45 The Begin. of the Calip. Period 46 The Death of Alexander, 47 The Epocha of the Seleucida, 48 The Death of Mattathias Afmoneus, 42 The Beginning of the Pelopon. War, 4282 43 The Beginning of the 70 Weeks of Daniel, 4291 44 The Battle of Gaugamel, 4382 3 9633 4547 49 The Reftauration of the Jews, Mac 4548 50 The Epocha of Simon, 4570 51 The Antiochian Epocha 4664 52 The Julian Epocha, 4668 53 The Beginning of the Reign of Herod, 4673 54 The taking of Jerufalem 4676 55 The Death of Herod, 4712 56 The Spanish Æra, 57 The Battle at Actium, 4675 58 The taking Alexandria, 4683 39 2 87 59 The Epocha of the Auguftus's, 4686 60 The true Birth of Chrift, 4711 61 The Vulgar, 4713 62 The Paffion of Chrift, 4745 63 The Destruction of the fecond Temple 4782 64 The Beginning of the Dioclefian Era or the Era of Martyrs, 4996 8 65 The Dioclefian Perfecution, 66 The Death of Conftantius Chlorus, 67 The Conquest of Maxentius, 5024 68 The Nicæan Council, 5037 69 The Death of Conftantine the Great, 5049 70 The Enconia of Conftantinople. 5042 71 The Epocha of the Hegira, 5334 72 *The Epocha of Yezdejerd, 5344 73 The Epocha called Jellalæan, 5791 3 Bre Breviarium Chronologicum. Or a Short View of CHRONOLOGY. The INTRODUCTION Explaining the RÜLÉS. 1. Chronology is a Science that treats of Time, as 'tis in 2. 'Tis divided into the General and Special part. 4. The Special part is that which confiders time in pare §. I. C diftingui Hronology is a Difcipline of a peculiar form, Chronology by which 'tis diftinguished from all others. a difcipline Some indeed refer all our knowledge of fhed from Time to Aftronomy; upon the plea that what we know all others. of it is but very little, and that the very definition of it is unknown to us, purfuant to the Teftimonies of Auguftin, Confef. L. 14. and Cicero de Juvent. But their plea is not conclufive; for doubtless that Difci pline which has a peculiar adæquat object in its view, must be of a distinct nature from all others: And that Time the object of Chronology is fuch will appear from the following Difcourfe. §. II. Chronology is a Science, for 'tis poffeffed of all Chronology the Conditions, that are requifite to a Science; parScience. ticularly it treats of a fcientifick object, 'tis intituled Story. to fuitable affections or properties, and as for Causes their place is fupplyed by the Chronological Characters. If a Chronologer were required to demonstrate (for inftance) that the year of Chrift 1664, was the 6377th year of the Julian Period, it might be done after this manner: That year which has 21 for the charader of the Solar Cycle, 12 for the Lunar, and 2 for the Cycle of Indiction, muft needs be the 6377th year of the Julian Period; But the 1664th year of Chrift is fuch, Ergo, &c. Demonftrations of this nature are to be met with in every Epocha: So that the ignorance and uncertainty of Chronologers is to be imputed to the Supine negligence and errors of the Artifts, and not to the Art it felf. S. III. Some erroneously confound History with Chronole Chronology; but though a Chronologer confiders time gy diftin for the ufe of History, yet 'tis certain Chronology and guished from HiHiftory don't coinicid: for Chronology explains Timeit felf, and declares how it comes to be invefted with fuch and fuch characters; whereas Hiftory is a relation of things done in the courfe of Time. In the relations of matter of fact, Hiftory pretends to no Demonftrations; but Chronology produces the firmeft that are. The Chronologer difpofeth the times, and gives certain characters of them; the Hiftorian records things done, and fills up the spaces which the other leaves empty. Yet we deny not that thefe Sciences are ferviceable to each other, fince the Hiftorian often receives the characters together with the Time noted by them from the Chronologer. Hence fome fay, Hiftory has two Eyes, Chronology and Geography. Yea Scaliger Proleg. in Eufeb. makes Chronology to be the Soul of Hiftory, and to excell it as much as the Soul doth the Body. They that plea fe may alfo fee what Petavius Ration, Tempor. part. 1. 1. c. 1. fays of them, S. IV. Petavins 1 Doctrine S.IV.Petavius Proleg.Operis Chronol.c.3.will have Chro. How far hology and the Doctrine of Times to differ thus. Chro-Chronology differs nology (fays he) is an Art which affigns things past to their feveral times, by the help of certain notes and from the characters; But the doctrine of times is a Science which in- of times. quires into the conditions and properties of time as it may be useful to Mankind. But I can obferve no other difference between them than between Homo and "Av0pwπO, or between Naturalis Scientia & Phyfica. Neither do we fee how these things agree with Petavius's promise, that he would treat of this Science according to the Philofophers, and especially according to the Logicians. S. V. A Science is faid to be Subalternat, not only Chronology when it acknowledges another Science to be fuperi-fubordiour to it in the univerfality of the Object, in which nate to fenfe it may be faid that all Sciences are fubalternate Aftronomy, to Metaphyficks; but alfo where its fubject is contain'd in the fubject of another Science, yet fo as that it adds fome accidental difference to it; as alfo when it affumes the conclufions of another Science as Principles. Whereas therefore Chronology has not only an object contained under the object of Aftronomy, and fupperadds to it fome accidental difference, as the diftinction of it into certain Periods, and the confideration of it in fubferviency to Hiftory; but also affumes the most of its Principles out of Aftronomy, as that the Solar Tropical year is 365 days, 5 hours, 49 min. that the Lunar Month is 29 d. 12h. 45m. and others of like Sort. It may be juftly faid that Chronology is fubalternate to Aftronomy, as Mufick to Arithmetick, Opticks to Geometry, &c. Chrono loger. §. VI. As in other Sciences, the explication of the The proper Scientifick Object is required, as to the Principles of duty of a Being and Knowing, the affections and kinds of it; So a Chronologer ought to take care to explain the nature of Time according to thefe Heads; he must not confound the measure with the thing measured; whofe Theories with Tables of Celeftial Motions, are not to be propos'd by him who promifes an accurate and inftructive Method. In fhort he ought not to confound Heaven with Earth.. The Stand ard of S. VII. Certain characters of Times and Epocha's are Chronolothe rule whereby we are to judge of Chronologicalgical Con Contro-troverfies B2 Controverfies, not the authority of any Man, nor Scaliger's ipfe dixit, whofe Errors Petavus has diftributed into four forts. The ift. Prophefies, or the affirming things without the tender of any proof. The zd. Collections from places of the Ancients ill underftood. 3d. Falfe Reafonings. 4. Self Contradictions. Thefe things I have alledged out of Petavius, not with any purpose to difcredit Scaliger, or his followers, or to detract from the due Praife, which ought to be given to every Artist, tho' the Art may not be wholly ingrofs'd by him alone. be ga Sacred S. VIII. Beroaldus maintains, that a perfect ChroWrit no nological Syftem from the beginning of the World to compleat the Birth of Chrift, and the times near it, may Chrono- thered out of the Scripture only, without the affilogy. ftance of Exotick Hiftory; Paraus in like manner in the Title of this Book promifes an exact Chronology out of the Scripture alone, and the Author of Salve Chronologicum is of the fame opinion. But (tho' we would not detract from the fufficiency and perfection of facred Wit) it is most certain that a compleat Chronicon cannot be gather'd from it alone; fince it gives no account of the time between Cyrus and Darius, which defect must be supplyed out of profane Hiftory, as they call it. Therefore Scaliger fays, What would become of Chronology if we wanted the Monuments of Exotick Hiftory? Thofe judicious Writers, Tacitus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Tertullian, Affricanus and Eufebius obferved this. Some object that an hainous injury is done to the Spirit of God by our making Sacred Hiftory to Stand in need of the affiftance of Profane: As if it was fo great an ignominy for Exotick History to be an hand. maid to the Sacred. a Dream. Mystical §. IX. There's a certain Author, who upon the Chronology plea that the Creation of the World was performed in 7 days, is for concluding that the N. 7. carries in it great Myfteries: but fince there's no reafon either in Nature or Hiftory for fuch furmizes, we fhall pass it by as the Dream of one that talk't without Book. See Chronologus Myfticus in fole temp. p. 3. & alib. The Anci S. X. In ancient times the Clergy,who were esteemed ent Chro moft Learned, had the bufinefs of Chronology comnologers. mitted to 'em by the Magiftrate; The Indiction of Eafter was recommended to the care of learned Men, long |