tateuch. On teftimonies which are highly respectable, and reafons fuperior to every fufpicion of ambiguity, it is maintained, that, after the overthrow of Jerufalem, it was abfolutely impoffible for the Jews to corrupt, by a national deed, their canonical records. At fo recent a period the mutilation of their chronology would have availed them nothing. As they acknowledged, that their promised Deliverer had not appeared, a project to amplify their chronology would much better have ferved their purpose. Befides, had they curtailed the years of all the copies in their poffeffion, an equal number, at leaft, was in the hands of the Chriftians, who would not fuffer fo glaring a corruption to pass without fpirited remonftrances.

14. ON the whole, whatever reasonable and generous allowance should be made for (here and there) a wilful error by a fingle hand, or for incidental oversights in the multiplication of tranfcripts, the Jews were faithful depofitaries of their facred books. The Samaritans enlarged the times in their copy of the Pentateuch, the Alexandrians in their verfion, and moreover bafely inferted a fpurious patriarch *. But in other refpects the Hebrew chronology has been (by the fignal favour of a watchful Providence) tranfmitted pure, entire, and fafe, to the paffing generation, at the commencement of the 59th century from the creation.

15. THIS prefatory address could not more appofitely end than with the following quotation from a late profi

*The fecond Cainan.

cient in Sacred Criticifm. "The light, that arose upon the Chriftian world at the Reformation, hath ftill continued to increase, and we truft will fhine more and more, unto the perfect day. The labours of the learned have, from that time, by the bleffing of God upon the free exercise of reafon and private judgement, been greatly successful in promoting religious knowledge; and particularly in laying open the hidden treasures of divine wisdom, contained in the HOLY SCRIPTURES. Much hath been done in this important work, and much still remains to be done. Those heavenly ftores are inexhaustible: every new acquifition leads on to new discoveries; and the moft careful search will still leave enough to invite, and reward the repeated researches of the pious and induftrious, to the latest ages. This is a work that demands our first and most earnest regard; the ftudies and asfiftance, the favour and encouragement of all. To confirm and illuftraté THESE holy writings, to evince their truth, to fhew their confiftency, to explain their meaning, to make them more generally known and ftudied, more easily and perfectly underflood, by all; to remove difficulties, which difcourage the honeft endeavours of the unlearned, and provoke the malicious cavils of the half-learned this is the most worthy object that can engage our attention; the most important end, to which our labours, in the fearch of truth, can be directed. Here I cannot but mention, that nothing would more effectually conduce to this end, than the exhibiting of the Holy Scriptures them felves to the

people,

people, in a more advantageous and just light, by an accurate REVISAL of our vulgar tranflation, by public authority. This hath often been reprefented; and I hope will not always be reprefented in vain *.”

* Dr. Lowth's Vifitation Sermon at Durham, 1758.

Shuah, p. 27. is twice faid to have been the wife of Judah; but by Gen. xxxviii. 2. and 1 Chron. ii. 3. the patriarch married a daughter of that Canaanitess.

N. B. For other mistakes, if any fuch be, the Reader's indulgence is requested.

PROPOSALS

FOR

PRINTING by SUBSCRIPTION,

RESEARCHES into the Origin and Progress of Hiftorical Time, from the Creation to the Demife of Tiberius Nero.

I.

IN THREE PARTS.

PRINCIPLES of computation by natural and

inftituted measures; - days, weeks, lunations, equinoxes, folftices ;-fingle years, natural and civil, common and biffextile, lunar, luni-folar, folar-tropical, fidereal, historical, prophetical ;-festivals of the Jewish worship ;-years in combination or circulating periods; the olympiad and luftrum, fabbatical years and jubiles, cycles of the fun and moon, eclipfes, with their repetitions ;-fixed periods, more remarkable epochs in the facred and gentile hiftory; rise and fall of ancient empires ;-chronological ftile, the Gregorian adjusted to the Aftronomical standard, and continued back from the time of the Nicene council to the Christian era; thence to the origin of measured time. To all these measures are applied the generations of men, the duration of magiftracies, reigns, pontificates, and other fupreme or fubordinate dignities..

II. HISTORICAL Arrangements from Adam to the acceffion of Caligula, in the year after the crucifixion;

comprehending occafional ftrictures on the chronological schemes of Petau, Scaliger, Ifaac Voffius, Sir W. Raleigh, Sir J. Marsham, Sir I. Newton; Archbishop Ufher; Bishops Beveridge, Clayton, Cumberland, Loyd, Mann, Newcome, Pearfe, Pearson, Richardfon, Squire; the Reverend A. Bedford, Blair, Jackson, Kennedy, Kennicott, Playfair, Prieftly, Strauchius, Whiston ;-as also on Grotius, Pilkington, Trapp, Yardley, and other writers on the facred genealogies; Payley on fabbatical inftitutions.

III. DISSERTATIONS on important subjects in facred criticifm, fubfervient to illuftrate or confirm the principles and conclufions in the foregoing parts.

DISSERT. 1. On the dates of the books, in which is contained the hiftory of the Old and New Testa

ment.

2. CHRONOLOGY of the Hebrews and Gentiles compared with respect to authority, genuineness, and truth.

3. EXAMINATION of the genealogical numbers in the Samaritan and Greek Pentateuch, Jofephus, and others, difcordant with the Hebrew notations, prior to the birth of Abraham.

4. HISTORY of the Sabbath from the primeval week to that of Chrift's refurrection.

5. TRUE times of the Hebrew feftivals from the first Passover in Egypt, to the laft in Chrift's miniftry. 6. ORIGIN of alphabetical compofition and national records.

7. MEANS