CHRONOLOGY. 61 



but the founded critics have (hown that they 

 may be made to agree. It has been obierved, 

 moreover, that the fcriptures abound with mi- 

 s and prodigies ; but they are miracles that 

 have really happened : and what ancient hiftory 

 is there that is not rilled with miracles and other 

 marvellous events ? And do we for that reject 

 their authority ? Cannot the true God be fup- 

 pofed to have performed thofe miracles which 

 pagan hiltorians have attributed to their falfe divi- 

 nities ? Muit we pay no regard to the writings 

 of Livy, becaufc his hiftory contains many fabu- 

 lous relations ? 



XXXVI. The epocbs form the third principal 



part of chronology. Thefe are thole fixed points 



in hiftory that have i en contcfted, and of 



which there can, in fact, be no doubt. Chrono- 



logers fix on the events that are to fervc as 



iiner quite arbitrary , but this is 



of little conicquence, provided the dates of thcfc 



, and that there is no contradiction 



in the fa, .iclves. \Vhen we come to treat 



cxpi' '.all mention, in our 



pal epochs. In order 

 ,y to uiKijrlhind a;d to range each epoch in 



mber the 

 terms, bolide 

 we have already explained in the couric of this 



An 



