The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 2Browne, Thomas, Sir
Religion
The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 2
Browne, Thomas, Sir
Christianity; Ethics; Religion and medicine
Again, However the texts were plain, and might in their numerations
agree, yet were there no small difficulty to set down a determinable
Chronology, or establish from whence any fixed point of time. For the
doubts concerning the time of the Judges are inexplicable; that of the
Reigns and succession of Kings is as perplexed; it being uncertain
whether the years both of their lives and reigns ought to be taken as
compleat, or in their beginning and but currant accounts. Nor is it
unreasonable to make some doubt whether in the first ages and long lives
of our fathers, _Moses_ doth not sometime account by full and round
numbers, whereas strictly taken they might be some few years above or
under; as in the age of _Noah_, it is delivered to be just five hundred
when he begat _Sem_; whereas perhaps he might be somewhat above or below
that round and compleat number. For the same way of speech is usual in
divers other expressions: Thus do we say the Septuagint, and using the
full and articulate number, do write the Translation of Seventy;
whereas we have shewn before, the precise number was Seventy two. So is
it said that Christ was three days in the grave; according to that of
_Mathew_, as _Jonas_ was three days and three nights in the Whales
belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth: which notwithstanding must be taken Synecdochically;
or by understanding a part for an whole day; for he remained but two
nights in the grave; for he was buried in the afternoon of the first
day, and arose very early in the morning on the third; that is, he was
interred in the eve of the Sabbath, and arose in the morning after it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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