462 
and the increase of their num- 
bers has been, of late years, so 
great in Persia, that the Maho- 
medan divines of that nation have 
called upon the reigning king 
to defend the true faith from 
the attacks of several popular 
teachers ; who, from the sanctity 
of their lives, and the delusive 
character of their doctrines, had 
acquired an alarming popularity. 
The monarchhas, in consequence, 
adopted the most rigorous pro- 
ceedings ; and his severity has, 
for the moment, repressed a 
flame, which it would appear 
more calculated to increase than 
to extinguish. 
It would be vain to attempt to 
give a full history of the Sooffee 
doctrine; traces of which exist, 
in some shape or other, in every 
region of the world. It is to be 
found in the most splendid theo- 
ries of the ancient schools of 
Greece, and in those of the mo- 
dern philosophers of Europe. It 
is the dream of the most ignorant, 
and of the most learned; and is 
seen at one time indulging in the 
shade of ease, and at another tra- 
versing the pathless desart. It 
every where professes to be ad- 
verse to error and superstition, 
but exists by the active propaga- 
tion of both. The wild and 
varied doctrines of their teachers 
are offered to the disciples of this 
sect, in the place of the forms and 
usages of their religion. They 
are invited to embark on the sea 
of doubt, under the guidance of a 
sacred teacher, whom they are re- 
quired todeem superior toall other 
mortals, and worthy of a holy confi- 
dence that borders upon adora- 
tion. It is in India, beyond all 
other climes, that this delusive 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1815. 
and visionary doctrine has most 
flourished. There is, in the ha- 
bits of that nation, and in the 
character of the Hindoo religion, 
what peculiarly cherishes that 
mysterious spirit of holy abstrac- 
tion in which it is founded: and 
we may grant our belief to the 
conjecture which assumes, that 
India is the source from whence 
other nations have derived this 
mystic worship of the Divinity. 
The general name which the 
Persian followers of this sect have 
adopted, is Sooffee ; a term which 
implies pure: and by this all 
ranks who adopt this creed are 
known, from the reverend teacher, 
who is followed by thousands 
of disciples, to the humblest 
dervish, or fakeer, who travels 
about naked, and begs alms 
to support him in that life of 
prayer which he has voluntarily 
adopted. 
The Sooffees represent them- 
selves as entirely devoted to the 
search of truth, and as inces- 
santly occupied in the adoration 
of the Almighty, an union with 
whom they desire with all the 
ardour of divine love. The great 
Creator is, according to their 
belief, diffused over all bis crea- 
tion. He exists every where, and 
in every thing. They compare 
the emanations of his divine es- 
sence, or spirit, to the rays of the 
sun; which are, they conceive, 
continually darted forth, and 
reabsorbed. It is for this re- 
absorption in the divine essence, 
to which their immortal part be- 
longs, that they continually sigh. 
They believe that the soul of man, 
and that the principle of | life, 
which exists throughout all na- 
ture, is not from God, but of 
