date

19 Jan y 1814 Jug. True 3
19 Jan y 1814

Jug. True

3

Ch.1. Proofs & disproofs

3

§.1. Proofs

Miracles and Prophecies—under one or other of these heads may be comprized whatsoever evidences come as above under the notion of supernatural evidences.

By the term miracle seems to be understood any such reported or imagined operation or state of things as which, supposing it really to have had place would be either a violation of some one or more of the rules commonly distinguished by the application of the laws of nature, or to such a degree unconformable to the ordinary course of nature, as but for the application made of it to the purpose in quesition would appear too improbable—too widely unconformable to present a just claim to evidence.

By the term prophecy, upon any such an occasion as the present, seems to be understood, any prediction inso far as the foreknowledge of which it is the expression is considered as incapable of being obtained, or at any rate as not having actually been obtained otherwise than by supernatural means: viz. to wit by means of particular information communicated in some nknown anner by God himself.

By the description thus given of it, a prophecy may already be seen to be considered as being itself but a species of miracle: but being in its nature so different from every thing else to which the term miracle was ever applied, hence be seen the necessity of preserving it in possession of that separate denomination which has ever hitherto been employed in speaking of it.

6.

Supernatural evidence

1. Miracles 2. Prophecies

7.

1. Miracles, what—an operation which, supposing it to have happened, was

1. a violation of some known law of Nature

2. a fact i.e. event or state of things so unconformable to the ordinary course of it, but for the application made of it would be deemed incredible.

8.

2. Prophecy, what—a manifestation of a foreknowledge, too extraordinary to be obtained otherwise than by miracle.

9.

Hence, considered as probative, a prophecy is a species of miracle: but so different from others as to demand a distinct denomination.
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    II. Prophecies and Miracles—under one or other of these two heads have been ranked whatsoever supposed manifestations in the character of extraordinary or supernatural proofs of the verity of the religion of Jesus.

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    Upon a closer examination, this distinctness will however be seen to vanish: a prophecy being no more than a particular species of miracle.

    A prophecy is a sort of miracle of which the completion does not take place, till the fulfilment of the prophecy till the point of time is come at which the prophecy has been fulfilled: till that time the miracle is a sort of miracle as it were in abeyance. A prophecy in a word is a miraculous prediction, this is the short definition of a prophecy.

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    Ch. Prophecies

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    §. In the part of a prophecy conditions requisite to its subserviency to the purpose of proving the existence of a commission from the Almighty.

    To supply the deficiency resulting from the incapacity of miracles to afford a sufficient proof to persons other than the precipient witnesses of each miracle, and more particularly to the inhabitants of distantly posterior ages, remains the proof deducible from prophecies.

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    1. That the event or state of things predicted be not of such a nature as to be capable of being and likely to be foreseen by ordinary human sagacity.

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    If in itself a miracle at large—meaning always a report made of a miracle, a report made or supposed to be made at an anterior and very remote point of time, is in its MS alt. ‘not’. own nature incapable of affording any sufficient proof of the verity of any religious system, no less incapable of serving in that character is every thing that has ever been brought forward in that character under the name of a prophecy—i.e. a miraculous prediction a prediction of the miraculous kind.

    Not miraculous or miraculous—to one or other of these classes will every discourse be seen to belong which ever has been or ever can be held up to view in the character of a prophecy. If it be not miraculous, it then amounts to nothing: the condition in which its probative force depends is altogether wanting. If it be miraculous, then by this its alledged miraculousness a more strongly probative proof is afforded of its spuriousness than any that can be found to operate in favour of its genuineness. In the supposition of its spuriousness —i.e. of its not having been in fact delivered at the time when (as alledged)/ it was delivered, by the person by whom (as alledged) it was delivered—there can not be any thing in any degree unconformable to the notoriously ordinary course of nature: whereas in the supposition of its genuineness, it being by the same supposition of the miraculous cast in this supposition is included ex [...?] that of no unconformableness to the ordinary course of nature.