EarlyinthefollowingcenturySirWalterRaleigh，inhisHistoryoftheWorld1603-1616，pointedoutthedangerofadheringtotheoldsystem。He，too，foresawoneoftheresultsofmoderninvestigation，statingitinthesewords，whichhavetheringofpropheticinspiration：“ForinAbraham’stimeallthethenknownpartsoftheworldweredeveloped……Egypthadmanymagnificentcities，……andthesenotbuiltwithsticks，butofhewnstone，……whichmagnificenceneededaparentofmoreantiquitythantheseothermenhavesupposed。”InviewoftheseconsiderationsRaleighfollowedthechronologyoftheSeptuagintversion，whichenabledhimtogivetothehumanraceafewmoreyearsthanwereusuallyallowed。
AboutthemiddleoftheseventeenthcenturyIsaacVossius，oneofthemosteminentscholarsofChristendom，attemptedtobringtheprevailingbeliefintocloseraccordancewithascertainedfacts，but，savebyachosenfew，hiseffortswererejected。InsomepartsofEuropeamanholdingnewviewsonchronologywasbynomeanssafefrombodilyharm。Asanexampleoftheextremepressureexertedbytheoldtheologicalsystemattimesuponhonestscholars，wemaytakethecaseofLaPeyrere，whoaboutthemiddleoftheseventeenthcenturyputforthhisbookonthePre-Adamites——anattempttoreconcilesundrywell-knowndifficultiesinScripturebyclaimingthatmanexistedonearthbeforethetimeofAdam。Hewastakeninhandatonce；greattheologiansrushedforwardtoattackhimfromallpartsofEurope；withinfiftyyearsthirty-sixdifferentrefutationsofhisargumentshadappeared；theParliamentofParisburnedthebook，andtheGrandVicarofthearchdioceseofMechlinthrewhimintoprisonandkepthimthereuntilhewasforced，notonlytoretracthisstatements，buttoabjurehisProtestantism。
InEngland，oppositiontothegrowingtruthwashardlylessearnest。EspeciallystrongwasPearson，afterwardMasterofTrinityandBishopofChester。InhistreatiseontheCreed，publishedin1659，whichhasremainedatheologicclassic，hecondemnedthosewhoheldtheearthtobemorethanfifty-sixhundredyearsold，insistedthatthefirstmanwascreatedjustsixdayslater，declaredthattheEgyptianrecordswereforged，andcalledallChristianstoturnfromthemto“theinfallibleannalsoftheSpiritofGod。”
But，inspiteofwarningslikethese，weseethenewideacroppingoutinvariouspartsofEurope。In1672，SirJohnMarshampublishedaworkinwhichheshowedhimselfboldandhonest。AfterdescribingtheheathensourcesofOrientalhistory，heturnstotheChristianwriters，and，havingusedthehistoryofEgypttoshowthatthegreatChurchauthoritieswerenotexact，heendsoneimportantargumentwiththefollowingwords：“ThusthemostinterestingantiquitiesofEgypthavebeeninvolvedinthedeepestobscuritybytheveryinterpretersofherchronology，whohavejumbledeverythingupquiomniasusquedequepermiscuerunt，soastomakethemmatchwiththeirownreckoningsofHebrewchronology。Trulyaverybadexample，andquiteunworthyofreligiouswriters。”
ThissturdyprotestofSirJohnagainstthedominantsystemandagainstthe“jumbling“bywhichEusebiushadendeavouredtocutdownancientchronologywithinsafeandsoundorthodoxlimits，hadlittleeffect。Thougheminentchronologistsoftheeighteenthcentury，likeJackson，Hales，andDrummond，gaveforthmultitudesofponderousvolumespleadingforaperiodsomewhatlongerthanthatgenerallyallowed，andinsistingthatthereceivedHebrewtextwasgrosslyvitiatedasregardschronology，eventhispoorfavourwasrefusedthem；themassofbelieversfounditmorecomfortabletoholdfastthefaithcommittedtothembyUsher，anditremainedsettledthatmanwascreatedaboutfourthousandyearsbeforeourera。