always Easter day. 12. That therefore the earliest paschal term being the 21st of March, the 22d of March is the earliest Easter possible; and the 18th of April being the latest paschal term that can happen, the seventh day after, that is, the 25th of April, is the latest Easter possible; all other Easters are sooner or later, as the paschal terms and the next Sundays after them fall sooner or later, within the said limits. 13. That the earliest paschal term, or fourteenth day of the said first vernal moon, being, according to this rule, on the 21st of March, the fourteenth day before, that is, the 8th of March, must be the earliest first day of this moon that can happen; and the latest paschal term being the 18th of April, the fourteenth day before that, that is, the 5th of April, is the latest first day of this moon that can happen. All other first days of this moon fall sooner or later between the said 8th day of March, and the 5th of April following. 14. That the cycle of the moon, which points to us the golden number, always shews us, which is the first day of the paschal moon, and, consequently, which is the fourteenth day of the same; and the cycle of the sun, which points to us the dominical letter, always shews us, which is the next Sunday after. And therefore, when you know what is the golden number, and what is the dominical letter of the year, the following scheme will fully serve to tell you when Easter will fall, according to this rule, in any year for ever.

In this scheme, the first column contains the numbers that in the calendar of our Common Prayer-book are called the primes, which are the golden numbers that point out to us the new moons. The second column gives the days of the month. The third contains the golden numbers, which point out to us the paschal terms, or the fourteenth day of the first vernal

moon, (that is, the day on which the Jews slew their passover.) The fourth column gives the dominical letters. And the last, the old Roman calendar. Every number of the prime shews, that, in the year when that is the golden number, the new moon is according to the calculation of this form on the day of the month over against which it is placed. And every number in the third column shews, that in the year when that is the golden number, the paschal term is on the day of the month over against which it is placed. The dominical letters tell us, when is the first Sunday after the paschal term on which Easter begins. And the Roman calendar shews us, on what day thereof each particular abovementioned happens.

And therefore, observing these particulars, when you would find out in any year on what day Easter falls in it, run down your eye in the first column from the 8th of March (which is the earliest first day that can happen of the first vernal moon,) till you come to that number in it which is the golden number of the year, and that number tells you, that the day of the month over against which it is placed is the first of that moon. And then running down your eye in the third column, till you come to the same golden number in that column, that number tells you, that the day of the month over against which it is placed, is the paschal term, that is, the fourteenth day of that moon (as by numbering from that which is the same golden number in the first column you will find.) And then running down your eye from thence in the fourth column (which is the column of the dominical letters,) till you come to the dominical letter of the year, that letter tells you, that the day of the month over against which it is placed, is the next Sunday after the said paschal term, and that Sunday is the Easter of the year. As, for example, if you would know on what day Easter falls in this present year, 1716, run down your eye in the first column, till you come to the number 7, (which is the golden number of that year;) which being placed over against the 17th of March, it tells you thereby, that this 17th of March is the first day of the first vernal moon of this

year. And from thence run down your eye in the third column, till you come to the same number of 7 in that column, which being placed over against the 30th of March, it tells you thereby, that this is the fourteenth day of that moon (as you will find by numbering from the said seventeenth day, which was the first of this moon) or the paschal term of the year. And then run down your eye from thence in the fourth column, (which is the column of the dominical letters,) till you come to the letter G, (which is the dominical letter of the year,) which being placed over against the 1st of April, it tells you thereby, that this day is the first Sunday after the said paschal term, and therefore is the Sunday on which Easter is to be solemnized this year. And so, in like manner, if you would know when Easter will fall in the year 1717, 8 being the golden number of the year, and placed in the column of the primes over against the 5th of April, it shews that to be the first day of the first vernal moon of that year. And the same manner in the third column, being placed over against the 18th of April, it shews that to be the paschal term of the year. And the letter F being the dominical letter of the year, and the next F after, in the fourth column, being placed over against the 21st of April, this shews that the 21st of April is the first Sunday after the said paschal term, and therefore is the Sunday on which Easter is to be observed in that year. And so, by the like method, may be found out, when Easter, according to this form, will fall in any year for ever: and hereby not only the rule, but also the reason of the thing, may be seen both together at the same time. And the same may be done by the calendar in the Common Prayer-book, though the third column of this scheme be there wanting. For you having there found, by the method mentioned, the first day of the first vernal moon, number down from thence to the fourteenth day after, and there you have the paschal term; and the next Sunday after (which you will know by the dominical letter of the year) is Easter Sunday. But it is to be observed, that the 21st of March is not the true equinox, but only that which was the

true equinox at the time of the Nicene council (which was held A. D. 325;) since that time the true equinox hath anticipated the Nicene equinox eleven days. For the Julian solar year which we reckon by, exceeding the true tropical solar year eleven minutes, this excess in one hundred and thirty years makes a day, and almost eleven times one hundred and thirty years having happened since the time of that council to this present year 1716, the true equinox now falls eleven days before the Nicene equinox. And so, in like manner, it hath happened to the primes, that is, the golden numbers, or the numbers of the nineteen years' cycle of the moon, in the first column of the calendar in our Common Prayer-book. For they are placed there to shew, that the days of the month over against which they stand in that calendar, are the new moons in those years in which they are the golden numbers, and they truly did so at the time of the council of Nice. But in every one of the nineteen years' cycles of the golden numbers, called the cycles of the moon, the Julian solar reckoning exceeding the true lunar reckoning an hour and almost an half, this hour and an half in three hundred and four years making a day, and four times three hundred and four years and above half three hundred and four years more, having now passed since that council, this hath caused that the true new moons now happen four days and an half before the new moons marked by the primes in the said calendar of our Common Prayer-book. And therefore, if you would have the true equinox by that calendar, you must deduct as many days from the 21st of March as there hath been the number of one hundred and thirty years since the council of Nice, and that will bring you back to the true time of the equinox in this or any other year wherein it shall be sought for. And so, in like manner, if you would have the true time of the new moon by the same calendar in every month, you must deduct as many days from the days of the month which the primes mark out for the new moons, as there are the number of three hundred and four years in the number of years which are now, from the time of the said