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In 1 Chron. iii. 17, we find that Salathiel is the son of Jeconiah; but who is Zorobabel? There is one Zerubbabel, mentioned in verse 19, but he was the son of Pedaiah, the brother of Salathiel, (17, 18) as is supposed. There is another Zerubbabel mentioned by Ezra, (iii. 8.) but he was the son of Shealtiel. Sa that the remainder of this genealogy remains evidently in obscurity. Indeed you must admit that it is quite clear the whole is a complete mystery! for, from David to Christ, Matthew has only given us twenty-seven generations; although according to the Bible chronology, there was an interval of one thousand and eighty years. Whence it appears, that on an average, one with the other, not one of those twenty-seven persons mentioned by Matthew, were born before their father attained the age of forty: which, if we review their respective ages, we shall find to have been impossible. For Amon was only twenty-four when he died.123 Ahaz, thirty-six,124 (and if it be true, that his son Hezekiah, was twenty-five years of age when his father died,125 he must have been begotten before his father was eleven years old!) Josiah, thirty-nine.126 Joram, forty;1 127 but according to the book of Chronicles (xxii. 2.) his son Ahaziah, was born before his father! for it says that Ahaziah, the youngest son of Joram, (who died at the age of forty) was forty-two years old when he succeeded his father. Even if the book of Kings be correct, which says that he was only twentytwo years old when he succeeded his father, 128 yet, being the youngest son, his father Joram must have begun early to get children, if he died at forty! This, it seems, neither Mr. Matthew, nor the Holy Ghost, could comprehend; so they left him out of their pedigree altogether.

Verse 16, "And Jacob begat Joseph."

Luke says, (iii. 23.) that Joseph was the son of Heli; of whom was born Jesus, called the Christ; being a word derived from the Greek word, Christos, that was commonly applied by the Greeks to some popular or celebrated character; which is a clear proof, that those who wrote those books, were not Jews; Christ, or

Christos, having no meaning in the Hebrew language ; for in all the Jew books, the name of Christ, is never once mentioned. He whom the Jew Poets, or Prophets as they are called, wrote and spoke upon, was Cyrus, King of Persia, whom they called the Lord's anointed. 129 All Kings and Prophets were called the Lord's anointed.130 Priests were anointed.131 Even the Patriarchs, and followers of Jesus, were called the anointed; 192 it being a titular name of honour given by the Jews to certain individuals, as Christos was among the Greeks, whether they were anointed with oil or not.

In Verse 17, Matthew says, that all the generations, from Abraham to Christ, were three fourteens; which our vulgar arithmeticians say, are equal to forty-two. Though if you will take the trouble to enumerate them severally, you will find no more than forty: whilst Luke (iii. 23 24.) has made out fifty-five generations from Christ to Abraham.

I have now, Sir, concluded my enquiry into the characters of those persons who form the genealogy of Jesus, whom you call the Son of God! And I do assure you, that if it were mine, instead of his, I should certainly be ashamed of it: for such a list of whores and abominable monsters, I never heard of before. Therefore, if you, or the Holy Ghost, will convince me of my erroneous opinions, before the first of next month, you will, by that means, prevent me continuing the subject. If not, you may expect to hear from me again. Till then,

I remain, willing to receive instruction,

Your humble Servant,

JOHN CLARKE.

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15

xlii. 28-38.

xlvii, 20-24. 16 1 Timothy ii. 4. 17 1 Corinthians i. 25. 18, Genesis xi. 7.

19 Exodus xxxi. 2-6 20 Isaiah xxviii. 24-29 21 John v. 39.

22 2 Timothy iv. 13.
23 Judges xvi. 19.
24 Romans i. 20.
25 Acts xv. 18.
26 Ruth iv. 19.
27 Joshua ii. 1.
28 Matthew xi. 19.

29 Hebrews xi. 31.
James ii. 25.

30 Ruth ii. 1.
31 1 Samuel xvi. 1
32 1 Kings xi. 3
33 Deutronomy vii. 3.
34 Ruth i. 1-4.

35 Genesis xix. 36-37.
36 Numbers xiii. 27.
37 2 Peter ii. 7-8.

38 Ruth iii. 12—14

39 Nehemiah xii. 36. 40 1 Samuel xiii. 14. 41

44 2 Samuel xii. 31. 45 1 Samuel xxi. 2.

46

47

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xxii. 22. 18-19.

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48 Leviticus xx. 10, 49 2 Corinthians ii. 7. 50 2 Samuel xii. 13.

51 Malachi iii. 6.

52 James i. 17.

53 2 Samuel xii. 10-11

54

xx. 3.

55 Habakkuk i. 13.

56 2 Samuel xvi. 22 57 1 Kings iii. 14. 58 1 Chronicles xxi. 1. 2 Samuel xxiv. 1. 59 Numbers i. 2.

xxvi. 2. Nehemiah vii. 5. 60 Zechariah ii. 2. 61 Ezekiel iv. 1. 62 Numbers xiii. 2. 63 Micah vii. 18. 64 2 Samuel xxiv. 15. 65 1 Chronicles xxi. 16. 66

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25.

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xviii. 25-27.

82

42 Isaiah lv.3. 43 Job xii. 10.

31.

83 Luke xii. 24-26. 84 Hebrews vii. 12.

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LETTER II.

TO DR. ADAM CLARK E.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW.

СНАР. 1.

Verse, 18. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise; when, as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

The meaning thereof, is, I suppose, that Mary was contracted, or promised in marriage to Joseph; but, before the national rites or ceremonies were performed, she was found to be with child! That such a circumstance as this should have occurred, no one will presume to question; we having so many instances, even in the present day, of young maidens being found with child before marriage. But the question is, who was this Holy Ghost that got her with child? We have just read the genealogy of Joseph, in Letter 1, supposing that he had been the father of Jesus: but now, when we have come to his birth, we are told in Verse 25, that he knew her not till she had brought forth her first born son! What utility then, can there be, in giving us the genealogy of Joseph, if Joseph were not his father? Matthew informs us, in Verse 1, that Jesus was the son of David, the son of Abraham: but if the Holy Ghost were the father of Jesus, Matthew should have given us the pedigree of this Holy Ghost, instead of that of Joseph, if a genealogy were considered so necessary, in order to prove that Jesus was descended from Abraham. However, for the credit of Jesus, I am glad to find some reasons for suspecting that he was not descended from such an

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