{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_16831/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_16831","id":"gutenberg_16831","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16831","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Islam","Islamic philosophy -- Early works to 1800"],"text":"Produced by Marc D'Hooghe\n\n\n\n\nTHE IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN REASON\n\n\nExhibited in the Life\n\nof Hai Ebn Yokdhan\n\n\nby\n\n\nIbn Tufail (Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Tufail al-Qasi)\n\nNewly Translated from the Original Arabick by Simon Ockley\n\n\n(1708)\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n               The Improvement of\n\n                  HUMAN REASON,\n\n            Exhibited in the LIFE of\n\n               _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_:\n\n      Written in _Arabick_ above 500 Years\n       _ago, by _Abu Jaafar Ebn Tophail_.\n\n           In which is demonstrated,\n\n      By what Methods one may, by the meer\n      LIGHT OF NATURE, attain the Knowledg\n      of things NATURAL and SUPERNATURAL;\n      more particularly the Knowledg of God,\n      and the Affairs of another Life.\n\n        Illustrated with proper FIGURES,\n\n   Newly Translated from the Original _Arabick_\n        by _SIMON OCKLEY_, A.M. Vicar of\n         _Swanesey_ in _Cambridgshire_.\n\n               With an APPENDIX,\n\n   In Which the Possibility of Man's attaining\n         the True Knowledg of GOD, and\n     Things necessary to Salvation, without\n       INSTRUCTION, is briefly consider'd.\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\nTo the Reverend\n\n_Mr_. Edward Pococke,\n\nRector of\n\n_MINAL_, in _Wiltshire_.\n\n\nReverend SIR,\n\nHai Ebn Yokdhan _returns to you again, in a Dress different from that\nwhich you sent him out in. Wherever he comes, he acknowledges you for\nhis first and best Master; and confesses, that his being put in a\nCapacity to travel thro'_ Europe, _is owing to your Hand. I could not in\nEquity send him to any other Person, you being the sole Proprietor. And\nas your Learning enables you to do him Justice, so your Candor will\nincline you to pardon what is by me done amiss. Both which\nQualifications you enjoy, as a Paternal Inheritance, descending from the\nReverend and Learned _Dr. Pococke,_ the Glory and Ornament of our Age\nand Nation. Whose Memory I much reverence, and how much I acknowledge my\nself indebted to him for his Learned Works, I thought I could no way\nexpress better, than by taking some Opportunity to pay my Respects to\nyou, Sir, the worthy Son of so great a Father. And no fitter Bearer\nthan_ Hai Ebn Yokdhan, _with whose Character and Language you are so\nwell acquainted, and to whom you have long ago shown so great a Respect,\nthat I have no reason to fear but he will be welcome_.\n\n                           _I am_,\n\n                                   _SIR,_\n\n                 _Your most humble Servant_,\n\n                                    Simon Ockley,\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\nTHE PREFACE.\n\n\nWhen Mr. _Pococke_ first publish'd this _Arabick_ Author with his\naccurate _Latin_ Version, _Anno_ 1671. Dr. _Pococke_ his Father, that\nlate eminent Professor of the Oriental Languages in the University of\n_Oxford_, prefix'd a Preface to it; in which he tells us, that he has\ngood Reason to think, that this Author was contemporary with _Averroes_,\nwho died very ancient in the Year of the _Hegira_ 595, which is\nco-incident with the 1198th Year of our Lord; according to which Account,\nthe Author liv'd something above five hundred Years ago.\n\nHe liv'd in _Spain_, as appears from one or two Passages in this Book.\nHe wrote some other Pieces, which are not come to our Hands. This has\nbeen very well receiv'd in the East; one Argument of which is, that it\nhas been translated by _R. Moses_ _Narbonensis_ into _Hebrew_, and\nillustrated with a large Commentary. The Design of the Author is to\nshew, how Human Capacity, unassisted by any External Help, may, by due\nApplication, attain to the Knowledge of Natural Things, and so by\nDegrees find out its Dependance upon a Superior Being, the Immortality\nof the Soul, and all things necessary to Salvation.\n\nHow well he has succeeded in this Attempt, I leave to the Reader to\njudge. 'Tis certain, that he was a Man of Parts and very good Learning,\nconsidering the Age he liv'd in, and the way of studying in those Times.\nThere are a great many lively Stroaks in it; and I doubt not but a\njudicious Reader will find his Account in the Perusal of it.\n\nI was not willing ('though importun'd) to undertake the translating it\ninto _English_, because I was inform'd that it had been done twice\nalready; once by Dr. _Ashwell_, another time by the _Quakers_, who\nimagin'd that there was something in, it that favoured their\nEnthusiastick Notions. However, taking it for granted, that both these\nTranslations we're not made out of the Original _Arabick_, but out of\nthe _Latin_; I did not question but they had mistaken the Sense of the\nAuthor in many places. Besides, observing that a great many of my\nfriends whom I had a desire to oblige, and other Persons whom I would\nwillingly incline to a more favourable Opinion of _Arabick_ Learning,\nhad not seen this Book; and withal, hoping that I might add something by\nway of Annotation or _Appendix_, which would not be altogether useless;\nI at last ventur'd to translate it a-new.\n\nI have here and there added a Note, in which there is an account given\nof some, great Man, some Custom of the Mahometans explain'd, or\nsomething of that Nature, which I hope will not be unacceptable. And\nlest any Person should, through mistake, make any ill use of it, I have\nsubjoin'd an _Appendix_, the Design of which the Reader may see in its\nproper place.\n\nSIMON OCKLEY.\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\nTHE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER.\n\n_When I first undertook the Publication of this English Translation, I\nthought it would not be amiss to present the World with a Specimen of it\nfirst. But since the Introduction is such, that the Reader can no more\nby it give a Guess at what is contain'd in the Book itself, than a Man\ncan judge of his Entertainment by seeing the Cloath laid; I have thought\nit necessary to give him a Bill of Fare_.\n\n_The Design of the Author (who was a Mahometan Philosopher) is to shew\nhow Humane Reason may, by Observation and Experience, arrive at the\nKnowledge of Natural Things, and from thence to Supernatural;\nparticularly the Knowledge of God and a Future State. And in order to\nthis, he supposes a Person brought up by himself where he was\naltogether destitute of any Instruction, but what he could get from his\nown Observation_.\n\n_He lays the Scene in some_ Fortunate _Island situate under the\nEquinoctial; where he supposes this Philosopher, either to have been\nbred (according to_ Avicen_'s Hypothesis, who conceiv'd a possibility of\na Man's being formed by the Influence of the Planets upon Matter rightly\ndisposed) without either Father or Mother; or self-expos'd in his\nInfancy, and providentially suckled by a Roe. Not that our Author\nbeliev'd any such matter, but only having design'd to contrive a\nconvenient place for his Philosopher, so as to leave him to Reason by\nhimself, and make his Observations without any Guide. In which Relation,\nhe proposes both these ways, without speaking one Word in favour of\neither_.\n\n_Then he shews by what Steps and Degrees he advanc'd in the Knowledge of\nNatural Things, till at last he perceiv'd the Necessity of acknowledging\nan Infinite, Eternal, Wise Creator, and also the Immateriality and\nImmortality of his own Soul, and that its Happiness consisted only in a\ncontinued Conjunction with this supream Being_.\n\n_The Matter of this Book is curious, and full of useful Theorems; he\nmakes most use of the Peripatetick Philosophy, which he seems to have\nwell understood; it must be confess'd indeed, that when he comes to talk\nof the Union with God, &c. (as in the Introduction) there are some\nEnthusiastick Notions, which are particularly consider'd and refuted by\nthe Editor in his Appendix_.\n\n_Whose Design in publishing this Translation, was to give those who are\nas yet unacquainted with it, a Taste of the_ Acumen _and_ Genius _of\nthe_ Arabian _Philosophers, and to excite young Scholars to the reading\nof those Authors, which, through a groundless Conceit of their\nImpertinence and Ignorance, have been too long neglected_.\n\n_And tho' we do not pretend to any Discoveries in this Book, especially\nat this time of Day, when all parts of Learning are cultivated with so\nmuch Exactness; yet we hope that it will not be altogether unacceptable\nto the curious Reader to know what the state of Learning was among the_\nArabs, _five hundred Years since. And if what we shall here communicate,\nshall seem little in respect of the Discoveries of this discerning Age;\nyet we are confident, that any_ European, _who shall compare the\nLearning in this Book, with what was publish'd by any of his own\nCountry-men at that time, will find himself obliged in Conscience to\ngive our Author fair Quarter_.\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n_Abu Jaaphar Ebn Tophail_'s\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\nTo the LIFE of\n\n_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_.\n\n_In the Name of the most Merciful God_.[1]\n\nBlessed be the Almighty and Eternal, the Infinitely Wise and Merciful\nGod, _who hath taught us the Use of the PEN_[2], who out of his great\nGoodness to Mankind, _has made him understand Things which he did not\nknow_. I praise him for his excellent Gifts, and give him thanks for his\ncontinued Benefits, and I testify that there is but One God, and that he\nhas no Partner[3]; and that _MAHOMET_ is his Servant and Apostle[4],\nendu'd with an excellent Spirit, and Master of convincing Demonstration,\nand a victorious Sword: the Blessing of God be upon him, and his\nCompanions, (Men of great Thoughts, and vast Understandings,) and upon\nall his Followers, to the End of the World.\n\nYou ask'd me, Dear Friend, (God preserve you for ever, and make you\nPartaker of everlasting Happiness) to communicate to you what I knew\nconcerning the Mysteries of the Eastern Philosophy, mention'd by the\nLearned _Avicenna_[5]: Now you must understand, that whoever designs to\nattain to a clear and distinct Knowledge, must be diligent in the search\nof it. Indeed your request gave me a noble turn of Thought, and brought\nme to the understanding of what I never knew before; nay, it advanc'd me\nto such an elevation, as no Tongue, how eloquent soever, is able to\nexpress; and the reason is, because 'tis of a quite different nature and\nkind from the Things of this World; only this there is in it, that\nwhoever has attain'd to any degree of it, is so mightily affected with\njoy Pleasure, and Exultation, that 'tis impossible for him to conceal\nhis sense of it, but he is forc'd to utter some general Expressions,\nsince he cannot be particular. Now if a Man, who has not been polish'd\nby good Education, happens to attain to that state, he tuns out into\nstrange Expressions, and speaks he knows not what; so that one of this\nsort of Men, when in that state, cry'd out, _Praise to be me! How\nwonderful am I!_[6] Another said, _I am Truth!_[7]. Another, _That he\nwas God_.\n\n_Abu Hamed Algazali_[8], when he had attain'd to it, express'd himself\nthus,\n\n     _'Twas what it was, 'tis not to be express'd;_\n     _Enquire no further, but conceive the best_.\n\nBut he was a Man that had good Learning, and was well vers'd in the\nSciences. What _Avenpace_[9] says at the end of his Discourse concerning\nthe _UNION_, is worth your Observing; There he, says _That 'twill appear\nplainly to any one that understands the design of his Book, that that\ndegree is not attainable by the means of those Sciences which were then\nin use; but that he attain'd to what he knew, by being altogether\nabstracted from any thing which he had been acquainted with before; and\nthat he was furnish'd with other Notions altogether independent upon\nmatter, and of too noble a nature to be any way attributed to the\nNatural Life, but were peculiar to the Blessed, and which upon that\naccount we may call Divine Proprieties, which God (whose Name be\nprais'd) bestows upon such of his Servants as he pleases_.\n\nNow this degree which this Author mentions, is attainable by Speculative\nKnowledge,(nor is it to be doubted but that he had reach'd it himself;)\nbut not that which we have just now mention'd, which notwithstanding is\nnot so much different from it in kind as in degree: for in that which I\nmention'd there are no Discoveries made which contradict those which\nthis Author means; but the difference consists in this, _viz._ that in\nour way there is a greater degree of Clearness and Perspicuity than\nthere is in the other; for in this we apprehend things by the help of\nsomething, which we cannot properly call a _Power_; nor indeed will any\nof those words, which are either us'd in common discourse, or occur in\nthe Writings of the Learned, serve to express _That_, by which this sort\nof Perception do's apprehend.\n\nThis degree, which I have already mention'd, (and which perhaps I should\nnever have had any taste of, if your request had not put me upon a\nfarther search) is the very same thing which _Avicenna_ means, where he\nsays; _Then when a Man's desires are raised to a good pitch, and he is\ncompetently well exercised in that way, there will appear to him some\nsmall glimmerings of the Truth, as it were flashes of Lightning, very\ndelightful, which just shine upon him, and then go out; Then the more he\nexercises himself, the oftner he'll perceive 'em, till at last he'll\nbecome so well acquainted with them, that they will occur to him\nspontaneously, without any exercise at all; and then, as soon as he\nperceives any thing, he applies himself to the Divine Essence, so as to\nretain some impression of it; then something occurs, to him on a sudden,\nwhereby he begins to discern the_ Truth _in every thing; till, through\nfrequent exercise, he at last attains to a perfect Tranquility; and that\nwhich us'd to appear to him only by fits and starts, becomes habitual;\nand that which was only a glimmering before, a constant Light; and he\nobtains a constant and steady Knowledge._ Thus far _Avicenna_. Besides,\nhe has given an account of those several steps and degrees by which a\nMan is brought to this perfection; till his Soul is like a polish'd\nLooking-glass, in which he beholds the _Truth_: and then he swims in\npleasure, and rejoyces exceedingly in his Mind, because of the\nimpressions of _Truth_ which he perceives in it, When he is once\nattain'd thus far, the next thing which employs him is, that he\nsometimes looks towards _Truth_, and sometimes towards _himself_; and\nthus he fluctuates between both, till he retires from himself wholly,\nand looks only to-ward the Divine Essence; and if he do's at any time\nlook towards his own Soul, the only reason is, because that looks\nto-wards God; and from thence arises a perfect Conjunction [with God.]\n\nAnd, according to this manner which he has describ'd, he do's by no\nmeans allow that this _Taste_ is attain'd by way of Speculation or\nDeduction of Consequences. And that you may the more clearly apprehend\nthe difference between the perception of these sort of Men, and those\nother; I shall propose you a familiar instance. Suppose a Man born\nBlind, but of quick Parts, and a good Capacity, a tenacious Memory, and\nsolid Judgment, who had liv'd in the place of his Nativity, till he had\nby the help of the rest of his Senses, contracted an acquaintance with a\ngreat many in the Neighbourhood, and learn'd the several kinds of\nAnimals, and Things inanimate, and the Streets and Houses of the Town,\nso as to go any where about it without a Guide, and to know such people\nas he met, and call them, by their names; and knew the names of\nColours[10], and the difference of them by their descriptions and\ndefinitions; and after he had learn'd all this, should have his Eyes\nopen'd: Why, this Man, when he walk'd about the Town, would find every\nthing to be exactly agreeable to those notions which he had before; and\nthat Colours were such as he had before conceiv'd them to be, by those\ndescriptions he had receiv'd: so that the difference between his\napprehensions when blind, and those which he would have now his Eyes\nwere opened, would consist only in these two great Things, one of which\nis a consequent of the other, _viz._, a greater Clearness, and extream\nDelight. From whence 'tis plain, that the condition of those\nContemplators, who have not yet attain'd to the _UNION_ [with GOD] is\nexactly like that of the Blind Man; and the Notion which a Blind Man has\nof Colours, by their description, answers to those things which\n_Avenpace_ said were _of too noble a nature to be any ways attributed,\nto the Natural Life,_ and, _which God bestows upon such his Servants as\nhe pleases_. But the condition of those who have attain'd to the\n_UNION_, to whom God has given that which I told you could not be\nproperly express'd by the word _POWER_, is that second State of the\nBlind-man cur'd. Take notice by the way, that our Similitude is not\nexactly applicable in every case; for there is very seldom any one found\nthat is born _with his Eyes open_, that can attain to these things\nwithout any help of Contemplation.\n\nNow (my Dear Friend) I do not here, when I speak of the Ideas of the\n_Contemplative_, mean what they learn from the Study of Physicks; nor by\nthe notions of those who have attain'd to the _UNION_, what they learn\nfrom the Study of Metaphysicks (for these two ways of learning are\nvastly different, and must by no means be confounded.) But what I mean\nby the Ideas of the _Contemplative_ is, what is attain'd by the Study of\nMetaphysicks, of which kind is that which _Avenpace_ understood; and in\nthe apprehension of these things, this condition is necessarily\nrequir'd, _viz_. that it be manifestly and clearly true; and then there\nis a middle sort of Speculation, between that, and those who have\nattain'd to the _UNION_, who employ themselves in these things with\ngreater perspicuity and delight.\n\nNow _Avenpace_ blames all those that make any mention of this pleasure\nwhich is enjoy'd in the _UNION_, before the Vulgar; besides he said,\nthat it belonged to the imaginative Faculty; and promis'd to write a\nBook about it, in which he design'd to give an account of the whole\nmatter, and describe the condition of those who were so happy as to\nattain it clearly and perspicuously; but we may answer him with the Old\nProverb, _viz. Don't say a thing is sweet before you taste on't_; for he\nnever was so good as his word, nor performed any thing like it. But 'tis\nprobable that the reason why he did not, was either because he was\nstreightn'd for Time, being taken up with his Journey to _Wahran_; or\nelse, because he was sensible, that if he should undertake to give a\ndescription of that State, the Nature of such a kind of Discourse, would\nunavoidably have put him upon a necessity of speaking some things, which\nwould manifestly have reproach'd his own manner of living, and\ncontradicted those Principles which he himself had elsewhere laid down;\nin which he encourages Men to heap up Riches, and proposes several ways\nand means in order to the acquiring them.\n\nWe have in this Discourse (as necessity required) disgress'd something\nfrom the main Design of what you desir'd; it appears from what has been\nalready said, that you must either mean, 1. That I should describe to\nyou, what they see and taste, who are so happy as to enjoy the\n_UNION_,(which is impossible to be described as it really is; and when\nany one goes about to express it, either by Speech or Writing, he quite\nalters the thing, and sinks into the speculative way. For when you once\ncome to cloath it with Letters and Words, it comes nearer to the\ncorporeal World, and does by no means remain in the same State that it\nwas in before; and the Significations of these Words, which are used in\nthe explaining it, are quite alter'd; so that it occasions a great many\nreal Mistakes to some, and makes others believe, that they are mistaken,\nwhen indeed they are not; and the reason of this is, because it is a\nthing of infinite Extent, comprehending all things in it self, but not\ncomprehended by any.) 2. Or else the meaning of your Request must be\nthis, that I should shew you after what manner they proceed, who give\nthemselves to Contemplation. And this (my good Friend) is a thing which\nis capable of being express'd both by Speech, and Writing; but 'tis as\nscarce as old Gold, especially in this part of the World where we live;\nfor 'tis so rare, that there's hardly one of a thousand gets so much as\na smattering of it; and of those few, scarce any, have communicated any\nthing of what they knew in that kind, but only by obscure Hints, and\n_Innuendo_'s. Indeed the _Hanifitick_ Sect[11], and the Mahometan\nReligion, doe forbid Men to dive too far into this matter. Nor would I\nhave you think that the Philosophy which we find in the Books of\n_Aristotle_, and _Alpharabius_[12], and in _Avicenna_'s Book, which he\ncalls _Alshepha,_ does answer the end which you aim at, nor have any of\nthe _Spanish_ Philosophers[13] writ fully and satisfactorily about it.\nBecause those Scholars which were bred in _Spain_, before the Knowledge\nof Logick and Philosophy was broach'd amongst them, spent their whole\nLives in Mathematicks, in which it must be allow'd, they made a great\nProgress, but went no farther. After them came a Generation of Men, who\napply'd themselves more to the Art of Reasoning, in which they excell'd\ntheir Predecessors, yet not so as to attain to true Perfection. So that\none of them said,\n\n     _T'is hard the kinds of Knowledge are but two,_\n         _The One erroneous, the Other true_.\n     _The former profits nothing when 'tis gain'd,_\n         _The other's difficult to be attain'd_.\n\nAfter these came others, who still advanc'd further, and made nearer\napproaches to the Truth; among whom there was one that had a sharper\nWit, or truer notions of things than _Avenpace_, but he was too much\ntaken up with Worldly Business, and Died before he had time to open the\nTreasury of his Knowledge, so that most of those pieces of his which are\nextant, are imperfect; particularly his Book _about the Soul_) and his\n_Tedbiro 'lmotawahhid,_ i.e. _How a Man ought to manage himself that\nleads a Solitary Life_ So are his _Logicks_ and _Physicks_. Those Pieces\nof his which are compleat, are only short Tracts and some occasional\nLetters. Nay, in his Epistle concerning the _UNION_, he himself\nconfesses that he had wrote nothing compleat, where he says, _That it\nwould require a great deal of trouble and pains to express that clearly\nwhich he had undertaken to prove_; and, _that the method which he had\nmade use of in explaining himself, was not in many places so exact as it\nmight have been_; and, _that he design'd, if he had time, to alter it_.\nSo much for _Avenpace_, I for my part never saw him, and as for his\nContemporaries, they were far inferiour to him, nor did I ever see any\nof their Works. Those who are now alive, are, either such as are still\nadvancing forwards, or else such as have left off, without attaining to\nperfection; if there are any other, I know nothing of them.\n\nAs to those Works of _Alpharabius_ which are extant, they are most of\nthem _Logick_. There are a great many things very dubious in his\nPhilosophical Works; for in his _Mellatolphadelah_, i.e. _The most\nexcellent Sect_, he asserts expressly, _that the Souls of Wicked Men\nshall suffer everlasting Punishment_; and yet says as positively in his\nPoliticks that they shall be dissolv'd and annihilated, and that the\nSouls of the Perfect shall remain for ever. And then in his _Ethicks_,\nspeaking concerning the Happiness of Man, he says, _that it is only in\nthis Life_, and then adds, _that whatsoever People talk of besides, is\nmeer Whimsy and old Wives Fables_. A principle, which if believ'd would\nmake all Men despair of the Mercy of God, and puts the Good and Evil\nboth upon the same Level, in that it makes annihilation the common end\nto them both. This is an Error not to be pardon'd by any means, or made\namends for. Besides all this, he had a mean Opinion of the Gift of\nProphecy, and said that in his Judgment it did belong to the _faculty of\nImagination_, and that he prefer'd Philosophy before it; with a great\nmany other things of the like nature, not necessary to be mention'd\nhere.\n\nAs for the Books of _Aristotle, Avicenna_'s Exposition of them in his\n_Alshepha_ [i.e. _Health_] supplies their Room, for he trod in the same\nsteps and was of the same Sect. In the beginning of that Book, says,\nthat the _Truth_ was in his opinion different from what he had there\ndeliver'd, that he had written that Book according to the Philosophy of\nthe _Peripateticks_; but those that would know the _Truth_ clearly, and\nwithout Obscurity, he refers to his Book, _Of the Eastern Philosophy_.\nNow he that takes the pains to compare his _Alshepha_ with what\n_Aristotle_ has written, will find they agree in most things, tho' in\nthe _Alshepha_ there are a great many things which are not extant in any\nof those pieces which we have of _Aristotle_. But if the Reader, take\nthe literal Sense only, either of the _Alshepha_ or _Aristotle_, with,\nout penetrating into the hidden Sense, he will never attain to\nperfection, as _Avicenna_ himself observes in the _Alshepha_.\n\nAs for _Algazali_[14], he often contradicts himself, denying in one\nplace what he affirm'd in another. He taxes the Philosophers with\n_Heresy_[15] in his Book which he calls _Altehaphol_, i.e.\n_Destruction_, because they deny the Resurrection of the Body, and hold\nthat Rewards and Punishments in a Future State belong to the Soul only.\nThen in the beginning of his _Almizan_, i.e. _The Balance_, he affirms\npositively, that this is the Doctrine of the _Suphians_[16], and that he\nwas convinc'd of the truth of it, after a great deal of Study and\nSearch. There are a great many such Contradictions as these interspers'd\nin his Works; which he himself begs Pardon for in the end of his _Mizan\nAlamal [The Ballance of Mens Actions]_; where he says, that there are\nThree sorts of Opinions; 1. Such as are common to the Vulgar, and\nagreeable to their Notions of things. 2. Such as we commonly make use of\nin answering Questions propos'd to us. 3. Such private as a Man has to\nhimself, which none understand but those who think just as he does. And\nthen he adds, that tho' there were no more in what he had written than\nonly this, _viz_. That it made a Man doubt of those things which he had\nimbib'd at first, and help'd him to remove the prejudices of Education,\nthat even that were sufficient; because, he that never doubts will never\nweigh things aright, and he that does not do that will never see, hut\nremain in Blindness and Confusion.\n\n     _Believe your Eyes, but still suspect your Ears,_\n     _You'll need no Star-light[17], when the day appears_.\n\nThis is the account of his way of Philosophizing, the greatest part of\nwhich is enigmatical and full of obscurity, and for that reason of no\nuse to any but such as thoroughly perceive and understand the matter\nbefore, and then afterwards hear it from him again, or at least such as\nare of an excellent Capacity, and can apprehend a thing from the least\nintimation. The same Author says in his _Aljawahir_ [i.e. _The Jewels_]\nthat he had Books not fit to be communicated, but to such only as were\nqualified to read them, and that in them he had laid down the _Naked\nTruth_; but none of them ever came into _Spain_ that we know of: we have\nindeed had Books which some have imagin'd to be those incommunicable\nones he speaks of, but 'tis a mistake, for those are _Almaareph\nAlakliyah [Intellectual notices]_ and the _Alnaphchi walteswiyal\n[Inflation and AEquation]_ and besides these, _a Collection of several\nQuestions_. But as for these, tho' there are some hints in them, yet\nthey contain nothing of particular use to the clearing of things, but\nwhat you may meet with in his other Books. There are, 'tis true, in his\n_Almeksad Alasna_, some things which are more profound than what we meet\nwith in the rest of his Books, but he expressly says, that that Book is\nnot _incommunicable_; from whence it follows, those Books which are come\nto our hands are not those incommunicable ones which he means. Some have\nfancy'd that there were some great matters contain'd in that Discourse\nof his, which is at the end of his _Meschal_ [i.e. _Casement_] (which\nBelief of theirs, has plung'd them into inextricable Difficulties) where\nspeaking of the several sorts of those who are kept from nearer\nApproaches, by the Brightness of the radiation of the Divine light, and\nthen of those who had attain'd to the _UNION_, he says of these later,\n_That they apprehended such Attributes to belong to the Divine Essence\nas were destructive of its Unity_; from, whence it appear'd to them that\nhe believ'd a sort of Multiplicity in the Godhead, which is horrid\nBlasphemy. Now I make no Question but that the worthy Doctor _Algazali_\nwas one of those which attain'd to the utmost degree of Happiness, and\nto those heights which are proper _to_ those who enjoy the _UNION_; but\nas for his secret or incommunicable Books, which contain the manner of\n_Revelation_, they never came to my hands: and that pitch of knowledge\nwhich I have attain'd to, is owing to his other works and to _Avicenna_,\nwhich I read and compar'd with the Opinions of the present Philosophers,\ntill at length I came to the Knowledge of the Truth. At first indeed, by\nway of Enquiry and Contemplation;but afterwards I came to have a perfect\nsense, and then I found that I could say something which I could call my\nown. Now I was resolv'd that you should be the first, to whom I would\nCommunicate what I knew about these matters, both upon the account of\nthe Intimacy of our Friendship, and your Candor and Integrity. Only\nobserve, that my discovering to you the Ends which I attain'd in this\nway, without proving the Principles to you first, by which those Ends\nare attain'd, will do you no more Service, than any other Story which\nyou receive by tradition, or any thing told you in general, of which you\ndon't know how to make a particular application. Presuming that you will\naccept it kindly, not for any merit of the Author, but upon the account\nof our Friendship and Acquaintance; and I heartily desire that you\nmayn't stop here, but aspire to a loftier degree: for this is so far\nfrom being able to bring you to those heights, that is not sufficient to\nsave you. Now I would lead you by the same paths which I have walk'd in\nbefore you, and make you steer by the same Compass, till you arrive at\nthe same Point, and see with your own Eyes what I have seen before you,\nso as not to take it on trust any longer from me, but to experience it\nyourself. But this is a matter which will not only require considerable\nTime, but also that you are free and disingag'd from all manner of\nBusiness, and follow it close with great Application. And if you are\nreally in earned, and set about it heartily, you will rejoyce as one\nthat has Travelled all Night do's when the Sun rises upon him, and will\nreceive a Blessing for your Labour, and take delight in your Lord, and\nhe will delight in you. And for my own part, you will find me, according\nto your own Hearts desire, just such an one as you could wish; and I\nhope that I shall lead you in the right way, free from Evils and\nDangers: and really I perceive some Glimmerings now, by the help of\nwhich I shall inflame your Desire, and put you upon entring this way, by\ntelling you the Story of _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ and _Asal_, and _Salaman_ (as\n_Avicenna_ calls them); in which, those that understand themselves right\nwill find matter of Improvement, and worthy their Imitation.\n\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[Footnote 1: In the Name, &c--_This is the usual Form with which the_\nMahometans _begin all their Writings, Books and Epistles.\nEvery Chapter in the_ Alcoran _begins so, and all their Authors\nhave followed this way ever price. The Eastern Christians, to distinguish\nthemselves from the_ Mahometans, _begin their Writings\nwith_ Bismi'labi Wa'libni, _&c_. In the Name of the Father,\nand of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, One God:_and so do\nthe_ AEthiopians. _We here in_ England _observe something like\nthis in Wills, where the usual Form is_, In the Name of God,\nAmen.]\n\n[Footnote 2: _These words_,--Who hath taught us the Use of the Pen;\nwho hath taught Man what he did not know, _are taken out of the_\nXCVI. _Chapter of the_ Alcoran, _according to those Editions\nof it which are now in use_: _but_ Joannes Andreas Maurus,\n_(who was_ Alfaqui, or _chief Doctor of the_ Moors _in_ Sciatinia,\n_in the kingdom of_ Valentia _in_ Spain, _and afterwards converted to\nthe Christian Religion in the Year of our Lord_ 1487) _says, that\nit is the first Chapter that was written of all the_ Alcoran. _But\nbe that how it will, we may from hence, and infinite other places,\nobserve the strange way which these Eastern Writers have of Quoting\nthe_ Alcoran; _for they intermix those Expressions which they\ntake out of it with their own words, without giving the Reader\nthe least Notice or Hint whence they had them, or where to find\nthem_.]\n\n[Footnote 3: And I testify, &c.--_After be testified the Unity of the\nGodhead, be immediately adds_ La Sharica Leho, That he has\nno Partner. _These words frequently occur in the_ Alcoran, _and\nare particularly levell'd against the Christians, which_ Mahomet\n_frequently will_ Mushricoun, _i.e._. Associantes, Joyning Partners\nwith God, _because they acknowledge the Divinity of our\nBlessed Saviour_.]\n\n[Footnote 4: _The whole_ Mahometan _Creed consists only of these two Articles,_\n1. There is no God but God, [i.e. _There is but One\nGod] and_ 2. Mahomet is his Apostle. _A very short Creed, but\ntheir Explications of it, make amends for its shortness. The Reader\nmay see a Paraphrase of it out of_ Algazali, _in Dr_. Pocock's\nSpecimen Historiae Arabum, p. 174.]\n\n[Footnote 5: The Learned _Avicenna--This great Man was born in_ Bochara,\n_a City famous for the Birth of a great many very Learned\nMen; it lyes in 96 Degrees, and 50 Minutes of Longitude reckoning\nfrom the Fortunate-Islands, and 39 Degrees and 50 Minutes\nof Northern Latitude. A pleasant place, and full of good Buildings,\nhaving without the City a great many Fields and Gardens,\nround about which there is a great Wall of XII Parasangae, or\n36 Miles long, which encompasses both the Fields and the City_\nAbulphed. Golius _'s Notes upon_ Alferganus. _Thus much concerning\nthe Place of his Nativity; he was born in the Year of\nthe_ Hegira 370, _which is about the 980 Year of Christ. He was\nindeed a prodigious Scholar; he had learn'd the_ Alcoran, _and\nwas well initiated into Human Learning before he was Ten years\nold; then he studied Logick and Arithmetick, and read over Euclid\nwithout any help, only his Master show'd him how to demonstrate\nthe first five or six Propositions; Then he read_ Ptolemy's Almagest,\n_and afterwards a great many Medicinal Books; and all\nthis before be was sixteen years old. He was not only a great Philosopher\nand Physician, but an excellent Philologer and Poet. Amongst\nother of his Learned Works, he wrote an Arabick Lexicon;\nbut it is lost. Besides all this, he was a Vizier, and met with\na great many Troubles, which nevertheless did not abate his indefatigable\nIndustry. The Soldiers once mutiny'd, and broke open\nhis House, and carry'd him to Prison, and would fain have persuaded the\nSultan_ Shemfoddaulah _to have put him to Death,\nwhich he refusing, was forc'd to Banish him. After a Life spent\nin Study and Troubles, having written more Learned Books than he\nliv'd Years, he died, Aged 58 Years_.]\n\n[Footnote 6: _Subhheni_--Praise be to me. _Which is an expression never\nus'd but when they speak of God_.]\n\n[Footnote 7: I am Truth--_or_, I am the True God. _For the Arabick\nword_ Albakko _signifies both, and is very often us'd for one of\nthe Names or Attributes of God_. Kamus. _Dr._ Pocock, Specimen pag. 168.]\n\n[Footnote 8: Abu Hamed Algazali--_What_ Abu Hamed Algazali _thought\nconcerning those Men who were so wild and Enthusiastick as to\nuse such extravagant expressions, appears plainly from those words\nof his quoted by_ Dr. Pocock _in his_ Specimen. p. 167, _where he says_,\n\"People ran on to such a degree, (_of madness you may\nbe sure_) as to pretend to an Union with God, and a fight\nof him without the interposition of any Veil, and familiarly\ndiscourse with him. _And a little after_, which sort\nof Speeches have occasion'd great mischiefs among the\ncommon People; so that some Country Fellows laying aside\ntheir Husbandry, have pretended to the same things:\nfor Men are naturally pleas'd with such discourses, as\ngive them a liberty to neglect their business, and withal\npromise them purity of Mind, and the attainment of\nstrange degrees and proprieties. Now the most stupid\nWretches in Nature may pretend to this, and have in\ntheir Mouths such false and deceitful expressions. And\nif any one denies what they say, they immediately tell\nyou, that this Unbelief of yours proceeds from _Learning_\nand _Logick_: and that _Learning_ is a _Veil_, and _Logick_\nlabour of the brain, but that these things which they\naffirm, are discovered only inwardly then by the\n_Light of the TRUTH_. And this which they affirm, has spread\n_it self_ through a great many Countries, and produc'd a\ngreat deal of Mischief.\" _Thus far_ Algazali. _How exactly\nthis answers the wild extravagancies of our Enthusiasts, let\nthemselves judge. And withal I would have them from hence\nlearn the Modesty not to pretend to be the first after the Apostles\nwho had endeavour'd to turn Men from Darkness to LIGHT,\nsince they see so many worthy Persons among the Mahometans\ngone before them_.]\n\n[Footnote 9: Avenpace--_This Author is oftentimes quoted by the Name\nof_ Ebn'olfayeg; _he was accounted a Philosopher. of great Ingenuity\nand Judgment_. Maimonides, _in his Epistle to_ R. Samuel\nAben Tybbon, _gives him a great Character_. Abu'l Hasen Ali,\n_who collected all his Works, and reduced them into One Volume,\nprefers him before all the Mahometan Philosophers whatsoever.\nHe was famous for his Poetry as well as Philosophy; he died young,\nbeing prison'd at_ Fez, _in the Year of the_ Hegira 533. _i.e. of\nChrist_, 1138, or 39, _others in the Year_ 525, _which answers to_\n1131. _Most of his Works are imperfect_. See Dr. _Pocock's\nElenchus Scriptorum prefix'd to the Arabick Edition of this Book_.]\n\n[Footnote 10: _Tho' this instance will serve to explain the meaning of the\nAuthor, yet 'tis very improper, because 'tis utterly impossible to\ngive a Man that is born Blind, the least notion or\nidea of Light or Colours_.]\n\n[Footnote 11: _The Hanifitick Sect,_ and the _Mahometan_ Religion,--_That\nis, not only the_ Hanifitick _Sect, but even the_ Mahometan _Religion\ntoo, of which that Sect is a Branch, does forbid the over\ncurious enquiring into these abstruse Matters. This Sect was\nvery early among the_ Mahometans, _for it had its Name from_\nAbu Hanifah Al Nooman, _who was born,in the 80 year of_\nHegira, or according to others in the 70. _I must confer,\nthat it seems something odd, that he should mention that Sect first,\nand then the_ Mahometan _Religion which includes it, and if it\nhad not been for the word_ Asshariyato, _which, if I mistake not,\nis never us'd to express any particular Sect, but signifies a Religion,\nor Law of God, I should have understood those Words of the\nSect of_ Mahomet Ebn Edris Asshaphiensis. _See Dr._ Pocock _'s\nSpecimen_ p. 295. _Or else the_ Hanifitick _Sect and the_ Mahometan\n_Religion may signifie the same thing, because_ Abraham,\n_(whose Religion the_ Mahometans _pretend to follow) is called in\nthe_ Alcoran Hanif. _Dr._ Sike.]\n\n[Footnote 12: Alpharabius,--_Without Exception, the greatest of all the_\nMahometan _Philosophers, reckon'd by some very near equal to_\nAristotle _himself_. Maimonides, _in the Epistle which I just\nnow mention'd, commends him highly; and tho' he allows_\nAvicenna _a great share of Learning, and_ Acumen; _yet be prefers_\nAlpharabius _before him. Nay_, Avicenna _himself confesses, that\nwhen he had read over_ Aristotle's _Metaphysicks forty times, and\ngotten them by heart; that he never understood them till he\nhappened upon_ Alpharabius_'s Exposition of them. He wrote Books\nof Rhetorick, Musick, Logick, and all parts of Philosophy; and\nhis Writings have been much esteemed; not only by_ Mahometans\n_but_ Jews _and_ Christians _too. He was a Person of singular\nAbstinence and Continence,and Despiser of the things of this World.\nHe is call'd_ Alpharabius _from_ Farab, _the place of bis Birth,\nwhich according to_ Abulpheda _(who reckons his Longitude not\nfrom the Fortunate Islands, but from the extremity of the Western\nContinent of_ Africa) _bar_88 deg. 30 min. _of Longitude and_\n44 deg. _of Northern Latitude. He died at_ Damascus _the Year\nof the Hegira_ 339, _that is, about the Year of Christ 950,\nwhen he was about fourscore Years Old_.]\n\n[Footnote 13: The _Spanish_ Philosophers.--_This is not to be understood of\nany Christians in_ Spain, _but Mahometans; for the Moors\nConquer'd a great part of_ Spain _in the Ninety Fifth Year of the_ Hegira,\n_which answers partly to the Year of our Lord 710.\nAfterwards, as Learning grew up amongst the Eastern Mahometans,\nit increased proportionally among the Western too, and they\nhad a great many Learned Men in_ Toledo _and other Places. The\nAuthor of this Book was a_, Spaniard, _as appears from an Expression\ntowards the end of this Preface_.]\n\n[Footnote 14: Algazali.--_He was an Eminent Philosopher, Born at Thus\na Famous City of_ Chorafan, _in the Year of the_ Hegira 450, _of\nChrist_ 1058. _He died in the Year of the_ Hegira 505, _of Christ_\n1111-2. Dr. Pocock's Elenchus Scriptor.]\n\n[Footnote 15: Heresy.--_In Arabick the Word_ Kafara, _signifies_ to be\nan Infidel, _but they use it commonly as we do the word_ Heresy,\nviz. _when a Person holds any thing erroneous in Fundamentals,\ntho' Orthodox in other points_.]\n\n[Footnote 16: The Doctrine of the _Suphians_--_The_ Suphians _are an Enthusiastick\nSect amongst the Mahometans, something like_ Quietists\n_and_ Quakers; _these set up a stricter sort of Discipline, and pretended\nto great abstinence and Contempt of the World, and also to\na greater Familiarity and stricter Union with God than other Sects;\nthey used a great many strange and extravagant actions and utter\nBlasphemous Expressions_. Al Hosain Al Hallagi _was eminent\namongst them about the Year of the_ Hegira 300. _'Twas he that\nwrote in one of his Epistles_, Blessed is he that possesses the shining\nlight, _&c. and pretended that God dwelt in him. The\nLearned among the_ Arabians _are not agreed, about the derivation\nof the Word,_ Sufi,\nSuphian. _It seems not to be known\namong them till about the_ 200 _Year of the_ Hegira. _The most probable\nInterpretation of it is from the Arabick word_ Suph, _which\nsignifies_ Wool, _because those that followed this Sect refused to\nwear Silk, and Cloathed themselves only with_ Wool. Dr. Pocock\n_and_ Golius _follow this Interpretation; tho' the latter in his\nLexicon seems to doubt whether it is deriv'd from the [Greek: sophos]\nor from the Arabick_ Suph. _The Sultan of Persia is often call'd\nthe_ Sophy, _because_ Ismael _the first Sultan of that Family\nnow in_ Persia _who began to Reign in the 605 Year of\nthe_ Hegira, _that is of our Lord the_ 1554/5 _was of this Sect._ viz,\nSufi, a Suphian.]\n\n[Footnote 17: _The word which I have here rendred_ Starlight, _is_ Zohal _in\nArabick which signifies_ Saturn. _'Tis a common way with\nthe Arabian Authors, when they intend to shew a vast disproportion\nbetween things, to compare the greater to the_ Sun _and the\nlesser to_ Saturn. _The meaning of this Distich, is that there is as\nmuch difference between what a Man knows by hearsay, or what\nnotions he imbibes in his Education, and what he knows when he\ncomes to examin things to the bottom, and know them experimentally,\nas there is between Twilight and Noonday_.]\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF _HAI EBN YOKDHAN_.\n\n\nSec. 1. Our Ancestors, of Happy Memory, tell us, that there is an Island in\nthe _Indian_ Ocean, situate under the Equinoctial, where Men come into\nthe world spontaneously without the help of Father and Mother. This\nIsland it seems, is blest with such a due Influence of the Sun, as to be\nthe most temperate and perfect of all places in the Creation; tho' it\nmust be confess'd that such an Assertion is contrary to the Opinion of\nthe most celebrated Philosophers and Physicians, who affirm that the\nfourth Climate is the most Temperate. Now if the reason which they give\nfor this Assertion, viz. _That these parts situate under the Equinoctial\nare not habitable_; were drawn, from any Impediment from the Earth, 'tis\nallow'd that it would appear more probable; but if the reason be,\nbecause of the intense Heat (which is that which most of 'em assign)\n'tis absolutely false, and the contrary is prov'd by undeniable\ndemonstration. For 'tis demonstrated in Natural Philosophy, that there\nis no other cause of Heat than Motion, or else the Contact and Light of\nHot Bodies. 'Tis also prov'd that the Sun, in it self, is not hot, nor\npartakes of any mix'd Quality: 'tis prov'd moreover, that the thickest\nand smoothest Bodies receive Light in the greatest degree of perfection;\nand next to them, the thicker which are not smooth, and those which are\nvery thin receive no Light at all. (This was first demonstrated by\n_Avicenna_, never mention'd before by any of the Ancients.) From these\nPremises, this Consequence will necessarily follow, _viz_. That the Sun\ndo's not Communicate his Heat to the Earth, after the same manner as hot\nBodies heat those other Bodies which are near them because the Sun is\nnot hot in it self. Nor can it be said that the Earth is heated by\nMotion, because it stands still, and remains in the same posture, both\nwhen the Sun shines upon it, and when it does not, and yet 'tis evident\nto Sense, that there is a vast difference in it, in respect of Heat and\nCold, at those several times. Nor does the Sun first heat the Air, and\nso the Earth; because we may observe in hot weather, that the Air which\nis nearest the Earth, is hotter by much than that which is higher and\nmore remote. It remains therefore that the Sun has no other way of\nheating the Earth but by its Light, for Heat always follows Light, so\nthat when its Beams are collected, as in Burning-Glasses for instance,\nit fires all before it. Now 'tis Demonstrated in Mathematicks, that the\nSun is a Spherical Body, and so is the Earth; and that the Sun is much\ngreater than the Earth; and that part of the Earth which is at all times\nilluminated by the Sun is above half of it; and that in that half which\nis illuminated, the Light is most intense in the midst; both because\nthat part is the most remote from Darkness, which is the Circumference\nof the Circle, as also, because it lies opposite to more parts of the\nSun: and that those parts which are nearest the Circumference of the\nCircle, have less Light; and so gradually, till the Circumference of the\nCircle, which encompasses the illuminated part of the Earth, ends in\nDarkness.\n\nSec. 2. Now that is the Center of the Circle of Light, where the Sun is\nVertical to the Inhabitants, and then in that place, the Heat is most\nextreamly intense; and so those Countries are the coldest, where the Sun\nis farthest from being Vertical. And if there were any such place where\nthe Sun was always Vertical, it must needs be extream hot. Now 'tis\ndemonstrated in Astronomy, that the Sun is Vertical twice a Year only,\nto those which live under the Equinoctial, _viz_. when he enters into\n_Aries_ and _Libra_; and all the rest of the Year he declines from them,\nsix months Northward, and six months Southward; and for that reason they\nare neither too hot nor too cold, but of a Moderate Temper between both.\nThere's much more to be said about this Argument, in order to the\nexplaining it fully, but it is not suitable to our purpose; I have only\nhinted it to you, because it helps the Story a little, and makes it\nsomething more probable that a Man may be form'd without the help of\nFather and Mother; and there are some which affirm positively that _Hai\nEbn Yokdhan_ was so, others deny it, and tell the Story thus:\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Illustration 3]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSec. 3. They say, that there lay, not far from this our Island, another\nGreat Island very fertile and well peopled; which was then govern'd by a\nPrince of a Proud and Jealous Disposition: he had a Sister of exquisite\nBeauty, which he confin'd and restrain'd from Marriage, because he could\nnot match her to one suitable to her quality He had a near Relation\nwhose Name was _Yokdhan_, that courted this Princess, and Married her\nprivately, according to the Rites of Matrimony then in use among them;\nit was not long before she prov'd with Child, and was brought to Bed of\na Son; and being afraid that it should be discovered, she took him in\nthe Evening, and when she had Suckled him she put him into a little Ark\nwhich she closed up fast, and so Conveys him to the Sea shore, with some\nof her Servants and Friends as she could trust; and there with an Heart\nequally affected with Love and Fear, she takes her last leave of him in\nthese Words, _O God, thou form'dst this Child out of nothing, and didst\nCherish him in the Dark recesses of my Womb, till he was compleat in all\nhis parts; I fearing the Cruelty of a Proud and unjust King, commit him\nto thy Goodness, hoping that thou who art infinitely merciful, will be\npleas'd by thy gracious Providence to protect him, and never leave him\ndestitute of thy Care_.\n\nSec.4. Then she set him afloat, and that very Night the Tide carried him\nashore on that Island we just now mention'd; it fortun'd that the Water\nbeing high, carried the Ark a great way on shore, farther than it would\nhave done at another time, (for it rises so high but once a Year) and\ncast the Ark into a little shady Grove, thick set with Trees, a pleasant\nplace, where he was secured both from Wind and Sun; when the Tide ebb'd,\nthe Ark was left there, and the Wind rising blew an heap of Sand\ntogether between the Ark and the Sea, sufficient to secure him from any\nfuture danger of such another Flood.\n\nSec. 5. The Violence of the Waves had loosned the Joints of the Ark; the\nBoy was Hungry and Cry'd. It happen'd fortunately at that Juncture of\ntime, that a Roe wandring about the Island in search of her Fawn, which\nstraying was devoured by an Eagle, heard the Boy cry, and following the\nvoice (imagining it to have been her Fawn) came up to the Ark, which she\nimmediately attack'd, and what with her beating it with her hoofs\nwithout, and the Boy's struggling within, at last between 'em both they\nloosned a board: as soon as she saw him she shew'd the same natural\nAffection to him as if he had been her own, Suckled him and took care of\nhim. This is the account which they give, who are not willing to believe\nthat a Man can be produced without Father or Mother.\n\nSec. 6. On the other hand, those who affirm that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ was\nproduced in that Island without Father and Mother[18], tell us, that in\nthat island, in a piece of Low ground, it chanc'd that a certain Mass of\nEarth was so fermented in some period of Years, that the four qualities,\n_viz. Hot, Cold, Dry, Moist_, were so equally mix'd, that none of 'em\nprevail'd over the other; and that this Mass was of a very great Bulk,\nin which, some parts were better and more equally Temper'd than\nothers,and consequently fitter for Generation; the middle part\nespecially, which came nearest to the Temper of Man's Body. This Matter\nbeing in a fermentation, there arose some Bubbles by reason of its\nviscousness, and it chanc'd that in the midst of it there was a viscous\nSubstance with a very little bubble in it, which was divided into two\nwith a thin partition, full of Spirituous and Aerial Substance, and of\nthe most exact Temperature imaginable. That the Matter being thus\ndispos'd, there was, by the Command of God, a Spirit infus'd into it;\nwhich was join'd so closely to it, that it can scarce be separated from\nit even so much as in thought; which did as constantly influence this\nMass of matter as the Sun do's the World. Now there are some Bodies from\nwhence we perceive no Reflection of Light, as the thin Air: others from\nwhich we do but imperfectly; such are thick Bodies which are not smooth\n(but there is a difference in these, and the difference of their Colours\narises from the different manner of their Reception of the Rays); and\nfrom others we receive the Reflection in the highest degree, as from\nBodies which are smooth and polish'd, as Looking-Glasses and the like;\nso that those Glasses when ground after a particular manner will Collect\nso much Light as to kindle a Fire. So that Spirit which comes by the\nCommand of God, do's at all times act upon all Creatures, in some of\nwhich notwithstanding, there appears no Impression of it, but the reason\nof that is, because of their Incapacity into whom it is infus'd; of\nwhich kind are things inanimate which are fitly represented in this\nsimilitude, by the thin Air. There are another sort again; in which\nthere does appear something of it, as Vegetables and the like, which are\nrepresented by the thick Bodies we mention'd, which are not polish'd.\nAnd then lastly, there are others, (represented by those Glasses, in our\nlast comparison) in which the impressions of this Spirit are visible,\nand such we reckon all sorts of Animals. But then, as these smooth and\npolish'd Bodies which are of the same figure with the Sun [i.e.\nSpherical] do receive the Rays in a more plentiful manner than any other\nwhatsoever, so also do some Animals receive the Influence of that Spirit\nmore than others, because they are more like to that Spirit and are\nform'd after his Image: such is Man particularly, which is hinted before\nwhere 'tis said that _God made Man after his own Image_[19].\n\nSec. 7. Now, when this Form prevails to such a degree that all others are\nnothing before it, but it remains alone, so as to consume, with the\nglory of its Light, whatsoever stands; in it's way; then it is properly\ncompared to those Glasses, which reflect Light upon themselves, and burn\nevery thing else; But this is a degree which is peculiar to the\nProphets.\n\nSec. 8. But to return, and speak something more fully concerning the\nOpinion of those who account for this kind of generation; They tell us,\nthat as soon as this Spirit was join'd to the Receptacle, all the other\npowers immediately, by the Command of God, submitted themselves to it.\nNow, opposite to this Receptacle, there arose another Bubble divided\ninto three Receptacles by thin membranes, with passages from one to the\nother, which were fill'd with an aerial substance, not much unlike that\nwhich was in the first Receptacle, only the first was something finer;\nand in each of these three Ventricles,which were all taken out of one,\nwere plac'd some of those Faculties, which were subject to this\ngoverning Spirit, and were appointed to take care of their respective\nStations, and to communicate every thing, both great and small, to that\nSpirit, which we told you before was plac'd in the first Receptacle.\nRight against this Receptacle, opposite to the second, there arose\nanother third Bubble, fill'd with an aerial substance, which was grosser\nthan that which was in the other two; this was made for the\nEntertainment and preservation of some other of the inferior Faculties.\n\nSec. 9. Thus these three Receptacles were made in the same order which we\nhave describ'd, and these were the first part of that great Mass which\nwas form'd; now they stood in need of one another's assistance; the\nfirst wanted the other two as Servants, and they again the assistance\nand guidance of the first, as their Master and Director; but both these\nReceptacles, tho' inferior to the first, were nevertheless superior to\nall those Members which were form'd afterwards. The first Receptacle, by\nthe power of that Spirit which was joyn'd to it and its continual\nflaming Heat, was form'd into a Conical figure, like that of Fire, and\nby this means that thick Body, which was about it, became of the same\nfigure, being solid Flesh cover'd with a thick Membrane. This is what we\ncall the Heart. Now considering the great expence of Moisture, which\nmust needs be where there is so much Heat, 'twas absolutely necessary,\nthat there should be some part form'd, whose Office it should be\ncontinually to supply this defect; Otherwise it would have been\nimpossible to have subsisted long. 'Twas also necessary that [this\nforming Spirit] should have a Sense both of what was convenient for him,\nand what was hurtful, and accordingly attract the one and repel the\nother. For these Services there were two parts form'd, with their\nrespective Faculties, _viz_. the Brain and the Liver: the first of these\npresided over all things relating to Sense, the latter over such things\nas belong'd to Nutrition: both of these depended upon the Heart for a\nsupply of Heat, and the recruiting of their proper Faculties. To\nestablish a good Correspondence between all these, there were Ducts and\nPassages interwoven, some bigger, some lesser, according as necessity\nrequir'd; and these are the Arteries and Veins.\n\nThus much for a Taste; they that tell the Story go on farther, and give\nyou a particular account of the Formation of all the parts, as the\nPhysicians do of the Formation of the _Foetus_ in the Womb, omitting\nnothing till he was compleatly form'd, and just like an _Embryo_ ready\nfor the Birth. In this account they are forc'd to be beholding to this\nvast Mass of Earth, which you are to suppose was of a most exact\nmixture, and contain'd in it all manner of materials proper for the\nmaking Man's Body, and those Skins, _&c._ which cover it; till at last,\nwhen he was Compleat in all his parts, as if the Mass had been in\nlabour, those Coverings, which he was wrapp'd up in, burst asunder, and\nthe rest of the Dirt dry-d and crack'd in pieces. The Infant being thus\nbrought into the World, and finding his Nourishment fail him, cry'd for\nwant of Victuals, till the _Roe_ which had lost her Fawn heard him. Now,\nboth those who are of the other Opinion and those who are for this kind\nof generation, agree in all the other particulars of his Education: and\nwhat they tell us is this.\n\nSec. 10. They say that this _Roe_ liv'd in good Pasture so that she was\nfat, and had, such plenty of Milk, that she was very well able to\nmaintain the Child; she took great care of him, and never left him, but\nwhen hunger forc'd her: and he grew so well acquainted with her, that if\nat any time she staid away from him a little longer than ordinary, he'd\ncry pitifully, and she, as soon as she heard him, came running\ninstantly; besides all this, he enjoy'd this happiness, that there was\nno Beast of prey in the whole Island.\n\nSec. 11. Thus he went on, Living only upon what he Suck'd till he was Two\nYears Old, and then he began to step a little and Breed his Teeth. He\nalways followed the _Roe_ and she shew'd all the tenderness to him\nimaginable; and us'd to carry him to places where Fruit Trees grew, and\nfed him with the Ripest and Sweetest Fruits which fell from the Trees;\nand for Nuts or such like, she us'd to break the Shell with her Teeth,\nand give him the Kernel; still Suckling him, as often as he pleas'd, and\nwhen he was thirsty she shew'd him the way to the water. If the Sun\nshin'd too hot and scorch'd him, she shaded him; if he was cold she\ncherish'd him and kept him warm; and when Night came she brought him\nhome to his old Place, and covered him partly with her own Body, and\npartly with some Feathers which were left in the Ark, which had been put\nin with him when he was first expos'd. Now, when they went out in the\nMorning, and when they came home again at Night, there always went with\nthem an Herd of Deer, which lay in the same place where they did; so\nthat the Boy being always amongst them learn'd their voice by degrees,\nand imitated it so exactly that there was scarce any sensible\ndifference; nay, when he heard the voice of any Bird or Beast, he'd come\nvery near it, being of a most excellent Apprehension. But of all the\nvoices which he imitated, he made most use of the Deers, which he was\nMaster of, and could express himself as they do, either when they want\nhelp, call their Mates, when they would have them come nearer, or go\nfarther off. (For you must know that the Brute Beasts have different\nSounds to express these different things.) Thus he contracted such an\nAcquaintance with the Wild Beasts, that they were not afraid of him, nor\nhe of them.\n\nSec. 12. By this time he began to have the Ideas of a great many things\nfix'd in his mind, so as to have a desire to some, and an aversion to\nothers, even when they were absent. In the mean while he consider'd all\nthe several sorts of Animals, and saw that they were all clothed either\nwith Hair, Wool, or several sorts of Feathers: he consider'd their great\nSwiftness and Strength, and that they were all arm'd with Weapons\ndefensive, as Horns, Teeth, Hoofs, Spurs, Nails, and the like. But that\nhe himself was Naked and Defenceless, Slow and Weak, in respect of them.\nFor whenever there happened any Controversy about gathering of such ripe\nFruits as fell from the Trees; he always came off by the worst, for they\ncould both keep their own, and take away his, and he could neither beat\nthem, off, nor run away from them.\n\nSec. 13. He observ'd besides that his Fellow-Fawns, tho' their Fore-heads\nwere smooth at first, yet afterwards had Horns bud out, and tho' they\nwere feeble at first, yet afterwards grew very Vigorous and Swift. All\nthese things he perceived in them, which were not in himself; and when\nhe had consider'd the Matter, he could not imagine what should be the\nreason of this Difference; then he consider'd such Animals as had any\nDefect or Natural Imperfection, but amongst them all he could find none\nlike himself. He took Notice that the Passages of the Excrements were\ncover'd in all other Creatures besides himself: that by which they\nvoided their grosser Excrements, with a Tail; and that which serv'd for\nthe voiding of their Urine, with Hair or some such like thing. Besides,\nhe observ'd that their Privy parts, were more concealed than his own\nwere.\n\nSec. 14. All these things were matter of great Grief to him, and when he\nhad perplex'd himself very much with the thoughts of them, and was now\nnear seven Years Old, he despair'd utterly of having those things grow\nupon him, the want of which made him so uneasy. He therefore resolv'd to\nhelp himself, and thereupon gets him some Broad Leaves of Trees, of\nwhich he made two Coverings, one to wear behind, the other before; and\nmade a Girdle of Palm-Trees and Rushes Twisted together, to Hang his\ncoverings upon, and Ty'd it about his waste, and so wore it. But alas it\nwould not last long, for the Leaves wither'd and dropt away; so that he\nwas forc'd to get more, which he doubled and put together as well as he\ncould, Plaiting the Leaves one upon another, which made it a little more\ndurable, but not much. Then having broke a Bough from a Tree and fitted\nthe Ends of it to his Mind, he stript off the Twigs and made it smooth;\nwith this he began to attack the Wild Beasts, assaulting the weaker, and\ndefending himself against the stronger. By this means he began a little\nto know his own Strength, and perceiv'd that his Hands were better than\ntheir Feet; because by the help of them, he had provided wherewithal to\ncover his Nakedness, and also gotten him a Defensive Weapon, so that now\nhe had no need of a Tail, nor of those Natural Weapons which he had so\nwish'd for at first.\n\nSec. 15. He was now above Seven Years Old, and because the repairing of his\nCovering of Leaves so often, was very troublesome to him, he had a\ndesign of taking the Tail of some Dead Beast, and wearing it himself;\nbut when he perceiv'd that all Beasts did constantly avoid those which\nwere Dead of the same kind, it made him doubt whether it might be safe\nor not; at last, by chance he found a Dead Eagle, and observing that\nnone of the Beasts shew'd any aversion to that Carcass, he concluded\nthat this would suit his purpose: and in the first place, he cuts off\nthe Wings, and the Tail whole, and spreads the Feathers open; then he\ndrew off the Skin,and divided it into two equal parts, one of which he\nwore upon his Back, with the other he covered his Navel and Secrets: the\nTail he wore behind, and the Wings were plac'd upon each Arm. This Dress\nof his answer'd several Ends; for in the first place it cover'd his\nNakedness, and help'd to keep him warm, and then it made him so\nfrightful to the Beasts, that none of them car'd to meddle with him, or\ncome near him; only the _Roe_ his Nurse, which never left him, nor he,\nher; and when she grew Old and Feeble, he us'd to lead her where there\nwas the best Food, and pluck the best Fruits for her, and give her them\nto eat.\n\nSec. 16. Notwithstanding this she grew lean and weak, and continu'd a while\nin a languishing Condition, till at last she Dyed, and then all her\nMotions and Actions ceas'd. When the Boy perceiv'd her in this\nCondition, he was ready to dye for Grief. He call'd her with the same\nvoice which she us'd to answer to, and made what Noise he could, but\nthere was no Motion, no Alteration. Then he began to peep into her Eyes\nand Ears, but could perceive no visible defect in either; in like manner\nhe examin'd all the parts of her Body, and found nothing amiss, but\nevery thing as it should be. He had a vehement desire to find, if\npossible, that part were the defect was, that he might remove it, and\nshe return to her former State, of Life and Vigour. But he was\naltogether at a loss, how to compass his design, nor could he possibly\nbring it about.\n\nSec. 17. That which put him upon this search, was what he observ'd in\nhimself. He took Notice that when he shut his Eyes, or held any thing\nbefore them, he could see nothing at all, till that Obstacle was\nremoved; and so when he put his Fingers into his Ears, that he could not\nhear, till he took 'em out again; and when he closed his Nostrils\ntogether, he smelt nothing till they were open'd; from whence he\nconcluded, that all his Senses and Actions were liable to Obstacles and\nImpediments, upon the removal of which, the same Operations return'd to\ntheir former course. Therefore, when he had examined every External Part\nof her, and found no visible defect, and yet at the same time perceiv'd\nan Universal Cessation of Motion in the whole Body, not peculiar to one\nMember, but common to them all, he began to imagine that the hurt was in\nsome part, which was most remote from the sight, and hidden in the\ninward part of the Body; and that this Part was of such nature and use,\nthat without its help, none of the other External Parts could exercise\ntheir proper Functions; and that if this Part suffer any hurt, the\ndamage was Universal, and a Cessation of the whole ensu'd,\n\nSec. 18. This made him very desirous to find that part if possible, that he\nmight remove the defect from it, that so it might be as it us'd to be,\nand the whole Body might enjoy the Benefit of it, and the same course of\nActions follow as before. He had before observ'd, in the Bodies of Wild\nBeasts and other Animals, that all their Members were solid, and that\nthere were only three Cavities, _viz_. The Skull, the Breast, and the\nBelly; he imagined therefore that this Part which he wanted, must needs\nbe in one of these Cavities, and above all, he had a strong persuasion\nthat it was in the middlemost of them. He verily believ'd, that all the\nMembers stood in need of this part, and that from thence it must\nnecessarily follow, that the Seat of it must be in the Centre. And when\nhe reflected upon his own Body, he felt such a part in his Breast, of\nwhich he had this notion, _viz_. That it was impossible for for him to\nsubsist without it, so much as the twinkling of an eye, tho' he could at\nthe same time conceive a possibility of subsisting without his other\nparts, _viz_. his Hands, Feet, Ears, Nose, Eyes, or even his Head. And\nupon this account, whenever he fought with any Wild Beast, he always\ntook particular care to guard his Breast; because of the Apprehension\nwhich he had of that Part, which was contain'd in it.\n\nSec. 19. Having, by this way of reasoning, assur'd himself that the\ndisaffected Part lay in the Breast; he was resolv'd to make a search, in\norder to find it out; that whatsoever the Impediment was, he might\nremove it if possible; but then again, he was afraid on the other side,\nlest his Undertaking should be worse than the Disease, and prove\nprejudicial. He began to consider next, whether or no he had ever\nremembred any Beasts, or other Animals, which he had seen in that\ncondition, recover again, and return to the same State which they were\nin before: but he could call to Mind no such Instance; from whence he\nconcluded, that if she was let alone there would be no hopes at all, but\nif he should be so fortunate as to find that Part, and find the\nImpediment, there might be some hope. Upon this he resolv'd to open her\nBreast and make enquiry; in order to which he provides himself with\nsharp Flints, and Splinters of dry Cane almost like Knives, with which\nhe made an incision between the Ribs, and cutting through the Flesh,\ncame to the _Diaphragma_; which he finding very Tough and not easily\nbroken, assur'd himself, that such a Covering must needs belong to that\npart which he lookt for, and that if he could once get through that, he\nshould find it. He met with some difficulty in his Work, because his\nInstruments were none of the best, for he had none but such as were made\neither of Flint or Cane.\n\nSec. 20. However, he sharpned 'em again and renewed his Attempt with all\nthe Skill he was Master of. At last he broke through, and the first part\nhe met with was the Lungs, which he at first sight mistook, for that\npart which he search'd for, and turn'd 'em about this way and that way,\nto see if he could find in them the cause of the Disease. He first\nhappen'd upon that Lobe which lay next the side [which he had open'd]\nand when he perceiv'd that it did lean sideways, he was satisfy'd that\nit was not the part he look'd for, because he was fully perswaded, that\nthat must needs be in the midst of the Body, as well in regard of\nLatitude as Longitude. He proceeded in his search, till at last he found\nthe Heart, which when he saw closed with a very strong Cover, and\nfastned with strong Ligaments, and covered by the Lungs on that side\nwhich he had open'd; he began to say to himself. \"If this part be so on\nthe other side as it is on this which I have open'd, then 'tis certainly\nin the midst, and without doubt the same I look for; especially\nconsidering the Conveniency of the Situation, the Comliness and\nRegularity of its Figure, the Firmness and Solidity of the Flesh, and\nbesides, its being guarded with such a Membrane as I have not observ'd\nin any part.\" Upon this he searches the other side, and finding the same\nMembrane on the inside of the Ribs, and the Lungs in the same posture,\nwhich he had observ'd on that side which he had open'd first, he\nconcluded the Heart to be the part which he look'd for.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Illustration 4]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSec. 21. Therefore he first Attacks the _Pericardium_, which, after a long\ntryal and a great deal of pains, he made shift to tear; and when he had\nlaid the Heart bare, and perceiv'd that it was solid on every side, he\nbegan to examin it, to see if he could find any hurt in it; but finding\nnone, he squeez'd it with his Hands, and perceiv'd that it was hollow.\nHe began than to think that what he look'd for, might possibly be\ncontain'd in that Cavity. When he came to open it, he found in it two\nCavities, one on the right side, the other on the left. That on the\nright side was full of clotted Blood, that on the left quite empty.\n\"Then (says he,) without all doubt, one of those two Cavites must needs\nbe the Receptacle of what I I look for; as for that on this side there's\nnothing in it but congealed Blood, which was not so, be sure, till the\nwhole Body was in that condition in. which it now is\" (for he had\nobserv'd that all Blood congeals when it flows from the Body, and that\nthis Blood did not differ in the least from any other,) \"and therefore\nwhat I look for, cannot by any means, be such a matter as this; for that\nwhich I mean, is something which is peculiar to this place, which I find\nI could not subsist without, so much as the Twinkling of an Eye. And\nthis is that which I look'd for at first. For as for this Blood, how\noften have I lost a great deal of it in my Skirmishes with the Wild\nBeasts, and yet it never did me any considerable harm, nor rendred me\nincapable of performing any Action of Life, and therefore what I look\nfor is not in this Cavity. Now as for the Cavity on the left side, I\nfind 'tis altogether empty, and I have no reason in the World to think\nthat it was made in vain, because I find every part appointed for such\nand such particular Functions. How then can this Ventricle of the Heart,\nwhich I see is of so excellent a Frame, serve for no use at all? I\ncannot think but that the same thing which I am in search of, once dwelt\nhere, but has now deserted his Habitation and left it empty, and that\nthe Absence of that thing, has occasion'd this Privation of Sense and\nCessation of Motion, which happen'd to the Body.\" Now when he perceiv'd\nthat the Being which had inhabited there before, had left its House\nbefore it fell to Ruine, and forsaken it when as yet it continu'd whole\nand entire, he concluded that it was highly probable that it would never\nreturn to it any more, after its being so cut and mangled.\n\nSec. 22. Upon this the whole Body seem'd to him a very inconsiderable\nthing, and worth nothing in respect of that Being, he believed once\ninhabited, and now had left it. Therefore he applied himself wholly to\nthe consideration of that Being. _What it was?_ and _how it subsisted?\nwhat joyn'd it to the Body? Whether it went, and by what passage, when\nit left the Body? What was the Cause of its Departure, whether it were\nforc'd to leave its Mansion, or left the Body of its own accord? and in\ncase it went away Voluntarily, what it was that rendred the Body so\ndisagreeable to it, as to make it forsake it?_ And whilst his Mind was\nperplext with such variety of Thoughts, he laid aside all concern for\nthe Carcass, and threw it away; for now he perceiv'd that his Mother,\nwhich had Nurs'd him so Tenderly and had Suckled him, was _that\nsomething_ which was departed: and from it proceeded all those Actions\nby which she shew'd her Care of him, and Affection, to him, and not from\nthis unactive Body; but that the Body was to it only as an Instrument or\nTool, like his Cudgel which he had made for himself, with which he used\nto Fight with the Wild Beasts. So that now, all his regard to the Body\nwas remov'd, and transferr'd to that by which the Body is governed, and\nby whose Power it moves. Nor had he any other desire but to make enquiry\nafter that.\n\nSec. 23. In the mean, time the Carcass of the _Roe_ began to putrifie, and\nemit Noisome Vapours, which still increas'd his aversion to it, so that\nhe did not care to see it. 'Twas not long after that he chanc'd to see\ntwo Ravens engag'd so furiously; that one of them struck down the other\nStark Dead; and when he had done, he began to scrape with his Claws till\nhe had digg'd a Pit, in which he Buried the Carcass of his Adversary.\nOur Philosopher observing this, said to himself, _How well has this\nRaven done in Burying the Body of his Companion, tho' he did ill in\nKilling him? How much greater reason was there for me to have been\nforward in performing this Office to my Mother?_ Upon this he makes a\nGrave, and lays his Mother into it, and Buries her. He proceeded in his\nEnquiry concerning what that should be by which the Body was govern'd,\nbut could not Apprehend what it was; when he look'd upon the rest of the\nRoes, and perceiv'd that they were of the same form and figure with his\nMother, he believ'd that there was in every one of them something which\ngovern'd and actuated them, like that which had actuated and govern'd\nhis Mother: formerly: and for the sake of that likeness he us'd to keep\nin their Company, and shew affection towards them. He continued a while\nin this condition, Contemplating the various kinds of Animals and\nPlants, and walking about the Coast of his Island, to see if he could\nfind any thing like himself; (as he observ'd that every Individual\nAnimal, and Plant, had a great many more like it.) But all his search\nwas in vain. And when he perceiv'd that his Island was encompass'd by\nthe Sea, he thought that there was no other Land in the World but only\nthat Island.\n\nSec. 23. It happen'd that by Collision a Fire was kindled among a parcel of\nReeds or Canes; which fear'd him at first, as being a Sight which he was\naltogether a Stranger to; so that he stood at a distance a good while,\nstrangely surpriz'd, at last he came nearer and nearer by degrees, still\nobserving the Brightness of its Light and marvellous Efficacy in\nconsuming every thing it touch'd, and changing it into its own Nature;\ntill at last, his Admiration of it, and that innate Boldness and\nFortitude, which God had implanted in his Nature prompted him on, that\nhe ventur'd to come near it, and stretch'd out his Hand to take some of\nit. But when it burnt his Fingers and he found there was no dealing with\nit that way, he endeavour'd to take a stick, which the Fire had not as\nyet wholly seiz'd upon; so taking hold on that part which was untouch'd\nhe easily gain'd his purpose, and carried it Home to his Lodging (for he\nhad contriv'd for himself a convenient place) there he kept this Fire\nand added Fuel to it, admir'd it wonderfully, and tended it night and\nday; at night especially, because its Light and Heat supply'd the\nabsence of the Sun; so that he was extreamly delighted with it, and\nreckon'd it the most excellent of all those things which he had about\nhim. And when he observ'd that it always mov'd upwards, he perswaded\nhimself that, it was one of those Celestial Substances which he saw\nshining in the Firmament, and he was continually trying of its power, by\nthrowing things into it, which he perceiv'd it operated upon and\nconsum'd, sometimes sooner, sometimes slower, according as the Bodies\nwhich he put into it were more or less combustible.\n\nSec. 25. Amongst other things which he put in to try its strength, he once\nflung in some Fish which had been thrown a-shore by the Water, and as\nsoon as e're he smelt the Steam, it rais'd his Appetite, so that he had\na Mind to Taste of them; which he did, and found 'em very agreeable and\nfrom that time he began to use himself to the Eating of Flesh, and\napplied himself to Fishing and Hunting till he understood those sports\nvery well: upon this account he admir'd his Fire more and more, because\nit help'd him to several sorts of Provision which he was altogether\nunacquainted with before.\n\nSec. 26. And now when his Affection towards it was increas'd to the highest\ndegree, both upon the account of its Beneficial Effects, and its\nExtraordinary Power; he began to think that the Substance which was\ndeparted from the Heart of his Mother the Roe, was, if not the very same\nwith it, yet at least of a Nature very much like it. He was confirm'd in\nhis Opinion, because he had observ'd in all Animals, that as long as\nthey liv'd, they were constantly warm without any Intermission, and as\nconstantly Cold after Death, Besides he found in himself, that there was\na greater degree of Heat by much in his Breast, near that place where he\nhad made the Incision in the _Roe_. This made him think that if he could\ndissect any Animal alive, and look into that Ventricle which he had\nfound empty when he dissected his Dam the _Roe_, he might possibly find\nit full of that Substance which inhabited it, and so inform himself\nwhether it were of the Substance with the Fire, and whether it had any\nLight or Heat in it or not. In order to this he took a Wild Beast and\nty'd him down, so that he could not stir, and dissected him after the\nsame manner he had dissected the _Roe_, till he came to the Heart; and\nEssaying the left Ventricle first, and opening it, he perceiv'd it was\nfull of an Airy Vapour, which look'd like a little Mist or white Cloud,\nand putting in his Finger, he found it hotter than he could well endure\nit, and immediately the Creature Dyed. From whence he assuredly\nconcluded, that it was that Moist Vapour which communicated Motion to\nthat Animal, and that there was accordingly in every Animal of what kind\nsoever, something like it upon the departure of which Death follow'd.\n\nSec. 27. He had then a great desire to enquire into the other parts of\nAnimals, to find out their Order and Situation, their Quantity and the\nmanner of there Connexion one with another, and by what means of\nCommunication they enjoy the Benefit of that Moist Vapour, so as to live\nby it. How that Vapour is continu'd the time it remains, from whence it\nhas its Supplies, and by what Means its Heat is preserv'd. The way which\nhe us'd in this Enquiry was the Dissection of all sorts of Animals, as\nwell Living as Dead, neither did he leave off to make an accurate\nEnquiry into them, till at length he arrived to the highest degree of\nKnowledge in this kind which the most Learned Naturalists ever attain'd\nto.\n\nSec. 28. And now he Apprehended plainly that every particular Animal, tho'\nit had a great many Limbs, and variety of Senses and Motions, was\nnevertheless _One_ in respect of that Spirit, whose Original was from\none firm Mansion, _viz_. the Heart, from whence, its Influence was\ndiffus'd among all the Members. And that all the Members were\nsubservient to it, or inform'd and supported by it, and that this Spirit\nmade use of those Members, in the same manner as a Soldier do's of his\nWeapons, or an Huntsman or Fisherman of his Tackling, who makes use of\ndifferent ways and things, according to the difference of the Creatures\nhe intends to catch. Now the Soldiers Weapons are some of 'em defensive\nand offensive, and the Sportsman's too are some for Land, and some for\nWater: So the Anatomists Instruments, are some for Fission, others for\nFraction, and others for Perforation. And thus tho' the Body was _One_,\nyet that governing Spirit made use of it several ways, according to the\nrespective uses of each Member, and the several ends which it propos'd\nto obtain.\n\nSec. 29. Thus he perceiv'd that there was all this while but _One_ Animal\nSpirit, whose Action when he made use of the Eye, was _Sight_; when of\nthe Ear, _Hearing_; when of the Nose, _Smelling_; when of the Tongue,\n_Tasting_; and when of the Skin and Flesh, _Feeling_. When it employ'd\nany Limb, then its Operation was _Motion_; and when it made use of the\nLiver, _Nutrition_ and _Concoction_. And that, tho' there were Members\nfitted to every one of these uses, yet none of them could perform their\nrespective Offices, without having Correspondence with that Spirit, by\nmeans of the Nerves; and that if at any time it chanc'd that their\npassages were either broken off or obstructed, such a Member would be\naltogether useless. Now these; Nerves derive this Spirit from the Brain,\nwhich has it from the Heart (and contains abundance of Spirit, because\nit is divided into a great many partitions) and by what means soever any\nlimb is depriv'd of his Spirit, it's Action ceases, and 'tis like a cast\noff Tool, not fit for use. And if this Spirit depart wholly from the\nBody, or is consum'd or dissolv'd by any means whatsoever, then the\nwhole Body is depriv'd of Motion all at once, and reduced to a State of\nDeath.\n\nSec. 30. Thus far had his Observations brought him about the end of the\nThird Seventh Year of his Age, _viz_. when he was One and Twenty Years\nOld. In which time, he had made abundance of pretty Contrivances. He\nmade himself both Cloaths and Shoes of the Skins of such Wild Beasts as\nhe had dissected. His thread was made of Hair, and of the Bark of the\nStalks of Althaea, Mallows or any other Plants, which afforded such\nStrings as were fit for that purpose. He learn'd the making of these\nthreads from the use which he had made of the Rushes before. He made\nAwls of sharp Thorns, and Splinters of Cane, sharpned with Flints. He\nlearn'd the Art of Building, from the Observations he made upon the\nSwallows Nests. He Builds himself a Store-house and a Pantry, to lay up\nthe remainder of his Provision in: and made a Door to it of Canes\ntwisted together, to prevent any of the Beasts getting in, during his\nabsence. He took Birds of prey and brought them up for Hawking; and kept\ntame\n\nPoultry for their Eggs and Chickens. He took the tips of the Buffalo's\nHorns and fastned them upon the strongest Canes he could get, and Staves\nof the Tree _Alzan_ and Others; and so, partly by the help of the Fire,\nand partly of sharp edg'd Stones, he so fitted them that they serv'd him\ninstead of so many Spears. He made him a shield of Hides folded\ntogether. All this pains he took to furnish himself with Artificial\nWeapons, because he found himself destitute of Natural ones.\n\nSec. 31. Now when he perceiv'd that his Hand supplied all these defects\nvery well, and that none of all the various kinds of Wild Beasts durst\nstand against him, but ran away from him, and were too Nimble for him.\nHe began to contrive how to be even with them, and thought there would\nbe no way so proper as to chuse out some of the strongest and swiftest\nBeasts of the Island, and bring 'em up tame, and feed them with proper\nFood, till they would let him back them and then he might persue the\nother kinds of Wild Beasts. There were in that Island both Wild Horses\nand Asses; he chose of both sorts, such as seem'd fittest for his\npurpose, and by exercise he made them so gentle and tractable that he\nwas compleat Master of his Wishes. And when, he had made out of the\nSkins of Beasts, such things as serv'd him competently well, in the Room\nof Bridles and Saddles, he could very easily then overtake such Beasts,\nas he could scarce ever have been able to have catch'd any other manner\nof way. He made all these discoveries whilst he was employed in the\nStudy of Anatomy, and the searching out of the Properties, peculiar to\neach Part, and the difference between them; and all this about that time\nI speak of, _viz_. of the Age of 21 Years.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Illustration 5]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSec. 32. He then proceeded further to examin the Nature of Bodies in this\nSublunary World, _viz_. The different kinds of Animal, Plants, Minerals,\nand several sorts of Stones, Earth, Water, Exhalations, Ice, Snow, Hail,\nSmoak, Hoar, Frost, Flame, and Heat. In which he observ'd different\nQualities, and different Actions, and that their Motions agreed in some\nrespects, and differ'd in others: and considering these things with\ngreat Application, he perceiv'd that their Qualities also agreed in some\nthings, and differ'd in others; and that so far as they agreed, they\nwere _One_; but when consider'd with Relation to their differences, _a\ngreat many_: so that when he came to consider the Properties of things\nby which they were distinguish'd one from another,he found that they\nMultiplied so fast upon him, that 'twas impossible for him, to\nComprehend them. Nay, when he consider'd the difference of his own\nLimbs, which he perceiv'd were all distinct from one another, by some\nProperty and Action peculiar to each, it seem'd to him that there was a\n_Plurality_ in his Own Essence. And when he look'd upon any one Member\nit self, he found that it might be divided into a great many parts, from\nwhence he concluded, that there must needs be a Plurality in his own\nEssence, and not only in his own but in every other also.\n\nSec. 33. Then he enter'd upon another sort of Speculation of the second\nkind, by which he perceiv'd that tho' the parts of his Body were many,\nyet they were Conjoyned and Compacted together so as to make one Body,\nand that what difference there was between them consisted only in the\ndifference of their Actions, which diversity proceeded from that Animal\nSpirit, the Nature of which he had before search'd into, and found out.\nNow he knew that his Spirit was One in Essence, and was really the\nSubstance of his Being, and that all the rest of the Members serve that\nSpirit as Instruments, and in this Respect he perceiv'd his own Essence,\nto be _One_.\n\nSec.. 34. He proceeded from hence to the consideration of all the Species\nof Animals and found that every Individual of them was _One_. Next he\nconsider'd them with regard to their different Species, _viz_. as Roes,\nHorses, Asses and all sorts of Birds according to their kinds, and he\nperceiv'd that all the Individuals of every Species were exactly like\none another, in the shape of their Parts, both within and without, that\ntheir Apprehensions, Motions, and Inclinations were alike, and that\nthose little differences which where visible amongst them, were\ninconsiderable in respect of those many things in which they agreed.\nFrom whence he concluded, that the Spirit which actuated any Species was\none and the same; only distributed among so many Hearts, as there were\nIndividuals in that Species, so that if it were possible for all that\nSpirit, which is so divided among so many Hearts, to be Collected into\none Receptacle, it would be all the same thing, just as if any one\nLiquor should be pour'd out into several Dishes and afterwards put all\ntogether again in one Vessel; this Liquor would still be the _same_, as\nwell when it was divided, as when it was altogether, only in respect of\nthat division it may be said in some sort to be Multiplied. By this way\nof Contemplation he perceiv'd that a whole Species was One and the same\nthing, and that the Multiplicity of Individuals in the same Species is\nlike the Multiplicity of Parts in the same Person, which indeed are not\n_many_ [i.e. are only _One_.]\n\nSec. 35. Then he represented in his Mind, all the Several kinds of Animals,\nand perceiv'd that Sensation, and Nutrition, and the Power of moving\nfreely where they pleas'd, was common to them all; which Actions he was\nassur'd before, were all very proper to the Animal Spirit, and that\nthose lesser things in which they differ'd (notwithstanding their\nagreement in these greater,) were not so proper to that Spirit. From\nthis consideration he concluded, that it was only One and the same\nAnimal Spirit, which Actuated all living Creatures whatsoever, tho'\nthere was in it a little difference, which each Species claim'd as\npeculiar to it self. For instance, suppose the same Water be pour'd out\ninto different Vessels, that which is in this Vessel may possibly be\nsomething warmer than that which is in another, tho' 'tis the same Water\nstill, and so every degree of Heat and Cold in this Water in the Several\nVessels, will represent the Specifick difference which there is in\nAnimals: And as that Water is all one and the same, so is that Animal\nSpirit _One_, tho' in some respect there is a sort of Multiplicity. And\nso under this Notion he look'd upon the whole Species of living\nCreatures, to be all _One_.\n\nSec. 36. Afterwards Contemplating the different Species of Plants, as he\nhad done before of Animals, he perceiv'd that the Individuals of every\nSpecies were alike, both in their Boughs, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, and\nmanner of Growing. And comparing them with Animals, he found that there\nmust needs be some one thing which they did all of them partake of,\nwhich was the same to them that the Animal Spirit was to the living\nCreature, and that in respect of _That_ they were all One. Whereupon,\ntaking a view of all the several kinds of Plants, he concluded that they\nwere all One and the same, by reason of that Agreement which he found in\ntheir Actions, _viz_. their Nourishment and Growing.\n\nSec. 37. Then he Comprehended in one single Conception, the whole kinds of\nAnimals and Plants together, and found that they were both alike in\ntheir Nutrition and Growing, only the Animals excell'd the Plants in\nSensation and Apprehension; and yet he had sometimes observ'd something\nlike it in Plants, _viz._ That some Flowers do turn themselves towards\nthe Sun, and that the Plants extend their Roots, that way the\nNourishment comes, and some other such like things, from whence it\nappear'd to him that Plants and Animals, were One and the same, in\nrespect of that _One thing_ which was Common to them both; which was\nindeed more perfect in the One, and more obstructed and restrained in\nthe other; like Water that is partly running and partly frozen. So that\nhe concluded that Plants and Animals were all _One_.\n\nSec. 38. He next consider'd those Bodies, which have neither Sense,\nNutrition nor Growth, such as Stones, Earth, Air, and Flame, which he\nperceiv'd had all of them Three Dimensions, _viz. Length, Breadth, and\nThickness_, and that their differences consisted only in this, that some\nof them were Colour'd, others not, some were Warm, others Cold, and the\nlike. He observ'd that those Bodies which were Warm, grew Cold, and on\nthe contrary, that those which were Cold grew Warm, He saw that Water\nwas rarified into Vapours, and Vapours again Condens'd into Water; and\nthat such things as were Burn't, were turn'd into Coals, Allies, Flame\nand Smoak, and if in its Ascent it were intercepted by an Arch of Stone\nor the like, it thickned there and was like other Gross, Earthly\nSubstances. From whence it appear'd to him that, all things were in\nReality, _One_, tho' multiplied and diversified in some certain\nrespects, as the Plants and Animals were.\n\nSec. 39. Then considering with himself, what that common thing must be, in\nwhich the _Sameness_ of the Animals and Plants did consist he saw that\nit must be some _Body_, like those Bodies, which had a Threefold\nDimension, _viz_, Length, Breadth, and Thickness; and that whether it\nwere Hot or Cold, it was like One of those other Bodies which have\nneither Sense nor Nutrition, and differ'd from them only in those\nOperations which arise from the Organical parts of Plants and Animals.\nAnd that, in, all likelihood, those Operations were not Essential, but\nderiv'd from something else. So that if those Operations were to be\ncommunicated to those other Bodies, they would be like this. Considering\nit therefore abstractedly, with regard to its Essence only, as stript of\nthose Operations, which at first sight seem'd to flow from it, he\nperceiv'd that it was a _Body_, of the same kind, with those other\nBodies; upon which Contemplation, it appear'd to him that all Bodies, as\nwell those that had Life, as those that had not, as well those that\nmov'd, as those that rested in their Natural places were _One_; Only\nthere were some Actions in some of them, which proceeded from their\nOrganical Parts; concerning which Actions he could not yet determine\nwhether they were Essential, or deriv'd from something without. Thus he\ncontinu'd, considering nothing but the Nature of Bodies, and by this\nmeans he perceiv'd, that whereas at first sight, _Things_ had appear'd\nto him innumerable and not to be comprehended; _Now,_ he discovered the\nwhole Mass and Bulk of Creatures were in Reality only _One_.\n\nSec. 40. He continu'd in this Opinion a considerable time. Then he\nconsider'd all sorts of Bodies, both Animate and Inanimate, which one\nwhile seem'd to him to be _One_; and another, _a great many_. And he\nfound that all of them had a Tendency either upward, as Smoak, Flame,\nand Air, when detain'd under Water; or else downward, as Water, pieces\nof Earth, or Parts of Animals and Plants; and that none of these. Bodies\nwere free from one or other of these Tendencies, or would ever lye\nstill, unless hinder'd by some other Body, and interrupted in their\ncourse; as when, for instance, a Stone in its fall is stopp'd by the\nsolidity and hardness of the Earth, when 'tis plain it would otherwise\ncontinue still descending; so Smoak still continues going upwards, and\nif it should be intercepted by a solid Arch, it would divide both to the\nright and left, and so soon as it was freed from the Arch, would still\ncontinue ascending; and pass through the Air, which is not solid enough\nto restrain it. So when a Leathern Bottle is fill'd with Air and stopp'd\nup close, if you hold it under Water; it will still strive to get up,\ntill it returns to its place of Air; and then it rests, and its\nreluctancy and propensity to ascend, ceases.\n\nSec. 41. He then enquir'd whether or no he could find any Body that was at\nany time destitute of both these Motions, or a Tendency toward them, but\nhe could find none such, among all Bodies which he had about him. The\nreason of this Enquiry was, because he was very desirous to know the\nNature of Body; as such, abstracted from all manner of Qualities, from\nwhence arises Multiplicity or Diversity of Kinds. But when he found this\ntoo difficult a Task for him, and he had examin'd those Bodies which had\nthe fewest Qualities, and could find, none of them void of one of these\ntwo, _viz._ Heaviness or Lightness; he proceeded to consider the Nature\nof these two Properties, and to examin whether they did belong to Body\n_quatenus_ Body, or else to some other Quality superadded to Body. Now\nit seem'd plain to him, that _Gravity_ and _Levity_, did not belong to\nBody as such; for if so, then no Body could subsist without them both:\nwhereas on the contrary, we find Heavy Bodies which are void of all\nLightness, and also some Light Bodies which are void of all Heaviness,\nand yet without _doubt_ they both are _Bodies_; in each of which there\nis something superadded to Corporeity, by which they are distinguish'd\none from the other, and that makes the difference between them,\notherwise they would be both one and the same thing, in every respect.\nFrom whence it appear'd plainly, that the Essence both of an _Heavy_,\nand _Light Body_ was compos'd of two things; One, which was common to\nthem both, _viz. Corporeity_, the other, by which they are distinguish'd\none from the other, _viz. Gravity_ in the one, and _Levity_ in the\nother, which were superadded to the Essence of Corporeity.\n\nSec. 42. In like manner he consider'd either Bodies, both Animate and\nInanimate, and found their Essence confined in _Corporeity_ and in some,\none thing, or more superadded to it. And thus he attain'd a Notion of\nthe Forms of Bodies, according to their differences. These were the\nfirst things he found out, belonging to the Spiritual World; for these\nForms are not the objects of Sense, but are apprehended by Intellectual\nSpeculation. Now among other things of this kind which he discover'd, it\nappear'd to him that the _Animal Spirit_, which is Seal'd in the Heart\n(as we have mention'd before) must necessarily have some _Quality_\nsuperadded to its _Corporeity,_ which rendred it capable of those\nwonderful Actions, different Sensations and Ways of apprehending Things,\nand various sorts of Motions; and that this _Quality_ must be its\n_Form_, by which it is distinguish'd from other Bodies (which is the\nsame that the Philosophers call the Sensitive Soul) and so in Plants,\nthat which was in them the same that radical Moisture was in Beasts, was\nsomething proper to them, which, was their _Form_, which the\nPhilosophers call the Vegetative Soul. And that there was also in\ninanimate things, (_viz_. all Bodies, besides Plants and Animals, which\nare in this sublunary World) something peculiar to them, by the Power of\nwhich, every one of them perform'd such _Actions_ as were proper to it;\nnamely, various sorts of Motion, and different kinds of sensible\nQualities, and that thing was the Form of every one of them, and this is\nthe same which the Philosophers call _Nature_.\n\nSec. 43. And when by this Contemplation it appear'd to him plainly, that\nthe true Essence of that _Animal Spirit_, which he had been so intent,\nwas compounded of Corporeity, and some other Quality superadded to that\nCorporeity, and that it had its Corporeity in common with other Bodies;\nbut that this other Quality which was superadded, was peculiar to it\nself: Immediately he slighted and despis'd the Notion of Corporeity, and\napplied himself wholly to that other superadded Quality (which is the\nsame that we call the _Soul_) the Nature of which he earnestly desired\nto know. Therefore he fix'd all his Thoughts upon it, and began his\nContemplation with considering all Bodies, not as Bodies, but as endu'd\nwith _Forms_, from whence necessarily flow these Properties, by which\nthey are distinguish'd one from another.\n\nSec. 44. Now by following up this Notion, and comprehending it in his Mind,\nhe perceiv'd that all Bodies had one _Form_ in common, from whence one\nor more Actions did proceed. And that there were some of these, which\ntho' they agreed with all the rest in that one common Form, had another\nForm besides superadded to it, from whence some Actions proceeded. And\nfurther, that there was another sort, which agreeing with the rest in\nthose two Forms which they had, was still distinguish'd from them by a\nthird Form, superadded to those other two, from whence also proceeded\nsome Actions. For instance, all Terrestrial Bodies, as Earth, Stones,\nMinerals, Plants, Animals, and all other heavy Bodies, do make up one in\nNumber, which agree in the same _Form_, from whence flows the Property\nof_descending_ continually, whilst there is nothing to hinder their\nDescent: And whensoever they are forc'd to move upwards, if they are\nleft to themselves, they immediately, by the Power of their _Form_, tend\ndownwards again. Now, some part of this Number, _viz_. Plants and\nAnimals, tho' they do agree with all that Multitude before mention'd, in\nthat _Form_; yet still have another _Form_ superadded to it, from whence\nflow _Nutrition_ and _Accretion._ Now the meaning of _Nutrition_ is,\nwhen the Body that is nourish'd, substitutes in the room of that which\nis consum'd and wasted from it self, something of the like kind, which\nit draws to it self, and then converts into its own Substance.\n_Accretion_, or Growing, is a Motion according to the three Dimensions,\n_viz. Length, Breadth,_ and _Thickness_, in a due Proportion. And these\ntwo Actions are common to Plants and Animals, and do without doubt\nspring from that Form which is common to them both, which is what we\ncall the _Vegetative Soul_. Now part of this Multitude, _viz._ Animals,\ntho' they have the first and second Forms in common with the rest, have\nstill a third Form superadded, from which arise Sensation and Local\nMotion, Besides, he perceiv'd that every particular _Species_ of\nAnimals, had some Property which, distinguish'd it, and made it quite\ndifferent from the rest, and he knew that this Difference must arise\nfrom some Form peculiar to that _Species_, which was superadded to the\nNotion of that Form which it had in common with the rest of Animals. And\nthe like he saw happen'd to the several kinds of Plants.\n\nSec. 45. And it was evident to him, that the Essences of those sensible\nBodies, which are in this sublunary World, had some of them more\nQualities superadded to their _Corporeity_, and others, fewer. Now he\nknew that the Understanding of the fewer, must needs be more easie to\nhim, than the Understanding of those which were more in number. And\ntherefore, he endeavour'd to get a true Notion of the Form of some one\nthing, whose Essence was the most simple and uncompounded. Now he\nperceiv'd that the Essence of Animals and Plants consisted of a great\nmany Properties, because of the great variety of their Operations; for\nwhich reason, he deferr'd the enquiring into their Forms. As for the\nParts of the _Earth_, he saw that some of them were more simple than\nothers, and therefore resolv'd to begin his Enquiry with the most simple\nof all. So he perceiv'd that _Water_, was a thing, whose Essence was not\ncompounded of many Qualities, which appear'd from the Paucity of those\nActions which arise from its Form. The same he likewise observ'd in the\n_Fire_, and _Air_.\n\nSec. 46. Now he had a Notion before, that all these four might be chang'd\none into another; and therefore there must be some one thing which they\njointly participated of, and that this thing was Corporeity. Now 'twas\nnecessary, that this one thing which was common them all, should be\naltogether free from those _Qualities_, by which these four were\ndistinguish'd one from the other; and be neither _heavy_ nor _light_;\n_hot_ nor _cold; moist_ nor _dry_; because none of these Qualities were\ncommon to all Bodies, and therefore could not appertain to _Body_ as\nsuch. And that if it were possible to find any such Body, in which there\nwas no other Form superadded to _Corporeity_, it would have none, of\nthese Qualities, nor indeed any other but what were common to all\nBodies, with what Form soever endu'd. He consider'd therefore with\nhimself, to see if he could find any one Adjunct or Property which was\ncommon to all Bodies, both animate and inanimate; but he found nothing\nof that Nature, but only the Notion of _Extension,_ and that he\nperceiv'd was common to all Bodies, _viz_. That they had all of them\n_length, breadth_, and _thickness_. Whence he gather'd, that this\nProperty belong'd to Body, as Body. However, his Sense could not\nrepresent to him any Body existent in Nature, which had this only\nAdjunct, and was void of all other Forms: For he saw that every one of\nthem had some other Quality superadded to the said _Extension_.\n\nSec. 47. Then he consider'd further, whether this Three-fold _Extension_,\nwas the very Essence of Body or not; and quickly found, that besides\nthis _Extension_, there was another, in which this Extension did exist,\nand that this Extension could not subsist by it self, as also the Body\nwhich was extended, could not subsist by it self without Extension. This\nhe experimented in some of those sensible Bodies which are endu'd with\nForms; for Example, in Clay: Which he perceiv'd, when moulded into any\nFigure, (Spherical suppose) had in it a certain Proportion, Length,\nBreadth, and Thickness. But then if you took that very same Ball, and\nreduc'd it into a Cubical or Oval Figure, the Dimensions were chang'd,\nand did not retain the same Proportion which they had before, and yet\nthe Clay still remain'd the same, without any Change, only that it was\nnecessary for it to be extended into Length, Breadth, and Thickness, in\nsome Proportion or other, and not be depriv'd of its Dimensions: Yet it\nwas plain to him from the successive Alterations of them in the same\nBody, that they were distinct from the Clay itself; as also, that\nbecause the Clay could not be altogether without them, it appear'd to\nhim that it belong'd to its Essence. And thus from this Experiment it\nappear'd to him, that Body consider'd as Body, was compounded of two\nProperties: The one of which represents the _Clay_, of which the Sphere\nwas made; The other, the _Threefold Expression_ of it, when form'd into\na Sphere, Cube, or what other Figure soever. Nor was it possible to\nconceive _Body_, but as consisting of these two Properties, neither of\nwhich could subsist without the other. But that one (namely, that of\nExtension) which was liable to Change, and could successively put on\ndifferent Figures, did represent the Form in all those Bodies which had\nForms. And that other which still abode in the same State, (which was\nthe _Clay_, in our last Instance) did represent _Corporeity,_ which is\nin all Bodies, of what Forms soever. Now that which we call _Clay_ in\nthe foregoing Instance, is the same which the Philosophers call _Materia\nprima_ [the first Matter] and [Greek: Hyle], which is wholly destitute of all\nmanner of Forms.\n\nSec.. 48. When his Contemplation had proceeded thus far, and he was got to\nsome distance from sensible Objects, and was now just upon the Confines\nof the intellectual World, he dissident, and inclin'd rather to the\nsensible World, which he was more used to. Therefore he retir'd from the\nConsideration of abstracted _Body_,(since he found that his Senses could\nby no means reach it, neither could he comprehend it) and applied\nhimself to the Consideration of the most simple sensible Bodies he could\nfind, which were those four, about which he had been exercis'd. And\nfirst of all he consider'd the _Water_, which he found, if let alone in\nthat Condition which its Form requir'd, had these two things in it,\n_viz_. Sensible Cold, and a Propension to move downwards; But if heated\nby the Fire or the Sun, its Coldness was remov'd, but its Propension to\nmove downwards still remain'd: But afterwards, when it came to be more\nvehemently heated, it lost its tendency downwards, and mounted upwards;\nand so it was wholly depriv'd of both those Properties which us'd\nconstantly to proceed from it, and from its Form: Nor did he know any\nthing more of its Form, but only that these two Actions proceeded from\nthence; and when these two ceas'd, the Nature of the Form was alter'd,\nand the watry Form was remov'd from that Body, since there appear'd in\nit Actions, which must needs owe their Origin to another Form. Therefore\nit must have receiv'd another Form which had not been there before,from\nwhich arose those Actions, which never us'd to appear in it whilst it\nhad the other Form.\n\nSec. 49. Now he knew that every thing that was produc'd anew, must needs\nhave some Producer. And from this Contemplation, there arose in his Mind\na sort of Impression of the Maker of that Form, tho' his Notion of him\nas yet was general and indistinct. Then he paus'd on the examining of\nthese Forms which he knew before, one by one, and found that they were\nproduc'd anew, and that they must of necessity be beholden to some\nefficient Cause. Then he consider'd the Essences of Forms, and found\nthat they were nothing else, but only a Disposition of _Body_ to produce\nsuch or such Actions. For instance, Water, when very much heated, is\ndispos'd to rise upwards, and that Disposition is its Form. For there is\nnothing present in this Motion, but _Body_, and some things which are\nobserv'd to arise from it, which were not in it before (such as\nQualities and Motions) and the Efficients which produce them. Now the\nfitness of Body for one Motion rather than another, is its _Disposition_\nand _Form_. The same he concluded of all other Forms, and it appear'd to\nhim, that those Actions which arose from them, were not in reality owing\nto them, but to the efficient Cause, who made use of these Forms to\nproduce those Actions which are attributed to them, [_i.e_, the Forms].\nWhich Notion of his is exactly the same with what God's Apostle\n[_Mahomet_] says; _I am his Hearing by which he hears, and his Seeing by\nwhich he sees._ And in the _Alcoran; You did not kill them, but God\nkill'd them; when thou threwest the Darts, it was not thou that threwest\nthem, but God_.\n\nSec. 50. Now, when he had attain'd thus far, so as to have a general and\nindistinct Motion of this _Agent_, he had a most earnest Desire to know\nhim distinctly. And because he had not as yet withdrawn himself from the\nsensible World, he began to look for this _voluntary Agent_ among\nsensible Things; nor did he as yet know, whether it was one Agent or\nmany. Therefore he enquir'd strictly into all such Bodies as he had\nabout him, _viz_. those which he had been employ'd about all along, and\nhe found that they were all liable to _Generation_ and _Corruption_: And\nif there were any which did not suffer a total Corruption, yet they were\nliable to a partial one, as _Water_ and _Earth_, the parts of which are\nconsum'd by Fire. Likewise he perceiv'd, that the _Air_ was by extremity\nof Cold chang'd into Snow, and then again into Water; and among all the\nrest of the Bodies which he was conversant with, he could find none\nwhich had not its Existence anew, and required some _voluntary Agent_ to\ngive it a Being. Upon which account he laid them all aside, and\ntransferr'd his Thoughts to the Consideration of the Heavenly Bodies.\nAnd thus far he reach'd in his Contemplations, about the end of the\nfourth Septenary of his Age, _viz_. when he now eight and twenty Years\nold.\n\nSec. 51. Now he knew very well, that the Heavens, and all the Luminaries in\nthem, were Bodies, because they were all extended according to the three\nDimensions Length, Breadth and Thickness, without any exception; and\nthat every thing that was so extended, was Body; _ergo_, they were all\nBodies. Then, he consider'd next, whether they were extended infinitely,\nas to stretch themselves to an endless Length, Breadth and Thickness;\nor, whether they were circumscrib'd by any Limits, and terminated by\nsome certain Bounds, beyond which there could be no Extension. But here\nhe stopp'd a while, as in a kind of Amazement.\n\nSec. 52. At last, by the strength of his Apprehension, and Sagacity of his\nUnderstanding, he perceiv'd that the Notion of infinite Body was absurd\nand impossible, and a Notion wholly intelligible. He confirm'd himself\nin this Judgment of his, by a great many Arguments which occurr'd to\nhim, when he thus argued with himself. _That this heavenly Body is\nterminated on this side which is next to me, is evident to my sight: And\nthat it cannot be infinitely extended on that opposite side, which\nrais'd this Scruple in me; I prove thus: Suppose two Lines drawn from\nthe Extremity of this Heavenly Body, on that terminated Side which is\nnext to me, which Lines should be produc'd quite through this Body_, in\ninfinitum, _according to the Extension of the Body; then suppose a long\npart of one of these Lines, cut off at this End which is next to me;\nthen take the Remainder of what was cut off, and draw down that end of\nit where it was cut off; And lay it even with the end of the other Line\nfrom which there was nothing cut off; and let that Line which was\nshortned, lye parallel with the other; then suppose them through this\nBody, till you come to that side which we suppos'd to be infinite:\nEither you will find both these Lines infinitely extended, and then one\nof them cannot be shorter than the other, but that which had a part of\nit cut off, will be as long as that which was not, which is absurd: Or\nelse the Line which was cut will not be so long as that other, and\nconsequently finite: Therefore if you add that part to it which was cut\noff from it at first, which was finite, the whole will be finite; and\nthen it will be no longer or shorter than that Line which had nothing\ncut off from it, therefore equal to it; But this is finite, therefore\nthe other is finite. Therefore the Body in which such Lines are drawn is\nfinite; And all Bodies in which such Lines may be drawn, are finite: But\nsuch Lines may be drawn in all Bodies. Therefore if we suppose an\ninfinite Body, we suppose an Absurdity and Impossibility._\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Illustration 6]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSec. 52b. When by the singular strength of his Genius, (which he exerted in\nthe finding out such a Demonstration) he had satisfied himself that the\nBody of Heaven was finite; he desired, in the next place, to know what\nFigure it was of, and how it was limited by the circumambient\nSuperficies. And first he observ'd the Sun, Moon and Stars, and saw that\nthey all rose in the East, and set in the West; and those which went\nright over his Head describ'd a great Circle, but those at at greater\ndistance from the Vertical Point, either Northward or Southward,\ndescrib'd a lesser Circle. So that the least Circles which were\ndescrib'd by any of the Stars, were those two which went round the two\nPoles, the one North, the other South; the last of which is the Circle\nof _Sohail_ or _Canopus_; the first, the Circle of those two Stars which\nare called in _Arabick Alpherkadani_. Now because he liv'd under the\nEquinoctial Line, (as we shew'd before) all those Circles did cut the\nHorizon at right Angles, and both North and South were alike to him, and\nhe could see both the Pole-Stars: He observ'd, that if a Star arose at\nany time in a great Circle, and another Star at the same in a lesser\nCircle, yet nevertheless, as they rose together, so they set together:\nand he observ'd it of all the Stars, and at all times. From whence he\nconcluded, that the Heaven was of a Spherical Figure; in which Opinion\nhe was confirm'd, by observing the Return of the Sun, Moon and Stars to\nthe East, after their Setting; and also, because they always appear'd to\nhim of the same bigness, both when they rose, and when they were in the\nmidst of Heaven, and at the time of their Setting; whereas, if their\nMotions had not been Circular, they must have been nearer to sight, at\nsome times than others; and consequently their Dimensions would have\nappear'd proportionably greater or lesser; but since there was no such\nAppearance, he concluded that their Motions were Circular. Then he\nconsider'd the Motion of the Moon and the Planets from West to East,\ntill at last he understood a great part of Astronomy. Besides, he\napprehended that their Motions were in different Spheres, all which were\ncomprehended in another which was above them all, and which turn'd about\nall the rest in the space of a Day and a Night. But it were too tedious\nto explain particularly how he advanc'd in this Science; besides, 'tis\ntaught in other Books; and what we have already said, is as much as is\nrequisite for our present purpose.\n\nSec. 53. When he had attain'd to this degree of Knowledge, he found that\nthe whole Orb of the Heavens, and whatsoever was contained in it, was as\none Thing compacted and join'd together; and that all those Bodies which\nhe us'd to consider before as Earth, Water, Air, Plants, Animals and the\nlike, were all of them so contain'd in it, as never to go out of its\nBounds: And that the whole was like One Animal, in which the Luminaries\nrepresented the Senses; The Spheres so join'd and compacted together,\nanswer'd to the Limbs; and the Sublunary World, to the Belly, in which\nthe Excrements and Humors are contain'd, and which oftentimes breeds\nAnimals, as the Greater World.\n\nSec. 54. Now when it appear'd to him, that the whole World was only One\nSubstance, depending upon a Voluntary Agent, and he had united all the\nParts of it, by the same way of thinking which he had before made use of\nin considering the Sublunary World; he proposed to his Consideration the\nWorld in General, and debated with himself, whether it did exist in\n_Time_,after it had been; and came to _Be_, out of nothing; or whether\nit had been from Eternity, without any Privation preceeding it.\nConcerning this Matter, he had very many and great Doubts; so that\nneither of these two Opinions did prevail over the other. For when he\npropos'd to himself the Belief of its Eternity, there arose a great many\nObjections in his Mind; because he thought that the Notion of Infinite\nExistence was press'd with no less Difficulties, than that of Infinite\nExtension: And that such a Being as was not free from Accidents produc'd\nanew, must also it self be produc'd anew, because it cannot be said to\nbe more ancient than those Accidents: And that which cannot exist before\nAccidents produc'd in Time, must needs itself be produc'd in Time. Then\non the other hand, when he propos'd to himself the Belief of its being\nproduc'd a-new, other Objections occur'd to him; for he perceiv'd that\nit was impossible to conceive any Notion of its being produc'd a-new,\nunless it was suppos'd that there was Time before it; whereas Time was\none of those things which belong'd to the World, and was inseparable\nfrom it; and therefore the World could not be suppos'd to be later than\nTime. Then he consider'd, that a Thing Created must needs have a\nCreator: And if so, Why did this Creator make the World now, and not as\nwell before? Was it because of any new Chance which happen'd to him?\nThat could not be; for there was nothing existent besides himself. Was\nit then upon the Account of any Change in his own Nature? But what\nshould cause that Change? Thus he continued for several Years, arguing\n_pro_ and _con_ about this Matter; and a great many Arguments offer'd\nthemselves on both sides, so that neither of these two Opinions in his\nJudgment over-balanc'd the other.\n\nSec. 55. This put him to a great deal of trouble, which made him begin to\nconsider with himself, what were the Consequences which did follow from\neach of these Opinions, and that perhaps they might be both alike. And\nhe perceiv'd, that if he held that the World was created in Time, and\nexisted after a total Privation, it would necessarily follow from\nthence, that it could not exist of it self, without the help of some\nAgent to produce it. And that this Agent must needs be such an one as\ncannot be apprehended by our Senses; for if he should be the Object of\nSense, he must: be _Body_, and if _Body_, then a Part of the World, and\nconsequently a Created Being; such an one, as would have stood in need\nof some other Cause to create him: and if that second Creator was\n_Body_, he would depend upon a, third, and that third upon upon a\nfourth, and so _ad infinitum_, which is absurd. Since therefore the\nWorld stands in need of an incorporeal Creator: And since the Creator\nthereof is really incorporeal, 'tis impossible for us to apprehend him\nby any of our Senses; for we perceive nothing by the help of them, but\n_Body_, or such Accidents as adhere to _Bodies_: And because he cannot\nbe perceiv'd by the Senses, it is impossible he should be apprehended by\nthe Imagination; for the Imagination does only represent to us the Forms\nof things in their absence, which we have before learn'd by our Senses.\nAnd since he is not _Body_, we must not attribute to him any of the\nProperties of _Body_; the first of which is Extension, from which he is\nfree, as also from all those Properties of Bodies which flow from it.\nAnd seeing that he is the Maker of the World, doubtless he has the\nSovereign Command over it. _Shall not he know it, that created it? He is\nwise, Omniscient!_\n\nSec. 56. On the other side, he saw that if he held the Eternity of the\nWorld, and that it always was as it now is, without any Privation before\nit; then it would follow, that its Motion must be Eternal too; because\nthere could be no Rest before it, from whence it might commence its\nMotion. Now all Motion necessarily requires a Mover; and this Mover must\nbe either a Power diffus'd through the Body mov'd, or else through some\nother Body without it, or else a certain Power, not diffus'd or\ndispers'd through any Body at all. Now every Power which passeth, or is\ndiffus'd, through any Body, is divided or doubled. For Instance; The\n_Gravity_ in a Stone, by which it tends downwards, if you divide the\nStone into two parts, is divided into two parts also; and if you add to\nit another like it, the Gravity is doubled. And if it were possible to\nadd Stones _in infinitum,_ the Gravity would increase _in infinitum_\ntoo. And if it were possible, that that Stone should grow still bigger,\ntill it reach'd to an infinite Extension, the Weight would increase also\nin the same proportion; and if on the other side, a Stone should grow to\na certain size, and stop there, the Gravity would also increase to such\na pitch, and no farther. Now it is demonstrated, that all Body must\nnecessarily be finite; and consequently, that Power which is in Body is\nfinite too. If therefore we can find any Power, which produces an\nInfinite Effect, 'tis plain that it is not in Body. Now we find, that\nthe Heav'n is mov'd about with a Perpetual Motion, without any\nCessation. Therefore if we affirm the Eternity of the World, it\nnecessarily follows that the Power which moves it, is not in its own\nBody, nor in the other Exterior Body; but proceeds from something\naltogether abstracted from Body, and which cannot be describ'd by\nCorporeal Adjuncts or Properties. Now he had learn'd from his first\nContemplation of the Sublunary World, that the true Essence of Body\nconsisted in its _Form,_ which is its Disposition to several sorts of\nMotion; but that Part of its Essence which consisted in _Matter_ was\nvery mean, and scarce possible to be conceiv'd; therefore the Existence\nof the whole World consists in its Disposition to be mov'd by this\nMover, who is free from Matter, and the Properties of Body; abstracted\nfrom every thing which we can either perceive by our Senses, or reach by\nour Imagination. And since he is the Efficient Cause of the Motions of\nthe Heavens, in which (notwithstanding their several kinds) there is no\ndifference, no Confusion, no Cessation; without doubt he has a Power\nover it, and a perfect Knowledge of it.\n\nSec. 57. Thus his Contemplation this Way, brought him to the same\nConclusion it did the other Way. So that doubting concerning the\nEternity of the World, and its Existence _de novo_, did him no harm at\nall. For it was plain to him both ways, that there was a Being, which\nwas not Body, nor join'd to Body, nor separated from it; nor within it,\nnor without it; because Conjunction and Separation, and being within any\nthing, or without it, are all properties of Body, from which that Being\nis altogether abstracted. And because all Bodies stand in need of a Form\nto be added to their Matter, as not being able to subsist without it,\nnor exist really; and the Form it self cannot exist, but by this\nVoluntary Agent, it appear'd to him that all things ow'd their Existence\nto this Agent; and that none of them could subsist, but through him: and\nconsequently, that he was the Cause, and they the Effects, (whether they\nwere newly created after a Privation, or whether they had no Beginning,\nin respect of him, 'twas all one) and Creatures whose Existence depended\nupon that Being; and that without his Continuance they could not\ncontinue, nor exist without his Existing, nor have been eternal without\nhis being Eternal; but that he was essentially independent of them, and\nfree from them. And how should it be otherwise, when it is demonstrated,\nthat his Power and Might are infinite, and that all Bodies, and\nwhatsoever belongs to them are finite? Consequently, that the whole\nWorld, and whatsoever was in it, the Heavens, the Earth, the Stars, and\nwhatsoever was between them above them, or beneath them, was all his\nWork and Creation, and posterior to him in Nature, if not in Time. As,\nif you take any Body whatsoever in your Hand, and then move your Hand,\nthe Body will without doubt follow the Motion of your Hand, with such a\nMotion as shall be posterior to it in Nature, tho' not in Time, because\nthey both began together: So all this World is caus'd and created by\nthis Agent out of Time, _Whose Command is, when he would have any thing\ndone, BE, and it is_.\n\nSec. 58. And when he perceiv'd that all things which did exist were his\nWorkmanship, he look'd them over again, considering attentively the\nPower of the Efficient, and admiring the Wonderfulness of the\nWorkmanship, and such accurate Wisdom, and subtil Knowledge. And there\nappear'd to him in the most minute Creatures (much more in the greater)\nsuch Footsteps of Wisdom, and Wonders of the Work of Creation, that he\nwas swallow'd up with Admiration, and fully assur'd that these things\ncould not proceed from any other, than a Voluntary Agent of infinite\nPerfection, nay, that was above all Perfection; such an one, to whom the\nWeight of the least Atom was not unknown, whether in Heaven or Earth;\nno, nor any other thing, whether lesser or greater than it.\n\nSec.. 59. Then he consider'd all the kinds of Animals, and how this Agent\nhad given such a Fabrick of Body to every one of them, and then taught\nthem how to use it. For if he had not directed them to apply those Limbs\nwhich he had given them, to those respective Uses for which they were\ndesign'd, they would have been so far from being of any Service that\nthey would rather have been a Burden. From whence he knew, that the\nCreator of the World was supereminently Bountiful, and exceedingly\nGracious. And then when he perceiv'd among the Creatures, any that had\nBeauty, Perfection, Strength, or Excellency of any kind whatever, he\nconsider'd with himself, and knew that it all flow'd from that Voluntary\nAgent, (whose Name be praised) and from his Essence and Operation. And\nhe knew, that what the Agent had in his own Nature, was greater than\nthat, [which he saw in the Creatures,] more perfect and compleat, more\nbeautiful and glorious, and more lasting; and that there was no\nproportion between the one and the other. Neither did he cease to\nprosecute this Search, till he had run through all the Attributes of\nPerfection, and found that they were all in this Agent, and all flow'd\nfrom him; and that he was most worthy to have them all ascrib'd to him,\nabove all the Creatures which were describ'd by them.\n\nSec. 60. In like manner he enquir'd into all the Attributes of\nImperfection, and perceiv'd that the Maker of the World was free from\nthem all: And how was it possible for him to be otherwise, since the\nNotion of _Imperfection_ is nothing but _mere Privation,_ or what\ndepends upon it? And how can he any way partake of _Privation_, who is\n_very Essence_, and cannot but exist; who gives Being to every thing\nthat exists, and besides whom there is no Existence? But HE is the\nBeing, HE is the Absoluteness, HE the Beauty, HE the Glory, HE the\nPower, HE the Knowledge, _HE is HE, and besides Him all things are\nsubject to perishing_[19].\n\nSec. 61. Thus far his Knowledge had brought him towards the end of the\nfifth Septenary from his Birth, _viz._ when he was 35 Years old. And the\nConsideration of this Supream Agent was then so rooted in his Heart,\nthat it diverted him from thinking upon any thing else: and he so far\nforgot the Consideration of the Creatures, and the Enquiring into their\nNatures, that as soon as e'er he cast his Eyes upon any thing of what\nkind soever, he immediately perceiv'd in it the Footsteps of this Agent;\nand in an instant his Thoughts were taken off from the Creature, and and\ntransferred to the Creator. So that he was inflam'd with the desire of\nhim, and his Heart was altogether withdrawn from thinking upon this\ninferior World, which contains the Objects of Sense, and wholly taken up\nwith the Contemplation of the upper, Intellectual World.\n\nSec. 62. Having now attain'd to the Knowledge of this Supream Being, of\nPermanent Existence, which has no Cause of his own Existence, but is the\nCause why all things else exist; he was desirous to know by what Means\nhe had attain'd this Knowledge, and by which of his Faculties he had\napprehended this Being. And first he examin'd all his Senses, _viz_. his\nHearing, Sight, Smelling, Tasting and Feeling, and perceiv'd that all\nthese apprehended nothing but Body, or what was in Body. For the Hearing\napprehended nothing but Sounds, and these came from the Undulation of\nthe Air, when Bodies are struck one against another. The Sight,\napprehends Colours. The Smelling, Odours. The Taste, Savours. And the\nTouch, the Temperatures and Dispositions of Bodies, such as Hardness\nSoftness, Roughness ad Smoothness. Nor does the Imagination apprehend\nany thing, but as it has Length, Breadth and Thickness. Now all these\nthings which are thus apprehended, are the Adjuncts of Bodies; nor can\nthese Senses apprehend any thing else, because they are Faculties\ndiffus'd through Bodies, and divided according to the division of\nBodies, and for that reason cannot apprehend any thing else but\ndivisible Body. For since this Faculty is diffus'd through the visible\nBody, 'tis impossible, but that when it apprehends any thing whatsoever,\nthat thing so apprehended, must be divided as the Faculty is divided.\nFor which Reason, no Faculty which is seated in Body, can apprehend any\nthing but what is Body, or in it. Now we have already demonstrated, that\nthis necessarily Existent Being is free in every respect from all\nProperties of Body; and consequently not to be apprehended, but by\nsomething which is neither Body, nor any Faculty inherent in Body, nor\nhas any manner of dependance upon it, nor is either within it, or\nwithout it, nor join'd to it, nor separated from it. From whence it\nappear'd to him, that he had apprehended this Being by that which was\nhis Essence, and gain'd a certain Knowledge of him. And from hence he\nconcluded, that this Essence was Incorporeal, and free from all the\nProperties of Body. And that all his External Part which he saw, was not\nin reality his Essence; by that his true Essence was _That_, by which he\napprehended that Absolute Being of necessary Existence.\n\nSec. 63. Having thus learn'd, that this Essence was not that Corporeal Mass\nwhich he perceiv'd with his Senses, and was cloath'd with his Skin, he\nbegan to entertain mean Thoughts of his Body, and set himself to\ncontemplate that Noble Being, by which he had reach'd the Knowledge of\nthat Superexcellent, and Necessarily existent Being; and began to\nconsider with himself, by means of that Noble Essence of his, whether\nthis Noble Essence of his could possibly be dissolv'd, or dye, or be\nannihilated; or whether it were of perpetual duration. Now he knew that\nCorruption and Dissolution were Properties of Body, and consisted in the\nputting off one Form, and putting on another. As for Instance: when\nWater is chang'd into Air, and Air into Water; or when Plants are turn'd\ninto Earth or Ashes, and Earth again into Plants; (for this is the true\nNotion of Corruption.) But an Incorporeal Being, which has no dependance\nupon Body, but is altogether free from the Accidents proper to Body,\ncannot be suppos'd to be liable to Corruption.\n\nSec. 64. Having thus secur'd himself in this Belief, that his _Real\nEssence_ could not be dissolv'd, he had a mind to know what Condition it\nshould be in, when he had laid aside the Body, and was separated from\nit; which he persuaded himself would not be, till the Body ceas'd to\ncontinue a fit Instrument for its use. Therefore he consider'd all his\nApprehensive Faculties, and perceiv'd that every one of them did\nsometimes apprehend _Potentially_, and sometimes _Actually_; as the Eye\nwhen it is shut, or turn'd away from the Object, sees _Potentially_.(For\nthe meaning of apprehending _Potentially_ is, when it does not apprehend\n_now_, yet can do it for _the time to come_.) And when the Eye is open,\nand turn'd toward the Object, it sees _Actually_ (for that is call'd\nActual, which, is present,) and so every one of these Faculties is some\ntimes in _Power_, and sometimes in _Act_: And if any of them did never\nactually apprehend its Proper Object, so long as it remains in Power, it\nhas no desire to any Particular Object; because it knows nothing of any,\n(as a Man that is born blind.) But if it did ever actually Apprehend,\nand then be reduc'd to the Power only: so long as it remains in that\ncondition, it will desire to apprehend in Act; because it has been\nacquainted with the Object, and is intent upon it, and lingers after it;\nas a Man who could once see, and after is blind, continually desires\nVisible Objects: And according as the Object which he has seen, is more\nperfect, and glorious, and beautiful, his Desire towards it is\nproportionably increased, and his Grief for the Loss of it so much the\ngreater. Hence it is that the Grief of him who is depriv'd of that Sight\nhe once had, is greater than his who is depriv'd of Smelling; because\nshe Objects of Sight are more perfect and beautiful than those of\nSmelling. And if there be any thing of boundless Perfection, infinite\nBeauty, Glory and Splendor, that is above all Splendor and Beauty; so\nthat there is no Perfection, Beauty, Brightness, or Comliness, but flows\nfrom it. Then certainly he that shall be depriv'd of the Sight and\nKnowledge of that Thing, after he has once been acquainted with it, must\nnecessarily, so long as he continues in that State, suffer inexpressible\nAnguish; as on the contrary, he that continually has it present to him,\nmust needs enjoy uninterrupted Delight, perpetual Felicity, and infinite\nJoy and Gladness.\n\nSec. 65. Now it had been already made plain to him, that all the Attributes\nof Perfection belonged to that Being which did necessarily self-exist,\nand that he was far from all manner of Imperfection. He was certain\nwithal, that the Faculty by which he attain'd to the Apprehension of\nthis Being, was not like to Bodies, nor subject to Corruption, as they\nare. And from hence it appear'd to him, that whosoever had such an\nEssence as was capable of apprehending this _Noble Being,_ must, when he\nput off the Body at the time of his Death, have been formerly, during\nhis Conversation in the Body, first, either one who was not acquainted\nwith this necessarily self-existent Essence, nor ever was join'd to him,\nnor ever heard any thing of him; and so would, at the separating with\nthe Body, never to be join'd to him, nor to be concern'd at the want of\nhim. Because all the Corporeal Faculties cease when the Body dies, nor\ndo they any longer desire or linger after their proper Objects; nor are\nin any trouble or pain for their absence; (which is the Condition of all\nBrutes, of what shape soever they are.) Or else, secondly, such an one,\nwho while he continu'd in the Body, did converse with this Being, and\nhad a sense of his Perfection, Greatness, Dominion, and Power; but\nafterwards declin'd from him, and follow'd his vicious Inclinations,\ntill at length Death overtook him whilst in this State; he shall be\ndepriv'd of that Vision, and yet be afflicted with the Desire of\nEnjoying it, and so remain in lasting Punishment and inexpressible\nTorture; whether he be to be delivered from his Misery after a long\ntime, and enjoy that Vision which he so earnestly desires; or,\neverlastingly to abide in the same Torments, according as he was fitted\nand dispos'd for either of these two, during his continuance in the\nBody. Or lastly, were such an one, who convers'd with this necessarily\nself-existent Being, and apply'd himself to it, with the utmost of his\nAbility, and has all his Thoughts continually intent upon his Glory,\nBeauty, and Splendor, and never turns from him, nor forsakes him, till\nDeath seizes him in the Act of Contemplation and Intuition: Such a Man\nas this shall, when separated from Body, remain in everlasting Pleasure,\nand Delight, and Joy and Gladness, by reason of the uninterrupted Vision\nof that self-existent Being, and its intire freedom from all Impurity\nand Mixture; and because all those Sensible Things shall be remov'd from\nhim, which are the proper Objects of the Corporeal Faculties, and which,\nin regard of his present State, are no better than Torments, Evils and\nHinderances.\n\nSec. 66. Being thus satisfied, that the Perfection and Happiness of his own\nBeing consisted in the actually beholding that necessarily self-existent\nBeing perpetually, so as not to be diverted from it so much as the\ntwinkling of an Eye, that Death might find him actually employ'd in that\nVision, and so his Pleasure might be continu'd, without being\ninterrupted by any Pain; (which _Ab-Jonaid_ a Doctor, and _Imaam_, of\nthe Sect of the _Suphians_, alluded to; when at the point of Death he\nsaid to his Friends about him, _This is the Time when Men ought to\nGlorify GOD, and be instant in their Prayers,_) he began to consider\nwith himself, by what Means this Vision might actually be continu'd,\nwithout Interruption. So he was very intent for a time upon that\n_Being_; but he could not stay there long, before some sensible Object\nor other would present itself, either the Voice of some wild Beast would\nreach his Ears, or some Phantasy affected his Imagination; or he was\ntouch'd with some Pain in some Part or other; or he was hungry, or dry,\nor too cold, or too hot, or was forc'd to rise to ease Nature. So that\nhis Contemplation was interrupted, and he remov'd from that State of\nMind: And then he could not, without a great deal of difficulty, recover\nhimself to that State he was in before; and he was afraid that Death\nshould overtake him at such a Time as his Thoughts were diverted from\nthe Vision, and so should fall into everlasting Misery, and the Pain of\nSeparation.\n\nSec. 67. This put him into a great deal of Anxiety, and when he could find\nno Remedy, he began to consider all the several Sorts of Animals, and\nobserve their Actions, and what they were employ'd about; in hopes of\nfinding some of them that might possibly have a Notion of this Being,\nand endeavour after him; that so he might learn of them which way to be\nsav'd. But he was altogether disappointed in his Search; for he found\nthat they were all wholly taken up in getting their Provision, and\nsatisfying their Desires of Eating, and Drinking, and Copulation, and\nchusing the shady places in hot Weather, and the sunny ones in cold: And\nthat all their life-time, both day and night, till they died, was spent\nafter this manner, without any variation, or minding any thing else at\nany time. From whence it appear'd to him, that they knew nothing of this\nBeing, nor had any desire towards it, nor became acquainted with it by\nany Means whatsoever; and that they all went into a State of Privation,\nor something very near a-kin to it. Having pass'd this Judgment upon the\nAnimals, he knew that it was much more reasonable to conclude so of\nVegetables, which had but few of those Apprehensions which the Animals\nhad; and if that whose Apprehension was more perfect did not attain to\nthis Knowledge, much less could it be expected from that whose\nApprehension was less perfect; especially when he saw that all the\nActions of Plants reach'd no farther than Nutrition and Generation.\n\nSec. 68. He next consider'd the Stars and Spheres, and saw, that they had\nall regular Motions, and went round in a due Order; and that they were\npellucid and shining, and remote from any approach to Change or\nDissolution: which made him have a strong suspicion, that they had\n_Essences_ distinct from their Bodies, which were acquainted with this\n_necessarily self-existent Essence._ And that these understanding\nEssences,were like his understanding Essence. And why might it not be\nsuppos'd that they might have incorporeal Essences, when he himself had,\nnotwithstanding his Weakness and extream want of sensible Things? That\nhe consisted of a corruptible Body, and yet nevertheless, all these\nDefects did not hinder him from having an incorporeal incorruptible\nEssence: From whence he concluded, that the Celestial Bodies were much\nmore likely to have it; and he perceived that they had a Knowledge of\nthe _necessarily self-existent Being_, and did actually behold it at all\ntimes; because they were not at all incumbred with those Hinderances,\narising from the Intervention of sensible Things, which debarr'd him\nfrom enjoying the _Vision_, without Interruption.\n\nSec. 69. Then he began to consider with himself, what should be the reason\nwhy he alone, above all the rest of living Creatures, should be endu'd\nwith such an Essence, as made him like the Heavenly Bodies. Now he\nunderstood before the Nature of the Elements, and how one of them us'd\nto be chang'd into another, and that there was nothing upon the Face of\nthe Earth, which always remain'd in the same Form, but that Generation\nand Corruption follow'd one another perpetually in a mutual Succession;\nand that the greatest part of these Bodies were mix'd and compounded of\ncontrary Things, and were for that reason the more dispos'd to\nDissolution: And that there could not be found among them all, any thing\npure and free from Mixture, but that such Bodies as came nearest to it,\nand had least mixture, as Gold and Jacinth are of longest Duration, and\nless subject to Dissolution; and that the Heavenly Bodies were most\nsimple and pure, and for that reason more free from Dissolution, and not\nsubject to a Succession of Forms. And here it appear'd to him, that the\nreal Essence of those Bodies, which are in this sublunary World,\nconsisted in some, of one simple Notion added to Corporeity, as the four\nElements; in others of more, as Animals and Plants. And that those,\nwhose Essence consisted of the fewest Forms, had fewest Actions, and\nwere farther distant from Life. And that if there were any body to be\nfound, that was destitute of all Form, it was impossible that it should\nlive, but was next to nothing at all; also that those things which were\nendu'd with most Forms, had the most Operations, and had more ready and\neasie entrance to the State of Life. And if this Form were so dispos'd,\nthat there were no way of separating it from the Matter to which it\nproperly belong'd, then the life of it, would be manifest, permanent and\nvigorous to the utmost degree. But on the contrary, whatsoever Body was\naltogether destitute of a Form, was [Greek: Hyle], Matter without Life, and near\na-kin to nothing. And that the four Elements subsisted with one single\nForm only, and are of the first Rank of Beings in the sublunary World,\nout of which, other things endu'd with more Forms are compounded: And\nthat the Life of these Elements is very weak, both because they have no\nvariety of Motion, but always tend the same way; and because every one\nof them has an Adversary which manifestly opposes the Tendency of its\nNature, and endeavours to deprive it of its Form; and therefore its\nEssence is of short Continuance, and its Life weak: But that Plants had\na stronger Life, and Animals a Life more manifest than the Plants. The\nreason of which is, because that whenever it happen'd, that in any of\nthese compound Bodies, the Nature of one Element prevail'd, that\npredominant Element would overcome the Natures of the rest, and destroy\ntheir Power; so that the compounded Body would be of the same Nature\nwith that prevailing Element, and consequently partake but of a small\nPortion of Life, because the Element it self does so.\n\nSec. 70. On the contrary, if there were any of these compounded Bodies, in\nwhich the Nature of one Element did not prevail over the rest, but they\nwere all equally mix'd, and a match one for the other; then one of them\nwould not abate the Force of the other, any more than its own Force is\nabated by it, but they would work upon one another with equal Power, and\nthe Operation of any one of them would not be more conspicuous than that\nof the rest; and this Body would be far from being like to any one of\nthe Elements, but would be as if it had nothing _contrary_ to its\n_Form,_ and consequently the more dispos'd for Life; and the greater\nthis Equality of Temperature was, and by how much the more perfect, and\nfurther distant from inclining oneway or other, by so much the farther\nit is distant from having any contrary to it, and its Life is the more\nperfect. Now since that Animal Spirit which is seated in the Heart is of\na most exact Temperature, as being finer than _Earth_ and _Water_, and\ngrosser than _Fire_ and _Air_, it has the Nature of a Mean between them\nall, and which has no manifest Opposition to any of the Elements, and by\nthis means is fitted to become that Form which constitutes an Animal.\nAnd he saw that it follow'd from hence, that those _Animal Spirits_\nwhich were of the most even Temperature, were the best dispos'd for the\nmost perfect Life in this World, of Generation and Corruption, and that\nthis Spirit was very near having no opposite to its Forms, and did in\nthis respect resemble the Heavenly Bodies which have no opposite to\ntheir Forms; and was therefore the Spirit of the Animal, because it was\na Mean between all the Elements, and had no absolute Tendency, either\nupwards or downwards; but that, if it were possible it should be plac'd\nin the middle Space, between the Center and the highest Bounds of the\nRegion of Fire, and not be destroy'd, it would continue in the same\nplace, and move neither upwards nor downwards; but if it should be\nlocally mov'd, it would move in a round, as the Heavenly Bodies do, and\nif it mov'd in its place, it would be round its own Center, and that it\nwas impossible for it to be of any other Figure but Spherical, and for\nthat reason it is very much like to the Heavenly Bodies.\n\nSec. 71. And when he had consider'd the Properties of Animals, and could\nnot see any one among them, concerning which he could in the least\nsuspect that it had any Knowledge of this _necessarily self-existent\nBeing_; but he knew that his own Essence had the Knowledge of it: He\nconcluded from hence that he was an Animal, endu'd with a Spirit of an\nequal Temperature, as all the Heavenly Bodies are, and that he was of a\ndistinct Species from the rest of Animals, and that he was created for\nanother end, and design'd for something greater than what they were\ncapable of. And this was enough to satisfie him of the Nobility of his\nNature; namely, that his viler Part, _i.e._ the Corporeal, was most like\nof all to the Heavenly Substances, which are without this World of\nGeneration and Corruption, and free from all accidents that cause any\nDefect, Change or Alteration: And that his noble Part, _viz._, that by\nwhich he attain'd the Knowledge of the _necessarily self-existent\nBeing_, was something Heroical and Divine, not subject to Change or\nDissolution, nor capable of being describ'd by any of the Properties or\nAttributes of Bodies: Not to be apprehended by any of the Senses, or by\nthe Imagination; nor to be known by the means of any other Instrument\nbut it self alone, and that it attains the Knowledge of it self by it\nself, and was at once the Knower the Knowledge, and the Thing known, the\nFaculty and the Object. Neither was there any difference between any of\nthese because _Diversity_ and _Separation_ are Properties and Adjuncts\nof Bodies; but _Body_ was no way concern'd here, nor any Property or\nAdjunct of _Body_.\n\nSec. 72. Having apprehended the manner by which the being like the Heavenly\nBodies, was peculiar to him above all other kinds of Animals whatever;\nhe perceiv'd that it was a Duty necessarily incumbent upon him to\nresemble them, and imitate their Actions, and endeavour to the utmost to\nbecome like them: He perceiv'd also that in respect: of his nobler Part,\nby which he had attain'd the Knowledge of that _necessarily self\nexistent Being_, he did in some measure resemble it, because he was\nseparated from the Attributes of Bodies, as the _necessarily\nself-existent Being_ is separated from them. He saw also that it was his\nDuty to endeavour to make himself Master of the Properties of that Being\nby all possible means, and put on his Qualities, and imitate his\nActions, and labour in the doing his Will, and resign himself wholly to\nhim, and submit to his Dispensations heartily and unfeignedly, so as to\nrejoice in him, tho' he should lay Afflictions upon his Body, and hurt,\nor totally destroy it.\n\nSec. 73. He also perceiv'd that he resembled the Beasts in his viler part,\nwhich belong'd to this _Generable_ and _Corruptible_ World, _viz_. this\ndark, gross Body, which sollicited him with the Desire of Variety of\nsensible Objects, and excited him to eating, drinking, and Copulation;\nand he knew that his Body was not created and join'd to him in vain, but\nthat he was oblig'd to preserve it and take care of it, which he saw\ncould not be done without some of those Actions which are common to the\nrest of the Animals. Thus it was plain to him, that there were three\nsorts of Actions which he was obliged to, _viz._ 1. Either those by\nwhich he resembled the Irrational Animals. Or, 2. Those by which he\nresembled the Heavenly Bodies. Or, 3. Those by which he resembled the\n_necessarily self-existent Being_: And that he was oblig'd to the\n_first_, as having a gross Body, consisting of several Parts, and\ndifferent Faculties, and variety of Motions. To the _second_, as having\nan Animal Spirit, which had its Seat in the Heart, and was the first\nbeginning of the Body and all its Faculties. To the _third_, as he was\nwhat he was, _viz_. as he was that Being, by which he knew the\n_necessarily self-existent Being_. And he was very well assur'd before,\nthat his Happiness and Freedom from Misery, consisted in the perpetual\nVision of that _necessarily self-existent Being_, without being averted\nfrom it so much as the twinkling of an Eye.\n\nSec. 74. Then he weigh'd with himself, by what means a Continuation of this\nVision might be attain'd, and the Result of his Contemplation was this,\n_viz_. That he was obliged to keep himself constantly exercis'd in these\nthree kinds of Resemblance. Not that the first of them did any way\ncontribute to the helping him to the _Vision_(but was rather an\nImpediment and Hindrance, because it was concern'd only in sensible\nObjects, which are all of them a sort of Veil or Curtain interpos'd\nbetween us and it;) but because it was necessary for the Preservation of\nthe Animal Spirit, whereby the second Resemblance, which he had with the\nHeavenly Bodies was acquir'd, and was for this reason necessary, though\nincumbred with Hindrances and Inconveniences. But as to the second\nConformity, he saw indeed that a great share of that continu'd Vision\nwas attain'd by it, but that it was not without Mixture; because,\nwhatsoever contemplates the Vision after this manner continually, does,\ntogether with it, have regard to, and call a Look upon his own Essence,\nas shall be shewn hereafter. But that the third Conformity was that by\nwhich he obtain'd the pure and entire _Vision_, so as to be wholly taken\nup with it, without being diverted from it one way or other, by any\nmeans whatsoever, but being still intent upon that _necessarily\nself-existent Being_; which whosoever enjoys, has no regard to any thing\nelse, and his own Essence is altogether neglected, and vanish'd out of\nfight, and become as nothing; and so are all other Essences both great\nand small, except only the Essence of that _One, True, Necessarily\nSelf-existent, High and Powerful Being_.\n\nSec. 75. Now when he was assur'd that the utmost Bound of all his Desires\nconsisted in this _third_ Conformity, and that it was not to be\nattain'd, without being a long time exercis'd in _the second_; and that\nthere was no continuing so long as was necessary for that Purpose, but\nby means of the _first_; (which, how necessary soever, he knew was an\nHindrance in itself, and an Help only by Accident.) He resolved to allow\nhimself no more of that first Conformity than needs must, which was only\njust so much as would keep the Animal Spirit alive. Now, in order to\nthis, he found there were two Things necessary; The former, to help it\ninwardly, and supply the Defect of that Nourishment which was wasted;\nThe latter, to preserve it from without, against the Extremities of Heat\nand Cold, Rain and Sun, hurtful Animals, and such like; and he\nperceiv'd, that if he should allow himself to use these things, though\nnecessary, unadvisedly and at Adventure, it might chance to expose him\nto Excess, and by that means he might do 'himself an Injury unawares;\nwhereupon he concluded it the safest way to set Bounds to himself, which\nhe resolv'd not to pass; both as to the Kind of Meat which he was to\neat, and the Quantity and Quality of it, and the Times of returning to\nit.\n\nSec. 76. And first he consider'd the several Kinds of those things which\nwere fit to eat; and found that there were three sorts, _viz_. either\nsuch Plants as were not yet come to their full Growth, nor attained to\nPerfection, such as are several sorts of green Herbs which are fit to\neat: Or _secondly,_ the Fruits of Trees which were fully ripe, and had\nSeed fit for the Production of more of the same Kind (and such were the\nkinds of Fruits that were newly gathered and dry): Or _lastly_, Living\nCreatures, both Fish and Flesh. Now he knew very well, that all these\nthings were created by that _necessarily self-existent Being_, in\napproaching to whom he was assur'd that his Happiness did consist, and\nin desiring to resemble him. Now the eating of these things must needs\nhinder their attaining to their Perfection, and deprive them of that End\nfor which they were design'd; and this would be an Opposition to the\nworking of the Supream Agent, and such an Opposition would hinder that\nNearness and Conformity to him, which he so much desir'd. Upon this he\nthought it the best way to abstain from eating altogether, if possible;\nbut when he saw that this would not do, and that such an Abstinence\ntended to the Dissolution of his Body, which was so much a greater\nOpposition to the _Agent_ than the former, by how much he was of a more\nexcellent Nature than those things, whose Destruction was the Cause of\nhis Preservation: Of two Evils he resolved to chuse the least, and do\nthat which contain'd in it the least Opposition to the Creator; and\nresolved to partake of any of these sorts, if those he had most mind to\nwere not at hand, in such quantity as he should conclude upon hereafter;\nand if it so happen'd that he had them all at hand, then he would\nconsider with himself, and chuse that, in the partaking of which there\nwould be the least Opposition to the Work of the Creator: Such as the\npulp of those Fruits which were full ripe, and had Seeds in them fit to\nproduce others of the like kind, always taking care to preserve the\nSeeds, and neither cut them, nor spoil them, nor throw them in such\nplaces as were not fit for Plants to grow in, as smooth Stones, salt\nEarth, and the like. And if such pulpy Fruits, as Apples, Pears, Plumbs,\n&c. could not easily be come at, he would then take such as had nothing\nin them fit to eat but only the Seed, as Almonds and Chesnuts, or such\ngreen Herbs as were young and tender; always observing this Rule, that\nlet him take of which sort he would, he still chose those that there was\ngreatest Plenty of, and which increased fastest, but so as to pull up\nnothing by the Roots, nor spoil the Seed: And if none of these things\ncould be had, he would then take some living Creature, or eat Eggs; but\nwhen he took any Animal, he chose that sort of which there was the\ngreatest Plenty, so as not totally to destroy any Species.\n\nSec. 77. These were the Rules which he prescrib'd to himself, as to the\nKinds of his Provision; as to the Quantity, his Rule was to eat no more\nthan just what would satisfie his Hunger; and as for the time of his\nMeals, he design'd, when he was once satisfied, not to eat any more till\nhe found some Disability in himself which hindred his Exercise in the\n_second Conformity,_ (of which we are now going to speak;) and as for\nthose things which necessity requir'd of him towards the Conservation of\nhis Animal Spirit, in regard of defending it from external Injuries, he\nwas not much troubled about them, for he was cloath'd with Skins, and\nhad a House sufficient to secure him from those Inconveniences from\nwithout, which was enough for him; and he thought it superfluous to take\nany further Care about those things; and as for his Diet, he observ'd\nthose Rules which he had prescrib'd to himself, namely, those which we\nhave just now set down.\n\nSec. 78. After this he apply'd himself to the second Operation, _viz._ the\nImitation of the Heavenly Bodies, and expressing their proper Qualities\nin himself; which when he had consider'd, he found to be of three sorts.\nThe _first_ were such as had relation to those inferior Bodies, which,\nare plac'd in this World of Generation and Corruption, as Heat, which\nthey impart to those of their own Nature, and Cold by accident,\nIllumination, Rarefaction, and Condensation, and all those other things,\nby which they influence these inferior Bodies, whereby they are dispos'd\nfor the Reception of Spiritual Forms from the _necessarily self-existent\nAgent_. The _second_ sort of Properties which they had, were such as\nconcern'd their own Being, as that they were clear, bright and pure,\nfree from all manner of feculent Matter, and whatsoever kinds of\nImpurity: That their Motion was circular, some of them moving round\ntheir own Center, and some again round the Center of other Planets. The\n_third_ kind of their Properties, were such as had relation to the\nnecessarily self-existent Agent, as their continually beholding him\nwithout any Interruption, and having a Desire towards him, being busied\nin his Service, and moving agreeable to his Will, and not otherwise, but\nas he pleased, and by his Power. So he began to resemble them in every\none of these three kinds, to the utmost of his Power.\n\nSec. 79. And as for his first Conformity, his Imitation of them consisted\nin removing all things that were hurtful, either from Animals or Plants\nif they could be remov'd: So that if he saw any Plant which was depriv'd\nof the Benefit of the Sun, by the Interposition of any other Body; or\nthat its growth was hindred by its being twisted with, or standing too\nnear any other Plant, he would remove that which hindred it if possible,\nyet so as not to hurt either; or if it was in danger of dying for want\nof Moisture, he took what care he could to water it constantly. Or if he\nsaw any Creature pursu'd by any wild Beast, or entangled in a Snare, or\nprick'd with Thorns, or that had gotten any thing hurtful fallen into\nits Eyes or Ears, or was hungry or thirsty, he took all possible care to\nrelieve it. And when he saw any Water-course stopp'd by any Stone, or\nany thing brought down by the Stream, so that any Plant or Animal was\nhindred of it, he took care to remove it. And thus he continu'd in this\n_first_ kind of Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies, till he had attain'd\nit to the very heighth of Perfection.\n\nSec. 80. The _second_ sort of Imitation consisted in his continually\nobliging himself to keep himself clean from all manner of Dirt and\nNastiness, and washing himself often, keeping his Nails and his Teeth\nclean, and the secret Parts of his Body, which he used to rub sometimes\nwith sweet Herbs and Perfume with Odors. He used frequently to make\nclean his Cloaths; and perfume them, so that he was all over extreamly\nclean and fragrant. Besides this, he us'd a great many sorts of Circular\nMotion[21], sometimes walking round the Island, compassing the Shore,\nand going round the utmost Bounds of it; sometimes walking or running a\ngreat many times round about his House or some Stone, at other times\nturning himself round so often that he was dizzy.\n\nSec. 81. His Imitation of the _third_ sort of Attributes, consisted in\nconfining his Thoughts to the Contemplation of the necessarily\nself-existent Being. And in order to this, he remov'd all his Affections\nfrom sensible Things, shut his Eyes, stopp'd his Ears, and refrain'd\nhimself as much as possible from following his Imagination, endeavouring\nto the utmost to think of nothing besides him; nor to admit together\nwith him any other Object of Contemplation. And he us'd to help himself\nin this by violently turning himself round, in which when he was very\nviolently exercis'd, all manner of sensible Objects vanish'd out of his\nsight, and the Imagination, and all the other Faculties which make any\nuse of the Organs of the Body grew Weak; and on the other side, the\nOperations of his Essence, which depended not on the Body, grew strong,\nso that at sometimes his Meditation was pure and free from any Mixture,\nand he beheld by it the necessarily self-existent Being: But then again\nthe Corporeal Faculties would return upon him, and spoil his\nContemplation, and bring him down to the lowest Degree where he was\nbefore. Now, when he had any Infirmity upon him which interrupted his\nDesign, he took some kind of Meat, but still according to the\naforemention'd Rules; and then remov'd again to that State of Imitation\nof the Heavenly Bodies, in these three Respects which we have mention'd;\nand thus he continued for some time opposing his Corporeal Faculties,\nand they opposing him, and mutually struggling one against another, and\nat such times as he got the better of them; and his Thoughts were free\nfrom Mixture; he did apprehend something of the Condition of those, who\nhave attained to the _third_ Resemblance.\n\nSec. 82. Then he began to seek after this _third_ Assimulation, and took\npains in the attaining it. And first he consider'd the Attributes of the\n_necessarily self-existent Being_. Now it had appear'd to him, during\nthe time of his Theoretical Speculation, before he enter'd upon the\nPractical Part; that there were two Sorts of them, _viz_. Affirmative,\nas Knowledge, Power and Wisdom &c. and Negative, as Immateriality; not\nonly such as consisted in the not being _Body_; but in being altogether\nremov'd from any thing that had the least Relation to _Body_, though at\nnever so great a Distance. And that this was a Condition, not only\nrequir'd in the Negative Attributes, but in the Affirmative too, _viz_.\nthat they should be free from all Properties of Body, of which,\n_Multiplicity_ is one. Now the Divine Essence is not multiplied by these\nAffirmative Attributes, but all of 'em together are one and the same\nthing, _viz._ his real Essence. Then he began to consider how he might\nimitate him in both these Kinds; and as for the Affirmative Attributes,\nwhen he consider'd that they were nothing else but his real Essence, and\nthat by no means it could be said of them that they are _many_(because\nMultiplicity is a Property of Body) and that the Knowledge of his own\nEssence was not a Notion superadded to his Essence, but that his Essence\nwas the Knowledge of his Essence; and so _vice versa_, it appear'd to\nhim, that if he would know his Being, this Knowledge, by which he knew\nhis Being would not be a Notion superadded to his Being, but be the very\nBeing itself. And he perceived that his way to make himself like to him,\nas to what concern'd his Affirmative Attributes, would be to know him\nalone, abstracted wholly from all Properties of Body.\n\nSec. 83. This he apply'd himself to; and as for the Negative Attributes,\nthey all consisted in Separation from Bodily Things. He began therefore\nto strip himself of all Bodily Properties, which he had made some\nProgress in before, during the time of the former Exercise, when he was\nemploy'd in the Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies; but there still\nremained a great many Relicks, as his Circular Motion (Motion being one\nof the more proper Attributes of Body), and his care of Animals and\nPlants, Compassion upon them, and Industry in removing whatever\ninconvenienc'd them. Now all these things belong to Corporeal\nAttributes, for he could not see these things at first, but by Corporeal\nFaculties; and he was oblig'd to make use of the same Faculties in\npreserving them. Therefore he began to reject and remove all those\nthings from himself, as being in no wise consistent with that State\nwhich he was now in search of. So he continu'd, confining himself to\nrest in the Bottom of his Cave, with his Head bow'd down, and his Eyes\nshut, and turning himself altogether from all sensible Things and the\nCorporeal Faculties, and bending all his Thoughts and Meditations upon\nthe _necessarily self-existent Being_, without admitting any thing else\nbesides him; and if any other Object presented itself to his\nImagination, he rejected it with his utmost Force; and exercis'd himself\nin this, and persisted in it to that Degree, that sometimes he did\nneither eat nor stir for a great many Days together. And whilst he was\nthus earnestly taken up in Contemplation, sometimes all manner of Beings\nwhatsoever would be quite out of his Mind and Thoughts, except his own\nBeing only.\n\nSec. 84. But he found that his own Being was not excluded by his Thoughts,\nno not at such times when he was most deeply immers'd in the\nContemplation of the _first, true, necessarily self-existent Being_.\nWhich concern'd him very much, for he knew that even this was a Mixture\nin this simple Vision, and the Admission of an extraneous Object in that\nContemplation. Upon which he endeavour'd to disappear from himself, and\nbe wholly taken up in the Vision of that _true Being_; till at last he\nattain'd it; and then both the Heavens and the Earth, and whatsoever is\nbetween them, and all Spiritual Forms, and Corporeal Faculties; and all\nthose Powers which are separate from Matter, and are those Beings which\nknow the _necessarily self-existent Being_, all disappear'd and\nvanish'd, and were as if they had never been, and amongst these his own\nBeing disappear'd too, and there remain'd nothing but this ONE, TRUE,\nPerpetually Self-existent Being, who spoke thus in that Saying of his\n(which is not a Notion superadded to his Essence.) _To whom now belongs\nthe Kingdom? To this One, Almighty God_.[22] Which Words of his _Hai Ebn\nYokdhan_ understood, and heard his Voice; nor was his being unacquainted\nwith Words, and not being able to speak, any Hindrance at all to the\nunderstanding him. Wherefore he deeply immers'd himself into this State,\nand witness'd that which neither Eye hath seen, nor Ear heard; nor hath\nit ever enter'd into the Heart of Man to conceive.\n\nSec. 85. And now, don't expect that I should give thee a Description of\nthat, which the Heart of Man cannot conceive. For if a great many of\nthole things which we do conceive are nevertheless hard to be explain'd,\nhow much more difficult must those be which cannot be conceiv'd by the\nHeart, nor are circumscrib'd in the Limits of that World in which it\nconverses. Now, when I say the Heart, I don't mean the Substance of it,\nnor that Spirit which is contain'd in the Cavity of it; but I mean by\nit, the Form of that Spirit which is diffus'd by its Faculties through\nthe whole Body of Man. Now every one of these three is sometimes call'd\nthe Heart, but 'tis impossible that this thing which I mean should be\ncomprehended by any of these three, neither can we express any thing by\nWords, which is not first conceiv'd in the Heart. And whosoever asks to\nhave it explain'd, asks an Impossibility; for 'tis just as if a Man\nshould have a mind to taste Colours, _quatenas_ Colours, and desire,\nthat _black_ should be either _sweet_ or _sowre._ However, I shall not\ndismiss you without some Limits, whereby I shall point out to you in\nsome Measure, what wonderful things he saw when in this Condition, but\nall figuratively, and by way of Parable; not pretending to give a\nliteral Description of that, which is impossible to be known, but by\ncoming thither. Attend therefore with the Ears of thy Heart, and look\nsharply with the Eyes of thy Understanding, upon that which I shall shew\nthee; it may be thou may'st find so much in it, as may serve to lead\nthee into the right way. But I make this Bargain, that thou shalt not at\npresent require any further Explication of it by Word of Mouth; but rest\nthy self contented with what I shall commit to these Papers. For 'tis a\nnarrow Field, and 'tis dangerous to attempt the explaining of that with\nWords, the Nature of which admits no Explication.\n\nSec. 86. I say then, when he had abstracted himself from his own and all\nother Essences, and beheld nothing in Nature, but only that _One, Living\nand Permanent Being_: When he saw what he saw, and then afterwards\nreturn'd to the beholding of other Things: Upon his Coming to himself\nfrom that State (which was like Drunkenness) he began to think that his\nown Essence did not at all differ from the Essence of that _TRUE Being_,\nbut that they were both one and the same thing; and that the thing which\nhe had taken before for his own Essence, distinct from that _true_\nEssence was in reality nothing at all, and that there was nothing in him\nbut this _true Essence_. And that this was like the Light of the Sun,\nwhich, when it falls upon solid Bodies, shines there; and though it be\nattributed, or may seem to belong to that Body upon which it appears,\nyet it is nothing else in reality, but the Light of the Sun. And if that\nBody be remov'd, its Light also is remov'd; but the Light of the Sun\nremains still after the same manner, and is neither increas'd by the\nPresence of that Body, nor diminish'd by its Absence. Now when there\nhappens to be a Body which is fitted for such a Reception of Light, it\nreceives it; if such a Body be absent, then there is no such Reception,\nand it signifies nothing at all.\n\nSec. 87. He was the more confirm'd in this Opinion, because it appeared to\nhim before, that this _TRUE Powerful_ and _Glorious Being_, was not by\nany means capable of _Multiplicity_, and that his Knowledge of his\nEssence, was his very Essence, from whence he argued thus:\n\n     _He that has the Knowledge of this Essence has the Essence itself;\n     hut I have the knowledge of this Essence._ Ergo, _I have the\n     Essence itself_.\n\nNow this Essence can be present no where but with itself, and its very\nPresence is Essence; and therefore he concluded that he was that very\nEssence. And to all other Essences which were separate from Matter,\nwhich had the Knowledge of that _true Essence_, though before he had\nlooked upon them as _many,_ by this way of thinking, appear'd to him to\nbe only one thing. And this misgrounded Conceit of his, had like to have\nfirmly rooted itself in his Mind, unless God had pursu'd him with his\nMercy, and directed him by his gracious Guidance; and then he perceiv'd\nthat it arose from the Relicks of that Obscurity which is natural to\nBody, and the Dregs of sensible Objects. Because that _Much_ and\n_Little, Unity_ and _Multiplicity_, _Collection_ and _Separation_, are\nall of them Properties of Body. But we cannot say of these separate\nEssences, which know this _TRUE Being_ (whose Name be prais'd) that they\nare _many_ or _one_, because they are immaterial. Now, _Multiplicity_ is\nbecause of the Difference of one Being from another, and there can be no\n_Unity_ but by _Conjunction_, and none of these can be understood\nwithout Compound Notions which are mix'd with Matter. Besides, that the\nExplication of Things in this place is very straight and difficult;\nbecause if you go about to express what belongs to these separate\nEssences, by way of Multitude, or in the _Plural_, according to our way\nof speaking, this insinuates a Notion of _Multiplicity_, whereas they\nare far from being _many_; and if you speak of them by way of\nSeparation, or in the Singular, this insinuates a Notion of Unity,\nwhereas they are far from being _one_.\n\nSec. 88. And here methinks I fee one of those Batts, whose Eyes the Sun\ndazzles, moving himself in the Chain of his Folly, and saying, _This\nSubtilty of yours exceeds all Bounds, for you have withdrawn your self\nfrom the State and Condition of understanding Men, and indeed thrown\naway the Nature of Intelligible Things, for this is a certain Axiom,\nthat a thing must be either one, or more than one_. Soft and fair; let\nthat Gentleman be pleas'd to consider with himself, and contemplate this\nvile, sensible World, after the same manner which _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ did,\nwho, when he consider'd it one way, sound such a Multiplicity in it, as\nwas incomprehensible; and then again considering it another way,\nperceiv'd that it was only one thing; and thus he continu'd fluctuating,\nand could not determine on one side more than another. Now if it were so\nin this sensible World, which is the proper place of _Multiplicity_ and\n_Singularity_, and the place where the true Nature of them is\nunderstood, and in which are _Separation_ and _Union, Division_ into\nParts, and _Distinction, Agreement_ and _Difference_, what would he\nthink of the Divine World, in, or concerning which we cannot justly say,\n_all_ nor _some_, nor express any thing belonging to it by such Words as\nour Ears are us'd to, without insinuating some Notion which is contrary\nto the Truth of the thing, which no Man knows but he that has seen it,\nnor understands; but he that has attain'd to it.\n\nSec. 89. And as for his saying, _That I have withdrawn myself from the\nState and Condition of understanding Men, and thrown away the Nature of\nIntelligible Things_: I grant it, and leave him to his Understanding,\nand his understanding Men he speaks of. For that Understanding which he,\nand such as he, mean, is nothing else but that Rational Faculty which\nexamines the Individuals of Sensible Things, and from thence gets an\nUniversal Notion; and those understanding Men he means, are those which\nmake use of this sort of Separation. But that kind, which we are now\nspeaking of, is above all this; and therefore let every one that knows\nnothing but Sensible Things and their Universals, shut his Ears, and\npack away to his Company, who know the outside of the Things of this\nWorld, but take no care of the next. But if thou art one of them to whom\nthese Limits and Signs by which we describe the Divine World are\nsufficient, and dost not put that Sense upon my Words in which they are\ncommonly us'd[23], I shall give thee some farther Account of what _Hai\nEbn Yokdhan_ saw, when he was in the State of those who have attain'd to\nthe Truth, of which we have made Mention before, and it is thus;\n\nSec. 90. After he was wholly immers'd in the Speculation of these things,\nand perfectly abstracted from all other Objects, and in the nearest\nApproach[24]; he saw in the highest Sphere, beyond which there is no\n_Body_, a Being free from Matter, which was not the Being of that _ONE,\nTRUE ONE_, nor the Sphere itself, nor yet any thing different from them\nboth; but was like the Image of the Sun which appears in a well-polish'd\nLooking-glass, which is neither the Sun nor the Looking-glass, and yet\nnot distinct from them. And he saw in the Essence of that separate\nSphere, such Perfection, Splendor and Beauty, as is too great to be\nexpress'd by any Tongue, and too subtil to be cloath'd in Words; and he\nperceiv'd that it was in the utmost Perfection of Delight and Joy,\nExultation and Gladness, by reason of its beholding that _TRUE_ Essence,\nwhose Glory be exalted,\n\nSec. 91. He saw also that the next Sphere to it, which is that of the Fixed\nStars, had an immaterial Essence, which was not the Essence of that\n_TRUE ONE_, nor the Essence of that highest, separated Sphere, nor the\nSphere itself, and yet not different from these; but is like the Image\nof the Sun which is reflected upon a Looking glass, from another Glass\nplaced opposite to the Sun; and he observ'd in this Essence also the\nlike Splendor, Beauty, Loveliness and Pleasure, which he had observ'd in\nthe Essence of the other highest Sphere. He saw likewise that the next\nSphere, which is the Sphere of _Saturn_, had an immaterial Essence,\nwhich was none of those Essences he had seen before, nor yet different\nfrom them; but was like the Image of the Sun, which appears in a Glass,\nupon which it is reflected from a Glass which receiv'd that Reflection\nfrom another Glass plac'd opposite to the Sun. And he saw in this\nEssence too, the same Splendor and Delight which he had observ'd in the\nformer. And so in all the Spheres he observ'd distinct, immaterial\nEssences, every one of which was not any of those which went before it,\nnot yet different from them; but was like the Image of the Sun reflected\nfrom one Glass to another, according to the Order of the Spheres. And he\nsaw in every one of these Essences, such Beauty, Splendor, Pleasure and\nJoy, as Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor hath it enter'd into the\nHeart of Man to conceive; and so downwards, till he came to the lower\nWorld, subject to Generation and Corruption, which comprehends all that\nwhich is contained within the Sphere of the Moon.\n\nSec. 92. Which he perceiv'd had an immaterial Essence, as well as the rest;\nnot the same with any of those which he had seen before, nor different\nfrom them; and that this Essence had seventy thousand Faces, and every\nFace seventy thousand Mouths, and every Mouth seventy thousand Tongues,\nwith which it praised, sanctified and glorified incessantly the Essence\nof that _ONE, TRUE BEING_. And he saw that this Essence (which he had\nsuppos'd to be many, tho' it was not) had the same Perfection and\nPleasure, which he had seen in the other; and that this Essence was like\nthe Image of the Sun, which appears in fluctuating Water, which has that\nImage reflected upon it from the last and lowermost of those Glasses, to\nwhich the Reflection came, according to the foremention'd Order, from\nthe first Glass which was set opposite to the Sun. Then he perceiv'd\nthat he himself had a separate Essence, which one might call a part of\nthat Essence which had seventy thousand Faces, if that Essence had been\ncapable of Division; and if that Essence had not been created in time,\none might say it was the very same; and had it not been join'd to the\nBody so soon as it was created, we should have thought that it had not\nbeen created. And in this Order he saw other Essences also, like his own\nwhich had necessarily been heretofore, then were dissolv'd, and\nafterwards necessarily existed together with himself; and that they were\nso many as could not he number'd, if we might call them _many_; or that\nthey were all one, if we might call them _one_. And he perceiv'd both in\nhis own Essence, and in those other Essences which were in the same Rank\nwith him, infinite Beauty, Brightness and Pleasure, such as neither Eye\nhath seen, nor Ear heard, nor hath it enter'd into the Heart of Man; and\nwhich none can describe nor understand, but those which have attain'd to\nit, and experimentally know it.\n\nSec. 93. Then he saw a great many other immaterial Essences[25], which\nresembled rusty Looking-glasses, cover'd over with Filth, and besides,\nturn'd their Backs upon, and had their Faces averted from those polish'd\nLooking-glasses that had the Image of the Sun imprinted upon them; and\nhe saw that these Essences had so much Filthiness adhering to them, and\nsuch manifold Defects as he could not have conceived. And he saw that\nthey were afflicted with infinite Pains, which caused incessant Sighs\nand Groans; and that they were compass'd about with Torments, as those\nwho lie in a Bed are with Curtains; and that they were scorch'd with the\nfiery Veil of Separation[26]. But after a very little while his Senses\nreturn'd to him again, and he came to himself out of this State, as out\nof an Extasie; and his Foot sliding out of this place, he came within\nsight of this sensible World, and lost the sight of the Divine World,\nfor there is no joining them both together in the same State. _For this\nWorld in which we live, and that other are like two Wives belonging to\nthe same Husband; if you please one, you displease the other_.\n\nSec. 94. Now, if you should object, that it appears from what I have said\nconcerning this Vision, that those separated Essences, if they chance to\nbe in Bodies of perpetual Duration, as the Heavenly Bodies are, shall\nalso remain perpetually, but if they be in a Body which is liable to\nCorruption (such an one as belongs to us reasonable Creatures) that then\nthey must perish too, and vanish away, as appears from the Similitude of\nthe Looking-glasses which I have us'd to explain it; because the Image\nthere has no Duration of itself, but what depends upon the Duration of\nthe Looking-glass; and if you break the Glass, the Image is most\ncertainly destroy'd and vanishes. In answer to this I must tell you,\nthat you have soon forgot the Bargain I made with you. For did not I\ntell you before that it was a narrow Field, and that we had but little\nroom for Explication; and that _Words_ however us'd, would most\ncertainly occasion Men to think otherwise of the thing than really it\nwas? Now that which has made you imagine this, is, because you thought\nthat the Similitude must answer the thing represented in every respect.\nBut that will not hold in any common Discourse; how much less in this,\nwhere the Sun and its Light, and its Image, and the Representation of\nit, and the Glasses, and the Forms which appear in them, are all of them\nthings which are inseparable from Body, and which cannot subsist but by\nit and in it, and therefore the very Essences of them depend upon Body,\nand they perish together with it.\n\nSec. 95. But as for the Divine Essences and Heroick Spirits, they are all\nfree from Body and all its Adherents, and remov'd from them at the\nutmost distance, nor have they any Connection, or Dependance upon them.\nAnd the existing or not existing of Body is all one to them, for their\nsole Connection and Dependance is upon that ONE TRUE NECESSARY\nSELF-EXISTENT BEING, who is the first of them, and the Beginning of\nthem, and the Cause of their Existence, and he perpetuates them and\ncontinues them for ever; nor do they want the Bodies, but the Bodies\nwant them; for if they should perish, the Bodies would perish, because\nthese Essences are the Principles of these Bodies. In like manner, as if\na Privation of that ONE TRUE BEING could be suppos'd (far be it from\nhim, for there is no God but him) all these Essences would be remov'd\ntogether with him, and the Bodies too, and all the sensible World,\nbecause all these have a mutual Connection.\n\nSec. 96. Now, tho' the Sensible World follows the Divine World, as a Shadow\ndoes the Body, and the Divine World stands in no need of it, but is free\nfrom it, and independent of it, yet notwithstanding this, it is absurd\nto suppose a Possibility of its being annihilated, because it follows\nthe Divine World: But the Corruption of this World consists in its being\nchang'd, not annihilated. And that glorious Book[27] spake, where there\nis no mention made of _Moving the Mountains, and making them like the\nWorld, and Men like Fire-flyes, and darkning the Sun and Moon; and\nEruption of the Sea, in that day when the Earth shall be chang'd into\nanother Earth, and the Heavens likewise_. And this is the Substance of\nwhat I can hint to you at present, concerning what _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_\nsaw, when in that glorious State. Don't expect that I should explain it\nany farther with Words, for that is even impossible.\n\nSec. 97. But as for what concerns the finishing his History, that I shall\ntell you, God willing. After his return to the sensible World, when he\nhad been where we have told you, he loath'd this present Life, and most\nearnestly long'd for the Life to come; and he endeavour'd to return to\nthe same State, by the same means he had sought it at first, till he\nattain'd to it with less trouble than he did at first, and continu'd in\nit the second time longer than at the first. Then he return'd to the\nSensible World; and then again endeavour'd to recover his Station, which\nhe found easier than at the first and second time, and that he continu'd\nin it longer; and thus it grew easier and easier, and his Continuance in\nit longer and longer, time after, time, till at last he could attain it\nwhen he pleas'd, and stay in it as long as he pleas'd. In this State he\nfirmly kept himself, and never retir'd from it, but when the Necessities\nof his Body requir'd it, which he had brought into as narrow a Compass\nas was possible. And whilst he was thus exercis'd, he us'd to with that\nit would please God to deliver him altogether from this Body of his,\nwhich detain'd him from that State; that he might have nothing to do but\nto give himself up wholly to his Delight, and be freed from all that\nTorment with which he was afflicted, as often as he was forc'd to avert\nhis Mind from that State, by attending on the Necessities of Nature. And\nthus he continu'd, till he was past the seventh Septenary of his Age;\nthat is, till he was about fifty Years of Age, and then he happen'd to\nbe acquainted with _Asal_. The Narrative of which meeting of theirs, we\nshall now (God willing) relate.\n\nSec. 98. They say that there was an Island not far from that where _Hai Ebn\nYokdhan_ was born (no matter according to which of those two different\nAccounts they give of his Birth) into which one of those good Sects,\nwhich had some one of the ancient Prophets (of pious Memory) for its\nAuthor, had retir'd. A Sect which us'd to discourse of all things in\nNature, by way of Parable and Similitude, and by that means represent\nthe Images of them to the Imagination, and fix the Impressions of them\nin Men's Minds, as is customary in such Discourses as are made to the\nVulgar. This Sect so spread it self in this Island, and prevail'd and\ngrew so eminent, that at last the King not only embrac'd it himself, but\noblig'd his Subjects to do so too.\n\nSec. 99. Now there were born in this Island, two Men of extraordinary\nEndowments, and Lovers of that which is Good; the Name of the one was\n_Asal_, and the other _Salaman_, who meeting with this Sect, embrac'd it\nheartily, and oblig'd themselves to the punctual Observance of all its\nOrdinances, and the daily Exercise of what was practis'd in it; and to\nthis end they enter'd into a League of Friendship with each other. Now\namong other Passages contain'd in the Law of that Sect, they sometimes\nmade enquiry into these Words, wherein it treats of the Description of\nthe most High and Glorious God, and. his Angels, and the Resurrection,\nand the Rewards and Punishments of a future State. Now _Asal_ us'd to\nmake a deeper Search into the inside of Things, and was more inclin'd to\nstudy Mystical Meanings and Interpretations. But as for his Friend\n_Salaman_, he kept close to the literal Sense, and never troubled\nhimself with such Interpretations, but refrain'd from such curious\nExamination and Speculation of things. However, notwithstanding this\nDifference, they both were constant in performing those Ceremonies\nrequir'd, and in calling themselves to an account, and in opposing their\nAffections.\n\nSec. 100. Now there were in this Law some Passages which seem'd to exhort\nMen to Retirement and a solitary Life, intimating that Happiness and\nSalvation were to be attain'd by it; and others which seem'd to\nencourage Men to Conversation, and the embracing Human Society. _Asal_\ngave himself up wholly to Retirement, and those Expressions which\nfavour'd it were of most weight with him, because he was naturally\ninclin'd to Contemplation, and searching into the Meanings of Things;\nand his greatest hope was, that he should best attain his End by a\nsolitary Life. _Salaman,_ on the other side, applied himself to\nConversation, and those Sayings of the Law which tended that way, went\nthe farthest with him; because he had a natural Aversion to\nContemplation, and nice sifting of things. And he thought that\nConversation did drive away evil Thoughts, and banish'd that Diversity\nof Opinions which offer'd themselves to his Mind, and kept him from the\nSuggestions of evil Thoughts. In short, their Disagreement in this\nparticular, was the occasion of their parting.\n\nSec. 101. Now _Asal_ had heard of that Island, in which we have told you\nthat _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ had his Breeding. He knew also its Fertility and\nConveniences, and the healthful Temper of the Air, so that it would\nafford him such a commodious Retirement as he had in his Wishes. Thither\nhe resolv'd to go, and withdraw himself from all manner of Conversation,\nthe remaining part of his Days. So he took what Substance he had, and\nwith part of it he hir'd a Ship to convey him thither, the rest he\ndistributed among the poor people, and took his leave of his Friend\n_Salaman_, and went aboard. The Mariners transported him to the Island,\nand set him a-shore and left him. There he continu'd serving God, and\nmagnifying him, and fancifying him, and meditating upon his glorious\nNames and Attributes, without any Interruption or Disturbance. And when\nhe was hungry, he took what he had occasion for to satisfie his Hunger,\nof such Fruits as the Island afforded, or what he could hunt. And in\nthis State he continu'd a while, in the mean time enjoying the greatest\nPleasure imaginable, and the most entire Tranquillity of Mind, arising\nfrom the Converse and Communication which he had with his Lord; and\nevery Day experiencing his Benefits and precious Gifts, and his bringing\neasily to his hand such things as he wanted, and were necessary for his\nSupport, which confirm'd his Belief in him, and was a great Refreshment\nto him.\n\nSec. 102. _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_, in the mean time, was wholly immers'd in his\nsublime Speculations, and never stirr'd out of his Cell but once a Week,\nto take such Provision as first came to hand. So that _Asal_ did not\nlight upon him at first, but walk'd round the Island, and compass'd the\nExtremities of it, without seeing any Man, or so much as the Footsteps\nof any: Upon which account his Joy was increas'd, and his Mind\nexceedingly pleas'd, in regard of his comparing that which he had\npropos'd to himself, namely, to lead the most retired Life that was\npossible.\n\nSec. 103. At last it happen'd, one time that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ coming out\nto look for Provision in the the same place whither _Asal_ was retired,\nthey spy'd one another. _Asal_, for his part, did not question but that\nit was some religious Person, who for the sake of a solitary Life, had\nretir'd into that Island, as he had done himself, and was afraid, lest\nif he should come up to him, and make himself known, it might spoil his\nMeditation, and hinder his attaining what he hop'd for. _Hai Ebn\nYokdhan_ on the other side could not imagine what it was, for of all the\nCreatures he had ever beheld in his whole Life, he had never seen any\nthing like it. Now _Asal_ had a black Coat on, made with Hair and Wool,\nwhich _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ fancied was natural, and stood wondring at it a\nlong time. _Asal_ ran away as hard as he could, for fear he should\ndisturb his Meditation; _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ ran after him, out of an\ninnate desire he had to know the Truth of Things. But when he perceiv'd\n_Asal_ make so much haste, he retir'd a little and hid himself from him;\nso that _Asal_ thought he had been quite gone off, and then he fell to\nhis Prayers, and Reading, and Invocation, and Weeping; and Supplication,\nand Complaining, till he was altogether taken up, so as to mind nothing\nelse.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Illustration 7]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSec. 104. In the mean time _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ stole upon him by degrees, and\n_Asal_ took no notice of him, till he came so near as to hear him read\nand praise God, and observ'd his humble Behaviour, and his Weeping, and\nheard a pleasant Voice and distinct Words, such as he had never observ'd\nbefore in any kind of Animals; Then he look'd upon his Shape and\nLineaments, and perceiv'd that he was of the same Form with himself, and\nwas satisfied that the Coat he had on, was not a natural Skin, but an\nartificial Habit like his own. And when he observ'd the Decency of his\nhumble Behaviour, and his Supplication and Weeping, he did not at all\nquestion but that he was one of those Essences which had the Knowledge\nof the TRUE ONE; and for that Reason he had a Desire to be acquainted\nwith him, and to know what was the matter with him, and what caus'd this\nWeeping and Supplication. Whereupon he drew nearer to him, till _Asal_\nperceiving it, betook himself to his Heels again, and _Hai Ebn\nYokdhan_(answerably to his Vigour and Power both of Knowledge and Body,\nwhich God had bestow'd upon him) pursu'd him with all his Might, till at\nlast he overtook him and seiz'd on him, and held him fast, so that he\ncould not get away.\n\nSec. 105. When _Asal_ look'd upon him, and saw him cloath'd with the Skins\nof wild Beasts with the Hair on, and his own Hair so long as to cover a\ngreat part of his Body, and observ'd his great Swiftness and Strength,\nhe was very much afraid of him, and began to pacifie him with stroaking\nhim, and entreating him, but _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ did not understand one\nword he said, nor knew any thing of his meaning, only he perceiv'd that\nhe was afraid, and endeavour'd to allay his Fear with such Voices as he\nhad learn'd of some of the Beasts, and stroak'd his Head, and both Sides\nof his Neck, and shew'd Kindness to him, and express'd a great deal of\nGladness and Joy; till at last _Asal_'s Fear was laid aside, and he knew\nthat he meant him no harm.\n\nSec. 106. Now _Asal_ long before, out of his earnest Desire of searching\ninto the meaning of Things, had studied most Languages, and was well\nskill'd in them. So he began to speak to _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ in all the\nLanguages which he understood, and ask him Questions concerning his way\nof Life, and took pains to make him understand him; but all in vain, for\n_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ stood all the while wondring at what he heard, and did\nnot know what was the meaning of it, only he perceiv'd that _Asal_ was\npleas'd, and well-affected towards him. And thus they stood wondring one\nat another.\n\nSec. 107. Now _Asal_ had by him some Remainder of the Provision which he\nhad brought along with him, from the inhabited Island from whence he\ncame; and he offer'd it to _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_, who did not know what to\nmake on't, for he had never seen any such before. Then _Asal_ eat some\nof it himself, and invited _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ by Signs to eat too. But\n_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ bethought himself of those Rules which he had\nprescrib'd to himself, as to matter of Diet; and not knowing the Nature\nof that which he offer'd him, nor whether it was lawful for him to\npartake of it or not, he refus'd it. _Asal_ still continu'd urgent, and\ninvited him kindly: Now _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ had a great Desire to be\nacquainted with him, and was afraid that his continuing too stiff in his\nRefusal, might alienate his Affections from him; so he ventured upon it,\nand eat some. And when he had tasted of it, and lik'd it, he perceiv'd\nthat he had done amiss, in breaking those Promises which he had made to\nhimself concerning Diet. And he repented himself of what he had done,\nand had Thoughts of withdrawing himself from _Asal_, and retreating to\nhis former State of Contemplation.\n\nSec. 108. But the _Vision_ did not easily appear to him at first, upon\nwhich he resolv'd to continue with _Asal_ in the sensible World, till he\nhad thoroughly satisfied himself concerning him, that so when he had no\nfurther Desire towards him, he might apply himself to his former\nContemplations without any Interruption. Wherefore he applyed himself to\nthe Society of _Asal_, who perceiving that he could not speak, was\nsecure of any Damage that might come to his Religion, by keeping Company\nwith him; and besides, had Hopes of teaching him Speech, Knowledge and\nReligion, and by that means, of obtaining a great Reward, and near\nApproach to God. He began therefore to teach him how to speak; first, by\nshewing him particular Things, and pronouncing their Names, and\nrepeating them often, and perswading him to speak them: which he did\napplying every Word to the Thing by it signified, till he had taught him\nall the _Nouns_, and so improv'd him by degrees, that he could speak in\na very short time.\n\nSec. 109. Then _Asal_ began to enquire of him concerning his way of Living,\nand from whence he came into that Island? And _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ told\nhim, that he knew nothing of his own Original, nor any Father or Mother\nthat he had, but only that _Roe_ which brought him up. Then he describ'd\nto him his manner of Living, from first to last, and by what degrees he\nadvanc'd in Knowledge, till he attain'd the _Union with God_. When\n_Asal_ heard him give an Account of those Truths, and those Essences\nwhich are separate from the Sensible World, and which have the Knowledge\nof that TRUE ONE, (whose Name be prais'd); and heard him give an account\nof the Essence of that TRUE ONE, and describe, as far as was possible,\nwhat he witness'd (when he had attain'd to that Union) of the Joys of\nthose who are near united to God, and the Torments of those who are\nseparated from him. He made no doubt but that all those things which are\ncontain'd in the Law of God [_i.e._ the _Alcoran_] concerning his\nCommand, his Angels, Books and Messengers, the Day of Judgment, Paradise\nand Hell, were Resemblances of what _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ had seen; and the\nEyes of his Understanding were open'd, and he found that the _Original_\nand the _Copy_[28] did exactly agree together. And the ways of Mystical\nInterpretation became easie to him, and there appeared nothing difficult\nto him in those Precepts which he had receiv'd, but all was clear; nor\nany thing shut up, but all was open; nor any thing profound, but all was\nplain. By this means his intellectual Faculty grew strong and vigorous,\nand he look'd upon _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ with Admiration and Respect, and\nassur'd himself that he was one of the Saints of God, _which have no\nFear upon them, neither shall they suffer Pain_. Upon which he address'd\nhimself to wait upon him, and imitate him, and to follow his Direction\nin the Performance of such Works as he had occasion to make use of;\nnamely, those legal ones which he had formerly learn'd from his own\nSect.\n\nSec. 110. Then _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ began to enquire of him concerning his\nCondition and manner of living, and _Asal_ gave him an account of the\nIsland from whence he came, and what manner of People inhabited it, and\nwhat sort of Life they led before that religious Sect, which we\nmention'd, came among them, and how it was now, since the coming of that\nSect. He also gave him an Account of what was deliver'd in the Law\n[_i.e. Alcoran_] relating to the Description of the Divine World,\nParadise and Hell, and the Awakening and Resurrection of Mankind, and\ntheir gathering together to Judgment, and the Balance and the Way. All\nwhich things _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ understood very well, and did not find\nany of them disagreeable to what he had seen, when in that noble\nStation; and he knew that he that had described these Things[29], and\ngiven an account of them, had given a true Account, and was a Messenger\nsent from his Lord; and he believ'd him, and affirm'd his Veracity, and\nbore Witness to his Message.\n\nSec. 111. Then he began to ask him concerning the Precepts which the\nMessenger of God had deliver'd, and the Rites of Worship which he had\nordain'd. And _Asal_ told him of _Prayer, Alms, Fasting_ and\n_Pilgrimage,_ and such other External Observances, which he receiv'd and\npractis'd, and took upon himself, in Obedience to his Command, of whose\nVeracity he was very well allured. Only there were two things stuck in\nhis Mind, which he wonder'd at, and could not comprehend wherein the\nWisdom of them did consist. The one was, why this Messenger of God, in\ndescribing most things which relate to the Divine World, us'd to express\nthem to Men by Parables or Similitudes, and wav'd a perspicuous\nExplication of them; by which occasion'd Men in a great Measure to fall\ninto that Error of asserting a Corporeity in God, and believing Things\nof that _TRUE_ Being, from which he is absolutely free; and so in like\nmanner, concerning, those Things which relate to the Rewards and\nPunishments of a Future State. The other was, why he went no farther\nthan these Precepts and Rites of Worship, but gave Men leave to gather\nRiches, and allow'd them a Liberty as to matter of Food; by which means\nthey employed themselves about vain Things, and turn'd away from the\nTruth, Whereas his Judgment was, that no Body ought to eat any thing,\nbut only just to keep him alive; and as for Riches, He had no Opinion of\nthem at all. And when he saw what was set down and prescrib'd in the\nLaw, with Relation to Wealth, as Alms, and the Distribution of them, and\nTrading and Usury, Mulcts and Punishments; these things seem'd all very\nodd to him, and he judg'd them superfluous; and said, that if Men\nunderstood Things aright, they would lay aside all these vain Things,\nand follow the Truth, and content themselves without any thing of all\nthis; and that no Man would challenge such a Propriety in Riches, as to\nhave Alms ask'd of him, or to cause his Hands to be cut off, who privily\nstole them; or their lives to be taken away, who had openly robb'd him.\n\nSec. 112. Now that which prompted him to this Persuasion, was this, that he\nthought all Men were indu'd with an ingenuous Temper, and penetrating\nUnderstanding, and a Mind constant to itself; and was not aware how\nblockish and stupid they were, how ill-advis'd, and inconstant in their\nResolutions; insomuch, that they are like Brute Beasts, nay, more apt to\nwander out of the way. Since therefore he was greatly affected with Pity\ntowards Mankind, and desir'd that he might be an Instrument of their\nSalvation; a Resolution came into his Mind of going over to them, to\ndeclare and lay before them the Truth. This Intention of his he\ncommunicated to his Friend _Asal_ and ask'd him if there could possibly\nbe any way contriv'd to come at them.\n\nSec. 113. But _Asal_ told him what sort of People they were, and how far\nfrom an ingenuous Temper, and how averse from obeying the Commands of\nGod; but he had no Notion of that, but still his Mind was intent upon\nthat which he hop'd to compass: And _Asal_ desir'd that it would please\nGod, by his means, to direct some of his Acquaintance which were of a\nmore pliable Temper than the rest, and had more Sincerity in them, into\nthe right way. So then he was ready to further the Design and Endeavour\nof _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_. Upon which they resolved to keep close to the Sea\nShore, without stirring from it either Day or Night, till God should\nplease to afford them an Opportunity of crossing the Sea. And all the\nwhile they were intent upon this, they continu'd praying to God to\ndirect them in this their Business, and bring it to an happy Issue.\n\nSec. 114. At last, as God (whose Name be prais'd) would have it, it\nhappen'd, that a Ship which had lost her Course, was driven by the Wind\nand Water upon the Shore of that Island; and as it drew nearer to Land,\nthey who were in it, seeing two Men upon the Shore, made towards them.\nThen _Asal_ spoke to them, and desir'd them to carry him and his\nCompanion along with them in the Ship; to which they contented, and took\nthem into the Ship, and it pleas'd God to send them a fair Wind, which,\nin a short time, carried them to the Isle which they desir'd. There they\nlanded, and went into the City; and _Asal_'s Friends came all about him,\nand he gave 'em an account of _Hai Ebn Yokdhan,_ and his manner of\nliving; so that People flock'd to him from every side, and admir'd and\nreverenc'd him. Then _Asal_ told him that this Sect was superiour to all\nother sorts of Men in Knowledge and Sagacity; and that if he could not\nwork upon them, there were much lesser Hopes of doing any Good upon the\nVulgar.\n\nSec. 115. Now _Salaman_ (_Asal_'s Friend, who we told you chose\nConversation, rather than Solitude and Retirement, which he judg'd\nunlawful) was Prince and Sovereign of this Island. So _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_\nbegan to teach them, and explain the Mysteries of Wisdom to them; but so\nsoon as e'er he began to raise his Discourse above External Things a\nlittle, and to inculcate that, the contrary whereof had been settled,\nand deeply rooted in their Minds; they began to withdraw themselves from\nhim, and their Minds had an Abhorrence for what he spake. And though\nthey carried themselves civilly to him, both because he was a Stranger,\nand out of the Observance which they thought due to their Friend _Asal_,\nyet they were angry with him inwardly in their Hearts. However, he\ncontinu'd reasoning with them mildly Night and Day, and teaching them\nthe TRUTH, both in Private and Publick, which only increas'd their\nHatred towards him, and made them avoid his Company, though otherwise\nthey were Lovers of Goodness, and desirous of Truth. However, through\nthe Defect of their Nature, they did not search for it after the right\nmanner, nor apprehend it as they should do; but sought the Knowledge of\nit after the common way, like the rest of the World. So that he\ndespaired of doing any Good upon them, and all his Hopes of amending\nthem were defeated, because they were not willing to receive what he\ntaught them.\n\nSec. 116. And afterwards, taking a View of the several Ranks and Orders of\nMen, he perceiv'd that every sort of them plac'd their Delight in those\nThings which they possess'd at present, and that their Appetites were\ntheir God, and that they lost themselves in gathering up the little\nThings of this World; and that the Desire of getting more, kept them\nemploy'd till they came to their Graves; and that all good Counsel was\nlost upon them; and that disputing with them had only this Effect, that\nit made them the more obstinate. And as for Wisdom, there was no way for\nthem to attain it, neither had they any Share in it. _For Folly has\nover-whelmed them, and, what they have sought after, has covered their\nHearts like Raft; God has sealed up their Hearts and their Ears, and\ntheir Eyes are dim, and they shall have sore Punishment_.[30]\n\nSec. 117. When therefore he saw them compass'd about with the Curtains of\nPunishment, and cover'd with the Darkness of the Veil; and that all of\nthem (a few only excepted) minded their Religion no otherwise, but with\nregard to this present World; and cast the Observance of religious\nPerformances behind their Backs, notwithstanding the Easiness of them,\nand sold them for a small Price; and that their Merchandize and Trading\ndiverted them from thinking upon God, so that they had no fear of _that\nDay in which both their Hearts and Eyes shall be turn'd round_[31]; he\nwas fully satisfied, that it was to no purpose to speak to them plainly,\nneither that it was expedient any Works should be enjoin'd them beyond\nthis Measure; and that the greatest Benefit which accru'd to the common\nsort of Men by the Law, was wholly plac'd in Relation to Things of this\nWorld, _viz_. that they might be in a comfortable way of Living, and\nthat no Man might invade another's Property; and that there was but here\nand there one that attain'd to Happiness hereafter; namely, such an one\nas made it his Business in this World to provide for another, and took\ndue care about it, and was a Believer: But that Hell was the Place for\nhim that err'd from the Truth, and preferr'd the Life of this present\nWorld before it. And what Labour can be greater, or what Misery more\ncompleat than his, who works, if you observe, from the time he awakes,\ntill he goes to sleep again, you will find that he does nothing but what\ntends to the attaining of some one or other of these vile sensible\nThings; namely, either Riches, to heap them up; or Pleasure, which he\nmay take; or Lust, which he may satisfie; or Revenge, whereby he may\npacifie his Mind; or Power, to defend himself; or some outward Work\ncommanded by the Law, whereof he may make a vain-glorious Shew; or\nwhereby he may save his own Neck? _Now all these things are Darkness\nupon Darkness in the Depth of the Sea, neither is there any of you that\ndoth not enter in thither, for such is the unchangeable Decree of the\nLord_.[32]\n\nSec. 118. And when he understood the Condition of Mankind, and that the\ngreatest part of them were like Brute Beasts, he knew that all Wisdom,\nDirection and good Success, consisted in what the Messengers of God had\nspoken, and the Law deliver'd; and that there was no other way besides\nthis, and that there could be nothing added to it; and that there were\nMen appointed to every Work, and that every one was best capable of\ndoing that unto which he was appointed by Nature. That this was God's\nway of dealing with those which were gone before, and that there is no\nChange in his way. Whereupon returning to _Salaman_ and his Friends, he\nbegg'd their Pardon for what he had said to them, and desir'd to be\nexcus'd, and told them that he was of the same Opinion with them, and\nwent on in the same way, and persuaded them to stick firmly to their\nResolution of keeping within the Bounds of the Law, and the Performance\nof the External Rites, and that they should not much dive into the\nThings that did not concern them: and that in doubtful Things they\nshould give Credit, and yield their Assent readily; and that they should\nabstain from novel Opinions, and from their Appetites, and follow the\nExamples of their pious Ancestors, and forsake Novelties, and that they\nshould avoid that neglect of religious Performances which was seen in\nthe vulgar sort of Men, and the Love of the World, which he principally\ncaution'd them against. For both he and his Friend _Asal_ knew that this\ntractable, but defective sort of Men, had no other way in the World to\nescape, but only by this means; and that if they should be rais'd above\nthis to curious Speculations, it would be worse with them, and they\nwould not be able to attain to the Degree of the Blessed, but would\nfluctuate and be toss'd up and down, and make a bad End. But on the\ncontrary, if they continu'd in that State in which they were till Death\novertook them, they should be happy, and stand on the right Hand: But as\nfor those that out-went them, they should also take place of them, and\nthat they should be the next.\n\nSec. 119. So they took their leave and left them, and sought for an\nOpportunity of returning to their Island, till it pleas'd God to help\nthem to a Convenience of passing. And _Hal Ebn Yokdhan_ endeavour'd to\nattain to his lofty Station, by the same means he had sought it at\nfirst, till he recover'd it; and _Asal_ followed his Steps, till he came\nnear him, or wanted but very little of it; and thus they continued\nserving God in this Island till they died.\n\nSec. 120. And this is that (God assist thee and us by his Spirit) which we\nhave receiv'd of the History of _Hai Ebn Yokdhan, Asal_ and _Salaman_;\nwhich comprehends such Choice of Words, as are not found in any other\nBook, nor heard in common Discourse. And it is a piece of hidden\nKnowledge which none can receive, but those which have the Knowledge of\nGod, nor can any be ignorant of it, but those which have not. Now we\nhave taken a contrary Method to our pious Ancestors, as to their\nReservedness in this Matter, and Sparingness of Speech. And the Reason\nwhich did the more easily persuade me to divulge this Secret, and tear\nthe Veil, was, because of the corrupt Notions which some Pretenders to\nPhilosophy in our Age have broach'd and scatter'd, so that they are\ndiffus'd through several Countries, and the Mischief which arises from\nthence is become Epidemical. Fearing therefore lest those weak ones, who\nreject the Tradition of the Prophets (of Blessed Memory) and make choice\nof that which is delivered them by Fools, should imagine that these\nOpinions are that Secret, which ought to be with-held from those who are\nnot worthy or capable of it, and so their Desire and Study of these\nOpinions should be increas'd. I have thought good to give them a Glimpse\nof this Secret of Secrets, that I might draw them into the right Way,\nand avert them from this other. Nevertheless, I have not so delivered\nthe Secrets which are comprehended in these few Leaves, as to leave them\nwithout a thin Veil or Cover over them, which will be easily rent by\nthose who are worthy of it; but will be so thick to him, that is\nunworthy to pass beyond it, that he shall not be able to get through it.\nAnd I desire of those my Brethren who shall see this Discourse, that\nthey would excuse me for being so easily induc'd to explain it, and so\nfree in the Description of it; seeing I had not done so, if I had not\nbeen elevated to such Heights, as transcend the Reach of Humane Sight.\nAnd I was willing to express it in easie Terms, that I might dispose\nMen, and raise a Desire in them to enter into the right Way. And I beg\nof God Pardon and Forgiveness, and that he would please to bring us to\nthe true and certain Knowledge of himself, for he is gracious and\nliberal of his Favours. _Peace be to thee, my Brother, whose Promotion\nis decreed, and, the Mercy find Blessing of God be upon thee_,\n\n     _Praise, be to God alone_.\n\n_The End_.\n\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[Footnote 18: p .14. Sect. 6. Those who affirm that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_\nwas produced in that Island without Father or Mother--_The having our\nPhilosopher hatch'd after this manner, is a contrivance of_ Avicen's,\n_who wrote this Story first, and from whom our Author has taken a great\npart of it. He was of Opinion that such a Formation was possible; tho'\nthere having never been any such thing, is a sufficient Demonstration of\nthe Impossibility of it; for since the Creation of the World the\nCelestial Bodies have had time enough to exert the utmost of their\nPower, and shed their Influence in order to such a Production, which\nthey having never so much as attempted yet, amongst all the variety of\ntheir Operations, plainly shew us that it is not in their power. But we\nmust give Philosophers leave sometimes to go beyond Demonstration. 'Tis\nobservable, that our Author says nothing of the matter, but leaves it as\nhe found it_.]\n\n[Footnote 19: God made Man after his own Image--_These Words are quoted\nby our Author for the Words of_ Mahomet, _though they do indeed Belong\nto_ Moses, _but we must know that_ Mahomet _was well acquainted with the\nJews from whom he learned not only some Expressions us'd in the Bible,\nbut a great part of the History of it; which he has mangled and crowded,\nafter a confus'd manner, into his_ Alcoran.]\n\n[Footnote 20: Alcoran, _Chap. Alkesas_.]\n\n[Footnote 21: _Our Philosophers imitating the Heavenly Bodies in their\nCircular Motion, would seem indeed extreamly ridiculous, but that we are\nto consider that the Mahometans have a superstitious Custom of going\nseveral times round the Cave of_ Meccah, _when they go thither on\nPilgrimage, and look upon it as a very necessary part of their Duty. Now\nour Author having resolved to bring his Philosopher as far at least as\nwas possible for one in his Circumstances, in the Knowledge and Practice\nof all those things which the Mahometans account necessary, would not\nlet him be ignorant of this Practice of moving round; but has brought it\nunder this second sort of Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies. Now tho' our\nPhilosopher may be excus'd for not going to the Temple at_ Meccah, _yet\nso great stress is laid upon it by the Mahometans, that_ Alhosain Al\nHallagi Ben Mansour, _was, in the 309th Year of the_ Hegira _(of\nChrist_921) _condemn'd to dye by the_ Vizier Alhumed, _who pronounc'd\nSentence upon him, having first advis'd with the Imaums and Doctors, for\nhaving asserted, that in case a Man had A Desire to go on Pilgrimage to_\nMeccah, _and could not; it would be sufficient, if he set apart any\nclean Room of his House for that purpose, and went round about it, and\nperform'd in it at the same time when the Pilgrims are at_ Meccah, _the\nsame things which they do there, and then fed and cloath'd_ 30 _Orphans,\nand gave to each of them seven pieces of Silver. For which Heterodox\nPosition he receiv'd a thousand Stripes, without so much as sighing or\ngroaning, and had first one Hand cut off, and then both his Feet, and\nthen the other Hand, then he was kill'd and burnt, and his Ashes thrown\ninto the_ River Tigris, _and his Head set upon a Pole in the City of_\nBagdad. _See_ Abulpharagius. p. 287.]\n\n[Footnote 22: _Alcoran_.]\n\n[Footnote 23: _Because Words borrowed from and us'd about sensible and\nmaterial Things, would lead Men into Mistakes, when us'd to explain\nthings Spiritual, if they be taken in a literal Sense_. See Sec. 85.]\n\n[Footnote 24: _The Author means_, the nearest Approach to God.]\n\n[Footnote 25: _As the Author his in the three foregoing Sections\ndescrib'd the Condition of those glorified Spirits, who continually\nenjoy the Beatifick Vision; so in this he describes the miserable State\nof those who are deprived of it,_ i.e. _the Damn'd_.]\n\n[Footnote 26: _I have omitted the following Passage, because I could not\nwell tell how to make it intelligible; the meaning of it in gross, is\nstill to express the miserable Condition, and horrible Confusion of\nthose Spirits which are separated from the_ Vision of God. _However, I\nshall set it down in_ Latin _out of Mr_. Pocock's _Translation_. Et\nferris discindi inter repellendum & attrabendum; vidit etiam hic alias\nEssentias, praeter istas, quae cruciabantur, quae apparebant & deinde\nevanescebant, & connexae erant & cum dissolvebantur; & hic se cohibuit\nillasque bene perpendit & vidit ingentes terrores, & negotia magna, &\nturbam occupatam, & operationem, efficacem, & complanationem, &\ninflationem, & productionem, & destructionem. _The particulars of this\nPassage, would be best explain'd by the Commentators upon the_ Alcoran,\n_which I have no Opportunity of consulting_.]\n\n[Footnote 27: Alcoran, _Chap._ 81, _and_ 101.]\n\n[Footnote 28: _The Arabick Words_, Watathabaka indaho' 'Imekoul\nw'almenkoul _signify_, And that which was understood agreed with that\nwhich was copied. _But because that way of expressing it is obscure, I\nhave chose rather to leave the Arabick Word, and express the Sense,\nwhich is this_. Hai Ebn Yokdhan, _having no Advantages of Education, had\nacquir'd all his Knowledge by singular Industry and Application, till at\nlast he attain'd to the Vision of God himself, by which means he saw all\nthings relating to a future State_, viz. _by beholding in God the\nArchitypal Ideas, of which all things created, and whatsoever is\nreveal'd to us, are suppos'd to be Copies. Now_ Asal, _by conversing\nwith him, found, that the_ Mekoul, _i.e. what_ Hai Ebn Yokdhan _saw by\nthis sort of Speculation; and the_ Menkoul, _i.e. what_ Asal _had\nlearn'd out of the_ Alcoran, _and the Tradition of the Prophets_, did\nexactly answer one the other, as a Copy does its Original.]\n\n[Footnote 29: _Mahomet_.]\n\n[Footnote 30: _Alcoran, Chap_. 2 and 83.]\n\n[Footnote 31: _This is an Expression taken out of the_ Alcoran, _and is\ndesign'd to express the Confusion which the Wicked shall be in at the\nDay of Judgment_.]\n\n[Footnote 32: _Alcoran, Chap._ 24 and 19.]\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\nAPPENDIX.\n\nIn which the\n\nAUTHOR'S NOTION concerning the Possibility\nof a Man's attaining to the true Knowledge\nof GOD, and Things necessary to Salvation,\nwithout the Use of external Means, is\nbriefly consider'd.\n\nBy SIMON OCKLEY, M.A. _Vicar of_ Swanesey _in_ Cambridgshire.\n\n_LONDON_, Printed in the Year, 1708.\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Illustration 8]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nTHE CONTENTS\n\n     Sec. 1, 2. _The Occasion and Design of this Discourse_. Sec. 3, 4, 5.\n     _God's way of teaching his People was by Prophets_. Sec. 6, 7.\n     _Prophecy not attain'd by any Applicatian or Industry, but depended\n     upon the positive Will of God_. Sec. 8. _And, consequently the_ Vision\n     of God, _or beholding the Divine Being, which is superior to\n     Prophesying, cannot be so attain'd._ Sec. 9. _That it was never\n     mention'd as attainable, nor the Search of it recommended by the\n     Prophet_ Moses, Sec. 10. _Nor any other Prophets that succeeded him_.\n     Sec. 11. _What was not enjoyed in the early Times of Christianity,\n     when the Gifts of the Spirit were more plentifully poured out,\n     cannot be expected now._ Sec. 12. _But such A Power, whereby a Man\n     might (without external Helps) attain to the true Knowledge of God,\n     and Things necessary to Salvation, was no where promis'd by our\n     Saviour_. Sec. 13. _Nor enjoyed by devout Persons in the first times\n     of the Gospel; which is prov'd from the Example of the_ Eunuch. Sec.\n     14. _And_ Cornelius. Sec. 15. _The whole Tenour of the Apostles\n     Doctrine forbids us to expect the_ Vision of God _in this Life._ Sec.\n     16. _From all which is inferr'd, that those Scriptures, which speak\n     of the plentiful Effusion of the Spirit in the Gospel Times, are\n     misunderstood by Enthusiasts_. Sec. 17. _Why we are not to expect\n     Prophets now_. Sec. 18. _If these things be denied to Christians, they\n     are not to be found amongst_ Heathens _or_ Mahometans. Sec. 19, 20,\n     21, _The Enthusiasm of our Author and others censured_ Sec. 23.\n     _Conclusion_.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n_APPENDIX, &c_.\n\n\nSec. 1. Tho' the preceeding History, upon the account of the lively Image\nand Representation which it gives of unspotted Virtue, unfeigned Love of\nGod, and Contempt of the Things of this Life, does very well deserve to\nbe read: So, as it contains several things co-incident with the Errors\nof some Enthusiasts of these present Times, it deserves to be\nconsider'd. Upon which Account, I had no sooner suffer'd my self to be\nperswaded to undertake the Translation of this Book, than I determin'd\nto subjoin some Reflections upon such part of it as seem'd to me most\nworthy of Consideration. Lest otherwise, that Book, which was by me\ndesign'd for the Innocent, and not altogether unprofitable Diversion of\nthe Reader, might accidentally prove a means of leading some into Error,\nwho are not capable of judging aright; and of confirming others in their\nMistakes, who, through their own Weakness, or the Prejudice of a bad\nEducation, have the Misfortune to be led out of the way. And I was the\nmore willing to do it, because there has been a bad Use made of this\nBook before.\n\nSec. 2. There are a great many Errors both in his _Philosophy_ and\n_Divinity_: And it was impossible it should be otherwise, the one being\naltogether _Aristotelian_, the other _Mahometan._ I shall pass over the\ngreatest part of them, as not being likely to do any harm; and confine\nmy self chiefly to the Examination of this Fundamental Error of my\nAuthor, _viz_, _That God has given such a Power or Faculty to Man,\nwhereby he may, without any external Means, attain to the Knowledge of\nall things necessary to Salvation, and even to the Beatifick Vision it\nself, whilst in this State_[33]: In doing which I shall still have\nregard to the Errors receiv'd concerning these things in the present\nAge.\n\nSec. 3. In order to this I shall examine the Ways and Means by which the\nPeople of God in all Ages, came to the Understanding of his Will. Now\n'tis evident, from the absurd Notions which the ancient Heathens had of\nthe Deity, and their Idolatry, that Mankind was so far degenerated and\ndeprav'd, that they had lost the true Knowledge of God, and of his\nAttributes, and consequently were ignorant of their Duty towards him;\nfor which reason, God was pleas'd, out of his infinite Love and Mercy\ntowards Mankind, to send at sundry times _Prophets_; that is, Men who\nwere inspir'd by the _Holy Spirit_, and had the Will of God\n_immediately_ reveal'd to them; to the end that they might instruct\nothers how to serve him (the ancient Tradition receiv'd from our first\nParents, and those good Men which succeeded them, being now almost worn\nout, and over-grown by the increasing Wickedness of the World) and\nthereby avoid those Judgments which would otherwise infallibly overtake\nthem, if they continu'd in Impenitence and Disobedience.\n\nSec. 4. This was the Means which the Generality of the People of God had to\nknow his Will. They receiv'd it from the _Prophets_, who had it\n_immediately_ from God. So that the Difference of their Knowledge\nconsisted in the Manner of their receiving of it, not in the Things\nreceiv'd, which were the same both to the _Prophets_ and the _People_.\nOnly the _Prophets_ receiv'd it _immediately_, but not the _People_: for\nthen consequently they would all have been Prophets, which it is plain\nthey were not.\n\nSec. 5. And when it had pleas'd God to give a clearer and fuller Revelation\nof his Will to the Prophet _Moses_; what was deliver'd to him, was\ncommitted to the Care of the Priests, of whom both King and People were\noblig'd to learn their Duty. Deut. xvii. 18. _And it shall be when he\nsitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom, that he shall write him a Copy\nof this Law in a Book, out of that which is before the Priests the\nLevites, and it shall be with him, and, he shall read therein all the\nDays of his Life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep\nall the Words of this Law, and these Statutes, to do them_. And Malachi\nxi. 7. _The Priests Lips should preserve Knowledge, and they should seek\nthe Law at his Mouth, for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts_. So\nthat they were not to seek after any other more perfect manner of\nWorship, than what was deliver'd in that Book, nor to expect that those\nTruths or Precepts which were contained in it, should be reveal'd to\nthem anew, either by any Prophet living in their time, or by _immediate\nRevelation_; but to draw all their Instructions from the aforesaid\nHelps. And accordingly we never find any of the Prophets making any\nAlteration in the Law, or calling the people to a more perfect way of\nWorship. From whence 'tis plain that they were well assur'd of its\nSufficiency, till the _Messias_, who was to compleat it should come; and\ntheir never bidding the People to look for any other way of teaching\nthan what was to be had from that Book, and the Mouth of the Priests,\nproves evidently that they knew those means to be sufficient.\n\nSec. 6. Thus we have seen which way the generality of the People of God\nwere taught; let us now examine by what means the Prophets attain'd\ntheir Faculty of Prophesying and wherein it did consist. Now it is most\ncertain that the Faculty of Prophesying cannot be attain'd by any\nApplication or Improvement of our Abilities whatsoever, but depends\nwholly and entirely upon the positive Will of God, who upon important\nand weighty Occasions, in his own due time, and to such Persons as seem\nbest in his infinite Wisdom, does send such as he is pleas'd to set\napart and qualifie for that Service, by the Inspiration of his Holy\nSpirit. _For Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of Man; but holy\nMen of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost_[34]. It must not\ndenyed, but that a sober, righteous and godly Life, a Heavenly\nConversation, and the keeping our selves pure both in Body and Spirit,\nare excellent Means to invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in and abide with\nus. And this is agreeable to right Notions of the Purity of God, and his\nLove of that which is Good, and Abhorrence of that which is Evil: It is\nconfirmed by right Reason, the Testimony of ancient Churches and Holy\nScripture it self. But then the Question is, How does God dwell in those\nthat are his? Certainly, not so as to make Prophets of them, but to\nstrengthen them in their Holy Resolutions, and enable them to perform\nsuch Things as tend most to his Glory, and their own Salvation. And upon\na due Examination, we shall find that this is all which the greatest\nnumber by far of Godly Men ever attain'd; who notwithstanding must by no\nmeans be accus'd of Slothfulness in not approving their Talent, nor of\nbeing wanting in their Endeavours to make the nearest Approaches to God\nthat they were capable of.\n\nSec. 7. This will appear further, if we consider that those means which\nwere us'd by Holy Persons of Old, in order to the Improvement of\nthemselves or others, in the Exercise of Piety and Religion, cannot upon\nany account be reckon'd as means of their becoming Prophets. Tho'\n_Samuel_ was dedicated to the Service of God from his Birth, and it\npleas'd God to chuse him for a Prophet; yet there is no question to be\nmade, but that there were several others so dedicated, which did never\nprophesy.\n\nTho' _Daniel_ was heard _from the first day that he did set his Heart to\nunderstand, and to chasten himself before God_[35], and had an Angel\nsent to him with a Revelation, yet cannot that disciplining of himself\nbe in any wise accounted a Cause of that Revelation; for if it were, the\nsame Method would produce the same Effect in another Man. And tho' there\nwere particular Advantages in being a Member of the College of\n_Prophets_; as the Prophet _Amos_[36] intimates, where he says, _I was\nno Prophet, nor A Prophet's Son_ (which must be interpreted _The Scholar\nof a Prophet_, for the Scholars of the Prophets are always call'd _Sons\nof the Prophets_ in Scripture) yet none of these Means were sufficient\nto help Men to the Gift of Prophecy. The pious Parents thought it a very\ngood way of improving their Children in the Fear and Love of God, and\nthe Knowledge of his Will, to have them brought up under those Holy and\nExemplary Men the Prophets; and accordingly they waited upon them, went\non Errands and did their Service; at the same time enjoying the great\nAdvantage of their Example and Discourse. And according to their\nExample, even after Prophesy was ceas'd among the _Jews_, the eminent\nMen and chief Doctors of the Law had their Scholars and Disciples, more\nor fewer, according to the Credit and Esteem of the Matter. So that our\nBlessed Saviour's chusing his twelve Disciples, was no new thing among\nthe _Jews_, but had been practis'd all along, since those Schools of the\nProphets. But never did any one imagine, that these means of Discipline,\nor any other, were Steps to the attaining the Gift of Prophecy, which\nalways depended, not upon Mens Acquirements or Improvements in that\nwhich is good, but upon the _positive Will of God_.\n\nSec. 8. Now, if, as appears from what is already said, God has not afforded\nto Man, any Means whereby he can attain to the more inferior Degree of\nProphecy, which consists in having only some part of his Will reveal'd;\nand that not constantly or habitually, but as occasion serves: How vain\nand fond is it then for any one to imagine that he has given him a\nCapacity of enjoying his Presence as he is, and of seeing all things in\nhim?[37] Which is as much above the Attainments of the greatest\nProphets, as theirs is above the weakest of Men. For if we consider we\nshall find that the Prophets Business consisted in delivering a\nparticular Message to one or more; the Contents of which sometimes they\nreceiv'd by Day[38], which sort of Vision is call'd _Machazeh_, or,\n_Mareeh_, or else by Night in a Dream, and this was call'd _Hhalom, a\nDream_, or _Hezyon Hallaiyelah, a Nocturnal Vision_. But what is either\nor both these to the Intuition of the Divine Presence? There is as much\nDifference, as there is between a great Courtier and a Favourite, who\nwhen he pleases, enjoys the Presence of his Prince, and one who is now\nand then sent by him on an Errand. And yet to such a degree of\nEnthusiasm have some gone, as our Author here in particular, and several\nmore of the same strain in those former Ages, and the _Quietists_ and\nother _Mysticks_ and Enthusiasts in our times, that nothing will down\nwith him less than the Intuition of the Divine-Being, and they despise\n_Meditation_[39], as a mean thing, and too much below one that aspires\nto Perfection. And this, it seems, is attainable by Application and\ncontinued Exercise; whereby they have at once set all Mankind in a\nCapacity of out-doing infinitely the ancient Prophets, who if they had\nknown any thing of this way, certainly would not have been so sparing of\nit in their Writings, especially when their Business was to labour for\nthe Benefit and Instruction of Mankind. But there is not one word in all\ntheir Writings which favours this Opinion, from whence we may safely\nconclude, that they had no such Notion; and yet it must not be in the\nleast doubted, but that they were throughly acquainted with the Will of\nGod, and knew more of his secret Counsel than any other Men in the World\nwhatsoever.\n\nSec. 9. It must needs be acknowledg'd by us Christians, as well as by the\nJews, that _Moses_ was, without Controversie, the the greatest Prophet\nthat ever appear'd upon Earth before our Saviour's time, and had the\nmost frequent and greatest Revelations of the Divine Will. For tho' it\nwas a singular Favour which God vouchsafed the other Prophets, in\ncommunicating to them some of the Secrets of his Purposes; yet _Moses_\nwas the Man whom God chose to be the Instrument of the Deliverance of\nhis People _Israel_, by such convincing Signs and Wonders, as were\nundeniable Evidences of the Divine Power by which they were wrought, and\nwho was not only to be God's Messenger to his People in some few\nParticulars, but the immediate Receiver of that Law, and all the\nOeconomy, both Ecclesiastical and Civil, by which God's People were to\nbe governed without any Addition or Diminution, so many hundred Years,\ntill the Coming of the promised _Messias_. God himself bears Witness to\nthis, _Numb_. xii. 6. _If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will\nmake my self known unto him in a Vision, and will speak unto him in a\nDream. My Servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine House.\nWith him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark\nSpeeches, and the Similitude of the Lord shall he behold_. Now _Moses_\nhad not been faithful in God's House, if he had not reveal'd the whole\nWill of God to his People, as it was deliver'd to him; which most\ncertainly he did. But how? Why, he commands the People thus, _Deut_. vi.\n17. _You shall diligently keep the Commandments of the Lord your God,\nand his Testimonies and his Statutes which he hath commanded thee_;\nwhich were, no doubt, the very same which he had received upon Mount\n_Sinai_. Nor did this Holy Man, this _faithful Servant in God's House_,\never recommend, or so much as hint any such Service of God, as is\ndream'd of by our _Mysticks,_ or give the least Encouragement for any to\nhope for the Gift of Prophecy, or an Intuition or beholding the Divine\nBeing in this State. And yet it is certain that both _Moses_ himself,\nand Multitudes of others after him, were Heavenly-minded Men, and did\nthat which was acceptable in the Sight of God, and shall be Partakers of\nEverlasting Glory.\n\nSec. 10. Nor did any of the Prophets, which came after him, ever advance\nany such refin'd way of Worship; but constantly blam'd the People for\nnot observing the Law of _Moses_, and neglecting the Statutes and\nOrdinances which he had left them. And the Sum of their Prophecies\nconsists, either in Exhorting, Reproving, Promising or Threatning, and\nsome Hints of the _Messias_. But not one Syllable concerning any such\nabstracted Worship, nor any Mention made of Mens attaining the\n_Beatifick Vision_. Notwithstanding which, there have been, and still\nare, a great many deluded Souls, who imagine that the warm Conceptions\nof distemper'd Brains, are a great Measure of that Holy Spirit by which\nthe old Prophets spake; and pretend to such a Familiarity and intimate\nConversation with God; such an entire Communication and Intercourse,\nthat they might, if what they said were true, seem to be glorified\nSpirits, rather than _Prophets_, subject to the like Infirmities with\nother Men; and to have left the Church Militant to take their place in\nthe Triumphant. Not considering, that all this is only a pleasing sort\nof an Amusement, a Fool's Paradise, and grounded upon no better Reason\nor Foundation, than the Man that was distracted had to fancy himself an\nEmperor, and all that came about him his Subjects. These Men do not\nconsider that we live in such an Age of the World, as we are not to\nexpect such extraordinary Effusions of the Spirit: All that we can\nreasonably expect, or that God has promis'd, is, to give his Holy Spirit\nto those that ask it of him; that is, so to guide them by his gracious\nAssistance, as that they may overcome their Spiritual Enemies, and be\ncrown'd hereafter with Glory and Immortality; which certainly ought to\ncontent any reasonable Man, without aspiring to _Immediate Revelation,\nProphecy_, obtaining the _Vision of God_, and such like Things,which God\nhas deny'd to us, whilst in this State.\n\nSec. 11. Indeed, if it were in _Religion_, as in _Arts and Sciences_, it\nmight with a great deal more Reason have been expected; that considering\nthe vast Distance of Time since the first planting of the Christian\nReligion to this present Age, we might have been improved to a Degree of\nProphecy. For _Arts_ and _Sciences_ receive their Beginnings from very\nsmall Hints at first, and are afterwards improved proportionally to the\nIndustry and Capacity of those who cultivate them; and therefore we may\nreasonably expect, that the longer they continue, the more they will be\nadvanc'd. But the case is vastly different in Religion, which is always\nbest and purest at its first setting out. And there is a very good\nReason to be given, why it should be so; for after the first Covenant\nmade by God with Mankind in the Person of _Adam_: every other\nDispensation has found Men under a State of Corruption, and in the\nactual Possession of Errors, diametrically opposite to those Truths\nwhich it came to instruct them in; and therefore it was requisite that\nthe means to remove these at first, should bear Proportion with the\nDifficulties they were to encounter. Upon which account, at the\nBeginning of any new Dispensation, those Persons whom God was pleas'd to\nemploy to publish it to Mankind, have been endu'd with more Zeal and\ngreater Abilities, than the Professors of the same Religion in after\nAges. And as no Person can doubt, but that the Jewish Religion was much\nmore perfect in the Days of _Moses_, and those which immediately\nsucceeded him, than in after Times, when it was obscur'd and mudded by\nPharisaical Inventions and Traditions: So must it also be confess'd,\nthat the Christian Religion was much more perfect in the Days of the\nApostles, and the Ages immediately succeeding them, than since it has\nbeen obscur'd by the Interest of the Designing on the one hand, and the\nPrejudice and Ignorance of the Unlearned on the other. And this is what\nis plainly confess'd by the Practice of most contending Parties amongst\nthe Professors of Christianity; who constantly make their Appeals to the\nearliest Writers of the Primitive Christian Church, and use all means to\nbring them over to their own Side; which is an evident Concession that\nthey value their Authority, and look upon them as the most competent\nJudges of their Controversies. Now, if I shall make it appear, that\nthere was no such thing as is contended for by our Enthusiasts, in those\nearly Times, when the Holy Spirit must be confess'd on all hands to be\nmore plentifully pour'd out than in the succeeding Ages; I hope it will\nappear evidently to any unprejudic'd Person, that it is not at all to be\nexpected under the Christian Dispensation.\n\nSec. 12. To begin therefore with our Blessed Saviour himself. It is evident\nthat he never recommended any such way of worshipping God, as is\ncontended for by the _Mysticks_, nor promised to reward the most sincere\nof his Followers with the _Vision of God_ whilst in this State. As for\nhis own Life, which is certainly the most perfect Pattern, it was\n_Active_ to the greatest Degree; and bating some times of Retirement, to\npray or the like, was wholly spent in Conversation, and doing Good to\nothers. Then as to the Substance of his Doctrine, it consisted in\nacquainting the _Jews_ that he himself was the _Messias_, whose Coming\nwas so long ago, and so often foretold by the Ancient Prophets. He also\nacquainted them with the Nature of his Office and Mediatorship, and\nshew'd them how mightily they were mistaken in their Interpretations of\nthe Prophets concerning him. He let them know, that, contrary to their\nExpectation, his Kingdom was not of this World; but that his Business\nwas to bring Men out of Darkness to Light, and from the Bondage and\nSlavery of Sin, to the Liberty of the Sons of God. He taught them to\nabandon all ungodly Lusts, and to set their Hearts upon Things above;\nassuring them, that if they continu'd in his Love, they should be\nrewarded with everlasting Happiness. And lest his Disciples,and those\nChurches which should be planted by their Ministry, should be destitute\nof necessary Encouragement and Assistance, he assures them, in most\nendearing Terms, of his Love towards and Care over them, and promises\nspeedily to send them _the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth_[40], which\nshould not only assure them of his own, and the Father's Love towards\nthem, but also enable them to work such Miracles as should be sufficient\nto confirm the Truth of their Mission. But no where promises the\nEnjoyment of the _Beatifick Vision_ here; but bid them to expect their\nReward hereafter; assuring them, that _whither he went they could not\nfollow him now, but should follow him afterwards_[41], and _that he went\nto prepare a place for them_. Nor did he even mention his having\npurchas'd for Mankind such a Privilege, as that they might, by\ndiligently improving what was given them, come to God without any other\nMeans, but rather the quite contrary: For he says, _No Man cometh to the\nfather but by me_[42]; now certainly the way to come to Christ, is to\nbelieve in him; which, according to the Apostle S. _Paul_, presupposes,\nhearing him preach'd.\n\nSec. 13, And as our Blessed Saviour did never promise to reward the\nEndeavours of sincere Persons, with such a Power whereby they might\nattain, without any External Means, all Things necessary to Salvation,\nmuch less the Intuition, or beholding the Divine Presence whilst in this\nLife; so neither do we find that they either expected or enjoy'd it. The\nMethod of God in teaching his People, was still the same as it ever had\nbeen, _viz_. by revealing his Will to some few, in order to the having\nit communicated by their Ministry to others. And I desire any one that\nthinks otherwise, to produce me one single Instance of any Person that\ncame to the true Knowledge of God, and the necessary means of Salvation,\nbut by this way. The contrary is evident from the Example of the\n_Eunuch_ (_Acts_ viii.) who was a devout Person, and well dispos'd; and\nwe find his Zeal and Sincerity rewarded by God's sending to him a proper\nPerson to instruct him.\n\nSec. 14. Which is still further confirmed by the Example of\n_Cornelius_(Acts x.) who being _a devout Man, and one that fear'd God\nwith all his House, and gave much Alms to the People, and pray'd to God\nalways_, was so far accepted by God, that he was graciously pleas'd to\nprovide Means for his further Instruction in his Duty, and sent _Peter_\nto instruct him. Whereby he has plainly pointed out to us the way by\nwhich he would have us seek for the Knowledge of him, _viz_. by applying\nour selves to such as he has appointed to teach his People. Accordingly\nwe find that _Cornelius_'s Alms and Devotions, and incessant waiting\nupon God, did neither advance him to the _Beatifick Vision_, nor so far\nas to have those Truths presented to him by way of Object,\n_immediately_, which were necessary to be believ'd by him in order to\nhis Salvation; neither is he at all encourag'd to look for or depend\nupon _Vision_ or _Intuition_, but is sent to a Man like himself, to hear\nwith his outward Ears, those things which concern'd his Eternal Welfare.\nWhereas, if God had ever granted to Mankind a Power whereby he might, by\ndue Application and Attention, attain to a sufficient Knowledge of God,\nand Things necessary to Salvation; or, if such a Privilege, though\ndeny'd before, had been purchas'd by Jesus Christ; there is no question,\nbut Persons so extraordinarily well qualified as these two good Men,\n_Cornelius_ and the _Eunuch_, were, would have enjoy'd the Benefit of\nit; and then the Event would have been, that by their constant attending\nupon God, and unwearied Diligence in meditating and practising good\nThings, they would have increas'd in Spiritual Knowledge, and made\nnearer Approaches to God, till they had attain'd to Perfection. But we\nfind nothing like this, but that on the contrary they were oblig'd to be\ninstructed by the same means which God had appointed for other Men.\n\nSec. 15. And then as to matter of _Vision,_ the whole Tenor of the\nApostle's Doctrine runs counter to it. S. _Paul_ tells us, that all\nthose noble Actions which were perform'd by the Ancient Worthies (_Heb_.\nxi.) were done thro' _Faith_; which as himself defines, is (_v_.i.) is,\n_The Substance of Things hoped for, the Evidence of Things not seen_. It\nis an Assent which we give to Things as true, which we can neither\napprehend by our Senses, nor demonstrate by our Reasoning; so that the\nonly Objects of our Faith are such Things as we receive upon the Credit\nof another; which, how far it is from _Vision_, is evident to common\nSense. And the same Apostle tells us, that _now we see through A Glass\ndarkly_; and that _we know in part, and prophesie in part_[43].\n\nSec. 16. Hence it is plain, that all those Texts which speak of the\nplentiful Effusion of the Spirit in the times of the Gospel, are quite\nmisunderstood by all those, who interpret them after such a manner, as\nif God had given such a Measure of it to all Mankind, that upon a due\nImprovement of it, they might attain to the Knowledge of him, and of all\nThings necessary to Salvation. Whereas it appears, that even in the\nearliest Times of the Gospel, there was no such thing; but then all the\nChurches were planted by the Ministry of the Apostles, who ordain'd\nothers to succeed them in their Office. If therefore in those Times it\nwas not granted, it is a ridiculous Absurdity to expect it in this Age;\nand no small Degree, either of Impudence or Madness to pretend to it.\n\nSec. 17. Since it is not foreign to the Matter in hand, the Reader will, I\nhope, pardon me if I digress a little, to shew why we cannot reasonably\nexpect Prophets now. And it seems to me, that there are several Reasons\nto be given why there should be Prophets during the time of the Mosaical\nDispensation, rather than after the Gospel had taken Root. For, the\nPromises made to the _Jews_ having Relation to their possessing the Land\nof _Canaan_, God was pleas'd to send them Prophets to quicken their\nMemories, and keep them in mind of their Duty, that thereby his\nJudgments might be averted from them; (and especially, because of the\nprevailing Idolatry of those Times; for after they were well fix'd in\nthe Practice of the True Religion, and out of that Danger, we find no\nProphets;) and we find that most of the Ancient Prophecies tend that\nway. But now we are quite upon another Bottom; we are taught, that _we\nhave here no continuing City_; that, _when these Tabernacles shall be\ndissolv'd, we have a Habitation not made with Hands, eternal in the\nHeavens_. That we are to _set our Minds on Things above, not on Things\non the Earth_; that we are to _deny our selves, and take up our Cross\nand follow Christ_; that, _through many Tribulations we must enter into\nthe Kingdom of Heaven_, and many Passages to the same Effect. So that to\nhave Prophets foretelling future Events, relating to the Welfare and\nPreservation of our Temporals, or the contrary, seems not so proper for\na People, whose very Profession supposes them to have laid aside all\nSolicitude concerning them. Again, before the Coming of Christ, God's\nWill was but imperfectly reveal'd; and it was necessary that there\nshould be Fore-runners to prepare the way against his Coming, and raise\nthe Expectation of him in the People, that they might be the better\nprepar'd to receive him. But after he was once come, who was to compleat\nand fulfil all; after _God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners,\nspake in time past unto the fathers by the Prophets,_[44] had, _in these\nlast days, spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed Heir of all\nthings,_ &c. _who was the Brightness of his Glory, and the express Image\nof his person_, &c. I say, after God had, by this glorious Person,\nmanifested and reveal'd his whole Will to us, and declared whatsoever he\nrequir'd to be believ'd and done by us, whilst in these Mortal Bodies;\nthere was no longer need of Revelation to those who had received the\nmost perfect one that could be deliver'd. So that all those Reasons\nbeing remov'd, which were to be given for a Succession of immediately\ninspired Prophets before the Coming of Christ; it is altogether\ngroundless, to say no worse of it, to expect any now he is come. What\nMethods God will use, when his time is come, to bring in the Fulness of\nthe Gentiles, and to convert the Jews; or what Endowments he will bestow\nupon those Persons whom he shall please to make use of as his\nInstruments to compleat that great Work, will then be best known when it\nis come to pass. There is no Question but that he will use sufficient\nmeans. All that I contend for is, that those which he has already\nafforded, are abundantly sufficient for those who have the Happiness to\nbe baptized, and brought up in the Profession of the Christian Faith;\nand consequently, that it is unreasonable to expect any other\nAssistances, or to seek any other means of serving God, than what are\ndeliver'd in his Holy Word, and made use of in his Church.\n\nSec. 18. To return to our Argument. If these things, contended for by\nEnthusiasts, were not granted either under the Jewish or Christian\nDispensation, as I hope has been sufficiently prov'd; it follows, _a\nmajori,_ that those who are depriv'd of those Advantages, which both\nJews and Christians enjoy'd cannot have them: And therefore in vain do\nwe search for Persons so endow'd amongst _Mahometans_ or _Heathens._ For\nwithout any Breach of Charity, in respect to those Persons, who never\nwere so happy as to have the Gospel preach'd to them; we may assure our\nselves, that they do not enjoy equal Privileges with us, who by our\nBaptism have a foederal Right to all those Assistances of the Holy\nSpirit promis'd to the Church in the Holy Scriptures. And yet there\nwould not be much difference, if by their diligently adhering to any\nPrinciple or Light, which God has bestow'd upon Mankind in general, they\nmight attain to true saving Knowledge. And for this Reason, our Author,\nwho was himself a _Mahometan,_ seems as little to have consulted the\nHonour of his Prophet _Mahomet_, and the necessity of believing his\nDoctrine, in feigning a Person brought up by himself, to have by his\nApplication and Industry attain'd to the Knowledge of all things\nreveal'd to that suppos'd Prophet, as our Enthusiasts do value the Means\nwhich God has always us'd to convey his Will to Mankind[45]. Whilst out\nof a groundless Charity, they do in a manner put all Men upon the Level,\nas to the Means of Salvation. Which Opinion of theirs, however plausible\nat first sight, upon the account of that specious Shew of Universal\nCharity to Mankind, does most certainly tend to the undervaluing and\nlessening those inestimable Benefits which our Blessed Saviour has\npurchas'd for, and promis'd to his Church; and ought no more to be\nreceiv'd, than that charitable Opinion of _Origen_'s who believ'd that\nafter a certain time of Punishment, not only the wickedest of Men, but\nalso the Devils themselves should be laved.\n\nSec. 19. I have now shewn that what is here held by our Author, and too\nmany others in our times, has no manner of Foundation. That it was never\npromis'd nor expected, either under the Mosaical or Christian\nDispensation; from whence I have inferr'd, that it cannot be expected\nany where else, and consequently that there is no such thing at all. If\nI have not spoken all the while particularly to my Author, the reason\nis, because I write to Christians, and chiefly have regard to those\nErrors, held by some of that Denomination, which are common with those\nof our Author. Besides, if that were requisite, 'tis only allowing for\nArgument sake, that the _Alcoran_ was written by Inspiration, and that\n_Mahomet_ was a Prophet, and then the same way of Arguing proves the\nEnthusiasm of our Author, who being a profess'd _Mahometan_, and they\nbeing oblig'd to believe that _Mahomet_ is the _Catimo'l anbyai_, i.e.\n_The Seal of the Prophets_, and that theirs is the last Dispensation,\nwhich Mankind shall ever receive from God, has ventured to suppose the\nPossibility of a Man's attaining to the true Knowledge of God, and\nThings necessary to Salvation, and all other Things, both Spiritual and\nNatural, belonging either to this World, or that to come, without the\nHelp of any outward Instruction.\n\nSec. 20. I need not insist upon this any longer; I shall only remark, that\nas true Piety is the same in all Ages and Climates, and good solid Sense\ntoo, so also is _Enthusiasm._ And I have sometimes wonder'd, when I have\nread the Whimsies and Conceits of the _Arab_ Enthusiasts (whose numerous\nSects equal those Heresies mention'd by _Epiphanius_, or even that\nplentiful Crop which the Devil has sow'd of them in our times) to find\nsuch a Harmony between them and ours at present. Such a perfect\nAgreement in their wild Notions, and these express'd in the very\nself-same Cant, may easily convince any one, that the Instruments of\nboth were strung and tun'd by the same Hand. Another thing observable is\nthis; Let the _Enthusiast_ have never such great Abilities, there is\nalways something or other which proves his Pretensions to Revelation to\nbe false; and as they tell us, that, let the Devil change himself into\nwhat Shape he will he can never conceal his Cloven Foot; so neither can\nthe _Enthusiast_ make himself pass for Inspired, with any Person of\ntolerable discerning; but there will appear some very considerable Flaw,\nwhich shall manifestly prove him a Deceiver, or at least a Person\ndeceiv'd. This is the Fate of them, and our Author could not avoid it.\nHe has indeed carried his Philosopher beyond the Orb of _Saturn_[46],\nbut he might as well have sav'd him that Trouble; for he brought nothing\ndown with him, but what he himself was able to furnish him withal before\nhe went; _viz. Mahometan Divinity_, and _Aristotelian Philosophy_. As to\nthe former of these I shall not need to say any thing; but I am well\nassur'd, that when he talk'd of those Discoveries in the latter, made by\nhim when in that glorious State, he never dream'd in the least of those\nmore certain Discoveries which should be made afterwards, by the\nSagacity of our Astronomers and Philosophers; and that the contrary of\nwhat he believ'd; as to those things, should be prov'd by undeniable\nDemonstration.\n\nSec. 21. Nor does it succeed better with such Pretenders in our Age; who,\ntaught by woful Experience, have of late grown more wary, and rarely\npretended to Inspirations, except in such Matters as they might be well\nassur'd of by other means. The safest way for them,I confess, tho' at\nthe same time extreamly absurd and ridiculous. For if a Man pretends to\nknow a thing by Divine Inspiration, when there are other Means of\nattaining it: I have much more reason to think, either that he is an\nImpostor and Deceiver,or else, that through warmth of Conceit, or the\nDelusion of the Devil, he imagines himself to be divinely inspired when\nhe is not; rather than to believe that God, who does nothing but for\nmost wise and excellent Ends and Purposes, should reveal a thing to any\nPerson _immediately_, when he had before afforded him sufficient Means\nof knowing it otherwise.\n\nSec. 22. It remains that we beg of God to give us his Grace, and the\nAssistance of his Holy Spirit, that we may sincerely and heartily apply\nour selves to the diligent Use of those Means which he has appointed for\nour Instruction, in his Church. That we seek for the Knowledge of him in\nhis holy Word, and _approach_ to him in his Ordinances, and by a holy\npious Conversation. These are the Ways which he has chalk'd out for us;\nand if any Persons will not be content with these Means, but will walk\nin By-Paths, and follow every _Ignis fatuus_ that presents it self; if\nthey be are the last convinc'd of their fatal Mistake when it is too\nlate, they must blame themselves. God of his infinite Mercy lead them\nout of their Errors, and guide both them and us through this imperfect\nState, till at last we attain to the perfect Vision, and full Enjoyment\nof himself; through _Jesus Christ_ our Lord. _Amen_.\n\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[Footnote 33: _See_ Sect. 84, 85, &c.]\n\n[Footnote 34: 2 _Pet_. 1. 21.]\n\n[Footnote 35: _Dan_. x. 12.]\n\n[Footnote 36: _Amos_ vii. 14.]\n\n[Footnote 37: _By_ seeing all things in God, _I have no regard to Mr_.\nMalebranch_'s Notion, but only to that of our Author._ See Sect. 90,\n_&c_.]\n\n[Footnote 38: _Maimonides in Pocockii Porta Mosis_, p. 171.]\n\n[Footnote 39: _See the letter concerning, the Quietists, printed with\nthe B. of_ Sarum_'s Letters_.]\n\n[Footnote 40: _John_ Chap. xiv, xv, xvi, xvii.]\n\n[Footnote 41: _John_ xiii, 36. xiv, 2.]\n\n[Footnote 42: _John_ xiv, 7. _Rom._ x, 17, 18.]\n\n[Footnote 43: _Cor._ xiii, 12, 9.]\n\n[Footnote 44: _Heb_. i, 1.]\n\n[Footnote 45: _See_ Sect. 109.]\n\n[Footnote 46: _See_ Sect. 90.]\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n_FINIS_.","title":"The Improvement of Human Reason: Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":46160}