,,the ,,improvement ,,of ,,human ,,reason ,exhibited in the ,life of ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan by ,ibn ,tufail 7,abu ,bakr ,muhammad ,ibn ,tufail al-,qasi7 ,newly ,translated from the ,original ,arabick by ,simon ,ockley 7#agjh7 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,improvement of ,,human ,,reason1 ,exhibited in the ,,life of ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan3 ,written in ,arabick above #ejj ,years ago1 by ,abu ,jaafar ,ebn ,tophail4 ,in which is demonstrated1 ,by what ,methods one may1 by the meer ,,light ,,of ,,nature1 attain the ,knowledg of things ,,natural and ,,supernatural2 more particularly the ,knowledg of ,god1 and the ,affairs of another ,life4 ,illustrated with proper ,,figures1 ,newly ,translated from the ,original ,arabick by ,,simon ,,ockley1 ,a4,m4 ,vicar of ,swanesey in ,cambridgshire4 ,with an ,,appendix1 ,in ,which the ,possibility of ,man's attaining the ,true ,knowledg of ,,god1 and ,things necessary to ,salvation1 without ,,instruction1 is briefly consider'd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to the ,reverend ,mr4 ,edward ,pococke1 ,rector of ,,minal1 in ,wiltshire4 ,reverend ,,sir1 ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan returns to you again1 in a ,dress different from that which you sent him out in4 ,wherever he comes1 he acknowledges you for his first and best ,master2 and confesses1 that his being put in a ,capacity to travel thro' ,europe1 is owing to your ,hand4 ,i could not in ,equity send him to any other ,person1 you being the sole ,proprietor4 ,and as your ,learning enables you to do him ,justice1 so your ,candor will incline you to pardon what is by me done amiss4 ,both which ,qualifications you enjoy1 as a ,paternal ,inheritance1 descending from the ,reverend and ,learned ,dr4 ,pococke1 the ,glory and ,ornament of our ,age and ,nation4 ,whose ,memory ,i much reverence1 and how much ,i acknowledge my self indebted to him for his ,learned ,works1 ,i thought ,i could no way express better1 than by taking some ,opportunity to pay my ,respects to you1 ,sir1 the worthy ,son of so great a ,father4 ,and no fitter ,bearer than ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan1 with whose ,character and ,language you are so well acquainted1 and to whom you have long ago shown so great a ,respect1 that ,i have no reason to fear but he will be welcome4 ,i am1 ,,sir1 ,your most humble ,servant1 ,simon ,ockley1 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,preface4 ,when ,mr4 ,pococke first publish'd this ,arabick ,author with his accurate ,latin ,version1 ,anno #afga4 ,dr4 ,pococke his ,father1 that late eminent ,professor of the ,oriental ,languages in the ,university of ,oxford1 prefix'd a ,preface to it2 in which he tells us1 that he has good ,reason to think1 that this ,author was contemporary with ,averroes1 who died very ancient in the ,year of the ,hegira #eie1 which is co-incident with the #aaihth ,year of our ,lord2 according to which ,account1 the ,author liv'd something above five hundred ,years ago4 ,he liv'd in ,spain1 as appears from one or two ,passages in this ,book4 ,he wrote some other ,pieces1 which are not come to our ,hands4 ,this has been very well receiv'd in the ,east2 one ,argument of which is1 that it has been translated by ,r4 ,moses ,narbonensis into ,hebrew1 and illustrated with a large ,commentary4 ,the ,design of the ,author is to shew1 how ,human ,capacity1 unassisted by any ,external ,help1 may1 by due ,application1 attain to the ,knowledge of ,natural ,things1 and so by ,degrees find out its ,dependance upon a ,superior ,being1 the ,immortality of the ,soul1 and all things necessary to ,salvation4 ,how well he has succeeded in this ,attempt1 ,i leave to the ,reader to judge4 ',tis certain1 that he was a ,man of ,parts and very good ,learning1 considering the ,age he liv'd in1 and the way of studying in those ,times4 ,there are a great many lively ,stroaks in it2 and ,i doubt not but a judicious ,reader will find his ,account in the ,perusal of it4 ,i was not willing 7'though importun'd7 to undertake the translating it into ,english1 because ,i was inform'd that it had been done twice already2 once by ,dr4 ,ashwell1 another time by the ,quakers1 who imagin'd that there was something in1 it that favoured their ,enthusiastick ,notions4 ,however1 taking it for granted1 that both these ,translations we're not made out of the ,original ,arabick1 but out of the ,latin2 ,i did not question but they had mistaken the ,sense of the ,author in many places4 ,besides1 observing that a great many of my friends whom ,i had a desire to oblige1 and other ,persons whom ,i would willingly incline to a more favourable ,opinion of ,arabick ,learning1 had not seen this ,book2 and withal1 hoping that ,i might add something by way of ,annotation or ,appendix1 which would not be altogether useless2 ,i at last ventur'd to translate it a-new4 ,i have here and there added a ,note1 in which there is an account given of some1 great ,man1 some ,custom of the ,mahometans explain'd1 or something of that ,nature1 which ,i hope will not be unacceptable4 ,and lest any ,person should1 through mistake1 make any ill use of it1 ,i have subjoin'd an ,appendix1 the ,design of which the ,reader may see in its proper place4 ,,simon ,,ockley4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,bookseller ,,to ,,the ,,reader4 ,when ,i first undertook the ,publication of this ,english ,translation1 ,i thought it would not be amiss to present the ,world with a ,specimen of it first4 ,but since the ,introduction is such1 that the ,reader can no more by it give a ,guess at what is contain'd in the ,book itself1 than a ,man can judge of his ,entertainment by seeing the ,cloath laid2 ,i have thought it necessary to give him a ,bill of ,fare4 ,the ,design of the ,author 7who was a ,mahometan ,philosopher7 is to shew how ,humane ,reason may1 by ,observation and ,experience1 arrive at the ,knowledge of ,natural ,things1 and from thence to ,supernatural2 particularly the ,knowledge of ,god and a ,future ,state4 ,and in order to this1 he supposes a ,person brought up by himself where he was altogether destitute of any ,instruction1 but what he could get from his own ,observation4 ,he lays the ,scene in some ,fortunate ,island situate under the ,equinoctial2 where he supposes this ,philosopher1 either to have been bred 7according to ,avicen's ,hypothesis1 who conceiv'd a possibility of a ,man's being formed by the ,influence of the ,planets upon ,matter rightly disposed7 without either ,father or ,mother2 or self-expos'd in his ,infancy1 and providentially suckled by a ,roe4 ,not that our ,author believ'd any such matter1 but only having design'd to contrive a convenient place for his ,philosopher1 so as to leave him to ,reason by himself1 and make his ,observations without any ,guide4 ,in which ,relation1 he proposes both these ways1 without speaking one ,word in favour of either4 ,then he shews by what ,steps and ,degrees he advanc'd in the ,knowledge of ,natural ,things1 till at last he perceiv'd the ,necessity of acknowledging an ,infinite1 ,eternal1 ,wise ,creator1 and also the ,immateriality and ,immortality of his own ,soul1 and that its ,happiness consisted only in a continued ,conjunction with this supream ,being4 ,the ,matter of this ,book is curious1 and full of useful ,theorems2 he makes most use of the ,peripatetick ,philosophy1 which he seems to have well understood2 it must be confess'd indeed1 that when he comes to talk of the ,union with ,god1 c4 7as in the ,introduction7 there are some ,enthusiastick ,notions1 which are particularly consider'd and refuted by the ,editor in his ,appendix4 ,whose ,design in publishing this ,translation1 was to give those who are as yet unacquainted with it1 a ,taste of the ,acumen and ,genius of the ,arabian ,philosophers1 and to excite young ,scholars to the reading of those ,authors1 which1 through a groundless ,conceit of their ,impertinence and ,ignorance1 have been too long neglected4 ,and tho' we do not pretend to any ,discoveries in this ,book1 especially at this time of ,day1 when all parts of ,learning are cultivated with so much ,exactness2 yet we hope that it will not be altogether unacceptable to the curious ,reader to know what the state of ,learning was among the ,arabs1 five hundred ,years since4 ,and if what we shall here communicate1 shall seem little in respect of the ,discoveries of this discerning ,age2 yet we are confident1 that any ,european1 who shall compare the ,learning in this ,book1 with what was publish'd by any of his own ,country-men at that time1 will find himself obliged in ,conscience to give our ,author fair ,quarter4 99 99 99 99 99 ,abu ,jaaphar ,ebn ,tophail's ,,introduction ,to the ,,life of ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan4 ,in the ,name of the most ,merciful ,god4#a ,blessed be the ,almighty and ,eternal1 the ,infinitely ,wise and ,merciful ,god1 who hath taught us the ,use of the ,,pen#b1 who out of his great ,goodness to ,mankind1 has made him understand ,things which he did not know4 ,i praise him for his excellent ,gifts1 and give him thanks for his continued ,benefits1 and ,i testify that there is but ,one ,god1 and that he has no ,partner#c2 and that ,,mahomet is his ,servant and ,apostle#d1 endu'd with an excellent ,spirit1 and ,master of convincing ,demonstration1 and a victorious ,sword3 the ,blessing of ,god be upon him1 and his ,companions1 7,men of great ,thoughts1 and vast ,understandings17 and upon all his ,followers1 to the ,end of the ,world4 ,you ask'd me1 ,dear ,friend1 7,god preserve you for ever1 and make you ,partaker of everlasting ,happiness7 to communicate to you what ,i knew concerning the ,mysteries of the ,eastern ,philosophy1 mention'd by the ,learned ,avicenna#e3 ,now you must understand1 that whoever designs to attain to a clear and distinct ,knowledge1 must be diligent in the search of it4 ,indeed your request gave me a noble turn of ,thought1 and brought me to the understanding of what ,i never knew before2 nay1 it advanc'd me to such an elevation1 as no ,tongue1 how eloquent soever1 is able to express2 and the reason is1 because 'tis of a quite different nature and kind from the ,things of this ,world2 only this there is in it1 that whoever has attain'd to any degree of it1 is so mightily affected with joy ,pleasure1 and ,exultation1 that 'tis impossible for him to conceal his sense of it1 but he is forc'd to utter some general ,expressions1 since he cannot be particular4 ,now if a ,man1 who has not been polish'd by good ,education1 happens to attain to that state1 he tuns out into strange ,expressions1 and speaks he knows not what2 so that one of this sort of ,men1 when in that state1 cry'd out1 ,praise to be me6 ,how wonderful am ,i6#f ,another said1 ,i am ,truth6#g4 ,another1 ,that he was ,god4 ,abu ,hamed ,algazli#h1 when he had attain'd to it1 express'd himself thus1 ',twas what it was1 'tis not to be express'd2 ,enquire no further1 but conceive the best4 ,but he was a ,man that had good ,learning1 and was well vers'd in the ,sciences4 ,what ,avenpace#i says at the end of his ,discourse concerning the ,,union1 is worth your ,observing2 ,there he1 says ,that 'twill appear plainly to any one that understands the design of his ,book1 that that degree is not attainable by the means of those ,sciences which were then in use2 but that he attain'd to what he knew1 by being altogether abstracted from any thing which he had been acquainted with before2 and that he was furnish'd with other ,notions altogether independent upon matter1 and of too noble a nature to be any way attributed to the ,natural ,life1 but were peculiar to the ,blessed1 and which upon that account we may call ,divine ,proprieties1 which ,god 7whose ,name be prais'd7 bestows upon such of his ,servants as he pleases4 ,now this degree which this ,author mentions1 is attainable by ,speculative ,knowledge17nor is it to be doubted but that he had reach'd it himself27 but not that which we have just now mention'd1 which notwithstanding is not so much different from it in kind as in degree3 for in that which ,i mention'd there are no ,discoveries made which contradict those which this ,author means2 but the difference consists in this1 viz4 that in our way there is a greater degree of ,clearness and ,perspicuity than there is in the other2 for in this we apprehend things by the help of something1 which we cannot properly call a ,power2 nor indeed will any of those words1 which are either us'd in common discourse1 or occur in the ,writings of the ,learned1 serve to express ,that1 by which this sort of ,perception do's apprehend4 ,this degree1 which ,i have already mention'd1 7and which perhaps ,i should never have had any taste of1 if your request had not put me upon a farther search7 is the very same thing which ,avicenna means1 where he says2 ,then when a ,man's desires are raised to a good pitch1 and he is competently well exercised in that way1 there will appear to him some small glimmerings of the ,truth1 as it were flashes of ,lightning1 very delightful1 which just shine upon him1 and then go out2 ,then the more he exercises himself1 the oftner he'll perceive 'em1 till at last he'll become so well acquainted with them1 that they will occur to him spontaneously1 without any exercise at all2 and then1 as soon as he perceives any thing1 he applies himself to the ,divine ,essence1 so as to retain some impression of it2 then something occurs1 to him on a sudden1 whereby he begins to discern the ,truth in every thing2 till1 through frequent exercise1 he at last attains to a perfect ,tranquility2 and that which us'd to appear to him only by fits and starts1 becomes habitual2 and that which was only a glimmering before1 a constant ,light2 and he obtains a constant and steady ,knowledge4 ,thus far ,avicenna4 ,besides1 he has given an account of those several steps and degrees by which a ,man is brought to this perfection2 till his ,soul is like a polish'd ,looking-glass1 in which he beholds the ,truth3 and then he swims in pleasure1 and rejoyces exceedingly in his ,mind1 because of the impressions of ,truth which he perceives in it1 ,when he is once attain'd thus far1 the next thing which employs him is1 that he sometimes looks towards ,truth1 and sometimes towards himself2 and thus he fluctuates between both1 till he retires from himself wholly1 and looks only to-ward the ,divine ,essence2 and if he do's at any time look towards his own ,soul1 the only reason is1 because that looks to-wards ,god2 and from thence arises a perfect ,conjunction with ,god4 ,and1 according to this manner which he has describ'd1 he do's by no means allow that this ,taste is attain'd by way of ,speculation or ,deduction of ,consequences4 ,and that you may the more clearly apprehend the difference between the perception of these sort of ,men1 and those other2 ,i shall propose you a familiar instance4 ,suppose a ,man born ,blind1 but of quick ,parts1 and a good ,capacity1 a tenacious ,memory1 and solid ,judgment1 who had liv'd in the place of his ,nativity1 till he had by the help of the rest of his ,senses1 contracted an acquaintance with a great many in the ,neighbourhood1 and learn'd the several kinds of ,animals1 and ,things inanimate1 and the ,streets and ,houses of the ,town1 so as to go any where about it without a ,guide1 and to know such people as he met1 and call them1 by their names2 and knew the names of ,colours#aj1 and the difference of them by their descriptions and definitions2 and after he had learn'd all this1 should have his ,eyes open'd3 ,why1 this ,man1 when he walk'd about the ,town1 would find every thing to be exactly agreeable to those notions which he had before2 and that ,colours were such as he had before conceiv'd them to be1 by those descriptions he had receiv'd3 so that the difference between his apprehensions when blind1 and those which he would have now his ,eyes were opened1 would consist only in these two great ,things1 one of which is a consequent of the other1 viz41 a greater ,clearness1 and extream ,delight4 ,from whence 'tis plain1 that the condition of those ,contemplators1 who have not yet attain'd to the ,,union with ,,god is exactly like that of the ,blind ,man2 and the ,notion which a ,blind ,man has of ,colours1 by their description1 answers to those things which ,avenpace said were of too noble a nature to be any ways attributed1 to the ,natural ,life1 and1 which ,god bestows upon such his ,servants as he pleases4 ,but the condition of those who have attain'd to the ,,union1 to whom ,god has given that which ,i told you could not be properly express'd by the word ,,power1 is that second ,state of the ,blind-man cur'd4 ,take notice by the way1 that our ,similitude is not exactly applicable in every case2 for there is very seldom any one found that is born with his ,eyes open1 that can attain to these things without any help of ,contemplation4 ,now 7my ,dear ,friend7 ,i do not here1 when ,i speak of the ,ideas of the ,contemplative1 mean what they learn from the ,study of ,physicks2 nor by the notions of those who have attain'd to the ,,union1 what they learn from the ,study of ,metaphysicks 7for these two ways of learning are vastly different1 and must by no means be confounded47 ,but what ,i mean by the ,ideas of the ,contemplative is1 what is attain'd by the ,study of ,metaphysicks1 of which kind is that which ,avenpace understood2 and in the apprehension of these things1 this condition is necessarily requir'd1 viz4 that it be manifestly and clearly true2 and then there is a middle sort of ,speculation1 between that1 and those who have attain'd to the ,,union1 who employ themselves in these things with greater perspicuity and delight4 ,now ,avenpace blames all those that make any mention of this pleasure which is enjoy'd in the ,,union1 before the ,vulgar2 besides he said1 that it belonged to the imaginative ,faculty2 and promis'd to write a ,book about it1 in which he design'd to give an account of the whole matter1 and describe the condition of those who were so happy as to attain it clearly and perspicuously2 but we may answer him with the ,old ,proverb1 viz4 ,don't say a thing is sweet before you taste on't2 for he never was so good as his word1 nor performed any thing like it4 ,but 'tis probable that the reason why he did not1 was either because he was streightn'd for ,time1 being taken up with his ,journey to ,wahran2 or else1 because he was sensible1 that if he should undertake to give a description of that ,state1 the ,nature of such a kind of ,discourse1 would unavoidably have put him upon a necessity of speaking some things1 which would manifestly have reproach'd his own manner of living1 and contradicted those ,principles which he himself had elsewhere laid down2 in which he encourages ,men to heap up ,riches1 and proposes several ways and means in order to the acquiring them4 ,we have in this ,discourse 7as necessity required7 disgress'd something from the main ,design of what you desir'd2 it appears from what has been already said1 that you must either mean1 #a4 ,that ,i should describe to you1 what they see and taste1 who are so happy as to enjoy the ,,union17which is impossible to be described as it really is2 and when any one goes about to express it1 either by ,speech or ,writing1 he quite alters the thing1 and sinks into the speculative way4 ,for when you once come to cloath it with ,letters and ,words1 it comes nearer to the corporeal ,world1 and does by no means remain in the same ,state that it was in before2 and the ,significations of these ,words1 which are used in the explaining it1 are quite alter'd2 so that it occasions a great many real ,mistakes to some1 and makes others believe1 that they are mistaken1 when indeed they are not2 and the reason of this is1 because it is a thing of infinite ,extent1 comprehending all things in it self1 but not comprehended by any47 #b4 ,or else the meaning of your ,request must be this1 that ,i should shew you after what manner they proceed1 who give themselves to ,contemplation4 ,and this 7my good ,friend7 is a thing which is capable of being express'd both by ,speech1 and ,writing2 but 'tis as scarce as old ,gold1 especially in this part of the ,world where we live2 for 'tis so rare1 that there's hardly one of a thousand gets so much as a smattering of it2 and of those few1 scarce any1 have communicated any thing of what they knew in that kind1 but only by obscure ,hints1 and ,innuendo's4 ,indeed the ,hanifitick ,sect#aa1 and the ,mahometan ,religion1 doe forbid ,men to dive too far into this matter4 ,nor would ,i have you think that the ,philosophy which we find in the ,books of ,aristotle1 and ,alpharabius#ab1 and in ,avicenna's ,book1 which he calls ,alshepha1 does answer the end which you aim at1 nor have any of the ,spanish ,philosophers#ac writ fully and satisfactorily about it4 ,because those ,scholars which were bred in ,spain1 before the ,knowledge of ,logick and ,philosophy was broach'd amongst them1 spent their whole ,lives in ,mathematicks1 in which it must be allow'd1 they made a great ,progress1 but went no farther4 ,after them came a ,generation of ,men1 who apply'd themselves more to the ,art of ,reasoning1 in which they excell'd their ,predecessors1 yet not so as to attain to true ,perfection4 ,so that one of them said1 ,t'is hard the kinds of ,knowledge are but two1 ,the ,one erroneous1 the ,other true4 ,the former profits nothing when 'tis gain'd1 ,the other's difficult to be attain'd4 ,after these came others1 who still advanc'd further1 and made nearer approaches to the ,truth2 among whom there was one that had a sharper ,wit1 or truer notions of things than ,avenpace1 but he was too much taken up with ,worldly ,business1 and ,died before he had time to open the ,treasury of his ,knowledge1 so that most of those pieces of his which are extant1 are imperfect2 particularly his ,book about the ,soul7 and his ,tedbro 'lmotawahhid1 i4e4 ,how a ,man ought to manage himself that leads a ,solitary ,life ,so are his ,logicks and ,physicks4 ,those ,pieces of his which are compleat1 are only short ,tracts and some occasional ,letters4 ,nay1 in his ,epistle concerning the ,,union1 he himself confesses that he had wrote nothing compleat1 where he says1 ,that it would require a great deal of trouble and pains to express that clearly which he had undertaken to prove2 and1 that the method which he had made use of in explaining himself1 was not in many places so exact as it might have been2 and1 that he design'd1 if he had time1 to alter it4 ,so much for ,avenpace1 ,i for my part never saw him1 and as for his ,contemporaries1 they were far inferiour to him1 nor did ,i ever see any of their ,works4 ,those who are now alive1 are1 either such as are still advancing forwards1 or else such as have left off1 without attaining to perfection2 if there are any other1 ,i know nothing of them4 ,as to those ,works of ,alpharabius which are extant1 they are most of them ,logick4 ,there are a great many things very dubious in his ,philosophical ,works2 for in his ,mllatolphadlah1 i4e4 ,the most excellent ,sect1 he asserts expressly1 that the ,souls of ,wicked ,men shall suffer everlasting ,punishment2 and yet says as positively in his ,politicks that they shall be dissolv'd and annihilated1 and that the ,souls of the ,perfect shall remain for ever4 ,and then in his ,ethicks1 speaking concerning the ,happiness of ,man1 he says1 that it is only in this ,life1 and then adds1 that whatsoever ,people talk of besides1 is meer ,whimsy and old ,wives ,fables4 ,a principle1 which if believ'd would make all ,men despair of the ,mercy of ,god1 and puts the ,good and ,evil both upon the same ,level1 in that it makes annihilation the common end to them both4 ,this is an ,error not to be pardon'd by any means1 or made amends for4 ,besides all this1 he had a mean ,opinion of the ,gift of ,prophecy1 and said that in his ,judgment it did belong to the faculty of ,imagination1 and that he prefer'd ,philosophy before it2 with a great many other things of the like nature1 not necessary to be mention'd here4 ,as for the ,books of ,aristotle1 ,avicenna's ,exposition of them in his ,alshepha i4e4 ,health supplies their ,room1 for he trod in the same steps and was of the same ,sect4 ,in the beginning of that ,book1 says1 that the ,truth was in his opinion different from what he had there deliver'd1 that he had written that ,book according to the ,philosophy of the ,peripateticks2 but those that would know the ,truth clearly1 and without ,obscurity1 he refers to his ,book1 ,of the ,eastern ,philosophy4 ,now he that takes the pains to compare his ,alshepha with what ,aristotle has written1 will find they agree in most things1 tho' in the ,alshepha there are a great many things which are not extant in any of those pieces which we have of ,aristotle4 ,but if the ,reader1 take the literal ,sense only1 either of the ,alshepha or ,aristotle1 with1 out penetrating into the hidden ,sense1 he will never attain to perfection1 as ,avicenna himself observes in the ,alshepha4 ,as for ,algazli#ad1 he often contradicts himself1 denying in one place what he affirm'd in another4 ,he taxes the ,philosophers with ,heresy#ae in his ,book which he calls ,altehaphol1 i4e4 ,destruction1 because they deny the ,resurrection of the ,body1 and hold that ,rewards and ,punishments in a ,future ,state belong to the ,soul only4 ,then in the beginning of his ,almizn1 i4e4 ,the ,balance1 he affirms positively1 that this is the ,doctrine of the ,suphians#af1 and that he was convinc'd of the truth of it1 after a great deal of ,study and ,search4 ,there are a great many such ,contradictions as these interspers'd in his ,works2 which he himself begs ,pardon for in the end of his ,mizn ,alamal ,the ,ballance of ,mens ,actions2 where he says1 that there are ,three sorts of ,opinions2 #a4 ,such as are common to the ,vulgar1 and agreeable to their ,notions of things4 #b4 ,such as we commonly make use of in answering ,questions propos'd to us4 #c4 ,such private as a ,man has to himself1 which none understand but those who think just as he does4 ,and then he adds1 that tho' there were no more in what he had written than only this1 viz4 ,that it made a ,man doubt of those things which he had imbib'd at first1 and help'd him to remove the prejudices of ,education1 that even that were sufficient2 because1 he that never doubts will never weigh things aright1 and he that does not do that will never see1 hut remain in ,blindness and ,confusion4 ,believe your ,eyes1 but still suspect your ,ears1 ,you'll need no ,star-light#ag1 when the day appears4 ,this is the account of his way of ,philosophizing1 the greatest part of which is enigmatical and full of obscurity1 and for that reason of no use to any but such as thoroughly perceive and understand the matter before1 and then afterwards hear it from him again1 or at least such as are of an excellent ,capacity1 and can apprehend a thing from the least intimation4 ,the same ,author says in his ,aljawhir i4e4 ,the ,jewels that he had ,books not fit to be communicated1 but to such only as were qualified to read them1 and that in them he had laid down the ,naked ,truth2 but none of them ever came into ,spain that we know of3 we have indeed had ,books which some have imagin'd to be those incommunicable ones he speaks of1 but 'tis a mistake1 for those are ,almareph ,alakliyah ,intellectual notices and the ,alnaphchi waltswiyal ,inflation and quation and besides these1 a ,collection of several ,questions4 ,but as for these1 tho' there are some hints in them1 yet they contain nothing of particular use to the clearing of things1 but what you may meet with in his other ,books4 ,there are1 'tis true1 in his ,almeksad ,alasna1 some things which are more profound than what we meet with in the rest of his ,books1 but he expressly says1 that that ,book is not incommunicable2 from whence it follows1 those ,books which are come to our hands are not those incommunicable ones which he means4 ,some have fancy'd that there were some great matters contain'd in that ,discourse of his1 which is at the end of his ,meschl i4e4 ,casement 7which ,belief of theirs1 has plung'd them into inextricable ,difficulties7 where speaking of the several sorts of those who are kept from nearer ,approaches1 by the ,brightness of the radiation of the ,divine light1 and then of those who had attain'd to the ,,union1 he says of these later1 ,that they apprehended such ,attributes to belong to the ,divine ,essence as were destructive of its ,unity2 from1 whence it appear'd to them that he believ'd a sort of ,multiplicity in the ,godhead1 which is horrid ,blasphemy4 ,now ,i make no ,question but that the worthy ,doctor ,algazli was one of those which attain'd to the utmost degree of ,happiness1 and to those heights which are proper to those who enjoy the ,,union2 but as for his secret or incommunicable ,books1 which contain the manner of ,revelation1 they never came to my hands3 and that pitch of knowledge which ,i have attain'd to1 is owing to his other works and to ,avicenna1 which ,i read and compar'd with the ,opinions of the present ,philosophers1 till at length ,i came to the ,knowledge of the ,truth4 ,at first indeed1 by way of ,enquiry and ,contemplation2but afterwards ,i came to have a perfect sense1 and then ,i found that ,i could say something which ,i could call my own4 ,now ,i was resolv'd that you should be the first1 to whom ,i would ,communicate what ,i knew about these matters1 both upon the account of the ,intimacy of our ,friendship1 and your ,candor and ,integrity4 ,only observe1 that my discovering to you the ,ends which ,i attain'd in this way1 without proving the ,principles to you first1 by which those ,ends are attain'd1 will do you no more ,service1 than any other ,story which you receive by tradition1 or any thing told you in general1 of which you don't know how to make a particular application4 ,presuming that you will accept it kindly1 not for any merit of the ,author1 but upon the account of our ,friendship and ,acquaintance2 and ,i heartily desire that you mayn't stop here1 but aspire to a loftier degree3 for this is so far from being able to bring you to those heights1 that is not sufficient to save you4 ,now ,i would lead you by the same paths which ,i have walk'd in before you1 and make you steer by the same ,compass1 till you arrive at the same ,point1 and see with your own ,eyes what ,i have seen before you1 so as not to take it on trust any longer from me1 but to experience it yourself4 ,but this is a matter which will not only require considerable ,time1 but also that you are free and disingag'd from all manner of ,business1 and follow it close with great ,application4 ,and if you are really in earned1 and set about it heartily1 you will rejoyce as one that has ,travelled all ,night do's when the ,sun rises upon him1 and will receive a ,blessing for your ,labour1 and take delight in your ,lord1 and he will delight in you4 ,and for my own part1 you will find me1 according to your own ,hearts desire1 just such an one as you could wish2 and ,i hope that ,i shall lead you in the right way1 free from ,evils and ,dangers3 and really ,i perceive some ,glimmerings now1 by the help of which ,i shall inflame your ,desire1 and put you upon entring this way1 by telling you the ,story of ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan and ,asl1 and ,salman 7as ,avicenna calls them72 in which1 those that understand themselves right will find matter of ,improvement1 and worthy their ,imitation4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,in the ,name1 c--,this is the usual ,form with which the ,mahometans begin all their ,writings1 ,books and ,epistles4 ,every ,chapter in the ,alcoran begins so1 and all their ,authors have followed this way ever price4 ,the ,eastern ,christians1 to distinguish themselves from the ,mahometans1 begin their ,writings with ,bismi'labi ,wa'libni1 c4 ,in the ,name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost1 ,one ,god3and so do the thiopians4 ,we here in ,england observe something like this in ,wills1 where the usual ,form is1 ,in the ,name of ,god1 ,amen4 ,footnote #b3 ,these words1--,who hath taught us the ,use of the ,pen2 who hath taught ,man what he did not know1 are taken out of the ,,xcvi4 ,chapter of the ,alcoran1 according to those ,editions of it which are now in use3 but ,joannes ,andreas ,maurus1 7who was ,alfaqui1 or chief ,doctor of the ,moors in ,sciatinia1 in the kingdom of ,valentia in ,spain1 and afterwards converted to the ,christian ,religion in the ,year of our ,lord #adhg7 says1 that it is the first ,chapter that was written of all the ,alcoran4 ,but be that how it will1 we may from hence1 and infinite other places1 observe the strange way which these ,eastern ,writers have of ,quoting the ,alcoran2 for they intermix those ,expressions which they take out of it with their own words1 without giving the ,reader the least ,notice or ,hint whence they had them1 or where to find them4 ,footnote #c3 ,and ,i testify1 c4--,after be testified the ,unity of the ,godhead1 be immediately adds ,la ,sharica ,leho1 ,that he has no ,partner4 ,these words frequently occur in the ,alcoran1 and are particularly levell'd against the ,christians1 which ,mahomet frequently will ,mushricoun1 i4e44 ,associantes1 ,joyning ,partners with ,god1 because they acknowledge the ,divinity of our ,blessed ,saviour4 ,footnote #d3 ,the whole ,mahometan ,creed consists only of these two ,articles1 #a4 ,there is no ,god but ,god1 i4e4 ,there is but ,one ,god and #b4 ,mahomet is his ,apostle4 ,a very short ,creed1 but their ,explications of it1 make amends for its shortness4 ,the ,reader may see a ,paraphrase of it out of ,algazli1 in ,dr4 ,pocock's ,specimen ,histori ,arabum1 p4 #agd4 ,footnote #e3 ,the ,learned ,avicenna--,this great ,man was born in ,bochara1 a ,city famous for the ,birth of a great many very ,learned ,men2 it lyes in #if ,degrees1 and #ej ,minutes of ,longitude reckoning from the ,fortunate-,islands1 and #ci ,degrees and #ej ,minutes of ,northern ,latitude4 ,a pleasant place1 and full of good ,buildings1 having without the ,city a great many ,fields and ,gardens1 round about which there is a great ,wall of ,,xii ,parasang1 or #cf ,miles long1 which encompasses both the ,fields and the ,city ,abulphed4 ,golius 's ,notes upon ,alferganus4 ,thus much concerning the ,place of his ,nativity2 he was born in the ,year of the ,hegira #cgj1 which is about the #ihj ,year of ,christ4 ,he was indeed a prodigious ,scholar2 he had learn'd the ,alcoran1 and was well initiated into ,human ,learning before he was ,ten years old2 then he studied ,logick and ,arithmetick1 and read over ,euclid without any help1 only his ,master show'd him how to demonstrate the first five or six ,propositions2 ,then he read ,ptolemy's ,almagest1 and afterwards a great many ,medicinal ,books2 and all this before be was sixteen years old4 ,he was not only a great ,philosopher and ,physician1 but an excellent ,philologer and ,poet4 ,amongst other of his ,learned ,works1 he wrote an ,arabick ,lexicon2 but it is lost4 ,besides all this1 he was a ,vizier1 and met with a great many ,troubles1 which nevertheless did not abate his indefatigable ,industry4 ,the ,soldiers once mutiny'd1 and broke open his ,house1 and carry'd him to ,prison1 and would fain have persuaded the ,sultan ,shemfoddaulah to have put him to ,death1 which he refusing1 was forc'd to ,banish him4 ,after a ,life spent in ,study and ,troubles1 having written more ,learned ,books than he liv'd ,years1 he died1 ,aged #eh ,years4 ,footnote #f3 ,subhhni--,praise be to me4 ,which is an expression never us'd but when they speak of ,god4 ,footnote #g3 ,i am ,truth--or1 ,i am the ,true ,god4 ,for the ,arabick word ,albkko signifies both1 and is very often us'd for one of the ,names or ,attributes of ,god4 ,kamus4 ,dr4 ,pocock1 ,specimen pag4 #afh4 ,footnote #h3 ,abu ,hamed ,algazli--,what ,abu ,hamed ,algazli thought concerning those ,men who were so wild and ,enthusiastick as to use such extravagant expressions1 appears plainly from those words of his quoted by ,dr4 ,pocock in his ,specimen4 p4 #afg1 where he says1 ,people ran on to such a degree1 7of madness you may be sure7 as to pretend to an ,union with ,god1 and a fight of him without the interposition of any ,veil1 and familiarly discourse with him4 ,and a little after1 which sort of ,speeches have occasion'd great mischiefs among the common ,people2 so that some ,country ,fellows laying aside their ,husbandry1 have pretended to the same things3 for ,men are naturally pleas'd with such discourses1 as give them a liberty to neglect their business1 and withal promise them purity of ,mind1 and the attainment of strange degrees and proprieties4 ,now the most stupid ,wretches in ,nature may pretend to this1 and have in their ,mouths such false and deceitful expressions4 ,and if any one denies what they say1 they immediately tell you1 that this ,unbelief of yours proceeds from ,learning and ,logick3 and that ,learning is a ,veil1 and ,logick labour of the brain1 but that these things which they affirm1 are discovered only inwardly then by the ,light of the ,,truth4 ,and this which they affirm1 has spread it self through a great many ,countries1 and produc'd a great deal of ,mischief4 ,thus far ,algazli4 ,how exactly this answers the wild extravagancies of our ,enthusiasts1 let themselves judge4 ,and withal ,i would have them from hence learn the ,modesty not to pretend to be the first after the ,apostles who had endeavour'd to turn ,men from ,darkness to ,,light1 since they see so many worthy ,persons among the ,mahometans gone before them4 ,footnote #i3 ,avenpace--,this ,author is oftentimes quoted by the ,name of ,ebn'olfayeg2 he was accounted a ,philosopher4 of great ,ingenuity and ,judgment4 ,maimonides1 in his ,epistle to ,r4 ,samuel ,aben ,tybbon1 gives him a great ,character4 ,abu'l ,hasen ,ali1 who collected all his ,works1 and reduced them into ,one ,volume1 prefers him before all the ,mahometan ,philosophers whatsoever4 ,he was famous for his ,poetry as well as ,philosophy2 he died young1 being prison'd at ,fez1 in the ,year of the ,hegira #ecc4 i4e4 of ,christ1 #aach1 or #ci1 others in the ,year #ebe1 which answers to #aaca4 ,most of his ,works are imperfect4 ,see ,dr4 ,pocock's ,elenchus ,scriptorum prefix'd to the ,arabick ,edition of this ,book4 ,footnote #aj3 ,tho' this instance will serve to explain the meaning of the ,author1 yet 'tis very improper1 because 'tis utterly impossible to give a ,man that is born ,blind1 the least notion or idea of ,light or ,colours4 ,footnote #aa3 ,the ,hanifitick ,sect1 and the ,mahometan ,religion1--,that is1 not only the ,hanifitick ,sect1 but even the ,mahometan ,religion too1 of which that ,sect is a ,branch1 does forbid the over curious enquiring into these abstruse ,matters4 ,this ,sect was very early among the ,mahometans1 for it had its ,name from ,abu ,hanifah ,al ,nooman1 who was born1in the #hj year of ,hegira1 or according to others in the #gj4 ,i must confer1 that it seems something odd1 that he should mention that ,sect first1 and then the ,mahometan ,religion which includes it1 and if it had not been for the word ,asshariyato1 which1 if ,i mistake not1 is never us'd to express any particular ,sect1 but signifies a ,religion1 or ,law of ,god1 ,i should have understood those ,words of the ,sect of ,mahomet ,ebn ,edris ,asshaphiensis4 ,see ,dr4 ,pocock 's ,specimen p4 #bie4 ,or else the ,hanifitick ,sect and the ,mahometan ,religion may signifie the same thing1 because ,abraham1 7whose ,religion the ,mahometans pretend to follow7 is called in the ,alcoran ,hanif4 ,dr4 ,sike4 ,footnote #ab3 ,alpharabius1--,without ,exception1 the greatest of all the ,mahometan ,philosophers1 reckon'd by some very near equal to ,aristotle himself4 ,maimonides1 in the ,epistle which ,i just now mention'd1 commends him highly2 and tho' he allows ,avicenna a great share of ,learning1 and ,acumen2 yet be prefers ,alpharabius before him4 ,nay1 ,avicenna himself confesses1 that when he had read over ,aristotle's ,metaphysicks forty times1 and gotten them by heart2 that he never understood them till he happened upon ,alpharabius's ,exposition of them4 ,he wrote ,books of ,rhetorick1 ,musick1 ,logick1 and all parts of ,philosophy2 and his ,writings have been much esteemed2 not only by ,mahometans but ,jews and ,christians too4 ,he was a ,person of singular ,abstinence and ,continence1and ,despiser of the things of this ,world4 ,he is call'd ,alpharabius from ,farab1 the place of bis ,birth1 which according to ,abulpheda 7who reckons his ,longitude not from the ,fortunate ,islands1 but from the extremity of the ,western ,continent of ,africa7 bar#hh deg4 #cj min4 of ,longitude and #dd deg4 of ,northern ,latitude4 ,he died at ,damascus the ,year of the ,hegira #cci1 that is1 about the ,year of ,christ #iej1 when he was about fourscore ,years ,old4 ,footnote #ac3 ,the ,spanish ,philosophers4--,this is not to be understood of any ,christians in ,spain1 but ,mahometans2 for the ,moors ,conquer'd a great part of ,spain in the ,ninety ,fifth ,year of the ,hegira1 which answers partly to the ,year of our ,lord #gaj4 ,afterwards1 as ,learning grew up amongst the ,eastern ,mahometans1 it increased proportionally among the ,western too1 and they had a great many ,learned ,men in ,toledo and other ,places4 ,the ,author of this ,book was a1 ,spaniard1 as appears from an ,expression towards the end of this ,preface4 ,footnote #ad3 ,algazli4--,he was an ,eminent ,philosopher1 ,born at ,ths a ,famous ,city of ,chorafan1 in the ,year of the ,hegira #dej1 of ,christ #ajeh4 ,he died in the ,year of the ,hegira #eje1 of ,christ #aaaa-b4 ,dr4 ,pocock's ,elenchus ,scriptor4 ,footnote #ae3 ,heresy4--,in ,arabick the ,word ,kfara1 signifies to be an ,infidel1 but they use it commonly as we do the word ,heresy1 viz4 when a ,person holds any thing erroneous in ,fundamentals1 tho' ,orthodox in other points4 ,footnote #af3 ,the ,doctrine of the ,suphians--,the ,suphians are an ,enthusiastick ,sect amongst the ,mahometans1 something like ,quietists and ,quakers2 these set up a stricter sort of ,discipline1 and pretended to great abstinence and ,contempt of the ,world1 and also to a greater ,familiarity and stricter ,union with ,god than other ,sects2 they used a great many strange and extravagant actions and utter ,blasphemous ,expressions4 ,al ,hosain ,al ,hallgi was eminent amongst them about the ,year of the ,hegira #cjj4 ',twas he that wrote in one of his ,epistles1 ,blessed is he that possesses the shining light1 c4 and pretended that ,god dwelt in him4 ,the ,learned among the ,arabians are not agreed1 about the derivation of the ,word1 ,sufi1 ,suphian4 ,it seems not to be known among them till about the #bjj ,year of the ,hegira4 ,the most probable ,interpretation of it is from the ,arabick word ,sph1 which signifies ,wool1 because those that followed this ,sect refused to wear ,silk1 and ,cloathed themselves only with ,wool4 ,dr4 ,pocock and ,golius follow this ,interpretation2 tho' the latter in his ,lexicon seems to doubt whether it is deriv'd from the ,greek3 sophos or from the ,arabick ,sph4 ,the ,sultan of ,persia is often call'd the ,sophy1 because ,ismal the first ,sultan of that ,family now in ,persia who began to ,reign in the #fje ,year of the ,hegira1 that is of our ,lord the #aeed_/e was of this ,sect4 viz1 ,sufi1 a ,suphian4 ,footnote #ag3 ,the word which ,i have here rendred ,starlight1 is ,zohal in ,arabick which signifies ,saturn4 ',tis a common way with the ,arabian ,authors1 when they intend to shew a vast disproportion between things1 to compare the greater to the ,sun and the lesser to ,saturn4 ,the meaning of this ,distich1 is that there is as much difference between what a ,man knows by hearsay1 or what notions he imbibes in his ,education1 and what he knows when he comes to examin things to the bottom1 and know them experimentally1 as there is between ,twilight and ,noonday4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,hai ,,ebn ,,yokdhan4 #a4 ,our ,ancestors1 of ,happy ,memory1 tell us1 that there is an ,island in the ,indian ,ocean1 situate under the ,equinoctial1 where ,men come into the world spontaneously without the help of ,father and ,mother4 ,this ,island it seems1 is blest with such a due ,influence of the ,sun1 as to be the most temperate and perfect of all places in the ,creation2 tho' it must be confess'd that such an ,assertion is contrary to the ,opinion of the most celebrated ,philosophers and ,physicians1 who affirm that the fourth ,climate is the most ,temperate4 ,now if the reason which they give for this ,assertion1 viz4 ,that these parts situate under the ,equinoctial are not habitable2 were drawn1 from any ,impediment from the ,earth1 'tis allow'd that it would appear more probable2 but if the reason be1 because of the intense ,heat 7which is that which most of 'em assign7 'tis absolutely false1 and the contrary is prov'd by undeniable demonstration4 ,for 'tis demonstrated in ,natural ,philosophy1 that there is no other cause of ,heat than ,motion1 or else the ,contact and ,light of ,hot ,bodies4 ',tis also prov'd that the ,sun1 in it self1 is not hot1 nor partakes of any mix'd ,quality3 'tis prov'd moreover1 that the thickest and smoothest ,bodies receive ,light in the greatest degree of perfection2 and next to them1 the thicker which are not smooth1 and those which are very thin receive no ,light at all4 7,this was first demonstrated by ,avicenna1 never mention'd before by any of the ,ancients47 ,from these ,premises1 this ,consequence will necessarily follow1 viz4 ,that the ,sun do's not ,communicate his ,heat to the ,earth1 after the same manner as hot ,bodies heat those other ,bodies which are near them because the ,sun is not hot in it self4 ,nor can it be said that the ,earth is heated by ,motion1 because it stands still1 and remains in the same posture1 both when the ,sun shines upon it1 and when it does not1 and yet 'tis evident to ,sense1 that there is a vast difference in it1 in respect of ,heat and ,cold1 at those several times4 ,nor does the ,sun first heat the ,air1 and so the ,earth2 because we may observe in hot weather1 that the ,air which is nearest the ,earth1 is hotter by much than that which is higher and more remote4 ,it remains therefore that the ,sun has no other way of heating the ,earth but by its ,light1 for ,heat always follows ,light1 so that when its ,beams are collected1 as in ,burning-,glasses for instance1 it fires all before it4 ,now 'tis ,demonstrated in ,mathematicks1 that the ,sun is a ,spherical ,body1 and so is the ,earth2 and that the ,sun is much greater than the ,earth2 and that part of the ,earth which is at all times illuminated by the ,sun is above half of it2 and that in that half which is illuminated1 the ,light is most intense in the midst2 both because that part is the most remote from ,darkness1 which is the ,circumference of the ,circle1 as also1 because it lies opposite to more parts of the ,sun3 and that those parts which are nearest the ,circumference of the ,circle1 have less ,light2 and so gradually1 till the ,circumference of the ,circle1 which encompasses the illuminated part of the ,earth1 ends in ,darkness4 #b4 ,now that is the ,center of the ,circle of ,light1 where the ,sun is ,vertical to the ,inhabitants1 and then in that place1 the ,heat is most extreamly intense2 and so those ,countries are the coldest1 where the ,sun is farthest from being ,vertical4 ,and if there were any such place where the ,sun was always ,vertical1 it must needs be extream hot4 ,now 'tis demonstrated in ,astronomy1 that the ,sun is ,vertical twice a ,year only1 to those which live under the ,equinoctial1 viz4 when he enters into ,aries and ,libra2 and all the rest of the ,year he declines from them1 six months ,northward1 and six months ,southward2 and for that reason they are neither too hot nor too cold1 but of a ,moderate ,temper between both4 ,there's much more to be said about this ,argument1 in order to the explaining it fully1 but it is not suitable to our purpose2 ,i have only hinted it to you1 because it helps the ,story a little1 and makes it something more probable that a ,man may be form'd without the help of ,father and ,mother2 and there are some which affirm positively that ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan was so1 others deny it1 and tell the ,story thus3 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration #c 99 99 99 99 99 #c4 ,they say1 that there lay1 not far from this our ,island1 another ,great ,island very fertile and well peopled2 which was then govern'd by a ,prince of a ,proud and ,jealous ,disposition3 he had a ,sister of exquisite ,beauty1 which he confin'd and restrain'd from ,marriage1 because he could not match her to one suitable to her quality ,he had a near ,relation whose ,name was ,yokdhn1 that courted this ,princess1 and ,married her privately1 according to the ,rites of ,matrimony then in use among them2 it was not long before she prov'd with ,child1 and was brought to ,bed of a ,son2 and being afraid that it should be discovered1 she took him in the ,evening1 and when she had ,suckled him she put him into a little ,ark which she closed up fast1 and so ,conveys him to the ,sea shore1 with some of her ,servants and ,friends as she could trust2 and there with an ,heart equally affected with ,love and ,fear1 she takes her last leave of him in these ,words1 ,o ,god1 thou form'dst this ,child out of nothing1 and didst ,cherish him in the ,dark recesses of my ,womb1 till he was compleat in all his parts2 ,i fearing the ,cruelty of a ,proud and unjust ,king1 commit him to thy ,goodness1 hoping that thou who art infinitely merciful1 will be pleas'd by thy gracious ,providence to protect him1 and never leave him destitute of thy ,care4 #d4 ,then she set him afloat1 and that very ,night the ,tide carried him ashore on that ,island we just now mention'd2 it fortun'd that the ,water being high1 carried the ,ark a great way on shore1 farther than it would have done at another time1 7for it rises so high but once a ,year7 and cast the ,ark into a little shady ,grove1 thick set with ,trees1 a pleasant place1 where he was secured both from ,wind and ,sun2 when the ,tide ebb'd1 the ,ark was left there1 and the ,wind rising blew an heap of ,sand together between the ,ark and the ,sea1 sufficient to secure him from any future danger of such another ,flood4 #e4 ,the ,violence of the ,waves had loosned the ,joints of the ,ark2 the ,boy was ,hungry and ,cry'd4 ,it happen'd fortunately at that ,juncture of time1 that a ,roe wandring about the ,island in search of her ,fawn1 which straying was devoured by an ,eagle1 heard the ,boy cry1 and following the voice 7imagining it to have been her ,fawn7 came up to the ,ark1 which she immediately attack'd1 and what with her beating it with her hoofs without1 and the ,boy's struggling within1 at last between 'em both they loosned a board3 as soon as she saw him she shew'd the same natural ,affection to him as if he had been her own1 ,suckled him and took care of him4 ,this is the account which they give1 who are not willing to believe that a ,man can be produced without ,father or ,mother4 #f4 ,on the other hand1 those who affirm that ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan was produced in that ,island without ,father and ,mother#ah1 tell us1 that in that island1 in a piece of ,low ground1 it chanc'd that a certain ,mass of ,earth was so fermented in some period of ,years1 that the four qualities1 viz4 ,hot1 ,cold1 ,dry1 ,moist1 were so equally mix'd1 that none of 'em prevail'd over the other2 and that this ,mass was of a very great ,bulk1 in which1 some parts were better and more equally ,temper'd than others1and consequently fitter for ,generation2 the middle part especially1 which came nearest to the ,temper of ,man's ,body4 ,this ,matter being in a fermentation1 there arose some ,bubbles by reason of its viscousness1 and it chanc'd that in the midst of it there was a viscous ,substance with a very little bubble in it1 which was divided into two with a thin partition1 full of ,spirituous and ,aerial ,substance1 and of the most exact ,temperature imaginable4 ,that the ,matter being thus dispos'd1 there was1 by the ,command of ,god1 a ,spirit infus'd into it2 which was join'd so closely to it1 that it can scarce be separated from it even so much as in thought2 which did as constantly influence this ,mass of matter as the ,sun do's the ,world4 ,now there are some ,bodies from whence we perceive no ,reflection of ,light1 as the thin ,air3 others from which we do but imperfectly2 such are thick ,bodies which are not smooth 7but there is a difference in these1 and the difference of their ,colours arises from the different manner of their ,reception of the ,rays72 and from others we receive the ,reflection in the highest degree1 as from ,bodies which are smooth and polish'd1 as ,looking-,glasses and the like2 so that those ,glasses when ground after a particular manner will ,collect so much ,light as to kindle a ,fire4 ,so that ,spirit which comes by the ,command of ,god1 do's at all times act upon all ,creatures1 in some of which notwithstanding1 there appears no ,impression of it1 but the reason of that is1 because of their ,incapacity into whom it is infus'd2 of which kind are things inanimate which are fitly represented in this similitude1 by the thin ,air4 ,there are another sort again2 in which there does appear something of it1 as ,vegetables and the like1 which are represented by the thick ,bodies we mention'd1 which are not polish'd4 ,and then lastly1 there are others1 7represented by those ,glasses1 in our last comparison7 in which the impressions of this ,spirit are visible1 and such we reckon all sorts of ,animals4 ,but then1 as these smooth and polish'd ,bodies which are of the same figure with the ,sun i4e4 ,spherical do receive the ,rays in a more plentiful manner than any other whatsoever1 so also do some ,animals receive the ,influence of that ,spirit more than others1 because they are more like to that ,spirit and are form'd after his ,image3 such is ,man particularly1 which is hinted before where 'tis said that ,god made ,man after his own ,image#ai4 #g4 ,now1 when this ,form prevails to such a degree that all others are nothing before it1 but it remains alone1 so as to consume1 with the glory of its ,light1 whatsoever stands2 in it's way2 then it is properly compared to those ,glasses1 which reflect ,light upon themselves1 and burn every thing else2 ,but this is a degree which is peculiar to the ,prophets4 #h4 ,but to return1 and speak something more fully concerning the ,opinion of those who account for this kind of generation2 ,they tell us1 that as soon as this ,spirit was join'd to the ,receptacle1 all the other powers immediately1 by the ,command of ,god1 submitted themselves to it4 ,now1 opposite to this ,receptacle1 there arose another ,bubble divided into three ,receptacles by thin membranes1 with passages from one to the other1 which were fill'd with an aerial substance1 not much unlike that which was in the first ,receptacle1 only the first was something finer2 and in each of these three ,ventricles1which were all taken out of one1 were plac'd some of those ,faculties1 which were subject to this governing ,spirit1 and were appointed to take care of their respective ,stations1 and to communicate every thing1 both great and small1 to that ,spirit1 which we told you before was plac'd in the first ,receptacle4 ,right against this ,receptacle1 opposite to the second1 there arose another third ,bubble1 fill'd with an aerial substance1 which was grosser than that which was in the other two2 this was made for the ,entertainment and preservation of some other of the inferior ,faculties4 #i4 ,thus these three ,receptacles were made in the same order which we have describ'd1 and these were the first part of that great ,mass which was form'd2 now they stood in need of one another's assistance2 the first wanted the other two as ,servants1 and they again the assistance and guidance of the first1 as their ,master and ,director2 but both these ,receptacles1 tho' inferior to the first1 were nevertheless superior to all those ,members which were form'd afterwards4 ,the first ,receptacle1 by the power of that ,spirit which was joyn'd to it and its continual flaming ,heat1 was form'd into a ,conical figure1 like that of ,fire1 and by this means that thick ,body1 which was about it1 became of the same figure1 being solid ,flesh cover'd with a thick ,membrane4 ,this is what we call the ,heart4 ,now considering the great expence of ,moisture1 which must needs be where there is so much ,heat1 'twas absolutely necessary1 that there should be some part form'd1 whose ,office it should be continually to supply this defect2 ,otherwise it would have been impossible to have subsisted long4 ',twas also necessary that this forming ,spirit should have a ,sense both of what was convenient for him1 and what was hurtful1 and accordingly attract the one and repel the other4 ,for these ,services there were two parts form'd1 with their respective ,faculties1 viz4 the ,brain and the ,liver3 the first of these presided over all things relating to ,sense1 the latter over such things as belong'd to ,nutrition3 both of these depended upon the ,heart for a supply of ,heat1 and the recruiting of their proper ,faculties4 ,to establish a good ,correspondence between all these1 there were ,ducts and ,passages interwoven1 some bigger1 some lesser1 according as necessity requir'd2 and these are the ,arteries and ,veins4 ,thus much for a ,taste2 they that tell the ,story go on farther1 and give you a particular account of the ,formation of all the parts1 as the ,physicians do of the ,formation of the ,foetus in the ,womb1 omitting nothing till he was compleatly form'd1 and just like an ,embryo ready for the ,birth4 ,in this account they are forc'd to be beholding to this vast ,mass of ,earth1 which you are to suppose was of a most exact mixture1 and contain'd in it all manner of materials proper for the making ,man's ,body1 and those ,skins1 c4 which cover it2 till at last1 when he was ,compleat in all his parts1 as if the ,mass had been in labour1 those ,coverings1 which he was wrapp'd up in1 burst asunder1 and the rest of the ,dirt dry-d and crack'd in pieces4 ,the ,infant being thus brought into the ,world1 and finding his ,nourishment fail him1 cry'd for want of ,victuals1 till the ,roe which had lost her ,fawn heard him4 ,now1 both those who are of the other ,opinion and those who are for this kind of generation1 agree in all the other particulars of his ,education3 and what they tell us is this4 #aj4 ,they say that this ,roe liv'd in good ,pasture so that she was fat1 and had1 such plenty of ,milk1 that she was very well able to maintain the ,child2 she took great care of him1 and never left him1 but when hunger forc'd her3 and he grew so well acquainted with her1 that if at any time she staid away from him a little longer than ordinary1 he'd cry pitifully1 and she1 as soon as she heard him1 came running instantly2 besides all this1 he enjoy'd this happiness1 that there was no ,beast of prey in the whole ,island4 #aa4 ,thus he went on1 ,living only upon what he ,suck'd till he was ,two ,years ,old1 and then he began to step a little and ,breed his ,teeth4 ,he always followed the ,roe and she shew'd all the tenderness to him imaginable2 and us'd to carry him to places where ,fruit ,trees grew1 and fed him with the ,ripest and ,sweetest ,fruits which fell from the ,trees2 and for ,nuts or such like1 she us'd to break the ,shell with her ,teeth1 and give him the ,kernel2 still ,suckling him1 as often as he pleas'd1 and when he was thirsty she shew'd him the way to the water4 ,if the ,sun shin'd too hot and scorch'd him1 she shaded him2 if he was cold she cherish'd him and kept him warm2 and when ,night came she brought him home to his old ,place1 and covered him partly with her own ,body1 and partly with some ,feathers which were left in the ,ark1 which had been put in with him when he was first expos'd4 ,now1 when they went out in the ,morning1 and when they came home again at ,night1 there always went with them an ,herd of ,deer1 which lay in the same place where they did2 so that the ,boy being always amongst them learn'd their voice by degrees1 and imitated it so exactly that there was scarce any sensible difference2 nay1 when he heard the voice of any ,bird or ,beast1 he'd come very near it1 being of a most excellent ,apprehension4 ,but of all the voices which he imitated1 he made most use of the ,deers1 which he was ,master of1 and could express himself as they do1 either when they want help1 call their ,mates1 when they would have them come nearer1 or go farther off4 7,for you must know that the ,brute ,beasts have different ,sounds to express these different things47 ,thus he contracted such an ,acquaintance with the ,wild ,beasts1 that they were not afraid of him1 nor he of them4 #ab4 ,by this time he began to have the ,ideas of a great many things fix'd in his mind1 so as to have a desire to some1 and an aversion to others1 even when they were absent4 ,in the mean while he consider'd all the several sorts of ,animals1 and saw that they were all clothed either with ,hair1 ,wool1 or several sorts of ,feathers3 he consider'd their great ,swiftness and ,strength1 and that they were all arm'd with ,weapons defensive1 as ,horns1 ,teeth1 ,hoofs1 ,spurs1 ,nails1 and the like4 ,but that he himself was ,naked and ,defenceless1 ,slow and ,weak1 in respect of them4 ,for whenever there happened any ,controversy about gathering of such ripe ,fruits as fell from the ,trees2 he always came off by the worst1 for they could both keep their own1 and take away his1 and he could neither beat them1 off1 nor run away from them4 #ac4 ,he observ'd besides that his ,fellow-,fawns1 tho' their ,fore-heads were smooth at first1 yet afterwards had ,horns bud out1 and tho' they were feeble at first1 yet afterwards grew very ,vigorous and ,swift4 ,all these things he perceived in them1 which were not in himself2 and when he had consider'd the ,matter1 he could not imagine what should be the reason of this ,difference2 then he consider'd such ,animals as had any ,defect or ,natural ,imperfection1 but amongst them all he could find none like himself4 ,he took ,notice that the ,passages of the ,excrements were cover'd in all other ,creatures besides himself3 that by which they voided their grosser ,excrements1 with a ,tail2 and that which serv'd for the voiding of their ,urine1 with ,hair or some such like thing4 ,besides1 he observ'd that their ,privy parts1 were more concealed than his own were4 #ad4 ,all these things were matter of great ,grief to him1 and when he had perplex'd himself very much with the thoughts of them1 and was now near seven ,years ,old1 he despair'd utterly of having those things grow upon him1 the want of which made him so uneasy4 ,he therefore resolv'd to help himself1 and thereupon gets him some ,broad ,leaves of ,trees1 of which he made two ,coverings1 one to wear behind1 the other before2 and made a ,girdle of ,palm-,trees and ,rushes ,twisted together1 to ,hang his coverings upon1 and ,ty'd it about his waste1 and so wore it4 ,but alas it would not last long1 for the ,leaves wither'd and dropt away2 so that he was forc'd to get more1 which he doubled and put together as well as he could1 ,plaiting the ,leaves one upon another1 which made it a little more durable1 but not much4 ,then having broke a ,bough from a ,tree and fitted the ,ends of it to his ,mind1 he stript off the ,twigs and made it smooth2 with this he began to attack the ,wild ,beasts1 assaulting the weaker1 and defending himself against the stronger4 ,by this means he began a little to know his own ,strength1 and perceiv'd that his ,hands were better than their ,feet2 because by the help of them1 he had provided wherewithal to cover his ,nakedness1 and also gotten him a ,defensive ,weapon1 so that now he had no need of a ,tail1 nor of those ,natural ,weapons which he had so wish'd for at first4 #ae4 ,he was now above ,seven ,years ,old1 and because the repairing of his ,covering of ,leaves so often1 was very troublesome to him1 he had a design of taking the ,tail of some ,dead ,beast1 and wearing it himself2 but when he perceiv'd that all ,beasts did constantly avoid those which were ,dead of the same kind1 it made him doubt whether it might be safe or not2 at last1 by chance he found a ,dead ,eagle1 and observing that none of the ,beasts shew'd any aversion to that ,carcass1 he concluded that this would suit his purpose3 and in the first place1 he cuts off the ,wings1 and the ,tail whole1 and spreads the ,feathers open2 then he drew off the ,skin1and divided it into two equal parts1 one of which he wore upon his ,back1 with the other he covered his ,navel and ,secrets3 the ,tail he wore behind1 and the ,wings were plac'd upon each ,arm4 ,this ,dress of his answer'd several ,ends2 for in the first place it cover'd his ,nakedness1 and help'd to keep him warm1 and then it made him so frightful to the ,beasts1 that none of them car'd to meddle with him1 or come near him2 only the ,roe his ,nurse1 which never left him1 nor he1 her2 and when she grew ,old and ,feeble1 he us'd to lead her where there was the best ,food1 and pluck the best ,fruits for her1 and give her them to eat4 #af4 ,notwithstanding this she grew lean and weak1 and continu'd a while in a languishing ,condition1 till at last she ,dyed1 and then all her ,motions and ,actions ceas'd4 ,when the ,boy perceiv'd her in this ,condition1 he was ready to dye for ,grief4 ,he call'd her with the same voice which she us'd to answer to1 and made what ,noise he could1 but there was no ,motion1 no ,alteration4 ,then he began to peep into her ,eyes and ,ears1 but could perceive no visible defect in either2 in like manner he examin'd all the parts of her ,body1 and found nothing amiss1 but every thing as it should be4 ,he had a vehement desire to find1 if possible1 that part were the defect was1 that he might remove it1 and she return to her former ,state1 of ,life and ,vigour4 ,but he was altogether at a loss1 how to compass his design1 nor could he possibly bring it about4 #ag4 ,that which put him upon this search1 was what he observ'd in himself4 ,he took ,notice that when he shut his ,eyes1 or held any thing before them1 he could see nothing at all1 till that ,obstacle was removed2 and so when he put his ,fingers into his ,ears1 that he could not hear1 till he took 'em out again2 and when he closed his ,nostrils together1 he smelt nothing till they were open'd2 from whence he concluded1 that all his ,senses and ,actions were liable to ,obstacles and ,impediments1 upon the removal of which1 the same ,operations return'd to their former course4 ,therefore1 when he had examined every ,external ,part of her1 and found no visible defect1 and yet at the same time perceiv'd an ,universal ,cessation of ,motion in the whole ,body1 not peculiar to one ,member1 but common to them all1 he began to imagine that the hurt was in some part1 which was most remote from the sight1 and hidden in the inward part of the ,body2 and that this ,part was of such nature and use1 that without its help1 none of the other ,external ,parts could exercise their proper ,functions2 and that if this ,part suffer any hurt1 the damage was ,universal1 and a ,cessation of the whole ensu'd1 #ah4 ,this made him very desirous to find that part if possible1 that he might remove the defect from it1 that so it might be as it us'd to be1 and the whole ,body might enjoy the ,benefit of it1 and the same course of ,actions follow as before4 ,he had before observ'd1 in the ,bodies of ,wild ,beasts and other ,animals1 that all their ,members were solid1 and that there were only three ,cavities1 viz4 ,the ,skull1 the ,breast1 and the ,belly2 he imagined therefore that this ,part which he wanted1 must needs be in one of these ,cavities1 and above all1 he had a strong persuasion that it was in the middlemost of them4 ,he verily believ'd1 that all the ,members stood in need of this part1 and that from thence it must necessarily follow1 that the ,seat of it must be in the ,centre4 ,and when he reflected upon his own ,body1 he felt such a part in his ,breast1 of which he had this notion1 viz4 ,that it was impossible for for him to subsist without it1 so much as the twinkling of an eye1 tho' he could at the same time conceive a possibility of subsisting without his other parts1 viz4 his ,hands1 ,feet1 ,ears1 ,nose1 ,eyes1 or even his ,head4 ,and upon this account1 whenever he fought with any ,wild ,beast1 he always took particular care to guard his ,breast2 because of the ,apprehension which he had of that ,part1 which was contain'd in it4 #ai4 ,having1 by this way of reasoning1 assur'd himself that the disaffected ,part lay in the ,breast2 he was resolv'd to make a search1 in order to find it out2 that whatsoever the ,impediment was1 he might remove it if possible2 but then again1 he was afraid on the other side1 lest his ,undertaking should be worse than the ,disease1 and prove prejudicial4 ,he began to consider next1 whether or no he had ever remembred any ,beasts1 or other ,animals1 which he had seen in that condition1 recover again1 and return to the same ,state which they were in before3 but he could call to ,mind no such ,instance2 from whence he concluded1 that if she was let alone there would be no hopes at all1 but if he should be so fortunate as to find that ,part1 and find the ,impediment1 there might be some hope4 ,upon this he resolv'd to open her ,breast and make enquiry2 in order to which he provides himself with sharp ,flints1 and ,splinters of dry ,cane almost like ,knives1 with which he made an incision between the ,ribs1 and cutting through the ,flesh1 came to the ,diaphragma2 which he finding very ,tough and not easily broken1 assur'd himself1 that such a ,covering must needs belong to that part which he lookt for1 and that if he could once get through that1 he should find it4 ,he met with some difficulty in his ,work1 because his ,instruments were none of the best1 for he had none but such as were made either of ,flint or ,cane4 #bj4 ,however1 he sharpned 'em again and renewed his ,attempt with all the ,skill he was ,master of4 ,at last he broke through1 and the first part he met with was the ,lungs1 which he at first sight mistook1 for that part which he search'd for1 and turn'd 'em about this way and that way1 to see if he could find in them the cause of the ,disease4 ,he first happen'd upon that ,lobe which lay next the side which he had open'd and when he perceiv'd that it did lean sideways1 he was satisfy'd that it was not the part he look'd for1 because he was fully perswaded1 that that must needs be in the midst of the ,body1 as well in regard of ,latitude as ,longitude4 ,he proceeded in his search1 till at last he found the ,heart1 which when he saw closed with a very strong ,cover1 and fastned with strong ,ligaments1 and covered by the ,lungs on that side which he had open'd2 he began to say to himself4 ,if this part be so on the other side as it is on this which ,i have open'd1 then 'tis certainly in the midst1 and without doubt the same ,i look for2 especially considering the ,conveniency of the ,situation1 the ,comliness and ,regularity of its ,figure1 the ,firmness and ,solidity of the ,flesh1 and besides1 its being guarded with such a ,membrane as ,i have not observ'd in any part4 ,upon this he searches the other side1 and finding the same ,membrane on the inside of the ,ribs1 and the ,lungs in the same posture1 which he had observ'd on that side which he had open'd first1 he concluded the ,heart to be the part which he look'd for4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration #d 99 99 99 99 99 #ba4 ,therefore he first ,attacks the ,pericardium1 which1 after a long tryal and a great deal of pains1 he made shift to tear2 and when he had laid the ,heart bare1 and perceiv'd that it was solid on every side1 he began to examin it1 to see if he could find any hurt in it2 but finding none1 he squeez'd it with his ,hands1 and perceiv'd that it was hollow4 ,he began than to think that what he look'd for1 might possibly be contain'd in that ,cavity4 ,when he came to open it1 he found in it two ,cavities1 one on the right side1 the other on the left4 ,that on the right side was full of clotted ,blood1 that on the left quite empty4 ,then 7says he17 without all doubt1 one of those two ,cavites must needs be the ,receptacle of what ,i ,i look for2 as for that on this side there's nothing in it but congealed ,blood1 which was not so1 be sure1 till the whole ,body was in that condition in4 which it now is 7for he had observ'd that all ,blood congeals when it flows from the ,body1 and that this ,blood did not differ in the least from any other17 and therefore what ,i look for1 cannot by any means1 be such a matter as this2 for that which ,i mean1 is something which is peculiar to this place1 which ,i find ,i could not subsist without1 so much as the ,twinkling of an ,eye4 ,and this is that which ,i look'd for at first4 ,for as for this ,blood1 how often have ,i lost a great deal of it in my ,skirmishes with the ,wild ,beasts1 and yet it never did me any considerable harm1 nor rendred me incapable of performing any ,action of ,life1 and therefore what ,i look for is not in this ,cavity4 ,now as for the ,cavity on the left side1 ,i find 'tis altogether empty1 and ,i have no reason in the ,world to think that it was made in vain1 because ,i find every part appointed for such and such particular ,functions4 ,how then can this ,ventricle of the ,heart1 which ,i see is of so excellent a ,frame1 serve for no use at all8 ,i cannot think but that the same thing which ,i am in search of1 once dwelt here1 but has now deserted his ,habitation and left it empty1 and that the ,absence of that thing1 has occasion'd this ,privation of ,sense and ,cessation of ,motion1 which happen'd to the ,body4 ,now when he perceiv'd that the ,being which had inhabited there before1 had left its ,house before it fell to ,ruine1 and forsaken it when as yet it continu'd whole and entire1 he concluded that it was highly probable that it would never return to it any more1 after its being so cut and mangled4 #bb4 ,upon this the whole ,body seem'd to him a very inconsiderable thing1 and worth nothing in respect of that ,being1 he believed once inhabited1 and now had left it4 ,therefore he applied himself wholly to the consideration of that ,being4 ,what it was8 and how it subsisted8 what joyn'd it to the ,body8 ,whether it went1 and by what passage1 when it left the ,body8 ,what was the ,cause of its ,departure1 whether it were forc'd to leave its ,mansion1 or left the ,body of its own accord8 and in case it went away ,voluntarily1 what it was that rendred the ,body so disagreeable to it1 as to make it forsake it8 ,and whilst his ,mind was perplext with such variety of ,thoughts1 he laid aside all concern for the ,carcass1 and threw it away2 for now he perceiv'd that his ,mother1 which had ,nurs'd him so ,tenderly and had ,suckled him1 was that something which was departed3 and from it proceeded all those ,actions by which she shew'd her ,care of him1 and ,affection1 to him1 and not from this unactive ,body2 but that the ,body was to it only as an ,instrument or ,tool1 like his ,cudgel which he had made for himself1 with which he used to ,fight with the ,wild ,beasts4 ,so that now1 all his regard to the ,body was remov'd1 and transferr'd to that by which the ,body is governed1 and by whose ,power it moves4 ,nor had he any other desire but to make enquiry after that4 #bc4 ,in the mean1 time the ,carcass of the ,roe began to putrifie1 and emit ,noisome ,vapours1 which still increas'd his aversion to it1 so that he did not care to see it4 ',twas not long after that he chanc'd to see two ,ravens engag'd so furiously2 that one of them struck down the other ,stark ,dead2 and when he had done1 he began to scrape with his ,claws till he had digg'd a ,pit1 in which he ,buried the ,carcass of his ,adversary4 ,our ,philosopher observing this1 said to himself1 ,how well has this ,raven done in ,burying the ,body of his ,companion1 tho' he did ill in ,killing him8 ,how much greater reason was there for me to have been forward in performing this ,office to my ,mother8 ,upon this he makes a ,grave1 and lays his ,mother into it1 and ,buries her4 ,he proceeded in his ,enquiry concerning what that should be by which the ,body was govern'd1 but could not ,apprehend what it was2 when he look'd upon the rest of the ,roes1 and perceiv'd that they were of the same form and figure with his ,mother1 he believ'd that there was in every one of them something which govern'd and actuated them1 like that which had actuated and govern'd his ,mother3 formerly3 and for the sake of that likeness he us'd to keep in their ,company1 and shew affection towards them4 ,he continued a while in this condition1 ,contemplating the various kinds of ,animals and ,plants1 and walking about the ,coast of his ,island1 to see if he could find any thing like himself2 7as he observ'd that every ,individual ,animal1 and ,plant1 had a great many more like it47 ,but all his search was in vain4 ,and when he perceiv'd that his ,island was encompass'd by the ,sea1 he thought that there was no other ,land in the ,world but only that ,island4 #bc4 ,it happen'd that by ,collision a ,fire was kindled among a parcel of ,reeds or ,canes2 which fear'd him at first1 as being a ,sight which he was altogether a ,stranger to2 so that he stood at a distance a good while1 strangely surpriz'd1 at last he came nearer and nearer by degrees1 still observing the ,brightness of its ,light and marvellous ,efficacy in consuming every thing it touch'd1 and changing it into its own ,nature2 till at last1 his ,admiration of it1 and that innate ,boldness and ,fortitude1 which ,god had implanted in his ,nature prompted him on1 that he ventur'd to come near it1 and stretch'd out his ,hand to take some of it4 ,but when it burnt his ,fingers and he found there was no dealing with it that way1 he endeavour'd to take a stick1 which the ,fire had not as yet wholly seiz'd upon2 so taking hold on that part which was untouch'd he easily gain'd his purpose1 and carried it ,home to his ,lodging 7for he had contriv'd for himself a convenient place7 there he kept this ,fire and added ,fuel to it1 admir'd it wonderfully1 and tended it night and day2 at night especially1 because its ,light and ,heat supply'd the absence of the ,sun2 so that he was extreamly delighted with it1 and reckon'd it the most excellent of all those things which he had about him4 ,and when he observ'd that it always mov'd upwards1 he perswaded himself that1 it was one of those ,celestial ,substances which he saw shining in the ,firmament1 and he was continually trying of its power1 by throwing things into it1 which he perceiv'd it operated upon and consum'd1 sometimes sooner1 sometimes slower1 according as the ,bodies which he put into it were more or less combustible4 #be4 ,amongst other things which he put in to try its strength1 he once flung in some ,fish which had been thrown a-shore by the ,water1 and as soon as e're he smelt the ,steam1 it rais'd his ,appetite1 so that he had a ,mind to ,taste of them2 which he did1 and found 'em very agreeable and from that time he began to use himself to the ,eating of ,flesh1 and applied himself to ,fishing and ,hunting till he understood those sports very well3 upon this account he admir'd his ,fire more and more1 because it help'd him to several sorts of ,provision which he was altogether unacquainted with before4 #bf4 ,and now when his ,affection towards it was increas'd to the highest degree1 both upon the account of its ,beneficial ,effects1 and its ,extraordinary ,power2 he began to think that the ,substance which was departed from the ,heart of his ,mother the ,roe1 was1 if not the very same with it1 yet at least of a ,nature very much like it4 ,he was confirm'd in his ,opinion1 because he had observ'd in all ,animals1 that as long as they liv'd1 they were constantly warm without any ,intermission1 and as constantly ,cold after ,death1 ,besides he found in himself1 that there was a greater degree of ,heat by much in his ,breast1 near that place where he had made the ,incision in the ,roe4 ,this made him think that if he could dissect any ,animal alive1 and look into that ,ventricle which he had found empty when he dissected his ,dam the ,roe1 he might possibly find it full of that ,substance which inhabited it1 and so inform himself whether it were of the ,substance with the ,fire1 and whether it had any ,light or ,heat in it or not4 ,in order to this he took a ,wild ,beast and ty'd him down1 so that he could not stir1 and dissected him after the same manner he had dissected the ,roe1 till he came to the ,heart2 and ,essaying the left ,ventricle first1 and opening it1 he perceiv'd it was full of an ,airy ,vapour1 which look'd like a little ,mist or white ,cloud1 and putting in his ,finger1 he found it hotter than he could well endure it1 and immediately the ,creature ,dyed4 ,from whence he assuredly concluded1 that it was that ,moist ,vapour which communicated ,motion to that ,animal1 and that there was accordingly in every ,animal of what kind soever1 something like it upon the departure of which ,death follow'd4 #bg4 ,he had then a great desire to enquire into the other parts of ,animals1 to find out their ,order and ,situation1 their ,quantity and the manner of there ,connexion one with another1 and by what means of ,communication they enjoy the ,benefit of that ,moist ,vapour1 so as to live by it4 ,how that ,vapour is continu'd the time it remains1 from whence it has its ,supplies1 and by what ,means its ,heat is preserv'd4 ,the way which he us'd in this ,enquiry was the ,dissection of all sorts of ,animals1 as well ,living as ,dead1 neither did he leave off to make an accurate ,enquiry into them1 till at length he arrived to the highest degree of ,knowledge in this kind which the most ,learned ,naturalists ever attain'd to4 #bh4 ,and now he ,apprehended plainly that every particular ,animal1 tho' it had a great many ,limbs1 and variety of ,senses and ,motions1 was nevertheless ,one in respect of that ,spirit1 whose ,original was from one firm ,mansion1 viz4 the ,heart1 from whence1 its ,influence was diffus'd among all the ,members4 ,and that all the ,members were subservient to it1 or inform'd and supported by it1 and that this ,spirit made use of those ,members1 in the same manner as a ,soldier do's of his ,weapons1 or an ,huntsman or ,fisherman of his ,tackling1 who makes use of different ways and things1 according to the difference of the ,creatures he intends to catch4 ,now the ,soldiers ,weapons are some of 'em defensive and offensive1 and the ,sportsman's too are some for ,land1 and some for ,water3 ,so the ,anatomists ,instruments1 are some for ,fission1 others for ,fraction1 and others for ,perforation4 ,and thus tho' the ,body was ,one1 yet that governing ,spirit made use of it several ways1 according to the respective uses of each ,member1 and the several ends which it propos'd to obtain4 #bi4 ,thus he perceiv'd that there was all this while but ,one ,animal ,spirit1 whose ,action when he made use of the ,eye1 was ,sight2 when of the ,ear1 ,hearing2 when of the ,nose1 ,smelling2 when of the ,tongue1 ,tasting2 and when of the ,skin and ,flesh1 ,feeling4 ,when it employ'd any ,limb1 then its ,operation was ,motion2 and when it made use of the ,liver1 ,nutrition and ,concoction4 ,and that1 tho' there were ,members fitted to every one of these uses1 yet none of them could perform their respective ,offices1 without having ,correspondence with that ,spirit1 by means of the ,nerves2 and that if at any time it chanc'd that their passages were either broken off or obstructed1 such a ,member would be altogether useless4 ,now these2 ,nerves derive this ,spirit from the ,brain1 which has it from the ,heart 7and contains abundance of ,spirit1 because it is divided into a great many partitions7 and by what means soever any limb is depriv'd of his ,spirit1 it's ,action ceases1 and 'tis like a cast off ,tool1 not fit for use4 ,and if this ,spirit depart wholly from the ,body1 or is consum'd or dissolv'd by any means whatsoever1 then the whole ,body is depriv'd of ,motion all at once1 and reduced to a ,state of ,death4 #cj4 ,thus far had his ,observations brought him about the end of the ,third ,seventh ,year of his ,age1 viz4 when he was ,one and ,twenty ,years ,old4 ,in which time1 he had made abundance of pretty ,contrivances4 ,he made himself both ,cloaths and ,shoes of the ,skins of such ,wild ,beasts as he had dissected4 ,his thread was made of ,hair1 and of the ,bark of the ,stalks of ,althaea1 ,mallows or any other ,plants1 which afforded such ,strings as were fit for that purpose4 ,he learn'd the making of these threads from the use which he had made of the ,rushes before4 ,he made ,awls of sharp ,thorns1 and ,splinters of ,cane1 sharpned with ,flints4 ,he learn'd the ,art of ,building1 from the ,observations he made upon the ,swallows ,nests4 ,he ,builds himself a ,store-house and a ,pantry1 to lay up the remainder of his ,provision in3 and made a ,door to it of ,canes twisted together1 to prevent any of the ,beasts getting in1 during his absence4 ,he took ,birds of prey and brought them up for ,hawking2 and kept tame ,poultry for their ,eggs and ,chickens4 ,he took the tips of the ,buffalo's ,horns and fastned them upon the strongest ,canes he could get1 and ,staves of the ,tree ,alzn and ,others2 and so1 partly by the help of the ,fire1 and partly of sharp edg'd ,stones1 he so fitted them that they serv'd him instead of so many ,spears4 ,he made him a shield of ,hides folded together4 ,all this pains he took to furnish himself with ,artificial ,weapons1 because he found himself destitute of ,natural ones4 #ca4 ,now when he perceiv'd that his ,hand supplied all these defects very well1 and that none of all the various kinds of ,wild ,beasts durst stand against him1 but ran away from him1 and were too ,nimble for him4 ,he began to contrive how to be even with them1 and thought there would be no way so proper as to chuse out some of the strongest and swiftest ,beasts of the ,island1 and bring 'em up tame1 and feed them with proper ,food1 till they would let him back them and then he might persue the other kinds of ,wild ,beasts4 ,there were in that ,island both ,wild ,horses and ,asses2 he chose of both sorts1 such as seem'd fittest for his purpose1 and by exercise he made them so gentle and tractable that he was compleat ,master of his ,wishes4 ,and when1 he had made out of the ,skins of ,beasts1 such things as serv'd him competently well1 in the ,room of ,bridles and ,saddles1 he could very easily then overtake such ,beasts1 as he could scarce ever have been able to have catch'd any other manner of way4 ,he made all these discoveries whilst he was employed in the ,study of ,anatomy1 and the searching out of the ,properties1 peculiar to each ,part1 and the difference between them2 and all this about that time ,i speak of1 viz4 of the ,age of #ba ,years4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration #e 99 99 99 99 99 #cb4 ,he then proceeded further to examin the ,nature of ,bodies in this ,sublunary ,world1 viz4 ,the different kinds of ,animal1 ,plants1 ,minerals1 and several sorts of ,stones1 ,earth1 ,water1 ,exhalations1 ,ice1 ,snow1 ,hail1 ,smoak1 ,hoar1 ,frost1 ,flame1 and ,heat4 ,in which he observ'd different ,qualities1 and different ,actions1 and that their ,motions agreed in some respects1 and differ'd in others3 and considering these things with great ,application1 he perceiv'd that their ,qualities also agreed in some things1 and differ'd in others2 and that so far as they agreed1 they were ,one2 but when consider'd with ,relation to their differences1 a great many3 so that when he came to consider the ,properties of things by which they were distinguish'd one from another1he found that they ,multiplied so fast upon him1 that 'twas impossible for him1 to ,comprehend them4 ,nay1 when he consider'd the difference of his own ,limbs1 which he perceiv'd were all distinct from one another1 by some ,property and ,action peculiar to each1 it seem'd to him that there was a ,plurality in his ,own ,essence4 ,and when he look'd upon any one ,member it self1 he found that it might be divided into a great many parts1 from whence he concluded1 that there must needs be a ,plurality in his own ,essence1 and not only in his own but in every other also4 #cc4 ,then he enter'd upon another sort of ,speculation of the second kind1 by which he perceiv'd that tho' the parts of his ,body were many1 yet they were ,conjoyned and ,compacted together so as to make one ,body1 and that what difference there was between them consisted only in the difference of their ,actions1 which diversity proceeded from that ,animal ,spirit1 the ,nature of which he had before search'd into1 and found out4 ,now he knew that his ,spirit was ,one in ,essence1 and was really the ,substance of his ,being1 and that all the rest of the ,members serve that ,spirit as ,instruments1 and in this ,respect he perceiv'd his own ,essence1 to be ,one4 4 #cd4 ,he proceeded from hence to the consideration of all the ,species of ,animals and found that every ,individual of them was ,one4 ,next he consider'd them with regard to their different ,species1 viz4 as ,roes1 ,horses1 ,asses and all sorts of ,birds according to their kinds1 and he perceiv'd that all the ,individuals of every ,species were exactly like one another1 in the shape of their ,parts1 both within and without1 that their ,apprehensions1 ,motions1 and ,inclinations were alike1 and that those little differences which where visible amongst them1 were inconsiderable in respect of those many things in which they agreed4 ,from whence he concluded1 that the ,spirit which actuated any ,species was one and the same2 only distributed among so many ,hearts1 as there were ,individuals in that ,species1 so that if it were possible for all that ,spirit1 which is so divided among so many ,hearts1 to be ,collected into one ,receptacle1 it would be all the same thing1 just as if any one ,liquor should be pour'd out into several ,dishes and afterwards put all together again in one ,vessel2 this ,liquor would still be the same1 as well when it was divided1 as when it was altogether1 only in respect of that division it may be said in some sort to be ,multiplied4 ,by this way of ,contemplation he perceiv'd that a whole ,species was ,one and the same thing1 and that the ,multiplicity of ,individuals in the same ,species is like the ,multiplicity of ,parts in the same ,person1 which indeed are not many i4e4 are only ,one4 #ce4 ,then he represented in his ,mind1 all the ,several kinds of ,animals1 and perceiv'd that ,sensation1 and ,nutrition1 and the ,power of moving freely where they pleas'd1 was common to them all2 which ,actions he was assur'd before1 were all very proper to the ,animal ,spirit1 and that those lesser things in which they differ'd 7notwithstanding their agreement in these greater17 were not so proper to that ,spirit4 ,from this consideration he concluded1 that it was only ,one and the same ,animal ,spirit1 which ,actuated all living ,creatures whatsoever1 tho' there was in it a little difference1 which each ,species claim'd as peculiar to it self4 ,for instance1 suppose the same ,water be pour'd out into different ,vessels1 that which is in this ,vessel may possibly be something warmer than that which is in another1 tho' 'tis the same ,water still1 and so every degree of ,heat and ,cold in this ,water in the ,several ,vessels1 will represent the ,specifick difference which there is in ,animals3 ,and as that ,water is all one and the same1 so is that ,animal ,spirit ,one1 tho' in some respect there is a sort of ,multiplicity4 ,and so under this ,notion he look'd upon the whole ,species of living ,creatures1 to be all ,one4 #cf4 ,afterwards ,contemplating the different ,species of ,plants1 as he had done before of ,animals1 he perceiv'd that the ,individuals of every ,species were alike1 both in their ,boughs1 ,leaves1 ,flowers1 ,fruits1 and manner of ,growing4 ,and comparing them with ,animals1 he found that there must needs be some one thing which they did all of them partake of1 which was the same to them that the ,animal ,spirit was to the living ,creature1 and that in respect of ,that they were all ,one4 ,whereupon1 taking a view of all the several kinds of ,plants1 he concluded that they were all ,one and the same1 by reason of that ,agreement which he found in their ,actions1 viz4 their ,nourishment and ,growing4 #cg4 ,then he ,comprehended in one single ,conception1 the whole kinds of ,animals and ,plants together1 and found that they were both alike in their ,nutrition and ,growing1 only the ,animals excell'd the ,plants in ,sensation and ,apprehension2 and yet he had sometimes observ'd something like it in ,plants1 viz4 ,that some ,flowers do turn themselves towards the ,sun1 and that the ,plants extend their ,roots1 that way the ,nourishment comes1 and some other such like things1 from whence it appear'd to him that ,plants and ,animals1 were ,one and the same1 in respect of that ,one thing which was ,common to them both2 which was indeed more perfect in the ,one1 and more obstructed and restrained in the other2 like ,water that is partly running and partly frozen4 ,so that he concluded that ,plants and ,animals were all ,one4 #ch4 ,he next consider'd those ,bodies1 which have neither ,sense1 ,nutrition nor ,growth1 such as ,stones1 ,earth1 ,air1 and ,flame1 which he perceiv'd had all of them ,three ,dimensions1 viz4 ,length1 ,breadth1 and ,thickness1 and that their differences consisted only in this1 that some of them were ,colour'd1 others not1 some were ,warm1 others ,cold1 and the like4 ,he observ'd that those ,bodies which were ,warm1 grew ,cold1 and on the contrary1 that those which were ,cold grew ,warm1 ,he saw that ,water was rarified into ,vapours1 and ,vapours again ,condens'd into ,water2 and that such things as were ,burn't1 were turn'd into ,coals1 ,allies1 ,flame and ,smoak1 and if in its ,ascent it were intercepted by an ,arch of ,stone or the like1 it thickned there and was like other ,gross1 ,earthly ,substances4 ,from whence it appear'd to him that1 all things were in ,reality1 ,one1 tho' multiplied and diversified in some certain respects1 as the ,plants and ,animals were4 #ci4 ,then considering with himself1 what that common thing must be1 in which the ,sameness of the ,animals and ,plants did consist he saw that it must be some ,body1 like those ,bodies1 which had a ,threefold ,dimension1 viz1 ,length1 ,breadth1 and ,thickness2 and that whether it were ,hot or ,cold1 it was like ,one of those other ,bodies which have neither ,sense nor ,nutrition1 and differ'd from them only in those ,operations which arise from the ,organical parts of ,plants and ,animals4 ,and that1 in1 all likelihood1 those ,operations were not ,essential1 but deriv'd from something else4 ,so that if those ,operations were to be communicated to those other ,bodies1 they would be like this4 ,considering it therefore abstractedly1 with regard to its ,essence only1 as stript of those ,operations1 which at first sight seem'd to flow from it1 he perceiv'd that it was a ,body1 of the same kind1 with those other ,bodies2 upon which ,contemplation1 it appear'd to him that all ,bodies1 as well those that had ,life1 as those that had not1 as well those that mov'd1 as those that rested in their ,natural places were ,one2 ,only there were some ,actions in some of them1 which proceeded from their ,organical ,parts2 concerning which ,actions he could not yet determine whether they were ,essential1 or deriv'd from something without4 ,thus he continu'd1 considering nothing but the ,nature of ,bodies1 and by this means he perceiv'd1 that whereas at first sight1 ,things had appear'd to him innumerable and not to be comprehended2 ,now1 he discovered the whole ,mass and ,bulk of ,creatures were in ,reality only ,one4 #dj4 ,he continu'd in this ,opinion a considerable time4 ,then he consider'd all sorts of ,bodies1 both ,animate and ,inanimate1 which one while seem'd to him to be ,one2 and another1 a great many4 ,and he found that all of them had a ,tendency either upward1 as ,smoak1 ,flame1 and ,air1 when detain'd under ,water2 or else downward1 as ,water1 pieces of ,earth1 or ,parts of ,animals and ,plants2 and that none of these4 ,bodies were free from one or other of these ,tendencies1 or would ever lye still1 unless hinder'd by some other ,body1 and interrupted in their course2 as when1 for instance1 a ,stone in its fall is stopp'd by the solidity and hardness of the ,earth1 when 'tis plain it would otherwise continue still descending2 so ,smoak still continues going upwards1 and if it should be intercepted by a solid ,arch1 it would divide both to the right and left1 and so soon as it was freed from the ,arch1 would still continue ascending2 and pass through the ,air1 which is not solid enough to restrain it4 ,so when a ,leathern ,bottle is fill'd with ,air and stopp'd up close1 if you hold it under ,water2 it will still strive to get up1 till it returns to its place of ,air2 and then it rests1 and its reluctancy and propensity to ascend1 ceases4 #da4 ,he then enquir'd whether or no he could find any ,body that was at any time destitute of both these ,motions1 or a ,tendency toward them1 but he could find none such1 among all ,bodies which he had about him4 ,the reason of this ,enquiry was1 because he was very desirous to know the ,nature of ,body2 as such1 abstracted from all manner of ,qualities1 from whence arises ,multiplicity or ,diversity of ,kinds4 ,but when he found this too difficult a ,task for him1 and he had examin'd those ,bodies which had the fewest ,qualities1 and could find1 none of them void of one of these two1 viz4 ,heaviness or ,lightness2 he proceeded to consider the ,nature of these two ,properties1 and to examin whether they did belong to ,body quatenus ,body1 or else to some other ,quality superadded to ,body4 ,now it seem'd plain to him1 that ,gravity and ,levity1 did not belong to ,body as such2 for if so1 then no ,body could subsist without them both3 whereas on the contrary1 we find ,heavy ,bodies which are void of all ,lightness1 and also some ,light ,bodies which are void of all ,heaviness1 and yet without doubt they both are ,bodies2 in each of which there is something superadded to ,corporeity1 by which they are distinguish'd one from the other1 and that makes the difference between them1 otherwise they would be both one and the same thing1 in every respect4 ,from whence it appear'd plainly1 that the ,essence both of an ,heavy1 and ,light ,body was compos'd of two things2 ,one1 which was common to them both1 viz4 ,corporeity1 the other1 by which they are distinguish'd one from the other1 viz4 ,gravity in the one1 and ,levity in the other1 which were superadded to the ,essence of ,corporeity4 #db4 ,in like manner he consider'd either ,bodies1 both ,animate and ,inanimate1 and found their ,essence confined in ,corporeity and in some1 one thing1 or more superadded to it4 ,and thus he attain'd a ,notion of the ,forms of ,bodies1 according to their differences4 ,these were the first things he found out1 belonging to the ,spiritual ,world2 for these ,forms are not the objects of ,sense1 but are apprehended by ,intellectual ,speculation4 ,now among other things of this kind which he discover'd1 it appear'd to him that the ,animal ,spirit1 which is ,seal'd in the ,heart 7as we have mention'd before7 must necessarily have some ,quality superadded to its ,corporeity1 which rendred it capable of those wonderful ,actions1 different ,sensations and ,ways of apprehending ,things1 and various sorts of ,motions2 and that this ,quality must be its ,form1 by which it is distinguish'd from other ,bodies 7which is the same that the ,philosophers call the ,sensitive ,soul7 and so in ,plants1 that which was in them the same that radical ,moisture was in ,beasts1 was something proper to them1 which1 was their ,form1 which the ,philosophers call the ,vegetative ,soul4 ,and that there was also in inanimate things1 7viz4 all ,bodies1 besides ,plants and ,animals1 which are in this sublunary ,world7 something peculiar to them1 by the ,power of which1 every one of them perform'd such ,actions as were proper to it2 namely1 various sorts of ,motion1 and different kinds of sensible ,qualities1 and that thing was the ,form of every one of them1 and this is the same which the ,philosophers call ,nature4 #dc4 ,and when by this ,contemplation it appear'd to him plainly1 that the true ,essence of that ,animal ,spirit1 which he had been so intent1 was compounded of ,corporeity1 and some other ,quality superadded to that ,corporeity1 and that it had its ,corporeity in common with other ,bodies2 but that this other ,quality which was superadded1 was peculiar to it self3 ,immediately he slighted and despis'd the ,notion of ,corporeity1 and applied himself wholly to that other superadded ,quality 7which is the same that we call the ,soul7 the ,nature of which he earnestly desired to know4 ,therefore he fix'd all his ,thoughts upon it1 and began his ,contemplation with considering all ,bodies1 not as ,bodies1 but as endu'd with ,forms1 from whence necessarily flow these ,properties1 by which they are distinguish'd one from another4 #dd4 ,now by following up this ,notion1 and comprehending it in his ,mind1 he perceiv'd that all ,bodies had one ,form in common1 from whence one or more ,actions did proceed4 ,and that there were some of these1 which tho' they agreed with all the rest in that one common ,form1 had another ,form besides superadded to it1 from whence some ,actions proceeded4 ,and further1 that there was another sort1 which agreeing with the rest in those two ,forms which they had1 was still distinguish'd from them by a third ,form1 superadded to those other two1 from whence also proceeded some ,actions4 ,for instance1 all ,terrestrial ,bodies1 as ,earth1 ,stones1 ,minerals1 ,plants1 ,animals1 and all other heavy ,bodies1 do make up one in ,number1 which agree in the same ,form1 from whence flows the ,property ofdescending continually1 whilst there is nothing to hinder their ,descent3 ,and whensoever they are forc'd to move upwards1 if they are left to themselves1 they immediately1 by the ,power of their ,form1 tend downwards again4 ,now1 some part of this ,number1 viz4 ,plants and ,animals1 tho' they do agree with all that ,multitude before mention'd1 in that ,form2 yet still have another ,form superadded to it1 from whence flow ,nutrition and ,accretion4 ,now the meaning of ,nutrition is1 when the ,body that is nourish'd1 substitutes in the room of that which is consum'd and wasted from it self1 something of the like kind1 which it draws to it self1 and then converts into its own ,substance4 ,accretion1 or ,growing1 is a ,motion according to the three ,dimensions1 viz4 ,length1 ,breadth1 and ,thickness1 in a due ,proportion4 ,and these two ,actions are common to ,plants and ,animals1 and do without doubt spring from that ,form which is common to them both1 which is what we call the ,vegetative ,soul4 ,now part of this ,multitude1 viz4 ,animals1 tho' they have the first and second ,forms in common with the rest1 have still a third ,form superadded1 from which arise ,sensation and ,local ,motion1 ,besides1 he perceiv'd that every particular ,species of ,animals1 had some ,property which1 distinguish'd it1 and made it quite different from the rest1 and he knew that this ,difference must arise from some ,form peculiar to that ,species1 which was superadded to the ,notion of that ,form which it had in common with the rest of ,animals4 ,and the like he saw happen'd to the several kinds of ,plants4 #de4 ,and it was evident to him1 that the ,essences of those sensible ,bodies1 which are in this sublunary ,world1 had some of them more ,qualities superadded to their ,corporeity1 and others1 fewer4 ,now he knew that the ,understanding of the fewer1 must needs be more easie to him1 than the ,understanding of those which were more in number4 ,and therefore1 he endeavour'd to get a true ,notion of the ,form of some one thing1 whose ,essence was the most simple and uncompounded4 ,now he perceiv'd that the ,essence of ,animals and ,plants consisted of a great many ,properties1 because of the great variety of their ,operations2 for which reason1 he deferr'd the enquiring into their ,forms4 ,as for the ,parts of the ,earth1 he saw that some of them were more simple than others1 and therefore resolv'd to begin his ,enquiry with the most simple of all4 ,so he perceiv'd that ,water1 was a thing1 whose ,essence was not compounded of many ,qualities1 which appear'd from the ,paucity of those ,actions which arise from its ,form4 ,the same he likewise observ'd in the ,fire1 and ,air4 #df4 ,now he had a ,notion before1 that all these four might be chang'd one into another2 and therefore there must be some one thing which they jointly participated of1 and that this thing was ,corporeity4 ,now 'twas necessary1 that this one thing which was common them all1 should be altogether free from those ,qualities1 by which these four were distinguish'd one from the other2 and be neither heavy nor light2 hot nor cold2 moist nor dry2 because none of these ,qualities were common to all ,bodies1 and therefore could not appertain to ,body as such4 ,and that if it were possible to find any such ,body1 in which there was no other ,form superadded to ,corporeity1 it would have none1 of these ,qualities1 nor indeed any other but what were common to all ,bodies1 with what ,form soever endu'd4 ,he consider'd therefore with himself1 to see if he could find any one ,adjunct or ,property which was common to all ,bodies1 both animate and inanimate2 but he found nothing of that ,nature1 but only the ,notion of ,extension1 and that he perceiv'd was common to all ,bodies1 viz4 ,that they had all of them length1 breadth1 and thickness4 ,whence he gather'd1 that this ,property belong'd to ,body1 as ,body4 ,however1 his ,sense could not represent to him any ,body existent in ,nature1 which had this only ,adjunct1 and was void of all other ,forms3 ,for he saw that every one of them had some other ,quality superadded to the said ,extension4 #dg4 ,then he consider'd further1 whether this ,three-fold ,extension1 was the very ,essence of ,body or not2 and quickly found1 that besides this ,extension1 there was another1 in which this ,extension did exist1 and that this ,extension could not subsist by it self1 as also the ,body which was extended1 could not subsist by it self without ,extension4 ,this he experimented in some of those sensible ,bodies which are endu'd with ,forms2 for ,example1 in ,clay3 ,which he perceiv'd1 when moulded into any ,figure1 7,spherical suppose7 had in it a certain ,proportion1 ,length1 ,breadth1 and ,thickness4 ,but then if you took that very same ,ball1 and reduc'd it into a ,cubical or ,oval ,figure1 the ,dimensions were chang'd1 and did not retain the same ,proportion which they had before1 and yet the ,clay still remain'd the same1 without any ,change1 only that it was necessary for it to be extended into ,length1 ,breadth1 and ,thickness1 in some ,proportion or other1 and not be depriv'd of its ,dimensions3 ,yet it was plain to him from the successive ,alterations of them in the same ,body1 that they were distinct from the ,clay itself2 as also1 that because the ,clay could not be altogether without them1 it appear'd to him that it belong'd to its ,essence4 ,and thus from this ,experiment it appear'd to him1 that ,body consider'd as ,body1 was compounded of two ,properties3 ,the one of which represents the ,clay1 of which the ,sphere was made2 ,the other1 the ,threefold ,expression of it1 when form'd into a ,sphere1 ,cube1 or what other ,figure soever4 ,nor was it possible to conceive ,body1 but as consisting of these two ,properties1 neither of which could subsist without the other4 ,but that one 7namely1 that of ,extension7 which was liable to ,change1 and could successively put on different ,figures1 did represent the ,form in all those ,bodies which had ,forms4 ,and that other which still abode in the same ,state1 7which was the ,clay1 in our last ,instance7 did represent ,corporeity1 which is in all ,bodies1 of what ,forms soever4 ,now that which we call ,clay in the foregoing ,instance1 is the same which the ,philosophers call ,materia prima the first ,matter and ,greek3 ,hyl1 which is wholly destitute of all manner of ,forms4 4 #dh4 ,when his ,contemplation had proceeded thus far1 and he was got to some distance from sensible ,objects1 and was now just upon the ,confines of the intellectual ,world1 he dissident1 and inclin'd rather to the sensible ,world1 which he was more used to4 ,therefore he retir'd from the ,consideration of abstracted ,body17since he found that his ,senses could by no means reach it1 neither could he comprehend it7 and applied himself to the ,consideration of the most simple sensible ,bodies he could find1 which were those four1 about which he had been exercis'd4 ,and first of all he consider'd the ,water1 which he found1 if let alone in that ,condition which its ,form requir'd1 had these two things in it1 viz4 ,sensible ,cold1 and a ,propension to move downwards2 ,but if heated by the ,fire or the ,sun1 its ,coldness was remov'd1 but its ,propension to move downwards still remain'd3 ,but afterwards1 when it came to be more vehemently heated1 it lost its tendency downwards1 and mounted upwards2 and so it was wholly depriv'd of both those ,properties which us'd constantly to proceed from it1 and from its ,form3 ,nor did he know any thing more of its ,form1 but only that these two ,actions proceeded from thence2 and when these two ceas'd1 the ,nature of the ,form was alter'd1 and the watry ,form was remov'd from that ,body1 since there appear'd in it ,actions1 which must needs owe their ,origin to another ,form4 ,therefore it must have receiv'd another ,form which had not been there before1from which arose those ,actions1 which never us'd to appear in it whilst it had the other ,form4 #di4 ,now he knew that every thing that was produc'd anew1 must needs have some ,producer4 ,and from this ,contemplation1 there arose in his ,mind a sort of ,impression of the ,maker of that ,form1 tho' his ,notion of him as yet was general and indistinct4 ,then he paus'd on the examining of these ,forms which he knew before1 one by one1 and found that they were produc'd anew1 and that they must of necessity be beholden to some efficient ,cause4 ,then he consider'd the ,essences of ,forms1 and found that they were nothing else1 but only a ,disposition of ,body to produce such or such ,actions4 ,for instance1 ,water1 when very much heated1 is dispos'd to rise upwards1 and that ,disposition is its ,form4 ,for there is nothing present in this ,motion1 but ,body1 and some things which are observ'd to arise from it1 which were not in it before 7such as ,qualities and ,motions7 and the ,efficients which produce them4 ,now the fitness of ,body for one ,motion rather than another1 is its ,disposition and ,form4 ,the same he concluded of all other ,forms1 and it appear'd to him1 that those ,actions which arose from them1 were not in reality owing to them1 but to the efficient ,cause1 who made use of these ,forms to produce those ,actions which are attributed to them1 i4e1 the ,forms4 ,which ,notion of his is exactly the same with what ,god's ,apostle ,mahomet says2 ,i am his ,hearing by which he hears1 and his ,seeing by which he sees4 ,and in the ,alcoran2 ,you did not kill them1 but ,god kill'd them2 when thou threwest the ,darts1 it was not thou that threwest them1 but ,god4 #ej4 ,now1 when he had attain'd thus far1 so as to have a general and indistinct ,motion of this ,agent1 he had a most earnest ,desire to know him distinctly4 ,and because he had not as yet withdrawn himself from the sensible ,world1 he began to look for this voluntary ,agent among sensible ,things2 nor did he as yet know1 whether it was one ,agent or many4 ,therefore he enquir'd strictly into all such ,bodies as he had about him1 viz4 those which he had been employ'd about all along1 and he found that they were all liable to ,generation and ,corruption3 ,and if there were any which did not suffer a total ,corruption1 yet they were liable to a partial one1 as ,water and ,earth1 the parts of which are consum'd by ,fire4 ,likewise he perceiv'd1 that the ,air was by extremity of ,cold chang'd into ,snow1 and then again into ,water2 and among all the rest of the ,bodies which he was conversant with1 he could find none which had not its ,existence anew1 and required some voluntary ,agent to give it a ,being4 ,upon which account he laid them all aside1 and transferr'd his ,thoughts to the ,consideration of the ,heavenly ,bodies4 ,and thus far he reach'd in his ,contemplations1 about the end of the fourth ,septenary of his ,age1 viz4 when he now eight and twenty ,years old4 #ea4 ,now he knew very well1 that the ,heavens1 and all the ,luminaries in them1 were ,bodies1 because they were all extended according to the three ,dimensions ,length1 ,breadth and ,thickness1 without any exception2 and that every thing that was so extended1 was ,body2 ergo1 they were all ,bodies4 ,then1 he consider'd next1 whether they were extended infinitely1 as to stretch themselves to an endless ,length1 ,breadth and ,thickness2 or1 whether they were circumscrib'd by any ,limits1 and terminated by some certain ,bounds1 beyond which there could be no ,extension4 ,but here he stopp'd a while1 as in a kind of ,amazement4 #eb4 ,at last1 by the strength of his ,apprehension1 and ,sagacity of his ,understanding1 he perceiv'd that the ,notion of infinite ,body was absurd and impossible1 and a ,notion wholly intelligible4 ,he confirm'd himself in this ,judgment of his1 by a great many ,arguments which occurr'd to him1 when he thus argued with himself4 ,that this heavenly ,body is terminated on this side which is next to me1 is evident to my sight3 ,and that it cannot be infinitely extended on that opposite side1 which rais'd this ,scruple in me2 ,i prove thus3 ,suppose two ,lines drawn from the ,extremity of this ,heavenly ,body1 on that terminated ,side which is next to me1 which ,lines should be produc'd quite through this ,body1 in infinitum1 according to the ,extension of the ,body2 then suppose a long part of one of these ,lines1 cut off at this ,end which is next to me2 then take the ,remainder of what was cut off1 and draw down that end of it where it was cut off2 ,and lay it even with the end of the other ,line from which there was nothing cut off2 and let that ,line which was shortned1 lye parallel with the other2 then suppose them through this ,body1 till you come to that side which we suppos'd to be infinite3 ,either you will find both these ,lines infinitely extended1 and then one of them cannot be shorter than the other1 but that which had a part of it cut off1 will be as long as that which was not1 which is absurd3 ,or else the ,line which was cut will not be so long as that other1 and consequently finite3 ,therefore if you add that part to it which was cut off from it at first1 which was finite1 the whole will be finite2 and then it will be no longer or shorter than that ,line which had nothing cut off from it1 therefore equal to it2 ,but this is finite1 therefore the other is finite4 ,therefore the ,body in which such ,lines are drawn is finite2 ,and all ,bodies in which such ,lines may be drawn1 are finite3 ,but such ,lines may be drawn in all ,bodies4 ,therefore if we suppose an infinite ,body1 we suppose an ,absurdity and ,impossibility4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration #f 99 99 99 99 99 #eb;b4 ,when by the singular strength of his ,genius1 7which he exerted in the finding out such a ,demonstration7 he had satisfied himself that the ,body of ,heaven was finite2 he desired1 in the next place1 to know what ,figure it was of1 and how it was limited by the circumambient ,superficies4 ,and first he observ'd the ,sun1 ,moon and ,stars1 and saw that they all rose in the ,east1 and set in the ,west2 and those which went right over his ,head describ'd a great ,circle1 but those at at greater distance from the ,vertical ,point1 either ,northward or ,southward1 describ'd a lesser ,circle4 ,so that the least ,circles which were describ'd by any of the ,stars1 were those two which went round the two ,poles1 the one ,north1 the other ,south2 the last of which is the ,circle of ,sohail or ,canopus2 the first1 the ,circle of those two ,stars which are called in ,arabick ,alpherkadni4 ,now because he liv'd under the ,equinoctial ,line1 7as we shew'd before7 all those ,circles did cut the ,horizon at right ,angles1 and both ,north and ,south were alike to him1 and he could see both the ,pole-,stars3 ,he observ'd1 that if a ,star arose at any time in a great ,circle1 and another ,star at the same in a lesser ,circle1 yet nevertheless1 as they rose together1 so they set together3 and he observ'd it of all the ,stars1 and at all times4 ,from whence he concluded1 that the ,heaven was of a ,spherical ,figure2 in which ,opinion he was confirm'd1 by observing the ,return of the ,sun1 ,moon and ,stars to the ,east1 after their ,setting2 and also1 because they always appear'd to him of the same bigness1 both when they rose1 and when they were in the midst of ,heaven1 and at the time of their ,setting2 whereas1 if their ,motions had not been ,circular1 they must have been nearer to sight1 at some times than others2 and consequently their ,dimensions would have appear'd proportionably greater or lesser2 but since there was no such ,appearance1 he concluded that their ,motions were ,circular4 ,then he consider'd the ,motion of the ,moon and the ,planets from ,west to ,east1 till at last he understood a great part of ,astronomy4 ,besides1 he apprehended that their ,motions were in different ,spheres1 all which were comprehended in another which was above them all1 and which turn'd about all the rest in the space of a ,day and a ,night4 ,but it were too tedious to explain particularly how he advanc'd in this ,science2 besides1 'tis taught in other ,books2 and what we have already said1 is as much as is requisite for our present purpose4 #ec4 ,when he had attain'd to this degree of ,knowledge1 he found that the whole ,orb of the ,heavens1 and whatsoever was contained in it1 was as one ,thing compacted and join'd together2 and that all those ,bodies which he us'd to consider before as ,earth1 ,water1 ,air1 ,plants1 ,animals and the like1 were all of them so contain'd in it1 as never to go out of its ,bounds3 ,and that the whole was like ,one ,animal1 in which the ,luminaries represented the ,senses2 ,the ,spheres so join'd and compacted together1 answer'd to the ,limbs2 and the ,sublunary ,world1 to the ,belly1 in which the ,excrements and ,humors are contain'd1 and which oftentimes breeds ,animals1 as the ,greater ,world4 #ed4 ,now when it appear'd to him1 that the whole ,world was only ,one ,substance1 depending upon a ,voluntary ,agent1 and he had united all the ,parts of it1 by the same way of thinking which he had before made use of in considering the ,sublunary ,world2 he proposed to his ,consideration the ,world in ,general1 and debated with himself1 whether it did exist in ,time1after it had been2 and came to ,be1 out of nothing2 or whether it had been from ,eternity1 without any ,privation preceeding it4 ,concerning this ,matter1 he had very many and great ,doubts2 so that neither of these two ,opinions did prevail over the other4 ,for when he propos'd to himself the ,belief of its ,eternity1 there arose a great many ,objections in his ,mind2 because he thought that the ,notion of ,infinite ,existence was press'd with no less ,difficulties1 than that of ,infinite ,extension3 ,and that such a ,being as was not free from ,accidents produc'd anew1 must also it self be produc'd anew1 because it cannot be said to be more ancient than those ,accidents3 ,and that which cannot exist before ,accidents produc'd in ,time1 must needs itself be produc'd in ,time4 ,then on the other hand1 when he propos'd to himself the ,belief of its being produc'd a-new1 other ,objections occur'd to him2 for he perceiv'd that it was impossible to conceive any ,notion of its being produc'd a-new1 unless it was suppos'd that there was ,time before it2 whereas ,time was one of those things which belong'd to the ,world1 and was inseparable from it2 and therefore the ,world could not be suppos'd to be later than ,time4 ,then he consider'd1 that a ,thing ,created must needs have a ,creator3 ,and if so1 ,why did this ,creator make the ,world now1 and not as well before8 ,was it because of any new ,chance which happen'd to him8 ,that could not be2 for there was nothing existent besides himself4 ,was it then upon the ,account of any ,change in his own ,nature8 ,but what should cause that ,change8 ,thus he continued for several ,years1 arguing pro and con about this ,matter2 and a great many ,arguments offer'd themselves on both sides1 so that neither of these two ,opinions in his ,judgment over-balanc'd the other4 #ee4 ,this put him to a great deal of trouble1 which made him begin to consider with himself1 what were the ,consequences which did follow from each of these ,opinions1 and that perhaps they might be both alike4 ,and he perceiv'd1 that if he held that the ,world was created in ,time1 and existed after a total ,privation1 it would necessarily follow from thence1 that it could not exist of it self1 without the help of some ,agent to produce it4 ,and that this ,agent must needs be such an one as cannot be apprehended by our ,senses2 for if he should be the ,object of ,sense1 he must3 be ,body1 and if ,body1 then a ,part of the ,world1 and consequently a ,created ,being2 such an one1 as would have stood in need of some other ,cause to create him3 and if that second ,creator was ,body1 he would depend upon a1 third1 and that third upon upon a fourth1 and so ad infinitum1 which is absurd4 ,since therefore the ,world stands in need of an incorporeal ,creator3 ,and since the ,creator thereof is really incorporeal1 'tis impossible for us to apprehend him by any of our ,senses2 for we perceive nothing by the help of them1 but ,body1 or such ,accidents as adhere to ,bodies3 ,and because he cannot be perceiv'd by the ,senses1 it is impossible he should be apprehended by the ,imagination2 for the ,imagination does only represent to us the ,forms of things in their absence1 which we have before learn'd by our ,senses4 ,and since he is not ,body1 we must not attribute to him any of the ,properties of ,body2 the first of which is ,extension1 from which he is free1 as also from all those ,properties of ,bodies which flow from it4 ,and seeing that he is the ,maker of the ,world1 doubtless he has the ,sovereign ,command over it4 ,shall not he know it1 that created it8 ,he is wise1 ,omniscient6 #ef4 ,on the other side1 he saw that if he held the ,eternity of the ,world1 and that it always was as it now is1 without any ,privation before it2 then it would follow1 that its ,motion must be ,eternal too2 because there could be no ,rest before it1 from whence it might commence its ,motion4 ,now all ,motion necessarily requires a ,mover2 and this ,mover must be either a ,power diffus'd through the ,body mov'd1 or else through some other ,body without it1 or else a certain ,power1 not diffus'd or dispers'd through any ,body at all4 ,now every ,power which passeth1 or is diffus'd1 through any ,body1 is divided or doubled4 ,for ,instance2 ,the ,gravity in a ,stone1 by which it tends downwards1 if you divide the ,stone into two parts1 is divided into two parts also2 and if you add to it another like it1 the ,gravity is doubled4 ,and if it were possible to add ,stones in infinitum1 the ,gravity would increase in infinitum too4 ,and if it were possible1 that that ,stone should grow still bigger1 till it reach'd to an infinite ,extension1 the ,weight would increase also in the same proportion2 and if on the other side1 a ,stone should grow to a certain size1 and stop there1 the ,gravity would also increase to such a pitch1 and no farther4 ,now it is demonstrated1 that all ,body must necessarily be finite2 and consequently1 that ,power which is in ,body is finite too4 ,if therefore we can find any ,power1 which produces an ,infinite ,effect1 'tis plain that it is not in ,body4 ,now we find1 that the ,heav'n is mov'd about with a ,perpetual ,motion1 without any ,cessation4 ,therefore if we affirm the ,eternity of the ,world1 it necessarily follows that the ,power which moves it1 is not in its own ,body1 nor in the other ,exterior ,body2 but proceeds from something altogether abstracted from ,body1 and which cannot be describ'd by ,corporeal ,adjuncts or ,properties4 ,now he had learn'd from his first ,contemplation of the ,sublunary ,world1 that the true ,essence of ,body consisted in its ,form1 which is its ,disposition to several sorts of ,motion2 but that ,part of its ,essence which consisted in ,matter was very mean1 and scarce possible to be conceiv'd2 therefore the ,existence of the whole ,world consists in its ,disposition to be mov'd by this ,mover1 who is free from ,matter1 and the ,properties of ,body2 abstracted from every thing which we can either perceive by our ,senses1 or reach by our ,imagination4 ,and since he is the ,efficient ,cause of the ,motions of the ,heavens1 in which 7notwithstanding their several kinds7 there is no difference1 no ,confusion1 no ,cessation2 without doubt he has a ,power over it1 and a perfect ,knowledge of it4 #eg4 ,thus his ,contemplation this ,way1 brought him to the same ,conclusion it did the other ,way4 ,so that doubting concerning the ,eternity of the ,world1 and its ,existence de novo1 did him no harm at all4 ,for it was plain to him both ways1 that there was a ,being1 which was not ,body1 nor join'd to ,body1 nor separated from it2 nor within it1 nor without it2 because ,conjunction and ,separation1 and being within any thing1 or without it1 are all properties of ,body1 from which that ,being is altogether abstracted4 ,and because all ,bodies stand in need of a ,form to be added to their ,matter1 as not being able to subsist without it1 nor exist really2 and the ,form it self cannot exist1 but by this ,voluntary ,agent1 it appear'd to him that all things ow'd their ,existence to this ,agent2 and that none of them could subsist1 but through him3 and consequently1 that he was the ,cause1 and they the ,effects1 7whether they were newly created after a ,privation1 or whether they had no ,beginning1 in respect of him1 'twas all one7 and ,creatures whose ,existence depended upon that ,being2 and that without his ,continuance they could not continue1 nor exist without his ,existing1 nor have been eternal without his being ,eternal2 but that he was essentially independent of them1 and free from them4 ,and how should it be otherwise1 when it is demonstrated1 that his ,power and ,might are infinite1 and that all ,bodies1 and whatsoever belongs to them are finite8 ,consequently1 that the whole ,world1 and whatsoever was in it1 the ,heavens1 the ,earth1 the ,stars1 and whatsoever was between them above them1 or beneath them1 was all his ,work and ,creation1 and posterior to him in ,nature1 if not in ,time4 ,as1 if you take any ,body whatsoever in your ,hand1 and then move your ,hand1 the ,body will without doubt follow the ,motion of your ,hand1 with such a ,motion as shall be posterior to it in ,nature1 tho' not in ,time1 because they both began together3 ,so all this ,world is caus'd and created by this ,agent out of ,time1 ,whose ,command is1 when he would have any thing done1 ,,be1 and it is4 #eh4 ,and when he perceiv'd that all things which did exist were his ,workmanship1 he look'd them over again1 considering attentively the ,power of the ,efficient1 and admiring the ,wonderfulness of the ,workmanship1 and such accurate ,wisdom1 and subtil ,knowledge4 ,and there appear'd to him in the most minute ,creatures 7much more in the greater7 such ,footsteps of ,wisdom1 and ,wonders of the ,work of ,creation1 that he was swallow'd up with ,admiration1 and fully assur'd that these things could not proceed from any other1 than a ,voluntary ,agent of infinite ,perfection1 nay1 that was above all ,perfection2 such an one1 to whom the ,weight of the least ,atom was not unknown1 whether in ,heaven or ,earth2 no1 nor any other thing1 whether lesser or greater than it4 4 #ei4 ,then he consider'd all the kinds of ,animals1 and how this ,agent had given such a ,fabrick of ,body to every one of them1 and then taught them how to use it4 ,for if he had not directed them to apply those ,limbs which he had given them1 to those respective ,uses for which they were design'd1 they would have been so far from being of any ,service that they would rather have been a ,burden4 ,from whence he knew1 that the ,creator of the ,world was supereminently ,bountiful1 and exceedingly ,gracious4 ,and then when he perceiv'd among the ,creatures1 any that had ,beauty1 ,perfection1 ,strength1 or ,excellency of any kind whatever1 he consider'd with himself1 and knew that it all flow'd from that ,voluntary ,agent1 7whose ,name be praised7 and from his ,essence and ,operation4 ,and he knew1 that what the ,agent had in his own ,nature1 was greater than that1 which he saw in the ,creatures1 more perfect and compleat1 more beautiful and glorious1 and more lasting2 and that there was no proportion between the one and the other4 ,neither did he cease to prosecute this ,search1 till he had run through all the ,attributes of ,perfection1 and found that they were all in this ,agent1 and all flow'd from him2 and that he was most worthy to have them all ascrib'd to him1 above all the ,creatures which were describ'd by them4 #fj4 ,in like manner he enquir'd into all the ,attributes of ,imperfection1 and perceiv'd that the ,maker of the ,world was free from them all3 ,and how was it possible for him to be otherwise1 since the ,notion of ,imperfection is nothing but mere ,privation1 or what depends upon it8 ,and how can he any way partake of ,privation1 who is very ,essence1 and cannot but exist2 who gives ,being to every thing that exists1 and besides whom there is no ,existence8 ,but ,,he is the ,being1 ,,he is the ,absoluteness1 ,,he the ,beauty1 ,,he the ,glory1 ,,he the ,power1 ,,he the ,knowledge1 ,,he is ,,he1 and besides ,him all things are subject to perishing#ai4 #fa4 ,thus far his ,knowledge had brought him towards the end of the fifth ,septenary from his ,birth1 viz4 when he was #ce ,years old4 ,and the ,consideration of this ,supream ,agent was then so rooted in his ,heart1 that it diverted him from thinking upon any thing else3 and he so far forgot the ,consideration of the ,creatures1 and the ,enquiring into their ,natures1 that as soon as e'er he cast his ,eyes upon any thing of what kind soever1 he immediately perceiv'd in it the ,footsteps of this ,agent2 and in an instant his ,thoughts were taken off from the ,creature1 and and transferred to the ,creator4 ,so that he was inflam'd with the desire of him1 and his ,heart was altogether withdrawn from thinking upon this inferior ,world1 which contains the ,objects of ,sense1 and wholly taken up with the ,contemplation of the upper1 ,intellectual ,world4 #fb4 ,having now attain'd to the ,knowledge of this ,supream ,being1 of ,permanent ,existence1 which has no ,cause of his own ,existence1 but is the ,cause why all things else exist2 he was desirous to know by what ,means he had attain'd this ,knowledge1 and by which of his ,faculties he had apprehended this ,being4 ,and first he examin'd all his ,senses1 viz4 his ,hearing1 ,sight1 ,smelling1 ,tasting and ,feeling1 and perceiv'd that all these apprehended nothing but ,body1 or what was in ,body4 ,for the ,hearing apprehended nothing but ,sounds1 and these came from the ,undulation of the ,air1 when ,bodies are struck one against another4 ,the ,sight1 apprehends ,colours4 ,the ,smelling1 ,odours4 ,the ,taste1 ,savours4 ,and the ,touch1 the ,temperatures and ,dispositions of ,bodies1 such as ,hardness ,softness1 ,roughness ad ,smoothness4 ,nor does the ,imagination apprehend any thing1 but as it has ,length1 ,breadth and ,thickness4 ,now all these things which are thus apprehended1 are the ,adjuncts of ,bodies2 nor can these ,senses apprehend any thing else1 because they are ,faculties diffus'd through ,bodies1 and divided according to the division of ,bodies1 and for that reason cannot apprehend any thing else but divisible ,body4 ,for since this ,faculty is diffus'd through the visible ,body1 'tis impossible1 but that when it apprehends any thing whatsoever1 that thing so apprehended1 must be divided as the ,faculty is divided4 ,for which ,reason1 no ,faculty which is seated in ,body1 can apprehend any thing but what is ,body1 or in it4 ,now we have already demonstrated1 that this necessarily ,existent ,being is free in every respect from all ,properties of ,body2 and consequently not to be apprehended1 but by something which is neither ,body1 nor any ,faculty inherent in ,body1 nor has any manner of dependance upon it1 nor is either within it1 or without it1 nor join'd to it1 nor separated from it4 ,from whence it appear'd to him1 that he had apprehended this ,being by that which was his ,essence1 and gain'd a certain ,knowledge of him4 ,and from hence he concluded1 that this ,essence was ,incorporeal1 and free from all the ,properties of ,body4 ,and that all his ,external ,part which he saw1 was not in reality his ,essence2 by that his true ,essence was ,that1 by which he apprehended that ,absolute ,being of necessary ,existence4 #fc4 ,having thus learn'd1 that this ,essence was not that ,corporeal ,mass which he perceiv'd with his ,senses1 and was cloath'd with his ,skin1 he began to entertain mean ,thoughts of his ,body1 and set himself to contemplate that ,noble ,being1 by which he had reach'd the ,knowledge of that ,superexcellent1 and ,necessarily existent ,being2 and began to consider with himself1 by means of that ,noble ,essence of his1 whether this ,noble ,essence of his could possibly be dissolv'd1 or dye1 or be annihilated2 or whether it were of perpetual duration4 ,now he knew that ,corruption and ,dissolution were ,properties of ,body1 and consisted in the putting off one ,form1 and putting on another4 ,as for ,instance3 when ,water is chang'd into ,air1 and ,air into ,water2 or when ,plants are turn'd into ,earth or ,ashes1 and ,earth again into ,plants2 7for this is the true ,notion of ,corruption47 ,but an ,incorporeal ,being1 which has no dependance upon ,body1 but is altogether free from the ,accidents proper to ,body1 cannot be suppos'd to be liable to ,corruption4 #fd4 ,having thus secur'd himself in this ,belief1 that his ,real ,essence could not be dissolv'd1 he had a mind to know what ,condition it should be in1 when he had laid aside the ,body1 and was separated from it2 which he persuaded himself would not be1 till the ,body ceas'd to continue a fit ,instrument for its use4 ,therefore he consider'd all his ,apprehensive ,faculties1 and perceiv'd that every one of them did sometimes apprehend ,potentially1 and sometimes ,actually2 as the ,eye when it is shut1 or turn'd away from the ,object1 sees ,potentially47,for the meaning of apprehending ,potentially is1 when it does not apprehend now1 yet can do it for the time to come47 ,and when the ,eye is open1 and turn'd toward the ,object1 it sees ,actually 7for that is call'd ,actual1 which1 is present17 and so every one of these ,faculties is some times in ,power1 and sometimes in ,act3 ,and if any of them did never actually apprehend its ,proper ,object1 so long as it remains in ,power1 it has no desire to any ,particular ,object2 because it knows nothing of any1 7as a ,man that is born blind47 ,but if it did ever actually ,apprehend1 and then be reduc'd to the ,power only3 so long as it remains in that condition1 it will desire to apprehend in ,act2 because it has been acquainted with the ,object1 and is intent upon it1 and lingers after it2 as a ,man who could once see1 and after is blind1 continually desires ,visible ,objects3 ,and according as the ,object which he has seen1 is more perfect1 and glorious1 and beautiful1 his ,desire towards it is proportionably increased1 and his ,grief for the ,loss of it so much the greater4 ,hence it is that the ,grief of him who is depriv'd of that ,sight he once had1 is greater than his who is depriv'd of ,smelling2 because she ,objects of ,sight are more perfect and beautiful than those of ,smelling4 ,and if there be any thing of boundless ,perfection1 infinite ,beauty1 ,glory and ,splendor1 that is above all ,splendor and ,beauty2 so that there is no ,perfection1 ,beauty1 ,brightness1 or ,comliness1 but flows from it4 ,then certainly he that shall be depriv'd of the ,sight and ,knowledge of that ,thing1 after he has once been acquainted with it1 must necessarily1 so long as he continues in that ,state1 suffer inexpressible ,anguish2 as on the contrary1 he that continually has it present to him1 must needs enjoy uninterrupted ,delight1 perpetual ,felicity1 and infinite ,joy and ,gladness4 #fe4 ,now it had been already made plain to him1 that all the ,attributes of ,perfection belonged to that ,being which did necessarily self-exist1 and that he was far from all manner of ,imperfection4 ,he was certain withal1 that the ,faculty by which he attain'd to the ,apprehension of this ,being1 was not like to ,bodies1 nor subject to ,corruption1 as they are4 ,and from hence it appear'd to him1 that whosoever had such an ,essence as was capable of apprehending this ,noble ,being1 must1 when he put off the ,body at the time of his ,death1 have been formerly1 during his ,conversation in the ,body1 first1 either one who was not acquainted with this necessarily self-existent ,essence1 nor ever was join'd to him1 nor ever heard any thing of him2 and so would1 at the separating with the ,body1 never to be join'd to him1 nor to be concern'd at the want of him4 ,because all the ,corporeal ,faculties cease when the ,body dies1 nor do they any longer desire or linger after their proper ,objects2 nor are in any trouble or pain for their absence2 7which is the ,condition of all ,brutes1 of what shape soever they are47 ,or else1 secondly1 such an one1 who while he continu'd in the ,body1 did converse with this ,being1 and had a sense of his ,perfection1 ,greatness1 ,dominion1 and ,power2 but afterwards declin'd from him1 and follow'd his vicious ,inclinations1 till at length ,death overtook him whilst in this ,state2 he shall be depriv'd of that ,vision1 and yet be afflicted with the ,desire of ,enjoying it1 and so remain in lasting ,punishment and inexpressible ,torture2 whether he be to be delivered from his ,misery after a long time1 and enjoy that ,vision which he so earnestly desires2 or1 everlastingly to abide in the same ,torments1 according as he was fitted and dispos'd for either of these two1 during his continuance in the ,body4 ,or lastly1 were such an one1 who convers'd with this necessarily self-existent ,being1 and apply'd himself to it1 with the utmost of his ,ability1 and has all his ,thoughts continually intent upon his ,glory1 ,beauty1 and ,splendor1 and never turns from him1 nor forsakes him1 till ,death seizes him in the ,act of ,contemplation and ,intuition3 ,such a ,man as this shall1 when separated from ,body1 remain in everlasting ,pleasure1 and ,delight1 and ,joy and ,gladness1 by reason of the uninterrupted ,vision of that self-existent ,being1 and its intire freedom from all ,impurity and ,mixture2 and because all those ,sensible ,things shall be remov'd from him1 which are the proper ,objects of the ,corporeal ,faculties1 and which1 in regard of his present ,state1 are no better than ,torments1 ,evils and ,hinderances4 #ff4 ,being thus satisfied1 that the ,perfection and ,happiness of his own ,being consisted in the actually beholding that necessarily self-existent ,being perpetually1 so as not to be diverted from it so much as the twinkling of an ,eye1 that ,death might find him actually employ'd in that ,vision1 and so his ,pleasure might be continu'd1 without being interrupted by any ,pain2 7which ,ab-,jonaid a ,doctor1 and ,imaam1 of the ,sect of the ,suphians1 alluded to2 when at the point of ,death he said to his ,friends about him1 ,this is the ,time when ,men ought to ,glorify ,,god1 and be instant in their ,prayers17 he began to consider with himself1 by what ,means this ,vision might actually be continu'd1 without ,interruption4 ,so he was very intent for a time upon that ,being2 but he could not stay there long1 before some sensible ,object or other would present itself1 either the ,voice of some wild ,beast would reach his ,ears1 or some ,phantasy affected his ,imagination2 or he was touch'd with some ,pain in some ,part or other2 or he was hungry1 or dry1 or too cold1 or too hot1 or was forc'd to rise to ease ,nature4 ,so that his ,contemplation was interrupted1 and he remov'd from that ,state of ,mind3 ,and then he could not1 without a great deal of difficulty1 recover himself to that ,state he was in before2 and he was afraid that ,death should overtake him at such a ,time as his ,thoughts were diverted from the ,vision1 and so should fall into everlasting ,misery1 and the ,pain of ,separation4 #fg4 ,this put him into a great deal of ,anxiety1 and when he could find no ,remedy1 he began to consider all the several ,sorts of ,animals1 and observe their ,actions1 and what they were employ'd about2 in hopes of finding some of them that might possibly have a ,notion of this ,being1 and endeavour after him2 that so he might learn of them which way to be sav'd4 ,but he was altogether disappointed in his ,search2 for he found that they were all wholly taken up in getting their ,provision1 and satisfying their ,desires of ,eating1 and ,drinking1 and ,copulation1 and chusing the shady places in hot ,weather1 and the sunny ones in cold3 ,and that all their life-time1 both day and night1 till they died1 was spent after this manner1 without any variation1 or minding any thing else at any time4 ,from whence it appear'd to him1 that they knew nothing of this ,being1 nor had any desire towards it1 nor became acquainted with it by any ,means whatsoever2 and that they all went into a ,state of ,privation1 or something very near a-kin to it4 ,having pass'd this ,judgment upon the ,animals1 he knew that it was much more reasonable to conclude so of ,vegetables1 which had but few of those ,apprehensions which the ,animals had2 and if that whose ,apprehension was more perfect did not attain to this ,knowledge1 much less could it be expected from that whose ,apprehension was less perfect2 especially when he saw that all the ,actions of ,plants reach'd no farther than ,nutrition and ,generation4 #fh4 ,he next consider'd the ,stars and ,spheres1 and saw1 that they had all regular ,motions1 and went round in a due ,order2 and that they were pellucid and shining1 and remote from any approach to ,change or ,dissolution3 which made him have a strong suspicion1 that they had ,essences distinct from their ,bodies1 which were acquainted with this necessarily self-existent ,essence4 ,and that these understanding ,essences1were like his understanding ,essence4 ,and why might it not be suppos'd that they might have incorporeal ,essences1 when he himself had1 notwithstanding his ,weakness and extream want of sensible ,things8 ,that he consisted of a corruptible ,body1 and yet nevertheless1 all these ,defects did not hinder him from having an incorporeal incorruptible ,essence3 ,from whence he concluded1 that the ,celestial ,bodies were much more likely to have it2 and he perceived that they had a ,knowledge of the necessarily self-existent ,being1 and did actually behold it at all times2 because they were not at all incumbred with those ,hinderances1 arising from the ,intervention of sensible ,things1 which debarr'd him from enjoying the ,vision1 without ,interruption4 #fi4 ,then he began to consider with himself1 what should be the reason why he alone1 above all the rest of living ,creatures1 should be endu'd with such an ,essence1 as made him like the ,heavenly ,bodies4 ,now he understood before the ,nature of the ,elements1 and how one of them us'd to be chang'd into another1 and that there was nothing upon the ,face of the ,earth1 which always remain'd in the same ,form1 but that ,generation and ,corruption follow'd one another perpetually in a mutual ,succession2 and that the greatest part of these ,bodies were mix'd and compounded of contrary ,things1 and were for that reason the more dispos'd to ,dissolution3 ,and that there could not be found among them all1 any thing pure and free from ,mixture1 but that such ,bodies as came nearest to it1 and had least mixture1 as ,gold and ,jacinth are of longest ,duration1 and less subject to ,dissolution2 and that the ,heavenly ,bodies were most simple and pure1 and for that reason more free from ,dissolution1 and not subject to a ,succession of ,forms4 ,and here it appear'd to him1 that the real ,essence of those ,bodies1 which are in this sublunary ,world1 consisted in some1 of one simple ,notion added to ,corporeity1 as the four ,elements2 in others of more1 as ,animals and ,plants4 ,and that those1 whose ,essence consisted of the fewest ,forms1 had fewest ,actions1 and were farther distant from ,life4 ,and that if there were any body to be found1 that was destitute of all ,form1 it was impossible that it should live1 but was next to nothing at all2 also that those things which were endu'd with most ,forms1 had the most ,operations1 and had more ready and easie entrance to the ,state of ,life4 ,and if this ,form were so dispos'd1 that there were no way of separating it from the ,matter to which it properly belong'd1 then the life of it1 would be manifest1 permanent and vigorous to the utmost degree4 ,but on the contrary1 whatsoever ,body was altogether destitute of a ,form1 was ,greek3 ,hyl1 ,matter without ,life1 and near a-kin to nothing4 ,and that the four ,elements subsisted with one single ,form only1 and are of the first ,rank of ,beings in the sublunary ,world1 out of which1 other things endu'd with more ,forms are compounded3 ,and that the ,life of these ,elements is very weak1 both because they have no variety of ,motion1 but always tend the same way2 and because every one of them has an ,adversary which manifestly opposes the ,tendency of its ,nature1 and endeavours to deprive it of its ,form2 and therefore its ,essence is of short ,continuance1 and its ,life weak3 ,but that ,plants had a stronger ,life1 and ,animals a ,life more manifest than the ,plants4 ,the reason of which is1 because that whenever it happen'd1 that in any of these compound ,bodies1 the ,nature of one ,element prevail'd1 that predominant ,element would overcome the ,natures of the rest1 and destroy their ,power2 so that the compounded ,body would be of the same ,nature with that prevailing ,element1 and consequently partake but of a small ,portion of ,life1 because the ,element it self does so4 #gj4 ,on the contrary1 if there were any of these compounded ,bodies1 in which the ,nature of one ,element did not prevail over the rest1 but they were all equally mix'd1 and a match one for the other2 then one of them would not abate the ,force of the other1 any more than its own ,force is abated by it1 but they would work upon one another with equal ,power1 and the ,operation of any one of them would not be more conspicuous than that of the rest2 and this ,body would be far from being like to any one of the ,elements1 but would be as if it had nothing contrary to its ,form1 and consequently the more dispos'd for ,life2 and the greater this ,equality of ,temperature was1 and by how much the more perfect1 and further distant from inclining oneway or other1 by so much the farther it is distant from having any contrary to it1 and its ,life is the more perfect4 ,now since that ,animal ,spirit which is seated in the ,heart is of a most exact ,temperature1 as being finer than ,earth and ,water1 and grosser than ,fire and ,air1 it has the ,nature of a ,mean between them all1 and which has no manifest ,opposition to any of the ,elements1 and by this means is fitted to become that ,form which constitutes an ,animal4 ,and he saw that it follow'd from hence1 that those ,animal ,spirits which were of the most even ,temperature1 were the best dispos'd for the most perfect ,life in this ,world1 of ,generation and ,corruption1 and that this ,spirit was very near having no opposite to its ,forms1 and did in this respect resemble the ,heavenly ,bodies which have no opposite to their ,forms2 and was therefore the ,spirit of the ,animal1 because it was a ,mean between all the ,elements1 and had no absolute ,tendency1 either upwards or downwards2 but that1 if it were possible it should be plac'd in the middle ,space1 between the ,center and the highest ,bounds of the ,region of ,fire1 and not be destroy'd1 it would continue in the same place1 and move neither upwards nor downwards2 but if it should be locally mov'd1 it would move in a round1 as the ,heavenly ,bodies do1 and if it mov'd in its place1 it would be round its own ,center1 and that it was impossible for it to be of any other ,figure but ,spherical1 and for that reason it is very much like to the ,heavenly ,bodies4 #ga4 ,and when he had consider'd the ,properties of ,animals1 and could not see any one among them1 concerning which he could in the least suspect that it had any ,knowledge of this necessarily self-existent ,being2 but he knew that his own ,essence had the ,knowledge of it3 ,he concluded from hence that he was an ,animal1 endu'd with a ,spirit of an equal ,temperature1 as all the ,heavenly ,bodies are1 and that he was of a distinct ,species from the rest of ,animals1 and that he was created for another end1 and design'd for something greater than what they were capable of4 ,and this was enough to satisfie him of the ,nobility of his ,nature2 namely1 that his viler ,part1 i4e4 the ,corporeal1 was most like of all to the ,heavenly ,substances1 which are without this ,world of ,generation and ,corruption1 and free from all accidents that cause any ,defect1 ,change or ,alteration3 ,and that his noble ,part1 viz41 that by which he attain'd the ,knowledge of the necessarily self-existent ,being1 was something ,heroical and ,divine1 not subject to ,change or ,dissolution1 nor capable of being describ'd by any of the ,properties or ,attributes of ,bodies3 ,not to be apprehended by any of the ,senses1 or by the ,imagination2 nor to be known by the means of any other ,instrument but it self alone1 and that it attains the ,knowledge of it self by it self1 and was at once the ,knower the ,knowledge1 and the ,thing known1 the ,faculty and the ,object4 ,neither was there any difference between any of these because ,diversity and ,separation are ,properties and ,adjuncts of ,bodies2 but ,body was no way concern'd here1 nor any ,property or ,adjunct of ,body4 #gb4 ,having apprehended the manner by which the being like the ,heavenly ,bodies1 was peculiar to him above all other kinds of ,animals whatever2 he perceiv'd that it was a ,duty necessarily incumbent upon him to resemble them1 and imitate their ,actions1 and endeavour to the utmost to become like them3 ,he perceiv'd also that in respect3 of his nobler ,part1 by which he had attain'd the ,knowledge of that necessarily self existent ,being1 he did in some measure resemble it1 because he was separated from the ,attributes of ,bodies1 as the necessarily self-existent ,being is separated from them4 ,he saw also that it was his ,duty to endeavour to make himself ,master of the ,properties of that ,being by all possible means1 and put on his ,qualities1 and imitate his ,actions1 and labour in the doing his ,will1 and resign himself wholly to him1 and submit to his ,dispensations heartily and unfeignedly1 so as to rejoice in him1 tho' he should lay ,afflictions upon his ,body1 and hurt1 or totally destroy it4 #gc4 ,he also perceiv'd that he resembled the ,beasts in his viler part1 which belong'd to this ,generable and ,corruptible ,world1 viz4 this dark1 gross ,body1 which sollicited him with the ,desire of ,variety of sensible ,objects1 and excited him to eating1 drinking1 and ,copulation2 and he knew that his ,body was not created and join'd to him in vain1 but that he was oblig'd to preserve it and take care of it1 which he saw could not be done without some of those ,actions which are common to the rest of the ,animals4 ,thus it was plain to him1 that there were three sorts of ,actions which he was obliged to1 viz4 #a4 ,either those by which he resembled the ,irrational ,animals4 ,or1 #b4 ,those by which he resembled the ,heavenly ,bodies4 ,or1 #c4 ,those by which he resembled the necessarily self-existent ,being3 ,and that he was oblig'd to the first1 as having a gross ,body1 consisting of several ,parts1 and different ,faculties1 and variety of ,motions4 ,to the second1 as having an ,animal ,spirit1 which had its ,seat in the ,heart1 and was the first beginning of the ,body and all its ,faculties4 ,to the third1 as he was what he was1 viz4 as he was that ,being1 by which he knew the necessarily self-existent ,being4 ,and he was very well assur'd before1 that his ,happiness and ,freedom from ,misery1 consisted in the perpetual ,vision of that necessarily self-existent ,being1 without being averted from it so much as the twinkling of an ,eye4 #gd4 ,then he weigh'd with himself1 by what means a ,continuation of this ,vision might be attain'd1 and the ,result of his ,contemplation was this1 viz4 ,that he was obliged to keep himself constantly exercis'd in these three kinds of ,resemblance4 ,not that the first of them did any way contribute to the helping him to the ,vision7but was rather an ,impediment and ,hindrance1 because it was concern'd only in sensible ,objects1 which are all of them a sort of ,veil or ,curtain interpos'd between us and it27 but because it was necessary for the ,preservation of the ,animal ,spirit1 whereby the second ,resemblance1 which he had with the ,heavenly ,bodies was acquir'd1 and was for this reason necessary1 though incumbred with ,hindrances and ,inconveniences4 ,but as to the second ,conformity1 he saw indeed that a great share of that continu'd ,vision was attain'd by it1 but that it was not without ,mixture2 because1 whatsoever contemplates the ,vision after this manner continually1 does1 together with it1 have regard to1 and call a ,look upon his own ,essence1 as shall be shewn hereafter4 ,but that the third ,conformity was that by which he obtain'd the pure and entire ,vision1 so as to be wholly taken up with it1 without being diverted from it one way or other1 by any means whatsoever1 but being still intent upon that necessarily self-existent ,being2 which whosoever enjoys1 has no regard to any thing else1 and his own ,essence is altogether neglected1 and vanish'd out of fight1 and become as nothing2 and so are all other ,essences both great and small1 except only the ,essence of that ,one1 ,true1 ,necessarily ,self-existent1 ,high and ,powerful ,being4 #ge4 ,now when he was assur'd that the utmost ,bound of all his ,desires consisted in this third ,conformity1 and that it was not to be attain'd1 without being a long time exercis'd in the second2 and that there was no continuing so long as was necessary for that ,purpose1 but by means of the first2 7which1 how necessary soever1 he knew was an ,hindrance in itself1 and an ,help only by ,accident47 ,he resolved to allow himself no more of that first ,conformity than needs must1 which was only just so much as would keep the ,animal ,spirit alive4 ,now1 in order to this1 he found there were two ,things necessary2 ,the former1 to help it inwardly1 and supply the ,defect of that ,nourishment which was wasted2 ,the latter1 to preserve it from without1 against the ,extremities of ,heat and ,cold1 ,rain and ,sun1 hurtful ,animals1 and such like2 and he perceiv'd1 that if he should allow himself to use these things1 though necessary1 unadvisedly and at ,adventure1 it might chance to expose him to ,excess1 and by that means he might do 'himself an ,injury unawares2 whereupon he concluded it the safest way to set ,bounds to himself1 which he resolv'd not to pass2 both as to the ,kind of ,meat which he was to eat1 and the ,quantity and ,quality of it1 and the ,times of returning to it4 #gf4 ,and first he consider'd the several ,kinds of those things which were fit to eat2 and found that there were three sorts1 viz4 either such ,plants as were not yet come to their full ,growth1 nor attained to ,perfection1 such as are several sorts of green ,herbs which are fit to eat3 ,or secondly1 the ,fruits of ,trees which were fully ripe1 and had ,seed fit for the ,production of more of the same ,kind 7and such were the kinds of ,fruits that were newly gathered and dry73 ,or lastly1 ,living ,creatures1 both ,fish and ,flesh4 ,now he knew very well1 that all these things were created by that necessarily self-existent ,being1 in approaching to whom he was assur'd that his ,happiness did consist1 and in desiring to resemble him4 ,now the eating of these things must needs hinder their attaining to their ,perfection1 and deprive them of that ,end for which they were design'd2 and this would be an ,opposition to the working of the ,supream ,agent1 and such an ,opposition would hinder that ,nearness and ,conformity to him1 which he so much desir'd4 ,upon this he thought it the best way to abstain from eating altogether1 if possible2 but when he saw that this would not do1 and that such an ,abstinence tended to the ,dissolution of his ,body1 which was so much a greater ,opposition to the ,agent than the former1 by how much he was of a more excellent ,nature than those things1 whose ,destruction was the ,cause of his ,preservation3 ,of two ,evils he resolved to chuse the least1 and do that which contain'd in it the least ,opposition to the ,creator2 and resolved to partake of any of these sorts1 if those he had most mind to were not at hand1 in such quantity as he should conclude upon hereafter2 and if it so happen'd that he had them all at hand1 then he would consider with himself1 and chuse that1 in the partaking of which there would be the least ,opposition to the ,work of the ,creator3 ,such as the pulp of those ,fruits which were full ripe1 and had ,seeds in them fit to produce others of the like kind1 always taking care to preserve the ,seeds1 and neither cut them1 nor spoil them1 nor throw them in such places as were not fit for ,plants to grow in1 as smooth ,stones1 salt ,earth1 and the like4 ,and if such pulpy ,fruits1 as ,apples1 ,pears1 ,plumbs1 c4 could not easily be come at1 he would then take such as had nothing in them fit to eat but only the ,seed1 as ,almonds and ,chesnuts1 or such green ,herbs as were young and tender2 always observing this ,rule1 that let him take of which sort he would1 he still chose those that there was greatest ,plenty of1 and which increased fastest1 but so as to pull up nothing by the ,roots1 nor spoil the ,seed3 ,and if none of these things could be had1 he would then take some living ,creature1 or eat ,eggs2 but when he took any ,animal1 he chose that sort of which there was the greatest ,plenty1 so as not totally to destroy any ,species4 #gg4 ,these were the ,rules which he prescrib'd to himself1 as to the ,kinds of his ,provision2 as to the ,quantity1 his ,rule was to eat no more than just what would satisfie his ,hunger2 and as for the time of his ,meals1 he design'd1 when he was once satisfied1 not to eat any more till he found some ,disability in himself which hindred his ,exercise in the second ,conformity1 7of which we are now going to speak27 and as for those things which necessity requir'd of him towards the ,conservation of his ,animal ,spirit1 in regard of defending it from external ,injuries1 he was not much troubled about them1 for he was cloath'd with ,skins1 and had a ,house sufficient to secure him from those ,inconveniences from without1 which was enough for him2 and he thought it superfluous to take any further ,care about those things2 and as for his ,diet1 he observ'd those ,rules which he had prescrib'd to himself1 namely1 those which we have just now set down4 #gh4 ,after this he apply'd himself to the second ,operation1 viz4 the ,imitation of the ,heavenly ,bodies1 and expressing their proper ,qualities in himself2 which when he had consider'd1 he found to be of three sorts4 ,the first were such as had relation to those inferior ,bodies1 which1 are plac'd in this ,world of ,generation and ,corruption1 as ,heat1 which they impart to those of their own ,nature1 and ,cold by accident1 ,illumination1 ,rarefaction1 and ,condensation1 and all those other things1 by which they influence these inferior ,bodies1 whereby they are dispos'd for the ,reception of ,spiritual ,forms from the necessarily self-existent ,agent4 ,the second sort of ,properties which they had1 were such as concern'd their own ,being1 as that they were clear1 bright and pure1 free from all manner of feculent ,matter1 and whatsoever kinds of ,impurity3 ,that their ,motion was circular1 some of them moving round their own ,center1 and some again round the ,center of other ,planets4 ,the third kind of their ,properties1 were such as had relation to the necessarily self-existent ,agent1 as their continually beholding him without any ,interruption1 and having a ,desire towards him1 being busied in his ,service1 and moving agreeable to his ,will1 and not otherwise1 but as he pleased1 and by his ,power4 ,so he began to resemble them in every one of these three kinds1 to the utmost of his ,power4 #gi4 ,and as for his first ,conformity1 his ,imitation of them consisted in removing all things that were hurtful1 either from ,animals or ,plants if they could be remov'd3 ,so that if he saw any ,plant which was depriv'd of the ,benefit of the ,sun1 by the ,interposition of any other ,body2 or that its growth was hindred by its being twisted with1 or standing too near any other ,plant1 he would remove that which hindred it if possible1 yet so as not to hurt either2 or if it was in danger of dying for want of ,moisture1 he took what care he could to water it constantly4 ,or if he saw any ,creature pursu'd by any wild ,beast1 or entangled in a ,snare1 or prick'd with ,thorns1 or that had gotten any thing hurtful fallen into its ,eyes or ,ears1 or was hungry or thirsty1 he took all possible care to relieve it4 ,and when he saw any ,water-course stopp'd by any ,stone1 or any thing brought down by the ,stream1 so that any ,plant or ,animal was hindred of it1 he took care to remove it4 ,and thus he continu'd in this first kind of ,imitation of the ,heavenly ,bodies1 till he had attain'd it to the very heighth of ,perfection4 #hj4 ,the second sort of ,imitation consisted in his continually obliging himself to keep himself clean from all manner of ,dirt and ,nastiness1 and washing himself often1 keeping his ,nails and his ,teeth clean1 and the secret ,parts of his ,body1 which he used to rub sometimes with sweet ,herbs and ,perfume with ,odors4 ,he used frequently to make clean his ,cloaths2 and perfume them1 so that he was all over extreamly clean and fragrant4 ,besides this1 he us'd a great many sorts of ,circular ,motion#ba1 sometimes walking round the ,island1 compassing the ,shore1 and going round the utmost ,bounds of it2 sometimes walking or running a great many times round about his ,house or some ,stone1 at other times turning himself round so often that he was dizzy4 #ha4 ,his ,imitation of the third sort of ,attributes1 consisted in confining his ,thoughts to the ,contemplation of the necessarily self-existent ,being4 ,and in order to this1 he remov'd all his ,affections from sensible ,things1 shut his ,eyes1 stopp'd his ,ears1 and refrain'd himself as much as possible from following his ,imagination1 endeavouring to the utmost to think of nothing besides him2 nor to admit together with him any other ,object of ,contemplation4 ,and he us'd to help himself in this by violently turning himself round1 in which when he was very violently exercis'd1 all manner of sensible ,objects vanish'd out of his sight1 and the ,imagination1 and all the other ,faculties which make any use of the ,organs of the ,body grew ,weak2 and on the other side1 the ,operations of his ,essence1 which depended not on the ,body1 grew strong1 so that at sometimes his ,meditation was pure and free from any ,mixture1 and he beheld by it the necessarily self-existent ,being3 ,but then again the ,corporeal ,faculties would return upon him1 and spoil his ,contemplation1 and bring him down to the lowest ,degree where he was before4 ,now1 when he had any ,infirmity upon him which interrupted his ,design1 he took some kind of ,meat1 but still according to the aforemention'd ,rules2 and then remov'd again to that ,state of ,imitation of the ,heavenly ,bodies1 in these three ,respects which we have mention'd2 and thus he continued for some time opposing his ,corporeal ,faculties1 and they opposing him1 and mutually struggling one against another1 and at such times as he got the better of them2 and his ,thoughts were free from ,mixture2 he did apprehend something of the ,condition of those1 who have attained to the third ,resemblance4 #hb4 ,then he began to seek after this third ,assimulation1 and took pains in the attaining it4 ,and first he consider'd the ,attributes of the necessarily self-existent ,being4 ,now it had appear'd to him1 during the time of his ,theoretical ,speculation1 before he enter'd upon the ,practical ,part2 that there were two ,sorts of them1 viz4 ,affirmative1 as ,knowledge1 ,power and ,wisdom c4 and ,negative1 as ,immateriality2 not only such as consisted in the not being ,body2 but in being altogether remov'd from any thing that had the least ,relation to ,body1 though at never so great a ,distance4 ,and that this was a ,condition1 not only requir'd in the ,negative ,attributes1 but in the ,affirmative too1 viz4 that they should be free from all ,properties of ,body1 of which1 ,multiplicity is one4 ,now the ,divine ,essence is not multiplied by these ,affirmative ,attributes1 but all of 'em together are one and the same thing1 viz4 his real ,essence4 ,then he began to consider how he might imitate him in both these ,kinds2 and as for the ,affirmative ,attributes1 when he consider'd that they were nothing else but his real ,essence1 and that by no means it could be said of them that they are many7because ,multiplicity is a ,property of ,body7 and that the ,knowledge of his own ,essence was not a ,notion superadded to his ,essence1 but that his ,essence was the ,knowledge of his ,essence2 and so vice versa1 it appear'd to him1 that if he would know his ,being1 this ,knowledge1 by which he knew his ,being would not be a ,notion superadded to his ,being1 but be the very ,being itself4 ,and he perceived that his way to make himself like to him1 as to what concern'd his ,affirmative ,attributes1 would be to know him alone1 abstracted wholly from all ,properties of ,body4 #hc4 ,this he apply'd himself to2 and as for the ,negative ,attributes1 they all consisted in ,separation from ,bodily ,things4 ,he began therefore to strip himself of all ,bodily ,properties1 which he had made some ,progress in before1 during the time of the former ,exercise1 when he was employ'd in the ,imitation of the ,heavenly ,bodies2 but there still remained a great many ,relicks1 as his ,circular ,motion 7,motion being one of the more proper ,attributes of ,body71 and his care of ,animals and ,plants1 ,compassion upon them1 and ,industry in removing whatever inconvenienc'd them4 ,now all these things belong to ,corporeal ,attributes1 for he could not see these things at first1 but by ,corporeal ,faculties2 and he was oblig'd to make use of the same ,faculties in preserving them4 ,therefore he began to reject and remove all those things from himself1 as being in no wise consistent with that ,state which he was now in search of4 ,so he continu'd1 confining himself to rest in the ,bottom of his ,cave1 with his ,head bow'd down1 and his ,eyes shut1 and turning himself altogether from all sensible ,things and the ,corporeal ,faculties1 and bending all his ,thoughts and ,meditations upon the necessarily self-existent ,being1 without admitting any thing else besides him2 and if any other ,object presented itself to his ,imagination1 he rejected it with his utmost ,force2 and exercis'd himself in this1 and persisted in it to that ,degree1 that sometimes he did neither eat nor stir for a great many ,days together4 ,and whilst he was thus earnestly taken up in ,contemplation1 sometimes all manner of ,beings whatsoever would be quite out of his ,mind and ,thoughts1 except his own ,being only4 #hd4 ,but he found that his own ,being was not excluded by his ,thoughts1 no not at such times when he was most deeply immers'd in the ,contemplation of the first1 true1 necessarily self-existent ,being4 ,which concern'd him very much1 for he knew that even this was a ,mixture in this simple ,vision1 and the ,admission of an extraneous ,object in that ,contemplation4 ,upon which he endeavour'd to disappear from himself1 and be wholly taken up in the ,vision of that true ,being2 till at last he attain'd it2 and then both the ,heavens and the ,earth1 and whatsoever is between them1 and all ,spiritual ,forms1 and ,corporeal ,faculties2 and all those ,powers which are separate from ,matter1 and are those ,beings which know the necessarily self-existent ,being1 all disappear'd and vanish'd1 and were as if they had never been1 and amongst these his own ,being disappear'd too1 and there remain'd nothing but this ,,one1 ,,true1 ,perpetually ,self-existent ,being1 who spoke thus in that ,saying of his 7which is not a ,notion superadded to his ,essence47 ,to whom now belongs the ,kingdom8 ,to this ,one1 ,almighty ,god4#bb ,which ,words of his ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan understood1 and heard his ,voice2 nor was his being unacquainted with ,words1 and not being able to speak1 any ,hindrance at all to the understanding him4 ,wherefore he deeply immers'd himself into this ,state1 and witness'd that which neither ,eye hath seen1 nor ,ear heard2 nor hath it ever enter'd into the ,heart of ,man to conceive4 #he4 ,and now1 don't expect that ,i should give thee a ,description of that1 which the ,heart of ,man cannot conceive4 ,for if a great many of thole things which we do conceive are nevertheless hard to be explain'd1 how much more difficult must those be which cannot be conceiv'd by the ,heart1 nor are circumscrib'd in the ,limits of that ,world in which it converses4 ,now1 when ,i say the ,heart1 ,i don't mean the ,substance of it1 nor that ,spirit which is contain'd in the ,cavity of it2 but ,i mean by it1 the ,form of that ,spirit which is diffus'd by its ,faculties through the whole ,body of ,man4 ,now every one of these three is sometimes call'd the ,heart1 but 'tis impossible that this thing which ,i mean should be comprehended by any of these three1 neither can we express any thing by ,words1 which is not first conceiv'd in the ,heart4 ,and whosoever asks to have it explain'd1 asks an ,impossibility2 for 'tis just as if a ,man should have a mind to taste ,colours1 quatenas ,colours1 and desire1 that black should be either sweet or sowre4 ,however1 ,i shall not dismiss you without some ,limits1 whereby ,i shall point out to you in some ,measure1 what wonderful things he saw when in this ,condition1 but all figuratively1 and by way of ,parable2 not pretending to give a literal ,description of that1 which is impossible to be known1 but by coming thither4 ,attend therefore with the ,ears of thy ,heart1 and look sharply with the ,eyes of thy ,understanding1 upon that which ,i shall shew thee2 it may be thou may'st find so much in it1 as may serve to lead thee into the right way4 ,but ,i make this ,bargain1 that thou shalt not at present require any further ,explication of it by ,word of ,mouth2 but rest thy self contented with what ,i shall commit to these ,papers4 ,for 'tis a narrow ,field1 and 'tis dangerous to attempt the explaining of that with ,words1 the ,nature of which admits no ,explication4 #hf4 ,i say then1 when he had abstracted himself from his own and all other ,essences1 and beheld nothing in ,nature1 but only that ,one1 ,living and ,permanent ,being3 ,when he saw what he saw1 and then afterwards return'd to the beholding of other ,things3 ,upon his ,coming to himself from that ,state 7which was like ,drunkenness7 he began to think that his own ,essence did not at all differ from the ,essence of that ,,true ,being1 but that they were both one and the same thing2 and that the thing which he had taken before for his own ,essence1 distinct from that true ,essence was in reality nothing at all1 and that there was nothing in him but this true ,essence4 ,and that this was like the ,light of the ,sun1 which1 when it falls upon solid ,bodies1 shines there2 and though it be attributed1 or may seem to belong to that ,body upon which it appears1 yet it is nothing else in reality1 but the ,light of the ,sun4 ,and if that ,body be remov'd1 its ,light also is remov'd2 but the ,light of the ,sun remains still after the same manner1 and is neither increas'd by the ,presence of that ,body1 nor diminish'd by its ,absence4 ,now when there happens to be a ,body which is fitted for such a ,reception of ,light1 it receives it2 if such a ,body be absent1 then there is no such ,reception1 and it signifies nothing at all4 #hg4 ,he was the more confirm'd in this ,opinion1 because it appeared to him before1 that this ,,true ,powerful and ,glorious ,being1 was not by any means capable of ,multiplicity1 and that his ,knowledge of his ,essence1 was his very ,essence1 from whence he argued thus3 ,he that has the ,knowledge of this ,essence has the ,essence itself2 hut ,i have the knowledge of this ,essence4 ,ergo1 ,i have the ,essence itself4 ,now this ,essence can be present no where but with itself1 and its very ,presence is ,essence2 and therefore he concluded that he was that very ,essence4 ,and to all other ,essences which were separate from ,matter1 which had the ,knowledge of that true ,essence1 though before he had looked upon them as many1 by this way of thinking1 appear'd to him to be only one thing4 ,and this misgrounded ,conceit of his1 had like to have firmly rooted itself in his ,mind1 unless ,god had pursu'd him with his ,mercy1 and directed him by his gracious ,guidance2 and then he perceiv'd that it arose from the ,relicks of that ,obscurity which is natural to ,body1 and the ,dregs of sensible ,objects4 ,because that ,much and ,little1 ,unity and ,multiplicity1 ,collection and ,separation1 are all of them ,properties of ,body4 ,but we cannot say of these separate ,essences1 which know this ,,true ,being 7whose ,name be prais'd7 that they are many or one1 because they are immaterial4 ,now1 ,multiplicity is because of the ,difference of one ,being from another1 and there can be no ,unity but by ,conjunction1 and none of these can be understood without ,compound ,notions which are mix'd with ,matter4 ,besides1 that the ,explication of ,things in this place is very straight and difficult2 because if you go about to express what belongs to these separate ,essences1 by way of ,multitude1 or in the ,plural1 according to our way of speaking1 this insinuates a ,notion of ,multiplicity1 whereas they are far from being many2 and if you speak of them by way of ,separation1 or in the ,singular1 this insinuates a ,notion of ,unity1 whereas they are far from being one4 #hh4 ,and here methinks ,i fee one of those ,batts1 whose ,eyes the ,sun dazzles1 moving himself in the ,chain of his ,folly1 and saying1 ,this ,subtilty of yours exceeds all ,bounds1 for you have withdrawn your self from the ,state and ,condition of understanding ,men1 and indeed thrown away the ,nature of ,intelligible ,things1 for this is a certain ,axiom1 that a thing must be either one1 or more than one4 ,soft and fair2 let that ,gentleman be pleas'd to consider with himself1 and contemplate this vile1 sensible ,world1 after the same manner which ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan did1 who1 when he consider'd it one way1 sound such a ,multiplicity in it1 as was incomprehensible2 and then again considering it another way1 perceiv'd that it was only one thing2 and thus he continu'd fluctuating1 and could not determine on one side more than another4 ,now if it were so in this sensible ,world1 which is the proper place of ,multiplicity and ,singularity1 and the place where the true ,nature of them is understood1 and in which are ,separation and ,union1 ,division into ,parts1 and ,distinction1 ,agreement and ,difference1 what would he think of the ,divine ,world1 in1 or concerning which we cannot justly say1 all nor some1 nor express any thing belonging to it by such ,words as our ,ears are us'd to1 without insinuating some ,notion which is contrary to the ,truth of the thing1 which no ,man knows but he that has seen it1 nor understands2 but he that has attain'd to it4 #hi4 ,and as for his saying1 ,that ,i have withdrawn myself from the ,state and ,condition of understanding ,men1 and thrown away the ,nature of ,intelligible ,things3 ,i grant it1 and leave him to his ,understanding1 and his understanding ,men he speaks of4 ,for that ,understanding which he1 and such as he1 mean1 is nothing else but that ,rational ,faculty which examines the ,individuals of ,sensible ,things1 and from thence gets an ,universal ,notion2 and those understanding ,men he means1 are those which make use of this sort of ,separation4 ,but that kind1 which we are now speaking of1 is above all this2 and therefore let every one that knows nothing but ,sensible ,things and their ,universals1 shut his ,ears1 and pack away to his ,company1 who know the outside of the ,things of this ,world1 but take no care of the next4 ,but if thou art one of them to whom these ,limits and ,signs by which we describe the ,divine ,world are sufficient1 and dost not put that ,sense upon my ,words in which they are commonly us'd#bc1 ,i shall give thee some farther ,account of what ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan saw1 when he was in the ,state of those who have attain'd to the ,truth1 of which we have made ,mention before1 and it is thus2 #ij4 ,after he was wholly immers'd in the ,speculation of these things1 and perfectly abstracted from all other ,objects1 and in the nearest ,approach#bd2 he saw in the highest ,sphere1 beyond which there is no ,body1 a ,being free from ,matter1 which was not the ,being of that ,,one1 ,,true ,,one1 nor the ,sphere itself1 nor yet any thing different from them both2 but was like the ,image of the ,sun which appears in a well-polish'd ,looking-glass1 which is neither the ,sun nor the ,looking-glass1 and yet not distinct from them4 ,and he saw in the ,essence of that separate ,sphere1 such ,perfection1 ,splendor and ,beauty1 as is too great to be express'd by any ,tongue1 and too subtil to be cloath'd in ,words2 and he perceiv'd that it was in the utmost ,perfection of ,delight and ,joy1 ,exultation and ,gladness1 by reason of its beholding that ,,true ,essence1 whose ,glory be exalted1 #ia4 ,he saw also that the next ,sphere to it1 which is that of the ,fixed ,stars1 had an immaterial ,essence1 which was not the ,essence of that ,,true ,,one1 nor the ,essence of that highest1 separated ,sphere1 nor the ,sphere itself1 and yet not different from these2 but is like the ,image of the ,sun which is reflected upon a ,looking glass1 from another ,glass placed opposite to the ,sun2 and he observ'd in this ,essence also the like ,splendor1 ,beauty1 ,loveliness and ,pleasure1 which he had observ'd in the ,essence of the other highest ,sphere4 ,he saw likewise that the next ,sphere1 which is the ,sphere of ,saturn1 had an immaterial ,essence1 which was none of those ,essences he had seen before1 nor yet different from them2 but was like the ,image of the ,sun1 which appears in a ,glass1 upon which it is reflected from a ,glass which receiv'd that ,reflection from another ,glass plac'd opposite to the ,sun4 ,and he saw in this ,essence too1 the same ,splendor and ,delight which he had observ'd in the former4 ,and so in all the ,spheres he observ'd distinct1 immaterial ,essences1 every one of which was not any of those which went before it1 not yet different from them2 but was like the ,image of the ,sun reflected from one ,glass to another1 according to the ,order of the ,spheres4 ,and he saw in every one of these ,essences1 such ,beauty1 ,splendor1 ,pleasure and ,joy1 as ,eye hath not seen1 nor ,ear heard1 nor hath it enter'd into the ,heart of ,man to conceive2 and so downwards1 till he came to the lower ,world1 subject to ,generation and ,corruption1 which comprehends all that which is contained within the ,sphere of the ,moon4 #ib4 ,which he perceiv'd had an immaterial ,essence1 as well as the rest2 not the same with any of those which he had seen before1 nor different from them2 and that this ,essence had seventy thousand ,faces1 and every ,face seventy thousand ,mouths1 and every ,mouth seventy thousand ,tongues1 with which it praised1 sanctified and glorified incessantly the ,essence of that ,,one1 ,,true ,,being4 ,and he saw that this ,essence 7which he had suppos'd to be many1 tho' it was not7 had the same ,perfection and ,pleasure1 which he had seen in the other2 and that this ,essence was like the ,image of the ,sun1 which appears in fluctuating ,water1 which has that ,image reflected upon it from the last and lowermost of those ,glasses1 to which the ,reflection came1 according to the foremention'd ,order1 from the first ,glass which was set opposite to the ,sun4 ,then he perceiv'd that he himself had a separate ,essence1 which one might call a part of that ,essence which had seventy thousand ,faces1 if that ,essence had been capable of ,division2 and if that ,essence had not been created in time1 one might say it was the very same2 and had it not been join'd to the ,body so soon as it was created1 we should have thought that it had not been created4 ,and in this ,order he saw other ,essences also1 like his own which had necessarily been heretofore1 then were dissolv'd1 and afterwards necessarily existed together with himself2 and that they were so many as could not he number'd1 if we might call them many2 or that they were all one1 if we might call them one4 ,and he perceiv'd both in his own ,essence1 and in those other ,essences which were in the same ,rank with him1 infinite ,beauty1 ,brightness and ,pleasure1 such as neither ,eye hath seen1 nor ,ear heard1 nor hath it enter'd into the ,heart of ,man2 and which none can describe nor understand1 but those which have attain'd to it1 and experimentally know it4 #ic4 ,then he saw a great many other immaterial ,essences#be1 which resembled rusty ,looking-glasses1 cover'd over with ,filth1 and besides1 turn'd their ,backs upon1 and had their ,faces averted from those polish'd ,looking-glasses that had the ,image of the ,sun imprinted upon them2 and he saw that these ,essences had so much ,filthiness adhering to them1 and such manifold ,defects as he could not have conceived4 ,and he saw that they were afflicted with infinite ,pains1 which caused incessant ,sighs and ,groans2 and that they were compass'd about with ,torments1 as those who lie in a ,bed are with ,curtains2 and that they were scorch'd with the fiery ,veil of ,separation#bf4 ,but after a very little while his ,senses return'd to him again1 and he came to himself out of this ,state1 as out of an ,extasie2 and his ,foot sliding out of this place1 he came within sight of this sensible ,world1 and lost the sight of the ,divine ,world1 for there is no joining them both together in the same ,state4 ,for this ,world in which we live1 and that other are like two ,wives belonging to the same ,husband2 if you please one1 you displease the other4 #id4 ,now1 if you should object1 that it appears from what ,i have said concerning this ,vision1 that those separated ,essences1 if they chance to be in ,bodies of perpetual ,duration1 as the ,heavenly ,bodies are1 shall also remain perpetually1 but if they be in a ,body which is liable to ,corruption 7such an one as belongs to us reasonable ,creatures7 that then they must perish too1 and vanish away1 as appears from the ,similitude of the ,looking-glasses which ,i have us'd to explain it2 because the ,image there has no ,duration of itself1 but what depends upon the ,duration of the ,looking-glass2 and if you break the ,glass1 the ,image is most certainly destroy'd and vanishes4 ,in answer to this ,i must tell you1 that you have soon forgot the ,bargain ,i made with you4 ,for did not ,i tell you before that it was a narrow ,field1 and that we had but little room for ,explication2 and that ,words however us'd1 would most certainly occasion ,men to think otherwise of the thing than really it was8 ,now that which has made you imagine this1 is1 because you thought that the ,similitude must answer the thing represented in every respect4 ,but that will not hold in any common ,discourse2 how much less in this1 where the ,sun and its ,light1 and its ,image1 and the ,representation of it1 and the ,glasses1 and the ,forms which appear in them1 are all of them things which are inseparable from ,body1 and which cannot subsist but by it and in it1 and therefore the very ,essences of them depend upon ,body1 and they perish together with it4 #ie4 ,but as for the ,divine ,essences and ,heroick ,spirits1 they are all free from ,body and all its ,adherents1 and remov'd from them at the utmost distance1 nor have they any ,connection1 or ,dependance upon them4 ,and the existing or not existing of ,body is all one to them1 for their sole ,connection and ,dependance is upon that ,,one ,,true ,,necessary ,,self-,,existent ,,being1 who is the first of them1 and the ,beginning of them1 and the ,cause of their ,existence1 and he perpetuates them and continues them for ever2 nor do they want the ,bodies1 but the ,bodies want them2 for if they should perish1 the ,bodies would perish1 because these ,essences are the ,principles of these ,bodies4 ,in like manner1 as if a ,privation of that ,,one ,,true ,,being could be suppos'd 7far be it from him1 for there is no ,god but him7 all these ,essences would be remov'd together with him1 and the ,bodies too1 and all the sensible ,world1 because all these have a mutual ,connection4 #if4 ,now1 tho' the ,sensible ,world follows the ,divine ,world1 as a ,shadow does the ,body1 and the ,divine ,world stands in no need of it1 but is free from it1 and independent of it1 yet notwithstanding this1 it is absurd to suppose a ,possibility of its being annihilated1 because it follows the ,divine ,world3 ,but the ,corruption of this ,world consists in its being chang'd1 not annihilated4 ,and that glorious ,book#bg spake1 where there is no mention made of ,moving the ,mountains1 and making them like the ,world1 and ,men like ,fire-flyes1 and darkning the ,sun and ,moon2 and ,eruption of the ,sea1 in that day when the ,earth shall be chang'd into another ,earth1 and the ,heavens likewise4 ,and this is the ,substance of what ,i can hint to you at present1 concerning what ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan saw1 when in that glorious ,state4 ,don't expect that ,i should explain it any farther with ,words1 for that is even impossible4 #ig4 ,but as for what concerns the finishing his ,history1 that ,i shall tell you1 ,god willing4 ,after his return to the sensible ,world1 when he had been where we have told you1 he loath'd this present ,life1 and most earnestly long'd for the ,life to come2 and he endeavour'd to return to the same ,state1 by the same means he had sought it at first1 till he attain'd to it with less trouble than he did at first1 and continu'd in it the second time longer than at the first4 ,then he return'd to the ,sensible ,world2 and then again endeavour'd to recover his ,station1 which he found easier than at the first and second time1 and that he continu'd in it longer2 and thus it grew easier and easier1 and his ,continuance in it longer and longer1 time after1 time1 till at last he could attain it when he pleas'd1 and stay in it as long as he pleas'd4 ,in this ,state he firmly kept himself1 and never retir'd from it1 but when the ,necessities of his ,body requir'd it1 which he had brought into as narrow a ,compass as was possible4 ,and whilst he was thus exercis'd1 he us'd to with that it would please ,god to deliver him altogether from this ,body of his1 which detain'd him from that ,state2 that he might have nothing to do but to give himself up wholly to his ,delight1 and be freed from all that ,torment with which he was afflicted1 as often as he was forc'd to avert his ,mind from that ,state1 by attending on the ,necessities of ,nature4 ,and thus he continu'd1 till he was past the seventh ,septenary of his ,age2 that is1 till he was about fifty ,years of ,age1 and then he happen'd to be acquainted with ,asl4 ,the ,narrative of which meeting of theirs1 we shall now 7,god willing7 relate4 #ih4 ,they say that there was an ,island not far from that where ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan was born 7no matter according to which of those two different ,accounts they give of his ,birth7 into which one of those good ,sects1 which had some one of the ancient ,prophets 7of pious ,memory7 for its ,author1 had retir'd4 ,a ,sect which us'd to discourse of all things in ,nature1 by way of ,parable and ,similitude1 and by that means represent the ,images of them to the ,imagination1 and fix the ,impressions of them in ,men's ,minds1 as is customary in such ,discourses as are made to the ,vulgar4 ,this ,sect so spread it self in this ,island1 and prevail'd and grew so eminent1 that at last the ,king not only embrac'd it himself1 but oblig'd his ,subjects to do so too4 #ii4 ,now there were born in this ,island1 two ,men of extraordinary ,endowments1 and ,lovers of that which is ,good2 the ,name of the one was ,asl1 and the other ,salman1 who meeting with this ,sect1 embrac'd it heartily1 and oblig'd themselves to the punctual ,observance of all its ,ordinances1 and the daily ,exercise of what was practis'd in it2 and to this end they enter'd into a ,league of ,friendship with each other4 ,now among other ,passages contain'd in the ,law of that ,sect1 they sometimes made enquiry into these ,words1 wherein it treats of the ,description of the most ,high and ,glorious ,god1 and4 his ,angels1 and the ,resurrection1 and the ,rewards and ,punishments of a future ,state4 ,now ,asl us'd to make a deeper ,search into the inside of ,things1 and was more inclin'd to study ,mystical ,meanings and ,interpretations4 ,but as for his ,friend ,salman1 he kept close to the literal ,sense1 and never troubled himself with such ,interpretations1 but refrain'd from such curious ,examination and ,speculation of things4 ,however1 notwithstanding this ,difference1 they both were constant in performing those ,ceremonies requir'd1 and in calling themselves to an account1 and in opposing their ,affections4 #ajj4 ,now there were in this ,law some ,passages which seem'd to exhort ,men to ,retirement and a solitary ,life1 intimating that ,happiness and ,salvation were to be attain'd by it2 and others which seem'd to encourage ,men to ,conversation1 and the embracing ,human ,society4 ,asl gave himself up wholly to ,retirement1 and those ,expressions which favour'd it were of most weight with him1 because he was naturally inclin'd to ,contemplation1 and searching into the ,meanings of ,things2 and his greatest hope was1 that he should best attain his ,end by a solitary ,life4 ,salman1 on the other side1 applied himself to ,conversation1 and those ,sayings of the ,law which tended that way1 went the farthest with him2 because he had a natural ,aversion to ,contemplation1 and nice sifting of things4 ,and he thought that ,conversation did drive away evil ,thoughts1 and banish'd that ,diversity of ,opinions which offer'd themselves to his ,mind1 and kept him from the ,suggestions of evil ,thoughts4 ,in short1 their ,disagreement in this particular1 was the occasion of their parting4 #aja4 ,now ,asl had heard of that ,island1 in which we have told you that ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan had his ,breeding4 ,he knew also its ,fertility and ,conveniences1 and the healthful ,temper of the ,air1 so that it would afford him such a commodious ,retirement as he had in his ,wishes4 ,thither he resolv'd to go1 and withdraw himself from all manner of ,conversation1 the remaining part of his ,days4 ,so he took what ,substance he had1 and with part of it he hir'd a ,ship to convey him thither1 the rest he distributed among the poor people1 and took his leave of his ,friend ,salman1 and went aboard4 ,the ,mariners transported him to the ,island1 and set him a-shore and left him4 ,there he continu'd serving ,god1 and magnifying him1 and fancifying him1 and meditating upon his glorious ,names and ,attributes1 without any ,interruption or ,disturbance4 ,and when he was hungry1 he took what he had occasion for to satisfie his ,hunger1 of such ,fruits as the ,island afforded1 or what he could hunt4 ,and in this ,state he continu'd a while1 in the mean time enjoying the greatest ,pleasure imaginable1 and the most entire ,tranquillity of ,mind1 arising from the ,converse and ,communication which he had with his ,lord2 and every ,day experiencing his ,benefits and precious ,gifts1 and his bringing easily to his hand such things as he wanted1 and were necessary for his ,support1 which confirm'd his ,belief in him1 and was a great ,refreshment to him4 #ajb4 ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan1 in the mean time1 was wholly immers'd in his sublime ,speculations1 and never stirr'd out of his ,cell but once a ,week1 to take such ,provision as first came to hand4 ,so that ,asl did not light upon him at first1 but walk'd round the ,island1 and compass'd the ,extremities of it1 without seeing any ,man1 or so much as the ,footsteps of any3 ,upon which account his ,joy was increas'd1 and his ,mind exceedingly pleas'd1 in regard of his comparing that which he had propos'd to himself1 namely1 to lead the most retired ,life that was possible4 #ajc4 ,at last it happen'd1 one time that ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan coming out to look for ,provision in the the same place whither ,asl was retired1 they spy'd one another4 ,asl1 for his part1 did not question but that it was some religious ,person1 who for the sake of a solitary ,life1 had retir'd into that ,island1 as he had done himself1 and was afraid1 lest if he should come up to him1 and make himself known1 it might spoil his ,meditation1 and hinder his attaining what he hop'd for4 ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan on the other side could not imagine what it was1 for of all the ,creatures he had ever beheld in his whole ,life1 he had never seen any thing like it4 ,now ,asl had a black ,coat on1 made with ,hair and ,wool1 which ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan fancied was natural1 and stood wondring at it a long time4 ,asl ran away as hard as he could1 for fear he should disturb his ,meditation2 ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan ran after him1 out of an innate desire he had to know the ,truth of ,things4 ,but when he perceiv'd ,asl make so much haste1 he retir'd a little and hid himself from him2 so that ,asl thought he had been quite gone off1 and then he fell to his ,prayers1 and ,reading1 and ,invocation1 and ,weeping2 and ,supplication1 and ,complaining1 till he was altogether taken up1 so as to mind nothing else4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration #g 99 99 99 99 99 #ajd4 ,in the mean time ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan stole upon him by degrees1 and ,asl took no notice of him1 till he came so near as to hear him read and praise ,god1 and observ'd his humble ,behaviour1 and his ,weeping1 and heard a pleasant ,voice and distinct ,words1 such as he had never observ'd before in any kind of ,animals2 ,then he look'd upon his ,shape and ,lineaments1 and perceiv'd that he was of the same ,form with himself1 and was satisfied that the ,coat he had on1 was not a natural ,skin1 but an artificial ,habit like his own4 ,and when he observ'd the ,decency of his humble ,behaviour1 and his ,supplication and ,weeping1 he did not at all question but that he was one of those ,essences which had the ,knowledge of the ,,true ,,one2 and for that ,reason he had a ,desire to be acquainted with him1 and to know what was the matter with him1 and what caus'd this ,weeping and ,supplication4 ,whereupon he drew nearer to him1 till ,asl perceiving it1 betook himself to his ,heels again1 and ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan7answerably to his ,vigour and ,power both of ,knowledge and ,body1 which ,god had bestow'd upon him7 pursu'd him with all his ,might1 till at last he overtook him and seiz'd on him1 and held him fast1 so that he could not get away4 #aje4 ,when ,asl look'd upon him1 and saw him cloath'd with the ,skins of wild ,beasts with the ,hair on1 and his own ,hair so long as to cover a great part of his ,body1 and observ'd his great ,swiftness and ,strength1 he was very much afraid of him1 and began to pacifie him with stroaking him1 and entreating him1 but ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan did not understand one word he said1 nor knew any thing of his meaning1 only he perceiv'd that he was afraid1 and endeavour'd to allay his ,fear with such ,voices as he had learn'd of some of the ,beasts1 and stroak'd his ,head1 and both ,sides of his ,neck1 and shew'd ,kindness to him1 and express'd a great deal of ,gladness and ,joy2 till at last ,asl's ,fear was laid aside1 and he knew that he meant him no harm4 #ajf4 ,now ,asl long before1 out of his earnest ,desire of searching into the meaning of ,things1 had studied most ,languages1 and was well skill'd in them4 ,so he began to speak to ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan in all the ,languages which he understood1 and ask him ,questions concerning his way of ,life1 and took pains to make him understand him2 but all in vain1 for ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan stood all the while wondring at what he heard1 and did not know what was the meaning of it1 only he perceiv'd that ,asl was pleas'd1 and well-affected towards him4 ,and thus they stood wondring one at another4 #ajg4 ,now ,asl had by him some ,remainder of the ,provision which he had brought along with him1 from the inhabited ,island from whence he came2 and he offer'd it to ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan1 who did not know what to make on't1 for he had never seen any such before4 ,then ,asl eat some of it himself1 and invited ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan by ,signs to eat too4 ,but ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan bethought himself of those ,rules which he had prescrib'd to himself1 as to matter of ,diet2 and not knowing the ,nature of that which he offer'd him1 nor whether it was lawful for him to partake of it or not1 he refus'd it4 ,asl still continu'd urgent1 and invited him kindly3 ,now ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan had a great ,desire to be acquainted with him1 and was afraid that his continuing too stiff in his ,refusal1 might alienate his ,affections from him2 so he ventured upon it1 and eat some4 ,and when he had tasted of it1 and lik'd it1 he perceiv'd that he had done amiss1 in breaking those ,promises which he had made to himself concerning ,diet4 ,and he repented himself of what he had done1 and had ,thoughts of withdrawing himself from ,asl1 and retreating to his former ,state of ,contemplation4 #ajh4 ,but the ,vision did not easily appear to him at first1 upon which he resolv'd to continue with ,asl in the sensible ,world1 till he had thoroughly satisfied himself concerning him1 that so when he had no further ,desire towards him1 he might apply himself to his former ,contemplations without any ,interruption4 ,wherefore he applyed himself to the ,society of ,asl1 who perceiving that he could not speak1 was secure of any ,damage that might come to his ,religion1 by keeping ,company with him2 and besides1 had ,hopes of teaching him ,speech1 ,knowledge and ,religion1 and by that means1 of obtaining a great ,reward1 and near ,approach to ,god4 ,he began therefore to teach him how to speak2 first1 by shewing him particular ,things1 and pronouncing their ,names1 and repeating them often1 and perswading him to speak them3 which he did applying every ,word to the ,thing by it signified1 till he had taught him all the ,nouns1 and so improv'd him by degrees1 that he could speak in a very short time4 #aji4 ,then ,asl began to enquire of him concerning his way of ,living1 and from whence he came into that ,island8 ,and ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan told him1 that he knew nothing of his own ,original1 nor any ,father or ,mother that he had1 but only that ,roe which brought him up4 ,then he describ'd to him his manner of ,living1 from first to last1 and by what degrees he advanc'd in ,knowledge1 till he attain'd the ,union with ,god4 ,when ,asl heard him give an ,account of those ,truths1 and those ,essences which are separate from the ,sensible ,world1 and which have the ,knowledge of that ,,true ,,one1 7whose ,name be prais'd72 and heard him give an account of the ,essence of that ,,true ,,one1 and describe1 as far as was possible1 what he witness'd 7when he had attain'd to that ,union7 of the ,joys of those who are near united to ,god1 and the ,torments of those who are separated from him4 ,he made no doubt but that all those things which are contain'd in the ,law of ,god i4e4 the ,alcoran concerning his ,command1 his ,angels1 ,books and ,messengers1 the ,day of ,judgment1 ,paradise and ,hell1 were ,resemblances of what ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan had seen2 and the ,eyes of his ,understanding were open'd1 and he found that the ,original and the ,copy#bh did exactly agree together4 ,and the ways of ,mystical ,interpretation became easie to him1 and there appeared nothing difficult to him in those ,precepts which he had receiv'd1 but all was clear2 nor any thing shut up1 but all was open2 nor any thing profound1 but all was plain4 ,by this means his intellectual ,faculty grew strong and vigorous1 and he look'd upon ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan with ,admiration and ,respect1 and assur'd himself that he was one of the ,saints of ,god1 which have no ,fear upon them1 neither shall they suffer ,pain4 ,upon which he address'd himself to wait upon him1 and imitate him1 and to follow his ,direction in the ,performance of such ,works as he had occasion to make use of2 namely1 those legal ones which he had formerly learn'd from his own ,sect4 #aaj4 ,then ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan began to enquire of him concerning his ,condition and manner of living1 and ,asl gave him an account of the ,island from whence he came1 and what manner of ,people inhabited it1 and what sort of ,life they led before that religious ,sect1 which we mention'd1 came among them1 and how it was now1 since the coming of that ,sect4 ,he also gave him an ,account of what was deliver'd in the ,law i4e4 ,alcoran relating to the ,description of the ,divine ,world1 ,paradise and ,hell1 and the ,awakening and ,resurrection of ,mankind1 and their gathering together to ,judgment1 and the ,balance and the ,way4 ,all which things ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan understood very well1 and did not find any of them disagreeable to what he had seen1 when in that noble ,station2 and he knew that he that had described these ,things#bi1 and given an account of them1 had given a true ,account1 and was a ,messenger sent from his ,lord2 and he believ'd him1 and affirm'd his ,veracity1 and bore ,witness to his ,message4 #aaa4 ,then he began to ask him concerning the ,precepts which the ,messenger of ,god had deliver'd1 and the ,rites of ,worship which he had ordain'd4 ,and ,asl told him of ,prayer1 ,alms1 ,fasting and ,pilgrimage1 and such other ,external ,observances1 which he receiv'd and practis'd1 and took upon himself1 in ,obedience to his ,command1 of whose ,veracity he was very well allured4 ,only there were two things stuck in his ,mind1 which he wonder'd at1 and could not comprehend wherein the ,wisdom of them did consist4 ,the one was1 why this ,messenger of ,god1 in describing most things which relate to the ,divine ,world1 us'd to express them to ,men by ,parables or ,similitudes1 and wav'd a perspicuous ,explication of them2 by which occasion'd ,men in a great ,measure to fall into that ,error of asserting a ,corporeity in ,god1 and believing ,things of that ,,true ,being1 from which he is absolutely free2 and so in like manner1 concerning1 those ,things which relate to the ,rewards and ,punishments of a ,future ,state4 ,the other was1 why he went no farther than these ,precepts and ,rites of ,worship1 but gave ,men leave to gather ,riches1 and allow'd them a ,liberty as to matter of ,food2 by which means they employed themselves about vain ,things1 and turn'd away from the ,truth1 ,whereas his ,judgment was1 that no ,body ought to eat any thing1 but only just to keep him alive2 and as for ,riches1 ,he had no ,opinion of them at all4 ,and when he saw what was set down and prescrib'd in the ,law1 with ,relation to ,wealth1 as ,alms1 and the ,distribution of them1 and ,trading and ,usury1 ,mulcts and ,punishments2 these things seem'd all very odd to him1 and he judg'd them superfluous2 and said1 that if ,men understood ,things aright1 they would lay aside all these vain ,things1 and follow the ,truth1 and content themselves without any thing of all this2 and that no ,man would challenge such a ,propriety in ,riches1 as to have ,alms ask'd of him1 or to cause his ,hands to be cut off1 who privily stole them2 or their lives to be taken away1 who had openly robb'd him4 #aab4 ,now that which prompted him to this ,persuasion1 was this1 that he thought all ,men were indu'd with an ingenuous ,temper1 and penetrating ,understanding1 and a ,mind constant to itself2 and was not aware how blockish and stupid they were1 how ill-advis'd1 and inconstant in their ,resolutions2 insomuch1 that they are like ,brute ,beasts1 nay1 more apt to wander out of the way4 ,since therefore he was greatly affected with ,pity towards ,mankind1 and desir'd that he might be an ,instrument of their ,salvation2 a ,resolution came into his ,mind of going over to them1 to declare and lay before them the ,truth4 ,this ,intention of his he communicated to his ,friend ,asl and ask'd him if there could possibly be any way contriv'd to come at them4 #aac4 ,but ,asl told him what sort of ,people they were1 and how far from an ingenuous ,temper1 and how averse from obeying the ,commands of ,god2 but he had no ,notion of that1 but still his ,mind was intent upon that which he hop'd to compass3 ,and ,asl desir'd that it would please ,god1 by his means1 to direct some of his ,acquaintance which were of a more pliable ,temper than the rest1 and had more ,sincerity in them1 into the right way4 ,so then he was ready to further the ,design and ,endeavour of ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan4 ,upon which they resolved to keep close to the ,sea ,shore1 without stirring from it either ,day or ,night1 till ,god should please to afford them an ,opportunity of crossing the ,sea4 ,and all the while they were intent upon this1 they continu'd praying to ,god to direct them in this their ,business1 and bring it to an happy ,issue4 #aad4 ,at last1 as ,god 7whose ,name be prais'd7 would have it1 it happen'd1 that a ,ship which had lost her ,course1 was driven by the ,wind and ,water upon the ,shore of that ,island2 and as it drew nearer to ,land1 they who were in it1 seeing two ,men upon the ,shore1 made towards them4 ,then ,asl spoke to them1 and desir'd them to carry him and his ,companion along with them in the ,ship2 to which they contented1 and took them into the ,ship1 and it pleas'd ,god to send them a fair ,wind1 which1 in a short time1 carried them to the ,isle which they desir'd4 ,there they landed1 and went into the ,city2 and ,asl's ,friends came all about him1 and he gave 'em an account of ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan1 and his manner of living2 so that ,people flock'd to him from every side1 and admir'd and reverenc'd him4 ,then ,asl told him that this ,sect was superiour to all other sorts of ,men in ,knowledge and ,sagacity2 and that if he could not work upon them1 there were much lesser ,hopes of doing any ,good upon the ,vulgar4 #aae4 ,now ,salman 7,asl's ,friend1 who we told you chose ,conversation1 rather than ,solitude and ,retirement1 which he judg'd unlawful7 was ,prince and ,sovereign of this ,island4 ,so ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan began to teach them1 and explain the ,mysteries of ,wisdom to them2 but so soon as e'er he began to raise his ,discourse above ,external ,things a little1 and to inculcate that1 the contrary whereof had been settled1 and deeply rooted in their ,minds2 they began to withdraw themselves from him1 and their ,minds had an ,abhorrence for what he spake4 ,and though they carried themselves civilly to him1 both because he was a ,stranger1 and out of the ,observance which they thought due to their ,friend ,asl1 yet they were angry with him inwardly in their ,hearts4 ,however1 he continu'd reasoning with them mildly ,night and ,day1 and teaching them the ,,truth1 both in ,private and ,publick1 which only increas'd their ,hatred towards him1 and made them avoid his ,company1 though otherwise they were ,lovers of ,goodness1 and desirous of ,truth4 ,however1 through the ,defect of their ,nature1 they did not search for it after the right manner1 nor apprehend it as they should do2 but sought the ,knowledge of it after the common way1 like the rest of the ,world4 ,so that he despaired of doing any ,good upon them1 and all his ,hopes of amending them were defeated1 because they were not willing to receive what he taught them4 #aaf4 ,and afterwards1 taking a ,view of the several ,ranks and ,orders of ,men1 he perceiv'd that every sort of them plac'd their ,delight in those ,things which they possess'd at present1 and that their ,appetites were their ,god1 and that they lost themselves in gathering up the little ,things of this ,world2 and that the ,desire of getting more1 kept them employ'd till they came to their ,graves2 and that all good ,counsel was lost upon them2 and that disputing with them had only this ,effect1 that it made them the more obstinate4 ,and as for ,wisdom1 there was no way for them to attain it1 neither had they any ,share in it4 ,for ,folly has over-whelmed them1 and1 what they have sought after1 has covered their ,hearts like ,raft2 ,god has sealed up their ,hearts and their ,ears1 and their ,eyes are dim1 and they shall have sore ,punishment4#cj #aag4 ,when therefore he saw them compass'd about with the ,curtains of ,punishment1 and cover'd with the ,darkness of the ,veil2 and that all of them 7a few only excepted7 minded their ,religion no otherwise1 but with regard to this present ,world2 and cast the ,observance of religious ,performances behind their ,backs1 notwithstanding the ,easiness of them1 and sold them for a small ,price2 and that their ,merchandize and ,trading diverted them from thinking upon ,god1 so that they had no fear of that ,day in which both their ,hearts and ,eyes shall be turn'd round#ca2 he was fully satisfied1 that it was to no purpose to speak to them plainly1 neither that it was expedient any ,works should be enjoin'd them beyond this ,measure2 and that the greatest ,benefit which accru'd to the common sort of ,men by the ,law1 was wholly plac'd in ,relation to ,things of this ,world1 viz4 that they might be in a comfortable way of ,living1 and that no ,man might invade another's ,property2 and that there was but here and there one that attain'd to ,happiness hereafter2 namely1 such an one as made it his ,business in this ,world to provide for another1 and took due care about it1 and was a ,believer3 ,but that ,hell was the ,place for him that err'd from the ,truth1 and preferr'd the ,life of this present ,world before it4 ,and what ,labour can be greater1 or what ,misery more compleat than his1 who works1 if you observe1 from the time he awakes1 till he goes to sleep again1 you will find that he does nothing but what tends to the attaining of some one or other of these vile sensible ,things2 namely1 either ,riches1 to heap them up2 or ,pleasure1 which he may take2 or ,lust1 which he may satisfie2 or ,revenge1 whereby he may pacifie his ,mind2 or ,power1 to defend himself2 or some outward ,work commanded by the ,law1 whereof he may make a vain-glorious ,shew2 or whereby he may save his own ,neck8 ,now all these things are ,darkness upon ,darkness in the ,depth of the ,sea1 neither is there any of you that doth not enter in thither1 for such is the unchangeable ,decree of the ,lord4#cb #aah4 ,and when he understood the ,condition of ,mankind1 and that the greatest part of them were like ,brute ,beasts1 he knew that all ,wisdom1 ,direction and good ,success1 consisted in what the ,messengers of ,god had spoken1 and the ,law deliver'd2 and that there was no other way besides this1 and that there could be nothing added to it2 and that there were ,men appointed to every ,work1 and that every one was best capable of doing that unto which he was appointed by ,nature4 ,that this was ,god's way of dealing with those which were gone before1 and that there is no ,change in his way4 ,whereupon returning to ,salman and his ,friends1 he begg'd their ,pardon for what he had said to them1 and desir'd to be excus'd1 and told them that he was of the same ,opinion with them1 and went on in the same way1 and persuaded them to stick firmly to their ,resolution of keeping within the ,bounds of the ,law1 and the ,performance of the ,external ,rites1 and that they should not much dive into the ,things that did not concern them3 and that in doubtful ,things they should give ,credit1 and yield their ,assent readily2 and that they should abstain from novel ,opinions1 and from their ,appetites1 and follow the ,examples of their pious ,ancestors1 and forsake ,novelties1 and that they should avoid that neglect of religious ,performances which was seen in the vulgar sort of ,men1 and the ,love of the ,world1 which he principally caution'd them against4 ,for both he and his ,friend ,asl knew that this tractable1 but defective sort of ,men1 had no other way in the ,world to escape1 but only by this means2 and that if they should be rais'd above this to curious ,speculations1 it would be worse with them1 and they would not be able to attain to the ,degree of the ,blessed1 but would fluctuate and be toss'd up and down1 and make a bad ,end4 ,but on the contrary1 if they continu'd in that ,state in which they were till ,death overtook them1 they should be happy1 and stand on the right ,hand3 ,but as for those that out-went them1 they should also take place of them1 and that they should be the next4 #aai4 ,so they took their leave and left them1 and sought for an ,opportunity of returning to their ,island1 till it pleas'd ,god to help them to a ,convenience of passing4 ,and ,hal ,ebn ,yokdhan endeavour'd to attain to his lofty ,station1 by the same means he had sought it at first1 till he recover'd it2 and ,asl followed his ,steps1 till he came near him1 or wanted but very little of it2 and thus they continued serving ,god in this ,island till they died4 #abj4 ,and this is that 7,god assist thee and us by his ,spirit7 which we have receiv'd of the ,history of ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan1 ,asl and ,salman2 which comprehends such ,choice of ,words1 as are not found in any other ,book1 nor heard in common ,discourse4 ,and it is a piece of hidden ,knowledge which none can receive1 but those which have the ,knowledge of ,god1 nor can any be ignorant of it1 but those which have not4 ,now we have taken a contrary ,method to our pious ,ancestors1 as to their ,reservedness in this ,matter1 and ,sparingness of ,speech4 ,and the ,reason which did the more easily persuade me to divulge this ,secret1 and tear the ,veil1 was1 because of the corrupt ,notions which some ,pretenders to ,philosophy in our ,age have broach'd and scatter'd1 so that they are diffus'd through several ,countries1 and the ,mischief which arises from thence is become ,epidemical4 ,fearing therefore lest those weak ones1 who reject the ,tradition of the ,prophets 7of ,blessed ,memory7 and make choice of that which is delivered them by ,fools1 should imagine that these ,opinions are that ,secret1 which ought to be with-held from those who are not worthy or capable of it1 and so their ,desire and ,study of these ,opinions should be increas'd4 ,i have thought good to give them a ,glimpse of this ,secret of ,secrets1 that ,i might draw them into the right ,way1 and avert them from this other4 ,nevertheless1 ,i have not so delivered the ,secrets which are comprehended in these few ,leaves1 as to leave them without a thin ,veil or ,cover over them1 which will be easily rent by those who are worthy of it2 but will be so thick to him1 that is unworthy to pass beyond it1 that he shall not be able to get through it4 ,and ,i desire of those my ,brethren who shall see this ,discourse1 that they would excuse me for being so easily induc'd to explain it1 and so free in the ,description of it2 seeing ,i had not done so1 if ,i had not been elevated to such ,heights1 as transcend the ,reach of ,humane ,sight4 ,and ,i was willing to express it in easie ,terms1 that ,i might dispose ,men1 and raise a ,desire in them to enter into the right ,way4 ,and ,i beg of ,god ,pardon and ,forgiveness1 and that he would please to bring us to the true and certain ,knowledge of himself1 for he is gracious and liberal of his ,favours4 ,peace be to thee1 my ,brother1 whose ,promotion is decreed1 and1 the ,mercy find ,blessing of ,god be upon thee1 ,praise1 be to ,god alone4 ,the ,end4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ah3 p 4#ad4 ,sect4 #f4 ,those who affirm that ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan was produced in that ,island without ,father or ,mother--,the having our ,philosopher hatch'd after this manner1 is a contrivance of ,avicen's1 who wrote this ,story first1 and from whom our ,author has taken a great part of it4 ,he was of ,opinion that such a ,formation was possible2 tho' there having never been any such thing1 is a sufficient ,demonstration of the ,impossibility of it2 for since the ,creation of the ,world the ,celestial ,bodies have had time enough to exert the utmost of their ,power1 and shed their ,influence in order to such a ,production1 which they having never so much as attempted yet1 amongst all the variety of their ,operations1 plainly shew us that it is not in their power4 ,but we must give ,philosophers leave sometimes to go beyond ,demonstration4 ',tis observable1 that our ,author says nothing of the matter1 but leaves it as he found it4 ,footnote #ai3 ,god made ,man after his own ,image--,these ,words are quoted by our ,author for the ,words of ,mahomet1 though they do indeed ,belong to ,moses1 but we must know that ,mahomet was well acquainted with the ,jews from whom he learned not only some ,expressions us'd in the ,bible1 but a great part of the ,history of it2 which he has mangled and crowded1 after a confus'd manner1 into his ,alcoran4 ,footnote #bj3 ,alcoran1 ,chap4 ,alkesas4 ,footnote #ba3 ,our ,philosophers imitating the ,heavenly ,bodies in their ,circular ,motion1 would seem indeed extreamly ridiculous1 but that we are to consider that the ,mahometans have a superstitious ,custom of going several times round the ,cave of ,meccah1 when they go thither on ,pilgrimage1 and look upon it as a very necessary part of their ,duty4 ,now our ,author having resolved to bring his ,philosopher as far at least as was possible for one in his ,circumstances1 in the ,knowledge and ,practice of all those things which the ,mahometans account necessary1 would not let him be ignorant of this ,practice of moving round2 but has brought it under this second sort of ,imitation of the ,heavenly ,bodies4 ,now tho' our ,philosopher may be excus'd for not going to the ,temple at ,meccah1 yet so great stress is laid upon it by the ,mahometans1 that ,alhosain ,al ,hallgi ,ben ,mansour1 was1 in the #cjith ,year of the ,hegira 7of ,christ#iba7 condemn'd to dye by the ,vizier ,alhumed1 who pronounc'd ,sentence upon him1 having first advis'd with the ,imaums and ,doctors1 for having asserted1 that in case a ,man had ,a ,desire to go on ,pilgrimage to ,meccah1 and could not2 it would be sufficient1 if he set apart any clean ,room of his ,house for that purpose1 and went round about it1 and perform'd in it at the same time when the ,pilgrims are at ,meccah1 the same things which they do there1 and then fed and cloath'd #cj ,orphans1 and gave to each of them seven pieces of ,silver4 ,for which ,heterodox ,position he receiv'd a thousand ,stripes1 without so much as sighing or groaning1 and had first one ,hand cut off1 and then both his ,feet1 and then the other ,hand1 then he was kill'd and burnt1 and his ,ashes thrown into the ,river ,tigris1 and his ,head set upon a ,pole in the ,city of ,bagdad4 ,see ,abulpharagius4 p4 #bhg4 ,footnote #bb3 ,alcoran4 ,footnote #bc3 ,because ,words borrowed from and us'd about sensible and material ,things1 would lead ,men into ,mistakes1 when us'd to explain things ,spiritual1 if they be taken in a literal ,sense4 ,see #he4 ,footnote #bd3 ,the ,author means1 the nearest ,approach to ,god4 ,footnote #be3 ,as the ,author his in the three foregoing ,sections describ'd the ,condition of those glorified ,spirits1 who continually enjoy the ,beatifick ,vision2 so in this he describes the miserable ,state of those who are deprived of it1 i4e4 the ,damn'd4 ,footnote #bf3 ,i have omitted the following ,passage1 because ,i could not well tell how to make it intelligible2 the meaning of it in gross1 is still to express the miserable ,condition1 and horrible ,confusion of those ,spirits which are separated from the ,vision of ,god4 ,however1 ,i shall set it down in ,latin out of ,mr4 ,pocock's ,translation4 ,et ferris discindi inter repellendum attrabendum2 vidit etiam hic alias ,essentias1 prter istas1 qu cruciabantur1 qu apparebant deinde evanescebant1 connex erant cum dissolvebantur2 hic se cohibuit illasque ben perpendit vidit ingentes terrores1 negotia magna1 turbam occupatam1 operationem1 efficacem1 complanationem1 inflationem1 productionem1 destructionem4 ,the particulars of this ,passage1 would be best explain'd by the ,commentators upon the ,alcoran1 which ,i have no ,opportunity of consulting4 ,footnote #bg3 ,alcoran1 ,chap4 #ha1 and #aja4 ,footnote #bh3 ,the ,arabick ,words1 ,watathbaka indaho' ',imekol w'almenkol signify1 ,and that which was understood agreed with that which was copied4 ,but because that way of expressing it is obscure1 ,i have chose rather to leave the ,arabick ,word1 and express the ,sense1 which is this4 ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan1 having no ,advantages of ,education1 had acquir'd all his ,knowledge by singular ,industry and ,application1 till at last he attain'd to the ,vision of ,god himself1 by which means he saw all things relating to a future ,state1 viz4 by beholding in ,god the ,architypal ,ideas1 of which all things created1 and whatsoever is reveal'd to us1 are suppos'd to be ,copies4 ,now ,asl1 by conversing with him1 found1 that the ,mekoul1 i4e4 what ,hai ,ebn ,yokdhan saw by this sort of ,speculation2 and the ,menkoul1 i4e4 what ,asl had learn'd out of the ,alcoran1 and the ,tradition of the ,prophets1 did exactly answer one the other1 as a ,copy does its ,original4 ,footnote #bi3 ,mahomet4 ,footnote #cj3 ,alcoran1 ,chap4 #b and #hc4 ,footnote #ca3 ,this is an ,expression taken out of the ,alcoran1 and is design'd to express the ,confusion which the ,wicked shall be in at the ,day of ,judgment4 ,footnote #cb3 ,alcoran1 ,chap4 #bd and #ai4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,appendix4 ,in which the ,,author',s ,,notion concerning the ,possibility of a ,man's attaining to the true ,knowledge of ,,god1 and ,things necessary to ,salvation1 without the ,use of external ,means1 is briefly consider'd4 ,by ,,simon ,,ockley1 ,m4,a4 ,vicar of ,swanesey in ,cambridgshire4 ,,london1 ,printed in the ,year1 #agjh4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration #h 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,contents #a1 #b4 ,the ,occasion and ,design of this ,discourse4 #c1 #d1 #e4 ,god's way of teaching his ,people was by ,prophets4 #f1 #g4 ,prophecy not attain'd by any ,applicatian or ,industry1 but depended upon the positive ,will of ,god4 #h4 ,and1 consequently the ,vision of ,god1 or beholding the ,divine ,being1 which is superior to ,prophesying1 cannot be so attain'd4 #i4 ,that it was never mention'd as attainable1 nor the ,search of it recommended by the ,prophet ,moses1 #aj4 ,nor any other ,prophets that succeeded him4 #aa4 ,what was not enjoyed in the early ,times of ,christianity1 when the ,gifts of the ,spirit were more plentifully poured out1 cannot be expected now4 #ab4 ,but such ,a ,power1 whereby a ,man might 7without external ,helps7 attain to the true ,knowledge of ,god1 and ,things necessary to ,salvation1 was no where promis'd by our ,saviour4 #ac4 ,nor enjoyed by devout ,persons in the first times of the ,gospel2 which is prov'd from the ,example of the ,eunuch4 #ad4 ,and ,cornelius4 #ae4 ,the whole ,tenour of the ,apostles ,doctrine forbids us to expect the ,vision of ,god in this ,life4 #af4 ,from all which is inferr'd1 that those ,scriptures1 which speak of the plentiful ,effusion of the ,spirit in the ,gospel ,times1 are misunderstood by ,enthusiasts4 #ag4 ,why we are not to expect ,prophets now4 #ah4 ,if these things be denied to ,christians1 they are not to be found amongst ,heathens or ,mahometans4 #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 ,the ,enthusiasm of our ,author and others censured #bc4 ,conclusion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,appendix1 c4 #a4 ,tho' the preceeding ,history1 upon the account of the lively ,image and ,representation which it gives of unspotted ,virtue1 unfeigned ,love of ,god1 and ,contempt of the ,things of this ,life1 does very well deserve to be read3 ,so1 as it contains several things co-incident with the ,errors of some ,enthusiasts of these present ,times1 it deserves to be consider'd4 ,upon which ,account1 ,i had no sooner suffer'd my self to be perswaded to undertake the ,translation of this ,book1 than ,i determin'd to subjoin some ,reflections upon such part of it as seem'd to me most worthy of ,consideration4 ,lest otherwise1 that ,book1 which was by me design'd for the ,innocent1 and not altogether unprofitable ,diversion of the ,reader1 might accidentally prove a means of leading some into ,error1 who are not capable of judging aright2 and of confirming others in their ,mistakes1 who1 through their own ,weakness1 or the ,prejudice of a bad ,education1 have the ,misfortune to be led out of the way4 ,and ,i was the more willing to do it1 because there has been a bad ,use made of this ,book before4 #b4 ,there are a great many ,errors both in his ,philosophy and ,divinity3 ,and it was impossible it should be otherwise1 the one being altogether ,aristotelian1 the other ,mahometan4 ,i shall pass over the greatest part of them1 as not being likely to do any harm2 and confine my self chiefly to the ,examination of this ,fundamental ,error of my ,author1 viz1 ,that ,god has given such a ,power or ,faculty to ,man1 whereby he may1 without any external ,means1 attain to the ,knowledge of all things necessary to ,salvation1 and even to the ,beatifick ,vision it self1 whilst in this ,state#cc3 ,in doing which ,i shall still have regard to the ,errors receiv'd concerning these things in the present ,age4 #c4 ,in order to this ,i shall examine the ,ways and ,means by which the ,people of ,god in all ,ages1 came to the ,understanding of his ,will4 ,now 'tis evident1 from the absurd ,notions which the ancient ,heathens had of the ,deity1 and their ,idolatry1 that ,mankind was so far degenerated and deprav'd1 that they had lost the true ,knowledge of ,god1 and of his ,attributes1 and consequently were ignorant of their ,duty towards him2 for which reason1 ,god was pleas'd1 out of his infinite ,love and ,mercy towards ,mankind1 to send at sundry times ,prophets2 that is1 ,men who were inspir'd by the ,holy ,spirit1 and had the ,will of ,god immediately reveal'd to them2 to the end that they might instruct others how to serve him 7the ancient ,tradition receiv'd from our first ,parents1 and those good ,men which succeeded them1 being now almost worn out1 and over-grown by the increasing ,wickedness of the ,world7 and thereby avoid those ,judgments which would otherwise infallibly overtake them1 if they continu'd in ,impenitence and ,disobedience4 #d4 ,this was the ,means which the ,generality of the ,people of ,god had to know his ,will4 ,they receiv'd it from the ,prophets1 who had it immediately from ,god4 ,so that the ,difference of their ,knowledge consisted in the ,manner of their receiving of it1 not in the ,things receiv'd1 which were the same both to the ,prophets and the ,people4 ,only the ,prophets receiv'd it immediately1 but not the ,people3 for then consequently they would all have been ,prophets1 which it is plain they were not4 #e4 ,and when it had pleas'd ,god to give a clearer and fuller ,revelation of his ,will to the ,prophet ,moses2 what was deliver'd to him1 was committed to the ,care of the ,priests1 of whom both ,king and ,people were oblig'd to learn their ,duty4 ,deut4 xvii4 #ah4 ,and it shall be when he sitteth upon the ,throne of his ,kingdom1 that he shall write him a ,copy of this ,law in a ,book1 out of that which is before the ,priests the ,levites1 and it shall be with him1 and1 he shall read therein all the ,days of his ,life1 that he may learn to fear the ,lord his ,god1 to keep all the ,words of this ,law1 and these ,statutes1 to do them4 ,and ,malachi xi4 #g4 ,the ,priests ,lips should preserve ,knowledge1 and they should seek the ,law at his ,mouth1 for he is the ,messenger of the ,lord of ,hosts4 ,so that they were not to seek after any other more perfect manner of ,worship1 than what was deliver'd in that ,book1 nor to expect that those ,truths or ,precepts which were contained in it1 should be reveal'd to them anew1 either by any ,prophet living in their time1 or by immediate ,revelation2 but to draw all their ,instructions from the aforesaid ,helps4 ,and accordingly we never find any of the ,prophets making any ,alteration in the ,law1 or calling the people to a more perfect way of ,worship4 ,from whence 'tis plain that they were well assur'd of its ,sufficiency1 till the ,messias1 who was to compleat it should come2 and their never bidding the ,people to look for any other way of teaching than what was to be had from that ,book1 and the ,mouth of the ,priests1 proves evidently that they knew those means to be sufficient4 #f4 ,thus we have seen which way the generality of the ,people of ,god were taught2 let us now examine by what means the ,prophets attain'd their ,faculty of ,prophesying and wherein it did consist4 ,now it is most certain that the ,faculty of ,prophesying cannot be attain'd by any ,application or ,improvement of our ,abilities whatsoever1 but depends wholly and entirely upon the positive ,will of ,god1 who upon important and weighty ,occasions1 in his own due time1 and to such ,persons as seem best in his infinite ,wisdom1 does send such as he is pleas'd to set apart and qualifie for that ,service1 by the ,inspiration of his ,holy ,spirit4 ,for ,prophecy came not in old time by the ,will of ,man2 but holy ,men of ,god spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,ghost#cd4 ,it must not denyed1 but that a sober1 righteous and godly ,life1 a ,heavenly ,conversation1 and the keeping our selves pure both in ,body and ,spirit1 are excellent ,means to invite the ,holy ,spirit to dwell in and abide with us4 ,and this is agreeable to right ,notions of the ,purity of ,god1 and his ,love of that which is ,good1 and ,abhorrence of that which is ,evil3 ,it is confirmed by right ,reason1 the ,testimony of ancient ,churches and ,holy ,scripture it self4 ,but then the ,question is1 ,how does ,god dwell in those that are his8 ,certainly1 not so as to make ,prophets of them1 but to strengthen them in their ,holy ,resolutions1 and enable them to perform such ,things as tend most to his ,glory1 and their own ,salvation4 ,and upon a due ,examination1 we shall find that this is all which the greatest number by far of ,godly ,men ever attain'd2 who notwithstanding must by no means be accus'd of ,slothfulness in not approving their ,talent1 nor of being wanting in their ,endeavours to make the nearest ,approaches to ,god that they were capable of4 #g4 ,this will appear further1 if we consider that those means which were us'd by ,holy ,persons of ,old1 in order to the ,improvement of themselves or others1 in the ,exercise of ,piety and ,religion1 cannot upon any account be reckon'd as means of their becoming ,prophets4 ,tho' ,samuel was dedicated to the ,service of ,god from his ,birth1 and it pleas'd ,god to chuse him for a ,prophet2 yet there is no question to be made1 but that there were several others so dedicated1 which did never prophesy4 ,tho' ,daniel was heard from the first day that he did set his ,heart to understand1 and to chasten himself before ,god#ce1 and had an ,angel sent to him with a ,revelation1 yet cannot that disciplining of himself be in any wise accounted a ,cause of that ,revelation2 for if it were1 the same ,method would produce the same ,effect in another ,man4 ,and tho' there were particular ,advantages in being a ,member of the ,college of ,prophets2 as the ,prophet ,amos#cf intimates1 where he says1 ,i was no ,prophet1 nor ,a ,prophet's ,son 7which must be interpreted ,the ,scholar of a ,prophet1 for the ,scholars of the ,prophets are always call'd ,sons of the ,prophets in ,scripture7 yet none of these ,means were sufficient to help ,men to the ,gift of ,prophecy4 ,the pious ,parents thought it a very good way of improving their ,children in the ,fear and ,love of ,god1 and the ,knowledge of his ,will1 to have them brought up under those ,holy and ,exemplary ,men the ,prophets2 and accordingly they waited upon them1 went on ,errands and did their ,service2 at the same time enjoying the great ,advantage of their ,example and ,discourse4 ,and according to their ,example1 even after ,prophesy was ceas'd among the ,jews1 the eminent ,men and chief ,doctors of the ,law had their ,scholars and ,disciples1 more or fewer1 according to the ,credit and ,esteem of the ,matter4 ,so that our ,blessed ,saviour's chusing his twelve ,disciples1 was no new thing among the ,jews1 but had been practis'd all along1 since those ,schools of the ,prophets4 ,but never did any one imagine1 that these means of ,discipline1 or any other1 were ,steps to the attaining the ,gift of ,prophecy1 which always depended1 not upon ,mens ,acquirements or ,improvements in that which is good1 but upon the positive ,will of ,god4 #h4 ,now1 if1 as appears from what is already said1 ,god has not afforded to ,man1 any ,means whereby he can attain to the more inferior ,degree of ,prophecy1 which consists in having only some part of his ,will reveal'd2 and that not constantly or habitually1 but as occasion serves3 ,how vain and fond is it then for any one to imagine that he has given him a ,capacity of enjoying his ,presence as he is1 and of seeing all things in him8#cg ,which is as much above the ,attainments of the greatest ,prophets1 as theirs is above the weakest of ,men4 ,for if we consider we shall find that the ,prophets ,business consisted in delivering a particular ,message to one or more2 the ,contents of which sometimes they receiv'd by ,day#ch1 which sort of ,vision is call'd ,machazeh1 or1 ,mareeh1 or else by ,night in a ,dream1 and this was call'd ,hhalm1 a ,dream1 or ,hezyon ,hallaiyelah1 a ,nocturnal ,vision4 ,but what is either or both these to the ,intuition of the ,divine ,presence8 ,there is as much ,difference1 as there is between a great ,courtier and a ,favourite1 who when he pleases1 enjoys the ,presence of his ,prince1 and one who is now and then sent by him on an ,errand4 ,and yet to such a degree of ,enthusiasm have some gone1 as our ,author here in particular1 and several more of the same strain in those former ,ages1 and the ,quietists and other ,mysticks and ,enthusiasts in our times1 that nothing will down with him less than the ,intuition of the ,divine-,being1 and they despise ,meditation#ci1 as a mean thing1 and too much below one that aspires to ,perfection4 ,and this1 it seems1 is attainable by ,application and continued ,exercise2 whereby they have at once set all ,mankind in a ,capacity of out-doing infinitely the ancient ,prophets1 who if they had known any thing of this way1 certainly would not have been so sparing of it in their ,writings1 especially when their ,business was to labour for the ,benefit and ,instruction of ,mankind4 ,but there is not one word in all their ,writings which favours this ,opinion1 from whence we may safely conclude1 that they had no such ,notion2 and yet it must not be in the least doubted1 but that they were throughly acquainted with the ,will of ,god1 and knew more of his secret ,counsel than any other ,men in the ,world whatsoever4 #i4 ,it must needs be acknowledg'd by us ,christians1 as well as by the ,jews1 that ,moses was1 without ,controversie1 the the greatest ,prophet that ever appear'd upon ,earth before our ,saviour's time1 and had the most frequent and greatest ,revelations of the ,divine ,will4 ,for tho' it was a singular ,favour which ,god vouchsafed the other ,prophets1 in communicating to them some of the ,secrets of his ,purposes2 yet ,moses was the ,man whom ,god chose to be the ,instrument of the ,deliverance of his ,people ,israel1 by such convincing ,signs and ,wonders1 as were undeniable ,evidences of the ,divine ,power by which they were wrought1 and who was not only to be ,god's ,messenger to his ,people in some few ,particulars1 but the immediate ,receiver of that ,law1 and all the ,oeconomy1 both ,ecclesiastical and ,civil1 by which ,god's ,people were to be governed without any ,addition or ,diminution1 so many hundred ,years1 till the ,coming of the promised ,messias4 ,god himself bears ,witness to this1 ,numb4 xii4 #f4 ,if there be a ,prophet among you1 ,i the ,lord will make my self known unto him in a ,vision1 and will speak unto him in a ,dream4 ,my ,servant ,moses is not so1 who is faithful in all mine ,house4 ,with him will ,i speak mouth to mouth1 even apparently1 and not in dark ,speeches1 and the ,similitude of the ,lord shall he behold4 ,now ,moses had not been faithful in ,god's ,house1 if he had not reveal'd the whole ,will of ,god to his ,people1 as it was deliver'd to him2 which most certainly he did4 ,but how8 ,why1 he commands the ,people thus1 ,deut4 vi4 #ag4 ,you shall diligently keep the ,commandments of the ,lord your ,god1 and his ,testimonies and his ,statutes which he hath commanded thee2 which were1 no doubt1 the very same which he had received upon ,mount ,sinai4 ,nor did this ,holy ,man1 this faithful ,servant in ,god's ,house1 ever recommend1 or so much as hint any such ,service of ,god1 as is dream'd of by our ,mysticks1 or give the least ,encouragement for any to hope for the ,gift of ,prophecy1 or an ,intuition or beholding the ,divine ,being in this ,state4 ,and yet it is certain that both ,moses himself1 and ,multitudes of others after him1 were ,heavenly-minded ,men1 and did that which was acceptable in the ,sight of ,god1 and shall be ,partakers of ,everlasting ,glory4 #aj4 ,nor did any of the ,prophets1 which came after him1 ever advance any such refin'd way of ,worship2 but constantly blam'd the ,people for not observing the ,law of ,moses1 and neglecting the ,statutes and ,ordinances which he had left them4 ,and the ,sum of their ,prophecies consists1 either in ,exhorting1 ,reproving1 ,promising or ,threatning1 and some ,hints of the ,messias4 ,but not one ,syllable concerning any such abstracted ,worship1 nor any ,mention made of ,mens attaining the ,beatifick ,vision4 ,notwithstanding which1 there have been1 and still are1 a great many deluded ,souls1 who imagine that the warm ,conceptions of distemper'd ,brains1 are a great ,measure of that ,holy ,spirit by which the old ,prophets spake2 and pretend to such a ,familiarity and intimate ,conversation with ,god2 such an entire ,communication and ,intercourse1 that they might1 if what they said were true1 seem to be glorified ,spirits1 rather than ,prophets1 subject to the like ,infirmities with other ,men2 and to have left the ,church ,militant to take their place in the ,triumphant4 ,not considering1 that all this is only a pleasing sort of an ,amusement1 a ,fool's ,paradise1 and grounded upon no better ,reason or ,foundation1 than the ,man that was distracted had to fancy himself an ,emperor1 and all that came about him his ,subjects4 ,these ,men do not consider that we live in such an ,age of the ,world1 as we are not to expect such extraordinary ,effusions of the ,spirit3 ,all that we can reasonably expect1 or that ,god has promis'd1 is1 to give his ,holy ,spirit to those that ask it of him2 that is1 so to guide them by his gracious ,assistance1 as that they may overcome their ,spiritual ,enemies1 and be crown'd hereafter with ,glory and ,immortality2 which certainly ought to content any reasonable ,man1 without aspiring to ,immediate ,revelation1 ,prophecy1 obtaining the ,vision of ,god1 and such like ,things1which ,god has deny'd to us1 whilst in this ,state4 #aa4 ,indeed1 if it were in ,religion1 as in ,arts and ,sciences1 it might with a great deal more ,reason have been expected2 that considering the vast ,distance of ,time since the first planting of the ,christian ,religion to this present ,age1 we might have been improved to a ,degree of ,prophecy4 ,for ,arts and ,sciences receive their ,beginnings from very small ,hints at first1 and are afterwards improved proportionally to the ,industry and ,capacity of those who cultivate them2 and therefore we may reasonably expect1 that the longer they continue1 the more they will be advanc'd4 ,but the case is vastly different in ,religion1 which is always best and purest at its first setting out4 ,and there is a very good ,reason to be given1 why it should be so2 for after the first ,covenant made by ,god with ,mankind in the ,person of ,adam3 every other ,dispensation has found ,men under a ,state of ,corruption1 and in the actual ,possession of ,errors1 diametrically opposite to those ,truths which it came to instruct them in2 and therefore it was requisite that the means to remove these at first1 should bear ,proportion with the ,difficulties they were to encounter4 ,upon which account1 at the ,beginning of any new ,dispensation1 those ,persons whom ,god was pleas'd to employ to publish it to ,mankind1 have been endu'd with more ,zeal and greater ,abilities1 than the ,professors of the same ,religion in after ,ages4 ,and as no ,person can doubt1 but that the ,jewish ,religion was much more perfect in the ,days of ,moses1 and those which immediately succeeded him1 than in after ,times1 when it was obscur'd and mudded by ,pharisaical ,inventions and ,traditions3 ,so must it also be confess'd1 that the ,christian ,religion was much more perfect in the ,days of the ,apostles1 and the ,ages immediately succeeding them1 than since it has been obscur'd by the ,interest of the ,designing on the one hand1 and the ,prejudice and ,ignorance of the ,unlearned on the other4 ,and this is what is plainly confess'd by the ,practice of most contending ,parties amongst the ,professors of ,christianity2 who constantly make their ,appeals to the earliest ,writers of the ,primitive ,christian ,church1 and use all means to bring them over to their own ,side2 which is an evident ,concession that they value their ,authority1 and look upon them as the most competent ,judges of their ,controversies4 ,now1 if ,i shall make it appear1 that there was no such thing as is contended for by our ,enthusiasts1 in those early ,times1 when the ,holy ,spirit must be confess'd on all hands to be more plentifully pour'd out than in the succeeding ,ages2 ,i hope it will appear evidently to any unprejudic'd ,person1 that it is not at all to be expected under the ,christian ,dispensation4 #ab4 ,to begin therefore with our ,blessed ,saviour himself4 ,it is evident that he never recommended any such way of worshipping ,god1 as is contended for by the ,mysticks1 nor promised to reward the most sincere of his ,followers with the ,vision of ,god whilst in this ,state4 ,as for his own ,life1 which is certainly the most perfect ,pattern1 it was ,active to the greatest ,degree2 and bating some times of ,retirement1 to pray or the like1 was wholly spent in ,conversation1 and doing ,good to others4 ,then as to the ,substance of his ,doctrine1 it consisted in acquainting the ,jews that he himself was the ,messias1 whose ,coming was so long ago1 and so often foretold by the ,ancient ,prophets4 ,he also acquainted them with the ,nature of his ,office and ,mediatorship1 and shew'd them how mightily they were mistaken in their ,interpretations of the ,prophets concerning him4 ,he let them know1 that1 contrary to their ,expectation1 his ,kingdom was not of this ,world2 but that his ,business was to bring ,men out of ,darkness to ,light1 and from the ,bondage and ,slavery of ,sin1 to the ,liberty of the ,sons of ,god4 ,he taught them to abandon all ungodly ,lusts1 and to set their ,hearts upon ,things above2 assuring them1 that if they continu'd in his ,love1 they should be rewarded with everlasting ,happiness4 ,and lest his ,disciples1and those ,churches which should be planted by their ,ministry1 should be destitute of necessary ,encouragement and ,assistance1 he assures them1 in most endearing ,terms1 of his ,love towards and ,care over them1 and promises speedily to send them the ,comforter1 the ,spirit of ,truth#dj1 which should not only assure them of his own1 and the ,father's ,love towards them1 but also enable them to work such ,miracles as should be sufficient to confirm the ,truth of their ,mission4 ,but no where promises the ,enjoyment of the ,beatifick ,vision here2 but bid them to expect their ,reward hereafter2 assuring them1 that whither he went they could not follow him now1 but should follow him afterwards#da1 and that he went to prepare a place for them4 ,nor did he even mention his having purchas'd for ,mankind such a ,privilege1 as that they might1 by diligently improving what was given them1 come to ,god without any other ,means1 but rather the quite contrary3 ,for he says1 ,no ,man cometh to the father but by me#db2 now certainly the way to come to ,christ1 is to believe in him2 which1 according to the ,apostle ,s4 ,paul1 presupposes1 hearing him preach'd4 #ac1 ,and as our ,blessed ,saviour did never promise to reward the ,endeavours of sincere ,persons1 with such a ,power whereby they might attain1 without any ,external ,means1 all ,things necessary to ,salvation1 much less the ,intuition1 or beholding the ,divine ,presence whilst in this ,life2 so neither do we find that they either expected or enjoy'd it4 ,the ,method of ,god in teaching his ,people1 was still the same as it ever had been1 viz4 by revealing his ,will to some few1 in order to the having it communicated by their ,ministry to others4 ,and ,i desire any one that thinks otherwise1 to produce me one single ,instance of any ,person that came to the true ,knowledge of ,god1 and the necessary means of ,salvation1 but by this way4 ,the contrary is evident from the ,example of the ,eunuch 7,acts viii47 who was a devout ,person1 and well dispos'd2 and we find his ,zeal and ,sincerity rewarded by ,god's sending to him a proper ,person to instruct him4 #ad4 ,which is still further confirmed by the ,example of ,cornelius7,acts x47 who being a devout ,man1 and one that fear'd ,god with all his ,house1 and gave much ,alms to the ,people1 and pray'd to ,god always1 was so far accepted by ,god1 that he was graciously pleas'd to provide ,means for his further ,instruction in his ,duty1 and sent ,peter to instruct him4 ,whereby he has plainly pointed out to us the way by which he would have us seek for the ,knowledge of him1 viz4 by applying our selves to such as he has appointed to teach his ,people4 ,accordingly we find that ,cornelius's ,alms and ,devotions1 and incessant waiting upon ,god1 did neither advance him to the ,beatifick ,vision1 nor so far as to have those ,truths presented to him by way of ,object1 immediately1 which were necessary to be believ'd by him in order to his ,salvation2 neither is he at all encourag'd to look for or depend upon ,vision or ,intuition1 but is sent to a ,man like himself1 to hear with his outward ,ears1 those things which concern'd his ,eternal ,welfare4 ,whereas1 if ,god had ever granted to ,mankind a ,power whereby he might1 by due ,application and ,attention1 attain to a sufficient ,knowledge of ,god1 and ,things necessary to ,salvation2 or1 if such a ,privilege1 though deny'd before1 had been purchas'd by ,jesus ,christ2 there is no question1 but ,persons so extraordinarily well qualified as these two good ,men1 ,cornelius and the ,eunuch1 were1 would have enjoy'd the ,benefit of it2 and then the ,event would have been1 that by their constant attending upon ,god1 and unwearied ,diligence in meditating and practising good ,things1 they would have increas'd in ,spiritual ,knowledge1 and made nearer ,approaches to ,god1 till they had attain'd to ,perfection4 ,but we find nothing like this1 but that on the contrary they were oblig'd to be instructed by the same means which ,god had appointed for other ,men4 #ae4 ,and then as to matter of ,vision1 the whole ,tenor of the ,apostle's ,doctrine runs counter to it4 ,s4 ,paul tells us1 that all those noble ,actions which were perform'd by the ,ancient ,worthies 7,heb4 xi47 were done thro' ,faith2 which as himself defines1 is 7v4i47 is1 ,the ,substance of ,things hoped for1 the ,evidence of ,things not seen4 ,it is an ,assent which we give to ,things as true1 which we can neither apprehend by our ,senses1 nor demonstrate by our ,reasoning2 so that the only ,objects of our ,faith are such ,things as we receive upon the ,credit of another2 which1 how far it is from ,vision1 is evident to common ,sense4 ,and the same ,apostle tells us1 that now we see through ,a ,glass darkly2 and that we know in part1 and prophesie in part#dc4 #af4 ,hence it is plain1 that all those ,texts which speak of the plentiful ,effusion of the ,spirit in the times of the ,gospel1 are quite misunderstood by all those1 who interpret them after such a manner1 as if ,god had given such a ,measure of it to all ,mankind1 that upon a due ,improvement of it1 they might attain to the ,knowledge of him1 and of all ,things necessary to ,salvation4 ,whereas it appears1 that even in the earliest ,times of the ,gospel1 there was no such thing2 but then all the ,churches were planted by the ,ministry of the ,apostles1 who ordain'd others to succeed them in their ,office4 ,if therefore in those ,times it was not granted1 it is a ridiculous ,absurdity to expect it in this ,age2 and no small ,degree1 either of ,impudence or ,madness to pretend to it4 #ag4 ,since it is not foreign to the ,matter in hand1 the ,reader will1 ,i hope1 pardon me if ,i digress a little1 to shew why we cannot reasonably expect ,prophets now4 ,and it seems to me1 that there are several ,reasons to be given why there should be ,prophets during the time of the ,mosaical ,dispensation1 rather than after the ,gospel had taken ,root4 ,for1 the ,promises made to the ,jews having ,relation to their possessing the ,land of ,canaan1 ,god was pleas'd to send them ,prophets to quicken their ,memories1 and keep them in mind of their ,duty1 that thereby his ,judgments might be averted from them2 7and especially1 because of the prevailing ,idolatry of those ,times2 for after they were well fix'd in the ,practice of the ,true ,religion1 and out of that ,danger1 we find no ,prophets27 and we find that most of the ,ancient ,prophecies tend that way4 ,but now we are quite upon another ,bottom2 we are taught1 that we have here no continuing ,city2 that1 when these ,tabernacles shall be dissolv'd1 we have a ,habitation not made with ,hands1 eternal in the ,heavens4 ,that we are to set our ,minds on ,things above1 not on ,things on the ,earth2 that we are to deny our selves1 and take up our ,cross and follow ,christ2 that1 through many ,tribulations we must enter into the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 and many ,passages to the same ,effect4 ,so that to have ,prophets foretelling future ,events1 relating to the ,welfare and ,preservation of our ,temporals1 or the contrary1 seems not so proper for a ,people1 whose very ,profession supposes them to have laid aside all ,solicitude concerning them4 ,again1 before the ,coming of ,christ1 ,god's ,will was but imperfectly reveal'd2 and it was necessary that there should be ,fore-runners to prepare the way against his ,coming1 and raise the ,expectation of him in the ,people1 that they might be the better prepar'd to receive him4 ,but after he was once come1 who was to compleat and fulfil all2 after ,god1 who at sundry times1 and in divers manners1 spake in time past unto the fathers by the ,prophets1#dd had1 in these last days1 spoken unto us by his ,son1 whom he has appointed ,heir of all things1 c4 who was the ,brightness of his ,glory1 and the express ,image of his person1 c4 ,i say1 after ,god had1 by this glorious ,person1 manifested and reveal'd his whole ,will to us1 and declared whatsoever he requir'd to be believ'd and done by us1 whilst in these ,mortal ,bodies2 there was no longer need of ,revelation to those who had received the most perfect one that could be deliver'd4 ,so that all those ,reasons being remov'd1 which were to be given for a ,succession of immediately inspired ,prophets before the ,coming of ,christ2 it is altogether groundless1 to say no worse of it1 to expect any now he is come4 ,what ,methods ,god will use1 when his time is come1 to bring in the ,fulness of the ,gentiles1 and to convert the ,jews2 or what ,endowments he will bestow upon those ,persons whom he shall please to make use of as his ,instruments to compleat that great ,work1 will then be best known when it is come to pass4 ,there is no ,question but that he will use sufficient means4 ,all that ,i contend for is1 that those which he has already afforded1 are abundantly sufficient for those who have the ,happiness to be baptized1 and brought up in the ,profession of the ,christian ,faith2 and consequently1 that it is unreasonable to expect any other ,assistances1 or to seek any other means of serving ,god1 than what are deliver'd in his ,holy ,word1 and made use of in his ,church4 #ah4 ,to return to our ,argument4 ,if these things1 contended for by ,enthusiasts1 were not granted either under the ,jewish or ,christian ,dispensation1 as ,i hope has been sufficiently prov'd2 it follows1 a majori1 that those who are depriv'd of those ,advantages1 which both ,jews and ,christians enjoy'd cannot have them3 ,and therefore in vain do we search for ,persons so endow'd amongst ,mahometans or ,heathens4 ,for without any ,breach of ,charity1 in respect to those ,persons1 who never were so happy as to have the ,gospel preach'd to them2 we may assure our selves1 that they do not enjoy equal ,privileges with us1 who by our ,baptism have a foederal ,right to all those ,assistances of the ,holy ,spirit promis'd to the ,church in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,and yet there would not be much difference1 if by their diligently adhering to any ,principle or ,light1 which ,god has bestow'd upon ,mankind in general1 they might attain to true saving ,knowledge4 ,and for this ,reason1 our ,author1 who was himself a ,mahometan1 seems as little to have consulted the ,honour of his ,prophet ,mahomet1 and the necessity of believing his ,doctrine1 in feigning a ,person brought up by himself1 to have by his ,application and ,industry attain'd to the ,knowledge of all things reveal'd to that suppos'd ,prophet1 as our ,enthusiasts do value the ,means which ,god has always us'd to convey his ,will to ,mankind#de4 ,whilst out of a groundless ,charity1 they do in a manner put all ,men upon the ,level1 as to the ,means of ,salvation4 ,which ,opinion of theirs1 however plausible at first sight1 upon the account of that specious ,shew of ,universal ,charity to ,mankind1 does most certainly tend to the undervaluing and lessening those inestimable ,benefits which our ,blessed ,saviour has purchas'd for1 and promis'd to his ,church2 and ought no more to be receiv'd1 than that charitable ,opinion of ,origen's who believ'd that after a certain time of ,punishment1 not only the wickedest of ,men1 but also the ,devils themselves should be laved4 #ai4 ,i have now shewn that what is here held by our ,author1 and too many others in our times1 has no manner of ,foundation4 ,that it was never promis'd nor expected1 either under the ,mosaical or ,christian ,dispensation2 from whence ,i have inferr'd1 that it cannot be expected any where else1 and consequently that there is no such thing at all4 ,if ,i have not spoken all the while particularly to my ,author1 the reason is1 because ,i write to ,christians1 and chiefly have regard to those ,errors1 held by some of that ,denomination1 which are common with those of our ,author4 ,besides1 if that were requisite1 'tis only allowing for ,argument sake1 that the ,alcoran was written by ,inspiration1 and that ,mahomet was a ,prophet1 and then the same way of ,arguing proves the ,enthusiasm of our ,author1 who being a profess'd ,mahometan1 and they being oblig'd to believe that ,mahomet is the ,catimo'l anbyi1 i4e4 ,the ,seal of the ,prophets1 and that theirs is the last ,dispensation1 which ,mankind shall ever receive from ,god1 has ventured to suppose the ,possibility of a ,man's attaining to the true ,knowledge of ,god1 and ,things necessary to ,salvation1 and all other ,things1 both ,spiritual and ,natural1 belonging either to this ,world1 or that to come1 without the ,help of any outward ,instruction4 #bj4 ,i need not insist upon this any longer2 ,i shall only remark1 that as true ,piety is the same in all ,ages and ,climates1 and good solid ,sense too1 so also is ,enthusiasm4 ,and ,i have sometimes wonder'd1 when ,i have read the ,whimsies and ,conceits of the ,arab ,enthusiasts 7whose numerous ,sects equal those ,heresies mention'd by ,epiphanius1 or even that plentiful ,crop which the ,devil has sow'd of them in our times7 to find such a ,harmony between them and ours at present4 ,such a perfect ,agreement in their wild ,notions1 and these express'd in the very self-same ,cant1 may easily convince any one1 that the ,instruments of both were strung and tun'd by the same ,hand4 ,another thing observable is this2 ,let the ,enthusiast have never such great ,abilities1 there is always something or other which proves his ,pretensions to ,revelation to be false2 and as they tell us1 that1 let the ,devil change himself into what ,shape he will he can never conceal his ,cloven ,foot2 so neither can the ,enthusiast make himself pass for ,inspired1 with any ,person of tolerable discerning2 but there will appear some very considerable ,flaw1 which shall manifestly prove him a ,deceiver1 or at least a ,person deceiv'd4 ,this is the ,fate of them1 and our ,author could not avoid it4 ,he has indeed carried his ,philosopher beyond the ,orb of ,saturn#df1 but he might as well have sav'd him that ,trouble2 for he brought nothing down with him1 but what he himself was able to furnish him withal before he went2 viz4 ,mahometan ,divinity1 and ,aristotelian ,philosophy4 ,as to the former of these ,i shall not need to say any thing2 but ,i am well assur'd1 that when he talk'd of those ,discoveries in the latter1 made by him when in that glorious ,state1 he never dream'd in the least of those more certain ,discoveries which should be made afterwards1 by the ,sagacity of our ,astronomers and ,philosophers2 and that the contrary of what he believ'd2 as to those things1 should be prov'd by undeniable ,demonstration4 #ba4 ,nor does it succeed better with such ,pretenders in our ,age2 who1 taught by woful ,experience1 have of late grown more wary1 and rarely pretended to ,inspirations1 except in such ,matters as they might be well assur'd of by other means4 ,the safest way for them1,i confess1 tho' at the same time extreamly absurd and ridiculous4 ,for if a ,man pretends to know a thing by ,divine ,inspiration1 when there are other ,means of attaining it3 ,i have much more reason to think1 either that he is an ,impostor and ,deceiver1or else1 that through warmth of ,conceit1 or the ,delusion of the ,devil1 he imagines himself to be divinely inspired when he is not2 rather than to believe that ,god1 who does nothing but for most wise and excellent ,ends and ,purposes1 should reveal a thing to any ,person immediately1 when he had before afforded him sufficient ,means of knowing it otherwise4 #bb4 ,it remains that we beg of ,god to give us his ,grace1 and the ,assistance of his ,holy ,spirit1 that we may sincerely and heartily apply our selves to the diligent ,use of those ,means which he has appointed for our ,instruction1 in his ,church4 ,that we seek for the ,knowledge of him in his holy ,word1 and approach to him in his ,ordinances1 and by a holy pious ,conversation4 ,these are the ,ways which he has chalk'd out for us2 and if any ,persons will not be content with these ,means1 but will walk in ,by-,paths1 and follow every ,ignis fatuus that presents it self2 if they be are the last convinc'd of their fatal ,mistake when it is too late1 they must blame themselves4 ,god of his infinite ,mercy lead them out of their ,errors1 and guide both them and us through this imperfect ,state1 till at last we attain to the perfect ,vision1 and full ,enjoyment of himself2 through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,amen4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #cc3 ,see ,sect4 #hd1 #he1 c4 ,footnote #cd3 #b ,pet4 #a4 #ba4 ,footnote #ce3 ,dan4 x4 #ab4 ,footnote #cf3 ,amos vii4 #ad4 ,footnote #cg3 ,by seeing all things in ,god1 ,i have no regard to ,mr4 ,malebranch's ,notion1 but only to that of our ,author4 ,see ,sect4 #ij1 c4 ,footnote #ch3 ,maimonides in ,pocockii ,porta ,mosis1 p4 #aga4 ,footnote #ci3 ,see the letter concerning1 the ,quietists1 printed with the ,b4 of ,sarum's ,letters4 ,footnote #dj3 ,john ,chap4 xiv1 xv1 xvi1 xvii4 ,footnote #da3 ,john xiii1 #cf4 xiv1 #b4 ,footnote #db3 ,john xiv1 #g4 ,rom4 x1 #ag1 #ah4 ,footnote #dc3 ,cor4 xiii1 #ab1 #i4 ,footnote #dd3 ,heb4 i1 #a4 ,footnote #de3 ,see ,sect4 #aji4 ,footnote #df3 ,see ,sect4 #ij4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,finis4