Æschin. Isocrat. Dial. II. sect. 31, 32, et alibi, we will allow it to be either of Greek or of Hebrew original.

Among the following Conjectures, not one is offered to be obtruded for an admission into the Text without the authority of MSS. And yet there are several which are highly probable, though the authority for them is lost. In Mark xii. 42, λenlà dúo [8 žoli xodρávins,] the omission of xoSpáns is supported by no one MS. I would add, nor by any version, till what was produced from Marshal's Saxon Gospels. In John xix. 21, apXiεPETS [TWY 'Iedαícov], though no where else found, is omitted only in Archbishop Wake's MSS. and the Syriac and Saxon Gospels; and yet hit upon by two Criticks unknown to each other, and I dare believe will be approved by all after them. Luke ii. 2, (Aűrn ʼn åñospady wpáry éyévélo ἡγεμονεύονος τῆς Συρίας Κυρηνία), the whole parenthesis is so hard to recon cile with true history, that it is most probably a gloss; and I have the authority of a learned Bishop for saying so. And yet all the MSS. retain it.

It is certain, the most fruitful source of false readings of any importance springs from marginal glosses, unwarily introduced into the text. They are, I am convinced, far more numerous than one would at first suspect. Many of them are taken notice of in the course of this work: but when once pointed out, are left entirely to the reader's disposal, to be rejected or adopted as he thinks fit.

In the course of this work I should have taken notice of Mr. Whiston's transpositions* in St. Mathew, from the Fourth Chapter to the Fourteenth, which reduce his Gospel to the order of time in which the other Historians place their narrative; and he afterwards proceeds regularly along with the rest from the death of John the Baptist and the commencement of our Saviour's ministry upon it. After Matt. iv. 22, he places viii. 14— 17. Then viii. 2—4, ix. 2—17. The third Passover xii. 1—21, iv. 23, v. 1, viii. 1, v. 2-48, vi. 34, vii. 1-29, viii. 5-13, xi. 2-30, xii. 22—50, xiii. 1—53, viii. 18—34, ix. 1, viii. 19—22, ix. 18—84, xiii. 54-58, ix. 35-38, x. 1—42, xi. 1, xiv. 1, 2, 3; and so uniformly to the end of his Gospel. Mr. Whiston says, p. 104, "That the Sermon on "the Mount is placed too soon, both St. Luke's account of this matter, " and some circumstances in St. Matthew himself, will demonstrate to us. "Matt. v. 1, 2, the verses before this Sermon in St. Matthew run thus:

* Short View of the Chronology of N. T. Preface, p. 100 et seqq.

"And

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he "was set, his Disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth, and "taught. The verses following are these: ch. vii. 28, 29, and viii. 1. "And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes. When he was come down from the "mountain, great multitudes followed him. From which verses it has "been commonly believed that this Sermon was preached in the Mount."And at first sight it appears also to have been preached to his Disciples "alone there, and that in the posture of sitting too, and that Christ de"scended not till long afterward. Whereas it appears from Luke, that "Christ ascended up into the Mount, called his Disciples to him thither, "chose the XII Apostles there, descended with them, and stood on the plain, healed great numbers there, and there also directing his first dis"courses to his Disciples, did he preach his Sermon to those vast multi"tudes then present. Nay, St. Matthew himself, in his present order, though at first he seems to confine the Sermon to the Disciples as the "sole auditors; yet at the conclusion says, The multitudes (oi ŏ×201) were "astonished at his doctrine therein contained; thereby fully assuring us "that they were present at this most famous Sermon of our Saviour's ministry: according to St. Luke's more large account of the whole matter. "Which being considered, it will be reasonable to insert the first verse of "the Eighth chapter of St. Matthew, just before the Sermon, instead of placing it, as now, at the conclusion; and every circumstance is then easy, and perfectly agrees with St. Luke's History. The Sense will run "thus: And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and “when he was set, his Disciples came unto him. And when he was come "down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, &c." For the rest, I refer to his Harmony.

That there were several of the like transpositions among the Latin copies is testified by Jerom and two MSS. now remaining. Thus Matt. v, between the 12th and 13th verses, a verse is added in the San-German MS. taken from Luc. vi. 26, Nolite gaudere, cum benedixerint vos omnes homines: sic enim faciebant pseudoprophetis patres eorum.—And several taken from Mark: As Matt. xiv. 26, after quia phantasma est, are added

D 2

added in MS. Corbeiensis, Non enim intellexerant, sicut nec in panibus : erat enim cor eorum obtusum, from Mark vi. 52; and many more, as observed by Philippus Garbarellus, Prolegomena ad Jos. Blanchini, p. 50.

Some of our Commentators and Harmonists have done the Gospels much injury by contracting the term of our Saviour's ministry. For thereby they have introduced into them many difficulties, which would have had no place on the supposition of a longer period. And the further the period is extended, the fuller and clearer do the Gospel Histories apChrist's ministry is generally confined to the space of about three years. But Mr. Whiston and Sir Isaac Newton both make it to have lasted five Passovers, &c.; which Gerhard Mercator first discovered, as Isaac Casaubon observes, Exerc. xxi. Num. I. Ann. xxxiv. I shall give here a short Abstract of the transactions, according to Sir Isaac's division of them.

pear.

The Fifteenth of Tiberius began Aug. 28 [Aug. 19] An. J. P. 4742, [whose reign began Aug. 19 An. J. P. 4727, A.D. 14]*. So soon as Winter was over, and the weather became warm enough, John began to baptise. Luke iii. 1. [Suppose in March.]

A.D. Tib.

31. 16-17. The First Passover, John ii. 23, Wednesday March 28, after Christ's baptism (which was, we may suppose, in September, the 17th of Tiberius not beginning till Aug. 19); he came into Judea; staid baptising there, while John was baptising in Enon, John iii. 22, 23. John cast into prison in November. About the time of the Winter Solstice [in December], four months before the harvest, Jesus Christ went through Samaria into Cana of Galilee, Matt. iv. 12. A Nobleman of Capernaum went to him there, and desired he would come and heal his son. He did not go, but said Go, thy son liveth.

After some time, he left Nazareth, and came and dwelt in Capernaum, Luke iv.

* The words included in crotchets are by mistake omitted; and for Aug. 19 is printed 28. The latter is the more unlucky, because it is the day which Pagi assigns for the commencement of Tiberius's reign, jointly with Augustus; which hypothesis, for I can call it no better, Sir Isaac Newton did not intend to follow, as appears p: 165.

A.D.

A.D. Tib.

32. 17-18. The Second Passover, Monday April 14. Called Peter, Andrew, James, and John*. Preached the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. v.; whither multitudes followed him from Jerusalem, where he had been at the Feast. When the Winter was coming on, went to the feast of Tabernacles, in September. Matt. viii. 19, 23, Luke ix. 51, 57.

Went about the villages of Galilee, teaching in their Syn

agogues, and working many miracles, Matt. ix. Sent forth the Twelve, Matt. x. Received a message from John the Baptist. Upbraided the Cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, because they repented not, Matt. xi.; which shews there was a considerable time from the imprisonment of John till now.

32. 18-19. The Third Passover, Friday April 3; after which, the Disciples, going through the corn-fields, rubbed the ears in their hands, Matt.xii. Luke vi. 1, deulepongwrw, on the second prime Sabbath, that is, the second of the two great feasts of the Passover; as we say, Low Sunday.

Healed a man on the sabbath-day, Matt. xii. 9, Luke vi. 6.

Pharisees consulted to destroy him, when he withdrew himself, Matt. xii. 14.

In a ship spake three parables: one, of the Seedsman sowing the fields, Matt. xiii.; by which we may know it was now seed-time; and the feast of Tabernacles, in September or October, was past.

Went into his own country, and taught in the Synagogues; but did not any mighty work, because of their unbelief. The Twelve returned, having been abroad a year, and told him of John's being beheaded. He departed privately in a ship to Bethsaida. Fed five thousand in the desert, Matt. xiv. Luke ix. John vi. 4.

A.D. Tib.

33. 19-20. The Fourth Passover, Friday April 23, John vi. 4, to which he went not up, John vii. 1. Henceforward he was found on the coast of Tyre and Sidon; then by the sea of Galilee; next on the coast of Cæsarea Philippi; and lastly at Capernaum, Matt. xv. 21, 29, xvi. 3, xvii. 34. Went privately to the feast of Tabernacles in Autumn, John vii. 2. The Jews thought to stone him, but he escaped, John viii. 59. Went to the feast of Dedication in Winter, John x. 22. The Jew's seeking to kill him, he fled beyond Jordan, John X. 39, 40, Matt. xix. 1. On the death of Lazarus came to Bethany, John xi. 7, 18. Walked no more openly; but retired to Ephraim, a city in the Wilderness, till

34. 20.

The Fifth and last Passover, Wednesday April 13, John xi. 53-55, in the Consulship of Fabius and Vitellius*.

The first proof by which Sir Isaac Newton endeavours, p. 162, to ascertain the year of the Passion, is drawn from the calculation of the full moons; by which, together with the Jewish rule of appointing the beginning of the month, he shews, that the Passion could not happen on the years of Christ 31, 32, or 35.

The second proof is, to shew that, by what is recorded in history, the years 35 and 36 are also excluded. Tiberius died in the year of Christ 37,

* I have added the years of the reign of Tiberius, which include the passovers in Spring, and which are terminated in the August following, because writers, for want of considering where the two periods, viz. of the reign of Tiberius, and the birth of Christ, begin and end (obvious as they are), have fallen into strange errors. Thus, on an inscription on a leaden pipe, Phil. Trans. A. D. 1741, Num. 459, IMP. CAES. DOMITIANO AVG. COS. VII. the Editor observes that cos. vii. does not concur with the first year of Domitian. He had observed in some table of the Fasti (suppose in Sir H. Savile's at the end of Rerum Anglic. Scriptores) that Domitian was styled cos. vIII, U. C. 834, in the first of his reign; but did not reflect that he might be only cos, vII. in the former part of it, and so loses the precious part of the pipe, which determines within a few months when it was cast, and which he would have seen in Vignolius's tables, De Anno primo Imperii Severi Alexandri, Diss. II. p. 78, and in Mediobarbus.-The same numeral marks of Consulship were sometimes continued for several years together, till they entered on a new Consulship, which the later Emperors often did in the January next after the commencement of their reign. Mr. Selden seems to have fallen into a mistake on this head in Marm. Oxon. clxii.; as is observed by Perizonius, Animadv. Hist. c. viii. p. 311.

and