ceive 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.

Sec. 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.

Sec. 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 M