THE SECOND BOOK. 77 



history of prophecy ; and history of providence. The first 

 describeth the times of the militant Church, whether it be 

 fluctuant, as the ark of Noah, or movable, as the ark in the 

 wilderness, or at rest, as the ark in the Temple : that is, the 

 state of the Church in persecution, in remove, and in peace. 

 This part I ought in no sort to note as deficient ; only I would 

 that the virtue and sincerity of it were according to the mass 

 and quantity. But I am not now in hand with censures, but 

 with omissions. 



(2) The second, which is history of prophecy, consisteth of 

 two relatives the prophecy and the accomplishment ; and, 

 therefore, the nature of such a work ought to be, that every 

 prophecy of the Scripture be sorted with the event fulfilling the 

 same throughout the ages of the world, both for the better con 

 firmation of 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 

 familiar unto divine prophecies, being of the nature of their 

 Author, with whom a thousand years are but as one day, and 

 therefore are not fulfilled punctually at once, but have springing 

 and germinant accomplishment throughout many ages, though 

 the height or fulness of them may refer to some one age. This 

 is a work which I find deficient, but is to be done with wisdom, 

 sobriety, and reverence, or not at all. 



(3) The third, which is history of Providence, containeth that 

 excellent correspondence which is between God s revealed will 

 and His secret will ; which though it be so obscure, as for the 

 most part it is not legible to the natural man no, nor many 

 times to those that behold it from the tabernacle yet, at some 

 times it pleas eth God, for our better establishment and the 

 confuting of those which are as without God in the world, to 

 write it in such text and capital letters, that, as the prophet 

 saith, &quot; He that runneth by may read it &quot; that is, mere sensual 

 persons, which hasten by God s judgments, and never bend or 

 tix their cogitations upon them, are nevertheless in their passage 

 and race urged to discern it. Such are the notable events and 

 examples of God s judgments, chastisements, deliverances, and 

 blessings ; and this is a work which has passed through the 

 labour of many, and therefore I cannot present as omitted. 



(4) There are also other parts of learning which are ap 

 pendices to history. For all the exterior proceedings of man 

 consist of words and deeds, whereof history doth properly re 

 ceive and retain in memory the deeds ; and if words, yet but as 

 inducements and passages to deeds ; so are there other books 

 and writings which are appropriate to the custody and receipt 



