me and to any one that hath sence and discretion it seems to be a root of Idolatrie to turn ones face and to pray towards the House and Tower where the Idoll was Therefore consider O Moore and weigh all the premisses and what followes and thou wilt find that from the beginning of Muhamed's Law untill it was finished it alwaies proceeded from bad to worse was incongruous and offensive full of divers confusions scandalls and vain fancies which things give us to know that it neither was nor is the Law of God The third Offence hapned upon occasion of a very scandalous and villanous Act and great oversight which Muhamed cōmitted viz. When he sayd Mattins with the Moores which praier is called in Arabick Zalatacobbe and was reading a Chapter of the Alcoran being the 15th Chapter of the fourth book which is called the Chapter of the Starre in which Chapter he mentions the said Idol called Alethe aluze and another Idoll called Menete Azalicite and after naming them sayes that they are Idolls and wicked Devils For Muhamed reading the said Chapter and naming these two Idols in stead of saying that they were most abominable and wicked Devills sayd that they were most high Gods and that it was good to hope in them And Muhamed not onely committed an Error in reading and saying these words but also prostrated himself on the ground and divers Moores with him but some of the Moores did not prostrate themselves but told Mahumed that he had committed an error in reading so and prostrating himself And when Muhamed perceived his error he answered them saying that the Devill made him mistake and had taken away the good words of the Alcoran and inserted the words which he had spoken and that through the deceit of the Devill hee had erred in reading so and in prostrating himself The which divers of the Moores took notice of and being offended with it turned to their former sects and wayes of worship Thus Muhamed was not free from temptations though hee gave out that the Angel Gabriel took the black coar out of his heart Wherefore O Moore you must acknowledge that that is not true which Muhamed saies in the first Chapter That the Angell launced his breast and took forth his heart and cut out the black coar or filthy matter to the end that he might not be tempted of the Devill at any time For if that had been true the Devill had not now tempted him nor had made him say what he did nor had he magnified the Idols and prostrated himself to the ground to worship them whereof divers took notice as we said before And when Muhamed knew that the people were offended and that all the people of Mecca and the Moores and Jewes murmured against him and his Moores hee instituted a Verse which is written in the fourth Chapter of the third Book which is in Arabick thus Guame alcerne c. That God never sent any Prophet which was not tempted and when hee read the words of God the Devill would be busie and put some other words amongst them Neverthelesse saies he God commandeth to take away the evill and confirm the good and by this Verse Muhomed informed the Moores that that had befallen him from the Devill even as the like had befallen other Prophets and that God commanded that the evill words should be razed out of that Chapter and good words should be put in and that they should not marvell at this much lesse be offended at it and so upon this Verse the offence ceased and the Moores were silent This thing and offence is known but to few of the Alfaquie's and Doctors of their Law And I tell it thee O Moore that thou mayest know it if thou desirest the salvation of thy soul and that thou mayest acknowledge the truth and follow it There was another thing also at which the Moores were offended viz. when Muhamed took away his servant Zeidin's wife whereof we made mention above which act was very dishonest villanous and scandalous especially in such a one as Muhamed who thought himself a Prophet and the most perfect messenger that ever came into the world Muhamed having at that time nine wives and his servant onely one the which Muhamed took from him and added to his other nine and so his servant Zeiden remained wifelesse And this act hapned in this manner Muhamed knowing that his servant Zeiden had a fair wife and she being Muhamed's kinswoman one day Muhamed went to Zeidens house to visit her and having seen her told her that when her husband Zeiden came home shee should tell him that the Prophet Muhamed had been there and had seen a good * A Lobster or Crab 't is an Arabick Proverb as we say He found a dainty dish for his own Table Crab for his doore These very words are written in Arabick in the book Azar and doe import that Zeiden had chosen a good and fair wife for him When Zeiden came home his wife related unto him how Muhamed had been there and had said these words unto her which she could not understand But Zeiden presently told her the meaning of them saying that she was the Crab and the Door was a house and signified the master of the house At last Zeiden told his wife that Muhamed would have spoken with him for no end but to command him to put away his wife that he might have her Now tell me O Moore what meant Muhamed by those words and whether are they the words of a Prophet and holy man and what was his intent and what opinion had Zeiden of Muhamed when he presently conjectured and told his wife what Muhamed would doe And when Zeiden went to Mahumed's house and asked what his pleasure was Mahumed answered him that he must repudiate his wife because hee would have her himself and hereupon Zeiden went home and related the whole matter to his wife and after many tears and lamentations on both sides the married couple parted and the very same day Muhamed married her For which act the Moores were offended and murmured saying that it was not the act or deed of a Prophet nor of a holy man And although thereupon Muhamed was much ashamed yet he quickly ran to his remedy and made and composed certain Verses of the Alcoran and caused his Secretary to write them and presently gave them unto the Moores to read the which Verses are in the 17th Chapter of the third Book and run thus Gua id teculo c. i. e. O Muhamed when thou biddest thy servant Zeiden to take his wife again thou sayest that with thy mouth which thou meanest not in thy heart and wouldest conceal that which God knows very well to wit the love and affection which he bare to this woman and so God told him that seeing her husband Zeiden had already had his share in her God had commanded that Muhamed should marry her and that none should be offended
c. i. e. That God hath forbidden the Moores that which is murrain blood Swine that which is offered to Idols and that which hath bin strangled that which dyes by the thrust of a horn or by a casualty and also wild beasts c He forbids all these things in the said Chapter the which also the Moores doe hold for prohibited And in another song in the fifth Chapter of the first Book God commands and chargeth Muhamed to tell the Moores that they should say nothing was prohibited and forbidden to be eaten or drunk but murrain blood Swines flesh and that which is offered to Idols the said verses in Arabick sayes thus O Zolle agido c. So that the Moores in the first Chapter forbad twelve things and in the other Chapter contradicting themselves they forbid but four And if thou wilt say O Moore that the verses of the last Chapter are revoked by the first I prove that the first much less the last are not revoked but are verses which remain in force and vertue and which are called in Arabick Ayetum Mohquemetum i. e. decisory and valid verses Nay it is not found in all the Alcoran that any former verse revokes the second for it may be reasonable that the second may revoke the first but not that the first should revoke the second therfore I say that if the first verse is valid and decisory the second verse must likewise be valid and decisory and this was so concluded amongst the Moores viz. That both the verses should be valid and decisory What sayst thou now O Moore in this great confusion where one verse forbids twelve things and the other forbids but four for hence it plainly appears that these are not verses of God nor of a Prophet sent from God Furthermore the Alcoran in the eleventh Chapter of the second book writes that the use of wine is allowed the words in Arabick say thus O guamin Zamarati c. Which signifies that of the fruit of the dates of the Palme tree and of Grapes ye may drink and take lawfull sustentation By force of which Verse the Moores drank wine lawfully the space of twelve years but afterwards upon a fancy which Muhamed took he forbad it by word of mouth not by the Alcoran so that Muhamed contradicteth the Alcoran and thus in divers Chapters yee find that the Alcoran contradicteth it self Likewise the Alcoran sayes to Muhamed that if he doubted whether the Alcoran was of God or of man he should enquire of the Jews and Christians who had read the Scripture before him the words in Arabick are thus O fainz unte c. i. e. verbatim O Muhamed if thou doubtest or art uncertain of this Alcoran which we have caused to be sent down to thee aske of those who have read the Scripture before thee All the glossers say that they who had read the Scripture are the Jews and Christians and yet in the first Chapter of the first book he sayes that the Jews and Christians have no Law and that they erre and the same Alcoran calls the Jews cursed and the Christians erronious Furthermore in divers places he speaks well of the Jews and Christians and sayes that the Thora or Law is the true book of God and that God sent the said Law of Moses good and true by which Law the Prophets and messengers doe judge and all those who doe not judge by the Thora are unjust and unbelievers in God the words in Arabick in the fourth Chapter of the first book run thus Ogua anzelne c. i. e. verbatim We God sent the Thora which is the Law of Moses a Light and streight path by which the Prophets doe judge and they who doe not judge by this which God sent to the world are Insidels and unrighteous Likewise he says that the Gospell is the Light Life Law and Salvation of men and yet afterwards he says that the Christians and Jews have no Law and that they are cursed and erronious And if thou O Moore sayest as all the Moores generally doe That the Thora and the Evangelists are not now what they were in the time of Moses and in the time of Jesus Christ and that the Christians have altered the Gospell and the Jews have perverted the Thora To that I will answer O Moore and say that that Argument is not good for two reasons The first and principall as concerning the Thora is that the same books and Chapters which the Jews had in the time of Moses and in the time of the Prophets untill Jesus Christ the very same they have still and the Christians have alwaies had them without wanting a tittle not only the Thora which is the five books of Moses but also all the old Testament Now thou knowest O Moore that the Jews and Christians differ in Worship so that if the Jews had changed and altered the Scripture it would not have continued one and the same in the hands of the Jews and in the hands of the Christians as now it is and hath alwaies been The reason O honest Moore is because the Scripture was given by God and that Scripture which is given by God will never be lost as are the books of Muhamed's Suné As we have said above in the third Chapter The second reason is because that when Muhamed published his Reliligion it was already 600. years since the Christian Law or Religion had been Preached to all the world and so long also had the old Testament and the new been united to wit the figure and the thing figured so concordant and harmonious as if they had been both one and the same thing And seeing God commanded Muhamed to inquire of the Readers of this Scripture for his information the Scripture doubtless was then good and true and is likewise at present good and true for the same as it then was it still is and if it had been altered at the time of Muhamed God should have given Muhamed notice of it and have given him to know that at first it was good but then bad so that O Moore thou hast no right on thy side notwithstanding whatsoever the Moores and Musselmen say for he that brings the testimony of two for proof of his own cause doth yield that those witnesses are good and true not bad and reprochable because if they were reprochable and of ill fame they are not worthy to be received for witnesses now if God bids Muhamed to inquire of the Jews and Christians for his own information and satisfie himself from their two Scriptures you must conclude O Moore that those Scriptures at the time of such inquiry were good and true as still they are and will alwaies be and for this Reason O Moore thou must be silent and acknowledge that the Alcoran contradicteth it self in divers places and so I will conclude this point Concerning the superfluous and immodest things which Muhamed hath inserted in the Alchoran the first
was the first temple that was ever built in the world the words in Arabick are thus Oinne agnele beytin c. And the book Azar further says that after the said temple of Mecca was built Abraham divided the land of Canaan and Ismael dwelt in the City of Mecca and maried an Egyptian woman an Idolatress by whom he had twelve Children which also appeares by the. 17 Chapter of Genesis the eldest of which was called Nabayoth 2 Caydar or Kedar 3 Abdael 4 Nabsam 5 Masna 6 Douma 7 Massa 8 Haded 9 Thema 10 Iackour 11 Naphis 12 Kedma All these 12 sons of Ismael were Idolaters and spread 12 sorts of Idolatry in the greater Arabia Arabia the Happy Armenia and Persia some of them worshiped the Sun others the Moone others the Angells others Fyre others an Idoll called Bohinun and others a tree called Detulamar and they of Mecca and the Countrey adjacent worshiped an Idoll called Alliethe and Aluza above-mentioned which was erected in the said Tower Alkibla towards which Tower all Moores turn their faces when they make their Zala i.e. prayer and swear by it The said book Azar further sayes that Caydar the second son of Ismael erected the said Idoll in the said tower because Abraham and Ismael had assisted at the building of the said temple and that Caydar commanded that a feast or Easter should annually be celebrated in honour to God and in memory of his grandsires sacrifice when he was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaack in whose stead God commanded him to sacrifice a sheep and hereupon they of Mecca and the Countrey adjacent did annually sacrifice sheep and severall other beasts in honour to that Idoll and from all the Countrey about Meka they came to visit this Idoll and the temple of Meka and to celebrate the said Passeover which feast and Pilgrimage is the same which the Moores now use and have used ever since Muhamed's time and the Pilgrimage or visitation called Alhage which the Moores now use is the same which the Idolaters used and all the ceremonies which the Idolaters used in the times of Idolatrie the Moores at this day annually use the very same when they goe to Meka and that by an express command in their Law and sect and even as the Idolaters did forbear the killing any wild beast or bird by hunting in the Countrie of Meka fower months of the year which are 2 before their Passeover and 2 after out of the reverence they bear to the said Idoll yea so strickly that they would not kill a lowse or a flea and hence the Moores call these months prohibited and forbidden the Moores do at this present use and observe the same and divers other Ceremonies which the Idolaters used in the said Passeover and Pilgrimage or Alhage as wee said above and shall declare further here-under The said book Azar assirmes that the said Caydar the second son of Ismael was the man that instituted those Ceremonies from which Caydar Muhamed descended and hence this Caydar is in Arabick called Gead dealharab i. e. grandfather of the Arabians That book likewise sayth that the said Caydar erected a black stone in the said Tower right against the said Idoll that those who went into the temple might know that the Idoll stood in the Tower right against that stone and that in stead of the Idoll they should kiss that stone which was then and is at this present called The blessed stone I shall else-where tell you that Muhamed worshiped this stone and magnified it in the temple of the Idoll and used much reverence to it and in his Law and sect commandeth that this stone be worshiped and kissed and that the kissing and adoring of this stone is an Article of his Law and that it is at present in the same place where it was at that time when the Idoll was in being and I shall prove as well by the Alcoran and by Muhamed's suné That Muhamed was an Idolater It appeares plainly that the descent of Muhamed from Caydar the second son of Ismael unto his parents was from Idolaters to Idolaters for the space of 2800 years or there abouts Now observe and tell mee O Moore how that saying of Muhamed in the book Kised Alanuar i. e. the book of Flowers can be understood where Muhamed sayes that he proceedeth of a most perfect generation and that God sent him in the best times of the world knowest thou not O Moore that during all the aforesaid time of 2800 years viz. from Caydar unto Muhamed that they were all Idolaters a rude beastly and very ignorant people as the Alcoran testifies where he calls the people of Mecca Zuféhe i. e. Blockheads and Asses and knowest thou not that from Caydar unto Muhamed there can be no other descent than that Caydar begat an Idolatrous son and that son begat another Idolater and that Idolater begat another and such a succession yee find untill Muhamed's grandfather for it sayes thus Motalib an Idolater begat Abdalla Muhamed's father who was also an Idolater and this Abdalla begat Muhamed an Idolater Now observe O Moore and consider the generation of Jesus Christ the son of Mary and thou shalt find that he descended from Abraham the father of Isaack and from Jsaack the father of Jacob and from Jacob the father of Judah and from Juda the father of c. and from one to another untill our Lady the Virgin Mary and thou shalt see that they were all Patriarks prophets Heroes perfect men and Saints and wilt acknowledge that this generation of Jesus Christ is better than the generation of Muhamed and observe likewise the time of Christ how it was adorned with Prophets prophecies Saints and Priests who worshiped in the temple of God the sacred house of Jerusalem which the Alcoran calls the blessed house of God and compare Muhamed's Temple wherein Idolatry then raigned more than at any time before or since with the temple which Jesâ—â— Christ and this Virgin his mother frequented which was the Temple of God sanctifyed served and honoured by Prophets and holy Priests and Compare the father and mother of Muhamed and thou wilt see the difference between the father and mother of Jesus Christ and the father and mother of Muhamed and if thou sayest that Jesus Christ had no father I answere that the Alcoran sayes that he was Conceived of the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin Mary and as yee take the Virgin Mary for the mother of Jesus Christ so you must take the holy Ghost for his father who is true God and if all that proceeds from God is God seeing the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father to the Son you must beleeve that Jesus Christ is the son of God and thus you see the difference between the father and mother of Muhamed and the glorious father and mother of Jesus Christ and Contemplating upon all this aforesaid and considering of it well according to reason and truth thou
Commaunded so to doe and these ceremonies are in Arabick called Menecique Alhage They retayn likewise another Ceremony viz. when the Pilgrims goe to Mecca and are passed a river called in Arabick Batni Muhacil he commands them to cast Stones on the right hand at the top of a little hill which Ceremony the Idolaters observed saying that when Abraham led his son to be Sacrificed the devill came to this place and told Ismael that his father led him away to be Sacrificed and the book Azar reports that Ismael took up Stones and flung e'm at the devill and in memoriall hereof the Idolatrous Pilgrimes used to cast Stones Concerning which ceremonies I will tell the O Moore that although the Idolaters by command from Caydar and his Successors and in reverence of the said Idoll Allethe Aluza did observe them in honour and memoriall whereof Muhamed would have them kept and commandeth all Moores to observe them yet he having made a new Religion or Worship ought to have instituted new Ceremonies and not old Ceremonies yea such as were grounded upon Idolatry and not upon reason so that it doth evidently appeare that Muhamed did not wholly draw the Moores from Idolatry seeing he commands the observation of so many Ceremonies which are the relicks of Idolatry Now lest we deviate too far from the discourse begun where I said that Muhamed transported merchandises untill he was 38 years old I will proceed to shew that he then lest off trading and began to lead a hermeticall and solitary life and dayly frequented a cave near unto Mecca called in Arabick Garhera i. e. the cave of Hera where he dayly continued untill evening but the Moores know nothing of what he there did or Spake onely the book Azar sayes that he worshiped the God of heaven and forbare worshiping the aforesaid Idoll The said book Azar further relates that Muhamed used so great abstinence in this cave that his bodily strength fayled and head aked insomuch that his discourse faltered and he talked Idely and at last lost his sence and understanding The said book Azar and another book entitled Azifa say further that when Muhamed was in the said grot he had many visions and heard others speaking of him and discerned the voyce but not the person and continued so a long time plainly hearing a voice behind him but when he turned his face that way he could hear nothing All which Muhamed every night told his wife Gadisa but shee told him it was nothing but diabolicall delusions and hereby he became distracted and lost his sence and this fury and revishment of mind followed him so long that one day the said book sayes he resolved to goe to the precipice of a mountain and desperately to cast himself headlong saying that it was better to dye than to be reputed a fool And Muhamed sayes that when he was in this resolution the Angell Gabriel came into the said cave in his own form with white wings and said to him Rejoyce O Muhamed for God sendeth thee much greeting and lets thee know that thou shalt be his Prophet and messenger and the most perfect of all his Creatures which words in Arabick are thus Oya Muhamed allah c. i. e. O Muhamed God greeteth thee c. Moreover the Angell said to him O Muhamed Read and he answered and said What shall I read I cannot read the Angell replyed to him thus as the Arabick runns Oya Muhemed acra bizmi c. i. e. O Muhamed read in the name of thy Creator who created the worme man read in the name of thy most honoured Creator who with a pen shewes man what he never knew before and this was the first Chapter of the Alcoran and so the Angell vanished away And Muhamed in the sixt book of the Suné and namely in the book of flowers said the words following in Arabick Ofara aytu alme c. i. e. That the Angell Gabriel came sitting in a golden throne between heaven and earth and told him the prophecy and embassage And the book Azar sayes that when the Angell was gone Muhamed returned home very joyfull and that the beasts and the trees greeted him saying Absir ya Muhamed ineque c. i. e. Rejoyce O Muhamed for thou shalt be the messenger of God and most dear unto him It was night before he got home and calling his wife Gadisa he told her all the Mystery revealed by the Angell and that he was a Prophet and the messenger of God whereupon his wife answered him Alas Muhamed I fear it is nothing but the delusions of Satan which answer much grieved and displeased Muhamed so that he was very pensive for a great while doubting whether it were a thing from God or a temptation of the Devill and a great chilness and cold seazed on him wherefore casting himself on a bed he commanded his servants to cover him well as they did and laid divers coverlids upon him and the said book Azar relates that as Muhamed lay thus the Angell Gabriel came to him with the second Chapter of the Alcoran which is in Arabick thus Oya aynhe at c. i. e. Arise O thou that art covered exalt and magnifie thy Creator and cleanse thy garments and cloaths and abhor Idolls After the Angell had given him this Chapter he vanished and Muhamed calling his wife Gadisa read the Chapter to her nevertheless she told him that she did not beleeve it to be any thing but a fantasm and a temptation or delusion which was formerly vvont to come upon him this displeased Muhamed very much and at mid-night his wife told him further that if the Angell of God were his freind he would have come again ere this but because it was not from him therefore he came not neither would come again And hereupon Muhamed lay all night much troubled at the Angell's absence Then sayes Azar at the dawning of the day the Angell came with the third Chapter saying in Arabick O guadoha gualleyli c. i.e. God sweares to Muhamed by the dawning which brings the day and by the night which gives darknes that his Creator hath not forgot him neither will he forget what he hath promised him with which Chapter Muhamed recovered his strength and calling his wife read this Chapter to her but she told him again that she would beleeve nothing till she saw the Angell with her own eies and Muhamed told her she could not see the Angell Afterwards Muhamed called one of his youths whom he had brought up from a child whose name was Zeydin and told him That if he would beleeve that he was a Prophet and a messenger of God and would become a Moore he would release him and make him a freeman and revealed all the secret of the Angell Gabriel to him hereupon the youth was content to beleeve Muhamed and become Moore was the first Moore that beleeved in Muhamed Then Muhamed made a Law and Suné that whatsoever
was called Ayate ragime i. e. the verse of Lapidation which was in the sixth Chapter of the Light in the third book so that the Alcoran was larger and had more verses in the dayes of Muhamed than it now hath Now tell mee O Moore who never knewest or heardest such things what thinkest thou of the Scripture which you so much reverence that when ye take it in your hands ye kisse it and swear by it and keep it like a God and call it Alkitib Alhazim i. e. a glorious book and Alcoran alhadin i. e. the Mighty Alcoran so that indeed ye hould it for a God I tell thee O Moore that if it were from God and the word of God that of it which is lost had not been lost and the Mice had not eaten those notes in Axa's house that verse of Lapidations had not been lost Observe then O Moore consider this and thou wilt know thy error be converted to God God will have mercy on thee if thou lovest thy self and if thy soul be dear to thee and so I will conclude this second Chapter CHAP. III. The third Chapter of this Treatise discourseth of Muhamed's Suné what the word signifies of the six books thereof and what they contain their names and the reason of the Collecting of them who collected them and when they were collected corrected and reduced into the order they are now in SUné Signifies a Way or Law or the following of the sayings actions and counsels of Muhamed which his disciples wrote after his death and after his Disciples the Moores transcribed copied the disciples books augmented and abridged them and wholy altered Muhamed's deeds and words whence proceeded so great a confusion in all the books that what he in his life time commanded negatively they laid the same down affirmatively and what Muhamed had commanded and set down in his Law affirmatively they set the same down negatively insomuch that this Law was like to be destroyed and never used more Upon which ground and because of the great dammage and difference which hapned in the Muhametan Sect and to prevent the utter losse of the same an Alkalife or King of the Moores caused publick Proclamation to be made through all his dominions that all the Learned men Alfaquies and Docters should repaire to him to the City of Damascus and should bring with them all the books that could be found written of the Suné and of Muhamed's words and works Whereupon all the Learned men then lieving amongst the Moores came thither and brought all the books of the Suné Then the said Caliph or King of the Moores commanded that six Alfaquies and learned men who were best instructed read in the Suné should be chosen from amongst them whereupon out of two hundred learned men which repaired thither six were chosen the first or principall of which was called Muâ—lin the second Bohari the third Buhora yra the fourth Anecery the fifth Aâ—ermindi the sixth Doud Then the said Caliph called these six learned men unto him and commanded them that they should goe alone into a house with all the books which till then could be found of the Suné and that each of them should by himself collect one book of all the sayings and deeds of Muhamed which he should conceive to be true and that they should each entitle his book with his own name So these six men went into a house with all the books which the Moores had gathered from all parts and each of them collected a book and entituled and called it by his proper name and they presented them to the King or Caliph who after the said six books had been viewed and examined by all the other docters there assembled commanded that all the other books should be cast into a great river near Damascus called Adegele whereupon having laden two hundred Camels with the multitude of books which were brought thither they cast them into this river Likewise the King gave notice by a Decree or publick Proclamation throughout all the countries of the Moores that no Alfaquy should dare to read or keep any book but the six aforesaid and that none should mention any saying or deed of Muhamed but such as should be found written in the said books and that all Moores and Musselmen or beleevers of Muhamed should receive these books for as true and authentick as if they were the very Alcoran it self and that they should not be lesse reverenced amongst them than the Alcoran it self All which the Moores observe and have these books in as great reverence as the Alcoran it self and the words thereof are amongst the Moores of as much yea greater authority than is the Alcoran I have the more enlarged my self upon this point because that in some cases they follow the sayings of Muhamed and leave the sayings of the Alcoran as of no effect which sayings of Muhamed are contained in the six books aforesaid so that the word of God which in their opinion is the Alcoran is made voyd by Muhameds sayings as is declared in the preceeding Chapter and as shall further appear in the eleventh Chapter In this manner was Muhamed's Sect restored and for this the Moores hold and esteem the said Caliph for a Saint Nevertheless I say that in most part of what these learned men gathered and collected in those six books they have incerted severall contrarieties and divers sayings and doings of Muhamed which contradict each other and doe not agree one whit Which hath caused the four opinions which the Moores have in their Law and retaine in their Sect which were raised afterwards by four doctors the first whereof was called Melich the second Assafihi the third Alambeli and the fourth Abuhamfa and yee must understand that the said difference in opinion is practised by the Moores in their washings which they use when they make their Zala or praier and not onely in making of their Zala but also in their fasts and in severall other Ceremonies and customes but especially in those things which appertain to Judicature so that each opinion in it self differs from the other three Of Melech's opinion are all the Moores of Medina and of all Africk and all the Moores which are and were in Spain Of Assafihy's opinion are the Moores of Meka and the Country adjacent all those of Arabia the Happy and the Great those of Baldeck and Damascus Of Alambelii's opinion are the Moores of Armenia and Persia and of Buhamfai's opinion are the Moores of Syria and Alexandria but in Grand-Cair all the four opinions are followed I mean that those Moores are divided into four parties or Sects viz. one holds Melich's opinion another Alssafihy's opinion another is of the third opinion and another of the fourth opinion the which proceeds from the great and innumerable multitude of people in that City So that by reason of those six Books and of those four opinions Muhameds Sect hath alwaies
been and is still consufed not agreeing together especially in their sutes of Law or Judicature Mariages and Divorces And yee must know that the sayings and deeds of Muhamed in the said Books are reduced to four kinds or sorts viz. to certain and true Defective Abrupt and Weak Those words or works of Mahumed which have the testimony of his Wife Axa and the ten Disciples when they say that they saw Mahumed do or say such and such things arecalled true certain and what is said of Mahumed and is reported by his other Wives without the testimony of Axa or any of his disciples is called Defective and those works and words which have but the testimony of the learned and principall men which lived in Muhameds time are called abrupt that is that they came not to the knowledge of any disciple nor of the said Axa and the fourth kind of words and works are those which proceed from good Doctors after Muhamed gave out that hee was sick and infirm In Arabick they are called Caheh Dahif Mancof Zaquini All which I prove by what a Doctor sayes who made the Book of Flowers which was collected out of the said six Books For he sayes in his Preface that all the Contents in his Book of Flowers were drawn from the certain and true sayings of Muhamed and all that is written in another Book which another Doctor collected he sayes is of the certain defective cut-off or abrupt and sick The words in Arabick are these O quuille me c. These six Books of the Suné treat of all that Muhamed spake and did and commanded to be done as will appear by the Contents of the following Chapters in which said six Books there are as many Contradictions fooleries superfluous irrationall and ungrounded things as there be in the Alcoran and the Moores say that the Alcoran is the word of God which is incredible CHAP. IIII. The fourth Chapter of this book handleth certain arguments which may be framed and brought against the Alchoran proving that it is false of it self and not the word of God And also against Muhameds Suné proving that it is of it self a ridiculous thing and fit for men of little knowledge and judgment THe first argument is from what is said in the second Chapter of the fourth book which is in Arabick Ogna Nofigha c. i. e. that at the end of the world a trumpet or horn shall sound and the Angels in Heaven and men on earth shall fall down dead and afterwards the said trumpet or horn shall sound again and all aswell Angels as men shall rise again wherein the Alchoran affirmeth that Angels are mortall and that they must all dye and rise again the which impugneth divine and humane Law and is against all naturall reason and that for severall causes First because Angels are spirits having no body but spirit onely and not having bodies they cannot dye for death is nothing but the separation of the soul from the body and in regard men are compos'd of body and soul when the soul is separated from the body and departed the body becomes a Caryon and the soul goes whether God pleaseth according to every mans deserts and works and because the body is composed of the four Elements it corrupteth and turneth to earth but the soul of man after it is created never dyes how then can it be as the Alcoran says that Angels dye when humane souls dye not The second cause is because Adam's sin was the occasion of his death by which sinning all his posterity were condemned to dye whence it follows that if he had not sinned neither he nor any of his posterity had been subject to death Now tell me O Moore what sins have the Angels committed whereby they have deserved death as Adam who incurred it by sin The third cause or ground is a naturall reason which gives all men to know and understand that Angels dye not neither can dye which is this Lucifer and all the Angels that sinned with him by their pride against God were for this sin deprived of the glory of Heaven and Paradice and were cast into the bottomless pit for ever and were not condemned to dye because they were spirits And if the devils by reason of their sins were not condemned to dye how is it that the Alcoran sayes that Angels shall dye So from these three grounds we may conclude that Angels shall not dye and that he that says that Angels dye speaks not the truth and in regard the Alcoran says that Angels dye I say it is not of God nor the word of God The second Argument is from what the Alcoran sayes in severall Chapters and namely in the first Chapter of the first book in the first Chapter of the second and fourth books in which three Chapters he relates the Creation of the world and the history of Adam how he was created of earth by the hand and Workmanship of God and how God inspired life into him and further in the said Chapters he says and affirms that after Adam was created God Commanded the Angels to bow themselves down to the ground and worship Adam and that they all did so except Sathan who refused to doe it and God asked him why hee would not worship him whom he had made with his own hands and he says that Sathan answered that he was Created of a more excellent nature viz. Of fire and Adam of durt then God cursed Sathan and he and all those who had the like will as he were cast into the bottomless pit and are cursed for ever All this the Alcoran affirms saying that the cause of the fall of Sathan and the evill Angels was because that they would not worship Adam nor prostrate themselves before him and the words in Arabick are thus Ognaidcale c. And doe signifie that which we have related and declared above which is not onely an untruth but also a great Heresy and Blasphemy Now speak O Moore and observe whether this hath any sense or reason in it for you must conceive that if such a thing were true it would have been written in the first of the five books of Moses which is called the book of Genesis or the Creation wherein he sets down the Creation of the world and how God created all Celestiall and Terrestriall things but doth not mention any such imposture and you must observe that God would never command that any should be worshipped but himself so that the Alcoran sayes that which was never true and which can never enter into the brains of a reasonable man and therefore in conclusion I say that the Alcoran hath not any reason or truth in it The third Argument is upon the first Chapter of the third Book where hee sayes that the Virgin Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ was the Sister of Aaron and Moses and sayes in Arabick thus Ogia Mariamu ya ohta Aron i. e. O Mary O
with the Prophet for the same The Glossers say that Muhamed for his greater justification and for fear lest the Moores should be further offended bade his servant Zeiden to take his wife again The Comentators say that God said to him Muhamed through fear of men saies one thing with his lips but concealeth in his heart the love hee bears to this woman Wherefore I God command and am content that thou marry her since her husband hath had his pleasure of her and I God doe this that thou mayest not be grieved The text and glosses say all this Verbatim which is the greatest cruelty bawdery and wickedness that two Pandars could plot together and then to excuse himself from God and make Verses saying that God was pleased with him and that God did it to content Muhamed and to satisfie his desire telling the Moores that God was pleased at it All which is proved by the Alcoran which writes it as I sayd before and by the book of Azar which relates all this at large Now tell me O Moore in what Law or Commandment doe wee read that a Married man should love another mans wife and should endeavour to take her from her husband Nay first tell me how did Mahumed understand the tenth Commandement which God gave unto Moses in Mount Sinai which sayes Thou shalt not covet anothers wife which Commandements Muhamed in his Law hath commanded to be observed And then tell mee thy thoughts upon this inordinate affection which Muhamed bore to Zeiden's wife which inordinate affection God himself publisheth in the Alcoran which sayes that God knew the love and affection which Muhamed bore in his heart to this woman though he concealed it and for fear of men made shew otherwise For thou mayest well know that he that doth such things is not neither can bee a Prophet nor a messenger of God nor a Legislator or Law-giver CHAP. VII The seventh Chapter treateth of Muhamed's wives and Virgins and how many profered themselves to him without Contract of mariage by a speciall Law which he made for himself and of the jarrs differences dissentions and offences which hapned betwixt Muhamed and his wives and slaves I Say and prove by the book of Azar that Muhamed maried fifteen wives and had eleven wives together besides slaves and of all his wives had but two Virgins and had also four wives who profered themselves to him by vertue of the said speciall Law And O Moore if thou dost not know that Muhamed had nine wives together I prove it by a book called Assamiel which is the book of the good customes of Muhamed where praising Muhamed and speaking of his virill strength it sayes that in one hower Muhamed lay with all his wives which were eleaven The words of the said book Assaniel are in Arabick Thus O guamin c. Which Text might well have been omitted and better have been silent of such things than to publish them for it is unseemly to make a vertue of vice and to apply carnall and luxurious things to sanctity and good customes and to say that God was pleased served with such basenes as which we have already shewn and shall further shew in this Chapter And I further prove it by the said book Azar and by a book called Almazhedi which say That when Muhamed died his nine wives were present which nine wives continued widdowes and so died by a speciall Law which Muhamed made for himself as shall hereafter appear And the four presented wives which Muhamed had he got them by a particular and speciall Law which he made for himself For ye must know that Muhamed made two Laws one general Law for all the Moores and himself and another Law for himself in particular which Law he made in four Cases The first commanded that no Moore should take or marry any of his wives whether repudiated or widdowes by which Law his said nine wives remained widdowes and never maried again The second speciall Law was for the profered wives where he commandeth in the 17th Chapter of the third book that what wife soever would profer her self to the Prophet Muhamed he might take her and bee married to her without any Contract of marriage and this was onely permitted to him and not to any other Moore The third speciall Law was That whereas there was a generall Law and commandement in the 3. Chapter of the first book of the Alcoran that every Moore might marry one two three or four wives and no more Muhamed excepted himself and had power to marry as many wives as he would in the 17th Chapter of the third book The fourth particular Law was concerning equality amongst wives which the Morish Laws require of every Moore that hath two three or four wives aswell at board goverment as at bed and if the husband doe otherwise the wives which find themselves agreeved may warn and summon him before the judge Except Muhamed who was not bound to observe this Law neither did it extend to him as yee may see in the 17th Chapter of the third book where Muhamed terrifying his wives sayes that they should be content with whatsoever Muhamed would give them and whensoever and with whichsoever of them he would please to bed take his pleasure and depart and that they should be content with every thing and should not take distast nor be gerived but should take delight to doe his will and rejoyce in all things The words in Arabick say thus Turgimen te seu min c. i. e. O Muhamed thou shalt love which of thy wives thou wilt and shalt dismiss to turn away which thou pleasest with such condition that they shall be content with all things and shall be quiet and not sorrowfull at all for thy doings The Moores read all this text but understand it not for did they understand it they would not continue Moores and Musselmen Now speak O Moore thou reader of the Alcoran how often hast thou read this and delighted thy self with the sweet sound of the words and hast not thought or conceived what the words mean therefore hence forth observe and read and consider what thou readest and thou wilt find many things without reason and justice And thus you must understand that this fourth speciall Law and the Verses aforesaid were made by reason of certain Gentlewomen Muhameds repudiated Wives who were not so well governed as the rest but complained to Muhamed entreating him to regard God and his Conscience and to make them equall to his other Wives and seeing they also were his Wives that they might not be neglected unto whom he answered with the verses above saying That God would have it so and that for his part he was not to follow the Moores in the matter of equality And they having understood and heard the verses and that God had sent them to him because of them they were content to take all things patiently But nevertheless they all said
ever dying or having any hurt After this manner the Alcoran and the Suné describe the glory of the other world The said banquet shall be made in the Paradise called Genete Alcoduz but Muhamed will make another feast to all the Moores at his said fountain called Alcauzar and shall give them drink with his own hand as the Suné says and in the book called in Arabick Quitebe Alainiar i. e. the book of flowers the words in Arabick run thus Aneguaquesin hale c. i. e. that Muhumed will be at his fountain and the Moorish people shall passe by it and Muhamed with his own hand shall give every one of them to drink of the water of that fountaine and those that drink of this fonntaine he sayth shall never thirst In the said book of flowers Muhamed sayes that the water of this fountaine is whiter then milk and sweeter than honey and the buckets bowles and glasses of this fountain are as many in number as the Stars of heaven Now I will speak to thee O Moore and say something upon this glory which yee Moores are to enjoy in the other world and although I am weary and troubled with writing so many gulleryes and things against reason and all Law neverthelesse I will speak of two things which I find wanting in your Paradise and in all the glory aforesaid The first defect is that whereas the Alcoran and the Suné hold forth such and so great Paradises so stately built and so richly adorned they make no mention of Easements and that they are also magnificently built especially having spoken of so much eating and of so much drinking viz. of honey milk Claret and Hypocras The second defect is that he makes no mention of the glory of the women for whereas the Alcoran and the Suné have promised that the men shall have chast Virgins with whom they shall sport and take their pleasure as aforesaid they ought in like manner to have mentioned the women and to have given them eternall servants to have taken their pleasure with them and then the women would also have had eternall glory But tell mee O Moore what will the women who shall be at this feast say and doe when they shall see themselves comfortlesse and when they shall see their husbands which they had in this world sporting with and embracing their Virgins the space of 50 years which he says they shall remaine embraced sporting and taking their pleasures Therefore O Moore I say that the womens glory will be turned into punishment and sorrow especially when each of the men shall take his Virgin and shall goe away with her to his Mansion or fortresse and the women shall be left alone and comfortlesse like widdowes so that O Moore considering all this above thou mayest conclude that this is not a thing of God nor of a Prophet and messenger sent from God and thou wilt know that it is all as Salomon says Vanity of Vanities and all Vanity and here I will conclude this ninth Chapter CHAP. X. The tenth Chapter shewes how the Alcoran contradicteth it self in divers places And trcateth of divers things in the Alcoran which are unseemly and superfluous likewise of some miracles which Muhamed sayes he did although they rather resemble gulls than miracles THe Alcoran in the first Chapter of the first book in the first Chapter of the second book and in the first Chapter of the fourth book says that God cursed the devill and expelled him from the glory of Paradise and cast him into the bottomles pit for ever Likewise in the aforequoted Chapters it says that the devill told God that he would alwaies be mans mortall Enemy and would alwaies tempt men and torment them furthermore the Alcoran in divers places admonisheth men saying that the Devill is mans apparent enemy all which is notorious and manifest in the Alcoran And after all this the Alcoran says that the Devills shall hear the Alcoran and shall become the friends of Muhamed of men and of God and that God will pardon their sins and promiseth them the glory of heaven as appears by the Chapters of the devill and of Caf and of the glorious in the fourth book Furthermore the Alcoran contradicteth it self when he says in the first Chapter of the first book that it was given in the month of Ramadan and in the Chapter of Smoak and in the Chapter of the Holy night in the fourth book he says that the Alcocan was given in one night both which the course of above twenty years-time contradicteth during which Muhamed was making the Alcoran viz. ten years in Mecca and 13 years in Medina which appears by the titles of the Chapters of the Alcoran For there are Chapters of the Alcoran which are called Sorath Midiniya I mean that the songs or Chapters which were made at Mecca during the ten years that Muhamed dwelt there are called Sorath Mekiya i. e. songs of Mecca and the Chapters which were made at Medina during the thirteen years that Muhamed dwelt there are called Sorath Medeniya i. e. songs made at Medina and there is not mention made at Mecca in all the ten years of any of those Chapters made at Medina and the Chapters which were made at Mecca were not made at Medina Wherefore I conclude that the Alcoran was twenty three years in composing and did not descend in one night nor in one month as the Alcoran says Furthermore by the Alcoran it self it appears that it was not inspired in one night nor in one month by the Chapters and verses which were made upon severall occasions as upon actions offences and upon controversies differences between Muhamed and his wives and by the diversity of commandements and by the alterations which wee have shewn above which Acts and occurrences hapned during the thirteen years which Muhamed dwelt at Medina and there is no mention made of them at Mecca during the first ten years that he dwelt there How is it then O Moore that thou sayest the Alcoran descended in a night or in a month And if wee should say it is true that the Alcoran descended in a night or in a month then I would have thee tell mee O Moore where was this night or this month Whether it were at Medina or at Mecca if thou sayest that it was at Mecca then I answer that those Chapters which were made at Medina are not to be reputed or judged for the Alcoran and if thou sayest that this night was at Medina then I say likewise that the Chapters and verses made at Mecca are not to be reputed for the Alcoran so that take it which way you will we must say that the Alcoran says and unsays affirmes and denies the same thing Furthermore the Alcoran contradicteth it self when it sayth in the fourth Chapter of the first book that he chargeth the Moores to hold twelve things as forbidden and prohibited to be eaten In Arabick he says thus O horrimet
is that which he speaks of in the first Chapter of the first Book which in Arabick saies thus Oniz Uquum c. i. e. O yee Moores your Wives are your ground therefore cast seed into them as you please which Text or verse is filthie villanous and immodest of it self and extreme superfluous but the Glossers of the Alcoran in expounding and excusing it have polluted it more saying that those words as yee please doe not intend otherwise than at the usuall Orifice but also that a man may lye with his Wife after what manner hee pleaseth either standing side-wayes filewayes or in any other posture So that although the Text of it self be filthie and baudie yet the Gloss and Comment thereon is far worse Now tell me O Moore what thinkest thou of this verse of the Alcoran Indeed such discourses ought not to be written in a Book which you say is the word of God at least all the Moores must say that God will here teach you how you should use your Wives which is not a reasonable excuse for we doe not read that God taught Adam which way he should lye with his Wife though they were the first married Couple in the world therefore I say that this verse is superfluous and base and the gloss far more filthy for the Scripture of God should not mention a thing so naturall to men especially in the seventh age of the world and which is not only naturall to men but also to bruit beasts and birds Now speak thou Moore who art beyond the Seas Dost thou not observe the bashfulness which the Camels use in this Act for when the Male will Couple with the Female hee never doth it but in the night and in some obscure place where he may not be seen of Man or beast and if such modesty or bashfulness be found amongst bruit beasts how much more ought it to be used amongst men Likewise the Alcoran sets down another filthiness and baseness saying in the first Chapter of the first Book that the Moore who repudiats and puts away his wife once yea twice may take her again if the parties be agreed but if he puts her away the third time he cannot take her again untill she have known another husband Now tell me O Moore if thou regardest God what avails it this woman that the first and second time she must only return to her husband and that the third time she may not return untill she have lyen with another husband for it seems to be very void of Reason and is an immodest and a very superfluous expression and it doth not become God or a Prophet to speak of such things this is what hee saith in the first Chapter of the first book The words are in Arabick thus O Attalcaco c. i. e. that a woman repudiated once or twice may return to her husband but if she be repudiated the third time she cannot return to her former husband untill another husband hath had to doe with her Likewise the Alcoran saies and laies down many superfluous things which have no reason in them and are altogether unnecessary as is the story of King Alexander whom they call in Arabick Dulzarnaini in the twelfth Chapter of the second-second-Book where hee saies that this King Alexander went to the place where the Sun setteth and from whence it riseth and that he daily saw the Sun set in a hot Fountain the which oppugneth Philosophie Likewise in the same Chapter he relates another story of what befell Moses and his servant and Enoch whom they call in Arabick Alhadir of which story there is no mention in all the Bible Now tell me O Moore who art an Astrologer whether it be consonant to Reason and truth that the Sun which is in the fourth heaven should daily set in a hot or a cold fountain doth it not appear to thee O Moore to be against Astrologie and Reason Likewise he tells another story of King Alexander in the same Chapter how he lockt up the Lake with bars of Iron and melted Lead that those of Gog and Magog might not pass divers other the like stories the Alcoran mentions which are unreasonable and altogether needless and which I omit because I would not be too tedious But observe and consider O Moore that if the said Histories were true they would all be found in the Bible but because they are not true therefore are they not found any where but in the Alcoran and not in any Authentique writings wherefore I say that Muhamed had done enough is he had inserted into his Alcoran the histories which are in the Bible But in regard he put down nothing but what the two Cutlers told him he hath inserted stories like the persons Now speak O Moore and compare the histories which Moses mentioneth in his five Books called in Arabick the Thora and observe their order and their Chapters and how they follow each other in order and good Computation and what distance of time there was from Adam unto Noah and from Noah unto the Deluge and from the Deluge unto Abraham and from Abraham to Moses and from Moses unto David and from David to Jesus Christ our Lord without fayling in a day or a moment of Time whence it truly appears that it is Divine and truly inspired by God and ordained by his will and then O Moore observe the order of the histories of the Alcoran and thou shalt see that he keeps no order or succession of time for he puts the history of Abraham before that of Noah and the history of Joseph before Abraham and the history of David before Moses and doth not make the Accompt true for he saies that Mary the Sister of Aaron was the Mother of Jesus Christ and that the Virgin Mary was the sister of Moses and Aaron wherein his accout faileth above 1500. years Thou shouldest likewise O Moore consider that Moses hath set down the Historie of the Creation of the World once in the first Chapter of Genesis and sets down the History of Adam and Eve once and how they sinned and were cast out into the earth once in a Chapter by it self he hath also set down the history of Noah and of the Deluge and of the Ark once so also are set down the Histories of Abraham Lot Jacob Joseph Moses David and of all the Patriarks and Prophets each history once and each orderly in its Chapter and thou wilt see O Moore and observe that Muhamed sets down the said histories in the Alcoran 12. 15. 16. 20. times yea even without order for he puts the last first and the first last and so thou wilt come to know that the Alcoran is not of God nor sent from God by his Angell as Muhamed saies Now tell me O Moore what availeth it or what Reason is there to insert the same History so often and every time in Rymes and Consonance after the manner of measured verses Hence it was that
and all that which St. Luke in his Gospell sets down about the mystery of the Incarnation verbatim Concerning the glorious Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ he makes mention in the first Chapter of the third Book wherein he again relates the Salutation and all the mystery of the Nativity which birth was most miraculous and joyfull and the Moores in Arabick call it Almilid and the Moores and Musselmen all the world over doe annually that night use great feasting dancing and great melody especially in the Moresque or mosk of Sciativia in the Kingdom of Valentia and of this glorious Nativity the Alcoran saies in Arabick in the said first Chapter of the third Book thus O Fane dehe c. i. e. That when the Virgin Mary was in Labour she lay under a Palm tree the glossers say that this tree had been dry 30. years and the Chapter goes on and saies that when Jesus Christ was born he told his Mother that if she would shake the tree there should presently good and ripe Dates fall from it the which she did and the tree became green and brought forth good ripe Dates the Moores say that this Palm-tree groweth to this day and is fresh and green and doth annually bring forth dates I Relate this to the end that we may see how great reverence the Moores bear to Jesus Christ and doe esteem him more than any Saint or Prophet in the world which the Alcoran testifies in the second Chapter and fourth Chapter of the first Book saying that Jesus Christ knew the secrets of mens hearts raised the dead healed incurable diseases and caused the blind to see and the dumb to speak all which the Alcoran saies not of Muhamed nor of any other Prophet Furthermore the Alcoran sets down divers excellencies of Christs Disciples whom he calls haguarquin i. e. pure and chaste and saies that they did miracles above nature as he writes in the eighteenth Chapter of the third Book that St. Mathew St. Peter and St. Paul did two miracles in Antioch viz. That they cured a man of a Leprosie and raised the Kings daughter who had been dead five daies by which miracles all the men of Antioch were converted to the faith of Jesus Christ which story the Moores read in the Arabick but understand it not in Arabick it is thus Ogua drib Lehum c. Which is in prose as the Glosserson the Alcoran say that St. Peter and St. Mathew other interpreters say that they were St. Peter and St. John but they all say that St. Peter and another Apostle went to the City of Antioch and without the City found a man full of Leprosie who was called Habib Anajar a very rich man but because of his disease he dwelt out of the City unto whom the two Apostles spake and said that if he beleeved in Jesus Christ and his Law they would cure him and he was content and therupon believed and was Baptized and was presently cured and seeing himself cured hee led the Apostles to his house and set meat before them and laid them down a thousand Crowns of gold for a gratification of his health the Apostles bad him take away his money in regard that they did not those things for money but for love of their Master Jesus Christ The Text in Arabick saies thus Oguagee minazca c. i. e. That when this man saw that he was healed he went about the City crying with a loud voice saying O my people follow these messengers who lead you to the true Law and cure without money all this the Text relates and proceeds saying that because he cryed after this manner the King took him and martyrd him and the Text saies that as soon as this Martyr dyed hee went to Paradise and then he said I would to God that my nation knew that I am in Paradise and doe discourse among the honourable my sins having been pardoned these words in Arabick are Ozule yalli te caumi c. and the history proceeds in the same Chapter and saies that this King after he had martyrd this man took the two Disciples and put them in prison but they were presently helped out by a third man in Arabick the Text saies thus O faahazezne-bicelicin i. e. That God sent them a third man for to help them The Interpreters say that doubtless this third man was St. Paul and the gloss sayes that the assistance that Paul did unto the two Apostles was that he went to the King and told him that he had heard that his Majesty had imprisoned two of the Disciples of Jesus Christ the King answered that it was true then St. Paul prayed the King that his Majesty would be pleased to doe him a favour which was to let the two Disciples be fetcht from prison and brought into his presence because he would examin them what manner of men they were what Law they Preached and what miracles they wrought and that it might be they were delusions whereupon the King caused them to be fetcht out and brought before him and St. Paul then St. Paul began to examine them as though he had not known them and asked them what Law they Preached and what miracles they wrought and they answered that they Preached the Law of Jesus Christ and that in the name and by the power of Jesus Christ they gave sight to the blind and raised the dead then St. Paul desired the King to let one born blind be called for and there was presently a child brought in of five years of age stark blind and St. Paul said to the King O King let us goe to some of your Idols and their we shall see this miracle he saies that they went to the Temple and their Paul desired the King to pray to his Idols to heal the blind Whereupon the King prayd to his Idols to heal the blind child which they did not then said he heal him yee and I will believe in the God whom yee preach then St. Peter took the blind child and healed him and the blind came in seeing with fairer eyes than any one in the City then the King told them that if they would raise his daughter which had been dead five daies he would become Christian and all his people likewise and the Glossers say that at the same time they also raised his said Daughter and that all the people of Antioch were thereupon converted The Text and the gloss of the Alcoran relate all this above now tell me O Moore who bearest great devotion to this Chapter and which amongst the Moores is in as great esteem and value as the Gospell of St. John is amongst the Christians tell me what think you of this above which you never understood behold how thy Alcoran testifies that the Apostles are Saints and that St. Paul did what is aforesaid and for the Martyr the Text of this Chapter testifies that he went into Paradise for being martyred and for dying in
the faith of Jesus Christ why tarriest thou then O Moore why dost thou not become a Christian that thou mayest goe to the place where this Christian Martyr is I believe that divers Moores hear this aforesaid but doe not believe it but bid thou the Moore which denies it to read the gloss of Alzamaxeri and the gloss of Buhatia and if he doe not find what I have set down above word for word in the said two glosses let him call me the greatest lyer in the world This History his Grace Martin Gartia Lord Bishop of Barchinone hath set down in his Book of the Alcoran which I translated out of Arabick into the Spanish tongue by his Graces command and himself hath the said two Arabick glossaries Yee must know that the Alcoran holds forth and attributes three excellencies to our Lord Jesus Christ which it doth not give to any other of the Prophets not to Moses Abraham David no nor to Muhamed The first is that which the Alcoran mentions in the second Chapter of the first Book viz. That he ascended to Heaven in Soul and Body and upon this place the Suné sayes that he must come into the world to judge as a just Judge in Arabick and the Suné he sayes thus Oguayniziolo c. i. e that Jesus the Son of Mary shall come down to the earth and shall be a just Judge therein The second excellency which the Alcoran attributes to Jesus Christ is that it calls him Calimethuallah i. e. The word of God The third is that he is called in the Alcoran Rohc alkodus allah i. e. The holy Spirit of God of which two names never was any man worthy nor ever will be so that having proved that Jesus Christ is the word of God and the holy Spirit of God it is proved that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and very God This appears in the third Chapter of the first Book of the Alcoran which in Arabick runs thus Omet mazeho c. i. e. The Messras Jesus the Son of Mary is no other than the word of God sent to Mary the Spirit of God himself and the messenger of God by which words O Moore thou mayest see that he declares that Jesus Christ is God and Man CHAP. XII The twelfth and last Chapter treateth and sheweth that Christians should not wonder why Muhamed's Sect hath so propagated and that the Moores should not be so presumptuous and say as they usually doe that if their Religion were not good it had never propagated so much for that reason is of no waight It likewise sheweth how Muhamed's Disciples carried themselves after his death and what discords contests and murthers were practised amongst them for dominion and the Vanities of this world and to become Kings Califes and great Potentates NOw to the end that Christians may not have occasion or ground to wonder and much less the Moores to presume I will lay down three causes whereby the Sect of the Moores hath propagated and augmented but not by any goodness in it self The first cause was that Muhamed began and instituted this Law or Religion of the Moores in a Nation very rustick ignorant beastly and Idolatrous being men voyd and destitute of all knowledge and understanding for amongst that people were no Logicians Astrologers Philosophers nor Physicians but they were all earthly given to eating drinking and luxury an ignorant and rude people as the Alcoran calls them in the first Chapter of the first Book in Arabick Sufeha i. e. ignorant people The Countrey likewise was full of Idolaters aswell in Arabia the happy as in Arabia the great and throughout all Persia and Armenia where were twelve sorts or Sects of Idolaters as we shewed in the first Chapter of this book some of them worshiped a tree unto which they Sacrifised and annually celebrated Feasts and a kind of Easter which tree they called Detulanger the Lord and Captain of the Province where this tree was in Muhamed's time was called Azamahinali Others worshipped a great statue made of a black metall which was three fathoms long this Idoll was called Bohinum and it was in the Province of Armenia the Lord and Captain of this Idoll in Muhameds time was called Alquazad Others in Armenia worshipped the Sun and the Prince of that people was called Sanharben Carquar They of Mecca and the Provinces adjacent worshipped Alzete and Alluza as we have said before so that Muhamed began his Sect amongst the most blockish people in the world and unto these Muhamed gave to understand that they were Idolaters and that they ought to worship the God of heaven and earth who was the true God who had Created the Heavens the Planets the earth and the waters that caused rain to fall from heaven and fruits to proceed from the earth for Man and beast that God who caused men to dye and after death to rise again for to reward every man according to his deserts with glory or punishment that God who created the Paradises with so many excellent things for the blessed and that God who created Hell with so many Torments for the Damned All which they of Mecca and the other Idolaters denyed and by his preaching this aforesaid to them which is the Contents of half the Alcoran divers began to believe in Muhameds Law or Sect many likewise were induced to believe Muhamed by reason of the great boasting and threatning which he used when hee read the Alcoran and the scrowles of the Punishment of their predecessors viz. Those who are drowned in the world by the Deluge and who escaped in the Ark of Noah also the People of Lot and of the five Cities which are very neer unto Mecca he also threatned and terrified them with the example of Pharaohs People and the nine plagues which God sent upon them and told them how they were swallowed up in the Sea because they did not believe in Moses hee also terrified them with the pains of Hell and with the horror of the things which hee writes of Hell which is obvious in divers chapters of the Alcoran and thus they beleeved in Muhamed and were perswaded that he who Created all things and hath power over all was the true God so that whereas Muhamed converted them to his own opinion and made them know nine Articles of the Christian faith and those other things of the Christian faith expressed in the precedent Chapter if he had as well given them knowledge of the whole Christian faith and had injoyned them to believe all the 12. Articles and be Baptised he had done very well and they had all been Christians but hee would not doe so because he could not that way have made himself so great as he did The immoderate ambition wherewith Muhamed was transported hath undone the Moores and been the cause of his own and their error and utter perdition Yet this wee must believe that the Moores who believed in God and acknowledged that he
Arabia in an 620. in a small village named Jesrab but now Medinah Alnabi His father was Abdalla the son of Abdalmutalib a worshipper of Idols His mother was Emina a Jewess and of ill repute His father dying and his mother being left very poor shee not able to keep him committed him to an unkle but he casting him off the young Mahomet was a prey to Theevs who as Baudier relates put him into chains among other Slaves and in that quality being set to sale a rich Merchant Abdemonople bought him He trading for his master got his good-will and his master dying he married his rich widow by which mean he grew rich and more ambitious His ambition prompted him to be some great man and by the help of Sergius a Nestorian Monk he would be thought to be a Prophet to gaine the esteem of which he gave out That he did many Miracles That he had conference with the angell Gabriell That God gave him the Alchoran and That the holy Spirit came to him in the shape of a Pigeon But not to spend time in a particular confuting these forgeries a short description of his life will do it sufficiently which I shall borrow out of Baudier his Histoire de la-Religion des Turcs Mahomet was a famous high-way thief robbing the Caravans of Merchants as they travelled from one Country to another by whom he was sometimes wounded sometimes some of his companions were slain and sometimes he succeeded too well for so bad a cause To this he added Cruelty massacring those who opposed his thieving when it lay in his power He is truly infamous for his unbridled Lust having fifteen Wives and two Slaves that were his Concubines Now by this short Narrative let any man judge who hath any seed of God in him yea who hath not defaced the light of nature common to Mankind whether this man be like to be a Prophet of God His Law he calls Alchoran which in the Arabic imports A gathering together of Precepts or Alfurkan which signifies Redemption It is divided into Azoara or chapters which word signifies Faces because as by the face you know the man so by these as by titles you know the contents of that division These Azoara are made fewer or more according to severall editions and hence it is that the quotations out of the Alchoran mentioned in this following discourse do not answer the Azoara of the Alchoran as we have it in English Which the Reader must observe least he think that the Author was mistaken in what he cites The Turks say that their Alchoran was writ upon parchment made of the skin of the Ram sacrificed by Abraham to God in stead of Isaac so Baudier This Alchoran cal's itself in severall places by specious Names sc The confirmation of the Gospell The approbation and explication of the old testament The book of Truth The book of the conversion of men The messenger of eternall joy The guide to mans salvation The mother of books That which leads men from darkness to light I shall not undertake to confute this Alchoran it being so well performed by many who have made it their Proper work and also by the labour of this Convert Moor in this following discourse I shall only say this of it in generall That it is composed of a strange miscellany sc of Rabbinicall fables of histories corruptly recited out of the Old Testament and as fasly quoted out of the New So that what was justly said of the Popish Legend of their Saints That he that made it was a man Plumbei cordis et Aeneae frontis of a leaden heart and of a brasen forehead may most properly be applied to this Book It may justly be wondred at that so great and so wise a people as the Greeks bave been should be given over to such strong delusions But beside the wise and holy councell of God which must silence all this is to be said That God brought this damnable doctrine upon them for that they had accounted Christ crucified to be but foolishnes as Paul saith And also because that in the times immediatly foregoing the spreading of Mahometan doctrine that part of the world had given heed to many false doctrines which had much alienated them from the simplicity of the truth in Christ And lastly because the Greek Empire had made it self very guilty before God and men by their crying abominations of Murder uncleanness Oppression Saint worship Sensuality and the like and through the just judgement of God it came to passe that they who had defiled themselves so grossely should be given up to a reprobate sense to embrace this fardell of lyes and sink of abominations Notwithstanding the generall apostasy of all that part of the world to Mahometan forgeries yet in Histories I find two men who being convinced publiquely declared the imposture of that Religion One is out of Baudier in lib. 3. cap. 5. who sayth That one of their religious men a Talisman came to Constantinople in the reign of Baiazet the second and officiated in their great Mosque called St Sophy in the presence of their Emperour Who in the midst of his exercise threw the Alchoran which he had in his hand down at his feet before all the people and turning himself to the Emperour he preached to him of The falsness of their Law The Impostures of Mahomet and the excellency of the Doctrin of Jesus Christ But the time was not come for their Conversion The Emperour commanded the Talisman to be brought out of the Mosque and to be presently massacred The other is out of the Turkish History where it is sayd That in an 1620. at Medina there was an Apparition which continued for three weeks and one night there was an horrible tempest with thunder and lightning which being ended there was seen these words in the firmament writ in Arabian characters O why will ye believe in Lyes Then there was seen a woman compassed about with the Sun holding a Book in her hand c. All being amazed at these things at last a Dervice which is a strict religions Order among the Turks spake and declared to the people How God had spoke to the Jews by Moses to the Christians by Jesus Christ and to themselvs Arabians by Mahomet after that he said But I fear our Religion will be proved corrupt and our Prophet an Impostor whose prefixed time of comming to his people is now past 40 years agone by our account and then this Christ whom they talk of shall shine forth as the Sun and set up his name everlastingly At this the hearers were startled and they took this Dervice condemned him and tortured him to Death This ensuing book is a Translation of the work of Johannes Andreas Maurus or in English John-Andrew a Moor He wrot in Spanish it was after translated into Italian Latine and French and this in English presented to thee is out of the French a worke desired by many godly and
by the Assistance of Almighty God first in this Kingdome of Valentia I converted and guyded to the way of Salvation many soules of Infidell Moores which were in danger to bee lost in hell and were under the power of the devill from thence I was called by the most Catholick Princes the King Don Ferdinand and the Queen Donna Isabella to goe preach in Granada unto the Moores of that Kingdome whom their Highnesses had Conquered where by the will of God who would so have it and my preaching an infinite number of Moores denying Muhamed were Converted to Christ And a little while after I was by their favour created a Canon and was again called by the sayd Christian Queen Donna Isabella to come to Arragon for to emplay my self in the Conversion of the Moores of that Kingdome who to the great despight and dishonour of our Crucifyed Saviour and to the dammage and perill of Christian Princes still to this day perish in their error But this her Highnesses most holy intent could not take effect by reason of death surprizing her And I that I might not remain idle set my self to translate all the Law of the Moores that is to say The Alchoran and the glosses thereon and the 6 bookes of the suné out of Arabick into the Arragonian toung moved thereunto by the command of the right Reverend father Martyn Garcia Lord Bishop of Barcelona and Inquisitor of Arragon my much honoured Lord to the end that in the Charge which I had from his Grace to preach to the Moores I might Confute and vanquish them by the authority of their own Law which I Could not easily have done without translating it Finally when that was done that I might not hyde the desire which God had given mee for their Conversion I determined to compose this present treatise which shall be divided into twelve Chapters and herein briefly to collect the fabulous fictions ridiculous discourses Impostures bestialities fooleries Vilanies inconveniencies impossibilities and Contradictions which that wicked Muhamed hath sowen and dispersed in the books of his Sect thereby to deceive ignorant people especially in the Alcoran which he sayes was revealed to him in one night by an angell in the City of Meka notwithstanding else-where contradicting himself he affirmes that he was 20 years Composing it I have entituled this Work the Confusion of Muhamed's Sect and my intent in publishing it was that even the weakest Judgements may perceive that in Muhamed's Law there is not any groend or reason how it can bee true and that the ignorant Moores being vanquished by the testimonies of their own nation might know the Error wherein they are and whereunto their false Prophet hath led them I say the ignorant because no men of knowledge amongst them doe beleeve in Muhamed but on the Contrary doe esteeme their Sect to bee false and very bestiall and finally to the end that they might all come in to the holy Law and true End for which they were Created And likewise to the end that not onely wise Christians but also the weakest knowing the various faith of the Moores on the one hand might laugh at their insolencyes and beastlines and on the other hand might lament and bewayl their blindness and perdition Wherefore after this said Treatise had been viewed and Corrected by the Reverend Doctors Mr Soler Officiall of Valentia Canon and Dean of Letida and Mr Jasper Pertusa Canon of the See of Valentia and Mr Jerosme Fuster and Mr John Sola masters in sacred Divinity whereunto ex abundante was added the authority of the Right Reverand and noble Lord Don Mercader Bishop of Tortosa and grand Inquisitor of this Kingdome I endeavored to have it printed and sent into the World for publick good entreating the Curteous Readers if they find any thing in this Treatise well spoken that they would attribute it to God from Whom it proceeds and what may bee evill that they impute it to my small knowledge and insufficiency in the examining and persuing the whole Treatise which with my self I Submit to their benign correction and to the holy Roman Church as a Catholick and a faithfull Christian The Confusion of Mahomet's Sect c. CHAPTER I. The first chapter treateth of Muhamed's life the place of his birth his parents and ancestors when hee began and finished his Sect and his death MUhamed was born in the city of Mecca in Arabia the happy and was the son of an eminent Citizen of that place Called Abdalla Motalib This Abdalla Motalib had eleaven brethren the eldest whereof was Buggelino 2 Bulehebin 3 Hessin 4 Butelib the 5 Corasi the 6 Tanin the 7 Hanza the 8 Alabez c. These two Hanza and Alabez dyed Moores but the other nine Vncles and Muhamed's father dyed Idolaters and were all opposers and mortall enemyes of Muhamed and fought many battailes against him and his Moores in defence of their Idolatry Judging it better to dye Idolaters than to follow his Sect though both their wayes were evill and erroneons Muhamed's parents his Vncles the people of Meka and the Countreys adjacent worshiped an Idoll by them called Aliethe Aluza which Idoll was erected in a tower in the midst of the Temple of Meka This tower was then and is yet called Elcaba and Alkible of which Idoll and Tower wee shall speak hereafter Muhamed's father dyed and lest him Posthumus his mothers name was Imina the daughter of Guabbin she dyed 2 years after his birth and so he became an Orphant and a Nurse called Lina or Alima fosterd him untill he was sixteen years old The descent of Muhamed according to a certain book called Azar which containes a History of his life and death and is as authenlick and of as great authority amongst the Moores as the life of Jesus Christ our Lord is amongst us Christians is thus viz. That Muhamed descended of Ismael the son of Abraham and Hagar Sarah's handmaid from which Hagar the Moores are called Hagarens and ought not to be called Saracens because they do not descend from Sarah the lawfull wife of Abraham but from Hagar who was Sarah's handmaid as wee see in the 16 and. 17 Chapters of Genesis The said book Azar sayes that Abraham had two sons Isaack the son of Sarah and Ismael the son of Hagar and that Ismael the son of Hagar founded and built the temple of Meka and it was called Beitalla i. e. the house of God it is likewise called Beithalla Alharan i. e. the house of God prohibition or excommunication and the reason why it is called prohibition is because that Abraham as that book says fower months in the year forbad and prohibited hunting in the territories of Mecca which the Idolaters afterwards observed and kept in reverence to the Idoll which they erected in the sayd Tower Elaabba And the Moores retain and observe the same Law to this day The second chapter of the first book of the Alcoran saies that the temple of Mecca
wilt find that Muhamed doth not come from a high and excellent generation nor in the best times of the world but in a vile time and of a vilde generation notwithstanding that his originalls which were Abraham and Ismael were holy and good But let us return to Muhamed under the tuition of his nurse Alima The book Azar sayes that when Muhamed was 4 years old he went forth on a certain day with the Nurses son to bring home the Cattle and he being in a field alone the Angell Gabriel came to him in the appearance of a man cloathed with a garment as white as snow and takeing him by the hand led him behind a little hill and there with a razor lanced his breast cut out his heart and took a drop of black matter which the Moores say is in every man in the world and that the devill tempteth men by it which the Angell took from him that he might not be tempted of the devill at any time and after it was taken out the Angell put his heart into his brest again and it became whole as it was before and this the book Azar sayes was the first miracle that Muhamed wrought Concerning which I shall make an argument in due place in the Chapter of offences which shall be the sixth Chapter and so Muhamed remayned with his nurse till he was 16. years old The said book Azar sayes that when Muhamed was 25 years old he took to wife a certaine rich Cosen german of his called Gadisa which was his first wife This womans former husband was a rich merchant and kept many Camells and slaves and traded as a Carryer from Mecca into Syria Persia and Cayre with whom Muhamed made severall journies untill he dyed Muhamed and Gadisa lived together in wedlock till he was 38 years old and Muhamed had 3 daughters and 1 son by her the eldest daughter was called Fatima the second Zeyneb the third Umicultum and his son was called Cazin and dyed at 22 years of age The same year that Muhamed took the said gentle-woman to wife he did an act of Idolatry whereby I will prove to the Moores that he was an Idolater and it was thus Yee must understand that it chanced that year that the people of Mecca repaired a breach which was in the Tower where the said Idoll stood and were constrayned to take the Stone from it's place having repayred the Tower they agreed to put the Stone again in it's place and to avoyd all strife and offence which might arise about which of them should set the Stone again in it's place all the gentry of Mecca cast lots and the lot fell upon Muhamed and a cousen of his Whereupon Muhamed and his cousen came to the Temple to set the Stone again it it 's place and Muhamed took off his Turbane from his head and he and his cousen layd the Stone upon the Turbane to honour it the more so he on one side his cousen on the other took up the Turbane and with great reverence set the stone in it's place and kissed it with an immense devotion and in honour to the said Idoll whence it plainly appeares that Muhamed was an Idolater and did honour and worship the Idoll and kissed magnified and exalted the stone which only thing is of it self great Idolatry And Muhamed not only kissed and adored this Stone before he was a professed Propher but also kissed and adored it after he was a publick Prophet and he commannds and layes down the adoring and kissing of this Stone for an Article of his Law and faith which I prove by the books of the Suné and by a book intituled Aericele in the Chapter of the Ceremonies of the Alhage or Pilgrimage where he sayes and Commands all the Moores which goe a Pilgrimage to Mecca when they goe into the Cathedrall of Mecca the first thing they must doe is to goe to the said Stone adore it and kisse it on the right side The words in Arabick are these Oquahale qulli c. i. e. That every Moore that goes into the Minster of Mecca must first salute and kisse the blessed Stone on the right side which Ceremony the Idolaters observed in the times when the Idoll was in that Tower Elcabba and to this day the Moores observe divers other Ceremonies which those Idolaters observed in reverence to the Idoll as namely the Behiram of the Aladees which is after their Passeover when they kill the sheep the which the said Caydar the Arabians grandsire Ismael's son ordayned and instituted in honour of the Idoll and in memoriall of the ramme which Abraham Sacrificed in stead of his son Isaack nothwithstanding many Moores yea the most part say that it was Ismael and not Isaack but their greatest Doctors say it was Isaack Likewise the Moores keep the Ceremony of the Alhage i. e. Pilgrimage which they doe once in their lives And once a yeare in the three dayes of the Passeover they kill sheep and divers other beasts as the Idolaters did likewise the Moores forbear hunting or killing so much as a lowse or a flee in all the Countrey of Mecca during the aforesaid 4 prohibited months and ye must understand that the Moores make their account and Calculation of time according to the Lunar year and not the Solar and call the twelve Moones of the year each by a particular name whereof 4 are called Prohibited months because of the said hunting forbidden them in the Countrey of Mecca which prohibition they retain from Caydar and his successors in honour to the said Idoll one of these months or Moones is called Rajab the next Quedda the third Hegia the last Moharram from which Moharram they begin their annuall account likewise the Moores observe the fast of the tenth day of the said fourth month which begins the year on which day the Idolaters fasted in reverence to the said Idoll the which I prove by a saying of Muhamed in the sixth book of the Suné where he sayes That the Coraxistes and the people of Mecca fasted this tenth day when they were Idolaters and the words in Arabick are these Oqua quenet c. Likewise the Moores observe the going about the Tower called Elcabba and going seaven times about a pit called Birsemsem which Ceremony the Idolaters observed in memoriall of Hagar and saying that when Hagar was delivered of her son Ismael she brought him to this pit and layd him by it and went to the Temple of Mecca and prayed God to cause water to come forth of the said pit And the Book Azar sayes that Hagar went about the Tower praying to the God of Abraham and went back againe to the well and did thus seaven times and that hereupon God heard her prayers and caused water to issue out of the pit and for this reason and in memoriall hereof the Idolaters went about the Tower and walked seaven times to the well which Ceremonies the Moores observe and they are
God chastised men in old time because of their sins Of every thing in order This Alcoran was begun in Mecca in the year of our Lord 630. which was the fortieth year of the said Muhamed's age the first Chapter thereof was that which the Angell Gabriel gave him in the cave when he said read O Muhamed which Chapter is called The Chapter of the pen and the last Chapter was made at Medina and is called The Chapter of fate i. e. the Conquest and the last verse was that which sayes O college c. i e O Muhamed tell the Moores that nothing is forbidden them to be eaten or drunk except murrain bloud and swynes flesh upon which verse I shall make an argument hereafter in the tenth Chapter of this treatise This said verse is now written in the fourth Chapter of the first book called the Chapter of beasts During the ten years at Mecca he made certain Chapters or Soré which called Asoar Mikia i. e. Chapters or songs made at Mecca and during the eleaven years that he dwelt at Almedina he made the other Chapters called Soar Medina i. e. songs made in Medina and not at Mecca so that those which were made at Mecca were not made at Medina And he doth not make this distinction without cause whereof I shall speak ere long in dew place Now forasmuch as he could not write he kept a Clark or Secretary who wrot the scrowls of the Alcoran for him and Muhamed gave out that the Angell Gabriel came to him from time to time with the verses of the Alcoran which God sent him as occasion required and as soon as the Angell had privately told him the verses he presently commanded his clark to write them in a Scrowl or note and to give them unto the Moores to learn them by heart and afterwards he took them again and put them into the said shrine or box of the Mensegina afterwards he took a Secretary called Abdalla Celen who before was a Jewe and this man was his Secretary ten years and forasmuch as he had formerly been a Jew and well read and instructed in the Law of the Hebrews he at last perceived and took notice that all that Muhamed dictated to him was forged and not given by God yet notwithstanding he would and did make triall of it for his satisfaction and it was thus whensoever he was commanded to write such and such verses he would turne the end of the verse to another meaning changing the words and order but not the rime nor consonance For ye must understand that the Alcoran is all in rime and consonance of meeter so that when he was commanded to write at the end of a verse alla hazizum haquimun he wrote alla cemilum halimum that is when Muhamed commanded him to write God is gracious and wise the said secretary wrot God is a hearer and Judge And when he bad him write that God was Almighty and most high he would set down that God was mercifull and gracious and thus the said secretary continued seven years changing the end of the verses and when they were changed Muhamed did not perceive it whereupon the Secretary concluded that if it were a thing from God so much time would not have passed but Muhamed would have had knowledge of it either from God or from his friend the Angell All which I prove from the book called Azzifa and by the book Azear so the secretary seeing this renounced his office and turned Jew again as he was at first and the said books say that Muhamed had another secretary who also renounced his office upon the same reason Now speak O Moore and consider what a Law yee have in the Alcoran and how doe yee observe it yea if a Moore change a letter or corrupt a clause or correct one accent of it he must presently be stoned by the Law and Suné How came it to passe that Muhamed suffered so many verses to be changed and in so many years could not perceive that the Jew abused him but gave out himself to bee the greatest Prophet that ever came into the world and so thou wilt come to know that if the Alcoran had been sent from God to Muhamed by an Angell he would have been informed and have had notice of this aforesaid and the Alcoran would have been corrected and the Jew punisht chastised But in regard hee was neither Prophet nor the Alcoran the word of God therefore the Jew proceeded altering the verses at his pleasure and Muhamed knew not of it Divers Moores took offence when he caused the Alcoran to be written because that one day he would cause verses to be set down commanding some and forbidding other things and another day he would dictate and cause other verses to be written forbidding what he had before allowed and permitted them and making that Lawfull which he had before forbidden and thus yee shall find in the Alcoran above one hundred and fifty verses of those contrarieties and repugnancies which are called revoked verses because they are revoked and annulled by other verses called revocatory verses which they expresse in Arabick by Hacen and Mausoh Moreover Muhamed injoyned the Moores to read certaine verses and this rumination of verses continued a year or two and afterwards they forgot them and when they told Muhamed that they had forgot their verses and desired him to repeate them again to them it seemes he could not remember them himself and he would answer them that God made him forget them but the Moores reproved him and told him that if they were verses from God he ought not to forget them and if he could not remember them why did he not get them to be inspired into him again seeing his friend the Angell Gabriel conversed with him but he on the contrary instituted a verse to reprove them in the first Chapter of the first book which sayes in Arabick Omenen Zehamin c. i. e. That God doth not suffer any verse to be revoaked or forgotten but for to send another like it or a better as if he would say that the verses lately forgotten could not be called to remembrance again because God had already in exchange given the like better verses So that by his great subtilty and cunning he had as many excuses as faylers and a salve for every sore What wilt thou say O Moore unto those verses in the Alcoran in the first book and Chapter viz Oya aynhe alledine c. which in Prose signifies That God had expressely commanded on penalty that whosoever doth the contrary incurs great transgression and sin and what was it to wit when a Morish man or woman are like to dye they have power to make a Will and thereby to bequeath a third part of their goods to their parents brethren and next kindred and in the verses aforesaid he sayth that this commandement must be permanent and just amongst the righteous and whosoever
shall change it let God's curse light on him And according to this commandement the Moores disposed of their Estates for one while during Muhamed's life and if any one bequeathed a third part of his goods to his parents or brethren the Will was firme by force of that commandement and verse But afterwards there came a crochet into Muhamed's head and without any verse of the Alcoran he gave a verball command clean contrary viz. he Commanded that they should in no case leave a third part of their goods to father mother sister nor brother and according to this last saying of Muhamed the Moores afterwards gave Judgement and doe judge to this day and leave the commandement of God and the verses as a thing cancelled and annulled Now tell mee O Moore Which are those like or better verses which revoke the verses aforesaid because the Alcoran in a Chapter of the first book sayes that God doth not revoke any verse but to give another like it or a better But seeing thou hast no answer but Silence thou must know that it is a great transgression to leave the commandement of God for the command of Muhamed It were no great wonder if one of God's commands did revoke another of his commands and one of God's verses revoke another of his verses because he that makes a Law may and hath authority to annull it as wee find in the holy scripture that God commandeth and afterwards forbideth as when he commanded Abraham to Sacrifice his son Isaack and afterwards would that he should not Sacrifice him but a Ram and thelike of the Prophet Jonas Therefore it is a marvelous thing and without reason and justice that the commandement of God should be revoked and abolished by a sinfull man and that they should observe what a man sayes and leave what God sayes as voyd and of no force From whence thou mayest know O Moore that the Alcoran is not the word of God because that the word of God is as God himself and none can nullifye God or his word Now then in regard the Alcoran is not the word of God Muhamed hath annulled it and rejected it for that which God hath layd down for a command of Law Muhamed commandeth that they doe the contrary not shewing any authority from God as he used to doe for divers matters and for severall acts which he did as a little hereafter shall appeare And how can it be authentick seeing Muhamed during all the time of the twenty three years in which he was giving the Law and making the Alcoran alwayes altered the verses and commanded them to doe many things by authority of the verses of the Alcoran and afterwards commanded the clean contrary and to that purpose gave authority by other verses which revoked the former verses as appears in the changing of the Alkibla where by the authority of the Alcoran he urgeth that they should not pray but in the said house of Jerusalem or in the house or Mosque of Mecca right against the tower called Elcabba and for this cause it is now called Alkibla of which Alkibla and alteration I shall say something in the Chapter of offences and thus I say that for these reasons Muhamed never commanded that his Alcoran should be collected or reduced into bookes and Chapters as now it is but kept it in the said scrowles or papers in the aforesaid ark or shrine and many of them were lost and could never be found so that if he had lived a hundred years he would still have altered his Law and the Alcoran would never have been finished and therefore he did not reduce it into the form which it now hath But it was done after he was dead when Hozman his son-in-Law was King and Caliph who was the third King after Muhamed for after Muhamed's death the aforesaid Vbequar succeeded as King and Caliph after Vbequar Homar Alhatab was King and Caliph which two were Muhamed's fathers in Law and after Homar this Hozman succeeded in the throne and he was the man who took the scrowles and papers out of the box or Shrine and put them into order and entitled the Chapters and made four books of them and in the first book put five Chapters the first whereof is called the Chapter of the Cow the second the Chapter of the Lineage of Joachim the father of our Lady the third the Chapter of woman the fourth the Chapter of the table and the fifth the Chapter of beasts In the second book he put 12. Chapters 1. The Chapter of the wall 2. Of Spoyles 3. Of the sword 4. Of the Prophet Jonas 5. Of Hud a new Prophet named by Muhamed 6. Of Joseph the son of Jacob. 7. Of Thrones 8. Of Abraham 9. Of the Ahigere 10. Of flyes 11. Of the Voyage of Muhamed 12. Of the Cave and the 7. Sleepers In the third book he put 19 Chapters 1. The Chapter of the Virgin Mary 2. Of Taha 3. Of the Prophets 4. Of the Earthquaks 5. Of Beleevers 6. Of the Light 7. Of the Gibbet 8. Of the Executioners 9. Of the Pismire 10. Of Cahaz 11. Of Spyders 12. Of Lucumen a saint and David's Friend 13. Of Bowing or inclination 14. Of the Romans 15. Of the Creator 16. Of the Saboath 17. Of additions 18. of Man 19. Of Angels In the fourth book he hath put 175. Chapters and to each a particular name so that the Alcoran hath 211. Chapters and as much is written in the first book as in the second and as much in the third as in the fourth This said Hozman who collected the Alcoran doth not in those 4. books and 211. Chapters set down all the Alcoran which the Moores in Muhamed's time read in the scrowles or papers which the said Secretaries wrote the which I prove by the book Azar and by the book of Azzifa which say that in Muhamed's time the 17th Chapter of additions in the third book was as big as the Chapter of the Cow which is the first Chapter of the first book but now it is not above halfe as big as the Chapter of the Cow so that there wants halfe the Chapter And I prove it further because that when the aforesaid Hozman collected the Alcoran he found severall papers of the Alcoran in the house of Axa Muhamed's wife eaten by mice out of which he could gather nothing they having laine behind a chest and being spoyled with damp and mice I also further prove it by the aforesaid books which say that when the said Hozman collected the Alcoran he went about asking every one what he remembred of the Alcoran some told him that they had forgotten much of it Others told him that in such a wall he should find such and such verses in writing And so amongst the walls and the Moores he got part of it yet neverthelesse he never found the verse which in Muhamed's time commanded that married persons taken in Adultery should be stoned which verse
Sister of Aaron Observe O Moore the great error which the Alchoran committeth in this place and how he takes one person for another putting the Virgin Mary for the Sister of Moses and Aaron who was called Mary the Prophetess and there were above 1500. years between them Now can we call a Scripture which erres in so much time the Word or Scripture of God And if it were as some learned Moores say that even as God would and Commanded that Sarah Abraham's Wife should conceive her son Isaac when she was already ninety years old and was forty years past the time of conception So also God had preserved this Mary the Sister of Aaron that from her Jesus Christ our Saviour the Messias should come This reason is not good because in the second Chapter of the first Book he relates the conception of the Virgin Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ and how she was offered in the Temple for the service of God and that the Priests in those times cast lots which of them should have the tuition of her and the said Chapter sayes that the lot fell upon Zachary and that he took charge of her And in the same chapter sayes further that this Mary had communication with the Angels and talked with them and that she was fed and nourished with celestiall food which ye may read thus in the Arabick Ogna id calati c. and likewise he sayes in Arabick O quullenie da hale c. i. e. That the Angell said to Mary O Mary certainly God hath chosen adorned and exalted thee above the women of all generations and sayes further that one day Zachary went into Maries Oratory he having the keyes and there found her eating food which he had not given her and he said O Mary whence hadst thou this food seeing I have the Keyes of the Oratory and she answered him that God sent it her The Commentators of the Alcoran say upon this place that the food which Zachary found Mary eating was ripe fruits out of their season This was the same Mary to whom the Angell Gabriel came as appears in the same Chapter which is called in Arabick Sorathe alehamran i. e. a Song of the generation of Joachim the Father of the Virgin Mary I have set down this here for the greater demonstration and proof that this Mary was she unto whom the Angel Gabriel came with the salutation saying Hayle Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee and that conceived Jesus Christ of the Holy Ghost This salutation is in Arabick thus Oya Maryemujune c. Wherefore O Moore I conclude that this Mary was not the Sister of Aaron for the Sister of Aaron was not in the time of Zacharias the Father of St. John Baptist as this Mary was And Muhamed was deceived here by the name of Moses father who in Arabick is called Hembram by which name Joachim our Ladye 's father is called in Arabick And thus O Moore I tell thee that the reason which the Moores give of Maries being Aarons Sister is invallid seeing it is proved by the same Alcoran that this Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ lived in the time of Zacharias above 1500. years after the other Mary So that wee must say that Muhamed and the Alcoran take one person for another and erre in so long time A thing which is not sutable to a Prophet nor to the Scripture of God and therefore I say that Muhamed was neither a Prophet nor the Alcoran the Scripture of God And hence it appears how the Cutler 's made him erre and put one thing for another in the Alcoran and transpose the Histories of the Prophets out of due place putting the first last and the last first as shall hereafter appear so that it hapned to Muhamed with his Cutlers as the Proverb sayes When the blind leads the blind they both fall into the ditch The fourth Argument is from what he sayes in the third Chapter of the third Book the words in Arabick are O qualacad c. i. e. That God sent the Alforcan which is the same with the Alcoran unto Moses and Aaron for a Light and admonition to the just If the Moores say that Alforcan doth not signifie the Alcoran I will prove the contrary by the same Alcoran which in the second Chapter of the first Book sayes Onzele athorata y aliugile y nezele alforcane haleique i. e. God inspired the Thora the Gospell and the Alforcan into Muhamed and the same is in the seventh Chapter of the third Book in Arabick Otabaraque c. i. e. blessed be he that caused the Alforcan to descend upon his servant Muhamed for to admonish the Nations whence it appears from the Alcoran it self that Alforcan imports as much as Alcoran and therefore O Moore I conclude that Muhamed and the Alcoran erre likewise in this passage in saying that God sent it to Moses and wee need not wonder if Muhamed lay down this error seeing he sayes further in the Suné that David read all the Alcoran whilst they sadled his Mule for hee that sayes the one may as well say the other and he that makes one girdle may make a hundred And if thou sayest O Moore that by the Alcoran is meant the Psalter of David I say and prove the contrary by the Alcoran it self which in Arabick sayes thus O qualacad ateyne deude Zabora i. e. God sent and gave the Psalter to David hee doth not say that he gave him the Alcoran And the said Muhamed in the Suné sayes that God sent the Thorah to Moses the Gospel to Jesus Christ the Son of Mary the Psalter to David and the Alcoran to Muhamed And so I tell thee that thou hast no other answer than silence And knowest thou not O Moorish Alfaqui * Chief Priest in the Mahometan Religion who canst say the Alcoran by rote that it sayes in above 300 places that God gave the five books to Moses which he calls in Arabick Athorata and saies likewise in above as many places that God gave the Gospel to Jesus Christ and the Azabor i. e. the Psalter to David and in a thousand such places he doth not any where say that Alforcan signifies the Athora nor that the Psalter signifies the Alcoran therefore consider this well and thou wilt see and know the truth The fifth Argument is from what is said in the first Chapter of the first Book concerning two Angels called Harod and Marod who are hanged by the eye-lids in a Cave in the City of Babylon and are there tormented untill the day of Judgement the which he expresseth thus in Arabick O guame unzile c. signifying what hapned to the two Angels called Harote and Marute in Babylon The gloss upon this text sayes That God sent two Angels as Judges to the City of Babylon to doe judgement in that City unto the people and every night they ascended into heaven and descended every morning and sayes
that one day a fair Lady came to them and complained of her husband and was so acceptable unto them that they solicited her chastity she told them that she was content to grant their desires upon condition that they would teach her their Praier whereby they ascended into heaven They through the great desire they had to enjoy her company taught her the Praier and when she had it perfect she presently repeated it and ascended to heaven and the Gloss sayes that when the Angels would have ascended again to heaven they could not and by reason of the sin which they had committed they lost the grace of Praier and remained on earth then God denounced against them that they should choose their punishment whether they would suffer it in this world or in the next and they chose it in this world and so for that sin they remain hanging by the eye-lids untill the day of Judgement The text of the Alcoran sayes that those two Angels taught the men of that place the art of Negromancy and divers of the Moores say that this woman was translated into the Star or light of the morning although it be not received for authentick and approved of amongst the Moores All this aforesaid I prove by the Alcoran by the gloss or CoÌ„ment on the Alcoran and by the Suné Now behold O Moore who art an Astrologer and a Philosopher and consider this History in thy Alcoran and thou wilt see whether there be any reason in it Likewise behold thou Moore who art a Divine according to the Moorish Divinitie which is called in Arabick Tenbid and thou wilt see whether it can be conceived by a Moorish Divine that the Angels were ever Judges on earth and whether they have ever known or can know women But thou maist say that they had ground to search this woman O Moorish Divine dost thou not conceive that such a thing doth not savour of Divinitie nor can a wise man believe it especially a Divine Likewise tell me O Moore who daily readest the Alcoran how can it consist with the Alcoran Which sayd that Angels are Spirits which is in Arabick Roch for if the Angels are Roch and Spirits as the Alcoran makes 'em then they are not Corporeall as he sayes here and in divers other places and as shall hereafter further appear The sixth Argument is upon what is said in the ninth Chapter of the second book and the nineteenth Chapter of the third book and niâ—the Chapter of Dominion or Empire in the fourth book where he sayes that the Stars lye in the first Heaven that God set them there for the beauty and Ornament of the World and to the end that they should stone the devils and that the said Stars are the keepers of Heaven that the devils may not goe into it and that God set them there for this purpose for ye must know that when the devils ascend towards Heaven immediatly the Stars goe and encounter them with fiery Darts as it is in the nineteenth Chapter of the third book the very words wherof are in Arabick thus O gualacad zeynne c. i. e. That God set the Stars in the Heaven for the beautifying of the world and as a guard against all the cursed devils and that a Star with a brand or flame of fire doth interpose against the devill that would hear the secrets and all this or little lesse all the Chapters above quoted doe alleage And hereupon the Suné says that the Stars are set in the first Heaven bound with chains of gold and that the greatest of them is as big as a great mountain And the Suné says that the devils climb up to Heaven and hear divine secrets and then come down hither and tell those secrets to divers men their familiars This Muhamed sayes in the book of Flowers and that the Stars which guard Heaven doe presently interpose and confront the devils with firebrands when they come and the devils flee from them and goe away with what secrets they have heard and reveale them to divine men Now speak O Moore who art a wise Astrologer Divine and Philosopher whether this can enter into the brains of a man of any of these professions tell me where is that Astrologer who grants that the Stars are fixed and bound to the first Heaven with golden chains hast thou not read the sayings of Philosophers who affirme that the least Star is greater than all the Earth and for what he says that all the Stars are in the first Heaven knowst thou not that the Planets are in seven Heavens each having his particular orbe and knowest thou not that the Moon is in the first and nearest to us Mercury in the second Venus in the third the Sun in the fourth Mars in the fifth Jupiter in the sixth and Saturne in the seventh highest of all Now speak O Moore what thinkest thou of this thy Scripture which speaks so many absurdities weigh and consider it well and thou wilt find that it was all dictated by the aforesaid Cutlers and not by God nor sent by the Angell of God The names of the Planets in Arabick are these 1. Hilil for the Moon 2. Ymareh Mercury 3. Zahra Venus 4. Samei The Sun 5. Musteri Mars 6. Hotared Jupiter 7. Zohal Saturne And all the Stars are in the eighth Heaven in which are the twelve Signs the first of which is called in Arabick 1. Quabsi for Aries 2. Zanre Taurus 3. Toguemen Gemini 4. Zaraton Cancer 5. Aced Leo. 6. Alhadra Virgo 7. Arinzen Libra 8. Alauce Sagitarius 9. Algidi Capricornus 10. Alhamle Scorpio 11. Adalu Aquarius 12. Alhot Pisces I have wrote all this because that thou O Moore who art a good Astrologer shouldst peruse thy books of Astrology and what the Moores Astrologers have written and see whether thou canst find what the Alcoran sayes to correspond with their writings and meanings and so thou shalt see that it is clean contrary and not Consonant to what they say and write of this matter The seventh Argument is upon what he sayes in the eighth Chapter of the fourth book and in the Chapter of Devils where he sayes that a Company of Devils came one night to hear Muhamed and the Moores read the Alcoran and in these two Chapters hee sayes that the Devils took such delight in the Alcoran that they presently beleived in Muhamed and became Moores And the words of the Alcoran in the Chapter of Devils are thus O coluhia c. i. e. O Muhamed tell the Moores that a Company of Devils heard the Alcoran and said one to another that they had heard the wonderfull Alcoran read and that they beleived it and were not miscriants against their Creatour And the words of the eighth Chapter run thus in Arabick O guaid Zarafna c. i. e. And when God sent thee a Company of Devils that they might hear the Alcoran when they heard it read they bad each other be silent
and after they had heard it read they all went and admonished their people saying O our people know ye that wee have heard a book read which is inspired since Moses which book shews the right way of Truth wherefore come yee and obey the Prophet and beleive in him and God will pardon your sins and deliver you from cruell torments and whosoever will not obey the Prophet and beleive in him shall not dwell long on earth and shall have great torments All this is in the Arabick verbatim as in our tongue and ye may read it in the Alcoran in the two fore quoted Chapters Which is not onely against reason and against divine and humane Law but is also a great heresy and a horrid blasphemy being against God Angels and men against all Scripture and the very Alcoran it self For tell me O Moore who daily readest the Alcoran doth it not direct thee to apply unto God for defence against evill and cursed Devils and Commandeth thee that when ever thou takest in hand to read the Alcoran thou must say in Arabick O ahudu billehi mine Saytani ragini i. e. Preserve me O God from the wicked and cursed Devill In divers places the Alcoran sayes that ye must resist the Devill because he is the manifest enemy of men and yet here the Alcoran sayes that they are become the friends of men God Muhamed and the Angels Doest thou not conceive that this contradicts the Commandement of God who cursed the Devill and for ever deprived him of his favour and when he sayes that God pardoned their sins who became Moores he contradicteth and opposeth the very Angels For all the good Angels fought against the evill Angels and vanquished them and drove them out of Paradice and they fell from their seats for ever and yet the Alcoran sayes that the Devils must goe into Paradise and be pertakers of glory with the Angels and return to their first Stations Doth it not appear unto thee O Moore to be injustice in God that the Devils whom he hath for ever rejected should return again into his glory Behold O Moore and consider this grosse error which Muhamed hath inserted in his Alchoran and thou wilt perceive that it is not the word of God nor a Law given by him The eight Argument is from the eight Chapter of the fifth book and the Chapter of Decoquer at in the fourth book where he sayes that brutish and irrationall creatures shall rise again at the day of Judgement and that God shall judge between them this Muhamed sayes in the Suné The words of the Alcoran are thus in Arabick Oguame mindelbetin c. i. e. that all the beasts of the earth and all the foules of the ayre shall rise again in the day of Judgement And in the Suné he sayes that God shall so doe justice betwixt the creatures that the beast that hath been gored with ahorne shall have satisfaction from the beast that gored it Likewise he sayes in the Sunê that all the sheepe which the Moores kill in their feasts or Passeovers shall rise at the day of judgement and pray for the Moores who caused them to bee slain And sayes further that when the Angell St. Michael shall weigh the good and bad works of men these sheep shall come and lye in the ballance of their good works so that the good works of such a man shall weigh more than his evill works And for this reason the Moores kill many sheep in their feast or passeover although they are not bound to kill above one Now tell mee O Moore who art endowed with reason and discretion what thinkest thou of this aforesaid is it not an unreasonable thing and Contrary to all divine and humane Lawes yea against the very Alcoran it self because in the second Chapter of the second book of the Alcoran he sayes these words in Arabick Oinne Sarra c. i. e. that the worst beasts before God are those which are deafe and dumb which understand nothing as if he should say that bruite beasts are deaf without understanding and dumb without reason and judgement And in regard they are without reason and judgement therefore they are not lyable to punishment in this world for any hurt they doe for these beasts daily kill other beasts and divers men but a beast is not to suffer for the death of another beast nor for the death of a man as wee often see a bull bayted kill two or three men without being punished for it because that as the Alcoran sayes they are deaf without understanding and dumb without reason and judgement How is it then that the Alcoran sayes here that beasts shall rise to judgement If wee say that beasts shall rise to judgement at the last day wee must also say that those beasts which have done good works shall be rewarded and goe into Paradise and those which shall have done evill works shall be punished in hell the which Muhamed sayes and affirmes in the Suné though the Alcoran say it not And in the Suné Muhamed sayes that the sheep which the Moores kill at their Easter shall goe into Paradise He likewise sayes that the Ram which Abraham Sacrificed instead of his son Isaack was fed forty years in Paradise the which the Moorish Alfaquy's also say in their sermon at the feast of the Adabeyes The words in Arabick run thus O faatehu c. i. e. that the Angell Gabriel brought a black ram to Abraham which had fed forty years in Paradise Furthermore Muhamed in the Suné speaking to the Moores concerning his transportation to heaven sayes that Alborac would not suffer Muhamed to bestryde him except Muhamed would promise him to let him goe into Paradise the Suné sayes that Muhamed then promised Alborac that he should be the first beast that should goe into Paradise whence it appeares O Moore according to what the Suné affirmes that beasts shall goe into Paradise the which is contrary to truth and against reason One thing I will say O Moore in this place concerning the Ram which Abraham Sacrificed which was fed and pastured forty years in Paradise viz that thou shouldest give me an Arithmeticall account how many thousand Trickles did that Ram cast in Paradise during those forty years the which you may find by the rule of multiplication What thinkest thou now O Moore of such and so great a foolery and a thing so worthy of laughter In breife all that the Moores beleeve and hold is corporeall and terrene and not spirituall aswell in respect of this mundane life and conversation as in respect of the glory which wee are to have in the world to come And in Muhamed's Law or Religion it is not sufficient to say that men eat and drink in Paradise but he comes to the impudence as to say that bruit beasts goe eat and drink in Paradise and so I conclude that the Law the Prophet and Scripture which treateth and speaketh of such
to be true And if they were true how comes it that they were not recorded amongst so many other things which are written of Salomon So that O Moore you must believe that this was all composed and Contrived by the two Cutlers above mentioned and not by God Likewise the Alcoran sayes in the 19th Chapter of the third Book That God created a Tree in Hell which tree as the Comment saies is as big as all Hell and that the chief of the Devills is the fruit of this tree which tree is called Saiaratazacom Of which fruit he sayes the damned shall eat and shall drink boyling lead and with such drink shall fill their bellies The words are in Arabick Oim sajaratazacom talhohaquaro ozosayatim Of which tree the people of Mecca and Muhamed's Uncles made a scoff made verses on it and upon occasion of this tree divers Moores fel away and returned to their former opinions and hereupon this tree in another place of the Alcoran is called The cursed tree viz. in the eleventh Chapter of the second Book which in Arabick sayes thus O guassa jarate c. i. e. That Muhamed terrified or threatned the peeple of Mecca with the cursed tree The Comment sayes that it was called accursed because it was an occasion of the losse of divers Moores who thereupon became advised and returned to their former Sects The Alcoran speaks yet a greater fable than these saying that God created the Heavens of Smoak in Arabick it sayes thus O cune aztegne c. i. e. that God sits in the Heavens being of smoak and saith c. In the Suné Muhamed sayes that God hath fixed the earth upon the point of an Oxes horn and sayes that Earthquakes proceed from this Oxe who bears the earth on the top of his horn Now tell me O Moore who art an Astrologer and hast read Ptolomy and understandest the sphear and the Astrolabe and also knowest how the earth is fixed and remains firm for the motion of the Heavens What thinkest thou of this Oxe who carrys the earth on his horn for if the earth be fixed on this Oxes horn on what doth this Oxe stand Consider O Moore this great mistake and error which is so ignorant and unreasonable as to affirm that the Heavens are created of smoak and that the earth is fixed on an Oxes horn Likewise O Moore I would have thee consider whether this Oxe be a bruit beast or an Angell if thou sayest it is a beast then you must consider that the Oxe must eat and drink and dye and if the Oxe dyes then is the earth destroyed But if thou sayest that this Oxe is an Angel it must also dye * According to Mahomets opinion seeing Angels dye and so the earth will bee destroyed And therefore I conclude that all this aforesaid is a meer vanity and hath neither reason nor truth in it but are as great fooleries as those of John de Lenzina for it was never asserted by any Philosopher Astrologer Prophet or Scripture that the earth is founded or established on the horn of an Oxe or Cow Muhamed further sayes and relates another thing in the Suné which amongst the Moores is held for an Article of their faith and Law viz. When any deceased person is laid in the grave and buried there come two black Angels to him who are called in Arabick Munguir and Guannequir one of which Angels carryes an Iron Mace and the other certain Iron hooks or Forks and these Angels cause the dead person to rise on his knees and the dead person doth put on his soul over his body even as a man puts on a shirt but so that here the Suné sayes not that the dead shall rise again out of the grave but onely that the body shall put on the soul and after that the dead party hath put on his soul and is raised on his knees these Angels begin to examine him and aske him whether he believed in Muhamed and his Law and whether hee did good works in this world that is to say whether he made his Zala and fasted his Ramadan paid Tyths and gave Alms and if the dead render a good account of himself then these two black Angels leave him and there come two other Angels as white as Snow and one of them sitteth at his head and the other at his feet and thus these two Angels shall accōpany the dead person untill the day of Judgement But if the dead party give an ill account of himself then sayes the Suné the Angell that carrys the Mace shall strike him such a blow on the head as shall run him seaven fathome under ground and the other shall presently fasten his hooks upon him and drag him under the earth and he that hath the Mace shall continually beat him with great blows and he that hath the forks shall continually drag him untill the day of Judgement All which the Moores hold for authentick and for an Article of their Faith The words in Arabick say thus Ogua anne Almu c. i. e. That the Moores are examined in their Sepulchers whether they have done good or evill works and that God will confirm and accomplish the answer of those that believe in him and in Muhamed meaning that they will answer well and shall not have any torments For which purpose and the Angels examination the Moores make their Sepulchers spacious leaving a void place where the dead lyeth and covering the place with plancks that the earth may not fall on the dead party Likewise they leave the cloaths wherein the dead is wound up untyed at the head and feet that the dead may put forth his head and feet and raise himself upon his knees when he is examined And also the Moores put about the dead body certain names written with Safforn and Oringe-flower water or wrap them in the winding sheet to the end that the dead person may be delivered from the pains and torments of the grave and Sepulcher Furthermore the Moores have a praier which they say every day after their Zala or morning praier beseeching God to deliver and preserve them from the torments of the grave which praier is in Arabick thus O allahume negine c. i. e. Deliver me O Lord God from the inquisition of the two Angels and from the torments of the grave and from the evill life Amen All this I have here inserted that the Moores may not deny this Article and that they may also see the vanity which they hold and believe in their Law or Worship For this is a very vain and ridiculous thing and without any reason Now speak O Moore who art a man of good reason and judgement how is it possible that such a saying as this can enter into thy head and that thou shouldest believe so great a mockery and untruth the which doth contradict the Alcoran and the Suné it self For the Alcoran and the Suné in severall places doe say
that God loved Muhamed exceedingly seeing hee alwaies sent him Verses and Chapters for every purpose and according to his own desires And this appears to be true by another most shamefull and scandalous Act which Muhamed did upon which he composed almost a whole Chapter for to satisfy his desires and to repair his honour giving out that God sent this Chapter to him and the Moores for to give them a new generall Law which Law much pleased the Moores then living those which followed and those now living as will here under appear For yee must know that a certain King of the Jacobites called Baheira presented to Muhamed a very beautifull maiden being a Jewesse called Marine of 15. years of age with whom Muhamed fell in love and sought opportunity to lye with her which at last he did with this Lasse was Muhamed taken and surprised by two of his wives whom he best loved and were the most noble and principall of them all wherof the one was called Axa the daughter of Ubequar and the other was called Hafeza the daughter of Homar And being thus by them surprized with the said young girle they reproved Muhamed telling him that he had done a thing unworthy a Prophet or a married man and had committed Adultery against all his Wives whereupon Muhamed sought reconciliation and told them that if they would keep it secret he would swear to them by God never to doe the like with the said Marine again and so they were perswaded to keep the thing secret but nevertheless like discreet Women they told him that if he came again to the said Marine it should be lawfull for them to repudiate him and be divorced from him So that what Muhamed had done did hereupon remain secret certain dayes but nevertheless the affection and love which Muhamed bore to this young Lasse and the jealousy and diligence of his two wives was so great that at last they took him again with the young Wench and hereupon being much enraged they went to their Fathers houses as repudiated Wives upon which occasion the secret was published and Muhamed disgraced and the people being much offended murmured and spake a thousand blasphemies whereupon Muhamed was much cast down confounded aswell for the disgrace and divulging of the secret as for his two Wives who were the most dearly valued and noblest that he had and for these reasons Muhamed was quite dasht out of countenance but being a very subtile and crafty man he had presently recourse to the remedy of the Alcoran unto which he composed a Chapter and made a new Law for all the Moores that they might lye with their slaves with as much freedom as with their Wives notwithstanding that their Wives were angry and repined at it as his Wives had done the which Law he put in the beginning of the Chapter thereby to gain the favour of all the Moores and in the said Chapter is set down how Muhamed was excused and did not sin and that his Wives ought not to publish any thing which he did in secret and that God warned his Wives to return to him and thus Muhamed cleared himself and repayred his credit and got his two Wives again who were thereupon satisfied and became conformable and returned very penitent to Muhamed And so Muhamed lay with his slave the young Girl by authority of the Law which he inserted in the said Chapter Whereupon all his Wives said that he did whatsoever he pleased like God and that God sent him Chapters and verses purposely to satisfy his will The Chapter which Muhamed made and composed upon the aforesaid occasion is called the Chapter of Prohibition in the fourth book and sayes in Arabick thus Oya ayue c. Which signifies O Prophet because that to content thy Wives thou wilt prohibit what is lawfull for thee therefore know that God permitteth you Moores freedom to lye with your slaves which was not permitted from the beginning And so the Chapter proceeds and sayes thus And when the Prophet committeth a secret to any of his Wives which they publish if yee Wives will repent before God good will betide you but if yee will remain repudiated from Muhamed his Creator will give him other Wives Moores believers devout Virgins and Widows All this the said Chapter contains verbatim So that when Muhamed had caused the Chapter to be written by his Secretary in a table-book or scrowl he made him to read it to the Moores and when the Moores heard it and read it they were much pleased with such a Law whereby they might lye with their slaves and upon the giving of this Law and Capter they were reconciled to him and favoured him so much that they all went and exclaimed against his Wives and told them that God threatned them if they would not return to him Insomuch that their Parents went to Muhamed to entreate him to receive them again because they desired no man but himself And so with this Law and Chapter all things were in peace Now speak O Moore and consider that Muhamed is not blameless in his actions although the said Chapter doe much favour him For although in this Chapter he permits the Moores to lye with their slaves yet it doth not follow but that Muhamed committed Adultery Because the Chapter was published and the Law given to the Moores after Muhamed had known the slave and had been twice taken with her And besides that Chapter doth not acquit Muhamed from the guilt of perjury because he sware and engaged his faith to his Wives that he would never touch the said young Wench again So that although the Chapter doe favour Muhamed and the Moores were pleased with the Chapter and the loose liberty which they got thereby nevertheless O Moore thou must confess that Muhamed is guilty of such things as doe not become a holy man much less a person so high and excellent as ye make Muhamed yea the most holy most perfect and most choice creature that God ever created as he calls himself and as ye say in Arabick O Muhamed hayri halquilleh i. e. That Muhamed is the most chosen man of God and if you give him so high a title and he himself assumes it and is so called it had been very reasonable and just that he should have been the chastest honestest and truest man in the world for a mans conditions should agree with the title and dignity of the man Finally O Moore I desire thee to observe and consider hitherto what works and actions the Alcoran and the Suné are full of and compare them with the works and deeds which the Evangelists of Jesus Christ our Saviour hold forth and thou shalt see how the deeds and works of our Saviour agree with his dignity and his holy names who is called in the Alcoran Hice Almaceh quelimetu allah guaroh allah i. e. Jesus the Christ the word of God and the spirit of God of which three names no
man in the world but he was ever worthy being divine names and such as were the names and the dignity of Jesus Christ such were his life his words his works and his Counsels And likewise thou wilt find the Evangelists so full of such great and manifest miracles and pious works which Jesus Christ did in his life and of so good and holy Doctrine which his Disciples taught after him that there cannot possibly be better And O Moore by making this comparison thou wilt see what difference there is between Muhamed and our Redeemer Jesus Christ and the Scriptures of either and so thou wilt come to know the truth CHAP. VIII The eighth Chapter treateth of Muhamed's Dream and the Vision which he sayes he had when he ascended to heaven by a Ladder and rode upon Alborac and of the things which he sayes he saw that night in Heaven Paradise and Hell THe Alcoran in the eleventh Chapter of the second Book sayes in Arabick Ozubhene c. i. e. Praysed be he that caused his servant to be transported from the Temple of Mecca unto the blessed Temple of Jerusalem The gloss upon this text sayes that Muhamed one day being at Almedina he arose from his bed to say Mattins which the Moores call Zalata kobbe in the Moske or house of Praier The book Azar above mentioned saies that after Muhamed had praied the usuall Prayer he turned his face to the people there present and began to speak and told them that he being that night in bed in Axa's chamber whom he most entirely loved of all his eleven wives about midnight he awaked by reason of the great knocking which was at the gate and arose and opened the gate of the Gallery and there he found the Angel Gabriel with seven pair of wings whiter than snow and clearer than Christall who had a beast with him as white as milk which beast was bigger than an Asse and less than a Mule and was called Alborack The said book Azar reporteth that Muhamed said that the Angel Gabriel embraced him and saluting him said to him O Muhamed God sendeth thee much greeting and commandeth thee to come along with me this night for to see divers secrets which the sons of men never saw and Muhamed answered him that he was glad of that and was very willing to goe whereunto the Angell replyed O Muhamed then get up upon Alborack but Alborack turned aside and would not let Muhamed get up on him and the Angell sayd to Alborack why turnest thou aside and wilt not let Muhamed ride upon thee know thou That never better man than Muhamed hath ever rode upon thee nor ever shall Alborack answered I will never yeeld that Muhamed get upon me unless he first promise me that I shall goe into Paradise Then Muhamed sayd O Alborack I promise thee that thou shalt be the first beast that shall enter into Paradise And no sooner had Muhamed sayd these words but Alborack presently consented and Muhamed got upon him And the Angell led Alborack by the reynes of his Bridle and so they travelled till they came to the holy Temple of Jerusalem And the sayd book Azar sayes that as Muhamed was riding on his way he heard the voyce of a woman who cryed after him O Muhamed Muhamed And the Angell sayd to him O Muhamed doe not answer this woman and going farther another woman began to cry after him and called O Muhamed Muhamed And the Angell Gabriel again admonished him not to answer her and as they went farther on Muhamed entreated the Angell to tell him who those women were and Gabriel told him that the first was she that published the Law of the Jewes and if he had answered her all the Moores would have turned Jewes and the other he said was she that published the Law of the Christians and that if he had answered her all the Moores would have become Christians The sayd book Azar further reports that Muhamed sayd that when he was arived at the Temple of Jerusalem and was come neer to the gate of the Temple he alighted off from Alborack and Gabriel and Muhamed went together to the Temple and as they went they met all the Prophets and Messengers who were also purposely come thither and they all came forth of the Temple and received Muhamed and greeted him saying thus in Arabick O Marhaben birazuli azadih guanabyi alquerin i. e. Rejoyce thou true Messenger and Honourable Prophet And then they all carried him in procession with great honour unto the great Chappell which is called in Arabick Mihrab and requested him to make a Zala or Praier for them all And thereupon Muhamed went into the Mihrab or Chappell and made the Zala with all the Prophets and Messengers and they all made application to Muhamed that he would remember them when hee should speak with God and so they all departed and Muhamed and the Angell Gabriel were left there alone Then they two went out of the gate of the Temple there found a ladder which reached from earth to heaven all made of the Light of God and so they began to ascend the said Ladder the Angell first and Muhamed after him holding by the Angell's hand till they arived at the first heaven which heaven Muhamed saies was made of pure silver and there they saw the Stars hanging on this first heaven with chains of gold and the biggest of them was as big as the mountain Noho which is a Mountain neer to Almedina And the Angell Gabriel knocked at heaven gate and the Porter asked who art thou And he answered I am the Angell Gabriel and Muhamed the Prophet and friend of God is with me and as soon as the Porter heard Muhamed's name hee opened the gate of the first heaven and they went in and found an ancient hoary-headed man which was Adam And Adam came and embraced Muhamed and thanked God that he had given him such a son and recommended himself to Muhamed And passing farther they saw a great multitude of Angells in this first heaven of divers shapes and figures viz. of men oxen horses flying birds and cocks and amongst the Cocks he sayes there was one whose feet stood on the first heaven and his head reached to the second Muhamed asked the Angell what it was and why the Angels had so many formes and shapes and what their figures signified Unto whom the Angell answered and said that all these Angells prayed to God for the Inhabitants and dwellers on the earth viz. the Angels which had the forms of men praied for men they which had the formes and shape of Oxen prayed for Oxen and so of the rest and they which had the form of Cocks praied and mediated for the Cocks Then said Muhamed Now tell me what means that great Cock the Angell answered When this Cock croweth all the Cocks here of his shape crow presently and when the Cocks on earth hear the Cocks of heaven crow then they
crow also and whilst Muhamed stood wondring at it this great Cock began to crow and all the Cocks in heaven crowed with him and presently afterwards all the Cocks on earth crowed also The said book sayes That from this place they ascended to the second heaven which was made of beaten gold and knockt at the gate and the Porter asking who was there the Angell Gabriel answered it is I and Muhamed the friend of God is here with me and as soon as he had named Muhamed presently the gates of that heaven opened of themselves and they went in and saw upon all the gates of that heaven the name of God written together with the name of Muhamed which is in Arabick thus Ole ilehe ille allah Muhemed razolo allah i. e. This God is the onely God and Muhamed is the Messenger of God It sayes that entring in at the gate of this second heaven they found Noah a very old gray-headed man Muhamed embraced him and Noah was very glad to see Muhamed and to speak with him and Noah made application to him and entreated him to remember him when he came to God Hee sayes that in this second heaven they found a great multitude of Angels half as many more as were in the first heaven and of very wonderfull and great shapes amongst which was one Angell who stood on the second heaven and his head reached to the third and one of his hands to the East and the other unto the West end of heaven and many other wonderfull things they saw here And from this heaven they ascended to the third heaven which was made of a pretious Stone and there they met with Abraham being an old hoary man and the Angels in this heaven were far more in number than those of the two other heavens and much greater and amongst them they saw an Angell who from one eye to the other had the distance of 70000. dayes-journey Which Angell held a book in his hand and never did any thing else but look on the said book and expunge what was therein written and write anew therein Muhamed asked the Angell Gabriel who this Angell was and what it was he read in that book and what he wrote and expunged The Angell answered and told him that this Angell was called in Arabick Malach almenti i. e. The Angell of the dead And the book which he had in his hand was the book called in Arabick Alhaunhe ahnafod i. e. the preserved book wherein are the names of all men that are born and the Angell noteth and calculateth the years and dayes that every one must live and when any mans dayes are expired hee expunges such a mans name and presently the man dies on earth Likewise he writes down the names of all men that are born and the dayes of their life and how long they shall live so that this Angell hath no other office but to put in and expunge out of this book He sayes that from thence they went to the fourth heaven which was made of a very pure Emerauld in which heaven they found Joseph the son of Jacob who greeted Muhamed and made great application to him and there they saw many more Angels than were in the other heavens and of far greater bodyes amongst which there was one great Angell which made great lamentation Muhamed asked the Angell Gabriel wherefore this Angell lamented so and Gabriel answered him that that angell lamented the sins of men and those which went to hell From thence they went to the fifth heaven which was made of a Diamond where Moses was who made application to Muhamed and in this heaven were as many Angels as in the other but farre greater And so they ascended to the sixth heaven where was John Baptist who saluted Muhamed and in this heaven they saw a multitude of Angells far greater than any of the former and this heaven was made of a Carbuncle In the seventh heaven they met with Jesus Christ unto whom Muhamed made application and this heaven was made of the Light of God and here they saw many more Angels than in the other six heavens and far greater amongst which was one that had seventie thousand heads and every head had seven hundred thousand tongues and each of these tongues had seven hundred thousand voyces with all which voyces or languages they praised God day and night Likewise amongst these Angels were divers which alwayes watched without ever shutting their eies others alwayes bowed their heads without ever erecting themselves others lay alwayes prostrate and never arose and others praised God with such loud voyces that they put their fingers into their ears lest they should become deaf with the noise of their voyces In this seventh heaven the Angell Gabriel took his leave of Muhamed and told him that he might not goe further and that now God would guide him himself Muhamed saies that he began to ascend certain sublimities and hights and through so much rain and snow that hee became so wearied and tyred that hee could goe no farther and at that instant Muhamed heard a voyce saying in Arabick thus Oya Muhamed anden gualirabach cellem i. e. O Muhamed approach and salute thy Creator Whereupon Muhamed drew neer to the voyce and saw so great a light that it troubled his sight He sayes that God had on his glorious face seventy thousand vayles of Devine light and the Text of the Alcoran in the third book sayes that Muhamed approached God within two bowe-shots or little lesse In Arabick it is thus O zumen c. i. e. That Muhamed approached God within little less than two shots of a Cross-bow Muhamed sayes further that so great a light proceeded from the vayles which God had on his face that hee could not behold the visage of God Nevertheless Muhamed sayes that God interpos'd his hand for a shadow unto Muhamed but he could not endure it by reason of the great cold which proceeded from it He saies that in this place God spake to him and gave him divers Commandements of the Law and told him many secrets and yee must know that if I should write all the things which Muhamed sayes hee saw that night a ream of paper would not contain them Muhamed sayd as the book Azar reporteth that this night God granted five things unto him which were never given to any Man before nor since The first was that he should be the chiefest and most elect creature that God ever created either in heaven or on earth which the Arabick calls Hayriall quilleh The second was That he should be the most excellent and most Honourable Lord of all the sons of Adam at the day of judgement the Arabick says thus leydo qualidiademe y aume alquima The third was That he should be the generall Redeemer which in Arabick is said Safey Mustafa and for this cause Muhamed is by another name called Almebi i. e. he that takes away sins The fourth was
aske thee O Moore who art a Philosopher and an Astrologer where doth it appear to be true that the first Heaven is of Silver the second of Gold the third of a Pearl or a precious stone the fourth of an Emerauld the fifth of a Diamond the sixth of a Carbuncle though he saies the the seventh is of Light knowest thou not O Moore that Gold Silver Pearl and the other following stones are obscure bodies which our sight cannot penetrate because they are opacous and not transparent and knowest thou not that we see the Planet Mercury which is Lodged in the second Heaven and doe likewise see the Planet Venus which is in the third Heaven and we see the Sun which gives light to all the world and is in the fourth Heaven wee see Mars in the fifth Jupiter in the sixth and Saturn in the seaventh Heaven in brief we also see the Stars which are in the eighth Heaven which Planets wee often cannot see because of some little cloud which interposeth between them and our sight and the Moon often Eclipseth and covereth the Suné It is manifest that in the course of the Moon at certain times in the year she interposeth Eclipseth and hides the Sun from our eys because the Moon is an obscure body although the Sun and the Stars be light bodies so that if the first Heaven the second the third and the rest were metalline as Muhamed sayes how could we see the said Planets and Stars and now O Moore what answer hast thou but silence And concerning the third I intend it for the five things which Muhamed sayes God gave him that night which he never gave before to any Prophet Consider O Moore if they are not things which cannot be proved either by human understanding or Logicall reason for human and Logicall reason commandeth and teacheth that a man should say nothing but what can be proved Now tell me O Moore how can it be proved that Muhamed was the most excellent creature that God ever created in Heaven or on Earth Likewise how can it be proved that he shall be Lord over all men at the day of judgement or that he shall be the generall Redeemer at the day of judgement which things are hidden and unknown to all the world neither doth his own word give any proof And therefore I say That what cannot be proved by it self nor by reason should not be spoken nor ought to be regarded Muhamed should at least that night have desired of God some speciall sign as he gave to Moses to David to Salomon to Jesus Christ and to the Apostles after them which signs and miracles they wrought in the presence of the people But Muhamed was very crafty subtile to speak of things which the people neither saw nor could see and thus he sets down all the miracles which the Moores read of him none of them were done in the presence of any Moore but himself saies that he did such and such a thing and that such a thing befell such a one and such a miracle was already done but never mentions in whose presence he wrought them And so also he reported and composed this mystery of the Vision but he doth not bring in the testimony of any that saw him when he went up the Ladder nor when he got upon Alborac nor when he made the Zala or praier on behalf of the Prophets who were already all Moores it had at least been reasonable that some man then living had been in the Temple at the Zala for to have been witness of such things So that O Moore I tell thee that upon consideration of all these things thou mayest of thy self know that it is all false and nothing of it true and because I will not be too tedious I will not lay down the Arguments which might be made upon every thing which Muhamed mentions in this vision but I will conclude as concerning the sayd Vision CHAP. IX The ninth Chapter treateth of the Paradise and glory which Muhamed and the Alcoran promise unto the Moores in the world to come and how many Paradises there are and how they are called and how many kinds of glory the Moores shall have in Paradise THe Alcoran the Suné in describing the Paradise of the Moores and the glory thereof lay down five things First the Paradise it self and the mansions thereof Secondly the riches and ornaments of Paradise Thirdly the food and provisions the servants vessels of Gold and Silver and the eating and drinking in Paradise Fourthly the apparell garments and Jewels which the Moores say are prepared in Paradise And fiftly and lastly the Virgins their beauty their names and whence they are begotten and wherewith they are clothed Now this Paradise is such according as the second chapter of the first book of the Alcoran expresseth in Arabick Cerihoile c. i. e. That the Paradise promised unto the Moores is as big as heaven and earth which is all the world But tell mee O Moore where is this Paradise as big as all the world or els we must say that God hath Created another world besides this wherein this Paradise is which were very confused to say therefore O Moore I tell thee thou must still be silent The Alcoran sayes that God created seven Paradises or seven Habitations each of which is called a Paradise the first is called Genete alhodi the second Genete alfirdeuci the third Genete anahim the fourth Genete reduan the fifth Genete azelen the sixth Genete alcoduz the seventh Genete Almega Which Paradises are wrought with gold and silver Pearls and Pretious stones and have divers palaces halls chambers and Gardens and divers fruit-Trees two sorts or kinds of each under which palaces run Fountains and Rivers of waters and fountains of Milk Honey and most sweet Wine In the midst of Paradise as the Alcoran sayes and the Suné describes is a Tree as big as all Paradise whereof some leaves are of gold others of silver and the branches of this Tree cover the walls of Paradise and this tree is called Tuba The books of the Suné say that in every leaf of it the name of Muhamed is written joyntly with the name of God running thus Le ilehe ille allah Muhamed razollola i. e. There is no other God but the Lord and Muhamed is his Messenger The Alcoran in the nineteenth Chapter of the third Book and in the Chapter of Sacrifices in the chapter of Mount Sinay in the chapter of the Glorious in the Chapter of the Falls and in the Chapter of Man in the fourth Book shewes and describes how these Paradises are furnished and adorned with divers Tapestries and Beds with Curtains and Vallens of cloth of gold of purple of silk and with divers garnishings quilts chayrs of gold and Pretious stones and after what manner the Moores shall sit and lye on these beds couches and tapestries that they shall laugh and take delight without care or grief
and be very merry jocond Likewise the said Chapters mention and describe a certain Fountain in Paradise called Celzebile and another called Zengebila the waters whereof are whiter than snow sweeter than hony and more especially there is a fountain called Alcauzar which is only for Muhamed by a chapter which is the least in the Alcoran in the fourth book which in Arabick saies thus Asime ahtayneque Alcauzar i. e. we God have given thee Alcauzar which is this Fountain and Alcauzar is 70000. dayes journey in length and breadth with water whiter than snow and sweeter than honey in which Fountain are as many bowles glasses and drinking vessels as there are stars in the firmament of which Fountain we shall speak further hereafter Likewise the sayd Chapters mention and describe the Pages which are alwayes in Paradise which are called in Arabick Guildemin mohalledun and which they say and write are as beautifull as Pretious stones set in gold and are clothed with silk garments green purple and with Zunduz i. e. Tissue upon Tissue and these Pages wait upon those which are in Paradise with cups bowles and beakers of gold and silver and Guildemin Mohalledun signifies eternall Pages which are not of the race of men Likewise the aforesaid Chapters write and treat of the chast Virgins which God hath created in Paradise and they are called Horhin and in the singular number Hora and they are reclused and well watched and guarded in their Palaces and their garments are wonderfull thus he boasts and sayes further that their beauty is as the Light Muhamed in the Suné saith that if any one of these Virgins should appear at midnight she would enlighten all the world like the noon-day and if she should spit in the Sea the water of the Sea would become as sweet as hony and these Virgins are prepared in Paradise for men and further the said Chapters mention their Carkanets Rings Trinkets Coronets other Ornaments which are prepared in Paradise and that these Virgins are not of humane race but are continually created If I should goe about to set down all those things which the Alcoran and the Suné doe write of Paradise I should be too tedious and troublesome therefore I will onely set down that which Muhamed in the Suné reports concerning the feast which God will make to the men and women in Paradise which feast is called in Arabick Hadrate Alcoduz God makes this feast in the Paradise called Genetu Alcoduz i. e. the Paradise of the holy and Muhamed in the Suné sayes that after a time he will by vertue of his generall Redemption release the Moores who have deserved hell fire And that these Moores shall come out of hell black and burnt and he will bring them to his Fountain Alcauzar and cause them to goe into the Fountain and there they shall wash their bodyes and shall become as white as snow and when they are washed and purified Muhamed will take them with him and bring them into Paradise unto the other Moores who have not deserved hell After this hee saith that God shall command the Angell Gabriel to take the Key of the Paradise of the holy for to make this feast which Keyes are kept by another Angell and that when Gabriel shall goe to fetch the Keyes and shall demand them of the Angell that keeps them the sayd Angell shall put his hand to his mouth and shall draw forth thence seventy thousand keyes each of which hath a place of 70000. leagues in length which make together 2000000 leagues over And when the Angell Gabriel shall goe to take up the keyes he shall not be able to lift them because of their great weight and hereupon hee shall return to God and say Lord I cannot lift the keyes from the gound because of their great weight and God shall say unto him goe again and call upon my holy name and the name of my friend Muhamed and then take the keyes and bring them hither Then Gabriel shall goe again and call upon those names and shall take up the keyes and bring them to God The words of those names are those above mentioned Le ilehe allah Mohamed razolo allah with which keyes the Angell Gabriel shall open the sayd Paradise of Alcoduz where they shall find a table ready made of a Diamond of seven hundred thousand dayes journeys in length and breadth with divers seats of gold and silver about the Table they shall likewise find on the said table napkins and table-clothes richly wrought and woven Then God shall command all the Moores to sit down at the Table and they shall all sit down every one in his seat and presently the sayd pages and servants shall come and wait upon the Moores at this feast with their Vestments and Cups bowles and glasses in their hands and they shall set before the Moores most delicious cates and fruits of severall sorts and Skenk unto them the wine and water aforesaid and as soon as the Moores shall have eaten and drunk the Pages shall presently come with rich apparell for every Moore and so they shall cloath and dresse themselves and put their Jewels and bracelets on their Arms hands and legs and rings into their ears and when they are clothed drest and adorned with their Jewels and bravery the said Pages shall come every one with a dish in his hand and in the dish a Citron and shall give to every male of the Moores and as soon as the Moores shall smell to this Citron one of the aforesaid Virgins shall issue out of it most gallantly attired and beautifull and shall embrace the Moore and the Moore her and so they shall continue in that Act of embracing each other the space of fifty years without rising or separating from each others body taking all manner of pleasure that a man can have with a woman And after they shall have thus taken their pleasure God shall say O my servants now yee have eaten and drank and are clothed dressed and adorned with Jewels and have taken your pleasure in my Paradise and glory I will now shew you my glorious face hee sayes that God shall remove the Vayles which he hath on his face and shall shew his glorious visage to all the Moores and they shall all fall to the ground through the brightness which shall proceed from the face of God and then God shall say O my servants arise and rejoyce in my glory without fear of ever dying much less of being sad or discontented to eternitie Then sayes he they shall lift up their heads and see and behold God face to face in which Vision they shall take delight and content Hee sayth That after they have seen God they shall all goe from this place to the other Paradises to wit every one accompanied with his Virgin shall goe into his own Palace or mansion perpetually and eternally eating drinking and taking his pleasure joyfull and without sorrow or fear of
Kindred and thereupon took an oath and swore to have Muhamed for their Lord Prophet and Leader and he swore likewise to hold them for his sons and brethren and promised them Paradise and that they should not be bound to give an account of their sins this is contained in the 13th Chap. of the 4th Book where he saies in Arabick thus O idyobeyhune c. i. e. that Muhameds disciples swore unto him under the tree and so Muhamed with his Captains and their followers whom he had already converted began to make war and the first incounter which they had was with 300. Gentlemen of Mecca neer unto a River called the River of Bedrin where they of Mecca were all overthrown and put to the sword and afterwards Muhamed fought twelve battells against the Jewes untill hee had vanquished all the Jewes which were at Medina and the Countries adjacent and those which remained alive became tributary to the Moores and so in process of time by wars bloodshed and large promises the sect of Muhamed increased untill he at last conquered Mecca and all the Countrey adjacent and gained likewise all Arabia Felix and Arrabia Magna and a great part of Armenia and Persia before he dyed and when he was dead the Primacy devolved to the Caliph or King Ubequar his father-in-Law in whose time the strength of the Moores was increased to threescore thousand horse-men and after this Ubequar the Dominion came to Homar Muhameds second father-in-law and these two in their times with their Moores gained all the Land of Syria and Africk and in this manner the Law or sect of Muhamed hath spread it self by force of Arms not by doing Miracles as the Law of Jesus Christ did The third cause whereby the Law or Sect of Muhamed hath augmented was by the great promises which Muhamet made to the Moores and which the Alcoran promiseth that is to say the glory of Paradise as it is declared in the ninth Chapter the Alcoran promiseth that those Moores which dye in War are not dead but living and that they eat and drink this he sayes in the first and second Chapters of the first Book in Arabick thus Oguale c. i. e. Doe not think that those who dye in War are dead for they are living with their Creator eating and drinking Wherefore the Moores when they make war choose death as soon as life and hereupon the Suné sayes that none that dye in this world when they are out of this life desire to live here again except those which dye in battail and those sayes the Suné desire to come again into this world that they might dye again in battail and enjoy again the great delight which they had in dying and from thest false promises it is that the Moores to this day have fought so valiantly and have gotten dominion over their enemies and besides he promiseth them that all the spoils should be shared equally amongst them and so also I say that if the King our Soveraign would promise this one thing unto those who would goe beyond the Seas to fight against the Moores I dare promise before God that in three years the Christians would Conquer all Africa and Asia and this is the third cause whereby the Sect of the Moores hath increased the which are against God and against our Neighbour nor hath Jesus Christ commanded any such thing in his Gospell but Peace Charity and Mercy wherwith he will reward every one that shall deserve it Now O Moore observe and consider the propagation of thy Law and by what means it was and then observe the propagation of the faith of Jesus Christ and how it is altogether founded upon Charity and Peace without shedding of mens blood without robbing or turning any man out of his own but Muhamed in the third Chapter of the second Book saies that they must expell their enemies out of their houses and behead them and kill them Now behold O Moore the difference between these two Laws and thou will know thy God and save thy soul And the Disciples of Muhamed did not only fight against their enemies and expelled them from their habitations and dominions but also made War amongst themselves killing each other for to have the Califage and Kingdom and so I say that except Ubiquar and Homar Muhameds Fathers-in-Law who dyed naturall deaths all the rest killed each other the first that dyed was Hozman whom Haly caused to be slain that he might be King Haly also dyed in the same manner one Moagua causing him to be killed and the said Moagua was slain by a son of Haly called Ahoceim and he was also killed by another and so one killed another successively to the number of thirty Caliphs of whose differences deaths battails and quarrels there is a Book written which the Moores in Arabick call Kitabu almu licu i. e. The Book of the King which Book they let none read but men of good years but this Book is not like that which we call the Acts of the Apostles and thus Muhameds Sect increased and spread by the three causes aforesaid and not by its own goodness Now consider O Moore the Disciples of Jesus Christ and what lives they lead after Jesus Christs Ascension Preaching and declaring the faith and doing miracles without Armes and without envying each other yea only to exalt the faith of Jesus Christ their Lord and Master they were persecuted and all dyed Martyrs not as the Disciples of Muhamed who as we said killed each other for dominion and to be Princes in this world but we must say as doth the Proverb as was the Captain such were his followers the which more plainly appears when we say that even as was our Lord Jesus Christ the greatest Master and as were his words works and admonitions full of purity chastity righteousness peace and other graces of clemency mercy and piety a friend to the poor and humble so also were his holy Disciples full of purity and chastity full of righteousness patience charity friends to the poor peaceable and humble and left all that they had in the world to follow their Master Jesus Christ our Lord Preaching the Christian Faith to all the world cloathed in sack-cloth armed with nothing but the Holy Ghost without killing or fighting doing miracles cleansing the Leprous healing the sick impotent and blind and raising the dead as the Alcoran it self testifies and thus the holy Disciples of Jesus Christ converted all the world as David saies There is no language tongue or speech Where their sound is not heard In all the earth and Coasts thereof Their knowledge is conferd But this was not like Muhamed and his words and works who was altogether full of pride vanity vain glory Luxury Revenge and Cruelty destitute of all vertue and charity estranged and separated from all mercy and pitty full of vices and void of chastity insomuch that all his thoughts and studies were nothing but to kill rob
and be revenged and to expell men from their Houses and Lands Towns and Cities desiring to make himself a great Lord in this world that he might attain to whatsoever he desired and such as he was such were his Disciples after him full of pride vanity and vain glory cruell avaritious and Vindicative which appeared to be true by their carriage towards each other for one killed another and others those which followed to be revenged of each other viz. The Fathers on the Children and the Children on their Fathers so that they were all murderers through their ambition to be Lords Caliphs Princes and Kings We read in the Suné that Hosman the third Caliph Muhameds Son-in-Law was slain by the sword of Haly Muhameds Couzen-german which sword was impoisoned by Axa Muhameds wife so that with Axa's assistance Haly to make himself Caliph committed cruell murther for we read in the Suné that Hosman was slain with the said sword in his own house and when he was dead was cast on a Dunghill and there lay three dayes neither durst any of his friends touch him or carry away his dead Corps till it began to stink I relate this for to shew the great cruelty which Muhameds Disciples did practise and their little charity to this Hosman who was Caliph and Muhameds Disciple and his double son-in-Law for he had marryed two of Muhameds daughters Likewise Haly the 4. Caliph was slain by one of Hosmans Kinsmen called Moagua who slew Haly whilst he was making his Zala or prayer in the Mosque and casting him down gave him such a blow that he struck his head from his shoulders and this Mohagua being afterwards Caliph was killed by one of Halys sons called Alhuzemi who was afterwards Caliph And afterwards this Alhuzemi who was son of Haly and Nephew of Muhamed that is to say son of his daughter was afterwards slain by a Kinsman of the said Moagua's who caused his head to be cut of and laid in a Platter and so had it served up severall dayes at his table and thus this destruction and slaughter of the Caliphs continued until the 30th Caliph which I prove by the book above quoted called Quietebe Alimeme that is the Book of the Caliphs and Kings wherefore I conclude and say as was the Master such were the Disciples and therefore the Proverb saies well when the head akes all the Members are distempered also For conclusion I will here insert one Article which I forgot to set down in the Chapter of wives You must know that Muhamed contracted marriage with the said Axa who was Ubequar's Daughter when she was six years old and consummated the said Marriage with her when she was but eight years old which thing I prove by the said book Azar upon which I would ask thee O Moore and would have thee resolve me whether it was fit for Muhamed to consummate Marriage with a little girle of eight years old which is almost a homicide and a sin against nature especially in such a man as Muhamed and who at that time had seven wives together Speak O Moore in Gods Name was it not a great vice and was he not a man Luxurious beyond measure wherefore O Moore I intreat thee to consider all this above for it is all spoken to give thee light and to the end that thou mayest come to the knowledge of what thou dost not understand for the truth is there are very few of the Alfaquies of the Moores who understand their own Law and of the other Moores not one and I doe assure thee that what I have written in this Book is not of malice but because I thought it necessary to make and collect such a discourse seeing I had received ability from God to doe it and I render infinite thanks to God and our Lord Jesus Christ for that he hath illuminated mee by the light of his grace and hath drawn me from such obscurity and so great Darkness and therfore I say with the Prophet David this verse which he singeth Even as a bird Out of the fowlers Ginn Escapes away Right so it fares with us Broke are the netts And wee have scaped thus I Render thee thanks Almighty God who livest and reignest for ever and ever for all thy benefits and especially O heavenly father I give thee thanks for that not for my merits but of thy meer mercy thou hast been pleased to let me have a place in the Company and assembly of Christians I humbly beseech thee that with stedfast purpose I may keep the faith which I promised in Baptism and that so I may have a place amongst thine Elect in glory through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen FINIS