CHAPTER III.—TRADITIONARY AND POETICAL AGES OF THE WORLD.

1. Tradition concerning the Seventh Age—Prophecy of the Universal Saviour—Traditions of the Jews—Opinion of Irenæus and the Christian Church in his time—Dr. Russell’s opinion confuted—Testimony of the Heathen to the Tradition of the _Seven Ages_—Digression on the Corruptions of the Septuagint and the Hebrew text—Arguments against the numerical accuracy of the latter—Remarkable prophecy contained in the names of the _Antediluvian_ Patriarchs—Opinions of Augustine and Abulfarajius—Notion of Dr. Isaac Barrow—Important admission of Eusebius—Opinion of Ephrem Syrus 168

2. Description of the Ages of the World from Hesiod—Error of Newton—The Golden Age corresponds to the Antediluvian—The Silver to the Postdiluvian—The Brazen, Heroic and Iron ages, to the Patriarchal, Critarchal and Monarchal—These ages relate chiefly to Greece—References to Scripture history in all—The Sixth or Cumæan age corresponds to the Hierarchal—Wisdom of the Heathens—Their expectation of a Divine Instructor—Socrates, Plato, Eupolis, Virgil, and others, anticipate his glorious Advent—The close of the _Sixth age_ indicates the arrival of the _Seventh_, or the return of the _Golden age_ 193