moderns call them Comets; and this Comet, which the wise men called the Messiah's Star, is now called Halley's Comet, because that astronomer made particular observations on it, when it appeared in 1682, during his own and Sir Isaac Newton's life time. He was the first that called public attention to it, and showed that it had a periodic revolution of about 75 years. He predicted that it would appear in the year 1759, which it did; and the present inhabitants of the world saw it in the year 1835, and it will again appear in the year 1911.

I believe this star has been appointed to give ocular demonstration to every generation of man, as to the exact time that has elapsed since the birth of Christ. From observations, this comet varies in its revolution, to the extent of about thirteen months. Those who are unacquainted with this part of physical science, may wonder at its irregularity; but those who understand it, know that the planet Jupiter is so disturbed by the bodies that surround it, that its revolution is uncertain for several days. Then what disturbance may this comet meet with on its course, in accelerating or retarding its speed! as it goes forth into the immensity of space beyond Jupiter, about four times his distance. From the correct observations made on this comet the last four times it appeared, previous to 1835, being a period of about 228 years, during that time its three revolutions were less than seventy-six years, on an average, by five months and twelve days. This gives the average revolution of the comet during 228 years to be seventy-five years, ten months, and six days. From the observations made on it by the wise

men, and by Josephus, when it appeared over Jerusalem, at its destruction, and the accurate observations made on it these 228 years past, it may be considered a correct standard by which the Christian era can be numbered, and its accuracy ascertained.

The Christian era, as it has been calculated, shows that the time between the birth of Christ, and the destruction of Jerusalem is seventy years; and as the revolution of the comet is about seventy-five years and ten months, here is a palpable error of about four years too little, which learned men at present allow, and the only reason why they allow this error is, that they have observed it was calculated, that Christ was born in the thirtieth year of Augustus Cæsar, and that Herod died about the twenty-fifth year of Augustus. Finding that this calculation disagreed with Scripture, they say Christ must have been born about four or five years before the thirtieth year of Augustus Cæsar, or four or five years before the beginning of the Christian era. The reason why the time of Augustus Cæsar and Herod do not agree with each other, is fully explained in the preceding page.From the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, to the year 1835, when the comet appeared, there are 1765 years to be divided by seventy-five years, ten months, and six days, being the average revolution of the comet. The product is twenty-three times, and near 19 years over. The 19 years that are over, show that there is an error in the Christian era of near 19 years too much, since the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophetical numbers and the revolution of the comet show that there is an error in the Christian era

7

of three

years and a half too little, before the destruction of Jerusalem, therefore, the average error in the Christian era is about sixteen years too much. From observations which may be made on this comet,* in the course of another 228 years, it may be found that its average revolution may be a little more, which will show that the error in the Christian era is near fifteen years. This calculation I made previous to its appearance in 1835; and if any one chooses to make the trial they will find, by including the time of its revolution in 1835, that its average revolution is a little more than seventy-five years, ten months and six days.

The comet of 1680 was in its Perihelion distance, December 8th, and its revolution is stated to be 575 years. Dunthorne, in a manuscript in Phil. Trans., vol. 47, Pembroke Hall Library, states, that the comet of 1106 could not be the same with that of 1680; and if it be allowed that it was the same as appeared in

*

Having carefully examined the observations made by astronomers on comets, and especially on the comet of 1835, I shall state the probable composition and form of a comet.

The nucleus of a comet may be an immense number of small stars, or asteriods, so small as not to be seen-on account of their distance and rapid movement in the heavens by the most powerful telescopes that have yet been made and as fixed stars have been seen through the nucleus of comets, this proves that the small stars which form a comet are at such a distance from each other as to admit the rays of the sun passing through them; and owing to the rapidity with which they move, and their colour, the rays of the sun in passing through them, receive such a colouring as to form the trains of comets; and the proof that it is the rays of light from the sun which form the trains of comets is, that the trains of all comets in their different positions, are always in direct opposition to the sun; and the length of the train of the same comet may depend entirely upon the density of the nucleus of a comet, when it comes within our observation, which may account for the length and shortness of the same comet's train, at its different appearances.

1110, then the revolution of the comet of 1680, is 570 years, probably its average revolution may be found to be 569 years; and if it be allowed that it is the same comet that appeared at the time of the death of Julius Cæsar, then its revolution also shows that there is an error of about 15 years too much in the Christian era.

Astronomers have justly denounced as false the dates of the eclipses that took place in the reign of Alyattes, when the Lydian and Median armies were fighting, and the eclipse mentioned by Diodorus, observed during the voyage of Agathocles. In Phil. Trans., 1811, Bailey has calculated all the eclipses from B. C. 656 to 580, and found one eclipse that was total in Asia Minor, viz., 30th September, 610 B. C. The date of the eclipse stated by Diodorus, is said to be 310 B. C. Subtract the error of 25, or 24 too much made at the beginning of the Grecian empire, from 310, equal to 285 B. C., being about the true time of the eclipse mentioned by Diodorus, then astronomers will find that the eclipse mentioned Diodorus will agree with the eclipse mentioned by Herodotus.

The eclipse that took place 30th September, 610 B. C., and the eclipse that must have taken place 286 B. C., mentioned by Diodorus, and the great eclipse that happened in the East, A. D. 360, shows that there is an error of about fifteen years between 286 B. C. and 360 A. D. The question now may be asked, is there anything in ancient history to prove, or that agrees with, these astronomical calculations? The answer is, yes. In a chronology published by Johannes Georgeius Herwart ab Hohenburgh, the author ob

serves, that some of the ancients talked of an interval of sixteen years between the vulgar and the true epocha of Christ, and that the Fathers invented the method of palliating that ugly discord of fifteen years, by means of inductions. In a chronology published by Giles Stranchius, D.D., Public Professor in the Uni versity of Wittenburgh, translated into English by Richard Sault, F.R.S., page 128, Petavius reckons up the varieties of the Greek computations, and, in respect to Dionysius' Christian era, admits only two eras of the Greek, where the first makes the nativity of Christ about sixteen years before the other, page 396; Petavius having read in the history of Socrates, that Constantine the Great died in the year of the 271st Olympiad, on 25th July; and in the Christian era, Constantine the Great is said to have died A. D. 337. This shows that there is an error in the Christian era. Josephus Scaliger, in Euseb., page 226, speaking of the time of Constantine the Great, says, "Nothing is more uncertain than the beginnings of the Emperors, from Carus to Valentinian.": The ancient author of the Excerpta, in Scaliger, page 69, refers the death of Constantine the Great to the consulship of Lecinius and Crispus. Now they are stated to have been consuls in the second year of the 274th Olympiad. This shows, that from the destruction of Jerusalem to this time, there is an error in the Christian era of about nineteen years, and this nearly agrees with the revolution of the comet: also, the era said to have commenced 38 years before Christ, called the Spanish era, and recited in many councils, and which continued in use in Spain till 1383, in Arragon