prejudices;-5. to induce and persuade all descriptions of scholars competent thereto, Jewish, Christian, and Sceptical, "up to reascend, though hard and rare," to the original sources of information in the HEBREW and GREEK SCRIPTURES, rejecting their leaky and "broken cisterns that can hold no water"-no living waters from the ROCK CHRIST; and exchanging their sounding brass for solid gold: their secondary authorities, of received translations, dogmas, Mishnas and Talmuds, their formularies of faith, confessions, and traditions of men, for the native simplicity and dignity, and lucid argument, " in thoughts that breathe, and words that burn," of THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, from Genesis to Revelations ;-6. and by their influence and exertions among the unlearned and unstable, to bring all descriptions of men, high and low, rich and poor, one with another, from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto GOD, to guide their feet, and thereby our own also, into the way of peace here, and bliss hereafter. Το propose and enforce in their full lights and bearings, views so vast and comprehensive, as are here delineated, is not the author's province, nor of any individual whatsoever, even the most highly gifted. He has, indeed, sketched a grand outline; but to fill it up, cor imposing challenge; for this led to a critical examination of the Jewish System of Chronology in the first volume of this work; which was found to be false and hollow. With the ground work, therefore, the superstructure of his argument necessarily fails, as I have endeavoured to prove by a critical analysis and dispassionate examination of the prophecies themselves in the course of this volume; to which the attention of the most learned Jewish Rabbis, is most earnestly and anxiously requested, by their sincere well-wisher. rectly and completely, will require the joint concurrence, and the strenuous co-operation of the most intelligent and the most enlightened of the wise and good of all sects and parties, of "all sorts and conditions of men,' who compose the visible Church, under THE LAW and under THE GOSPEL. And such, he humbly trusts, are still to be found among the Israel of GoD and followers of THE LAMB. May their number, their unanimity, their faith, and fervent but considerate zeal according to knowledge, abound more and more to promote this blessed work of GENERAL REFORMATION in belief and practice! In the progress of this arduous and tedious undertaking, as a laborious pioneer in the cause and service of Sacred Literature, he has proceeded all along with fear and trembling; impressed with the most lively and profound sense of the awful responsibility of a sacred critic to God and the world, if he presume, if he dare, to handle that sharp two-edged sword, of THE SPIRIT, THE WORD OF GOD, either heedlessly, unskilfully, or deceitfully; fully concurring in sentiment with the pious and sagacious, but most cautious and circumspect Joseph Mede, that 66 Rashly to be the author of a false interpretation of SCRIPTURE, is TO TAKE GOD'S NAME IN VAIN, in a high degree," higher in writing than in speaking; for, Litera scripta manet. Feci quod potui, potui quod, CHRISTE, dedisti ; Si malè quid dictum est, Hominem dixisse memento ; ΤΩ ΘΕΩ ΔΟΞΑ. Pfeiffer. SYNOPSIS OF THE CHRONOLOGY. THE following TEN PERIODS comprise the whole from the Creation to the end of the World. VOL. II. OLD TESTAMENT. FIRST PERIOD, p. 1. FROM THE CREATION TO The deluge, 2256 YEARS. FROM THE DELUGE TO ABRAHAM'S BIRTH, 1002 YEARS. |