Of the Dissolution

Relations and Dependents in time to colvc'the Fates of Kingdoms and Commonweals jespecially the Periodical Mutations,andCatastrophe of the World. Hence in anci° sltimes, Divination was made a Science 0Mystery, and many Nations had their Coledges or Societies of Wile-men, Magics'Astrologers and Sooth-fayers ; as for cxa^ 1 'pie, the Egyptians , Babylonians and Row^ 5 'Hence the Vulgar are very prone to conn"Diviners and Fortune-tellers. .

To gi atifie in some measure this Curio* 1 'ty, and that his People might not inPrivilcdge be inferiourto the Nations abo^them, it pleased God, besides the standsOracle of Vrim, not only upon special ° c 'casions to raise up among the Jews extrao 1 'dioary Prophets,by immediate Mislion ;also to settle a constant Order and Succd'sion of them, for the maintenance and «p'holdjng whereof, there were Colledges ^Seminaries instituted for the educating ^sitting young Men for the Prophetick b l,f1 'ction. These were the Sons of the P r °'phets, of whom we find so frequent men [1 'on in Scripture.

Moreover, it pleased God so far to cond e 'feend to the wcakneis of the Jews , that inInfancy of their State, he permitted them

to consult his Prophets concerning ordutftf

a c*