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before you that Abraham was a great sheik before he had a son, with 318 
trained men, and that he increased in man-servants and maid-servants, 
while Jacob was marvellously blessed in the same way. Are we to suppose 
that the Israelites alone went into Egypt, and that their retainers did not 
follow them ? There must have been a marvellous diminution of the re- 
tainers, if we are to suppose that Jacob was reduced merely to his own 
progeny 
Admiral Halsted. — Esau met Jacob with 400 men. 
The Chairman. — Yes, and they were increasing and being blessed. This 
shows how difficulties may be exaggerated. Dr. Thornton has adopted the 
popular interpretation in saying that the children of Israel were only 210 
years in Egypt. I know the difficulty of what St. Paul says, but if any one 
will candidly investigate all the facts, remembering the positive prophecy to 
Abraham that his people were to be afflicted in a foreign land for 400 years, 
the time must be fixed at more than 210 years, or otherwise you have to say 
that the people were afflicted for the whole period during which Abraham 
and his descendants were wandering before they went up to Egypt 
Mr. Titcomb. — How about the generations ? because that is an important 
element in the matter. 
The Chairman. — I think it is consistent with the 400 years and perfectly 
explicable, and I think a very interesting paper might be written to show 
that the children of Israel were at least 400 years in Egypt. At the same 
time, while quite admitting the accuracy of the New Testament, and that 
there are no greater difficulties here than in other places where they can be 
fairly met, still I am not prepared to admit this point now, and I think it 
can be made to bear the interpretation which I have put upon it 
Mr. Reddie. — Perhaps you will give us a note to your speech on this point 
when it is published. 
The Chairman.— With regard to the increase of the population, people 
forget how differently population increases under certain circumstances. We 
have a great difference between the population here and the population in 
France. The population in France under certain circumstances is nearly 
stationary, while our own country is like a teeming hive, sending yearly 
thousands of people to America, distributing them over Australia, and nearly 
over the whole face of the New World. Suppose you give up the period of 
400 years for this nation— a very large tribe ; not 70 individuals merely, but 
a considerable tribe— going up to Egypt ; and they being blessed with great 
fecundity, we want to know what may have been their increase. Let me 
point out the circumstances of our own country. What has this country done 
in 200 years ? What population has it sent out ? How many have gone out 
to North America and South America? How many to other lands ? How 
many to Australia ? If this fact of the increase of the population of this 
little island, and the marvellous population it has sent out to India and to 
every other quarter of the globe, were in the course of 400 years, and as a 
matter of history, to be compared with some authentic history of France, it 
would be pronounced perfectly ridiculous. The increase of population is 
