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the complaint which he there makes. This expedition took place B. C. 457.

In ch. i. 40, mention is made of Malachi; and it is not impossible that Malachi might have then begun to prophesy, (vid. Stackhouse :) there is therefore no anachronism in the two first chapters; which, however, are not found in the Arabic, and were published separately from the rest in a Latin Bible mentioned by Calmet.

The third chapter seems to have been written long before the two first, and has been admirably defended by Mr. King, from the charge of anachronism, together with the prophecy of ch. xiv. 11. The ruin of the city, he says, means the capture of Babylon (B. C. 536.) and if it be objected that Esdras elsewhere speaks of the capture of Babylon as future, it may be answered, that Esdras is there predicting a second capture of Babylon by the Saracens or Tartars, (see 2d Esd. xv. 59.)

Sir John Floyer very ingeniously applies this last prophecy to the history of the Turks, Saracens, Crusaders, and Tartars.

The next thing to be observed, is, that in ch. viii, 19, (the middle of the verse) there seems to commence a new series of prophecies, the latest of all in time. By the end of the world, in ch. xiv. 11, we may understand the destruction of Jerusalem, which supposition places this vision in the year 440 B. C. soon after which, Esdras probably died.

The next difficulty is that of ch. vii. 28, where it is said, that Christ was to be revealed within 400 years. But if we compare the place with Daniel ix. we shall find that it is in a great measure an explanation of Daniel's. seventy weeks, adopted, though not quoted, by Clemens Alexandrinus. It is foretold to Esdras that there should be a revelation of Jesus Christ, about the time presignified to Daniel in ch. ix. 25. This revelation of Messiah the Prince, is thus explained by Dr. Lowth in his preface to Malachi: "Bishop Lloyd dates this prophecy something later than Nehemiah's time, about 397 years B. C. at which time, according to his computation, the first seven weeks of Daniel, or forty-nine years, were expired, which time, as his lordship explains the words, was allotted for sealing up the vision and prophecy (Dan. ix. 24,) i. e. for completing the canon of the Old Testament." Now Malachi closed the canon of Scripture, who is called by Esdras himself, "the Angel of the Lord,"

(ch.

(ch. i. 40.) as though he had resembled Elias, or John the Baptist, of whom he spake. From the year 396 or 397, (according to Esdras there were to be 400 years, in part commensurate to the 62 weeks of Daniel, during which (see the Latin) Judea was comparatively to be at rest. After those years Christ was to die, and either the whole nation to perish afterwards, or, as it may be understood, all good people to be buried with him in baptism. Now the advent of Christ in the flesh, in which he was to suffer death, took place precisely at the end of 400 years, dated from the year 396 B. C. A third period of seven days is mentioned both by Esdras and Daniel, which seems to relate to the death-like silence at the time of Christ's death, and to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, (comp. Rev. viii. 1-7.)

This is not the only place in which Esdras interprets Daniel. For if we would understand the vision of the Eagle, especially of the three heads of it, we must compare it with Daniel vii.; and as Esdras refers to Daniel by name, he wrote this book after Daniel's vision of the four beasts. See Mr. S. Johnson and Sir John Floyer on the vision of the Eagle. The objection made against Esdras for speaking of the destruction of Tyre and Sidon, is groundless, for he speaks only of the provinces of Tyre and Sidon, (comp. 2d Esd. i. 2, with Josh. xix. 28, &c.)

I have now considered the essential points relating to the external and internal evidences concerning this extraordinary book; and I now leave the question to be decided by better judges than myself. The question is indeed of great extent and importance, and not to be treated in a superficial and supercilious manner as hitherto has generally been done. What, indeed, can be more important than to decide, whether the luminous prophecies and sure evidences of Christianity in this book, were or were not forgeries; and whether the Jews did, or did not, take away this key of knowlege, so wonderfully adapted to unlock the mysteries of their law?

I am, Sir,

Your obedient humble Servant,
JUVENIS.

ON GREEK MONOSYLLABLES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

MAGAZINE.

SIR, IT is with much satisfaction that I see Mr. Granville

your respectable work; and I cannot but express my wish that it were made more frequently the subject of critical enquiry;-for, as I think the doctrine it tends to establish of the highest importance, so I am of opinion that the foundation on which Mr. S. builds, minute as it appears, and insignificant as it has been deemed, is, in the eye of sober judgment, broad, and sound, and solid, and effectual.

It is now something more than a year since I called upon men of learning, through the medium of your work, to search the purest Greek authors for similar proofs of this mode of writing, which the Bishop of St. David's says, is the "jus et norma loquendi," or the idiom, "of the Greek language." I will not repeat what I have already said upon this interesting subject, but, referring the reader to page 43 of your 9th volume, only repeat my request. If that be deemed unnecessary or useless, I shall acquiesce I am too old to argue; but if otherwise, I shall then hope to find, in some future number of your work, a compliance with my request.

Among the opinions which have been offered by your ingenious correspondents on Mr. Sharp's rule, I could not but feel surprised and concerned at that which fell from the pen of the excellent Mr. Pearson. He hesitates, and doubtfully expresses what he thinks of the rule-unwilling, as it seems, to rest a doctrine of weight on a point so minute as a Greek monosyllable.-I know he will have the goodness to excuse me if I say, that in Greek, and in English too, a monosyllable, whether particle or article, is of great force; so great, as to make a material alteration in the sense and meaning of a sentence, according as it is properly or improperly adopted.

When Nebuchadnezzar says, "I see four men walking,

The Bishop of St. David's no less pointedly than justly observes, "That the power of words does not depend upon the number of syllables." Vol. XI. Churchm. Mag. for Sept.

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and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God;" it appears that if the words had been rendered "like a Son of God," the propriety, as well as the sense of the latter construction, would have been materially affected and improved by the change of a minute monosyllable.

But I am unawares running into debate, which I wish to avoid.

Permit me, now I am upon the subject of monosyllables, to offer a remarkable instance of the force of the particle

και.

When St. Mathew + enumerates the twelve apostles, after the name of Judas he adds, i xài magades. This is rendered by "who also betrayed him;" a translation which by no means gives the expressive meaning of the original; indeed I think the meaning cannot be given without a paraphrasis. "Who even betrayed him," would have been better than also.

To me the word xà carries with it the following meaning, "Who was so very wicked as to betray his Master;" and I judge that the position of the word demands and justifies the above sense. Had it been expressed thus, xàs & mapades, it would have meant only " and he betrayed him;" but by the particle being placed' the second word in the sentence, a great and new force is added to the

sense.

If it would not be enlarging too much in your Miscellany, I could confirm this thought by a similar proof from a Greek classic of high authority, but I forbear. P. PARSONS,

Wye, August 28, 1806.

+ Mat. x. 4.

ON RE-ASSEMBLING THE CONVOCATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE, ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

SIR,

HE grand object, I apprehend, which you have in view, is the support of the religion by law established in this united kingdom against all its enemies, of what kind or description soever they may be, and by what

means

means soever they may endeavour to effect their purpose of subverting and destroying the same. This object so powerfully and so immediately made its way to my heart, that the very instant your design was made public, I hailed it with every demonstration of unfeigned joy; and at the commencement of your labours I offered my services to you, which have, under various anonymous signatures, (as well as occasionally under my real name) been regularly tendered from that time to the present moment; and I hope will continue so to be whilst sense and reason remain! You, however, have not the smallest obligation to me for this conduct, as it proceeds solely from a sense of duty on my part, and an ardent and uniform love for the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England; which, though by no means perfect, for what can be perfect under the sun? (I mean with regard to DISCIPLINE,) yet I think approaches nearer to that standard than any other institution upon earth.

At present I beg leave to call your attention, and that of your numerous readers, to the question of re-assembling the CONVOCATION, which hath already been more than once mentioned in the pages of your Miscellany. My learned and most worthy friend, THE LONDON CURATE, first moved the question so early as vol. i. pp. 241-244, of your Magazine; and there, in a very clear and impartial manner, gave his reasons why it ought to be re-assembled for the dispatch of business, relating immediately to the concerns of the Church, and not be merely called together pro formâ, (although even this is a matter of no slight consideration, as it shews that the assembly is in existence still,) as has been the case for a long time. I beg once more to call the serious attention of all your readers to the sound and excellent reasoning of the LONDON CURATE on this topic, in the pages of your Magazine which I have cited above.

In vol. iv. p. 98, the LONDON CURATE again hints at the question, and strenuously expresses his wish, that "the CONVOCATION were once more in an efficient state, and that it were permitted to the Church of England to deli berate, in its ecclesiastical collective capacity, on such matters as concern Christian doctrine and discipline! In this wish I do most heartily and sincerely join.

We readily allow, that by the "ACT OF SUBMISSION," passed in the reign of the tyrannical and arbitrary HENRY VIII. "the clergy of this realm acknowledged, that the

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