176

as if hearing something from within, and this they
call " a voice from an invisible speaker." It has
been said that, in miracles and supernatural events,
there is no doubt of our spirit being the phenomenon-
which manifests itself in the human body from men,
tal excitement and exultation; then it may happen
that the spirit receives such a force and perfection,
that its relation to the world of corruption be like
our relation to the body whence its desire may be
the mover in this exterior world.

There is another wonderful science and property
of things. The lord Shaikh Abu Ali1 says in his
book, " the Ascent to Heaven:" All the spirits are
subject to more perfect intelligences, except " the
" Holy Ghost," who is the mediator between the .
self-existing Being and the first intelligences, and
this is *' the command;" and the word of God means
" the revelation/' which the Holy Ghost makes by
the intervention of perfect intelligences, and which
is manifested by the prophetic spirit; whence, what-
ever is the speech of the prophet, all is the expres-
sion of the word of God, and his word is futile by
itself, and the name of holiness comes from God
alone.

1 Avisenna. (See, upon this celebrated personage, vol. II. pp. 168-
175.) He and Al Farabl, before-mentioned (p. 170, note 1) are, according
to the concurring opinions of the Arabs, the most distinguished chiefs
of the Arabian philosophers, properly so called. The logic of Avisenna
has been translated by Vattier, 1658.