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3.

region about Jerusalem where or. [our] Savr [Savior] suff'red & that therefore it was not an ecclipse of ye Sun for wch ye Authorities are not so great as at first they appear to be, And herein I would not be thought to derogate from ye [underscore] truth or ye wonder [/underscore] of this darkness. The [underscore]truth [/underscore] is sufficiently attested or born witnes to by other Authours if there were any need of ym [them] after this most express testimony of ye holy Evangelist. I read in a very good *Au -thour that Phlegon Trallianus ye Libertus or freeman of Augustus (say some) of Adrian say others wm [whom] my Author cals ye most accurate of all chronographers, relates how yt in ye 4th year of ye 210th Olympiad there was such an ecclips of ye Sun as no age ever had seen, & yt it was accom -panied wth a terrible earthquake, now this year being ye 18th of Tiberius wherein X [Christ] was crucified, he must needs (as he inferrs) speak of yt [that] darkness here men[t]ion[e]d. I confes this is a very pressing argum[en]t & I have not means w[i]th yt small collection of books I have to frame so full an answer to it, as I would but I say yt less weight upon it because 'tis slighted by the learned Mr Gregory of X'church [Christchurch] in ye Preface to his works, besides this Heathen wee have ye testi -monies of Eusebius, Lucian ye Presbyter of Antioch & Terttullian who all appeal to ye Heathens & their Annually for ye undoubted truth of this matter. Neither is ye wonder of it less, if ye darknes (as I understand it) was particular to Judea, for who but the God

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