THE FACT OF PREDICTION. 



79 



trouble," cannot, by any expositor, who retains his sanity, be 

 identified with Israel or with any portion of it. 



Mr. Seeley will see on reflection that, seeing I was dealing only 

 with fulfilled prediction, any reference on my part to those as yet 

 unfulfilled would have been out of place. The importance, however, 

 of these I, in common with him, hold to be inestimable. As to the 

 Anglo- Israelite theory I have to confess that I am utterly unable to 

 accept it, or to understand how it has commended itself to so many 

 good men. I am thankful to note Professor Hechler's excellent 

 words in commending the more careful interpretation of prophecy. 



Mr. Maunder thinks that the earlier part of the paper might 

 with advantage have been omitted. That is possible; but, dealing 

 with the fact of prediction, it seemed to me that some notice of those 

 phenomena was called for. I think they are also interesting. The 

 cases cited seemed to me to be well authenticated. Colonel Meadows 

 Taylor had personal knowledge of the facts which he recorded, and 

 Madame de Boigne's testimony seems almost equally strong. The 

 cases recorded in Scripture seem still more incapable of explana- 

 tion on the supposition of either delusion or imposture (see page 58). 

 That contact is possible with the spirit-world seems scientifically 

 jDroved ; and the plain import of the passage in Acts referred to is 

 that the damsel was possessed by a demon who had to a limited 

 extent the power of prediction. There are other well-known facts 

 which might have been mentioned. Whence came the singular 

 assurance of the Romans as to the duration of their city 1 It has so 

 far proved itself to be " the Eternal City," and it is clearly indicated 

 that in " the time of the end " Rome has her part to play. 



Mr. C. S. Campbell suggests that I should reconsider the 

 wording of the phrase " the suggestion of twofoldness in a prediction 

 every word of which has revealed the then future, is presumptuous 

 trifling." I admit that the wording is strong ; but, if Mr. Campbell 

 saw the matter from my point of view, I think he would admit that 

 it is by no means too strong. That suggestion, roundly condemned 

 by Dean Lyall in his Fropcedeia Prophetica, if I remember rightly, 

 has worked untold mischief. It has drawn a veil over the eyes of 

 tens of thousands of Scripture students, and is largely responsible 

 for the annihilation of a force to which was due in no small measure 

 the triumphs of the Apostolic Church. With those proofs of the 

 K^ertainty of God's Word constantly under their eyes, how could 



