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 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. Sec. 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_. FOOTNOTES: [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_. End of Project Gutenberg's The Improvement of Human Reason, by Ibn Tufail