perfectly just and perfectly merciful and being just he must condemn all mankind because sinful but this would be repugnant to his mercy which must also be perfect with effect now seeing the perfection of these two attributes of justice and mercy may consist in God together and since this cannot be unless God doth satisfie and Man do suffer therefore Reason dictates such a Mediator as is both God and Man But this is a Post-nate way of arguing found out since Gods Revelation of his Will in this matter for where did ever appear any such way of reasoning amongst the Heathen Philosophers or any others before Gods declaration of it so that all that can follow hence is only an agreeableness of the Divine Methods of Salvation here made use of to Reason not any ability in Reason to prove that the things ought to be so Antecedent to the Revelation 2. This Argument doth suppose or endeavours to prove the Incarnation of Christ knowable by the Light of Nature which is so far from being true that it is not fully and clearly conceiveable how it could be done even now when it is reveal'd there are indeed some instances in nature which seem to facilitate the belief of the Incarnation thus what is man but as it were a previous Essay to the Incarnation being compounded of Principles as far distant as Heaven and Earth of Soul and Body but then this is only an illustration of a truth already reveal'd not any Antecedent Argument to prove it I might easily enlarge further on this subject but I am very sensible that I have already transgress'd the due limits of a Preface the ensuing Treatise will be a sufficient demonstration of the other particular viz. That Divine Revelation is no ways contrary to the free determination of the Divine Will it being that which God hath promis'd in general and particularly by this way of Dreams and Visions Errata in the Preface b PAge 7. for might or might read may or may c p. 3. line 10 after particular insert actions d p. 6. l. 15. read consistent pag. 7. for Biles r. Boyls p. 3. l. 13. for seems r. is Errata in the Book PAge 17. l. 5. for leave r. bear p. 17. l. 16. for your r. the. p. 20. l. 19. for that r. the. p. 25. l. 3. for that r. their p. 41. l. 17. insert the. p. 44. l. 23. for it and its r. their p. 58. l. 10. insert and. p. 118. l. 11. r. phrensies A DISCOURSE CONCERNING Divine Dreams THE INTRODVCTION Doubt not but you remember the conference we had as we went to Councellor Amproux his lodgings one of our Discourses was concerning the Nature of those Dreams which God sometimes sent unto his Servants and particularly concerning the marks and characters by which they might know them to be truly Divine For as much as you found a great deal of difficulty in that matter I should have been glad if we had discours'd further upon it But the night came on and obliged you to retire to your lodgings and Madamoiselle de la Suze who staid for me in another place and I went also to ours we had some discourse in our return concerning it and she desir'd me according to my ability to illustrate and explain what did seem more obscure and difficult in that subject which she thought worthy of a more attentive consideration I bestow'd some thoughts upon it in my journey and if other affairs had not prevented me I had e're this committed them to Paper But if my occasions which are at present so urgent and importunate do permit I will do it and I here begin this little work in midst of their disturbance on purpose to engage my self to a necessity of finishing it that so I may send it as a testimony of that respect which I bear you and of that singular esteem which I have of your rare qualities and of the Honour of your Friendship CHAP. I. Of natural Dreams and their several Causes THere are three kinds of faculties in man which are subservient to him both in acquiring and preserving knowledge viz. the External Senses which are as it were at the one extream the Understanding at the other and the Internal Senses in the middle betwixt these two The impression of external objects made upon the Corporeal senses is not call'd by the name of Dreams seeing it is made upon us waking neither are the ratiocinations of the understanding call'd Dreams because Dreams are form'd in some of those faculties which are common to us with beasts to whom also as to dogs and horses belongs the power of dreaming so that it necessarily follows that that impression wherein the nature of dreams doth consist must be made in the internal senses Now these are commonly accounted three the Common Sense the Phantasie and the Memory all which three some do think to be but one and the same faculty but diversly considered according to its divers modes of acting upon its respective objects others do distinguish them as different faculties in themselves and not only in their operations I I shall here follow this latter opinion both as more universally receiv'd and more fit and proper for the explication of that which I here undertake and shall assert that dreams are not made in the common sense or sensus communis because that doth not act but when the external senses are awake nor to speak properly are they made in the memory because the Idea's of things there are only in Potentiâ and when they are reduc'd into Act do then pass into the imagination or phansie But the images whereof dreams are form'd are in Act as we say and therefore must necessarily be in that part which we call the Phansie to which all the world do more generally agree That impression then which is the cause of dreams must be refer'd to one of these three causes Nature Angels or God and accordingly there can be but three kinds of dreams natural and supernatural and these such as proceed either from the operation of Angels or such as are more purely Divine As for natural dreams they may be divided into four Classes 1. there are some which are to be imputed to the mere temperament of the body or to the Constitution wherein the person that dreams chances to be when he has such or such visions For Example those who are of an hot or Cholerick constitution or at that time have their Stomachs over-charged with Choler they commonly dream of fire those who are naturally Phlegmatick or who then chance to abound with Phlegm do dream of ponds and rivers and inundation of waters and it is proportionably the same with others according to the diversity of their constitutions And although experience shews this to be true and that Physicians do take indications from dreams whereby to judge of the temperature of the body yet the reason why it is so doth not so easily appear I shall briefly
the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only such things the events whereof depend upon the natural and necessary connexion of causes but such as come to pass by the free determination of Mens wills and though the proper nature of prophesy doth not consist herein yet is it a certain character of a true Prophet where it doth occur for it is not in the power of any lower principle certainly to foretel such things 2. Prophesy more properly implies the Communication of the Divine Will to men and that with this particular design to instruct and inform the world in things of great concernment for there may be private notices and personal commands convey'd from God to Men which yet are not sufficient to denominate them Prophets Prophesy in the first sense doth suppose the being of God to a Christian and proves it to an heathen for there may as strong an Argument be drawn from the punctual predictions of future contingencies in all the particular Modes and Circumstances of them to prove a Divine Being as there may from the regular order and constitution of the universe for it is as impossible certainly to foretel things to come in that very way and method wherein they happen without Divine Revelation as it would have been for the world to have reduc'd it self into this stately frame by the fortuitous concourse of Atoms And as prophesy proves the Being of God so the being of God proves at least the possibility of prophesy si dentur dii datur divinatio says Cicero and the consequence is good and valid unless with the Epicureans that granting a God we deny his providence and the government of the world by him Prophesy and Divine Revelation being one great instrument which he makes use of herein and indeed it would have seem'd a great defect in providence to have created such a Noble Creature as Man without a way of communicating suitable notices to him as the conveniencies or necessities of things might require Thus the Stoicks argue in this case if say they there be Gods and yet they do not declare to men future events then either they do not love men or they know not themselves what will come to pass hereafter or they think it nothing concerns men to know or they think it inconsistent with their Majesty to do it or lastly they know not how to communicate this their knowledge to others but all these consequences are false therefore the Being of God proves such a kind of prophesy or divination This argumentation of theirs refers to prophesy in the first sense but it would be more strong and undeniable if from thence we infer'd the being of prophesy in the latter that is the Revelation of things much more considerable then the meer knowledge of future events for he that denies prophesy in this sense must either grant all those false and unworthy consequences before mention'd or some of these which are as false as the other either first that God hath declar'd his whole Will by the Light of Nature so that nothing more remains further to be reveal'd or Secondly that nature hath declar'd enough and that there is no need of any more or Thirdly that it is inconsistent with the free determination of the Divine Will to make any further Revelation then what nature hath already discover'd But now this kind of Prophesy or Divine Revelation was both necessary in respect of man and no ways contrary to any resolution of the Divine Will 1. It was necessary because all the several Religions that ever appear'd in the world either really had or at least pretended to Divine Revelation now things being in this posture at our Saviours appearance in the world it was necessary that his Religion should have the truth of that which many of the others only pretended to both to free Christians from the danger of being seduc'd by the false pretenses of others and also fully to assure them of the truth of their own Religion Not though as if the false Oracles of the Heathens did first occasion that Revelation that was truly Divine for this had always a precedency in nature to that which was false and counterfeit thus God first gave the command to Adam not to eat of the forbidden fruit before the Devil ever tempted him thereunto And the reason of that resemblance which we sometimes find betwixt Sacred and prophane Rites is not that God took occasion from them to institute the like amongst his own people but because the Devil being Gods Ape doth many times either pervert Divine Institutions to Superstitious or Idolatrous purposes or erect something of the like nature of his own to keep some in the belief and practise of the false Religion and to seduce others from the true one so that it is no ways inconsistent with the subtilty or malice of the Devil but rather highly promotive of both to borrow some Divine Rites and Sacred Institutions and insert them into his own Worship And it seems more probable that the Egyptians here borrowed from the Jews then the Jews from the Egyptians for notwithstanding the great hatred which they bore to the Jews yet they might imitate them in some part of their Religious Worship and that not out of any love they had either to them or their Religion but that they might the better secure some of their own people in their Idolatrous Worship who perhaps had entertain'd too great an opinion of some of the Jewish Ceremonies or that by this means they might some other ways more effectually manage their malice against them but what ever was the first occasion or original of the Devils Oracles yet this is certain that at Christs appearance in the world they had very much prevail'd in the Heathen Nations and therefore it was necessary that Christ should both silence these and institute a more certain method of Divine Revelation of his own 1. Revelation was necessary to assure the world of Gods reconciliation to mankind and upon what terms and by what methods we may attain Salvation for though the Divine Goodness be as knowable by the Light of Nature and as easily apparent in the notion of a Deity as any other of it's attributes of Power and Iustice yet being conscious to our selves of daily offending God and guilt being naturally full of Iealousie We could not be so fully assur'd of Gods mercy without such a Revelation having forfeited the effects thereof as to our selves and however though we might have some notions of Gods parability and willingness to pardon yet we could scarce have imagin'd that his mercy would have extended thus far not only to pardon our sins but also to confer upon us such a degree of happiness Nor doth their way of reasoning seem cogent and necessary who tell us that Natural Reason leads us to a Mediator and that such an one as God indeed has appointed to be God and Man God say they is
either concerning the Traditions of the Jews or the doubtful and disputatious Philosophy of the Gentiles either of the Science falsly so call'd which the Gnostics so boasted of or of meer Natural Reason as such destitute of Divine Revelation Or lastly of the carnal Appetites of Christians of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Law of the members warring against the Law of the mind Secondly by Reason we know the Scriptures to be the Word of God and by Reason we come to the true meaning and sense of them and by Reason we know the obligation that lies upon us therefrom and without this it is not easie to conceive a way how God could either have convey'd the knowledge of his Will to us or of our Duty to him and it is not probable that Scripture should condemn that without which all its own commands would signifie very little or nothing I shall here therefore briefly enquire into the nature of Reason both as it was in innocence before the Fall and as it is now in this state of depravation for the want of a right distinguishing herein hath been the cause of many errors and mistakes about the power and properties of it however 't is that which must needs cause a great deal of obscurity in what is said concerning it in this complex'd and undistinguish'd capacity And this is that which seems the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first fundamental error in Mr. Hobs his Politicks that he doth not sufficiently distinguish betwixt pure and corrupted Nature so that there must needs be a great deal of falshood in some things and confusion in others when he ascribes that to Nature in general which doth not belong to it but in such a particular respect and private consideration Reason in innocence was that inward Principle that Divine Light set up in the soul of man which bore an equal respect to truth and goodness by which we were both instructed in our duty and enabled to perform it it was part of that Divine Image wherein Man was created and that which directed both the speculative and practical dictates of the understanding to their respective ends viz. to the acknowledgment of the Divine Wisdom in matters of speculation and yielding obedience to his will in matters of practise Now did right Reason enjoy an universal and undisturb'd Empire now was there not that contrariety in the faculties of the soul but what was Knowledge in the understanding immediately became Obedience in the will and affections now was Reason and Righteousness as it were the very complexion of the man nor was there any further need of Supernatural Grace to be super added to him besides what was naturally contain'd in these Essential Principles of his constitution which made him such as God design'd him viz. a Man in Innocence This was the state of Reason before the Fall and it yet remains the same in substance though not in the same degree of purity and perfection as before it is the reliques of the Divine Image yet remaining in us by which we are still enabled in some measure to understand truth and practise our duty it is that power or faculty of the soul or the soul it self as it contains in it the principles and foundations of ratiocination and a power and ability of drawing right consequences therefrom but yet so obscur'd and weakned that there is now need of Divine Illumination and assistance for the performing of that which before we were able of our selves to do But then though God did thus punish man by taking away part of that strength which he had so misemploy'd which was the effect of his justice yet did not his goodness suffer him to sink below himself though he became weak and guilty yet he remained a man his faculties though deprav'd yet were they not annihilated and as the Principle is not wholly taken away so neither are the Acts and Exercises thereof necessarily false so that we are not abandon'd to an eternal Scepticism but we have still sufficient grounds of truth and certainty within our selves for we had better have no such faculties as pretend to Reason then such as should always deceive us even in things that we clearly and distinctly perceive And here may be as strong arguments drawn from the goodness of God that the punishment of the first sin did not extend to an absolute falsification or total corruption of our faculties as there may be from his veracity that he gave us true ones at first for indeed to assert Reason thus wholly corrupted would be to introduce such a confusion and disorder into the nature of things as is inconsistent with the notion of a Providence such an one as we should think that God would rather have annihilated the whole race of mankind then ever have suffer'd it in the world And this is the true State of Reason in it self before the Fall and as it is in us now since only here we must further know that this natural Faculty of Reason in Christians is further enlightned and inabled by the Divine Revelation of his Will and by the assistances and influences of his holy Spirit I could wish therefore that those men would speak more intelligibly who go about to give such particular distinct differences betwixt the Spiritual and meer Rational Man as they call him in their Actions relating to Religion as if there was any Character either more certain in it self or more warrantable to us to judge of the Spirit of God in a man by then by it's producing the effects of Righteousness in him That the Principles of Natural Reason and Grace are two distinct things flowing from different Fountains is certainly true but then why we should oppose these two especially in a Christian State where God is never wanting by his grace to assist the humble and sincere exercises of Mens Reasons where the more truly Rational any Men are the more Spiritual they are and the more Spiritual the more truly Rational here actually to distinguish betwixt the Spiritual and meer Rational Man when the same effects of real Righteousness equally appear in both this is arrogantly to take upon himself that which is only proper to God to be a searcher of hearts As for that place of 1 Cor. 2. 14. upon the misunderstanding whereof they seem principally to found this their opinion but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discern'd here by the Natural Man is not meant the Christian Rational Man but a man endow'd only with the Principles of Natural Reason void of Evangelical Grace and Divine Revelation now this cannot be apply'd to a Christian who enjoys both in their respective degrees so that the true meaning of that place is briefly this That the matters reveal'd in the Gospel and Preach'd by the Apostles were such as the Learned Philosophers of the
morality seem to understand not only this but also include in it all the assistances and encouragements that attend Christianity Whether is the properer acceptation of the word I shall not here enquire yet however those who take it in this latter sense cannot be thought to ascribe too much to the power of nature only they include more in the sense and meaning of the word so taken then perhaps can properly belong to it I shall here only add one consideration which refers to Reason in matters of Speculation and so put an end to this digression 'T is this that it no ways reflects dishonourably upon Reason that it is not in its power to convince a Sceptick Scepticus nec potest alium redarguere nec ipse redargui and the Reason of both is because he neither asserts nor grants any Principles whereby he may either prevail upon others or he himself be confuted Scepticism is a capricious phrensie of the mind and it tends no more to the disreputation of Reason that it cannot cure it then it doth to the dishonor of Grace that it doth not always captivate the perverse wills of wicked men But there are degrees in this Sceptical humor and we then seem to retain some Tincture of it when we unreasonably and immoderately undervalue and enervate those Arguments which natural Reason brings for the proof of some of the Articles of our natural Religion viz. The being of God and the Immortality of the Soul Revelation indeed hath advanc'd these to higher degrees of certainty then before they had but I see not how it tends to the advancement of the Honor of Divine Revelation by too rigid if not Sceptical denials to invalidate all those Arguments that Reason may suggest in proof or confirmation hereof Reason me-thinks here should not be treated as an enemy but rather help'd and incourag'd then discountenanc'd in so good a design we should rather procure and maintain a certain rational tenderness and modesty of mind whereby we should be asham'd either to assert or deny any thing upon unjust grounds and this temper of mind is equally distant from a vain credulity on the one hand and an unreasonable demanding of demonstrations in matters uncapable of them on the other it assents not to things on weaker grounds then Reason may justly require nor doth it require more evidence then the nature of things and the nature of men are capable of But I must remember that I write a Preface not a Treatise I shall now only premise something concerning the Nature of Prophesie and Divine Revelation in general and so refer thee to the following discourse for further satisfaction An operose attempt to prove that which no sober and considerate man ever went about to deny would rather weaken then add any strength to the thing design'd yet I could wish that either the affectation of singularity or a more pernicious design of some in this present age had not render'd the proving the truth of Divine Revelation in opposition to those who would ascribe all prophesie to some lower principle not altogether unnecessary It is indeed both unjust and uncharitable to suggest unreasonable surmises of the possible intentions of an Author contrary to his express words only here give me leave to shew the Reasons why it may be suspected that the Author of Tractatus Theologico-Politicus notwithstanding what he there speaks of it yet may indeed assert no other Prophesie or Revelation then what is within the power of nature to perform 1. In his sixth Chapter he absolutely denies all miracles in general then it is very inconsistent with and naturally consequent upon this his principle to deny this of prophesie in particular The opinion of miracles according to him is founded in the ignorance of natural causes since nature never goes out of her fix'd order and settled course whatever we may weakly or ignorantly conceive of it now according to this way of arguing prophesie may as well be the result either of blind chance or natural causes though such as are not commonly known as other miracles Now the nature and notion of a miracle doth as well belong to the certain Prediction of future contingencies and the declaring and revealing things naturally unknowable as it doth to those things which leave more immediate and sensible effects behind them and if God by such an eternal decree hath so fix'd the course of nature that it can no ways now be alter'd then prophesie must run the same fate with miracles and he that denies one if he be consistent with himself must deny both 2. He tells us that God may reveal by way of prophesie such things as we already know by the light of nature that which I here take notice of is not the falsness of the assertion but only that he doth no where plainly and clearly tell us whether the prophesies contain'd in Scripture be above the power of nature or no or whether they may not naturally follow from such a System of the world as he supposes 3. He himself doth sufficiently explain his own opinion herein towards the end of his first Chapter Denique Prophetae Dei spiritum habere dicebantur quia homines causas Propheticae cognitionis ignorabant eandemque admirabantur propterea ut reliqua portenta ipsam ad Deum referre Deique cognitionem vocare solebant wherein he positively resolves prophesie as well as other miracles into natural causes though such as are unknown to us My design here will not give me leave fully to examine his opinion either concerning miracles or prophesie only I shall observe in general that it is but a very weak way of arguing which he there uses viz. That because God sometimes makes use of natural causes or the accidental ministery of some other means in working of miracles therefore to ascribe the whole causality or efficiency to those things which God for other Reasons thought fit to employ on those occasions thus he asserts Moses his throwing Ashes into the Air to be the natural cause of the Biles that thereupon befel the Egyptians Thus also because God makes use of the phansy in the conveying of prophesy therefore must it wholly be subjected here and reach no farther therefore he concludes that the Prophets prophesy'd according to the various temperaments and complexion of their bodies and some Prophets were more obscure in their prophesies then others because their phansy was not so good nor their imagination so strong as the rest But this kind of Reasoning seems much what like that of the man who speaking of the miracle of Christs feeding five thousand with five Barly-loaves and two fishes Joh. 6. 10. gave this account of it that what they wanted in meat they made up with grass because it is there occasionally said that there was much grass in the place Prophesy in the notion of it may include those two things 1. A prediction of future contingencies a foretelling not only
he said he always came nearer the truth then the Almanack but hence it follows not that those who made Almanacks did design by the contrary predictions those events which Buchanan did thus prognostick but that the Astrologers making for the most part their Prognostications at an adventure and some of them not having the least knowledge of the stars it might very well happen that Buchanan thus by chance might foretel fair or foul weather by taking always the contrary to their Predictions But the more common rule of Interpreting of dreams is to observe the agreement and resemblances which are betwixt the dreams and their events thus they tell us that he that dreams he hath lost a tooth shall loose a friend and he that dreams that a rib is taken out of his side shall ere long see the death of his wife I shall not here stay to relate examples of this nature which have been verifi'd by the event Cicero among others relates this a certain man dream'd that there was an Egg hid under his bed the Sooth-sayer to whom he apply'd himself for the interpretation of the dream told him that in the same place where he imagin'd to see the Egg there was treasure hid whereupon he caus'd the place to be digged up and there accordingly he found Silver and in the midst of it a good quantity of Gold and to give the interpreter some testimony of his acknowledgement he brought him some pieces of the Silver which he had found but the Sooth-sayer hoping also to have some of the Gold said and will you not give me some of the yolk too Now these dreams which we cannot reasonably impute either to natural causes or to meer chance yet do they not exceed the power of Angels to convey for an Angel either good or bad for I shall not now examine the question which of the two it is I say it is not impossible for an Angel to know that there was treasure hid there An Angel might also imprint such a dream upon the mans imagination whilst he was asleep and also reveal to the Sooth-sayer that the Egg did signifie a treasure where there was Gold and Silver hid or might furnish him with occasions to conjecture so There are also some of this nature which respect the future which may proceed from the operation of Angels The Poets say that Hecuba the wife of Priamus being with child of Paris dream'd that she brought forth a burning torch upon occasion whereof the Soothsayers did presage that the Child should be the cause of the ruine of Troy and of its conflagration The Ancient Historians tell us that the Mother of Phalaris dream'd that among the Statues which she consecrated in the house of her Son she saw that of Mercury who from a bowl that he had in his hand pour'd out blood upon the Earth which boil'd out in so great plenty that it overflow'd the whole house which was interpreted and confirm'd by the cruelties of Phalaris the most bloody man upon Earth Cyrus in a dream fansi'd he saw the Sun at his feet and that he thrice attempted to catch it in his hand but that it always rowling away escap'd him which the Magicians thus interpreted his attempt thrice to catch the Sun signify'd that he should reign thirty years which the event confirmed These dreams I say may proceed from the operation of Angels for as much as the impression of these images in the fansie is not above the Sphere of that Activity the Idea of the Sun is in all mens memorys and that of burning torches of Statues and of blood so that there was nothing wanting in these occasions but to reduce them into the fansie and there to put them into a due place and motion And as for the prevision of things to come which Angels would signifie hereby this they can do partly of themselves and their own proper Conjectures partly by a certain kind of revelation from God The Devil who seeks all opportunities of doing mischief to the world had resolv'd to promote and carry on the barbarous humour of Phalaris to all manner of cruelties and seeing the house of Priamus flourishing and his state great and potent he propounded to himself to do all he possibly could to ruine it and to that purpose to make use of all occasions that presented themselves and to make Priamus his very children instrumental thereunto And although these were but meer designs of the event whereof he could have no certainty for as much as the will of God and his providence superintends all things yet he doth not forbear to hope and to foretel the manner of that thing which he himself designs to do which God for reasons best known to himself would not hinder the ratification of by the event As for that of Cyrus it was impossible for Angels to Divine how long he should reign but God suffers sometimes some of his more secret Counsels to appear to the view of created intelligences and from these radiations which proceed from the Cabinet of the Divine Counsels they either certainly foresee some things to come or at least form such reasonings and conjectures as come very near the truth Those other dreams which propose things nakedly as they are in themselves have no need of an interpreter to understand them but when the event confirms them they are not therefore the less wonderful I shall produce two or three examples which seem very remarkable Two Arcadian friends travel'd together and lay one night in the City Megara where the one lodged in a publique Inn the other in a private friends house as was usual in those days After Supper he in the private house being gone to bed and asleep the other appear'd to him in a dream and prayed him to come to his assistance for as much as the Master of the Inn design'd to murther him the affright of the dream having wakened him he rose up but being come to himself he took it for a meer dream and idle vision and went to sleep again In his second sleep the image of his friend came again into his phansie and he imagin'd that he pray'd him that since he would not help him whilst living yet at least he would not let his death go unpunish'd for that the Master of the house had murther'd him and had cast his body into a Cart full of dung and desir'd him to go early in the Morning to the Gate of the City before the Cart went out the man being very much mov'd by his dream rose up and going to that Gate there stop'd the Cart loaden with dung ready to pass whereupon the Carter being frighted fled away and the body being there found the crime was by this means discover'd the Host punish'd and all the City struck with admiration at the wonderfulness of the dream Cicero relates this in the book already cited See also another taken out of the life of Monsieur Peiresc Councellor of the
other way Now among all the ways and methods made use of for this purpose there was none more proper nor sutable then that of dreams for as Plato saith when a man whose stomack is full of wine and victuals comes to sleep 't is certain that such an one is very unfit to receive the communication of the Deity and the visions fram'd in such an ones fansy would be very obscure confus'd and turbulent But when an honest man one who is sober and temperate when such an one dreams and that after a perfect concoction of his meat there now rises no more vapours to his head but is in a profound sleep his humours calm and sedate his imagination still and clear as the smooth surface of a mirrour or looking-glass being then sequestred from all the things of this present life and the commerce of sense he is thus a very proper subject to receive the impression of Divine things therefore God himself declaring the way by which he would reveal himself amongst the Prophets which he rais'd to his people Israel he said that he would do it by visions and dreams CHAP. IV. The Characters by which they might know that those Dreams were truly Divine and not vain Delusions BEfore I come to decide the second question I must briefly premise this that when I did distinguish dreams into three kinds and plac'd those that proceed from the operation of Angels in the second and Divine Dreams in the third rank I understood the distinction thus among those that proceed from the operation of Angels there may also be found Divine ones in as much as God doth not only permit but also may command the impression of them but those I call Angelical Dreams are meerly such as those which I have given Examples of in as much as neither the formation of the images of which they consist doth exceed their power nor is the knowledge of the thing which these Images represent above their natural intelligence nor above the quickness of their conjectures and divination for their Spiritual Nature their long experience of things the knowledge they have of the secrets of nature and of the inclinations of men with divers other assistances which we have not do enable them to reach much further then we can into the knowledge of future things Among those I call'd Divine Dreams there are also some which consist of certain Images the formation whereof is not above the power of Angels and yet I call them Divine because that whether it was God that employ'd these Angels to convey them or whether they were immediately caus'd by himself nevertheless the things signify'd by them did so far exceed the natural ability of an Angels understanding that it was absolutely impossible they should ever attain to the knowledge of them but by a particular Revelation for though their knowledge if compar'd with ours be much greater and their fore-sight of things reaches much further yet it is limited and that so that they neither see things to come either long before or with any great certainty Those then may be reputed to come from God which by what messenger soever they be convey'd yet contain such things as God only is able to know and to reveal To return then to my purpose we may boldly affirm both that those dreams had some marks by which they might be known to be Divine and also that is was necessary that they should have so although we do not now certainly know wherein those marks did consist First that they had such for all those other ways by which God is reveal'd to men of which we have spoken before have been distinguished each by it's particular mark and character by which it might be discern'd from all other things where the resemblance or similitude they bare to each other might cause any doubt whether these might come from God or no. The voice which Abraham heard had something in it whereby to distinguish it from other voices which might be made by the ministery of evil Angels and especially that where God commanded him to sacrifice his Son This command being so contrary to his natural affections and having the appearance of a barbarous and unparallel'd cruelty How should this holy man be perswaded to execute it if he had not had some mark to know God to be the Author of it and that so certain that it could not be imputed to any other cause Moses his vision in the bush to perswade him to undertake the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt and his Introduction of it into the Land of Canaan ought likewise to have some such signal character upon it for how could he resolve upon so great an enterprise accompanied with so great difficulties if he had not been well perswaded that it was God who promis'd that he should overcome them all S. Peter's vision could not be less remarkable which prevail'd with him to begin the preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles being a thing which the Jews had a great aversion against The impression of those things in the understandings of Moses of David and Solomon and divers others ought also to have some signs by which they might be acknowledged for Divine truths otherwise these great Persons would never have related them with so great confidence to others and as to themselves could never have receiv'd so great satisfaction therein Lastly Those Heroick transportations of Ehud and Phineas to those actions related in Scripture ought to be very distinct clear and evident otherwise they would not have suffer'd themselves to be carry'd to those actions which had been truly punishable and even in some sort horrible both before God man if they had not proceeded from a Divine command Dreams then without doubt have likewise had their certain marks whereby to distinguish them from the Nocturnal illusions that proceed either from the impression of evil Angels or from natural causes as I intimated before 2. And it is also necessary that they should have such marks for the same reasons which I alledged before upon former occasions For when God commanded Ioseph in a dream to carry Iesus into Egypt Such thoughts as these might have come into his mind This dream perhaps may be only a vain imagination and a meer phantasm of my own brain which hath no foundation of truth in it Perhaps the great solicitude I am always in for the preservation of this miraculous Infant hath sent into my soul this Idea or opinion that they now seek his life though perhaps they never so much as think of any such thing Perhaps it is some evil spirit which either takes pleasure to give me needless fears or would incite me to remove this Infant from hence that so upon the way he might more easily lay and execute his treacherous designs in a word divers such like things might come into his thoughts and cause a great uncertainty of resolution what he had best to do upon the command
And nevertheless it appears by the history that he did not at all hesitate upon it which shews that he had a powerful perswasion of the truth of the dream Now though we cannot at present certainly know wherein this full perswasion did consist and upon what it did depend yet notwithstanding we ought not at all to question but that this and the like perswasions were founded on something that was both in it self sufficient and to them a sufficiently evident ground of their assent But we must enquire what that was and this is the proper subject of this Meditation since there are but three sorts of dreams those which are produc'd by natural causes those which proceed from the operation of Angels and those which I call Divine The readiest way to come to the knowledge of the truth in this case will be to shew that these can neither belong to the first nor the second rank and thence it will necessarily follow that they must belong to the third As for natural dreams I suppose that 't is easie to distinguish those from such as proceed from a Divine impression these natural dreams I said were of four sorts the first depends upon the temperament and constitution of the body others acknowledge no other cause then the meer motion of the Idea's of the brain by the natural heat in the time of sleep the others come from a very attentive application of our minds to some things when we were awake and the last from the passions of the sensitive soul which is as it were awaken'd and acts more vigorously during the repose of our senses But now for Example to which of these causes can we refer the dreams of Ioseph or Pharaoh What mark do they bear of the temperament of their bodies or the constitution of their humors What Idea's of things could remain in their memory which could be able so regularly to proportion these dreams as to see in the one the number of the sheaves and of the Stars the Sun and the Moon and their prostrations before him in the other the number of the Ears of Corn both the empty and the full ones of the Kine the fat and the lean ones and their action in devouring one another What so great attention of mind could be upon any worldly care or employment as to cause any such representations in their sleep What passion could move either their concupiscible or their irascible appetite as thereby to form such phantasms And further the dreams that come from any of these causes are always irregular and composed of parts not consistent with one another so that nothing is commonly more phantastick and extravagant then they but those of Ioseph and Pharaoh and the Image of Nabuchodonosor and if there be any other of the same nature mentioned in Scripture they are so admirably well composed that they seem to be the result of a very intelligent Cause The dreams which proceed from natural causes are obscure and always presented to our minds with a great deal of confusion so that we observe nothing distinct in them or if one part have something of clearness and perspicuity in it the others are commonly perplex'd and intricate Whereas those dreams related in Scripture are not only clear but full of light whether we consider them in the whole or in their parts natural dreams do make so little impression upon our Spirits that for the most part we do not remember them when we are awake whereas the Divine are firmly fix'd in our memory for as for what is reported of Nabuchodonosor that he had forgot his dream and that he stood in need of Daniel to recal it again into his mind this happen'd by the particular dispensation of the Divine Power and Providence which remov'd out of his mind the Idea's of his vision thereby to render the wisdom of Daniel more remarkable besides this Prince very well remembred that he had dream'd and the perplexity which his dream caus'd in him the passionate desire he had to recal it the manner of his behaviour to the Sooth-sayers and all the rest which pass'd upon this occasion fully shew'd that this vision did very nearly concern him and that also in his dream he had observ'd something that was singular and extraordinary in it if in the morning we remember our natural dreams yet we disregard them and count them but meer trifles whereas those to whom God sent those Divine Dreams did not only distinctly remember them but had them still firmly represented to them when they were awake and did look upon them as Divine advertisements and were very solicitous about the interpretation or the event of them When dreams proceeding from natural causes have made any impression upon our Spirits so that they hold us in some suspense in the morning as it sometimes happens we commonly do these two things First We make an attentive reflexion thereupon and carefully examine and consider them in all their circumstances and at last find them to be meer vanities and produc'd by some of those natural causes before mention'd and so we free our selves from that disquietness they had before caus'd in us Secondly If we cannot thus wholly free our selves then we compare them with those true and real operations which our senses produce in us waking and by thus comparing them all those impressions which these dreams had made upon our spirits do altogether vanish For it is here almost as in the comparison of things represented upon a Theatre with those that are really done Whilst we see a Tragedy acted we feel a concernment and passion in us sometimes even to the effusion of tears But this only touches as it were the surface of the soul and is not of any long continuance or if this emotion of the mind do continue longer yet it is as good as nothing in respect of that which the real view of these actions and passions and murthers actually committed in our sight do cause in us but in Divine Dreams it was directly contrary for if those to whom they were sent did in the least doubt of their Divinity and did set themselves seriously to examine them the more they consider'd them the less reason they found to doubt of them and when they compar'd them with the operation of their senses they found to their great astonishment and admiration that even those of sense were less true and real then they these Divine Dreams I say made a more strong and firm impression upon the Spirits of those that receiv'd them and they were more fully perswaded of their Divinity then we are of the reality of the operation of our senses when waking they exercise themselves upon their respective objects and it is no difficult thing to give a reason for it That which causes sensation and makes us believe the truth and reality of the actions of sense is that those sensible species which affect the outward senses do also pass into the
and see if ever any thing like unto it did enter into a humane understanding Certainly the Idea of such an Image is so fair the variety of the Metals and Materials that composed it so remarkable the continued series of them so admirably succeeding each other the stone which broke and dash'd it in pieces and the manner of its coming so extraordinary and surprising its increase so miraculous and in general the whole series of this representation so majestick that it could never enter into the imagination of man if it had not been sent from above for certainly humane understanding was too little to serve for a mould where so great and magnificent a work should be framed And the effect which it produced in the Spirit of Nabuchodonosor is very considerable he was a Prince and those of that birth and dignity are not easily mov'd by extraordinary things He was a great Monarch and Conquerour and such Princes have commonly more elevated thoughts then others and of Monarchs and Conquerours he was one who was puffed up with the opinion of his own grandeur and this would be apt to make him in all conditions either sleeping or waking to think most things either Ordinary or Common and further when he awakened he did not at all remember his vision Now when our dreams are vanish'd from our minds the motion and impression which they then made upon us do usually cease and vanish with them and though there did not remain the least footstep of his dream in his memory but only thus far to remember that he had dreamed yet when he came to acquaint his Soothsayers Astrologers and Magicians herewith he told them that his Spirit did remain astonish'd and the passion which he had to retrieve what was fled from him that so he might have the interpretation of it caused him to denounce threatnings and terrible punishments to them in case they did not acquaint him with it so that it must necessarily be that he was inwardly sensible of something of divinity in the dream that produc'd in him such a passionate desire to know the interpretation I shall not here speak any thing of Iacob's vision for that speaks enough of it self for certainly the words he there heard did promise such great things so far above either the power or knowledge of humane understanding the voice of the speaker was so Majestick the image of a Ladder which reach'd from earth to heaven upon which the Angels did ascend and descend upon the top whereof God himself did seem to sit in a visible and humane shape and figure as a presage of the future Incarnation of Christ all this I say had so great so glorious an aspect and Iacob himself was so struck with Reverence Admiration and Amazement that he was forc'd to cry out that the very place was terrible and that in seeing this vision he was set as it were in the threshold of the house God and in the very porch of heaven And this shows that this dream had made an impression in him quite different from those which proceed from natural causes I suppose I have already sufficiently discuss'd this question it only now remains to resolve the last CHAP. V. Whether God doth make use of this kind of Revelation by Dreams now under the Dispensation of the Gospel JOel hath thus prophesy'd concerning the time of the coming of the Messias It shall come to pass in those days saith God that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams And in those days I will surely pour out of my spirit upon my servants and upon my handmaids so that they shall prophesy And I will do wonders in heaven above and signs on earth beneath blood and vapour of smoke the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come It is clear from these very words of the Prophet without any need of producing others that at the coming of the Messias God would pour out a great abundance of his Spirit upon his Church which should render the extraordinary and miraculous gifts of prophesy of visions and of dreams almost common to all the faithful which God before did but sparingly communicate to some particular persons and indeed the Apostles have apply'd this passage to the sending of the holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the experience of things at that time did very authentically testify the truth of this Prophesy for the abundance and variety of gifts which God poured upon Christians at the first establishment of Christianity is a thing much to be wondered at in as much as he did not only inspire the Apostles and Prophets Evangelists the Pastors Doctors and Deacons and generally all those who had any publick Office or charge in the Chruch but also many particular persons without any difference of Age Sex or Condition And the History of the Acts of the Apostles with that which we have yet remaining of the succeeding Age doth give us a very sufficient testimony hereof But here are yet further two things very remarkable the first that the fulfilling of this prophesy if we regard the Emphasis of the terms wherein it is express'd is not limited to the Infancy of the Church or an hundred or sixscore years after but extends to all the ages of Christianity even to the end of the world For here is an opposition of the times of the Gospel to the times of the Law and by consequence of all the duration of the one dispensation to all the duration of the other The second that notwithstanding this we see by experience that those miraculous gifts of the Spirit of God are ceased long ago so that it is now many Ages since we saw the least footsteps of them in the Christian Church for all that hath been either spoke or written these twelve hundred years concerning those miraculous gifts is either very much suspected or altogether false and supposititious and full of vanity and imposture how then shall we reconcile our experience with this Prophesy In Order to do it and to clear the way for the solution of the present question I think it convenient to lay down certain previous considerations First It is certain That which God promised by his Prophets to give a great measure of his Spirit in the time of the Revelation of the Messias must have its accomplishment from the first coming of Christ even unto his second but in what manner it shall be done is a thing that deserves a more attentive consideration for though the words of Ioel seem only to design the extraordinary and miraculous gifts of the Spirit yet under them are also compris'd those more ordinary ones which consist in the illumination of the understanding of the faithful in knowledge of the Divine truth in consolation