in itself implies certitude. Moreover,
Scripture warrants the statement that the certitude of the prophets was
not mathematical, but moral. Moses lays down the punishment of death for
the prophet who preaches new gods, even though he confirm his doctrine
by signs and wonders (Deut. xiii.); "For," he says, "the Lord also
worketh signs and wonders to try His people." And Jesus Christ warns His
disciples of the same thing (Matt. xxiv. 24). Furthermore, Ezekiel (xiv.
9) plainly states that God sometimes deceives men with false
revelations; and Micaiah bears like witness in the case of the prophets
of Ahab.

Although these instances go to prove that revelation is open to doubt,
it nevertheless contains, as we have said, a considerable element of
certainty, for God never deceives the good, nor His chosen, but
(according to the ancient proverb and as appears in the history of
Abigail and her speech), God uses the good as instruments of goodness,
and the wicked as means to execute His wrath. This may be seen from the
cases of Micaiah above quoted; for although God had determined to
deceive Ahab, through prophets, He made use of lying prophets; to the
good prophet He revealed the truth, and did not forbid his proclaiming
it.

Still the certitude of prophecy remains, as I have said, merely moral;
for no one can justify himself before God, nor boast that he is an
instrument for God's goodness. Scripture itself teaches and shows that
God led away David to number the people, though it bears ample witness
to David's piety.

The whole question of the certitude of prophecy was based on these three
considerations:--

1. That the things revealed were imagined very vividly, affecting the
prophets in the same way as things seen when awake;

2. The presence of a sign;

3. Lastly and chiefly, that the mind of the prophet was given wholly to
what was right and good.

Although Scripture does not always make mention of a sign, we must
nevertheless suppose that a sign was always vouchsafed; for Scripture
does not always relate every condition and circumstance (as many have
remarked), but rather takes them for granted. We may, however, admit
that no sign was needed when the prophecy declared nothing that was not
already contained in the law of Moses, because it was confirmed by that
law. For instance, Jeremiah's prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem
was confirmed by the prophecies of other prophets, and by the threats in
the law, and