[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 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.]