A treatise of the necessity of humane learning for a Gospel-preacher shewing the use of I. Languages, II. Rhetoric, III. Logic, IV. Natural philosophy, V. Moral philosophy, VI. History, VII. Chronology, VIII. Arithmetic, IX. Geometry, X. Astronomy, XI. Geography, and the benefits of learning in all ages : also this question is determined, whether grace be essential to a minister of the Gospel? / by Edward Reyner ...

CHAP. VII. Of the Ʋsefulness of Chrono∣logy.

CHronology is of great use for a Mini∣ster of the Gospel, to know eight things.

I. The several Ages of the world exact∣ly, and the Times of Generations, and of Nations,

—of Governments, Kingdoms and Com∣monwealths; the rise, growth, changes and periods of them.

—And of Governors, of Kings and Ru∣lers, and the times of their reigns, (espe∣cially of the Kings of Judah and Israel, both absolutely and comparatively, which have some knots, difficulties, and seeming repugnancies in them) and what fell out therein: as Christ's birth in the days of Herod the King, Mat. 2.1. and so John Baptist's birth, Luke 1.5, 13.

It may be needful to know the times of the reigns of Heathen Kings and Empe∣rors, because some passages of Sacred story refer to them; as Christ's birth; the com∣ing up of Joseph and Mary to Judea, to be taxed in the dayes of Cesar Augustus, Luke 2.1. to 8. the great dearth which Agabus prophesied, that came to pass in the days of Claudius Cesar the Emperor, Acts 11.28.

It's said in Dan. 2.44. * 1.1 In the days of these Kings (that is of Syria and Egypt, as some conceive, or rather of the Roman Em∣pire, as others) shall the kingdom of the Messiah be set up.

II. To know the particular times and seasons,

1. Wherein Persons of Note lived,

—and who were contemporary, or what di∣stance of time was between them.

2. Wherein such and such remarkable things were done by God or man, reported in the Old or New Testament.

To know the order and distinction of times, and of deeds done in them.

III. To know the several ages of the Church of God.

1. Under the Law, and the various states thereof, and what Prophets lived in each of them.

2. Under the New Testament, the seve∣ral ages and states of the Churches of Christ, their beginnings, continuance, de∣cay and dissolution; and what Apostles, or Ministers of Christ, lived in them.

To know the parts of Christ's life, (pri∣vate and publick) and the years of his Mi∣nistery, and what he did or suffered in every one of them.

To know the times of the Passovers while Christ lived upon earth, for the years of Christ's Ministery are reckoned accor∣ding to the same.

IV. To know the particular times, wherein the several books of the Holy Scripture were written by the Pen-men thereof; which conduceth much to a right understanding of several passages therein,

and to reconcile seeming repugnancies in the Scriptures.

Distingue tempora & concordabunt Scrip∣turae.

The distinction of the times, wherein Paul writ his several Epistles, is of much use to shew, why the Apostles wrote so variously about the same things, as Cir∣cumcision, and other Ceremonies. For to the Romans, chap. 14.1. he exhorts that they should receive them that are weak in the faith, &c. i. e. about Ceremonies and indifferent things.

But to the Galatians and Colossians he utterly condemns the use of Circumcision, Gal. 5.2, &c. Col. 2. the reason is, the difference of times, as Chrysostom hath no∣ted. Ceremonies were alwayes in them∣selves mortal; at Christ's death they be∣came mortuae, dcad, but after that they be∣came mortiferae, deadly to them that used them.

V. To know the times of fulfilling Prophesies, and Promises of things that are now

• 1. Past.
• 2. To come.

First Past, as those that were made con∣cerning

1. Particular persons, as Josiah; the Prphecy of him foretold by the man of

God, * 1.2 330. years before he was born, 1 King. 13.2. and concerning Cyrus by name, about 220. years before he was born, Isa. 44.28. which are so punctual∣ly performed, as if these Prophecies con∣cerning them had been a Narrative of things past, rather then a prediction of things to come.

2. Concerning people; as

1. * 1.3 To the Israelites about their bon∣dage, which was 400 years, beginning the account from Ismael's mocking and persecuting of Isaac, * 1.4 which fell out 30. years after the promise, Gen. 12.3. which promise was 430. * 1.5 years before the law, —and about their coming forth of Egypt out of bondage, * 1.6 which was 430. years af∣ter that promise, Exod. 12.41. God kept time to a day.

2. To the Jews concerning their Captivity in Babylon, and Reduction thence after 70. years, Jer. 29.10.

Concerning the coming of the Messiah in fulness of time, * 1.7 exactly answering and fulsilling the prophecies thereof, as to Christ's birth and death, Gen. 49.10. Dan. 9.24.

God is punctual for time in all his per∣formances of his Prophecies, and promi∣ses, even to a day or hour; and for things, to a title.

Whatever God promised to Israel at any time with his mouth, he performed with his hand to the utmost, 1 King. 8.56. Jer. 33.14.

A clear demonstration of his veracity and fidelity, and of the verity of his word.

The same may be said of the times of God's fulfilling of Prophecies and Treat∣nings of Evils past, both

• to God's people,
• and to the wicked, their enemies,
• whether Persons or Nations.

Secondly, To know the times of God's fulfilling of Prophecies, and Promises, and Threatnings of things yet to come, which are expressed in the Prophets, especially in Daniel, in the Apostles Epistles, but especially in the Revelations: Concerning,

1. The Calling of the Jews, and of the Ten Tribes, in the latter days.

2. The Prophesying and slaying of the Witnesses, and their reviving, Rev. 11.3, 7, 11.

3. The downfall of Antichrist and Ba∣bylon.

4. The ruine of the Turks.

Of Gog and Magog.

VI. To know the Epochas, the terms of Account, or the beginning of times in

Computation, from which times, and things are resto••ed in Scripture; or the in∣tervals, in which the measures of times are termined, as

From the Creation to the slood, * 1.8 1656 years.

From the Flood to the Promise made to Abraham, 367 years.

From the Promise to the going out of Egypt 430 years, Exod. 12.40.

From the children of Israel's coming out of Egypt, when they began to be a free peo∣ple, and a Nation of themselves, to the Temple, 1 King. 6.1. 480 years.

From the building of the Temple to the destruction of it, 427 years, in which is in∣cluded the time of the Captivity.

From the beginning of Daniel's weeks to the death of Christ, (as Mr. Perkins thinks) 490 years, where they end.

VII. The knowledge of Chronology is necessary to the disposing of the Bible into an Harmony: or to the transposing of the order of Books and Chapters of the holy Scriptures, for the reducing of all into a continued History, * 1.9 which some have endea∣voured, and Dr. Lightfoot hath per∣formed in his Harmony, for the New Testa∣ment.

VIII. The study of Chronology is need∣ful

to know, and evince the verity, and certainty of the holy Scriptures; and to confirm the Conscience against Satan's Attempts to overthrow mens Faith by casting in suspicions of the truth of Scri∣pture, because it doth not agree in the Account of Time with other Histories of the world, written by the most prudent men of all Ages. And with this Tenta∣tion Funccius in his Epistle Dedicatory before his Chronology (reckoning up the advantages of the diligent observation of History and times) affirms himself to have been assaulted; which was the cause that moved him to undertake his Chronology, though otherwise unwilling to it.

Vossius speaks of his meeting with some, not versed in the Doctrine of Times, * 1.10 though else learned men; who could not be so soon induced to question the truth of Scripture by any thing, as the Discrepan∣cy of Times in it, whom he, by answering their Objections, convinced of the use of Chronology.

From the Premises it appears, that Chronology is of great use to the under∣standing of the Scriptures, which are ex∣act in the Computation of times; and to the clear and distinct referring of Occur∣rences or passages in Scriptures to their

proper Times. The knowledge of the Times when, as well as of the Places where, persons lived, and things were done, tends much to the elucidating of them, and is very delightful. As God made eve∣ry thing beautiful in his time, Eccles. 3.11. so there is beauty, satisfaction and pleasure in the knowing the times and sea∣sons, wherein things were done, or came to pass.

The ignorance of times leads men into mistakes about passages of Scripture. Thus some have thought that the ship∣wrack at Melita, Act. 27. was one of the three mentioned by Paul, 2 Cor. 11.25. whereas the second Epistle to the Corin∣thians was writ long before that shipwrack. So Capellus (out of Baronius) in Histor. Apostol. pag. 63.

Chronology is the key for the right un∣derstanding of the Prophets: to know the times, to which they refer, and the things acted in those times, * 1.11 is the way hap∣pily to apply dicta factis.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Will. t.
• * 1.2

  Piscator.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 15.13.
• * 1.4

  Gal. 4.29.
• * 1.5

  Gal. 3.17.
• * 1.6

  Answorth.
• * 1.7

  Gal. 4.4.
• * 1.8

  See Perkins in his Introduction to his Digest. Alsted. Chron. cap. 1.
• * 1.9

  See Mr. Samuel Torshel's de∣sign.
• * 1.10

  De scient. Ma∣them. cap. 39.
• * 1.11

  See Grotii An∣notat. in pro∣phetas.