Of Revelations: their nature and division.

I HAVE now to speak, in the order laid down, of the spiritual apprehensions, which I have called Revelations. Of these, some properly belong to the spirit of Prophecy. In the first place, a revelation is nothing else but the disclosure of some hidden truth, or the manifestation of some secret or mystery. For instance, God permits a certain soul to understand a particular matter, declaring the truth of it to the intellect, or makes known certain things that He hath done, is doing, or intends to do. This being so, we may say that there are two kinds of revelations: one, the disclosure of truths to the intellect, properly called intellectual knowledge or intelligence; the other, a manifestation of secrets, and this is called revelation with more propriety than the former. The first kind, strictly speaking, cannot be called revelation, because it consists in God’s making the soul to understand pure truths,

regarding not only temporal but also spiritual things, showing them openly and distinctly. I have resolved to treat of them under the term Revelations — first, because of their

mutual connection and proximity, and, secondly, because I -

would not multiply distinctions.

I distinguish revelations therefore into two kinds of apprehensions — intellectual knowledge, and the manifestation of the secrets and hidden mysteries of God. I shall conclude

the subject, with the utmost brevity, in two chapters; and, ©

first, of intellectual knowledge.

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