Shaibani Ebnol Athir Al Jazari Ezzoddin He was born A. D. 1160. and died A. D. 1232. His History which he calls Camel is from the beginning of the World to the Year of our Lord 1230. Ebnol Kassai Authour of the Book called Taarifat which is an Explication of the various Terms used in Arabic by Philosophers Lawyers Divines and other sorts of learned Professions among them Ebn Phares a Mahometan Authour who died A. D. 1000. Eutychius a Christian Authour of the Sect of the Melchiâ—es his Name in Arabic is Said Ebn Batrik He was born at Cair in Egypt A.D. 876. and became very eminent in the knowledge of Physick which he practised with great reputation being reckoned by the Mahometans themselves to have been one of the Eminentest Physicians of his time But towards the latter part of his life giving himself more to the study of Divinity he was A. D. 933. chosen Patriarch of Alexandria for his Sect for there was another Patriarch of that place for the Jacobites at the same time and then he first took the Name of Eutychius But he hapned not to be so acceptable to his People for there were continual Jarrs between them untill his death which hapned seven years after A. D. 940. His Annals of the Church of Alexandria were published at Oxford in Arabic and Latin by Dr. Pocock A. D. 1656. at the Charge of Mr. Selden and this is the meaning of these words in the Title-page Johanne Seldeno Chorago for he who was the Choragus in the Play always was at the Charges of exhibiting the Scenes And therefore Mr. Selden having born the Expences of this Chargeable Edition the most Worthy and Learned Authour of that Version acknowledged it by those words in the Title-page which several having mistaken to the robbing him of the honour of his Work as if Mr. Selden had begun the Translation and Dr. Pocock finished it I cannot but do this justice to that worthy Person now with God as to clear this matter For he needed no Partner in any of his Works The Translation was totally his and only the Charges of printing the Book Mr. Selden's Mr. Selden did indeed publish a Leaf or two of that Authour which he thought would serve his purpose to express his Spight against the Bishops of the Church of England in revenge of the Censure which was inflicted on him in the High-Commission-Court for his History of Tithes but he made those slips in that Version that Dr. Pocock was not at all eased of his labour by having that little part of it translated to his hands Liber de Generatione Nutritura Mahometis a most frivolous and silly Tract wrote originally in Arabic and being translated into Latin by Hermannus Dalmata is published with the Latin Alcoran by Bibliander Geographia Nubiensis so the Book is called by Sionita and Hesronita who published it in Latin with a Geographical Appendix annexed thereto A. D. 1619. But this Book is only an Epitome of a much larger and much better Book written by Sharif Al Adrisi at the command of Roger the second of that name King of Sicily for the explaining of a Terrestrial Globe which that King had caused to be made of a very large Size all of Silver He finished this Work A.D. 1153. and Entitled it Ketab Roger i. e. the Book of Roger from the name of him who imployed him to compose it The Authour was of the Race of Mahomet and therefore is called Sharif which word signifieth one of a Noble Race especially that of Mahomet and was descended from the Noble Family of the Adrisidae who reigned in some parts of Africa and therefore he is called Al Adrisi that is of the Family of Adris His name at length is Abu Abdollah Mohammed Ebn Mohammed Ebn Adris Amir Olmuminin There was a very fair Copy of this Book among Dr. Pocock's Arabick Manuscripts Georgius Monachus Abbot of the Monastery of St. Simeon He wrote a Tract in defence of the Christian Religion against the Mahometans which is a Disputation he had with three Mahometans of whom the chief Spokesman was Abusalama Ebn Saar of Mosul Jauhari the Authour of a famous Arabic Dictionary called Al Sahah His name at length is Abu Naser Ismael Ebn Hammad Al Jauhari He was by Nation a Turk He died A. D. 1007. This is reckoned the best Dictionary of the Arabic Language next Kamus Golius makes his Arabic Lexicon mostly out of it Jalalani i. e. the Two Jalals They were two of the same Name who wrote a short Commentary upon the Alcoran the first began it and the second finished it The first was called Jalal Oddin Mohammed Ebn Ahmed Al Mahalli and the second Jalal Oddin Abdorrahman Al Osyuti This latter on the death of the former finished the Book A.D. 1466. and was also Authour of an History called Mezhar Shahrestani a Scholastical Writer of the Mahometan Religion He was born at Shahrestan A. D. 1074. and died A. D. 1154. Safioddin the Authour of a certain Geographical Dictionary in the Arabic Tongue Zamachshari the Authour of the Book called Al Ceshaf which is a large Commentary upon the Alcoran and that which is of the best esteem among the Mahometans of any of its kind His name at length is Abul Kasem Mohammed Ebn Omar Ebn Mohammed Al Chowarasmi Al Zamachshari He was born at Zamachshar a Town of Chowarasmia A. D. 1074. and died A. D. 1143. Hebrew and Chaldee Authours CHaldee Paraphrase an Interpretation of the Old Testament in the Chaldee Language That of Onkelos on the Pentateuch and that of Jonathan on the Prophets are ancient being written according to the Account which the Jews give of them before the time of our Saviour But those which are on the other parts of Scripture as also that which bears the Name of Jonathan on the Law were written by some later Jews The Authour of the Chaldee Paraphrase on Job the Psalms and Proverbs was Rabbi Joseph Caecus Sepher Cozri a Book written by way of Dialogue between a Jew and the King of the Cozars from whence it hath its Name Sepher Cozri or Cozari i. e. the Book of the Cozar The Authour of it was Rabbi Judah Levita a Spanish Jew who wrote the Book originally in Arabic about the Year of our Lord 1140. and from thence it was translated into Hebrew by Rabbi Judah Ebn Tibbon in which Translation it was published by Buxtorf with a Latin Version A. D. 1660. Rabbi David Kimchi a famous Jewish Commentatour on the Old Testament He was by birth a Spaniard Son to Rabbi Joseph Kimchi and Brother to Rabbi Moses Kimchi both men of eminent Learning among the Jews but he himself far exceeded them both being the best Grammarian in the Hebrew Language which they ever had as is abundantly made appear not only in his Commentary on the Old Testament which gives the greatest light into the literal sense of the Hebrew Text of any extant of this kind but also in a
thence spread it self into all Parts on this Western-side of the World as that of the Magi did on the Eastern For the chief Gods of the Greeks as well as the Names by which they were called came from the Egyptians and Phoenicians and were no more than the Images by which the Babylonians worshipped the Sun Moon and other Planet with the Names of those Planets given unto them Afterward indeed they added to their number other Deities also which were originally either some of the fixed Stars or else the Souls of Men departed as of Bel or Belus among the Babylonians Abraham and Ismael among the Arabians Orus and Osiris among the Egyptians Aesculapius and Hercules among the Greeks and Romulus or Quirinus among the Romans For it early began a Custom among all the Worshippers of Images as well Greeks as Barbarians to Deify Men departed reckoning those who lived justly and righteously or had made themselves eminent by any great and worthy Actions in this life to have those habitations allotted them in the Heavens above where they were in a Capacity to be Mediators to God for them and therefore they offered divine Worship to them as such And this was it that gave occasion to so many Apotheoses's or Deifications among them and so vastly encreased the number of their Gods in all the Idolatrous Parts of the World and also the various Methods of Superstition whereby they paid their Worship unto them Yet they all still held to their notion of one supreme God and reckoned all the others to be no more than God's Mediators under him And this one God whom they held to be made of none and to be the Maker or Father of all things else that are was among the Chaldeans of old as still among the Sabians who are the remainder of them called Deus Deorum and among the Arabs Allah Taal i. e. the high or supreme God and agreeable hereto among the Greeks was there also their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. One supreme God who was the Father both of Gods and Men. And thus far in answer to your Question have I given you an account how all the false Religions in the Heathen World had their Original and herein I have been the longer for the sake of two Reflections which are obvious for you to make hereon 1. That the Notion of a Mediator between God and Man was that which did run through all the Religions that ever were in the World to the Coming of Jesus Christ and was the Fundamental Principle which prevailed in every one of them as to all the Worship which was practised in them which could no otherwise become so universal among Mankind but by a Tradition as universally delivered unto them And what can better account both for this Tradition and also the Vniversality of it than what is delivered unto us in Scripture of our being descended from one common Parent who on his Fall from the favour of God having had this promise of a Mediator made unto him through whom we might be again reconciled unto him transmitted it to all his posterity 2 dly That the mistakes and errours about the Worship of God and the Service we owe unto him which Men are apt to run into when left to the conduct of their own light only are monstrous and endless and therefore evidently demonstrate the necessity of divine Revelations For if God doth expect from us an account of our Actions it is necessary he should give us a Law for the rule of them and if the Law of our Reason alone be insufficient for this as from the continual errours and endless absurdities which mankind when left to themselves have ever hitherto run into it doth evidently appear that it is this demonstrably proves the necessity of another to supply its defect and that in our case we must have a Revealed Religion as well as a Natural or else we can have no certain certain Knowledge of the Will of God or any of those duties of Worship and Service which we are to perform towards him And if this proves the Necessity of such a Revealed Religion as I think it undeniably must to every one that believes God will account with us for what we do all that I have farther to offer is That you would thoroughly examine and consider that holy Christian Religion which we profess and compare it with all the other Religions that are in the World and if it do not appear vastly above them all the worthiest of God for him to give unto us and the worthiest of us to observe and that not only in respect of the honour given to him but also of the improvement and perfection brought to our own Nature thereby I will be content that you shall then persist to believe it an Imposture and as such reject it for ever Humphrey Prideaux AN ACCOUNT OF THE Authours quoted in this Book Arabic Authours ABul Faraghius a Physician of Malatia in Lesser Armenia of the Christian Religion and the Sect of the Jacobites He is an Authour of eminent note in the East as well among Mahometans as Christians His History of the Dynasties is from the Creation of the World to the Year of our Lord 1284. It was published at Oxford with a Latin Version by Dr. Pocock A. D. 1663. He flourished about the time where his History ends His name at length is Gregorius Ebn Hacim Abul Faraghi Abul Feda an Authour of great repute in the East for two Books which he wrote The first a General Geography of the World after the Method of Ptolemy and the other a General History which he calls the Epitomy of the History of Nations He was born A. D. 1273. He finished his Geography A. D. 1321. Twenty years after that he was advanced to the Principality of Hamah in Syria from whence he is commonly called Shahab Hamah i. e. Prince of Hamah where after having Reigned three Years two Months and thirteen Days he died A. D. 1345. being Seventy two years old He was by Nation a Turk of the Noble Family of the Jobidae of which was Saladin the famous Sultan of Egypt His name at length is Ismael Ebn Ali Al Melec Al Moaiyad Amadoddin Abul Feda Ecchellensis quotes him by the name of Ismael Shiahinshiah Abunazar a Legendary Writer of the Mahometans much quoted by Hottinger Agar a Book of great Authority among the Mahometans saith Guadagnol pag. 165. wherein an Account is given of the Life and Death of Mahomet Joannes Andreas makes great use of it under the name of Azaer as doth Bellonius in the Third Book of his Observations under the name of Asaer Guadagnol who had a Copy of the Book calls it the Book Agar and takes most of what he objects against the Life and Actions of Mahomet out of it Ahmed Ebn Edris an Authour that writes in the defence of the Mahometan Religion against the Christians and the Jews Ahmed Ebn Yuseph an Historian who florished A.
D. 1599. for then he finished his History Ahmed Ebn Zin Alabedin a Nobleman of Hispahan in Persia of this last Age who hath wrote the sharpest and acutest Book against the Christian Religion in defence of the Mahometan of any they have among them on this Argument It was published on this Occasion Ecbar the Great Mogul Great Grandfather to Aurang Zeb who at present reigneth in India for some Reasons of State making show of encouraging the Christian Religion did in the Year 1595. write to Matthias de Albuquerque then Vice-Roy of the Portuguese in India for some Priests to be sent to him to his Court at Agra The Persons pitched upon for this Mission were Jeronimo Xavier then Rector of the College of the Jesuits at Goa and Emanuel Pigneiro and Benedict de Gois two others of that Society On their coming to Agra they were very kindly received by the Mogul and had a Church there built for them at his Charges and many Privileges and Immunities granted unto them which on the death of Ecbar which happened A. D. 1604. were all confirmed to them by his Successour Jehan Guire At the Command of this Ecbar Xaverius wrote two Books in Persian which is the Language of that Court The first the History of Jesus Christ collected for the most part out of the Legends of the Church of Rome which he intended to be instead of the Gospel among them and the other called A Looking-Glass shewing the Truth which is a defence of the Doctrines of that Gospel against the Mahometans What the former is those who have the Curiosity to see what kind of Gospel the Jesuits preach in the East may satisfy themselves for the Book is translated into Latin by De Dieu and was published by him with the Original A D. 1639. This Gospel of the Jesuits was first presented to Ecbar by Xaverius at Agra A. D. 1602. But the other Book was not published till a Year or two after When it first came abroad it unluckily fell into the hands of this Learned Persian Gentleman who immediately wrote an Answer to it which he calls The Brusher of the Looking-Glass wherein he makes terrible work with the Jesuit through the advantages which he gave him by teaching the Idolatry and other Superstitions and Errours of the Church of Rome for the Doctrines of Jesus Christ When this Book came abroad it so alarmed the College de propaganda Fide at Rome that they immediately ordered it to be answered The first who was appointed for this Work was Bonaventura Malvasia a Franciscan Frier of Bononia who published his Dilucidatio Speculi verum monstrantis in answer to this Brusher A. D. 1628. But this I suppose not being judged so sufficient by the College they appointed Philip Guadagnol another Franciscan Frier to write a second Answer thereto And on this occasion he composed his Book stiled Apologia pro Christiana Religione which was published at Rome first in Latin A. D. 1631. and after in Arabic 1637. For this I suppose meeting with better approbation from the College they ordered it to be translated into that Language and it being accordingly done by the same Authour they sent it into the East to be dispersed among the Mahometans for the defence of the Jesuit's Looking-Glass against this rude Brusher of it But his performance doth by no means answer the Design abundance of his Arguments being drawn from the Authorities of Popes and Councils which will never convince an Infidel of the truth of the Christian Religion how much noise soever they may make with them among those of their own Communion Al Bochari an Eminent Writer of the Traditionary Doctrines of the Mahometan Religion He is reckoned by Johannes Andreas c. 3. and Bellonius lib. 3. c. 4. to be one of the Six Doctours who by the appointment of one of the Califs meeting at Damascus first made an Authentick Collection of all those Traditions which make up their Sonnah His Book contains the Pandects of all that relates either to their Law or their Religion digested under their several Titles in Thirty Books and is the Ancientest and most Authentick which they have of this matter and next the Alcoran of the greatest Authority among them He was born at Bochara in Cowarasmia A.D. 809. and died A. D. 869. Al Coran i. e. The Book to be read or the Legend it is the Bible of the Mahometans The name is borrowed from the Hebrew Kara or Mikra words of the same root as well as signification with the Arabic Al Coran by which the Jews called the Old Testament or any part of it And so any part of the Mahometan Bible is called Alcoran The whole together they call Al Moshap i. e. The Book which also in respect of the Chapters into which it is divided they call Al Furkan from the Arabic word Faraka which from the Hebrew Pharak signifies to divide or distinguish but others will have that Book to be so called in respect of the Matter or Doctrine therein contained because say they it distinguisheth Good from Evil. Al Fragani an Astronomer of Fragana in Persia from whence his name Al Fragani i. e. Fraganensis by which he is commonly called His name at length is Mohammed Ebn Katir Al Fragani He wrote a Book called The Elements of Astronomy which hath been several times published in Europe at Nurenburg A.D. 1537. at Paris A. D. 1546. at Frankfort cum Notis Christmanni A.D. 1590 in Latin and afterwards by Golius in Arabic and Latin at Leiden A. D. 1669. with large Notes of great use for the understanding of the Geography of the East He florished while Al Mamon was Calif who died A. D. 833. Al Gazali a famous Philosopher of Tusa in Persia He wrote many Books not only in Philosophy but also in the defence of the Mahometan Religion against Christians Jews Pagans and all others that differ there-from whereof one is of more especial note entitled The Destruction of Philosophers which he wrote against Al Farabius and Avicenna and some others of the Arab Philosophers who to solve the Monstrous Absurdities of the Mahometan Religion were for turning many things into Figure and Allegory which were commonly understood in the literal sense Those he violently opposeth on this account accusing them of Heresy and Infidelity as Corrupters of the Faith and Subverters of Religion whereon he had the name of Hoghatol Eslam Zainoddin i e. The demonstration of Mahometism and the honour of Religion He was born A.D. 1058. and died A. D. 1112. His name at length is Abu Hamed Ebn Mohammed Al Gazali Al Tusi Al Jannabi an Historian born at Jannaba a City in Persia not far from Shiras His History comes down to the Year of our Lord 1588. and therein he tells us that he went in Pilgrimage to Mecca and from thence to Medina to pay his Devotions at the Tomb of the Impostor in that Year of the Hegira which answers to the Year
Grammar and Dictionary which he hath wrote of the Hebrew Language both by many degrees the best of their kind The first of these he calls Miclol and the other Sepher Shorashim i. e. the Book of Roots Buxtorf made his Thesaurus Linguae Hebraeae out of the former and his Lexicon Linguae Hebraeae out of the latter He flourished about the Year of our Lord 1270. Maimonides a famous Jewish Writer his Book Yad Hachazakah is a Digest of the Jewish Law according to the Talmudists His Book Moreh Nevochim contains an Explication of Words Phrases Metaphors Parables Allegories and other difficulties which occurr in the Old Testament It was first wrote in Arabic and after Translated into Hebrew by Rabbi Samuel Ebn Judah Ebn Tibbon from which Translation it was published in Latin by Buxtorf A. D. 1629. He was born at Corduba in Spain A. D. 1131. but lived mostly in Egypt from whence he is commonly called Rabbi Moses Aegyptius where he died A. D. 1208. Mishnah a Collection of all the Ancient Traditions of the Jews to the time of Rabbi Judah Hakkodish the Compiler of it who flourished about the middle of the second Century in the Reign of the Emperour Antoninus Pius This Book is the Text to the Talmud and that a Comment on it The Jerusalem Talmud was compiled by the Jews who dwelt in Judaea about 300 Years after Christ and the Babylonish Talmud by those who dwelt in Mesopotomia about 500 Years after Christ according to the account which the Jewish Writers give of them But there are several things contained in the latter which seem to referr to a much later date These Three with the Two Chaldee Paraphrases of Onkelos and Jonathan are the ancientest Books which the Jews have next the Bible For how much noise soever may be made about their Rabbinical Writers there are none of them above Seven hundred years old There are some of them indeed lay claim to a much ancienter Date but without any reason for it Greek Authours ARistotelis Ethica Politica Bartholomaei Edesseni Confutatio Hagareni a Greek Tract against Mahometism published by Le Moyne among his Varia Sacra The Authour was a Monk of Edessa in Mesopotamia In what Age he lived it doth not appear Cantacuzenus contra Sectam Mahometicam This Book contains four Apologies for the Christian Religion and four Orations against the Mahometan The Authour had been Emperour of Constantinople but resigning his Empire to John Palaeologus his Son-in-Law A. D. 1355. he retired into a Monastery where being accompanied by Meletius formerly called Achaememid whom he had converted from Mahometism to the Christian Religion he there wrote this Book for the said Meletius in answer to a Letter written to him by Sampsates a Persian of Hispahan to reduce him back again to the Mahometan Superstition Cedreni Compendium Historiarum An History from the beginning of the World to the Year of our Lord 1057. Chrysostomi Homiliae Confutatio Mahometis a Greek Tract published by Le Moyne among his Varia Sacra the Authour not known Dionysii Halicarnassaei Antiquitates Romanae Eusebii Historia Ecclesiastica and Praeparatio Evangelica Hierocles the Fomenter and chief Manager of the Tenth Persecution against the Christians He was first Governour of Bithynia and after of Egypt in both which Places he prosecuted the Christians with the utmost severity and not content herewith he also wrote two Books against them which he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein among other things he compared Apollonius Tyanaeus with Jesus Christ and endeavoured to prove him in working of Miracles to have been equal to him to which particular Eusebius wrote an Answer which is still extant among his Works but these Books of Hierocles are now wholly lost excepting some Fragments preserved in the said Answer of Eusebius Josephi Antiquitates Judaicae and de Bello Judaico Origenes contra Celsum Philostratus de vita Apollonii Tyanaei Phlegon Trallianus a Freed man of Adrian the Emperour He wrote a Chronicon or History which he called the History of the Olympiads It contained 229 Olympiads whereof the last ended in the Fourth year of the Emperour Antoninus Pius But there is nothing of this Work now extant except some few Fragments as they are preserved in such Authours as have quoted it That relating to the Eclipse of the Sun at our Saviour's Crucifixion is preserved in Eusebius's Chronicon and is also made mention of by Origen in his 35th Tract on St. Matthews Gospel and in his second Book against Celsus Plato Plutarchi Vitae Strabonis Geographia Socratis Scholastici Historia Ecclesiastica Sozomenis Historia Ecclesiastica Theophanis Chronographia This is one of the Byzantine Historians and contains a Chronological History of the Roman Empire from the Year of our Lord 285. to the Year 813. The Authour was a Nobleman of Constantinople where he was first an Officer of the Imperial Court but afterwards turning Monk wrote this History He was born A. D. 758. and A. D. 815. died in Prison in the Island of Samothracia a Martyr for Image-worship for which he had been a zealous Champion in the Second Council of Nice Zonarae Compendium Historiarum Another of the Byzantine Historians It contains an History from the beginning of the World to the death of Alexius Comnenus Emperour of Constantinople which happened A. D. 1118. when the Authour flourished He was first a Prime Officer of the Imperial Court at Constantinople but afterwards became an Ecclesiastic and is the same who wrote the Comment on the Greek Canons Latin Authours Ancient and Modern AMmiani Marcellini Historia Anastasii Bibliothecarii Historia Ecclesiastica The Authour was a Priest of the Church of Rome and Library-Keeper to the Pope He flourished about the Year of our Lord 870. Bellonii Observationes de locis ac rebus memorabilibus in Asia The Book was first published in French A. D. 1553. and after in Latin A. D. 1589. Bocharti Hierozoicon Busbequi Epistolae the Authour was Ambassadour from the Emperour Ferdinand the First to the Port from whence he wrote his Epistles Buxtorfii Lexicon Rabbinicum Buxtorfii Synagoga Judaica Caroli à Sancto Paulo Geographia Sacra sive Notitia antiqua Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Universae Lutetiae Parisiorum A. D. 1641. Clenardi Epistolae The Authour of these Epistles was the famous Grammarian of his Age. Out of love to the Arabic Tongue he went to Fez of purpose to learn it A. D. 1540. when well advanced in years from whence he wrote many things in his Epistles of the Manners and Religion of the Mahometans He died at Granada in Spain as soon as he returned Cusani Crebratio Alcorani The Authour of this Book was the famous Nicolas de Cusa the eminentest Scholar of the Age in which he lived In the Year 1448. he was made Cardinal of Rome by the Title of St. Peter's ad vincula and died A. D. 1464. about Ten Years after the Turks had taken Constantinople Which seems
to have given him the Occasion of writing this Book that so he might provide an Antidote against that false Religion which on that Success had gotten so great an advantage for its further spreading it self in those Parts of the World For it appears by the Dedication that this Book was not written till after the loss of that City it being dedicated to Pope Pius Secundus who entred not on the Papacy till the Turks had been about Three Years in possession of it Abrahami Ecchellensis Historia Arabum This Book is subjoined to his Chronicon Orientale in Two Parts collected out of the Arab Writers The Authour was a Maronite of Mount Lebanus in Syria and was employed as Professour of the Oriental Languages in the College de Propaganda fide at Rome from whence about the Year 1640. he was called to Paris to assist in preparing the great Polyglott Bible for the Press which was there publishing and made the King's Professour of the Oriental Languages in that City The part assigned him in this Work was that which they had afore employ'd Sionita in a Man of thorough Abilities to perform it but on some distate taken against him they discharged him and sent to Rome for Ecchellensis of whose Performance herein a Learned Sorbonist making a Censure truly says Ibi peccatum est toties ac tam enormiter in apponendis vocalibus apiculis ut quod ibi primum inter legendum occurrerit summam sapere videatur Tyronis alicujus oscitantiam He was indeed a Man but of little Accuracy in the Learning which he professed and shews himself to be a very Futilous and Injudicious Writer in most of that which he hath published Abrahami Ecchellensis Eutychius vindicatus which Book is in Two Parts the first writ against Mr. Selden's Eutychij Patriarchae Alexandrini Ecclesiae suae Origines and the second against Hottinger's Historia Orientalis The greatest skill which he shews in this Book is in railing It was published at Rome A D. 1661. Forbesij Instructiones Historico Theologicae publish'd at Amsterdam A. D. 1645. Fortalitium Fidei a Book written in defence of the Christian Religion against the Jews Mahometans and other Infidels The Authour was a Franciscan Frier who wrote this Book A. D. 1459. and it was first printed at Nurenbergh A. D. 1494. and afterwards at Lyons A. D. 1525. Golij Notae ad Alfragani Elementa Astronomica which are exceeding usefull for the understanding of the Geography of the East The Book was published at Leiden A. D. 1669. Philippi Guadagnoli Apologia pro Christiana Religione contra Objectiones Ahmed Filij Zin Alabedin Persae Asphahensis Of which Book I have already given an Account in what I have written of Ahmed Ebn Zin against whom it is written Gentij Notae ad Musladini Saadi Rosarium Politicum published at Amsterdam A. D. 1651. Grotiâ—â— de Veritate Christianae Religionis Epistolae ad Gallos Hottingeri Historia Orientalis Of this Book there are two Editions the first A.D. 1651. and the second A. D. 1660. the latter is much enlarged The Authour was Professour of the Oriental Tongues first at Zurich in Swisserland and afterwards at Heidelbergh from whence being called to be Professour at Leiden he was while on his removal thither unfortunately drowned in the Rhine He was a Man of great Industry and Learning but having written very much within the compass of a few Years for he died young his Books want Accuracy though all of them have their Use Historia Miscella a Roman History begun by Eutropius continued by Paulus Diaconus and finished by Landulphus Sagax Johannes Andreas de Confusione Sectae Mahometanae The Authour of this Book was formerly an Alfaki or a Doctour of the Mahometan Law but in the Year 1487. being at Valentia in Spain converted to the Christian Religion he was received into Holy Orders and wrote this Book in Spanish against the Religion which he forsook from whence it was translated into Italian by Dominicus de Gazelu A.D. 1540. And out of that Translation it was published in Latin by Johannes Lauterbach A.D. 1595. and reprinted by Voetius at Utrecht A. D. 1656. He having throughly understood the Religion which he confutes doth much more pertinently write against it than many others do that handle this Argument Macrobij Saturnalia Caij Plinij Secundi Naturalis Historia Caij Plinij Caecilij Secundi Epistolae Pocock The Famous Professour of the Hebrew and Arabick Tongues at Oxford who was for Eminency of Goodness as well as Learning the greatest Ornament of the Age in which he lived and God blessed him with a Long life to be usefull thereto He was born A. D. 1604. and died at Christ-Church in Oxford in the Month of September A D. 1691. He was for above sixty Years a constant Editor of learned and usefull Books The first which he published contains an Edition of four of the Catholick Epistles in Syriac i. e. the second of St. Peter the second and third of St. John and the Epistle of St. Jude with Versions and Notes which was printed at Leiden A. D. 1630. by Vossius to whom he presented it the year before at Oxford on his coming thither to see that University and the last was his Commentary on Joel which came forth the Year in which he died His Specimen Historiae Arabicae which I frequently make use of in this Tract was published A. D. 1650. and is a most accurate and judicious Collection out of the best Arab Writers relating to the Subject which he handles Richardi Confutatio Legis Saracenicae The Authour was a Dominican Frier who in the Year 1210. went to Bagdad of purpose to study the Mahometan Religion out of their own Books in order to confute it and on his return published this Learned and Judicious Tract concerning it Demetrius Cydonius translated it into Greek for the Emperour Cantacuzenus who makes great use of it taking thence most of that which he hath of any moment in his four Orations against the Mahometan Religion From this Greek Version of Demetrius Cydonius it was Translated back again into Latin by Bartholomaeus Picenus which Translation is published with the Latin Alcoran of Bibliander and that is all we now have of it the Original being lost This and Johannes Andreas's Tract de Confusione Sectae Mahometanae are the best of any that have been formerly published by the Western Writers on this Argument and best accord with what the Mahometans themselves teach of their Religion Others have too much spent themselves on false Notions concerning it for want of an exact knowledge of that which they wrote against Roderici Toletani Historia Arabum It contains an History of the Saracens from the Birth of Mahomet to the Year of our Lord 1150. The Authour was Arch-Bishop of Toledo in Spain and was present at the Lateran Council A. D. 1215. His History from the Tenth Chapter is mostly confined to the Saracens of Spain and is
of our Lord 1556. His name at length is Abn Mohammed Mustapha Ebnol Saiyed Hasan Al Jannabi Al Kamus i. e. The Ocean a famous Arabic Dictionary so called because of the Ocean of words contained in it It was written by Mohammed Ebn Jaacub Ebn Mohammed Al Shirazi Al Firauzabadi He was a Person of great esteem among the Princes of his time for his eminent Learning and Worth particularly with Ismael Ebn Abbas King of Yaman Bajazet King of the Turks and Tamerlan the Tartar from the last of which he received a Gift of Five thousand pieces of Gold at one time He was born A. D. 1328. being a Persian by birth but he lived most at Sanua in Yaman He finished his Dictionary at Mecca and dedicated it to Ismael Ebn Abbas under whose Patronage he had long lived and afterwards died at Zibit in Arabia A. D. 1414. being near Ninety years old Al Kodai an Historian He wrote his History about the Year of our Lord 1045. and died A. D. 1062. His name at length is Abu Abdollah Mohammed Ebn Salamah Ebn Jaafar Al Kodai Al Masudi an Historian He wrote an History called the Golden Meadows but in what time he lived I do not find His name at length is Ali Ebn Hosain Al Masudi He wrote also another Book wherein he makes it his business to discover and expose the Fraud which the Christians of Jerusalem are guilty of about lighting Candles at the Sepulchre of our Saviour on Easter-Eve For then three Lamps being placed within the Chappel of the Sepulchre when the Hymn of the Resurrection is sung at the Evening-Service they contrive that these three Lamps be all lighted which they will have believed to be by fire from Heaven and then a multitude of Christians of all Nations are present with Candles to light them at this holy Fire which hath been a fraudulent Practice kept up among them for many hundred years And the Emperour Cantacuzenus was so far imposed on by this Cheat that in his Third Apology for the Christian Religion against the Mahometans he makes mention of it and urgeth it against those Infidels as a Miracle which being annually performed in their sight ought to convince them of the truth of the Christian Religion and convert them thereto But the Imposture hath all along been too well known to the Mahometans to be of any such effect with them For the Patriarch of Jerusalem always compounds with the Mahometan Governour to permit him to practise this Trick for the sake of the Gain which it brings to his Church and annually allows him his share in it And therefore instead of being of any effect to convert them it becomes a matter of continual scandal among them against the Christian Religion And not only this Authour but Ahmed Ebn Edris and most others of the Mahometans that write against the Christian Religion object it as a reproach thereto as in truth it is and urge it with the same earnestness against the Christian Religion that Cantacuzenus doth for it Al Mansor Hakem Beamrilla Calif of Egypt was so offended at it that A. D. 1007. he ordered the Church of the Resurrection at Jerusalem wherein this Chappel of the Sepulchre stands to be for this very reason pulled down and rased to the Ground that he might thereby put an end to so infamous a Cheat. But the Emperour of Constantinople having by the release of Five thousand Mahometan Captives obtained leave to have it rebuilt again the Imposture hath still gone on at the same rate and it is there to the great sport of the Mahometans who come in Multitudes every Year to see this Farce acted over in their sight in the same manner as is above related even unto this day Thevenot who was once present at it gives us a large Account of this whole Foolery in the first part of his Travels Book II. Chapter 43. Al Mostatraf the name of a Book written by an unknown Authour Al Motarrezi the Authour of the Book called Mogreb he was born A. D. 1143. and died A. D. 1213. His name at length is Nasir Ebn Abil Macarem Abul Phatah Al Motarrezi He was of the Sect of the Motazali and seems by his last Name Al Motarrezi by which he is usually called to have been by Trade a Taylor that being the signification of the word in Arabic Assamael a Book much quoted by Johannes Andreas and also by Guadagnol Bidawi a famous Commentator on the Alcoran He died A. D. 1293. His name at length is Naseroddin Abdollah Ebn Omar Al Bidawi His Commentary is written for the most part out of Zamachshari Kazwini an Arabic Authour so called from the City Kaswin His name at length is Zacharias Ebn Mohammed Ebn Mahmud Al Kaswini In what Age he lived I cannot find Dialogus Makometis cum Abdollah Ebn Salem a Book wrote in Arabic containing a great many of the Fooleries of the Mahometan Religion under the form of a Dialogue between Mahomet and this Jew who was his chief helper in forging the Imposture It was translated into Latin by Hermannus Dalmata and that Version of it is published at the end of the Latin Alcoran set forth by Bibliander Disputatio Christiani contra Saracenum de Lege Mahometis It was written in Arabic by a Christian who was an Officer in the Court of a King of the Saracens to a Mahometan Friend of his who was an Officer with him in the same Court and contains a Confutation of the Mahometan Religion Peter the famous Abbot of Cluny in Burgundy who flourished A. D. 1130. caused it to be translated into Latin by Peter of Toledo an Epitome of which is printed with the Latin Alcoran by Bibliander taken out of the 24th Book of the Speculum Historiale of Vincentius Bellovacensis Elmacinus an Historian of the Christian Religion His History is from the Creation of the World to the Year of our Lord 1118. The latter part of it which is from the beginning of Mahometism was published by Erpenius under the Title of Historia Saracenica A. D. 1625. He was Son to Yaser Al Amid who was Secretary of the Council of War under the Sultans of Egypt of the Family of the Jobidae for 45 Years together and in the Year of our Lord 1238. in which his Father died succeeded him in his place His name at length is Georgius Ebn Amid and for his Eminent Learning he was also stiled Al Shaich Al Raiis Al Macin i. e. The prime Doctour solidly Learned The last of which Titles Almacin was that whereby Erpenius who pronounceth it Elmacin chose to call him but by others he is generally quoted by the Name Ebn Amid Ebnol Athir a Mahometan Authour who was born A. D. 1149. and died A. D. 1209. His Name at length is Abussaadat Al Moharac Ebn Mohammed Al Shaibani Ebnol Athir Al Jazari Magdoddin Ali Ebnol Athir an Historian Brother to the former Ebnol Athir His name at length is Abul Hasan Ali Ebn Mohammed Al
but of little Credit where he relates any thing of them out of that Country It was published with Erpenius's Historia Saracenica at Leiden A. D. 1625. Schekardi Tarich seu Series Regum Persarum Tubingae A. D. 1628. Spanhemii Iutroductio ad Historiam Sacram Amstel A. D. 1694. Scaliger de Emendatione Temporum and Notae ejus ad Sphaeram Manilii Valerius Maximus Vaninus a famous Atheist He was by birth a Neapolitan and came into France on purpose to promote the Impiety he had imbraced of which being convicted at Tholouse he rather chose to become a Martyr for it than renounce it and therefore was publickly burnt in that City A. D. 1619. persisting to deny the Being of a God with a wonderfull obstinacy even in those very Flames in which he perished He wrote two Books the first was published A. D. 1615. Entitled Aeternae Providentiae Amphitheatrum and the other the next Year after which is his Dialogi de admirandis Naturae in both which he serves that Cause for the sake of which he died English and French Authours PUrchas's Pilgrimage Ricaut's History of the Present State of the Ottoman Empire Smyth's Remarks upon the Manners Religion and Government of the Turks The venot's Travels FINIS * The Messias shall come and restore the Kingdom of the House of David to the ancient state of its former Dominion and shall rebuild the Temple and gather together the dispersed of Israel and then shall be re-established all the Legal Rites and Constitutions as in former times and Sacrifices shall be offered and the Sabbatical Years and Jubile's observed according to every Precept delivered in the Law Maimonides in Yad Hachazekah in Tract de Regibus Bellis eorum cap. 11. §. 1. ¶ Mark 15. v. 43. Luke 2. v. 38. c. 24. v. 31. Acts 1. v. 6. From all which places compared together it appears that there was among the Jews in the time of our Saviour a general expectation of the speedy Coming of the Messias and that their notion was of a temporal deliverance and a temporal restoration of the Kingdom of Israel to be effected by him And this expectation was it which made the multitude so ready to join themselves to Theudas and after to Judas of Galilee of whom mention is made Acts 5. v. 36 37. and after that to an Egyptian Jew Acts 21. v. 38. on their pretending to be the persons from whom this deliverance was expected (*) Josephus not only makes mention of Theudas and Judas of Galilee and the Egyptian of whom we have an account in Scripture Antiq. lib. 20. c. 2. c. 6. but also of several others who on the same pretences found the multitude ready to join themselves unto them Antiq. lib. 20. c. 6. 7. de Bello Judaico lib. 7. c. 31. As did also Barchosbas in the reign of Adrian the Roman Emperour And what Maimonides delivers of the doctrine of the Jews concerning this matter might give any man an handle to offer at it For saith he the Messias is not to be known by Signs or Wonders for he is to work none but only by conquest And therefore his Words are If there ariseth a King of the House of David who is studious of the Law and diligent in observing the precepts of it as was David his father that is not only of the Law which is written but of the Oral also and inclineth all Israel to walk therein and repairs the breaches and fights the battles of the Lord this person may be presumed to be the Messias But if he prospers in what he undertakes and subdues all the neighbouring Nations round about him and re-builds the sanctuary in its former place and gathers together the dispersed of Israel then he is for certain the Messias Maimonides in Yad Hachazekah Tract de Regibus Bellis eorum c. 11. §. 4. * Joh. c. 6. (*) Act 6. v. 13. * All that the bitterest enemies of Christianity have ever objected against our Saviour save a fabulous story of his Birth amounts to no more than this That he was a Magician which was an invention framed only to salve his working of Miracles which they could not deny in such a manner as to make them give no reputation or authority to the doctrines which he taught (*) Acts 2. v. 9 10 11. * The main things which Celsus and Julian objected in their books against the Christian Religion are preserved in the Answers which Origâ—n wrote to the former and St. Cyril of Alexandria to the latter but the books themselves are perished as are also those of Porphyry written by him in fifteen Tomes on the same Argument for they being full of virulent Blasphemies Theodosius the Emperour by a Law caused them every-where to be burnt and destroyed but a great many remains and fragments of them are still preserved in the Works of Eusebius and something of him also in St. Hierom in Praefatione ad lib. 1. Comment in Epist ad Galatas Celsus lived in the second Porphyry in the third and Julian in the fourth Century after Christ (*) His words of our Saviour are that he was a wise man a title not given in those days but to such as were also good and that he was a worker of Miracles and a teacher of Truth lib. 18. c. 4. And of James he hath these words These things i. e. the destruction of Jerusalem and the calamities that attended it fell by way of just vengeance upon the Jews for James the Just who was the Brother of Jesus called Christ because the Jews had murdered him being a most righteous Man It must be acknowledged that this passage is not now extant in Josephus but it is quoted by Eusebius in the Second Book of his Ecclesiastical History c. 23. and also by Origen in his Second Book against Celsus which would never have been done by them had it not been extant in the Copies of his Works which were then in use however it came to be omitted since For to have falsely alledged such a testimony to the enemies of Christianity especially to one so acute and sharp as Celsus was would have given them too great an advantage against it But what is still extant in Josephus amounts to the same thing for speaking of his being put to death by Ananias the High-Priest Antiq. lib. 20. c. 8. he says That all good men were offended at it which sufficiently expresseth him to be a good man also For why else should they be so concerned for him (*) Plinii Epist lib. 10. Ep. 97 Hanc fuisse summam vel culpae suae vel erroris quod essent soliti stato die ante Lucem convenire carménque Christo quasi De dicere secum invicem seque Sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent ne fidem fallerent ne depositum appellati abnegarent In like manner they were also vindicated by Serenius Granianus Proconsul of Asia in his Epistle to the Emperour Adrian Euseb Hist Ecclesiast lib. 4. c. 8 9. By Antoninus Pius in his Epistle to the Commons of Asia Justin Martyr Apol. 2. and even by the Heathen Oracles themselves Euseb in vita Constantini lib. 2. c. 50 51. (*) Plato in Minoe in primo Dialogo de Legibus Dionysius Halicarnassaeus lib. 1. Strabo lib. 16. Valerius Maximus lib. 1. c. 2. (†) Plutarchus in vita Numae Dionysius Halicarnassaeus lib. 1. (*) They were a sort of Mahometan Enthusiasts in the East who followed the Light within them in the same manner as the Quakers with us and therefore were called Batenists from the Arabic word Baten intus And on this Principle did all the Villainies imaginable pretending an impulse thereto from this Light within them (*) Alcoran c. 3. where observe that through all that Chapter in every place where the French and out of that the English Translation of the Alcoran hath Joachim in the Original Arabic it is Amran and from thence this Chapter in the Original is called Surato'l Amran i. e. the Chapter of Amran But in both these Translations it is called the Chapter of Joachim For Mahomet mistaking the Virgin Mary to be the same with Miriam the Sister of Moses makes Amran to be her Father But Ryer the French Translator very imprudently taking upon him to correct the Impostor's blunder puts Joachim in the place of Amran and thereby gives us a false Version where it is very material in order to the exposing of that Imposture to know the true And the English Translator follows him herein (*) Saturnal lib. 2. c. 4. (†) Vide Chronicon Eusebii Origenis contra Celsum librum secundum Tract ad Matthaeum 35. (*) Matt. c. 24. v. 34 2 Thess 2.9 (*) 1 Cor. 15.6 (†) 1 Cor. 15.17 (a) Hence Aristotle seems to have had his Doctrine of the Intelligences moving the Spheres and Plato that which he taught of the Stars being living Bodies For it was the Opinion of the Ancient Chaldeans as it is of the Sabii now who are descended from them That there was in each Star an Angel in the same manner as our Souls are in our Bodies and that the Stars are animated by these Angels and hence have all their Motion and also that influence which they are supposed to have over this World and for this reason was it that they worshipped them