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,