THE IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN REASON
Exhibited in the Life
of Hai Ebn Yokdhan
by
Ibn Tufail (Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Tufail al-Qasi)
Newly Translated from the Original Arabick by Simon Ockley
(1708)
* * * * *
The Improvement of
HUMAN REASON,
Exhibited in the LIFE of
_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_:
Written in _Arabick_ above 500 Years
_ago, by _Abu Jaafar Ebn Tophail_.
In which is demonstrated,
By what Methods one may, by the meer
LIGHT OF NATURE, attain the Knowledg
of things NATURAL and SUPERNATURAL;
more particularly the Knowledg of God,
and the Affairs of another Life.
Illustrated with proper FIGURES,
Newly Translated from the Original _Arabick_
by _SIMON OCKLEY_, A.M. Vicar of
_Swanesey_ in _Cambridgshire_.
With an APPENDIX,
In Which the Possibility of Man's attaining
the True Knowledg of GOD, and
Things necessary to Salvation, without
INSTRUCTION, is briefly consider'd.
* * * * *
To the Reverend
_Mr_. Edward Pococke,
Rector of
_MINAL_, in _Wiltshire_.
Reverend SIR,
Hai Ebn Yokdhan _returns to you again, in a Dress different from that
which you sent him out in. Wherever he comes, he acknowledges you for
his first and best Master; and confesses, that his being put in a
Capacity to travel thro'_ Europe, _is owing to your Hand. I could not in
Equity send him to any other Person, you being the sole Proprietor. And
as your Learning enables you to do him Justice, so your Candor will
incline you to pardon what is by me done amiss. Both which
Qualifications you enjoy, as a Paternal Inheritance, descending from the
Reverend and Learned _Dr. Pococke,_ the Glory and Ornament of our Age
and Nation. Whose Memory I much reverence, and how much I acknowledge my
self indebted to him for his Learned Works, I thought I could no way
express better, than by taking some Opportunity to pay my Respects to
you, Sir, the worthy Son of so great a Father. And no fitter Bearer
than_ Hai Ebn Yokdhan, _with whose Character and Language you are so
well acquainted, and to whom you have long ago shown so great a Respect,
that I have no reason to fear but he will be welcome_.
_I am_,
_SIR,_
_Your most humble Servant_,
Simon Ockley,
* * * * *
THE PREFACE.
When Mr. _Pococke_ first publish'd this _Arabick_ Author with his
accurate _Latin_ Version, _Anno_ 1671. Dr. _Pococke_ his Father, that
late eminent Professor of the Oriental Languages in the University of
_Oxford_, prefix'd a Preface to it; in which he tells us, that he has
good Reason to think, that this Author was contemporary with _Averroes_,
who died very ancient in the Year of the _Hegira_ 595, which is
co-incident with the 1198th Year of our Lord; according to which Account,
the Author liv'd something above five hundred Years ago.
He liv'd in _Spain_, as appears from one or two Passages in this Book.
He wrote some other Pieces, which are not come to our Hands. This has
been very well receiv'd in the East; one Argument of which is, that it
has been translated by _R. Moses_ _Narbonensis_ into _Hebrew_, and
illustrated with a large Commentary. The Design of the Author is to
shew, how Human Capacity, unassisted by any External Help, may, by due
Application, attain to the Knowledge of Natural Things, and so by
Degrees find out its Dependance upon a Superior Being, the Immortality
of the Soul, and all things necessary to Salvation.
How well he has succeeded in this Attempt, I leave to the Reader to
judge. 'Tis certain, that he was a Man of Parts and very good Learning,
considering the Age he liv'd in, and the way of studying in those Times.
There are a great many lively Stroaks in it; and I doubt not but a
judicious Reader will find his Account in the Perusal of it.
I was not willing ('though importun'd) to undertake the translating it
into _English_, because I was inform'd that it had been done twice
already; once by Dr. _Ashwell_, another time by the _Quakers_, who
imagin'd that there was something in, it that favoured their
Enthusiastick Notions. However, taking it for granted, that both these
Translations we're not made out of the Original _Arabick_, but out of
the _Latin_; I did not question but they had mistaken the Sense of the
Author in many places. Besides, observing that a great many of my
friends whom I had a desire to oblige, and other Persons whom I would
willingly incline to a more favourable Opinion of _Arabick_ Learning,
had not seen this Book; and withal, hoping that I might add something by
way of Annotation or _Appendix_, which would not be altogether useless;
I at last ventur'd to translate it a-new.
I have here and there added a Note, in which there is an account given
of some, great Man, some Custom of the Mahometans explain'd, or
something of that Nature, which I hope will not be unacceptable. And
lest any Person should, through mistake, make any ill use of it, I have
subjoin'd an _Appendix_, the Design of which the Reader may see in its
proper place.
SIMON OCKLEY.
* * * * *
THE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER.
_When I first undertook the Publication of this English Translation, I
thought it would not be amiss to present the World with a Specimen of it
INTRODUCTION
by it give a Guess at what is contain'd in the Book itself, than a Man
can judge of his Entertainment by seeing the Cloath laid; I have thought
it necessary to give him a Bill of Fare_.
_The Design of the Author (who was a Mahometan Philosopher) is to shew
how Humane Reason may, by Observation and Experience, arrive at the
Knowledge of Natural Things, and from thence to Supernatural;
particularly the Knowledge of God and a Future State. And in order to
this, he supposes a Person brought up by himself where he was
altogether destitute of any Instruction, but what he could get from his
own Observation_.
_He lays the Scene in some_ Fortunate Island _situate under the
Equinoctial; where he supposes this Philosopher, either to have been
bred (according to_ Avicen_'s Hypothesis, who conceiv'd a possibility of
a Man's being formed by the Influence of the Planets upon Matter rightly
disposed) without either Father or Mother; or self-expos'd in his
Infancy, and providentially suckled by a Roe. Not that our Author
believ'd any such matter, but only having design'd to contrive a
convenient place for his Philosopher, so as to leave him to Reason by
himself, and make his Observations without any Guide. In which Relation,
he proposes both these ways, without speaking one Word in favour of
either_.
_Then he shews by what Steps and Degrees he advanc'd in the Knowledge of
Natural Things, till at last he perceiv'd the Necessity of acknowledging
an Infinite, Eternal, Wise Creator, and also the Immateriality and
Immortality of his own Soul, and that its Happiness consisted only in a
continued Conjunction with this supream Being_.
_The Matter of this Book is curious, and full of useful Theorems; he
makes most use of the Peripatetick Philosophy, which he seems to have
well understood; it must be confess'd indeed, that when he comes to talk
of the Union with God, &c. (as in the Introduction) there are some
Enthusiastick Notions, which are particularly consider'd and refuted by
the Editor in his Appendix_.
_Whose Design in publishing this Translation, was to give those who are
as yet unacquainted with it, a Taste of the_ Acumen _and_ Genius _of
the_ Arabian _Philosophers, and to excite young Scholars to the reading
of those Authors, which, through a groundless Conceit of their
Impertinence and Ignorance, have been too long neglected_.
_And tho' we do not pretend to any Discoveries in this Book, especially
at this time of Day, when all parts of Learning are cultivated with so
much Exactness; yet we hope that it will not be altogether unacceptable
to the curious Reader to know what the state of Learning was among the_
Arabs, _five hundred Years since. And if what we shall here communicate,
shall seem little in respect of the Discoveries of this discerning Age;
yet we are confident, that any_ European, _who shall compare the
Learning in this Book, with what was publish'd by any of his own
Country-men at that time, will find himself obliged in Conscience to
give our Author fair Quarter_.
* * * * *
_Abu Jaaphar Ebn Tophail_'s
INTRODUCTION
To the LIFE of
_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_.
_In the Name of the most Merciful God_.[1]
Blessed be the Almighty and Eternal, the Infinitely Wise and Merciful
God, _who hath taught us the Use of the PEN_[2], who out of his great
Goodness to Mankind, _has made him understand Things which he did not
know_. I praise him for his excellent Gifts, and give him thanks for his
continued Benefits, and I testify that there is but One God, and that he
has no Partner[3]; and that _MAHOMET_ is his Servant and Apostle[4],
endu'd with an excellent Spirit, and Master of convincing Demonstration,
and a victorious Sword: the Blessing of God be upon him, and his
Companions, (Men of great Thoughts, and vast Understandings,) and upon
all his Followers, to the End of the World.
You ask'd me, Dear Friend, (God preserve you for ever, and make you
Partaker of everlasting Happiness) to communicate to you what I knew
concerning the Mysteries of the Eastern Philosophy, mention'd by the
Learned _Avicenna_[5]: Now you must understand, that whoever designs to
attain to a clear and distinct Knowledge, must be diligent in the search
of it. Indeed your request gave me a noble turn of Thought, and brought
me to the understanding of what I never knew before; nay, it advanc'd me
to such an elevation, as no Tongue, how eloquent soever, is able to
express; and the reason is, because 'tis of a quite different nature and
kind from the Things of this World; only this there is in it, that
whoever has attain'd to any degree of it, is so mightily affected with
joy Pleasure, and Exultation, that 'tis impossible for him to conceal
his sense of it, but he is forc'd to utter some general Expressions,
since he cannot be particular. Now if a Man, who has not been polish'd
by good Education, happens to attain to that state, he tuns out into
strange Expressions, and speaks he knows not what; so that one of this
sort of Men, when in that state, cry'd out, _Praise to be me! How
wonderful am I!_[6] Another said, _I am Truth!_[7]. Another, _That he
was God_.
_Abu Hamed Algazâli_[8], when he had attain'd to it, express'd himself
thus,
_'Twas what it was, 'tis not to be express'd;_
_Enquire no further, but conceive the best_.
But he was a Man that had good Learning, and was well vers'd in the
Sciences. What _Avenpace_[9] says at the end of his Discourse concerning
the _UNION_, is worth your Observing; There he, says _That 'twill appear
plainly to any one that understands the design of his Book, that that
degree is not attainable by the means of those Sciences which were then
in use; but that he attain'd to what he knew, by being altogether
abstracted from any thing which he had been acquainted with before; and
that he was furnish'd with other Notions altogether independent upon
matter, and of too noble a nature to be any way attributed to the
Natural Life, but were peculiar to the Blessed, and which upon that
account we may call Divine Proprieties, which God (whose Name be
prais'd) bestows upon such of his Servants as he pleases_.
Now this degree which this Author mentions, is attainable by Speculative
Knowledge,(nor is it to be doubted but that he had reach'd it himself;)
but not that which we have just now mention'd, which notwithstanding is
not so much different from it in kind as in degree: for in that which I
mention'd there are no Discoveries made which contradict those which
this Author means; but the difference consists in this, _viz._ that in
our way there is a greater degree of Clearness and Perspicuity than
there is in the other; for in this we apprehend things by the help of
something, which we cannot properly call a _Power_; nor indeed will any
of those words, which are either us'd in common discourse, or occur in
the Writings of the Learned, serve to express _That_, by which this sort
of Perception do's apprehend.
This degree, which I have already mention'd, (and which perhaps I should
never have had any taste of, if your request had not put me upon a
farther search) is the very same thing which _Avicenna_ means, where he
says; _Then when a Man's desires are raised to a good pitch, and he is
competently well exercised in that way, there will appear to him some
small glimmerings of the Truth, as it were flashes of Lightning, very
delightful, which just shine upon him, and then go out; Then the more he
exercises himself, the oftner he'll perceive 'em, till at last he'll
become so well acquainted with them, that they will occur to him
spontaneously, without any exercise at all; and then, as soon as he
perceives any thing, he applies himself to the Divine Essence, so as to
retain some impression of it; then something occurs, to him on a sudden,
whereby he begins to discern the_ Truth _in every thing; till, through
frequent exercise, he at last attains to a perfect Tranquility; and that
which us'd to appear to him only by fits and starts, becomes habitual;
and that which was only a glimmering before, a constant Light; and he
obtains a constant and steady Knowledge._ Thus far _Avicenna_. Besides,
he has given an account of those several steps and degrees by which a
Man is brought to this perfection; till his Soul is like a polish'd
Looking-glass, in which he beholds the _Truth_: and then he swims in
pleasure, and rejoyces exceedingly in his Mind, because of the
impressions of _Truth_ which he perceives in it, When he is once
attain'd thus far, the next thing which employs him is, that he
sometimes looks towards _Truth_, and sometimes towards _himself_; and
thus he fluctuates between both, till he retires from himself wholly,
and looks only to-ward the Divine Essence; and if he do's at any time
look towards his own Soul, the only reason is, because that looks
to-wards God; and from thence arises a perfect Conjunction [with God.]
And, according to this manner which he has describ'd, he do's by no
means allow that this _Taste_ is attain'd by way of Speculation or
Deduction of Consequences. And that you may the more clearly apprehend
the difference between the perception of these sort of Men, and those
other; I shall propose you a familiar instance. Suppose a Man born
Blind, but of quick Parts, and a good Capacity, a tenacious Memory, and
solid Judgment, who had liv'd in the place of his Nativity, till he had
by the help of the rest of his Senses, contracted an acquaintance with a
great many in the Neighbourhood, and learn'd the several kinds of
Animals, and Things inanimate, and the Streets and Houses of the Town,
so as to go any where about it without a Guide, and to know such people
as he met, and call them, by their names; and knew the names of
Colours[10], and the difference of them by their descriptions and
definitions; and after he had learn'd all this, should have his Eyes
open'd: Why, this Man, when he walk'd about the Town, would find every
thing to be exactly agreeable to those notions which he had before; and
that Colours were such as he had before conceiv'd them to be, by those
descriptions he had receiv'd: so that the difference between his
apprehensions when blind, and those which he would have now his Eyes
were opened, would consist only in these two great Things, one of which
is a consequent of the other, _viz._, a greater Clearness, and extream
Delight. From whence 'tis plain, that the condition of those
Contemplators, who have not yet attain'd to the _UNION_ [with GOD] is
exactly like that of the Blind Man; and the Notion which a Blind Man has
of Colours, by their description, answers to those things which
_Avenpace_ said were _of too noble a nature to be any ways attributed,
to the Natural Life,_ and, _which God bestows upon such his Servants as
he pleases_. But the condition of those who have attain'd to the
_UNION_, to whom God has given that which I told you could not be
properly express'd by the word _POWER_, is that second State of the
Blind-man cur'd. Take notice by the way, that our Similitude is not
exactly applicable in every case; for there is very seldom any one found
that is born _with his Eyes open_, that can attain to these things
without any help of Contemplation.
Now (my Dear Friend) I do not here, when I speak of the Ideas of the
_Contemplative_, mean what they learn from the Study of Physicks; nor by
the notions of those who have attain'd to the _UNION_, what they learn
from the Study of Metaphysicks (for these two ways of learning are
vastly different, and must by no means be confounded.) But what I mean
by the Ideas of the _Contemplative_ is, what is attain'd by the Study of
Metaphysicks, of which kind is that which _Avenpace_ understood; and in
the apprehension of these things, this condition is necessarily
requir'd, _viz_. that it be manifestly and clearly true; and then there
is a middle sort of Speculation, between that, and those who have
attain'd to the _UNION_, who employ themselves in these things with
greater perspicuity and delight.
Now _Avenpace_ blames all those that make any mention of this pleasure
which is enjoy'd in the _UNION_, before the Vulgar; besides he said,
that it belonged to the imaginative Faculty; and promis'd to write a
Book about it, in which he design'd to give an account of the whole
matter, and describe the condition of those who were so happy as to
attain it clearly and perspicuously; but we may answer him with the Old
Proverb, _viz. Don't say a thing is sweet before you taste on't_; for he
never was so good as his word, nor performed any thing like it. But 'tis
probable that the reason why he did not, was either because he was
streightn'd for Time, being taken up with his Journey to _Wahran_; or
else, because he was sensible, that if he should undertake to give a
description of that State, the Nature of such a kind of Discourse, would
unavoidably have put him upon a necessity of speaking some things, which
would manifestly have reproach'd his own manner of living, and
contradicted those Principles which he himself had elsewhere laid down;
in which he encourages Men to heap up Riches, and proposes several ways
and means in order to the acquiring them.
We have in this Discourse (as necessity required) disgress'd something
from the main Design of what you desir'd; it appears from what has been
already said, that you must either mean, 1. That I should describe to
you, what they see and taste, who are so happy as to enjoy the
_UNION_,(which is impossible to be described as it really is; and when
any one goes about to express it, either by Speech or Writing, he quite
alters the thing, and sinks into the speculative way. For when you once
come to cloath it with Letters and Words, it comes nearer to the
corporeal World, and does by no means remain in the same State that it
was in before; and the Significations of these Words, which are used in
the explaining it, are quite alter'd; so that it occasions a great many
real Mistakes to some, and makes others believe, that they are mistaken,
when indeed they are not; and the reason of this is, because it is a
thing of infinite Extent, comprehending all things in it self, but not
comprehended by any.) 2. Or else the meaning of your Request must be
this, that I should shew you after what manner they proceed, who give
themselves to Contemplation. And this (my good Friend) is a thing which
is capable of being express'd both by Speech, and Writing; but 'tis as
scarce as old Gold, especially in this part of the World where we live;
for 'tis so rare, that there's hardly one of a thousand gets so much as
a smattering of it; and of those few, scarce any, have communicated any
thing of what they knew in that kind, but only by obscure Hints, and
_Innuendo_'s. Indeed the _Hanifitick_ Sect[11], and the Mahometan
Religion, doe forbid Men to dive too far into this matter. Nor would I
have you think that the Philosophy which we find in the Books of
_Aristotle_, and _Alpharabius_[12], and in _Avicenna_'s Book, which he
calls _Alshepha,_ does answer the end which you aim at, nor have any of
the _Spanish_ Philosophers[13] writ fully and satisfactorily about it.
Because those Scholars which were bred in _Spain_, before the Knowledge
of Logick and Philosophy was broach'd amongst them, spent their whole
Lives in Mathematicks, in which it must be allow'd, they made a great
Progress, but went no farther. After them came a Generation of Men, who
apply'd themselves more to the Art of Reasoning, in which they excell'd
their Predecessors, yet not so as to attain to true Perfection. So that
one of them said,
_T'is hard the kinds of Knowledge are but two,_
_The One erroneous, the Other true_.
_The former profits nothing when 'tis gain'd,_
_The other's difficult to be attain'd_.
After these came others, who still advanc'd further, and made nearer
approaches to the Truth; among whom there was one that had a sharper
Wit, or truer notions of things than _Avenpace_, but he was too much
taken up with Worldly Business, and Died before he had time to open the
Treasury of his Knowledge, so that most of those pieces of his which are
extant, are imperfect; particularly his Book _about the Soul_) and his
_Tedbíro 'lmotawahhid,_ i.e. _How a Man ought to manage himself that
leads a Solitary Life_ So are his _Logicks_ and _Physicks_. Those Pieces
of his which are compleat, are only short Tracts and some occasional
Letters. Nay, in his Epistle concerning the _UNION_, he himself
confesses that he had wrote nothing compleat, where he says, _That it
would require a great deal of trouble and pains to express that clearly
which he had undertaken to prove_; and, _that the method which he had
made use of in explaining himself, was not in many places so exact as it
might have been_; and, _that he design'd, if he had time, to alter it_.
So much for _Avenpace_, I for my part never saw him, and as for his
Contemporaries, they were far inferiour to him, nor did I ever see any
of their Works. Those who are now alive, are, either such as are still
advancing forwards, or else such as have left off, without attaining to
perfection; if there are any other, I know nothing of them.
As to those Works of _Alpharabius_ which are extant, they are most of
them _Logick_. There are a great many things very dubious in his
Philosophical Works; for in his _Méllatolphadélah_, i.e. _The most
excellent Sect_, he asserts expressly, _that the Souls of Wicked Men
shall suffer everlasting Punishment_; and yet says as positively in his
Politicks that they shall be dissolv'd and annihilated, and that the
Souls of the Perfect shall remain for ever. And then in his _Ethicks_,
speaking concerning the Happiness of Man, he says, _that it is only in
this Life_, and then adds, _that whatsoever People talk of besides, is
meer Whimsy and old Wives Fables_. A principle, which if believ'd would
make all Men despair of the Mercy of God, and puts the Good and Evil
both upon the same Level, in that it makes annihilation the common end
to them both. This is an Error not to be pardon'd by any means, or made
amends for. Besides all this, he had a mean Opinion of the Gift of
Prophecy, and said that in his Judgment it did belong to the _faculty of
Imagination_, and that he prefer'd Philosophy before it; with a great
many other things of the like nature, not necessary to be mention'd
here.
As for the Books of _Aristotle, Avicenna_'s Exposition of them in his
_Alshepha_ [i.e. _Health_] supplies their Room, for he trod in the same
steps and was of the same Sect. In the beginning of that Book, says,
that the _Truth_ was in his opinion different from what he had there
deliver'd, that he had written that Book according to the Philosophy of
the _Peripateticks_; but those that would know the _Truth_ clearly, and
without Obscurity, he refers to his Book, _Of the Eastern Philosophy_.
Now he that takes the pains to compare his _Alshepha_ with what
_Aristotle_ has written, will find they agree in most things, tho' in
the _Alshepha_ there are a great many things which are not extant in any
of those pieces which we have of _Aristotle_. But if the Reader, take
the literal Sense only, either of the _Alshepha_ or _Aristotle_, with,
out penetrating into the hidden Sense, he will never attain to
perfection, as _Avicenna_ himself observes in the _Alshepha_.
As for _Algazâli_[14], he often contradicts himself, denying in one
place what he affirm'd in another. He taxes the Philosophers with
_Heresy_[15] in his Book which he calls _Altehaphol_, i.e.
_Destruction_, because they deny the Resurrection of the Body, and hold
that Rewards and Punishments in a Future State belong to the Soul only.
Then in the beginning of his _Almizân_, i.e. _The Balance_, he affirms
positively, that this is the Doctrine of the _Suphians_[16], and that he
was convinc'd of the truth of it, after a great deal of Study and
Search. There are a great many such Contradictions as these interspers'd
in his Works; which he himself begs Pardon for in the end of his _Mizân
Alamal [The Ballance of Mens Actions]_; where he says, that there are
Three sorts of Opinions; 1. Such as are common to the Vulgar, and
agreeable to their Notions of things. 2. Such as we commonly make use of
in answering Questions propos'd to us. 3. Such private as a Man has to
himself, which none understand but those who think just as he does. And
then he adds, that tho' there were no more in what he had written than
only this, _viz_. That it made a Man doubt of those things which he had
imbib'd at first, and help'd him to remove the prejudices of Education,
that even that were sufficient; because, he that never doubts will never
weigh things aright, and he that does not do that will never see, hut
remain in Blindness and Confusion.
_Believe your Eyes, but still suspect your Ears,_
_You'll need no Star-light[17], when the day appears_.
This is the account of his way of Philosophizing, the greatest part of
which is enigmatical and full of obscurity, and for that reason of no
use to any but such as thoroughly perceive and understand the matter
before, and then afterwards hear it from him again, or at least such as
are of an excellent Capacity, and can apprehend a thing from the least
intimation. The same Author says in his _Aljawâhir_ [i.e. _The Jewels_]
that he had Books not fit to be communicated, but to such only as were
qualified to read them, and that in them he had laid down the _Naked
Truth_; but none of them ever came into _Spain_ that we know of: we have
indeed had Books which some have imagin'd to be those incommunicable
ones he speaks of, but 'tis a mistake, for those are _Almaâreph
Alakliyah [Intellectual notices]_ and the _Alnaphchi waltéswiyal
[Inflation and Æquation]_ and besides these, _a Collection of several
Questions_. But as for these, tho' there are some hints in them, yet
they contain nothing of particular use to the clearing of things, but
what you may meet with in his other Books. There are, 'tis true, in his
_Almeksad Alasna_, some things which are more profound than what we meet
with in the rest of his Books, but he expressly says, that that Book is
not _incommunicable_; from whence it follows, those Books which are come
to our hands are not those incommunicable ones which he means. Some have
fancy'd that there were some great matters contain'd in that Discourse
of his, which is at the end of his _Meschâl_ [i.e. _Casement_] (which
Belief of theirs, has plung'd them into inextricable Difficulties) where
speaking of the several sorts of those who are kept from nearer
Approaches, by the Brightness of the radiation of the Divine light, and
then of those who had attain'd to the _UNION_, he says of these later,
_That they apprehended such Attributes to belong to the Divine Essence
as were destructive of its Unity_; from, whence it appear'd to them that
he believ'd a sort of Multiplicity in the Godhead, which is horrid
Blasphemy. Now I make no Question but that the worthy Doctor _Algazâli_
was one of those which attain'd to the utmost degree of Happiness, and
to those heights which are proper _to_ those who enjoy the _UNION_; but
as for his secret or incommunicable Books, which contain the manner of
_Revelation_, they never came to my hands: and that pitch of knowledge
which I have attain'd to, is owing to his other works and to _Avicenna_,
which I read and compar'd with the Opinions of the present Philosophers,
till at length I came to the Knowledge of the Truth. At first indeed, by
way of Enquiry and Contemplation;but afterwards I came to have a perfect
sense, and then I found that I could say something which I could call my
own. Now I was resolv'd that you should be the first, to whom I would
Communicate what I knew about these matters, both upon the account of
the Intimacy of our Friendship, and your Candor and Integrity. Only
observe, that my discovering to you the Ends which I attain'd in this
way, without proving the Principles to you first, by which those Ends
are attain'd, will do you no more Service, than any other Story which
you receive by tradition, or any thing told you in general, of which you
don't know how to make a particular application. Presuming that you will
accept it kindly, not for any merit of the Author, but upon the account
of our Friendship and Acquaintance; and I heartily desire that you
mayn't stop here, but aspire to a loftier degree: for this is so far
from being able to bring you to those heights, that is not sufficient to
save you. Now I would lead you by the same paths which I have walk'd in
before you, and make you steer by the same Compass, till you arrive at
the same Point, and see with your own Eyes what I have seen before you,
so as not to take it on trust any longer from me, but to experience it
yourself. But this is a matter which will not only require considerable
Time, but also that you are free and disingag'd from all manner of
Business, and follow it close with great Application. And if you are
really in earned, and set about it heartily, you will rejoyce as one
that has Travelled all Night do's when the Sun rises upon him, and will
receive a Blessing for your Labour, and take delight in your Lord, and
he will delight in you. And for my own part, you will find me, according
to your own Hearts desire, just such an one as you could wish; and I
hope that I shall lead you in the right way, free from Evils and
Dangers: and really I perceive some Glimmerings now, by the help of
which I shall inflame your Desire, and put you upon entring this way, by
telling you the Story of _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ and _Asâl_, and _Salâman_ (as
_Avicenna_ calls them); in which, those that understand themselves right
will find matter of Improvement, and worthy their Imitation.
[Footnote 1: In the Name, &c--_This is the usual Form with which the_
Mahometans _begin all their Writings, Books and Epistles.
Every Chapter in the_ Alcoran _begins so, and all their Authors
have followed this way ever price. The Eastern Christians, to distinguish
themselves from the_ Mahometans, _begin their Writings
with_ Bismi'labi Wa'libni, _&c_. In the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, One God:_and so do
the_ Æthiopians. _We here in_ England _observe something like
this in Wills, where the usual Form is_, In the Name of God,
Amen.]
[Footnote 2: _These words_,--Who hath taught us the Use of the Pen;
who hath taught Man what he did not know, _are taken out of the_
XCVI. _Chapter of the_ Alcoran, _according to those Editions
of it which are now in use_: _but_ Joannes Andreas Maurus,
_(who was_ Alfaqui, or _chief Doctor of the_ Moors _in_ Sciatinia,
_in the kingdom of_ Valentia _in_ Spain, _and afterwards converted to
the Christian Religion in the Year of our Lord_ 1487) _says, that
it is the first Chapter that was written of all the_ Alcoran. _But
be that how it will, we may from hence, and infinite other places,
observe the strange way which these Eastern Writers have of Quoting
the_ Alcoran; _for they intermix those Expressions which they
take out of it with their own words, without giving the Reader
the least Notice or Hint whence they had them, or where to find
them_.]
[Footnote 3: And I testify, &c.--_After be testified the Unity of the
Godhead, be immediately adds_ La Sharica Leho, That he has
no Partner. _These words frequently occur in the_ Alcoran, _and
are particularly levell'd against the Christians, which_ Mahomet
_frequently will_ Mushricoun, _i.e._. Associantes, Joyning Partners
with God, _because they acknowledge the Divinity of our
Blessed Saviour_.]
[Footnote 4: _The whole_ Mahometan _Creed consists only of these two Articles,_
1. There is no God but God, [i.e. _There is but One
God] and_ 2. Mahomet is his Apostle. _A very short Creed, but
their Explications of it, make amends for its shortness. The Reader
may see a Paraphrase of it out of_ Algazâli, _in Dr_. Pocock's
Specimen Historiæ Arabum, p. 174.]
[Footnote 5: The Learned _Avicenna--This great Man was born in_ Bochara,
_a City famous for the Birth of a great many very Learned
Men; it lyes in 96 Degrees, and 50 Minutes of Longitude reckoning
from the Fortunate-Islands, and 39 Degrees and 50 Minutes
of Northern Latitude. A pleasant place, and full of good Buildings,
having without the City a great many Fields and Gardens,
round about which there is a great Wall of XII Parasangæ, or
36 Miles long, which encompasses both the Fields and the City_
Abulphed. Golius _'s Notes upon_ Alferganus. _Thus much concerning
the Place of his Nativity; he was born in the Year of
the_ Hegira 370, _which is about the 980 Year of Christ. He was
indeed a prodigious Scholar; he had learn'd the_ Alcoran, _and
was well initiated into Human Learning before he was Ten years
old; then he studied Logick and Arithmetick, and read over Euclid
without any help, only his Master show'd him how to demonstrate
the first five or six Propositions; Then he read_ Ptolemy's Almagest,
_and afterwards a great many Medicinal Books; and all
this before be was sixteen years old. He was not only a great Philosopher
and Physician, but an excellent Philologer and Poet. Amongst
other of his Learned Works, he wrote an Arabick Lexicon;
but it is lost. Besides all this, he was a Vizier, and met with
a great many Troubles, which nevertheless did not abate his indefatigable
Industry. The Soldiers once mutiny'd, and broke open
his House, and carry'd him to Prison, and would fain have persuaded the
Sultan_ Shemfoddaulah _to have put him to Death,
which he refusing, was forc'd to Banish him. After a Life spent
in Study and Troubles, having written more Learned Books than he
liv'd Years, he died, Aged 58 Years_.]
[Footnote 6: _Subhhéni_--Praise be to me. _Which is an expression never
us'd but when they speak of God_.]
[Footnote 7: I am Truth--_or_, I am the True God. _For the Arabick
word_ Albákko _signifies both, and is very often us'd for one of
the Names or Attributes of God_. Kamus. _Dr._ Pocock, Specimen pag. 168.]
[Footnote 8: Abu Hamed Algazâli--_What_ Abu Hamed Algazâli _thought
concerning those Men who were so wild and Enthusiastick as to
use such extravagant expressions, appears plainly from those words
of his quoted by_ Dr. Pocock _in his_ Specimen. p. 167, _where he says_,
"People ran on to such a degree, (_of madness you may
be sure_) as to pretend to an Union with God, and a fight
of him without the interposition of any Veil, and familiarly
discourse with him. _And a little after_, which sort
of Speeches have occasion'd great mischiefs among the
common People; so that some Country Fellows laying aside
their Husbandry, have pretended to the same things:
for Men are naturally pleas'd with such discourses, as
give them a liberty to neglect their business, and withal
promise them purity of Mind, and the attainment of
strange degrees and proprieties. Now the most stupid
Wretches in Nature may pretend to this, and have in
their Mouths such false and deceitful expressions. And
if any one denies what they say, they immediately tell
you, that this Unbelief of yours proceeds from _Learning_
and _Logick_: and that _Learning_ is a _Veil_, and _Logick_
labour of the brain, but that these things which they
affirm, are discovered only inwardly then by the
_Light of the TRUTH_. And this which they affirm, has spread
_it self_ through a great many Countries, and produc'd a
great deal of Mischief." _Thus far_ Algazâli. _How exactly
this answers the wild extravagancies of our Enthusiasts, let
themselves judge. 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 LIGHT,
since they see so many worthy Persons among the Mahometans
gone before them_.]
[Footnote 9: Avenpace--_This Author is oftentimes quoted by the Name
of_ Ebn'olfayeg; _he was accounted a Philosopher. of great Ingenuity
and Judgment_. Maimonides, _in his Epistle to_ R. Samuel
Aben Tybbon, _gives him a great Character_. Abu'l Hasen Ali,
_who collected all his Works, and reduced them into One Volume,
prefers him before all the Mahometan Philosophers whatsoever.
He was famous for his Poetry as well as Philosophy; he died young,
being prison'd at_ Fez, _in the Year of the_ Hegira 533. _i.e. of
Christ_, 1138, or 39, _others in the Year_ 525, _which answers to_
1131. _Most of his Works are imperfect_. See Dr. _Pocock's
Elenchus Scriptorum prefix'd to the Arabick Edition of this Book_.]
[Footnote 10: _Tho' this instance will serve to explain the meaning of the
Author, yet 'tis very improper, because 'tis utterly impossible to
give a Man that is born Blind, the least notion or
idea of Light or Colours_.]
[Footnote 11: _The Hanifitick Sect,_ and the _Mahometan_ Religion,--_That
is, not only the_ Hanifitick _Sect, but even the_ Mahometan _Religion
too, of which that Sect is a Branch, does forbid the over
curious enquiring into these abstruse Matters. This Sect was
very early among the_ Mahometans, _for it had its Name from_
Abu Hanifah Al Nooman, _who was born,in the 80 year of_
Hegira, or according to others in the 70. _I must confer,
that it seems something odd, that he should mention that Sect first,
and then the_ Mahometan _Religion which includes it, and if it
had not been for the word_ Asshariyato, _which, if I mistake not,
is never us'd to express any particular Sect, but signifies a Religion,
or Law of God, I should have understood those Words of the
Sect of_ Mahomet Ebn Edris Asshaphiensis. _See Dr._ Pocock _'s
Specimen_ p. 295. _Or else the_ Hanifitick _Sect and the_ Mahometan
_Religion may signifie the same thing, because_ Abraham,
_(whose Religion the_ Mahometans _pretend to follow) is called in
the_ Alcoran Hanif. _Dr._ Sike.]
[Footnote 12: Alpharabius,--_Without Exception, the greatest of all the_
Mahometan _Philosophers, reckon'd by some very near equal to_
Aristotle _himself_. Maimonides, _in the Epistle which I just
now mention'd, commends him highly; and tho' he allows_
Avicenna _a great share of Learning, and_ Acumen; _yet be prefers_
Alpharabius _before him. Nay_, Avicenna _himself confesses, that
when he had read over_ Aristotle's _Metaphysicks forty times, and
gotten them by heart; that he never understood them till he
happened upon_ Alpharabius_'s Exposition of them. He wrote Books
of Rhetorick, Musick, Logick, and all parts of Philosophy; and
his Writings have been much esteemed; not only by_ Mahometans
_but_ Jews _and_ Christians _too. He was a Person of singular
Abstinence and Continence,and Despiser of the things of this World.
He is call'd_ Alpharabius _from_ Farab, _the place of bis Birth,
which according to_ Abulpheda _(who reckons his Longitude not
from the Fortunate Islands, but from the extremity of the Western
Continent of_ Africa) _bar_88 deg. 30 min. _of Longitude and_
44 deg. _of Northern Latitude. He died at_ Damascus _the Year
of the Hegira_ 339, _that is, about the Year of Christ 950,
when he was about fourscore Years Old_.]
[Footnote 13: The _Spanish_ Philosophers.--_This is not to be understood of
any Christians in_ Spain, _but Mahometans; for the Moors
Conquer'd a great part of_ Spain _in the Ninety Fifth Year of the_ Hegira,
_which answers partly to the Year of our Lord 710.
Afterwards, as Learning grew up amongst the Eastern Mahometans,
it increased proportionally among the Western too, and they
had a great many Learned Men in_ Toledo _and other Places. The
Author of this Book was a_, Spaniard, _as appears from an Expression
towards the end of this Preface_.]
[Footnote 14: Algazâli.--_He was an Eminent Philosopher, Born at Thûs
a Famous City of_ Chorafan, _in the Year of the_ Hegira 450, _of
Christ_ 1058. _He died in the Year of the_ Hegira 505, _of Christ_
1111-2. Dr. Pocock's Elenchus Scriptor.]
[Footnote 15: Heresy.--_In Arabick the Word_ Káfara, _signifies_ to be
an Infidel, _but they use it commonly as we do the word_ Heresy,
viz. _when a Person holds any thing erroneous in Fundamentals,
tho' Orthodox in other points_.]
[Footnote 16: The Doctrine of the _Suphians_--_The_ Suphians _are an Enthusiastick
Sect amongst the Mahometans, something like_ Quietists
_and_ Quakers; _these set up a stricter sort of Discipline, and pretended
to great abstinence and Contempt of the World, and also to
a greater Familiarity and stricter Union with God than other Sects;
they used a great many strange and extravagant actions and utter
Blasphemous Expressions_. Al Hosain Al Hallâgi _was eminent
amongst them about the Year of the_ Hegira 300. _'Twas he that
wrote in one of his Epistles_, Blessed is he that possesses the shining
light, _&c. and pretended that God dwelt in him. The
Learned among the_ Arabians _are not agreed, about the derivation
of the Word,_ Sufi,
Suphian. _It seems not to be known
among them till about the_ 200 _Year of the_ Hegira. _The most probable
Interpretation of it is from the Arabick word_ Sûph, _which
signifies_ Wool, _because those that followed this Sect refused to
wear Silk, and Cloathed themselves only with_ Wool. Dr. Pocock
_and_ Golius _follow this Interpretation; tho' the latter in his
Lexicon seems to doubt whether it is deriv'd from the [Greek: sophos]
or from the Arabick_ Sûph. _The Sultan of Persia is often call'd
the_ Sophy, _because_ Ismaël _the first Sultan of that Family
now in_ Persia _who began to Reign in the 605 Year of
the_ Hegira, _that is of our Lord the_ 1554/5 _was of this Sect._ viz,
Sufi, a Suphian.]
[Footnote 17: _The word which I have here rendred_ Starlight, _is_ Zohal _in
Arabick which signifies_ Saturn. _'Tis a common way with
the Arabian Authors, when they intend to shew a vast disproportion
between things, to compare the greater to the_ Sun _and the
lesser to_ Saturn. _The meaning of this Distich, is that there is as
much difference between what a Man knows by hearsay, or what
notions he imbibes in his Education, and what he knows when he
comes to examin things to the bottom, and know them experimentally,
as there is between Twilight and Noonday_.]
* * * * *
THE HISTORY OF _HAI EBN YOKDHAN_.
§ 1. Our Ancestors, of Happy Memory, tell us, that there is an Island in
the _Indian_ Ocean, situate under the Equinoctial, where Men come into
the world spontaneously without the help of Father and Mother. This
Island it seems, is blest with such a due Influence of the Sun, as to be
the most temperate and perfect of all places in the Creation; tho' it
must be confess'd that such an Assertion is contrary to the Opinion of
the most celebrated Philosophers and Physicians, who affirm that the
fourth Climate is the most Temperate. Now if the reason which they give
for this Assertion, viz. _That these parts situate under the Equinoctial
are not habitable_; were drawn, from any Impediment from the Earth, 'tis
allow'd that it would appear more probable; but if the reason be,
because of the intense Heat (which is that which most of 'em assign)
'tis absolutely false, and the contrary is prov'd by undeniable
demonstration. For 'tis demonstrated in Natural Philosophy, that there
is no other cause of Heat than Motion, or else the Contact and Light of
Hot Bodies. 'Tis also prov'd that the Sun, in it self, is not hot, nor
partakes of any mix'd Quality: 'tis prov'd moreover, that the thickest
and smoothest Bodies receive Light in the greatest degree of perfection;
and next to them, the thicker which are not smooth, and those which are
very thin receive no Light at all. (This was first demonstrated by
_Avicenna_, never mention'd before by any of the Ancients.) From these
Premises, this Consequence will necessarily follow, _viz_. That the Sun
do's not Communicate his Heat to the Earth, after the same manner as hot
Bodies heat those other Bodies which are near them because the Sun is
not hot in it self. Nor can it be said that the Earth is heated by
Motion, because it stands still, and remains in the same posture, both
when the Sun shines upon it, and when it does not, and yet 'tis evident
to Sense, that there is a vast difference in it, in respect of Heat and
Cold, at those several times. Nor does the Sun first heat the Air, and
so the Earth; because we may observe in hot weather, that the Air which
is nearest the Earth, is hotter by much than that which is higher and
more remote. It remains therefore that the Sun has no other way of
heating the Earth but by its Light, for Heat always follows Light, so
that when its Beams are collected, as in Burning-Glasses for instance,
it fires all before it. Now 'tis Demonstrated in Mathematicks, that the
Sun is a Spherical Body, and so is the Earth; and that the Sun is much
greater than the Earth; and that part of the Earth which is at all times
illuminated by the Sun is above half of it; and that in that half which
is illuminated, the Light is most intense in the midst; both because
that part is the most remote from Darkness, which is the Circumference
of the Circle, as also, because it lies opposite to more parts of the
Sun: and that those parts which are nearest the Circumference of the
Circle, have less Light; and so gradually, till the Circumference of the
Circle, which encompasses the illuminated part of the Earth, ends in
Darkness.
§ 2. Now that is the Center of the Circle of Light, where the Sun is
Vertical to the Inhabitants, and then in that place, the Heat is most
extreamly intense; and so those Countries are the coldest, where the Sun
is farthest from being Vertical. And if there were any such place where
the Sun was always Vertical, it must needs be extream hot. Now 'tis
demonstrated in Astronomy, that the Sun is Vertical twice a Year only,
to those which live under the Equinoctial, _viz_. when he enters into
_Aries_ and _Libra_; and all the rest of the Year he declines from them,
six months Northward, and six months Southward; and for that reason they
are neither too hot nor too cold, but of a Moderate Temper between both.
There's much more to be said about this Argument, in order to the
explaining it fully, but it is not suitable to our purpose; I have only
hinted it to you, because it helps the Story a little, and makes it
something more probable that a Man may be form'd without the help of
Father and Mother; and there are some which affirm positively that _Hai
Ebn Yokdhan_ was so, others deny it, and tell the Story thus:
* * * * *
[Illustration 3]
* * * * *
§ 3. They say, that there lay, not far from this our Island, another
Great Island very fertile and well peopled; which was then govern'd by a
Prince of a Proud and Jealous Disposition: he had a Sister of exquisite
Beauty, which he confin'd and restrain'd from Marriage, because he could
not match her to one suitable to her quality He had a near Relation
whose Name was _Yokdhân_, that courted this Princess, and Married her
privately, according to the Rites of Matrimony then in use among them;
it was not long before she prov'd with Child, and was brought to Bed of
a Son; and being afraid that it should be discovered, she took him in
the Evening, and when she had Suckled him she put him into a little Ark
which she closed up fast, and so Conveys him to the Sea shore, with some
of her Servants and Friends as she could trust; and there with an Heart
equally affected with Love and Fear, she takes her last leave of him in
these Words, _O God, thou form'dst this Child out of nothing, and didst
Cherish him in the Dark recesses of my Womb, till he was compleat in all
his parts; I fearing the Cruelty of a Proud and unjust King, commit him
to thy Goodness, hoping that thou who art infinitely merciful, will be
pleas'd by thy gracious Providence to protect him, and never leave him
destitute of thy Care_.
§4. Then she set him afloat, and that very Night the Tide carried him
ashore on that Island we just now mention'd; it fortun'd that the Water
being high, carried the Ark a great way on shore, farther than it would
have done at another time, (for it rises so high but once a Year) and
cast the Ark into a little shady Grove, thick set with Trees, a pleasant
place, where he was secured both from Wind and Sun; when the Tide ebb'd,
the Ark was left there, and the Wind rising blew an heap of Sand
together between the Ark and the Sea, sufficient to secure him from any
future danger of such another Flood.
§ 5. The Violence of the Waves had loosned the Joints of the Ark; the
Boy was Hungry and Cry'd. It happen'd fortunately at that Juncture of
time, that a Roe wandring about the Island in search of her Fawn, which
straying was devoured by an Eagle, heard the Boy cry, and following the
voice (imagining it to have been her Fawn) came up to the Ark, which she
immediately attack'd, and what with her beating it with her hoofs
without, and the Boy's struggling within, at last between 'em both they
loosned a board: as soon as she saw him she shew'd the same natural
Affection to him as if he had been her own, Suckled him and took care of
him. This is the account which they give, who are not willing to believe
that a Man can be produced without Father or Mother.
§ 6. On the other hand, those who affirm that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ was
produced in that Island without Father and Mother[18], tell us, that in
that island, in a piece of Low ground, it chanc'd that a certain Mass of
Earth was so fermented in some period of Years, that the four qualities,
_viz. Hot, Cold, Dry, Moist_, were so equally mix'd, that none of 'em
prevail'd over the other; and that this Mass was of a very great Bulk,
in which, some parts were better and more equally Temper'd than
others,and consequently fitter for Generation; the middle part
especially, which came nearest to the Temper of Man's Body. This Matter
being in a fermentation, there arose some Bubbles by reason of its
viscousness, and it chanc'd that in the midst of it there was a viscous
Substance with a very little bubble in it, which was divided into two
with a thin partition, full of Spirituous and Aerial Substance, and of
the most exact Temperature imaginable. That the Matter being thus
dispos'd, there was, by the Command of God, a Spirit infus'd into it;
which was join'd so closely to it, that it can scarce be separated from
it even so much as in thought; which did as constantly influence this
Mass of matter as the Sun do's the World. Now there are some Bodies from
whence we perceive no Reflection of Light, as the thin Air: others from
which we do but imperfectly; such are thick Bodies which are not smooth
(but there is a difference in these, and the difference of their Colours
arises from the different manner of their Reception of the Rays); and
from others we receive the Reflection in the highest degree, as from
Bodies which are smooth and polish'd, as Looking-Glasses and the like;
so that those Glasses when ground after a particular manner will Collect
so much Light as to kindle a Fire. So that Spirit which comes by the
Command of God, do's at all times act upon all Creatures, in some of
which notwithstanding, there appears no Impression of it, but the reason
of that is, because of their Incapacity into whom it is infus'd; of
which kind are things inanimate which are fitly represented in this
similitude, by the thin Air. There are another sort again; in which
there does appear something of it, as Vegetables and the like, which are
represented by the thick Bodies we mention'd, which are not polish'd.
And then lastly, there are others, (represented by those Glasses, in our
last comparison) in which the impressions of this Spirit are visible,
and such we reckon all sorts of Animals. But then, as these smooth and
polish'd Bodies which are of the same figure with the Sun [i.e.
Spherical] do receive the Rays in a more plentiful manner than any other
whatsoever, so also do some Animals receive the Influence of that Spirit
more than others, because they are more like to that Spirit and are
form'd after his Image: such is Man particularly, which is hinted before
where 'tis said that _God made Man after his own Image_[19].
§ 7. Now, when this Form prevails to such a degree that all others are
nothing before it, but it remains alone, so as to consume, with the
glory of its Light, whatsoever stands; in it's way; then it is properly
compared to those Glasses, which reflect Light upon themselves, and burn
every thing else; But this is a degree which is peculiar to the
Prophets.
§ 8. But to return, and speak something more fully concerning the
Opinion of those who account for this kind of generation; They tell us,
that as soon as this Spirit was join'd to the Receptacle, all the other
powers immediately, by the Command of God, submitted themselves to it.
Now, opposite to this Receptacle, there arose another Bubble divided
into three Receptacles by thin membranes, with passages from one to the
other, which were fill'd with an aerial substance, not much unlike that
which was in the first Receptacle, only the first was something finer;
and in each of these three Ventricles,which were all taken out of one,
were plac'd some of those Faculties, which were subject to this
governing Spirit, and were appointed to take care of their respective
Stations, and to communicate every thing, both great and small, to that
Spirit, which we told you before was plac'd in the first Receptacle.
Right against this Receptacle, opposite to the second, there arose
another third Bubble, fill'd with an aerial substance, which was grosser
than that which was in the other two; this was made for the
Entertainment and preservation of some other of the inferior Faculties.
§ 9. Thus these three Receptacles were made in the same order which we
have describ'd, and these were the first part of that great Mass which
was form'd; now they stood in need of one another's assistance; the
first wanted the other two as Servants, and they again the assistance
and guidance of the first, as their Master and Director; but both these
Receptacles, tho' inferior to the first, were nevertheless superior to
all those Members which were form'd afterwards. The first Receptacle, by
the power of that Spirit which was joyn'd to it and its continual
flaming Heat, was form'd into a Conical figure, like that of Fire, and
by this means that thick Body, which was about it, became of the same
figure, being solid Flesh cover'd with a thick Membrane. This is what we
call the Heart. Now considering the great expence of Moisture, which
must needs be where there is so much Heat, 'twas absolutely necessary,
that there should be some part form'd, whose Office it should be
continually to supply this defect; Otherwise it would have been
impossible to have subsisted long. 'Twas also necessary that [this
forming Spirit] should have a Sense both of what was convenient for him,
and what was hurtful, and accordingly attract the one and repel the
other. For these Services there were two parts form'd, with their
respective Faculties, _viz_. the Brain and the Liver: the first of these
presided over all things relating to Sense, the latter over such things
as belong'd to Nutrition: both of these depended upon the Heart for a
supply of Heat, and the recruiting of their proper Faculties. To
establish a good Correspondence between all these, there were Ducts and
Passages interwoven, some bigger, some lesser, according as necessity
requir'd; and these are the Arteries and Veins.
Thus much for a Taste; they that tell the Story go on farther, and give
you a particular account of the Formation of all the parts, as the
Physicians do of the Formation of the _Foetus_ in the Womb, omitting
nothing till he was compleatly form'd, and just like an _Embryo_ ready
for the Birth. In this account they are forc'd to be beholding to this
vast Mass of Earth, which you are to suppose was of a most exact
mixture, and contain'd in it all manner of materials proper for the
making Man's Body, and those Skins, _&c._ which cover it; till at last,
when he was Compleat in all his parts, as if the Mass had been in
labour, those Coverings, which he was wrapp'd up in, burst asunder, and
the rest of the Dirt dry-d and crack'd in pieces. The Infant being thus
brought into the World, and finding his Nourishment fail him, cry'd for
want of Victuals, till the _Roe_ which had lost her Fawn heard him. Now,
both those who are of the other Opinion and those who are for this kind
of generation, agree in all the other particulars of his Education: and
what they tell us is this.
§ 10. They say that this _Roe_ liv'd in good Pasture so that she was
fat, and had, such plenty of Milk, that she was very well able to
maintain the Child; she took great care of him, and never left him, but
when hunger forc'd her: and he grew so well acquainted with her, that if
at any time she staid away from him a little longer than ordinary, he'd
cry pitifully, and she, as soon as she heard him, came running
instantly; besides all this, he enjoy'd this happiness, that there was
no Beast of prey in the whole Island.
§ 11. Thus he went on, Living only upon what he Suck'd till he was Two
Years Old, and then he began to step a little and Breed his Teeth. He
always followed the _Roe_ and she shew'd all the tenderness to him
imaginable; and us'd to carry him to places where Fruit Trees grew, and
fed him with the Ripest and Sweetest Fruits which fell from the Trees;
and for Nuts or such like, she us'd to break the Shell with her Teeth,
and give him the Kernel; still Suckling him, as often as he pleas'd, and
when he was thirsty she shew'd him the way to the water. If the Sun
shin'd too hot and scorch'd him, she shaded him; if he was cold she
cherish'd him and kept him warm; and when Night came she brought him
home to his old Place, and covered him partly with her own Body, and
partly with some Feathers which were left in the Ark, which had been put
in with him when he was first expos'd. Now, when they went out in the
Morning, and when they came home again at Night, there always went with
them an Herd of Deer, which lay in the same place where they did; so
that the Boy being always amongst them learn'd their voice by degrees,
and imitated it so exactly that there was scarce any sensible
difference; nay, when he heard the voice of any Bird or Beast, he'd come
very near it, being of a most excellent Apprehension. But of all the
voices which he imitated, he made most use of the Deers, which he was
Master of, and could express himself as they do, either when they want
help, call their Mates, when they would have them come nearer, or go
farther off. (For you must know that the Brute Beasts have different
Sounds to express these different things.) Thus he contracted such an
Acquaintance with the Wild Beasts, that they were not afraid of him, nor
he of them.
§ 12. By this time he began to have the Ideas of a great many things
fix'd in his mind, so as to have a desire to some, and an aversion to
others, even when they were absent. In the mean while he consider'd all
the several sorts of Animals, and saw that they were all clothed either
with Hair, Wool, or several sorts of Feathers: he consider'd their great
Swiftness and Strength, and that they were all arm'd with Weapons
defensive, as Horns, Teeth, Hoofs, Spurs, Nails, and the like. But that
he himself was Naked and Defenceless, Slow and Weak, in respect of them.
For whenever there happened any Controversy about gathering of such ripe
Fruits as fell from the Trees; he always came off by the worst, for they
could both keep their own, and take away his, and he could neither beat
them, off, nor run away from them.
§ 13. He observ'd besides that his Fellow-Fawns, tho' their Fore-heads
were smooth at first, yet afterwards had Horns bud out, and tho' they
were feeble at first, yet afterwards grew very Vigorous and Swift. All
these things he perceived in them, which were not in himself; and when
he had consider'd the Matter, he could not imagine what should be the
reason of this Difference; then he consider'd such Animals as had any
Defect or Natural Imperfection, but amongst them all he could find none
like himself. He took Notice that the Passages of the Excrements were
cover'd in all other Creatures besides himself: that by which they
voided their grosser Excrements, with a Tail; and that which serv'd for
the voiding of their Urine, with Hair or some such like thing. Besides,
he observ'd that their Privy parts, were more concealed than his own
were.
§ 14. All these things were matter of great Grief to him, and when he
had perplex'd himself very much with the thoughts of them, and was now
near seven Years Old, he despair'd utterly of having those things grow
upon him, the want of which made him so uneasy. He therefore resolv'd to
help himself, and thereupon gets him some Broad Leaves of Trees, of
which he made two Coverings, one to wear behind, the other before; and
made a Girdle of Palm-Trees and Rushes Twisted together, to Hang his
coverings upon, and Ty'd it about his waste, and so wore it. But alas it
would not last long, for the Leaves wither'd and dropt away; so that he
was forc'd to get more, which he doubled and put together as well as he
could, Plaiting the Leaves one upon another, which made it a little more
durable, but not much. Then having broke a Bough from a Tree and fitted
the Ends of it to his Mind, he stript off the Twigs and made it smooth;
with this he began to attack the Wild Beasts, assaulting the weaker, and
defending himself against the stronger. By this means he began a little
to know his own Strength, and perceiv'd that his Hands were better than
their Feet; because by the help of them, he had provided wherewithal to
cover his Nakedness, and also gotten him a Defensive Weapon, so that now
he had no need of a Tail, nor of those Natural Weapons which he had so
wish'd for at first.
§ 15. He was now above Seven Years Old, and because the repairing of his
Covering of Leaves so often, was very troublesome to him, he had a
design of taking the Tail of some Dead Beast, and wearing it himself;
but when he perceiv'd that all Beasts did constantly avoid those which
were Dead of the same kind, it made him doubt whether it might be safe
or not; at last, by chance he found a Dead Eagle, and observing that
none of the Beasts shew'd any aversion to that Carcass, he concluded
that this would suit his purpose: and in the first place, he cuts off
the Wings, and the Tail whole, and spreads the Feathers open; then he
drew off the Skin,and divided it into two equal parts, one of which he
wore upon his Back, with the other he covered his Navel and Secrets: the
Tail he wore behind, and the Wings were plac'd upon each Arm. This Dress
of his answer'd several Ends; for in the first place it cover'd his
Nakedness, and help'd to keep him warm, and then it made him so
frightful to the Beasts, that none of them car'd to meddle with him, or
come near him; only the _Roe_ his Nurse, which never left him, nor he,
her; and when she grew Old and Feeble, he us'd to lead her where there
was the best Food, and pluck the best Fruits for her, and give her them
to eat.
§ 16. Notwithstanding this she grew lean and weak, and continu'd a while
in a languishing Condition, till at last she Dyed, and then all her
Motions and Actions ceas'd. When the Boy perceiv'd her in this
Condition, he was ready to dye for Grief. He call'd her with the same
voice which she us'd to answer to, and made what Noise he could, but
there was no Motion, no Alteration. Then he began to peep into her Eyes
and Ears, but could perceive no visible defect in either; in like manner
he examin'd all the parts of her Body, and found nothing amiss, but
every thing as it should be. He had a vehement desire to find, if
possible, that part were the defect was, that he might remove it, and
she return to her former State, of Life and Vigour. But he was
altogether at a loss, how to compass his design, nor could he possibly
bring it about.
§ 17. That which put him upon this search, was what he observ'd in
himself. He took Notice that when he shut his Eyes, or held any thing
before them, he could see nothing at all, till that Obstacle was
removed; and so when he put his Fingers into his Ears, that he could not
hear, till he took 'em out again; and when he closed his Nostrils
together, he smelt nothing till they were open'd; from whence he
concluded, that all his Senses and Actions were liable to Obstacles and
Impediments, upon the removal of which, the same Operations return'd to
their former course. Therefore, when he had examined every External Part
of her, and found no visible defect, and yet at the same time perceiv'd
an Universal Cessation of Motion in the whole Body, not peculiar to one
Member, but common to them all, he began to imagine that the hurt was in
some part, which was most remote from the sight, and hidden in the
inward part of the Body; and that this Part was of such nature and use,
that without its help, none of the other External Parts could exercise
their proper Functions; and that if this Part suffer any hurt, the
damage was Universal, and a Cessation of the whole ensu'd,
§ 18. This made him very desirous to find that part if possible, that he
might remove the defect from it, that so it might be as it us'd to be,
and the whole Body might enjoy the Benefit of it, and the same course of
Actions follow as before. He had before observ'd, in the Bodies of Wild
Beasts and other Animals, that all their Members were solid, and that
there were only three Cavities, _viz_. The Skull, the Breast, and the
Belly; he imagined therefore that this Part which he wanted, must needs
be in one of these Cavities, and above all, he had a strong persuasion
that it was in the middlemost of them. He verily believ'd, that all the
Members stood in need of this part, and that from thence it must
necessarily follow, that the Seat of it must be in the Centre. And when
he reflected upon his own Body, he felt such a part in his Breast, of
which he had this notion, _viz_. That it was impossible for for him to
subsist without it, so much as the twinkling of an eye, tho' he could at
the same time conceive a possibility of subsisting without his other
parts, _viz_. his Hands, Feet, Ears, Nose, Eyes, or even his Head. And
upon this account, whenever he fought with any Wild Beast, he always
took particular care to guard his Breast; because of the Apprehension
which he had of that Part, which was contain'd in it.
§ 19. Having, by this way of reasoning, assur'd himself that the
disaffected Part lay in the Breast; he was resolv'd to make a search, in
order to find it out; that whatsoever the Impediment was, he might
remove it if possible; but then again, he was afraid on the other side,
lest his Undertaking should be worse than the Disease, and prove
prejudicial. He began to consider next, whether or no he had ever
remembred any Beasts, or other Animals, which he had seen in that
condition, recover again, and return to the same State which they were
in before: but he could call to Mind no such Instance; from whence he
concluded, that if she was let alone there would be no hopes at all, but
if he should be so fortunate as to find that Part, and find the
Impediment, there might be some hope. Upon this he resolv'd to open her
Breast and make enquiry; in order to which he provides himself with
sharp Flints, and Splinters of dry Cane almost like Knives, with which
he made an incision between the Ribs, and cutting through the Flesh,
came to the _Diaphragma_; which he finding very Tough and not easily
broken, assur'd himself, that such a Covering must needs belong to that
part which he lookt for, and that if he could once get through that, he
should find it. He met with some difficulty in his Work, because his
Instruments were none of the best, for he had none but such as were made
either of Flint or Cane.
§ 20. However, he sharpned 'em again and renewed his Attempt with all
the Skill he was Master of. At last he broke through, and the first part
he met with was the Lungs, which he at first sight mistook, for that
part which he search'd for, and turn'd 'em about this way and that way,
to see if he could find in them the cause of the Disease. 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 sideways, he was satisfy'd that
it was not the part he look'd for, because he was fully perswaded, that
that must needs be in the midst of the Body, as well in regard of
Latitude as Longitude. He proceeded in his search, till at last he found
the Heart, which when he saw closed with a very strong Cover, and
fastned with strong Ligaments, and covered by the Lungs on that side
which he had open'd; he began to say to himself. "If this part be so on
the other side as it is on this which I have open'd, then 'tis certainly
in the midst, and without doubt the same I look for; especially
considering the Conveniency of the Situation, the Comliness and
Regularity of its Figure, the Firmness and Solidity of the Flesh, and
besides, its being guarded with such a Membrane as I have not observ'd
in any part." Upon this he searches the other side, and finding the same
Membrane on the inside of the Ribs, and the Lungs in the same posture,
which he had observ'd on that side which he had open'd first, he
concluded the Heart to be the part which he look'd for.
* * * * *
[Illustration 4]
* * * * *
§ 21. Therefore he first Attacks the _Pericardium_, which, after a long
tryal and a great deal of pains, he made shift to tear; and when he had
laid the Heart bare, and perceiv'd that it was solid on every side, he
began to examin it, to see if he could find any hurt in it; but finding
none, he squeez'd it with his Hands, and perceiv'd that it was hollow.
He began than to think that what he look'd for, might possibly be
contain'd in that Cavity. When he came to open it, he found in it two
Cavities, one on the right side, the other on the left. That on the
right side was full of clotted Blood, that on the left quite empty.
"Then (says he,) without all doubt, one of those two Cavites must needs
be the Receptacle of what I I look for; as for that on this side there's
nothing in it but congealed Blood, which was not so, be sure, till the
whole Body was in that condition in. which it now is" (for he had
observ'd that all Blood congeals when it flows from the Body, and that
this Blood did not differ in the least from any other,) "and therefore
what I look for, cannot by any means, be such a matter as this; for that
which I mean, is something which is peculiar to this place, which I find
I could not subsist without, so much as the Twinkling of an Eye. And
this is that which I look'd for at first. For as for this Blood, how
often have I lost a great deal of it in my Skirmishes with the Wild
Beasts, and yet it never did me any considerable harm, nor rendred me
incapable of performing any Action of Life, and therefore what I look
for is not in this Cavity. Now as for the Cavity on the left side, I
find 'tis altogether empty, and I have no reason in the World to think
that it was made in vain, because I find every part appointed for such
and such particular Functions. How then can this Ventricle of the Heart,
which I see is of so excellent a Frame, serve for no use at all? I
cannot think but that the same thing which I am in search of, once dwelt
here, but has now deserted his Habitation and left it empty, and that
the Absence of that thing, has occasion'd this Privation of Sense and
Cessation of Motion, which happen'd to the Body." Now when he perceiv'd
that the Being which had inhabited there before, had left its House
before it fell to Ruine, and forsaken it when as yet it continu'd whole
and entire, he concluded that it was highly probable that it would never
return to it any more, after its being so cut and mangled.
§ 22. Upon this the whole Body seem'd to him a very inconsiderable
thing, and worth nothing in respect of that Being, he believed once
inhabited, and now had left it. Therefore he applied himself wholly to
the consideration of that Being. _What it was?_ and _how it subsisted?
what joyn'd it to the Body? Whether it went, and by what passage, when
it left the Body? What was the Cause of its Departure, whether it were
forc'd to leave its Mansion, or left the Body of its own accord? and in
case it went away Voluntarily, what it was that rendred the Body so
disagreeable to it, as to make it forsake it?_ And whilst his Mind was
perplext with such variety of Thoughts, he laid aside all concern for
the Carcass, and threw it away; for now he perceiv'd that his Mother,
which had Nurs'd him so Tenderly and had Suckled him, was _that
something_ which was departed: and from it proceeded all those Actions
by which she shew'd her Care of him, and Affection, to him, and not from
this unactive Body; but that the Body was to it only as an Instrument or
Tool, like his Cudgel which he had made for himself, with which he used
to Fight with the Wild Beasts. So that now, all his regard to the Body
was remov'd, and transferr'd to that by which the Body is governed, and
by whose Power it moves. Nor had he any other desire but to make enquiry
after that.
§ 23. In the mean, time the Carcass of the _Roe_ began to putrifie, and
emit Noisome Vapours, which still increas'd his aversion to it, so that
he did not care to see it. 'Twas not long after that he chanc'd to see
two Ravens engag'd so furiously; that one of them struck down the other
Stark Dead; and when he had done, he began to scrape with his Claws till
he had digg'd a Pit, in which he Buried the Carcass of his Adversary.
Our Philosopher observing this, said to himself, _How well has this
Raven done in Burying the Body of his Companion, tho' he did ill in
Killing him? How much greater reason was there for me to have been
forward in performing this Office to my Mother?_ Upon this he makes a
Grave, and lays his Mother into it, and Buries her. He proceeded in his
Enquiry concerning what that should be by which the Body was govern'd,
but could not Apprehend what it was; when he look'd upon the rest of the
Roes, and perceiv'd that they were of the same form and figure with his
Mother, he believ'd that there was in every one of them something which
govern'd and actuated them, like that which had actuated and govern'd
his Mother: formerly: and for the sake of that likeness he us'd to keep
in their Company, and shew affection towards them. He continued a while
in this condition, Contemplating the various kinds of Animals and
Plants, and walking about the Coast of his Island, to see if he could
find any thing like himself; (as he observ'd that every Individual
Animal, and Plant, had a great many more like it.) But all his search
was in vain. And when he perceiv'd that his Island was encompass'd by
the Sea, he thought that there was no other Land in the World but only
that Island.
§ 23. It happen'd that by Collision a Fire was kindled among a parcel of
Reeds or Canes; which fear'd him at first, as being a Sight which he was
altogether a Stranger to; so that he stood at a distance a good while,
strangely surpriz'd, at last he came nearer and nearer by degrees, still
observing the Brightness of its Light and marvellous Efficacy in
consuming every thing it touch'd, and changing it into its own Nature;
till at last, his Admiration of it, and that innate Boldness and
Fortitude, which God had implanted in his Nature prompted him on, that
he ventur'd to come near it, and stretch'd out his Hand to take some of
it. But when it burnt his Fingers and he found there was no dealing with
it that way, he endeavour'd to take a stick, which the Fire had not as
yet wholly seiz'd upon; so taking hold on that part which was untouch'd
he easily gain'd his purpose, and carried it Home to his Lodging (for he
had contriv'd for himself a convenient place) there he kept this Fire
and added Fuel to it, admir'd it wonderfully, and tended it night and
day; at night especially, because its Light and Heat supply'd the
absence of the Sun; so that he was extreamly delighted with it, and
reckon'd it the most excellent of all those things which he had about
him. And when he observ'd that it always mov'd upwards, he perswaded
himself that, it was one of those Celestial Substances which he saw
shining in the Firmament, and he was continually trying of its power, by
throwing things into it, which he perceiv'd it operated upon and
consum'd, sometimes sooner, sometimes slower, according as the Bodies
which he put into it were more or less combustible.
§ 25. Amongst other things which he put in to try its strength, he once
flung in some Fish which had been thrown a-shore by the Water, and as
soon as e're he smelt the Steam, it rais'd his Appetite, so that he had
a Mind to Taste of them; which he did, and found 'em very agreeable and
from that time he began to use himself to the Eating of Flesh, and
applied himself to Fishing and Hunting till he understood those sports
very well: upon this account he admir'd his Fire more and more, because
it help'd him to several sorts of Provision which he was altogether
unacquainted with before.
§ 26. And now when his Affection towards it was increas'd to the highest
degree, both upon the account of its Beneficial Effects, and its
Extraordinary Power; he began to think that the Substance which was
departed from the Heart of his Mother the Roe, was, if not the very same
with it, yet at least of a Nature very much like it. He was confirm'd in
his Opinion, because he had observ'd in all Animals, that as long as
they liv'd, they were constantly warm without any Intermission, and as
constantly Cold after Death, Besides he found in himself, that there was
a greater degree of Heat by much in his Breast, near that place where he
had made the Incision in the _Roe_. This made him think that if he could
dissect any Animal alive, and look into that Ventricle which he had
found empty when he dissected his Dam the _Roe_, he might possibly find
it full of that Substance which inhabited it, and so inform himself
whether it were of the Substance with the Fire, and whether it had any
Light or Heat in it or not. In order to this he took a Wild Beast and
ty'd him down, so that he could not stir, and dissected him after the
same manner he had dissected the _Roe_, till he came to the Heart; and
Essaying the left Ventricle first, and opening it, he perceiv'd it was
full of an Airy Vapour, which look'd like a little Mist or white Cloud,
and putting in his Finger, he found it hotter than he could well endure
it, and immediately the Creature Dyed. From whence he assuredly
concluded, that it was that Moist Vapour which communicated Motion to
that Animal, and that there was accordingly in every Animal of what kind
soever, something like it upon the departure of which Death follow'd.
§ 27. He had then a great desire to enquire into the other parts of
Animals, to find out their Order and Situation, their Quantity and the
manner of there Connexion one with another, and by what means of
Communication they enjoy the Benefit of that Moist Vapour, so as to live
by it. How that Vapour is continu'd the time it remains, from whence it
has its Supplies, and by what Means its Heat is preserv'd. The way which
he us'd in this Enquiry was the Dissection of all sorts of Animals, as
well Living as Dead, neither did he leave off to make an accurate
Enquiry into them, till at length he arrived to the highest degree of
Knowledge in this kind which the most Learned Naturalists ever attain'd
to.
§ 28. And now he Apprehended plainly that every particular Animal, tho'
it had a great many Limbs, and variety of Senses and Motions, was
nevertheless _One_ in respect of that Spirit, whose Original was from
one firm Mansion, _viz_. the Heart, from whence, its Influence was
diffus'd among all the Members. And that all the Members were
subservient to it, or inform'd and supported by it, and that this Spirit
made use of those Members, in the same manner as a Soldier do's of his
Weapons, or an Huntsman or Fisherman of his Tackling, who makes use of
different ways and things, according to the difference of the Creatures
he intends to catch. Now the Soldiers Weapons are some of 'em defensive
and offensive, and the Sportsman's too are some for Land, and some for
Water: So the Anatomists Instruments, are some for Fission, others for
Fraction, and others for Perforation. And thus tho' the Body was _One_,
yet that governing Spirit made use of it several ways, according to the
respective uses of each Member, and the several ends which it propos'd
to obtain.
§ 29. Thus he perceiv'd that there was all this while but _One_ Animal
Spirit, whose Action when he made use of the Eye, was _Sight_; when of
the Ear, _Hearing_; when of the Nose, _Smelling_; when of the Tongue,
_Tasting_; and when of the Skin and Flesh, _Feeling_. When it employ'd
any Limb, then its Operation was _Motion_; and when it made use of the
Liver, _Nutrition_ and _Concoction_. And that, tho' there were Members
fitted to every one of these uses, yet none of them could perform their
respective Offices, without having Correspondence with that Spirit, by
means of the Nerves; and that if at any time it chanc'd that their
passages were either broken off or obstructed, such a Member would be
altogether useless. Now these; Nerves derive this Spirit from the Brain,
which has it from the Heart (and contains abundance of Spirit, because
it is divided into a great many partitions) and by what means soever any
limb is depriv'd of his Spirit, it's Action ceases, and 'tis like a cast
off Tool, not fit for use. And if this Spirit depart wholly from the
Body, or is consum'd or dissolv'd by any means whatsoever, then the
whole Body is depriv'd of Motion all at once, and reduced to a State of
Death.
§ 30. Thus far had his Observations brought him about the end of the
Third Seventh Year of his Age, _viz_. when he was One and Twenty Years
Old. In which time, he had made abundance of pretty Contrivances. He
made himself both Cloaths and Shoes of the Skins of such Wild Beasts as
he had dissected. His thread was made of Hair, and of the Bark of the
Stalks of Althaea, Mallows or any other Plants, which afforded such
Strings as were fit for that purpose. He learn'd the making of these
threads from the use which he had made of the Rushes before. He made
Awls of sharp Thorns, and Splinters of Cane, sharpned with Flints. He
learn'd the Art of Building, from the Observations he made upon the
Swallows Nests. He Builds himself a Store-house and a Pantry, to lay up
the remainder of his Provision in: and made a Door to it of Canes
twisted together, to prevent any of the Beasts getting in, during his
absence. He took Birds of prey and brought them up for Hawking; and kept
tame
Poultry for their Eggs and Chickens. He took the tips of the Buffalo's
Horns and fastned them upon the strongest Canes he could get, and Staves
of the Tree _Alzân_ and Others; and so, partly by the help of the Fire,
and partly of sharp edg'd Stones, he so fitted them that they serv'd him
instead of so many Spears. He made him a shield of Hides folded
together. All this pains he took to furnish himself with Artificial
Weapons, because he found himself destitute of Natural ones.
§ 31. Now when he perceiv'd that his Hand supplied all these defects
very well, and that none of all the various kinds of Wild Beasts durst
stand against him, but ran away from him, and were too Nimble for him.
He began to contrive how to be even with them, and thought there would
be no way so proper as to chuse out some of the strongest and swiftest
Beasts of the Island, and bring 'em up tame, and feed them with proper
Food, till they would let him back them and then he might persue the
other kinds of Wild Beasts. There were in that Island both Wild Horses
and Asses; he chose of both sorts, such as seem'd fittest for his
purpose, and by exercise he made them so gentle and tractable that he
was compleat Master of his Wishes. And when, he had made out of the
Skins of Beasts, such things as serv'd him competently well, in the Room
of Bridles and Saddles, he could very easily then overtake such Beasts,
as he could scarce ever have been able to have catch'd any other manner
of way. He made all these discoveries whilst he was employed in the
Study of Anatomy, and the searching out of the Properties, peculiar to
each Part, and the difference between them; and all this about that time
I speak of, _viz_. of the Age of 21 Years.
* * * * *
[Illustration 5]
* * * * *
§ 32. He then proceeded further to examin the Nature of Bodies in this
Sublunary World, _viz_. The different kinds of Animal, Plants, Minerals,
and several sorts of Stones, Earth, Water, Exhalations, Ice, Snow, Hail,
Smoak, Hoar, Frost, Flame, and Heat. In which he observ'd different
Qualities, and different Actions, and that their Motions agreed in some
respects, and differ'd in others: and considering these things with
great Application, he perceiv'd that their Qualities also agreed in some
things, and differ'd in others; and that so far as they agreed, they
were _One_; but when consider'd with Relation to their differences, _a
great many_: so that when he came to consider the Properties of things
by which they were distinguish'd one from another,he found that they
Multiplied so fast upon him, that 'twas impossible for him, to
Comprehend them. Nay, when he consider'd the difference of his own
Limbs, which he perceiv'd were all distinct from one another, by some
Property and Action peculiar to each, it seem'd to him that there was a
_Plurality_ in his Own Essence. And when he look'd upon any one Member
it self, he found that it might be divided into a great many parts, from
whence he concluded, that there must needs be a Plurality in his own
Essence, and not only in his own but in every other also.
§ 33. Then he enter'd upon another sort of Speculation of the second
kind, by which he perceiv'd that tho' the parts of his Body were many,
yet they were Conjoyned and Compacted together so as to make one Body,
and that what difference there was between them consisted only in the
difference of their Actions, which diversity proceeded from that Animal
Spirit, the Nature of which he had before search'd into, and found out.
Now he knew that his Spirit was One in Essence, and was really the
Substance of his Being, and that all the rest of the Members serve that
Spirit as Instruments, and in this Respect he perceiv'd his own Essence,
to be _One_.
§. 34. He proceeded from hence to the consideration of all the Species
of Animals and found that every Individual of them was _One_. Next he
consider'd them with regard to their different Species, _viz_. as Roes,
Horses, Asses and all sorts of Birds according to their kinds, and he
perceiv'd that all the Individuals of every Species were exactly like
one another, in the shape of their Parts, both within and without, that
their Apprehensions, Motions, and Inclinations were alike, and that
those little differences which where visible amongst them, were
inconsiderable in respect of those many things in which they agreed.
From whence he concluded, that the Spirit which actuated any Species was
one and the same; only distributed among so many Hearts, as there were
Individuals in that Species, so that if it were possible for all that
Spirit, which is so divided among so many Hearts, to be Collected into
one Receptacle, it would be all the same thing, just as if any one
Liquor should be pour'd out into several Dishes and afterwards put all
together again in one Vessel; this Liquor would still be the _same_, as
well when it was divided, as when it was altogether, only in respect of
that division it may be said in some sort to be Multiplied. By this way
of Contemplation he perceiv'd that a whole Species was One and the same
thing, and that the Multiplicity of Individuals in the same Species is
like the Multiplicity of Parts in the same Person, which indeed are not
_many_ [i.e. are only _One_.]
§ 35. Then he represented in his Mind, all the Several kinds of Animals,
and perceiv'd that Sensation, and Nutrition, and the Power of moving
freely where they pleas'd, was common to them all; which Actions he was
assur'd before, were all very proper to the Animal Spirit, and that
those lesser things in which they differ'd (notwithstanding their
agreement in these greater,) were not so proper to that Spirit. From
this consideration he concluded, that it was only One and the same
Animal Spirit, which Actuated all living Creatures whatsoever, tho'
there was in it a little difference, which each Species claim'd as
peculiar to it self. For instance, suppose the same Water be pour'd out
into different Vessels, that which is in this Vessel may possibly be
something warmer than that which is in another, tho' 'tis the same Water
still, and so every degree of Heat and Cold in this Water in the Several
Vessels, will represent the Specifick difference which there is in
Animals: And as that Water is all one and the same, so is that Animal
Spirit _One_, tho' in some respect there is a sort of Multiplicity. And
so under this Notion he look'd upon the whole Species of living
Creatures, to be all _One_.
§ 36. Afterwards Contemplating the different Species of Plants, as he
had done before of Animals, he perceiv'd that the Individuals of every
Species were alike, both in their Boughs, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, and
manner of Growing. And comparing them with Animals, he found that there
must needs be some one thing which they did all of them partake of,
which was the same to them that the Animal Spirit was to the living
Creature, and that in respect of _That_ they were all One. Whereupon,
taking a view of all the several kinds of Plants, he concluded that they
were all One and the same, by reason of that Agreement which he found in
their Actions, _viz_. their Nourishment and Growing.
§ 37. Then he Comprehended in one single Conception, the whole kinds of
Animals and Plants together, and found that they were both alike in
their Nutrition and Growing, only the Animals excell'd the Plants in
Sensation and Apprehension; and yet he had sometimes observ'd something
like it in Plants, _viz._ That some Flowers do turn themselves towards
the Sun, and that the Plants extend their Roots, that way the
Nourishment comes, and some other such like things, from whence it
appear'd to him that Plants and Animals, were One and the same, in
respect of that _One thing_ which was Common to them both; which was
indeed more perfect in the One, and more obstructed and restrained in
the other; like Water that is partly running and partly frozen. So that
he concluded that Plants and Animals were all _One_.
§ 38. He next consider'd those Bodies, which have neither Sense,
Nutrition nor Growth, such as Stones, Earth, Air, and Flame, which he
perceiv'd had all of them Three Dimensions, _viz. Length, Breadth, and
Thickness_, and that their differences consisted only in this, that some
of them were Colour'd, others not, some were Warm, others Cold, and the
like. He observ'd that those Bodies which were Warm, grew Cold, and on
the contrary, that those which were Cold grew Warm, He saw that Water
was rarified into Vapours, and Vapours again Condens'd into Water; and
that such things as were Burn't, were turn'd into Coals, Allies, Flame
and Smoak, and if in its Ascent it were intercepted by an Arch of Stone
or the like, it thickned there and was like other Gross, Earthly
Substances. From whence it appear'd to him that, all things were in
Reality, _One_, tho' multiplied and diversified in some certain
respects, as the Plants and Animals were.
§ 39. Then considering with himself, what that common thing must be, in
which the _Sameness_ of the Animals and Plants did consist he saw that
it must be some _Body_, like those Bodies, which had a Threefold
Dimension, _viz_, Length, Breadth, and Thickness; and that whether it
were Hot or Cold, it was like One of those other Bodies which have
neither Sense nor Nutrition, and differ'd from them only in those
Operations which arise from the Organical parts of Plants and Animals.
And that, in, all likelihood, those Operations were not Essential, but
deriv'd from something else. So that if those Operations were to be
communicated to those other Bodies, they would be like this. Considering
it therefore abstractedly, with regard to its Essence only, as stript of
those Operations, which at first sight seem'd to flow from it, he
perceiv'd that it was a _Body_, of the same kind, with those other
Bodies; upon which Contemplation, it appear'd to him that all Bodies, as
well those that had Life, as those that had not, as well those that
mov'd, as those that rested in their Natural places were _One_; Only
there were some Actions in some of them, which proceeded from their
Organical Parts; concerning which Actions he could not yet determine
whether they were Essential, or deriv'd from something without. Thus he
continu'd, considering nothing but the Nature of Bodies, and by this
means he perceiv'd, that whereas at first sight, _Things_ had appear'd
to him innumerable and not to be comprehended; _Now,_ he discovered the
whole Mass and Bulk of Creatures were in Reality only _One_.
§ 40. He continu'd in this Opinion a considerable time. Then he
consider'd all sorts of Bodies, both Animate and Inanimate, which one
while seem'd to him to be _One_; and another, _a great many_. And he
found that all of them had a Tendency either upward, as Smoak, Flame,
and Air, when detain'd under Water; or else downward, as Water, pieces
of Earth, or Parts of Animals and Plants; and that none of these. Bodies
were free from one or other of these Tendencies, or would ever lye
still, unless hinder'd by some other Body, and interrupted in their
course; as when, for instance, a Stone in its fall is stopp'd by the
solidity and hardness of the Earth, when 'tis plain it would otherwise
continue still descending; so Smoak still continues going upwards, and
if it should be intercepted by a solid Arch, it would divide both to the
right and left, and so soon as it was freed from the Arch, would still
continue ascending; and pass through the Air, which is not solid enough
to restrain it. So when a Leathern Bottle is fill'd with Air and stopp'd
up close, if you hold it under Water; it will still strive to get up,
till it returns to its place of Air; and then it rests, and its
reluctancy and propensity to ascend, ceases.
§ 41. He then enquir'd whether or no he could find any Body that was at
any time destitute of both these Motions, or a Tendency toward them, but
he could find none such, among all Bodies which he had about him. The
reason of this Enquiry was, because he was very desirous to know the
Nature of Body; as such, abstracted from all manner of Qualities, from
whence arises Multiplicity or Diversity of Kinds. But when he found this
too difficult a Task for him, and he had examin'd those Bodies which had
the fewest Qualities, and could find, none of them void of one of these
two, _viz._ Heaviness or Lightness; he proceeded to consider the Nature
of these two Properties, and to examin whether they did belong to Body
_quatenus_ Body, or else to some other Quality superadded to Body. Now
it seem'd plain to him, that _Gravity_ and _Levity_, did not belong to
Body as such; for if so, then no Body could subsist without them both:
whereas on the contrary, we find Heavy Bodies which are void of all
Lightness, and also some Light Bodies which are void of all Heaviness,
and yet without _doubt_ they both are _Bodies_; in each of which there
is something superadded to Corporeity, by which they are distinguish'd
one from the other, and that makes the difference between them,
otherwise they would be both one and the same thing, in every respect.
From whence it appear'd plainly, that the Essence both of an _Heavy_,
and _Light Body_ was compos'd of two things; One, which was common to
them both, _viz. Corporeity_, the other, by which they are distinguish'd
one from the other, _viz. Gravity_ in the one, and _Levity_ in the
other, which were superadded to the Essence of Corporeity.
§ 42. In like manner he consider'd either Bodies, both Animate and
Inanimate, and found their Essence confined in _Corporeity_ and in some,
one thing, or more superadded to it. And thus he attain'd a Notion of
the Forms of Bodies, according to their differences. These were the
first things he found out, belonging to the Spiritual World; for these
Forms are not the objects of Sense, but are apprehended by Intellectual
Speculation. Now among other things of this kind which he discover'd, it
appear'd to him that the _Animal Spirit_, which is Seal'd in the Heart
(as we have mention'd before) must necessarily have some _Quality_
superadded to its _Corporeity,_ which rendred it capable of those
wonderful Actions, different Sensations and Ways of apprehending Things,
and various sorts of Motions; and that this _Quality_ must be its
_Form_, by which it is distinguish'd from other Bodies (which is the
same that the Philosophers call the Sensitive Soul) and so in Plants,
that which was in them the same that radical Moisture was in Beasts, was
something proper to them, which, was their _Form_, which the
Philosophers call the Vegetative Soul. And that there was also in
inanimate things, (_viz_. all Bodies, besides Plants and Animals, which
are in this sublunary World) something peculiar to them, by the Power of
which, every one of them perform'd such _Actions_ as were proper to it;
namely, various sorts of Motion, and different kinds of sensible
Qualities, and that thing was the Form of every one of them, and this is
the same which the Philosophers call _Nature_.
§ 43. And when by this Contemplation it appear'd to him plainly, that
the true Essence of that _Animal Spirit_, which he had been so intent,
was compounded of Corporeity, and some other Quality superadded to that
Corporeity, and that it had its Corporeity in common with other Bodies;
but that this other Quality which was superadded, was peculiar to it
self: Immediately he slighted and despis'd the Notion of Corporeity, and
applied himself wholly to that other superadded Quality (which is the
same that we call the _Soul_) the Nature of which he earnestly desired
to know. Therefore he fix'd all his Thoughts upon it, and began his
Contemplation with considering all Bodies, not as Bodies, but as endu'd
with _Forms_, from whence necessarily flow these Properties, by which
they are distinguish'd one from another.
§ 44. Now by following up this Notion, and comprehending it in his Mind,
he perceiv'd that all Bodies had one _Form_ in common, from whence one
or more Actions did proceed. And that there were some of these, which
tho' they agreed with all the rest in that one common Form, had another
Form besides superadded to it, from whence some Actions proceeded. And
further, that there was another sort, which agreeing with the rest in
those two Forms which they had, was still distinguish'd from them by a
third Form, superadded to those other two, from whence also proceeded
some Actions. For instance, all Terrestrial Bodies, as Earth, Stones,
Minerals, Plants, Animals, and all other heavy Bodies, do make up one in
Number, which agree in the same _Form_, from whence flows the Property
of_descending_ continually, whilst there is nothing to hinder their
Descent: And whensoever they are forc'd to move upwards, if they are
left to themselves, they immediately, by the Power of their _Form_, tend
downwards again. Now, some part of this Number, _viz_. Plants and
Animals, tho' they do agree with all that Multitude before mention'd, in
that _Form_; yet still have another _Form_ superadded to it, from whence
flow _Nutrition_ and _Accretion._ Now the meaning of _Nutrition_ is,
when the Body that is nourish'd, substitutes in the room of that which
is consum'd and wasted from it self, something of the like kind, which
it draws to it self, and then converts into its own Substance.
_Accretion_, or Growing, is a Motion according to the three Dimensions,
_viz. Length, Breadth,_ and _Thickness_, in a due Proportion. And these
two Actions are common to Plants and Animals, and do without doubt
spring from that Form which is common to them both, which is what we
call the _Vegetative Soul_. Now part of this Multitude, _viz._ Animals,
tho' they have the first and second Forms in common with the rest, have
still a third Form superadded, from which arise Sensation and Local
Motion, Besides, he perceiv'd that every particular _Species_ of
Animals, had some Property which, distinguish'd it, and made it quite
different from the rest, and he knew that this Difference must arise
from some Form peculiar to that _Species_, which was superadded to the
Notion of that Form which it had in common with the rest of Animals. And
the like he saw happen'd to the several kinds of Plants.
§ 45. And it was evident to him, that the Essences of those sensible
Bodies, which are in this sublunary World, had some of them more
Qualities superadded to their _Corporeity_, and others, fewer. Now he
knew that the Understanding of the fewer, must needs be more easie to
him, than the Understanding of those which were more in number. And
therefore, he endeavour'd to get a true Notion of the Form of some one
thing, whose Essence was the most simple and uncompounded. Now he
perceiv'd that the Essence of Animals and Plants consisted of a great
many Properties, because of the great variety of their Operations; for
which reason, he deferr'd the enquiring into their Forms. As for the
Parts of the _Earth_, he saw that some of them were more simple than
others, and therefore resolv'd to begin his Enquiry with the most simple
of all. So he perceiv'd that _Water_, was a thing, whose Essence was not
compounded of many Qualities, which appear'd from the Paucity of those
Actions which arise from its Form. The same he likewise observ'd in the
_Fire_, and _Air_.
§ 46. Now he had a Notion before, that all these four might be chang'd
one into another; and therefore there must be some one thing which they
jointly participated of, and that this thing was Corporeity. Now 'twas
necessary, that this one thing which was common them all, should be
altogether free from those _Qualities_, by which these four were
distinguish'd one from the other; and be neither _heavy_ nor _light_;
_hot_ nor _cold; moist_ nor _dry_; because none of these Qualities were
common to all Bodies, and therefore could not appertain to _Body_ as
such. And that if it were possible to find any such Body, in which there
was no other Form superadded to _Corporeity_, it would have none, of
these Qualities, nor indeed any other but what were common to all
Bodies, with what Form soever endu'd. He consider'd therefore with
himself, to see if he could find any one Adjunct or Property which was
common to all Bodies, both animate and inanimate; but he found nothing
of that Nature, but only the Notion of _Extension,_ and that he
perceiv'd was common to all Bodies, _viz_. That they had all of them
_length, breadth_, and _thickness_. Whence he gather'd, that this
Property belong'd to Body, as Body. However, his Sense could not
represent to him any Body existent in Nature, which had this only
Adjunct, and was void of all other Forms: For he saw that every one of
them had some other Quality superadded to the said _Extension_.
§ 47. Then he consider'd further, whether this Three-fold _Extension_,
was the very Essence of Body or not; and quickly found, that besides
this _Extension_, there was another, in which this Extension did exist,
and that this Extension could not subsist by it self, as also the Body
which was extended, could not subsist by it self without Extension. This
he experimented in some of those sensible Bodies which are endu'd with
Forms; for Example, in Clay: Which he perceiv'd, when moulded into any
Figure, (Spherical suppose) had in it a certain Proportion, Length,
Breadth, and Thickness. But then if you took that very same Ball, and
reduc'd it into a Cubical or Oval Figure, the Dimensions were chang'd,
and did not retain the same Proportion which they had before, and yet
the Clay still remain'd the same, without any Change, only that it was
necessary for it to be extended into Length, Breadth, and Thickness, in
some Proportion or other, and not be depriv'd of its Dimensions: Yet it
was plain to him from the successive Alterations of them in the same
Body, that they were distinct from the Clay itself; as also, that
because the Clay could not be altogether without them, it appear'd to
him that it belong'd to its Essence. And thus from this Experiment it
appear'd to him, that Body consider'd as Body, was compounded of two
Properties: The one of which represents the _Clay_, of which the Sphere
was made; The other, the _Threefold Expression_ of it, when form'd into
a Sphere, Cube, or what other Figure soever. Nor was it possible to
conceive _Body_, but as consisting of these two Properties, neither of
which could subsist without the other. But that one (namely, that of
Extension) which was liable to Change, and could successively put on
different Figures, did represent the Form in all those Bodies which had
Forms. And that other which still abode in the same State, (which was
the _Clay_, in our last Instance) did represent _Corporeity,_ which is
in all Bodies, of what Forms soever. Now that which we call _Clay_ in
the foregoing Instance, is the same which the Philosophers call _Materia
prima_ [the first Matter] and [Greek: Hylè], which is wholly destitute of all
manner of Forms.
§. 48. When his Contemplation had proceeded thus far, and he was got to
some distance from sensible Objects, and was now just upon the Confines
of the intellectual World, he dissident, and inclin'd rather to the
sensible World, which he was more used to. Therefore he retir'd from the
Consideration of abstracted _Body_,(since he found that his Senses could
by no means reach it, neither could he comprehend it) and applied
himself to the Consideration of the most simple sensible Bodies he could
find, which were those four, about which he had been exercis'd. And
first of all he consider'd the _Water_, which he found, if let alone in
that Condition which its Form requir'd, had these two things in it,
_viz_. Sensible Cold, and a Propension to move downwards; But if heated
by the Fire or the Sun, its Coldness was remov'd, but its Propension to
move downwards still remain'd: But afterwards, when it came to be more
vehemently heated, it lost its tendency downwards, and mounted upwards;
and so it was wholly depriv'd of both those Properties which us'd
constantly to proceed from it, and from its Form: Nor did he know any
thing more of its Form, but only that these two Actions proceeded from
thence; and when these two ceas'd, the Nature of the Form was alter'd,
and the watry Form was remov'd from that Body, since there appear'd in
it Actions, which must needs owe their Origin to another Form. Therefore
it must have receiv'd another Form which had not been there before,from
which arose those Actions, which never us'd to appear in it whilst it
had the other Form.
§ 49. Now he knew that every thing that was produc'd anew, must needs
have some Producer. And from this Contemplation, there arose in his Mind
a sort of Impression of the Maker of that Form, tho' his Notion of him
as yet was general and indistinct. Then he paus'd on the examining of
these Forms which he knew before, one by one, and found that they were
produc'd anew, and that they must of necessity be beholden to some
efficient Cause. Then he consider'd the Essences of Forms, and found
that they were nothing else, but only a Disposition of _Body_ to produce
such or such Actions. For instance, Water, when very much heated, is
dispos'd to rise upwards, and that Disposition is its Form. For there is
nothing present in this Motion, but _Body_, and some things which are
observ'd to arise from it, which were not in it before (such as
Qualities and Motions) and the Efficients which produce them. Now the
fitness of Body for one Motion rather than another, is its _Disposition_
and _Form_. The same he concluded of all other Forms, and it appear'd to
him, that those Actions which arose from them, were not in reality owing
to them, but to the efficient Cause, who made use of these Forms to
produce those Actions which are attributed to them, [_i.e_, the Forms].
Which Notion of his is exactly the same with what God's Apostle
[_Mahomet_] says; _I am his Hearing by which he hears, and his Seeing by
which he sees._ And in the _Alcoran; You did not kill them, but God
kill'd them; when thou threwest the Darts, it was not thou that threwest
them, but God_.
§ 50. Now, when he had attain'd thus far, so as to have a general and
indistinct Motion of this _Agent_, he had a most earnest Desire to know
him distinctly. And because he had not as yet withdrawn himself from the
sensible World, he began to look for this _voluntary Agent_ among
sensible Things; nor did he as yet know, whether it was one Agent or
many. Therefore he enquir'd strictly into all such Bodies as he had
about him, _viz_. those which he had been employ'd about all along, and
he found that they were all liable to _Generation_ and _Corruption_: And
if there were any which did not suffer a total Corruption, yet they were
liable to a partial one, as _Water_ and _Earth_, the parts of which are
consum'd by Fire. Likewise he perceiv'd, that the _Air_ was by extremity
of Cold chang'd into Snow, and then again into Water; and among all the
rest of the Bodies which he was conversant with, he could find none
which had not its Existence anew, and required some _voluntary Agent_ to
give it a Being. Upon which account he laid them all aside, and
transferr'd his Thoughts to the Consideration of the Heavenly Bodies.
And thus far he reach'd in his Contemplations, about the end of the
fourth Septenary of his Age, _viz_. when he now eight and twenty Years
old.
§ 51. Now he knew very well, that the Heavens, and all the Luminaries in
them, were Bodies, because they were all extended according to the three
Dimensions Length, Breadth and Thickness, without any exception; and
that every thing that was so extended, was Body; _ergo_, they were all
Bodies. Then, he consider'd next, whether they were extended infinitely,
as to stretch themselves to an endless Length, Breadth and Thickness;
or, whether they were circumscrib'd by any Limits, and terminated by
some certain Bounds, beyond which there could be no Extension. But here
he stopp'd a while, as in a kind of Amazement.
§ 52. At last, by the strength of his Apprehension, and Sagacity of his
Understanding, he perceiv'd that the Notion of infinite Body was absurd
and impossible, and a Notion wholly intelligible. He confirm'd himself
in this Judgment of his, by a great many Arguments which occurr'd to
him, when he thus argued with himself. _That this heavenly Body is
terminated on this side which is next to me, is evident to my sight: And
that it cannot be infinitely extended on that opposite side, which
rais'd this Scruple in me; I prove thus: Suppose two Lines drawn from
the Extremity of this Heavenly Body, on that terminated Side which is
next to me, which Lines should be produc'd quite through this Body_, in
infinitum, _according to the Extension of the Body; then suppose a long
part of one of these Lines, cut off at this End which is next to me;
then take the Remainder of what was cut off, and draw down that end of
it where it was cut off; And lay it even with the end of the other Line
from which there was nothing cut off; and let that Line which was
shortned, lye parallel with the other; then suppose them through this
Body, till you come to that side which we suppos'd to be infinite:
Either you will find both these Lines infinitely extended, and then one
of them cannot be shorter than the other, but that which had a part of
it cut off, will be as long as that which was not, which is absurd: Or
else the Line which was cut will not be so long as that other, and
consequently finite: Therefore if you add that part to it which was cut
off from it at first, which was finite, the whole will be finite; and
then it will be no longer or shorter than that Line which had nothing
cut off from it, therefore equal to it; But this is finite, therefore
the other is finite. Therefore the Body in which such Lines are drawn is
finite; And all Bodies in which such Lines may be drawn, are finite: But
such Lines may be drawn in all Bodies. Therefore if we suppose an
infinite Body, we suppose an Absurdity and Impossibility._
* * * * *
[Illustration 6]
* * * * *
§ 52b. When by the singular strength of his Genius, (which he exerted in
the finding out such a Demonstration) he had satisfied himself that the
Body of Heaven was finite; he desired, in the next place, to know what
Figure it was of, and how it was limited by the circumambient
Superficies. And first he observ'd the Sun, Moon and Stars, and saw that
they all rose in the East, and set in the West; and those which went
right over his Head describ'd a great Circle, but those at at greater
distance from the Vertical Point, either Northward or Southward,
describ'd a lesser Circle. So that the least Circles which were
describ'd by any of the Stars, were those two which went round the two
Poles, the one North, the other South; the last of which is the Circle
of _Sohail_ or _Canopus_; the first, the Circle of those two Stars which
are called in _Arabick Alpherkadâni_. Now because he liv'd under the
Equinoctial Line, (as we shew'd before) all those Circles did cut the
Horizon at right Angles, and both North and South were alike to him, and
he could see both the Pole-Stars: He observ'd, that if a Star arose at
any time in a great Circle, and another Star at the same in a lesser
Circle, yet nevertheless, as they rose together, so they set together:
and he observ'd it of all the Stars, and at all times. From whence he
concluded, that the Heaven was of a Spherical Figure; in which Opinion
he was confirm'd, by observing the Return of the Sun, Moon and Stars to
the East, after their Setting; and also, because they always appear'd to
him of the same bigness, both when they rose, and when they were in the
midst of Heaven, and at the time of their Setting; whereas, if their
Motions had not been Circular, they must have been nearer to sight, at
some times than others; and consequently their Dimensions would have
appear'd proportionably greater or lesser; but since there was no such
Appearance, he concluded that their Motions were Circular. Then he
consider'd the Motion of the Moon and the Planets from West to East,
till at last he understood a great part of Astronomy. Besides, he
apprehended that their Motions were in different Spheres, all which were
comprehended in another which was above them all, and which turn'd about
all the rest in the space of a Day and a Night. But it were too tedious
to explain particularly how he advanc'd in this Science; besides, 'tis
taught in other Books; and what we have already said, is as much as is
requisite for our present purpose.
§ 53. When he had attain'd to this degree of Knowledge, he found that
the whole Orb of the Heavens, and whatsoever was contained in it, was as
one Thing compacted and join'd together; and that all those Bodies which
he us'd to consider before as Earth, Water, Air, Plants, Animals and the
like, were all of them so contain'd in it, as never to go out of its
Bounds: And that the whole was like One Animal, in which the Luminaries
represented the Senses; The Spheres so join'd and compacted together,
answer'd to the Limbs; and the Sublunary World, to the Belly, in which
the Excrements and Humors are contain'd, and which oftentimes breeds
Animals, as the Greater World.
§ 54. Now when it appear'd to him, that the whole World was only One
Substance, depending upon a Voluntary Agent, and he had united all the
Parts of it, by the same way of thinking which he had before made use of
in considering the Sublunary World; he proposed to his Consideration the
World in General, and debated with himself, whether it did exist in
_Time_,after it had been; and came to _Be_, out of nothing; or whether
it had been from Eternity, without any Privation preceeding it.
Concerning this Matter, he had very many and great Doubts; so that
neither of these two Opinions did prevail over the other. For when he
propos'd to himself the Belief of its Eternity, there arose a great many
Objections in his Mind; because he thought that the Notion of Infinite
Existence was press'd with no less Difficulties, than that of Infinite
Extension: And that such a Being as was not free from Accidents produc'd
anew, must also it self be produc'd anew, because it cannot be said to
be more ancient than those Accidents: And that which cannot exist before
Accidents produc'd in Time, must needs itself be produc'd in Time. Then
on the other hand, when he propos'd to himself the Belief of its being
produc'd a-new, other Objections occur'd to him; for he perceiv'd that
it was impossible to conceive any Notion of its being produc'd a-new,
unless it was suppos'd that there was Time before it; whereas Time was
one of those things which belong'd to the World, and was inseparable
from it; and therefore the World could not be suppos'd to be later than
Time. Then he consider'd, that a Thing Created must needs have a
Creator: And if so, Why did this Creator make the World now, and not as
well before? Was it because of any new Chance which happen'd to him?
That could not be; for there was nothing existent besides himself. Was
it then upon the Account of any Change in his own Nature? But what
should cause that Change? Thus he continued for several Years, arguing
_pro_ and _con_ about this Matter; and a great many Arguments offer'd
themselves on both sides, so that neither of these two Opinions in his
Judgment over-balanc'd the other.
§ 55. This put him to a great deal of trouble, which made him begin to
consider with himself, what were the Consequences which did follow from
each of these Opinions, and that perhaps they might be both alike. And
he perceiv'd, that if he held that the World was created in Time, and
existed after a total Privation, it would necessarily follow from
thence, that it could not exist of it self, without the help of some
Agent to produce it. And that this Agent must needs be such an one as
cannot be apprehended by our Senses; for if he should be the Object of
Sense, he must: be _Body_, and if _Body_, then a Part of the World, and
consequently a Created Being; such an one, as would have stood in need
of some other Cause to create him: and if that second Creator was
_Body_, he would depend upon a, third, and that third upon upon a
fourth, and so _ad infinitum_, which is absurd. Since therefore the
World stands in need of an incorporeal Creator: And since the Creator
thereof is really incorporeal, 'tis impossible for us to apprehend him
by any of our Senses; for we perceive nothing by the help of them, but
_Body_, or such Accidents as adhere to _Bodies_: And because he cannot
be perceiv'd by the Senses, it is impossible he should be apprehended by
the Imagination; for the Imagination does only represent to us the Forms
of things in their absence, which we have before learn'd by our Senses.
And since he is not _Body_, we must not attribute to him any of the
Properties of _Body_; the first of which is Extension, from which he is
free, as also from all those Properties of Bodies which flow from it.
And seeing that he is the Maker of the World, doubtless he has the
Sovereign Command over it. _Shall not he know it, that created it? He is
wise, Omniscient!_
§ 56. On the other side, he saw that if he held the Eternity of the
World, and that it always was as it now is, without any Privation before
it; then it would follow, that its Motion must be Eternal too; because
there could be no Rest before it, from whence it might commence its
Motion. Now all Motion necessarily requires a Mover; and this Mover must
be either a Power diffus'd through the Body mov'd, or else through some
other Body without it, or else a certain Power, not diffus'd or
dispers'd through any Body at all. Now every Power which passeth, or is
diffus'd, through any Body, is divided or doubled. For Instance; The
_Gravity_ in a Stone, by which it tends downwards, if you divide the
Stone into two parts, is divided into two parts also; and if you add to
it another like it, the Gravity is doubled. And if it were possible to
add Stones _in infinitum,_ the Gravity would increase _in infinitum_
too. And if it were possible, that that Stone should grow still bigger,
till it reach'd to an infinite Extension, the Weight would increase also
in the same proportion; and if on the other side, a Stone should grow to
a certain size, and stop there, the Gravity would also increase to such
a pitch, and no farther. Now it is demonstrated, that all Body must
necessarily be finite; and consequently, that Power which is in Body is
finite too. If therefore we can find any Power, which produces an
Infinite Effect, 'tis plain that it is not in Body. Now we find, that
the Heav'n is mov'd about with a Perpetual Motion, without any
Cessation. Therefore if we affirm the Eternity of the World, it
necessarily follows that the Power which moves it, is not in its own
Body, nor in the other Exterior Body; but proceeds from something
altogether abstracted from Body, and which cannot be describ'd by
Corporeal Adjuncts or Properties. Now he had learn'd from his first
Contemplation of the Sublunary World, that the true Essence of Body
consisted in its _Form,_ which is its Disposition to several sorts of
Motion; but that Part of its Essence which consisted in _Matter_ was
very mean, and scarce possible to be conceiv'd; therefore the Existence
of the whole World consists in its Disposition to be mov'd by this
Mover, who is free from Matter, and the Properties of Body; abstracted
from every thing which we can either perceive by our Senses, or reach by
our Imagination. And since he is the Efficient Cause of the Motions of
the Heavens, in which (notwithstanding their several kinds) there is no
difference, no Confusion, no Cessation; without doubt he has a Power
over it, and a perfect Knowledge of it.
§ 57. Thus his Contemplation this Way, brought him to the same
Conclusion it did the other Way. So that doubting concerning the
Eternity of the World, and its Existence _de novo_, did him no harm at
all. For it was plain to him both ways, that there was a Being, which
was not Body, nor join'd to Body, nor separated from it; nor within it,
nor without it; because Conjunction and Separation, and being within any
thing, or without it, are all properties of Body, from which that Being
is altogether abstracted. And because all Bodies stand in need of a Form
to be added to their Matter, as not being able to subsist without it,
nor exist really; and the Form it self cannot exist, but by this
Voluntary Agent, it appear'd to him that all things ow'd their Existence
to this Agent; and that none of them could subsist, but through him: and
consequently, that he was the Cause, and they the Effects, (whether they
were newly created after a Privation, or whether they had no Beginning,
in respect of him, 'twas all one) and Creatures whose Existence depended
upon that Being; and that without his Continuance they could not
continue, nor exist without his Existing, nor have been eternal without
his being Eternal; but that he was essentially independent of them, and
free from them. And how should it be otherwise, when it is demonstrated,
that his Power and Might are infinite, and that all Bodies, and
whatsoever belongs to them are finite? Consequently, that the whole
World, and whatsoever was in it, the Heavens, the Earth, the Stars, and
whatsoever was between them above them, or beneath them, was all his
Work and Creation, and posterior to him in Nature, if not in Time. As,
if you take any Body whatsoever in your Hand, and then move your Hand,
the Body will without doubt follow the Motion of your Hand, with such a
Motion as shall be posterior to it in Nature, tho' not in Time, because
they both began together: So all this World is caus'd and created by
this Agent out of Time, _Whose Command is, when he would have any thing
done, BE, and it is_.
§ 58. And when he perceiv'd that all things which did exist were his
Workmanship, he look'd them over again, considering attentively the
Power of the Efficient, and admiring the Wonderfulness of the
Workmanship, and such accurate Wisdom, and subtil Knowledge. And there
appear'd to him in the most minute Creatures (much more in the greater)
such Footsteps of Wisdom, and Wonders of the Work of Creation, that he
was swallow'd up with Admiration, and fully assur'd that these things
could not proceed from any other, than a Voluntary Agent of infinite
Perfection, nay, that was above all Perfection; such an one, to whom the
Weight of the least Atom was not unknown, whether in Heaven or Earth;
no, nor any other thing, whether lesser or greater than it.
§. 59. Then he consider'd all the kinds of Animals, and how this Agent
had given such a Fabrick of Body to every one of them, and then taught
them how to use it. For if he had not directed them to apply those Limbs
which he had given them, to those respective Uses for which they were
design'd, they would have been so far from being of any Service that
they would rather have been a Burden. From whence he knew, that the
Creator of the World was supereminently Bountiful, and exceedingly
Gracious. And then when he perceiv'd among the Creatures, any that had
Beauty, Perfection, Strength, or Excellency of any kind whatever, he
consider'd with himself, and knew that it all flow'd from that Voluntary
Agent, (whose Name be praised) and from his Essence and Operation. And
he knew, that what the Agent had in his own Nature, was greater than
that, [which he saw in the Creatures,] more perfect and compleat, more
beautiful and glorious, and more lasting; and that there was no
proportion between the one and the other. Neither did he cease to
prosecute this Search, till he had run through all the Attributes of
Perfection, and found that they were all in this Agent, and all flow'd
from him; and that he was most worthy to have them all ascrib'd to him,
above all the Creatures which were describ'd by them.
§ 60. In like manner he enquir'd into all the Attributes of
Imperfection, and perceiv'd that the Maker of the World was free from
them all: And how was it possible for him to be otherwise, since the
Notion of _Imperfection_ is nothing but _mere Privation,_ or what
depends upon it? And how can he any way partake of _Privation_, who is
_very Essence_, and cannot but exist; who gives Being to every thing
that exists, and besides whom there is no Existence? But HE is the
Being, HE is the Absoluteness, HE the Beauty, HE the Glory, HE the
Power, HE the Knowledge, _HE is HE, and besides Him all things are
subject to perishing_[19].
§ 61. Thus far his Knowledge had brought him towards the end of the
fifth Septenary from his Birth, _viz._ when he was 35 Years old. And the
Consideration of this Supream Agent was then so rooted in his Heart,
that it diverted him from thinking upon any thing else: and he so far
forgot the Consideration of the Creatures, and the Enquiring into their
Natures, that as soon as e'er he cast his Eyes upon any thing of what
kind soever, he immediately perceiv'd in it the Footsteps of this Agent;
and in an instant his Thoughts were taken off from the Creature, and and
transferred to the Creator. So that he was inflam'd with the desire of
him, and his Heart was altogether withdrawn from thinking upon this
inferior World, which contains the Objects of Sense, and wholly taken up
with the Contemplation of the upper, Intellectual World.
§ 62. Having now attain'd to the Knowledge of this Supream Being, of
Permanent Existence, which has no Cause of his own Existence, but is the
Cause why all things else exist; he was desirous to know by what Means
he had attain'd this Knowledge, and by which of his Faculties he had
apprehended this Being. And first he examin'd all his Senses, _viz_. his
Hearing, Sight, Smelling, Tasting and Feeling, and perceiv'd that all
these apprehended nothing but Body, or what was in Body. For the Hearing
apprehended nothing but Sounds, and these came from the Undulation of
the Air, when Bodies are struck one against another. The Sight,
apprehends Colours. The Smelling, Odours. The Taste, Savours. And the
Touch, the Temperatures and Dispositions of Bodies, such as Hardness
Softness, Roughness ad Smoothness. Nor does the Imagination apprehend
any thing, but as it has Length, Breadth and Thickness. Now all these
things which are thus apprehended, are the Adjuncts of Bodies; nor can
these Senses apprehend any thing else, because they are Faculties
diffus'd through Bodies, and divided according to the division of
Bodies, and for that reason cannot apprehend any thing else but
divisible Body. For since this Faculty is diffus'd through the visible
Body, 'tis impossible, but that when it apprehends any thing whatsoever,
that thing so apprehended, must be divided as the Faculty is divided.
For which Reason, no Faculty which is seated in Body, can apprehend any
thing but what is Body, or in it. Now we have already demonstrated, that
this necessarily Existent Being is free in every respect from all
Properties of Body; and consequently not to be apprehended, but by
something which is neither Body, nor any Faculty inherent in Body, nor
has any manner of dependance upon it, nor is either within it, or
without it, nor join'd to it, nor separated from it. From whence it
appear'd to him, that he had apprehended this Being by that which was
his Essence, and gain'd a certain Knowledge of him. And from hence he
concluded, that this Essence was Incorporeal, and free from all the
Properties of Body. And that all his External Part which he saw, was not
in reality his Essence; by that his true Essence was _That_, by which he
apprehended that Absolute Being of necessary Existence.
§ 63. Having thus learn'd, that this Essence was not that Corporeal Mass
which he perceiv'd with his Senses, and was cloath'd with his Skin, he
began to entertain mean Thoughts of his Body, and set himself to
contemplate that Noble Being, by which he had reach'd the Knowledge of
that Superexcellent, and Necessarily existent Being; and began to
consider with himself, by means of that Noble Essence of his, whether
this Noble Essence of his could possibly be dissolv'd, or dye, or be
annihilated; or whether it were of perpetual duration. Now he knew that
Corruption and Dissolution were Properties of Body, and consisted in the
putting off one Form, and putting on another. As for Instance: when
Water is chang'd into Air, and Air into Water; or when Plants are turn'd
into Earth or Ashes, and Earth again into Plants; (for this is the true
Notion of Corruption.) But an Incorporeal Being, which has no dependance
upon Body, but is altogether free from the Accidents proper to Body,
cannot be suppos'd to be liable to Corruption.
§ 64. Having thus secur'd himself in this Belief, that his _Real
Essence_ could not be dissolv'd, he had a mind to know what Condition it
should be in, when he had laid aside the Body, and was separated from
it; which he persuaded himself would not be, till the Body ceas'd to
continue a fit Instrument for its use. Therefore he consider'd all his
Apprehensive Faculties, and perceiv'd that every one of them did
sometimes apprehend _Potentially_, and sometimes _Actually_; as the Eye
when it is shut, or turn'd away from the Object, sees _Potentially_.(For
the meaning of apprehending _Potentially_ is, when it does not apprehend
_now_, yet can do it for _the time to come_.) And when the Eye is open,
and turn'd toward the Object, it sees _Actually_ (for that is call'd
Actual, which, is present,) and so every one of these Faculties is some
times in _Power_, and sometimes in _Act_: And if any of them did never
actually apprehend its Proper Object, so long as it remains in Power, it
has no desire to any Particular Object; because it knows nothing of any,
(as a Man that is born blind.) But if it did ever actually Apprehend,
and then be reduc'd to the Power only: so long as it remains in that
condition, it will desire to apprehend in Act; because it has been
acquainted with the Object, and is intent upon it, and lingers after it;
as a Man who could once see, and after is blind, continually desires
Visible Objects: And according as the Object which he has seen, is more
perfect, and glorious, and beautiful, his Desire towards it is
proportionably increased, and his Grief for the Loss of it so much the
greater. Hence it is that the Grief of him who is depriv'd of that Sight
he once had, is greater than his who is depriv'd of Smelling; because
she Objects of Sight are more perfect and beautiful than those of
Smelling. And if there be any thing of boundless Perfection, infinite
Beauty, Glory and Splendor, that is above all Splendor and Beauty; so
that there is no Perfection, Beauty, Brightness, or Comliness, but flows
from it. Then certainly he that shall be depriv'd of the Sight and
Knowledge of that Thing, after he has once been acquainted with it, must
necessarily, so long as he continues in that State, suffer inexpressible
Anguish; as on the contrary, he that continually has it present to him,
must needs enjoy uninterrupted Delight, perpetual Felicity, and infinite
Joy and Gladness.
§ 65. Now it had been already made plain to him, that all the Attributes
of Perfection belonged to that Being which did necessarily self-exist,
and that he was far from all manner of Imperfection. He was certain
withal, that the Faculty by which he attain'd to the Apprehension of
this Being, was not like to Bodies, nor subject to Corruption, as they
are. And from hence it appear'd to him, that whosoever had such an
Essence as was capable of apprehending this _Noble Being,_ must, when he
put off the Body at the time of his Death, have been formerly, during
his Conversation in the Body, first, either one who was not acquainted
with this necessarily self-existent Essence, nor ever was join'd to him,
nor ever heard any thing of him; and so would, at the separating with
the Body, never to be join'd to him, nor to be concern'd at the want of
him. Because all the Corporeal Faculties cease when the Body dies, nor
do they any longer desire or linger after their proper Objects; nor are
in any trouble or pain for their absence; (which is the Condition of all
Brutes, of what shape soever they are.) Or else, secondly, such an one,
who while he continu'd in the Body, did converse with this Being, and
had a sense of his Perfection, Greatness, Dominion, and Power; but
afterwards declin'd from him, and follow'd his vicious Inclinations,
till at length Death overtook him whilst in this State; he shall be
depriv'd of that Vision, and yet be afflicted with the Desire of
Enjoying it, and so remain in lasting Punishment and inexpressible
Torture; whether he be to be delivered from his Misery after a long
time, and enjoy that Vision which he so earnestly desires; or,
everlastingly to abide in the same Torments, according as he was fitted
and dispos'd for either of these two, during his continuance in the
Body. Or lastly, were such an one, who convers'd with this necessarily
self-existent Being, and apply'd himself to it, with the utmost of his
Ability, and has all his Thoughts continually intent upon his Glory,
Beauty, and Splendor, and never turns from him, nor forsakes him, till
Death seizes him in the Act of Contemplation and Intuition: Such a Man
as this shall, when separated from Body, remain in everlasting Pleasure,
and Delight, and Joy and Gladness, by reason of the uninterrupted Vision
of that self-existent Being, and its intire freedom from all Impurity
and Mixture; and because all those Sensible Things shall be remov'd from
him, which are the proper Objects of the Corporeal Faculties, and which,
in regard of his present State, are no better than Torments, Evils and
Hinderances.
§ 66. Being thus satisfied, that the Perfection and Happiness of his own
Being consisted in the actually beholding that necessarily self-existent
Being perpetually, so as not to be diverted from it so much as the
twinkling of an Eye, that Death might find him actually employ'd in that
Vision, and so his Pleasure might be continu'd, without being
interrupted by any Pain; (which _Ab-Jonaid_ a Doctor, and _Imaam_, of
the Sect of the _Suphians_, alluded to; when at the point of Death he
said to his Friends about him, _This is the Time when Men ought to
Glorify GOD, and be instant in their Prayers,_) he began to consider
with himself, by what Means this Vision might actually be continu'd,
without Interruption. So he was very intent for a time upon that
_Being_; but he could not stay there long, before some sensible Object
or other would present itself, either the Voice of some wild Beast would
reach his Ears, or some Phantasy affected his Imagination; or he was
touch'd with some Pain in some Part or other; or he was hungry, or dry,
or too cold, or too hot, or was forc'd to rise to ease Nature. So that
his Contemplation was interrupted, and he remov'd from that State of
Mind: And then he could not, without a great deal of difficulty, recover
himself to that State he was in before; and he was afraid that Death
should overtake him at such a Time as his Thoughts were diverted from
the Vision, and so should fall into everlasting Misery, and the Pain of
Separation.
§ 67. This put him into a great deal of Anxiety, and when he could find
no Remedy, he began to consider all the several Sorts of Animals, and
observe their Actions, and what they were employ'd about; in hopes of
finding some of them that might possibly have a Notion of this Being,
and endeavour after him; that so he might learn of them which way to be
sav'd. But he was altogether disappointed in his Search; for he found
that they were all wholly taken up in getting their Provision, and
satisfying their Desires of Eating, and Drinking, and Copulation, and
chusing the shady places in hot Weather, and the sunny ones in cold: And
that all their life-time, both day and night, till they died, was spent
after this manner, without any variation, or minding any thing else at
any time. From whence it appear'd to him, that they knew nothing of this
Being, nor had any desire towards it, nor became acquainted with it by
any Means whatsoever; and that they all went into a State of Privation,
or something very near a-kin to it. Having pass'd this Judgment upon the
Animals, he knew that it was much more reasonable to conclude so of
Vegetables, which had but few of those Apprehensions which the Animals
had; and if that whose Apprehension was more perfect did not attain to
this Knowledge, much less could it be expected from that whose
Apprehension was less perfect; especially when he saw that all the
Actions of Plants reach'd no farther than Nutrition and Generation.
§ 68. He next consider'd the Stars and Spheres, and saw, that they had
all regular Motions, and went round in a due Order; and that they were
pellucid and shining, and remote from any approach to Change or
Dissolution: which made him have a strong suspicion, that they had
_Essences_ distinct from their Bodies, which were acquainted with this
_necessarily self-existent Essence._ And that these understanding
Essences,were like his understanding Essence. And why might it not be
suppos'd that they might have incorporeal Essences, when he himself had,
notwithstanding his Weakness and extream want of sensible Things? That
he consisted of a corruptible Body, and yet nevertheless, all these
Defects did not hinder him from having an incorporeal incorruptible
Essence: From whence he concluded, that the Celestial Bodies were much
more likely to have it; and he perceived that they had a Knowledge of
the _necessarily self-existent Being_, and did actually behold it at all
times; because they were not at all incumbred with those Hinderances,
arising from the Intervention of sensible Things, which debarr'd him
from enjoying the _Vision_, without Interruption.
§ 69. Then he began to consider with himself, what should be the reason
why he alone, above all the rest of living Creatures, should be endu'd
with such an Essence, as made him like the Heavenly Bodies. Now he
understood before the Nature of the Elements, and how one of them us'd
to be chang'd into another, and that there was nothing upon the Face of
the Earth, which always remain'd in the same Form, but that Generation
and Corruption follow'd one another perpetually in a mutual Succession;
and that the greatest part of these Bodies were mix'd and compounded of
contrary Things, and were for that reason the more dispos'd to
Dissolution: And that there could not be found among them all, any thing
pure and free from Mixture, but that such Bodies as came nearest to it,
and had least mixture, as Gold and Jacinth are of longest Duration, and
less subject to Dissolution; and that the Heavenly Bodies were most
simple and pure, and for that reason more free from Dissolution, and not
subject to a Succession of Forms. And here it appear'd to him, that the
real Essence of those Bodies, which are in this sublunary World,
consisted in some, of one simple Notion added to Corporeity, as the four
Elements; in others of more, as Animals and Plants. And that those,
whose Essence consisted of the fewest Forms, had fewest Actions, and
were farther distant from Life. And that if there were any body to be
found, that was destitute of all Form, it was impossible that it should
live, but was next to nothing at all; also that those things which were
endu'd with most Forms, had the most Operations, and had more ready and
easie entrance to the State of Life. And if this Form were so dispos'd,
that there were no way of separating it from the Matter to which it
properly belong'd, then the life of it, would be manifest, permanent and
vigorous to the utmost degree. But on the contrary, whatsoever Body was
altogether destitute of a Form, was [Greek: Hylè], Matter without Life, and near
a-kin to nothing. And that the four Elements subsisted with one single
Form only, and are of the first Rank of Beings in the sublunary World,
out of which, other things endu'd with more Forms are compounded: And
that the Life of these Elements is very weak, both because they have no
variety of Motion, but always tend the same way; and because every one
of them has an Adversary which manifestly opposes the Tendency of its
Nature, and endeavours to deprive it of its Form; and therefore its
Essence is of short Continuance, and its Life weak: But that Plants had
a stronger Life, and Animals a Life more manifest than the Plants. The
reason of which is, because that whenever it happen'd, that in any of
these compound Bodies, the Nature of one Element prevail'd, that
predominant Element would overcome the Natures of the rest, and destroy
their Power; so that the compounded Body would be of the same Nature
with that prevailing Element, and consequently partake but of a small
Portion of Life, because the Element it self does so.
§ 70. On the contrary, if there were any of these compounded Bodies, in
which the Nature of one Element did not prevail over the rest, but they
were all equally mix'd, and a match one for the other; then one of them
would not abate the Force of the other, any more than its own Force is
abated by it, but they would work upon one another with equal Power, and
the Operation of any one of them would not be more conspicuous than that
of the rest; and this Body would be far from being like to any one of
the Elements, but would be as if it had nothing _contrary_ to its
_Form,_ and consequently the more dispos'd for Life; and the greater
this Equality of Temperature was, and by how much the more perfect, and
further distant from inclining oneway or other, by so much the farther
it is distant from having any contrary to it, and its Life is the more
perfect. Now since that Animal Spirit which is seated in the Heart is of
a most exact Temperature, as being finer than _Earth_ and _Water_, and
grosser than _Fire_ and _Air_, it has the Nature of a Mean between them
all, and which has no manifest Opposition to any of the Elements, and by
this means is fitted to become that Form which constitutes an Animal.
And he saw that it follow'd from hence, that those _Animal Spirits_
which were of the most even Temperature, were the best dispos'd for the
most perfect Life in this World, of Generation and Corruption, and that
this Spirit was very near having no opposite to its Forms, and did in
this respect resemble the Heavenly Bodies which have no opposite to
their Forms; and was therefore the Spirit of the Animal, because it was
a Mean between all the Elements, and had no absolute Tendency, either
upwards or downwards; but that, if it were possible it should be plac'd
in the middle Space, between the Center and the highest Bounds of the
Region of Fire, and not be destroy'd, it would continue in the same
place, and move neither upwards nor downwards; but if it should be
locally mov'd, it would move in a round, as the Heavenly Bodies do, and
if it mov'd in its place, it would be round its own Center, and that it
was impossible for it to be of any other Figure but Spherical, and for
that reason it is very much like to the Heavenly Bodies.
§ 71. And when he had consider'd the Properties of Animals, and could
not see any one among them, concerning which he could in the least
suspect that it had any Knowledge of this _necessarily self-existent
Being_; but he knew that his own Essence had the Knowledge of it: He
concluded from hence that he was an Animal, endu'd with a Spirit of an
equal Temperature, as all the Heavenly Bodies are, and that he was of a
distinct Species from the rest of Animals, and that he was created for
another end, and design'd for something greater than what they were
capable of. And this was enough to satisfie him of the Nobility of his
Nature; namely, that his viler Part, _i.e._ the Corporeal, was most like
of all to the Heavenly Substances, which are without this World of
Generation and Corruption, and free from all accidents that cause any
Defect, Change or Alteration: And that his noble Part, _viz._, that by
which he attain'd the Knowledge of the _necessarily self-existent
Being_, was something Heroical and Divine, not subject to Change or
Dissolution, nor capable of being describ'd by any of the Properties or
Attributes of Bodies: Not to be apprehended by any of the Senses, or by
the Imagination; nor to be known by the means of any other Instrument
but it self alone, and that it attains the Knowledge of it self by it
self, and was at once the Knower the Knowledge, and the Thing known, the
Faculty and the Object. Neither was there any difference between any of
these because _Diversity_ and _Separation_ are Properties and Adjuncts
of Bodies; but _Body_ was no way concern'd here, nor any Property or
Adjunct of _Body_.
§ 72. Having apprehended the manner by which the being like the Heavenly
Bodies, was peculiar to him above all other kinds of Animals whatever;
he perceiv'd that it was a Duty necessarily incumbent upon him to
resemble them, and imitate their Actions, and endeavour to the utmost to
become like them: He perceiv'd also that in respect: of his nobler Part,
by which he had attain'd the Knowledge of that _necessarily self
existent Being_, he did in some measure resemble it, because he was
separated from the Attributes of Bodies, as the _necessarily
self-existent Being_ is separated from them. He saw also that it was his
Duty to endeavour to make himself Master of the Properties of that Being
by all possible means, and put on his Qualities, and imitate his
Actions, and labour in the doing his Will, and resign himself wholly to
him, and submit to his Dispensations heartily and unfeignedly, so as to
rejoice in him, tho' he should lay Afflictions upon his Body, and hurt,
or totally destroy it.
§ 73. He also perceiv'd that he resembled the Beasts in his viler part,
which belong'd to this _Generable_ and _Corruptible_ World, _viz_. this
dark, gross Body, which sollicited him with the Desire of Variety of
sensible Objects, and excited him to eating, drinking, and Copulation;
and he knew that his Body was not created and join'd to him in vain, but
that he was oblig'd to preserve it and take care of it, which he saw
could not be done without some of those Actions which are common to the
rest of the Animals. Thus it was plain to him, that there were three
sorts of Actions which he was obliged to, _viz._ 1. Either those by
which he resembled the Irrational Animals. Or, 2. Those by which he
resembled the Heavenly Bodies. Or, 3. Those by which he resembled the
_necessarily self-existent Being_: And that he was oblig'd to the
_first_, as having a gross Body, consisting of several Parts, and
different Faculties, and variety of Motions. To the _second_, as having
an Animal Spirit, which had its Seat in the Heart, and was the first
beginning of the Body and all its Faculties. To the _third_, as he was
what he was, _viz_. as he was that Being, by which he knew the
_necessarily self-existent Being_. And he was very well assur'd before,
that his Happiness and Freedom from Misery, consisted in the perpetual
Vision of that _necessarily self-existent Being_, without being averted
from it so much as the twinkling of an Eye.
§ 74. Then he weigh'd with himself, by what means a Continuation of this
Vision might be attain'd, and the Result of his Contemplation was this,
_viz_. That he was obliged to keep himself constantly exercis'd in these
three kinds of Resemblance. Not that the first of them did any way
contribute to the helping him to the _Vision_(but was rather an
Impediment and Hindrance, because it was concern'd only in sensible
Objects, which are all of them a sort of Veil or Curtain interpos'd
between us and it;) but because it was necessary for the Preservation of
the Animal Spirit, whereby the second Resemblance, which he had with the
Heavenly Bodies was acquir'd, and was for this reason necessary, though
incumbred with Hindrances and Inconveniences. But as to the second
Conformity, he saw indeed that a great share of that continu'd Vision
was attain'd by it, but that it was not without Mixture; because,
whatsoever contemplates the Vision after this manner continually, does,
together with it, have regard to, and call a Look upon his own Essence,
as shall be shewn hereafter. But that the third Conformity was that by
which he obtain'd the pure and entire _Vision_, so as to be wholly taken
up with it, without being diverted from it one way or other, by any
means whatsoever, but being still intent upon that _necessarily
self-existent Being_; which whosoever enjoys, has no regard to any thing
else, and his own Essence is altogether neglected, and vanish'd out of
fight, and become as nothing; and so are all other Essences both great
and small, except only the Essence of that _One, True, Necessarily
Self-existent, High and Powerful Being_.
§ 75. Now when he was assur'd that the utmost Bound of all his Desires
consisted in this _third_ Conformity, and that it was not to be
attain'd, without being a long time exercis'd in _the second_; and that
there was no continuing so long as was necessary for that Purpose, but
by means of the _first_; (which, how necessary soever, he knew was an
Hindrance in itself, and an Help only by Accident.) He resolved to allow
himself no more of that first Conformity than needs must, which was only
just so much as would keep the Animal Spirit alive. Now, in order to
this, he found there were two Things necessary; The former, to help it
inwardly, and supply the Defect of that Nourishment which was wasted;
The latter, to preserve it from without, against the Extremities of Heat
and Cold, Rain and Sun, hurtful Animals, and such like; and he
perceiv'd, that if he should allow himself to use these things, though
necessary, unadvisedly and at Adventure, it might chance to expose him
to Excess, and by that means he might do 'himself an Injury unawares;
whereupon he concluded it the safest way to set Bounds to himself, which
he resolv'd not to pass; both as to the Kind of Meat which he was to
eat, and the Quantity and Quality of it, and the Times of returning to
it.
§ 76. And first he consider'd the several Kinds of those things which
were fit to eat; and found that there were three sorts, _viz_. either
such Plants as were not yet come to their full Growth, nor attained to
Perfection, such as are several sorts of green Herbs which are fit to
eat: Or _secondly,_ the Fruits of Trees which were fully ripe, and had
Seed fit for the Production of more of the same Kind (and such were the
kinds of Fruits that were newly gathered and dry): Or _lastly_, Living
Creatures, both Fish and Flesh. Now he knew very well, that all these
things were created by that _necessarily self-existent Being_, in
approaching to whom he was assur'd that his Happiness did consist, and
in desiring to resemble him. Now the eating of these things must needs
hinder their attaining to their Perfection, and deprive them of that End
for which they were design'd; and this would be an Opposition to the
working of the Supream Agent, and such an Opposition would hinder that
Nearness and Conformity to him, which he so much desir'd. Upon this he
thought it the best way to abstain from eating altogether, if possible;
but when he saw that this would not do, and that such an Abstinence
tended to the Dissolution of his Body, which was so much a greater
Opposition to the _Agent_ than the former, by how much he was of a more
excellent Nature than those things, whose Destruction was the Cause of
his Preservation: Of two Evils he resolved to chuse the least, and do
that which contain'd in it the least Opposition to the Creator; and
resolved to partake of any of these sorts, if those he had most mind to
were not at hand, in such quantity as he should conclude upon hereafter;
and if it so happen'd that he had them all at hand, then he would
consider with himself, and chuse that, in the partaking of which there
would be the least Opposition to the Work of the Creator: Such as the
pulp of those Fruits which were full ripe, and had Seeds in them fit to
produce others of the like kind, always taking care to preserve the
Seeds, and neither cut them, nor spoil them, nor throw them in such
places as were not fit for Plants to grow in, as smooth Stones, salt
Earth, and the like. And if such pulpy Fruits, as Apples, Pears, Plumbs,
&c. could not easily be come at, he would then take such as had nothing
in them fit to eat but only the Seed, as Almonds and Chesnuts, or such
green Herbs as were young and tender; always observing this Rule, that
let him take of which sort he would, he still chose those that there was
greatest Plenty of, and which increased fastest, but so as to pull up
nothing by the Roots, nor spoil the Seed: And if none of these things
could be had, he would then take some living Creature, or eat Eggs; but
when he took any Animal, he chose that sort of which there was the
greatest Plenty, so as not totally to destroy any Species.
§ 77. These were the Rules which he prescrib'd to himself, as to the
Kinds of his Provision; as to the Quantity, his Rule was to eat no more
than just what would satisfie his Hunger; and as for the time of his
Meals, he design'd, when he was once satisfied, not to eat any more till
he found some Disability in himself which hindred his Exercise in the
_second Conformity,_ (of which we are now going to speak;) and as for
those things which necessity requir'd of him towards the Conservation of
his Animal Spirit, in regard of defending it from external Injuries, he
was not much troubled about them, for he was cloath'd with Skins, and
had a House sufficient to secure him from those Inconveniences from
without, which was enough for him; and he thought it superfluous to take
any further Care about those things; and as for his Diet, he observ'd
those Rules which he had prescrib'd to himself, namely, those which we
have just now set down.
§ 78. After this he apply'd himself to the second Operation, _viz._ the
Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies, and expressing their proper Qualities
in himself; which when he had consider'd, he found to be of three sorts.
The _first_ were such as had relation to those inferior Bodies, which,
are plac'd in this World of Generation and Corruption, as Heat, which
they impart to those of their own Nature, and Cold by accident,
Illumination, Rarefaction, and Condensation, and all those other things,
by which they influence these inferior Bodies, whereby they are dispos'd
for the Reception of Spiritual Forms from the _necessarily self-existent
Agent_. The _second_ sort of Properties which they had, were such as
concern'd their own Being, as that they were clear, bright and pure,
free from all manner of feculent Matter, and whatsoever kinds of
Impurity: That their Motion was circular, some of them moving round
their own Center, and some again round the Center of other Planets. The
_third_ kind of their Properties, were such as had relation to the
necessarily self-existent Agent, as their continually beholding him
without any Interruption, and having a Desire towards him, being busied
in his Service, and moving agreeable to his Will, and not otherwise, but
as he pleased, and by his Power. So he began to resemble them in every
one of these three kinds, to the utmost of his Power.
§ 79. And as for his first Conformity, his Imitation of them consisted
in removing all things that were hurtful, either from Animals or Plants
if they could be remov'd: So that if he saw any Plant which was depriv'd
of the Benefit of the Sun, by the Interposition of any other Body; or
that its growth was hindred by its being twisted with, or standing too
near any other Plant, he would remove that which hindred it if possible,
yet so as not to hurt either; or if it was in danger of dying for want
of Moisture, he took what care he could to water it constantly. Or if he
saw any Creature pursu'd by any wild Beast, or entangled in a Snare, or
prick'd with Thorns, or that had gotten any thing hurtful fallen into
its Eyes or Ears, or was hungry or thirsty, he took all possible care to
relieve it. And when he saw any Water-course stopp'd by any Stone, or
any thing brought down by the Stream, so that any Plant or Animal was
hindred of it, he took care to remove it. And thus he continu'd in this
_first_ kind of Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies, till he had attain'd
it to the very heighth of Perfection.
§ 80. The _second_ sort of Imitation consisted in his continually
obliging himself to keep himself clean from all manner of Dirt and
Nastiness, and washing himself often, keeping his Nails and his Teeth
clean, and the secret Parts of his Body, which he used to rub sometimes
with sweet Herbs and Perfume with Odors. He used frequently to make
clean his Cloaths; and perfume them, so that he was all over extreamly
clean and fragrant. Besides this, he us'd a great many sorts of Circular
Motion[21], sometimes walking round the Island, compassing the Shore,
and going round the utmost Bounds of it; sometimes walking or running a
great many times round about his House or some Stone, at other times
turning himself round so often that he was dizzy.
§ 81. His Imitation of the _third_ sort of Attributes, consisted in
confining his Thoughts to the Contemplation of the necessarily
self-existent Being. And in order to this, he remov'd all his Affections
from sensible Things, shut his Eyes, stopp'd his Ears, and refrain'd
himself as much as possible from following his Imagination, endeavouring
to the utmost to think of nothing besides him; nor to admit together
with him any other Object of Contemplation. And he us'd to help himself
in this by violently turning himself round, in which when he was very
violently exercis'd, all manner of sensible Objects vanish'd out of his
sight, and the Imagination, and all the other Faculties which make any
use of the Organs of the Body grew Weak; and on the other side, the
Operations of his Essence, which depended not on the Body, grew strong,
so that at sometimes his Meditation was pure and free from any Mixture,
and he beheld by it the necessarily self-existent Being: But then again
the Corporeal Faculties would return upon him, and spoil his
Contemplation, and bring him down to the lowest Degree where he was
before. Now, when he had any Infirmity upon him which interrupted his
Design, he took some kind of Meat, but still according to the
aforemention'd Rules; and then remov'd again to that State of Imitation
of the Heavenly Bodies, in these three Respects which we have mention'd;
and thus he continued for some time opposing his Corporeal Faculties,
and they opposing him, and mutually struggling one against another, and
at such times as he got the better of them; and his Thoughts were free
from Mixture; he did apprehend something of the Condition of those, who
have attained to the _third_ Resemblance.
§ 82. Then he began to seek after this _third_ Assimulation, and took
pains in the attaining it. And first he consider'd the Attributes of the
_necessarily self-existent Being_. Now it had appear'd to him, during
the time of his Theoretical Speculation, before he enter'd upon the
Practical Part; that there were two Sorts of them, _viz_. Affirmative,
as Knowledge, Power and Wisdom &c. and Negative, as Immateriality; not
only such as consisted in the not being _Body_; but in being altogether
remov'd from any thing that had the least Relation to _Body_, though at
never so great a Distance. And that this was a Condition, not only
requir'd in the Negative Attributes, but in the Affirmative too, _viz_.
that they should be free from all Properties of Body, of which,
_Multiplicity_ is one. Now the Divine Essence is not multiplied by these
Affirmative Attributes, but all of 'em together are one and the same
thing, _viz._ his real Essence. Then he began to consider how he might
imitate him in both these Kinds; and as for the Affirmative Attributes,
when he consider'd that they were nothing else but his real Essence, and
that by no means it could be said of them that they are _many_(because
Multiplicity is a Property of Body) and that the Knowledge of his own
Essence was not a Notion superadded to his Essence, but that his Essence
was the Knowledge of his Essence; and so _vice versa_, it appear'd to
him, that if he would know his Being, this Knowledge, by which he knew
his Being would not be a Notion superadded to his Being, but be the very
Being itself. And he perceived that his way to make himself like to him,
as to what concern'd his Affirmative Attributes, would be to know him
alone, abstracted wholly from all Properties of Body.
§ 83. This he apply'd himself to; and as for the Negative Attributes,
they all consisted in Separation from Bodily Things. He began therefore
to strip himself of all Bodily Properties, which he had made some
Progress in before, during the time of the former Exercise, when he was
employ'd in the Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies; but there still
remained a great many Relicks, as his Circular Motion (Motion being one
of the more proper Attributes of Body), and his care of Animals and
Plants, Compassion upon them, and Industry in removing whatever
inconvenienc'd them. Now all these things belong to Corporeal
Attributes, for he could not see these things at first, but by Corporeal
Faculties; and he was oblig'd to make use of the same Faculties in
preserving them. Therefore he began to reject and remove all those
things from himself, as being in no wise consistent with that State
which he was now in search of. So he continu'd, confining himself to
rest in the Bottom of his Cave, with his Head bow'd down, and his Eyes
shut, and turning himself altogether from all sensible Things and the
Corporeal Faculties, and bending all his Thoughts and Meditations upon
the _necessarily self-existent Being_, without admitting any thing else
besides him; and if any other Object presented itself to his
Imagination, he rejected it with his utmost Force; and exercis'd himself
in this, and persisted in it to that Degree, that sometimes he did
neither eat nor stir for a great many Days together. And whilst he was
thus earnestly taken up in Contemplation, sometimes all manner of Beings
whatsoever would be quite out of his Mind and Thoughts, except his own
Being only.
§ 84. But he found that his own Being was not excluded by his Thoughts,
no not at such times when he was most deeply immers'd in the
Contemplation of the _first, true, necessarily self-existent Being_.
Which concern'd him very much, for he knew that even this was a Mixture
in this simple Vision, and the Admission of an extraneous Object in that
Contemplation. Upon which he endeavour'd to disappear from himself, and
be wholly taken up in the Vision of that _true Being_; till at last he
attain'd it; and then both the Heavens and the Earth, and whatsoever is
between them, and all Spiritual Forms, and Corporeal Faculties; and all
those Powers which are separate from Matter, and are those Beings which
know the _necessarily self-existent Being_, all disappear'd and
vanish'd, and were as if they had never been, and amongst these his own
Being disappear'd too, and there remain'd nothing but this ONE, TRUE,
Perpetually Self-existent Being, who spoke thus in that Saying of his
(which is not a Notion superadded to his Essence.) _To whom now belongs
the Kingdom? To this One, Almighty God_.[22] Which Words of his _Hai Ebn
Yokdhan_ understood, and heard his Voice; nor was his being unacquainted
with Words, and not being able to speak, any Hindrance at all to the
understanding him. Wherefore he deeply immers'd himself into this State,
and witness'd that which neither Eye hath seen, nor Ear heard; nor hath
it ever enter'd into the Heart of Man to conceive.
§ 85. And now, don't expect that I should give thee a Description of
that, which the Heart of Man cannot conceive. For if a great many of
thole things which we do conceive are nevertheless hard to be explain'd,
how much more difficult must those be which cannot be conceiv'd by the
Heart, nor are circumscrib'd in the Limits of that World in which it
converses. Now, when I say the Heart, I don't mean the Substance of it,
nor that Spirit which is contain'd in the Cavity of it; but I mean by
it, the Form of that Spirit which is diffus'd by its Faculties through
the whole Body of Man. Now every one of these three is sometimes call'd
the Heart, but 'tis impossible that this thing which I mean should be
comprehended by any of these three, neither can we express any thing by
Words, which is not first conceiv'd in the Heart. And whosoever asks to
have it explain'd, asks an Impossibility; for 'tis just as if a Man
should have a mind to taste Colours, _quatenas_ Colours, and desire,
that _black_ should be either _sweet_ or _sowre._ However, I shall not
dismiss you without some Limits, whereby I shall point out to you in
some Measure, what wonderful things he saw when in this Condition, but
all figuratively, and by way of Parable; not pretending to give a
literal Description of that, which is impossible to be known, but by
coming thither. Attend therefore with the Ears of thy Heart, and look
sharply with the Eyes of thy Understanding, upon that which I shall shew
thee; it may be thou may'st find so much in it, as may serve to lead
thee into the right way. But I make this Bargain, that thou shalt not at
present require any further Explication of it by Word of Mouth; but rest
thy self contented with what I shall commit to these Papers. For 'tis a
narrow Field, and 'tis dangerous to attempt the explaining of that with
Words, the Nature of which admits no Explication.
§ 86. I say then, when he had abstracted himself from his own and all
other Essences, and beheld nothing in Nature, but only that _One, Living
and Permanent Being_: When he saw what he saw, and then afterwards
return'd to the beholding of other Things: Upon his Coming to himself
from that State (which was like Drunkenness) he began to think that his
own Essence did not at all differ from the Essence of that _TRUE Being_,
but that they were both one and the same thing; and that the thing which
he had taken before for his own Essence, distinct from that _true_
Essence was in reality nothing at all, and that there was nothing in him
but this _true Essence_. And that this was like the Light of the Sun,
which, when it falls upon solid Bodies, shines there; and though it be
attributed, or may seem to belong to that Body upon which it appears,
yet it is nothing else in reality, but the Light of the Sun. And if that
Body be remov'd, its Light also is remov'd; but the Light of the Sun
remains still after the same manner, and is neither increas'd by the
Presence of that Body, nor diminish'd by its Absence. Now when there
happens to be a Body which is fitted for such a Reception of Light, it
receives it; if such a Body be absent, then there is no such Reception,
and it signifies nothing at all.
§ 87. He was the more confirm'd in this Opinion, because it appeared to
him before, that this _TRUE Powerful_ and _Glorious Being_, was not by
any means capable of _Multiplicity_, and that his Knowledge of his
Essence, was his very Essence, from whence he argued thus:
_He that has the Knowledge of this Essence has the Essence itself;
hut I have the knowledge of this Essence._ Ergo, _I have the
Essence itself_.
Now this Essence can be present no where but with itself, and its very
Presence is Essence; and therefore he concluded that he was that very
Essence. And to all other Essences which were separate from Matter,
which had the Knowledge of that _true Essence_, though before he had
looked upon them as _many,_ by this way of thinking, appear'd to him to
be only one thing. And this misgrounded Conceit of his, had like to have
firmly rooted itself in his Mind, unless God had pursu'd him with his
Mercy, and directed him by his gracious Guidance; and then he perceiv'd
that it arose from the Relicks of that Obscurity which is natural to
Body, and the Dregs of sensible Objects. Because that _Much_ and
_Little, Unity_ and _Multiplicity_, _Collection_ and _Separation_, are
all of them Properties of Body. But we cannot say of these separate
Essences, which know this _TRUE Being_ (whose Name be prais'd) that they
are _many_ or _one_, because they are immaterial. Now, _Multiplicity_ is
because of the Difference of one Being from another, and there can be no
_Unity_ but by _Conjunction_, and none of these can be understood
without Compound Notions which are mix'd with Matter. Besides, that the
Explication of Things in this place is very straight and difficult;
because if you go about to express what belongs to these separate
Essences, by way of Multitude, or in the _Plural_, according to our way
of speaking, this insinuates a Notion of _Multiplicity_, whereas they
are far from being _many_; and if you speak of them by way of
Separation, or in the Singular, this insinuates a Notion of Unity,
whereas they are far from being _one_.
§ 88. And here methinks I fee one of those Batts, whose Eyes the Sun
dazzles, moving himself in the Chain of his Folly, and saying, _This
Subtilty of yours exceeds all Bounds, for you have withdrawn your self
from the State and Condition of understanding Men, and indeed thrown
away the Nature of Intelligible Things, for this is a certain Axiom,
that a thing must be either one, or more than one_. Soft and fair; let
that Gentleman be pleas'd to consider with himself, and contemplate this
vile, sensible World, after the same manner which _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ did,
who, when he consider'd it one way, sound such a Multiplicity in it, as
was incomprehensible; and then again considering it another way,
perceiv'd that it was only one thing; and thus he continu'd fluctuating,
and could not determine on one side more than another. Now if it were so
in this sensible World, which is the proper place of _Multiplicity_ and
_Singularity_, and the place where the true Nature of them is
understood, and in which are _Separation_ and _Union, Division_ into
Parts, and _Distinction, Agreement_ and _Difference_, what would he
think of the Divine World, in, or concerning which we cannot justly say,
_all_ nor _some_, nor express any thing belonging to it by such Words as
our Ears are us'd to, without insinuating some Notion which is contrary
to the Truth of the thing, which no Man knows but he that has seen it,
nor understands; but he that has attain'd to it.
§ 89. And as for his saying, _That I have withdrawn myself from the
State and Condition of understanding Men, and thrown away the Nature of
Intelligible Things_: I grant it, and leave him to his Understanding,
and his understanding Men he speaks of. For that Understanding which he,
and such as he, mean, is nothing else but that Rational Faculty which
examines the Individuals of Sensible Things, and from thence gets an
Universal Notion; and those understanding Men he means, are those which
make use of this sort of Separation. But that kind, which we are now
speaking of, is above all this; and therefore let every one that knows
nothing but Sensible Things and their Universals, shut his Ears, and
pack away to his Company, who know the outside of the Things of this
World, but take no care of the next. But if thou art one of them to whom
these Limits and Signs by which we describe the Divine World are
sufficient, and dost not put that Sense upon my Words in which they are
commonly us'd[23], I shall give thee some farther Account of what _Hai
Ebn Yokdhan_ saw, when he was in the State of those who have attain'd to
the Truth, of which we have made Mention before, and it is thus;
§ 90. After he was wholly immers'd in the Speculation of these things,
and perfectly abstracted from all other Objects, and in the nearest
Approach[24]; he saw in the highest Sphere, beyond which there is no
_Body_, a Being free from Matter, which was not the Being of that _ONE,
TRUE ONE_, nor the Sphere itself, nor yet any thing different from them
both; but was like the Image of the Sun which appears in a well-polish'd
Looking-glass, which is neither the Sun nor the Looking-glass, and yet
not distinct from them. And he saw in the Essence of that separate
Sphere, such Perfection, Splendor and Beauty, as is too great to be
express'd by any Tongue, and too subtil to be cloath'd in Words; and he
perceiv'd that it was in the utmost Perfection of Delight and Joy,
Exultation and Gladness, by reason of its beholding that _TRUE_ Essence,
whose Glory be exalted,
§ 91. He saw also that the next Sphere to it, which is that of the Fixed
Stars, had an immaterial Essence, which was not the Essence of that
_TRUE ONE_, nor the Essence of that highest, separated Sphere, nor the
Sphere itself, and yet not different from these; but is like the Image
of the Sun which is reflected upon a Looking glass, from another Glass
placed opposite to the Sun; and he observ'd in this Essence also the
like Splendor, Beauty, Loveliness and Pleasure, which he had observ'd in
the Essence of the other highest Sphere. He saw likewise that the next
Sphere, which is the Sphere of _Saturn_, had an immaterial Essence,
which was none of those Essences he had seen before, nor yet different
from them; but was like the Image of the Sun, which appears in a Glass,
upon which it is reflected from a Glass which receiv'd that Reflection
from another Glass plac'd opposite to the Sun. And he saw in this
Essence too, the same Splendor and Delight which he had observ'd in the
former. And so in all the Spheres he observ'd distinct, immaterial
Essences, every one of which was not any of those which went before it,
not yet different from them; but was like the Image of the Sun reflected
from one Glass to another, according to the Order of the Spheres. And he
saw in every one of these Essences, such Beauty, Splendor, Pleasure and
Joy, as Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor hath it enter'd into the
Heart of Man to conceive; and so downwards, till he came to the lower
World, subject to Generation and Corruption, which comprehends all that
which is contained within the Sphere of the Moon.
§ 92. Which he perceiv'd had an immaterial Essence, as well as the rest;
not the same with any of those which he had seen before, nor different
from them; and that this Essence had seventy thousand Faces, and every
Face seventy thousand Mouths, and every Mouth seventy thousand Tongues,
with which it praised, sanctified and glorified incessantly the Essence
of that _ONE, TRUE BEING_. And he saw that this Essence (which he had
suppos'd to be many, tho' it was not) had the same Perfection and
Pleasure, which he had seen in the other; and that this Essence was like
the Image of the Sun, which appears in fluctuating Water, which has that
Image reflected upon it from the last and lowermost of those Glasses, to
which the Reflection came, according to the foremention'd Order, from
the first Glass which was set opposite to the Sun. Then he perceiv'd
that he himself had a separate Essence, which one might call a part of
that Essence which had seventy thousand Faces, if that Essence had been
capable of Division; and if that Essence had not been created in time,
one might say it was the very same; and had it not been join'd to the
Body so soon as it was created, we should have thought that it had not
been created. And in this Order he saw other Essences also, like his own
which had necessarily been heretofore, then were dissolv'd, and
afterwards necessarily existed together with himself; and that they were
so many as could not he number'd, if we might call them _many_; or that
they were all one, if we might call them _one_. And he perceiv'd both in
his own Essence, and in those other Essences which were in the same Rank
with him, infinite Beauty, Brightness and Pleasure, such as neither Eye
hath seen, nor Ear heard, nor hath it enter'd into the Heart of Man; and
which none can describe nor understand, but those which have attain'd to
it, and experimentally know it.
§ 93. Then he saw a great many other immaterial Essences[25], which
resembled rusty Looking-glasses, cover'd over with Filth, and besides,
turn'd their Backs upon, and had their Faces averted from those polish'd
Looking-glasses that had the Image of the Sun imprinted upon them; and
he saw that these Essences had so much Filthiness adhering to them, and
such manifold Defects as he could not have conceived. And he saw that
they were afflicted with infinite Pains, which caused incessant Sighs
and Groans; and that they were compass'd about with Torments, as those
who lie in a Bed are with Curtains; and that they were scorch'd with the
fiery Veil of Separation[26]. But after a very little while his Senses
return'd to him again, and he came to himself out of this State, as out
of an Extasie; and his Foot sliding out of this place, he came within
sight of this sensible World, and lost the sight of the Divine World,
for there is no joining them both together in the same State. _For this
World in which we live, and that other are like two Wives belonging to
the same Husband; if you please one, you displease the other_.
§ 94. Now, if you should object, that it appears from what I have said
concerning this Vision, that those separated Essences, if they chance to
be in Bodies of perpetual Duration, as the Heavenly Bodies are, shall
also remain perpetually, but if they be in a Body which is liable to
Corruption (such an one as belongs to us reasonable Creatures) that then
they must perish too, and vanish away, as appears from the Similitude of
the Looking-glasses which I have us'd to explain it; because the Image
there has no Duration of itself, but what depends upon the Duration of
the Looking-glass; and if you break the Glass, the Image is most
certainly destroy'd and vanishes. In answer to this I must tell you,
that you have soon forgot the Bargain I made with you. For did not I
tell you before that it was a narrow Field, and that we had but little
room for Explication; and that _Words_ however us'd, would most
certainly occasion Men to think otherwise of the thing than really it
was? Now that which has made you imagine this, is, because you thought
that the Similitude must answer the thing represented in every respect.
But that will not hold in any common Discourse; how much less in this,
where the Sun and its Light, and its Image, and the Representation of
it, and the Glasses, and the Forms which appear in them, are all of them
things which are inseparable from Body, and which cannot subsist but by
it and in it, and therefore the very Essences of them depend upon Body,
and they perish together with it.
§ 95. But as for the Divine Essences and Heroick Spirits, they are all
free from Body and all its Adherents, and remov'd from them at the
utmost distance, nor have they any Connection, or Dependance upon them.
And the existing or not existing of Body is all one to them, for their
sole Connection and Dependance is upon that ONE TRUE NECESSARY
SELF-EXISTENT BEING, who is the first of them, and the Beginning of
them, and the Cause of their Existence, and he perpetuates them and
continues them for ever; nor do they want the Bodies, but the Bodies
want them; for if they should perish, the Bodies would perish, because
these Essences are the Principles of these Bodies. In like manner, as if
a Privation of that ONE TRUE BEING could be suppos'd (far be it from
him, for there is no God but him) all these Essences would be remov'd
together with him, and the Bodies too, and all the sensible World,
because all these have a mutual Connection.
§ 96. Now, tho' the Sensible World follows the Divine World, as a Shadow
does the Body, and the Divine World stands in no need of it, but is free
from it, and independent of it, yet notwithstanding this, it is absurd
to suppose a Possibility of its being annihilated, because it follows
the Divine World: But the Corruption of this World consists in its being
chang'd, not annihilated. And that glorious Book[27] spake, where there
is no mention made of _Moving the Mountains, and making them like the
World, and Men like Fire-flyes, and darkning the Sun and Moon; and
Eruption of the Sea, in that day when the Earth shall be chang'd into
another Earth, and the Heavens likewise_. And this is the Substance of
what I can hint to you at present, concerning what _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_
saw, when in that glorious State. Don't expect that I should explain it
any farther with Words, for that is even impossible.
§ 97. But as for what concerns the finishing his History, that I shall
tell you, God willing. After his return to the sensible World, when he
had been where we have told you, he loath'd this present Life, and most
earnestly long'd for the Life to come; and he endeavour'd to return to
the same State, by the same means he had sought it at first, till he
attain'd to it with less trouble than he did at first, and continu'd in
it the second time longer than at the first. Then he return'd to the
Sensible World; and then again endeavour'd to recover his Station, which
he found easier than at the first and second time, and that he continu'd
in it longer; and thus it grew easier and easier, and his Continuance in
it longer and longer, time after, time, till at last he could attain it
when he pleas'd, and stay in it as long as he pleas'd. In this State he
firmly kept himself, and never retir'd from it, but when the Necessities
of his Body requir'd it, which he had brought into as narrow a Compass
as was possible. And whilst he was thus exercis'd, he us'd to with that
it would please God to deliver him altogether from this Body of his,
which detain'd him from that State; that he might have nothing to do but
to give himself up wholly to his Delight, and be freed from all that
Torment with which he was afflicted, as often as he was forc'd to avert
his Mind from that State, by attending on the Necessities of Nature. And
thus he continu'd, till he was past the seventh Septenary of his Age;
that is, till he was about fifty Years of Age, and then he happen'd to
be acquainted with _Asâl_. The Narrative of which meeting of theirs, we
shall now (God willing) relate.
§ 98. They say that there was an Island not far from that where _Hai Ebn
Yokdhan_ was born (no matter according to which of those two different
Accounts they give of his Birth) into which one of those good Sects,
which had some one of the ancient Prophets (of pious Memory) for its
Author, had retir'd. A Sect which us'd to discourse of all things in
Nature, by way of Parable and Similitude, and by that means represent
the Images of them to the Imagination, and fix the Impressions of them
in Men's Minds, as is customary in such Discourses as are made to the
Vulgar. This Sect so spread it self in this Island, and prevail'd and
grew so eminent, that at last the King not only embrac'd it himself, but
oblig'd his Subjects to do so too.
§ 99. Now there were born in this Island, two Men of extraordinary
Endowments, and Lovers of that which is Good; the Name of the one was
_Asâl_, and the other _Salâman_, who meeting with this Sect, embrac'd it
heartily, and oblig'd themselves to the punctual Observance of all its
Ordinances, and the daily Exercise of what was practis'd in it; and to
this end they enter'd into a League of Friendship with each other. Now
among other Passages contain'd in the Law of that Sect, they sometimes
made enquiry into these Words, wherein it treats of the Description of
the most High and Glorious God, and. his Angels, and the Resurrection,
and the Rewards and Punishments of a future State. Now _Asâl_ us'd to
make a deeper Search into the inside of Things, and was more inclin'd to
study Mystical Meanings and Interpretations. But as for his Friend
_Salâman_, he kept close to the literal Sense, and never troubled
himself with such Interpretations, but refrain'd from such curious
Examination and Speculation of things. However, notwithstanding this
Difference, they both were constant in performing those Ceremonies
requir'd, and in calling themselves to an account, and in opposing their
Affections.
§ 100. Now there were in this Law some Passages which seem'd to exhort
Men to Retirement and a solitary Life, intimating that Happiness and
Salvation were to be attain'd by it; and others which seem'd to
encourage Men to Conversation, and the embracing Human Society. _Asâl_
gave himself up wholly to Retirement, and those Expressions which
favour'd it were of most weight with him, because he was naturally
inclin'd to Contemplation, and searching into the Meanings of Things;
and his greatest hope was, that he should best attain his End by a
solitary Life. _Salâman,_ on the other side, applied himself to
Conversation, and those Sayings of the Law which tended that way, went
the farthest with him; because he had a natural Aversion to
Contemplation, and nice sifting of things. And he thought that
Conversation did drive away evil Thoughts, and banish'd that Diversity
of Opinions which offer'd themselves to his Mind, and kept him from the
Suggestions of evil Thoughts. In short, their Disagreement in this
particular, was the occasion of their parting.
§ 101. Now _Asâl_ had heard of that Island, in which we have told you
that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ had his Breeding. He knew also its Fertility and
Conveniences, and the healthful Temper of the Air, so that it would
afford him such a commodious Retirement as he had in his Wishes. Thither
he resolv'd to go, and withdraw himself from all manner of Conversation,
the remaining part of his Days. So he took what Substance he had, and
with part of it he hir'd a Ship to convey him thither, the rest he
distributed among the poor people, and took his leave of his Friend
_Salâman_, and went aboard. The Mariners transported him to the Island,
and set him a-shore and left him. There he continu'd serving God, and
magnifying him, and fancifying him, and meditating upon his glorious
Names and Attributes, without any Interruption or Disturbance. And when
he was hungry, he took what he had occasion for to satisfie his Hunger,
of such Fruits as the Island afforded, or what he could hunt. And in
this State he continu'd a while, in the mean time enjoying the greatest
Pleasure imaginable, and the most entire Tranquillity of Mind, arising
from the Converse and Communication which he had with his Lord; and
every Day experiencing his Benefits and precious Gifts, and his bringing
easily to his hand such things as he wanted, and were necessary for his
Support, which confirm'd his Belief in him, and was a great Refreshment
to him.
§ 102. _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_, in the mean time, was wholly immers'd in his
sublime Speculations, and never stirr'd out of his Cell but once a Week,
to take such Provision as first came to hand. So that _Asâl_ did not
light upon him at first, but walk'd round the Island, and compass'd the
Extremities of it, without seeing any Man, or so much as the Footsteps
of any: Upon which account his Joy was increas'd, and his Mind
exceedingly pleas'd, in regard of his comparing that which he had
propos'd to himself, namely, to lead the most retired Life that was
possible.
§ 103. At last it happen'd, one time that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ coming out
to look for Provision in the the same place whither _Asâl_ was retired,
they spy'd one another. _Asâl_, for his part, did not question but that
it was some religious Person, who for the sake of a solitary Life, had
retir'd into that Island, as he had done himself, and was afraid, lest
if he should come up to him, and make himself known, it might spoil his
Meditation, and hinder his attaining what he hop'd for. _Hai Ebn
Yokdhan_ on the other side could not imagine what it was, for of all the
Creatures he had ever beheld in his whole Life, he had never seen any
thing like it. Now _Asâl_ had a black Coat on, made with Hair and Wool,
which _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ fancied was natural, and stood wondring at it a
long time. _Asâl_ ran away as hard as he could, for fear he should
disturb his Meditation; _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ ran after him, out of an
innate desire he had to know the Truth of Things. But when he perceiv'd
_Asâl_ make so much haste, he retir'd a little and hid himself from him;
so that _Asâl_ thought he had been quite gone off, and then he fell to
his Prayers, and Reading, and Invocation, and Weeping; and Supplication,
and Complaining, till he was altogether taken up, so as to mind nothing
else.
* * * * *
[Illustration 7]
* * * * *
§ 104. In the mean time _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ stole upon him by degrees, and
_Asâl_ took no notice of him, till he came so near as to hear him read
and praise God, and observ'd his humble Behaviour, and his Weeping, and
heard a pleasant Voice and distinct Words, such as he had never observ'd
before in any kind of Animals; Then he look'd upon his Shape and
Lineaments, and perceiv'd that he was of the same Form with himself, and
was satisfied that the Coat he had on, was not a natural Skin, but an
artificial Habit like his own. And when he observ'd the Decency of his
humble Behaviour, and his Supplication and Weeping, he did not at all
question but that he was one of those Essences which had the Knowledge
of the TRUE ONE; and for that Reason he had a Desire to be acquainted
with him, and to know what was the matter with him, and what caus'd this
Weeping and Supplication. Whereupon he drew nearer to him, till _Asâl_
perceiving it, betook himself to his Heels again, and _Hai Ebn
Yokdhan_(answerably to his Vigour and Power both of Knowledge and Body,
which God had bestow'd upon him) pursu'd him with all his Might, till at
last he overtook him and seiz'd on him, and held him fast, so that he
could not get away.
§ 105. When _Asâl_ look'd upon him, and saw him cloath'd with the Skins
of wild Beasts with the Hair on, and his own Hair so long as to cover a
great part of his Body, and observ'd his great Swiftness and Strength,
he was very much afraid of him, and began to pacifie him with stroaking
him, and entreating him, but _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ did not understand one
word he said, nor knew any thing of his meaning, only he perceiv'd that
he was afraid, and endeavour'd to allay his Fear with such Voices as he
had learn'd of some of the Beasts, and stroak'd his Head, and both Sides
of his Neck, and shew'd Kindness to him, and express'd a great deal of
Gladness and Joy; till at last _Asâl_'s Fear was laid aside, and he knew
that he meant him no harm.
§ 106. Now _Asâl_ long before, out of his earnest Desire of searching
into the meaning of Things, had studied most Languages, and was well
skill'd in them. So he began to speak to _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ in all the
Languages which he understood, and ask him Questions concerning his way
of Life, and took pains to make him understand him; but all in vain, for
_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ stood all the while wondring at what he heard, and did
not know what was the meaning of it, only he perceiv'd that _Asâl_ was
pleas'd, and well-affected towards him. And thus they stood wondring one
at another.
§ 107. Now _Asâl_ had by him some Remainder of the Provision which he
had brought along with him, from the inhabited Island from whence he
came; and he offer'd it to _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_, who did not know what to
make on't, for he had never seen any such before. Then _Asâl_ eat some
of it himself, and invited _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ by Signs to eat too. But
_Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ bethought himself of those Rules which he had
prescrib'd to himself, as to matter of Diet; and not knowing the Nature
of that which he offer'd him, nor whether it was lawful for him to
partake of it or not, he refus'd it. _Asâl_ still continu'd urgent, and
invited him kindly: Now _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ had a great Desire to be
acquainted with him, and was afraid that his continuing too stiff in his
Refusal, might alienate his Affections from him; so he ventured upon it,
and eat some. And when he had tasted of it, and lik'd it, he perceiv'd
that he had done amiss, in breaking those Promises which he had made to
himself concerning Diet. And he repented himself of what he had done,
and had Thoughts of withdrawing himself from _Asâl_, and retreating to
his former State of Contemplation.
§ 108. But the _Vision_ did not easily appear to him at first, upon
which he resolv'd to continue with _Asâl_ in the sensible World, till he
had thoroughly satisfied himself concerning him, that so when he had no
further Desire towards him, he might apply himself to his former
Contemplations without any Interruption. Wherefore he applyed himself to
the Society of _Asâl_, who perceiving that he could not speak, was
secure of any Damage that might come to his Religion, by keeping Company
with him; and besides, had Hopes of teaching him Speech, Knowledge and
Religion, and by that means, of obtaining a great Reward, and near
Approach to God. He began therefore to teach him how to speak; first, by
shewing him particular Things, and pronouncing their Names, and
repeating them often, and perswading him to speak them: which he did
applying every Word to the Thing by it signified, till he had taught him
all the _Nouns_, and so improv'd him by degrees, that he could speak in
a very short time.
§ 109. Then _Asâl_ began to enquire of him concerning his way of Living,
and from whence he came into that Island? And _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ told
him, that he knew nothing of his own Original, nor any Father or Mother
that he had, but only that _Roe_ which brought him up. Then he describ'd
to him his manner of Living, from first to last, and by what degrees he
advanc'd in Knowledge, till he attain'd the _Union with God_. When
_Asâl_ heard him give an Account of those Truths, and those Essences
which are separate from the Sensible World, and which have the Knowledge
of that TRUE ONE, (whose Name be prais'd); and heard him give an account
of the Essence of that TRUE ONE, and describe, as far as was possible,
what he witness'd (when he had attain'd to that Union) of the Joys of
those who are near united to God, and the Torments of those who are
separated from him. He made no doubt but that all those things which are
contain'd in the Law of God [_i.e._ the _Alcoran_] concerning his
Command, his Angels, Books and Messengers, the Day of Judgment, Paradise
and Hell, were Resemblances of what _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ had seen; and the
Eyes of his Understanding were open'd, and he found that the _Original_
and the _Copy_[28] did exactly agree together. And the ways of Mystical
Interpretation became easie to him, and there appeared nothing difficult
to him in those Precepts which he had receiv'd, but all was clear; nor
any thing shut up, but all was open; nor any thing profound, but all was
plain. By this means his intellectual Faculty grew strong and vigorous,
and he look'd upon _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ with Admiration and Respect, and
assur'd himself that he was one of the Saints of God, _which have no
Fear upon them, neither shall they suffer Pain_. Upon which he address'd
himself to wait upon him, and imitate him, and to follow his Direction
in the Performance of such Works as he had occasion to make use of;
namely, those legal ones which he had formerly learn'd from his own
Sect.
§ 110. Then _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ began to enquire of him concerning his
Condition and manner of living, and _Asâl_ gave him an account of the
Island from whence he came, and what manner of People inhabited it, and
what sort of Life they led before that religious Sect, which we
mention'd, came among them, and how it was now, since the coming of that
Sect. He also gave him an Account of what was deliver'd in the Law
[_i.e. Alcoran_] relating to the Description of the Divine World,
Paradise and Hell, and the Awakening and Resurrection of Mankind, and
their gathering together to Judgment, and the Balance and the Way. All
which things _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_ understood very well, and did not find
any of them disagreeable to what he had seen, when in that noble
Station; and he knew that he that had described these Things[29], and
given an account of them, had given a true Account, and was a Messenger
sent from his Lord; and he believ'd him, and affirm'd his Veracity, and
bore Witness to his Message.
§ 111. Then he began to ask him concerning the Precepts which the
Messenger of God had deliver'd, and the Rites of Worship which he had
ordain'd. And _Asâl_ told him of _Prayer, Alms, Fasting_ and
_Pilgrimage,_ and such other External Observances, which he receiv'd and
practis'd, and took upon himself, in Obedience to his Command, of whose
Veracity he was very well allured. Only there were two things stuck in
his Mind, which he wonder'd at, and could not comprehend wherein the
Wisdom of them did consist. The one was, why this Messenger of God, in
describing most things which relate to the Divine World, us'd to express
them to Men by Parables or Similitudes, and wav'd a perspicuous
Explication of them; by which occasion'd Men in a great Measure to fall
into that Error of asserting a Corporeity in God, and believing Things
of that _TRUE_ Being, from which he is absolutely free; and so in like
manner, concerning, those Things which relate to the Rewards and
Punishments of a Future State. The other was, why he went no farther
than these Precepts and Rites of Worship, but gave Men leave to gather
Riches, and allow'd them a Liberty as to matter of Food; by which means
they employed themselves about vain Things, and turn'd away from the
Truth, Whereas his Judgment was, that no Body ought to eat any thing,
but only just to keep him alive; and as for Riches, He had no Opinion of
them at all. And when he saw what was set down and prescrib'd in the
Law, with Relation to Wealth, as Alms, and the Distribution of them, and
Trading and Usury, Mulcts and Punishments; these things seem'd all very
odd to him, and he judg'd them superfluous; and said, that if Men
understood Things aright, they would lay aside all these vain Things,
and follow the Truth, and content themselves without any thing of all
this; and that no Man would challenge such a Propriety in Riches, as to
have Alms ask'd of him, or to cause his Hands to be cut off, who privily
stole them; or their lives to be taken away, who had openly robb'd him.
§ 112. Now that which prompted him to this Persuasion, was this, that he
thought all Men were indu'd with an ingenuous Temper, and penetrating
Understanding, and a Mind constant to itself; and was not aware how
blockish and stupid they were, how ill-advis'd, and inconstant in their
Resolutions; insomuch, that they are like Brute Beasts, nay, more apt to
wander out of the way. Since therefore he was greatly affected with Pity
towards Mankind, and desir'd that he might be an Instrument of their
Salvation; a Resolution came into his Mind of going over to them, to
declare and lay before them the Truth. This Intention of his he
communicated to his Friend _Asâl_ and ask'd him if there could possibly
be any way contriv'd to come at them.
§ 113. But _Asâl_ told him what sort of People they were, and how far
from an ingenuous Temper, and how averse from obeying the Commands of
God; but he had no Notion of that, but still his Mind was intent upon
that which he hop'd to compass: And _Asâl_ desir'd that it would please
God, by his means, to direct some of his Acquaintance which were of a
more pliable Temper than the rest, and had more Sincerity in them, into
the right way. So then he was ready to further the Design and Endeavour
of _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_. Upon which they resolved to keep close to the Sea
Shore, without stirring from it either Day or Night, till God should
please to afford them an Opportunity of crossing the Sea. And all the
while they were intent upon this, they continu'd praying to God to
direct them in this their Business, and bring it to an happy Issue.
§ 114. At last, as God (whose Name be prais'd) would have it, it
happen'd, that a Ship which had lost her Course, was driven by the Wind
and Water upon the Shore of that Island; and as it drew nearer to Land,
they who were in it, seeing two Men upon the Shore, made towards them.
Then _Asâl_ spoke to them, and desir'd them to carry him and his
Companion along with them in the Ship; to which they contented, and took
them into the Ship, and it pleas'd God to send them a fair Wind, which,
in a short time, carried them to the Isle which they desir'd. There they
landed, and went into the City; and _Asâl_'s Friends came all about him,
and he gave 'em an account of _Hai Ebn Yokdhan,_ and his manner of
living; so that People flock'd to him from every side, and admir'd and
reverenc'd him. Then _Asâl_ told him that this Sect was superiour to all
other sorts of Men in Knowledge and Sagacity; and that if he could not
work upon them, there were much lesser Hopes of doing any Good upon the
Vulgar.
§ 115. Now _Salâman_ (_Asâl_'s Friend, who we told you chose
Conversation, rather than Solitude and Retirement, which he judg'd
unlawful) was Prince and Sovereign of this Island. So _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_
began to teach them, and explain the Mysteries of Wisdom to them; but so
soon as e'er he began to raise his Discourse above External Things a
little, and to inculcate that, the contrary whereof had been settled,
and deeply rooted in their Minds; they began to withdraw themselves from
him, and their Minds had an Abhorrence for what he spake. And though
they carried themselves civilly to him, both because he was a Stranger,
and out of the Observance which they thought due to their Friend _Asâl_,
yet they were angry with him inwardly in their Hearts. However, he
continu'd reasoning with them mildly Night and Day, and teaching them
the TRUTH, both in Private and Publick, which only increas'd their
Hatred towards him, and made them avoid his Company, though otherwise
they were Lovers of Goodness, and desirous of Truth. However, through
the Defect of their Nature, they did not search for it after the right
manner, nor apprehend it as they should do; but sought the Knowledge of
it after the common way, like the rest of the World. So that he
despaired of doing any Good upon them, and all his Hopes of amending
them were defeated, because they were not willing to receive what he
taught them.
§ 116. And afterwards, taking a View of the several Ranks and Orders of
Men, he perceiv'd that every sort of them plac'd their Delight in those
Things which they possess'd at present, and that their Appetites were
their God, and that they lost themselves in gathering up the little
Things of this World; and that the Desire of getting more, kept them
employ'd till they came to their Graves; and that all good Counsel was
lost upon them; and that disputing with them had only this Effect, that
it made them the more obstinate. And as for Wisdom, there was no way for
them to attain it, neither had they any Share in it. _For Folly has
over-whelmed them, and, what they have sought after, has covered their
Hearts like Raft; God has sealed up their Hearts and their Ears, and
their Eyes are dim, and they shall have sore Punishment_.[30]
§ 117. When therefore he saw them compass'd about with the Curtains of
Punishment, and cover'd with the Darkness of the Veil; and that all of
them (a few only excepted) minded their Religion no otherwise, but with
regard to this present World; and cast the Observance of religious
Performances behind their Backs, notwithstanding the Easiness of them,
and sold them for a small Price; and that their Merchandize and Trading
diverted them from thinking upon God, so that they had no fear of _that
Day in which both their Hearts and Eyes shall be turn'd round_[31]; he
was fully satisfied, that it was to no purpose to speak to them plainly,
neither that it was expedient any Works should be enjoin'd them beyond
this Measure; and that the greatest Benefit which accru'd to the common
sort of Men by the Law, was wholly plac'd in Relation to Things of this
World, _viz_. that they might be in a comfortable way of Living, and
that no Man might invade another's Property; and that there was but here
and there one that attain'd to Happiness hereafter; namely, such an one
as made it his Business in this World to provide for another, and took
due care about it, and was a Believer: But that Hell was the Place for
him that err'd from the Truth, and preferr'd the Life of this present
World before it. And what Labour can be greater, or what Misery more
compleat than his, who works, if you observe, from the time he awakes,
till he goes to sleep again, you will find that he does nothing but what
tends to the attaining of some one or other of these vile sensible
Things; namely, either Riches, to heap them up; or Pleasure, which he
may take; or Lust, which he may satisfie; or Revenge, whereby he may
pacifie his Mind; or Power, to defend himself; or some outward Work
commanded by the Law, whereof he may make a vain-glorious Shew; or
whereby he may save his own Neck? _Now all these things are Darkness
upon Darkness in the Depth of the Sea, neither is there any of you that
doth not enter in thither, for such is the unchangeable Decree of the
Lord_.[32]
§ 118. And when he understood the Condition of Mankind, and that the
greatest part of them were like Brute Beasts, he knew that all Wisdom,
Direction and good Success, consisted in what the Messengers of God had
spoken, and the Law deliver'd; and that there was no other way besides
this, and that there could be nothing added to it; and that there were
Men appointed to every Work, and that every one was best capable of
doing that unto which he was appointed by Nature. That this was God's
way of dealing with those which were gone before, and that there is no
Change in his way. Whereupon returning to _Salâman_ and his Friends, he
begg'd their Pardon for what he had said to them, and desir'd to be
excus'd, and told them that he was of the same Opinion with them, and
went on in the same way, and persuaded them to stick firmly to their
Resolution of keeping within the Bounds of the Law, and the Performance
of the External Rites, and that they should not much dive into the
Things that did not concern them: and that in doubtful Things they
should give Credit, and yield their Assent readily; and that they should
abstain from novel Opinions, and from their Appetites, and follow the
Examples of their pious Ancestors, and forsake Novelties, and that they
should avoid that neglect of religious Performances which was seen in
the vulgar sort of Men, and the Love of the World, which he principally
caution'd them against. For both he and his Friend _Asâl_ knew that this
tractable, but defective sort of Men, had no other way in the World to
escape, but only by this means; and that if they should be rais'd above
this to curious Speculations, it would be worse with them, and they
would not be able to attain to the Degree of the Blessed, but would
fluctuate and be toss'd up and down, and make a bad End. But on the
contrary, if they continu'd in that State in which they were till Death
overtook them, they should be happy, and stand on the right Hand: But as
for those that out-went them, they should also take place of them, and
that they should be the next.
§ 119. So they took their leave and left them, and sought for an
Opportunity of returning to their Island, till it pleas'd God to help
them to a Convenience of passing. And _Hal Ebn Yokdhan_ endeavour'd to
attain to his lofty Station, by the same means he had sought it at
first, till he recover'd it; and _Asâl_ followed his Steps, till he came
near him, or wanted but very little of it; and thus they continued
serving God in this Island till they died.
§ 120. And this is that (God assist thee and us by his Spirit) which we
have receiv'd of the History of _Hai Ebn Yokdhan, Asâl_ and _Salâman_;
which comprehends such Choice of Words, as are not found in any other
Book, nor heard in common Discourse. And it is a piece of hidden
Knowledge which none can receive, but those which have the Knowledge of
God, nor can any be ignorant of it, but those which have not. Now we
have taken a contrary Method to our pious Ancestors, as to their
Reservedness in this Matter, and Sparingness of Speech. And the Reason
which did the more easily persuade me to divulge this Secret, and tear
the Veil, was, because of the corrupt Notions which some Pretenders to
Philosophy in our Age have broach'd and scatter'd, so that they are
diffus'd through several Countries, and the Mischief which arises from
thence is become Epidemical. Fearing therefore lest those weak ones, who
reject the Tradition of the Prophets (of Blessed Memory) and make choice
of that which is delivered them by Fools, should imagine that these
Opinions are that Secret, which ought to be with-held from those who are
not worthy or capable of it, and so their Desire and Study of these
Opinions should be increas'd. I have thought good to give them a Glimpse
of this Secret of Secrets, that I might draw them into the right Way,
and avert them from this other. Nevertheless, I have not so delivered
the Secrets which are comprehended in these few Leaves, as to leave them
without a thin Veil or Cover over them, which will be easily rent by
those who are worthy of it; but will be so thick to him, that is
unworthy to pass beyond it, that he shall not be able to get through it.
And I desire of those my Brethren who shall see this Discourse, that
they would excuse me for being so easily induc'd to explain it, and so
free in the Description of it; seeing I had not done so, if I had not
been elevated to such Heights, as transcend the Reach of Humane Sight.
And I was willing to express it in easie Terms, that I might dispose
Men, and raise a Desire in them to enter into the right Way. And I beg
of God Pardon and Forgiveness, and that he would please to bring us to
the true and certain Knowledge of himself, for he is gracious and
liberal of his Favours. _Peace be to thee, my Brother, whose Promotion
is decreed, and, the Mercy find Blessing of God be upon thee_,
_Praise, be to God alone_.
_The End_.
[Footnote 18: p .14. Sect. 6. Those who affirm that _Hai Ebn Yokdhan_
was produced in that Island without Father or Mother--_The having our
Philosopher hatch'd after this manner, is a contrivance of_ Avicen's,
_who wrote this Story first, and from whom our Author has taken a great
part of it. He was of Opinion that such a Formation was possible; tho'
there having never been any such thing, is a sufficient Demonstration of
the Impossibility of it; for since the Creation of the World the
Celestial Bodies have had time enough to exert the utmost of their
Power, and shed their Influence in order to such a Production, which
they having never so much as attempted yet, amongst all the variety of
their Operations, plainly shew us that it is not in their power. But we
must give Philosophers leave sometimes to go beyond Demonstration. 'Tis
observable, that our Author says nothing of the matter, but leaves it as
he found it_.]
[Footnote 19: God made Man after his own Image--_These Words are quoted
by our Author for the Words of_ Mahomet, _though they do indeed Belong
to_ Moses, _but we must know that_ Mahomet _was well acquainted with the
Jews from whom he learned not only some Expressions us'd in the Bible,
but a great part of the History of it; which he has mangled and crowded,
after a confus'd manner, into his_ Alcoran.]
[Footnote 20: Alcoran, _Chap. Alkesas_.]
[Footnote 21: _Our Philosophers imitating the Heavenly Bodies in their
Circular Motion, would seem indeed extreamly ridiculous, but that we are
to consider that the Mahometans have a superstitious Custom of going
several times round the Cave of_ Meccah, _when they go thither on
Pilgrimage, and look upon it as a very necessary part of their Duty. Now
our Author having resolved to bring his Philosopher as far at least as
was possible for one in his Circumstances, in the Knowledge and Practice
of all those things which the Mahometans account necessary, would not
let him be ignorant of this Practice of moving round; but has brought it
under this second sort of Imitation of the Heavenly Bodies. Now tho' our
Philosopher may be excus'd for not going to the Temple at_ Meccah, _yet
so great stress is laid upon it by the Mahometans, that_ Alhosain Al
Hallâgi Ben Mansour, _was, in the 309th Year of the_ Hegira _(of
Christ_921) _condemn'd to dye by the_ Vizier Alhumed, _who pronounc'd
Sentence upon him, having first advis'd with the Imaums and Doctors, for
having asserted, that in case a Man had A Desire to go on Pilgrimage to_
Meccah, _and could not; it would be sufficient, if he set apart any
clean Room of his House for that purpose, and went round about it, and
perform'd in it at the same time when the Pilgrims are at_ Meccah, _the
same things which they do there, and then fed and cloath'd_ 30 _Orphans,
and gave to each of them seven pieces of Silver. For which Heterodox
Position he receiv'd a thousand Stripes, without so much as sighing or
groaning, and had first one Hand cut off, and then both his Feet, and
then the other Hand, then he was kill'd and burnt, and his Ashes thrown
into the_ River Tigris, _and his Head set upon a Pole in the City of_
Bagdad. _See_ Abulpharagius. p. 287.]
[Footnote 22: _Alcoran_.]
[Footnote 23: _Because Words borrowed from and us'd about sensible and
material Things, would lead Men into Mistakes, when us'd to explain
things Spiritual, if they be taken in a literal Sense_. See § 85.]
[Footnote 24: _The Author means_, the nearest Approach to God.]
[Footnote 25: _As the Author his in the three foregoing Sections
describ'd the Condition of those glorified Spirits, who continually
enjoy the Beatifick Vision; so in this he describes the miserable State
of those who are deprived of it,_ i.e. _the Damn'd_.]
[Footnote 26: _I have omitted the following Passage, because I could not
well tell how to make it intelligible; the meaning of it in gross, is
still to express the miserable Condition, and horrible Confusion of
those Spirits which are separated from the_ Vision of God. _However, I
shall set it down in_ Latin _out of Mr_. Pocock's _Translation_. Et
ferris discindi inter repellendum & attrabendum; vidit etiam hic alias
Essentias, præter istas, quæ cruciabantur, quæ apparebant & deinde
evanescebant, & connexæ erant & cum dissolvebantur; & hic se cohibuit
illasque benè perpendit & vidit ingentes terrores, & negotia magna, &
turbam occupatam, & operationem, efficacem, & complanationem, &
inflationem, & productionem, & destructionem. _The particulars of this
Passage, would be best explain'd by the Commentators upon the_ Alcoran,
_which I have no Opportunity of consulting_.]
[Footnote 27: Alcoran, _Chap._ 81, _and_ 101.]
[Footnote 28: _The Arabick Words_, Watathâbaka indaho' 'Imekoùl
w'almenkoùl _signify_, And that which was understood agreed with that
which was copied. _But because that way of expressing it is obscure, I
have chose rather to leave the Arabick Word, and express the Sense,
which is this_. Hai Ebn Yokdhan, _having no Advantages of Education, had
acquir'd all his Knowledge by singular Industry and Application, till at
last he attain'd to the Vision of God himself, by which means he saw all
things relating to a future State_, viz. _by beholding in God the
Architypal Ideas, of which all things created, and whatsoever is
reveal'd to us, are suppos'd to be Copies. Now_ Asâl, _by conversing
with him, found, that the_ Mekoul, _i.e. what_ Hai Ebn Yokdhan _saw by
this sort of Speculation; and the_ Menkoul, _i.e. what_ Asâl _had
learn'd out of the_ Alcoran, _and the Tradition of the Prophets_, did
exactly answer one the other, as a Copy does its Original.]
[Footnote 29: _Mahomet_.]
[Footnote 30: _Alcoran, Chap_. 2 and 83.]
[Footnote 31: _This is an Expression taken out of the_ Alcoran, _and is
design'd to express the Confusion which the Wicked shall be in at the
Day of Judgment_.]
[Footnote 32: _Alcoran, Chap._ 24 and 19.]
* * * * *
APPENDIX.
In which the
AUTHOR'S NOTION concerning the Possibility
of a Man's attaining to the true Knowledge
of GOD, and Things necessary to Salvation,
without the Use of external Means, is
briefly consider'd.
By SIMON OCKLEY, M.A. _Vicar of_ Swanesey _in_ Cambridgshire.
_LONDON_, Printed in the Year, 1708.
* * * * *
[Illustration 8]
* * * * *
THE CONTENTS
§ 1, 2. _The Occasion and Design of this Discourse_. § 3, 4, 5.
_God's way of teaching his People was by Prophets_. § 6, 7.
_Prophecy not attain'd by any Applicatian or Industry, but depended
upon the positive Will of God_. § 8. _And, consequently the_ Vision
of God, _or beholding the Divine Being, which is superior to
Prophesying, cannot be so attain'd._ § 9. _That it was never
mention'd as attainable, nor the Search of it recommended by the
Prophet_ Moses, § 10. _Nor any other Prophets that succeeded him_.
§ 11. _What was not enjoyed in the early Times of Christianity,
when the Gifts of the Spirit were more plentifully poured out,
cannot be expected now._ § 12. _But such A Power, whereby a Man
might (without external Helps) attain to the true Knowledge of God,
and Things necessary to Salvation, was no where promis'd by our
Saviour_. § 13. _Nor enjoyed by devout Persons in the first times
of the Gospel; which is prov'd from the Example of the_ Eunuch. §
14. _And_ Cornelius. § 15. _The whole Tenour of the Apostles
Doctrine forbids us to expect the_ Vision of God _in this Life._ §
16. _From all which is inferr'd, that those Scriptures, which speak
of the plentiful Effusion of the Spirit in the Gospel Times, are
misunderstood by Enthusiasts_. § 17. _Why we are not to expect
Prophets now_. § 18. _If these things be denied to Christians, they
are not to be found amongst_ Heathens _or_ Mahometans. § 19, 20,
21, _The Enthusiasm of our Author and others censured_ § 23.
_Conclusion_.
* * * * *
_APPENDIX, &c_.
§ 1. Tho' the preceeding History, upon the account of the lively Image
and Representation which it gives of unspotted Virtue, unfeigned Love of
God, and Contempt of the Things of this Life, does very well deserve to
be read: So, as it contains several things co-incident with the Errors
of some Enthusiasts of these present Times, it deserves to be
consider'd. Upon which Account, I had no sooner suffer'd my self to be
perswaded to undertake the Translation of this Book, than I determin'd
to subjoin some Reflections upon such part of it as seem'd to me most
worthy of Consideration. Lest otherwise, that Book, which was by me
design'd for the Innocent, and not altogether unprofitable Diversion of
the Reader, might accidentally prove a means of leading some into Error,
who are not capable of judging aright; and of confirming others in their
Mistakes, who, through their own Weakness, or the Prejudice of a bad
Education, have the Misfortune to be led out of the way. And I was the
more willing to do it, because there has been a bad Use made of this
Book before.
§ 2. There are a great many Errors both in his _Philosophy_ and
_Divinity_: And it was impossible it should be otherwise, the one being
altogether _Aristotelian_, the other _Mahometan._ I shall pass over the
greatest part of them, as not being likely to do any harm; and confine
my self chiefly to the Examination of this Fundamental Error of my
Author, _viz_, _That God has given such a Power or Faculty to Man,
whereby he may, without any external Means, attain to the Knowledge of
all things necessary to Salvation, and even to the Beatifick Vision it
self, whilst in this State_[33]: In doing which I shall still have
regard to the Errors receiv'd concerning these things in the present
Age.
§ 3. In order to this I shall examine the Ways and Means by which the
People of God in all Ages, came to the Understanding of his Will. Now
'tis evident, from the absurd Notions which the ancient Heathens had of
the Deity, and their Idolatry, that Mankind was so far degenerated and
deprav'd, that they had lost the true Knowledge of God, and of his
Attributes, and consequently were ignorant of their Duty towards him;
for which reason, God was pleas'd, out of his infinite Love and Mercy
towards Mankind, to send at sundry times _Prophets_; that is, Men who
were inspir'd by the _Holy Spirit_, and had the Will of God
_immediately_ reveal'd to them; to the end that they might instruct
others how to serve him (the ancient Tradition receiv'd from our first
Parents, and those good Men which succeeded them, being now almost worn
out, and over-grown by the increasing Wickedness of the World) and
thereby avoid those Judgments which would otherwise infallibly overtake
them, if they continu'd in Impenitence and Disobedience.
§ 4. This was the Means which the Generality of the People of God had to
know his Will. They receiv'd it from the _Prophets_, who had it
_immediately_ from God. So that the Difference of their Knowledge
consisted in the Manner of their receiving of it, not in the Things
receiv'd, which were the same both to the _Prophets_ and the _People_.
Only the _Prophets_ receiv'd it _immediately_, but not the _People_: for
then consequently they would all have been Prophets, which it is plain
they were not.
§ 5. And when it had pleas'd God to give a clearer and fuller Revelation
of his Will to the Prophet _Moses_; what was deliver'd to him, was
committed to the Care of the Priests, of whom both King and People were
oblig'd to learn their Duty. Deut. xvii. 18. _And it shall be when he
sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom, that he shall write him a Copy
of this Law in a Book, out of that which is before the Priests the
Levites, and it shall be with him, and, he shall read therein all the
Days of his Life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep
all the Words of this Law, and these Statutes, to do them_. And Malachi
xi. 7. _The Priests Lips should preserve Knowledge, and they should seek
the Law at his Mouth, for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts_. So
that they were not to seek after any other more perfect manner of
Worship, than what was deliver'd in that Book, nor to expect that those
Truths or Precepts which were contained in it, should be reveal'd to
them anew, either by any Prophet living in their time, or by _immediate
Revelation_; but to draw all their Instructions from the aforesaid
Helps. And accordingly we never find any of the Prophets making any
Alteration in the Law, or calling the people to a more perfect way of
Worship. From whence 'tis plain that they were well assur'd of its
Sufficiency, till the _Messias_, who was to compleat it should come; and
their never bidding the People to look for any other way of teaching
than what was to be had from that Book, and the Mouth of the Priests,
proves evidently that they knew those means to be sufficient.
§ 6. Thus we have seen which way the generality of the People of God
were taught; let us now examine by what means the Prophets attain'd
their Faculty of Prophesying and wherein it did consist. Now it is most
certain that the Faculty of Prophesying cannot be attain'd by any
Application or Improvement of our Abilities whatsoever, but depends
wholly and entirely upon the positive Will of God, who upon important
and weighty Occasions, in his own due time, and to such Persons as seem
best in his infinite Wisdom, does send such as he is pleas'd to set
apart and qualifie for that Service, by the Inspiration of his Holy
Spirit. _For Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of Man; but holy
Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost_[34]. It must not
denyed, but that a sober, righteous and godly Life, a Heavenly
Conversation, and the keeping our selves pure both in Body and Spirit,
are excellent Means to invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in and abide with
us. And this is agreeable to right Notions of the Purity of God, and his
Love of that which is Good, and Abhorrence of that which is Evil: It is
confirmed by right Reason, the Testimony of ancient Churches and Holy
Scripture it self. But then the Question is, How does God dwell in those
that are his? Certainly, not so as to make Prophets of them, but to
strengthen them in their Holy Resolutions, and enable them to perform
such Things as tend most to his Glory, and their own Salvation. And upon
a due Examination, we shall find that this is all which the greatest
number by far of Godly Men ever attain'd; who notwithstanding must by no
means be accus'd of Slothfulness in not approving their Talent, nor of
being wanting in their Endeavours to make the nearest Approaches to God
that they were capable of.
§ 7. This will appear further, if we consider that those means which
were us'd by Holy Persons of Old, in order to the Improvement of
themselves or others, in the Exercise of Piety and Religion, cannot upon
any account be reckon'd as means of their becoming Prophets. Tho'
_Samuel_ was dedicated to the Service of God from his Birth, and it
pleas'd God to chuse him for a Prophet; yet there is no question to be
made, but that there were several others so dedicated, which did never
prophesy.
Tho' _Daniel_ was heard _from the first day that he did set his Heart to
understand, and to chasten himself before God_[35], and had an Angel
sent to him with a Revelation, yet cannot that disciplining of himself
be in any wise accounted a Cause of that Revelation; for if it were, the
same Method would produce the same Effect in another Man. And tho' there
were particular Advantages in being a Member of the College of
_Prophets_; as the Prophet _Amos_[36] intimates, where he says, _I was
no Prophet, nor A Prophet's Son_ (which must be interpreted _The Scholar
of a Prophet_, for the Scholars of the Prophets are always call'd _Sons
of the Prophets_ in Scripture) yet none of these Means were sufficient
to help Men to the Gift of Prophecy. The pious Parents thought it a very
good way of improving their Children in the Fear and Love of God, and
the Knowledge of his Will, to have them brought up under those Holy and
Exemplary Men the Prophets; and accordingly they waited upon them, went
on Errands and did their Service; at the same time enjoying the great
Advantage of their Example and Discourse. And according to their
Example, even after Prophesy was ceas'd among the _Jews_, the eminent
Men and chief Doctors of the Law had their Scholars and Disciples, more
or fewer, according to the Credit and Esteem of the Matter. So that our
Blessed Saviour's chusing his twelve Disciples, was no new thing among
the _Jews_, but had been practis'd all along, since those Schools of the
Prophets. But never did any one imagine, that these means of Discipline,
or any other, were Steps to the attaining the Gift of Prophecy, which
always depended, not upon Mens Acquirements or Improvements in that
which is good, but upon the _positive Will of God_.
§ 8. Now, if, as appears from what is already said, God has not afforded
to Man, any Means whereby he can attain to the more inferior Degree of
Prophecy, which consists in having only some part of his Will reveal'd;
and that not constantly or habitually, but as occasion serves: 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 is, and of seeing all things in
him?[37] Which is as much above the Attainments of the greatest
Prophets, as theirs is above the weakest of Men. For if we consider we
shall find that the Prophets Business consisted in delivering a
particular Message to one or more; the Contents of which sometimes they
receiv'd by Day[38], which sort of Vision is call'd _Machazeh_, or,
_Mareeh_, or else by Night in a Dream, and this was call'd _Hhalôm, a
Dream_, or _Hezyon Hallaiyelah, a Nocturnal Vision_. But what is either
or both these to the Intuition of the Divine Presence? There is as much
Difference, as there is between a great Courtier and a Favourite, who
when he pleases, enjoys the Presence of his Prince, and one who is now
and then sent by him on an Errand. And yet to such a degree of
Enthusiasm have some gone, as our Author here in particular, and several
more of the same strain in those former Ages, and the _Quietists_ and
other _Mysticks_ and Enthusiasts in our times, that nothing will down
with him less than the Intuition of the Divine-Being, and they despise
_Meditation_[39], as a mean thing, and too much below one that aspires
to Perfection. And this, it seems, is attainable by Application and
continued Exercise; whereby they have at once set all Mankind in a
Capacity of out-doing infinitely the ancient Prophets, who if they had
known any thing of this way, certainly would not have been so sparing of
it in their Writings, especially when their Business was to labour for
the Benefit and Instruction of Mankind. But there is not one word in all
their Writings which favours this Opinion, from whence we may safely
conclude, that they had no such Notion; and yet it must not be in the
least doubted, but that they were throughly acquainted with the Will of
God, and knew more of his secret Counsel than any other Men in the World
whatsoever.
§ 9. It must needs be acknowledg'd by us Christians, as well as by the
Jews, that _Moses_ was, without Controversie, the the greatest Prophet
that ever appear'd upon Earth before our Saviour's time, and had the
most frequent and greatest Revelations of the Divine Will. For tho' it
was a singular Favour which God vouchsafed the other Prophets, in
communicating to them some of the Secrets of his Purposes; yet _Moses_
was the Man whom God chose to be the Instrument of the Deliverance of
his People _Israel_, by such convincing Signs and Wonders, as were
undeniable Evidences of the Divine Power by which they were wrought, and
who was not only to be God's Messenger to his People in some few
Particulars, but the immediate Receiver of that Law, and all the
Oeconomy, both Ecclesiastical and Civil, by which God's People were to
be governed without any Addition or Diminution, so many hundred Years,
till the Coming of the promised _Messias_. God himself bears Witness to
this, _Numb_. xii. 6. _If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will
make my self known unto him in a Vision, and will speak unto him in a
Dream. My Servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine House.
With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark
Speeches, and the Similitude of the Lord shall he behold_. Now _Moses_
had not been faithful in God's House, if he had not reveal'd the whole
Will of God to his People, as it was deliver'd to him; which most
certainly he did. But how? Why, he commands the People thus, _Deut_. vi.
17. _You shall diligently keep the Commandments of the Lord your God,
and his Testimonies and his Statutes which he hath commanded thee_;
which were, no doubt, the very same which he had received upon Mount
_Sinai_. Nor did this Holy Man, this _faithful Servant in God's House_,
ever recommend, or so much as hint any such Service of God, as is
dream'd of by our _Mysticks,_ or give the least Encouragement for any to
hope for the Gift of Prophecy, or an Intuition or beholding the Divine
Being in this State. And yet it is certain that both _Moses_ himself,
and Multitudes of others after him, were Heavenly-minded Men, and did
that which was acceptable in the Sight of God, and shall be Partakers of
Everlasting Glory.
§ 10. Nor did any of the Prophets, which came after him, ever advance
any such refin'd way of Worship; but constantly blam'd the People for
not observing the Law of _Moses_, and neglecting the Statutes and
Ordinances which he had left them. And the Sum of their Prophecies
consists, either in Exhorting, Reproving, Promising or Threatning, and
some Hints of the _Messias_. But not one Syllable concerning any such
abstracted Worship, nor any Mention made of Mens attaining the
_Beatifick Vision_. Notwithstanding which, there have been, and still
are, a great many deluded Souls, who imagine that the warm Conceptions
of distemper'd Brains, are a great Measure of that Holy Spirit by which
the old Prophets spake; and pretend to such a Familiarity and intimate
Conversation with God; such an entire Communication and Intercourse,
that they might, if what they said were true, seem to be glorified
Spirits, rather than _Prophets_, subject to the like Infirmities with
other Men; and to have left the Church Militant to take their place in
the Triumphant. Not considering, that all this is only a pleasing sort
of an Amusement, a Fool's Paradise, and grounded upon no better Reason
or Foundation, than the Man that was distracted had to fancy himself an
Emperor, and all that came about him his Subjects. These Men do not
consider that we live in such an Age of the World, as we are not to
expect such extraordinary Effusions of the Spirit: All that we can
reasonably expect, or that God has promis'd, is, to give his Holy Spirit
to those that ask it of him; that is, so to guide them by his gracious
Assistance, as that they may overcome their Spiritual Enemies, and be
crown'd hereafter with Glory and Immortality; which certainly ought to
content any reasonable Man, without aspiring to _Immediate Revelation,
Prophecy_, obtaining the _Vision of God_, and such like Things,which God
has deny'd to us, whilst in this State.
§ 11. Indeed, if it were in _Religion_, as in _Arts and Sciences_, it
might with a great deal more Reason have been expected; that considering
the vast Distance of Time since the first planting of the Christian
Religion to this present Age, we might have been improved to a Degree of
Prophecy. For _Arts_ and _Sciences_ receive their Beginnings from very
small Hints at first, and are afterwards improved proportionally to the
Industry and Capacity of those who cultivate them; and therefore we may
reasonably expect, that the longer they continue, the more they will be
advanc'd. But the case is vastly different in Religion, which is always
best and purest at its first setting out. And there is a very good
Reason to be given, why it should be so; for after the first Covenant
made by God with Mankind in the Person of _Adam_: every other
Dispensation has found Men under a State of Corruption, and in the
actual Possession of Errors, diametrically opposite to those Truths
which it came to instruct them in; and therefore it was requisite that
the means to remove these at first, should bear Proportion with the
Difficulties they were to encounter. Upon which account, at the
Beginning of any new Dispensation, those Persons whom God was pleas'd to
employ to publish it to Mankind, have been endu'd with more Zeal and
greater Abilities, than the Professors of the same Religion in after
Ages. And as no Person can doubt, but that the Jewish Religion was much
more perfect in the Days of _Moses_, and those which immediately
succeeded him, than in after Times, when it was obscur'd and mudded by
Pharisaical Inventions and Traditions: So must it also be confess'd,
that the Christian Religion was much more perfect in the Days of the
Apostles, and the Ages immediately succeeding them, than since it has
been obscur'd by the Interest of the Designing on the one hand, and the
Prejudice and Ignorance of the Unlearned on the other. And this is what
is plainly confess'd by the Practice of most contending Parties amongst
the Professors of Christianity; who constantly make their Appeals to the
earliest Writers of the Primitive Christian Church, and use all means to
bring them over to their own Side; which is an evident Concession that
they value their Authority, and look upon them as the most competent
Judges of their Controversies. Now, if I shall make it appear, that
there was no such thing as is contended for by our Enthusiasts, in those
early Times, when the Holy Spirit must be confess'd on all hands to be
more plentifully pour'd out than in the succeeding Ages; I hope it will
appear evidently to any unprejudic'd Person, that it is not at all to be
expected under the Christian Dispensation.
§ 12. To begin therefore with our Blessed Saviour himself. It is evident
that he never recommended any such way of worshipping God, as is
contended for by the _Mysticks_, nor promised to reward the most sincere
of his Followers with the _Vision of God_ whilst in this State. As for
his own Life, which is certainly the most perfect Pattern, it was
_Active_ to the greatest Degree; and bating some times of Retirement, to
pray or the like, was wholly spent in Conversation, and doing Good to
others. Then as to the Substance of his Doctrine, it consisted in
acquainting the _Jews_ that he himself was the _Messias_, whose Coming
was so long ago, and so often foretold by the Ancient Prophets. He also
acquainted them with the Nature of his Office and Mediatorship, and
shew'd them how mightily they were mistaken in their Interpretations of
the Prophets concerning him. He let them know, that, contrary to their
Expectation, his Kingdom was not of this World; but that his Business
was to bring Men out of Darkness to Light, and from the Bondage and
Slavery of Sin, to the Liberty of the Sons of God. He taught them to
abandon all ungodly Lusts, and to set their Hearts upon Things above;
assuring them, that if they continu'd in his Love, they should be
rewarded with everlasting Happiness. And lest his Disciples,and those
Churches which should be planted by their Ministry, should be destitute
of necessary Encouragement and Assistance, he assures them, in most
endearing Terms, of his Love towards and Care over them, and promises
speedily to send them _the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth_[40], which
should not only assure them of his own, and the Father's Love towards
them, but also enable them to work such Miracles as should be sufficient
to confirm the Truth of their Mission. But no where promises the
Enjoyment of the _Beatifick Vision_ here; but bid them to expect their
Reward hereafter; assuring them, that _whither he went they could not
follow him now, but should follow him afterwards_[41], and _that he went
to prepare a place for them_. Nor did he even mention his having
purchas'd for Mankind such a Privilege, as that they might, by
diligently improving what was given them, come to God without any other
Means, but rather the quite contrary: For he says, _No Man cometh to the
father but by me_[42]; now certainly the way to come to Christ, is to
believe in him; which, according to the Apostle S. _Paul_, presupposes,
hearing him preach'd.
§ 13, And as our Blessed Saviour did never promise to reward the
Endeavours of sincere Persons, with such a Power whereby they might
attain, without any External Means, all Things necessary to Salvation,
much less the Intuition, or beholding the Divine Presence whilst in this
Life; so neither do we find that they either expected or enjoy'd it. The
Method of God in teaching his People, was still the same as it ever had
been, _viz_. by revealing his Will to some few, in order to the having
it communicated by their Ministry to others. And I desire any one that
thinks otherwise, to produce me one single Instance of any Person that
came to the true Knowledge of God, and the necessary means of Salvation,
but by this way. The contrary is evident from the Example of the
_Eunuch_ (_Acts_ viii.) who was a devout Person, and well dispos'd; and
we find his Zeal and Sincerity rewarded by God's sending to him a proper
Person to instruct him.
§ 14. Which is still further confirmed by the Example of
_Cornelius_(Acts x.) who being _a devout Man, and one that fear'd God
with all his House, and gave much Alms to the People, and pray'd to God
always_, was so far accepted by God, that he was graciously pleas'd to
provide Means for his further Instruction in his Duty, and sent _Peter_
to instruct him. Whereby he has plainly pointed out to us the way by
which he would have us seek for the Knowledge of him, _viz_. by applying
our selves to such as he has appointed to teach his People. Accordingly
we find that _Cornelius_'s Alms and Devotions, and incessant waiting
upon God, did neither advance him to the _Beatifick Vision_, nor so far
as to have those Truths presented to him by way of Object,
_immediately_, which were necessary to be believ'd by him in order to
his Salvation; neither is he at all encourag'd to look for or depend
upon _Vision_ or _Intuition_, but is sent to a Man like himself, to hear
with his outward Ears, those things which concern'd his Eternal Welfare.
Whereas, if God had ever granted to Mankind a Power whereby he might, by
due Application and Attention, attain to a sufficient Knowledge of God,
and Things necessary to Salvation; or, if such a Privilege, though
deny'd before, had been purchas'd by Jesus Christ; there is no question,
but Persons so extraordinarily well qualified as these two good Men,
_Cornelius_ and the _Eunuch_, were, would have enjoy'd the Benefit of
it; and then the Event would have been, that by their constant attending
upon God, and unwearied Diligence in meditating and practising good
Things, they would have increas'd in Spiritual Knowledge, and made
nearer Approaches to God, till they had attain'd to Perfection. But we
find nothing like this, but that on the contrary they were oblig'd to be
instructed by the same means which God had appointed for other Men.
§ 15. And then as to matter of _Vision,_ the whole Tenor of the
Apostle's Doctrine runs counter to it. S. _Paul_ tells us, that all
those noble Actions which were perform'd by the Ancient Worthies (_Heb_.
xi.) were done thro' _Faith_; which as himself defines, is (_v_.i.) is,
_The Substance of Things hoped for, the Evidence of Things not seen_. It
is an Assent which we give to Things as true, which we can neither
apprehend by our Senses, nor demonstrate by our Reasoning; so that the
only Objects of our Faith are such Things as we receive upon the Credit
of another; which, how far it is from _Vision_, is evident to common
Sense. And the same Apostle tells us, that _now we see through A Glass
darkly_; and that _we know in part, and prophesie in part_[43].
§ 16. Hence it is plain, that all those Texts which speak of the
plentiful Effusion of the Spirit in the times of the Gospel, are quite
misunderstood by all those, who interpret them after such a manner, as
if God had given such a Measure of it to all Mankind, that upon a due
Improvement of it, they might attain to the Knowledge of him, and of all
Things necessary to Salvation. Whereas it appears, that even in the
earliest Times of the Gospel, there was no such thing; but then all the
Churches were planted by the Ministry of the Apostles, who ordain'd
others to succeed them in their Office. If therefore in those Times it
was not granted, it is a ridiculous Absurdity to expect it in this Age;
and no small Degree, either of Impudence or Madness to pretend to it.
§ 17. Since it is not foreign to the Matter in hand, the Reader will, I
hope, pardon me if I digress a little, to shew why we cannot reasonably
expect Prophets now. And it seems to me, that there are several Reasons
to be given why there should be Prophets during the time of the Mosaical
Dispensation, rather than after the Gospel had taken Root. For, the
Promises made to the _Jews_ having Relation to their possessing the Land
of _Canaan_, God was pleas'd to send them Prophets to quicken their
Memories, and keep them in mind of their Duty, that thereby his
Judgments might be averted from them; (and especially, because of the
prevailing Idolatry of those Times; for after they were well fix'd in
the Practice of the True Religion, and out of that Danger, we find no
Prophets;) and we find that most of the Ancient Prophecies tend that
way. But now we are quite upon another Bottom; we are taught, that _we
have here no continuing City_; that, _when these Tabernacles shall be
dissolv'd, we have a Habitation not made with Hands, eternal in the
Heavens_. That we are to _set our Minds on Things above, not on Things
on the Earth_; that we are to _deny our selves, and take up our Cross
and follow Christ_; that, _through many Tribulations we must enter into
the Kingdom of Heaven_, and many Passages to the same Effect. So that to
have Prophets foretelling future Events, relating to the Welfare and
Preservation of our Temporals, or the contrary, seems not so proper for
a People, whose very Profession supposes them to have laid aside all
Solicitude concerning them. Again, before the Coming of Christ, God's
Will was but imperfectly reveal'd; and it was necessary that there
should be Fore-runners to prepare the way against his Coming, and raise
the Expectation of him in the People, that they might be the better
prepar'd to receive him. But after he was once come, who was to compleat
and fulfil all; after _God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners,
spake in time past unto the fathers by the Prophets,_[44] had, _in these
last days, spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed Heir of all
things,_ &c. _who was the Brightness of his Glory, and the express Image
of his person_, &c. I say, after God had, by this glorious Person,
manifested and reveal'd his whole Will to us, and declared whatsoever he
requir'd to be believ'd and done by us, whilst in these Mortal Bodies;
there was no longer need of Revelation to those who had received the
most perfect one that could be deliver'd. So that all those Reasons
being remov'd, which were to be given for a Succession of immediately
inspired Prophets before the Coming of Christ; it is altogether
groundless, to say no worse of it, to expect any now he is come. What
Methods God will use, when his time is come, to bring in the Fulness of
the Gentiles, and to convert the Jews; or what Endowments he will bestow
upon those Persons whom he shall please to make use of as his
Instruments to compleat that great Work, will then be best known when it
is come to pass. There is no Question but that he will use sufficient
means. All that I contend for is, that those which he has already
afforded, are abundantly sufficient for those who have the Happiness to
be baptized, and brought up in the Profession of the Christian Faith;
and consequently, that it is unreasonable to expect any other
Assistances, or to seek any other means of serving God, than what are
deliver'd in his Holy Word, and made use of in his Church.
§ 18. To return to our Argument. If these things, contended for by
Enthusiasts, were not granted either under the Jewish or Christian
Dispensation, as I hope has been sufficiently prov'd; it follows, _a
majori,_ that those who are depriv'd of those Advantages, which both
Jews and Christians enjoy'd cannot have them: And therefore in vain do
we search for Persons so endow'd amongst _Mahometans_ or _Heathens._ For
without any Breach of Charity, in respect to those Persons, who never
were so happy as to have the Gospel preach'd to them; we may assure our
selves, that they do not enjoy equal Privileges with us, who by our
Baptism have a foederal Right to all those Assistances of the Holy
Spirit promis'd to the Church in the Holy Scriptures. And yet there
would not be much difference, if by their diligently adhering to any
Principle or Light, which God has bestow'd upon Mankind in general, they
might attain to true saving Knowledge. And for this Reason, our Author,
who was himself a _Mahometan,_ seems as little to have consulted the
Honour of his Prophet _Mahomet_, and the necessity of believing his
Doctrine, in feigning a Person brought up by himself, to have by his
Application and Industry attain'd to the Knowledge of all things
reveal'd to that suppos'd Prophet, as our Enthusiasts do value the Means
which God has always us'd to convey his Will to Mankind[45]. Whilst out
of a groundless Charity, they do in a manner put all Men upon the Level,
as to the Means of Salvation. Which Opinion of theirs, however plausible
at first sight, upon the account of that specious Shew of Universal
Charity to Mankind, does most certainly tend to the undervaluing and
lessening those inestimable Benefits which our Blessed Saviour has
purchas'd for, and promis'd to his Church; and ought no more to be
receiv'd, than that charitable Opinion of _Origen_'s who believ'd that
after a certain time of Punishment, not only the wickedest of Men, but
also the Devils themselves should be laved.
§ 19. I have now shewn that what is here held by our Author, and too
many others in our times, has no manner of Foundation. That it was never
promis'd nor expected, either under the Mosaical or Christian
Dispensation; from whence I have inferr'd, that it cannot be expected
any where else, and consequently that there is no such thing at all. If
I have not spoken all the while particularly to my Author, the reason
is, because I write to Christians, and chiefly have regard to those
Errors, held by some of that Denomination, which are common with those
of our Author. Besides, if that were requisite, 'tis only allowing for
Argument sake, that the _Alcoran_ was written by Inspiration, and that
_Mahomet_ was a Prophet, and then the same way of Arguing proves the
Enthusiasm of our Author, who being a profess'd _Mahometan_, and they
being oblig'd to believe that _Mahomet_ is the _Catimo'l anbyâi_, i.e.
_The Seal of the Prophets_, and that theirs is the last Dispensation,
which Mankind shall ever receive from God, has ventured to suppose the
Possibility of a Man's attaining to the true Knowledge of God, and
Things necessary to Salvation, and all other Things, both Spiritual and
Natural, belonging either to this World, or that to come, without the
Help of any outward Instruction.
§ 20. I need not insist upon this any longer; I shall only remark, that
as true Piety is the same in all Ages and Climates, and good solid Sense
too, so also is _Enthusiasm._ And I have sometimes wonder'd, when I have
read the Whimsies and Conceits of the _Arab_ Enthusiasts (whose numerous
Sects equal those Heresies mention'd by _Epiphanius_, or even that
plentiful Crop which the Devil has sow'd of them in our times) to find
such a Harmony between them and ours at present. Such a perfect
Agreement in their wild Notions, and these express'd in the very
self-same Cant, may easily convince any one, that the Instruments of
both were strung and tun'd by the same Hand. Another thing observable is
this; Let the _Enthusiast_ have never such great Abilities, there is
always something or other which proves his Pretensions to Revelation to
be false; and as they tell us, that, let the Devil change himself into
what Shape he will he can never conceal his Cloven Foot; so neither can
the _Enthusiast_ make himself pass for Inspired, with any Person of
tolerable discerning; but there will appear some very considerable Flaw,
which shall manifestly prove him a Deceiver, or at least a Person
deceiv'd. This is the Fate of them, and our Author could not avoid it.
He has indeed carried his Philosopher beyond the Orb of _Saturn_[46],
but he might as well have sav'd him that Trouble; for he brought nothing
down with him, but what he himself was able to furnish him withal before
he went; _viz. Mahometan Divinity_, and _Aristotelian Philosophy_. As to
the former of these I shall not need to say any thing; but I am well
assur'd, that when he talk'd of those Discoveries in the latter, made by
him when in that glorious State, he never dream'd in the least of those
more certain Discoveries which should be made afterwards, by the
Sagacity of our Astronomers and Philosophers; and that the contrary of
what he believ'd; as to those things, should be prov'd by undeniable
Demonstration.
§ 21. Nor does it succeed better with such Pretenders in our Age; who,
taught by woful Experience, have of late grown more wary, and rarely
pretended to Inspirations, except in such Matters as they might be well
assur'd of by other means. The safest way for them,I confess, tho' at
the same time extreamly absurd and ridiculous. For if a Man pretends to
know a thing by Divine Inspiration, when there are other Means of
attaining it: I have much more reason to think, either that he is an
Impostor and Deceiver,or else, that through warmth of Conceit, or the
Delusion of the Devil, he imagines himself to be divinely inspired when
he is not; rather than to believe that God, who does nothing but for
most wise and excellent Ends and Purposes, should reveal a thing to any
Person _immediately_, when he had before afforded him sufficient Means
of knowing it otherwise.
§ 22. It remains that we beg of God to give us his Grace, and the
Assistance of his Holy Spirit, that we may sincerely and heartily apply
our selves to the diligent Use of those Means which he has appointed for
our Instruction, in his Church. That we seek for the Knowledge of him in
his holy Word, and _approach_ to him in his Ordinances, and by a holy
pious Conversation. These are the Ways which he has chalk'd out for us;
and if any Persons will not be content with these Means, but will walk
in By-Paths, and follow every _Ignis fatuus_ that presents it self; if
they be are the last convinc'd of their fatal Mistake when it is too
late, they must blame themselves. God of his infinite Mercy lead them
out of their Errors, and guide both them and us through this imperfect
State, till at last we attain to the perfect Vision, and full Enjoyment
of himself; through _Jesus Christ_ our Lord. _Amen_.
[Footnote 33: _See_ Sect. 84, 85, &c.]
[Footnote 34: 2 _Pet_. 1. 21.]
[Footnote 35: _Dan_. x. 12.]
[Footnote 36: _Amos_ vii. 14.]
[Footnote 37: _By_ seeing all things in God, _I have no regard to Mr_.
Malebranch_'s Notion, but only to that of our Author._ See Sect. 90,
_&c_.]
[Footnote 38: _Maimonides in Pocockii Porta Mosis_, p. 171.]
[Footnote 39: _See the letter concerning, the Quietists, printed with
the B. of_ Sarum_'s Letters_.]
[Footnote 40: _John_ Chap. xiv, xv, xvi, xvii.]
[Footnote 41: _John_ xiii, 36. xiv, 2.]
[Footnote 42: _John_ xiv, 7. _Rom._ x, 17, 18.]
[Footnote 43: _Cor._ xiii, 12, 9.]
[Footnote 44: _Heb_. i, 1.]
[Footnote 45: _See_ Sect. 109.]
[Footnote 46: _See_ Sect. 90.]
* * * * *
_FINIS_.