Mark and St Luke), the identity1 of which is recognised by the Three Passover system. The ternarian hypothesis admits, in the history of merely a very few months, the principle of chrono logical transposition? either in Matthew, or in Mark and Luke, especially the two latter, and that with great adA'antage : the quaternarian, under the appearance of order, introduces confu sion. Lightfoot, in his Chronicles3 of the Old and New Testa ment (although he advocates the four Passover system), labours advisedly to show, that chronological transpositions occur in the Gospels and other parts of Scripture. The ternarian hypothesis agrees exactly with the seventy weeks of Daniel, and with the Lessons from Moses and the Prophets, read in the synagogues on Sabbath and Holy days — lessons which are clearly and frequently alluded to by the Evangelists ; and it attributes to the Saviour's course a suitable rapidity : 4 the quaternarian hypothesis oblite rates all these things. A fuller demonstration of these points is to be found in my Harmony, sect. 12, and Ordo Temporurn, ch. 5. Hence, I with justice draw the following conclusion, — Whosoever places more than three Passovers between the baptism and ascension of our Lord, his labour on the Gospels, as far as it relates to a Harmony of them, and to the life of our Saviour, ought to be considered utterly vain and held in little honour, by all who do not swallow error as readily as truth. The GNOMON refers the reader, here and there, to the Harmony framed on the basis already mentioned, and to the Ordo Temporum, which
1 And singleness [as opposed to the series being regarded as twofold or threefold.] — Ei>.
2 " Trajectio" as for example in the accounts of our Lord's temptation, in one of which there must be a chronological transposition. — (I. B.)
3 The works referred to are, " Chronicle and Harmony of the Old Testa ment, with Notes," — and, " Harmony, Chronicle and Order of the New Testa ment. The Text of the Four Evangelists methodized, the Story of the Acts of the Apostles analyzed, the Order of the Epistles manifested, the Times of the Revelation observed, all illustrated with a variety of observa tions, etc." — (I. B.)
4 " Cursuique Salvatoris celeritatem convenientissimarn tribuit" — i.e. does not represent the time of our Lord's Ministry as having been longer than it really was ; represents Him as reaching His goal with sufficient fleetness. A metaphor taken from the race-course. Cf. 1 Cor. ix. 24, 25, etc. — (I. B.)