64 L E T T E R fil.

chronology, or a thread of history, or sufficientmaterials for either, in the books oí the Old testament , expects to find what the authors ofthese books, vvhoever they were, never intended.They are extracts of généalogies, not généa-logies; extracts of histories, not historiés. TheJews themselves allotv theìr généalogies to beveryimperfect, and produce examples of omiístons anderrors in them, which dénoté fufficiently that tliefegénéalogies are extracts, wherein every générationin the course of deícent is not mentióned. I hâve readsomewhere, perhaps in the works of St Jerome ,that this father justifies, the opinion of thofe whothink it impossible to hx any certain chronologyon that of the Bible : and this opinion will bejustisied still better, to the understanding of everyman that considérs how groísly the Jews plunderwhenever they meddle with chronology ; for thisplain reafon, becaufe their fcriptures are imperfectin this respect, and becaufe they rely on theiroral, to rectify and supply their written, traditions:that is. they rely on traditions compiled long asterthe canon of their fcriptures, but deemed by themof equal antiquity and authority. Thus, forinstance, Daniel and Simon the just, accordingto them, were members at the famé time of thegréât synagogue which began and finiíhed thecanon of the Old testament , under the présidence ofEsdras. This Esdras was the prophet MalachiDarius the son of Hystasfes was Artaxerxes Longimanus ; he was Ahasuerus , and he wasthe famé Darius whom Alexander conquered.

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