As for the Books of Aristotle, Avicenna's Expofition of them in his Alfhepha [i. e. Health] fupplies their Room, for he trod in the fame fteps and was of the fame Sect. In the beginning of that Book, fays, that the Truth was in his opinion different from what he had there deliver d, that he had written that Book according to the Philofophy of the Peripateticks; but thofe that would know the Truth clearly, and without Obfcurity, he refers to his Book, Of the Eastern Philofophy. Now he that takes the pains to compare his Alfhepha with what Ariftotle has written, will find they agree in moft things, tho' in the Alfhepha there are a great many things which are not extant in any of thofe pieces which we have of Aristotle. But if the Reader, take the literal Senfe only, either of the Alfhepha or Ariftotle, with out penetrating into the hidden Senfe, he will never attain to perfection, as Avicenna limfelf obferves in the AlShepha.

As for Algazâli, he often contradicts himself, denying in one place what he affirm'd in another. He taxes the Philo

Algazâli.] He was an Eminent Philofopher, Born at Thûs a Famous City of Chorafan, in the Tear of the Hegira 450. of Christ 1058. He died in the Year of the Hegira sos. of Chrift 111. Dr. Pocock's Elenchus Scriptor.

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fophers

fophers with Herefy, in his Book which he calls Altebaphol, i. e. Destruction, because they deny the Refurrection of the Body, and hold that Rewards and Punishments in a Future State belong to the Soul only. Then in the beginning of his Almizin, i. e. The Balance, he affirms pofitively, that this is the Doctrine of the * Suphians, and that he was convinc'd of the truth of it, after a great deal of Study and Search. There are a great many fuch

Herely.] In Arabick the word Káfara, fignifies to be an Infidel, but they use it commonly as we do the word Herefy, viz. when a Perfon holds any thing erroneous in Fundamentals, tho' Orthodox in other points.

*

The Doctrine of the Suphians.] The Suphians are an Enthufiaftick Sect amongst the Mahometans fomething like Quietifts and Quakers; thefe fet up a firicter fors of Difcipline, and pretended to great Abstinence and Contempt of the World, and also to a greater Familiarity and stricter Union withGod than other Sects; they uled a great many strange and extravagant actions and utter Blafphemous Expreffions. Al Hofain Al Hallâgi was eminent amongst them about the Year of the Hegira 300. 'Twas he that wrote in one of his Epiftles, Bleffed is he that poffeffes the fhining 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 fignifies Wool, because those that followed this Sect refused to wear silk, and Cloathed themselves only with Wool. Dr. Po cock and Golius follow this Interpretation; tho' the latter in his Lexicon feems to doubt whether it is deriv'd from the Greek owçòs or from the Arabick Sûph. The Sultan of Perfia is often call'd the Sophy, because Ilmaël the first Sultan of that Family now in Perfia who began to Reign in the 60s Year of the Hegira, that is of our Lord the 155, was of this Sect. viz. Sufi, a Suphian.

Contra

Contradictions as thefe interfpers'd in his Works; which he himself begs Pardon for in the end of his Mizân Alanal [The Ballance of Mens Actions;] where he fays, that there are Three forts 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 anfwering Queftions propos'd

to us.

3. Such private as a Man has to himself, which none understand but those who think juft 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 firft, and help'd him to remove the prejudices of Education, that even that were fufficient; because, he that never doubts will never weigh things aright, and he that does not do that will never fee, but remain in Blindnefs and Confufion. Believe your Eyes, but still fufpect your Ears, You'llneed no* Star-light, when the day appears.

* The word which I have here rendred Starlight, is Zohal in Arabick which fignifies Saturn. 'Tis a common way with the Arabian Authors, when they intend to fhew a vast disproportion between things, to compare the greater to the Sun and the Leffer to Saturn. The meaning of this Diftich is that there is as much difference between what a Man knows by hearsay, or what notions be imbibes in his Education, and what he knows when be comes to examin things to the bottom, and know them experimentally, as there is beta een Twilight and Noonday. B 2

The

This is the account of his way of Philo fophizing, the greatest part of which is ænigmatical and full of obfcurity, and for that reafon of no use to any but fuch as throughly 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 fame Author fays in his Aljawâhir [i. e. The Jewels] that he had Books not fit to be communicated, but to fuch 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 fome have imagin'd to be thofe incommunicable ones he fpeaks of, but 'tis a mistake, for thofe are Almaareph Alakliyah [Intellectual notices] and the Alnaphchi wáltefwiyal [Inflation and Equation] and befides thefe, a Collection of feveral Questions. But as for thefe, tho' there are fome hints in them, yet they contain nothing of particular ufe to the clearing of things, but what you may meet with in his other Books. There are, 'tis true, in his Almekfad Alafna, fome things which are more profound than what we meet with in the reft of his Books, but he exprefsly fays, that that Book is not incommunicable; from whence it follows,

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thofe Books which are come to our hands are not thofe incommunicable ones which he means. Some have fancy'd that there were fome great matters contain'd in that Discourse of his, which is at the end of his Mefchal [i. e. Cafement] (which Belief of theirs, has plung'd them into inextricable Difficulties where fpeaking of the several forts 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 fays of these later, That they apprehended fuch Attributes to belong to the Divine Effence as were destructive of its Unity; from whence it appear'd to them that he believ'd a fort of Multiplicity in the Godhead, which is horrid Blafphemy. Now I make no Queftion but that the worthy Doctor Algazali 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 fecret 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 prefent Philofophers, till at length I came to the Knowledge of the Truth. At first indeed, by way of B 3

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