8 Oct 1815

Jug True

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Ch. Prophecies

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§. Conditions to its probativeness

§. 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.

The following are the considerations that may be stated as Conditions necessary to the existence of probative force from on the part of a prophecy with reference to the existence of the object here in question.

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.

2. That it be not of the sort of those which are commonly regarded and spoken of as happening by chance.

3. With reference to every person on whom it can operate in this its probative character, it must have been an event already past: because all the event be past, the prophecy is not fulfilled.

4. If with reference to any person or number of persons it be of a calamitous or even in any degree unpleasant nature, the prediction, unless the unpleasant event be in its nature absolutely inevitable or at any rate by persons in that situation absolutely inevitable <.^.^.>—not evitable but at the expense of an event to themselves unpleasant—the prophecy must have been such <.^.^.> so expressed as not to have been intelligible to them, <.^.^.> as above it must have been intelligible to and <.^.^.> considered by men of other ages or other places.