GhazzaWs Alchemy of Happiness. 



89 



the path of delusion, persons whose ignorance, error and 

 stupidity have reached such a degree as this. 



The second class of errorists are those who deny a day of 

 resurrection and assembly. They allege that man and other 

 animals are like vegetables, and do not enter into another 

 body when they die. They say, that a resurrection, in which 

 spirits and bodies shall be reassembled in one place, is im- 

 possible, and that there will be neither discipline or pun- 

 ishment, recompense or reward. The errors of this sect 

 arise from their inability to understand of themselves their 

 own souls. They imagine that the spirit is an animal spirit 

 only, and that the heart, which is in reality the spirit of 

 man, is the place for the knowledge of God, and that no 

 evil can happen to it except that it will be separated from 

 the body. They call this separation, death. This sect is 

 unconcerned about this spirit, and in proof of this we shall 

 discourse, if it please God, in the fourth chapter. 



The third class of errorists are those who indeed believe 

 in God and a future life, but whose faith is weak, because 

 they do not understand the requirements of the law. They 

 say that " God is able to do without our worship. There 

 is neither any profit to God from our worship, or any injury 

 done him by our disobedience. If we worship God, we 

 shall learn what good it did in the future world ; and if we 

 do not worship him, there will neither be any advantage 

 or harm. God himself so declares in his holy word, "Who- 

 soever keep himself pure, does it for his own advantage," 1 

 and in another place, " He who does well, does it for his 

 own profit." 2 Although it is better to worship God, yet 

 as God has no need of our worship, therefore if we do not 

 worship him, what harm is there in it?" These ignorant 

 people resemble the sick man, who when the physician 

 says to him, " you should be abstinent, if you wish to be 



1 S. 35 : 19. 

 Trans, mil.'] 



2 S. 41 : 46. 

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