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The second kind is this: 'When our rational faculty, being moved together with the soul of the world, and filled with a divinely-inspired fury, doth predict those things that are to come'.' In these words, by his ʊx? Twv oλwv, he means the same thing with that which in a former book about the same argument he had called Tv λwv vovv-'the mind of the universe'-which, mingling its influence with our minds, begets these powσes or previsions. And this is nothing else but that which others of his tribe call yana, or intellectus agens, which, it seems, he understood to be the same with anima mundi or 'universal soul,' as it is described by the Pythagoreans and Platonists. Of this sort of dreams he makes those of Jacob's ladder, and of Laban's sheep. And these kinds of dreams, viz. that wherein the intellectus agens doth simply act upon our minds as patients to it, and that wherein our minds do co-operate with the universal soul, and so understand the meaning of the influx, he thus compares together: Διὸ ὁ ἱεροφάντης τὰς μὲν κατὰ τὸ πρῶτον σημαινόμενος φαντασίας, τρανῶς πάνυ καὶ ἀριδήλως ἐμήνυσεν, ἅτε τοῦ Θεοῦ χρησμοῖς σαφέσιν ἐοικότα διὰ τῶν ὀνείρων ὑποβάλλοντος Τὰς δὲ κατὰ τὸ δεύτερον, ούτε σφόδρα τηλαυγώς, οὔτε σκοτίως ἄγαν· οὗ υπόδειγμα ἡ ὑπὸ τῆς οὐρανοκλίμακος paveioa oys. In these words it is to be observed, that he calls the matter of the first sort of dreams xpropos σαφέσιν εοικότα, which Gelenius hath mistaken whilst he translates it 'Dei oraculis certis convenientia.' With his leave, therefore, I should thus interpret that whole passage; Quare Moses sacer antistes indigitans illas phantasias quæ oboriuntur secundum primam speciem, eas perspicue et admodum manifeste indicavit; (i. e. by adding an

1 Τὸ δὲ δεύτερον, τῆς ἡμετέρας διανοίας τῇ τῶν ὅλων συγκινουμένης ψυχῇ, καὶ θεοφορήτου μανίας ἀναπιμπλαμένης, κ.τ.λ.

Phil. Jud. Vol. v. p. 116.

2 Ibid.

explication of those ænigmata of Joseph's sun, moon, stars, and sheaves, which he himself in his dream understood not-which explication is not made in the examples of the second sort) quippe Deus subjecit illas phantasias per somnia quæ similes sunt veris prophetiis, (i. e. perfectæ prophetiæ1, sive somniis propheticis, uti loqui amant magistri). Secundi vero generis somnia nec plane dilucide nec valde obscure indigitavit; qualia erant somnia de scala cælesti, &c. Now these dreams of Joseph, though they contained matter of a like nature to prophetical inspiration, yet were indeed not such, and therefore are accounted by all the Jewish writers only as somnia vera; and so our author endeavours to prove, very fitly to our purpose, though, indeed, upon a mistake which he took out of the version of the Seventy3. Joseph said, [methought'] we were binding sheaves.' 'That word methought is the language of one that is uncertain, dubious, and obscurely surmising; not of one that is firmly assured, and plainly sees things: indeed it very well befits those who are newly awoke out of a sound sleep, and have scarce ceased to dream, to say "methought;" not those who are fully awake, and behold all things clearly. But Jacob, who was more exercised in divine things, hath no such word as "methought" when he speaks of his dream, but, says he, "Behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached up to heaven"." After the same manner, almost, doth

הנבואות הגמורות 1 החלומות הנבואייות 2

3 Though he was a Jew, yet was he trained up amongst the Greeks, and not well acquainted with the Hebrew language.-Original edition.

4 The word unv, 'methought,' is not in the Hebrew.

5 Ωιμην, φησὶν, ἡμᾶς δεσμεύειν δράγματα. (Gen. xxxvii. 7). Τὸ μὲν, ᾤμην, εὐθέως

ἀδηλοῦντος καὶ ἐνδοιάζοντος καὶ ἀμυδρῶς ὑπολαμβάνοντος, οὐ παγίως καὶ τηλαυγῶς ὁρῶντος, ἀναφθεγμά ἐστιν. Τοῖς γὰρ ἐκ βαθέος ὕπνου διανισταμένοις, καὶ ἔτι ὀνει ρώττουσιν, ἅρμοττον λέγειν, ᾤμην· οὐχὶ τοῖς ἐγρηγορόσι παντελῶς, καὶ τρανῶς ἐμβλέπουσιν. ̓Αλλ ̓ οὐχ ὁ ἀσκητὴς Ιακώβ, ᾤμην, ἐρεῖ· ἀλλ ̓ ἰδοὺ, κλίμαξ ἐστηριγμένη, ἧς ἡ κεφαλὴ ἀφικνεῖτο εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. (Gen. xxviii. 12).—Phil. Jud. Vol. v. p. 122.

Maimonides distinguish between somnia vera and prophetica, making Jacob's dreams (as all the Jewish writers do) to be prophetical'.

The third kind of dreams mentioned by Philo is thus laid down by him. The third kind is, when in sleep the soul, being moved of itself, and agitating itself, is in a kind of rapturous rage, and in a divine fury doth foretel future things by a prophetic faculty"? And then, which is more to our purpose, he thus sets forth the nature of those fancies which discover themselves in this kind of dreams. The phantasms which belong to the third kind, are more plainly declared by Moses than the former; for, containing a very profound and dark meaning, they required to the explaining of them a knowledge of the art of interpreting dreams3:' as those dreams of Pharaoh, his butler, and baker, and of Nebuchadnezzar, who were only amazed and dazzled with those strange apparitions that were made to them, but not at all enlightened by them. These are of that kind which Plato sometimes speaks of, that cannot be understood without a prophet; and, therefore, he would have some prophet or wise man always set over this μavTký. Thus we have seen these three sorts of dreams according to Philo, the first and last whereof the Jewish doctors conjoin together, and constantly prefer the oneirocritics of them, to the dreamers themselves: and, therefore, whereas they depress the notion of them, considered in themselves, below any degree of prophecy, yet the interpretation of them they attribute to the

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or Holy Spirit; except there be an interpretation of the dream in the dream itself, so that the mind of the

1 Maim. More Nevoch. Pars II. c. 36. • Συνίσταται δὲ τὸ τρίτον εἶδος, ὁπόταν ἐν τοῖς ὕπνοις ἐξ ἑαυτῆς ἡ ψυχὴ κινουμένη, καὶ ἀναδονοῦσα ἑαυτὴν, κορυβαντιᾷ καὶ ἐνθουσιῶσα, δυνάμει προγνωστικῇ τὰ μέλNorra Beσmisel.-Phil. Jud. Vol. v. p. 116.

3 Αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸ τρίτον εἶδος φαντασίαι, μᾶλλον τῶν προτέρων δηλούμεναι, διὰ τὸ βαθὺ καὶ κατακορὲς ἔχειν τὸ αἴνιγμα, ἐδε ήθησαν καὶ τῆς ὀνειροκριτικῆς ἐπιστήμης. Phil. Jud. Vol. v. p. 116.

dreamer be fully satisfied both in the meaning and divinity thereof; for then it is truly prophetical. And thus much for this particular.

CHAPTER IV.

A large account of the difference between the true prophetical spirit and enthusiastical impostures. That the pseudo-prophetical spirit is seated only in the imaginative powers and faculties inferior to reason. That Plato and other wise men had a very low opinion of this spirit, and of the gift of divination, and of consulting the oracles. That the true prophetical spirit seats itself as well in the rational as in the sensitive powers, and that it never alienates the mind, but informs and enlightens it. This further cleared by several testimonies from Gentile and Christian writers of old. An account of those fears and consternations which often seized upon the prophets. How the prophets perceived when the prophetical influx seized upon them. The different evidence and energy of the true and false prophetical spirit.

FROM what we have formerly discoursed concerning

the stage of fancy and imagination, upon which those visa presented themselves to the mind of the prophet, wherein he beheld the real objects of divine truth in which he was inspired by this means; it may be easily apprehended how easy a matter it might be for the Devil's prophets many times, by an apish imitation, to counterfeit the true prophets of God; and how, sometimes, melancholy and turgent fancies, fortified with a strong power of divination, might unfold themselves in a semblance of true enthusiasms. For, indeed, herein the prophetical influx seems to agree with a mistaken enthusiasm, that both of them make strong impressions upon the imaginative powers, and require the imaginative faculty to be vigorous and potent: and, therefore, Maimonides tells us that the gift of divination, which consisted in a mighty force of imagination, was always given to the prophets, and that

this and a spirit of fortitude were the main basis of prophecy. It is necessary that these two faculties of fortitude and divination should be most strong and vehement in the prophets: whereunto if, at any time, there was an accession of the influence of the intellect, they were then beyond measure corroborated; in so much that (as it is well known) it hath come to this, that one man, by a naked staff, did prevail over a potent king, and most manfully deliver a whole nation from bondage, viz. after it was said to him "I will be with thee." And though there be different degrees of these in men, yet none can be altogether without that fortitude and magnanimity. So it was said to Jeremiah, "Be not dismayed at their faces","&c. "Behold I have made thee this day a defenced city;" and so to Ezekiel, "Be not afraid of them nor their words3:" and, generally, in all the prophets we shall find a great fortitude and magnanimity of spirit. But, by the excellency of the gift of divining, they could, on a sudden, and in a moment, foretell future things; in which faculty, notwithstanding, there was great diversity.' Thus he1.

It will not be, therefore, any great digression here, awhile to examine the nature of this false light which pretends to prophecy, but is not; as being seated only in the imaginative power, from whence the first occasion of this delusion ariseth, seeing that power is also the seat of all prophetical vision. For this purpose, it will not be amiss to premise that threefold degree of cognitive influence

1 Exod. iii. 12.

2 Jer. xvii. 18.

3 Ezek. ii. 6.

יתחלף גם כן בהם אלא שאי אפמר עניין מבלעדיו כמו שאמר לירמיה אל תירא מפניהם וגו' הנה נתתיך היום לעיר אי אפשר מבלתי היות שתי הכחות 4 מבצר וגו' וליחזקאל נאמר אל תירא מהם ומדבריהם וכן תמצאם כולם ע"ה האלו בנביאים חזקות מאד רוצה לומר היתה בהם גבורה גדולה וביתרון כח כח הגבורה וכח המשער ובהשפיע השכל המשער גם כן בהם יגידו העתידות עליהם יחזקו שני הכחות האלה מאד במהרה ויתחלף זה גם כן בהם כמו עד שהגיע זה למה שידעת והוא שהתגבר איש אחד במקלו על המלך הגדול להציל אומה מתחת עבודתו ולא פחד ולא ירא כאשר נאמר לו כי אהיה עמך וזה

Maimonides, More Necochim, Pars II. cap. 38, sub init.