so great a wickedness both against God and Man as to have imposed a cheat upon us in that Religion which they delivered unto us SECT III. III. And if they had been such wicked persons as thus to have imposed upon us a false Religion for their own interest both their wickedness and the interest which they drove at must necessarily have appeared in the very contexture of the Religion it self and the Books of the New Testament in which it is contained would have as evidently proved both these against them as the Alcoran doth against Mahomet every Chapter of which yieldeth us manifest proofs both of the wicked affections of the Man and the self-ends which he drove at for the gratifying of them For first when a Man proposeth an end of self-interest and invents a new Religion and writes a new Law on purpose for the obtaining of it it 's impossible but that this End must appear in the Means and the Imposture which was invented of purpose to promote it must discover what it is For in this case the new Religion and the new Law must be calculated for this End and be all formed and contrived in order thereto otherwise it can have no efficiency for the obtaining of it nor at all answer the purpose of the inventor for the compassing of what he proposed and if it be thus calculated ordered and contrived for such an End that End cannot but be seen and discovered in those Means For the End and Means prove each other that is as the nature of the End proposed shows us what Means must be made use of for the obtaining of it so do the nature of the Means which we use discover what is the End which they drive at And as far as the Means have a tendency to the End so much must they have of that End in them and it is not possible for him that useth the one long to conceal the other And therefore nothing is more obvious and common among us than by the courses which a man takes to discern the end which he would have As Mahomet invented his new Religion to promote his own ends so the Alcoran in which it is contained sufficiently proves it there being scarce a leaf in that Book which doth not lay down some particulars which tend to the gratifying either of the ambition or the lust of that Monster who contrived it And had the first Founder of our holy Christian Religion or they who were the first propagators of it any such end therein the Books of the New Testament in which it is written would have as palpably shown it But here we challenge all the enemies of our Faith to use their utmost skill to make any such discovery in them They have already gone through the strict scrutiny of many ages as well as of all manner of adversaries and none have ever yet been able to tax them herewith For instead of being calculated for the interest of this World their whole design is to withdraw our hearts from it and fix them upon the interest of that which is to come And therefore the doctrines which they inculcate are those of mortification repentance and self-denial which speak not unto us of fighting bloodshed and conquest as the Alcoran doth for the advancing of a temporal Kingdom but that recouncing all the pomps and vanities and lusts of this present World we live soberly righteously and godly in the presence of him that made us and instead of pursuing after the perishable things of this life we set our hearts only on those Heavenly riches which will make us great and glorious and blessed for ever hereafter For as the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World so neither do those Books in which are written the Laws of this Kingdom savour any thing thereof The Mammon of this World and the Righteousness which they prescribe us are declared in them to be totally inconsistent The Old Testament indeed as being under the Dispensation of carnal Ordinances which were the shadows only of those things after to come under the Gospel treated with Men suitably thereto And therefore we find much of this World both by way of promise as well as threat to be proposed therein But it is quite otherwise with the New For in that Revelation being given to the perfecting of righteousness all things were advanced thereby from Earth to Heaven and from flesh to spirit And therefore as the whole end of it is to make men spiritual so are we directed thereby to look only to spiritual and heavenly Blessings for the reward hereof Had our Saviour proposed victory or riches or carnal pleasures to his followers as Mahomet did then indeed his Law would have sufficiently savour'd of this World to make Men suspect that he aimed at nothing else thereby But he was so far herefrom that instead of this the whole tenour of his doctrine runs the quite contrary way we Being told of nothing else through the whole New Testament but of tribulations afflictions and persecutions which shall attend all such as to this World who faithfully set their hearts to become his Disciples and the experience of all ages since hath sufficiently verified the prediction And indeed the very Religion which he hath taught us is of that holiness that according to the course of this wicked World it naturally leads us thereinto And how then can it be said that any thing of worldly interest can be contained either in this Religion or those holy Books in which it is written I cannot deny that there are some Men so crafty and cunning in pursuing their interest that it shall not easily be discerned in the Means what it is which they drive at for their End But how great a compass soever such may fetch about to the point which they aim at or in what by and secret paths soever they make forward towards it yet if the Means which they make use of have any tendency thither they can never be so totally blended but there will always appear in them enough of the End to make the discovery to any accurate observer and at length when the plot grows ripe for Execution and the designer begins to offer at the putting himself in possession of what he proposed as all such designers must at last the whole scene must then be laid open and every one will be able to see thereinto And therefore if you will have it that the Holy Apostles and Evangelists who were the first penners of the New Testament were such cunning and crafty men as to be able thus artfully to conceal their designs in those Books which you suppose they wrote of purpose to promote them which cannot reasonably be imagin'd of men of their education and condition in the World they being all except St. Paul and St. Luke of the meanest occupations among the people and totally unlearned yet if they contrived those Books with any tendency towards those designs and
of our Lord 1556. His name at length is Abn Mohammed Mustapha Ebnol Saiyed Hasan Al Jannabi Al Kamus i. e. The Ocean a famous Arabic Dictionary so called because of the Ocean of words contained in it It was written by Mohammed Ebn Jaacub Ebn Mohammed Al Shirazi Al Firauzabadi He was a Person of great esteem among the Princes of his time for his eminent Learning and Worth particularly with Ismael Ebn Abbas King of Yaman Bajazet King of the Turks and Tamerlan the Tartar from the last of which he received a Gift of Five thousand pieces of Gold at one time He was born A. D. 1328. being a Persian by birth but he lived most at Sanua in Yaman He finished his Dictionary at Mecca and dedicated it to Ismael Ebn Abbas under whose Patronage he had long lived and afterwards died at Zibit in Arabia A. D. 1414. being near Ninety years old Al Kodai an Historian He wrote his History about the Year of our Lord 1045. and died A. D. 1062. His name at length is Abu Abdollah Mohammed Ebn Salamah Ebn Jaafar Al Kodai Al Masudi an Historian He wrote an History called the Golden Meadows but in what time he lived I do not find His name at length is Ali Ebn Hosain Al Masudi He wrote also another Book wherein he makes it his business to discover and expose the Fraud which the Christians of Jerusalem are guilty of about lighting Candles at the Sepulchre of our Saviour on Easter-Eve For then three Lamps being placed within the Chappel of the Sepulchre when the Hymn of the Resurrection is sung at the Evening-Service they contrive that these three Lamps be all lighted which they will have believed to be by fire from Heaven and then a multitude of Christians of all Nations are present with Candles to light them at this holy Fire which hath been a fraudulent Practice kept up among them for many hundred years And the Emperour Cantacuzenus was so far imposed on by this Cheat that in his Third Apology for the Christian Religion against the Mahometans he makes mention of it and urgeth it against those Infidels as a Miracle which being annually performed in their sight ought to convince them of the truth of the Christian Religion and convert them thereto But the Imposture hath all along been too well known to the Mahometans to be of any such effect with them For the Patriarch of Jerusalem always compounds with the Mahometan Governour to permit him to practise this Trick for the sake of the Gain which it brings to his Church and annually allows him his share in it And therefore instead of being of any effect to convert them it becomes a matter of continual scandal among them against the Christian Religion And not only this Authour but Ahmed Ebn Edris and most others of the Mahometans that write against the Christian Religion object it as a reproach thereto as in truth it is and urge it with the same earnestness against the Christian Religion that Cantacuzenus doth for it Al Mansor Hakem Beamrilla Calif of Egypt was so offended at it that A. D. 1007. he ordered the Church of the Resurrection at Jerusalem wherein this Chappel of the Sepulchre stands to be for this very reason pulled down and rased to the Ground that he might thereby put an end to so infamous a Cheat. But the Emperour of Constantinople having by the release of Five thousand Mahometan Captives obtained leave to have it rebuilt again the Imposture hath still gone on at the same rate and it is there to the great sport of the Mahometans who come in Multitudes every Year to see this Farce acted over in their sight in the same manner as is above related even unto this day Thevenot who was once present at it gives us a large Account of this whole Foolery in the first part of his Travels Book II. Chapter 43. Al Mostatraf the name of a Book written by an unknown Authour Al Motarrezi the Authour of the Book called Mogreb he was born A. D. 1143. and died A. D. 1213. His name at length is Nasir Ebn Abil Macarem Abul Phatah Al Motarrezi He was of the Sect of the Motazali and seems by his last Name Al Motarrezi by which he is usually called to have been by Trade a Taylor that being the signification of the word in Arabic Assamael a Book much quoted by Johannes Andreas and also by Guadagnol Bidawi a famous Commentator on the Alcoran He died A. D. 1293. His name at length is Naseroddin Abdollah Ebn Omar Al Bidawi His Commentary is written for the most part out of Zamachshari Kazwini an Arabic Authour so called from the City Kaswin His name at length is Zacharias Ebn Mohammed Ebn Mahmud Al Kaswini In what Age he lived I cannot find Dialogus Makometis cum Abdollah Ebn Salem a Book wrote in Arabic containing a great many of the Fooleries of the Mahometan Religion under the form of a Dialogue between Mahomet and this Jew who was his chief helper in forging the Imposture It was translated into Latin by Hermannus Dalmata and that Version of it is published at the end of the Latin Alcoran set forth by Bibliander Disputatio Christiani contra Saracenum de Lege Mahometis It was written in Arabic by a Christian who was an Officer in the Court of a King of the Saracens to a Mahometan Friend of his who was an Officer with him in the same Court and contains a Confutation of the Mahometan Religion Peter the famous Abbot of Cluny in Burgundy who flourished A. D. 1130. caused it to be translated into Latin by Peter of Toledo an Epitome of which is printed with the Latin Alcoran by Bibliander taken out of the 24th Book of the Speculum Historiale of Vincentius Bellovacensis Elmacinus an Historian of the Christian Religion His History is from the Creation of the World to the Year of our Lord 1118. The latter part of it which is from the beginning of Mahometism was published by Erpenius under the Title of Historia Saracenica A. D. 1625. He was Son to Yaser Al Amid who was Secretary of the Council of War under the Sultans of Egypt of the Family of the Jobidae for 45 Years together and in the Year of our Lord 1238. in which his Father died succeeded him in his place His name at length is Georgius Ebn Amid and for his Eminent Learning he was also stiled Al Shaich Al Raiis Al Macin i. e. The prime Doctour solidly Learned The last of which Titles Almacin was that whereby Erpenius who pronounceth it Elmacin chose to call him but by others he is generally quoted by the Name Ebn Amid Ebnol Athir a Mahometan Authour who was born A. D. 1149. and died A. D. 1209. His Name at length is Abussaadat Al Moharac Ebn Mohammed Al Shaibani Ebnol Athir Al Jazari Magdoddin Ali Ebnol Athir an Historian Brother to the former Ebnol Athir His name at length is Abul Hasan Ali Ebn Mohammed Al
Grammar and Dictionary which he hath wrote of the Hebrew Language both by many degrees the best of their kind The first of these he calls Miclol and the other Sepher Shorashim i. e. the Book of Roots Buxtorf made his Thesaurus Linguae Hebraeae out of the former and his Lexicon Linguae Hebraeae out of the latter He flourished about the Year of our Lord 1270. Maimonides a famous Jewish Writer his Book Yad Hachazakah is a Digest of the Jewish Law according to the Talmudists His Book Moreh Nevochim contains an Explication of Words Phrases Metaphors Parables Allegories and other difficulties which occurr in the Old Testament It was first wrote in Arabic and after Translated into Hebrew by Rabbi Samuel Ebn Judah Ebn Tibbon from which Translation it was published in Latin by Buxtorf A. D. 1629. He was born at Corduba in Spain A. D. 1131. but lived mostly in Egypt from whence he is commonly called Rabbi Moses Aegyptius where he died A. D. 1208. Mishnah a Collection of all the Ancient Traditions of the Jews to the time of Rabbi Judah Hakkodish the Compiler of it who flourished about the middle of the second Century in the Reign of the Emperour Antoninus Pius This Book is the Text to the Talmud and that a Comment on it The Jerusalem Talmud was compiled by the Jews who dwelt in Judaea about 300 Years after Christ and the Babylonish Talmud by those who dwelt in Mesopotomia about 500 Years after Christ according to the account which the Jewish Writers give of them But there are several things contained in the latter which seem to referr to a much later date These Three with the Two Chaldee Paraphrases of Onkelos and Jonathan are the ancientest Books which the Jews have next the Bible For how much noise soever may be made about their Rabbinical Writers there are none of them above Seven hundred years old There are some of them indeed lay claim to a much ancienter Date but without any reason for it Greek Authours ARistotelis Ethica Politica Bartholomaei Edesseni Confutatio Hagareni a Greek Tract against Mahometism published by Le Moyne among his Varia Sacra The Authour was a Monk of Edessa in Mesopotamia In what Age he lived it doth not appear Cantacuzenus contra Sectam Mahometicam This Book contains four Apologies for the Christian Religion and four Orations against the Mahometan The Authour had been Emperour of Constantinople but resigning his Empire to John Palaeologus his Son-in-Law A. D. 1355. he retired into a Monastery where being accompanied by Meletius formerly called Achaememid whom he had converted from Mahometism to the Christian Religion he there wrote this Book for the said Meletius in answer to a Letter written to him by Sampsates a Persian of Hispahan to reduce him back again to the Mahometan Superstition Cedreni Compendium Historiarum An History from the beginning of the World to the Year of our Lord 1057. Chrysostomi Homiliae Confutatio Mahometis a Greek Tract published by Le Moyne among his Varia Sacra the Authour not known Dionysii Halicarnassaei Antiquitates Romanae Eusebii Historia Ecclesiastica and Praeparatio Evangelica Hierocles the Fomenter and chief Manager of the Tenth Persecution against the Christians He was first Governour of Bithynia and after of Egypt in both which Places he prosecuted the Christians with the utmost severity and not content herewith he also wrote two Books against them which he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein among other things he compared Apollonius Tyanaeus with Jesus Christ and endeavoured to prove him in working of Miracles to have been equal to him to which particular Eusebius wrote an Answer which is still extant among his Works but these Books of Hierocles are now wholly lost excepting some Fragments preserved in the said Answer of Eusebius Josephi Antiquitates Judaicae and de Bello Judaico Origenes contra Celsum Philostratus de vita Apollonii Tyanaei Phlegon Trallianus a Freed man of Adrian the Emperour He wrote a Chronicon or History which he called the History of the Olympiads It contained 229 Olympiads whereof the last ended in the Fourth year of the Emperour Antoninus Pius But there is nothing of this Work now extant except some few Fragments as they are preserved in such Authours as have quoted it That relating to the Eclipse of the Sun at our Saviour's Crucifixion is preserved in Eusebius's Chronicon and is also made mention of by Origen in his 35th Tract on St. Matthews Gospel and in his second Book against Celsus Plato Plutarchi Vitae Strabonis Geographia Socratis Scholastici Historia Ecclesiastica Sozomenis Historia Ecclesiastica Theophanis Chronographia This is one of the Byzantine Historians and contains a Chronological History of the Roman Empire from the Year of our Lord 285. to the Year 813. The Authour was a Nobleman of Constantinople where he was first an Officer of the Imperial Court but afterwards turning Monk wrote this History He was born A. D. 758. and A. D. 815. died in Prison in the Island of Samothracia a Martyr for Image-worship for which he had been a zealous Champion in the Second Council of Nice Zonarae Compendium Historiarum Another of the Byzantine Historians It contains an History from the beginning of the World to the death of Alexius Comnenus Emperour of Constantinople which happened A. D. 1118. when the Authour flourished He was first a Prime Officer of the Imperial Court at Constantinople but afterwards became an Ecclesiastic and is the same who wrote the Comment on the Greek Canons Latin Authours Ancient and Modern AMmiani Marcellini Historia Anastasii Bibliothecarii Historia Ecclesiastica The Authour was a Priest of the Church of Rome and Library-Keeper to the Pope He flourished about the Year of our Lord 870. Bellonii Observationes de locis ac rebus memorabilibus in Asia The Book was first published in French A. D. 1553. and after in Latin A. D. 1589. Bocharti Hierozoicon Busbequi Epistolae the Authour was Ambassadour from the Emperour Ferdinand the First to the Port from whence he wrote his Epistles Buxtorfii Lexicon Rabbinicum Buxtorfii Synagoga Judaica Caroli à Sancto Paulo Geographia Sacra sive Notitia antiqua Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Universae Lutetiae Parisiorum A. D. 1641. Clenardi Epistolae The Authour of these Epistles was the famous Grammarian of his Age. Out of love to the Arabic Tongue he went to Fez of purpose to learn it A. D. 1540. when well advanced in years from whence he wrote many things in his Epistles of the Manners and Religion of the Mahometans He died at Granada in Spain as soon as he returned Cusani Crebratio Alcorani The Authour of this Book was the famous Nicolas de Cusa the eminentest Scholar of the Age in which he lived In the Year 1448. he was made Cardinal of Rome by the Title of St. Peter's ad vincula and died A. D. 1464. about Ten Years after the Turks had taken Constantinople Which seems
to have given him the Occasion of writing this Book that so he might provide an Antidote against that false Religion which on that Success had gotten so great an advantage for its further spreading it self in those Parts of the World For it appears by the Dedication that this Book was not written till after the loss of that City it being dedicated to Pope Pius Secundus who entred not on the Papacy till the Turks had been about Three Years in possession of it Abrahami Ecchellensis Historia Arabum This Book is subjoined to his Chronicon Orientale in Two Parts collected out of the Arab Writers The Authour was a Maronite of Mount Lebanus in Syria and was employed as Professour of the Oriental Languages in the College de Propaganda fide at Rome from whence about the Year 1640. he was called to Paris to assist in preparing the great Polyglott Bible for the Press which was there publishing and made the King's Professour of the Oriental Languages in that City The part assigned him in this Work was that which they had afore employ'd Sionita in a Man of thorough Abilities to perform it but on some distate taken against him they discharged him and sent to Rome for Ecchellensis of whose Performance herein a Learned Sorbonist making a Censure truly says Ibi peccatum est toties ac tam enormiter in apponendis vocalibus apiculis ut quod ibi primum inter legendum occurrerit summam sapere videatur Tyronis alicujus oscitantiam He was indeed a Man but of little Accuracy in the Learning which he professed and shews himself to be a very Futilous and Injudicious Writer in most of that which he hath published Abrahami Ecchellensis Eutychius vindicatus which Book is in Two Parts the first writ against Mr. Selden's Eutychij Patriarchae Alexandrini Ecclesiae suae Origines and the second against Hottinger's Historia Orientalis The greatest skill which he shews in this Book is in railing It was published at Rome A D. 1661. Forbesij Instructiones Historico Theologicae publish'd at Amsterdam A. D. 1645. Fortalitium Fidei a Book written in defence of the Christian Religion against the Jews Mahometans and other Infidels The Authour was a Franciscan Frier who wrote this Book A. D. 1459. and it was first printed at Nurenbergh A. D. 1494. and afterwards at Lyons A. D. 1525. Golij Notae ad Alfragani Elementa Astronomica which are exceeding usefull for the understanding of the Geography of the East The Book was published at Leiden A. D. 1669. Philippi Guadagnoli Apologia pro Christiana Religione contra Objectiones Ahmed Filij Zin Alabedin Persae Asphahensis Of which Book I have already given an Account in what I have written of Ahmed Ebn Zin against whom it is written Gentij Notae ad Musladini Saadi Rosarium Politicum published at Amsterdam A. D. 1651. Grotiâ—â— de Veritate Christianae Religionis Epistolae ad Gallos Hottingeri Historia Orientalis Of this Book there are two Editions the first A.D. 1651. and the second A. D. 1660. the latter is much enlarged The Authour was Professour of the Oriental Tongues first at Zurich in Swisserland and afterwards at Heidelbergh from whence being called to be Professour at Leiden he was while on his removal thither unfortunately drowned in the Rhine He was a Man of great Industry and Learning but having written very much within the compass of a few Years for he died young his Books want Accuracy though all of them have their Use Historia Miscella a Roman History begun by Eutropius continued by Paulus Diaconus and finished by Landulphus Sagax Johannes Andreas de Confusione Sectae Mahometanae The Authour of this Book was formerly an Alfaki or a Doctour of the Mahometan Law but in the Year 1487. being at Valentia in Spain converted to the Christian Religion he was received into Holy Orders and wrote this Book in Spanish against the Religion which he forsook from whence it was translated into Italian by Dominicus de Gazelu A.D. 1540. And out of that Translation it was published in Latin by Johannes Lauterbach A.D. 1595. and reprinted by Voetius at Utrecht A. D. 1656. He having throughly understood the Religion which he confutes doth much more pertinently write against it than many others do that handle this Argument Macrobij Saturnalia Caij Plinij Secundi Naturalis Historia Caij Plinij Caecilij Secundi Epistolae Pocock The Famous Professour of the Hebrew and Arabick Tongues at Oxford who was for Eminency of Goodness as well as Learning the greatest Ornament of the Age in which he lived and God blessed him with a Long life to be usefull thereto He was born A. D. 1604. and died at Christ-Church in Oxford in the Month of September A D. 1691. He was for above sixty Years a constant Editor of learned and usefull Books The first which he published contains an Edition of four of the Catholick Epistles in Syriac i. e. the second of St. Peter the second and third of St. John and the Epistle of St. Jude with Versions and Notes which was printed at Leiden A. D. 1630. by Vossius to whom he presented it the year before at Oxford on his coming thither to see that University and the last was his Commentary on Joel which came forth the Year in which he died His Specimen Historiae Arabicae which I frequently make use of in this Tract was published A. D. 1650. and is a most accurate and judicious Collection out of the best Arab Writers relating to the Subject which he handles Richardi Confutatio Legis Saracenicae The Authour was a Dominican Frier who in the Year 1210. went to Bagdad of purpose to study the Mahometan Religion out of their own Books in order to confute it and on his return published this Learned and Judicious Tract concerning it Demetrius Cydonius translated it into Greek for the Emperour Cantacuzenus who makes great use of it taking thence most of that which he hath of any moment in his four Orations against the Mahometan Religion From this Greek Version of Demetrius Cydonius it was Translated back again into Latin by Bartholomaeus Picenus which Translation is published with the Latin Alcoran of Bibliander and that is all we now have of it the Original being lost This and Johannes Andreas's Tract de Confusione Sectae Mahometanae are the best of any that have been formerly published by the Western Writers on this Argument and best accord with what the Mahometans themselves teach of their Religion Others have too much spent themselves on false Notions concerning it for want of an exact knowledge of that which they wrote against Roderici Toletani Historia Arabum It contains an History of the Saracens from the Birth of Mahomet to the Year of our Lord 1150. The Authour was Arch-Bishop of Toledo in Spain and was present at the Lateran Council A. D. 1215. His History from the Tenth Chapter is mostly confined to the Saracens of Spain and is
but of little Credit where he relates any thing of them out of that Country It was published with Erpenius's Historia Saracenica at Leiden A. D. 1625. Schekardi Tarich seu Series Regum Persarum Tubingae A. D. 1628. Spanhemii Iutroductio ad Historiam Sacram Amstel A. D. 1694. Scaliger de Emendatione Temporum and Notae ejus ad Sphaeram Manilii Valerius Maximus Vaninus a famous Atheist He was by birth a Neapolitan and came into France on purpose to promote the Impiety he had imbraced of which being convicted at Tholouse he rather chose to become a Martyr for it than renounce it and therefore was publickly burnt in that City A. D. 1619. persisting to deny the Being of a God with a wonderfull obstinacy even in those very Flames in which he perished He wrote two Books the first was published A. D. 1615. Entitled Aeternae Providentiae Amphitheatrum and the other the next Year after which is his Dialogi de admirandis Naturae in both which he serves that Cause for the sake of which he died English and French Authours PUrchas's Pilgrimage Ricaut's History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire Smyth's Remarks upon the Manners Religion and Government of the Turks The venot's Travels FINIS * The Messias shall come and restore the Kingdom of the House of David to the ancient state of its former Dominion and shall rebuild the Temple and gather together the dispersed of Israel and then shall be re-established all the Legal Rites and Constitutions as in former times and Sacrifices shall be offered and the Sabbatical Years and Jubile's observed according to every Precept delivered in the Law Maimonides in Yad Hachazekah in Tract de Regibus Bellis eorum cap. 11. §. 1. ¶ Mark 15. v. 43. Luke 2. v. 38. c. 24. v. 31. Acts 1. v. 6. From all which places compared together it appears that there was among the Jews in the time of our Saviour a general expectation of the speedy Coming of the Messias and that their notion was of a temporal deliverance and a temporal restoration of the Kingdom of Israel to be effected by him And this expectation was it which made the multitude so ready to join themselves to Theudas and after to Judas of Galilee of whom mention is made Acts 5. v. 36 37. and after that to an Egyptian Jew Acts 21. v. 38. on their pretending to be the persons from whom this deliverance was expected (*) Josephus not only makes mention of Theudas and Judas of Galilee and the Egyptian of whom we have an account in Scripture Antiq. lib. 20. c. 2. c. 6. but also of several others who on the same pretences found the multitude ready to join themselves unto them Antiq. lib. 20. c. 6. 7. de Bello Judaico lib. 7. c. 31. As did also Barchosbas in the reign of Adrian the Roman Emperour And what Maimonides delivers of the doctrine of the Jews concerning this matter might give any man an handle to offer at it For saith he the Messias is not to be known by Signs or Wonders for he is to work none but only by conquest And therefore his Words are If there ariseth a King of the House of David who is studious of the Law and diligent in observing the precepts of it as was David his father that is not only of the Law which is written but of the Oral also and inclineth all Israel to walk therein and repairs the breaches and fights the battles of the Lord this person may be presumed to be the Messias But if he prospers in what he undertakes and subdues all the neighbouring Nations round about him and re-builds the sanctuary in its former place and gathers together the dispersed of Israel then he is for certain the Messias Maimonides in Yad Hachazekah Tract de Regibus Bellis eorum c. 11. §. 4. * Joh. c. 6. (*) Act 6. v. 13. * All that the bitterest enemies of Christianity have ever objected against our Saviour save a fabulous story of his Birth amounts to no more than this That he was a Magician which was an invention framed only to salve his working of Miracles which they could not deny in such a manner as to make them give no reputation or authority to the doctrines which he taught (*) Acts 2. v. 9 10 11. * The main things which Celsus and Julian objected in their books against the Christian Religion are preserved in the Answers which Origâ—n wrote to the former and St. Cyril of Alexandria to the latter but the books themselves are perished as are also those of Porphyry written by him in fifteen Tomes on the same Argument for they being full of virulent Blasphemies Theodosius the Emperour by a Law caused them every-where to be burnt and destroyed but a great many remains and fragments of them are still preserved in the Works of Eusebius and something of him also in St. Hierom in Praefatione ad lib. 1. Comment in Epist ad Galatas Celsus lived in the second Porphyry in the third and Julian in the fourth Century after Christ (*) His words of our Saviour are that he was a wise man a title not given in those days but to such as were also good and that he was a worker of Miracles and a teacher of Truth lib. 18. c. 4. And of James he hath these words These things i. e. the destruction of Jerusalem and the calamities that attended it fell by way of just vengeance upon the Jews for James the Just who was the Brother of Jesus called Christ because the Jews had murdered him being a most righteous Man It must be acknowledged that this passage is not now extant in Josephus but it is quoted by Eusebius in the Second Book of his Ecclesiastical History c. 23. and also by Origen in his Second Book against Celsus which would never have been done by them had it not been extant in the Copies of his Works which were then in use however it came to be omitted since For to have falsely alledged such a testimony to the enemies of Christianity especially to one so acute and sharp as Celsus was would have given them too great an advantage against it But what is still extant in Josephus amounts to the same thing for speaking of his being put to death by Ananias the High-Priest Antiq. lib. 20. c. 8. he says That all good men were offended at it which sufficiently expresseth him to be a good man also For why else should they be so concerned for him (*) Plinii Epist lib. 10. Ep. 97 Hanc fuisse summam vel culpae suae vel erroris quod essent soliti stato die ante Lucem convenire carménque Christo quasi De dicere secum invicem seque Sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent ne fidem fallerent ne depositum appellati abnegarent In like manner they were also vindicated by Serenius Granianus Proconsul of Asia in his Epistle to the Emperour Adrian Euseb Hist Ecclesiast lib. 4. c. 8 9. By Antoninus Pius in his Epistle to the Commons of Asia Justin Martyr Apol. 2. and even by the Heathen Oracles themselves Euseb in vita Constantini lib. 2. c. 50 51. (*) Plato in Minoe in primo Dialogo de Legibus Dionysius Halicarnassaeus lib. 1. Strabo lib. 16. Valerius Maximus lib. 1. c. 2. (†) Plutarchus in vita Numae Dionysius Halicarnassaeus lib. 1. (*) They were a sort of Mahometan Enthusiasts in the East who followed the Light within them in the same manner as the Quakers with us and therefore were called Batenists from the Arabic word Baten intus And on this Principle did all the Villainies imaginable pretending an impulse thereto from this Light within them (*) Alcoran c. 3. where observe that through all that Chapter in every place where the French and out of that the English Translation of the Alcoran hath Joachim in the Original Arabic it is Amran and from thence this Chapter in the Original is called Surato'l Amran i. e. the Chapter of Amran But in both these Translations it is called the Chapter of Joachim For Mahomet mistaking the Virgin Mary to be the same with Miriam the Sister of Moses makes Amran to be her Father But Ryer the French Translator very imprudently taking upon him to correct the Impostor's blunder puts Joachim in the place of Amran and thereby gives us a false Version where it is very material in order to the exposing of that Imposture to know the true And the English Translator follows him herein (*) Saturnal lib. 2. c. 4. (†) Vide Chronicon Eusebii Origenis contra Celsum librum secundum Tract ad Matthaeum 35. (*) Matt. c. 24. v. 34 2 Thess 2.9 (*) 1 Cor. 15.6 (†) 1 Cor. 15.17 (a) Hence Aristotle seems to have had his Doctrine of the Intelligences moving the Spheres and Plato that which he taught of the Stars being living Bodies For it was the Opinion of the Ancient Chaldeans as it is of the Sabii now who are descended from them That there was in each Star an Angel in the same manner as our Souls are in our Bodies and that the Stars are animated by these Angels and hence have all their Motion and also that influence which they are supposed to have over this World and for this reason was it that they worshipped them
it cannot be conceived how otherwise they could help forward to the obtaining of them it is impossible they could thus have passed thorough so many ages and all the strict examinations of Heathens Jews Atheists and all other Adversaries who have so strenuously endeavoured to overthrow their authority and no discovery be made hereof For supposing at first under the mask of renouncing the world they might a while conceal their designs for the interest of it which is the utmost you can say in this case yet this could not last long For if this were all they designed by teaching that holy Religion and writing those Books in which it is contained sometime or other they must have put those designs in execution otherwise they would have been in vain laid sometime or other they must have endeavoured by them to obtain what they aimed at otherwise the whole projection of them would have been to no purpose and if they ever did so as to be sure they would had this been their end then as it happens in all other stratagems of the like nature with how much artifice soever they might conceal what they intended in the contrivance all at last must have come out in the execution and when they began to put them selves in possession of the end they aimed at or at least made any offer towards it the whole cheat must then have been unmask'd and every one would have been able to see into the depth thereof But when did our Saviour or any of his holy Apostles by vertue of any of those doctrines delivered down unto us in the Books of the New Testament ever put themselves in possession of any such worldly interest or when did they ever make the least offer in order thereto Have any of the ancient enemies of our holy Religion and it had bitter ones enough from the very beginning ever recorded any such against them or have any other ever since from any good authority or any authority at all ever been able to tax them herewith or is it possible their names could have remained untainted of this charge amidst so many Adversaries who have now for near Seventeen hundred years stood up in every age to oppose that holy Religion which they have delivered unto us had they in the least been guilty hereof Nay hath it been as much as ever said of them that they practised as to this world any otherwise than they taught or ever dealt with the interests of it in any other manner than totally to renounce them or had they at all any other portion in this life than that of persecution affliction and tribulation as it is foretold in those holy Books that they should And what then can be a greater madness than to suppose that men should lay such a deep design as that of inventing a new Religion and undergo all that vast trouble and danger which they did to impose it on the world for the sake of a worldly interest and yet never put themselves in possession of that interest or ever make the least offer towards it If you say that the whole end of the Religion was only to gain the party and â—hat the steps to the interest were to be made afterwards I still go on to ask who can tell us after the party was gain'd of any such steps that were ever made or of any the least offer tending thereto Were not the first Christians for many ages â—fter the first founding of our faith what â—hey ought still to be men that used this world as if they used it not who lived in 〈◊〉 without being of it and did truly what â—hey vowed in their Baptism renounce all â—he Pomps and Vanities and Lusts thereof â—aithfully to observe that holy Law which â—hey had receiv'd And in this they perâ—ever'd so steadily that even â—heir very enemies admired â—he righteousness of their â—â—ves and bore witness â—hereto and the cruellest â—ersecutors could never â—eat them therefrom but â—hey still went on in the â—bservance of their holy â—eligion without having â—ny other design therein â—han to practise that righâ—eousness which it taught â—nd for three hundred years â—ogether stood firm thereto â—gainst also those terrible storms of persecution which were riseâ— against them till at length by the holâ—ness of their lives and the constancy 〈◊〉 their sufferings they made a conquest oveâ— their very persecutors and brought oveâ— the World unto them And are not ouâ— Principles still the same and also thank be to God notwithstanding the Corruptâ—ons of the present age the practice toâ— of many thousands still among us whâ— I doubt not will be as ready to undergâ— the same sufferings those primitive Christâ—ans did when ever God shall try them foâ— that holy Religion which they profess 〈◊〉 they now are to observe the righteousnâ—â— thereof But supposing this had been 〈◊〉 otherwise and the Mammon of this Worâ— and not the Righteousness of God weâ—â— really the end for which our Religion wâ—â— designed yet to renounce the World 〈◊〉 gain a Party and afterwards make uâ—â— of this Party to gain the World is a prâ—ject so unfeasible that the former part 〈◊〉 it must necessarily have overthrown tâ—â— latter whenever it had been attemptâ—â— For when men had been drawn over to 〈◊〉 party under the specious pretence of â—â—nouncing the World and been instructâ—â— and firmly fixed in this principle to maâ—â— those very same men afterwards to serâ—â— their turn for the gaining of a worldly interest would be to make their doctrine and their practice so monstrously interfere as must necessarily have broken all into pieces and destroyed the whole design Certainly had they any such design they would never have thus possessed their Disciples with such principles against it by the Religion which they taught them and in that they did so I think nothing can be a more evident Demonstration that they could never intend any such end thereby Mahomet knew well enough this was not a way to carry what he designed and therefore openly owned in his Religion what he aimed at thereby and made his Law to speak for that Empire and Lust which he desired to enjoy and so when he had made his Religion to obtain he gained by vertue thereof the whole which he projected by it and became possessed of the Empire of all Arabia for the gratifying of his Ambition and as many Women as he pleased for the satisfying of his Lust which were the two Ends he drove at in the whole Imposture And had Jesus Christ and his Apostles had any such design in the Religion which they taught they must in the same manner they made their Religion speak for it or else it could never have served their purpose for the obtaining of it And if their Religion had ever offer'd at any such thing it must necessarily have appeared in the Books in which it is written And 2dly if they had been so wicked as thus to impose upon the World
a false Religion for the promoting of their own interest as that interest must have appear'd in the contexture of the Religion it self and in those Books in which it is written so also must their wickedness For Words and Writings being the outward expressions of our inward conceptions there is that connection between them that although the former may often disguise the latter they can never so totally conceal them but every accurate observer may still be able through the one to penetrate into the other and by what a man utters whether in speech or writing see what he is at the bottom do what he can to prevent it There are indeed some that can act the Hypocrite so cunningly as to dissemble the greatest wickedness under words writings and actions too that speak the quite contrary But this always is such a force upon their inclinations and so violent a bar upon their inward passions and desires that nature will frequently break through in spight of all art and even speak out the truth amidst the highest pretences to the contrary And there is no Hypocrite how cunningly soever he may act his part but must this way very often betray himself For wickedness being always uppermost in such a Man's thoughts and ever pressing forward to break forth into expression it will frequently have its vent in what that Man speaks and in what he writes do what he can to the contrary the care caution and cunning of no Man in this case being sufficient totally to prevent it Furthermore there is no Man thus wicked that can have that knowledge of Righteousness as thoroughly to act it under the Mask with that exactness as he who is truly righteous lives and speaks it in reality His want of experience in the practice must in this case lead him into a great many mistakes and blunders in the imitation And this is a thing which generally happens to all that act a part but never more than in matters of Religion in which are many Particulars so peculiar to the Righteous as none are able to reach them but those only who are really such And supposing there were any that could yet there will ever be that difference between what is natural and what is artificial and between that which is true real and sincere and that which is false counterfeit and hypocritical that nothing is more easie than for any one that will attend it to discern the one from the other And therefore were Jesus Christ and his Apostles such persons as this charge of Imposture must suppose them to be it 's impossible but that the Doctrines which they taught and the Books which they wrote must make the discovery and the New Testament would as a standing Record against them in this case afford a multitude of instances to convict them hereof That the Alcoran doth so as to Mahomet nothing is more evident a strain of Rapine Bloodshed and Lust running thorough the whole Book which plainly proves the Author of it to be altogether such a Man as the charge of Imposture must necessarily suppose him to be And were the first Founder of our holy Religion or the Writers of those Books in which its Doctrines are contained such Men as he both their Doctrines and their Books would as evidently prove it against them But here I must again challenge you and all other the Adversaries of our holy Religion to shew us any one particular in it that can give the least foundation to such a charge any one word in all the Books of the New Testament that can afford the least umbrage or pretence thereto Let what is written in them be tried by that which is the Touchstone of all Religions I mean that Religion of Nature and Reason which God hath written in the hearts of every one of us from the first Creation and if it varies from it in any one particular if it prescribes any one thing which may in the minutest circumstance thereof be contrary to its Righteousness I will then acknowledge this to be an argument against us strong enough to overthrow the whole Cause and make all things else that can be said for it totally ineffectual to its support But it is so far from having any such flaw therein that it is the perfectest Law of Righteousness which was ever yet given unto Mankind and both in commanding of Good as well as in forbidding of Evil vastly exceeds all others that went before it and prescribes much more to our practice in both than the wisest and highest Moralist was ever able without it to reach in speculation For 1st As to the forbidding of Evil it is so far from indulging or in the least allowing us in any practice that savours hereof that it is the only Law which is so perfectly broad in the prohibition as adequately to reach whatsoever may be Evil in the practice and without any exception omission or defect absolutely fully and thoroughly forbids unto us whatsoever may have but the least taint of corruption therein and therefore it not only restrains all the Overt-acts of iniquity but also every imagination of the heart within which in the least tends thereto and in its Precepts prohibits us not only the doing or speaking of Evil but also the harbouring or receiving into our Minds the least thought or desire thereafter whereby it so effectually provides against all manner of iniquity that it plucks it up out of every one of us by the very roots and so makes the Man pure and clean and holy altogether without allowing the least savour of Evil to be remaining in him and every one of us would be thoroughly such could we be but as perfect in our Obedience to this Law as it is perfectly given unto us And 2dly As to the commanding of Good its prescriptions are That we imploy our Time our Powers and all other Talents intrusted with us to the best we are able both to give Glory unto God and also to show Charity unto Men and this last not only to our Friends Relations and Benefactors but in general to all Mankind even to our Enemies and those who despightfully use us and persecute us and hereby it advanceth us to that highth of perfection in all holiness and goodness as to render us like the Angels of Light in our Service unto God and like God himself in our Charity to Man For it directs us in the same manner as the Angels to worship and serve our God to the utmost ability of out nature and in the same manner as God to make our goodness to Men extend unto all without exception or reserve as far as they are capable of receiving it from us And can any Man think it possible that a Religion which so thoroughly and fully forbids all Evil and in so high and perfect a manner prescribes us all Good could ever be the product of a wicked mind The fruit is too good to proceed from so corrupt
diseases and work such other Miracles as Christ and his Apostles did Had they by Enthusiasm been mistaken in the Doctrines which they taught certainly God would never have wrought such wonderfull Works by their hands as give testimony thereto 4. Several of the principal Articles of our Faith depend upon such matters of fact as allow no Room for Enthusiasm to take place in them as that of the Resurrection of our Saviour from the dead his Ascension into Heavem and the descent of the Holy Ghost in the gift of Tongues For in such things as these which Men see with their eyes and hear with their ears and feel with their hands as one of the Apostles did the very Wounds of our Saviour after his Resurrection no Enthusiasm can ever lead Men into a mistake For can it possibly be said that it was only by Enthusiasm that five hundred Men together saw Christ after he was risen again from the dead or that it was by Enthusiasm that his Apostles saw him ascend up into Heaven from Mount Olivet in the presence of them all at noon-day or that it was only by Enthusiasm that the same Apostles on the day of Pentecost received the gift of Tongues by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them so as to be able to converse with all the several Nations then at Jerusalem in their own Languages without ever having learned any thing of them To say that Men could any way be mistaken in such things as these will be to deny the certainty of sense and overthrow the foundations of all manner of knowledge whatever It must therefore be said as to these particulars as it must also of all the Miracles of our Saviour which give Testimony to the Doctrines which he taught That his Apostles who testified them unto the World and upon the credit of them built up that Religion which they delivered unto us did either see them really done as they relate or they did not see them If they did see them no Enthusiasm could ever make them be mistaken therein and if they did not they must be altogether as bad Impostors as Mahomet himself in testifying them unto us and what but as great Wickedness as his could ever induce them so to do SECT IV. IV. The next Mark of an Imposture is That it must unavoidably contain in it several palpable falsities whereby may be made appear the falsity of all the rest For whoever invents a Lye can never do it so cunningly and knowingly but still there will be some flaw or other left in it which will expose it to a discovery and no Man who frames an invention can ever secure it herefrom without two qualifications which no Man can have and they are 1st A thorough knowledge of all manner of Truths And 2dly Such an exact memory as can bring them all present to his Mind whenever there shall be an occasion For to make the Lye pass without contradiction he must make it put on a seeming agreement with all other Truths whatever And how can any one do this without knowing all Truths and having them also all ready and present in his mind to consider them in order thereto And since no Man is sufficient for this no Man is sufficient so to frame a Lye but he will always put something or other into it which will palpably prove it to be so For if there be but any one known Truth in the whole scheme of Nature with which it interferes this must make the discovery and there is no Man that forgeth an Imposture but makes himself liable this way to be convicted of it This is the method whereby we distinguish supposititious Authors from those which are genuine and fabulous Writers from true Historians For there is always something in such which disagrees from known Truths to make the discovery some flaw always left in spight of the utmost care and foresight of the Forgerer that betrays the cheat Thus Annius's Imposture of his Berosus Manetho and Megasthenes became detected and so also we know the Tuscan Antiquities of Inghiramius to be a cheat of the like nature And by the same rule is it that we receive Sallust Tacitus and Suetonius for true Historians and reject others as Writers of Fables and of no authority with us And if we examine the Alcoran of Mahomet by the same method nothing can be more plainly convicted of Falsity and Imposture than that must be by it For although in that Book he allows both the Old and the New Testament to be of divine authority yet in a multitude of instances he differs from both I mean not in matters of Law and Religion for here his design is to differ but in matters of fact and history which if once true must evermore be the same They have a fetch indeed to bring him off by saying that the Jews and the Christians corrupted those holy Books and therefore where he relates things otherwise than they do he doth there restore Truth and not vary from it But certainly this will not hold where by a very gross blunder he makes the Virgin Mary the Mother of our Saviour to be the same with Miriam the Sister of Moses For this would be to put the Gospel so close upon the heels of the Law as to allow no time for the taking place of this latter before it would have been totally abolished by the former But which most discovers his Imposture are the monstrous Mistakes which he makes in the Moral part thereof For he allows Fornication and justifies Adultery 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 God from whom he says he received it and contrary 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 reason convict him of falsehood herein and thereby manifestly prove all the rest to be nothing else but an abominable Impiety of his own invention And were the Religion of Jesus Christ as delivered to us in the New Testament an Imposture like this it must have the same flaws therein that is many falsities in matter of fact and more in doctrine and all his Prophecies would be without Truth in the Original or Verification in the Event And when you can make out any one of these particulars against it then we will be ready to say the same thereof that you do That all is Cheat and Imposture and no credit or faith is any longer to be given thereto And 1st as to the matters of fact contained in the History of the New Testament whoever yet convicted any one of them of falsehood or whoever as much as endeavoured it in the age when the Books were first written when the falsehood might have been best proved had there been any such in them and the doing hereof would have so
much served the designs of those bitter enemies of the Christian Cause who from the first did the utmost they could to suppress it What Relations of matters of fact pass uncontradicted and uncontroll'd in the Age in which they were transacted and among those who thought themselves greatly concerned to have them believed false this must be taken for an undeniable argument of their truth And this Argument the History of the New Testament hath on its side in its fullest strength For the Books were written and published in the very age in which the things related in them were done yet no one then ever contradicted or convicted of falsehood any one passage in them though Christianity had from the very beginning the Professors of all other Religions in most bitter enmity against it who would have been most ready and glad so to do could they have found but the least pretence for it And had any of those Relations been false there were then means enough undeniably to have convicted them of it For those things which are related of Jesus Christ and his Apostles in the History of the New Testament are not there said to have been done in Corners where none where present to contradict them but upon the open Stage of the World and many of them in the sight of thousands and therefore had they not been really done or done otherwise than related there could not have wanted witnesses enough to make proof hereof And most certainly those who so bitterly opposed Christianity from the first would have found them out and made use of their Testimonies to the utmost for the overthrowing of the Cause they so violently opposed and had they done so to be sure we should have had those testimonies in the mouths of all its enemies ever since For they would have yielded them the strongest and the most prevailing argument they could possibly have urged against it The false pretences of 〈…〉 Impostors have been detected by 〈…〉 who lived in their times and the true History is given of them instead of the false ones which they gave of themselves And had Jesus Christ and his Apostles been like Impostors and the things related of them in the Books of the New Testament false and forged it is not possible to conceive especially in the circumstances above-mentioned how they could have escaped the like discovery but certainly in this case amidst so many witnesses who could have proved the falsehood and so many enemies who were eager to detect it all must have come out and every false Narrative would have been shown to be such and the true one given in its stead and we should have heard enough hereof from the adversaries of our holy Religion through every age since And that this was not done when there was such bitter opposition against the Christian Religion from the first propagating of it and it would have been so strong an argument against it can be assigned to no other cause but that the things related were so evidently and manifestly true as not to afford the least pretence for the contradicting of them But this is not all we have to say in the case For it hath not only hapned that none of those matters of fact have ever been contradicted or proved false by any of the first enemies of Christianity who were best able to have done so had there been that Imposture in them which you alledge but on the contrary many of them have been allowed true and attested by them For two of the most surprizing particulars related in the Gospels are confirmed by the Testimony of Heathen Writers I mean the murder of the Innocents by Herod at Bethlehem and the wonderfull Eclipse of the Sun which hapned at the death of our Saviour contrary to the nature of a Solar Eclipse when the Moon was in the Full. Macrobius tells us of the former and Phlegon Trallianus of the latter And that which is the most important part of all and bears the greatest Testimony to the truth of the whole was allowed and acknowledged on all hands both by Jews and Heathens even in their bitterest opposition against the Christian Cause I mean the account which is given in those sacred Books of the Miracles of our Saviour For both of them have yielded to the truth hereof only the Jews say that he wrought them by virtue of the Tetragrammaton or the sacred Name Jehovah stolen by him out of the Temple which the ridiculousness of the Fable they relate concerning it sufficiently confutes and the Heathens by Magic Art And therefore Philostratus and Hierocles finding no other way to overthrow the authority which those Miracles gave his Religion confronted against him the History of Apollonius Tyanoeus whom they pretend by the same Art of Magic to have done as wonderfull things and by this means endeavoured at least to invalidate those miraculous Works of his which they could not deny And 2dly As to the Prophecies of our Saviour the truth of their event in every particular proves the truth of him that predicted them For did he not come from God how could he have this wonderfull Knowledge as thus to fore-tell things to come Were he not of the Secrets of the Almighty how could he so certainly have fore-shown what in after-times he would bring to pass If it were only by guess that he did so how possibly could all things so exactly fall out in the event that nothing should in the least happen otherwise than as he predicted especially since as to most of them it cannot be as much as said that there was any place for humane sagacity or the least probable conjecture to help him to any fore-sight therein For how improbable was it that the Religion which he taught should against the bent of the whole World have made so great and speedy progress therein as he fore-told that it should or that such instruments as he imployed in this work a company of poor ignorant and contemptible Fishermen should ever have been able to have effected it without the extraordinary Providence of God over-ruling the hearts as well as the power of Men a thing in the ordinary course of humane affairs so unlikely to succeed could never have been brought to pass or could our Saviour have any manner of ground from the nature of the thing so much as to guess at so strange an event and therefore could never have so punctually foretold it but that being sent of God to begin this work he foreknew all that he would do for the perfecting of it And the same is to be said of what he further predicted of this holy Religion as to its continuance among us to the end of the World of the calling of the Gentiles thereinto and the rejecting of the Jews of the great calamities which should attend that people as accordingly they have through all Ages since and particularly of that great and terrible calamity which was to fall
thence spread it self into all Parts on this Western-side of the World as that of the Magi did on the Eastern For the chief Gods of the Greeks as well as the Names by which they were called came from the Egyptians and Phoenicians and were no more than the Images by which the Babylonians worshipped the Sun Moon and other Planet with the Names of those Planets given unto them Afterward indeed they added to their number other Deities also which were originally either some of the fixed Stars or else the Souls of Men departed as of Bel or Belus among the Babylonians Abraham and Ismael among the Arabians Orus and Osiris among the Egyptians Aesculapius and Hercules among the Greeks and Romulus or Quirinus among the Romans For it early began a Custom among all the Worshippers of Images as well Greeks as Barbarians to Deify Men departed reckoning those who lived justly and righteously or had made themselves eminent by any great and worthy Actions in this life to have those 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 Worship to them as such And this was it that gave occasion to so many Apotheoses's or Deifications among them and so vastly encreased the number of their Gods in all the Idolatrous Parts of the World and also the various Methods of Superstition whereby they paid their Worship unto them Yet they all still held to their notion of one supreme God and reckoned 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 else that are was among the Chaldeans of old as still among the Sabians who are the remainder of them called Deus Deorum and among the Arabs Allah Taal i. e. the high or supreme God and agreeable hereto among the Greeks was there also their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. One supreme God who was the Father both of Gods and Men. And thus far in answer to your Question have I given you an account how all the false Religions in the Heathen World had their Original and herein I have been the longer for the sake of two Reflections which are obvious for you to make hereon 1. That the Notion of a Mediator between God and Man was that which did run through all the Religions that ever were in the World to the Coming of Jesus Christ and was the Fundamental Principle which prevailed in every one of them as to all the Worship which was practised in them which could no otherwise become so universal among Mankind but by a Tradition as universally delivered unto them And what can better account both for this Tradition and also the Vniversality of it than what is delivered unto us in Scripture of our being descended from one common Parent who on his Fall from the favour of God having had this promise of a Mediator made unto him through whom we might be again reconciled unto him transmitted it to all his posterity 2 dly That the mistakes and errours about the Worship of God and the Service we owe unto him which Men are apt to run into when left to the conduct of their own light only are monstrous and endless and therefore evidently demonstrate the necessity of divine Revelations For if God doth expect from us an account of our Actions it is necessary he should give us a Law for the rule of them and if the Law of our Reason alone be insufficient for this as from the continual errours and endless absurdities which mankind when left to themselves have ever hitherto run into it doth evidently appear that it is this demonstrably proves the necessity of another to supply its defect and that in our case we must have a Revealed Religion as well as a Natural or else we can have no certain certain Knowledge of the Will of God or any of those duties of Worship and Service which we are to perform towards him And if this proves the Necessity of such a Revealed Religion as I think it undeniably must 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 consider that holy Christian Religion which we profess and compare it with all the other Religions that are in the World and if it do not appear vastly above them all the worthiest of God for him to give unto us and the worthiest of us to observe and that not only in respect of the honour given to him but also of the improvement and perfection brought to our own Nature thereby I will be content that you shall then persist to believe it an Imposture and as such reject it for ever Humphrey Prideaux AN ACCOUNT OF THE Authours quoted in this Book Arabic Authours ABul Faraghius a Physician of Malatia in Lesser Armenia of the Christian Religion and the Sect of the Jacobites He is an Authour of eminent note in the East as well among Mahometans as Christians His History of the Dynasties is from the Creation of the World to the Year of our Lord 1284. It was published at Oxford with a Latin Version by Dr. Pocock A. D. 1663. He flourished about the time where his History ends His name at length is Gregorius Ebn Hacim Abul Faraghi Abul Feda an Authour of great repute in the East for two Books which he wrote The first a General Geography of the World after the Method of Ptolemy and the other a General History which he calls the Epitomy of the History of Nations He was born A. D. 1273. He finished his Geography A. D. 1321. Twenty years after that he was advanced to the Principality of Hamah in Syria from whence he is commonly called Shahab Hamah i. e. Prince 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 Noble Family of the Jobidae of which was Saladin the famous Sultan of Egypt His name at length is Ismael Ebn Ali Al Melec Al Moaiyad Amadoddin Abul Feda Ecchellensis quotes him by the name of Ismael Shiahinshiah Abunazar a Legendary Writer of the Mahometans much quoted by Hottinger Agar a Book of great Authority among the Mahometans saith Guadagnol pag. 165. wherein an Account is given of the Life and Death of Mahomet Joannes Andreas makes great use of it under the name of Azaer as doth Bellonius in the Third Book of his Observations under the name of Asaer Guadagnol who had a Copy of the Book calls it the Book Agar and takes most of what he objects against the Life and Actions of Mahomet out of it Ahmed Ebn Edris an Authour that writes in the defence of the Mahometan Religion against the Christians and the Jews Ahmed Ebn Yuseph an Historian who florished A.
D. 1599. for then he finished his History Ahmed Ebn Zin Alabedin a Nobleman of Hispahan in Persia of this last Age who hath wrote the sharpest and acutest Book against the Christian Religion in defence of the Mahometan of any they have among them on this Argument It was published on this Occasion Ecbar the Great Mogul Great Grandfather to Aurang Zeb who at present reigneth in India for some Reasons of State making show of encouraging the Christian Religion did in the Year 1595. write to Matthias de Albuquerque then Vice-Roy of the Portuguese in India for some Priests to be sent to him to his Court at Agra The Persons pitched upon for this Mission were Jeronimo Xavier then Rector of the College of the Jesuits at Goa and Emanuel Pigneiro and Benedict de Gois two others of that Society On their coming to Agra they were very kindly received by the Mogul 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 Successour Jehan Guire At the Command of this Ecbar Xaverius wrote two Books in Persian which is the Language of that Court The first the History of Jesus Christ collected for the most part out of the Legends of the Church of Rome which he intended to be instead of the Gospel among them and the other called A Looking-Glass shewing the Truth which is a defence of the Doctrines of that Gospel against the Mahometans What the former is those who have the Curiosity to see what kind of Gospel the Jesuits preach in the East may satisfy themselves for the Book is translated into Latin by De Dieu and was published by him with the Original A D. 1639. This Gospel of the Jesuits was first presented to Ecbar by Xaverius at Agra A. D. 1602. But the other Book was not published till a Year or two after When it first came abroad it unluckily fell into the hands of this Learned Persian Gentleman who immediately wrote an Answer to it which he calls The Brusher of the Looking-Glass wherein he makes terrible work with the Jesuit through the advantages which he gave him by teaching the Idolatry and other Superstitions and Errours of the Church of Rome for the Doctrines of Jesus Christ When this Book came abroad it so alarmed the College de propaganda Fide at Rome that they immediately ordered it to be answered The first who was appointed for this Work was Bonaventura Malvasia a Franciscan Frier of Bononia who published his Dilucidatio Speculi verum monstrantis in answer to this Brusher A. D. 1628. But this I suppose not being judged so sufficient by the College they appointed Philip Guadagnol another Franciscan Frier to write a second Answer thereto And on this occasion he composed his Book stiled Apologia pro Christiana Religione which was published at Rome first in Latin A. D. 1631. and after in Arabic 1637. For this I suppose meeting with better approbation from the College they ordered it to be translated into that Language and it being accordingly done by the same Authour they sent it into the East to be dispersed among the Mahometans for the defence of the Jesuit's Looking-Glass against this rude Brusher of it But his performance doth by no means answer the Design abundance of his Arguments being drawn from the Authorities of Popes and Councils which will never convince an Infidel of the truth of the Christian Religion how much noise soever they may make with them among those of their own Communion Al Bochari an Eminent Writer of the Traditionary Doctrines of the Mahometan Religion He is reckoned by Johannes Andreas c. 3. and Bellonius lib. 3. c. 4. to be one of the Six Doctours who by the appointment of one of the Califs meeting at Damascus first made an Authentick Collection of all those Traditions which make up their Sonnah His Book contains the Pandects of all that relates either to their Law or their Religion digested under their several Titles in Thirty Books and is the Ancientest and most Authentick which they have of this matter and next the Alcoran of the greatest Authority among them He was born at Bochara in Cowarasmia 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 same root as well as signification with the Arabic Al Coran by which the Jews called the Old Testament or any part of it And so any part of the Mahometan Bible is called Alcoran The whole together they call Al Moshap i. e. The Book which also in respect of the Chapters into which it is divided they call Al Furkan from the Arabic word Faraka which from the Hebrew Pharak signifies to divide or distinguish but others will have that Book to be so called in respect of the Matter or Doctrine therein contained because say they it distinguisheth Good from Evil. Al Fragani an Astronomer of Fragana in Persia from whence his name Al Fragani i. e. Fraganensis by which he is commonly called His name at length is Mohammed Ebn Katir Al Fragani He wrote a Book called The Elements of Astronomy which hath been several times published in Europe at Nurenburg A.D. 1537. at Paris A. D. 1546. at Frankfort cum Notis Christmanni A.D. 1590 in Latin and afterwards by Golius in Arabic and Latin at Leiden A. D. 1669. with large Notes of great use for the understanding of the Geography of the East He florished while Al Mamon was Calif who died A. D. 833. Al Gazali a famous Philosopher of Tusa in Persia He wrote many Books not only in Philosophy but also in the defence of the Mahometan Religion against Christians Jews Pagans and all others that differ there-from whereof one is of more especial note entitled The Destruction of Philosophers which he wrote against Al Farabius and Avicenna and some others of the Arab Philosophers who to solve the Monstrous Absurdities of the Mahometan Religion were for turning many things into Figure and Allegory which were commonly understood in the literal sense Those he violently opposeth on this account accusing them of Heresy and Infidelity as Corrupters of the Faith and Subverters of Religion whereon he had the name of Hoghatol Eslam Zainoddin i e. The demonstration of Mahometism and the honour of Religion He was born A.D. 1058. and died A. D. 1112. His name at length is Abu Hamed Ebn Mohammed Al Gazali Al Tusi Al Jannabi an Historian born at Jannaba a City in Persia not far from Shiras His History comes down to the Year of our Lord 1588. 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 Impostor in that Year of the Hegira which answers to the Year
Shaibani Ebnol Athir Al Jazari Ezzoddin He was born A. D. 1160. and died A. D. 1232. His History which he calls Camel is from the beginning of the World to the Year of our Lord 1230. Ebnol Kassai Authour of the Book called Taarifat which is an Explication of the various Terms used in Arabic by Philosophers Lawyers Divines and other sorts of learned Professions among them Ebn Phares a Mahometan Authour who died A. D. 1000. Eutychius a Christian Authour of the Sect of the Melchiâ—es his Name in Arabic is Said Ebn Batrik He was born at Cair in Egypt A.D. 876. and became very eminent in the knowledge of Physick which he practised with great reputation being reckoned by the Mahometans themselves to have been one of the Eminentest Physicians of his time But towards the latter part of his life giving himself more to the study of Divinity he was A. D. 933. chosen Patriarch of Alexandria for his Sect for there was another Patriarch of that place for the Jacobites at the same time and then he first took the Name of Eutychius But he hapned not to be so acceptable to his People for there were continual Jarrs between them untill his death which hapned seven years after A. D. 940. His Annals of the Church of Alexandria were published at Oxford in Arabic and Latin by Dr. Pocock A. D. 1656. at the Charge of Mr. Selden and this is the meaning of these words in the Title-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 Expences of this Chargeable Edition the most Worthy and Learned Authour of that Version acknowledged it by those words in the Title-page which several having mistaken to the robbing him of the honour of his Work as if Mr. Selden had begun the Translation and Dr. Pocock finished it I cannot but do this justice to that worthy Person now with God as to clear this matter For he needed no Partner in any of his Works The Translation was totally his and only the Charges of printing the Book Mr. Selden's Mr. Selden did indeed publish a Leaf or two of that Authour which he thought would serve his purpose to express his Spight against the Bishops of the Church of England in revenge of the Censure which was inflicted on him in the High-Commission-Court for his History of Tithes but he made those slips in that Version that Dr. Pocock was not at all eased of his labour by having that little part of it translated to his hands Liber de Generatione Nutritura Mahometis a most frivolous and silly Tract wrote originally in Arabic and being translated into Latin by Hermannus Dalmata is published with the Latin Alcoran by Bibliander Geographia Nubiensis so the Book is called by Sionita and Hesronita who published 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 better Book written by Sharif Al Adrisi at the command of Roger the second of that name King of Sicily for the explaining of a Terrestrial Globe which that King had caused to be made of a very large Size all of Silver He finished this Work A.D. 1153. and Entitled it Ketab Roger i. e. the Book of Roger from the name of him who imployed him to compose it The Authour was of the Race of Mahomet and therefore is called Sharif which word signifieth one of a Noble Race especially that of Mahomet and was descended from the Noble Family of the Adrisidae who reigned in some parts of Africa and therefore he is called Al Adrisi that is of the Family of Adris His name at length is Abu Abdollah Mohammed Ebn Mohammed Ebn Adris Amir Olmuminin There was a very fair Copy of this Book among Dr. Pocock's Arabick Manuscripts Georgius Monachus Abbot of the Monastery of St. Simeon He wrote a Tract in defence of the Christian Religion against the Mahometans which is a Disputation he had with three Mahometans of whom the chief Spokesman was Abusalama Ebn Saar of Mosul Jauhari the Authour of a famous Arabic Dictionary called Al Sahah His name at length is Abu Naser Ismael Ebn Hammad Al Jauhari He was by Nation a Turk He died A. D. 1007. This is reckoned the best Dictionary of the Arabic Language next Kamus Golius makes his Arabic Lexicon mostly out of it Jalalani i. e. the Two Jalals They were two of the same Name who wrote a short Commentary upon the Alcoran the first began it and the second finished it The first was called Jalal Oddin Mohammed Ebn Ahmed Al Mahalli and the second Jalal Oddin Abdorrahman Al Osyuti This latter on the death of the former finished the Book A.D. 1466. and was also Authour of an History called Mezhar Shahrestani a Scholastical Writer of the Mahometan Religion He was born at Shahrestan A. D. 1074. and died A. D. 1154. Safioddin the Authour of a certain Geographical Dictionary in the Arabic Tongue Zamachshari the Authour of the Book called Al Ceshaf which is a large Commentary upon the Alcoran and that which is of the best esteem among the Mahometans of any of its kind His name at length is Abul Kasem Mohammed Ebn Omar Ebn Mohammed Al Chowarasmi Al Zamachshari He was born at Zamachshar a Town of Chowarasmia A. D. 1074. and died A. D. 1143. Hebrew and Chaldee Authours CHaldee Paraphrase an Interpretation of the Old Testament in the Chaldee Language That of Onkelos on the Pentateuch and that of Jonathan on the Prophets are ancient being written according to the Account which the Jews give of them before the time of our Saviour But those which are on the other parts of Scripture as also that which bears the Name of Jonathan on the Law were written by some later Jews The Authour of the Chaldee Paraphrase on Job the Psalms and Proverbs was Rabbi Joseph Caecus Sepher Cozri a Book written by way of Dialogue between a Jew and the King of the Cozars from whence it hath its Name Sepher Cozri or Cozari i. e. the Book of the Cozar The Authour of it was Rabbi Judah Levita a Spanish Jew who wrote the Book originally in Arabic about the Year of our Lord 1140. and from thence it was translated into Hebrew by Rabbi Judah Ebn Tibbon in which Translation it was published by Buxtorf with a Latin Version A. D. 1660. Rabbi David Kimchi a famous Jewish Commentatour on the Old Testament He was by birth a Spaniard Son to Rabbi Joseph Kimchi and Brother to Rabbi Moses Kimchi both men of eminent Learning among the Jews but he himself far exceeded them both being the best Grammarian in the Hebrew Language which they ever had as is abundantly made appear not only in his Commentary on the Old Testament which gives the greatest light into the literal sense of the Hebrew Text of any extant of this kind but also in a