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النشر الإلكتروني

DISSERTATION XVII.

Secunda
Secunda pars (historiæ ecclefiaftice) que est historia ad prophetias, ex duobus relativis conftat, prophetia ipfa et ejus adimpletione. Quapropter tale effe debet hujus operis institutum, ut cum fingulis ex fcripturis prophetiis eventuum veritas conjungatur; idque per omnes mundi ætates, tum ad confirmationem fidei, tum ad inftituendam difciplinanı quandum et peritiam in interpretatione prophetiarum, quæ adhuc restant complendæ. Attamen in hac re, admittenda est illa latitudo, quæ divinis vaticiniis propria est et familiaris; ut adimpletiones eorum non fiant et continenter et punctualiter: referunt enim authoris fui naturam; cui unus dies tanquam mille anni, et mille anni tanquam unus dies: Atque licet plenitudo et faftigium complementi eorum, plerunque alicui certa ætati, vel etiam certo momento destinetur; attamen habent interim gradus nonnullos et scalas complementi, per diverfas mundi ætates. Hoc opus defiderari statuo, verum tale est, ut magna cum fapientia, fobrietate, et reverentia tractandum fit, aut omnino dimittendum.

Bacon de Augmentis Scientiarum. Lib. 2. Cap. 11.

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WHICH HAVE REMARKABLY BEEN FULFILLED, AND AT THIS
TIME ARE FULFILLING IN THE WORLD.

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INTRODUCTION

NE of the strongest evidences for the truth of re vealed religion, is that series of prophecies which is preserved in the Old and New Testament; andia greater service perhaps could not be done to Chriftianity than to lay together the several predictions of fcripture with their completions, to show how particularly things have been foretold, and how exactly fulfilleds Awork of this kind was defired by the Lord Bacon in his (1) Ad vancement of Learning: and he intitleth it the history of prophecy, and therein would have every prophecy " of the fcripture be forted with the event fulfilling the " fame throughout the ages of the world, both for the better confirmation of faith," as he faith, and for "the better illumination of the church, touching those " parts of prophecies which are yet unfulfilled: allowing " nevertheless that latitude which is agreeable and fa"miliar unto divine prophecies, being of the nature of "the author with whom a thousand years are but'as one

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day, and therefore they are not fulfilled punctually at once, but have springing and germinant accomplish"ment throughout many ages, though the highth or "fulness of them may refer to fome one age.

Such a work would indeed be a wonderful confirmation of our faith, it being the prerogative of God alone, or of those who are commissioned by him, certainly to foretel future events; and the consequence is so plain and necessary, from the believing of prophecies to the

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(1) Book the 2d. in English.

VOL. I.

B

believing

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