Quis Rerum Divinarum Heres Sit

Why should I speak of Isaac? Why of Jacob? For these also are manifestly found to have been prophets by many other circumstances, and especially by their addresses to their children. For the annunciation, "Assemble yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the last days" [*](Genesis xlix. 2. ) was the expression of a man possessed by inspiration; for the knowledge of the future is not appropriate to, or natural to, man.

What shall we say of Moses? is he not celebrated everywhere as a prophet? For the scripture says, "If there shall be among you a prophet of the Lord, I will make myself known unto him in a vision," [*](Numbers xii. 6, ) but to Moses God appeared in his actual appearance and not by a riddle. And again we read, "There arose not any more any prophet like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face." [*](Deuteronomy xxxiv. 10. )

Very admirably, therefore, does the historian here point out, that Abraham was under the influence of inspiration when he says that, "About the setting of the sun a trance fell upon him." [*](Genesis xx. 7. ) [*](Numbers xii. 6, ) [*](Genesis xlix. 2. ) [*](Deuteronomy xxxiv. 10. )

As long therefore as our mind still shines around and hovers around, pouring as it were a noontide light into the whole soul, we, being masters of ourselves, are not possessed by any extraneous influence; but when it approaches its setting, then, as is natural, a trance, which proceeds from inspiration, takes violent hold of us, and madness seizes upon us, for when the divine light shines the human light sets, and when the divine light sets this other rises and shines,