Genealogy from David to Jefus Christ. Introduction. ARIOUS as the parts of nature and the events VA of time are the fubjects of history. Of nature's parts fome are stationary, ever in the fame pofition with respect to others, and coexiftent with all supposable times, as the Alps, Horeb, Niphates. Another class is partly coexiftent and partly fucceffive, as the generations of animals and men; "One generation paffeth away, and another cometh; but the earth abideth for ever: the fun alfo rifeth and the fun goeth down, and hafteth to the place where he arofe." HERE is fuggefted the idea of motion in a perpetual circuit, yet perfectly consistent with permanent and relative reft. The fun revolves on his axis, the planets on theirs; and all round the fun, as the centre of one harmonious fyflem. With respect to this common centre, and to one another, the leffer orbs in the immense expanse are sometimes in a state of approach, fometimes of elongation, and their circumvolutions, though not always equable, are upon the whole uniform: or, in other words, the amount of their motions phenomenon under examination was observed on the very day of the crucifixion. Aftronomical characters are not to be applied at random. A deep eclipse of that paschal full moon, like that which happened at Raameses on the night of the first paffover, could it be certified by calculation, would be much more to the purpose. Christianity acquires no credit from injudicious defences, and lofes no strength from the removal of tottering bulwarks. The time was when the inspiration of the sacred writers was not judged fufficient, except the attribute of infallibility were likewise afcribed to every amanuenfis. Printers, however, it was observed, had fallen into fome mistakes, and MSS. werę not found to agree in every minute eircumftance. Critics were cautious of correcting palpable errors, left they should incur the fufpicion of herefy. No fooner was it admitted, that the facred texts in fome paffages were faulty, than Freethinkers gave the alarm that uncertainty pervaded all. Bentley, by fhewing that the multiplicity of various readings affords the means of reftoring the true fenfe, defeated infidelity by repelling its weapons on itself. Christianity has suffered nothing by the objections of the learned to the credibility of the thundering legion, to the early ceffation of miracles in the primitive church, to the vifion faid to have been exhibited to Conftantine, to the defeat of Julian's attempts to rebuild Jerusalem. Nor would the grounds of the Christian faith be fhaken, fhould certain writings, which some vifionary critics believe to be canonical, be pronounced spurious. GENEALOGY. without which it is but a confused lump, without form*, Geography affigns to the feveral parts of history their proper pofition; the tranfactions either deriving importance from the place, or the place from the tranfactions. But farther; all incidents and facts relate to perfons, whether individuals or communities, confidered as the agents or the paffive fubje&s. THE principal circumftances of hiftorical facts are therefore three, corresponding to as many queries, with their answers; WHEN, WHERE, to WHOM, or by WHOM were they done? Examples. 1. WHEN was the law promulgated? In the be ginning of the 26th century from the creation. 2. WHERE? From Mount Sinai or Horeb in Arabia. 3. TO WHOM? To the 12 tribes of Ifrael, under the ministry of Aaron and Moses. NOTATIONS of time, place, and perfonages, if not entered in records, are foon disfigured by report, and must at last fink into utter oblivion. But on the more important, hiftory confers immortality. Communities, like individuals, die, and the race becomes immortal by fucceffion. Generations pafs in a train t. THUS is acquired an additional resource in compu tation, whence hiftory derives congruity with invariable * Stillingfleet, Orig. Sacræ, B. i. 6. + Ergo ipfas quamvis angufti terminus ævi Excipiat, genus immortale manet. Virg. Georg. iv. 208. nature, and chronological characters. Sir Ifaac New ton was the first of the moderns who applied, with fuccefs, this middle term for difcoveries from the heterogeneous fragments of pagan mythology. It is now too late to regret that he did not examine by this test the chronology and hiftory of the Bible. The happy refult, had the experiment been tried, must have been an acquifition to facred literature. An inftance or two of what might have been done will fuffice.. Example, 1. ACCORDING to the Hebrew text and our public verfion, the fons of Jofeph were Manaffeh and Ephraim*. In the Greek tranflation, Machir, a fon of Manasseh, and Gilead, a fon of Machir; together with Sutalaam and Taäm, two fons of Ephraim, and Edom, a fon of Sutalaam, are expressed by their names in the register of Jacob's family who accompanied him from Cañaan. In an age when the chronology of that vague, licentious verfion is held in fuperior eftimation to the original, the defence of the Hebrew genealogies may perhaps expect a cool reception. Let the merits of the two authorities be weighed in an equal balance. Jofeph was 30 years old when he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams. His two fons were born before the years of famine came t." This is a fhrewd intimation that they were young. From the dungeon was Jofeph hastily brought in unto Pharaoh. Is it probable that * Gen. xlvi. 20. sb Gen. xli. 46. 50. a young stranger and a flave, committed to prifon under a falfe charge of criminality, fhould have married the high prieft's daughter; and thus contract affinity with that very family whofe honour, it was unjustly faid, he had attempted to ftain, before his introduction to the king? Common fense remonftrates. Jofeph's age in the fecond year of the famine, when Manaffeh could not be more than eight years old, or Ephraim more than feven, was 39. But Jacob at the end of that; or the beginning of the next year, brought their fons and grandfons into Egypt! Where could the tranflators find the names? Not in the lift of Mofes, but in a much more recent catalogue *. Example, 2. BENJAMIN, it is well known, was the youngest of alle Jacob's family, and his age at the migration from Canaan could not exceed 24, (if it were fo much), yet -to of his fons are faid, in the Hebrew text and Greek Vulg. to have been in Jacob's retinue. The Alexandrine Gr. Pentateuch admits only three for fons, Bela, Beeher, and Afhbel. Of the other fix, five are grandfons and one great grandfon. Kennicot, in all his Differtations, feems not to have obferved the difficulty; which fhews that the printed and manufcript copies are all uniformly erroneous. The error is manifeft, for the laft fix names are all copied from catalogues of a later 1 Chron. vii. 14. 29. date. |