16 Jan 1814

Jug. True

Ch.5. [...?] II. Prophecies

Ch.5.

2. Prophecies

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.

The character in which they have thus been brought to view is that of two species or classes of proofs distinct from one another.

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.

Of a miraculous nature it is necessary that the prophecy the prediction should be: on its miraculousness its probative force is plainly/ and universally understood to depend: take away the miraculousness, the prediction, be it ever so compleatly fulfilled is not what on the sort of occasion in question is meant by a prophecy.

 For the incapacity of Miracles to serve as proofs see the lately written sheets and see Rudiment Sheet.