A TABLE of fome of the more confiderable Epochas which are used in facred and profane Hiftory, reduced to the Years of the Chriftian Era, and the Julian Period.

Founding of Solomon's Temple

First Olympiad

U. C. or building of Rome Era of Nabonaflar, much ufed by Aftronomers

The Allyrian Captivity of Ifrael

4004 711

23482367

14983216

}

747/3967

724 3990

The Babylonian Captivity of

Judab

of}

6014113

Death of Alexander the Great

3244399

Birth of Chrift, or Chriftian

Era

Deftruction of Jerufalem
Era of Dioclefian, or of the
Martyrs

Hegeira of the Mahometans
Beginning of the Reformation
Acceffion of King George III.

694783

the}

ΑΝ

APPENDIX,

Attempting to explain the Account of the first and fourth Day's Work of Creation, in the first Chapter of Genefis.

T

HE Difficulties with which the Mofaic Account of the Creation feems to be preffed are chiefly these two:

FIRST, That the Earth is faid to be enlightened, and the Succeffion of Day and Night fettled the first Day; and yet the Sun (whofe Light makes Day to the Earth) not created until the fourth Day. L 4

SECONDLY,

SECONDLY, That God fhould take five Days in making this Earth, and its Furni ture, and yet but one Day, viz. the fourth, in creating the Sun, Moon, and Stars, (in Comparison with all which, this Earth is but a mere Point or Atom) may feem very unlikely; for though it be not impoffible to Divine Power, it seems hardly reconcileable to Divine Wisdom: and this Account of the Creation appears ftrangely irregular, and the feveral Parts of it out of all Measure difproportionate to one another.

In order to folve these Difficulties, let it be obferved,

1. That the Mofaic Account of the Creation does not seem to be designed for an Account of the whole Creation of God; for there is no mention of the Creation of Angels in it and befides, the first Verse, In the Beginning God created the Heaven

:

If by the Morning Stars which fang together, when God laid the Foundation of the Earth, Job xxxviii. 4, 7. we are to understand Angels, according to the common received Opinion, which feems very probable, from their being called the Sons of God in the Words that follow, and all the Sons of God fhouted for Joy; that Text gives a plain Intimation that Angels were in being at the very Beginning of the Creation of this World; or when God laid the Foundations of the Earth; and therefore that they were created before it. And does not the Allufion in that Text, viz. the Angels being called, or compared to Stars, at that Time, feem further to intimate, that there were Stars alfo then in Being, and confequently that there were Stars created before this World; or, however, before the fourth Day?

and

and the Earth, which may be confidered as the Title, or general Contents of the whole following Account, does expressly limit it to the mundane Creation, even the Heaven and the Earth. And by the Heaven, in this Chapter, is meant nothing but the Firmament, or Air, which fupports the Clouds, as appears from Verses 7, and 8, God made the Firmament, and divided the Waters which were under the Firmament from the Waters which were above the Firmament, and he called the Firmament HEAVEN. The Mofaic Account of the Creation feems plainly therefore to be a defigned Account of the Creation of this Planet only, viz. the Earth and its Atmosphere, with its various Furniture: the Sun, and many, at least, of the Stars being, it may be, created before. Though it is not unlikely that the Moon, being a conftant Attendant on the Earth, and defigned, in a good Measure, for the Ufe of it, was created at the fame Time; and perhaps we shall find fome Reference to her Motion in this Account afterward,

2. If there be any confiderable Parts of the Work of the Creation of this World, which are not taken Notice of in any of the other Days, and which will fully anfwer the Phænomena of the firft and fourth Day's Works, it is highly probable those

are

are the very Works there intended and referred to.

Now it is certain, that God's giving the Earth its diurnal Motion on its own Axis, and its annual Motion in its Orbit round the Sun, (to which we may also add his giving the Moon her Motion round the Earth) were very confiderable Parts of the Work of the Creation of this World, and to which no Reference can be supposed in the Account of any of the Six Days Work, unlefs in the firft and fourth.

Let us then fuppofe that the first Day's Work which Mofes defcribes, was God's giving the Earth its diurnal Motion; and let us enquire how that will answer the Phænomena related in verses 2, 3, 4, 5.

Verse 2. And the Earth was without Form and void, and Darkness was upon the Face of the Deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters.

Ver. 3. And God faid, Let there be Light: and there was Light.

Ver. 4. And God faw the Light that it was good: and God divided the Light from the Darkness.

Ver. 5. And God called the Light Day, and the Darkness he called Night: and the Evening and the Morning were the firft Day. The Particulars of this Account are,

1. That the Earth was without Form and void, i. e. a mixed and confufed Mafs of