94 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [bOOK II. 



CHAPTER XI. 



JfccclerAstical History divided into the General History of the Church, 

 History of Prophecy, and History of Providence. 



EccLESiASticAL history in general has nearly the same 

 divisions with civil history: thus there are ecclesiastical 

 chronicles, lives of the fathers, accounts of synods, and other 

 ecclesiastical matters; but in propriety it may be farther 

 divided, — 1. Into the general history of the Church ; 2. The 

 history of prophecy; and, 3. The history of providence. Tlie 

 first describes the times of the Church militant, whether 

 fluctuating, as the ark of Noah; moveable, as the ark in the 

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

 the states of persecution, migration, and peace. And in this 

 part" there is a redundancy rather than a deficiency, but it 

 were to be Avished the goodness and sincerity of it were 

 equal to the bulk. 



The second part, viz. the history of prophecy, consists 

 ef 'two relatives, — the prophecy and the accomplishment; 

 whence the nature of it requires, that every Scripture pro- 

 phecy be compared with the event, through all the ages of 

 the world, for the better confirmation of the faith and the 

 better information of the Church with regard to the inter- 

 pretation of prophecies not yet fulfilled. But here w:* :"iuist 

 allow that latitude which is peculiar and familiar to divine 

 prophecies, which have their completion not only at stated 

 times', but in succession, as participating 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 a growing accomplishment through 'many ages, though 

 the height or fulness of them may. refer to a single age or 

 moment. And this is a work which !> find deficient ; but it 

 should either be imdertaken with wisdom, sobriety, and 

 reverence, or not at all. 



" The third part, — the history of providence, has been touched 

 by some pious pens, but not without a mixture of party. 

 Tliis history is employed in observing that Divine agreement 

 wliich there sometimes is betwixt the revealed and secret 

 will of Go 1. For although the counsels and judgments oi 



• Psalin Ixxjix, i. 



