is by that Cause determined to the Matter that is infpired.

Q. What do you mean by Visions?

Acts 22.

1 Cor. 15

A. A Vifion is the fupernatural Representation of an Object to a Man when waking, as in a Glafs which places the Vifage before him; by which he has as clear a View of the Things thus reprefented, as if they were the Things themfelves, and not the Images and Appearances of them. Thus St. Paul as clearly faw our Saviour by a Representation or Vision when he was in á 17, 18. Trance in the Temple, as he did when our 9. 4. Saviour actually and vifibly appeared to him 26. 13. at Mid-day, on the Way to Damafcus. By this. Means, what Sight, Prefence, and Knowledge is to us in Things fenfible when we are awake, that Vifion is to fuch as are in an Ecftafy. So that when the Name of Vision is given in Scripture to this Way of Revelation, it is not from any Use made of corporeal Sight, or that the Eye is entertained with corporeal Objects, but because of the Clearness and Evidence of what is reprefented, and by reafon of the Conformity it therein bears to outward and corporeal Sense.

Q. What is Revelation by Dreams ?

8.

A. A Revelation by a Dream was the Reprefentation of an Object made to a Man in his Sleep, and though it be as natural to a Man to dream as to fleep, yet in this Cafe the Dream or Revelation was fupernatural. For to dream of fuch Things then in doing, or of fuch Things to come as are altogether independent upon the Body, nor by any Methods of Nature, or prefumptive Arts, to be known or foreseen, is fupernatural. Thus to dream was natural to Pharaoh as to others, and his Dream of the fe

6.

ven fat and lean Kine might have paffed under that Character; but by fuch a Dream to be made to understand, that there fhould be fucceffively feven Years of great Plenty, and then seven Years of Famine, could proceed only from a Divine Revelation.

Q. What do you mean by Prophecy?

A. The foretelling of Things to come, which might be communicated either by Vision or Dream; for the Jews, obferve that Prophecy was always received one of these two Ways; grounding their Opinion upon the Declaration Num. 12. of God himself; If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a Vifion, and fpeak to him in a Dream. The Jewish Doctors farther tell us, that Prophecy was a clearer Revelation, and carried greater Affurance along with it than either a Vifion or a Dream, without Prophecy; and that this was common to all the three, that there was fomething of Ecitafy or Tranfport of Mind in them. Indeed, the primary Notion of a Prophet feems to lie in declaring and interpreting to the World the Mind of God which he receives by immediate Revelation; and hence it is that in Scripture the Patriarchs, as Abraham and others, are called Prophets, who were not fo famous for any Predictions uttered by them, as for declaring the Mind of God from the frequent Revelations they received. For it is altogether accidental and extrinfical to the Nature of Prophecy what Time it has a respect to, whether paft, prefent, or to come; but because future Contingencies are the fartheft out of the Reach of human Understanding, therefore the foretelling of Things to come hath been chiefly looked upon as the main

Note

Note and Character of a Prophet, as being apprehended to be the strongest Evidence of the Truth of Divine Revelation.

Q. What was the Punifhment of counterfeiting a prophetick Spirit under the Law?

A. To deter Men from counterfeiting a prophetick Spirit, or from hearkening to fuch as did, God appointed that every fuch Pretender, upon legal Conviction, fhould be put to Death. But the Prophet which shall prefume to Deut. 18. Speak a Word in my Name, which I have not 20. commanded him to speak, or that fhail Speak in the Name of other Gods, fhall furely die. The fews generally understand this of ftrangling, as they do always in the Law, when the particular Manner of the Death is not expreffed. And by this Punishment the falfe Prophet was diftinguished from the Seducer, who was to be stoned to Death by fufficient Teftimony; the Seducer Deut. 13. being a Perfon who fought by cunning Per-6, 10. fuafions and plaufible Arguments, to draw Men off from the Worfhip of the true God, but the falfe Prophets always pretended Divine Revelation.

Q. What is Revelation by Oracle?

A. This was called Urim and Thummim, which was a rendering Anfwers to Questions by the High Prieft, placed before the Mercy-Seat, looking upon the Stones in the Breaft Plate; which how it was done, is not agreed by those who have treated of this Matter.

Q. What is Revelation by a Voice?

A. When the Matter of the Revelation was communicated immediately or occafionally by a Voice. The former of these was vouchfafed to Abraham, and above all to Mofes, to whom T 2

God

17, &c.

Exod. 33.God is faid to have spoken Face to Face, as a Man II. Speaketh to his Friend. The other, which was altogether occafional, was for fome particular Gen. 21. Direction, as to Hagar and others; or for Teftimony, or Confirmation, as was that mentioned in the Gospel, when it was audibly proclaimed from Mat.3.17.Heaven, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleafed.

Maim.

par. 2.

C. 42.

Q. What do you mean by the Bath-Col?

A. This was counted by the Jews the loweft Degree of Revelation, which was called the Daughter of a Voice or Echo, in relation to the Oracle of Urim and Thummim, as fome think; Mor.Nev, for whereas that was a Voice given from the Mercy-Seat within the Veil, this, upon the ceafing of that Oracle, being fuppofed to come in its place, might not unfitly or improperly be called a Daughter, or Succeffor of that Voice, which, the Jews pretend, continued among them from the Days of the Prophet Malachi to the Time of our Saviour, and which after a Sort they conceived was to fupply the ceafing of Prophecy among them. But many learned Men have reduced those numberlefs Stories that occur in the Writings of the Jewish DocLightf. Vol. 2. p.tors concerning the Bath Col, to these two 128, 129. Heads, that either they were fometimes mere Fables, invented to raise the Reputation of fome Rabbi; or at other Times Magical and Diabolical Delufions.

Q. What do you mean by the Gradus Mofaicus? A. This the Jews efteemed the highest Degree of Revelation, to which Mamonides attributes thefe Characters: That God manifested himself to Mofes when he was awake, though to other Prophets in Dreams and Vifions; That

the

the Influence was derived immediately from God himself, without the Mediation of any Angelical Power, without any Fear, Amazement, or Fainting, which are incident to other Prophets; and that the Spirit of Prophecy refted upon him, fo that he could make Use of it when he would. Thus much is certain, that the Revelation made Num. 12. to Mofes had fome fingular Prerogatives above 5, 6, 7thofe of other Prophets, as is plain from Scripture; but that it was always by an immediate Communication from God without the Mediation of Angels, feems not fo agreeable to what St. Stephen tells us, that The Law was given by the A&ts 7:53. Difpofition of Angels; nor to what St. Paul affirms,

That it was ordained by Angels in the Hands of a Gal. 3.19. Mediator, which was Mofes.

Q. Are thefe Divine Revelations collected together, and have we any Authentick Inftrument and Record of them?

A. Most of the forementioned Sorts and Degrees of Revelation, which God hath made of himself to the World, are collected together in the boly Scriptures; by which the Things revealed any of thefe Ways are tranfmitted to us, and therefore called the Word of God, as containing thofe Things, which God in feveral Ages hath spoken to the World; which are neceffary to be known by Men in order to their eternal Happiness. And this being now the great Standard of Revelation from God, which is to continue to the End of the World, we are all concerned to eftablish ourselves in the Belief and Practice of what is contained in the holy Scriptures.

Q. What are the peculiar Characters of a Di vine Revelation?