But the Learned agree that one Victorius different from the former and by Nation and Aquitane was the Author of the Cycle of 532 Years Theophilus and C. Cyrillus computed the times of the Pascha's for only 95 Years For Dionysius Exiguus remarks upon both and wrote thus to Petronius the Bishop That Pope Theophilus dedicating a Course of 100 Years to Prince Theodosius the Elder and S. Cyrillus composing a Cycle of Times for 95 Years both kept in all things this Tradition of the holy Council to observe the 14 Paschal Moons When therefore Hilary I. Archdeacon after Pontifex R. had observed that those Particulars were found out and that the Table of Theophilus Alexandrinus was almost at an End he commanded Victorius who at that time was lookt upon as the best Computator of the Age to assist the Church in this Necessity who for this substituted the Period I have described that the same being elapsed the Feriae and Conjunctions might return and happen again upon the same Day § 2. 'T was before Hilarius received the Pontificate Of the time of publishing this Period that Victorius had his Command about this Cycle which is gathered from an Epistle of Hilarius to Victorius which it 's said is now extant in the Sirmondian Codex which has this Inscription Dilectissimo c. To the most beloved honourable and holy Brother Victorius Hilarius Bishop and Arch-deacon of the City of Rome c. But till some Years were clapsed and Hilarius made Pope this Cycle was not published as appears from the Prologue written to the same Pope Domino c. To Hilarius the truly Holy Lord and Pope venerable in Christ Bishop of the City of Rome Victorius c. Marianus Scotus speaks the clearest of this Matter who upon the Year 463 writes the following Words Victorius upon the Command of P. Hilary wrote the Paschal Cycle of 532 Years § 3. And Victorius fixed his Period not from the Of the time that victorius fixed his Period time he first discovered it but from the Passion of Christ which he makes to be in the Year of the Consulate of Ruffus and Rebellius which Character seems to agree with the 29th Year of the common Aera § 4. Yet the Annals of the Ancients witness How victorius's Period was accepted that Victor a Bishop of Capua wrote against the Faults of the Victorian Cycle and Beda seems to take his part against Victorius But how Victorius was mistaken is not so evident to us since we find no Copy at this Day of his Cyde for that Fragment which Petavius (a) De Doctrina Temp. Lib. 2. Cap. 67. cites he himself thinks spurious But this is certain that Dionysius Exiguus upon the Occasion of Victorius's Period found out a more accurate and newer Paschal Cycle viz. of 525 Years Who desires to see more of these may consult (b) Gennadius de Viris illustribus c. 8. Ifidorus Epise l 6. c. 17. Scal. Mar. Baron Petav. Authors CHAP. IV. Of the Constantinopolitan Period 1. The Constantinopolitan Period is a System of 7980 Julian Years whereof the first has the Solar Cycle of 28 Years the 2 d the Lunar of 19 Years the 3 d the Indiction of 15 Years 2. This Sum arises from the continual Multiplication of the Number of Years in the Solar Cycle Lunar Cycle and Indiction 3. The Greeks do not reckon the same Cycles as the Romans do 4. The first Solar Cycle of the Greeks is the 18th of the Latines and the 1st of
Common Year was divided into  Days 1. The abounding Year containing 355 2. The common Year containing 354 3. The defective Year containing 353 The Embolismaean Year was likewise divided into  Days 4. The abounding Year containing 385 5. The common Year containing 384 6. The defective Year containing 383 These Varieties of Years proceeding from the Interpolation of Days affected only the three Months Adar Marchesvan and Casleu For in the Embolismaean Year there were two Months of Adar and in the abounding Year the Month Marchesvan was always compleat as in the defective Year the Month Casleu was always defective So that in the first there were always three successive compleat Months in the last always three successively defective CHAP. III. Of the Epocha of the Deluge 1. This Epocha ought in all respects to be congruous to the Hebrew Text written by Moses 2. According to the 5th and 7th Chapters of Genesis the Distance betwixt this Epocha and that of the World ought to be 1656 years 3. It must agree in all respects with the other Intervals of Time till the Beginning of the Vulgar Christian Epocha which contains 2293 years 4. Care is to be taken that none of the Patriarchs be involved in the Waters of the Deluge 5. Thus it will fall in the Year of the Julian Period 2420 in Autumn in the Cycle ☉ 12. ☽ 7. 6. And since therefore there are 2419 years and near How to investigate the years since the Deluge 10 months difference betwixt the Beginning of the Julian Period and the Epocha of the Deluge if the said Sum be added to the Number of years since the Deluge the Product will be exactly correspondent to the Year of the Julian Period But if the above said Number of Years and Months be subtracted from the whole Product the Residue shews the Year and Month of the Epocha of the Deluge § 1. PLiny in his Natural History (a) Bibl. l. 1. Diodorus Whether the years of the Patriarchs were monthly years Siculus as likewise (b) Saturn l. 1. Macrobius with many others relate that among the Aegyptians their Years were in most ancient times sometimes of one Month sometimes of two three or four Months which has perhaps moved Varro according to (c) L. 2. c. 13. Lanctantius his Testimony to interpret the Computation of Moses not of Solar but Lunar Years But this may be sufficiently confuted by that Mention is made in (d) Gen. 8. 13. Genesis of the first second and seventh Months which destroys this Notion (e) 14. 8. Gen. 7. v 11. c. 8. 5. Besides that according to this Supposition the Patriarchs must have procreated Children at the Age of five six and seven Years as is most evident in (f) Gen. 11. 26. Thara the Father of Abraham who is said to have begot Abraham in the 70th Year of his Age. § 2. And as most Chronologers agree in this Point Whether they were Soâ—â—r or Luâ—ae-Solar years that the Years used by the Patriarchs have not been much different from those in the Julian Calendar so they are divided in their Opinions whether in those Ancient Times they made their Computations by Lunae-Solar or Solar Years The Jews are of Opinion that the Year of the Deluge was the same with their ordinary Year conâ—isting of 12 Months according to the Motion of the Moon Some of their Rabbi's have been vain enough to pretend to persuade the World that during the time of the Deluge the two great Luminaries did not appear above that Hemisphere and that Noah did distinguish the Times of the Days Nights Months and Years partly by the Natural Instinct that was in some Beasts within the Ark of distinguishing the Times as in the Ass Cock Turkey c. partly by a certain Gem of the same Nature with that by which they say Moses knew the exact difference of Times when he conversed with God for 40 Days There are not a few among the Christians but especially Henricus Buntingus and William Lange who agree with the Jews in this Supposition concerning the Lunae-Solar Years But Scaliger is quite of another Sentiment being perswaded that before the Babylonian Captivity there were not the least Footsteps of these Lunae-Solar Years to be met with in the Holy Scripture because it is said of David and Solomon That they had twelve Officers which provided Provisions for the King and his Houshold each Man made Provision for his Month in the Year And that therefore if the Lunae-Solar Year had been in use among the Jews of that time there must have been thirteen Officers by reason of the Embolismaean Year consisting of thirteen Lunar Months It is for this Reason that Scaliger as well as Johannes Behmius Vbbo Emmius Sethus Calvisius and others plead for the Solar Year at the time of the Deluge each Month like the Aegyptians consisting of 30 days with an Addition of five Days at certain Intervals I must confess 't is of no great Consequence as to the Historical Truth whether we admit the Lunae-Solar or Solar Years yet It cannot be denied but that there are strong Probabilities to be met with in the History of the Deluge which appear in behalf of the Solar Years It is said in g Genesis That on the 17th day of the second Month all the Fountains of the Cap. 7. v. 11. Earth and the Windows of Heaven were opened and (h) Cap. 8. v. 3. that the Waters began to abate after the end of an hundred and fifty Days (i) Cap. ib. v. 4. and that the Ark rested on the seventeenth Day of the seventh Month. From whence it is evident that these could be no Lunar Months each of which consisting only of 29 Days and 12 Minutes could not make up the Number of 150 Days It is therefore most probable that they regulated themselves at that time according to the same Calendar which afterwards was called the Aegyptian each Month of which contained exactly 30 Days and at the end of every Year an Addition was made of five Days besides that at the end of every Age consisting of 120 Years of which also mention is made in (k) C. 6. v. 3. Genesis there used to be a further Addition of fix other Days In which point also (l) Lib. 9. C. 9 de Doct. temp Dionysius Petavius seems to agree with Scaliger though in most other Matters he is contradictory to his Opinion § 3. The following Table represents the vast Disproportion betwixt the Greeks on the one and Dâ—ffâ—rence betwixt the Hebrew and Greek Computations the Hebrews and Latines on the other side concerning the Number of Years of the Antediluvian Patriarchs According to the Hebrews Years LXX Int  From the Creation to Seth are 130 230 Gen. 5. v. 3 From thence to Enoch 105 205 6 From thence to Cainan 90 190 9 to Mahaleel 70 170 12 to Jared 65 165 15 to Enoch 162 162 18 to Methuselah 65
the 19th of the Reign of Dioclesian and the first of the Persecution Dioclesian was the 8th time and Maximianus the 7th time Roman Consuls according to Idacius 13. The year when Dioclesian began the Persecution against the Christians was coincident with the 351st year since the Beginning of the Antiochian Epocha according to Eusebius in Chron. 14. In the 2 d year of the Persecution Dioclesian did abdicate himself at Nicomedia and Maximin at Milan See (i) L. 8. c. 8. Hist Eccl. Eus Idac. Eurrop 15. It was in the 3 d year of the Persecution raised against the Christians by Domitian when Constantius died according to Metrophanes and Alexander in (k) Cod. 256. Photius But the time of the Death of Constantius is thus expressed by (l) L. 1. c. 1. Socrates Constantius was proclaimed King in Britain instead of his Father Constantius in the first year of the 271st Olympiad on the 25th day of July 16. In the 4th year of the Persecution Constantine began his Reign according to Euseb in Chron. 17. In the 19th year of the Reign of Dioclesian in the Month of March in Easter time the Christian Churches were pulled down according to St. Hierom in Chron. Euseb From these and innumerable other Characters too many to be inserted here it is evident that Dioclesian was declared Augustus in the year of the Julian Period 4997 Cycl ☉ 13. ☽ 19. on the 17th day of September and that the Aegyptians began this Aera on the 29th day of August and that the Persecution against the Christians began in the year of the Julian Period 5016 Cycl ☉ 4. ☽ 19. in the Month of March If therefore 4996 years and 8 Months be subtracted How to find out any year of these Epocha's from any certain year of the Julian Period the Residue shews the year since the beginning of the Aera of Dioclesian And if in the same manner 5015 Years and 3 Months be subtracted the Residue will be correspondent to the year since the Beginning of the Persecation raised by Dioclesian against the Christians But if you desire to investigate the Year of the Julian Period you must add the above-mentioned Number of Years and Months to the known Year of these Epocha's § 1. (m) L. 5. de Em. Temp. p. 494. SCaliger is of Opinion that this Epocha Whether this Epocha begins with the Reign of Dioclesian began three years or more before Dioclesian was declared Emperour and Augustus but in my Opinion he has been misguided in this Point by Aurel. Cassiodorus who has confounded in so miserable a manner the Years of the Reign of Dioclesian that there is not the least Reason to follow his Footsteps § 2. The Ancients were for the most part of this Opinion that the Epocha of Dioclesian had Whether the Ancients began this Epocha from the time of the Persecution its Beginning from the time of the Persecution raised by this Tyrant against the Christians as may be seen out of the (n) L. 5. p. â—â—6 de Em. Temp. Epistle of Ignatius the Patriarch of Antiochia written to Scaliger upon this Account You are also says he very desirous to be informed concerning the AERA of MARTYRS used among the Aegyptians its true Origin and Denomination You must know then that it has its Beginning from the 19th Year of the Reign of that impious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King Dioclesian at which time he raised the most Violent Persecution against the Christians ordering their Churches to be demolished and that such as refused to pay Adoration to the Idols should be killed Pursuant to this Edict there were alone in Aegypt one hundred and forty four thousand and seven hundred Believers sacrificed to his Fury From which time began the AERA ELKUPTI or the AERA of MARTYRS whose Blood was shed by Dioclesian But it is apparent that this Patriarch is under a Mistake and that he has confounded the Year of the Beginning of his Reign with that of his Persecution against the Christians And it is not altogether improbable but that the Aegyptians to abolish the Memory of this Tyrant have changed this Epocha which had borrowed its Name from Dioclesian into that of the MARTYRS § 3. There is no great Difficulty in finding The Congruity betwixt the Months of this Epocha and the Julian Months out the Congruity there is betwixt the Months of this Epocha and the Julian Months if it be taken into Consideration that the Years of the Aera of Dioclesian or of the MARTYRS both in respect of their Quantity and the Order of the Bissextiles or Leap-Years agree for the most part with the Julian Years For they do like us intercalate a Day at certain times The whole Difference lies in the Quantity of the Months and the Beginning of the Year For the Aegyptians have made their Months all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and begin their Year with the 29th day of August adding to the common Year after the Month Mesori five Epagomena's and to the Leap-Year six Epagomena's The â—ollowing Table shews the true Connection betwixt ours and the Aegyptian Months Incidit Neomenia Mensis 1. Thoth in 29 Augusti 2. Paophi 28 Septembr 3. Athyr 28 Octobr. 4. Chojac 27 Novembr 5. Tybi 27 Decembr 6. Mechir 26 Januarii 7. Phamenoth 25 Februarii 8. Pharmuti 27 Martii B. 26. 9. Lachon 26 April B. 25. 10. Payni 26 Maii B. 25. 11. Epiphi 25 Junii B. 24. 12. Mesori 25 Julii B. 24. 1. Epagomen 24 Augusti B. 23. 2. Epagomen 25 Augusti B. 24. 3. Epagomen 26 Augusti B. 25. 4. Epagomen 27 Augusti B. 26. 5. Epagomen 28 Augusti B. 27. 6. Epagomen Init. Anni B. 28. Aug. CHAP. XLIV Of the Epocha of Constantine the Great and the Transactions under his Reign 1. Constantine the Great was immediately after the Death of his Father Constantius Chlorus both by his Testament and the Approbation of the Souldiery proclaimed Caesar (a) L. 1. de Vit. Const M. Eusebius 2. Constantius Chlorus died on the 23 d day of July when Constantius Caesar and Maximianus Jovius were both the 6th time Roman Consuls at the time of the 10th Indiction See Chron. Alexandrinus Idacius and (b) L. 1. c. 1. Socrates 3. The first Year of Constantine the Great iâ— coincident with the 4th Year of the 10th Persecution raised by Dioclesian against the Christians Hieron in Chron. 4. This Persecution began in the Year of the Antiochian Aera 351 in the 19th year of the Reign of Dioclesian when Dioclesian Augustus was the 8th time and Maximianus Herculius the 7th time Roman Consuls See (c) Chron. Alex. Eusebius 5. The Year in which the Tyrant Maxentius was vanquished was the 6th year after the Death of Constantius Chlorus and likewise of the Reigns of Maxentius and Constantine the Great Maxentius says the Panegyrist speaking to Constantine the Great having squander'd away whole six years in Idleness made his Birth-day remarkable