A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

SECT. XVI.

Of the Actings of the Imagination in Dreams.

IN the fourteenth place, Herein the pollution of it doth manifest it self, That when the senses and the rational part are bound up, so that they cease from operation, even then that is acting, and most commonly in a sinful manner by dreams. Dreams are the proper work of the Imagination, and Divines do make three sorts of them, Natural Dreams, which arise from natural causes, and these commonly either have much sinfulness in them, or great troublesomness. Diabolical, such as are cast into the imagination by the Devil; or Divine, such as are caused by God; for the Spirit of God hath used the imagination in some operations thereof: Thus Joseph and others were warned by God in a dream; And Joel 2. the promise is, That their young men should dream dreams. These Divine dreams Tertullian (Lib. 3. de animâ) doth divide into Prophetica, such as are merely fore-telling things to come; Revelatoria, such as reveal something to be done, as Peters vision concerning Cornelius; Aedificatoria, such as build up to any holy duty; And Vocatoria, that call to some spiritual service, as that vision of Paul inviting him to come into Macedonia. Concerning Diabolical Dreams they are not a mans sins but afflictions, unless a man doth directly or indirectly consent thereunto, or walk so that he deserveth God should leave him to such unclean or polluted apprehensions. But we speak of Natural Dreams, and not such as are merely natural, that arise from some natural cause, but such as have had some voluntariness antecedent thereunto, while waking, such now are proud dreams, malicious dreams, unclean and unjust dreams. All these do either expressly or virtually come from a polluted Imagination while we are awake, though happily we cannot remember any such thoughts we had. The sinfulness then of our dreams we are to be humbled under, as coming from sin the cause, and being also sins in themselves: No doubt but Adam would have dreamed, (it being common to all mankind, only it is said of Nero, That he seldom or never dreamed till after the murder of Agrippina, after which he was affrighted with terrible ones; As also of the Atalantes, that none dream amongst them. Though Tertullian faith, Perhaps same did deceive Aristotle in that report,) yet his dreams had been merely natural, not having the least connection of any sin, or any disquieting with them: