Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/529

with a kind of divine phrensie. We read also in the scripture, that when Saul was amongst the Prophets, the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophecied, and when he went forth from the assembly of the Prophets, he ceased to prophesie; the same happened to those officers which Saul sent to catch David: who when they saw the company of the Prophets, and Samuel standing in the midst of them, received the spirit of the Lord on them, and prophesied also. So great is the abounding of divine light oftentimes in the prophets, taken with a divine phrensie, that it also seiseth on them that are neer them, and makes them have the same spirit of phrensie: It is not therefore incredible, that an ignorant man should presently be made wise, and again that a wise man become ignorant: for there is a certain art (known but to few) of informing, adorning, & illustrating a pure mind, so that it should presently be recovered out of the darkness of ignorance, and brought to the light of wisdom: and on the contrary, there is a way by certain hid secrets, to make them that have unclean, and unbelieving minds to become ignorant again, although for the present they are learned and wise. Mans mind also, especially when it is simple, and pure, may (Apuleius being witness) by some sacred, and mysterious recreation, and appeasing, be so brought into a sleep, and astonied, that it may forget things present so utterly, as to be brought into its divine nature, and so be enlightned with the divine light, and inspired with a divine phrensie that it may foretell things to come, and withall receive the vertue of some wonderfull effects. Whence Iamblicus saith, when the prophets are inspired with a diety, they fear nothing, for they go through wayes unpassable, and are carried into the fire without any hurt, and passe over rivers. So we read of certain caves, as of Apollo, Trophonius, the three footed stools, dens, fountains, lakes, and such like, that were consecrated to the gods after this manner, or made by that mysterie, that from thence the priests might draw the spirit of prophecying, as Iamblicus in Porphyrie: The Sybill (saith he) in Delphi was wont to receive God after two wayes: either by a subtill spirit, and fire, which