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take a view of, and thereby to fhew what my fentiments are, touching the two principal arguments, or evidences, ufually offered, to prove the divine original of the chriftian revelation, and by which it's divine character is fuppofed to be supported, viz. prophecy, and miracles. And,

FIRST, of PROPHECY, which term is fometimes used in a larger, and fometimes in a more restrained fenfe. In a larger sense,

apprehend, the term prophecy is ufed to exprefs all publick teaching and instruction ; and in the most reftrained fenfe, I think, it is confined to the foretelling future events. In the present cafe, I apprehend, the term prophecy is used in the most restrained fenfe, and ferves to exprefs the foretelling fuch future events as are not foreknowable by, or from the most perfect previous knowledge of the conftitution of nature, and of all those laws by which the natural world is governed. That God does foreknow whatever is foreknowable in nature, I think, is a point not to be doubted of; but then, it admits of a difpute, whether those events that refult from, and depend upon human agency are foreknowable in nature. However, that the fubject may not be freightened

nor

nor confined, but taken in it's full latitude, let it be admitted that the Deity does foreknow all events to come; as well those that refult from human agency, as those that refult from the conflitution of the natural world, and from a particular and fpecial application of God's power and providence in any time to come. That God can reveal, and thereby foretel whatever he does foreknow, feems to be plain and clear; and that God may foretel future events, when fome great and good end can be answered thereby, I can fee no reason from whence to conclude the contrary. But then, that God does foretel future events, by way of evidence, thereby to prove or make good the truth and divinity of revelations, or propofitions revealed; these points are not to be admitted without infpection, because they are not felf-evident propofitions, and therefore are to be enquired into. And that the cafe may appear plain, in order for us to form a proper judgment concerning it, I will give an inftance to exemplify it. A man publishes, in plain and exprefs terms, as a divine revelation, or as a truth made known by the Deity, the following propofition, viz. That the planet Saturn is inhabited by various

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Species

Species of animals, like our earth. And, in order to prove the truth and divinity of this propofition, he prophefies or foretels, in plain and exprefs terms, that, at some determinate time to come, three northern kings will join their forces, and will invade, and conquer Great-Britain. This being the cafe, the question is, whether this prophecy is a proper evidence, and does fully prove the truth and divinity of the foregoing propofition? because if it does not yield proper proof, then these points will remain at least doubtful, viz. whether the above propofition be a truth, and whether it be of a divine original; or, perhaps, it will be a prefumptive proof of the contrary, with respect to the last of these points; feeing it is very natural to suppose, that the Deity will not, in any cafe, offer that for evidence, which does not give full proof of what it is brought to vouch for. That three northern kings will invade, and conquer Great-Britain, are events which are altogether uncertain, they not being made certain by a bare declaration that they will be; and this is the case of all prophecies at the time of their delivery, it is foretelling of events, which, for any thing that appears, it is altogether uncertain whether

whether they will take place, or not; and the declaring, or foretelling that these uncertain events will take place, is offered as evidence to prove and make good the truth and divinity of an uncertain propofition, viz. that the planet Saturn is inhabited by various species of animals, like this earth. So that the nature and force of the present argument feem to confift in this, viz. it is a Supporting, or endeavouring to render certain, one uncertainty by another; that is, it is attempting to render certain an uncertain propofition, by appealing to an uncertain event, or events, for the truth of it; which does not seem to carry with it the nature and force of evidence, or, at least, fuch evidence as gives proper proof of what it is brought to vouch for. To foretel any uncertain event, which is the cafe of all prophecy, in our present view of it, in order to prove, or render certain any uncertain propofition, which is the cafe of all revelation, or revealed propofitions that stand in need of proof, fuch a conduct seems to be prepofterous and unnatural, as the means is not adapted to anfwer the end to which it is directed ¿ feeing the revealed propofition is not, nor cannot, in the leaft, be proved by it, but

it remains equally as uncertain, after the foretelling fuch uncertain events, as before and this feems to me to be the cafe of all

prophecy, when offered in evidence, as aforefaid. If it fhould be faid, that after the foretold event has taken place, then prophecy becomes a proper evidence. Answer: admitting this; yet, furely, it is a strange way of proceeding, to offer an uncertain propofition for acceptance, and then to offer, as a ground of credit to it, the foretelling an event that is equally uncertain as the propo. fition itself; this feems, at least, to be trifling with all thofe to whom the revelation is first given, and also with all those that come after them, until the prophecy is fulfilled; and that, poffibly, may be at a great diftance in point of time, which may render multitudes, to whom the revelation and prophecy may be made known,incapable of receiving conviction from it: But then, whether fuch a conduct does well comport with divine wisdom, or how far the argument drawn from prophecy may be affected by it, must be fubmitted to the judgment of my readers. In the natural world, the means are generally, if not always, proportionate to the end to which they are directed; and

there

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