Similarly do the early Christian writers teach with respect to this ancient opinion on the continuance of the present dispensation of the world.

1. St. Barnabas, who is spoken of in Scripture as being "a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith" (Acts xi. 24), who was "separated by the Holy Ghost," conjointly with St. Paul, "for the work of the ministry" (Acts xiii. 2), who probably wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews, and whose words have, therefore, a superior authority to that of any uninspired person,

* For an account of St. Barnabas's writings, and the genuineness of the one quoted above, see Archbishop Wake's Preliminary Discourse of the Epistle of St. Barnabas, sec. 18; and Lardner's Credibility of the Gospel History, part ii., chap. i. Whiston gives a reason, though a very inconclusive one, on account of the real date of the Apostolical Constitutions, why St. Barnabas's Epistle is not found in any copy of the 85th Canon of the Apostles, and should not, therefore, be deemed canonical. He says, "What I strongly suspect to have been the true reason why this, and only this apostolical writing then extant, was omitted in that Canon, viz., that Barnabas had therein, as he thrice confesses (sec. i., 6, 17), complied very far with the lowest sort of his brethren, the Jews, in allegorizing the Old Testament, according to their principles at that time, which was thereby become almost useless to the Gentile Christians, who did not own that way of reasoning." (See Whiston's Lit. Accompl. of Scripture Prophecies, App., p. 15.) There are, however, grounds for ascribing that portion of the Canon of Scripture entitled "The Epistle to the Hebrews" to St. Barnabas, as Tertullian does towards the close of the second century. (De Pudicitia, c. 20.) Many as the arguments are in favour of St. Paul having been its author, according to the present generally-received opinion, it nevertheless appears that Irenæus, Bishop of Lyons, A.D. 178, as we learn from some passages cited by Eusebius from a work of his, now lost, did not receive it as St. Paul's; and Eusebius, speaking of ancient church writers who flourished at the end of the second and beginning of the third centuries, says, "Caius makes mention of but thirteen epistles of the holy apostle, not reckoning that to the Hebrews with the rest; and indeed, to this very time, by some of the Romans, this epistle is not thought to be the apostle's." (H. E. 1. vi., 20.) Jerome's language is still stronger. He writes, "Caius, reckoning up only thirteen epistles of Paul, says the fourteenth, which is inscribed to the Hebrews, is not his; and with the Romans, to this day, it is not looked upon as Paul's." (De V. I., 59.) Tertullian, born, according to Tillemont, A.D. 160, as we have noticed, ascribes it to St. Barnabas. Caius, a presbyter in the Church of Rome, A.D. 212, reckoning the epistles of St. Paul, mentions only thirteen, and omits the Epistle to the Hebrews. Hippolytus, likewise A.D. 220, did not receive it as St. Paul's. Neither did Origen, A.D. 230; and Hilary, the reputed author of a Commentary upon the Thirteen Epistles of St. Paul, A.D. 380, makes no mention of the Epistle to the Hebrews, when he quotes it, as having been written by him. Clement of Alexandria, A.D. 194, appears to have been the first who quoted it as written by him.

speaks on this wise:- -"God made in six days the works of his hands; and he finished them on the seventh day, and sanctified it. Consider, my children, what that signifies-He finished them in six days. The meaning of it is this, that in 6000 years the Lord God will bring all things to an end. For with Him one day is a thousand years; as He himself testifies, saying, 'Behold this day shall be as a thousand years.' (Ps. xc. 4.) Therefore, children, in six days, i.e., in 6000 years, shall all things be accomplished." (Ep. of St. Barnabas, c. xv.)*

2. The testimony of St. Barnabas is peculiarly valuable, and indeed we may deem it conclusive on the subject; and that it was so esteemed by the Christian church, during the first three centuries, we may gather from the uncontradicted testimony of Lactantius at the beginning of the fourth century, who says, "Because all the works of God were finished in six days, it is necessary that the world should remain in this state six ages, i.e., 6000 years. I beg to inform the philosophers, who count millions of ages from the beginning of the world, that the six-thousandth year is not yet closed. When that number is completed, a consummation will take place, and the state of human affairs will undergo a reformation." (Divine Inst., 1. vii., 14.)

3. Augusitne interprets the division of time during this

The word "day," ", as used in the first chapter of Genesis, would be better rendered by the word "period," as it evidently cannot be understood of time limited to twenty-four hours. 1. The conventional sense which we attach to the word "day," is one revolution of the earth on its axis, during which it is either turned to the sun or from the sun, one of the "two great lights" appointed by God to "rule over the day." But, as these were not appointed for that purpose until what is termed "the fourth day of creation," this definition would not hold good respecting the first three days of creation. 2. Again, in Gen. ii. 4, the word is used to signify the whole period of the six days' creation, "in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens." 3. In Gen. ii. 17, it is said, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," or more literally, "dying thou shalt die." Now, as we conclude from this that Adam was originally created liable to death, and that the threat of its being enforced in the event of his breaking God's condition of his remaining in the garden of Eden, was to be fulfilled in the day that he broke the covenant; and as he did not die within the day of twenty-four hours' duration after its infraction, but did die within 1000 years (and it is worthy of note that all the antediluvian patriarchs died within that time, Methuselah, the most aged, having only reached the age of 969 years), we conceive that the word ", which we call " day," should signify, in the record of the demiurgic creation, a period of 1000 years.

world's dispensation on this wise:-"If that number of ages, as of days, be accounted according to the distinctions of times, which seem to be expressed in the sacred Scriptures, that Sabbath-day shall appear more evidently, because it is found to be the seventh; that the first age, as it were the first day, be from Adam unto the Flood; then the second from thence unto Abraham, not by equality of times, but by number of generations; for they are found to have a tenth number. From hence now, as Matthew the evangelist doth conclude, three ages do follow even unto the coming of Christ, every one of which is expressed by fourteen generations. From Abraham unto David is one; from thence, even until the transmigration into Babylon, is another; the third, from thence unto the nativity of Christ. So all of them are made five. Now, this age is the sixth, to be measured by no number, because of that which is spoken, 'It is not for you to know the seasons, which the Father hath placed in his own power. After this age God shall rest, as in the seventh day, when God shall make that same seventh day to rest in Himself, which we shall be." (De Civitate Dei, 1. xxii., 30.)

Since, then, we have the concurrent testimony of both Jewish and Christian writers* as to the existence of the world in its present state, previous to its renovation by the return of Christ in person, to set in order and to reign over this ransomed earth, especially the positive declaration of him who was "full of the Holy Ghost," and whose words come to us with the weight of inspired teaching, we are warranted in affirming that at the close of the 6000 years from the time when "man was first made in the image and after the likeness of God," the return of Him, who is the bright hope of the Church, is to be expected and looked for.

The ancient Persians seem to have had some idea of the longevity of this age, as we gather from an Eastern romance, entitled Caherman Rame, or "Caherman's History," in which the hero is represented as conversing with a griffin, named Simurgh, who tells him that she had already lived to see the earth seven times filled with creatures, and seven times reduced to a perfect void. That the age of Adam would last seven thousand years, when the present race of men would be extinguished, and their place be supplied by creatures of another form and more perfect nature, with whom the world would end. She declared that she had then seen twelve periods, each of seven thousand years, but was denied the knowledge of the term of her own existence. (See Richardson's Dissertations and Hyde's Religio Veterum Persarum.)

The point, then, to be considered is, have we sufficient evidence, from Scripture and other authorities, for determining the time which has elapsed since the creation of Adam, and consequently how many more years are required to complete the six millenaries, or 6000 years, when, as we conclude from the analogy of creation and other grounds, the present dispensation will terminate, and the Sabbatical period will be ushered in by the Second Advent of the Son of God? We think we have; and it will be the object of the following chapter to show that, within not many years from the present time, the 6000 years will have run its destined course.

CHAPTER XI.

CHRONOLOGY.

Different systems of Hales, Clinton, and Usher-Differences between the Hebrew text, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and the LXX-St. Augustine's reasons for preferring the former-Chronology of the Hebrew text to the time of the Babylonish captivity-Assyrian sculptures with reference to the Scriptural date of the Deluge-M. Oppert's discovery on a Babylonian cylinder of records of the Deluge and confusion of tongues-the Canon of Ptolemy-Chronology of Josephus-Of Manetho-Of Diodorus SiculusOf Velleius Paterculus and Æmilius Sura-Of the Talmud-Of the Monumental History of Egypt.

IN endeavouring to construct a system of chronology, by which we may ascertain the exact number of years which have elapsed since the creation of the world, we think it may be right to adopt the following rules as a starting-point in our process of investigation:

1. That Scripture should be the basis upon which our chronology should rest.

2. That the Hebrew should stand in preference to the Samaritan Pentateuch, or the LXX., where it can be reconciled with other independent testimony.

3. Where there is a difference between two passages in Scripture, we must avail ourselves of other testimony to settle the dispute, and to reconcile the apparent discrepancy.

It may, however, be advisable, before proceeding with this investigation, to insert the dates of three of the most distinguished chronologists of modern times :

1. Hales (New Analysis of Chronology) dates the creation B.C. 5411, and consequently the 6000 years would have terminated on this theory, A.D. 589. He appears to adopt the chronology of the Septuagint as the basis of his system, which will account for its being so much longer than that which is commonly received, and which is based upon the Hebrew.

2. Clinton (Fasti Romani and Fasti Hellenici) gives B.C. 4138

See note A at the end of this chapter.

+ See note B at the end of this chapter.