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THE TRUE

Nature of Impoflure

Fully Dis p L A Y'D

I N TH E

L I F E

MAHOMET-

WIT

A Difcoiirfe annex'd, for the Vindicating of Chriftianity from this Charge ; Offered to the Consideration of the Deifts of the prefent Age.

By HUMPHREY PR IDE AUX, D0D

Co?rertea.

Printed for William Rogers, at the 5«w againft

St. Dunflans Church in Fleet ftrett.

MDCXCVIII.

WmWalcotEsqr

T O T H E

READE

THE great preVailm? of Infide- r • 1 r A /•

Itty in the prejent Age, making

it the Duty of every one of M that haVc undertaken the Mmiftry of the Gofpel ofjefus Chnft, to endeavour to put a flop thereto $ that I may in fome mea- fure do my part herein, is a fufftcient- reafon to jnjiify the prefent (puttica* twn. Sat hefedes, the <Poyfon having, I fear, reached fome places, ivhere it is my particular Duty to present its Mtfchiefs j and infefted fome Ter- is, for whofe Eternal Welfare, as wdl d$ Temporal, 1 haVe reafon to A * I*

il Ta the Reader.

be nearly concerned $ I have herefy keen more efpecially engaged to fet forth the enfuing pftftory, with the Traff flit? joined thereto, for an Anti dote againft it. And if I can hereby avail any thing with thofe who haVe cafl off Chriflianity a* an Impofture, to make them fee the Error of their ^poftacy, Ifhall then obtain the full End I propofe 5 If not, at leaft 1 frail dif charge my Confcience , and my T>uty, in doing the beft I can in order thereto.

That which at prefent feems moflly to carry Men away into this Infidelity^ is the giddy Humour which too many among M, efpecially of the younger Jort^ are liable unto, in following ivhatfoe^er hath gotten intofafhion and Vogue. For thefey looking no further than what prevails moft among fuch they con- Verfe with , of courfe fall in with %t 3 whatfoeVer it be y without

any

To the Reader. m

any other Consideration, but that they thinly it tie Dre/? ivh'xh is moft faJJ?ionable and genteel for them t® appear in , stnd the Mode w.here~ in they may make the moft acceptable Figure .among the Company they keep. And therefore that kind of Infidelity, which is called Deifm , being of Lite impioufly patronized by too many of thofe who govern the Humours of ths Times, abundance of this fort of unr thinking (people have merely, out of compliance with them, run in thereto, and confidently take upon them to call Chrijtianity a Cheat, and an Impofture, without ever having confedered what an Impofture is, or whether any of the Marks and Properties thereof can poffibly agree with thi* Holy Religion, or no.

That therefore thefe may fee what it is they charge Chriftianity with,and how far all the Marks and ^Properties therer of are from having any agreement ivith

Ai it*

iv To the Reader.

frj I ha^e in the enfuingfliftory, which contains the Life of that famous Impo- (lor^ivho is on both fides equally acknow ledged to he fuch, fully laid open what an Impojlure is, and in the j)ijcourfe fubjoitied thereto, fiewi, That none oj thofe Marks and Properties which are fo T?ijible in the Impojlure o/ Maho met, and rnuft be aljo in all other Im- poftures in G(eligiony can poffibly be charged upon that holy Religion which we profejs. And an Hiftorj being that which gives the moft lively and Jenfihle reprefentations of a Matter 5 and (Books of this nature being fuch M moft obtain the favour of being ready I hope I have taken the properejt method of coming home to the Conferences of thoje to whom I write.

And that I may not be thought to Iraiv this Life of Mahomet with de~ Jign to fet forth hi* Impojlure in the fouleft Colours I am able, the better to

; ' To the Reader. ' v

make it ferVe my prefent purpofe ; I lave been careful to fet down all my Authorities in the Margin, and at the end of the ^Boo^haVe given an Account of all the Authors from whom I collett-

ed them.

And that 1 may the more remote all fufficion of this matter, I thinly it re- quifite to acquaint you, That altho at prefent IhaVe adapted the Life o/Ma- homet to this purpofe, yet it WM not originally defined for it, it being when Ifirft wrote it, only the interjperjed Parts of one Chapter of a mud lor* ger Work^, which lint ended for the Public^ ri& The Hiftory of the Ruin of the Eaftern Church 3 which beginning from the "Death of the Em peror Mauricius, Anno D.om. 601. was defegned to haVe been brought down to the Fall of the Saracen £w- pire,which happen d Anno Dom.p 3 6, when the Governors of Provinces under A 4 the

yi To {he Reader.

tie Caliph, uf urging the Sovereign Authority, each in their feVeral Di- ftrifts, did put an end to that large and formidable Empire, by dividing it among them. ^.K,

Andfuch an Hi/lory I promifed my f elf might be of fome ufe in our pre- fent Age : For notwithftcwding thofe earncjl Expeftations and Jirong Hopes, which we entertained in the beginning of TI?i$ Government, of hoping our IDiviJions healed, and all thofe Breaches which they have caufed in the Church, again made up $ finding thofe of the Separation Jlill to retain the fame Spi~ rit on the one fide, and fome others to be fo Violently benf on the other, again/I eVery thing that might tend to mollify and allay it, as to fruftrate all thofe excellent 1)efigns which haVe been laid r in order thereto $ I thought I could

yot better let thofe Men fee, what mif chief they Both do hereby t%

the

; To the Reader. vij

the Common Intereft of Chriftiani~ ty, than by laying before them the grievous ^uin and Dejolation , which from the like Caufe hapned to the Churches of the Eaft , once the moft flourijking of the whole Earth. For they having drawn the abftru- f eft Niceties into ControVerfy , which* were of little or no moment to that which is the chief End of our Holy Chriftian Religion , and divided and fubdivided about them into endlefs Schifms and Contentions , did thereby fo dejiroy that <Peace, LoVe, and Cha rity from among them, which the GQ- fpel was given to promote, and inftead thereof continually provoked each other to that Malice, ^ancoury and every tVil Worl^, that they loft the whole Sub- fiance of their (Religion, while they thuf eagerly contended for their own Ima ginations concerning it, and in a man ner drove Chriftianity quite out qf the

World

viii To the Reader,

World by thofe "Very Controversies in which they difputed with each other about it. So that at length having ivearied the patience and lonv- fuffermg of God, in thus turning tins Holy ^eltgioninto a Firebrand of Hell for Contention , Strife, and Violence among them, which was given them out of his Infinite Mercy to the quite contrary End, for the Salvation of their Souls, by living Holily, ^ighteoufly , and Juftly in this prefent World , he raifed up the Saracens to be the In- flrumentsof Us Wrath topunifh them for it 3 who taking advantage of the Wealqiefs of Tower, and the Diftra- clions of Councils, which thefe T)ivi- feons had caujed among them , foon oVer-run with a terrible T)eVaftation all the Eaftern Provinces of the Ro man Empire. And having fixed that Tyrajiny oVer them, which hath ever jmce affiifted thofe Tarts of the World,

turned

To the Reader. ix

turned eltery where their Churches into Mofcjues, and their Worjhip into an horrid Superftition 5 and inftead of that Holy Religion rttkich they had tbu$ abujed, forced on them that abomina ble Impofture of Mahometifm, which dictating War, <BloodfJ?ed and Violence in matters of Religion , as one of its cbiefeft Virtues, ivas in truth the moji proper for thofe, who had afore by their Schifms and Contentions refolved all the Religion they had thereinto. And when the matter came to this trial, fome of thofe who were the hotteji Con tenders about Chrijiianity , became the fir ft A f oft ate s from it 3 and they, who would not afore part with a Nicety, an abftrufe Notion, or an unreajona~ lie Scruple , for the <Peace of the Church , were foon brought by the Sword at their Throats, to give up the whole in compliance to the pleafure of (Barbarous and SaVage Conqueror.

no

To the Reader.

no wonder that fuch , who had afore wrangled away the Subftance vf their Religion in contention and ftrifc againft each other y and eat out the Ve ry heart of it by that malice and ran cour which they fhewed in their Con- troVerfy about ity became eafily content, when under this force, to part with the Name alfo. Thus tbofe once glorious and moft jhurijhing Churches , for a punijbment of their Wickednefs being given up to the infult, ravage and /corn of the worft of Enemies , were on afudden overwhelmed by them with fo terrible a deftruElion, as brought them to that low and miferable ftatey under the frejfures of which they haVe ever fence groaned 3 wherein they, re taining no more than fome few and la mentable ^uins of Tvhat they once were, feem thus to be continued even unto this day by the Allwijc (providence of God in the jame miferable Condition under th

(pride

' -:.<v- To the Reader. xl

<Pride and <Perfecution of Mahome tan Tyranny y for no other end, but to be an Example and Warning unto others againft that wickednefs of Se paration and Divifion, by which they were brought thereto. A fad Memento to us 5 for of all Chriflian Churches now remaining in the World^ Which i$ there that hath more reafon than we at this prefenty to learn inftruttion from this Example, and take ivarning therefrom ? For are not our DiVtftons now brought to much the fame heigh with theirs , which drew down from the juft hand of God this terrible de- firu&ion upon them 3 when men ma king no Conference of breaking the Tub-' licl^ (peace of the Church, divide and fubdivide from it into endlejs Fa£iiomy SchifrnSj and Contentions, about their own Imaginations ? When they durjl rejeEl the Ancient and (primitive Go vernment of the Churchywhich was by

the

xii To the Reader.

the direction of God's Holy Spirit eft a* llifred in it from the beginning, to

make way for new Schemes of their own indention ; and are content to ruin all, rather than not obtain their humour herein ? When they will haVe the "Decency and Order of our outward WorJJnp condemned as Crimes 3 and for the privilege of fraying in pub lic^ according to their own unpre meditated Conceptions^ without Me~ thod or Senfe , advance fuch Argu ments againft our Liturgies and Forms of Grayer y as hdVe in a manner to~ \ tally deftroyed the "Demotion of the Na tion ? When they fern pie more at the kneeling to God in the Holy Sacra~ ment of the Eucharift y while they are receiving from Him one of His greatefl Mercies 'y and ought to he ren- dring to him their highejl Thanksgi* Tting in return thereto, than in break? ing the chief eft of his Commandments 5

and

To the Reader. xitt

*tnd thus in a manner refohe all ligion into contending againft our Juft and Legal Eftablijhments about it ? /ind when others , on the other hand, whofe Duty it is to labour for our (peace , would rather haVe this de vouring Flame of Strife and Vivifion ftill continued among us, than throw in one Bucket of Water to cool and allay it? I fay , when Matters are brought to this pafs, Do we not equal, cr rather excel that Wickednejs of Contention, Strife and T>ivifeon, for which God poured out his fierce Wrath upon thoje once moft flourishing Churches of the Eaft, and info fear~ ful a manner brought them to deftru+ Hion thereby ? And haVe we not rea~ fon then to be warned by the Exam» pie ? HaVe we not reafon to fear, that God may in the Jame manner raije up fome Mahomet again/1 us for our utter Confufan j and when we cannot.

be

xiv To the Readerv

le contented with that blejfed Efta~ llijhment of Divine WorJJnp and Truth, which he hath in fo great pu rity given unto us, permit the Wicked One by fome other fuch Inftrument to overwhelm us inftead thereof with his fouleft Ttelufeons? And hy what the Socinian, the Quaker, and the Deift begin to advance in this Land, we may haVe reafon to feary that Wrath hath fome time fence gone forth from the Lord for the punifhment of theje our Iniquities and Gainfayings , and that the Plague is already begun among us. That therefore we may fully fee to what thefe Mifchiefs among us leady and be influenced thereby to fuch an Amendment as might divert the Judg ment from US) was the reafon that made me defegn the publication of the Hiftory I have mentioned 3 wherein my purpofe was to give an Account , firft of the ControVerfees which mife*

rally

To the Reader. xv

rally divided thofe Eaftern Churches, and then of that grievous Calamity and ^uin which hapned to them thereupon, through that deluge of Mahometan Tyranny andDeluficn which overwhelm-' ed all thofe ^Provinces in which they were planted, and bath continued there to the afflifting of the poor remainder f of them with ml j cry and perjecution eVer Jince. For mens minds being ufu~ ally more influenced hy Example^ than hy (precept or Exhortation 3 and eafier convinced of the mi/chief 'which any eYil leads to 5 hy feeing the Sufferings of others herein, than by the greateft ftrength of ^eajon and Argument that can bi> prejfed upon them in order hereto ; / hoped that perchance by laying open be* fore the Contending Parties here amonv us it^h at mi f chief thofe Eaftern Churches fujfered in the like cafe through that dijmal 3{uin ivhich was by their DiVifa- ons brought upon them , I might awaken them with this affrighting Example ttf & th'mk

xvi To the Reader.

think of thofe things which might tend to their (peace, and hereby prevail with them to Jet fomefteps towards the hap py re-eft abliJJring of it among us $ which as yet no ^eafon or Argument hath been able to induce them to.

{But when I had made my Collections , and gone a great way in putting my laft hand to the Compofure, thofe difturban- ces that hapned about the DoEirine of the.. Holy Trinity among us^ gaVe me a flection which put a ft op to my Ten, and made me rejolve to furceaje the whole Work. For perceiving what ad" Vantage the unwary ftirnng of this. Controversy did give the Atheift, the, Deifl, and the Socinian, for the ad~. liancing of their Impieties 5 by con founding and diftr acting the minds of. men with their Cavils and Objeftions^ (tgainjl what ive hold- in this Myftery to.be above our Underftandings, fully to comprehend $ and how JeVeral of them did in a. manner Jo licentious, as.

ivas

To the Reade^ xvis

iv as fear ce eVer before allowed in a Cbri- flian State, exercife their Wits in this matter, I durft not , considering the SubjeEt of this Soo^, "Venture it dlroad in fo wanton and lewd an An.

— ' c^

For the two great Myfleries of Cbri* Jiianity ( and wbicb will be always fucb unto us wbile in this ftate of Ig* norance and Infirmity ) being the T)o- £lrine of tbe Trinity, and that of the Hypoftatical Union 5 and tbis latter being tbe SubjeEl about ivbicb all tbofe DiVifions were, ivbicb occafioned that ruin of tbofe Churches, of which hi this fji/lory an Account was purpofecl to be given 3 an d this necejfarily lead ing me therein, not only to unravel all tboje ControVerfies which they made about it, but alfo to unfold all tbe Niceties and fubtile Notions which each Sett did hold concerning it 3 I had reafon to fear, that tbofe who made fuck worl^ with one of the 'Myfleries of our Holy (ReUgion, would not be left bold a ^ with

xviii To the Reader.

with the other, which is altogether a*

°reat, were it in that manner laid open &• 7 **y* . r."\S *

unto them / as it is in this Htftory contained ; , and therefore I rather chofe totally to fupprefs my Labours, than run the' bayard in their Publication of doing more hurt than good thereby. Only that fart wbicb relates to the Life of Mahomet., after having ga thered it together out of that Chapter of this Htfto/y where it lay interfperjed with other matters , I baVe here pub- It/bed, to anfwer that Dejign which I ha^e already given an account of.

As to the rDifcourfe annexed, I haVe direffedit only to thoje Deifts, who ac cording to Mr. Blunts Defcription of them, hold a Tro^idence , and future Rewards and&unij'hments. For fuch feennng to retain the Common fyrmd- pits of Natural (]\eligion and ^eajony allow a fufficient Foundation whereon to be Ji/courfed with. But as to the Aiheift} who denies the 'Being of a God>

which

•? •

-^jfl

To the Reader. xix

which all things elfe prove $ and the Epicurean T>eift, who allowing Ins Be ing, demes Us (Providence, and his Go vernment olw us , which all the Oc currences of our Lift become conftant Arguments for, thy being fuch as muft necejfarily rejett jirft Principles , and lid defiance to all manner of ^eafon, before they can fo far blind themfehes as to arrive hereto , do lea'Ve no room for any Argument but that of the Whip and Lafh, to convince them of thofe impious Abfurdities, and therefore de- JerVe not by any other method to be dealt with. (Befides, if you will know the true ^eafon whicJy mduceth the Atheifl to deny the ^ing of God, and the Epicurean 1)eift \>\s Government over us 5 \t is, That they may give themfehes up, imthout fear of future Judgment, to all thofe Beftial Enjoy ments of Luft and Senfuality, which their corrupt Hearts carry them after 5 and therefore it not being the ^eafon

a 3 °f

To the Reader.

of tie 'Man , but the <Brutal Appetite of tbe'Seaft that makes themfucby they deferVe no otberprife than as fceafts to be treated by us j and for this ^(edfon, as I write not to them , fo I defire to fa underjloodto baVe nothing to do with

them.

For tie clearer underftanding of the fftftoryy I defire you to take no tice, That in tbe proper Names, Al is a Particle which Jignifietb in Ara^ bic tbe fame witb the Englifh The, •or tbe Greek c, », rd, as in Al Ab bas 5 Eba, or with tbe Partick Al after it Ebnol is the Son, and Abu, or with tbe Particle Al after it Abu i 'is the Father, and tbus Mahomet is called Ebn Abdollah Abu Cafem, tbat is, the Son of Abdollah, the Father of Cafern. For it was uf ml wth tbe Arabs to take their Names of diftinftion from their Sons as well as from tbeir Fathers $ andthwsEbnoi Athir, is the Son of Al Athir, and '

To the Reader; xxi

Abu'l Abbas is the Father of Al Abbas 3 Abel, or with the (particle -Al after it, Abdo '1, figmfietb Ser vant 3 4«J f/;w Abdo '[[ahjignifietk the Servant of God, <wd Abdol Shems, the Servant of the Sun. In thefe and all other Arabic Names I exa&ly follow the Arabic Pronun ciation , without regarding how they ha"Ve been written or fpelt by any other Wcftern Author that hath treated of them 3 and that the rather, becauft ,of the great agreement it>bicb the Arabic hath with the Englifh , both in the fower of its Letters, and the pronun ciation of its Words 3 there being no Language in the World more a-lnn to

o o ^

ours, than the Arabic is in theje par ticulars : Only as to the Name of the Impoftor bimfelf , I rather chufe to make ufe of the Vulgar manner ofwri- ' ting it, becaufe of the notoriety of it, than mal^e any change, although to the Truth, from that which hath been a 4 generally

xxii To the Reader.

generally received $ and therefore I call kirn every where Mahomet, although Mohammed be the alone true and proper pronunciation of the Name.

As to the Errata which have efca- fed the <Prefs at my great diftance from it when thefe Papers were printed > I dejtre thou wouldft correft them from the Table in which they are marked^ hefor'e thou readcft the $00^.5 jnd then on thy perufal of it, as far as thou Lift need of ivhat is dejigned thereby^ either for the rtftoration of thy Faith , or the confirmation of it j Jo far I pray Cod it may be ufeful t? thee. and I am

Norwicfi, March re.

The hearty Wiftier of thy Peace and Everlasting Salvation,

y Prideaux. The

j—. \ ^^" m^ ±&vt*% The General CONT

ENTS of the BOOK.

IT1 HE Preface to the Reader, fhewing the Deflgn and

Reafon of its Publication. II. The True Nature of Impure fuUy difplafd in the Life

of Mahomet, from his Birth, An. Dom. 571. to bis.

Death, An. Dom. 632. Ill 4 Letter to the Deifts, jhewing that the Gofpel of

Jefa Chrifl is no Impefture, but the Sacred Truth of God. IV. 4n Account of the Authors quoted in this -whole Work.

The Contents of the Life pf ' MAHOMET.

OF the Family of Mahomer, and his Marriage with

Cadigha. page r

Of his fir ft pretending to be a Prophet. ,4

O/ the Alcoran. jl

The Proofs of kis pretended MiJJton. 3 3

The Framers uf the Alcoran. £

MahometV Marriage with three Wives. c j

His Night- Journey to Heaven. ??

His Oral Law. " ^

^beginning of the Hegera, anittht Computation of their

T-.ar, j

His Robberies. *

Of Mecca, and the Temple there. 98

The Month of Ramadam their yearly Faft. x o r

MahometV Intimacy with the Jew Caab. iOj

.Iht Qccafon of hu forbidding Wnes and Games of Chance.

Of Pilgrimages to Mecca. [ \°7

MahometV Pbifoning at Chaibar. , 2 *

His Death and Burial at Medina. 1 , 1

General Refiettiow on the Lfr of Mahomet, 139

The Contents.

Of tfa Contra&ffions intfa Alcoran,

The Texts of Holy Scripture Mahomet urger for fa* Re/r-

gton. 1 6" 3

'

The Contents of the Letter to the "DEISTS.

Introduction, i. What an Impofture is. 2. What are the Marks and Properties of an Impofture. 3. That aR thofe Marks muft belong to every Impofture, and all par ticularly etidfo to Mahometifm ; and that none of them tan be charged upon Chriftianity • is propofed to be the Dcjign of the Enfuing Diftourfe. Page 3

Seft. J . The fir ft Mark of an Impofture, That it muft always have for its End fome Carnal Intereft ; not chargeable on Chriftianity. 8

Seft. a. The fetond Mark of an Impofture, That it can have none but wicked men for the Authors of it; not chargeable on Chriflianity. 36

Seel:. 3. The third Mark of an Impofture, That boththefe two laft Marks rnuft appear in the very Contexture of the Impofture it felf ; not chargeable on Chriftianitj .

4S

. 4> The fourth Mark of an Impofture, That it can never be fo framed, but that it muft contain fome palpable Falfities, which will difcover the falflty of all the reft ; not chargeable on Chriftianity. 8 1

£t. 5 . The fifth Mark of an Iwpofture , That wheree ver it isfirft propagated, it muft be done by Craft and Fraud ; not chargeable on Chriftianity . s oo

ft. 6. The flxth Mark of an Impofture , That when intrufted with many Confpirators, it can never be long concealed ; not chargeable on Chriftianity. 1 27

Se&. 7. The fe<venth Mark of an Impcflure, That itcaa never be eftablifhed, unlefs backed with Force and Violence j not chargeable on Chrifianit}. 130

•Tht Coxclitfien. 137

THE

"."- .- ' ~^ ^~

THE

"LIFET

. .%

TO-, <ir ,t>^ ''i iHty^Vl Jf

. .v:-^-"- O F»

MAHOMET.

MAhomet ( or according to the true Pronunciation of the word, Mohammed} was born a at Mecca, a City of Ara- aAbulFara. lia, of the Tribe of the Korafiites, jJS^t b which was reckoned the Nobleft in all Elmacin. that Countrey , and was defcended in a AH«xhi, &e. diredLtneof Primogeniture from Pher H^Orfenr. Koraifb , the firft Founder of it, from lib. i. c. 4. " whom they derive his Pedigree in this c Abui F manner ; c The Son of Pher Koraifb, s°e was Galel ; the Son of Galel, Lawa ; the Arab, p Son of Lawa , Caab ; the Son of Caal, &^i

, whofe younger Brother was n. df; from whom was defcended Omar Part i. c. 3.

Chattab, that was CW/f, The ^f ^ons of Morrah were Chela 6, Tayem, and NmrhSra

Tokdak : Mahom^tis,

* Gotti not* ad Alfraga- num, p. 4.

« AM Feda. Pocockii, Spec. Hift. Arab. p. 42, 50, & 342. Ecchelenfis Hift. Arab, p.i. c. MJ Fortalitium Fidei, lib, 4. £onfid. i.

The Life of Mahomet.

TokJah : From Tayem , Alu*Beker and Telha ; and from TokJah , Chalid Eln Walid, had their Defcent. Chelal was he who firft gave the Months of the Year thofe Names by which the Arals ever fince have called them, even to this day. They had formerly other Narhes, d bat Chelal having given them thefe new ones, they firft grew into yfe among the Koralbites, and after, by the Authority of Mahomet, when he had brought all the reft of the Tribes of the Arals under his Power, obtained every where elfe , and the old ones became to tally AboliOi'd. The eldeft Son of Chelal, was Cofa\ and the younger, Zabrah , from whom was Awena, the Mother of Mahomet. e Cofa was very famous among the Korafbites , for gain ing to his Family the keeping of the Keys of the Caala, and with them the Presidency of that Temple, which is the fame to which the Mahometans now make their Pilgrimage at Mecca, and was then as much celebrated for the Heathen Worfhip among the Arals, as it hath fince been for the Mahometan ; and therefore the Prejidency of it was a matter of great moment, as being a Station, which rendered him that was

in

The Life of Mahomet.

in it Honourable through all Aralia. It was before in the Pofleffion of Alu Qalfhan , of the Tribe of the Cozaifes, who were of the Ancient Race of the Arabsi defcended from Joktan, and for merly had their dwelling in Taman> or Arabia Felix , till being driven thence by an Inundation from the breaking down of the Banks of the Lake Aram, which deftroyed their Country, they came and fettl'd in the Valley of Mar ry , not far from Mecca , and from thence they were called Cozaites, which fignifieth the cutting off, becaufe by this remove they were feparated , and as it were cut off from the reft of their Kindred. They had not long lived at Marry ^ till they grew fo Powerful , as to make themielvts Matters of Mecca , and alfo of the Caaba, or Temple which flood tlrere , and held both the Govern ment of the one, and the Prefidency of the other , for many Ages after ; till at length the latter falling into the Hands of Alu Galfban, a weak and fil ly Man , Co/a circumvented him while in a drunken humour, and bought of him the Keys of the Temple, and with them the Prefidency of it, for a Bottle of Wine* But Alu Gabflan being got-

ten

The Life tf Mahomet.

ten out of his drunken Fit , fufficientty repented of his foolifh Bargain; from whence grew thefe Proverbs among the Arabs, More vexed with late Repentance than Abu Gabfhan ; and, More filly than Alu Galjbau ; Which are ufually faid of thofe who part with a thing of great moment for a (mall matter. However, he was not fo filly, but when he came to himfelf, he underftood the value of what he had parted with, and would fain have retrieved it again; to which pur- pofe he gave Cofa fome difturbance in the pofleflion of his Purchafej and the reft of the Cozaites joined with him herein, as not liking that he fliould be thus deprived of his Right by a Trick, and thereby the Prefidency of the Tem ple go out of their 'Tribe into that of the Koraftites. But Cofa being aware hereof , fent" privately to all the Ko* rafhites , who were difperfed abroad among the Neighbouring Triles , to meet him at Mecca on a day ap pointed; with whole help, falling on the Cczaites, he expelled them all out of the City , and from that time the whole pofleflion of Mecca remained to the Korafhttes ; and Cofa and his Pofte* rity in a right Line down to Mahomet ,

had

The Life of Mahomet*

had the Prefidency of the Temple , and the chief Government of the City ever after.

The eldeft Son of Cofa was Aid naph, and the younger AlJolVzz taken from the Idols of the Temple, of which Cofa had now got the Prefiden- cy. For Aid Menaph in the Aral Lan guage fignifieth the Servant or Worfhip- per of Menaph 5 and Aldol Z/zza, the Ser vant or Worfhipper of Vzza, which were Heathen Deities then worlhipped by the Arabians. Of the Pofterity of Aldol Vzzaj were Zolair , and Cadigha the Wife of Mahomet.

The eldeft Son of f Aid Menaph was f Abul Hafiemr and the younger Aldfhems , P°cock.sPec. whofe Son wasOwwmi, from whom the Ommiad&i who for fo many Defcents go- lenfis Hift. verned the Saracen Empire. Hafhem as ^rab* ^ well as his Father and Grandfather, was deGwera- Prince of his Tribe ^ and a Perfon of great tione Note in his time through all Aralia. From him the Kindred of Mahomet are called Hafhemites ; and he \\ ho governs at ^c- c4 and Medina^ ( who muft always be of the Race of Mahomet ) i? called in their g sionita in Language, % AlEmam(?lHa(bem, that is, Appe"d- * the Prince of the Hafamites, even unto SJ this day, ^a^J ^ , f«n,

The

hAbul Feda, Pocock. Ec- chelenfis, ib.

1 Hottinger. Hift. Orient. lib. i. c. 3.

k Elmacin. lib. i. c. i.

AlkodaiAbul Faraghius, pag. ioj. El- macin, lib. r. c. i. Pocock. Spec. Hift. Arab. p. 170. Hottinger. Hift. Orient. lib. i . c. 6.

The Life of Mahomet.

The Son of Ha/hem was h Abdol Mo- tallab, who fucceeded his Father in the Government of his Tribe at Mecca, and had to do with two very formidable Enemies in his time * ; Cho frees, the firft of that Name, King of Perfia^ and Abraham King of the Ethiopians. The firft ha ving extended his Empire a great way into Arabia on the North of Mecca *, and the other poflefled himfelf of the Kingdom of the Homerites on the South , became very dangerous Neighbours unto him ; but he defended himfelf againft both, and forced the latter to a very fhame- ful Retreat , when he came with a numerous Army to Befiege the City , as ihall be, hereafter m6re fully related. He lived to a very great Age, being k an hundred and ten years old at his Death. He had thirteen Sons , their Narfies were as followeth ; Abdottah^ Hamzah^ Al Abbas^ Abu Taleb, Abu La bel , ALGidak, AlHareth, Jahel, Al* M)kawam , Dorar . Al Zobair , Ketham , and Abdol Caaba. The eldeft of them, Alclollah , having married Amena , the Daughter of Waheb , was by her the Father of Mahomet1, who was born at Mecca, in the Month of May , in the Year of our Lord, 571. Juftin the Se*

eood

The Life of Mahomet

£ond being then Ewlperor of

tinople , and Chofroes the firft King of

By this it appears, Mahomet was not of fuch mean and vile Parentage as foms have aflerted* For being a Korafblts^ he was of the nobleft Tribe of all Ara- lia^ and the Family he was born of was the moft confiderable of that tnle^ as being that which for feveral Ddcents together had born the chief Rule over it. However, in the beginning of his Life he was in m a very poor and de- lfi AW fpicable Condition. For his Father dy- ^u™

i'j J Abul F

xng before he was two years old , and ghius, p while his Grandfather, Aldol Motallab, EJmaein.i. was ftill living , all the Power and ^^ Wealth of his Family became derived em! 1.2 c. to his Uncles, efpecially to Alu Taleb, ^ Who after the Death of AtJol Motallal his Father, bore the chief Sway in Mecca as long as he lived , which was to a very great Age; and under his Protc- ftion chiefly was it, that Mahomet, when be firft broached his Imppiture , was, fupported againft all hisOppofers^ and grew up to that height thereby* as to be able after his Death to carry it on, and alfo eftablifli it through all Arabia by his own Power.

& AM?

8 The life of Mahomet.

After his Father's Death, he continued

under the Tuition of his Mother till

* AbulFefo. the eighth year of his Age; when n (he

ghius pa?or. alfo dy*ng> he was taken horae to his

fclmacin, lib, Grandfather , AlJol Motallal , who at

*-c.i. his Death, which hapned the next year

after, committed him to the Care of his

Uncle, At* Talel , to be educated by

him out of Charity, who carrying on

a Trade of Mtfcktiktifa took him into

this Employment , and bred him up in

° Geographu the bufmefs of it. For Mecca ° being

SStaCinfl ASi- ^lt:uated *n a very barren Soil , could pend.adeaa" not of it felf fubfift ; and therefore the dem, c. 7. Inhabitants were forced to betake them* S828* felves to Merchandize for their Support ; p: n?. Golii and the beft Men among them had notxadAi- fcarce any other Eftate but in their fragaaum, p. &ock whefewith they did Traffick . and

therefore they all betook themfelves to this courfe of Life , which they feerrr to have received down from the Ifmae- lites^ from whom they were defcended, and in the fame manner as they carri ed on a Trade into Syria , Perjia , and Egypt , on Camels backs , furnifhing f hofe Countries with fuch Commodities as came to them from India , Ethiopia, and other Southern Parts , for which commerce they were very advantage.

oufly

. - •', ...,-, ,\

The Life of Mahbmee*

pufly fituated, as lying near the Red- &?*, where they had the Port * 3WA the moft convenient for Shipping in all thofe Streights. 5-' GoiiiNor®

And in this Courfe of Life Mahomet was bred lip under his Uncle ; and as foon as he was of a fit Age, he was fent with his Camels into Syria* On his coming to Bo/Ira, a City on the Con fines of that Country, while he was at tending his Uncle's Factors inthevend^ Ing of his Wares in thePiiblick Market- place ^ , he was there feen ( fay the iAbuS Mahometans ) by Bakira, a Learned Monk Alkodai of that place, who immediately know- gjS ing him to be the great Prophet that ioi. Pococ Was to come, preflcd wit-h sreat earneft- $*c-

r , ' £ Arab

nefs thorough the Crowd unto him, G and taking him by the Hand , there ad foretold pf him all thofe great things which afterwards came to pafs, The Mark whereby he knew him ( (ay they) was the Prophetick Li^t which ihone on his Face. This Prophetick r Light, r ,Sha«a'an|- they, tell us, God fir ft placed on 4 Jam, to be a fign of the Prophets that were to be born of him; That this Light de- ifcending down toAbrahamjNzs from him divided into two ; one on the Face of fftac, and the other on the Face of If- B %

io The Life of Mahomet.

that Ifaacs Light was foon after manifefted in the many Prophets which appeared of his Pofterity among the Children of Ifrael ; but that which was placed on Ijmael, was fupprefled, and lay hid till the coming of Mahomet, on whom it firft appeared ; and that Bahira feeing it on him, thereby knew him ( fay they ) to be a great Prophet fent of God, who was ere long to manifeft f Gemii not® himfelf. But others f fay, the Mark by

*_a »• •/' J

\ MuUadi- which he knew him, was the Seal of j/Vide' h*s P*tyMi*& Mi/ion, (lamped with a librnm wonderful Imprefs between his Shoul-

&nniml C'ers' ^Ut ^e trutk *s> Mahomet did not Maho"1" become acquainted with this Bahira, metis- till many Years after , when he tra

ded for CaJigha into thofe Parts; as fliall in its proper place be hereafter re lated*

Till the Twenty fifth year of his Age he continued in this Employment under ^AbuJJFeda. his Uncle ; but t then one of the Chief Men of the City dying, and his Widow, whofe name was Cadigha ( to whom he left all his Stock, which was of confi- derable value ) wanting a Fador to ma- Pocock.Spec. nage it for her, fhe invited Mahomet in- Hift Arab, p. to far Service 5 and having offered him fuch advantageous Conditions as he

thcugfft

The Life of Mahomet. 1 1

thought fit to accept of , he undertook this Employment under her , and for three years traded for her at Damafcus, and other places ; and in the manage ment of this Charge gave her that con tent, and fo far insinuated bimfelf into her Favour and good Opinion thereby, that about the u 2,8th year of his Age fhe gave her (elf to him in Marriage , « the being then forty years old ; and from •££ ' being her Servant, thus advanced him hornet. Elm*. to be the Mailer both of her Perfon cen- lib- '• and Eftate; which having rendred him equal in Wealth to the bed Men him of the City, his ambitious Mind began Ah 0

to entertain thoughts of vv poflefiing "Difimtatio himfelf of the Sovereignty over it. Chriftwni His Anceftors had for (everal Defcents JXjS**. been Chiefs of the Tribe ; and his Great Cufani'cri- Grandfather Halhem had made himfelf batio Alco-

/•iii , ram, lib. 7.

very coniiderable , not only at home, c %[ RicardX butalfo among his Neighbours abroad; Confucatio and had his Father lived, the Power and Wealth of his Family, after the death of his Grandfather, would have defcended to him , as being the eldeft Son ; and after his deceafe, to himfelf; and it was only his misfortune in being left an Orfhan during the life of his Grandfather , that deprived him of all B this.

:2S Tk Life of Mahomet.

this. Thefe Confiderations meeting uith an Ambitious, Afpiring Mind, foon put him upon Defigns of raifing himfelf to the Supreme Government of his Coun try; and being a very Subtile, Crafty Man, after having maturely weighed all ways and means whereby to bring this io pafs , concluded none fo likely to ef- fedl it, as the framing of that Impojture which he afterwards vented with fo much mifchief to the World. For the courfe of Trade which he drove into Egypt^ Pale/tine, and Syria, having made * Difputaeio him well acquainted both x with Ckri- £hiriftiani ftians and Jews, and obferving with

c, r. Fortaht. •*• . n i ••_' >

id. lib. 4. ; what eagernefs as well they, as the fe- veral Seds loto which the Chriftians of the Eaft were then miferably divided, did engage againft each other ; he from thence concluded, That nothing would be more likely to gain a Party firm to him for the comparing of his Ambi tious Ends, than the making of a Nevy Religion. And for fuch a Change he judged his Citizens might be well difpo- ied, becaufe their Traffick and frequent Converfe with Chriflians having much taken off" their affe&ion and zeal for that grofs Idolatry which they had hitherto fceen addicted to, they were at that time

from

The Life of Mahomet.

from Heathenifm generally fallen ? into Zendicrfm, an Error among the Arals pocockii near of kin to the SaJJxcifm of the Jew^ Spec. H as denying Providence, the Refurredi- Jgg j on , and a Future State; which being met c in reality to he without any Religion at ***»

* . . X I I M **>* O/

all, they were the better fitted , while tey Of hi, thus void of all other impreflions of God, conn, and his Worfliip, to receive any he lliould impofe upon them ; and there fore betaking hirnfelf to frame fuch a Religion as he thought might bell go down with them, he drew up a Scheme of that Impofture he afterwards deluded them with, which being a Medley made up of Judaifm , the feveral Herefies of the Chriftiaxs then in the Eaft , and the old Pagan Rites of the Arals , with an Indulgence to all Senfual Delights, it did too well anfwer his Defign in draw ing men of all forts to the embracing of it.

But that he might not immediately from that Idolatry which he had hither to pra&ifed with the reft of his Citizens^ commence a Preacher againfl it > and from his prefent courfe of life, which was very licentious and wicked, take upon him a Character fo unfuitable to it, as that of a Prophet , without fome B 4 previous

I7;e L*

* Liber A gar. Joannes Arj-

&f ztfiometa- n«, c.i.Bar- tfiolomaeus Jideflenus. Bellonius. lit. 3. e. i. GuadagnoJ. Tra&.i.c.io. feft. i.

Mahomeu

previous Change; in the 38th year of his Age * he withdrew himfelf from hi? former Converfation, and affe&ing an RfcmeticalLife^ ufed every morning to withdraw himfelf into a Solitary Cav$ near Mecca, called the Cave of Hira^ anc} there continqeall day,exercifmg himfelf, as he pretended , in Prayers , Faftings, and holy Meditations ; and there it is fuppos'd he firft had his Confults with thcfe Accomplices by whofe help he made his Alcoran. On his return home at night, he ufed to tell his Wife Cadi- gha of Vifions which he had feen, and Itrange Voices which he had heard in his Retirement. For he aimed firft of all to draw her into the Impofture> know* ing that thereby he fhouid fecure his own Family to his Deftgn ( without which it would be dangerous for him to yenture on it ) and alto gain in her an able Partiian for him among the Wo men. But Ihe rejt&ing thefe Stories as vain Fancies of his own difturbed Ima gination, or elfe Del u (ions of the Devil; at length he opened himfelf further unto jher, and feigned a Converfe with the An* gel Gabriel, which fhe was alfo as back ward to believe, till after feveral repeat* ed Stories to her of his Revelations fron^

the

The Life of Mahomet.'

the faid Angel, flic a confulted with a a Theoph*. fugitive Monk) then in their Houfe, (of nes- whom I ihall hereafter fpeak) who being j^ in the Plot, helped to confirm her in naras. the belief of what Mahomet had commu- picated unto her, whereby being total ly perfuaded that Mahomet was really called to that Prophetick Office which he pretended to, from thenceforth gave up her Faith totally to him, and became his firft Profelyte in this Impofture,

After he had carried this Point, ha* ving now by two years conftandy pra- £tifinga retired and au(lereLife> gained, as he thought, a fufficient reputation of Sandity for his Defign ; in the 40* year of his Age b he began to take upon b Abul him the Stile of the Apoftle of God, and under that Chara&er to propagate the Impofture which he had been fo long a proje&ing.But for four years he did it on ly in private among fuch as he had moft confidence ^n, clancularly infmuating his Delufions into them. His firft Pro- felyte, as has been faid, was CaJigba his Wife; hisfecond was ZayJ Eln Hareth bis Servant ; and the third his Coufm Alt, the Sqo of Alu Taleb his Uncle, who from hence was c ufed to ftile him- Geographiam fcJf the firft of Believers, not making Nub

any

1 6 Tlie Life of Mahomet.

;< Johannes any reckonings of the other two. c He

Andreas, c.i. tempted his Servant Zayd by promifing

m^te him his freedo™ ; and accordingly, on

Guadagnoi.' his receiving his Religion, he manumifed

'

r a-

" a -Ldw among the Mahometans ever fince,

tp make their Slaves free, whenever they turn to their Religion.

It is ta be obferved, that Mahomet be gan this Importure about the fame time '* Pliocas that d the Bi/hop of Rome, by virtue of a this Grant from the wicked Tyrant Phocas, firft affumed the Title of Vniverfal Pa- the ^ery flor^ and thereon claimed to himfelf that tkat MI- Supremacy which he hath been ever

nomet retired r • r ,

'lnce endeavouring to ufurp over the church of Chrift. And from this time Both having confpired to found them- years affert felves an Empire in Impofture, their Fol- A, n 6o«. lowers have been ever fince endeavour- W*&**# ing by the fame Methods, that is, thofe Mecca. of Fire and Sword , to propagate it among Mankind ; fo tha$ AnticMft feems at this time to have fet both his Feet upon Chriftendom together, the one in the Eaft, and the other in the Weft ; and how much each hath trampled upon the Church of Chrift, the Ages ever fince fucceeding have abundantly experi enced.

Make-

Tk Life of Mahomet." i 7

Mahomet's fourth Difciple was e Alu c Elmacln, Beker, who being one of the f Richeft *jk '• £ »• Men of Mecca , and a Perfon of great f sionira ?n Wifdom and Experience, brought with Append, ad him no fmall help and reputation to his Sub^er^m"1 Caufe ; and his Example was foon fol- c. 8. lowed by five others, s Othman Eln Affan, g Elmacin, Zolair Elnol Awam , SaaJ Eln Aln llb< '*• c* '• Waccas, Aldorrahman Eln Auf^ and Alu Qleida Ebncfl Jerah , who were after wards the principal Generals of his Ar mies , and the chief hftruments under him, by whofe help he eftabliflied both his Empire, and his Impofture together in thofe parts of the World.

After he had gotten thefe nine Difii- ples, feme of which were the principal Men of the City, he began h openly to *> Abul F«h. publilh his Impoflure to the People of AbuJFara- Mecca in the 44th year of his Age, and li^dn I02a publickly to declare himfelf a Prophet lib. j. c,'i. fent by God to reduce them from the Error of Paganifm, and to teach them the true Religion. The firft Doftrine that he propagated among them was, ' That « Elmacin, there was but One God, and that he only lib- '• c- *• is to be worfhipped, .and that * all Idols ^C°™"£c*9 were to be taken away, and their Wor- *Eimacin,ib. | ftip utterly abolifhed ; and that thofe * Alc Paf' I who fay God hath \ Sons or Daughters, i1^, Cf^

or &c*

i8 The Life of Mahomet;

or that there are any other Gods mAlc.c4,j. m aflbciated with him, are impi- &c« ous, and ought to be abhorred. By

denying him Sons and Aflbciates, he reflected on the Chriflians for holding the Dodbine of the Trinity , and that Jefus Chrijt is the Son of God ; the belief of both which he doth in many places in his Alcoran vehemently forbid. By de nying him Daughters, he condemned the Idolatrous Practice of the Arabians, » Pocoddi n who worfliipped Allat, Menah, and Al Spec. Hift. Vzza, Female Deities, which they held Arab. p. 89, to k the Daughters of God, whofe Idols

Hottingeri and Temples he afterwards every- where

Hift. Orient, deftroyed.

He did not pretend to deliver to them any new Religion , but to revive the old one, which God firft gave unto Adam ; and when loft in the corruption of the Old World , reftored it again by Reve-

0 Pocockii lation ° to Abraham, who taught it

Spec. Arab. ^[5 son jfma€i their Forefather ; and

ttiat he, when he fird planted himfelf in Arabia , inftruded men in the lame Religion which he had received from Abraham, but their Pofterity afterwards corrupted it into Idolatry, and that God had now fent him to deftroy this /Jola-- try> and again reftore the Religion of

Ifmael]

The Life of Mahomet, 19

Ifmael their Forefather. And therefore, according to his own Dodtrine, it is not unfitly called Ifmaelifme by the Jews, al though they call it fo only out of con tempt, by tranfpofition of the Letters from Ijlamifme, the Name whereby the Mahometans themfelves moft love to call it , from the Aralic ? word Salama , p Golli Lex. which in the Fourth Conjugation is Afla- "» voce s*!*- ma, to enter into the ft ate of Salvation ; Sus uH°^" hence EJlwt , the Saving Religion , and pra, Nuflimon^ or as we call it, Mujjleman, he that lelieveth therein.

He * allowed both the OU and the * Ale. c. 3,4, New Teftament, and that Mofes and Jefus 5' &c* Chrift were Prophets fent from God ; but that the jews and Chnftians had cor-* rupted thefe holy Writings, and thac he was fent to purge them from thofe [Corruptions, and reftore the Law of God |to that purity in which it was firft deli- jvered ,• and therefore moft of thofe Paf- jfages which he takes out of the Old and tAfcw Teflavnent are related otherwife by jhim in his Alcoran^ than we have them in jthofe Sacred Books. And in this certainly jhe a<2ed much wifer than our Socznians, .7

jwho with him denying the Holy Trinity jand the Divinity of our Saviour, yet flill plow the holy Scripture st as now in our

hands,

io The Life of Mahomed

hands, to be genuine and uncorrupted, with which their Dodrine is in the moft manifeft manner totally inconfiftent. If cin they had with this their f Majter denied the Scriptures, which we now have, as mart if Jtftt well as the Trinity and the Divinity of

S2£tt^ *fTr> which are fo evidently before them, proved by them , and forged others in exciting only their ftead, they might have made their Sfffft imPious Hypotkefis look much more greater of the plaufible, than now it can poffibly ap-

pear to be.

many other . , ..

things they agree in with hiw, and feem to have taken from him , may, fafeen in HottingerV Hiftoria Orientalis, lib, a. c. 3. where he fully compares the Doftrines of both together.

Ale. c. 2. He pretended to receive all his

lattons * from tiie ^nSfl Galriel, and that

Guadagnol' he was ^ent fr°m ^^ °^ P^^pofe tO dell-

Traft.i.c.io. ver them unto him. And whereas he

|r'- Liber was fubjea to the Fatting- Sicktefs ,

Rodericus f whenever the Fit was upon him ? hS

Toletanus pretended it to be a Trance, and that

confotSo, * then the An^el Galriel was come from

c. 13. Theo- God with fome new Revelations unto

phanesZono- him, the Splendor of whofe appearance

ros. rviiicciia . - . i «, * . j

- he not being able to bear, this caulcq him to fall into thofe Trances, in which Orknt. lib.i. ^ An^d converfaj wjth him, and deli-

Fortalitium vercd to him thofe Meflliges from

i, .lib. 4. which he was fent to reveal unto him.

Confid. a.

The Life of Mahomet? it

His pretended Revelations he put iri- to feveral Chaffers , the collection of which make up his Alcoran , which is the Bille of the Mahometans. The Ori ginal of this Book he taught them c was * Ale. laid up in the Archives of ffeavett, and & c- 8o' that the Angel Gabriel brought him u the ^ Ale, c. a Copy of it Chapter by Chapter, accord ing as occafion required they ihould be published to the People. Part of thefe he publiflied at Mecca, before his flight from thence ; and the other part at Medina, which'he did after this ban ner. * When he had forged a new * Johannes fbafter, which he intended to publift, Andreas, c he firft di&ated it to his Secretary^ and then delivered the written Paper to be read to his Followers till they had learnt it by heart ,• which being done, he had the Paper brought to him again, which he laid up in a Cheft, which he called the Cheft of hu Apo(ilefiif). This he did, I fuppofe, in imitation of the Ark or holy Cheft among the Jews , in which the Authentick Copy of their Law was repofited. This Cheft he left in the keep* ing of Haphfa one of his Wives, and out of it, after his death > was the Alcoran compiled, in the fame manner as Homer's Rhapfodies were out of the loofe Poems

of

i ^ The Life of Mahomed

of that Poet. Alu Beker, who fqcceed-

ed tke Impoftor^ firft made the Collection,

« Elmacln. a For when Mofailema> who in the laft

I. i.e. a. Abul year Of flfahomet fet up for a Prophet as

FedaPocok. •'., i u j • u r^u/-o

Spec. Hilt, well as he, had in hopes or the fame Sue- Arab. p.3tf*. cefs,in like manner compofed an Alcoran, W T*us and publifhed it in a Book to his Followers

Edimntfs. x n n c i\^7n

Golii praefa- ( as 'hall hereafter be related ) , Abu Be- tio ad Sura- \er thought it neceflary to publifh Mabo- Hbckei-"130' ™et'$ a^° irt the fame manner, and that manni prae- not only in oppofition to the new Impo- fatio ad Ai- flure but alfo for the better fupporting

coranum.Jo- J , / . . , . , * ', ,

hannes An- of that which he adhered to ; and there- dreas, c.*. fore having recotirfe to flapbfasCheft, c 13. Partly out of the Papers which he found, there, and partly out of the Memory of thofe who had learnt them by heart 3> when the Impoflor ftrft delivered them unto them, compofed the Book. For feveral of thofe Papers being loft, and others fo defaced as not to be read , he was forced to take in the afiiftance of thofe, who pretended to remember what the Impoflor had taught them, to make up the matter, and under this pretence made ufe of their advice to frame the Book, as he thought would beft anfwer his purpofe. When the Work was com- pleated , he caufed the Original to be laid up in the fame Cheft, out of which

The Life of Mahomet. 2|

he had compiled it , which he ftill con tinued in the keeping of ffaphfa , in J then delivered out Copies of it among his Followers. . But the Book had not been long publiflied, but Co many vari ous readings were got into the Copies, ^nd fo many Absurdities difeovered in the Book it (elf, that b when Othman b Eutyck came to be Caliph, he found it neceflary Tomo2- to call it in again to be licked into a bet- Abui Feda ter.fhape; and therefore having com- Pccock. jb. manded all to bring in their Copies nn- der pretence of correcting them by the Original in the keeping of Haphfa, he caufed them all to be burnt , and then publiflied that Alcoran anew model' d by him, which we now have, of which ha ving ord end four Copies to be written out fair, he deposited the firft of* them at Mecca, and the (epond at Medina ; the third he fent into Eracy or CbaUtea, and the fourth into Syria. The three nrft were after a while all loft, but the laft of them federal Ages after c was.faid to c ^artov be preferved at Damafcus in a Mofque maeus Edeffe- there, which had formerly been the nus> p>423a Church of St. John the Baptijl. This d was done in the j2d year of the Pic- a gera, Ann, 65:1. twenty one years after the death of the Imp/flor; atter which C time

y Jofrannes Andreas, c.x.

* Ale. c. 15,

25,37,31,

£c.

a Etmacin, Jib. i. c.i.

Abunazar. Hottinger. Hift. Orient.

J*b. 2. C. 4.

Tie I*/e o/ Mahomet.

time the Book underwent no other Cor rection.

On his firft appearing publickly as a Prof bet y the People laughed at him for the ridiculoufnefs of his Pretence ; fome called him a x Sorcerer, and a Magician^ others a Lyar, an Impoftor, and. 0 teller of old Falles ; of which he often com* plains in his Alcoran ; fo that for the firft year he prevailed nothing among them, or got any thing elfe by his pub* lifting thofe Chapters of his Alcoran which he had then compofed , or his preaching to them the Dodhine of them, but Scorn and Contempt. But this did not difcourage him from ftili proceeding in his Defign, which he ma naged with great Art. For he was a Man of a a ready Wit, and a very acceptable Addrefs; he bore all Affronts, without feeming torefent any ; and applied him- felf to all forts of people, without con temning the meaneft ; was very cour teous both in giving and receiving Vi- fits j the Great Men he foothed with flattering Praifes, and the Poor he re lieved with Gifts and Alms ; and to wards all men mannged himfelf with that Art of Infinuation (in which he ex ceeded all men Jiving ) that at length he

fur-

Tie Life of Mahomet, if

farmounted all the Difficulties which lo bold an Impofture in the firft venting of it muft neceflarily be liable unto, and feveral other new Profelytes joined them- felves unto him, among whom was b *> Omar Elntfl Chattal^ who was one of his 1&. Succeffors, and then a confiderable Man in the City. His Example was foon fol lowed by feveral others, fo that in the fifth year of his pretended Miffion he had increafed his Party to the number1 of Nine and thirty , and himfelf made the Fortieth.

On his having made this progrefs , c feveral began to be allarm'd at it. Thofe that were addided to the Uol* ^^lt try of their Forefathers, flood up to op- Andreas, c, t pofe him as an Enemy of their GWi, and a dangerous Innovator in their Religion* But others, who faw further into his Defigns , thought it time to put a flop thereto for the fake of the publick fafety of the Government^ which it manifeftly tended to undermine fof the eftablifh- ing of Tyranny over them , and there fore they combining together againft him^intended to have cut him oft with the Sword. But a Abu Talel his Uncle jetting notice hereof, defeated the De- fign, and by his Power, as being Chief C * of

z 5 . • The Life of Mahomet.

of the Trile i preferved him from all other like Attempts as were afterwards framed again ft him. For although he himfelf perfifted in the Paganifm o'f his AnceftorS) yet he had that afFeftion fbrv the Ijtfojlor, as being his Kinfman, and one that was bred up in his Houfe, that he firmly flood by him againft all his Enemies, and woul,d fuffer no one to do him any hurt as long as he lived. And therefore being fafe under fo powerful a Protection, he boldly went on to preach to the People in all publick places of the City where they ufed to sflemble, and publifhed unto them more Chapters of his Alcoran in the order, as he pretend ed, they were brought him by the Angel Galriel. The chief Subjeft of which was to prefs upon them the obfervance of fome moral Duties, the Belief of the Unity of God) and the Dignity of his owrn pretended Apoftiejbip , in which indeed , befotes ibme Heathen and Jewi/b Rites which he retained , con- lifted the whole of his new forged Re ligion.

The main Arguments he made ufe of to delude men into this Impofture, were his Promifcs and his Threats, as being thofe which eafieft work on the AfFedi

ens

The Life of Mahomet. *.; 17

pns of the Vufgar. His Promifes were chiefly of Pbradife , which he fo cun ningly framed to the guft of the Ara* Hans, as to make it totally confift in thofe Pleafures which they were^moft delighted with. For they being within the Torrid Zone, were, through the na ture of the Clime, as well as the excef- five corruption of their Manners, e ex- e Ammhnus ceedingly given to the love of Women ; %"£*™l and the fcorching Heat and Drinefs of ]&. ,4. c.4.' the Countrey making Rivers of Water, in cooling Drinks, (haded Gardens, and pleafant Fruits, moft refrelhing and de- in lightful unto them, they v/ere from hence apt to place their higheft Enjoy- ment in things of this nature. And therefore tffknfwer the heighth of their Carnal Defires, he made the Joys off/ea- ven, which he propofed for a Reward to all thofe that fhould believe in him, to confift totally in thefe particulars. For he tells them in many places in his Al coran, That they jhali enter into pie a font Gardens^ f where many Rivers flow, and f Alcpjan. many curious Fountains continually^ fend c. }. c. 4. forth moft -f leafing Streams , nigh which ^' 3^' £'37 they fhall repofe themfelves en moft c/eli- c. 7^. 0.90. c ate Beds adorned with Gold and Precious ^c- 'Stones, under the fhadow of the Trees of Andreas! c.< C g Paradife

91

Richardi

Confutatio,

c.8.

Cantacuze-

nus Orat. 2.

fea.ii.

Hottingeri

Hift. Orient.

lib. a. c. 4.

Pocockii

Mifcellanea,

c.7.

Difputatio

Chriftiani,

c.,26. &28.

Bellonius,

lib, 3. c, 9.

* Alcoran, C7- c.37- c. 43. c 44-

C.47-C. $o,

c. 74- <:• 77-

c.7?. C. ^o.

&C.: C &

Li/i? o/ Mahomet.

Paradife, which JlaS continually yield them All manner of delicious Fruits ; and that there they (kail enjoy mo ft beautiful Women^ pure and clean, having Black Eyes, and Countenances always frejh and white as polified Pearls , who (ball not cafl an Eye on any other lut themfel'ves ,• with whom they flail enjoy the continual Plea- fares of Love 9 and folace themfel'ves in their company with amorous Delights to all Eternity, drinking with them moft delicious Liquors , ana moft favoury and pie af ant Wines , without being ever in toxicated or overcharged ly them , which faallle adminijlred to them ly beautiful Boys* who ,jhall le continually running round their Beds to ferve them up unto them in Cups of Gold, andGkffes fixed on Diamonds. And as thus he framed his promifes of Reward in the Life here after as might beft fuit with the fenfual Appetites and Defires of thofe to whom he propofedTthem ; fo on the contrary, he defcribed the Puniiliment of Hell , \vhich he threatned to all that would not believe in him , to confift of fuch Torments as would appear to them the moft afflicting and grievous to be born0 As ^ that tfay fhould drink nothing Itit loiling and ft faking Water 5 or Irsathe

Tie Life of Mahomet. 19

any thing elfe lut exceeding hot Winds ^ (things mofl terrible in Arabia ; ) that they fhould dwell for ever in continual Fire exceffively burning , and le fur rounded with a Hack hot and fait Smoak as with a Coverlid \ that 'they fhould eat nothing lut Briers and, Thorns , and the Fruit of the Tree Zacon, which fhould le in their Bellies like burning Pitch. In the pro- pofing of thefe Promifes and Threats to the People he was very frequent and fe- dulous, making them to ring in their Ears on all occafions, whereby he failed not of his end in alluring fome , and affrighting others into the Snare he laid for them.

And that he might omit nothing whereby to work on their Fear, which. is ufually the moft prevalent paflion of the Ignorant, he terrified them with the Threats of grievous'Punifhrnents in this Life, as well as in that which is to come, if they would not hearken unto him. And to this end h he did fet forth h Alcor. c. unto them on all occafions, what terri- ^7;^1c&c' ble Definitions had fain upon the Heads of fuch as would not be inflru<9> ed by the Prophets , that were fern be fore him. How the Old World was de- ftroyed by Water, for not being re- C 4 formed

C. 12.

1 Alcoran,c.7 c. i j . &c. Pocockii Spec. Hift.

Arab. p. 37.

* Alcoran. C. 7.-C. rr. c. 26. &c. Pocockii Spec. Hilt. Arab. p. 37. Hptt.Hifr. Orient lib, i $3-, r- • ,

Mahomet.

formed at the preaching of Noah ; and 'Sodom by Fire from Heaven , for not hearkning to Lot when fent unto them. How the Egyptians were plagued for de- fpiftng Mofes ; and how Ad and Thamod two Ancient Tribes of the Arabs, were totally extirpated for the fame reafon. His Stories of the two laft were Fqlles of his own Invention , which he rela-r tedunfo them after this manner. That . * Ad the Gfandfon of Aram, the Son of Sew, planted himfelf after the Confu- fion of Languages in the Southern Parts of Arabia-, where his Pofterity falling into Idolatry , the Prophet Hud (whom the Commentators of the Alcoran will have to be Heler ) was fent unto them to reclaim them unto the true Worihip, but they not hearkning unto him, God fent a violent hot Wwd> which in feven days time deftroyed them all, excepting only the Prophet, and feme few who were reformed by him. As to Tha- fW, his k Story was, that they were an Ancient Tribe-, of the Arabs dwelling on the Confines of Syria, and that on their Revolt to Idolatry , God fent to them tire Prophet Sateh ; that on their demand of a Miracle to teftify his Miffion , he caufed a Rock to bring forth a Camel \\\

Hhe Life of Mahomet. 3 1

the fight of them all 5 that they not- withftanding in contempt wounded the Camel , and that thereupon God fent terrible Thunder s, which in three days timedeftroyed them all, excepting £i- /^&, and fome few who believed on him. • And the like 'Fable he alfo told them of * Cbaib 9 another Prophet of ' Alcoran,^, the ancient Arabs, fent to the Tribe ££.='; of Madian, and how that Tribe was in like manner deftroyed by Thunder for not hearkning unto him. For the fake of thefe Stories , ( which he was very frequent in inculcating into the People, and very often repeats fn his Alcoran ) thofe who believed not on him, called him ra a Teller of old Fables; but not- " AIco™' withftanding, they wrought upon the c; 2 Fears of others, and by this and other jtich Artifices , he ftill went on to in- creafe his Party ; to which two of his Uncles, n Hamza and Al Albas, at length joined themfelves. But the reft of his Ar Uncles approved not of his defigns, and although AluTdeb ftill continued to be friend him , becaufe of the Affe&ion which he bore him, the other nine had not this regard to him , but joined with his Enemies, and oppofed him all they could, as a Man that under the

falfe

3 z The Life of Mahomet.

falfe Mask which he had put on, car ried on dangerous Defigns to the preju dice of his Country.

But that which gravellM him moft, was that his Oppofers demanded to fee a Miracle from him. For faid they, 6 Alcoran, c. ° Mofes and Jefus , and the reft of the ird'6'^" Prophet s> according to thy own Doflrine, AlconnS, worked Miracles to prove their Miffion cap. 12. from God; and therefore if thou le a Prophet , and greater than any that were fent before thee , as thou loafteft thy P Alcoran, c. jelf to be P, do thou work the like Mira cles to manifejl it unto us. Do thou make the Dead to rife, the Dumb to {peak, and the Deaf to hear ; or elfe do thou caufe Fountains to ff ring out of the Earth , and wake this place a Garden adorned with Vines and Palm-Treesy and watered with Rivers running through it in divers Chan nels ; or elfe let us fee come down from Heaven feme of thofe T mi foments which thou threatneft us with. Or do thou make thee an Houfe of Gold 9 adorned with Jewels and coftly Furniture ; or let us fee the Book thou would]? have us Relieve to come from Heaven , defcend down to us from thence legible in our Eyes, or the Angel which thou tellefl us doth Iring it unto thee> and then we will believe in thy

Word.

Tk Life of Mahomet. 3 J

This Objection he endeavoured to evade by feveral Anfwers. One 1 * Alcoran, while he tells them , he is only a Man ' fent to Preach to them the Rewards of ParaJife, and the Punifliments of Hell. At another time, rThat their Predecef- 'Alcoran, fors contemned the Miracles of Sa/eb, «•!?• and the other Prophets, and that for this reafon God would work no more among them. And a while after, That thofe f whom God had ordained to be- f Alcoran, lieve , fhould believe without Miracles^ c- 6 and thofe whom he had not ordained to believe, fhould not be convinced, though all thofe Miracles fhould be wrought in their fight , which they required ; and that therefore they were totally need- lefs. But this not fatisfying , as being a plain Confeflion that he wanted that Power of Miracles , which all other Prophets had to prove their Miffion , fe veral of thofe that were his Followers departed from him, of which he much complains in his Alcoran. And there fore finding that this would not do on t R^^I his coming to Medina^ and having there Confutatie, taken the Sword in hand, and gotten c- 7- 9?ta"

f i i - >•> f i i cuzem Apo-

an Army to back his Caufe, he began ]ogia 4> £ ?o fing another Note. For his Doftrine Orat. then was, f That Go J tod fent Mofes and '

The Life ^Mahomet.

„ „ with Miracles, and yet Men would not be obedient to their Word, and therefore he had now fent him in the Jaft place without Miracles, to force them by the Power of the Sword to do his

^Cmlfcu Wi!I' And Purfuant Ilereto u he forbad eeni OraTi* I]is fyfi?f>k*> to 'enter into any further Sea. 12. Difputes about his Religion, butinftead thereof he commanded them to fight for it, and deftroy all thofe who fhould contradict his Law , promifing great Rewards in the Life to come, to fuch as fliould take up the Sword in this Caufc , and the Crown of Martyrdom to all thofe who fliould dye fighting for it. And upon this Head, fome of the Ma hometan Doflors argue very fubtilly 'Ahmed Ebn For* % they, Tiie Prophets of God SSft; ^e of divers forts according to the di- c. io. &a. vers Attributes of his Divine Nature wiiich they are lent to fhew forth! That Jefus Chrift was fent to manifeft the Right eoufnefs, the Power, and Kno\o. ledge of God - That he fhewed forth the Right eoufneft of God in being impeccable ; hie Knowledge^ in that he knew the Se crets of Mens hearts , and' foretold things to comev; and his Power in do ing thofe miraculous Works which none clfc but God could. That Solomon was

feot

Life of Mahomet. 55

%- fent to manifeft the Wiflom, the Glory, and the Majefty of <W; and Mofes his Providence, and 'his Clemency; ftone of which carrying with them a Power to force Men to believe, Miracles were ne- ceflaryin their Mi/ions to induce them thereunto. Btit Mahomet was a Pro- phet, fent principally to fhew forth the Fortitude of God by the Power of the Sword, which being of it felf alone fuf- ficient to compel all Men into the Faith, without any other Power accompany ing it, for this reafon ( fay they ) Ma homet wrought no Miracles, becaufe he had no need of them , the Power of the Sword, with which he was fent, of it felf alone fufficiently enabling him to accomplifib his Miffion, by forcing Men to believe therein. And from hence it hath become the Univerfal Do&rine of the Mahometans , That their Religion is to be propagated by the Sword , and that al! of them are bound to fight for it. And for this reafon x it hath been a xCantacuzea Cuflom among them for their Preachers, ciad^noi '' while they deliver their Sermons, to have XraV. 2, c.V ' , a Drawn Sword placed by them, to de- Sett, 3, note 'thereby, that the Dodtrine which they teach them , was with the Sword to be defended and propagated by them. How-

The Life of Mahomet.

However, it is not to be denied, but that there are feveral Miracks reckon- y Abul Fara- ec| up, which Mahomet ? is faid to have FocockPii104' w™ught; as, That he did cleave the Moon in two; That Trees went forth

to meet k*m ' ^at ^ater fl°wecl fr°m between his Fingers; That the Stones

Orient, lib. a. faluted him; That he fed a great Com-

noiSaf Pany with a !ittle Food > That a Beam

c. a. Sea. 2. groaned at him ; That a Camel com plained to him ; That a Shoulder of Mut ton told him of its being poyfoned ; and feveral others. But thofe who relate them > are only fuch who are reckon- * Abul Fara- ed among their Fabulous and Le- ghius, p.ro4. gendary Writers. Their Learned z Do- fpeTHift. tf°rs renounce them all , as doth Maho- Arab. p. 191, met himfelf, who in feveral places in i92,&c.Hot- hjs a Alcoran owns that he wrought no

St. lib 1 Miracles. But when they are prefled c. 6. how without Miracles they can prove his

6^&c°ran> ° Mijjion, their common anfwer is , That b Al Gezali. inftead of all Miracles is the Alcoran. SepherCoztL For b that Mahomet, who was an lllite*

med EbnA£d. rate P£rfon > t^iat could neither write ±is. nor read, or that any Man elfe by hu-

Hottinger. man \Vifdom alone fliould be able to

Hift. Orient. f 0 , f 11 • 1-1

lib. 2. c. 6. compofe a Book fo excellent in Elo- Pocock.Spec. quence , and fo excellent in Do&rine, as they will have that to be, is what

they

The Life of Mahomet. 37

they will not admit to be poflible, and therefore they alledge the Excellency of the Book for the truth of all contained therein, and will have that to be a proof equivalent to the Miracles of all the Prophets that went before him, to ma- nifeft that it came from God. And on this c the Impoftor himfelf often infifts c Alcoran, in his Alcoran , challenging in feveral i^'IO'€'1 places of it all Men and Devils by their united Skill to compofe another Book like that in Eloquence andlnftrudion, or elfe any one Chapter that can be compared in Excellency with the mean* eft Chapter therein : Which they taking for granted that both together cannot do, will have this to be a moft clear manifeftation beyond all contradi&ionj that this Book could come from none other but God himfelf, and that MX- hornet from whom they received it, was his Meffenger to bring it unto them. As to the Particulars in this Argu ment alledged, it muft be allowed, that the Alcoran, bating the Folly, the Con- fufednefs and Incoherency of the Mat ter contained therein, is as to the Stile and Language the Standard of Elegan-' cy in the Aral Tongue ; and as to Ma- i hornet , that he was in truth , what

they

'* Alcoran, c. 7. Johannes Andreas, c. 2. Pocockii Spec. Hift. Arab. 156. Difputatio Chriftiani, c. 1 2. Ilichardi Confutatio, c. 3.

e EbnolAthir. Shareftani. Al Motarrezi in Hbro Mo- greb. Pocock. Spec. Hift. Arab. p. 1 5 7. f Al Bochari. Poccck. ib.

% Shareftani. Pocock. Spec. Arab. Hift. p. 156.

h Shareftani, & Pocock. ib. Hotting Hift. Orient, lib.j. C. J.

1 Pocockii Spec. Hift.

The Life o/Mahomef."

they fay , an Illiterate Btrlarian d th^if; could neither write nor read. But this was not fo much a defed: in him , as in the Trile of which he was , with whom it was the Guftorn as to all manner of Literature, to continue e in the fameJg- norance with which they came out of their Mothers Bellies , unto their Lives end. And therefore at the time when Mahomet firftfet up for a Prophet, there was not any one Man of Mecca that could either write or read , excepting only f IVarakah, a Kinfman of Cadighas, who having firft turned Jew , and af terwards Chrifttan , had learned to write Aralick in Hebrew Letters. And for this reafon, the Men of Mecca were called s the Illiterate, in oppofir tion to the People of Medina , who be ing the one half Chriftians , and the other half Jews , were able both to write and read ; and therefore were called h the People of the Book. And from them feveral of Mahomet* s Fol lowers, after he came to Medina^ learnt; to read and write alfo, which fbme of thejn had begun to learn before of Ba~ fhar the Cendian % who having fojourn- ed at Anlar^ a City of Erac, near EU- -phrates ? there learnt the Art; from

whence

i. c. i.

The Life of Mahomet.

whence coming to Mecca, and marrying

the Sifter of Alufophian, he fettled there,

and from him the Men of Mecca are firft

faid to have received the Art bf Letters.

Among the Followers of Mahomet^ Otb-

man was the greateft Proficient herein,

which advanced him afterwards to k be *

Secretary to the Impoftor. But for want lib.

of Paper at firft as in a place where •«

there was never before any occaiion for

it, they were forced to make ufe * of the * Pocockii

Spade-tones of Shoulders of Mutton , SPCC. Hift.

and of Shoulders of Camels, to write ^P-1^

on ; which was a device anciently made

ufe of by other Tribes of the Arabs, who

had Letters, but wanted Traffick to ac

commodate them with more convenient

Materials for this purpofe ; and therefore

their Books, in which their Poems, and

other Matters they delighted in were

written, m were only fo many of thofe » Ebnol A-

Spade-fanes tied together upon a String. ^lir- Pocock*

This Bifhar afterwards befcaole one of '

Mahomet's Difciples , and followed him

in his Wars, till poyfoned at Chatlar^ as

fliall be hereafter related.

But thefe Particulars being thus al lowed, That the Alcoran of the Maho* wetans is of fo elegant a Stile, and the (uppofed Author thereof fuch a Rude

D and

40 Tfe Life of Mahomet.

and Illiterate Barlarian ; it will be here asked , Who were the Affiftants by vvhofe help this Book was compiled, and the Iwpofture framed ? And there will be the more reafon to ask this, be- caufe the Book it felf contains fo tna-

.hiDUiiU * ny particulars of the Jewijh and Ckri- flian Religion , as neceflarily imply the Authors of it to be well skill'd in both ; which Mahomet, who was bred anA/o-

iLboDcl r later, and lived fo for the firft forty years ^ of his life, amon£ a People totally Illi terate; cannot befuppofed to be. But this is a Queftion >not fo eafily to be an- fwfered, becaufe the nature of the thing inquired it fliould be concealed. The Mahometan Writer s^ who believe in the , as they will allow nothing iS) fo to be fure will fay little of it 5 and the Chriftians , who abhorred his Wickednefs, are apt to fay too :i/jj much. For it was ufual with them, as it> is with all other contending Parties, to' (hatch 'at every Story which would difparage the Religion they were againft, and believe it right or wrong, if it would ferve their purpofe this way. And from hence it hath proceeded, that we have fo many fabulous and ridiculous Ac counts both of Mahomet and his

The Life of Mahomet* 41

fture , go current among us, which ferve only to the expofing of us to the laugh ter of the Mahometans^ when related among them. And befides , the Scene of this Impofture being at lead fix hun dred Miles within the Country of Ara- lia, amidft thofe Barbarous Nations , who all immediately embraced it, and would not afterward permit any of ano ther Religion, as much as to live among them ; it could not at that diftance be fo well fearched into by thofe who werq moft concerned to difcover the Frauds of it, and therefore an exac5t Account can* not be expe&ed in this particular. How ever, that I may give all the fatisfadlion herein, that I am able, Ifliall here lay together whatfoever I can find in any credible Author concerning it, and give the beft Judgment hereof, that the mat ter will admit.

That Mahomet compofed his Alcoran by the help of others, was a thing well known at Mecca t when he firft broach* ed his Impofture there, and it was often flung in his Teeth by his Oppofers, as he himfelf more than once complain- eth. In the *5th Chapter of the Alco- ran> his words are, They fay± That the Alcoran is nothing lut A Lye of thy oivx D ^ fawn-

4* The Life o/ Mahomet.

Invention, and others have been ajfifting to thee herein. Where the Commenta* * Liber Agat. tors fay, the Perfons here meant n, were the Servants of a certain Sword-Smith i.C Jo- ^t Mecca, who were Chriftians , with *An- Xvhom Mahomet, was ufed often to con- dreasdeCon- verfe for t[ie better informing of him-

funone Sectae r \r r • i /MI S»r — -

Mahometa- *e" fr°lB them in the Old and New Te» n*. cap. r. ftamtnt. And from hence it is , that 0 Lib. 3. c. a. ° Bellonius tells us, That Mahomet found at Ateo-4 two Chrijiians , who had with them £0//>$ of the OW and New Te/la- went , and that he Was much helped by them in the Compofing of his Alco ran. But this is too open work for fo fecret a Defign. They that upbraided him with his being affifted by others, meant not thofe whom he publickly converfed with, but the private Confe derates, whom he fecretly made ufe of at home, in the framing of the whole Iwpoflure^ and the writing for him that Book, which he pretended was brought to him from Heaven by the Angel Ga- trtel. And what he hath in another place of his Alcoran , doth particularly point at one of thofe , who was then looked upon to have had a principal hand in this matter. For in the Six- * tcenth Chapter his words are , / know

they

Tke Life of Mahomet. 4j

they mil fay, That a Man hath taught

him the Alcoran ; lut whom they prefume

to have taught him is a Perfian ly Na

tion, and fpeaketh the Perfian Language.

But the Alcoran is m the Arabic Tongue*

full of Inftruttion and Eloquence. Now

who this Perfian was , Friar Richard in

his Confutation of the Mahometan Law,

helps us to underftand. For in his Thir*

teenth Chapter of that Tracft he tells

us, That Mahomet being an Illiterate

Perfon, he had for his helper in the

forging of his Impo/ture, among others,

one Aldia Ben Salon , a Perfian Jew,

whofe Name he afterwards changed, to

make it correfpond with the Arabic

Dial? ft > into? Aldollah Ebn Salem : And P Abdiah */

CantacHzenus, and Cardinal Cufa fay the *£$*** in

fame thing. And * moft others that AbW

write of this Impofture, make mention «» Arabic,/. *.

of him, as the chief ArcbfaB made ufe ^T£/

c i n* i - c r - Go*> *»«Bch

of by Mahomet in the framing of it. thtftmt^h And that he was the Perfian pointed at Ebn» i e th* in this Paflage of the Alcoran I have q'schikardi laft mentioned, the fame Friar Richard TaricinPro- in the Sixth Chapter of the fame Trad:, S?m^ P -54-

n if i_ /* i_ /• Forbehus la-

exprefly telleth us. And he is the fame fbua Hift.

Theolog. lik 4.0.3. Spanhemius in Introdu&ione ad Hift. Ecclefiaft, ad Sec, 7.

D 3

44

? Bidawi, an

Eminent Com" went at or en the Alcoran, fays, The Per- fian meant m the place tbove-menti- oned to have helped Maho met, v#s Sal man.

f Dialogus jnter Mahp- metem & Abdollam,

* De Confii- fione Se£foe Myhometa- ase, c, 2.

The Life of Mahomet.

Perfon whom Elmacimts calleth r Salman the Perfiany who by his skill in draw ing an Fntrenchmentat the Bat f el of the Ditch , faved Mahomet and all his Ar my, where otherwife he muft necefla- rily have been overpowered by the number of his Enemies, and totally ruin ed. For he was a very cunning craf ty Fellow, and fo thoroughly skill'd in all the Learning of the Jews , that he had commenced f Rallt among them. And therefore , from him Mahomet feems to have received whatfoever of the Rites and Cuftoms of the Jews he hath ingrafted into his Religion. For this making a very considerable part of it , and many of the particulars being drawn from the abftrufer parts of the falmudic Learning this neceflarily fhews fo able an helper to have been in the whole contrivance. And what Johannes Andreas, an Alfacki^ or a Doftor of the Mahometan Law , turned Ckriftian , writes of him, further clears this mat ter. c For he tells us from Authentic!* Teftimonies of the Aral Writers^ in which he was thoroughly verfed, that this Aldollah Eln Salem ( whom he, or rather his Interpreter, corruptly calls Aldala Celen ) was for ten Years toge ther

7he Life of Mahomet. 45

ther the Perfon by whofe Hatid all the pretended Revelations of the Impo- Jior were firft written, and therefore no doubt he was alfo a principal Con* triver in the forging of them. There is extant in the end of the Latin Alco~ ran , publiflied by Eilltander^ a Trad: tranflated out of Arabic into Latin by Hermannus Dalmata, which by way of Dialogue between Mahomet and this Ai- M/ahy lays before us a great many of the Fooleries of the Mahometan Religion ; which Trad helps us to corred the Name, which is in Friar Richard's Trad: very corruptly wrritten , as being only a Tranflation at the third Hand. For that Trad of Friar Richar/s which we now have, is no other than a- Tranfla tion from the Greek Copy of Demetrius

t -i I * • i ••"*•

Cydonius , who tranflated it into that

Language, for the ufe of the Emperor CantacuzenuS) from the Original Latin, which is now loft.

Befides this Jeiv, the Impoftor had alfo a Cbriftian Monk for his Afliftant : And the many particulars in his Alco ran relating to the Chriflian Religion, plainly prove him to have had fuch an helper. Theophanes, 'Z,onaras, Cedrenus% 4*qftafius, and the Author of the D 4

46 The Life of Mahomet

ria Mifcella, tell us of him, without gi ving him any other Name than that of a tfeftorian Monk. But the Author of the Disputation againft a Mahometan ^ which is epitomized in Fincentius Bello- waccttjiis Speculum Hiftoricum , and from thence printed at the end of Bil- «C. 13. iiandefs Latin Alcoran , u calls him Sergius ; and from thence is it, that he hath been ever fince fo often fpoken of by that Name among the Weftern Wri ters. But in the Eafl he is totally un» known by it, he being never, as much as I can find, made mention of by that Name by any of their Writers.' For all there that fpeak of this Monk, call him Bahira; and Friar Richard vv, who in the Year of our Lord izio. went to

*piaj of Pu!f°/e *.*"* into "«

Myltery or Mahomet tjm , by reading their Books , and on his return wrote that judicious Confutation of it, which Cap. 6 . £c I have afore mentioned x, tells us of this aP- 13- Eahira as an Affiftant to Mahomet in the forging of his Iwpofture ; and fo doth yQrat ima a^° y Cantacuzems , Bartbolow&us Edef- Contra Mahp- fenus, and the other Greek Author of the Confutation of Mahomet , publifhed by Le Moyne : But not one of them fays any thing of Sergius ; fo that it is plain

z that

The Life of Mahomet. 47

z that Sergius and Bahira are only two * EcchelenHs different names of the fame perfon. He was a Monk of Syria, of the Se& of the SFeftoriaus. The Mahometans will have it, that he firft took notice of Mahomet^ while a Boy, after that Prophetic man ner as is before related ; bqt according to that Account he would have been too old to ad his part in this Iwpofture fo many years after. The truth of the matter is , Mahomet did not fall ac quainted with him till a long while af ter, when he was projecting his wicked Defign in his head ; in order to the bet ter forming of which, being very defi- rous to acquaint himfelf with the Jewi}!? and Chriftian Religions , he was very in- quifitive in examining into them, as he met with thofe that could inform him. And in one of his Journeys into Syria, either at Boftra a as iome fay, or b at Je- AM Feda. tufalem as others, lighting on this Bahira^ A] janmi)i. and receiving great fatisfacilion from him b Georgius in many of thofe Points, which he dcfi- iS?^?*1

. i • r i • •• i Difputanone

red to be mrormed in, did thereon con- cumAbufa- trad: a particular Friendftip with him. lama And therefore not long after, c this Monk ! f5S

r ^> . ° . . nes, z/onaras,

for iome great Crime being excommu- Rkhardicon- nicated and expell'd his Monaftery, fled f^!|

to Mecca to him ; and being there enter-

tained Confid.

48 The Life of Mahomet.

tained in his Houfe, became his AlTiflant in the framing of that Iwpofture, which he afterwards vented, and continued with him ever after ; till at length the Impoftor having no farther cccafion of d Rkhardi him, to fecure the Secret, d put him to Confiitatio, death. If Sergius were the name which futatio Ma- he had in his Monaftery , Bahira was hometisGr. $m which he afterwards aflumed in MoyneP.er ** dralia, and by which he hath ever fince been mentioned in thofe Eaflern Parts, by all that there write or fpeak of him. * Gclii Lexi- The e word in the Arabic Language fig- Pocoddib* nificth a Camel) which after fome extra- Spec. HHt. ordinary merit , according to the ufage Arab, p.3^0. of the ancient Arals^ had his Ears flit,

jjiftoriPori anc^ was turne^ forth from the reft of entai. lib. i, the Herd, at free Pafture , to work no more. And no doubt this Monk having told the Tale of his Expulfion from his Monaftery fo much to his advantage, as to make it believed at Mecca to be drawn upon him by that which was reckoned there as meritorious , had from thence this Name given him , as fuiting that Notion which they had of his Condition among them.

As to his other Helpers, if he had any fuch, what is faid of them is fo un certain, and that fo little, as is not ma terial

The Life of Mahomet. 49

terial here to relate. We may fuppofe from the very nature of the Defign (it being to impofe a Cheat upon Mankind) that he made as few as poffible confcious to it, and the two abovementioned be ing fufficient for his purpofe, it doth not appear Jikely that he admitted any more into the Secret of it. Neither in deed is there any more room in it for another to ad:. For his Religion being made up of three parts, whereof one was borrowed from the Jews, another from the Ckrtftians , and the third from the Heathen Arals , Aldolla furniihed the firft of them , Bahira the fecond, and Mahomet himfclf the laft ; fo that there was no need of any other help to corn- pleat the Iwpofture.

I know there are many other parti* cularsgo current of this matter, both as to the coining of the Forgery, and alfo the manner of the firft propagating of it; as that the Impoflor £ taught a Bull to bring him the Alcoran on his Horns in a publick AfTembly, as if it had this way been fent to him from God ; that he Purchas fi bred up Pigeons to come to his Ears, to f^f" ' make ihow thereby, as if the fJolyGhofi Fortalit.Fi converfed with him; and many other jjM- Con- fuch Stories, which being without any

foun-

50 The Life of Mahomet.

foundation or likelihood of truth, I pafs them over as idle Fables, not to be cre dited ; although I find fome very great Men have been too eafy to fwallow

* In notis ad them, as particularly % Scaliger, h Gro*

M«SiT tlU5> aOC* * Sion*ta* kave that °f l^e f*m

* De ventate geotts. Such Tricks as thefe would have

been eafily feen thorough by the Arali-

. **5> they bein§ Men natural|y °f as fub-

1 In Appen- tie and acute Parts as any in the World, dice ad Geo- ^nj therefore Mahomet never as much as Nubicnfcm offered at any thing of this nature among c. 7- them ; but difclaiming all Miracles ,

thereby avoided the neceflity of hazard ing his defign upon any fuch open Cheats , where it would be fo liable to be totally blafted by a difcovery. The whole of this Impofture was a thing of extraordinary Craft, carried on with all the Cunning and Caution imaginable. The framing of the Alcoran ( wherein lay the main of the Cheat ) was all con trived at home in as fecret manner as poflible, and nothing hazarded abroad, but the fuccefs of preaching it to the People. And in doing of this, no Art or Cunning was wanting to make it as effe&ual to the End defigned as poflible : And therefore whatever Stories are told of this matter, that are inconfiftent with

fuch

The Life of Mahomet* j i

fuch a management, we may aflure our felves are nothing elfe but Fables foolifh- ly invented by fome zealous Ckriftians to blaft the Impoflure , which needed no fuch means for its Confutation.

But to go on with the Series of our Hiftory ; In the Eighth Year of his pre tended Miffion> his Party growing for midable at Mecca, the k City parted a *Elmacin, Decree, whereby they forbad any more lib- '• * '• to join themfelves unto him. But this availed nothing to his hurt, as long as his Uncle Alu Talel lived. But * he l Elmacin, dying within two Years after, and the libtl- c ' chief Government of the City, on his Death , falling into the Hands of Altt Sophian, of the Houfe of Ommia, then one of his moft violent Oppofers, his Enemies laid hold of this advantage to renew their Opposition againft him, and profecuted it with that fuccefs, that they foon put a flop to the further pro* grels of his Imp^Jlure at Mecca. For their Party , after he had now loft his Protector , and they became thus head ed againft him , foon grew to that ftrength , and appeared with that vio lence on all occafions to oppofe his de- figns, that for fear of them no more new Profelifes durfi join themfelves un to

« i Tk Life of Mahomet.

to him ; and many of thofe who had afore declared for him, having done it for no other end, but to join with a Par ty where they thought they might beft make their Intereft, as foon as they faw the hopes which they had of his pre vailing to be again blafted by this Op- pofmbn, which they judged too ftrong for him to weather, again drew back and appeared no more with him. And therefore Mahomet feeing his hopes of carrying his Defign at Mecca thus in a mariner totally cruflvd, began to look a- broad where elfe he might fix. That which he drove at , was to have gained fuch a Party there, as might be ftrong enough to overpower the reft, and fub- jedl the whole City to him ; and then, after having poflefled himfelf of foch a Poft , from thence to have armed his Difciples for the gaining him that £m» pire over the reft of the Aralsy which he projected. And to this purpofe was it, that he ib often inculcated it into them, that his Dodrine was to be pn> pagated by the Sword, and that all that would receive the Faith which he preached, muft fight for it. But now feeing no likelihood of accomplishing this at Mecca , he fet his thoughts on

work

The Life of Mahomet. 5 3

work how to gain fome other Town, where to arm his Party for this Defign. And therefore his Uncle Alias living mofl an end at m Tayif, (another Town m of Hagiaz, at fixty. Miles diftance from Mecca towards the Eaft) and having a great Intereft there n, he took a Jour- ney thither under his Wing to propa- *l gate his Impqflure in that place, in or- of Abbas, Go* der to the making of himfelf Matter of Hi not* ad it. But after a Month's Hay, having not JS" been able with all his endeavour to gain " Eimacin* as much as one Profelyte among them, llb< f* Cf l* he again returned to Mecca to make the beft of his Party there , and wait fuch further Advantages as Time and Opportunity might offer him for the ac- compliihing of what he defigned. And now Cadigba , his Wife, being ° dead , o Eimacin. after flie had lived Two and twenty AbuiFara- Years with him; to ftrcngthen himfelf ^^ the more, he took two other Wives in her ftead , p Ayefba , the Daughter of p Eimacin, Alu Beker ; and Sevoda^ the Daughter of ib- 2,ama ; and a while after he added to them ^ Haphfa, the Daughter of Omar ; q Gentii not* whereby making himfelf Son-in-law to ad Mufladi. Three of the Principal Men of his Party, ^JJg^ he did by that Alliance the more firmly tye them to his Intereft, Ajejha was

then

5 4

r Johannes Andreas, c 12. Sionita in Appendice

« —

enfem, c. 8. Guadagnol, Traft. a. Cap. 10. Sett, i a. f Tbevenot's

/* o/ MahbmecJ then r but fix Years old , and therefore

Jie fad not [}e<j her t{[[ two years after^

wjien ^e was fall eight Years old- For it is ufual in thofe hot Countries f, as

« is in,al1 Af*f ovei;> wfhich is in the

fame Clime with Arabia^ for Women to rjpe for Marriage at that Age, and bcar Children the year following. In the twelfth Year of his pretended

Miffi°n» is Placed the Mefra> that is> his

famous Night-journey from A/rar* to Jerusalem, and from thence to Heaven^ of which he tells us in the i?th Chap* ter of \i\s Alcoran. For the People cal ling on him for Miracles to prove his Miffion^ and he being able to work none, to falve the matter, he invents this Story of his Journey to Heaven \ which muft be acknowledged to \\wzMirade enough in it, by all thofe who have Faith to believe it. And yet it being believed by all that profefs the Mahometan Reli* gion, as a main Article of their Faith* and as iuch fet down in all the Books of their Authentick Traditions > how ah* furd foever it be, iince my Defign is tb give as full an Account as I can of this Man's Impcfture, it obligeth me to relate in His Relation of it is as followeth;

The Life of Mahomet.

t At Night, as he lay in his Bed with t R his beft beloved Wife Aye{ba , he heard Toietanus, a knocking at his Door, whereon arifmg cnQl' ^^ he found there the Angel Galrzel, with c.s. Richard! Seventy Pair of Wings expanded from Confutatio

t. o i i- r> i JLetis Sarace-

his Sides, whiter than onow , and nic^ c. , ^ clearer than Cryfta! , and the Beaft p 7- Cantacu- Allorak {landing by him , which they "«• Om. 4.

f • i « /$ i • i i i C»uadagnoL

fay is the Eeajt on which the Prophets Traa.i.c. 5. ufed to ride , when they were carried j»e^- 2- .Bel- from one place to.another, upon tlie Ex- C°"1US; hb> 5* ecution of any Divine Command. Ma BochamHie- hornet defcribes it to be a Beaft as white ^oi^P"J4- as Milk, and of a mixt Nature between Liber Agar.3' an Afs and a Mule^ and alfo of a Size be- Zimachfhari, tween both, and of that extraordinary coSmentai^ fwiftnefs, that his parting from one place is ad cap.i7. to another, was as quick as that of ^caP 53-

L« • • c ... Alcorani.

ightning ; and from hence it is that Forcaii . Fid.

he hath the name of Allorak^ that word lib *. Comld, Signifying Lightning in " the Arabic ^ Tongue. As foon as Mahomet appeared at the Door , the Angel Gabriel moft kindly embracing him, did with a very (weet and pleafing Countenance falute him in the Name of God, and told him that he was fent to bring him unto God into Heaven , where he (liould fee ftrange Myfteries^ which were not law- fcil to be feen by any other Man , and E then

The Life of Mahomet.

then bid him get upon the Alborak. But the Beaftj it feems, having long lain idle from the time of Chrift till Ma- hornet (there having been no Prophet in all that Interval to employ him) was grown fo refly and skittifh , that he would notftand ftill for Mabmet.to get up upon him, till at length he was forced fo bribe him to it, by promifing him a place in Paradife\ whereon ha ving quietly taken him on his back, the Angel Gabriel leading the way with the Bridle of the Bead in his Hand, he carried him from Mecca to Jerufalem in the twinkling of an Eye. On his coming thither, all the Prophets and Saints departed, appeared at the Gate of the Temf/e to ftlute him , and from thence attending him into the Chief Oratory, defired him to pray for them , and then departed. Whereon Mahomet- with the Angel Gabriel going out of the Temple, found there a Ladder of Light ready fixed for them , which they im mediately afcended, leaving the Alborak jhere tied at a Rock till their return.

On their arrival at the Firft Heavett, the Angel Gabriel knocked at the Gate, and having informed the Porter who he , and that he brought Mahomet the

Friend

The Life of Mahomet.- 57

Friend of God with him by the Divine Command, the Gates were immediate ly opened > which he defcribes to be of v a prodigious largenefs. This firft Hear <ven he tells us was all of pure Silver, and that he there faw the Stars hanging from it by Chains of Gold, each being of the bignefs of Mount Noho , near Mecca in Arabia ; and that in thefe Stars Angels kept watch and ward for the Guard of Heaven, to keep off the £te~ t;//j from approaching near it, left they Ihould over-hear and know what was there done. On his firft entring into this Heaven , he faith he met an old decrepit Man^ and this was our firft Fa ther Adam, who immediately embraced him, giving God thanks for fo great a Son , and then recommended himfelf to his Prayers. As he entred further, he faw a multitude of Angels of all manner of Shapes ; fome in that of Men, others in that of Birds ^ and others in that of Beafls of all manner of forts. And among thofe who appeared in the feveral Shapes of Birds , he there faw a Cock of Colour as white as Snow, and of fo prodigious a bignefs, that his Feet ftanding upon the firft Heaven , his Head reached up to the fecond, which b*- E 2, was

58 The Life of Mahomet.

was at the diftance of five hundred Years journey from it, according to the rate as we ufually travel here on Earth. But others among them, as they relate this matter from their Prophet, hyperbolize much higher concerning it, telling us, that the Head of this Cock reacheth up through all the Seven Heavens^ as far as the Throne of (W, which is above feven times higher ; and in the Description of him, fay, that his Wings are all over decked with Carluncles and Pearls. and that he extends the one of them to the Eafl , and the other to the Weft* at a diftance proportionable to his heighth. Concerning all thefe, the Impoflor tells us the Angel Gabriel in formed him , that they were Angels which did from thence intercede with God for all Living Creatures on the Earth. That thofe who interceded for Men^ had there the ihape of Men ; that thofe who interceded for Bea/fs, the fliape of Beafts ; and thofe who inter ceded for Birds i the fliapc of Birds, ac cording to their fcveral kinds. And that as to the great Cocky that he was the chief Angel of the Cocks ; that every morn ing <W fmging an holy Hymn, this Cock conftantly joineth with him in it by his

crow-

Life of Mahomet.

crowing ; which is fo loud , that all hear it that are in Heave* and Earth, except Men and Fairies , and then all the other Cocks that are in Heaven and Earth crow alfo. But when the Day of Judgment draws near, then God fhali command him to draw in his Wings , and crow no more , which ihall be a fign , that that Day is at hand, to all that are in Heaven and Earth , excepting (till Men and Fairies* who being afore deaf to his crowing, fliall not then be fenfible of his filence from it. And this Cock the Mahome tans look on to be in that great fa vour with God \ that whereas it is a common Saying among them, That there are three Voices which God al ways hears , they reckon the firft the Voice of him that is conftant in read ing the Alcoran ; the fecond, the Voice of him that early every morning pray- eth for the pardon of his Sins ; and the third, the Voice of this Cock when he croweth, which they fay is ever moft acceptable unto him.

All this fluff of the Cock, AbdaRab

helped Mahomet to out of the Talmu-

difts. For it is all borrowed from

them , whh fome little variation only,

E 3 to

60 *Ihe Life of Mahomet.

to make it look not totally the fame. For in the Trad Bava Bathra of the Ba&yloni/b 'Talmud , we have a Story ft Buxtoifii of fuch a prodigious Bird, called u Ziz9 bbtumklb" which Ending with his Feet upon the vocefff. Earth, reacheth up unto the Heavens With his Head, and with the fpread- ing of his Wings darkneth the whole Orb of the Sun> and caufeth a total Eclipfe thereof. Thte Bird the Chaldee *vPfai. yo. PaMpbraft on vv the Pfalms fays, is a *oIIv&pfal- C0r£, which he defcribes of the fame bignefs, and tells us that he crows be fore the Lord. And the Chaldee Pa* * Ad cap. 3. raphrafl on x Job alfo tells us of him, v. 7 & ad ^j of hjs crowing every morning be*

&Pa'd^ijJ fore ^ i^» a°d that G^ giveth v, 16. him Wifdom for this purpofe. What

is farther faid of this Bird of the Talmud ift s , may be feen in Buxtorfs Synogcga Judaic a, cap. 50. and in Pur- cbas's Pilgrimage, lib. i. cap. 20.

From this Firft Heaven^ the Irnpo- ftor tells us, he afcended up into the Se» <:ond9 which was at the diftance of five hundred years journey abbve it, and this he makes to be the diftance of every one of the Seven Heavens each above the other. Here the Gates be* ing opened unto hini, as in the Firft

Tfa Life of Mahomet.

Zleaven, at his entrance he met Noah, who rejoycing much at the fight of him , recommended himfelf to his Prayers. In this Heaven , which was all made of pure Gold, the Impoftor tells us, he faw twice as many Angels as in the former , and among them one of a prodigious greatnefs. For his Feet be* ing placed on this Second Heaven, his Head reached to the Third.

From this Second Heaven he af- tended up into the Third, which was made of Precious Stones , where at the entrance he met Alraham , who alfo recommended himfelf to his Prayers. And there he faw a vaft many more Angels than in the former Heaven > and among them another great one of fo prodigious a fize, that the diftance between his two Eyes were as much as Seventy thoufand days journey, ac cording to our rate of travelling here on Earth. But here Mahomet was out in his Mathematicks , for the diftance between a man's Eyes being in pro* portion to his heighth but as one to feventy two > according to this rate the heighth of this Angel., muft have been near fourteen thoufaad years journey , which is four times as mucli >E 4 a*

6% The Life of Mahomet^

as the heighth of all his Seven Heavens together, and therefore it is impoffi- ble fuch an Angel could ever iknd within any one of them. But not- withstanding this, here he placeth him, and in his description of him tells us, that he had before him a large Ta- lie , in which he was continually wri ting in, and blotting out; and that ha ving asked the Angel Galrielof him, he was informed by him that this was the Angel of death) who continually writes into the Talk, which he had before him, the Names of all that are to be born, and there computes the days of their lifej and as he finds they have compleated the number affigned them, again blots them out, and that who ever hath his Name thus blotted out by him, immediately dies.

From hence he afcended up into the Fourth Heaven , which was all of Emerald ; where at the Entrance he met Jofeph the Son of Jacob , who re commended himfelf to his Prayers. And in this Heaven he after faw a vaftly larger number of Angels than in the former , and among them another great Angel, as high as from this Fourth Heaven to the Fifth, who was conti nually

The Life of Mahomet.

fiually weeping, and making great la mentation , and mourning , and this, the Angel Gabriel told him, was for the Sins of men , and the deftru&ion which they did thereby bring upon themfelves.

From hence he afcended up into the Fifth Heaven, which was made of Ada- want ^ where he found Mofes, who recom mended himfelf to his Prayers ; and there alfo he faw a much greater number of Angels than in the former Heaven.

From hence he afcended up into- the Sixth Heaven, which was all of Carlun- cle, where he found John the Baptijl , who recommended himfelf to his Pray ers, And here he alfo faw the number of , Angels much increafed beyond what he had feen in any of the former Heavens.

From hence he afcended up into the Seventh Heaven, which was all made of Divine Light, and here he found Jefus Chrift ; where it is to be obferved he al ters his Stile. For he faith not, that Je- fus Chrijt recommended himfelf to his Prayers, but that he recommended him felf tQ^efusChrifty defiring him to pray for him ; whereby he acknowledged him certainly to be the greater. But it Was his ufage through the whole fcene of

his

Life of Mahomet.

his Iwpcfture thus to flatter the Chrl« ftians on all occafions. Here he faith he found a much greater number of An* gels than in all the other Heavens befides, and among them one Extraordinary^- gel having feventy thoufand Heads , and in every Head feventy thoufandTongues, ahd every Tongue uttering feventy thou* fand diftind: Voices at the fame time, With which he continued Day and Night inceflantly praifing God.

The AngelGalriel having brought him thus far, told him, That it was not per mitted to him to go any further, and therefore directed him to afcend up the reft of the way to the Throne of God by himfelf , which he faith he performed with great difficuly , fading through Waters and Snow, and many other fuch difficult Paflages, till he came where he heard a Voice faying unto him, 0 Maho* met, • falute thy Creator ; from whence afcending higher, he came into a place, where he faw a vaft Extenfion of Light of that exceeding Brightnefs , that hi^ Eyes could not bear it, and this was the Habitation of the Almighty ^ where his Throve was placed ; on the right fide of tyhieH, he fays, GosFs Name and his own were written in thefe Aralk words, La

ellab

Tie Life of Mahomed

ellah ellallah Mohammed reful ollah^ i. e. there is no fiod lut God, and Mahomet is his Prophet. Which is the Creed of the Mahometans ; which words alfo, he fays, he found written upon all the Gates of the Seven Heavens, which he pafled thorough. Being approached to the f re- fence of God, as y near as within two y Alcoran Bow-fhots, he tells us he faw him fitting c. 53. on his Throne, with a covering of feven- ty thoufand Vails before his Face ; That on his drawing thus near, in fign of his Favour, he put forth his Hand, and laid it upon him, which was of that exceed ing Coldnefs, that it pierced to the very Marrow of his Back, and he could not bear it. That after this, God entring into a very familiar Converfe with him, revealed unto him a great many hidden Myflcries , made him underftand the whole of his Law , and gave him many things in charge concerning his inftrudt- ing Men in the knowledge of it ; and in conclusion, beftowed on him feveral Pri* Sieges above [the reft of Mankind. As that he ihould be the per ft 'fie ft of all. Creatures $ that at the Day of Judgment he fliould be honoured and advanced above all the reft of mankind ; that he Ihould be the Redeemer of all that believe

in

66 The Life of Mahomet.

in him ; that he fliould have the ledge of aO Languages ; and laftly, that the Spoils of all whom he ftiould con quer in War, fliould belong to him alone. And then returning* he found the Angel Gabriel tarrying for him in the place where 'he left him ; who condu&ing him back again through all the Seven Heavens the fame way that, he brought him, did fet him again upon the Allo- rak^ which he left tied at Jerufalem ; and then taking the Bridle in his Hand, con- du&ed him back to Mecca in the fame manner as he brought him thence* and all this within the fpace of the tenth part of one Night,

On his relating this Extravagant Fi-

Elion to the People the next Morning

after he pretended the thing happened,

it was received by them as it deferved,

» Cantacu- with a general hoot ; a fome laughed at

*«i.Orat.4a. the ridiculoufnefs of the Story, and

fumiodieCg°is" others taking indignation at it, cried Saracenic*, out flume upon him for telling them

CI^?rtotAin* fach an abominable lie. and by way of genHift.On- , ,. . . . W

«ntjib.2.c.6. reproach, bid him aicend up to Heaven by day-light there immediately before them all, that they might fee it with their Eyes, and then they would be lieve him. And even of his Diftiples ,

a greaE

c

The Life of Mahomet. 67

a great many were fo afliamed of him

for this Story, that b they left him the, e- b Johannes

J t , i r n j Andreas C. 8.

on; and more would have followed prierRichard,

their Example , but that c Alu Beker and Cantacu-

came in to. put a flop to the defection,

by vouching the truth of all that Ma- fadth

hornet had related, and profefled his firm hi™°»

belief to the whole of it; for which rea

fon he had ever after the Title d of Af- ttift. Orient.

/*//#, that is, the Jufl , becaufe of the

extraordinary Merit of his Faith in this

particular. And whoever becomes a

Mahometan, mud have the fame Faith

alfo ; this Story being as firmly believed

by all of that Religion, as any thing in

tie Gofpel is by us Chr'iftian.s. Only there

has been this Qyeftion moved among

them, whether it * were only a Vtfion of * Hottmgcri

the Night, w a real Journey. Thofethat Hift. Ork

would falve the Abfurdity of it, would

have it only be a Vifion^ and that moft of

the particulars of it are to be refolved

into Figure and Allegory ; but the major

Vote hath carried it for a real Journey ;

and to this fenfe it being now pinn'd

down, there is no one among them that

dares in the lead to doubt thereof.

The Impofture was never in greater danger of being totally blafted, than by this ridiculous Falls ^ fuch a (tum

bling?

68 The Life of Mahomet."

bling-block did it lay even before thofe of his own Party , and therefore he needed to interpofe the utmoft of his Art to fupport the Credit of it ; for which purpofe he not only got his Friend Alt* Beker to be a Voucher to, it , but alfo brings in God himfelf in two places of his Alcoran bearing witnefs thereto, that is, in the Chapter of the Children. of Ifrael, and in the Chapter of the Star ; in the laft of which he makes God to fwear by the Star to the truth of it, that Mahomet related nothing in this Story, but what he had feen ; that he was admitted to approach him in the Higheft Heavens, within the length of two Bow-fliootS ; and had feen the great Wonders flf the Lord, and had many hidden Myfleries there revealed unto him ; and that therefore men ought not to difpute any more againft him con cerning it.

But how ridiculous foever the Story may appear, Mahomet had his Defign •therein , beyond barely telling fuch a miraculous Adventure of himfelf to the People. Hitherto he had only given them the Alcoran, which was his writ ten Law, and had owned himfelf no far ther than barely the Me/enger of God ta

deliver

The Life "of Mahomet. 6?

deliver it unto them, telling them that it was brought to him by the Angel Ga- Iriel; and that as he received it, fo he pubiifhed it unto, them, without offer ing at any Comment, Explication, or additional Interpretation of his own concerning it ; and therefore when gra- veli'd with any Objedion from his Ad- verfaries againft it ( as he often was while at Mecca^ where he was continu ally teafed and perplexed with fome or other of them ) his ufual refuge was in this Saying , That the Alcoran was * God's Book , and that he only could e Alcoran explain the meaning of it: And it was c- 3- &c- R>-

«TT • r i i • r n fr chardi confu-

Wifdom in him at nrft not toauume tatio> c> J? any farther. But now learning from Cantacnzeni his Friend Aldollab, that the Jews, be- gg1?/^ fides the written Law di&ated by God Ecchclcnfis" himfelf, had alfo another Law called the Eutych. vin- Oral Law, and given with it ( as they ( :att p' ?8^- pretend ) to Mofes himfelf while in the Mounty and from him delivered to the Elders of the People, and from them down to after- Ages by Oral Tradition ; and underftanding alfo that this Law was in as great Authority with them as the other, and that it had its whole foundation in the Sayings and Didates \yhich were pretended to be from Mofes 9

and

70 The Life of Mahomet.

and preferved by the Memories of thofe who converfed with him; He had a de- fire for the future to advance his Autho rity to the fame pitch, and make all his Sayings and Dictates go for Oracles among his Mujflemans, as well as thofe which were pretended to be from Mofes, did among the Jews. And for this end chiefly was it that he intended this Sto . ry of his Journey to Heaven. For could he once make it believed among his Fol* lowers, that he had there fuch a Con- verfe with GoJ, as Mofes had with him in the Mount, and was there fully in- ftru&ed by him in the knowledge of all Divine Truths, as this Story pretends he was, he thought he fhould therein have a fufficient foundation to build this Pretence upon, and might by a juft con- fequence from it, claim the whole which he aimed at ,• and he was not miftaken herein. For how ridiculous foever the thing at firft appeared, yet in the refult he carried his Point, and obtained all that by the Projed, which he propofed to himfelf from it. For the whole of it at length going down with thofe who had fwallowed the reft of his Impoflure^ from that time all his Sayings became looked on as Sacred Truths brought

dowq

The Life &/ Mahomee. ft

down from Heaven ,, and every word which at any time dropp'd from ib en- lightned a Perfon ( a$ this Story fuppo- feth him to(be ) as well as every A&ion which he did, any way relating to his Religion, were all carefully obferved by them;, which being after his death all f collected together from the Memories fPocockil of thofewhoconverfed with him, make ^. Hift.

i r -cr i r T- /• • Arab. p. 2Q

up thofe Volumes or Traditions irom & 299; j0. hiqi, which they call the Scnnah, which hannes An are with the Mahometans the fame in BdioniuV refped of the Alcoran , that the Oral lib. 3.0.4. Law among the Jews is in refped: of the Written. And as among the Jews there are many Books, in which this Oral Law c is recited > explained , and digefted un- def feveral Heads and Chapters by ma- drc-t c.i?. ny different Authors among their Ral- lies, who have employed their Pains and Studies in this 'matter ; fo aho p. 57?. are there the like number of BooS^s among the Mahometans concerning their Sonnah & in which all the Sayings and Doings of Mahomet, relating to his Reli* gion, as alfotheConftitutions of the Se niors ( that i$, of the firft Caliphs that fucceeded him, efpeeially : the four firft 3 concerning the fame, are collected, ex plained, and digefted under feveral F Heads,

72 The Life of Mahcmet.

Heads, or Common Places, by the Com* pilers of them , which Books make up the Sum of their Theology, as well Spe culative as Practical; and in them in deed is contained the whole of their Re ligion, as now pra&ifed among them. And therefore fo much of the Impofture which I now undertake to give an ac count of, being in thefe Traditions, and they all founded upon this Journey of Mahomet to Heaven, where he pretended to have been inftrucfted in them by God himfelf ; this fufficiently juftifieth my being thus long in relating his fabulous Story of it.

But how fabulous and abfurd foever ; this Story be, the Socmians^ who have in fo many things copied after this //»• poftor, have not (luck to borrow this alfo from him. For the many Texts of Scri pture which tell us of our Saviour's coming to us from the Heavens above, manifeftly proving his Exiftence there in his Divinity, before the afluming of his Humanity here on Earth ( which they impioufly deny ), to folve the mat ter, they have by juft fuch another Sto ry as this of Mahomet , carried him to Heaven a little before the taking of his Miniftry upon him? there to be inftru<3>

cd

The Life of Mahomet;

ed by God himfelf in the Do&rines which he was to teach ; and refer all, what is faid in Holy Scripture of his co ming from Heaven, to this his Journey thither of their own feigning : Which (hews how miferable a fliift they are re duced to, for the fupport of that Impie ty which they aflert. For take but this from them, and it ffluft all neceflarily fall to the ground.

After his publifliing this Fidtion, and the revolt of fo many of his \Difciplts, as hapned thereon , his Adverfaries grew in ftrength fo faft upon him, that he could no longer protect thofe who adhered to him, as he had hi therto done ; but fome of them, to the number of about an hundred perfonSj having made themfelves more than ordinary obnoxious to the Government, by fome practices againft it , h were n Abul forced to fly from Mecca to Naga/b , Ebnol King of Ethiopia , where Mahomet's KlI?.

7 ^ J 1- « r t - -11 cockn Spec.

Letters, which they earned with them, Hift. Arab. obtained their Protection, though the P- 172. Men of Mecca fent two of their prin- cipal Citizens after them in an EM- dicat. taffy to that King , to demand them Gf* to be delivered unto them. And Ma- num, hornet , with the reft that tarried be- F ^

The Life of Mahomet,

hind, found it very difficult for them to fubfift any longer there. For af ter the departure of fo many of his faithfulleft Adherents into this Exile, this farther diminution of his number made him (till lefs able to withfland thofe Infults which his Adverfarieswere continually on all occafions making upon him. But what he loft at Mecca, he got at Medina, then called Tathrel, GsograpMa l a City lying at the Northern End of Hagiaz , two hundred and feventy Miles diftant from Mecca, which be- Goiii note ing inhabited, k the one part by Jews, ad Aifhga- and fa QfaT part by Heretical Cbri-

num p. 9 8. -. f . Jf ,./y.

* shareftani .ffuAf , it leems thefe two different Difputatio Parties not well agreeing in the fame

Chnftiam

JofianncsAn- arofe between them, drove one of the PoT^ir' Parties to Mahomet ; and on the Thir- Spec.CHift. teenth Year 1 of his pretended Miffion, , Arab*. p. i37. there came to him from thence Seven ty three Men, and Two Women, who embraced his Impofture , and fwore Fealty unto him y whereon he chofe Twelve out of them, whom he re tained a-while with him at Mecca to inftrudl them in his New Religion , and then fent them back again to Tathrtl , to be as his Twelve Apoflles^

there

The Life of Mahomet.

there to propagate it in that in which they laboured with that fuc- cefs, that in a fliort time they drew over a great Party of the Inhabitants to embrace the Impofture ; of which Mahowet receiving an account, refolvcd to retire thither, as finding Mecca now grown too hot for him. For the chief Men of the City finding that Mahomet's I

indefatigable Induflry and Cunning ftill kept up his Party, do what they could to fupprefs it, refolved without further delay to ftrike at the Root , and pre vent the further fpreading of the mi£ chief m by cutting off him that was the « Alcoran chief Author of it. Of which he ha- cs. Johannes ving received full and early Intelligence, Bidawi Con* and finding no other wray to avoid the menr. ad Al- Blow but to fly from it, ordered all cor!nic. 3. his Party, whom he could prevail with Ho«bg«r*i to accompany him in his Banifhrneiu n, Hifto<£ori- fecretly in the Evening to withdraw ®ntalis Ilb 2- out of the City, and retire \&Tathrel. » E!mnc?n. And when he had feen them all gone, ^ Abui FJ- he and ° Abu Beker followed atcer , ^h^hul leaving only ^//behind, who having °Eimacin. fet in order fome Affairs that detained lh .^/cn,ara* him , came to them on the third day p^I; after. As foon as his Flight was pub- Jickly known, Parties were fent out to F 3

The Life of Mahomet.

purfue after him, and he difficultly efca- p Alcoran, c. P.ec* ^m p by hiding himfelf for fome 9 . BidawUn time in a Caye, till the heat of the S0^"1?^' purfuit was over.

ad illud Ca-

put, & ad

pp. 1 6. Hottin^eri Hift. Orient, lib. 2. c. 5.

On the ^ ixth day of the Month, w^ich the Arals call the former Ra- 4Hraganum Ha , that is , on the X4th of our &/- tem^er> ^e came to Tathrel9 and was . tfiere Deceived with great Acclama- Arah. tion by the Party which called him !H- thither. But whether this Party were of the Jews, or the Ckrijtians, I find not faid in any Author ; only if we may conjecture from the great kindnefs which at this time he exprefled to wards the $hriftians> and the implaca ble hatred which he ever after bore the Jews, it will from hence appear, ?hat the former were the Frientls that invited him thither, and the latter the oppofite Party that were Enemies unto him. And what he faith of each of them in the fifth Chapter of his Al- soran, which was one of the firft which he publiflied after his coming to Tathrel , may feem fully to clear the matter. For his words there are, Thou

jbalt

The Life of Mahomet.' 77

flalt fnd the Jews to be very great Ene mies to the true Believers ; and the Chri- ftians to have great Inclination and Ami ty towards them. For they have Priefls and Religious, that are humble, who have Eyes full of Tears when they hear men tion of the Dottrine which God hath in- ffired into thee , lecaufe of their know ledge of the Truth, and fay, Lord, we believe in thy Law, write us in the num ber of them who profefs thy Vnitj. Who /ball hinder us from believing in God, and the Truth wherein we have been in- flrufted? We defire with Paffion, 0 Lord, to le in the number of the jufl. By this we may fee what a deplorable Decay the many Divifions and Di- ftradions which then reigned in the Eaftern Church , had there brought the Chriflian Religion into, when its Protef- fors could fo eafily defcrt it, for that

frofs Imfoflure which an Illiterate Bar* irian propofed unto them. And in deed it is no ftrange thing for Men, when once they have deferted the Or thodox Profeffion of the Chriflian Faith, to fleet from one Error to another, till at length by feveral Changes in Religion, they change the whole of it . away, and give themfelves up to total F A In>

* Elmacin,

lib: i. c. r.

AbulFeda, fcc.

Tk Life of Mahomet.

Impiety. For we fee it daily pradifed among us.

On Mahomet's firfl coming to r Ta- threb, he lodged in the Houfe of Chattel Abu Job, one of the chief Men of the Party that called him thither, till he had built himfelf an Houfe of his own, which he immediately fet about , and adjoining thereto alfo ere&ed a Mofqug at the fame time for the exercife of his new-invented Religion ; and it is record ed as an Inftance of his Injuftice , that he f violently difpoflefled certain poor Orphans, the Children of an Inferior Artificer a little before deceafed, of the Ground on which it flood , and fo founded this firft Fabrick for his Wor- Ihip, with the like Wick;ednefs as he did his Religion. And having thus fettled himfelf in this Town, he continued there ever after, to the time of his Death. For which reafon it thenceforth lofing the Name of Tathreb , became called 1 Medmato V *abi , i. e. The City of tke Prophet, and fimply Medina , by which Name it hath been ever fmce called, even unto this day.

cap. 8. Gdii nots ad Alfraganum, p. 98, Abul Fcda, Alkamus, &c,

From

<" Difputatio Chriftiani,

1 Geographia Nubienfis Clim. 2. part. y. Append, ad

*• C<IQ*

The Life of Mahomet. 79

From this flight of Mahomet , the ? fJegera , which is the /&<* of the Mahometans, begins its Computation, cap It was firft appointed by Omar \htThirJ Emperor of the Saracens, on this vv oc- Elmacin,'ii cafion. There hapned a Conteft before him about a Debt of Money. The Cre- *///0r had from his Deltor a Bill, where- ghius. Abul in he acknowledged the Debt, and cbli- p^'J^- ged himfelf to pay it on fuch a day of Spec. Hift. fiich a Month. The Day and the Month Arab being pafs'd, the Creditor fues his Deltor vv?EC before Omar for the Money. The De&tcr fisHift. Arab. acknowledged the Debt, but denied the Parc day of Payment to be yet come, alledg- ing the Month in the Bill mentioned, to be that Month in the year next enfuing ; but the Creditor contended that it was that Month in the year laft pad ; and for want of a Date to the Bill, it being impoffible to decide this Controverfy, Omar called his Council together, to confider of a Method how to prevent this difficulty for the future ; where it was decreed, That all Bills and other Inftruments fhould ever after have in- ferted into them the date both of the day of the Month, and alfo of the Tew* in which they were figned. And as to the 7>.#r, he having copfulted

8o

The Life of Mahomet.

wuzan, a Learned Perjian then with him, by his advice ordained all Computations to be made for the future from the Flight of Mahomet from Mecca to Medina And for this reafon this sEra was called the Hegera, which in the Aralic Language fignifieth a Flight. It takes its begin ning from the fixteenth day of July in the Year of our Lord Six hundred twenty and two. And ever fince this Decree of Omar (which happened in the eighteenth Year of it) it hath conftantly been ufed among the Mahometans , in the fame manner as the Computation from the Incarnation of our Lord Chrifl is with us Chriflians. The day that Mahomet * Golli note left Mecca, was on x the firft of the /br ad Aifhga- wer Rafca ^ ancj ^e came to Medina on

the y twelfth of the fame Month. But the Hegera begins two Months before, from the firft of Moharram. For that being the firft Month of the Arabian Tear , Omar would make no alteration as to that, but anticipated the Compu tation fifty nine days, that he might be* gin his Mr a from the beginning of that Year in which this Flight of the Impoflor hapned, which gave Name thereto. Till the appointing of this &ra it was ufual with the Arabians to complete from the

laft

num, 9,52,

y Elmacin lib. i. c. i.

Life of Mahomec. 8 1

laft great War they were engaged in. And at Mecca the SEra of the Elephant, and the s£ra of the Impiow War, being thofe which they computed by all the time of Mahomet, I fhall give an account of them.

The s£ra of the Elephant had its begin ning from z a War which the Inhabitants T A1 of Mecca, had with the Ethiopians. It GoUinotxa'd happen'd on that very Year in which Alfraganum Mahomet was born , on this occafion. coclli Spec. About fifty years before the time of Hift.Arab. Mahomet^ there reigned over the Howe- rites an ancient Nation of the Arabsy lying to the South of Mecca , a certain King called a £># Nawas, who having embraced the Jewifh Religion , perfecu- AI Mafudi. ted the Chriftian, which had been plant- j^ ed there for at leaft Three hundred £„ , years before, and did the utmoft he was Pocockii able to extirpate it out of his Dominions. For which purpofe he made him a Jeep Ditch or Furnace in the Earth, and after having heated it with Fire, caufed all thofe of the Chriflian Religion to be thrown thereinto, who would not re nounce their Faith, and turn to ?«- daifm. During which Perfecution the b Arabian Writers tell a very memorable b Al Mafu<& Story of a Chriftian Woman, who being

brought

8z The Life of Mahomet.

brought to the Furnace with a Son of hers very young,whom flie carried in her Arms, was at the fight of the Fire fo af frighted, Ihe drew back as if flie would rather chufe to comply with the Pcrfo cutors , and renounce her Faith , than thus perifh for.it; at which the Child cried out, Fear not , Mother , to fly e for your Religion, for then after this Fire you fhall never feel any other. Whereon the Mother being again encouraged , went on and compleated her Martyrdom. This Persecution drove feveral of the Homerite \^JaJ"2?H' Chilians to fly into Ethiopia for fafety ;

Ahmed Ebn . . J . . ~ ' . .

Yufcf Ecche- where making their Complaints to the Jenfis Hift. Km^ who was a Chrifliany of the cruel ^7bpocockii Perfection of Du Nawas againft them, Spec. Hift. prevailed with him to fend Aryat his ^Ab'iF-d3' Uncle, with an Army of Seventy thou- Ai Jarmabi! ^and ^en f°r lheir Relief; c who having Ahmed Ebn overthrown Du Nawas in Battel, purfued

^m ^° 'iarc^> f'lat 'ie f°rced him into the Sea, where he perifhed. Whereon the in Kingdom of the Homerites fell into the Hands of the Ethiopians, and An at go- Aico- verned it twenty years. After him fuo ranJ-.F?' ceeded Abraham Al Afhram. who having

cockii Spec. I -i r A **\\ i n i

Hift. Arab, built a tamous a Church at Sanaa, the i>. 64. Golii chief City of the Homerites, abundance Pf Aral>'ta«s reforted thither to the Chri-

ft*™

The Life of Mahomet* 8j

flian Worjhip) fo that the Temple.of Mecca began to be negledted, and the Heathen Worfhip there hitherto performed with fo great Concourfe from all Parts of Arabia^ to grow into decay : At which the Men of Mecca were exceedingly difturbed. For they had the chief of their fupport from the great refort of Pilgrims, who came thither every year from all Parts of Arabia to worflhip their Heathen Dei ties , and perform their annual folemn Ceremonies unto them. And therefore to exprefs their Indignation againft this Church^ which fo much threatned their main Intereft with total ruin, fome of them went to Sanaa, and getting pri vately into the Church, did in a moft con tumelious manner defile it all over with their Excrements. At which Abraham was fo incenfed, that to revenge the Af front, he fwore the Deftrudion of the Temple of Mecca : And accordingly, to efFed: it, marched thither with a great Army, and befieged the City. But not being able to compafs liis end, (I fup- pofe for want of Provisions for his nume rous Forces in fo defarc and barren a Country) he was forced to march back again with Lofs and Difgrace ; and be- caufc he had feveral Elephants in his Ar my,

84 Tl}e Life of Mahomet.

my, for that reafon this was called, The War of the Elephant ; and the /Era by which they reckoned from it, The ALra of the Elephant. And to this War is it, that the iojth Chapter of the Alcoran, called the Chapter of the Elephant, doth relate; where Mahomet tells us, How the Lord treated them that came mounted upon Elephants to ruin the Temple of Mec ca, and that he defeated their treacherous Defign, and fent againft them great Ar mies of Birds , which threw down Stones upon their Heads , and made them like Corn in the Field, which is dejlroyed and

* Zamachflia- trodden down ly the Btafts. Where e the ?'i ?id-a^* Commentators of the Alcoran tell us ,

im'&c* That to preferve the Temple of Mecca from tlje intended Deftrucftion, (Wfent againff the Ethiopians great Armies of Birds, each of which carried three Stones, the one in the Mouth, and the other two in the two Feet, which they threw down upon their Heads ; and that thofe Stones, although not much big ger than Peafe, were yet of that weight, that falling upon the Helmet , they

* pierced that and the Man thorough ; and that on each of them was written the Name of him that was to be jflain by it ,< and that the Army of the Ethio pians

,'•«! , •'

The Life of Mahomet. 85

plans being thus deftroyed , the Temple

of Mecca was faved. For Mahomet ha

ving refolved to continue that Temple

in its former Reputation , and make it

the chief place of his new invented Wor*

flip, as it had been before of the Hea

then, coined this Miracle among many

others, of purpofe to gain it the greater

Veneration in the minds of his deluded

Followers , although there might be fe-

veral then alive, who were able to give

him the lye thereto, it being but fifty

four Years before the beginning of the

Hegera, that this War hapned. For it

was the very Year * in which Mahomet f Golii notas

was born. But petchance this Chapter ** Aifaga-

came not forth in publick, till Ofhmans poSckii^

Edition of the Alcoran, which was many Spec. Hiflf.

years after, when all might be dead, Arab< p'*4'

that could remember any thing of this

War, and the Fable thereby out of dan

ger of being contradi&ed by any of thofe § pocockii

who knew the contrary. Spec. Hid.

The #* of the Impious War began *&£& from the twentieth Year of the &ra of Alfraganum, the Elephant, and had its Name from a terrible War, which was then waged be- tween s the Korajlites and Kaifailanites, Sec. in which Mahomet firft h entred the School of War under his Uncle Alu Ta-

,74,

in Margine.

8 6 The Life of Mahomet

kl, being then twenty Years old. It

was called the Impious War, becaufe it

proceeded to that heat and fury, that

they carried it on even in thofe Months,

when it was reckoned impious among

£ AI jauhari. them to wage War. For it was i an An-

AlShareftani. cient Conftitution through all Aralia^

eaz^im^Go- to hold four Months of the Year facred,

liusinnotis in which all War was to ceafe : And

ad Aifhga- t|lefe were fa Months of Moharram, Ra+

&U™Poc *ckii Jc&i Dulkaada^ and Dulhagha ; the Firft, Spec. Hift. the Seventh , the Eleventh , and the Arab^p.i74, Twelfth of the Year, in which it was obferved with the greateft Religion a- mong all their Tribes^ to ufe no Ad of Hcflility againft each other , but with how great Fury foever one Tribe might be engaged againft another (as was ufual among them ) , as foon as any of thofe' Sacred Months began, they all immedi ately defifted, and taking off the heads from their Spears, and laying afide all other Weapons of War, had intercourfe, and intermingled together , as if there had been perfp&Peace and Friendship be tween them , without any fear of each other; fo that if a Man flipuld meet on thofe Months him that had fhin his Fa ther, or his Brother, he durft not med* die with him , how violent foever his

Hatred

The Life of Mahonie

Hatred or Revenge .might prompt hirri to it. And this was conftantly obferved among all theAne/e*t Arabs, till broken Jn this War, which from hence was cal led the Impious War. And in this Impi ous War k Mahomet having firft taken *AlKodai. Arms, save a prefage thereby to what AlKam

• /-I,. ii r L 11 Pocnckii

impious purpole he would ufe them all Spedm. his Life after. Arab. p. if 4*

But the Hegera being that which all of the Mahometan Religion have ever fince the Constitution of Omar compu* ted by ; the Subjed- Matter of the Hi* flory which I now write, obligeth me henceforth to make ufe of this Mr A through the remaining part of it. But becaufe it computeth by Lunary Tears only , and not by Solary* it's requifice that I here inform the Reader of the nature of thofe Years, and the manner how the Hegera computeth by them. Anciently the Arabs, although 1 they ,

always ufed Lunary Tears ; yet by inter* Ebnoi Atirlf. calating Seven Months in Nineteen 2£°j^Sp* Years, in the manner as do the Jews, Arab, p. if 7, reduced them to Salary Tears ; and con- fequently had their Months always fix ed to the fame Seafon of the Year. But this growing out of ufe about the time of Mabornet, their Year hath ever fince G

83 The Life of Mahomet.

been ftri&ly Lunary, confiding only of

Three hundred fifty four Days, eight

» Golii not* Hours , and Forty eight Minutes m,

adAlfraga- which odd Hours and Minutes in thir-

ScaTiger'de' 7 Years making E!even Days exactly, Emendatione they do intercalate a Day on the ^d9

temporum -th ?th ^ IC)th ^ j-th^ -^t^ jgth^ 2l^

Anno H^C *j\ ^\ «d 19* Years of this Pe- we. riod. So that their Year in thofe Years

of this Period, confiflsof Three hundred fifty five Days, by reafon of the inter calated Day, which they then add to the lad Month of the Year. And this Year all that profefs the Mahometan Religion have ever made ufe of; and •Alcoran, there is a Paflage in the Alcoran n, c-9- whereby they are confined to it. For

the Iwpoftor there calls it an Impiety to prolong the Tear , that is , by ad ding an Intercalary Month thereto. So that according to this Account, the Mahometan lear falling eleven Days Ihort of the Solary ; it hence comes to paft, that the beginning of the Year of the Hegera is unfixed and ambulatory, (the next Year always beginning eleven Days fooner than the former) and there fore- fometimes it happens in Summer •, fometimes in Spring^ fometimes |n Win ter •, and (ometimes in Autumn ; and* in

thirty

The Life of Mahomet.

thirty three Years compafs goes tho rough all the different Seafons of the Year , and comes about again to the fame time of the Salary Tear, although not exadly to the fame Day. Which being like to create fome Confufion to us who are ufed to the Solary Tear ; to prevent this, after the Year of the He- gera, in the Margin I add the day of the Month in the Year of our Lordin which it begins. The Months of the Aral Tear are as folio weth : i. Moharram. z, Sa~ pbar. 3. The former Ralia. 4. The later Ralia. 5. The former Jornada. 6. The later Jornada. j.Rajeb. %.Shalan. 9. Ra~ mad an. lO.Shawa/J. n.Dulkaada. iz.Dttl- hagha. The firft hath thirty Days, and the fecond twenty nine, and fo alterna tively to the end of the Year ; only on the Intercalary Years, Dulhagha hath thirty Days, becaufe of the Day added, but on all other Years only twenty nine.

But befides this &ra, the Mahortettot in Perfia have another , which they reckon by in all Civil Matters, called the &ra of Tazdejerd. It computes by Solary Years of 365- Days without any Intercalation , and is in ufe among the Aftronomtrs all over the Eaft. It hath G i ir*

jo The Life of Mahomet.

^ its beginning ten years after the Hegera,

not from the death of Tazdejerd £as ^11

Chronologers hitherto, following the

Miftake of Scaliger, haveerroneouily af-

ferted ) but from his firft advancement

to the Crown of Perjia. The Hiftory of

* Abul Fara- this matter is thus. * After the death

ghius,Pii2, of Chofroes, the fecond of that Name

% P "*• ( which hapned An. Dom. 6x8. ) in four

Eutychius, N . • r r i r» /• i

part.a.p.a5$, years time eight feveral Perlons having & P. 296. ' fucceffively poflefled themfelves of the HbTcs.Sc Throne of Perjia, and moft of them by 0.4. violent means, this created fuch Diftra-

(3ions and Confufions through all that Kingdom by reafon of the great Divi- fions, and feveral different Interefts, which fo many Revolutions in fo fliort a time had occafion'd among them, that at lengrh all Parties growing weary of fo deltrudive a ftate of their Affairs, came to an agreement of fetling again under a Prince of the Royal Family, and to this purpofe made chbice of TazJejerJ a Grandfon of Chofroes, who was a Young man of fifteen years old, and fent into Aralta (where he was fled for his fafety) to Abuleker, then newly chofen Succet for to Malcmet) to demand him for their King, and having accordingly obtained him, did on the 1 6th day of June, Amo

Domini

The Life of Mahomet. pi

Domini 6$z. in the Eleventh Year of the Hegera, place him on the Throne of his Anceftors, which being fo fignal a Re- ftoration of that Kingdom to its former Peace and Settlement after fo great a di- fturbance of it, they made this the be ginning of a new JEra among them, which from the name of the King, they called the Mr a of Tazdejerd. And there fore it doth not begin from the death cf that Prince ; for he lived nineteen years after, and fought many Battels againft the Saracens during the Reign of Omar and Othmany Succeflbrs of Aiuleke>\ in defence of his Country, till at length he was fhin by the Treachery of one of his own Captains, in the thirty firft Year of the Hegera, Ann. Dom. 651. nineteen years after this sEra, denominated from him, firft commenced, which all agree was in the Eleventh Year of the Hegera.

The firft thing that Q Mahomet did af- Heg. i. juiy ter his having fettled himfelf at Medina, l6^^ was to marry his Daughter Fatima to his ° Elmacin, Coufm All. She was the only Child £bb then living , of fix which were born &c. to him of CaJigha, his firft Wife ; and indeed the only one which he had , notwithftanding the multitude of his G 3 Wives P,

$? 2 7k Life of Mahomet.

p Abui Fara- Wives P, that furvived him , whom he

ghms, p.joj. exceedingly loved, and was ufedtogive

great Commendations of her, reckoning

her among the perfected of Women.

* Abul Feda. For he was s ufed to fay , That among dm°CH4Spe" Mtti there were many perfed:, but of Arab. p. 183. Women he would allow only four to be

fuch, and thefe were Afiah, the Wife of Pharaoh ; Mary, the Mother of Chrift -9 Cadigha his Wife , and Fattma his Daugh ter. From her all that pretend to be of the Race of Mahomet , derive their de£ cent.

And now the Impoftor having obtain ed the end he had been long driving at, that is, a Town at his command, where to arm his Party, and head them with fecurity, for the further profecution of his Defign , he here enters on a new Scene. Hitherto he had been preaching up his Impofture for thirteen years toge ther ; for the remaining ten years of his Life he takes the Sword and fights for it He had long been teafed and perplexed at Mecca with Queftions, and Objections, and Difputes aboat what he preached,

* Akorao. vvhereby being often gravefd and non-

£.4; Cnntacu- i .*•_• A IT i_brt- j-

sen. Orat. ia. plus d9 to tae LaugJiter or his Auditors, Jo^ and his own Shame and Confufion, out t of hatred to this way * he henceforth for-

-**/» ... i • i •

bids

c I2

The Life of Mahomet. 95,

bids all manner of difputing about his Religion ; and that he might be fure to have no more of it, makes it for the fu ture to be no lefs than Death for any one in the lead tocontradid or oppofe any of the Dodrines which he had taught. The way that his Religion was to be propaga- ted, he now tells his Difciples was not by Difputing , but f by Fighting ; and f Alcoran, therefore commands them all to arm *** themfelves, and flay with the Sword all Jdreas thofe that would not embrace it, unlefs Difputatio they fubmitted to pay an Annual Trilute JJJgg for the redemption of their Lives. And 2eni orat. i according to this his Injundion, even unto this day, ail who'live under any Mahometan Government , and are not of c. 10. their Religion, t pay an Annual Tax for < Thevenot, a conftant Muld of their Infidelity **£'• llb-'- (which in Turkey v is called the Car- vThWenot, radge) and are fure to be puniflied with Parti, lib. r. YV death, if in the leaft they con- v;aCantacu. tradi(3: or oppofe any Dodtrine that is re- zen. Orat.i. ceived among them to have been taught ^/p^" by Mahomet. And certainly there could lib.r/c. 28.' not be a wifer way devifed for the up holding of fo abfurd an Impofture, than by thus filencing under fo fevere a penal ty all manner of Oppofition and Dif- putes againit it.

Q 4 After

94 ?be Life ef Mahomet.'

After the Iwpr.fior had Efficiently ir^ fufed this Doftrwe into his Difeiples, he next proceeds to put it in practice ; and having ere&ed his Standard^ calls them all to come armed thereto, where ha- » Elmacin. ving enrolled them all for the War, x he lib. i. c. i. gave his Standard to his Uncle Hamz^ conflicting him thereby his Standard- learer; and out of thefpecial confidence he had in 'him, fent him out on the firft Expedition which was undertaken in y Elmacin. ib. his Caufe. For underftanding that^r/?^ ChriSiani ^araijan °f Mecca was no won the Road 0.4, in their return from Syria , he ordered

out £&0fz*'with a Party of Thirty Horfe to way- lay and plunder thern • and he having accordingly ported himfelf in a Wood in the Countrey of Tamama^ by which they were to pafs, there tarried their coming; but on their approach , finding them guarded with Three hun dred men , fenr from Mecca to con» Voy them fafe home, he durfl not fet upon them , but fled , and returned tq Sfr^j, without effcding any thing, And feveral other Expeditions which were this Year undertaken of the fame nature, had no better fuccefs. peg. 2. July ' The pe#t Year a very rich Caravan

Syria , an.d carrying'

The Life of Mahomet. 95

carrying a great quantity both of Goods and Money which belonged to the Mer chants of Mecca, that traded into that Country, he went out with Three hun dred and nineteen Men to intercept it. But a coming up with them at a place a Eimacln. called BeJer, he found them guarded by lib. i. c. /. a Convoy of a Thoufand Men, under ^sFai£a the Command of Abu Soph/an, whereon Alcoran. c° 3! a fierce Battel enfued between them; &Commen- but Mahomet gaining the Vidory, Alu g^^1' Sophian made as good a Retreat as he could back again to Mecca, faving mod of the Caravan with him, at which Ma- hornet's Men much b repined. However, b Alcoran. great Spoils were gained by them in this c. 3. Battel, which had like to have made a Quarrel among them about the divifion. For the Army confiding of two Parties, the Men of Medina, who were called the Anfars, that is, Mahomet's Helpers > and the Men of Mecca, who were called the Mobagerins, that is, the Companions of his flight* the c former would have cjjottingeri had a larger fliare than the latter. To BlbHotheca falve this Controverfy, Mahomet com- Orij"talis> c-

r i i T-' i i X-M r- i • .1 a.adSuratam

poled the Eighth Chapter of his Alco- oftavam Al- ran, wherein he adjudgeth the fifth part to himfelf , and the reft to be equally divided between them,

The

9 6 The Life of Mahomet.

The Succefs of this Battel gave great encouragement to the Impoflor^ and his Party. He frequently brags of it in his Alcoran, and would have it believed that

a Alcoran, c. a two Miracles were wrought for his obtaining of it; the firft , That GeJ made his Enemies fee his Army as dou ble to what it was , which helped to difmay them ; and the fecond, That he fent Troops of Angels to his affiftance, which helped to overcome them. They were to the number of Three thoufand

« Alcoran, ( as e he himfelf tells us ) ; but being in- vifible to every one's Eyes but his alone, the credit of it ftands upon no better foundation , than the reft of his Impo- fture, his own fingle Teflimony only.

fAbulFara- This Year he altered the f />£/*,

AiKodPai102' that is> the place towards which they di- Abui°Fedi. reded their Prayers. For it was ufual Johannes An- among the People of the Eaft, of all Re- «S"ilici,c'.& %'•***» to obferve one particular Point v. 10. Bux- of the Heavens, towards which they all torfii Syna- turned their Faces when they prayed. Sf^ttS The ?»', in what .part of the World monides in foever they were , prayed with their TepS, Faces : towards J*r*falem, becaufe there c. i. feft.3. was their Temple ; the Arabians h to-

h,AbulFara- wards Mecca, becaufe there was the Ca*

-

Worjhip \

Tk Life of Mahomet. 97

Worfbip 5 the Salians l towards the

North-Star; and the Perftan Idolater -j,

who held /</r£ and L/gfe to be their Specim.Hif!.

Chief Gods, k towards the Baft, becaufe

from thence the £#» did arife, which

they held to be the chief Fountain of

both. Mahomet from the beginning of

his Impofture had directed his Difciples

to pray 1 with their Faces towards Jeru- ' Abul

fa/em , which he was ufed to call the

boly City, and the £//? of the Prophets, Johannes An-

and intended to have ordered his Pilgri* dreas, c.6.

mages thither, and to have made it the spec.CHift.

chief place where all his Sed: were to Arab, p, 175.

worihip. But now finding that his Fol*

lowers (till bore a fuperflitious Venera

tion to the Temple of Mecca, which had

for many Ages before been the chief

Place' of the Idolatrous Worjhip of the

Arabians, and that it would be a very

prevalent Argument to reconcile his

Fellow-OY/z£».f to him, if he ftill pre-

ferved their Temple in its former Honour,

he changed his former Law to ferve his

prefent purpofe, and henceforth direct

ed his Dtfciples to pray with their

Faces towards m Mecca, and ordained » Alcoran,

the Temple of that place, which from c 2- Man-

f r ~ 11 j u x* / nes Andreas,

itsfquare Form was called the Caafa^ c. that word fignifying a Square in the

Ara&ic

« Alcoran,

Andreas, c6.

Pocockii

Sionita? Ap. pendix ad

am°Nubien. fem, c. 7.

The Life of Mahomet.

Aralic Tongue ) to be the chief place of Worfliip for allof his Religion^ to which they were ftill to perform their Tilgri- wage$y as in former times. And to this Change he was the more inclined out of his averfion to the Jews, againft whom having about this time con traded an irreconcilable hatred, he liked not any longer to conform with them in this Rite. And that his Followers might be diftinguifhed from them in this particu lar, is the reafon n which he himfelf gives for this Change. However, °many of his Difciples were much fcandalized hereat, judging no truth nor {lability in that Religion which was fo often gi ven to change; and feveral left him thereon.

From this time, the more to magnify the Temple of Mecca, and to give the greater honour and reputation thereto, have we all thofe Fabulous Stories in vented, which the Impoflor tells us con cerning it. As that it was P firft built in Heaven to be the place where the^#- gels were to worfhip , and that Adam worfhipped at it while in Paradife ; but being call down from thence ( for they place Paradife in Heaven^) he prayed GoJ9 that he might have fuch a Temple

on

The Life of Mahomet.

on Earthy towards which he might pray, and go round it in holy Worfhip unto him in the fame manner as the Angels went round that which he had feen in Heaven: That thereon God fent down the fimilitude of that Temple in Cur tains of Light, and pitched it at Mecca in the place where the Caala now ftands, which is, fay they , exactly under the Original , which is in Heaven : That there, after the death of Adam, Seth built it with Stones and Clay ; and that all the People of God there worshipped till the Flood, by which it being over thrown, G0;/ commanded Abraham again to rebuild it , having fliewn him the Form of the Fabrick in a Vifion, and di rected him to the place by his vifible Shethinah refiding on it : That according ly i Abraham and Ifmael rebuilt it in the place where it now ftands: And that Ifmael ever after, living at Mecca, there worfhipped God with the true Worihip ; but his Pofterity afterwards corrupted it with Idolatry, and prophaned this ho ly Temple with Idols, from which he was now to purge it, and confecrate it anew to the true Worfliip of God , to which it was primitively intended. And he did not only thus retain the Temple ef

Mecca,

99

* Alcoran, c.

2,3,&22.

AI Jannabi in vita Abra« hami, Share- ftani. Za- machfliari ad cap. adumAl- corani. Sha» rifol Edrifi. Liber Agar. Johannes An« dreas, c, I.

loo The Life of Mahomet.1

Mecca, but alfo the Pilgrimages thither, and all the abfurd Rites which were performed at them in the times of Ido latry. For thefe being the things which long ufe had created a great Veneration for in the minds of the Aralians , by adopting them all into his new Religion, he made it go down the eafier with them. And indeed this wras the princi pal piece of his Craft, fo to frame his new Religion in every particular, as would beft take with thofe to whom he propofed it.

As to this Temple of Mecca, and what it was before Mahomet, all that is true of it, is this. It was an Heathen Tem ple in the fame Veneration among the Arabs, that the Temple of Delphos was among the Greeks, whither all their * Share&mi. r Tribes for many Ages came once a year Goiiinotsead to perform their Idolatrous Ceremonies to

Alfraganum, ^ g^ ^ ^ ^^ ^^ ha_

Makrifi. Po- ving forced them to exchange their Ido*

ttftUArab!' latry for another fal'gio* altogether as p.i77,&3ii. bad, made this Temple alfo undergo the fame change, by appointing it thence forth to be the chief place for the per forming of that falfe Worfhip which he impofed, in the fame manner as it was

before

The Life of Mahomet 101

before of that which he aboliftied, and fo it hath continued ever fince.

This fame Year he alfo appointed the Month of f Ramadan to be a Month of f AbulFara- Faft. At his firft coming to Medina J find- gWus,p. 102. ing the 'jews obferving the Celebration t^^wini, of their great Faft of the Expiation on the PocockiiSpe- Tenth of their Firft Month, which is 5?m:Hift' Tifri, he asked what it meant ? And be ing told it was a Faft appointed by Mo- fes, he replied, that he had more to do with Mofes than they, and therefore or dained the Tenth day of Moharram^ the Firft Month of the Arab Tear , to be zfolemn Faft with his Mufjlemans in imi tation hereof, which by a name alfo borrowed from the Je ws, he called Afhu- ra, which is the fame with the Helrew Afhor, that is , the Tenth , it being the u Tenth day of the Month 7//r/,cn which • Leviticus this Faft of tke Expiation was kept c-.I<J-X-29- among them. And he did alfo at firft Tn&zLr, adopt other of their Fafis into his Reli- ScMaimoni- gion, hoping by thefe means to win them over unto him. But finding them ftill to oppofe him all they could, and on ail occafions to perplex him and his Followers with Queflions and Difficulties about his Religion, which he could not find Anfwers for, and on the account

hereof

IO&

rEbnol Athii.

* Alcoran,

C. 2.

yEbnAhmed. Al Makrizi. Pocockii Spec Hift. Arab. p. 173*. * Aljauhari. Ebnol Athir. Golii notse ad Alfraganum p. 7. Pocockii Spec. Hift. Arab. p. 176.

The Life of Mahomet

hereof to difparage and deride him and his Impojlure, he contradted that aver- fion and hatred againft them , that he refolved to differ from them vv in this too, as well as in the particular laft mentioned ; and therefore abolifhing the faid Fa/Is 9 which he had taken from them, in imitation of the Chriftian way, with whom about this time ( it feems ) he was very defirous to ingra tiate himfelf , he appointed the whole Month of Rama Jan to be as it were his Lent , or a continued time of folemn Failing. And this Year the Month of Ramadan beginning in the Month of March, it did now exadlly fall in with the time of the Chriftian Lent. But the reafon which he himfelf gives for his appointing of it, was, becaufe x on this Month, as he pretends, the Alcoran firft came down from Heaven to him, that is, that Chapter of it which he firft pub* li (lied. Before it was a Month ufually y dedicated to Jollity and good Chear among the Arals , and while they in tercalated the Year, always fell in the heat of Summer ; and therefore it was called Ramadan, * becaufe of the Rama- Jo I Har, i. e. the vehemencj of the beat > which then hapned.

The

The Life of, Mahomet. f o

The reft of this Year a he fpcnt in * Predatory Excurfions upon his Neigh- gh hours, robbing, plundring, and deftroy- ing all thofe that lived near Medina, who would not come in and embrace his Religion.

The next Year he made War b upon thofe Triles of the Arals , which were 24. AD.6i* of the jtenvyS Religion near him ; and ha- b^Q^ ving taken their Oy?/<? s , and reduced lib. i. c. i. them under his Power, fold them ail for Slaves , and divided their Goods among his Followers. He being exceed ingly exafperated againft Caal.y one of their Rallies, this War was pricipally undertaken for his fake, that he might take him c and put him to death; but cElmacin.lb. not being able to light on him in any of thofe Places which he had taken, he fent out Parties to fearch after him, or dering them to kill him whereever they Ihould find him. The reafon d of his aEcche1enfo bitter hatred againft him was this. Caat ™'t*&ii was a very eminent Poet among the & eiitych. " Arabians, and having a Brother called Vindicat. Bejair, that had turned Mahometan, he P'3°3> • made a very Satyr is al Poem upon him for this Change, wherein he fo terribly galled the Impoftor, that he coul,d not H bear

IO4 Tk £i/e of Mahomet.

bear it , but refolved to revenge the Affront with his deftruftion , if ever he could get him into his hands. For fome time Caal efcaped all the Snares which he laid for him ; but after his power had Jncreafed fo far, that the greater part of Arali* had fubmitted to him, he found he could be no longer fafe, but by making his peace with him ,• and therefore to purchafe it , came in unto him, and profefled himfelf a Mahometan alfo. Hereon Mahomet bad him repeat that Poem which had fo much offended him, which he did, putting the name of Alu Beker in every Verfe, where for merly was the name of Mahomet ; but this not doing, Mahomet would not give him his Pardon, although at that time he did not take any advantage of his voluntary coming in unto him. Where on putting his Wits to work, he had re- courfe to this farther Device for the ob taining of his fecurity from him. For being informed that Mahomet had lately gotten a new Mijlrefsy whom he exceed ingly doted upon 9 and much regretted herabfence from him while then abroad upon the Wars; the crafty Jew ftruck in with thisPaffion for the mollifying of him , and cooipofed an excellent Poem

in

Tie Life of Mahomet.1 i<§f

in her Commendation , which having repeated before him , he fo took the heart of the old Lecher thereby , that he not only pardoned him , but alfo received him into the number of his particular Favourites , and made hint one of his chief Confidents ever after* And as a mark of his Favour then be- ftowed on him the Cloak which he wore, which being kept by him out of an affe&ed Veneration to the Impoflor9 as an holy Relick,was afterwards bought by MoawiaS) when he came to the Em pire, for Thirty thoufand pieces of Gold, * and was made the Role which he aftd all his Succeffors of the Houfe of Ommia^ conftantly wore on all Solemn Occa- fioris. And it's faid of this Caa69 that he afterwards became fo intimate with the Impoflor^ that he took him into his greateft Secrets , even to that of the Impoflure it felf, in compofing the Al coran, for which his great Skill in the Aralic Language^ and all other Learn ing then in ufe among them, exceeding- ly qualified him.

Towards the end of this y6ar hapriedl

the Battel of OW, which had like to

have proved fatal to the Iwpofton, For

H * Al*

io6

' Elmacin. lib. i. c. i. Abul Fara- ghius, p. 102.

fGeogr3phia Nubienfis dim- 2. part. 5-

Chriiani c. 5. vitb which compare Abul Fara- ghius p. 1 1 7- for there it is

J)itd » lams

h Alcoran C, 7.

The Life of Mahomet.

e Ala Sfphfan, to revenge the lad Year's Affront, marched againft him with an Army of Three thoufand Foot , and Two'hundred Horfe ; and having feized the Mountain of 0/W, f which was on ly four Miles diftant from Medina, he fo diftrefied that place from thence, that Mahomet was forced to hazard Battel to diflodge him from that Port, although he could make no more than a Thou fand men to lead out againft him. However,. in the firft Conflict he had jhe better, but at laft being overborn by the number of the Enemy, he loft many of his men, and among them Ham za his Uncle, who bore the Standard, and was Jiimfclf - grievoufly wounded in feveral places, and had been flain, but that 7^7- ha , one of Ins Companions , and Nephew to Abu Beker, came in to his refcue, in which Adhon s he received a wound in his Hand, which deprived him of the ufe of fome of his Fingers ever after.

To falve the Objections' which w7ere raifed againft him on this Defeat , he was much put to it. Some h argued againft him , How he that was a Pro- fbet of God, and fo much in- his favour #she pretended , could be overthrown in Battel by the Ivfdeh? And others

rnur-

The Life of Mahomet. 1 07

murmured as much for the lofs of their Friends and Relations who were (lain in the Battel. To fatisfy the former, he laid the caufe of the Overthrow on the Sins of fome that followed him; and faid , that for this reafon God fuffcred them to be overthrown , that fo the Good might be diflinguifhed from the Bad, and thofe who were true Believers might on this occafionbedifccrned from thofe who were not. And to dill the Complaints and Clamours of the latter, he invented his Doctrine of Fate and DejUny, telling them , That thofe who were ilain in. the Battel, though they had tarried at home in their Houfes, mud have died notwithftanding when they did, the time 'of every man's Life being predeftinatcd and determined by God, beyond which no Caution is able in the leaft to prolong it ; that the Dcftiny of all is flated to an hour, which cannot be altered ; and therefore thofe who were flain in the Battel, died no fooner than they muft otherwife have done ; but in that they died fighting for the Faith* -they gained the advantage of the Crown of Martyrdom , and the Re wards which were due thereto in Para- dife. where he told them they were alive H 3 with

Tk Life -of Mahomet.

with God in Everlafting Blifs, which was of greater advantage than all the Treafures of the world could in this Life have been unto them: That they were there rejoicing very much , that they had laid down their Life fo happily, as by thus fighting in the Caufe of God, and#i$£<np, and were expreffing among themfelves. exceeding gladnels , that thofe who ran to hinder them from go ing to the Battel, met them not. Both Which Dottrines he found fo well to ferve his turn, that he propagated them on all occafions after. And- they have Rjcaut'/ /#- been the darling i Notions of all this of the $eft ever fince, efpecially in their Wars, Ott£ where certainly nothing can be more nun Empire, conducive to make them fight valiant- jy> than a fettjecj Opinion, That what ever dangers they expofe themfelves to, they cannot dye either fooner or later than is otherwife unalterably predeter mined that they mpft ; and that , in cafe this predetermined time be come, in dy ing fighting for their Religion* they fhall obtain that happinefs , as to be come Martyrs thereby, and immedi ately enttr into FaraJife for the reward hereof.

In

The Life of Mahomet. 109

In the fourth Year of the Hegfr* he waged War k with the t?*Jfr**** > a O^vT ZHfcof &QJemfl> Arabs in his Neigh- 'Elmacin. bourhood , whom he prelled fo hard, AbulFara: that he forced them to leave their Ca- ghius,p.ioa files; part of them retiring to Chaibar, a City belonging to theft ot their Refc eion; and part flying into Syria. Thole latter that fled into Syria , Mundtr Ebn Omar with a Party of the Men of Me dina purfued after , and having over taken them near the Borders of that Countrey, put them all to the Sword, excepting only one Man that efcaped. With fiich Cruelty did thole Barbarians firft fet up to fight for that Impojture they had been deluded into. This fame Year he fought the fecond Battel of BeJer , and had many other Skir- miihes with thofe who refufed to fub- mit to him, in which he had fometimes profperous, and fometimes dubious Suc-

cefs.

But while his Arwj was abroad on thefe Expeditions , fome of his Princi pal Men engaging at Play and Drink, in the heat of their Cups fell a quar relling, which raifed fuch a disturbance among the reft of his Men , that they H 4 had

i ID 77;e Life of Mahomet.

had like to have fallen all together by the Ears, to the confounding of him and all his defigns ; and therefore for the preventing of the like mifchief for the luturel» 1* forbad the ufe of Wine, and ift. all Games of Chance ever after. And . i7y. to make his Prohibition the more influ-

]£P'- cntia|: he hacks " with a m Falle of Fid. JiK4. two Angels , called ^r/tf and Marut ^

S°AtoJn ' uho he tells us were in times-part ftnt cap. 2! z.'- down from Heaven to adminifter Ju- nuchfhari& ftice, and teach men Righteoufnefs in !^; the r™*« of £^/M ; That while iiiud «they were there, a certain Woman com-

t ing to thT for Juftire» invited them

wscumAb- home to dinner, and let Wine before them, which God had forbidden them

r? drink»' .bu; beinS temP^ by the pieaianmels of the Liquor to tranfgrefs

c«zer?ao? the Divine Co^^3ind, they became fo Tsea i^C' drunk, that they tempted the Woman Beiioniu,,Hb. to Lewdnefs ; who promiied to confent

ligaolTroa °n cond'tion' that the one of them 2. c. 4. eLi- ftould Tuft carry her to Heaven , and the other bring her back again. But the Woman being got to Hea-ven would not come back again, but declared to God the whole matter. Whereon for reward of her Chaflity , fiie was made the Morning- Star. And the Angtls ha ving

The Life of Mahomet. 1 1 1

ving this Option given them, whether they would be puniflhed for their wick- ednefs either now or hereafter, chofe the former ; whereon they were hung up by the Feet by an Iron Chain in a cer tain Pit near Babylon , where they are to continue fuffering the Punifhment of their Tranfgreffion till the Day of Judg ment. And that for this reafon God for bad the ufe of Wine to all his Servants ever after. But n Busbcquius, and out of n £pift him ° Ricaut gave the reafon of his for- °ffijlwy bidding the ufe of Wine from another occafion; which they thus relate ; Ma- man £»? hornet making a "journey to a Friend of his9 Book 2. at Noon entred into his Houfe, where there was a Marriage- Fe j/l , and fitting down with the Gue/ls, he obferved them to be ve ry merry and jovial ', kijfing and embracing cne another, which was attributed to the chearfulnefs of their Spirits raifed by the Wine , fo that he bleffed it as a f acred thing in being thus an Inflrument of much Love among Men. But returning to the fame Houfe the next day, he beheld ano ther face of things , as gore-blood on the ground, an Hand cut off, an Arm, Foot, and other Limbs difmernbred ; which he was told was the effect of the B"aivls and fighting , occajiomd by the Wiae-,. ahich

it i The Life of Mahomet.

made them Mad, and inflamed them into a fury thus to deftroy one another. Where on he changed his wind, and turned his for mer Bleffing into a Curfe , and forbad it ever after to all his Difciples. But he himfelf feems totally to refer the reafon of the Prohibition, to the Quarrel which Wine and Play at Games of Chance had caufed among them. For in the 5th Chap ter of the Alcoran^ where he gives his Law concerning this matter , his words are, The Devil de fires to foiv Diffention and Hatred among you through Wine , and dames of Chance ', to divert you from re- wemlring God , and praying unto him. Abandon Wine and Games of Chance. Be obedient to God, and the Prophet his Apoflle , and take heed to your fehes. The truth of the matter is , the Arabi- pEcchelenfis, &*s p were given to drink Wine to great Hift Arab, excefs , when they could come by it ; RicLrdi0'*' anc' being of an hot Temper, as living Confutatio, moft of them within the Torrid Zoney ?•& were liable to be inflamed by it into

the higheft Diforders; and this Maho met having had fufficient experience of, particularly in the dangerous Inftance I have mentioned , did in refpecS of his Arabians, prudently enough provide againft the like mifchief for the future,

by

c*

The Life of Mahomet. 1 1

by thus taking away the Caufe from whence it did flow.

The next Year was tfce War of the Heg. ?. June Ditch, where Mahomet was in great dan- ger of being totally ruined. For the Men of Mecca having entred into Confe deracy with feveral of the Trihs of the Jewijb Arabians , to whom he had de clared himfelf a mortal Enemy q, march- « Elmacm, ed againil him under the Command of Jofeph, the Brother of Alu Sophian, with ghius, an Army of Ten thoufand men. Ma- hornet marched forth to meet them, but being terrified with their number, by the advice of Aldollah Eln Salem, the Per- fian Jtw abovementioned, (whom Elma- cinus calls Salman) fortified himfelf with a Deep Ditch, within which Intrench- ment the Enemy befieged him many days, which time the crafty Impoftor employed to corrupt over to his Intereft their Leading Men. In which Attempt having fucceeded with fome of them, he did by their means fow fuch Diflentions among the reft, as foon extricated him from all this danger he was fallen into, which hapned on this occafion. There was then in the Enemies Camp, r Amrus Part.' \. c. 3. Eln Abduct, an Eminent Korafbite, and ^bui Fara-

Uncle ghws'

i §4 The Life of Mahomet.

Uncle to Alty who having the Reputation of being the beft Horfe-man in Arabia, to fhew his Manhood while the two Ar mies lay thus idle againft each other, rode up to Mahomet* s Trenches, and challenged any of his Army to fight with him in a fingle Combat. Alt, al though his Nephew , accepts the Chal- lenge, and having (lain Amrus, and alfo another that came to his affiftance, thofe whom Mahomet's Inftruments had wrought into a Diflention from the reft, took this opportunity f to defert the Camp, and march home. Whofe Exam ple the reft in this Confternation follow ing, the whole Army broke up, and fe- parated. And fo this War, from which fo much was expeded, ended in nothing, but the lofs of fix Men on Mahomet's fide, and three on the other.

But though the Enemy could make no * Elmacin. ufe of the Advantage they had, yet * Ma- lib. i. c.i. hornet knew how to make the beft of that which they gave him by this Re treat. And therefore immediately march ing after the fozaites , one of the Jewi/h Tribes confederated againft him , be- fieged them in their Fortrefles, and for ced them to furrender at Mercy to Saad Eln Maad) one of his chief Commanders.

But

f Abul Fara- ghius, p 102, Elmacin. lib, i. c. i.

Tt?e Life of Mahomet. 1 1 5:

But he being fore of a Wound he had received at the War of the Ditch, in re venge thereof caufed all the Men, and among them Hahil Eln Atal , their chief Commander, to be put to the Sword , and the Women and Children to be fold for Slaves, and all their Goods to be given fora Prey unto his Soldiers; and as foon as this was. executed , died himfelf of the Wound , which he had thus cruelly revenged-

In the fixth Year he fubdued u the Heg. 6. May

Lahianites, the Muftalachites , and fe- *^J?^;

veral other Tribes of the Arals. The u AbulEaw-

Muftalachites were of the Pofterity of

the Chozaites, whom Cofa expelled out nb.

of Mecca. vv Mahomet having overthrown

them in Battel, flew jpoft of the Men

according to his blowy manner, and

took their Wives and Children Cap

tives, among whom finding Juweira ,

the Daughter of Haretb, a Woman of

excellent Beauty, x he fell in love with »Elmacin

her, and took her' to him to Wife, and lib-

for her fake releafed all of her Kin

dred that were found among the Cap

tives.

And now the Impoftcr^ after fo many Advantages obtained in his Wars, being

much

i. c.r

I« c -1

i 1 6 Tl>e Life of Mahomed

much increafed in ftrength?, marched lib. i. c.i. his Army againft Mecca, and at Hadi- lia^ a Place near that City, on the Road from thence to Jodda^ a Battel was fought between them , the confe- quence of which was, that neither fide gaining any advantage over the other, they there agreed on a Truce for Ten Years. The Conditions of which were, That all within Mecca who were fof Mahomet^ might have liberty to joirt themfelves to him ; and on the other fide, Thofe \vith Mahomet, who had a mind to leave him, and return to their Houfes in Mecca , might alfo have the fame liberty. But for the future , if any of the Citizens of Mecca fhould go over to Mahomet without the Confent of the Governor tf the City , he fliould be bound on demand to render them unto him. And that if Mahomet , or any of his Party had a mind to come into the City, they might have liberty fo to do at any time during the Truce9 provided they came unarmed in a peace able way , and tarried not above three days at a time.

By this Truce Mahomet being very

much confirmed in his Power, took on

*Elmac!n.ib. him * thenceforth the Authority of a

King,

I The Life of Mahomet i if

King, and was inaugurated by the Chief Men of his Army under a Tree near V Medina , which immediately (it feems curfed by the Authority given fo wick* ed an Impoftor under it ) withered away and periihed, which the Mahometans themfelves relate , but make another Interpretation of it.

On Mahomet's having thus made Truce with the Men of Mecca, and there by obtained free accefs for any of his Party to come into that C//y, he thence forth ordained them to make their a *AlKodaL Pilvrimares thither, which have ever J!000^!.

r • i r u r> ; - - i Spec. Hifl.

lince with 10 much Religion been ob- Arab. P.i7?, ferved by all of his Sell once every Year. This was an ancient Rite of the Heathen Arals, it having been a conftant Ufage b among them for many Ages foregoing * vide fupra to come once a Year to the Temple of ad Annum Mecca, there to worfhip their Heathen Deifies. The time of this their Pilgri mage c was in the Month of Dulhagha ; and on the Tenth day of that Month Makrizi. Go- was their great Feflival, in which the IJi1?otaj ad

t'rrLc^t ••* r « • -n-i Altraganu

chiefeft Solemnities of their Pilgrimage P. s, & 9. were performed, and therefore it was "*ocku called AydalCalir, i.e. the great Feafa and alfo, becaufe thefe Solemnities did chiefly confift in offering up Sacrifices

and

1 1 8 The Life of Mahomed

and Oblations, Ayd al Korlan, that is, The Feajl of Oblation ; and the whole Solemnity, AlHagha, i.e. The Solemn Feflival, in the fame Senfe as the Hebrew word Cbagj from which it is derived, fignifieth any of the three Solemn Fe- ftivals , on which the Jews were thrice every Year to appear before the Lord at the Temple of Jerufalem. And from hence the Month in which this Fefliual falls, is called among them Dulhagha, which is as much as to fay, The Month of the Solemn Feflival. And that all might have free liberty fafely to come to this Feftival from all Parts of Arabia, and again fafely return, was the reafon that not only this Month , but alfo the preceding and following were held Sa cred among them , in which it was not lawful to ufe any Ad: of Hoftility a- gainft any Man, as I have afore fliewn. And therefore this Solemn Pilgrimage to Mecca having been a Religious ?Jfage , which all the Tribes of the Arabs had long been devoted to, and was had in great Veneration among them, Maho met thought not fit to ruffle them with any Innovation in this matter , but a- dopting it into his Religion , retained it juft in the fame manner as he found

it

The Life of Mahomet.

it juft in the fame manner as he found it pradrifed among them with all the ri diculous Rites a%ppendant thereto, and fo it is obferved* even unto this day by all of that Religion , as one of the Fun damental Duties of it. for the Crafty Impoftor taught them concerning it (as he did of all the other Heathen Rites of the Ards, which he found neceflary to retain ) that it was a Command from God to Abraham and Ifmael 9 annually to obferve this Pilgrimage to Mecca ; and that it was given unto them on their rebuilding the Caala; and that at firit it was only ufed to the Honour of God, in the coming of all the Arafa thither once every Year, there to wor* ihip together before him in one Holy Aflembly, in the fame manner as the Jews were after commanded thrice eve-* ry Year to worfhip before him in their three Solemn Feftivals at Jerufalem i But that in procefs of time it became perverted to Idolatry , from which he was now commanded again to reflore it to its primitive ufe. And in the ma king of this Eftablifhment , he had no fmall refpedt to his Native City , that he might preferve to it the fame benefit of this Pilgrimage ^ which it had before

I fa

The Life of Mahomet.

fo long enjoyed* And in thus providing for the Intereft of that People in the ve ry Religion which he was a framing, he thought he might the eafier prevail to draw them over unto it. And in this he was not miftaken. For had he totally abolifhed this Pilgrimage , it be ing the greateft Honour and Benefit which that place enjoyed, and by which indeed it did moftly fubfift,- their In tereft W7ould have engaged them to that vigorous Oppofition againft him , that in all likelihood he would never have become Matter of that City, and for want thereof have mifcarried in the whole Defign.

I leg. 7. May And now being thus eftabliflied in the Sovereignty, which he had been fo long driving at, he took to him all the Infignia belonging thereto ; but fo that (till he retained the Sacred Character of Chief Pontiff of his Religion, as well as the Royal, which he had now inverted himfelf with , and tranfmitted them both together to all his Succeffors, who by the Title of Caliphs reigned after him ; fo that they were in the fame manner as the Jeivijk Princes of the Race of the Maccabees, Kings and Chief

Prieftt

Life of Mahomet* 1 2 §

Priefls of their People at the fame time* Their Pontifical Authority chiefly con fided in giving the Interpretation of the Mahometan Law, in ordering all Matters of Religion, and alfo in officia* ting irt the Duties of it themfelves, as well in Praying as Preaching in their Publick Mo/faes, as ori all more Solemn Occafions they were ufed to do. And at length this was all the Authority the Caliphs were left pofiefled of, they be* ing totally ftript of all the reft, firft by the Governors of the Provinces d 5 * Elmaciri. fwho about the Year of the Herera, ^ ?•_??,

v fT , *-» ; 1 • AbulFara-

3Xj. aflumed the Regal Authority to ghius, &«, themfelves, and made themfelves Kings each in their particular Governments*) and after by others, who rofe up on this Diftradtion of the Empire to ufurp upon them , till at laft they left them .nothing elfe but the Name and Shadow of what they had afore been. For al though thofe Princes dill paid fome De ference to the Caliph i as to a Sacred Perfon, ( in the fame manner as is now paid to the Pope of Rome by the Princes of his Communion) and fuffered him to be prayed for through all the Mofc/nes of their Dominions, and his Name to be inferted in the Pullick Offices $ even be- I % fora

1*2 The Life of Mahomet.

fore their own , as if they had flill been no more than his Lieutenants in the Government , as in former times ; yet as to all things relating to the Go vernment of their particular States, they difowned all manner of Obedience unto him , and often depofed him , and put another in his (lead , as they thought would bed fuit with their Intereft , v;hich was ufually done according as this Prince or that Prince made thcm- felves Matters of Bagdat, the City where the Caliph refided , till at length the Tartars came in, and in that Deluge of Deftrudiion with which they did over run all the Eajl, put a total end to their * AbuIFara- e very Name and Being , as well as their ghius, p.339. Authority. Ever fincethat time, moft Mahometan Princes have a particular Officer appointed in their Refpedivs Dominions, who fuftains this Sacred Authority, formerly inveited in the Ca lif bs, who in Turky is called the Mufti, and in Perjta the Sadre ; but they be ing under the Power of the Princes that appoint them , are mod an end made ule of for no other purpofe, but as Tools of State to ferve their Intereft, and make the Law fpeak what at any time they ihall judge mofl ngreeable

to

The Life of Mahomet. Ilj

to it, how wicked and unjuft foever

As foon as Mahomet had finiflied his MofyM at Medina, he always, if on the place, officiated in it himfelf both in Praying/ and alfo in Preaching to the People *, for which he had no other convenience at firft, than a piece of a Beam, or the Stamp of a Palm tree dro- ven into the Ground , on the Top of which he leaned when he did officiate, But being now inverted with the Su preme Authority , he thought this too mean an accommodation for his Digni ty ; and therefore by the advice of one of his Wives, caufed a Pulpit to be built for him which had two Steps up into it, and a Seat within to fit on ; and this the Impoftor ever after made ufe of, leaving his Beam.. And thofe, who writing of Mahomet's Miracles , tell us among others, That a Beam groaned at him f, p^0fk^' mean this Beam which they fay groan- Specc0<Hk ed at Mahomet's leaving of it, thereby Arab. p.i83 exprefling its grief for being thus de- ferted. Othman Eln Ajfan, when he came to be Caliph, hung his Pulpit with \*1™C™7. Tapiftry, and Moawias advanced it high- Eutychius,' cr, adding fix Steps more to it. For Tom. a. p. being s 16 exceeding Fat that he could p^ighius, I 3 not p.ja4.

AW Fara- hius, P 102.

"

*AbnlFeda.

Chriftiani,

€.13. Po- cockii Spec.

Life of Mahomet.

not ftand while he officiated, as all his Predeceflbrs had done , he was forced to fit when he preached to the Peo ple ; and therefore that he might be the better heard , he raifed the Tulpit to this heighth, and fo it now remains in that Mcfque at MeJwa eyeji to this day.

This Year he kd forth his Army h againft Cbailar , a City inhabited by Arals of the Jewijh Religion, who being overthrown by him in Battel, he be- fieged their City and took it by Storm. And here thofe who are the Magnifiers of Alt, tell this Miracle of him, Thai in the Aflauh, Sampfcn-\\kQ , he plucked up one of the Gates cf the City, ( which was pf that weight , feith Alul Feda* that eight other Men could not move it ) and held it before him for a Shield to defend himfelf againft the befieged, till the City was taken. On Mahomet's entring the Town , he took up his Quarters in the Houfe of Harethy one pf the Principal Inhabitants of the Place, whofe Daughter * Zaittal making ready a Shoulder of Mutton for his Supper, poyfoned it. And here thofe who are for afcribing Miracles to Mahomet 9 tell us> That the Shoulder of Mutton

fpoke

77>e Life of Mahomet. 125

fpoke to him, and difcovered that it was poyfoned; but it feems if it did fo, it was too late to do him any good. For Bajherj one of his Companions, falling on too greedily to eat of it, fell down dead on the place. ; And although Ma homet had not immediately the fame Fate, becaufe not liking the tafte, he fpit out again what he had taken into his Mouth, yet he let down enough to do his bufmefs. For he was never well after this Supper, and at three Years end died of it. The Maid being asked why Ihe did this, anfwercd, That flie had a mind to make trial whether he were a Prophet, or no. For were he a Prophet, laid flie , he would certainly know that the Meat was poyfoned ; and therefore would receive no harm from it ; but if he were not a Prophet, Ihe thought ftie ihould do the World good Service in ridding it of fo wicked a Tyrant.

After this * he reduced under hisfub* kEImacim je&ion BeJer, Wattha, and Selalitna , lib»*- «•«« which were alfo Towns belonging to the Jemfb Arals , who rendred to him on Articles ; and thefe were, That they fliould continue in their former Habita* tions , paying for Tribute one half of I 4 the

Tfce Life of Mahomet.

the Income of their Date Trees every year ; bat to be at his difcretion to ex pel them when he fhould think fit. Un der the protection of which Agree ment they ftill retained their former PofTeffi* ens, and dwelt in them without any di- flurbance, till the Reign of Omar, who pretending that Mahomet had given charge in his laft Sicknefs not to permit two ^Reiiyons in Aralia , drpve them all oiit.

f leg. a. April The Imprfor by thofe many Acquifi-

30^.0.629. tions having now in.creafed his Strength

^•^VVJ to an Army of Ten thoufand Men, re*

folved to make hirnfelf Matter of Mecca,

and therefore pretending they had bro-

1 AbuiFara- ken the Truce, l marched fuddenlyupon

ghius,p.io3. them, before they were aware of his

Elmacinus, ^ r r ^ •

lib, i. c. *. uefign,- and therefore being totally un provided in that Surprize to put thim- felves into a Pofture of Defence againft him, .they found themfelves neceffitated to yield unto him. Whereon Alu So- phian taking with him Al Alias , one of the Uncles of the Impoftor (who a I- though of his Religion^ had it feems tar ried lljll at Mecca} went out unto him, and by turning Mahometan , faved.his life ; and the City, without any oppofi-

tion,

The Life of Mahomet.' 117

tton, was rendred to him at difcretioru On his entry into it having put to death fuch as had been moft violent againft him, all the reft, without any further oppofition fubmitted unto him, and em braced his Religion. And therefore having thus made himlelf abfolute Matter of the place , he immediately fet himfelf to purge the Caala of its Idols, and confe- crate that Temple anew to his Religion^ as having refolved (till to continue it in its priftine honour, by making it the chief place of Worfliipforall of hisSed". There m were a multitude of Idols with- "" PococMi in the Temple , and as many without, /S. (landing round its Area y all which Ma- 95,97,98. hornet caufed to be pulled down and de- ftroyed , and the place to be totally cleared of them. The chief among thofe Idols were thofe of Abraham and IJmael within the Temple, and that of Holall without. The reft were of Angels and Prophets^ and others of their principal ^

Saints departed , whom they worfhip* ped only as Mediators, in the fame manner as the Romamfts now do their Saints, and the Images which they ereft unto them. For the Arabians always held, that there was n but one only GW, the nPococki/ Creator and Gwernor of all t king* * whom ^P^-Hifl

Q ' , Arab. p3g.

they jo7l5cio8

1 1 8 The Life of Mahomet.

they called Allah Taal, i. e. the Supreme God, and God of Gods, and Lord of Lords> whom they durft never reprefent by any Image. But being ( as they held ) fo great and high as not to be approached to by men while here on Earth, but through the mediation of Advocates or Interceflors interpofing for them unto him in Heaven ; That Angels and Holy Men Beatified might perform this Office for them, was the reafon that they fet up their Images, and built them Temples, and directed their Worfhip and Devo- fcfc: tionsunto them. And in this did con- fifl the whole of the Arabian Idolatry, which Mahomet now by deftroying thefe Idols, put a total end unto.

As foon as it was heard among the Neighbouring Arabs, that Mahomet had made himfelf Matter of Mecca, the 0 Elmacin. ° Hawazins, the Thakifians , and feveral Kb, j. c, i. other Tribes, immediately gathered to gether under the Command of Melee Eln jAuf) to fall upon him before he fliould increafe his Power any further. Here- on Mahomet appointing Gayat Eln Afad to be Governor of Mecca , marched out againft them with Twelve thoufand men. In the Valley of Honaina, which lieth between Mecca and Taytf > both

Armies

The Life of Mahomet. 119

Armies met, and in the firft Encounter Mahomet P was beaten , though much fuperior to the Enemy in number, and driven back to the Walls of Mecca, * which he afcribes to the overconfi- /^Alcoran. dence of his men in their Numbers; which caufing them to negled: their Enemy, did thereby give them this ad vantage over them. But the Impoftor r having gathered up his (battered rBidawj& Forces, and rallied them again into a Bo- Zanuchfcat dy, a<3:ed more cautioufly in the fecond Conflid , and then , r as he faith , by f Alcoran, the help of invisible Troops of Jngels, c * ( which* are reckoned by fome Commen tators on the Alcoran^ to be Eight thou- fand, and by others to be Sixteen thou- fand) gave his Enemies fuch a total defeat, * that he took from them their * Elmadn; Baggage , with their Wives and Ghil- lib- '• c* *•• dren , and all their Subftance , which confifted moftly of great Flocks of Sheep, and Herds of Cattle. For thefe being of the Nomad Arabs } it was their Cuftom to carry their Wives and Chil dren, and all that they had with them, where-ever they moved. After this Battel, thefe People fent Awlaffadors unto him to pray the reftoration of their Wives and Children, to whom Mahomet

gave

i jo The Life of Mahomet.

gave this Option, to chufe which they would have again reftored unto them, either their Wives and Children, or their Goods : Whereon they having chofen their Wives and Children, Ma- bowet divided all their Goods which he had taken from them among his Sol diers. Only Melic Eln Auf, thejr Ge neral , now he faw his Power was fuch as no more to be refifted, came in and embraced his Religion, and thereon had all his Goods again reftored unto him. ttPocockii The remaining part of the Year u was Hift. Arab, fpent in demolilhing the Heathen Tern- p. 91, & 92. pies ^ ancj decoying their Idols in all

places through Arabia, where his Power reached. To which purpofe feveral of his Commanders being fent out with Parties, SWdeftroyed the Idol of Me- nah ,• CbaliJ. that of Al Uzza, and the Temple of Bo/a built thereto, and others the reft of them. So that this Year proved very fatal to the Idols of the Arals , they being moft of them nowdeftroyed, and the former Worfliip- pers of them forced to fubmit to Matt* ntef, and embrace his Impofture.

Hegip.April And now having brought moft parts ao.Ap.63o, Of Artfa under his Power, theenfuing

The Life of Mahomet.

Year vv he turned his Arms towards S/- ria, and poffeffed himfelf of fahc , a Town belonging to the Greek Empire, lib. i. c. and from thence falling on the Prices of Dauma and Eyla> forced them to become Tributaries unto him, and then returned to Medina in the Month Rajet. While he wasabfent on this Expedition, the TajtfianS) whom he had begun to befiege the former Year, being much prefled by fome of his Lieutenants, whom he had committed the profecu* tion of that War unto , were forced to fubmitand embrace his Impofture, which they had afore been fo averfe unto ; of which he having received an account on his return , he Tent thither Abu Sophia* to difarmthem of all their Weapons and Inflruments of War, and appointed Otb- man Eln Alulas to be their Governor. And this was the laft Year in which he went to the War.

And now the Power of the Impoftor Heg. 10. being much increafed, the Fame of it fo April 9. terrified the reft of the Arals, which had s^r\j not yet felt his Arms, x that they all xElmacin. came in and fubmitted to him, and em- ^ i*F d* braced his Impofture. So that this Year his Empire and his Religion became efta-

blifhed

The Life of Mahomet.1

bliflied together through all Aralta, and he fent his Lieutenants into all parts of it to govern in his Name, who de- ftroying the Idol Temples^ and all other the Remains of the Arabian Idolatry ^ where-ever they came, fet up his new- invented Religion in its (lead, and forced all men by the power of the Sword to conform thereto*

The greateft part of this Year being fpent in ordering 'and fettling thefe Matters, * towards the end of it Maho met took a Journey in Pilgrimage to

Mecca, and entred thither on the Tenth

ghius,p. 103. day of Dulhaga, which is the great day of that Solemnity , where a great Con* courfe of people reforted to him from all parts of Arabia, whom heinftru&ed in his Law , and then returned again to Medina. This Pilgrimage of his is by his Followers called the Pilgrimage of Valediftion , becaufe it was the laft which he made.

But although he was arrived to this heighth , yet he wanted not Oppofers, who gave him great difturbance in this his new-acquired Empire. For feveral others feeing how he had advanced him-

fell

» Elmacln. lib. j. c. r. Abul Feda. Abul Fara-

The Life of Mahomet.'

felf to be a great King, by pretending to be a Prophet , thought to do fo too. z Among whom the Chief was Mofaikma, who fet himfelf up with this Pretence in g^us,p. 103, the Country of Tamama, and gathering a ^"J^'&a great Company after him, preached to Difputatio * them, That he was ailbciated with Ma* Ch«ft»ni, hornet in the Prophetick Office, and cap* I7' fent with the fame Commiffion to re duce them from Idolatry to the true Worfhip of God, and in order thereto he alfo publifhed his Alcoran among them. For which reafon the Mahome tans call him the Lying Mofailema, and fpeak of him always with detefla- tion. However, he increafed to a very confiderable Power,' leading a great Ar my after him. a And at the fame time a Elmadn. Afwad ftarted up in Hamyar , or the Countrey of the Homerites, with the fame Pretence, and feized on Sanaa , Nafra, and Tayif. And after him Ta- liha, and others, thought to have plaid the fame Game, but could not hit on the fame Succefs, being all in their turns fubdued and brought to nothing. But this Work Mahomet not being able to undertake himfelf, was forced to leave it to his Succeflbr,

For

Heg. rt.

March 28. A. D.63 2. w-X~V~v. » Abul Fara- ghius, p. 103. Elmacin. lib. r. c i. Eutychius Tom. i. p 25;. Abui Feda. Al Jannabi. Al Kodai. Shareftani,

« Bochari. Shareftani. Al Jannabi. Pocockii Spec. Hifl*, Arab. p. 178, 177.

The Life of Mahomed

For after his return b to Medina from his late Pilgrimage , he began daily to decline through the force of that Poyfon which he had taken three years before at Cailar, which ftill working in him, at length brought him fo low, as forced him on the • 28th day cf Saphar ( the fecond Month of their Year ) to take his Bed, and on the twelfth day of the following Month he died, after having been Sick thirteen days. The begin ning of his Sicknefs was a flow Fever, which at length made him delirous, whereon c he called for Pen , Ink, and Paper, telling them that he would di ctate a Book to them , which fhould keep them from erring after his Death. But Omar would not admit this, faying, The Alcoran fufficeth, and that the Pro- phet, through the greatnefs of his Ma- Jady knew not what he faid. But others who were prefent, were of ano ther mind, and exprefled a great defire that the Book might be wrote, which their Prophet fpoke to them of,- where on a Contention arofe between them, fome being of Omar's mind , and fome of the contrary ; at which Mahomet ta king offence, bid them all be gone, tellifrg them, That it did not become

them

The Life of Mahomet.

them thus to contend in his prefence. So the Book was not wrote, the lofs of which was afterwards lamented by . fome of his Followers as a great Gala* nrity to their Caufe*

During his Sicknefsd, he much com- <*AbulFeda, plained of the Bit which he had taken Eb™>i Athir. at Cailar , telling thofe that came to vifit him , That he had felt the Tor ments of it in his Body ever fince ; that at times it brought on him very dolorous Pains, and that then it was going to break his very Heart-firings. And when among others, there came to fee him the Mother of Bajkar, who died on the fpot of that Poyfon, e He cried out, cAiJannabi. 0 Mother of Balhar , the Veins of my Heart are now treating of the Bit which / eat with your Son at Chaibar. So it feems notwithstanding the intimacy he pretended with the Angel Gabriel, and the continual Revelations which he brag* ged that he received from him, he could not be preferved from thus perifhing by the Snares of a filly Girl.

On his Death there was great Gon- fufion among his Followers. Many of { Abui Feda, them f would not believe that he could AI j^nabf, dye. For, faid they, how can he dye, Pocockii fince he is to be a Witnefs to God for us ? Spec Hid.

Arab,?. 179*

13 6 The Life of Mahomet.

// cannot le /0, be is not dead ^ lut is only taken away for a feafon , and will return again, as did Jefus. And there fore they went to the Door of the Houfe where the dead Corps lay, crying our, Do not Bury him , for the Apoftle of God is not Dead. And Omar being of the lame mind, drew his Sword, andfwore, That if any one fhould fay that Maho met was dead , he would immediately cut him in pieces. For (faidhe) the Apoftle of God is not dead, but only gone for a feafon ; as Mofes, the Son of Am- ram, was gone from the People of Ifrael for forty Days, and then returned to them again. For the corapofmg of this Dif- order, Alu Beker came in , crying out unto them , Do you worfiip Mahomet, or the God of Mahomet ? If you worjhip the God of Mahomet , be is Immortal andliveth for ever; lut as to Mahomet^ he certainly is dead. And then from fe- veral Paflages in the Alcoran, he proved that he muft dye as well as other Men. Which having fatisfied Omar and his Party, they then all took it for granted that Mahomet was dead, and no more to return to Life again till the general Refurredion of all Mankind. What goes fo current among us, as if the Mahome tans

The Life of Mahomet.

tans expected Mahomet again to return to them here on Eartfr , is totally an Error. There is no fuch Dodrine among them, nor a re there any of them that ever fancied fuch a thing, fince the time that Omzr was convinced of his miftake herein.

But this diforder was no fooner ap- peafeds, but another arofe to a much « greater heat about his Burial. The A/0- ghius,p. hagerins, that is, thofe who accompa- nied him in his Flight from Mecca, would Abui Feda. have him carried thither, to be buried ^acr^f* in the place where he was Born. The s^SxLHHK Anfars, that is, thofe of Medina, who Arab. p. 180, joined with him, would have him bu ried there where he died. And there were others, who had a fancy to have him carried to Jerusalem , and there buried among the Sepulchres of the Prophets .\ For that, faid they, was the City of the Prophets. And while each Party drove to have their own way complied with, the Conteft grew fo high, that they had like to have all gone together by the Ears ,• but that thewifdomof Alu Beker compofed this matter alfo. For he coming in , told them, That he had often heard from the Prophet himfelf, that Prophets were K z to

i } 8 The Life of Mahomet.

to be buried in the place where they died. And then without more ado c6m- manded the Bed whereon he lay to be plucked out, and a Grave to be imme diately dug under it, to which all con- fented , and there they buried him forthwith in the place where he died , which was in the Chamber of Aye/ha, his bed beloved Wife, at Medina ; and there he lieth to this day, without Iron Coffin, or Load/tones to hang him in the Air, as the Stories which common ly go about of him among Chriftians fa- b Piinhis, lib. buloufly relate. There was indeed h 34. c. 14. one Dfaocrates, a famous Architect, that had a device by building the Dome of the Temple of Arfinoe at Alexandria, of LoaJftone, to make her Image all of Iron hang in the middle of it, as if it were in the Air; but there was no fuch Attempt ever made as to Mahomet's Carkafs. For that being buried in the manner as I have .related , hath lain in the fame place without being moved • Appindix or difturbed ever fince, only they have

at'Ge°fjab' kufo over ** * a ^ma^ Chappel , which enfemcap, s" joineth to one of the Corners of the Thevenoc chief Mofque of that City, which was

§0*2 t'ie ^ that was ever ere^:ec' to t'iat chap, 3*1. impious Superftition , Mahomet himfelf

being

The Life of Mahomet. i ;jj>

being the firft Founder of it, as hath been afore related. Here fuch Pilgrims as think fie, on their return from Mecca, call in to pay their Devotions, but there is no Obligation from their Law for it. The Pilgrimage which that en joins being to be performed to the Caala at Mecca, and not to the Toml of the Impoflor at Medina , as fome have erro- neoufly related.

And thus ended the Life of this wick ed Impoflor k 5 being full Sixty three * Eutychius years old on the day in which he died, Tom- 2» that is, according to the Arabian Ac- Ei count, which make only Sixty one of lib, our Years. For Twenty three years he Ahb.^ had taken upon him to be a Prophet, Abui'peda of which he lived thirteen at Mecca, Aijannabi. and ten at Medina. During which A1KodaiAc. time, from very mean beginnings, he arofe by the Impulfe of his Ambition , and the Sagacioufnefs of his Wit, to that heighth, as to make one of the greateft Revolutions that ever hapned in the World, which immediately gave Birth to an Empire , which in Eighty years time extended its Dominions over more Kingdoms and Countries, than ever the Roman could in Eight hundred. And although it continued in its ftrength K 3 not

i c.r.

140

Life of Mahomet.

not much above Three hundred Years, yet out of its Afhes have fprung up many other Kingdoms and Empires^ of which there are three at this day , the largeft and moft Potent upon the face of the Earth ; \ mean the Empire of Turfy, the Empire of Perjfa, and the Empire of the Mogul in India ; which God hath permitted of his All- wife Pro vidence flill to continue for a Scourge unto us CbriflianS) who having recei ved fo holy and fo excellent a Religion through his mercy to us in Jefus Chrift cur Lord> will not yet conform our felves to live worthy of it.

He 1 was as to his Perfon of a proper Stature, and comely Afpecft, and af-

r OL J i » /-it

fe(3*cd much to be thought to refemble Abraham. He had a very piercing and

f3§acious wit- And for the accom- plilhing of the Defign which he un dertook, was thoroughly verfed in all the Arts whereby to infinuate into the favour of Men , and wheedle them over to ferve his purpofes, to which he chiefly owed the fuccefs of his Under taking.

Barthplo- For the firft part of his Life m he led a very wicked and licentious Courfe, tTcha" much delighting in Rapin, Plunder, and

ni, £c. Blood-

lib. i.e. r.

Abunazar.

Abui Feda. AiKodal

Tie Life of Mahomet. 14 l

Bloodflied , according to the ufage of the Arabs , who moftly followed this bind of Life, being almoft continually in Arms one Tribe againft another , to plunder and take horn each other all they could. However , the Mahometans would have us believe, That he was a Saint from the fourth year of his Age. For then, n fay they, The Angel Gabriel n Liber> took him from among his Fellows, while Generations at play with them, and carrying him J-*- afide, cut open his Breatt , an< & Johannes An- out his Heart, and wrung out of it that dreas, c. i black drop of Blood, in which, fay they, *$j^: was contained the Femes peccati , fo dagnoipi^- that he had none of it ever after. And e Jibro Agar. yet in the Forty eighth Chapter of his ggggj; Alcoran, he brings in God giving him a pm i. c. ^, large Charter of Pardon for all his Sins paft and to come.

His two predominant Pafiions were Ambition and Lull. The courfe which he took to gain Empire , abundantly fhews the former ; and the multitude of Women which he had to do with, proves the later. And indeed thefe two run thorough the whole Frame of his Reli gion ; there being fcarce a Chapter in his Alcoran , which doth not lay down foine Law of War and Bloodlhed for K 4 the

The Life of Mahomet.

the promoting of the one ; or elfe give fome liberty for the ufe of Women here, or fome promife for the enjoyment of them hereafter, to the gratifying of the other.

While Cattigha lived, ( which was till

the fiftieth year of his Age ) I do not

find that he took any other Wife. For

fhe being the rife and foundation of his

Fortunes, it feems he durft not difpleafe

her, by bringing in another Wife upon

her. But fhe was no fooner dead , but

° Appendix he multiplied them to a great ° num-

af.Geo^a, . ber ; befides feveral Concubines which

phiam Nubi- 7

enfem, c. 8. he had. They that lay the feweft , al- ]ow him to have married P Fifteen, but . others reckon them to have been * One &c and twenty, of which Five died before

d*' kim, Six he repudiated , and Ten were alive at his Death. But the Tenth, with Yufef whom he contra&ed but a little before ti™ tatSSs his, ?icknefs , was never brought home ad Mufladi- to nis Houfe. The Names or the other num Sadum, Nine u ere, Aye/ka, the Daughter of Alu Btksr ; Haphfa, the Daughter of Omar ,• ZewJa, the Daughter of Zama • Zamal) the Daughter of Hajheth ; Jewezra, the Daughter of fjareth; Sephia the Daugh ter el Hai\ Em Sekma^ Em fialila, and JMaimuna*

Ayejba,

The Life of Mahomet. 145

Aye/ha, the Daughter of Alt* Beker, was his bed beloved Wife. He married her very young, as hath been before re lated ; and although flie was a very wan ton Woman, and r given to hold amo- r Difputatio rous Intrigues with other Men, and on c^Com- that account Mahomet was moved to put mentatores her away ; yet his love to her was fuch, in that he could not part with her. But to c* a4* falve her Reputation, and his own in keeping her, the Twenty fourth Chapter of the Alcoran was compofed,and brought forth as fent from God to declare her.in- nocent ; wherein he tells his Muflemans^ That this Charge againft her was an Im- pojltire, and an impudent Lye, and for bids them any more to fpeak of it , threatning a fevere Curfe both in this Life, and that which is to come, againft all thofe who fhould accufe of Immode- fty, Women Chafte, Innocent, and Faith ful. Mahomet marrying her young, took care to have her bred up r in all the Learning then going in Aralia, efpeci- phiamNubi- ally in the Elegancy of their Language, enfem, c. 8. and the Knowledge of their Antiquities, t D.f ^ and flie became one of the moft accom- chriS?0 pliflied Ladies of her time in that Coun- c.$. Elma- try. She was a f bitter Enemy to Alt, A^V c4'

«!• IT*/- \*r »• Abul rara-

he being the Perfon that discovered her ghius. Abul

Incon

»44

i* For flic dyed th* Fifty eighth Tear of the Hegera, EI- macin. lib, i. c,;.

vv Johannes Andreas, 03.

The Life of Mahomet.

Incontinency to Mahomet , and there fore employed all the Intereft fhe had on every Vacancy that after happen'd, to hinder him from being chofen Ca liph, although , as Son-in-Law to the Imfoflor^ he had the faireft pretence thereto ; and when at lad, after having been thrice put by, he attained that Dignity, fhe appeared in Arms againft him ; and although fhe prevailed not that way, yet fhe proved his ruin by caufing that Defection from him, which at length was the undoing of him and all his Houfe. She u lived Forty eight Years after the Death of Mahomet., and was in great Reputation with her Sed1, being called by them the Prophetefs > and the Mother of the Faithful. And in mod points of difficulty cbncerning their Law, they had recourfe to her, to know what had been the Senfe of the Impoftor while alive, in the Parti cular doubted of; and whatfoever An- fwer fhe gave, went for an vv Authen- tick Tradition among them ever after. For all their Traditions^ which compofe their Sonnah , are pretended to be deri ved either from her, or fome of Maho met's ten Companions, that is, thofe ten who firft came in unto him. But

her

17;* Life of Mahomet. 145

her Teftimony to a Tradition is reckon ed the moft Authentick ; and next her, that of Alclorrafyman Eln Auf. For x * Gemius in being of all others the moft familiarly "°5Jsad Muf-

D - • t r t T n iii Jaainum oa-

Converfant with the Impojtor all the dum, ^578. time that Scene of Delufion was a&ing by him, and a Perfon of extraordinary Memory ; he was moft confided in for the giving of an exad: account of all his Sayings and Doings relating to his Religion^ and there are reckoned no few er than 5 $40 Traditions among them, which are built upon his Authority only. This AlJorrahman is alfo called Ala Hareira 9 that is , the Father of a Cat) which Name Mahomet gave him for the fondnefs he had for a Cat, which he was ufed moft an end to carry with him in his Bofom where-ever he went. For it is ufual in the Arabick Totigue, when a Man is remarkable for any one particular thing , thus to exprefs it, by calling him the Father of it. * And fo y Bochartus Chalid, who was Mahomet's Hoft when in Hierozoi, he firft came to Medina, was for his {ib'TciV remarkable Patience called Abu Job , that is, the Father of Job , or of the Patience of Job. And this is that Jol> * who dying at the Siege of Conftanti- « Elmacin. nopkt when befieged by the Saracens , lib. i. c.7-

was

146

The Life of Mahomet.

was there buried under the Walls of the City, and hath his Tomb there to be feen *RicautVH/. even to this day, a where all the Grand

s*&nlors g° f°rth to ^ inaugurated, when they firft take upon them the Regal Au-

man Empire,

CapkiV Smith's Brief

nopie. * Johannes Andreas, 0,7.

e Abul Fed*.

BibliZ Orientalis,

Arab. pa. d De confu-

MaTomftt

n», cap. 2.

? r *• , •

rGentmsm

nods ad Mudadmum

Haphfa, the Daughter of Omar , was next to b Ayefba , moft in favour with

him? a0d her k6 intruf!ed with the

keeping of the Cheft of his Apofllefbip^ wherein were laid up all the Original papers of hjs pretended Revelations , out of which the Alcoran was compo- fed, as hath been already faid; and the Original Copy of that Book , c Alu Be-

ker^ after the finifting of it , delivered alfo unto her, to be kept in the fame Cheft) which Proves the miftake of jfo- Cannes AnJreas*, in afligning the keep- ing of this Cheft to Ayejha. For it is

n0t IiJ*ely that A*u Bcker W0uld haVG

difpoflefled his own Daughter of this Office, which was fo honourable among them, had flie firft been intruded with it by the Impoftor. Hapbfa was much the elder Woman , and for that reafon probably preferred to this Truft. For

• n j- i \_- • j i

when Ihe died, which was towards the latter end of the Reign of Otbman, fhe was Sixty fix Years <; old, and therefore

muft

The Life of Mahomet. 147

rnuft have been at the Death of the Im* poftor^ at leaft Forty Years old, when Ayefha was not fully Twenty.

Sewda was in leaft favour with him of any of his Wives f , and he intended ' Gentiusm to have put her away ; but flie earned- Mufladinum ly defired him that flie might ftill have Sadum , the Reputation and Honour of being P'5<58< his Wife , promifing him , if he would grant her this, flie would be content no more to lye with him, but to give her turn always to Aye/ha, which Con dition he willingly accepted of out of that great Love which he had for Aye/ha, and fo permitted her to continue in his Houfe as long as he lived.

Zainal was firft the Wife of Zeyd> his enfranchis'd Slave, who being a Woman of great Beauty £, the Old Lecher fell defperately in love with her. But for fear of the Scandal which his taking of her might give, he did all Specim. HifK he could to fupprefs his Flame, till at $Jjfl! length being able to refift no longer, confutatio,

he did break the matter to her , and c- ?

ratio Chnftia-

m, c. 6 Ecchelenfis, Hift Arab. Parti, c. ?. Confutatio Maho* metis, Edita per Le Moyne. Johannes Andreas, c. 6. Guadagnot Traft. a.c. $. Seft. 3. & c. 10. Se&. 2. Zamachftiari Bidawi & alii Commentatores, ad cap. 33. Alcoranl Libet Almawakeph, For«» talit, Fid, lib. 4, Confid, a».

caufed

148 The Life of Mahomet.

caufed Zeyd to put her away, that he might take her to Wife. Which he be ing forced to fubmit to, this gave great Offence to all his Followers, that He, who called himfelf a Prophet , and an Apoftle of God, fent to teach Men his Law, fhould for the gratifying of his Luft, do fo fcandalous a thing. But to falve the matter , out comes the thirty third Chapter of the Alcoran, called the Chapter of Here fie s^ where God Is brought in declaring , That he had married Z,alnal to Mahomet , and given him tree liberty to enjoy her according to his defire; and alfo rebuking him, that knowing God had given him this thing, he fliould abftain fo long from her out of the regard he had to the People, as if he feared them more than God. How ever this could not clear him fo, but that many of his Followers are hard put to it, to excufe him from the Scandal of this Fad:, even unto this day ; and there are fome of them who make no doubt to charge him with Sin on the account hereof. Zainal hereon becoming the Wife of Mahomet^ lived with him to the time of his Death, always glorying and Ecchelenfis vaunting her Self above his other Wives, ift.Arab. tkat h whereas they were married to

p. J. C. 5, — '

The Life of Mahomet. 149

Mahomet by their Parents and Kinsfolk, flie was married to him by God him- (elf who dwells above the Seven Hea vens.

How he married Juweira , hath been already related. * Sapbia was a Jewi/h Woman , and defcended of the Race of the Priefts-, on which account flie was c>- ufed to brag , That Jhe had Aaron for her Father, Mofes for her Uncle, and Mahomet for her Husband. Of the reft of his Wives I find not any thing faid.

Befides thefe , he had a Concubine whom he much loved. She was an k Egyptian Woman , and a Chrtftian of k Abul Fara- the Jacolite Sett. The Governor of f™> P-'0*-

__•'.. /. . . lonannesAn^

Egypt having occanon to treat with dreas, c. 8. him about fome matters, and being in- Beiionius, formed of hisbrutifli Paffion, to gratify R^Jf : s» him herein , and thereby the better in- Confutatio, cline him to his purpofe, fcnt him this c. u.Onta- Maid fora Prefent, flie being then only 2UZs"a. s™ fifteen years old : He immediately fell Guadagnol. in love with her. But how fecret fo- JaiM^'sea ever he managed the Amours for fear a^Commen- of his Wives, Ayefba and Haphfa found tatores, in it out, and cached them together in nnltoS the Fad:. Whereon . they reproached tium Fidel-, him bitterly for it, that he who called Jrjb.4. Con

1 • /- | r UU. 2 ,

hitefelf

150 The Life of Mahomet.

himfelf a Prophet fent from God to teach Men Righteoufnefs , fhould do fuch a thing ; at which being much confound ed, he fwore a folemn Oath , That in cafe they would conceal the matter , and not fay any thing of it to raife a Scandal againft him among his Muffle- mans , he would never have to do with her more. On which Oath they were content to pafs the matter over, and fay nothing of it. But Mahomet's Luft being of greater force with him than his Oath, he could not long hold, but was catched again with her by his Jea lous Wives. Whereon they flew out into a defperate Rage againft him, and after having loaded him with a multi tude of Reproaches both for his Per jury as well as Adultery , went from him to their Fathers Houfes; which raifing a great Noife , and many being offended with him for it, to fmooth the matter again, he hath recourfe to his old Art, and out comes a new Re velation to juftify him in it, the Sixty fixth Chapter of the Alcoran , called the Chapter of Prohibition , wherein he brings in God allowing Mahomet , and all his MuJJlemans to lye with their Maids when they will, notwithftanding their

Wives,

The Life of Mahomet. i J 1

Wives. The firfl; words of that Chap ter are, 0 Prophet, why dofl thou forlid what God hath allowed thee , that thou ' may ft pleafe thy Wives > God hath grant ed unto you to lye with your Maid-Ser vants. Which Law being publifhed, it gave fuch content to his licentious Fol lowers, that no more words were made cf this matter ; but all gladly laid hold of the liberty which he had granted > and ever fince it hath been an efta- bliih'd Law among all of that Se£t> be- fides their Wives m, to keep as many » RicautV Women-Slaves for their Lutt, as they "Jr jf fhall think fit to buy ; and the Children ,/^octo- of the one are as legitimate as the Chil- man E«/W* dren of the other. And the Grand «g- »g^ r> vior> who never marries, hath all his Thevenot, Women under this later Notion, that ^r;I^o is, as his Slaves, and he keeps none n'ius;lib.3. but fuch in his Seraglio ; only after they c. «. & have born him a Son, he fometimcs §g gives them the Name of Sultana, which 30>50,Sc6<J. is, Queen. Ayefoa and Haphfa finding the matter to go thus, and that Maho met had in the fame Chapter threat ncd them with Divorce, unlcfs they fubmic- ted, and were obedient ; they lent their Fathers to him to make their Peace , and again returned to his Houfc, and L totally

c. f o.

1 5 ^ The .Life of Mahomet.

totally fubmitted for the future to his Will in all things ; and from that time he lay with his Maid Mary as often as he pleafed, without their any further Contradiction or Controul , and had a Son by her , who was called Alraham. But after the Death of the Impoftor, no account was had of her or her Son, but both were fent away into Egypt ^ and no mention made of either ever after among them. I fuppofe Ajefba^ out of the hatred which Ihe bore her, procured of her Father, who fucceeded the Impoftor in the Government, to have her thus difpofed of.

« Ahmed One of the main Arguments n which Sbn Zin. the Followers of Mahomet make ufe of to excufe his having fo many Wives, is, that he might beget young Prophets; but notwithstanding this, he left no young Prophet nor Prophetefs neither 6 AbulFara- behind him of all his Wives. Of ° fix ghiui,P,io3. Children, which he had all by CaJigba his firft Wife, and none by any of the others, they all died before him, except ing only Fatima the Wife of Alt, and flic (urvived him only fixty Days.

As the gratifying of his Ambition and his Lull, was tne mam end of his fwfofturc, lo they both continually ap pear

The Life of Mahomet. 1 5 )

p-ar through the whole Contexture of ir. At firft his Ambition had the Pre dominancy in him ; but when that be gan to be fomewhat fatisfied by the Power he had attained to, his Luft grew upon him with his Age, and at length he feemed totally diflblved into it. And there are ftrange things faid of him this way P ; as that he had in Venery the ftrength of forty other Men, and that he knew all his Wives , when he had Eleven of them , one after another in an * hour's time. Whatever Laws he Tna.i. gave to reftrain the Luft of other Men, Rjchardkoi he took care always to except himfeif, faratio, c.s. refoiving it feems to take his full fwing g^T Herein without Let or Controul, accord- c^. ing as the violent bent of his brutifh Appetite this way, fliould lead him.

For, f«P- 7- Gua-'

dagnol ex eo- , dem libro.

1. He r would not allow any other Tra& 2>

to have above Four Wives, but to him- CaP.7..s

r Alcoran

4 „_ _ Alcorart,

think fit^nd he had Ten together at ci^jgj

,

felf r he referved a liberty to marry without reftraint as many as he (herald i Alcoran,

the fame time when he died. c>7

TL. He obliged t all others, who have noi.

two, three, or four Wives, to life f^c

them all equally alike, both as to rhur c<4

L z Cloath-

154 ^7;e Life of Mahomet*

Cloathing, Diet, and the Duties of the Marriage-bed. And in cafe any Wife thinks her felf unequally ufed in any of thofe particulars , and that the Huf» band doth not as largely difpenfe to her of them, as to his other Wives, it is allowed through all Mahometan' Coun tries , that flie make her Complaint to the Judge , and the Law will give her redrefs herein , and force the Husband to do her Juftice. But Mahomet referved liberty to himfelf to do as he (hould fee fit as to this; and therefore when Ibrne of his Wives were aggrieved, be- caufe he (hewed more Favour to the others, and particularly to Ayefha, than to them, and made Complaints againft him on this account ; to (till their Cla mours, he brings in God in the Thirty third Chapter of his Alcoran, giving him full liberty to deal with his Wives as he fhould think fit, to go in to which he plealed, and abftain from which he pleafed ; and commanding them to be content herewith, and alfo to be well- pleafed with whatever elfe he ihould do in reference to them, accepting as a Fa vour from him whatfoever he (hould give them, and take Exceptions at nothing which he (hould be pleafed to order con cerning them. 3. In

The Life of Mahomet, 1 5 j

3. In the Fourth Chapter of his Al coran , which is called the Chapter of Women , he . forbids his Mufjlemans to marry with their Mothers, their Mothers- fn-!aiv, the Wives of their Fathers, their Daughters^ the Sifters of their Fathers, the Sifters of their Mothers, the Daugh ters of their Brottxrs , the Daughters of their Sifters , their Nurfes, their Fofter- fifters, the Mothers of their Wives, the * Sifters of their Wives, the Daughters of their Wives ly other Husbands , the Daughters of Women whom they' have knowny and the Wives of their Sons, and the married Wives of other Men. -And yet in the Thirty third Chapter he brings in God exempting him from this Lawt and giving him an efpecial Privi- ledge to take to Wife the Daughters of his Brother , or the Daughters of his Sifter, and to go in to any other Woman whatsoever of the Believers, that fliall be willing to proftitute her felf unto him. . < But he there takes care to appropriate this liberty fo peculiarly to himlelf alone, that he excludes all others what foe ver from it. For it feems the Old Lecher feared his Luft fhould nor be fufficiently provided for, if any thing lefs than the whole Sex were allowed him for the

L 3

The Life of Mahomet.

gratifying of it ; and therefore would endure no reftraint or limitation upon himfclf herein , how flri&ly foever he lays it upon others. In the above-men tioned Law he forbids the marrying of the Wives of other Men\ and abundant Reafon there is- for it, .that no Man fhould be allowed adulteroufly to take to Wife her that is at the fame time the Wife of another; and yet hetranf- grefled it in marrying the Wife of his Servant 'Zeyd. But to allay the Scan dal and Offence which was taken at it, and to fecure others from fear ing the like Injury and Violence from him, he was content after that to lay a reftraint upon himfelf to do fo no more ; and therefore brings in God , telling him in the fame Thirty third Chapter of his Alcoran, That it fhall not be law ful for him for the future to take ano ther Man's Wife, how much foever he may be taken with her Beauty.

j •

As he was thus brutilhly enflaved to

the Love of Women , fo was he as ex-

ceflr/ely jealous of thofe whom he had

taken to Wife, And therefore to deter

u Alcoran, them from what he feared u, he threat-

c-33; ens them with double the puniihment

of

The Life of Mahomet. M7

of other Wives , both here and here after, in cafe they fliould be falfe unto him. And when fome of his Followers made too frequent refort to his Houfe, and there entred into difcourfe with fome of his Wives, this gave him that Offence, that to prevent it for the future, out comes, as from God, thofe Verfes of the Alcoran vv, wherein he tells them, vv Alcoran, That they (hould not enter into the c<33- Houfe of the Prophet without permit- on; and that if invited to dine with him, they ihould depart as foon as Dinner was over, and not enter into difcourfe with his Wives; that although the Pro- pbet be afliamed to bid them be gone, yet God is not afhamed to tell them the truth. And in the fame Chapter he forbids his Wives to fpeak to any Man, unlefs with their Faces vailed. And this his Jealoufy proceeded fo far, as to go beyond the Grave.^ For he could not bear that any one elfe ihould have to do with his Wives, though after his Death ; and therefore x ilri&Iy forbids x Alcoran, all his Followers ever to go in co any of c>33< them as long as they ihould live. So that although all other Women when repudiated, or become Widows, had li berty to -marry again, all his Wives L 4 were

158 The Life of Mahomet.

were excluded from it. And therefore 7 Johannes all thofe whom he left at his Death ?, Andreas, c.;. };Ved Widows ever after, although fome of them were very young ; as particu larly Aye/ha , who was not then full f.venty Years old, and lived above eight and forty Years after, which was in that hot Country looked on as a very hard reftraint put upon them.

In all thefe Inftances I have mention* ed, it appears how much he made his Impofture ferve his Luft. And indeed * Rictardi almoft the whole of his Alcoran was7* Confututio, in ijke manner framed to anfwer fome purpofe or other of his, according as occafions required. If any new thing were to be put on foot, any Obje&ion Bgainft him or his Religion to be an^ fwered-, any Difficulty to be folved, any Difcontent among his People to be quieted', any Offence to be removed , or any thing eife done for the Intereft of his Deiigns, his conftant recoufe was to the Angel Qafaelfbt a new Reveiar tion^ and out comes fome addition to his Alcoran to ferve his turn herein. So that the moft of it was made on fuch like occafions to influence his Party to what he intended. And all his Com mentators thus far acknowledge it, that

they

The Life of Mahomet. 159

they are on every Chapter very parti cular in afligning for what Caufes and for whofe fakes it was fent down from Heaven unto them. But hereby it came to pafs that abundance of Contradidti- ons got into this Book. For as the In^ « tereft and the Defigns of the Impoftor varied, fo was he forced to make his pretended Revelations to vary alfo , which is a thing fo well known to thofeof his Sett, that they all acknow* ledge it ; and therefore where the Con- traditions are fuch , as they cannot falve them, there they will have one of the contradicting places to be re voked. And they reckon in the whole Alcoran*, above an hundred and fifty aj0riannes Verfes which are thus revoke J $ which Andreas, c a. is the beft ihiftthey can make to folve xraaTcap. the Contradictions and fnconfiftencies of 7. Sea 3. it. But thereby they do exceedingly betray the Unfteadinefs and Inconftancy of him that was the Author of it.

In the beginning of his Impafture, he feemed more inclined to the Jews than to the Chriftians, and in the firft forming of his new-invented Religion , followed the Pattern of theirs more^ than any other. But after his coming to Medina, he took that difguft againft them, that

he

60

The Life of Mahomet.

* Alcoran,

he became their bitter and mod irrecon cilable Enemy ever after, and ufed them with greater Cruelty in his Wars , than any other he had to deal with.

But to the Chriftians he ever carried himfelf with as much favour as could be expe&ed from fuch a Barbarian ; and where-ever they fell under his Power , they had always good terms from him. His general Rule, and which he laid as a ftrid; Obligation upon all his Fol lowers, was to fight for the Propaga- tion of his Religion. And b there were on^ two Conditions on which he grant- e^ Peace to any he had to do with, and tbefc were either to come in to his Reli-

&ionj or fubmit to be Tributaries unto him. They that did the former, were JS?>Orat>1' ac^mittecJ into the fame Privileges and Freedoms with the reft of his Followers : But the latter had only the benefit of his Protection as to their Goods and Per- fons, and free exercife of their Religion, without any other Privilege or Advan tage whatfoever, for which every Man paid an Annual Tribute. But thofe who would not come in, and make Peace with him on one of thefe two Conditi ons, were by his Law to be put to the Sword. And this Law in every one of

its

8. Richardi

Tk Life of Mahomet. 161

its particulars isftill obferved in all Maho metan Countries, even to this day. At firft few fubmitted to him, but fuch as he forced by Conqueft ; but when his Power grew to be formidable , then Multitudes both vtChriftians, and other Religions, flocked to him for his Prote ction, and became his Tributaries. And there hath in this laft Age been publifh'd, firft by Sionita at Paris , and after by Falricius at Roftoch , a Writing in Ara- lick^ which bears the Title of an Anci ent Capitulation of the Chriftians of the Eaft with this Iwpoftor^ which is faid to have been laid up in the Monaftery of Mount Carmel in Palefline, and from thence brought into France, and repofi- ted in the French Kings Library. But c Grot ins rejects it as a Forgery ; and good c In Eplft. ad reafon he had fo to do. For it bears date Gallos« in the fourth year of the Hegera, when Mahc.met was not yet in a condition to fpeak in that Language which he is made to do in that Writing; nor was his Power then jfo formidable, as to move any to pray his Protection , he having not long before been overthrown and beaten at the Battel of 0/W; and at the time this Inflrument bears date (which was the fourth Month of that Year )

not

61 The Life of Mahomet.

not fully recovered from that Blow ; but in the loweft Circumftances he had at any time been fince his taking the Sword for the propagating of his fmpo- fture. And there is another particular in it, which manifeftly difcovers the For gery : It makes Moawtas, the Son of Alu Sophian, to be the Secretary to the Im- poflor, who drew the Inflrument ; where as it is certain, that Moawias, with his Father Alu Sophian, was then in Arms agiinft him ; and it was not till the taking of Mecca, which was Four Years after, that they came in unto him, and to fave their Lives embraced the Impo- flure. This Inflrument is to be read in Engli/by in the Hiflory of the Prefent State of the Ottoman Empire^ Book z. Chap. 2,.

However, this is certain, that the Chriftzans had better Terms from him, than any other of his Tributaries^ and they enjoy them even to this day ; there being no Mahometan Countrey where their Religion is not efteemed the beft next their own, and the Profeflbrs of it accordingly refpecfted by them before the Jews, Heathens, or any other fort of Men that differ from them.

As the Impojlor allowed the 01 J and

New

Life of Mahomet.

New Teftament, fo would he fain prove his Million from both* The Texts which are made ufe of for this purpofe by thole who defend his Caufe, are thefe following :

Deuteronomy, c. 33. v. 2. It is laid, The Lord came from Sinai, and rofe up from Seir unto them ; he Jhineth forth from Mount Pharan^ and he came with ten thou- f and of faints ; from his right hand went a fiery Law for them. By which words they will have d meant the coming down a of the Law to Mofes on Mount Sinai ; Safioddinus. of the Gofpel to Jefus at Jerufalem ; and sp^Hift. of the Alcoran to Mahomet at Mecca. For, Arab. p. is$. fay they, Seir are the Mountains of Je rufalem where Jefus appeared , and Pha- ran the Mountains of Mecca where Ma homet appeared. But they are here much out in their Geography ; for Pha- ran £ is a City of Arabia Petr&ct, near e ptotemy. the Red-Sea , towards the bottom of that Gulph, not far from the Confines of &gyft and Palefline , above Five • hundred Miles diftant from Mecca. It was formerly f an Epifcopal See, under fGeographia the Patriarch of Jerufalem, and famous Sacra enroll for TheoJorus &, once Bifhop of it ,- pan^Pau* who was the firfl that in his Writings i°AlhConci- publifhed to the world the Opinion of lij the Monothclitcs. Ic is at this day cal- ^ a

led P'

1 64 The Life of Mahomet.

Caroius a Jcd h Far a. From hence the Defarts ly- ing from his City to the Borders of Pa- Geographia lejtine, are called the Deferts or Wilder- of pharan* and the Mountains ly-

Chm. 3-Part. . . . , ,, . c ft7

> ing m it, the Mountains ot Pharan3 in

Scripture , near which ^/^5 firft began to repeat , and more clearly ex plain the Law to the Children of Ifrael before his death ; and to that refers the Text abovementioned.

Pfalm 50, v. x. We have it, Out of Sion9 the Perfection of Beauty , God hath flmed. Which the Syriac Verfion reads thus, Out of Si on God hath /hewed a Glo rious Crown. From whence fome Arz- lick Tranflation having exprefled the two laft words by Eclilan Mahmudan , i. e. an Honourable Crown ; by Mabmu- dan, they underftand the Name of Maho met, and fo read the Verfe thus, Out of Sion hath God fhe wed the Crown of Ma homet.

Ifaiah, c. n. v. 7. We read, And he faw a Chariot with a couple of Horfemen^ a Chariot of Affes, and a Chariot of Camels. But the old Latin Per /ion hath it, Et vi~ dit currum cluorum Eqiiitum, Afcenforem Afini , & Afcenforem Cameli : i. e. And he faw a Chariot of two Horfemen, a Rider upon an Afs. and a Rider upon a Camel.

Where

Tie Life of Mahomet. 165

Where by the Rider upon an Afs , they underftand Jefus Cbrift, becaufe he did fo ride to Jerusalem ; and by the Rider on the Camel, Mahomet^ becaufe he was of the AralfansSv&Q ufe to ride upon Camels. John 1 6. 7. Our Saviour tells his Difciples, If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you ; lut if I depart, I will fend him unto you. By the Comforter^ the Mahometans will have their Prophet Mahomet to be here meant ,• and there fore among other Titles which they give him in their Language, one is Paradet \ * Al Janmbi. which is the Greek word here ufed in this P°cockii Text for the Comforter, made Aralick. They alfo fay, That the very Name of Mahomet both here and in other places of the Gofpel, was exprefly mentioned, but that the Christians out of Malice have blotted it out, and corrupted thofe Holy Writings; and that at /V/i there is a k Copy of the Go/pels without thefe Cor- * pOCOckH ruptions, in which the coming of Mabo- SPecim.Hi wet is foretold in feveral places, with his Name exprefly mentioned in them. And fome fuch thing they had need to fay, to juftify the impudent Lye of this Impo- ftor, who in the Sixty firft Chapter of his Alcoran, entitled, the Chapter of Bat- tel, hath thefe words, Remember that e

166 The Life of Mahomet

fus the Son of M&ryfaiJto the Children of Ifrael, I am the Mejjenger of <W, he hath fent me to confirm the Old Teftament, and to declare unto you, That there /hall come a Prophet after we, whofe Name Jball le Mahomet.

There needs no Anfwer to confute thefe Gloffes. The Abfurdity of them is iiifficiently expofed, by barely relating them. And fince they could find nothing elfe in all the Books of the Old and New Teftament to wreft to their purpofe, but thefe Texts above-mentioned, which are to every man's apprehending fo exceed ingly wide of it ; this Jhews at how vaft a diftance the true Word of God is from this Impious Impofture, and how much it is in all its parts contrary thereto.

And thus far I have laid together as exadtly and particularly as I could, out of the belt Authors that treat of this Im- poftor, all that is credibly related of him, and thofe Methods which he took for the framing and propagating that Impious * Forgery which he hath impofed upon fo large a part of Mankind as have been de luded thereinto. And what is my De- jfignin the prefent Publifliing hereof, is fliewn in the enfuing Treatije.

A Difcourfe

A

DISCOURSE

For the Vindicating of

Chriftianity

FR OM THE

Charge oflmpofture.

O F F E R'D,

ByWayofLETTER,

To the Confideration of the DEISTS of the Prefent Age,

By HUMPH KEY PRIDEAUX, D.D« And Arch- Deacon of Suffolk.

eoitiou

LONDON:

Printed for Wittiam Rogers, at the Sun againft

St. Ditnftans Church in Fleetftreef.

MDCXCVIII.

A

LETTER

T O T H E

DEISTS,^

Gentlemen,

IF I am not miftaken, the Reafon you give for your Renouncing that Re ligion ye were baptised into, and is the Religion of the Country in which ye were born, is, That the Gofpei of Jefus Chrift u an Impofture ? An. Aflertion that I tremble to repeat* But whether that Gofpei be right ? or ye are in the right that deny it, will appear from the Con- ^deration of the Nature of an impojlure, and from the Life of that mod infamous A 2 Impoflof

4 v/* Letter to tie Deifts.

Impoflor (whom we, as well as you, ac knowledge to be fuch) \frhich I have be fore given you the exad Figure of. And if you can find any one lineament of it, any one line of all its filthy Features in the whole Gofpel of Jefus Chrift, I durft fay (fo fure I am of the contrary) that for the fake hereof I will give you all you contend for, and yield you up the whole Caufe. And therefore, that we may throughly examine the matter, I will lay downy in the firft place, What an Impofture is ; xdly. What are the ifl- feparable Marks and Characters of it ; And, ;dly. That none of thefe Marks can belong to the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift. And when I have done this, I hope I (hall convince all fuch of you, who have not totally abandoned your felves to your In- fideKty, That the Gofpel of Jefus CMjt is that facred Truth of Got/t which you are all bound to believe.

An Impofture, taking the word in the full latitude of its fignification , may denote any lye QT cheat , whereby one Man impofeth upon another. But it is moft frequently ufed to exprefs fuch Cheats as are impofed on us by thofe who come u irh fa-lfe Characters of themfelves, pretending to be what they are not, in or der

A Letter to the Deifts.

der to delude and deceive. And when this* Character, which is thus falfely aflumed, is no lefe than a pretended Emlaffy from Heaven, and under the credit of it a New Religion is delivered to the World as coming from GoJ9 which is nothing elfe but a Forgery ', invented by the firft Pro pagators of it, to impofe a Cheat upon Mankind, it amounts to be an Iwpoflure in thatfenfe, in which you would have the Gofpel of Jefus Cbrifl to be fuch. And in this fenfe it is to be underftood in the Gontroverfy between us; fo that the whole Queftion which we are to examine into, is, Whether the Chriftian Religion be a Truth really given unto us by Divine Revelation from Go Jour Creator, or elfe a meer Human Invention, contrived by the firft Propagators of it, to impofe a Cheat upon Mankind. And when I have fully disproved the latter part of this Que- Jiion, That the Chriftian Religion cannot be fuch in Invention, contrived to cheat and impofe upon us, that will fufficient- ly prove the former, that it muft be that Divine Truth, which all we that are Chrifiians firmly believe it to be.

That it is poflible fuch a Cheat may be impofed upon Men, cannot be denied. It is fufficiently proved in the foregoing A 3

A Letter to the Deifts.

which is a very full inftance of it ; and I have laid it before you for this very purpofe, that you may therein fee clearly delineated and difplayed in all its proper colours the whole nature of the thing, which you charge our holy Reli gion with. All that I contend for , is, That if Chrifliamty be fuch an Impofture as we all acknowledge the Religion of Mahomet to be, it muft be juft fuch ano ther thing as that is, with all the fame Marks, Characters, and Properties of an Iwpoflure belonging thereto ; and that if none of thofe Marks, Characters, or Pro perties can be difcovered in it , it muft be a clear eviction of the whole charge, and manifeftly prove, That our holy Re ligion cannot be that thing, which you would have it to be. For our only way of knowing things, is by their Marks and Properties ; and it is by them only that we can difcover what the nature of them is- It is only by the Marks and Proper ties of a Man, that we know a Man from another living Creature, for we cannot fee the Eflences of things. And fo it muft be only by the Marks and Properties of an iMpofture, that we can know an Im- pcfiure from that which is a real truth, Vhen attefled unto us. And as where we

find

A Letter to de Deifts.

find none of the Marks and Properties of a Man, we afluredly know that cannot* be a Man, how much foever any one may tell us that it is : So where we find none of the Marks and Properties of an Impo- Jture^ we may afluredly know that can not be an Impoflure, how much foever you, or any other like you, may aflert it fo to be- Now the Marks and Characters which I look on to be infeparable from every fuch Impoflure , are thefe following : i. That it muft always have for its end fome carnal Intereft. ^. That it can have none but wicked Men for the Au thors of it. 3. That both thefe muft neceflarily appear in the very contexture of the Impofture it felf. 4, That it can never be fo framed, but that it muft con tain fome palpable Falfities, which will difcover the falfity of all the reft, y . That where ever it is firft propagated, it muft be done by craft and fraud. 6. That when entrufted with many Confpirators, it Can never be long concealed : And , 7. That it can never be eftablifhed, unlefs backed with force and violence. That all thefe muft belong to every Iwpoflure, and all particularly did fo to Mahometifm $ and that none of them can be charged A 4 upon

rj Letter to the Deifts.

upon Cbnftiamty^ is what I (hall now proceed to fhew you, of each of them in their order.

SECT. \.

I. That every Impofture muft have for its end fome carnal intereft, is a thing fo plain and evident, that I fuppofe it will not need much proof. For to im- pofe a cheat upon Mankind , and in a matter of that great importance, as all that have any Religion, hold that to be, is a thing of that difficulty to compafs, and of that danger to attempt, that it cannot be conceived, why any one fhould put himfelf upon fuch a Defign, that doth pot propofe feme very valuable advan tage to himfelf in the fuccefs. To cheat one Man is not always ibeafy a matter, or is it without its mifchiefs and incon veniences in the difcovery. But to en terprise a cheat upon all Mankind, and in a thing of that importance, as the in- troducing.of a New Religion, and the abo- lifliing of the Old one (to which fo ma ny both by Cuftom and Education will be always zealoufly afft&ed, be it what it will) muft be an undertaking of the greateft difficulty and hazard.im#ginable, t .- .^ For

A Letter to tfa DeiftsJ

For whoever engageth himfelf in fuch a Plot of Impofture, muft unavoidably meet with many ftrong oppofitions to ftruggle . with in the management of it,which will continually put his thoughts upon the rack, to find out devices to furmount them, and his body to inceflant pains and labour to bring them into Execution; and for the effecting hereof, he muft have fomeConfidents to aflift him,fome to help forward the Defign, whom he muft truft with the Secret of it ; and the more he hath of fuch, the more he hazards all to a difcovery. And all this while his Mind will be fill'd with anxious cares, and his thoughts diftra&ed with many uneafy and affrighting apprehenfions (as is ufual with men on wicked defigns ) about the fuccefs, and every failure will expofe him to that terrible revenge from thofe he attempts to delude, as fuch aVillany whenever detected, moft juftly deferves. This was Mahomet's cafe all the while he was propagating his Impoflure at Mecca^ and fo it muft be of every other fuch Iwpoftor alfo. And when a man puts himfelf upon all this, the nature of the thing manifeftly leads us to conclude, he muft propofe fomething to himfelf here by, which may make him amends for all

in

io A Letter to the Deifts,1

in therefult. For when Co much is put to hazard, men do not ufe to do it for nothing. There muft always be fome great intereft in the bottom of fuch a defigq, fomething that the Undertaker values at a more than ordinary rate, to make him engage in fo exceeding diffi cult and dangerous an enterprife. For whereever the venture is great,it muft be taken for granted there is an end propo- which in the eftimation of the Ven turer is equivalent thereto. What it was that put Mahomet on his Impofture, the foregoing Hiftory of his Life fufficiently fhews, it was his Ambition and his Luft. To have the Sovereignty over his Coun try, to gratify his Ambition, and as many Women as he pleafed to fatiate his Luft, was what he aimed at; and to gain him- felf a Party for the comparing of this,was the grand defign of that new Religion which he invented,ind the whole end and reafon of his impofing it on thofe he delu ded thereinto. And whoever purfues the like method muft certainly have fome fuch end in it ; it being totally incredible that" any one Ihould take upon him the trouble5fatigue,and danger of carrying on fuch a Cheat only for cheating fake. But here we challenge all the enemies of that

holy

rA Letter to the Deifts. i t

holy Religion which we profefs, to find out any thing like this in the Go/pel of Jefu* Chrift, any thing that favours of worldly intereft either in him the firfl Founder of our Faith, or in any of his holy Apoftles, who were the firfl Propagators of it. VaninM) one of the moft zealous Cham pions of Impiety that ever appeared againft the ChriJtianCmk (]for he died a Martyr for it) hath attempted this: but after the moft acurate and diligent fearch which fo keen an Adverfary could make, he was forced to give up the Point; and plainly acknowledge, That in the whole Series of the Hiftory and A&ions of our Saviour, he cculd not find any thing that he could charge with fecular intereft or defign to blaft him or his Religion with. And if you will renew the fame attempt, though you extend the enquiry much farther, even to his Apoftles^ and all the reft of his Difciples, who firft preached this holy Religion to the World, and take in to your affiftance all the Enemies of it; after the ftridteft fcrutiny that you can make, you will never have any bet ter fuccefs herein.

For had our Saviours defign been to feduce the People for his own intereft, he muft have taken the fame courfe that

other

A Letter to the Deifts.

other Seducers do.He muft have flattered them in their humours, and formed his dodtrines to their fancies ; courted thofe that were in greateft authority and efteem xvith them, and made it his bufmefsraoft- ly to preach againft and decry thofe who were leaft in their favour, and ftudied and pradlifed all other fuch arts of popu larity, whereby he might beft infinuate into their good liking, and gain that in ter eft with them, as might be fufficient toferve his purpofe, and obtain the end propofed.Thefe were the methods where* by Mahomet firft propagated his Impo- flurey and thefe are they which all others muft take, whofe purpofe it is to deceive the People. But our Saviour in every particular adted contrary hereto ; which fufficiently proves that he had no fuch de- fign to compafs. For he freely preach'd againft whatever he found blameablein the people, fpared not their moft belo ved errors, or framed his dodtrines to in dulge them in any one evil pradice, how predominant foever amongft them ; and was fo far from courting thofe in the greateft authority, and efteem with them, that he was moft fiiarp and bitter againft them above all others, whom they moft idolized, I mean the Strikes and Phari-

'A Letter to the Deifts.

fee s ; For he on all occaftons dete£ted their ffypocrijles, and laid open their evil practices, and in the fevereft manner re buked and condemned them for their ini quity therein, even to the preferring and juftifying before them the wicked fulli- cans, who for their exactions and oppref- fions upon the people in their gathering the publick7*x£j,were held among them the moft hated of men, and the worft of finners. And therefore, though his Afi- racles often drew their admiration and their applaufe on the one hand, his do- &rines and his preachings as faft alienated them from him on the other; fo that thofe very fame Men, who, for the fake of the former , followed him often in multitudes, and were ready to acknow ledge him to be the Meflias, were as vio lently fet againft him at other times, for the fake of the latter, and at laft crucified him on the account thereof. And is it poffible to conceive, that he who took all thofe courfes fo contrary to the hu mour of the people, without regarding how much they tended to exafperate them againft him, fliould have any in- tereft or defign of his own to ferve him- felf of them ?

When our Saviour took upon him to

be

14 A Letter totfa DeiftsJ

be the Mcffias that was promifed, had he done it only as an Impoftor, to promote a fecular intereft and defign of his own, he would certainly have aflumed that chara- d:er,according to thofe Notions in which the Jews expeded him* For in this cafe the expectation of the people muft have been the grand motive to the Impoflure^ and their looking for fuch a Mefias to' come, the main inducing reafon of his putting himfelf thereon, and therefore to be fure, had he been an Impoftor, he would have offered himfelf to them no otherwife thanjuftfucha/J/^j^jas their notions of him would have him to be; and there ate two fpecial reafons which in this cafe would have determined him hereto, i .Becaufe thofe notions offered to him the higheft fecular intereft that could be at tained unto: And z* Becaufe the fuiting of his pretenfions exadtly according to them, would have been the readied and moft likely way for him to carry the in tereft, whatever it was, which you may fuppofe him to have aimed at.

And, firft, the notions which the Jews had of the Mejfias, offered him the high- eft fecular Intereft that could be attained unto ; and therefore to be fure, when he took upon him to be that Meffiasi had

he

A letter to the Delfts." i f

he done it only as an Impoflor, for a fecu- !ar intereft, he would have laid hold of that intereft offered, and under theChara- #er which he aflum'd , moft certainly have claim'd all that which according to thofe notions the Meffias was to have. For this was nothing lefs than a moft glorious fecular Kingdom ; the expedatiens of the 'jews being then concerning this matter the fame as they have ever fince continu ed amongft them; that the

Mpfli** * was to he a Seen- ™e Mefllas ffi*a f™' ***

Mejpas was to DC a oecu Tefm the Kingdom of the Hmfe

lar Pnnce, WhO Was tO de- of David to the ancient ftate of

liver them from their ene- *' f0™*; ^minion , and $>&

J n. ^U t/- rebuild the Temple, and gather

mies, and reftore the King- ,9£ether the dt^rfed of ffrael .

dom of David ^Jerufalem^ *nci tk™ fi*tt be re.eftabUjked all

and there reign in great ^^^^^^

glory and fplendor over a* floe h offered, andthesab-

the whole Houfe of Ifrael. b*tic*1 Years *nd ^iices obfer-

And what greater or more 2£Tt*,£ T^/S

defirabfb intereft Can this monidesinYadHafhazekahin

World afford, than fuch a T^-^Regibus& Belli*

n. r j A eorum, cap. 1 1^ feft. j.

ftate of advancement? And what is there that is more valued and efteemed in the opinion of all mankind, than the attainment thereof? And at that time when our Saviour firft appeared on his Mi/ion, there was the moft favourable jun&ure that could offer it felf, for his fet- ting up for all this ;. For then the People

of

t Mark

v. 43.

A Letter io th DeiffisJ

of the Jews being fallen under the Yotfe of the Roman Government,and alfo grown very impatient under it,entertained a ge neral expectation of the fpeedy Coming of the Meffias, under that Charader of a Temporal Prince^ which they had conceit ed of him, to deliver them from this bon dage, and by conquering thofe who fob- je&ed them thereto, again reftore the Kingdom of Ifrael. And thefe hopes had then taken that pofleflion of their minds, Luke 2. and they were all fo full of them, that every one flood in a manner ready and prepared to join with him , whofoever fhould take upon him to be the Perfonj as fuffictendy ap- peareth not only from 4 t\\zScripture j,but alfo from the Hiftory which t*)5fy/£- phus wrote of thofe times. And therefore had our£i- viour, by taking upon him to be the Meffias , aimed only,as an Impoftor&t a Se cular Intereft , What rea- fon can be given, why he fhould not with the Name of the Meffias, have aifo claimed

From all which places compa red together, it appears , that there was among the Jews, in the time of our Saviour, a ge neral expeftation of the fpeedy Coming of the Mejfias, and that their notion was of a temporal deliverance, and a temporal re- ftoration of the Kingdom of jfrael to be effefted by him. And this expe&ation was it which rrJde the multitude fo ready to join themfelves to Tkeudas, and after to J tufas of Galilee, of whom mention is jnade^/j 5. *v. 36, 37. and af ter that to an Egyptian Jew, Atts 21. v. 38. on their pre tending to be the Perfons from whom this deliverance Was ex pected.

O Jofepfav noc °nty makes mention of Theudas, and Jttd0t and the Egyptian, of

A Leter to tie Deiitg.

Claimed this grand intereft of a Kingdom, which ac cording to the Opinion of all thofe who expected a Mela's, belonged thereto ? or why he fliould not in fo favourable a juncture, as was then dffer'd for it, hive poflefled himfelf thereof? But he was fo far from doing either of thefe, that he Waved both, and not only omitted this op portunity of poffefJing himfelf of this Kingdom, but alfo renounced and difclaim'd the whole there of. For inftead of laying any pretence to it, he fet himfelf to confute thofe very Notions which gave it unto him, and to convince the People that they Vvere iniftaken in them, and thereby overthrew all that which offered unto him the higheft Secular Intereft which the Men of this World ufe to aim at. And not only fo, but advanced

B

whom we have an account in Scripture, Antiq. lib. 20. c. a. & c. 6. but alfo of feveral o- thers who on ths fame pre tences found the multitude ready to join themfelves unto them. Antiy. lib, 20. c. 6, & f. &• de- Bello Judjico , lib. 7. £.31. As did alfo Barcfatsbap jn the Reign of Adrian the Ro man Emperor. A»id what Mai- monides delivers 6f the Do&rine of the Jews concerning this matter, might giye any man an handle to oifer at ir. For, faith he, the Mt flits is not to be known by Signs or Won* ders (for he is to work none) but only by conqueft. And therefore his Words are. . if there arifeth a King of the Honfe if David, Txtko is jhidious of the I^av , and diligent in o&fervine the Precepts of it, as TV as Da via Bit Father ; that is , not only of the Law , wJoicb is writ fen , but- rfthe Oral alfo, and incltneth alt Ifrael to walk therein ,. and re pairs tht breaches, and fights tbz battels of the Lord , this perfon in ay be presumed to be the Mef- nas. But if he propers in what; he undertakes, and fubduss all the neighbouring Nations round about him, and re-builds the San- cinary in its former place ,, and gathers together ths dijperfed of Ifrael, then he is. for certain the Mefllas. Maimonides in Yad Hachazekah Traft. de Regibus & Bellis edium, c. ii. fctt 2.

hi

1 8 A letter to tk Deifts.

in the (lead of thofe Errors, fuch Do- drines concerning the MeJ/ias,zs were not only without all manner of worldly inte- reft in them, but all levelled dire&ly op- pofite thereto. For he taught them, that the Kingdom of the Mejjias was not a Tem poral^ buc a Spiritual Kingdom ; that he was not to be a Judge and a Ruler over them in the Secular Affairs of this World and the pomp and glory thereof, but to govern and dire& their hearts within by the power of his Holy Spirit, in order to conform them to that Law of Righteouf- nefs, which might fit them to reign with him in the Kingdom of everlafting Glory hereafter. And therefore when the Jem, being convinced by his wonderful Works that he was the Mejfias, would have taken him by force and made him their Klng^ he withdrew from among them to difap- point the Defign. And when interrogated by Tilaiefcz told him his Kingdom was not of this World. And had he aimed at any fuch thing, he would never have taught fuch Dodrines of himfelf,which fo dired- ly overthrew all that which gave him the mod favourable advantage of attaining therero. Had he offered at more of this World's Inttreft than the Motions of -the Jews inveikd him with ( if it were pofl>

bk

A Letter to the Deifts^ if

ble more could be had than thofe gave their Meffias;) or if he had joined thereto, the enjoyment of carnal Pleafure as Maho met did, there might then have been fome ground of charging him of differing from thofe Notions for the fervihg of his own Intereft; but when the change was on the quite contrary hand, and initead of being that reigning and glorious Meffias^ amidft the higheft pomp and fplendor of this World, as the Jews would have had him to be, he declared himfelf only for fuch a Kingdom, as had nothing of this World in it, and whofe greateft perfection lay in its greateft oppofition thereto ; he that will fay that there was any thing of this World in his thus flapping himfelf of all the pomp and glory of it, or that there could beany defign of intereft for himfelf, where all manner of felf-intereft is thus <

renounced,muftreconcileContradi<Stions^ and make the nature of one extreme to confift in the other, which is moft diredt- ly oppofite thereto. Had he,when he took upon him to be the Me/tas^ done it only for a worldly intereft, this great intereft of reigning, fo obvioufly offered it felf un to him under that character, that it can not be conceived how he ihould ever have (avoided it. The power, and glory, and B % riches

29 ji Letter to the Deifts.

riches of a Kingdom^ are too great baits of allurement to the worldly-minded Man, ever to be refufed by fuch an one, after he had adorned that character, which in the generally- received notion of it, in- vefted him with them. Or can it be imagined, fince thefe are the only things which could make that character at all defirable to an Impoftor , why any Man fliould run the great hazard and trouble of being fuch in the afluming of it, but for the fake of them ? All thofe falfe Chrifts , who have been real Impoftors, and have in feveral .ages ftarted up to delude the World with this pretence,have ever with the name of the Me/pas, claim ed alfo this Kingdom, which the Jews af- cribed thereto ; and that in every fuch fcene of deceit, which hath opened in the World, hath always appeared to have been the bait, which allured thofe wretches to ad: that part therein. And had cur Saviour been fuch an one as they, he muft certainly have taken the fame courfe. For to do otherwife, would have been to do the wickednefs without the temptation, and to run the hazard with out that which was to reward the fuccefc- But he having been fo far herefrom, that he did not only renounce this Kingdom,

but;

A Letter to the Deifts. n

but all *nanner of other worldly intereft whatever; this plainly fhews he could have no defign upon this World by that Miffion which he undertook, or had any other reafon for his entering on it as the Afejfias, but that he was really that Per- fon, whom God by his holy Prophets had fo often promifed, and at length, in ful- nefs of time , accordingly fent to bring Life and Salvation unto us.

2. Had our Saviour , when he took upon him to be the Mejjias^ done it only as an Impoftor for a Secular Intereft, he would have aflumed that Chara&er ac cording to thofe notions in which the Jews expedied him , becaufe this would have been the readied and moft likely way for him to carry that Intereft, what ever you may fuppofe it to be. For the eager expectations of that People being then for fuch a reigning MeJJias, as they had drawn a Picture of in their own fan cies, his only way to have gotten them to own and receive him for the MeJJias, was for him exactly to have humour'd them herein, and propofed himfelf to them juft fuch an one as they would have had him to be. And had his intent been only to fe- duce them under that Character, in order to ferve himfelf of them fora Secular In- B.3 tereft,

A Ltttw to tie Deifts.

tereft , this method is that which is fo obvioufly ne<jeffery in fuch a cafe , that it could not have been avoided. For to do otherwife, would evidently have been to put the matter in a moft certain me thod totally to mifcarry, and make the whole Defign impracticable. To come to them as their Mejfias^ under a Character totally differing from that in which they expe&ed Him,would be fufficient to make them, for that very reafon, never to re ceive him. Although humility, and the debating of a man's felf, may in other ca fes be a means to court Popularity, and procure the favour of the People, it could never have feryed in this; nor would our Saviours taking upon him the Character of the Mejfias, fo vaftly lower as to this World,than the general opinion then gave it unto him, have been of any (lead to him in order thereto ; but quite the con* trary. For the Jews had then framed their notions of the Meffias they expected, for their own fakes rather than his; fuitable to thofe worldly Interefts they were moft in love withy and thpfe notions went cur rant through the whole Nation, as the true and exa£t defcription of him , by u hich he was to be knowaat his coming : And therefore for any one to propofe

himfelf

A Letter tode Deifts.

himfelf to them, as the Meffias, under a 'Character totally difagreeiag herefrorn, would have been the readieft way for him to be told, that he was not there fore the Man j and this, inftead of being a means to feduce them to him, become fuch a reafon for their rejecting him, as no art of Impofture would ever have been able to matter. And this indeed proved the main caufe, that notwuhftanding our Saviour's Miracles, the Jews, who daily faw them, were (till hardned in their a- verfion againft him ; and it continues with them to this day the grand ftum- biing-block of Infidelity, which they can not get over. For they looked for a Mef- fias^ that was to fubdue their Enemies, and deliv* them from the {la very of the Romans^ and by the eftablifliment of a Temporal Kingdom over them5advance the ftate of their Nation to the higheft pro- fperity, and their Law to the higheft per* fedion of obfervance , which both were capable of. But he propofed himfelf un to them as a Meffias> which had nothing to do with this World, or any of the in- terefts of it ; and inftead of the Temporal Kingdom they expe&ed, claimed only a Spiritual; and inftead of the outward Ri.tes and Ceremonies of the Mofaical Law B 4 which

24 A Letter to the Deifts.

which were all fulfilled and done away in him, taqght them only to worfhip' God in fpir.it and in truth. And what could more difpleafe and alienate from him, Men fo eager upon this World, and the glory and riches of it, than thus in- flead of conquefl over Enemies , extent of power, and a moil flourishing ftate of profperiry, which they dreamt of, to preach to them of Mortification, Repen tance, Self-denial, and thofe other Chri- flian Vertues , in the encreafe of which the true proiperity of CbriJFs Kingdom only confifts ; and inflead of their Tem ple, and the outward pomp and fplendour of the Worihip there performed, which they fo much valued themfelves upon, and fo zcaloufly affedted, thustfo propofe to them the worihipping of God without all this , only in that fpiritual manner, which under the numerous Illtes of the Mojakal Law they had not been accufto- med to have any great regard unto ? For this was to baulk them of the hopes they rnoft delighted in, and put a baffle upon them in thofe eager expectations and moft earned defireswhich their hearts had long dwelt upon. And how ill they were able to brook this, will appear by this inftance Joh, c, €. in the Gofpel % That thole very fame Meq

A Letter to the DeiftsJ

, on the feeing of his Miracles, were fo firmly convinced of his being the Mef- fias, that they would forthwith have ta ken him by force, and declared him their King ; the next day after, on his preaching to them of fpiritual things, and offering thereby to withdraw their minds from the perifhable things of this World,to fix them on thofe which endure to everlaft- ing life^urmured againft him,and would no more endure him.For their hearts were after a Meffias that ihould found them a Temporal Kingdom^ and make them great and glorious, and powerful therein $ and to fet up a Spiritual Kingdom inftead here of, was not only to deprive himfelf of the grandeur of the other, but them alfo of the portion which they expe&ed therein. And no one certainly that intended a worldly intereft by fuch an undertaking, would ever have projected it in fuch a method as this, which was fo totally in- confiftent with it. For this would be to renounce in the very ad the End which he propofed, and make the attainment of it impracticable by the very means whereby he purfued it ; It would be to wave the higheft intereft in this World, to purfue after another, which no one can imagine what , and thereby totally

alie-

A Letter to the Deifts.

alienate thofe from him, by whom alone he could hope in fuch a defign as this to attain any at all. And therefore had a worldly end and a worldly intereft been all that our Saviour aimed at in his taking upon him to be the Meffias^ whom the Jews expected, he would never fo much contrary to that intereft, and fo much contrary to that moft obvious means of carrying on fuch a defign, haveafliimed that Chara&er in a manner fo much diffe ring from that under which they expect ed him ; Or could he by fuch a method of procedure ever have made any thing of the attempt among them, had he not on his fide the Power of God, as well as his Miffion , to make him fuccefsful therein >

Had his bufinefsonly been to deceive the People for the advancing of fome fe- cular intereft of his own, he would ne- \rer have attempted it in fo unlikely a way of fucceeding, as that of abolishing the Mofakal Law , to which the whole Nation of the Jews were then fo zealoufly addi&ed, that they could not bear the Icaft word which might feem to derogate either from the excellency which they conceived of it, or that opinion which they then had, and ftill retain, that it

was

A Letter to the Deifts. 17

was to be immutably obferv'd by them to the end of the World. The cafe of Ma- hornet with his Men of Mecca was quite otherwife, he found no fuch zeal in them for their old Religion to ftruggle with ; they themfelves were then grown fo wea- * ry of it, that the generality of them had in a manner totally exchanged it for no Religion at all, at that time Mahomet firft began to propagate his Impofture among them ; they having then for the moft part given themfelves up to the opinions of the ZenJikees, who in the fame man ner as the Epicureans among the Greeks, and too many now-a-days among us, ac knowledged the Being of a G<?^,but deny ing his Providence, the Immortality of the Soul, and a Future State, did at the fame time deny all manner of neceffity of paying any worfhip unto him. And no wonder then, if fuch men, who placed their All in this World, were eafily brought over to a Seff, whofe chief aim was at worldly profperity and worldly pleafure in the Religion which they pro- fefled. This Mahomet was well enough aware of, before he flarted his new Reli gion among them ; and it feems to have been the greateft encouragement which emboldened him to venture on that at tempt*

A Letter to the Delfts.

tempt However, fincethey fliil retained the outward form of their Rzligton after they had deferted the fubftance of it, he found even from hence that opposition to his defign, that to make it go down,he was forced to retain all thole Rites and Ceremonies in his new Religion^ which they had been afore ufed to in their old ; and in order hereto he chofe to make fome dangerous alterations in his firft efta- blilhments, as particularly in that of the Kclla, rather than ruffle his Aralians by aboliihing what he found them through long ufageand cuftom any way affefted to. For his bufinefs being to deceive the people, his care was to offer at nothing which might be difficult to go down with them, and fo muft it be of every other de ceiver who takes upon him to ad the like part. But in every particular it was quite otherwife with our Saviour, and thofe whom he firft preached his Gofpel unto. For the Jews having undergone feveral terrible fcourges from the hand of God for the negled: of that Law which he had given them, were from their former too much difregard of it then grown into the contrary extreme of being with exceed ing fuperftition and bigotry too much de voted to it. They then looked on it with

the

L A Letter to tfa Deifts;

the fame Veneration as they ftill do, to be an immutable Law never to be altered, That the Meffias himfelf on his coming fliould not make the leaft change therein, but that the Glory of his Kingdom fliould chiefly confift in the perfection of its ob- fervance, and the exacft performance of theWorfhip it prefcrib'd ; and for any one to advance any dodtrine contrary hereto, was reckoned no lefs than (*) Blafphemy (*)A£U.v.i$! among them. And therefore had our Saviour onlyconfulted flefh and blood in the MiJJion which he undertook ; had he had no other defign therein than a fecular interefl and a worldly end, he would ne ver have oppofed himfelf againfl the vio lent current of fuch predominant opini ons as he found then reigning among them whom he firft preached his Gofpel unto, or ever durft have offered at the abolition of that Law which they were fo violently bigotted unto. Had he come to deceive them as a Seducer, the very na ture of the thing muft necefTarily have diredted him to a quite contrary method ; that is, to footh and collogue with them whom he came to impofe upon ,• to have contradicted no opinion they were vio lent for, or oppofed any dccStrine which they were zealoufly affe&ed to, but to

have

jo 4 Letter to the

have ftudied their humours, and learnt their notions, and fo framed and fuited alt his dodrines according thereto, as might beft take to draw them over to the end defigned vjo have done otherwife would have been to fet Prieft and People againft him, as an Enemy to their Religion, and a Blafphemer of their Law. And as our Saviour found it fo in the refult, fo it muft have been obvious to any one in his cafe to have forefeen it from the begin ning. And therefore fince notwithftand- ing this he took this method, fo contrary to the whole end and defign of one that intends a cheat upon the people , and without having any regard to that zeal with which thejews were then fo violent* ly bigotted to their Law, or that rage of refenrment which they were ready to exprefs againft whatfoe'ver in the Jeaft fhould derogate from it,did boldly preach unto them fuch Dodrines as totally difannuird it; this manifeftly proves he could have no intereft of his own to ferve upon them in this undertaking, or that he had any other reafon for his entring^ on it, but that he was fent of God fo to do...

The grand and fundamental dodrine of the Religion which Jefus thrift left

his

A Letter to the Deifts. j

his Church, was that of his death and paf- fion,whereby he made atonement for our fins, and delivered us from the punifli- ment which was due unto us for them. By this means only he propofed to fave us, that is, from Sin, the Devil, and eter nal Death; and by this Conff id: only did he undertake to fubdue thefe our enemies for us, and on that conqueft to found us a Kingdom, which fhould make us holy and righteous here, and for ever blefled witfi him in glory hereafter. This was the whole end and purpofe of our Savi- cur's Miflion ; this he frequently foretold to his Difciples, andon this was founded the whole Religion which he taught them. And can any one fay he could have a de- fign of Secular Intereft for himfelf in fuch a Religion as this, which could have no Being but by his dying for ir, or any reafon for its eflabliihment among men, till he had laid down his Life for the com- pleating of it ? To fay there was any thing of worldly intereft in this,would be to charge it on his Crofs, and place it in that bitter and ignominious Death which he underwent thereon. Men feme? .mes put their lives to great hazard for the in- terefis of this World ; but lor a man pur- pofcly to defign Death for fuch an End,

and

rA Letter to the Deifts;

and part with this World in fuch a mari ner as Chrift did, for the fake of any thing that this World hath, is a thing which was never yet heard of, and is in it felf fo contrary to the moft obvious dilates both of Reafon and Nature, that no one can be fo abfurd as to imagine it poffible for any man fo to do.

But that which I know you will fay in this cafe is,That it was not Cbrift hirn- felf, but his Difciples after his death, that made this a part of his Religion , That he intended no fuch thing in the Underta king he entred on , that it fliould end in his Death, and be compleated by his Crucifixion ; but that this hapning unto him, thofe who kept up his Party, and propagated his Religion after him, foifted this thereinto, to falve the Ignominy of his Death, and ferve themfelves of it, for the better carrying on of their Defigns thereby. And if fo, then the Impofture muft be Ihifted from him to his Difciples. And in this cafe the fame Enquiry muft ft ill be made, What advantage could they propofe to themfelves herefrom ? For if Chrift's having no felf-defign or worldly incereft in the Eeligion which he taught, be of any force to acquit him of being guilty of Impofture therein ( as it mult

wit-h

A Leter to tie Deifts. . 3 J

with every man of unprejudiced reafon ) it muft alfo be of force to acquit them of the fame Charge who propagated it after him. And what worldly Intereft i$ it which they could poffibly have in this matter? If you fay Empire, how impro bable is it, that a few poor Fi/bermen without any manner of foundation either of power, riches, orintereft with others* for the carrying on of fuch a defign,ihould ever frame in their thoughts the leaft imagination tending thereto, efpecially at that time when the Roman Empire be ing in its utmoft heighth and vigor, had the major part of the then known World united under its Command, tocrufh the greateft Attempts of this nature, which might be made againft it? If Riches and Honour be alledged as their End, f muft defire you to tell me, how this could be a means to gain them ? or whether any one of them ever attained to either there by ? If we examine into the accounts which we have of their lives and adions^ we fhall find them journeying about the world from place to place in great pover« ty, and under all the difficulties and pref- fures of it, to difcharge that Apoftlefhip which was committed ufito them, and in every place where they came to be load* C ed

34 A Letter to the Deifts.

ed withcontempt,oppreffion,and perfecu- tion for the fake of that Religion which they taught.Had Riches andHonour been the End propofed for all this, certainly after having experienced by the ill fuccefs how improper means they had taken in order thereto, fome of them would have defifted from the enterprise, and no lon ger have purfued a defign which could not anfwer its end. But you cannot bring us an inftance of any one of them that did this. No, they ftill went on in the Work which they had undertaken, and without being wearied by the pover ty they laboured under , or in the leaft difcouraged by that contempt, fcorn,and perfecution which they every where met with, all conftantly perfevered to preach that Gofpel which they had received , even to their lives end ; and not only fo, but moft of them laid down their lives for the fake thereof, which they would ne ver have done, if they had not for that MiBiftry.VL much higher reafon than all the honour and riches of this world could ever amount unto. All that can be faid of any worldly intereft for them in their preaching up that Religion which they propagated, is, That they Were thereby madeHeads of theParty which they drew

over

A Letter to the Deifts." $ 5

over thereto. But alas, what advantage could this be unto them to be thus made Heads of a contemned, opprefled and per* fecuted Party of Men, who were every* where fought out for bonds, imprifon- ments and death ? To head fuch a Party, what is it, but to expofe a man's felf to the greater danger, and fet himfelf up to receive the firft ftrokes of every perfecu- tion which was levelled againft it ? For in this cafe, thofe who head the Party are moft fought after, and the ring-leaders of it are ever made the firft and the moft fig- nal examples of every feverity which is defigned for its oppreflion. And this was all that the dpo/lles got by heading that Party which they converted to the Chri- ftian Religiw ; and what of worldly in- tereft could be found therein? If the head ing of a Party be of any advantage to a man, it muft be then only when it brings him Honour, or Power, or Riches, or fome other Worldly Enjoyment. But to head fuch a Party as the firft Cbriflians were, could bring neither of thefe there with ; but on the contrary, poverty, con tempt, oppreffions,and perfections, were all the fruits, as to this world, which the Apoftles of our Saviour reaped thereby* And certainly on thefe terms to head a C % Party,

3 6 jA Letter to tfa Deifts.

Party, could never have been the reafon to make them enter on that Underta king ; or if it had, they could never un der fuch difcouragements have long con tinued therein.

SECT. If.

II. And thus far having examined the firft Mark of Impofture^ and I hope fuffici- ently fhown it cannot belong to that holy Religion which we profefs : I fliall now proceed to the fecond; that is,that it muft always have wicked men for the Authors of ir. For thus to irnpofe upon Mankind a falfe Religion, is the worft of Cheats,and the higheft Injuftice which can be done either to (Wor Man : to God, becaufe it robs him of the Worfliipof his Creatures, either by diverting it to a falfe Objeft, or by directing it to him in fuch a falfe way, as cannot be accepted of before him. And to Man,becaufe it deprives him of hisG^, by putting him upon fuch a falfe Religion as muft neceffarily alienate both his mer cy and his favour from him. And to do this, is fuch a confummate piece of ini quity, that it is impoffible any one can ar rive thereto,without having firft corrupt ed himfelf to a great degree in all things

elfe.

A Ltttcr to the Deifts. 37

dfe. For fuch an one muft have caft off all fear of God, as well as all regard of Man, before he could ever offer at fo great a Wickednefs againft both. And when a man is come to this, to be fure he will ftick at nothing whereby his Lufts may be gratified, or any carnal Intereil ferv'd, which he fets his heart upon, but will make the corruptions of his mind appear in all the adions of his life, and be thoroughly wicked in every thing where his own intereft, or his own de- figns do not put a reftraint u,pon him. And that Mahomet was fuch an one, the Hiflory of his Life, which I have laid be fore you Sufficiently (hows. «

u All that the bi'tareft Ene-

But who e ;er yet charged mies of chnftianity have ever

* JefliS Chrtft, Or his holy objefted againft our Saviour,

Apoflles with any thing tSSSS^KSi

like thlS? not Ce/JUS, not That he was a M^ician, which Porphyry.nOt ^tdian^ any was an Invention framed on-

other of the Heathens, or WJ$& ^^1 £

the Jews Who Were the bit- deny ) in fuch a manner as to

tereft Enemies of Cbriftia- make ^en? sive ,np reputation

j? or authority to the Do&rines

nity, and the greateft op- which he taught. pofersofit« Andtobefure could they have found any fuch accufa* tion againft any of them, they would never have fpared to have made the ut- raoft ufe of it they could, for the blafting

C 3 of

3 8 A Letter to tie Deifts.

of that Religion which they taught. For it is a popular Argument^ which would have ferved their purpofe among the peo ple more than any other they could have offered unto them. And we fee with what fuccefs the various Setts among us ferve themfelves of it every day, no Ar gument being more prevalent amongft the unthinking Multitude,for the beating down the reputation of any Profefiion of Religion, than the ripping up of the faults of thofe that teach it. To examine into all the Labyrinths and abflrufe Speculati ons of Reafon and Argument, which may be brought for or againftany Religion, is an operofe bufinefs,which all have not ca pacities for, and few care to attend to. But of Good and Evil every man is judge; and where they find the Teachers of any/te //- gion to be wicked and naught, it is an in- Terence which they are all apt too preci pitately to run into,that the/te//gv0#muft be naught alfo ; and without any further examining into ir, condemn it fo to be. And I find there is nothing which you your felves are more greedy to lay hold of for anArgument againft our holy Chrifti- an Religion -, than the Faults which you obfcrve in fome of our Minifters, whofe it is to promote it. And there fore

A Letter to de Deifts, 3 9

;! fore if the Faults of the prefent Teachers | of Chrifttanity be apt thus to afford fo po pular and prevalent an Argument againft I k, how much more would the Faults of the firfl Founders and Propagators of it have done fo, had there been any fuch to object againft them > And had there been any luch, fo keen and fearching Adverfaries would never have fuffered the difcovery to have efcaped them, or ever failM to have objected it for the ferving of their turn to the utmoft they were able ; and it can be owing to nothing but their mod unblameable Innocency, that they have been fecured herefrom. To fay that they could not have that knowledge of their lives and a&ions, as was fufficient for them to dif- cern their faults, and obferve their mif- carriages , will not folve the matter. Though Mahomet a&ed his Impofture fo many hundred miles within the remoter parts of Arabia, among a People who by vaft defarts were in a manner cut off from the converfe of the reft of mankind,where very few or none of any other nation ever came to fpy out his actions, or obferve his doings, and where he had none elfe to be witnefles of them , but thofe pnly who all embraced hisForgery,and became C 4 zealoufly

40 \A Letter to tie Deifts,

zealoufly addided to it; yet all this could not ferve to conceal his faults, or hide his monftrcus wickedndles from being obferved and recorded againft him. The foregoing Hiflory gives you a large Ca talogue of them , and they are vouched by the authority of fome of the moft au- thentick Writers of his own Sett. But Ckriftiamty. had not its birth in fuch an obfcure hole, nor did the firft Founder of it, or thofe who propagated it after him, make their fir ft appearance among fuch rude and illiterate Bwlarians as that Im- poftor did ; but on one of the openeft Stages in the world, at 5fe™/i/*«, and in the Land of JuJea ; and not in an Age when, as formerly, that /far/<7»feparated it felf from all others, and had no corv verfe with any. but themfelves ; but when they had fcatter'd themfeives abroad^and mingled with all other Nations, and alfo were forced to admit all other Nations to mingle with them by being made a Pro vince of the R0n*attEmptre,which brought not only Soldiers and Merchants of other Nations among them, but a Up opened the Gate to all others, as they fliould think fit,to come and refide among them, the Temple at Jerufalem being that f the J.ewi/h Religion worfhip-

ped ;

A Letter to the Deifts. 41

ped ; this conftantly brought thither from all Nations thofe who profeffed it, which imde a very great rcfort thither from all Parts of the ""World , especially at their three great Fejiivals. And therefore juft after cur Saviour $ Sufferings at the time of Pentecoft next following, we are told that there were then at Jerufalem (*) Par- (* ) Aas 2 thians, Medes^ and Elamites, and the dwel~ v. 9, 10, u lers of Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus^ Afia, PhrygJX) Pamfhylia, E^pt,Lilya, and Cyrene , with the ftrangers of Rome, Cretes and Arabians. So that to be fure nothing could be hid or concealed, which was done on fo open a ftage of the World, and in the fight of fo many Nations as were then prefent upon it ; nor is it pcffi- ble if thole who then firft delivered the Chriftian Religion to the World, had been fuch wicked Ferfons, as Mahomet was,and all other Iwpoflors muft be, it could ever have efcaped their obfervation. And if it had at Jerufalem, there were other oc- cafions enough given for a fuller difco- very afterwards. For the holy Apo/iles after our Saviour's death, did not confine themfelves to Jerufalem and the Land of JuJea only, but difperfed themfelves throughout the whole Earth,and at Rome, ^t Athens, and in many other celebrated

Cities

4* A Letter to the Deifts.

Cities appeared openly, teaching the /?<?- ligzcn which they had received, and form ing Churches of thofe whom they had converted thereto, and thereby expofing their Lives and Adionspublickly to the view of the whole World, made all Man kind in a manner Witnefles of what they did. And Chriftianity was not fuch an acceptable thing to the World,as to move the Men of it to be fo candid and good- . mtur'd to the firft Authors of it, as to conceal their faults, and hide their wick- ednefles, had there been any fuch in them. No, it was that which was againft the Lufts and Pleafures, and the other evil Courfes of this World, more than any other Religion which was ever taught therein ; and this put the World as much againft it, and all that adhered thereto ; and therefore we find them to be a Party of Men not only every- where fpoken a- gainft, but alfo every -where hated, oppo- fed, and perfecuted to the utmoft. And when fo general an Odium was rifen a- gainft them, and both Jews and Gentiles confpired together therein, to be fure there were not wanting abundance that made it their bufmefs to pry into their A<3:ions,and examine their Practices with all that fpight, unfairnefs, and ill inter pretation

A Letter to the Deifts.

pretation of things, as is ufual in fuch ca fes. And could they by all this fearch, in quiry, and ftrid: observation, have found any thing to charge upon Chrift or his A- poftles, which might caft a blot upon the Religion which they taught, to be fure we ihould have heard enough of it. For thofe who propagated their Odium againft this holy Religion to the next fucceeding Ages, to that exceffive degree, in which the Pri mitive Chriftians experienced it in thofe terrible Per Iecutions which they underwent for three hundred years together, would certainly have pro pagated therewith all the Accufations they were a* ble againft thofe who were the firft Founders and Teachers of it. And, to be fure, when (*)CW/#,f, Por phyry, and Julian, and o- ther bitter Oppofers of Chriftianity^ as well Jews as Heatheas^took Pen in hand to write againft it , we Ihould have been told e- nough of it. But nothing of this appearing in any of their Writings,or any of the

their Bocks againft the Chrifti* an Religion are preferved in the Anfwers which Origen wrote to the former* and St. Cyril of Alexandria to the latter; but th* Books themfelves are periflied, as are alfo thofe ,of Porphyry written by him in fifteen Tomes on the fame Argument ; for they being full of viruknt Blafphemies, Theodo/iuf the Erri- peror by a Law caufed them everywhere to be burnt and deftroyed ; but a great many remains and fragments ef them are (till preferved in the Works of Eufebius , and fometliing of him alfo in St. Hierom in Pra- fatione ad lib. f. Commit, in Epift. ad Galata*. Celfus lived in the fecond , Porphyry in the third, and Julian in the fourth Century after Chrift.

leaft

44 A Letter to the Deitf s.

leaft memorial of it being to be found in any Record whatfoever againft them ; this manifeftly proves that they are even in the judgment of their bittereft Ene mies totally free of this charge, and con- fequently being juft and righteous Per- ions, t( and of Chrift and (*) His words of our s^iour Si.James one of his Apo-

are, that he was a iwtfe Man. /?/ r*\ T /- ^t i. i (a title not given in thofe days ^"t ( ) JofcpbitSjhough a

but to fuch as were alfo good) lew , partictjarly attefts , and that he was amrkcr of Mi- ft^ they were fo ) they

racles, and a teacher tf Truth, , , J . . . J r /

Iib.j8. c. 4. And of James he COUld never be gUllty ot fo

hath thefe words, ihefe things great a wickednefs both a-

(i. e. the deftruftion of Jeru ^iiinf} GnsI anH IVf^n as fr» 1*km9 and the Calamities that gaifl ^ Y^^0 iVa°' 3S tO

attended it) M fy -»*y of juft have impofed a cheat upon v.-^^^^oMf/^^^/^james us jn that Relivion which

the Tuft who was the Brother of ^r j i-

?*/«, «/w CM , fa*«r< Nv they delivered unto us-

Jews had murthered him , being a tnoft righteous Man. It muft be ao knowledged that this pa(Tage is not now extant in Jtftyhjtt, but it is quoted by Eufebius in the Second Book of his Ecclepafticai Hiftory, 0.25. and alfo by Qrigen in his Second Book againft Celfus , which would never have been done by them, hid it not been extant in the Copies of his Works which were then in ufe, however it came to be omit ted fince. For to have falfely alledgedfuch a Teftimony to the Ene mies of Chriftianity^ efpectelly to one fo acute and (harp as Celfus was, would have given them too great an advantage againft it. But what is ftill extant in Jefepbus , amounts to the fame thing ; for fpeaking of his being put to death by AnantM the High-Prieft, Anfy* lib. 20. c. 8. he fays , 7b.it all good mm were offended at it', which fufficiently expreffeth him to be a good man alfo. For why elfe fhould they be ib concerned for him ?

S £ C T,

A Letter to tie Deifts.

;$i';,.

SECT. III.

. :

III And if they had been fuch wick ed Perfons, as thus to haveimpofed upon us a falfe Religion for their own intereft, both their wickednels and the intereft which they drove at, mud neceflarily have appeared in the very contexture of the Religion it felf ; and the Books of the New Teflament, in which it is contained, would have as evidently proved both thefe againft them, as the Alcoran doth againft Mahomet, every Chapter of which yieldeth us manifeft proofs both of the wicked Affections of the Man, and the felf ends which he drove at for the grati fying of them.

For, firft, when a Man propofeth an end of felf-intereft , and invents a new Religion^ and writes a new Law on pur- pofe for the obtaining of it, it's impoffi- ble, but that this End mud appear in the Means, and the Irnpojiure^ which was in vented of purpofe to promote it, muft difcover what it is. For in this cafe the new Religion and the new Law muft be calculated for this End, and be all formed and contrived in order thereto, otherwife it can have no efficiency for the obtain ing

46 A Letter to the Deifts.

ing of it, nor at all anfwer the purpofe of the Inventor for the compafling of what he propofed ; and if it be thus cal culated, ordered and contrived for fuch an End, that End cannot but be feen and difcovered in thofe Means* For the End and Means prove each other ; that is, as the nature of the End propofed fhows us what Means muft be made ufe of for the obtaining of it ; fo do the nature of the Means which we ufe, difcover what is the End which they drive at. And as far as the Means have a tendency to the End, fo much muft they have of that End in them ; and it is not poffible for him that ufeth the one, long to conceal the other. Arid therefore nothing is more obvious and common among us than by the courfes which a Man takes to difcern the End which he would have. As Mahomet invented his new Religion to promote his own Ends; fo the Alcoran^ in which it is contained, fufficiently proves it, there being fcarce a Leaf in that Book which doth not lay down fome particu lars, which tend to the gratifying either of the Ambition or the Lull of that Mon iker who contrived it. And had the firft Founder of our holy Chriflian Religion, or they who were the firft Propagators of it,

any

A Letter to the Deifts. 47

any fuch end therein, the Books of th<? New Teftament, in which it is written, would have as palpably ihown it. But here we challenge all the Enemies of our Faith to ufe their utmoft skill to make any fuch difcovery in them. They have already gone through the ftrid: fcrutiny of many Ages, as well as of all manner of Adverfaries, and none have ever yet been able to tax them herewith. For inftead of being calculated for the intereft of this World, their whole defign is to withdraw our hearts from it, and fix them upon the intereft of that which is to come. And therefore the Dodrines which they incul cate are thofe of Mortification, Repen tance, and Self-denial, which fpeak not unto us of Fighting, Bloodfhed, and Con- queft, as the Alcoran doth, for the advan* cing of a Temporal Kingdom, but that re nouncing all the pomps, and vanities, and lufts of this prefent World*we live foberly, righteoufly, and godly in the prefcnce of him that made usjand inftead of purfuing after the perifhable things of this Life, we fet our hearts oniy on thofe heavenly Ri ches, which will make us great, and glori ous and blefled for ever hereafter. For as the Kingdom ofChrifi is not of this World, fo neither do thofe Books, in which are

written

48 A Letter to the Deifts.

written the Laws of this Kingdom, fa* vour any thing thereof. The Mammon of this World, and the Righteoufnefs which they prefcribe us, are declared in them to be totally inconfiftent. The OlJTeftament indeed, as being under the Difpenfation of carnal Ordinances,which were the fha- dows only of thofe things after to come under the Gofpel, treated with Men fuita- bly thereto* And therefore we find much of this World both by way of promife as well as threat to be propofed therein. But it is quite otherwife with the New : For in that Revelation, being given to the perfecting of Righteoufnefs, all things were advanced thereby from Earth to Heaven>and from flefh to fpirit. And there fore as the whole end of it is to make men fjpiriiual , fp are we directed thereby to look only to fpiritual and heavenly Blef- fmgs for the reward hereof. Had our &?* viour propofed Victory, or Riches, or car nal Pleafures to his Followers, as Mahomet did, then indeed his Law would havefuf- ficiently favoured of this World to make Men fufpecS:, that he aimed at nothing elfe thereby. But he was fo far herefrom, that inftead of this, the whole tenour of his Do&rine runs the quite contrary way, we being told of nothing elfe through the

whole

A Leter to the Deifts.

whole 'New Teftament, but of Tribulati ons, Afflictions, and Perfections, which fhall attend all fuch, as to this Wor!d,who faithfully fet their hearts to become his Difciples; and the experience of all Ages fince hath fufficiently verified the Predi ction. And indeed the very Religion which he hath taught us, is of that holinefs,that according to the courfe of this wicked World , it naturally leads us thereinto. And how then can it be faid , that any thing of worldly intereft can be contain ed either in this Religiua, or thofe holy Books in which it is written >

I cannot deny,that there are fome Men fo crafty and cunning in purfuing their intereft, that it fhall not eafily be difcern- ed in the Means what it is which they drive at for their End. But how great a compais foever fuch may fetch about to the point which they aim at, or in what by and fecret paths foever they make for ward towards it; yet; if the Means, which they make ufe of, have any tendency thi- ther,they can never be fo totally blended* but there will always appear in them e- nough of the End to make the difcove- ry to any acurate obferverj and at length when the Plot grows ripe for execution* and the Defigner begins to offer at the putting himfeif in pofleffion of what he D propofed

jo rA Letter to tin Deifts.

propofed (as all fuch Defigners muft at laft) the whole fcene muft then be laid open, and every one will be able to fee thereinto, And therefore if you will have it that the Holy Afoflks and Evanpelijis, who were the firft Penners of the New Te- ftament , were fuch cunning and crafty Men, ss to be able thus artfully to con ceal their Defigns in thofe Books, which you luppofe they wrote ot purpofe to pro mote them (which cannot reafonably be imagined of Men of their Education and Condition in the World, they being all, except St. Paul and St. Lithe, of the meaneft Occupations among the People, and totally unlearned) yet if they con trived thofe Books with any tendency towards thole defigns (and it cannot be conceived how otherwise they could help forward to the obtaining of them ) it is impoffible they could thus have pafled thorough fo many Ages,and all the ftridfc examinations of Heathens, Jews, Atbeifts, and all other Adverraiies, who have fo ftremjoufly endeavoured to overthrow their Authority ^and no difcovery be made hereof. For fuppofing at firft, under the mask of renouncing the world?they might a while conceal their defigns for the in- tereft of it (v,hich is the utmoft you can fay in this cale ) yet this could, not laft

long ;

A Letter to th DeiftsJ 5 1

long : For if this were all they defigned by teaching that holy Religion, and writing thofe Books in which it is contained,fome time or other they muft have put thofe defigns in execution,otherwife they would have be$n in vain laid ; fome time or other they muft have endeavoured by them to obtain what they aimed at, otherwife the whole projection of them would have been to no purpofe; and if they ever did fo ( as to be fure they would , had this been their end) then, as it happens in all other ftratagems of the like nature, with how much artifice foever they might conceal what they intended in the contri vance, all at laft muft have come out in the execution ; and when they began to put themfelves in pofleffion of the end they aimed at, or at lead made any offer towards it, the whole Cheat muft then have been unmask'd,and every one would have been able to fee into the depth there of. But when did our Saviour, or any of his holy Apoftles, by vertue of any of thofe Doctrines delivered down unto us in the Books of the New Teflament, ever put themfelves in pofleffion of any fuch worldly intereft ? or when did they ever make the leaft offer in order thereto ? Have any of the ancient Enemies of our holy Religion (and it had bitter ones D s enough

\A Letter to tie Deifts.

enough from the very beginning) ever recorded any fuch againft them > or have any other ever fince from any good au thority, or any authority at all, ever been able to tax them herewith ? or is it poffible their names could have remained untaint ed of this charge amidft fo many Adver™ faries, who have now For near Seventeen hundred years flood up in every Age to oppofe that holy Religion which they have delivered unto us, had they in the leaft been guilty hereof ? Nay, hath it been as much as ever faid of them, that they pra- <3:ifed,as to this World,any otherwife than they taught, or ever dealt with the inte- reftsof it in any other manner,than total ly to renounce them ? Or had they at all any other portion in this Life,than that of perfecution,affli(3:ion,and tribulation,as it is foretold in thofe holy Books that they ihould ? And what then can be a greater rnadnefs, than to fuppofe that men ihould lay fuch a deep defign, as that of invent ing a new Religion, and undergo all that vaft trouble and danger, which they did, to impofe it on the World for the fake of a worldly intereft , and yet never put themfelves in pofTeffion of that intereft, or ever make the leaft offer towards it > If you fay, That the whole end of the Religion was only to gain the Party, and

that

A Later to the Delfts.

that the fteps to the intereft were to be made afterwards; I ftill go on to ask, Who can tell us, after the party was gained, of any fuch fteps that were ever made, or of any the leaft offer tending thereto > Were not the firfl Chriftians for many Ages after the firft founding of our Faith, what they ought ftill to be, men that ufed this World as if they ufed it not, who lived in it without being of it,and did truly,what they vowed in their Raptijm, renounce all the Pomps and Vanities,and Lufts thereof, faithfully to obfer ve that holy Law which they had received ? Arid in this they perfever'd fo ftea- dily, that even their very Enemies admired the righ teoufnefs of their Li ves3and (*) bore witnefs thereto, and thecruelleft Perfecu- tors could never beat them therefrom, but they ftill went on in the obfervance of their holy Religion with out having any other de- fign therein, than to pra- dlife that righteoufnefs which it taught, and for three hundred years toge- $her flood firm thereto a- MO,^ p.

D 3 gainfl

(*) P/inii Epift. lib. ro. Ep. 97 — Hartc fuiffe furr.mam niel culpa fux vsl erroris, quad effent foliti ftato die ante Lucem conce ntre, carwe'nqtte Cbrifio quafi Die jtf&refeCMn invicew,feque Sacra" wentonon in fcelus aliquod objirin- gere, fed tie furta , ne Lrtrocimn ne adulteria commit terent , ne ft- demfallerent, ne deboftum appel. I at t abnegarent. In like man ner they were alib vindicated by Serenius Gram anus, Procon- ful ofstfa, in his Epiftle to the Emperor Adrian. E*feb. Hi ft. Ecclefiafi. h\>. 4. c. 8, & 9. By Antoninus Pius in his Epiftle to the Commons of dfia. "juflin Martyr AfvL 2. and even by the Heathen Oracles themfeJves. Eufeb. in vita Ctnftantini, lib, qf,

J4 A Letter to the Deifts,

gainft all thofe terrible dorms of perfecu- tion which were rifen againft them,till at length by the holinefs of their Lives, and the conftancy of their Sufferings, they made a conqueft over their very Perfecu- tors, and brought over the World unto them. And are not our Principles ftill the fame, and alfo, thanks be to G^notwith- Handing the Corruptions of the prefent .Age, the Pra&ice too of many thoufands flill am6ng us, who I doubt not will be as ready to undergo the fame fufferings thofe Primitive Chriflians did, when ever God fliall try them for that holy Religion which they profefs, as they now are to obferve the righteoufnefs thereof. But fuppofing this had been all otherwise, and the Mam mon of this World, and not the Righteouf- neft of God were really the end for which our Religion was defigned ; yet to re nounce the World to gain a Party, and af terwards make ufe of this Party to gain the World, is a Projedfc fo unfeafible, that the former part of it mud neceflarily have overthrown the latter, whenever it had been attempted. For when men had been drawn over to a party under the fpecious pretence of renouncing the World , and been inftrufted and firmly fixed in this Principle, to make thofe very fame men

aftej>

A Letter to the Deifts.

afterwards to ferve their turn for the gain ing of a worldly intereft , would be to make their Dodrine and their Practice fo monftroufly interfere, as muft neceffarily have broken all into pieces,and deftroyed the whole Defign. Certainly, had they any fuch defign, they would never have thus poflefied their Difciples with fuch Principles againft it by ^Religion which they taught them; and in that they did fo, I think nothing can be a more evident De- monftration,that they could never intend any fuch end thereby .Mahomet knew well enough, this was not a way to carry what he defigned, and therefore openly owned mtiis Religion, what.he aimed at there by, and made his Law to fpeak for that Empire and Luft, which he defired to en joy ; and fo when he had made his Religi on to obtain, he gained by vertue thereof the whole which he projected by it, and became poflefled of the Empire of all Ara- lia for the gratifying of his Ambition, and as many Women ashepleafed for the fa- tisfyingof his Luft, which were the two Ends which he drove at in the whole In> pofture. And had Jefus Chrifl and his A* poftles had any fuch defign in the Religion which they taught,they muft in the fame manner have made their Religion

.

5 6 \A Letter to the Deifts.

for it, or elfe it could never have ferved their purpofefor the obtaining of it. And if their Religion had ever ofFer'd at any fuch thing, it muft neceflarily have ap peared in the Books in which it is written. And xdly. If they had been fo wicked, as thus to impofe upon the World a falfe Religion for the promoting of their own intereft,as thatintereft muft haveappear'd in the contexture tf \heReligion it felf,and in thofe Books in which it is written,fo al- fo muft their wickednefs. For Words and Writings,being the outward expreflions of our inward conceptions, there is that con- ne&ion between them , that although the former may often difguife the latter, they can never fo totally conceal them, but every acurate Obferver may (till be able through the one to penetrate into the other, and by what a man utters, whe ther in fpeech or writing, fee what he is at the bottom, do what he can to prevent it. There are indeed fome that can a<2: the Hypocrite fo cunningly, as to diflem- ble the greateft wickednefs under words, writings, anda&ions too, that fpeakthe quite contrary. But this always is fuch a force upon their inclinations, andfo violent a bar upon their inward paflions and defires , that nature will frequently

break

A Letter to the Deifts.

break through in fpight of all Art, and even fpeak out the truth amidft the high- eft pretences to the contrary. And there is no Hypocrite, how cunningly foever he may ad his part, but mud this way very often betray himfelf. For wicked- nefs being always uppermoft in fuch a man's thoughts, and ever preffing for ward to break forth into expreffion , it will frequently have its vent in what that man fpeaks, and in what he writes, do what he can to the contrary ; the care, caution, and cunning of no man in this cafe being fufficient totally to prevent it. Furthermore, there is no man thus wick ed, that can have that knowledge of Righteoufnefs, as thoroughly to a6t it tin der the Mask, with that exadnefs as he who is truly righteous, lives and fpeaks it in reality. His want of experience in the Practice, muft in this cafe lead him into a great many miftakes and blunders in the Imitation. And this is a thing which generally happens to all that adt a Part, but never more than in matters of Religion, in which are many Particulars jfo peculiar to the Righteous, as none are able to reach them, but thofe only who are really fuch. And fuppofing there were any that could, yet there will ever

be

§8 A Letter to tie Deifts.

be that difference between what is natu ral, and what is artificial; and between that which is true, real, and fincere, and that which is falfe, counterfeit, and hypo critical, that nothing is more eafy than for any one that will attend it, to difcern the one from the other. And therefore were Jefus Chrijl and his Apoflles fuch Perfons as this Charge of Impoflure muft fuppofe them to be , it's impoffible but that the Dodrrines which they taught, and the Books which they wrote , muft make the difcovery ; and the New Tefta- went would, as a {landing Record againft them in this caie, afford a multitude of Inftances to convid them hereof. That the Alcoran doth fo as to Mahomet \ no thing is more evident ; a ftrain of Rapine, Blood ihed andLuft running thorough the whole Book, which plainly proves the Author of it to be altogether fuch a Man as the Charge of Impofture muft necefla- rily fuppofe him to be. And were the firft Founder of our holy Religion, or the Writers of thofe Books in which its Do- dtrines are contained, fuch Men as he, jx>th their Dodrines and their Books would as evidently prove it againft them. But here I muft again challenge you, and all other the Adverfaries of our holy Re*

A Letter to the Deifts^ 5 9

light) to fhew us any one particular in it, that can give the leaft foundation to fuch a Charge, any one word in all the Books of the New Teftament^lm can afford the leaft umbrage or pretence thereto. Let what is written in them be tried by that which is the Touchftoneof all Religions, I mean that Religion&i Nature and Rea- fon, which G^hath written in the hearts of every one of us from the firft Creati on ; and if it varies from it in any one particular, if it prefcribes any one thing which may in the minuteft circumftance thereof be contrary to its Righteoufnefs ; I will then acknowledge this to be an Argument againft us, ftrong enough to overthrow the whole Caufe, and make all things elfe that can be fa id for it, to tally ineffectual to its fupport. But it is fo far from having any fuch flaw therein, that it is the perfe<3:eft Law of Righteouf nefs which was ever yet given unto man kind, and both in commanding of Good, as well as in forbidding of Evil, vaftly exceeds all others that went before it, and prefcribes much more to our pra- d:ice in both, than the wifeft and high- eft Moralift was ever able without it to reach in Speculation. For,

ift. As

60 A Utter to the Dei/is,

ift. As to the forbidding of Evil, it is fo far from indulging, or in the leaft al lowing us in any pra&ice that favours hereof, that it is the only Law which is fo perfectly broad in the prohibition, as adequately to reach whatfoever may be Evil in the pra&ice ,- and without any exception, omiffion, or defed:, abfolute- ly, fully , and thoroughly forbids unto us, whatfoever may have but the leaft taint of corruption therein ; and there fore it not only reftrains all the Overt- ads of Iniquity , but alfo every imagi nation of the heart within , which in the leaft tends thereto ; and in its Pre cepts prohibits us not only the doing or fpeakingof Evil, but alfo the harbour ing or receiving into our Minds the leaft thought or defire thereafter ; whereby it fo effeftually provides againft all manner of Iniquity, that it plucks it up out t)f every one of us by the very roots, and fo makes the man pure, and clean, and holy altogether, without allowing the leaft favour of Evil to be remaining in him : And every one of us would be thoroughly fuch , could we be but as perfeft in our Obedience to this Law, as it is perfectly given unto us. And,

sdly. As

'A Letter to tfa Deifts. <Ji

idly. As to the commanding of Good, its Prefcriptions are, That we employ our Time, our Powers, and all other Talents intruded with us, to the bed we are able, both to give Glory unto GoJt and alfo to ihow Charity unto Mea ; and this laft not only to our Friends, Relations, and Benefadors, but in general to all Man kind, even to our Enemies,and thofe who defpightfully ufe us and perfecute us; and hereby it advanceth us to that height of perfection in all holinefs and goodnefs, as to render us like the Angels of Light in our Service unto God, and like God him- felf in our Charity to Man. For it directs us in the fame manner as the Angels to woHhip and ferve our God to the utmoft ability of our Nature ; and in the fame manner as God to make our goodnefs to Men extend unto all, without exception or referve, as far as they are capable of receiving it from us.

And can any man think it poflible that a Religion which fo thoroughly and fully forbids all Evil, and in fo high and perfect a manner prefcribes us all Good , could ever be theprodud of a wicked mind? The fruit is too good to proceed from fo corrupt a root,and the effed: vaftly above the efficiency of fuch a Caufe ever to pro duce

6 1 A Letter to the Deifts.

duce it. For can it poflibly be irnagln'd, that a wicked man could either have in clination to do fo much for the promo ting of that Righteoufnefs which all his paflions and defires fo violently run coun ter unto? or if he would, that fuch an one could ever be fo well acquainted with all the ways thereof, as fo exactly to pre- fcribe them ? If it be fo difficult for luch an one to conceal his inclinations in his expreffions 5 if it be fo hard for him,when he vents himfelf into Words or Writings, not to let loofe fomething in them of what he really is ( as I have already fhown ) how can anyCopy be drawn from fuch a Mind, but what muft in fome feature or other refemble the Original ; or any thing at all proceed from thence, but what muft carry with it fome favour of the iniquity thereof? Set but fuch a one to write a Letter, and he will fcarce be able to do it without putting fo much of his paffions and his temper into it, as that we may read from thence what he is, as every man's experience may tell him,that correfponds with fuch; and how much more then may we be afliired will he lay himfelf open, when he hath the large fcope of a Book to exprefs himfelf in, and efpecially when that Book is of fuch

a nature,

A Letter to t fa Delfts.

a nature, as gives him the fulleft occa- fion, and the moft inviting opportunity fo to do > And what Book can be more fuch, than that which is to propofe a new Law to mankind ? In the writing of fuch aUook, if ever, certainly the wicked Man will fhow himfelf, and in the fame man ner as Mahomet did 5 conform his Laws to his own inclinations^and prefcribe fuch rules of living to others, as may beft ju- ftify him in thofe which he himfelf fol lows. And although he fhould not in tend any fuch thing, though he fhould not defigri fo to do (and ir is hard to ima gine of fuch a man, that he fhould not), yet at leaft the prevailing-bent of hispa£ fions, and the corruption oi his judgment,' which always follows therefrom , muft neceflarily lead him thereinto ; it being, morally fpeaking, altogether impoffible, but that the wicked man muft appear in what the wicked man dothjand the deeds, words, and writings which proceed from fuch an one, muft in fome meafure favour of what he is. And therefore if there be nothing in the Law of our holy Religion ( as I hope I have fully fhown that there is not ) which can make the leaft difco- very of any fuch thing, nothing that cah afford the leaft pretence for fuch a charge

againft

64 . A Letter to tfo Deifts;

againft it, where fo large a'fcope is given for it ; this fufEciently proves, that nei* ther the firft Founder of the Chriflian Re* ligion, nor thofe who firft wrote it in the Books of the New Teftament, in which we now have it, could poffibly be wicked men, and confequently not fuch Iwpoftcn as you would have them to be.

But here I know it will be objeded, That there is no neceffity that all Impo- fiors Ihould be as wicked as Mahomet ; ^ and therefore though Jefus Chrift and his Apoftles were no fuch wicked Perfons, yet however they may be Hill Impoflors for all that. For, firft, it hath hapned that very juft and good men have had recourfe to Impofture to bring to pafs and eftablilh their mod commendable defigns j as we have an inftance in Minos King of Crete^ and another in J^mtKing of Rome, both which, to give the greater Authority to their Laws, pretended to have had them by Divine Revelation. /\nd, fecondly,you will fay, It's poflible a man may be an Im- poftor by Entbujiafm , and miftake, and falfly impofe things for Divine Revelati on, npt out of a wicked defign to deceive others,but that he is really deceived here in himielf. And if in thefe two Cafes a

man

'A Leier to tie Delfts^ 6$

man that is not wicked may be an Im- poftor; you will urge, That though Jeftu Chrift and his Apoftles were not wicked men , yet this will not prove them not to have been Impoftorsy becaufe it's poffi- ble, that in one of thefe two Cafes they might have been fucho

In order to the clearing of the firft of thefe Objections, I dcfire you would con- fider thefe Three following Particulars.

i. That in every Religien there are thefe two Parts to be obferved, very di~ flindt from each other, i . The Religion itfelf. And x. The Means whereby it is promoted and propagated among men.

zi, When the Impofture is only in the former of thefe two ; and a true Religion^ or at leaft one that is really believed to befuch, is promoted by means of Impo- (tare ; that is, by feigning a Divine Reve* lation where there is none, or by coun terfeiting Miracles , or by any other fuch means tending to deceive men thereinto J this amounts to ho higher than a pious /r<W, which out of an over-hot and in- confiderate zeal fome men have made ufe of for the promoting of the bed Ends0

E

66 A tetter to the

And fuch men, for the fake of fuch Ends, may ftiil be denominated good and righ teous in the main, how much foever they may have been out in making ufe of fuch means to promote them.

3. When the Iwpoflure is in the End as well as in. the Means ; and not only the Revelation pretended, but alfo the Re ligion it felf is all falfe, counterfeit, and feigned ; this amounts to fuch an Impo- (lure as is totally wicked, without any mixture of good therein. In the former Cafe, where the Impofture is only in the Means, there is a good End defigned, and therefore fomething ftill from whence the perfon ufingit may be deno minated Good 3 but where ;he Impoflure is in both, it is Wickednefs all over, without any thing at all in it to exempt him from being perfectly wicked that maketh ufe thereof.

Which Particulars being premifed, my Anfwer to the Objection is as follow- eth :

i. I do acknowledge it

( ) Plata in Mmoe & in 1 j u ^*\ >

primoDialogodeLegibus.Di- tO be related bY ( ) ***

oryfms Halicarnaffxus, lib. i. thors bf good Credit, That

Sciabo , lib 16. Valerius Maxi» MMS Ring Qf Crefe when

tout, lib. I. c. 2, i/-nr&ity r

he hrft iramed the Laws of

his

A Letter to tfa DeiftsJ 67

his Gbuntrey, to give them the greater

Authority, ufed to retire into a Cave on

Mount Difla^ and from thence to bring

them forth to his Cretans^ as if they had

been there delivered to him by Jupiter.

And that Numa, when he founded the

Laws of Rome (f j, pra&ifed the fame Art, (t)Piutarchu«

pretending to have received them from j™?^"111*

R *, • r t -i oc Dionvhus

the Nymph Egena, that id he might pro- Haiica cure them to be received by the Romans us, lib. with the greater Veneration. And by this device they both obtained their end in bringing very rude arid barbarous People to fubmit to thole good Orders and Rules which they prefcribed for their living civilly, peaceably, and juftly together. But this, although it were a fraud in the Means, yet as far as it related only to a Political End, belongs to another rrmtter « and doth not at all fall within that Argu ment of Religion which we itb now treating of.

i. As to the Lawrof Numa, 1 acknow ledge that they reached not only Matters of State, but thofe of Religion alfo ; and that the whole method of the old Roman Religion was regulated and dated by them; but thatfl&aw founded any new/te- //g/0#jis what I utterly deny .For Numa left no other Religion behind him in Rome at E 2, his

6% J Letter to tk Deifts.

his death, than that very fame Heathen*

//#* which he found there at his firft com ing thither to be King, For the City hav ing been then but newly founded, and the People made up of a Collection of the refufe and (cum of divers Nations there gathered together, they were as much out of order in matters of Religion, as in tbofe belonging to the CivilGovernment; and all that Numa did, when he came to reign over them, was to make Laws to regulate both ; and therefore, as he found ed feveral wholfome Conftitutions for the orderly governing of the State, fo alfo did he for the regular worfhippingof the Gods then acknowledged among them, without making any eflential alteration in the Religion afore pra&ifed by them. For had he done fo, then the Religion of the Romans muft have differed from the Religion of the other Cities of Italy^ which we find it did not. For they communi cated with each other in their Worfliip, as they did alfo with the Greeks. And in truth, the old Roman Religion was no ether than the Greek Heathenifm , the fame which was pradhfed in Greece, and in a!l thofe Countries which were plant ed with Colonies from thence, as al- rnoil ail Italy was at that time. And

there-

A Letter to the Deifts.

therefore the Romans^ as well as the reft of the Cities of Italy, looked on Delphos as a principal place of their Worfliip, with the fame Veneration that the Creeks did, and had frequent recourfe thither on Re ligious accounts , as the Roman Hiftories on many occafions acquaint us. And this Religion Numa while he lived among his Salines^ being accurately verfed in, and alfo a diligent pra<5tifer of it, on his com ing to Rome, and finding the Romans all out of order in that little which they had of it ( for during the Reign of Romulus they minded little elfe but fighting, and therefore had not leifure, or perchance any great regard for this matter) he not only inftrudted them more fujly in it, ac cording as it was received in the Neigh bouring Nations, but alfo framed feveral . Rules and Conftitutions for their more regular and orderly practice of it, which did no more make the old Heatbenifm of the Romans to be a new Religion^ than the Body of Canons given us by \&n%James the Firft, for the more orderly regulating of our Worfliip and Difcipline, makes our Religion a new Chriftianity. Only Numa9 the better to make his Conftitutions to obtain among thofe barbarous people for whom he made them, pretended to have E 3 been

rA Letter to tie Deifts.

been inftru&ed in them by a Divine Per* fon 5 and in this he pra&ifed a pious fraud, but was by no means guilty of fuch an Impoflure as we are now treating of. For he taught them no new Religion^ but only the very fame Greek Heathemfm which he had received with the reft of the People of Italy from their Forefathers,and really be lieved to be that very true Religion where by God was to be ferved ; and therefore notwithftanding the deceit he made ufe of, he might from the end which he pro- pofed, and which he really effeded there* b\% to the civilizing of a very barbarous fort of people, be ftill reckoned ajuftand good man ; and to give him his due, he really was one of the moft excellent Per- fonages of that Age in which he lived j and firft fowed among the Romans the Seeds of that Virtue with which they fo eminently tignalized themfelves for fo many Ages after. But,

3. Jefus Chrifl and his Apoftles took on them iK>t only to be MeyengerS fent of Gad, but alfo to teach a new Religion to the World ; and therefore if they were Iwpoftors, they muft be fo in the largeft and fulleft fenfe, both in refpedl of the Re ligion it felf, as well as the means where by they promoted it. And in this cafe

there

A Letter to the Deifls. 7 1

there could be nothing to excufe them from being altogether as wicked as I have alledged. Where the Religion is true, or really believed fo to be, there is a pious intention in the end, which may ipeak feme goodnefs in him that ufeth fraud to promote it ; and fuch a goodnefs ss great ly exceeds the obliquity of the fault which he committed about jt ; and there- fore, although he cannot on the account of the Good be excufed from the Evil ( for it is always a fcandal to Religion to be promoted by Falfhood ), yet (till he muft be reckoned more commendable from the one, than faulty from the other; and in this cafe there will flill be room enough left from'the goodnefs of the End defign'd, and the Piety of the Intention, to denominate the man good and righte ous in the main, notwithftanding the fault committed inufingfuch means to bring it to effed. But where the Religion is all Forgery and FalJbooJ^ as well as the Means of promoting it Deceit and Fraud, the Impoflure then becomes fo totally and perfe&ly wicked, without the lead mix ture of good therein, as muft neceflarily denominate the Authors and firft Proper gators of it to be perfectly wicked alfo.

E 4 If

J Letter to the Deifts.

If you fay, that fuch a perfed: Impofture as this can have any good End, for the fake whereof the Authors of it may be freed from that charge of Wickednefs which I lay upon them , that good End muft be either the honour of GoJ> er the benefit of men. But how can God be more dishonoured, than by zfalfe Religion ? or how can men be more mifchiev'd than by having the practice of it impofed on them, whereby they muft thus conftant- ly dishonour, and confequently offend and lofe the favour of him that made them ? An Ivnpofture in this cafe hath that aggravation from the Object it is about, as well as from the perfection of iniquity which is in the ad: , that fuppofmg it could be made produdtive of any good End, that Good would be fo vaftly over- balanc'd by the Wickednefs of the Means, that it would be of no weight in com pa- rifon thereof, or at all avail to the ren- dring of thofe that ihall make ufe of it, lefs wicked than I have faid. But when a man can thus far proceed in Wickednefs towards God, as to be the Author of con- ftant difhonour unto him in a falfe Wor- Jhip ; and towards Men , as to enfnare them into all that mifchief which muft te confequeptial hereto ,• it muft necefla-

rily

A Letter to the Deifts.

illy imply fuch a thorough disregard of both, as every good intention in refped of either muft be inconfiftent with. And > therefore , if it be poflible that fuch a wicked Impoflure can ever be made the Means to a gqod End, it is fcarce to be conceived, how they who are fo wicked, as to be the Authors of it, could ever in tend any fuch good" thereby.

But further, If the Authors of fuch an Irnpojiurezs we are now treating of, can be lefs wicked than I have faid, on the account of any good, which you pretend they may defign thereby ; I defire to know among what fort of Men you will place them, while you thus plead their excufe. For they muft be one of thefe three ; that is, either Atheifls, Deijls^ or Believers of aft inftituted Religion.

i. If you fay they are Atheifls, that word alone contains enough to prove them perfectly wicked, whatever can be laid to the contrary. It is indeed agree able enough to the Principles of this fort of Men, that fuch an Impoflure as we are treating of, may laudably be made ufe of to a good End. For they hold, that all Religion is nothing elfe but a device of politicians to keep the World in awe. But

if

74 A Letter to tie DeiftsJ

if the Atheift be the Devifer, what intend tion of Good can the device carry there with ? None certainly towards God, fince he utterly denies his Being ,• or can it in this cafe have any towards Men, fince by denying him, for whofe fake it is that we are to do good .to others,he calls off there with all the reafon and obligation, which he hath, abftra&ive of his own intereft, of doing any fuch at all. All the good therefore that fuch an one can aim at, muft totally center in himfelf to advance his own Enjoyments, and gratify his own Lufts in all thofe things which his corrupt Affe<3:ions carry him after ; and to enjoy thefe without reftraint of Laws, or fear of punifhment,being that alone which is the real and true caufe that makes any man deny that fiipreme and infinitely good and juft Being, whom all things elfe prove ; whoever is an Atheift, muft be perfectly wicked before he can be fuch ; and what is there which can, while in that impiety, ever give him a better chara&er afterwards ?

^. If you fay they are Deijls, fuch as you profefs your felves to be ; your main Principle is againft all inftituted Religion whatever, as if God were diflionoured, and Man injured by every thing of this

nature

rA Letter to the Delfts.' 7 5

nature pra&ifed among us ; and can you then think, that any who are thus per- fuaded, can without being firft corrupted to a great degree of Impiety, as well as Hypocrify, ever become themfelves fo contrary to their own Sentiments,on any pretence whatfoever, the Authors and Teachers of fuch a Religion among us?

3. But if you place them among thofe who are Believers of an ivftituted Religion^ they muft abolifh that which they believe to be true, before they can introduce that by Impofture which they know to be falfe. And this muft be the cafe of Jefus Cbrijt and his Apvflles^ if they were fuch Iwpo- ftors as you hold them to be. For they were educated and brought up in the Jewi/h Religion, which they believed to be from God) and the whole Tejiour of the Religion which they taught, fuppofeth it fo to be; and that it was the only true way whereby God was to be worfhipped by them , till they delivered their new Revelations, which totally aboliflied this Religion, and eftabliihed theChri/lianm its ftead ; and therefore if thofe Revela tions were not true and real, as they pre tended they were, but all forged and counterfeited by them, as you fay, they jnuft abojifh a Religion % which they be- x

lievcd

76 A Letter to the Deifts.

lieved to be true, to make way for that which they knew to be falfe, and there by become wilfully and knowingly, ac cording to their own belief, the Authors of leading Men from faving Truths, into damning Errors, to the utter deftru&ion of their Souls for ever; and alfo of de priving God of that acceptable Worfhip, whereby he was truly honoured accord ing to his own appointment, to introduce in its ftead a falfe Superftition of their own devifing, which muft be conftant difhonour unto him as long as pradtifed among us. And if Jefus Chrtft and his Apofths were fuch Impoftors , as all this imports ; and fuch they muft be, if they were Impoftors at all ; they muft be guil ty of that impiety towards GoJ9 as well as that injitftice towards Men herein, as muft neceflarily fuppofe them the wick- edeft of Men before they could arrive hereto ; and therefore if they were not fuch wicked Men, this abundantly de- monftrates, they could not be fuch Im- po/lors. as you charge them to be.

As to the fecond Obje&ion , That a Man may be an Impoftor through Enthu- fiafm and Miftake , and falfely impofe things for Divine Revelations^ not out of

a wicked

A Letter to the Deifts;

a wicked defign to deceive others, but that he is herein really deceived himfelf ; and that therefore there is no neceflity that all Iwpoftors fhould be fuch wicked Perfons as I havealledged : My Anfwer hereto is,

i. I do acknowledge that Entkufiafm hath carried Men into very ftrange con ceits and extravagancies upon the foun dation of a Religion already eftabliflied, as we have inftances enough hereof in the Anabaptifts oj Germany^ the

Quakers here with us, the f ) They were a fort of M*. (*) Batenifls among the SSi£^SfJ&

Mahometans^ and in feme of in them in the fame manner as

the Reclufes of the Church of *he &*•*», with us, and there-

_ 0 J i r^ i r r f°re were called Bafen:Jfs from

Rome. But that Enthujiajm the Ar^lc word B*ttH, ****.

Could ever gO fo far, as tO And on this Principle did all

fancy a Divine Revelation gg^fejftS

fcr the eilabllihmg of a from this Light »**/» them.

new Religion, and upon fuch a fancy propagate that Religion in the World, as if it came from <W, is that which I cannot believe ; and there is no inftance, that I know of, that can be given hereof. But,

xdly. Allowing it poffible, this Ob- jedion then , as applied to the cale in hand, muftfuppofe^y^C/jr//?, and his ) to have been deceived by Entbu-

fiafm

A Letter to tie Deifts.

fiafm into thcReligion which they taught; and that therefore^! though they were by no means fuch wicked men as a wilful Impofture muft fuppofe them to be, yet flill they might be Impoftors by miftake ; and being by Entbufiafm fo far deluded, as to think That to come to them from God by Divine Revelation, which had no other Birth but from their own wiid Fancies, might preach it to men as fuch, not out of a wicked defign to deceive,but that they were really herein deceived themfel ves. But is it poflible for any man to conceive, that fo grave, fo ferious, and fo wifely a framed Religion as Chriftianity is,could ever be the Spawn 'tRKtohuftafiifa Whatfoever is the produd of that, ufeth ever to be like the Parent, wild and extravagant in all its parts, often dif- agreeing with all manner of Reafon, and often as much with it felf. Bat Chriftia- fttty is in all its parts as rational as it is good, giving us the jufteft Notions of God, the beft Precepts of our duty to wards Him, and the exacted Rules of li ving honeftly and righteoufly with each other, and hath a thorough conformity to it felt in every particular of it ; on which account it hath been approved and admired for the excellency of its compo-

fore,

A Letter to the Deifts.

fure, and the wifdom of its Conftitutions, even by the beft and wifeft of thofe who never fubmitted thereto; and therefore al ways carries with itMarks and Evidences enough in the very Nature of it, fuffici- ently to prove it vaftly above the power of fuch a Caufe ever to produce it.

3. The Founder and firft Teachers of Chriftianity gave fuch Evidences for the truth thereof, as Entkufiafm could never produce. For can Enthujiafm raife the dead to life again, cure all manner of dif- eafes, and work fuch other Miracles as Chrift and his Apoftles did ? Had they by Enthufiafm been miftaken in the Do ctrines which they taught , certainly God would never have wrought fuch wonderful Works by their hands, as give teftimony thereto.

4. Several of the principal Articles of our Faith depend upon luch matters of Fa<3:, as allow no room for Enthufiafa to take place in them ; as that of the Refur- retfionof our Saviour from the dead, his Afcenfion into Heaven, and the Defcent of the HolyGhofl in the Gift of Tongues. For in fuch things as thefe , which men fee with thtir eyes, and hear with tfieir ears, and feel with their hands ( as one of the Jpoftles did the very Wounds of our Savi*

our

8o A Letter to the Deift'sj

our after his Refurreftion ) no Enthuftafo can ever lead men into a miftake. For can it poffibly be faid that it w^is only by Enthujiajm that five hundred men toge* ther faw Chrijl after he wasrifen again from the dead ? or that it was by Enthu« jiafm that his Apoftles faw him afcend up into Heaven fromMott»t Olivet in the pre- fenceof thertiallat noon-day? or that it was only by Enthujiafm that the fame Apoflles on the day of Pentecoft received the Gift of Tongues by the Defceni of the Holy Ghoft upon them, fo as to be able to converfe with all the feveral Nations then atjerufalem in their own Languages, without ever having learned any thing of them ? To fay that men could any way be miftaken in fuch things as thefe, will be to deny the certainty of fenfe^ and overthrow the foundations of all manner of knowledge whatever. Itmufl therefore be faid as to thefe particu lars, as it iTiuft alfoof all the Miracles of our Saviour^ which give Teflimony to the Do&rines which he taught, That his Jlptflesy who teftified them unto the world, and upon the credit of them built up thzt* Religion which they delivered unto us, did either fee them really done as they relate, or they did not fee them.

Sf

A Leter to the Deifts. 8 1

tf they did fee them, no Enthiifwfin could ever make them be miftaken therein ; and if they did not, they muft be altogether as bad Impoftors as Mahomet himfelf in teftifying them unto us ; and what but as great Wickednefs as his, could ever in* duce them fo to do ?

SECT, IV.

IV. The next Mark of an Iwpofture is* That it muft unavoidably contain in it feveral palpable falfities , whereby may be made appear the falfity of all the reft. For whoever invents a Lye, can never do it fo cunningly and knowingly, but ftill there will be fome flaw or other left in it, which will expofe it to a difcovery ; and no Man who frames an invention,can ever fecure it herefrom without two qua lifications, which no Man can have ; and they are, ift. A thorough knowledge of all manner of Truths. And, xdly. Such an exadt memory, as can bring them all prefent to his Mind,when ever there fhail be an occafion. For to make the Lye pafs without contradiction, he muft make it put on a feeming agreement with all o* ther Truths whatever. And how can any one do this without knowing all Truths,

F and

8 2 A Letter to the Deifts.

snd having them alfo all ready and pre- fent in his mind to confider them in order thereto ? And fince no Man is fufficient for this, no Man is fuificient fo to frame a Lye, but he will always put fomething or other into it, which will palpably prove it to be fo, For if there be but any one known Truth in the whole fcheme of Na ture with which it interferes, this muft make the difcovery ; and there is no Man that forgeth an Irnpofture , but makes himfelf liable this way to be convicted of it. This is the method whereby we diftinguifh fuppofititious Authors from thofe which are genuine , and fabulous Writers from true Hiftorians. For there is always forncthing in fuch, which difa- : ;rces trom known Truths to make the difcovery, fofne flaw always left in fpight of the utmoft care and forefight of the Forgerer, that betrays the cheat. Thus An*ius\ Imfrrflure of his Berofus, Manetho and Megafthenes became dete&ed, and fo a lib we know the Tufcan Antiquities of Jxghiramius to be a Cheat of the like na ture. And by the fame rule is it that wre re ceive SABtfft, Tacitus and Suetonius for true Hijlorians ) and rejcdl others as Writers of Fables , and of no authority with us : And if we examine the^/cmwof Mahomet

by

A Letter to the Deiffis."

by the fame method , nothing can be more plainly convidted of Fal/ity and /#*- poftwe, than that muft be by it. For al though in that Book he allows both the 0/Jand the New Teftameni to be of Divine Authority, yet in a multitude of infbnces he differs from both : I mean not in mat ters of Law and Religion^ for here his de- fign is to differ ; but in matters of fadi and hiftory,which if once true,muft ever more be the fame. They have a fetch indeed to bring him off, by faying that the Jews and the Chri- ftians corrupted thofe holy Books,and therefore where he relates things otherwife than they do, he doth there reftore truth, and not va ry from it. But certainly this will not hold, where, by a very grofs blunder, he makes the Virgin (*) Mary the Mother of our Saviour 9 to be the fame with Miri am, the Sifter of Mofcs. For this would be to put the GofpeHo clofe upon the heels of the Law, as to al-

low no time for the taking

F %

(*) Alcoran, r. 3. where ob» fcrve, that through all that Chapter in every place, where the French, and out of rfot the Engiifh Iranfaiicn of the Ale** ran, hath joacbtw, in the Ori ginal Arabic it is Amr&n , and from thence this Chapter i Original is called Swatil ran, i. e. the Chapter of Amran. But in both thefe Tremflttiws iC is called the Chapter of Joachim. For Mahomet miilaking the Vir* gin Mary to be the fame wirh Mirum , the Sifter of Mojss, makes Am an to be her Father. But /tyr, the French Tranflatort very imprudently taking irpon him to corre£l the fmpofoSs blunder, puts Joachim in ths place of Amran , and thereby gives us a fjlfe Verfion, where it is very material in order to the expofing of that Impofture, to know the true. And the Englijb Translator follows birn herein,

place

84 ji Letter to tfa Deifts.

place of this latter, before it would have been totally abolifhed by the former. But which moft difcovers his Impoflure^ are the monftrous Miftakes which he makes in the Moral part thereof. For he allows Fornication, and juftifies Adul tery by his Law ; and makes War> Rapine and Slaughter to be the main part of the Religion which he taught ; which being contrary to the Nature of Gody from whom he fays he received it, and contra ry to that Law of unalterable and eternal Truth , which he hath written in the hearts of all of us from the beginning ; the obvious Principles of every Man's rea- fon convi& him of falfehood herein, and thereby manifeftly prove all the reft to be nothing elfe but an abominable Im piety of his own invention. And were the Religion of Jefas Chrift, as delivered to us , in the NewTeftament, an ImpoflureYike this, it muft have the fame flaws therein, that is, many falfities in matter of fad:, and more in Dcdrine, and all his Prophe- c/fj'Would be without TYuth in the Ori ginal, or Verification in the Event. And when you can make out any one of thefe particulars againft it , then we will be ready to fay the fame thereof that you do, That all is Cheat and Iwpofture^ and

no

A Ltttw to tie Deifts.

no credit or faith is any longer to be gi ven thereto.

And ift. as to the matters of fad con* tained in thtffiftory oftheNew Teflament^ whoever yet convicted any one of them of falfehood ? or whoever as much as en deavoured it in the Age when the Books were fit ft written, when the falfehood might have been heft proved, had there been any fuch in them, and the doing hereof would have fo much ferved the Defigns of thofe bitter Enemies of the Chriftian Caufe, wha from the firft did the utmoft they could to fupprefs it? What Relations of matters ot fad: pafs uncontra- di&ed and uncontrolled in the Age in which they were tranfaded, and among thofe who thought themfelves greatly concerned to have them believed falfe,this muft be taken for an undeniable argument of their truth. And this Argument the Hiflory of the Neiv Teflament hath on its fide in its fulled ftrength. For the Books were written and publiflied in the very Age in which the things related in them were done, yet no one then ever contra dicted or convided of falfehood any one paflage in them, though Ckriflianity had from the very beginning the Profejfors of all other Religions in moft bitter enmity F 3 againft

A Letter to tie Deifts.

againft it^who would have been moft rea dy and glad fo to do,could they have found but the lead pretence for it. And had any e>f thofe Relations been falfe, there were then means enough undeniably to have convid: d them of it. For thofe things which are related of Jefas Chrifl and his in the Hiftory of the New Tefta* &re not there faid to have been done in Corners, where none were prefentto contradict them, but upon the open Stage of the World, and many of them in the fight of thoufands ; and therefore had they not been really done, or done other- wife than related., there could not have wanted Witnefies enough to make proof hereof. And mod certainly thofe who fo bitterly owofedChriftianity from the firft, Xvould have found them out, and made life of their Testimonies to the utmoft for the overthrowing of the Caufe they fo vi olently oppofed; and had they done fo, to be fure we fliould have had thofe teftimo- fties in the mouths of all its Enemies ever fince. For they would have yielded them the ftrongeft and the moft prevailing Ar gument they could poffibly have urged 2'gainft it. The falfe pretences of all other 'Impoflors have been detected by thofe Who Jived in their times, and the true

Hiftory

^ Letter to tie Deifts.

Hiftory is given of them inftcad of the falfe ones wnich they gave oi ihemfJ ves. And had Jefus Chrifi an bb Apoftles been like Impoftors , and the thing related of them in the Books of the New Tetlament falfe and forged, it is not JK ffible to con^ ceive, efpecially in the circumftances above-mentioned v how they could have efcaped the like cifcovery ; but certainly in this cafe,imidft fo many Witnefles who could have proved the falfehood, and fo many Enemies who were eager to deted: it,all muft have come out, and every falfe Narrative would have been fhown to be fuch, and the true one given in its ftead, and we fliouid have heard enough hereof from the Adverfaries of our holy Religion through every Age fince. And that this was not done when there was fuch bitter oppofition againft the Ckrjlian Religion from the firft propagating of ic, and it would have been fo ftrong an argument againft it, can be affigned to no other caufe,but that the things related werefo evidently and manifeftly true , as not to afford the lead pretence for the contra- diking of them. But this is not all we have to fay in the cafe.For it hath not only hapned that none of thofe imtecrs of fad: have ever been contradided, or proved

falfe

88 \A Letter to the Deifts.

falfe by any of the firft Enemies of Chri- ftianit-y, who were beft able to have done fo, had there been that Impofture in them which you alledge ; but on the contrary many of them have been allowed true, and attcfted by them. For. two of the moft furprizing particulars related in the Gofpels are confirmed by the Teftimony of Heathen Writers, I mean the murther of the Innocents by Herod at Bethlehem, and the wonderful Eclipfe of the Sun , which hapned at the death of our Savi our , contrary to the nature of a Solar Eclipfe^ when the Moon was in the Full. O SaturnaJ, (*) Macrolius tells us of the former, and (t)' Vide4' ™) Phlegon Trallianm of the latter. And Chronlcon that which is the moft important part of Eufebii, & all, and bears thegreateft Teftimony to ^e truth of the whole, was allowed and acknowledged on all hands both by Jews and Heathens even in their bic- Manhsum tereft oppofition againft the Chriflian 3 ?. Caufe, I mean the account which is given

in thofe facred Books of the Miracles of our Saviour. For both of them have yielded to the truth hereof; only the Jews fay, that he wrought them by vir tue of the Tetragrammaton, or the facred Name Jehovah^ ftolen by him out of the s (which the ridiculoufoefs of the

Fable

A Letter to the Deifts. 89

Fable they relate concerning it,fufficient- ly confutes); and the Heathens, by Magic Art. And therefore Philoftratus and Hie- rocks finding no other way to overthrow the Authority which thofe Miracles gave his Religion, confronted againft him the Hiflory of Apollonius Tyanaus , whom they pretend by the fame Art of Magic to have done as wonderful things, and by this means endeavoured at leaft to invalidate thofe miraculous Works of his, which they could not deny. And,

adly. As to the Prophecies of our Savi our, the truth of their event in every par ticular proves the truth of him that pre dicted them. Fordid he not come from God, how could he have this wonderful Knowledge , as thus to foretel things to come ? Were he not of the Secrets oi the Almighty, how could he fo certainly have foreihown what in after-times he would bring to pals ? If it were only by guefs that he did fo, how poffibly could all things fo exactly fail out in the event,that nothing fliould in the leaft happen other- wife than as he predicted, efpecially fince as to mod of them it cannot be as much asfaid, that there was any place for hu man fagacity, or the leaft probable con* je<3ure to help him to any forefight there*

in >

A Later to the Deifts.

in ? For how improbable was it that the Religion which he taught, fhould, againft the bent of the whole World, have made fo great and fpeedy progrefs therein, as he foretold that it fhould > or that fuch Inftruments as he employed in this work, a company of poor, ignorant, and con temptible Fijbermen, fhould ever have been able to have effe&ed it , without the extraordinary Providence of Glover- ruling the hearts, as well as the power of men > A thing in the ordinary courfe of human affairs fo unlikely to fucceed, could never have been brought to pafs ; or could our Saviour have any manner of ground from the nature of the thing, fo much as to guefs at fo ftrange an event, and therefore could never have fo punctu ally foretold it; but that being fent of God to begin this work, he foreknew all that he would do for the perfecting of it. And the fame is to be faid of what he farther predicted of this holy Religion as to its con* tinuance among us to the end of the world; of the calling of the Gentiles there into, and the rejeding of the Jews ; of the great Calamities which fhould attend that People ( as accordingly they have through a!! Agesiince ),and particularly of that great and terrible calamity which

was

A Letter to the Deifts^ 9 1

was to fall upon them in the deftru&ion of Jerttfalem , and accordingly hapned about forty years after ; which he fo ex- adly foretold , not only as to the time ( for he faid it fliould be before that (*) OMatt,c,24. generation fliould pafs away ) but alib as v- 3* to all other the mod confiderable circum- ftances of it, that nothing can be a more exad: and perfect Comment on the zqth Chapter of St. Matthew, and thofe other Paflages in the Gofpels where this difmal deftru&ion is foretold, than that H/ftory ofjofephus which gives us an account how it was brought to pafs. And that part of the Prophecy which relates to the final de- ftrudion of the Temple, foretelling, that one ft one fhculd not te left upon another^ hath been fo exactly verified, that not- withstanding feveral attempts which have been made for the re-edifying of it, it could never be effected ; no, not as far as the laying of one (tone upon another in order thereto, even to this day. And when Julian the Apoftate, out of defign to Confront this Prophecy, and give the Lye thereto, employed both the Power and the Treafure of the Roman Empire for the rebuilding of it, Heaven it felf interpofed in an extraordinary manner, to make good what he had predided to be the e-

ftablilhed

A Letter to the Deifts.

ftablifhed purpofe of the Almighty , which nothing was able to alter, and by a mira culous Fire deftroyed the Work as faft as it was built, and at length forced the Un dertakers totally to defift therefrom. For the truth whereof, I will not refer you to the Teftimony of Socrates Scholafacus, Sozomen, Ckryfoftom, or any other of the Chriftian Writers who relate it,but to one whom you cannot fufped: of ferving the intereft oftheCbrifiiaxCaufe herein3he be ing as much an Adversary thereto as any of you; I mean Ammianus MarceOinusjwhQ was an Heathen Writer, and then ferved under Julian in his Wars in the £*/?,at.the fame time when this hapned. His Words concerning it (//^.ij. c.i.) are as follow- eth— Ambit iofum quondam apud Hierofoly* mam Tern plum, quo d p oft mult a & interne- civa certamina^ olfidente Pefpajiano poftea* que TitOj tegre eft expugnatum^ inftaurare fumptibus excogitalat immodicis^ negotium- que maturandum Alypio Jederat Antio- chenfi^ qui olim Britannos curaverat pro Pr&feftis. Cum itaque ret idem fortiter in- Jiaret Alypitu^ juvaretqtte Provincia Re- ffor, ntetuenJi gloii flammdrum prope fun* damenta ere his ajultilus erumpentes fecere locum, exuftis aliquoties operantilus^ inas- feffum , hocque modo Ekmento Jeftinatius

repel-

A Letter to the Deifts. 9 j

repellente ceffavit incept um : i.e." Julian * having a defign to rebuild with extra- ordinary expence the Temple of jfen<- */*/<rw , formerly a very ftately Stru- |" (Sure (which, firft Peffajia*, and after 4C Titus, laying Siege thereto, was, after •IC many bloody Confli&s, at length with " difficulty taken and deftroyed ) com- " mitted the care of the bufinefs to Aly- " plus the Antiockian, who formerly had <c been Proprafeft of Brit any, to be with " all fpeed expedited by him. But while c< Alypius was diligently prefling on the " Work , and the Governor of the Pro- <c vince helping him therein , dreadful " Balls of Fire breaking forth from the *' Foundations of the Building , did by "their frequent Eruptions make the " Place unacceffible, the Workmen be- " ing feveral times deftroyed by the Fire, ** as they went to their Labour ; and " by this means the Element {till per- " fitting as of purpofe to obftrud it, the <eWork ceafed" And it hath never fince been again attempted, even to this day, nor is there now left the leaft re mainder of its Ruins, to fhow fo much as the Place where this Temple once flood ; or have thofe who Travel thither , any otherMark whereby to find it out,but the

Maho-

94 A Letter to the DeiftsJ

Mahometan Mofyue , ere&ed on the fame Plat by Omar, the fecond SuccefTor of Mahomet ; and which hath now continu ed for above a thoufand years to pollute with the worft of Superftidons, that fa- cred Ground on which it was formerly built. Had our Saviour been an Impoftor, and foretold all thefe things without any knowledge of the Counfels of him who was to bring them to pafs , fornething certainly muft have hapned in the event of fo many particulars, as would have given the Lye to his Predictions, and you the opportunity of conviding him there of by plain matters of fadi falling out contrary to them. And although this could not have been done at firft, but poffibly fuch Prophecies as thefe might have impofed for a while on the credu lity of many ; yet we that have palled the time of their completion, could ne ver be deceived thereby ; but by the Event muft plainly know, Whether what he foretold be true or falfe , and from thence have enough to make a judgment alfo of the truth of him that predided them. And therefore had our Saviour^ like Mahomet, invented his Religion to de ceive the World * if he intended it fhould have continued, he muft have taken the

fa ma

A Letter to the Deifts. 9 5

feme courfe that Mahomet did, and never ventured at any Prophecy at all, that he might not be confuted by the Event, and fo lofe his whole defign. If you anfwer, That our Saviour foretold future Events after the fame manner as the Pharifees faid he wrought his Miracles ; that is, by the Prince of the Devils ; you afcribe that knowledge to the wicked one which is above his reach to attain unto. The Ora cles which he gave in the HeathenTem* pleS) only prove him able to cheat Man kind with dubious and dark Anfwers, but never clearly to inform them of the fu ture Purpofes of the Almighty. And in deed, how ever can it be imagin'd that fuch an accurfed one, as he that is caft off at the greateft diftance from God ( who alone governs all the Works of his Creation , and by the Wifdom of his Providence orders every Event that at tends them ) fhould ever be fo privy to his Counfels, as to be able to foreknow any thing that he determines concerning them ; unlefs it be where he himfelf is employed as an Executioner of his Ju- flice to bring it to pafs ? But all our Sa viours Predictions were clear and full, foretelling things to come, in the fame manner as Hiftorians relate them when

paft,

p 6 A Letter to the Deifts.'

paft, without ambiguity in the wordsi or perplexity in the matter, or the leaft room left for evafion or deceit in them, and were all as exactly fulfill'd in their appointed time ; and we have the conti* nuance of his Gofpel, the fpreading of it through all the Nations of the Earth, the Rejection of thejmr, the Calamities of thofe people in a continued Exile, and the total deftru&ion of their Temple, (land ing Evidences hereof, even to this day. And how could all this have ever hap- ned fo exadily according to his Word, but that he was that holy and blefled One, who had the Counfels of the Al- wighty communicated unto him, and was fent by Him on purpofe to declare unto us as many of them as were neceflary for us to know, in order to the attaining of everlafting life ? And,

3dly. As to the Doftrinal part of his Religion^ what can be mare worthy of GoJ, than the notions which he gives us of him, and the Worlhip which he direds us to render unto him ? And what more worthy of us,and perfecting of our nature than that Law for the conduct of our lives which he hath delivered unto us ? And what can be more holy, pure, and per- fed than the Precepts thereof ? Here the

fublimity

A Leter to the Deifts.1

fublimity and vaft extent of the matter give fcope large enough for the wifeft of men to bewilder and lofe themfelves in er ror and miftake ; and yet convince us but of any one fuch in the whole extent of our Religion, and that alone (hall be fufficient to prove the Impojlure you would charge it with, and I will yield you all you would have for the fake thereof. But it is fo far herefrom, that I diirft make you your felves the Judges, whether it delivers any thing elfe unto us of the nature and excel lencies of God,but what the reafon of eve ry man (altho barely that alone, through that cloud of ignorance and error which the Fall hath overfpread us with, could never clearly make the difcovery ) muft now, when thus difcover'd, ever juftify and admire : Whether it prefcribes us any one particular relating to his Worihip, but what is moft agreeable to thofe his Excel lencies: And whether the Precepts and Laws therein laid down unto us for the governing of our lives and conventions, be any other than what do all correfpond fo exadily with every thing which the rational dilates of our nature dired: us to, that they take them all in without omiffion or defed:, and improve them to the utmoft without error or miftake in G

p 8 A Letter to tk Deifts.

the lead circumftance that belongs unto them ? If you fay, that all this might be attained to by human wifdcmand ftudy ; lanfwer, fuppofmg it could, yet looking on our Saviour barely as a Man, and his holy Apoflles without any other sfliftance than that of their own natural endow ments, how poflibly could they reach fo high > To do this requires that vaft corn- pals of knowledge in all the things of Na ture, Law, and Morality, as it is not po£- fible to conceive Men of their Education and low Employments in the world could ever have arrived unto. If you examine what other men have done by human Wifdom and ftudy only, you will find thofe of the moft elevated Genius and fub- limeft Underftanding could never with their utmoft induftry and fearch attain unto what you fuppofe herein, or that the highefl knowledge of men could ever reach that perfection in any of the parti* cularsabove-mentioned,in which the Go- fpelof Jefus Ckrift delivers them unto us. For what blunders and abfurdities do the wifeft of the Philcfofhers lay down concerning the Deity? What errors and follies have they taught and pradtifed concerning his Worfliip > And what mi- flakes have thofe who exalted Morality

to

A Letter to the Deifts.

to the higheft pitch among men, made therein ? Plato in his Commonwealth al lowed the common ufe of Women. Ari- ftotle aflerts it to be natural and juft for the Greeks to make War upon the£jr^r/- &ns> for no other reafon but that they are fo ; and both he and Tully place Revenge among their Virtues. And who ever had vafter capacities for human knowledge, or ever went higher by the abilities of na tural reafon and understanding only in the fearch thereof, than thofe men ? Yet ftill being no more than men, they cduld not avoid putting fomething of the infirmities of man even into that wherein they made appear their higheft perfections ; error, miftake and ignorance being fo natural unto all of us, that neither the greateft* the wifeft, nor the beft among us can be totally free therefrom. And therefore had Chrift and his Apoflles no other help in the Doctrines which they taught , but that which is human, they muft alfo in like manner have put that which is human thereinto,and the infirmities,miftakes and errors that attend human nature, would have appeared in all that they delivered unto us. But the Doftrines which they taught, and the Books in which they de livered them unto us being fo totally fred from all fuch errors and miftakes, as G i I have

ioo \A Letter to tie Delfts.

I have already fliewn that they are, this dire&s us to look higher thanMan for the Founder of this Holy Religion^ and the Original Author of thofe Books in which it is contained ; and neceflarily prove, that only he who is infinite in knowledge and infinite in di other perfections, could thus give us a Law fo exactly like himfelf, throughly perfed: in the whole, and in- falliby true in every particular thereof.

SECT. V.

•*

V. Another Mark c>i Impoflure is,That Xvhere-ever it is firft propagated, it muft be done by craft and fraud ; and this is natural to all manner of cheats. For the end of fuch being to deceive, Craft and Fraud are the means whereby it is to be effected. In this cafe a Lye muft be made to go for a Truth, and an appearance for a reality ; and to compafs this,a great deal of Art muft be made ufe of, both to drefs up the Cheat, that it may appear to be what it pretends, and alfo tocaft fuch a mift before the eyes of men , that they may not fee it to be otherwife, and that efpecially where the Cheat is an Imfofture in Religion. For whoever comes with a new Religion to be propofed to the World, muft find all men fo far prejudiced and

pre*

A Letter to the Deifts. 101

prepoflefled againft it, as they are affefted to the old one they have before profefled ; and therefore when men are educated, or any other wife fixed and fettled in a Religi on (and all mankind are in fome or other) they are not apt eafily to forego it, but it muft be fomething more than ordinary that muft bring them over to another contrary thereto. When the new Religion really comes from God ( as the Jewi/h Re ligion firft, and after the Chriftian did ) it brings its Credentials with it , the power of Miracles to make way for its reception. For when men find the Omnipotency of God working with it , they have from thence fufficient Evidence given them from whom it comes, and there is need , of no other means to induce them to be- lieve,but that the Religion which GWdoth in fuch a manner own and atteft, muft be from him. But where there is no fuch power accompanying the new Religion to gain Credit thereto, the defedl hereof muft be made up by fomewhat elfe to draw over the people to its belief; and this is that which muft put all Impoftors upon craft and fraud in order to the compaffing of their ends. But that Jefiu Chrijl and his Apoftles made ufo of no fuch craft or fraud to induce into the belief of that holy G 3

A Letter to tie Deifts.

giott which they taught, and confequent- ly could be nofuch Impoftors, will be beft made appear by going over all thofe ways of craft and fraud which Mahomet ferved himfelf of ; and by fhowing you that none of them can poffibly be faid to have been pradifed by any of them. For Mahomet being one of the craftieft Cheats that ever fet up to impofe a falfe Religion on man kind, and the only perfon that ever car ried on his wicked defign with fuccefs, you may be fure he left no Art or Device unpradtifed, which could poffibly be made ufe of with any advantage for the compafiing of it. And therefore by pro ving unto you that none of thofe methods of craft and fraud, which were made ufe of for the firft propagating o£Mahometifm% were ever pradifed in the firft preaching of Chriftianitjy I (hall fufficiently prove that no craft or fraud at all, which is a ay way pradticable on fuch occafions, can ever be charged thereupon For,

r. Mahomet made ufe of all manner of Infinuation both with rich and poor for the gaining of their affection, thereby to gain them to his lmpofture;i\to. But our Saviour Chrift and his Apoftles did quite the contrary , freely convincing all men of their fins, without having regard to any thing elfe3 but the faithful difcharge of

the

A Letter to tie Dei&s. 105

the Miffion on which they were fent ; which inftead of reconciling men to their perfons,provokM the world againft them, and they Efficiently experienced it from the ill ufage which they found therein.

^. Mahomet, the eafierto draw over the Arabians to his Party, indulged them by his Law in all thofe paffions and cor rupt affedions which he found them ftrongly addided to, efpecially thofe of Lufl and War, which thofe Barbarians above all the Nations of the Earth were by their natural inclinations mod violently carried after,and therefore he allows them a plurality of Wives,and a free ufe of their Female Slaves for the fatisfying of their Luft, and makes it amain part of his/2e> ligion for them to fight againft, plunder, and deftroy all tj?at would not be of it? But Jefus Chrift and his Apoflles allowed nofuch pradices, but ftridly prohibited all manner of fin , how much foever in reputationjpmongmen, even to the for bidding of many things till then allowed and held lawful among thofe who were called God's own people 3 and therefon inftead of feekingthe favour of men by indulging them in their lufts and finiul pradices, they laid a much ftrider re- ftraint upon them than was ever done be fore. G 4 3d1?

04 ^ Letter to the Deifts.

jdly. Makowet, to pleafe his Arallan^ retained in the Religion which he taught thenvnoft of thofe Rites and Ceremonies which they had been accuftomed to un der that which he abolifhed, and alfo the female of Mecca, in which they were chiefly performed. But Jefus Chrifl, with out having any regard to the pleafingof men, abolifhed both the Temple and the Law, which the Jews were fo bigotted unto, and a!fo the total worlhipping of GcJ by Sacrifices, without being at all influenced to the contrary, by that extra* vagant fondnefs wrhich he knew the whole World had then for them.

4. Mahomet , when he found any of his new Laws not fo well to ferve his turn, craftily ihifted the Scene, and brought them about to his purpofe by fuch altera tions as would beft fuit therewith ; and therefore when his making his Kella to wards Jertifakm did not fo well pleafe his Countreymen, he turned it about again towards Mecca, and order'd all his Pilgri- wages thither, as in the time of their Ido latry. And the like changes he made in many other particulars, according as he found his Interefi required. And this is that which every Impoflor muft do. For Intereft being the End \\hieh all fuch

aim

A Letter to the Deifts. 105

aim at, it is impoflible that they can fo well lay their defigns in order to it, but that emerging changes in the one will frequently require changes in the other alfo. But Jejus chrifl never made the leaft alteration in any of the Do&rines or Precepts which he delivered, but what he firft taught both he and his Difciples immutably perfifted in, without at all re garding how violently all the interefls of the World ran counter againft them here in. And what can be a more certain evi dence that none fuch was the bottom which they were built upon.

5-. Mahomet under pain of death forbad all manner tfDifputes about his Religion r, and nothing could be a wifer courfe to prevent its follies and abfurdities from being detected and expofed. For they being fuch as could never (land the trial of a rational Examination, they muft all have foon been exploded, had every man been allowed the free ufe of his reafon to inquire into them. But Chrift and his Afoflles diredi the quite contrary courfe. For our Saviour bids the Jews fearch the Scriptures for the trial of thofe truths which he taught them, (John 5. v. 39.) And the Nolle Bareans are commended, that they did fo , before they would re ceive

A Letter to the Deifts.

ceive thofe Dodirines of the Chriflian Re* ligu)*, which were preached unto them, Atts 1 7. V. 1 1. And St. Paul gives us this general rule, firft to prove or try all things, and then to hold faft that only which we find to be good, i Theft^. v.zi. It is only error and falfehood that defires to flicker it felf in the dark, and dares not expofe it felf to an open view and trial. But Truth being always certain of its own (lability, makes ufe of no art to fup- port it felf, but dares venture it felf abroad on its own foundation only, and boldly offers it felf to every Man's fearch ; and the more it is fifted and examined into, the more bright and refulgent will it al ways appear. And fince Chriftianity from the firft ever took this courfe, (as it ftill doth where-ever purely profefled ) and inftead of prohibiting Difputes about it, invites all Men to fearch and examine thereinto ; this Efficiently argues, how certain the firft Teachers of it were of its Truth, and that no cheat or Impofture could ever be intended thereby.

6. Mahomet made choice of a People firft to propagate his Impofture among, who were of all Men moft fitted to re ceive it ; and that on two accounts : ?. Becaufe of the indifferency which they

were

A Letter to the Deifts. 1 07;

were then grown to as to any Religion at all ; And, 2. Becaufe of the great igno rance they were in of all manner of Learning at that time, when he firft vent ed his Forgeries among them, there being then but only one Man among all the In habitants of Mecca that could either write or read. For who are more fit to be im- pofed on, than the ignorant > and who can be more eafie to receive a new Reli- gion> than thofe who are not prepoflefled with any other to prejudice themagainft it ? The fapifts , who next Mahomet, have the greateft claim to Impojiure^ as to thofe Errors which they teach, very well underftand how fuch a Caufe is to be ferved by both thefe Particulars * and therefore make it their bufmefs, as much as they can, to keep their own People in ignorance, and pervert all thofe they call Hereticksj to Athetfm and Infidelity , that fo having no Religion at all, they may be the better prepared again to receive theirs. And that there are fo many Atheifts now among us, it is too well known , how much it is owing to this their Hettifb Ar tifice againft us. But all was quite con trary as to thofe whom Chrift and his^- poftles firft preached our holy Religion un to. Our Saviour did not chufe fuch ig norant

JO 8 A Letter to the Deifts.

norant Times to come among us in, or a People fo indifferent in Religion, firft to manifeft himfelf unto. For the Jews were fo far from being weary of that Religion^ uhich they had fo long profeffed, when he firft appeared in his Mi/ton among them,that they were then grown into the contrary extreme; a very extravagant bi^ gottry and fuperftition concerning it ; fo that nothing was more difficult, than to withdraw them from it ; nor could any thing be more offenfive to them, than an offer tending thereto ; and fo it continues with them, even to this day. And the cafe was not much otherwife as to all the reft of Mankind ; the Gentiles being then grown almoft as tenacious of their Idola- try, as the Jews of their Law ; and Learn ing was in that Age among both at the higheft pitch that ever it was in the World ; and confequently, Men were ne ver lefs difpofed, than at that time, to re ceive a new Religion, or ever better able to defend their old. And therefore had Chrijlianity been an Impofture , it could never have efcaped in fuch an Age as that a full detection, or ever have been able to have born up againft it ; fuch inquifi- tive Heads and piercing Wits, as were then in the World, would have fifted it

to

A Letter to the Deifb. 109

to the bottom, dived into its deepeft Se crets, and unravell'd and laid open the whole Plot, and the prejudiced World would immediately have crufhed it to pieces thereon, fo that it fliould never more have appeared among Mankind. But the truth of our holy Religion was fuch, that it boldly offered it felf to this trial ; and it feems to have chofen fuch an Age as this,firft to come into theWorld, of purpofe to undergo it, that fo it might be the better juftified thereby. And jufti- fied by it, it was ; for although it were oppofed by the utmoft Violence of the prejudiced World, they could get no ground of it ; though it were throughly examined and diligently fearched into by the acuteft and fubtileft Wits of thofe Agrs in which it firft appeared,they could never tlifcover any fraud, or make out the leaft flaw therein j but in fpight of both it triumphed by its own naked Truth on ly over all manner of oppofition, and by God's Mercy continues ft ill fo to do, even to this day. That a Cheat and a Fraud in a thing of this nature fhould be impo- fed on Men totally ignorant and illiterate, or that fuch as they,when void of ail man ner of Religion, (as the Men of Mecca for the moft part were when Mahomet began

bis

no A Letter to the Deifts.

his Impofture among them) fliould be eafie to imbrace a new one, is no hard matter to conceive ; but that an Impofture fhould be received, and obtain fuch pre- valency over Men in fo learned and dif- cerning an Age, as that wherein Chriflia- nity firft appeared in the World, or that they who were then fo zealoufly add id* ed to the Religion they had been educated in, whether Jews or Genfiles, fhould ever have been induced to forfake it for a new one, founded only on a Cheat and Fraud, is what morally fpeaking, we may very well reckon impoffible.

7. Mahomet offered at no Prophe/ies, that he might not run the hazard of be ing confuted by the Event. But Jefus Chrift delivered many clear and plain Prophecies , feveral of which refpe&ed that very Age in which he lived, and were all in their proper time as plainly verified by the completion of them.

8. Mahomet offered at no Miracles in publick, although continually called up on and provoked to it by his oppofers. For not being able to work any true ones he would not hazard himfelf to a difco- Very by thofe which were Counterfeit; And therefore all thofe things, which he would have go for Miracles; that is, his

Converfe

A Letter to tfa Deifts.

Converfe with the Angel Galrielfiis Jour ney to Heaveny and the Armies of Angels that helped him in his Battels, are only related by him as things adted behind the Curtain, of which there was no other Witnefs but himfelf alone , and confe- quently there could be no Witnefs on the other fide ever to contradict them. But Jefus Chrift and his Apcftks having the real power of working Miracles^ did them openly in the fight of thousands, where all manner of opportunity was given to every Spe&ator to examine into them, and try whether they were true or no ; and therefore had there been any cheat or fraud in them, it is not poffible to conceiv6 how they fliould have efcaped a difcovery. And yet no fuch difcovery could ever be made ; which was fo con* vincing an argument of their truth and reality, that even the bittereft Enemies of our holy Religion from the firft yielded in this particular, and both Jews and Hea* thens allowed all thofe miraculous Works which are related of our Saviour and his Apoftles in the Books of the New Teflament to have been really and truly wrought by them, as hath been afore obferved. And indeed the Evidence was too manifeft to be denied, fince thofe very blind that re ceived

III

in A Letter to the Delfts;

ceived their fight, thofe dumb that were enabled to fpeak, thofe deaf that were reftor'd to their hearing, thofe Lame that were made to walk, and thofe Dead that were raifed again to life, lived many years after to be as (landing Monuments of the truth of thofe things, which no one could contradidi. And therefore the Oppo- fers of the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift have ail along rather chofen to invalidate the authority of thofe Miracles, than deny the truth and reality of them.

For they allowing the matters of fad, objedfcthat there are other Powers lower than the Divine, that are able to bring them to pafs; and therefore, although thofe Works were wrought, they do not yet prove either the Perfons or the Do- brines which they taught to come from God, and confequently can give nofuch evidence, as that which we infift upon from them for the truth of that Religion. which we profefs; That others by Ma- gkk Art have done the fame things ; That the Scriptures themfelves tell us fo of Jannes^nA Jamlres, and Simon Magus ; and profane Writers of ApoSonius Tyanceus, ApuleiuS) and others ; that both Mofes and Jefus Cbrift knew this very well , and therefore forewarn'd their Diftiplesag*in&

it,

A Letter to the Deifts. 1 1 1

it, telling them that falfe Prophets fiiould arife,who fhould fliow figns and wonders to deceive, if poflible,the very EJed:; and that they fhould take care not to hearken to them. And therefore fay they , if* Signs and Wonders can be wrought by falfe Prophets, how can they be evidences for the true ? Or how can we at ail rely upon them for the verifying of any Do* (Jtrme which they deliver unto us .•> Or if thofe Miracles, which were wrought by them who are fent of God, be only true Miracles^ and all others faKe ones, how fliall we diftioguHh the one from th| other, fo as by them to difcern, whethefr the Do&rines be of God or no ?

But thefe Difficulties will be eafily re moved, and the Miracles of our Saviour and his Apoflles, as they are allowed tp be truly wrought by them , fo alfo will they as truly prove the Doctrines which they taught , to come from God, if you will but confider thefe following Particu lars.

i* Miracles are works done, which are ftrange and amazing to us, as being brought to pafs out of the ordinary road, and in a manner which we cannot com prehend ; and thefe are of two forts I H x. Such

ii4 ^ Letter to the Deifts.

i. Such as exceed only the Power of Man to effed them ; and thefe we call Jigns or wonders : And, x. Such as exceed the Power of any created Being whatfo- ever ; and thefe only are properly Mi racles.

x. Where-ever fuch Miracles are wrought, as are of this laft fort, God alone muft be the Author of them ; and therefore, whenever fuch are found, they manifestly prove the power of God co-operating with the Perfons, at whofe word they are done ; and with whomfc- jpver it doth thus co-operate, it necefla- Tily demonftrates their Mijjion from him, and puts fuch an Authentick Seal to the truth of the Dc&rines which they teach, as cannot be denied.

J. Where-ever a creating Power is neceilary to the effe& produced, or the ftated Laws of Nature are altered, there it is certain none but God himfelf can be the Author of the Work done. For he alone is able to create ; and he having created all things according to his infinite Wifdom, and given to each their proper Eflence and Operations, he allows none but himfelf to alter the Natures of them, or change that Courfe which he hath put them into.

4. But

A Letter to tfa Delfts. I ! 5

4. But within the Laws and Powers of Nature, there are abundance of things which exceed the power of Man to effedt, and therefore feem as Miracles to us, which may be produced by other created Beings, and thefe are evil Spirits as well as good.

5. To the producing of thefe Effedfc, evil Spirits as well as good are enabled two manner of ways : i. By their greater knowledge of the Powers of Nature ; And , ^. By the greater Agen cy which they have to apply them to effect For,

6. There are a multitude of things in Nature, that thofe Spirits know the Na ture of> which we do not. For their Abi lities of knowing are vaftly above ours, as not working by the dull Tools of Earth and Clay, as we do, and their Experience exceedingly greater, as having known the Works of God from the beginning, and by long obfervation pried deep into the Secrets of them. If a Chymill or a Mathematician, by his Skill in tne Powers of£fatare,can do many things, which to the ignorant and unlearned (hall feem as Miracles , (as we often find) how much more can thofe knowing Spirits do (o, whofe knowledge of the Powers of Na-

H 2 tare

ji Utter to tfa Deifts.

tare is vaftly more above all ours put to gether, than the higheft and perfedteft cf ours is above that of the moft ignorant that lives among us. But,

7. As thofe Spirits have a vaftly greater knowledge of the Powers of Na ture than we can have, fo alio have they a vailly greater Power to apply them to effect. For they are of a much greater agility in their motion, of a much finer fubftance to penetrate into things, and actuate them into operation ; and alfo of a much ftronger agency or power to

-'work than we have, and which, no doubt, they are endowed more or lefs with, ac cording to the different orders and de grees in which God hath created them ; and by both thefe together, that is, their greater knowledge of natural Caufes, and their greater Power to apply them to ef- fed:, can they do a great many things within Natures limits, which exceed all the Powers of Men to effect , and feem as miraculous and wonderful unto us, when- ever brought to pafs.

8. Good Spirits never work thofe Mi racles, but in fubferviency to the Divine Will, as they are neceflary for the effed:- irg of thofe things which God hath or dained by their Miniftry to bring to pafs.

And

^A letter to the Deifts. 117

And to them thofe Miracles mentioned iil Scripture, which exceed not the Power of fuch created Beings, may be referred as the immediate Authors of them ; it not being likely that God would interpofe his immediate Power, excepting only in fuch cafes, as where there was need of it. For why (hould the Lord himfelf put his hand to that work, which may as welt be difcharged by the Miniftry of his Ser vants ?

9. Evil Spirits having in a great mea- fure the fame knowledge of Natural Caufes as the good, and the like Power to bring them to cffe^can alfo work the like wonders , and by God are often per mitted fo to do , both for the trial of Men , and alfo for other good Caufes which to him of his infinite Wifdom feem fitting; and we have a plain in- ftance of it in the Cafe of Job.

10. Evil Spirits have not only this Power of working the like Wonders, whicu Go?d Spirits do, but alfo another, which Good Spirits will never make ufe of ,• that is, by juggle, delufion, and de ceit to imitate thofe true and proper Mi racles > which none but God himielf can really effedL Agd thus by the delufion of the Devil was a cheat put uppn Saul

H 3 iq

A Letter to the Deifts.

!£ rh* fifing of -Samuel to him from the dead. For really", to raife Samuel from the dka<5, none but God could, and there fore chat appearance which Saul faw, was, no more than a fdlfe appearance, contri ved by the Devil to put a cheat and de- luSion upon him. And of this fame fort mav we reckon the Miracles which Jan* net and Jamlres wrought in imitation of Mofes. For to turn a Rod into a Serpent, and Water into Blood, or to caufe Frogs to come up upon the Land (in which three Particulars they did the lame thing by their inchantments, that Mofes did by the hand of God} are Works, which, if really done, require the creating Power to bring them to effed, which none but God hath ; and therefore in this cafe the Devil a&ed for them, not by his effect ing, but only by his deluding Power. And fuch Miracles the Scripture calls

Theft 2,9. i. e. Lying cr falfe Miracles, which are not really wrought ^ lut only made fo to appear Ij the juggle and delufion of Satan.

IT, Thofe cheats and delufions of the Devil, whereby he imitates the true and real Miracles of God ', which he cannot work, are only in tranfient Effeds, like thofe of Jugglers upon a State, never in

** fuch

A Letter to tfa Deifts.

fuch as are kiting and permanent. And where the Effed is totally tranfient,G0/s Works are often fo far above the Devil's Imitation, that even in thefe there wi|l be ftill a multitude of Particulars, where in he can have no power, as much as by juggle or dehifion, to do any thing like untathem.

i£. What foe ver Signs or Wonders arp wrought by Magicians or falfe Prophets, mult be referred to one of thefe two Heads ; that is, that they are either the Devil's Works, or the 'Devils Delufions : And the Scriptures, which tell us of Ma gicians and falfe Prophets working fuch •Signs' and Wonders , do in many places refer them hereto.

13. Thofe Signs or Wonders which are really wrought by the Devil and his Evil Spirits, are to be diftinguiflied from* thofe which are wrought by the Power of An* gels or Good Spirits , by thefe following Marks: r. That Angels or Good Spirits never work thofe Wonders, but in fubfer- viency to the Will of GoJ9 for the pro moting of Truth and Righteoufnefs ; but the Devil and his Evil Spirits only for the promoting of Error and Wickecinefs. ^. Angels or Good Spirits never co-operate in the production of thofe Wonders with H 4 any

120 J Letter to the Deifts.

Prophet or leacher^ but fuch only as being fent of GoJ; are good and righteous Perfons ; but tne Devil and his Evil Spi rits only with luch , as not being fent of God, are Evil like themfelves, 3. Angels or Good Spirits never exert their Power to work thefe-FFflW^j-, but in things fe- rious and grave , whereby either the Good of Men , or the Honour of God is promoted ; but the Devil and his Evil Spirits do it moftly in things mifchievous both to God's Honour and Man's Good, or elfe iri fuch trivial and foolifh matters as are beneath God or his holy Angels to be concerned in. And by the fame Marks alfo may we diftinguiih God's Mi racles from the Devil's Juggles , and thofe wonderful Works which the Hand of th$ Almighty really effedeth/rom thofe falfe Appearances which the Devil makes in imitation of them to put a cheat and a delufion upon us. Which Particulars being premifed, the Anfwer to the fore

going • Objections will be as followeth.

\ . ' • > •

i. We do acknowledge that abun dance of very wonderful Works may be effected by Powers lower than the Di vine, and that not only by Good Spirits, but alfo by --Evil.

' **''- '•••>• 2. That

A Letter to the Deifts. m

^. That therefore fuch Works alone are never fufficient proof of a divine Mif- fwn, unlefs corroborated by fuch concur ring circumftances as prove them not to be from Evil Sprits , but only from Good.

3. That whereever fuch wonderful Works are done at the word of a wicked man, or to a wicked purpofe, ( /. e. either to influence to a wicked pra<5Hce , or to give credit to fome falfe do&rine ) or elfe in fuch mean and trivial cafes as are be neath the Majefty of 6W, or his Mmi- ftring Spirits to be concerned in, there we may be fure that he that doth thofe Works, how much foever he may pretend to a Divine Mijfion^ is only a falfe Pro- phet ; and that it is not by the Power of God or his Good Spirit j, but only by the Power of the Devil and his Wicked Spi rits that they are wrought; and againft thofe Wonders is it, and the Workers of them, that Mofes warneth the Jews, and Jefus Chrift his Difciples , that they fliould be aware x>f them.

4. Where they who work thofe Won* ders, are holy and righteous men, and do not teach any Dodtrine contrary to the certain Dilates of Natural Religioner the Revelations 0/(Wafore given unto us,and

the

f 1 2 A Letter to tie Deifts.

the Wonders which they work are in fuch feriousand grave matters as are not un worthy of God or his Mwiflring Spirits to be concerned in, there we have no rea- fon to fufpedt Satan $ Power in theeffedl- ing of them ; and therefore fuch Works may, although not of themfelves alone, yet with thefe concurring circum dances be fufficienft proof of the truth of any Do&rine which they give teftimony un to. Fof although they cannot be proved to be immediately from (W,becaufe pro- duceable by inferior Beings ; yet with thefe circumftances accompanying them, they muft at leaft appear to be the Works' of his Miniftring Spirits, who can bear teftimony to nothing but what is from God, whofe Will they are in all things fubfervient unto.

5. As fuch Works Which the Devil and his Evil Spirits can do, are not of felf fufficient proof to a Divine Miffion^ fo neither are fuch which he can by Juggle or Delufion imitate, becaufe men may be deceived by the one as well as the other; and therefore the fame con curring circumftances are neceflary to thefe alfo, and by the fame Marks are they to be tried, whether they be of or noe

6. But

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6. But where the Works are fuch as no created Being can either really produce, or by Juggle or Delufion imitate, there thofe Works do of themfelves alone prove a Divine Mi/ion, and give an authentick Seal of undeniable Truth to every Do- drine thus revealed unto us.

7. Although therefore it ftiould be al lowed that fome of the Miracles which Chrift and his Apoflles wrought, might be produceable by Powers lower than the Divinejyet fince they who did them were moft holy and righteous Perfons, and did not teach any Do&rine contrary either to the Di&ates tfNaturalReligionpr the Re velations of God afore given unto men ; and the Miracles themfclves were not in fuch mean and trivial cafes as are related cfjpollonius TyanausjinA others like him; with thefecircumftances they fufficiently appear to be, if not immediately from the 4iand of God, yet at lead from his Mini- ftringSpirits, and their Work s ; fince all done in fubferviency to the Divine Will, do as thoroughly prove a Divine Miffiony whereever they evidently appear to be theirs , as thofe of God himfelf. That Chrift and his Apoflles were moft holy and righteous Perfons , and taught no Dodrine which was in the leaft contrary

to

i 24 ^ £*#«* fc> '** Deifts.

to the Didates of Natural Religion, hath been afore fhown ; and how far their Mi" racks were from being in mean and trivial matters, the Works themfelves make evi dent: And it is as certain5that no Do&rine of theirs ever contradided in the Jeaft any Divine Revelation afore given unto men. For Jefus Chrifl and his Apoftles every where allow both the Law and the/V0- phets to be from God, Had they taught any thirig which would have charged a Falfhood on either, they rnuft then in deed have been faid to contradid Divine Revelations afore given, and would there by have fallen under that charader and mark tffalfeProphets which I have above laid down ; but they were fo far from this, that the Law and the Prophets were the groundwork which they founded all their Dodrines upon. For the Law contained in Types and Shadows, and the Prophets in their Prophecies and dark £*y/»g.f,what* ever the Gofpelhzth in fubftance and rea lity fince clearly delivered unto us, and laid down all that in the frjl Rudiments which Chrifl and his Apoftles afterwards built up into perfe&ion in that holy Re li ght* which they have given unto us. And therefore, although the Go/pel hath aboliihcd the Lxwy it was not by contra dicting

/

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diding or condemning it, but by perfed- ing and fulfilling it in that manner, as all the Prophets forefhowed that it fhould.

.8. But the Miracles of Jefus Chrifl and his Afoflks were moft of them undenia bly fuch as could not be produced but by the immediate hand of God himfelf, as neceflarily requiring the creating Pow er to effed them ; and alfo of thar per- manency as allowed no room for juggle or delufion to take place in them. For what other Power but that of the Al mighty could raife a man, who had been four days dead, again to life ? Or what other hand , but that of the Creator himfclf, could make him fee, who had been without the natural Organs of Sight from his very birth ? Or what but the fame Power which firft formed Man of the duft of the Earth, could reftore him, in fo many inftances as our Saviour and bis Aprftles did, to health and perfedi- on, when the very Parts and Veflels ne- ceflary thereto, were thoroughly perifh- ed ; and in fo miraculous a manner, with a word of their mouth, bring back to tal privations again to their former ha bits ? Or what craft of Satan can reach as much as to an imitation of fuch won derful Works as thefe, which left be hind

1 16 A Letter to the Deifts.1

hind them, for many years after, effefts of lading permanency in the perfons cu red, not only to be Monuments of the things done, but alfo undeniable Eviden ces of the truth and reality of them ? It would be too long to go over all the Mi racles of this nature, which Chrift and his holy Apoftles did for the confirmation of thofe holy Truths which they taught. Thefe already mentioned are fufficient to fhow, that fome of their Miracles atleaft were fuch as are above the Powers of all created Beings either to effed; or imitate 5 and therefore thefe certainly muft be al- low'd to be from God alone, without poffibility of Impoflure, Deceit, or Delu- fton in them ; and in that they are fo, they muft neceflarily prove the Miffion of them, at whofe word they were done, to be from him alfo, and confequently become a witnefs to the truth of every Doctrine delivered by them, as firm, certain, and infallible, as the Veracity of God himfelf, which can never err or deceive for ever. And fo much of the fifth Mark of Impofture*

SECT,

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SECT. VI.

VI. No Iwpojlure, when entrufted with many Ccnf/>irators,can be long concealed. For what Plot or Confpiracy have we ever known or heard of, which hath been thus managed, and hath not had fome falfe Brother or other to difcover it ? efpeci- ally if there be any great Wickednefs in tended by it, or any great Danger attend ing the execution of it (asmoftly is in fuch defigns.) For then if the thing it felf doth not work the Confcience into an abhorrence, the fear of the Confe- quence may at leaft deter from it ; and it feldom fails but one of thefe two, in all fuch cafes, drives fome or other into a difcovery ; and in this Age of Plots we have inftances enough hereof. And what Plot can be more wicked,than to impofe a falfe Religion upon mankind ? and what can be more dangerous than to attempt it ? What hath been already faid, fuffici- ently proves both thefe Particulars ; and therefore if the firft planting of Chriftta- nity were fuch a Plot , certainly one of thefe two, that is, either the Wickednefs, or the Danger,woald have wrought fome or ot her into a difcovery of it. For they

were

128 A Letter to the Deifts;

were not a few that were admitted there^ OiGor.i5,tf. *nta They were at leaft (*} foe hundred ' that were in that, which you muft call the greateft Secret of it \ I mean the Re- ftirreftion of our Saviour from the dead ; For that is the main Article of our My Chriftian Religion ; the truth of which proves all the reft, and without which all the reft muft have fallen to the ground, (t) i Cor.ij. and our whole Faith become (f ) vat*. And •7- therefore had but any one of thefe Jfoe

hundred, who are aflerted to have been the Witnefles of it, difcovered the thing to have been only a Confpiracy of Impo* Jture between them , this difcovery muft have laid open the whole defign, and put a total end thereto* And were not the thing certainly true which they attefted, it is fcarce to be conceived but that fome or other of them muft have done fo. A* rnong the twelve Apoftles one was found a Traytor to his Mafter ; and how much more then may we exped that there ihouid have been one fuch among five hundred ? and efpecially in a cafe where all ought to have been fo ,• that is, to dif* cover a Plot againft the Souls of all Man kind, and deliver the World from being impofed on thereby. A mong fo many it fcarce happens, but fome or other prove

falfe

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falfe to the bed Caufe ; and how hard is it then to conceive, that in fuch a num ber none fliould be found to betray the worft ? And can we call it any other thaa the worft, if it be fuch an Impofture as you would have it to be ? Were Chriftiamty really fuch,and this Dodhine of the Refur- reftion of our Saviour totally the Forgery of thofe who attefted it, fo many as/™? hundred could never have all kept the Se cret ; or if they ihould out of love to their own invention, or any felf-ends which they might have therein, be inclined fo to do ; yet punilhment,pain, and torture, ufe to extort the moft hidden devices, and make the moft obftinate offenders, the clofeft defigners, and the moft refer* ved plotters of mifchief to come to a Confeflion. And what punifliments,what pains, what tortures did thofe firft Wit- nefTes of this main and fundamental Arti cle of our Faith go through for the fake of that Teftimony which they did bear thereto? and yet did any one of them ever flinch from it ? did any one of them ever retrad: what he had attefted concerning it ? Rrove but this , and then you will lay fomething to make out the Charge which you lay againft it. But they were fo far herefrom, that they all perfiikd id

i ' a

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it to the laft ; and not only fo, but were every one of them ready to flied their blood for a witnefs to the truth of what they aflerted, and a great many of them actually did fo ; and all the terrors,threats and tortures of the Perfecutors were not able to deter them herefrom. And what greater Evidence then can there be given to any truth in the World, which depends upon matter of faft, than that which Chriftianity hath from the Teftimony of thofe men, in fo great a number and fuch a manner bearing witnefs thereto >

SECT. VII.

VII. The lad Mark of an Impqfture is, That it can never be eflabliflied without force and violence. For if it hath wicked men for its Authors, worldly Intereft for its End , Falfity and Error for its Do- dlrines , and receives its Rife from the craft and fraud of its firft Promoters, as I have already fhown, the fearch of the in- quifitive will foon find it out, and man kind will not long bear the Impojlure^ un- lefs they be over-ruled by Violence, and have all Objections againft it filenced with the Sword at their Throats* This was the Method which Mahomet took to efhblilh that falfe Religicn which he in*

vented.

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vented. For he profecuted with War all that would not fubmit thereto, and made it no lefs than Death for any to gainfay it, or as much as raife the lead difpute againft any of the Doctrines of it. And without his doing this, the reafon of all mankind muft have appeared againft it, and it could never have flood. And the Romanifls have learnt from him to take the fame courfe, as tothofe Do&rines of Impojlure which they have fuperadded to the Chriftian Religion,. F$r they declare all thofe to be Her&icks, and profecute them with Sword, Fire, and Faggot, that refufe to receive them; and thus by the Power of their Dragoons and their Inquifi- tionst they have eftabliihed and ftili keep up thofe grofs Errors in their Church^ which neither Reafon nor Religion can ever fupport ; and the lame muft be done aS to all other falfmes impofed on mankind before they can have any firm footing among them. For it is only force and vio lence that can cram fuch things down mens throats , which their reafon and their judgment muft ever renounce, The unthinking multitude may fora while be carried away by the craft of the Impoftor, and by the arts of Hypocrify and Delufioji be made eafy to Iwallow any Forgery I % that

iji ji Letter to tie Deifts.

that lhall be offered unto them; but when the heat 'of the firft zeal is over, and the matter comes to be examined into by rea- fon, and coolly (canned through by the inquifitive, Impoflure cannot ftand the Teft, but muft foon be laid open, blafted, and exploded thereon. And therefore un- lefs it be accompanied with force to fup- prefs this enquiry, and hath power on its fide to compel men to acquiefce therein, how much ibever it may delude men at firft, it can never obtain ariy lafting efta- blifhment among iftern. And this hath been the cafe of all the Impoftors which have ever yet appeared in the World, without this power to back them ; and how great progrefs foever any of them may have made in the firft heat,they have all at length been dete&ed, and exploded, and funk to nothing, for want of this fup- port on their fide to keep them up. For nothing but truth can of it felf alone ftand the Tell of Ages upon its own bottom only. Fallhood and Error are too weak for fuch a Trial, and therefore unlefs fup- ported by fome external ftrength, and fenced thereby againft all aflaults of op- pofers, they muft neceflarily fall to the ground and again come to nothing ; and where Education, or the force of long- re ceived

A Letter to the Deifts.

reived Cuftotn is not ftrong enough for this (and neither can in the firft propa gating of an Impoflure ) there the Sword mud come in to over-rule all, or nothing . of this nature can be eftablifhed among men. But Jefus Cbrift and his Apojlles^ in- ftead of making ufe of any fuch Force to eftablifh the Religion which they taught, had all the force and powers of the world in oppofition againft it, and yet in fpight of the world it at length prevailed over the world by the dint of its own truth only ; and after having flood the aflaulc of all manner of perfecutions, as well as other oppofitions for three hundred years together,carried the victory over thefier- ceft of its enemies, and made thegreateft of them, even the Roman Emperors them- felves, to fubmit thereto 5 and all this while it had fliarpned againft it, not only the Sword of the Superior Powers, but al- fo the Tongues of the Slanderers, and the Wits of all the Learned of thofe times.But how much foever it was opprefled by the firft of thefe, blackned by the fecond, and fifted and fearched into by the laft, it flood all thefe Trials without lofing any thing thereby, but at laft came out of them all, like Gold out of the Furnace, ftill of the fame weight , finenefs , and

I 5

I J4 A Letter to tbe Deifts.

purity, without receiving from that fire which confumeth all things elfe, the leaft wafte or diminution thereof. Had it been falfe,and owed its Original only to Deceit and Intpoflure^ it would have needed all thofe means of Violence for its eftablift- ment and fupport ; but fince it thus flood not only without them, but alfo in fpight of them ; when all armed on the adver- faries fide for three Centuries together in bitter oppofition sgainft it, what greater argument can we have for the truth there of? For can you think that Faljhood and fmpoflure could ever have held out with fuch fteady and unfliaken conftancy for fo many years , as Chriflianity thus did ? or that it is poffible for any fort of men fo long to have born all this for the fake of a Lye ? Falfhoodcin have no foundati* on for fuch a Conftancy, or Impofture any reafon to engage men thereto.The intereft of this world is ever the bottom and foun dation of all fuch Forgeries; and therefore as foon as punishments and perfecutions make it to be no man's intereft to be for them, they ever fall of themfelves, for want of that foundation on which they afore flood. But Chriftianity having come into the world contrary to all theinterefts of it, and in its very infancy thus flood

the

A Letter to tfa Deifts. 135

the fhock of all the powers thereof engag'd in perfecution againft it, as I have menti oned; and nofronly fo, butalfoprofpered and became eftablifhed in the midft of the hotted aflaults thereof, this plainly fhows that it had another kind of foundation on which it was built, a foundation of Truth and Righteoufnefs, and not only fo, but a foundation that was laid and fix'd in fuch a manner by the hand of God himfelf as never to be fhaken. For what Truth of it felf alone could ever have made its way into the World in fuch a manner as the Ckriftian Religion did, or ever have gained againft all the powers thereof fuch a pre- valency over it, without fome extraordi nary affiftance conducing and helping it therein ? The ftrongeft Truths we know are crufh'd by fuch means of violence as that encountred with, and even firft prin ciples themfelves have been overpowered by them. And therefore that Chrifltamty fhould thus enter the World, and thus from its firft Entry bear up againft fuch long and terrible Trials of Perfecution and Oppreflion as it met with, without the leaft flinching under them, muft be owing to fomewhat more than its own bare truth. And what but the hand of Qod himfelf backing and (lengthening it

1 4 in

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in the conflict, could be fufficient to give it fuch a victory therein > For that a few poor f*fbert*eM, the Difczples of a Cruc/r fiedMafler^ (hould without power, learn ing, or reputation, or any other of the interefts or favours of the world on their fide, be able to introduce a new Religion into the world dire&ly oppofite to all the interefts, pleafures; and prevailing hu mours of it, zsChriftianity then was, and that this Religion in fpight of all the pow- iers, cunning, malice, and learning of the world joined together in moft fierce pppofition, and bitter perfecution againft it for three hundred years together,fhou'd not only bear up, but alfo at length pre vail over the world, and fubjedt the high- £ft powers therein to the obedience of its }Laws? is an Event fo ftrangeand wonder ful , and morally fpeaking fo far above the poffibility of all ordinary means to bring it to pafs, as plainly manifefteth the extraordinary working of God himfelf therein. And for my part had the Cbrifti* &n Religion no other Miracle to bear wit* nefs thereto, this alone would be Miracle enough to me fufficiently to convince me of the truth thereof. At lead fince it thus entred into the world, and thus

became eftabliihed in it, it muft be allow- ». • • i

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A Letter to tie Deifts.

ed to be fo far differing from an Impojlure in that method of violence which that needs for its eftablifhment,as to be totally oppofite thereto,and in this particular (as I hope I have fhown of all the reft) not to have the lead mark or character thereof.

And thus far having laid before you all the obvious marks of Impofture, and pro ved that none of them can belong to Ckri- flianity, I hope what hath been faid will fufficiently infer the conclufion, which I have undertaken to make out unto you, That our Holy Chriftian Religion cannot be fuch an Impojlure^ as you would have it to be, but really is that facred truth of God) which you are all bound to be* lieve.

It is too common with Mankind to frame their Judgments according to their Incl|nations,and upon very flight grounds haftiiy to run away with Idea's of things, when they correfpond with the prevail ing bent of their affections, which, when ever put into a true light before them, muft all appear to be falfe and wrong taken. And this I reckon to be youf cafe. Your Inclinations ftrongly leading you into Infidelity , you would fain have Cbriflianity be an Impofture , and there fore have over-pafily and haftiiy been in duced

4 Letter to the Deifts.

duced on very weak grounds to believe it fo to be. And that you may be unde ceived in fo dangerous and deftrudtive an Error, I have endeavoured in the eafieft and moft familiar manner I could think of, to put this bufmefs in a true light be fore you. i • By letting you fee what an Impofture is, in that truePidure which I have drawn of it in the Life of him who was really and truly fuch an Iwpoftor, as you would have Jefu* Chrift to be. And, 2,. By examining into the Marks and Pro perties which naturally belong to every fuch Impoflurej and fliowing of each of them that they cannot belong to that ho ly Religion which we profefs. And I hope, when you have confidered all this tho roughly, you will fee how much you have been deceived in thofe Opinions which you have fo precipitately given up youc felves unto.

You cannot but be fenfible how great the ftrefs is which we lay on this matter , and how very ill your cafe muft be, if we are in the right, and you in the wrong; and therefore the thing is of fufBcient im portance to deferve your moft ferious confideration, and that in fuch a manner as to make you lay afide all thofe ground^- }efs prejudices and wrong byafles which

may

A Letter to the Deifts,

may obftrudt an impartial inquiry ; and if you will be pleafed, for the fake of your own Souls, to do thus much, I am content to leave the iuccefs of what I now offer unto you, to God's Grace, and your own Judgments.

As to the particular reafons which you may alledge for your disbelief of our ho* ly Chriftian Religion, whether they be Ob jections drawn againfl it either from Hi- ftory,Philofophypr the tnconfijlencles which you imagine you find in the Books of holy Writ, in which it is delivered down unto us, it is not my purpofe now to enter in to any Difputes with you about them. That which I at prefent purpofe, is not fo much to confider thofe Premiffes, as the Conclufion which you pretend to draw herefrom,That Cbriftjanianity mud there fore be an Impofture; and from the nature of fuch an Impofture$n& the nature of our holy Chriflian Religion laid in a true light, and compared together with each other, to evidence unto you the inconfiftency of this Charge ; and if what I have now faid can be of any force to let you into a clear fight of this matter, it will be to tally needlefs for me to meddle any fur ther. For all thofe Objections which you .pretend to have been the particular Rea fons

1 40 A Letter to the Dei/Is.

fons of your Infidelity, have been already abundantly anfwered and confuted by o- thers. But the Opinion which you have conceited,that Chriftianity is mlmpofture^ having fo far prepoflefled your Judgment, as to influence it againft all things of this nature that can be propofed unto you, it will be in vain to offer any thing farther as to thofe particulars, till this prejudice be removed ; and were it once removed, what hath already been faid in anfwer to them,will be abundantly fufficient to give you full fatisfa&ion. Although this me thod may feem illogical thus to aiTault the Conclufion without medling with the Pre- tnzffes from which you pretend to have deduced it ; yet it is no other than what you your felves have neceflitated me unto by taking up the Conclufion firft, and the Premises afterward. Had you indeed firft began with thofe Reaions which you of fer tor your Infidelity, and been really by the convidtion of them led into thisOw- clufion, That Chriftianity is an ImpofturCj it would then have been proper and fit ting that I fliould have begun there too, and no other wife have endeavoured to overthrow the Conclufionjaut by firft over throwing the Premiffes from whence you deduced it. But fmce it is well known

that

A Letter to the Deifts. 141

that the Conclufion hath been of greater force with the moft of you to make you aflent to the Premiffes, than the Premises to prove the Conclufion ; and it is only the fond conceit you have taken up in com pliance with ill Company, or worfe Incli nations, that Chriftianity ffluft be an Impo- flare, that hath made any of thofe Argu ments feem fo conclufive with you,which are brought to prove it ; this makes it neceflary for me to begin my endeavours for your convidiion at that fame point, where you firft began your Infidelity,and to attack the Conclufion in the firft place, before any fuccefs can be expe&ed to wards the fetting you right as to any thing elfe. For as long as you are wil fully bent out of a meer fondnefs for Infi delity, to hold Ckriflianity to be an Im- pofture^ this will make every Argument feem ftrong to you that is brought to prove it, ajid every Solution inefficient which is given thereto ,, and render all means for your ConvuSion utterly ineffe ctual unto you. And therefore this being in truth the firft Error which hath influ enced your mind to all the reft, this muft be firft removed ; and if what I have laid can be of any force in order hereto, by letting you fee how much you have been

rniftaken

141 A Letter to the Deifts.

miflaken herein, this I hope will remove that prejudice which hath hindered you from feeing the ftrength of thofe Argu ments which have been already offered for your Conviction as to all other parti culars of that Infidelity which you have given up your felves unto, and make you clearly difcern how much you have been raiftaken in them alfo, and thereby be come the means of delivering your Souls from that terrible danger which you ex- pofe them unto ; 'the accomplifhing of which is the whole End, Scope, and De- fign of the Difcourfe, which I now offer unto you.

But here perchance it may be asked, and I think it reafonable to give you fa- tisfa&ion herein,Why I have fet forth un to you an Impofture by fo foul a Pi&ure as that of Mahomet > And to this I have thefe two Anfwers to return? i. Becaufe I have none other to do it by, Mahomet being the only Impoftor, who could ever prevail fo far, as to eftablilh his Impojittre^ and make it a (landing Religion in the World ; and had it not gone fo far, it could not have been fuch an Impofture, as you would have Chriftianity to be, or at all fit to be compared with it in the Ar gument now before us. And, sdly. How

foul

A Letter to the Deifts. 1 4 j

foul foever the Pi&ure of Mahomet may (

be, we have no reafon from the nature of the thing ever to imagine that any other Impoftor can have a fairer, till you bring us an inftance thereof. And thefe two I hope may be fufficient to clear me from a&ing any way unfairly in this mat ter, as if I had made choice of the Life-of fo wicked a Perfon as Mahomet •, therein to pidiure out an Impofture unto you only to make it appear in the fouleft drefs it is capable of, the better to advantage there by that Caufe which I handle.

But to the firft of thefe Anfwers , I forefee this Obje&ion will be made : If Mahomet be the only Impoftor that ever eftabliflied his Impofture in the World3 how then hath it come to pafs, that there have been fo many falfe Religions among Mankind > To which I reply> Not by Im- pofture, (uch as Mahomet's wasf and fuch as Chriftianity muft be, if it be fuch an Impofture ^s your charge againil it fuppo- feth, but by Corruptions inieniib! y grow ing on from that Religion, which was firft true. The firft Religion which (Wgave unto Man, was that Natural Religion which he imprinted on his very Nature, when he firft created him, and as much of that as efcaped that ruin with which

the

§44 ^ Letter to the Deifts.

the fall overwhelm'd him,was that where-' by God was worfliipped and ferved by him afterwards , only with this addition, That whereas Man in his innoceqcy ad- drefled himfelf to God immediately of himfelf alone, and in his own Name, he could never after his fall from it have any more accefs unto him, but through a Me* diator \ (Ws infinite purity and greatnefs on the one hand, and Man's infinite guilt and vilenefs on the other, after that fatal mifcarriage of our firft Parents did put them at fo vaft a diftance the one from the other,that in the nature of the thing there could be no other way thenceforth of maintaining any Communion between them ; and therefore had not this way been found out again to bringMan toGod^ he touft totally have been eftranged from him for ever after. But God of his infinite Mercy having refolved not thus to caft us off, he appointed us a Mediator as foon as we had falien,and promifed to fend him in his appointed time to take our Nature upon, him , and therein pay clown that price of redemption for us ; by vertue whereof, his Mediation ihould always be fufficien.t to obtain mercy, and par don, and acceptance for u>. And this is that which was meant by Go<Fs promising

immedi-

A Letter to the Deifts. 145:

immediately after the Fall, that the feed of the Woman fhodd Ireak the Serpent's hedd^ which being farther explained by After- Revelations , the whole Religion of God's people after that was to offer up their Wor- fhip unto him through hope in this Media tor ; and all the Idolatry -, Polytbeifm, and other falfe Worfrips which after arofe in the Heathen World, were all by fuch cor rupt deviations therefrom,as the fuperfti- tions of men ;b<? unfaithful way oi tranf- mitting Divine Revelations by Tradititn only, and the decay of all Divine Know ledge occafioned thereby, in procefs o£ time introduced among them. For when Mankind began to increafe after the Flood, and they were taught from Noah their Forefather thus to worihip God through hope in a Mediator, as the know ledge of thofe Divine Truths which he delivered to them began to decay ,and Su- perftition to increafe among them, they began to determine themfelves to fuch Mediators as their own Imaginatioos led them to fancy, arid fome chofe Angels ^ and others Men deceafed, for this Office t and in procefs of time eredied Temples and Images unto them , and honoured them with Divine Worihip, in order to render them the more helpful and beneficent un~

A Letter to the Deifts>

to them- The Babylonians or Chaldeans^ who were the firft formed State after the Flood, looked on Angels to have been the Mediators God had appointed, through whom they were to come unto him ; and for this reafon directed their Worlhip to the Suit) and Moon, and the reft of the Plane /^which they fanci'd K£SF& to be the Habitations (*)

Intelligences moving the Spberu} Where thofe Angels dwelt ; and Plato tliat which he taught afl J ajfo ere(2ec] Ima&S Utt- ef the Stars being hvmgBodies. , . , . £ v

For it was the Opinion of the to them, into which they Ancient chaideans , as it is of reckon'd their influence & ft^diSWKSfe Divinepowerdiddefcend,

\vasin each Star an Angd in the and remain With them^

fame manner as our Souls are w}len thQfe LuminarieS

3a our Bodies , and that the ^\ r \ /• ^ j

Stars are animated by thcfe An- thcmfelvCS Were fet and

gels, and hence have all their difappear'd in their Hori-

Motion and alfo that influence 2Qn fo tha£ th jr notjon which they are fuppofed to , t . . . *

have over this world and for was to make their addrelfcs

this reafon was it that they thro* the ImaPCS tO worfhipped them.

to &z Angels that dwelt in them,and thro3 the Angels to God himfelf , whom they acknowledged to be the One Supreme Being, who was the Creator and Gover nor of all things. And this was the firft Idolatrous Religion which was eftablifhed in the world, and long prevailed over a great part of ir, and is ftill preferved in

the

A Letter to the Deifts*

the Eafl among the Seft of the Saliavs even to this day. But the Perftans not liking the Worfhip of the Planets by Ima ges, would endure no other Symlol to re- prefent thofe glorious Luminaries by, but Fire only, of which they reckoned them to be conftituted ; and therefore where- ever they prevailed, they deftroyed all Images out of the Temples ,and placed Fire in their ftead : And from hence the Magi or the Worfbippers of Fire had their Ori ginal. But from their having one Symbol^ they fpeedily came to the aflerting but of one Deity reprefented by it, which they would have to be Light, and that of the mixture of this and Darknefs, all things in this world were compounded; that Light was the caufe or principle of all Good, and Darknefs the caufe or princi ple of all Evil ; and therefore under the Symbol of Fire they worshipped Light as their GoJ, but detefted Darknefs in the fame manner as we do the Devil. And from hence Manes the Heretick had his two Principles, which he would have in troduced into the Chriflian Religion, But above both thefe they acknowledged a Supreme God, in fefpedt of whom pheir God Light was but an inferior Deity, or a God Mediator t by whom they were to K a have

•148 ^ Letter to the Deifts.

have accefs unto him. And this Religion obtained through all Per/ia, and other Parts on the Eajl of it, and doth there rqmain even unto this day among the Perfees in India, and the Inhabitants of the Province of Kerman, on the Southern Coaft of Perfia. But the Pradice of the Babylonians or Chaldeans in worfliipping their Gods Mediators by Images, obtained in all the Weftern Parts of the World. For they holding, that they were to have sccefs to God through Angels as their Mediators, and to the Angels through the Planets, and to the Planets through the Images which they ere&ed to them, did give to thofe Images the Names of the Planets, and under thofe Names paid di vine Worfhip unto them ; which Idolatry pafiing from Baljlon or Chaldea into Ara- I/a, and from thence to the Egyptians wdTlmnkianS) was by them carried in to Greece^ and from thence fpread it felf into all Parts on this Weftern fide of the World, as that of the Magi did on the Eaftern. For the chief Goth of the Greeks^ as well as the Names by which they were called, came from the Egyptians and Pktcnicians, and were no mere than the Images by which the Ralylonians wor- ihippedtheto, Moon, and other Planets,

with

A Letter to tie Deifts. 149

with the names of thofe Planets given unto them. Afterward indeed they ad ded to their number other Deities alfo, which were originally either fome of the fixed Stars , or elfe the Souls of Men de parted, as of Bel or Belus among theBa- lylontanL Abraham and Ifmael among the Arabians, Orus and OJfris among the Egyp tians , JEfculapius and Hercules among the Greeks , and Romulus or Quirinus a- mong the Romans. For it early began a Culiom among all the Worfliippers of Images, as well Greeks as Earlariansy to Deify Men departed, reckoning thofe who lived juftly and righteoufly, or had made themfelves eminent by any great and worthy Adions in this Life, to have thofe Habitations allotted them in the Heavens above , where they were in a capacity to be Mediators to God for them ; and therefore they offered divine Worfhip to them as fuch. And this was it that gave occafion to fo many Apotheo- fes"*s or Deifications among them, and fo vaflly encreafed the number of their Gods in all the Idolatrous Parts of the World^ and alfo the various Methods of Super- ftition, whereby they paid their Worfhip unto them. Yet they all ftill held to. their notion of onefupreme God, and rec- K 3 kone4

'i J o rA Letter to tin Deifts,

koned all the others to be no more than God's Mediators under him. And this one God) whom they held to be made of none, and to be the Maker or Father of all things elfe that are , was among the Chaldaans of old (as ftill among the Sa- lianS) who are the remainder of them ) called Deus Deorum , and among the A- rabsy Allah Taal, i. e. the high or fupreme God; and agreeable hereto, among the Greeks , was there alfo their waT«p <xV t?p£>v1s <\hol)v1e ; i.e. One fupreme God 9 who was the Father loth of Gods and Men. And thus far in anfwer to yourQijeftion, have I given you an account how all the falfe Religions in the Heathen-World had their Original ; and herein I have been the longer for the fake of two Reflections which are 'obvious for you to make hereon.

i . That the Notion of a Mediator be tween God and Man was that which did run through all the Religions that ever were in the World, to the coming of Jefus Chrijl , and was the Fundamental Principle which prevailed in every one of them as to all the Worlhip which was pra&ifed in them, which could no other- wife become fo univerfal among Man* hind, but by a Traditm as univerfally

delivered

A Letter to tke Deifts* 151

delivered unto them. And what can bet ter account both For this Tradition, and alfo the Vniverfality of it , than what is delivered unto us in Scripture, of our be ing defcended from one common Parent, who on his Fall from the favour of God, having had this promife of a Mediator made unto him,through whom we might be again reconciled unto him, tranfmit- ted it to all his Pofterity.

idly. That the Miftakes and Errors about the Worflhip of God, and the Ser vice we owe unto him, which Men are apt to run into, when left to thecondudl of their own light only, are monftrous and endleft, and therefore evidently de- monftrate the neceffity of Divine Revela tions. For if God doth expeft from us an account of our Aftions, it is neceffary he fhould give us a Law for the rule of them ; and if the Law of our Reafon alone be in- fufficientfor this (as from the continual Errors and endlefs Abfurdities , which Mankind, when left to themfelves, have ever hitherto run into, it doth evidently appear that it is : ) this demonftrably proves the neceffity of another to fup- ply its defe<2, and that in our cafe we muft have a Revealed Religion as well as a Natural, or eife we can have no cer- K 4 taio

J. Letter to tie Deifts.

certain knowledge of the Will of God, or any of thofe duties of Worfliip and Ser vice which we are to perform towards him. And if this proves the neceffity of fuch a Revealed Religion (as I think it un deniably muft to every one that believes God will account with us for what we do ;) all that I have farther to offer, is, That you would thoroughly examine and confider that holy Chriftian Religion which we profefs, and compare it with all the other Religions that are in the World; and if it do not appear vaftly above them all, the worthieft of God for him to give unto us, and the worthieft of us to obierve, and that not only in refpe<3; of the honour given to him, but alfo of the improvement and perfection brought to cur own Nature thereby , I will be content that you lhall then perfift to be lieve it an Impojlure^^ a§ fuch, reject it for ever.

fJumphrey (prideaux.

A N

A N

ACCOUNT

O F T H E

Authors quoted in this Boof^. Arabic dutlors.

A Bui Faraghites , a Phyfician of Malatia in Lejjer Armenia, oithQCbriftian Re ligion, and the Sett of the Jacobites. He is an Author of eminent note in the Eaft, as Well among Mahometans as Chriftiavs. His Hiftory of the Dynafties is from the Creation of the World, totheYearof our Lord 1284. It was publifhed at Oxford with a £*?**» Fer/?c?w byDr.Pocock, A, D. 1663. He flourifhed about the time v/here his Hiftory ends. His Name ac length is Gregoriw Ebn Hacim Abut faraghi*

Mai Ft.J a, an Author of great repute in the Eift for two Books which he wrote : The fir ft a G f ffra/ Gtograpby of the World, after the Method of Ptolemy > and the other a General

Htftbry,

Account of tfa Authors

Hiftory, which he calls the Epitomy of the Hi ftory of Nations. He was born A. D. 1275* He finished his Geography A. D. 1 3 2 1. Twen ty years after that he was advanced to the Principality of Hamah in Syria, from whence he is commonly called Shahab Hamah, i. e. Trince of Hamah, where after having Reigned three Years,, two Months, and thirteen Days, he died A. D. 1345'. being Seventy two years old. He was by Nation a Turk, of the No ble Family of the Jobida, of which was Sa- ladin the famous Sultan of Egypt. His Name at length is Ifoael Ebn All Al Melee Al Moaiyad Amaddodin Abul Feda. Ecchellenjis quotes him by the Name of Ifinael Shiahinfiiah.

Abunaz,ar, a Legendary Writer of die Ma hometans, much quoted by Hottivger.

Agar, a Book of great Authority among the Mahometans, faith Gitoiagml ( pag. 165.) wherein an Account is given of the Life and Death of Mahomet. Joannes Andreas makes great ufe of it under the name of Az>aer> as doth Bellonifff in the Third Book of hi$O£/<?r- <vations under the name of Afaer. Guadagnol, who had a Copy of the Book, calls it the Book Agar , and takes moft of what he objects agalnft the Life and Actions of Mahomet out of it.

Ahmed Ebn Edris, an Author that writes in the defence of the Mahometan Religion againft the Chriftians and the Jews.

Ahmed Ebn Tufepb, an Hifiorian who floiir riflied A. D. 1 799, for then he fini/hed his

ffiflory-'

Ahmed

quoted in this ©oo&.

r Ahmed Ebn Zin Alabedin , a Nobleman of Hifpaban in Perfa, of thislaft Age, who hath wrote the fliarpeft and acuteft Book againd the Chriflian Religion, in defence of the Maho^ metan, of any they have among them on this Argument. It was publifhed on this Occafi- on. Ecbar the Great Mogul, Great Grand father toAurang Zeb, who at prefent reigneth in India, for fome Reafons of State making fliow of encouraging the Chriftian Religion, did in the Year 1595:. write to Matthias de Attuquerqtte, then Viceroy of the 'Portuguefe in India , for fome Prieps to be fent to him to his Court at Agra. The Perfons pitched upon for this Mijfion, were Jeronimo Xavier, then Re&or of the College of the Jefuits at Goa, and Emanuel Pigmiro and Benedtft de Gois , two others of that Society. On their comin g to Agra9 they were very kindly received by the Mogul y and had a Church there built for them at his Charges ., and many Privileges and Immunities granted unto them , which on the death of Ecbar ( which happened A. D. 1604. ) were all confirmed to them by his Succeffor Jehan Guire. At the Command of this Ecbar, Xaveriw wrote two Books in Per- fian ( which is the Language of that Court); The firft the Hiftory of Jefa Chnfl, colleded for the mod part out of the Legends of the Church of Rome, which he intended to be in- ftead of the Gojfel among them ; and the other called A Lookivcr-Gla/s ftewing the Truth, which is a defence of the Dodrines of that Goffel againft the Mahometans. What the

former

156 An Account of the Authors

former is y thofe who have the Curiofity tp fee what kind of Gofpel the Jefuits preach in the Eaft, may fatisfy themfelves, for the Book 5s trar.flated into Latin by De Dieu, and was pttblifh'd by him with the Original, A.D. 1639. This Gofpel of the Jefuits was firft prefented to Ecbtir by Xaveritts at Agra, A. D. 1602. But the other Book was not publiflied till a Year or two after. When it firft came a- broad, it unluckily fell into the h&ids of this Learned Per/tan Gentleman, who immediate ly wrote an Anfwer to it , which he calls * The Bntjher of the Looking-Glafs, wherein he makes terrible work with the Jefuit, through the advantages which he gave him by teach ing the Idolatry and other Svperftttiohs and Errors of the Church of Rome, for the Doftrims of Jefsts Cbrift. When this Book came abroad it fo alarmed the College dc propaganda Fide at Rome, that they immediately ordered it to be i arifwer'd.The firft who was appointed for this Work wis Ronayentwa Alalvafia, a Francif- can Friar of Sonoma^ who pabliflied his Dilu- cidxtto Speculi vmtm wonftra'itis, in anfwer to this Brujhsr, A. D. 1628. But this,, I fup- pofe, not being judged fo fufficient by the College^ they appointed Philip' Guadagnol, an other Francifcan Friar, to write a fecond An- fwer thereto. And on this occafion he com- pofed his Book ftiled Apologia pro Chriftiana Religion?, which was publijhed at Rome firft in Lank, A. D. 1651. and after in Arabic, 1657. For this, I fuppbfe, meeting with bet ter approbatio nfrom the College, they order ed

quoted in this Book.

ed it to be tranflated into that Language, and it being accordingly done by the fame Author, they fent it into the Eaft to be dif- perfed among the Mahometans for the de fence of the Jefuifs Lookixg-Glafs againft this rude Brnfljer of it. But his performance doth by no means anfwer the Defjgn, abundance of his Arguments being drawn from the Au thorities of Popes and Councils^ which will ne ver convince an Infidel of the truth of the Chriftian Religion , how much noife foever they may make with them among thofe of their own Communion.

Al Bochari, an Eminent Writer of the Tra ditionary Dottrines of the Mahometan Religion. He is reckoned by Johannes Andreas, c. ;. and BeUonitts, lib. 3. c. 4. to be one of the Six Dctfors, who by the appointment of one of the Califs, meeting at Damafcus, firft made an Authentick Collection of all thofe Traditions which make up their Sontiab. His Book con tains the Pandeffs of all that relates either to their Law or their Religion , digefted under their feveral Titles in Thirty Books,, and is the Ancienteft and moft Authentick which they have of this matter , and next the Al coran, of the greateft Authority among them. He was born at Bochara in Ccwarafmia, A.D. 809. and died. A. D. 869.

Al Coran, i. e. The 'Book to be read, or the Legend, it is the Bible of the Mahometans. The name is borrowed from the Hebrew Kara or Mikra (words of the fame root as well as Signification with the Arafac Al Coran) by

which

1 5 8 An Account of tie Autfors

which the Jew* called the Old Teftament, of any part of it; And fo any part of the Ma hometan Bible is called Alcoran. The whole together they call Al Mojkap, i. e. The Bock, which alfo in refoeft of the Chapters, into which it is divided , they call Al Fwkan, from the Arabic word Faraka , which from the Hebrew Pbarak iignifies to divide or di* ftinguiflj ; but others will have that Book to be fo called in refped of the Matter or Do- drine therein contained, becaufe, fay they, it difiinguifheth Good from Evil.

It hath been lately published in Arabic with a Large Preface before it in Latin by Abraham Hmckelman at Hamburg, A. D. 1694. Had he added a Latin Verflon, he would have made it much more ufefuL For that which hath been publiflied by Bibliander for a Latin Verfion of the Alcoran, is only an abfurd Epi tome of it, compofed by Robertas Relinenfis near 6co years ago, whereby the fenfe of the Original is fo ill reprefented , that no one can by the one fcarce any where under- ftand what is truly meant by the other. In the Year 1647. Andrew Du Ryer, who had been Agent for the French Merchants at Alexandria, publifhed a Tranflation of it in French, from which it hath been put into Englifi by Alex ander RcJJe. Hottinger and 'Ptympias much commend this Tranflation, and indeed it muft be faid that it is done as well as can be expeded from one who was only a Merchant,

Al Fragam?

quoted in this Book.

Al Fragani , an Aftronomtr of Fragana in Terfia , from whence his name Al Fragani, i. e. Fragamnfis , by which he is commonly called. His name at length is Mohammed Ebn Katir Al Fragani. He wrote a Book called, The Elements of Aflronomy , which hath been feveral times publiflied in Eurofe, at Nwen- burg A. D. 1 5" J 7- at Parts A. D. 15*46. at Frankfort cum Notts Chriftmanm, A. D. 1 5-90. in Latin ; and afterwards by Golim in Arabic and Latin at Leiden, A. D. 1669. with large Notes of great ufe for the underftanding of the Geography of the Etf/.He flourifhed while Al Mamon was Calif, who died A.D. 835.

Al Gaz,ali3 a famous Pkilofopber of Tujaiti Terfia. He wrote many Books, not only in Pbilofopfy, but alfo in the defence of the Ma hometan Religion againft Chriftians, Jews, Pa gans , and all others that differ there-from,, whereof one is of more efpecialnote^entitled, Tke Deftruftion of Philofophers, which he wrote againft AlFarabiMy and Avicenna, and fome others of the Arab Philofofhers 5 who to folve the Monftrous Abfurdities of the Mahometan Religion, were for turning many things into Figure and Allegory, which were commonly underftood in the literal fenfe. Thole he vio lently oppofeth on this account ? accufing them of Herefy and Infidelity, as Corrupters of the Faith, and Subverters of Religion, where on he had the name of Hoghatol Ejlam Zai- mddin, i. e. The demonftration of Mahometifm, and the honour of Religion. He was born A.D. 105-8. and died A*D. 1112, His name

at

160 An Account of the dtithors

at length is Abu Hamed Elm Mohammed Al Ga+ z,ali Al Tup.

Al Jannabi, an Hiflorian born at Jannaba^ a City in Perfia , not far from Shir as. His Hiflory comes down to the Year of our Lord if 8 8. and therein he tells us, that he went in Pilgrimage to Mecca, and from thence to Medina , to pay his Devotions at the Tomb of the Imfoffior, in that Year of the Hegera which anfwers to the Year of our Lord 1 5; f 6. His name at length is Abn Mohammed MU-* ftafha Ebnol Saiyed Hafan Al Jannabi.

Al Kamits, i. e. The Ocean, a famous Arabic Dictionary, fo called, becaufe of the Ocean of words contained in it. It was written by Mohammed Ebn Jaacub Ebn Mohammed Al Shira&i Al Firau&abadi. He was a Perfon of great efteem among the Princes of his time for his eminent Learning and Worth, parti cularly with Ifmael Ebn Abbas, King of Ya- , man, Bajaz,et.Kmg of the Turks, and Tamer- Ian the Tartar, from the laft of which he re ceived a Gift of Five thoufand pieces of Gold at one time. He was born A. D. 1528. being a Per/tan by birth , but he lived moft at Sanua in Taman. He finished his Di&io- naryat Mecca, and dedicated it to IfmadEbn Abbas, under whole Patronage he had long lived,, and afterwards died at Zibit in Ara bia, A. D. 1414. being near ninety years old.

Al Kodai, an Hiftori&n. He wrote his Hi- (tory. about the Year of our Lord 1045*. and died A. D, 1062. His name at length is

quoted In this ^ook.

Alu AbdoUa Mohammed Ebn Salamah Ebn Jaafar Al Kodai.

Al Mafudi , an Hiftorian* He wrote an Hiftory called the Golden Meadows , but in what time he lived , I do not find. His name at length is All Ebn Hofam Al Mafudi. He wrote allb another Book , wherein he makes it his bufinefs to difcover and expofe the Fraud which the Chriftians of Jerusalem are guilty of about lighting Candles at the Sepulchre of our Saviour on Eafter-Eve. For then three Lamps being placed within the Chappel of the Sepulchre, when the Hymn of the Refurretfion is fung at the Evening Service, they contrive that thefe three Lamps be all lighted, which they will have believed to be by fire from Heaven, and then a multitude of Chriftians of all Nations are prefent with Can- dies to light them at this holy Fire, which hath been a fraudulent Practice kept up among them for many hundred years. And the Em- feror Cantacu&enm was fo far impofed on by this Cheat, that in his Third Apology for the Chriftian Religion againft the Mahometans, he makes mention of it, and urgeth it againit thofe Infidels, as a Miracle, which being an nually performed in their fight,ought to con vince them of the truth of the Chriftian Reli gion, and convert them thereto. But the Im- poftttre hath all along been too well known to the Mahometans to be of any fuch effed: with them. For the Patriarch of Jerufelem always Compounds with the Mahometan Governor to permit him to praftife this Trick for the fake

L of

1 6 1 An Account of the Authors

of the Gain which it brings to his Church, and annually allows him his ihare in it. And therefore, inftead of being of any effe<5r to convert them, it becomes a matter of conti nual fcandal among them againft the Chrifti- an Religion. And not only this Author, but Ahmed Ebn Ed™, and moft others of the Ma- hometans, that write againft the Chnftian Re- ligian, objedl it as. a reproach thereto (as in truth it island urge it with the fame earneft- nefs againft the Chriftian Religion, that Canta- CUWMI& doth for it. Al Man for Hakem Beam- rilla, Calif of Egypt, was fo offended at it, that A. D. 100 7. he ordered the Church of the Refmreffion at Jerusalem , wherein this Chapf el of the Sepulchre ftands, to'be for this very reafon pulled down and rafed to the Ground, that he might thereby put an end t to fo infamous a Cheat. But the Emperor of Conflantinofle having by the releafe of Five thoufand Mahometan Captives, obtained leave to have it rebuilt again, the Imfefture hath ftill gone on at the Fame rate, and it is there to the great fport of the Mahometans, ( who come in Multitudes every Year to fee this Farce) a&ed over in their fight in the fame manner as is above related even unto this day. Thevenot, who was once prefent at it, gives us a large Account of this whole Foolery in the firft part of his Travels, Book II. Chap. 43.

A I Moftatraf, the name of a Book, written by an unknown Author.

Al Motarr'Ki, the Author of the Book cal led Mogreb9 he was born A. D, 1143. and

died

quoted in this Book* • i 6 J

died A. D. 1213. His name at length is Na~ fir Ebn Abil Macarem Abttl Phatab Al Motar- rezi. He was of the Sett of the Mota^ali, and feems by his laft Name, Al Motarre&i, ( by which he is ufually called ) to have been by Trade a Taylor , that being the Signification of the word in Arabic.

Ajjamael, a Book much quoted by Johan nes Andreas, and alfo by Guadagnol.

Bidawi, a famous Commentator on the Al~ coran. He died A. D. 1293. His name at* length is Naferoddin Abdollab Ebn Omar Al Bidawi. His Commentary is written for the moft part out of Zamacbfhari.

Kazwiniy an Arabic Author, fo called from the City Kafwin. His name at length is Za* cbarias Ebn Mobammed Ebn Mahmud Al Kaf» wini. In what Age he lived, I cannot find.

Dialqgas Mabometis cum AbdoUab Ebn Sa lem, a Book wrote in Arabic, containing a great many of the Fooleries of the Mahome tan Religion, under the form of a Dialogue between Mahomet , and this Jew, who was his chief helper in forging the Imfofture. It was tranflated into Latin by Hermannus Dal- ynata, and that Verfion of it is published at the end of the Latin Alcoran, fet forth by Bibliander.

Difyutatio Cbriftiani contra Saracenum Je Lege M&hometis. It was written in Arabic by a Chriftian , who was an Officer in the Court of a King of the Saracens, to a Mbbo* . met an Friend of his, who was an Officer with him in the fame Court, and contains a Con~ L z futation

i 64 An Account cf tie Autfars

futation of the Mahometan .Religion. Peter, the famous Abbot of Cluny in Burgundy, who flourished A. D. 1130. caufed it to be tran- flated into Latin by Peter of Toledo ; an Epi tome of which is printed with the Latin Al- ceran by Eibliander , taken out of the 24th Book of the Speculum Hiftoriak of Vincent ius Btttovacevfis.

Elmacinus, an Hiftorian of the Chriftian Re ligion. His -Hiftory is from the Creation of the World, to the Year of our Lord 1118. The latter part of it, which is from the begin ning of Mahometifm , was publiftied by Er- penim, under the Title of Hiftoria Saracenica, A. D. 1625'. He was Son to Tafer Al Amid, who was Secretary of the Council of War under the Sultans of Egypt, of the Family of the Jobid*, for 4^ Years together, and in the Year of our Lord 1238. (in which his Father died ) fuxxeeded him in his place. His name at length is Georgius Ebn Amid ; and for his Eminent Learning, he was alfo ftiled Al Shaich Al Raiis 4\ Macin, i. e. The ' frimeDottor folidly Learned. The laft of which Titles, Almacin, was that whereby Erpenim (who pronounceth it Elmacin) chofe to call him; but by others he is generally quoted by the Name Ebn Amid.

Ebnol Athir, a Mahometan Author, who was born A.D. 1149. and died A. D. 1209. His Name at length \sAbuffaadat Al Moharac Ebn Mohammed Al Shaibani Ebml Athir Al Jaz,ari Magdoddin*

quoted In this Book*'

Alt Ebnol Atbir , an Hiftorian, Brother to the former Ebnol Atbir. His Name at length is Abul Hajan Alt Ebn Mohammed Al Sbaibani, Ebnol Athir Al Jazan Ez>z.oddin. He was born A. D. 1160. and died A. D. 1252. His Hiftory, which he calls Camel , is from the beginning of the World,, to the Year of our Lord, 1230.

Ebnol Kaffai, Author of the Book called laarifat, which is an Explication of the va rious Terms ufed in Arabic by Philoibphers, Lawyers, Divines, and other forts of Learn ed Profeflions among them.

Ebn Phans , a Mahometan Author , who died A. D. 1000.

Eutycbiusy a Chriftian Author of the Sed: of the Mdchites, his Name m Arabic is Said Elm Batrik. He was born at Cair in Egypt, A. D. 876. and became very eminent in the know ledge of P/yJick y which he pra&ifed with great reputation., being reckoned by theAfo- howetans themfelves to have been one of the Eminenteft Phyficiavs of his time. But to wards the latter part of his life giving himfelf more to the ftudy of Divinity, he was A. D« 95;. chofen Patriarch of Alexandria for his Sedt (for there was another Patriarch of that place for the Jacobites at the fame time) and then he firft took the Name of Eutycbiw. But he hapned not to be fo acceptable to his People, for there were continual Jars be^ tween them until his death, which hapned feven years after, A. D. 940. His Annah of the Church of Alexandria were published ae t ? Oxfcrq

1 66 An Account of the dutbors

Oxford in Arabic and Latin by Dr. Tocock, A.D. 16^6. at the Charge of Mr. &/<&», arid this is the meaning of thefe words in theTitle- page, [Johanne Seldeno Chorago~\ for he who was the Choragus in the Play,always was at the Charges of exhibiting the Scenes. And therefore Mr. Selden having born the Expen- ces of this Chargeable Edition,the moft Wor thy and Learned Author of that Verfion ac knowledged it by thofe words in the Title- page, which feveral having miftaken to the robbing him of the honour of his Work, as if Mr. Seldenh&d begun the Tranflation, and Dr. Pocock finifhed it,, I cannot but do this juftice to that Worthy Perfon , now with God, as to clear this matter. For he need ed no Partner in any of his Works. The Tranflation was totally his, and only the Charges of Printing the Book Mr. Selden s. Mr. Selden did indeed publifh a Leaf or two of that Author, which he thought would ferve his purpofe to exprefs his Spight againft the Biftops of the Church of England^n revenge of theCenfure which was inflidred on him in the High-CommijJio; -Court bt his Hiftory ofTythes^ but he made thofe flips in that Ver/ion, that Dr. Poccck was not at all eafed of his labour, by having that little part of it Translated to his hands, 'VL

Liber de Gentrxtiom & Nutritura Mahome- tis, a moft frivolous and filly Trad, wrote originally in Arabic \ and being tranflated in to Latin by Hermamms Dalmata, is publilhecl with the Latin Alcoran by Bibliander.

Geographic

quoted in this 'Book* 1 67

Geograpkia Nubienfis, fo the Book is called by Sionita and Hefronita, who publiftied it in Latin with a Geographical Appendix annexed thereto, A. D. 1619. But this Book is only an Epitome of a much larger and much bet ter Book written by Sharif Al Adrip, at the command of Roger, the fecond of that name, King of Sicily , for the explaining of a Ter- reflrial Globe, which that King had caufed to be made of a very large Size all of Silver. He finifhed this Work A. D. 1 1 5*3. and Enti tled it Ketab Roger, i. e. the Book of Roger, from the name of him who employed him to compofe it. The Author was of the Race of Mahomet , and therefore is called Sharif, which Word fignirieth one of a Noble Race, efpecially that of Mahomet, and wasdefcend- ed from the Noble Family of the Adrifia1*, who reigned in fome parts of Africa , and therefore he is called Al Adrift, that is , of the Family of Adr'u. His name at length is Abu Abdollah Mohammed Ebn Mohammed Ebn AdrisAmirOlmummin. There was a very fair Copy of this Book among Dr. Pocock's Ara bic Manuscripts.

Georgius Monachm, Abbot of the Monkery of St. Simeon. He wrote a Trad in defence of the Chriftian Religion againft the Mahsme* tans3 which is a Deputation he had with three Mahometans, of whom the chief Spokefman. was • Abufalama Ebn Saar of Moful.

Jatihart , the Author of a famous Arabic Dictionary, sailed Al Sahah : His name a; length is Ah* Naftr Ifmael Ebn Hammad Al {. 4

1 68 An Account of tie Authors

Jauhari. He was by Nation a Turk. He died A. D. 1007. This is reckoned the beft 'Dictionary of the Arabic Language next Kamus. Golms makes his Arabic Lexicon moftly out of it.

Jalalani) i. e. the Two Jalals. They were two of the fame Name, who wrote a ftiort Commw-ary upon the Alcoran, the firft began it, and the fecond finiflied it. The firft was called Jalal Oddin Mohammed Ebn Ahmed Al Mahalli ; and the fecond Jalal Oddtn Abdor- rahman Al Ojyuti. This latter on the death of the foimer finiflied the Book A. D. 1466. and was alfo Author of an Hiftory called

Shahreftani 3 a Scholaftical Writer of the Mahometan Religion. He was born at Shah- reft an, A. D. 1074. and died A. D. 115*4.

Safioddm, the Author of a certain Geogra phical Dictionary in the Arabic Tongue.

Zamacbjhari, the Author of the Book cal led Al Cejhaf, which is a large Commentary upon the Alcoran , and that which is of the beft efteem among the Mahometans of any of its kind. His name at length is Abul Kafem Mohammed Ebn Omar Ebn Mohammed Al Chowarafmi'Al ZamachjharL He was born at Zawacbfoar, a Town of Cbowarafmia, A. D. 1074. and died A.D. 1143*

Hebrew

quoted in this ©0o/<,

Hebrew and Chaldee Authors.

CHaldee Paraphrafe, an Interpretation of the Old Teftament in the Chaldee Language. That of Onkelos on the Pentateuch, and that of Jonathan on the Prophets, are ancient, be ing written j according to the Account which the Jews give of them, before the time of our Saviour. But thofe which are on the other parts of Scripture, as alfo thajt which bears the Name of Jonathan on the Law, were written by fome later Jews. The Author of the Chaldee Paraphrafe on Job , the Pfalms , and Prcverbs, was Rabbi Jofeph C^cus.

Sepher Coz,ri, a Book written by way of Dialogue between a Jew and the King of the Coz,ars, from whence it hath its Name Sepher Coz,ri or Co&ari , i. e. the Book of the Co^ar. The Author of it was Rabbi Judah Levita, a Sptimfo Jew, who wrote the Book original ly in Arabic about the Year of our Lord 1140. and from thence it was tranflated into Hebrew by Rabbi Judah Ebn Tibbon, in which Tranflation it was publiihed by Buxtorf with a Latin Verfion, A. D. 1660.

Rabbi David Kimchi$ a famous Jewijli Com- ntentator on the Old Teffiament. He was by Birth a Spaniard, Son to Rabbi Jofeph Kimchi, and Brother to Rabbi MofesKimchi, both men of eminent Learning among the Jews ; but he himfelf far exceeded them both^ be ing the beft Grammarian in the Hebrew Lan~

guage

An Account of the Authors

guage which they ever had, as is abundantly macje appear not only in his Commentary on the Old Teftament ( which gives the greateft light into the literal fenfe of the Hebrew 'Text of any extant of this kind ) but alfo in a Grammar and Dictionary which he hath wrote of the Hebrew Language, both by many de grees the beft of their kind: The firft of thefe he calls Miclol , and the other Scfber Shoraflrim , i. e. the Book of Roots. Buxtorf made his Thefaurm Lingttte Hebrtex out of the former, and his Lexicon Lingua Hebrtert out of the latter. He flouriflied about the Year of our Lord 1270.

Maimonides, a famous Jewifl) Writer ; his Book, Tad Hachaz*akah, is a Digeft of the Jewifl} Law according to the Talmudifts. His Book Mo*eh Nevochiwy contains an Explica tion of Words, Phrafes, Metaphors, Para bles, Allegories, and other difficulties which occur in the Old Teftatnent. It was firft • wrote in Arabic, and after Tranflated into Hebrew by Rabbi Samuel Ebn Judah Ebn Tib- bon, from which Translation it was publilhed in Latin by Buxtorf ', A. D. 1629. He was born at Corduba in Spain, A. D. 1131. but lived moftly in Egypt , from whence he is commonly called Rabbi Mofes ^.gyptius , where he died A. D. 1208.

Miflinab, a Collection of all the Ancient Traditions of the Jews, to the time of Rabbi Judah Hakkodifh , the Compiler of it, who flouriflied about the middle of the fecond Century , in the Reign of the Emperor Anto«

ninm

quoted in di* S00&. 171

ninus Pius. This Book is the Text to the mud, and that a Comment on it. The Je- rufalem Talmud was compiled by the Jews who dwelt in Judaa, about 500 Years after Cbrift ; and the Babylonish Talmud by thofe who dwelt in Mefopotamia, about 5-00 Years after Cbrip, according to the account which the Jewifo Writers give of them. But there are feveral things contained in the latter, which feem to refer to a much later date. Thefe Three , with the Two Chaldee Para- fbrafes of Qnkelos and Jonathan, are the an- cienteft Books which the Jews have, next the Bible. For how much noife foever may be made about their Rabbinical Writers , there are none of them above Seven hundred years old. There are fome of them indeed Jay claim to a much ancienter Date, but with out any reafon for it.

Greek Authors.

Riftotelis Ethica & Politic*.

Barthokw#iEdeJ]wiCovfutatioHaga<«

rent,, a Greek Traft againft Mahometifm, pub- lifhed by Le Moyne among his Varia Sacra. The Author was a Monk of EdeJJa in Mefo~ fotamia. In what Age he lived, it doth not appear.

Cantacuz,ems contra Seftam Mahotnetican?. This Book contains four Apologies for the Cbriftian Religion , and four Orations againft

the

17 1 An Account of tie Authors

the Mahometan. The Author had been Em- peror of Constantinople, but refigning his Em- fire to John Pat^ologus his Son-in-Law, A* D. 1355. he retired into a Monaftery > where being accompanied by Mthtiut 9 formerly called Acbtememid, whom he had converted from Mahometifm to the Chriftian Religion, he there wrote this Book for the faid Mele- titts, in anfwer to a Letter written to him by Sampfates a Per/tan of Hifpahan , to reduce him back again to fas Mahomet an Superftition. Cedreni Compendium Hi/loriarum, KnHiftory from the beginnning of the World,, to the Year of our Lord 1057. Chryfoftomi Homilix.

Confutatite Mahometis, a Greek Traff, pub- liflied by Le Mojne among his Varia Sacra ; the Author not known.

Dionyfii Halicarnaffai Antiquitates Roman*. Eufebii Hiftoria E,cclefiafticay and Prteparatio Evangelica.

Hierocles, the pomenter and chief Mana ger of the Tenth Perfectttion againft the Chri- .jtians. He was firft Governor of E)thinias and after of Egypt ; in both which Places he profecuted the Chrittians with the utmoft feverity ; and not content herewith, jie al- fo wrote two Books againft them, which he called Abyus <p/AaAH0«* , wherein , among other thingsrhe compared Apollonitts Tyanaus with Jefus Chriff, and endeavoured to prove him in working of Miracles to have been equal to him ; to which particular Eufebitts wrote an Anfwer, which is ftill extant a-

mongj

quoted in tils Book. 172

mong his Works ; but thefe Books of Hiero- cles are now wholly loft, excepting fome Fragments preferved in the faid Anfwer of

Jofefbi Antiquitates Judaic*, and He Bella Judaico. '

Origenes contra, Celfum. Philoftratus de vita Apoflovii Tyantei. Phlegon Trall'ianm, a Freed man of Adrian the Emperour. He wrote a Chronicon or Hi- ftory, which he called the Hiftcry of the Olym piads. It contained 229 Olympiads, whereof the laft ended in the Fourth year of the Em- perottr Antoninm Pirn. But there is nothing of this Work now extant, except fome few Fragments^as they are preferved in fuch Au thors as have quoted it. That relating to the Eclipfe of the Sun at our Saviour's Cruci fixion is preferved in Eufebias's Chronicon,and is alfo made mention of by Qrigen in his 3 $. Trad on St. Matthews Gofiel, and in his fe- cond Book againft Celfa, Plato.

Piutarchi Vita. Strabqnts Geographia. Socratu Scholaftici Hifloria -Ecclejtaftica* Sozomenis Hifloria Ecclefiaflica. Theophanis Chronograpbia, This is one of the By&antine Hiftorians, and contains a Chrovo* logical Hiftory of the Roman Empire y from the Year of our Lord 28^. to the Year 8 13. The Author was a Nobleman of Conftantmople, where he was firft an Officer of the Imperial Court, but afterwards turning Monk* wrote

this

174 An Account of the Authors

this Htflory. He was born A. D. 778. and A. D* 8 1 y. died in Prifon in the Jfland of Samotbracia, a Martyr for Image-worfliip, for which he had been a zealous Champion in the Second Council of Nice.

Zonara Compendium Hiftoriarum. Another of the By&antine Hiftorians. It contains an Htflory from the beginning of the World to the death of Alexius Comnetws, Emperour of Conftantinople ; which happened A. D. 1118. when the Author flourifhed. He was firft a Prime Officer of the Imperial Court at Con ft an- tinople, but afterwards became an Ecckfiaftic, and is the fame who wrote the Comment on the Greek Canons.

Latin Authors Ancient and Modern.

AMmiani Marcellmi Hiftoria. Anaftafii Bibliothecarii Hiftoria Ecclefi- aflica. The Author was a Prieft of the Church of Rome, and Library-Keeper to the Pope. He flourilhed about the Year of our Lord 870.

EeUonii Qbfervationes de locis ac rebtts- memo- rabilibtts in Afia. The Book was firft publi- fhed in French, A. D. lyyj. and after in Latin, A. D. 1989.

P.ocharti Hieroz,oicon.

Busbequii Epi(hl<e,the Author was Ambaffa- doY from the Ewp rcur Ferdinand fat Firft to the Pm,from whence he wrote his Epiftks-

Buxtorfi

quoted in this Book. 175

Buxtorfii Lexicon Ralbinicum.

Buxtorfi Synagoga Judaica.

Caroli a Sanfto Paulo Geographia Sacra five Notitia antiqua Epifcopatuum Ecclefite Umverfa. Lutetite Parifiorum, A. D. 1641.

Clenardi Epiftola. The Author of thefe Epi- ftles was the famous Grammarian of his Age. Out of love to the Arabic Tongue, he went to Fez, of purpofe to learn it, A. D. 1 5-40. when well advanced in years, from whence he wrote many things in his Epiftles, of the Manners and Religion of the Mahometans. He died at Granada in Spain as foon as he re turned.

Cufani Crebwtio Akorani. The Author of this Book was the famous Nicolas de Cufa, the eminenteft Scholar of the Age in which he lived. In the Year 1448. he was made Cardinal of Rome , by the Title of St. Peer's ad vincuta, and died A.D. 1464. about Ten Years after the Turks had taken Conftanttno- flc. Which feems to have given him the Oc- cafion of writing this Book,that fo he might provide an Antidote againft that /*//<? Religion, which on that Succefs had gotten fo great an advantage for its further ipreading it fdf in thofe Parts of the World. For it appears by the Dedication, that this Book was not writ ten till after the lofs of that City ; it being de dicated to Pope Pifff Stofa/wywiho entred not on the Papacy till the Turks had been about Three Years in pofieffion of it.

Abrahami Eccheilenfis Hiporia Arabum*T\'\\.$ Book is fubJQiaed to his Chronkw Oriental^

in

1 7 6 An Account of the Authors

in Two Parts, collected out of the Aral Writers. The Author was a Maronite of Mount Lebanus in Syria, and 'was employed as Profeffor of the Oriental Languages, in the College de Propaganda fide at Rome , from whence about the Year 1640. he was called to Paris, to affift in preparing the great Pcly- glott Bible for the Prefs, which was there Publifhing, and.rriadethe Kings Profeffor of the Oriental Languages in that City. The part affigned him in this Work, was that which they had afore employ'd Sionita in, a Man of thorough Abilities to perform ir ; but on fome diftafte taken againft him^they difchar- ged him, and fent to Rome for Ecchetttnfts ; of whofe Performance herein, a Learned Sorbo* ni$ making a Cenfure, truly fays, Ibi pecca- tum eft toties ac tarn enormiter in apponendis wo-* calib&s & apiculis, ut quod ibi primum inter h-4 gmdum occuherit fummam fapere videatur Ty- vonis alicujus ofcitantiam. He was indeed a

, Man but of little Accuracy in the Learning which he profeffed, and {hews himfelf to be a very Futilous and Injudicious Writer, in moft of that which he hath publiflied.

Abrahami Ecchettenfis Eittychiits vindicatus ;

-which Book is in Two Parts ; the firft writ againft Mr. Sehkns Eutychii PatrLcrcbte Alex- andrini Ecclefa fu& Origines • and the fecond

; againft Hottinger^s Hijhna Orient alis. The

• greateft skill which he (hews in this Book, is in railing. It v/as publifhed at Romsy D., 1661*

•5 ' Forbefii

quoted in this Book,

Forbefiii Inftruttiones Htftorico - Theologies ^ publifli'd at Amperdam, A. D. 1645".

Fortalitium Fidei, a Book written in de fence of the Chrijltan Religion againfi: the Jews, Mahometans , and other adverfaries. The Author takes occafion to acquaint us Lib. 'ido Confederations 6a, Harcfi ^a, That he was at work in writing this Book An. Dom. 145:8, and the Title of the firft Printed Edition tells us, that jc was finiflied the Year following, And that the Author was an Eminent Do&or of the Order of the Franciscan Friers. It was Printed firft at N0- rembergh, A. D. 1494, and after that at Lyons 9 A. D. i y 1 1. and again at Lyons, A.D. xyzf. But in all thefe Editions the name of the Author being fuppreffed, fome have called it the Work of William Tofon, who was on ly the Editor of the Second Edition ; and others have afcribed it to others. But Mariana in the Second Tome of his Spamjh Hiiiory, Lib.22.Caf. 15. tells us, the true Author of the Book was Alpbonfus Spina , a Franciscan Frier of Cafltle in Spain, who from a Jew turning Chnftian, Enter'd himfelf of that Order, and after by feveral advances came to be a Bifhop in that Kingdom. But the pre- fent General of the Jefuits, notwithftanding the Authority of this Great man of his Or der , in a Book lately publifhed by him a- gainft the Mahomet an Religion, itill afcribes it to WiUiam Toton. But the Book is of better ufe to acquaint us with the Doctrines and Opinions of the Chriftians of that Age, that* M te»

I yt 8 An Account of the Authors

to give us any true light either of Mahomet ^ or his Religion. For in that part, which is levell'd againft this Impofture, too many of his Arguments are built upon fuch Relati ons both concerning it and the Author thereof, as have no other bottom, but the miftaken Traditions of the Vulgar.

.Golii Not* ad Alfragani Elementa Aftrono- mica ; which are^ exceeding ufeful for the underftanding of the Geography of the Eaffi* The Book was published at Leiden, A. D.

Tbiliffi Guadagnoli Apologia fro Chriftiana e^ contra Qbjeftiones Ahmed Filti Zin Alahedin Terfa Afihahenfis. Of which Book I have already given an Account, in what I have written of Ahmed Elm Zin, againft whom it is written.

Gentii Not^e ad Mufladini Saadi Rofarittm Toliticum ; publiflied at Amperdainy A. D.

Grotitts de Vent ate Cbriftian<e Religionts > &

iftohe ad Gallos.

Hottivgeri Hiftoria Qrientalis. Of this Book there are two Editions ; the firfcyi./). 165-1. and the fecond A. D. 1660. the latter is much enlarged. The Author was ProfeJJor of the OrierJtal Tongues , firft at Zurich in Su'iJJcrland, and afterwards ac Heidelbtrgh ; from whence being called to be Troffjjor at Leiden, he was while on his removal thither, unfortunately drowned in the Rhme. He was a Man of great Induftry and Learning; but having written- very much within the £.-W com-

n

this $06& 179

compafs of a few Years ( for he died young ) his Books want Accuracy ; though all of them have their Ufe.

Htftoria Mifotia, a Roman Hiflory began by Eutropius , ccntinued by Paulus Diaconm, and finifhed by Landutyhus Sagax.

Johannes Andreas de Confufane Scttae Ma hometan*. The Author of this Book was formerly an Alfaki, or a Dottor of the Ma hometan Law ; but in the Yeai 1487. being at Vakntia, in Sfain, converted to the Chrifti- an Religion ; he was received into Holy Or- ders,, and wrote this Book in 'Sfanifh againft the Religion which he forfook ; from whence it was tranflated into Italian, by Dom'wicus fie Ga&elui A.D. i ^40. And out of thatTr^w- flatten it was published in Latin by Joh(w~ nes LauUrhachy A. D. 1^95". and reprinted by Vastius at Utrecht , A. D. 16^ 6. He having throughly underftood the Religion which he confutes, doth much more pertinently write againft % than many others do., that handle this Argument.

Macrobij Saturnalia.

Caij Plmij §ecundi Naturalis Hiftoria.

Caij PUnfy-Gtecilij Secundi Epiftoltf.

Pocock : The Famous ProfiJJor of the He* breiv and- Arabic Tongues at Oxford ; who was for Eminency of Goodnefs, as well as Learning, the greater! Ornament of the Age in which he lived, .and God bleffed him with a long life to be ufeful thereto. He was born .A. D. 1604. and died at Chrif -Church in Oxford in the Month of September j A. D.

M *

An Account of tfce

. He was for above fixty Years a toll- (rant Editor of learned and ufeful Books. The firft which he publifhed contains an E- djtion of four of the Catholick Epiftles in S)1- riac, i. e. the fecond of St. Peter, the fecond and third of St. John , and the Epiftle of $£. J*dt, with Verfions and Notes, which was panted at Leyden9 A. D. 1650. by Voffius, to whom he prefented it the year before at Ox- f(*dy on his coming thither to fee that U»/- i/£y/?fv ; and the la ft was his Commentary on Joel, which came forth the Year in which he died. His Specimen Hiftorue Arabics, which I frequently make ufe of in this Trad:, was publilhed A. D. 16^0. and is a moft accurate and judicious Colledrion out of the bed Ano Writer i> relating to the Subject which he handles.

Ricardi Confutatio Legis Saracenic^. The Author was a Dominican Friar, who in the Year 12ICU went to EagJat, of purpofe to ftady the Mahometan Religion out of their own Books, in order to confute ic5 and on his return publifhcd this Learned and Judi cious Trad concerning it. Demetrius Cyde- viiis tranflatec) it, into Greek for the Emperor Cvvracu&etus, who makes great ufe of it, fa king thence moft of that which he hath of aqy moment in his four Qratiws ngainft the Mahometan Religion. From this Greek Vtrfion of Demetrius Cydonws, it was TranOated back again imp Latin by Bartholcmteus Picentf^ wjiich TranOation is publiftied with the La-

Alcoran of BifrlMndtf, and that- is all we

no'-v

tin

i» f fc w ©wit 1 8 1

. new have of it, the Original being loft: This and" Johannes Andrew's Trad: de Confu/ione Seff# Mahometan*, are the beft of any that . have been formerly published by the Weftern Writers on this Argument , and beft accord with what the Mahometans themfeives teach of their Religion. Others have too much fpent themfeives on falfe Notions concern ing it, for want of an exad knowledge of that which they wrote againft.

Rotkrici Toletani Hiftoria, AYabuw. It con* tains an Hiftory o? the Saracens from the Birth of Mabomet, to the Year of our Lord 1 1 yo. The Author was Archbifliop of Toledo in Spain, and was prefent at the Later an Council, A.D. lai j. His Hiftory from the Tenth Chapter is moftly confined to ifoeSaracens ofSpain^nd is but of little Credit, where he relates any thing of them out of that Country. It:-was publi-fhed with -Erpenius's Hiftoria Saracenica &t 'Leiden, A. D. 162 5". , ,'$cktkardi Taricb feu Series Regum Terfarttm, fubmg*, A. D. 1628.

_: Sfanhernn Introduftio ad Hiftoriam Sacram9 AwfteL A. D. i694qmm-

Scaliger. de Emendations Temporum, and No te ejus adSphxram Manilii.

Valerius Maximm.

Vaninus y a famous Atbeift. He was by birth a Neapolitan, and came into France on purpofc to promote the Impiety he had im- braced, of which being convi&ed at Tboloufo hp rather chofe to become a Afartyr for it, than renounce it § and therefore was puk.

lickly

9 1 An Account of the Authors, Sec.

lickly burnt in that City, A. D. 1619. lifting to deny the Being of a God with-a wonaerfiil obftinacy even -in thofe— very- Flames in which he peri/hed. He wrote two Books, the firft was publifhed A. D. 1615-. Entitled v£tern<s Prcvittenti* dmpbitheatrum^ and the other the next Year after, which is his Dialog* tie admirandis Natwa , in both' which lie ferves that Caufe for the fake of which he died. "*

Englifli and French Authors.

Urcbaf's Pilgrimage.

Ricaut's Hiftory of the Prefent State or the Ottoman Empire.

Smyth's Remarks upon the Manners, Re ligion, and Government of the Turks. Tbevenot's Travels.

•*a&+il FINIS.

jnim^ ERRATA.

In the Life of Mahomet.

PAge 89. 1. penult. Intercalation. P. 1 1 8. blot out the laft line.

In the Margin.

Pag. 9. lit. (r) read Liber de Generation & Nutritttra Mahomet is. P.jj. Ht. (b) Jbul Faragkiw. P. 21. lit, (a) Edeffenus.

In the Letter to the P«j?/, and Account of Authors.

Pag. jo. lin.io read propofe 'd. P.S5:.l.J4.^^in{iead

offfte. P.89.1.7. p.112.1.27. & p.i23. 1. t^.Tyaneut.

P.ijS. Lao. Retinen/ts. P.ido.l.j i.JbuMahammed.l.rf.

Sanaa. P. 17 2. 1.19. Halicarna/ci. 1. 30. Tyattcus. P. 173.

IS.Tyami. . .

In the Margin. ) Dimqfiu

v

;iuiw sH • '

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Second Defence of the Church of England from the Charge of Schifm arid Herefy. 4*°.

Mr. MilbourJs Pfalflls. Price i s. 6 d. Mr. Wilfons Difcourfe of Religion. 8°. of the Refurreftion. 8°,

Letter to a Member of Parliament ; Occasioned by a Letter to a Convocation-Man, concerning the Rights,, Powers, and Privileges of that Body. Together with an Enquiry into the Ecclefiaftical Power of the Uni- verfity of Oxford , particularly to Decree and declare Herefy , Occafioned by that Letter. 4to.

Dr. Clagett's Sermons in Two Vol. 8°

• Wake's Sermons. 8°,

Mr £ff/'s Folly of Atheifm. &*r

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