in the Book of Light He it is that causeth you to die in the night and knoweth the good and evill that you have committed by day he shall cause you to rise againe at the day nominated you all shall appeare before him he shall give you knowledge of your sins and shall chastise you after your demerits he is alwayes victorious and omnipotent He shall send to observe your actions and when you shall arrive at the hour of death he shall dispatch his messengers who shall not faile to execute his commands the people shall repaire to him as to their Lord he is extreamly exact to keep account Say unto them he shall deliver you from the darknesse of the sea and of the earth when you shall in secret or publikely invoke him if he deliver me I will returne him thanks for his grace Say unto them God can deliver you from darkenesse and all other afflictions yet say you he hath a companion associate with him Say unto them we can send punishments from above and from below he is able to disunite and cause you to tast a thousand miseries which you shall bring upon each other Consider how I shew them the effects of my Omnipotency they will peradventure comprehend my sayings Those of thy Nations have rejected them notwithstanding they are most true say unto them I am not your Tutor every thing hath its time you shall hereafter understand the truth Depart from them that speake of our Law with contempt untill he speak otherwise the devill would induce thee to forget my Commandements and cause thee to sit down with the unjust the true believers shall not regard their discourse neither cease to â—dmonish them peradventure they will be converted Depart thou from such as sport and mock at their Religion the wealth of this world rendreth them haughty declare they shall be severely punished none is able to protect or hear them but God no ransome is able to deliver them they shall find the good and â—vill that they have committed shall drink a liquor extreamly cold and endure grievous torments because of their impiety say unto them shall we worship instead of God what can neither benefit nor hurt us Shall we return on our steps to our sins having been guided by his divine Majesty like unto him whom the devill hath seduced He left him dismaid and astonished in the midst of his voyage having forsaken his companions that shewed him the right way God guideth men to the way of Salvation I will wholly resigne my self to the pleasure of his divine Majesty Make your prayers at the time appointed and pay tithes you all shall appear before God at the day of Judgement to give account of your actions He it is that created heaven and earth Remember thou the day wherein he said Be thou and every thing was he shall reign and at that day command an Angell to sound the Trumpet to call to universall Judgement the living and the dead He knoweth the future present and past is most â—ise and nothing is hidden from him Remember thou that Abraham said to his father * The Arabianâ— say Azâ—r 〈◊〉 Abrahams â—urna â—e and â—hat his fathâ—r was called Terec Azer Azer wherefore doe you worship Idols instead of God I perceive your family to be in manifest error God shewed to Abraham the Kingdome of heaven and of earth and he was in the number of the blessed Abraham seeing by night a most cleare Star asked in himselfe if it were his God no replyed he to himself my God doth not rise and set seeing the Moone to arise he demanded if that were his God no said he to himself certainly God will not guide me to be of them that are erronious when he beheld the Sun rising he likewise asked if that were his God and when he saw it set he said to his people I am innocent of the sin which you commit in adoring many gods I wholly commend my self to his Will who created heaven and earth and professe his Unity His people would dispute against him he said to them will you dispute against me concerning the Unity of God who hath instructed me in the right way I feare not your Idols my God doth what pleaseth him and knoweth all things will you not consider it How shall I feare your Idols since you are not afraid to affirme that God hath companions equall to him which you have no reason to adore If you understand the truth who is more true you or I Such as believe in God and shall not cover the truth with a lie shall be delivered from the torments of hell and conducted into the way of salvation We instructed Abraham with reasons to dispute against his people I give knowledge to whom I see goâ—d and exalt whom I please Thy Lord O Abraham seeth and knoweth all things we gave to Abraham Isaac and Jâ—câ—b his sons we before instructed Noah and his lineage in the right way we taught it David Salomon Job Joseph Moses Aaron Zachary St. John Jesus the Sonne of Maâ—y Eliah Ismael Joshua Jonas and Lot we gratified them above the residue of the world we elected their Fathers Brothers and Progenie and guided them in the right way Thus God guideth whom he seeth good Men before adored Idols and believed there were many gods neverthelesse he blotted out their past errors when they were converted If they slander them that have knowledge of the Scriptures and of Prophesies will give power over their persons to men that shall mislead them with the Infidels Those whom God guideth believe in the Unity of his divine Majesty Say unto them I require no reward for having preached to you the Alcoran he teacheth to all the world the Commandements of God The Jewes have not honoured him as was their duty they understood not his graces when they said he hath instructed the people in nothing that is profitable Say unto them who gave the Tables unto Moses who instructed him in the Scripture which they have written in Vellam to guide and illuminate the people They have published what pleaseth them and have concealed much they shall learn in the Alcoran what they know not and what their fathers understood not Say to them God after that left them obstinate and amazed in their errors We have sent from heaven that Book full of blessedness it confirmeth the Scriptures that were sent before it to the end thou maist instruct the people of Mecca them that inhabit about that City and the rest of the world Such as shall believe in the day of Judgement believe in what is written in this Book and shall pray to God to deliver them from the torments of hell Who is more unjust then he that blasphemeth against God that saith God hath inspired into him what he uttereth notwithstanding he hath received no inspiration from his Divine Majestie Who more unjust then he that saith he will cause to discend from heaven
attend the issue we will attend it with you whatsoever is in heaven and in earth appertains to God all men shall be assembled before him worship him resign your selves to his Will he knoweth whatsoever the people doth CHAP. XII The Chapter of Joseph containing an hundred and thirteene Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and mercifull I am the mercifull God These signes are the signes of the Booke which distinguisheth good from evill We have caused to discend from heaven the Alcoran written in the Arabique tongue peradventure yee will learne it I deliver unto thee in the Alcoran one of the best things that I have inspired into thee Thou were before the comming thereof in the number of the ignorant Remember thou that Joseph said to his father My father I saw in a dreame eleven Stars the Sunne and the Moone I saw them adoring me My sonne said his father discover not thy dreame to thy brothers they will conspire against thee the devill is an open enemy to men thou shalt be elected of the Lord in this world he shall teach thee the explication of Dreams he shall accomplish his grace upon thee and upon the lineage of Jacob as he did accomplish it upon thy fathers Abraham and Isaac the Lord knoweth all things and is most wise The History of Ioseph shall serve for example to posterity remember thou how his brothers said our father loveth our brother Ioseph more then all us together he is in an exceeding great error let us kill Ioseph and cast him into some secret place remote from us his absence will render the face of our father more gentle towards us after his death we will be converted One of them said you shall not doe well to kill him but cast him into the well some passengers will take him and carry him into an unknowne Countrie They said to their Father Father wherefore doest thou not send Ioseph into the Fields with us Wee will bee very carâ—full hee shall sport and recreate himselfe I feare said hee that yee will neglect to pâ—eserve him dost thou feare said they that a wolf should devoure him in our presence and that we want strength to defend him In the morning they led him with them and cast him into a Well We inspired him to prophesie to them what should befall them for the mischief they acted but they wanted knowledge to comprehend it they in the evening returned to their fathers house with eyes full of dissembled teares and said unto him father we sported and ran who should run the best Ioseph remained with our baggage a wolf came that devoured him thou wilt not believe us although we speak the truth then they shewed him his shirt which they had sprinkled with blood it is you that hath done it said he you shall answer it before God he is my protector and was patient without lamenting There past that day * The Levantins well a Caravan a number of persons travelling together a Caravan near to that Well who desiring to draw water to drink let downe a bucket on which Ioseph took hold to get out they gave him cloathes led him away secretly and sold him at a good rate for ready money they would not kill him in which they were honest men He that bought him in Egypt commanded his wife to have care of him that he might one day be usefull for their service and be to them instead of a son Thus did we establish Ioseph in the country of Egypt and taught him the exposition of dreams thy Lord is Omnipotent but few men know him when Ioseph came to the age of manhood we gave him knowledge and prudence thus doe we reward the righteous His Masters wife became amorous of his beauty she one day shut him into her chamber and solicited him with love God defend me said he to betray my Master and be unchaste he was in the number of the righteous and fled to the door his Mistrisse ran after him and to stay him tore his shirt through the back she met her husband behind the door to whom she said what other thing doth he merit who would dishonour thine house then to be imprisoned and severely chastised Lord said Ioseph she sollicited me that infant which is in the cradle and of thy parentage shall be witnesse Then the infant in the cradle said if Iosephs shirt be torne before she hath spoken truth and Ioseph is a lyar if the shirt be rent behind Iosepâ— hath delivered the truth and she a lye then her husband bâ—held Iosephs shirt torne behind and knew that it was extreame malice and said to Ioseph take heed to thy self and beware this act be not divulged doe thou speaking to his wife implore pardon for thy fault thou art truly guilty The women of the City said among themselves that the rich mans wife was amorous of his Slave and that she had sollicited his love and had erred from the right way which she understanding made them an exceeding fair feast and caused Ioseph to enter the Parlour where they sate while they carved their meat they were so surprised and entangled with Iosephs beauty that they instead of carving their meat cut their fingers O God! said they this is not a man but an Angel then said she unto them behold him whom I loved with so much passion she another time importuned him to satisfie her desire and perceiving that he would not condescend to her will menaced him with the prison and to make him miserable O God! said Ioseph I had rather be a prisoner then do what she desireth deliver me from her malice defend me from inclining to her lubricity and from being in the number of the wicked his Lord heard his prayer he understandeth and knoweth all things This woman seeing Iosephs resolution judged it requisite to imprison him for some time he was put prisoner with two men one of which told him that he had dreamed that he prest grapes to make wine the other said that he dream'd that he caried bread upon his head which the birds did eat they demanded of him the interpretation of their dreams because he seemed to them to be a good man he said to them before ye break fast I wil interpret your dreams I wil first tell you what God hath taught me and how I quit abandon the law of Infidels embrace the Law of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob we ought not worship many gods such as believe in the unity of God are endued with his grace but few men give him thanks O Prisoners who hath more power Idols or one sole God who is omnipotent The gods which ye adore are but Idols whom ye and your fathers call by such a name as seemeth good to you ye have no reason to worship them God doth not enjoyn you thâ—s he commandeth you to worship him alone this is the right way but the greatest part of the world
and know it not When they met with such as believe in God they said we believe as you do And when they returned towards the devils their companions they said We believe as you and mock at those men Certainly God mocketh them and continueth them in their Errors to their confusion They that have purchased Error for the right way have gained nothing in their commerce and are not well directed they are like to such as kindled fire and when it hath enlightened what is about them God hath deprived them of light and left them in darkness deaf dumb blind and they shall never be converted or as a cloud of Heaven full of darkness thunder and lightning they stopt their ears with their fingers by reason of the noise and for fear of death but God seeth the unbelievers he caused lightning to approach that ravished from them their sight they have followed what appeared to them and are detained in darkness But if God had pleased he had deprived them both of hearing and sight for he is omnipotent O People worship your Lord who created you and all that were before you it may be That you will fear him that hath extended the Earth that raised the Heaven and caused Rain to descend that caused the production of Fruits to enrich you Say not that God hath a companion equal to him because you know the conttary If you doubt that I have sent my servant come and bring some Chapters like to the Alcoran and call to witness the Idols that you adore if you are good men if you have not done it or cannot perform it Fear the fire of Hell prepared for Infidâ—ls and Idolaters and declare to true believers who do good works That they shall enjoy the immense pleasures of Paradise wherein flow many Rivers they shall there finde all sorts of faire and savory Fruits which God hath prepared for them they shall consider if they be like to such as they had before in the world They shall there have wives fair and delicate and shal dwel in eternall felicity God is not ashamed to compare a little * The Puny is a stinking worm frequently growing in Beds in hot Countries Puny to an extream Greatness Now so it is that true believers know that it proceedeth from their Lord. The wicked demand what God doth mean by that comparison He by this means mis-leadeth and directeth many men but mis-leadeth none but the disobedient Such as pervert his Testament and his Promises such as retrench his Commandements and defile the Earth are damned Why will you be impious seeing that God hath given you life after death He will cause you to dye he will raise you again and you shall all return before him to be judged He it is that created whatever is upon Earth and ascended to Heaven hath ordained seven Heavens knowing all things Remember to instruct men See Kitab el tenoir that thy Lord said to his Angels I would create a Vicar upon Earth and when they answered Wilt thou there place him that shall defile it and shed blood while we exalt thy Glory and sanctifie thee I know said he what you know not He taught Adâ—â— the names of all things who discovered them to the Angels to whom God said Declare to me the names of all things that I have created if you know them they replyed Praise is due to thy Divine Majesty we know nothing but what thou hast taught us thou alone art knowing and wise He said to Adam Declare to them the names of all things that I have created After he had taught them God said Did I not tell you that I knew what is not neither in Earth nor Heaven and that I understand whatever you make manifest and whatever you keep most secret Remember thou that we said to the Angels Humble your selves before Adam they all humbled themselves except the Devil He was already proud and in the number of the wicked We said unto Adam Dwell thou and thy wife in Paradise and eat there what thou likest but approach not that Tree lest thou be in the number of the unjust The Devil made them to sin and depart from the Grace in which they were then we said to them Descend you enemies one to another you shall have a dwelling upon Earth and goods wherewith to live for a time Adam begged pardon for his fault of his Lord he pardoned him because he is gracious and mercifull and said Descend and go all of you out of Paradise there shall hereafter come to you a guide from me Such as shall follow him shall be delivered from fear and afflâ—ction at the day of Judgement such as shall be impious and conceal my Commandements The Alcoran in the old and new Testament shall burn eternally in the fire of Hell O children of Isâ—aâ—l remember the Grace I have done you I will satisfie my Promises perform yours fear me and believe in what I have sent from Heaven confirming what was before taught you be not the first impious and forsake not my Law at any rate fear me and cover not the Truth with a lye neither willingly conceal it Make your prayers at the time appointed pay Tithes and worship your Lord with them that adore him Will you command people that have no care of their souls to do good Will you meditate upon Scripture without observing it Entreat for succor with patience and with prayers they abound not but in them thâ—t are obedient that believe they shall one day behold their Lord and shall return before him to be judged O children of â—sraâ—l call to mind my favours I have preferred you to all the world fear the day wherein one Soul shall not be chastised for another when prayer shall not be heard neither ransom succors nor protâ—ctâ—on to be found for the wicked Remember that we delivered you from the hands of Pharâ—oh who afflâ—cted you through the violence of torments who murthered your children abused your wives and that your Lord encreased your miseries because of the enormity of your crimes Remember that we divided the Seas to save you and that we drowned Pharaohs men in your view neverthelesse you worshipped the Calf when we detained Moses with us forty nights in which you were extreamly too blame after this we pardoned you it may be that you will give me thanks We gave unto Moses the Book that distinguisheth good from evill perhaps you will be converted Remember that Moses said to his people Gelaldin saith the innocent slay the wicked You were too blame for having adored the Calf repent and be converted to your Creator Slay one another that wil be a thing acceptable to God he will pardon your crime he is gracious and mercifull You said O Moses we will not believe thee for that we see not God then you were smitten with thunder We have pardoned you See Gelaldin you saw your misery with your own eyes
nevethelesse we raised you after your death perhaps you will give me thanks We covered you with the shadow of clouds we caused Manna and Quails to fall upon you and said Eat the good things we have given you They did us no harm when they murmured they afflicted themselves We said Enter into that City Gelaldin saith it is Jerusalem See Kitab el tenoir and eat therein what shall content you enter in at the gate with humility and say Remove our sins from us I will pardon your offences and encrease the Graces of those that are righteous then the wicked altered their words that were taught them but I sent my indignation from Heaven upon them according to their demerits When Moses demanded drink for his people we said Smite the Rock with thy Rod incontinently there sprung forth twelve Fountains and every man knew his place where to drink Eat and drink the good things of God and defile not the Earth any more You said unto Moses we are not satisfied with one sort of meat entreat thy Lord that he give us what the Earth produceth Beets Cucumbers Garlick Lentils and Onions he said Desire you to change good for evil Go down into Egypt you will there find what you require They were beaten with disgrace and poverty and returned into the wrath of God for that they disobeyed his Commandements and unjustly slew his Prophets for which they were greatly to blame All those that shall believe Christians Jews or Samaritans such as shall believe in God at the day of Judgement and doe good workâ—s shall be recompensed by their Lord See Gelaldin and be free from feare and afflâ—ction at the day of the Resurrection When we received your promise to believe in the Old Tâ—stament we raâ—sed a mountaine over you to over-shadow you and saâ—d Comprehend with affection what we teach you and remember perhaps you will feare the fire of Hell and disobedience neverthelesse you have gone astray without the mercy of your Lord you shall be in the number of the damned You know what befell those that observed not the Sabboth we said unto them Be ye abhorred and despised as Apes See Kitab el tenoir We left this punishment as an advertisement to their temporaries and posterity and particularly to be for an example to the true beleevers Remember thou that Moses said unto the people God commandeth you to sacrifice a Cow They answered doest thou mock us He replied God defend me from being in the number of the ignorant they said Call upon thy Lord that he instruct us what Cow that ought to be he said it must be a Cow of a middle age neither young nor old and doe what is commanded you They said pray unto thy Lord that he shew us of what colour it ought to be It must said he be of a bright yellow colour that it may delight the eyes of the beholders They said Invoke thy Lord that he instruct us what it ought to resemble and we shall if it please him be obedient to his Commandements He said God answereth you that it must be a Cow that never bare the yoke to till the earth neither water the fields round and that hath never laboured neither hath spot upon her body They said thou hast now spoken truth they then sacrificed her and it wanted not much but they had not done it When you have slaine any one you are then full of wrath and become proud God bringeth to light whatever you conceale We â—aid smite that dead body with a piece of that Cow so God raiseth againe the dead * The Turks believe that a man shall rise again being smitten with the tongue of that Cow and manifesteth to you his miracles it may be you will comprehend them yet your hearts are hardned more obdurate then Rocks for Rivers flow from Rocks when they cleave and appeare or when they fall and overturne by the permission of his divine Majesty God is not ignorant of your actions Do you desire the Jews should beleeve you because many among them write the word of God and alter it at pleasure after they have comprized it When they meet with true beleevers they say we beleeve in God and being assembled they say among themselves See Bedaci have you entertained those true beleevers for that God hath instructed you that they may find no excuse against you at the day of Judgement before his divine Majesty See Gelaldin Understand you not that they would excuse themselves upon what you have said to them Know they not that God knoweth whatever they conceale and what they bring to light There be some that know neither to read nor write that understand nothing of Scripture but what they have learned from the lies of their Doctors yet they thinke to be knowing men Miseries is upon them that conceale the Scripture in their hands that alter it and say that what they read proceedeth from God to profit any thing thereby Misery is upon them because of what their hands have written misery is upon them and upon what they have gained in blaspheming against God They have said we shall continue in Fire but a certaine number of dayes Say unto them have you capitulated with God He will not act against his promises Will you speak of God what you know not Such as have gained ought and were entangled in the sinne of their gaine shall for ever remaine in the flames of Hell and they that have faith in God and doe good works shall eternally enjoy the delights of Paradise Remember thou that we taught the Commandements of the Law and how we said to the children of Israel worship one only God doe good unto your father and mother to your allies orphans and the poore speak mildely unto the people make your prayers at the time appointed and pay your Tithes â—â—verthelesse they were disobedient except some verâ— few amâ—â—g them When we received the Commandment of God and that we said shed not your blood neither foâ—sake your houses you approved it your selves are wâ—tneâ—ses Neverthelesse you slew many and constrained a greaâ— number to desert their habitation you assisted each otheâ— in injustice and impiety If slaves have recourse to you you shall redeeme them their deliverance is appointeâ— you Do you beleeve one part of the Scripture to abjunâ— the other The reward of any of you that shal do this thinâ— is ignominie in this world and to be precipitated into thâ— most grievous torments of Hâ—ll at the day of judgement God is not ignorant of your actions Such as purchase thâ— life of the world to quit Paradise shal not be eased in theiâ— miseries and be utterly deprived of succours Certainly we gave the Law to Moses after him sent many Prophets We inspired knowledg into Jesus the son of Mâ—râ— strengthned him by the Holy Ghost but you arose against the Prophets that came contrary to your affections you
who except God will be thy defendor They whom we have taught the Scripture that study read it with truth beleeve the conâ—ents of it they that do not beleeve are damned O chilâ—ren of Israel call to mind the favour that I did you I preâ—erred you before all the world fear the day wherein one â—oul shall not be able to assist another when a ransom shal not be accepted neither excuse and when the wicked shal not be protected Remember thou that Abraham requested of the Lord an accomplishment of his Word he said to him I will establish thee among the people to teach them the mysteries of my Law and he said what shal become of my â—â—nage He answered Paradise shal not be open to the unjust We have established the Temple of Mecca for a sure refuge of the people in repentance he made his Oratorie â—t Abrahams * Abrahams place is an Oratory in the temple of Mecca place and we have commanded Abraham and Ismael to keep clean my house for them that shall repair thither in procession with humility and adoration When Abraham received this command he said Lord fortifie this City and enrich its people with all good things and all the inhabitants thereof that shal believe in thy divine Majesty and the day of judgment God said I wilâ— for a time enrich the Infidels also precipitate them iâ— to the fire of hell where they shall remain to all eternitâ— When Abraham and Ismael raised the foundations of thâ— Temple of Mecca Aâ—raham said Lord accept our vows choâ— understandest all and knowest all things Lord give us thâ— grace to be obedient to thy Commandments and let a peâ—ple issue from our loyns that may observe thy Law Shew tâ— the way we ought to follow and have mercy upon us thoâ— art gracious and mercifull Lord send to this thy people Prophet of their nation to preach to them thy CoÌ„mandâ—ments to instruct them in Scripture and knowledge anâ— to purifie them thou art omnipotent and wise No manshiâ— abandon the Law of Abraham but to his own damage have chosen him in this world and he is in the other â— the number of the just Remember thou that his Lord saiâ— to him Be thou obedient to thy Lord trust thou in hiâ— he said I resign my self to God Lord of the Universe Hâ— commanded Jacob and his children to follow the Law 〈◊〉 God My children God hath taught you his Law trust yoâ— in him be obedient to him even unto death Were yoâ— present when Jacob was near unto death and when he saâ— to his sons Whom will ye adore after me They answereâ— We will worship thy God the God of our Fathers Abrâ—ham â—smael and Isaac one sole God we resign our selves his pleasure The good that those men gained remained tâ— them the evil that you shal commit shal be against yoâ— enquire not after what they did They have said Be ye eâ—ther Jew or Christian you shall follow the right way Saâ— unto them contrariwise The law of Abraham is most jusâ— he was not of the number of them that believed in manâ— Gods Say ye We believe in God in what he inspired intâ— Abraham Ismael Isaac Jacob and the Tribes in what wâ—â— taught Moses Jesus al the Prophets we rely upon Goâ— If they believe as you do they shal not err if they abandoâ— your faith they will have a controversie with you but Goâ— shal protect you he understandeth whatever they say anâ— what they do he hath purified his Law what better purification is there then that of his Divine Majesty Say untâ— them wil you dispute with us concerning God who is youâ— and our Lord We will answer with our action and you shall answer with yours all our confidence is in his Dâ—vine pleasure Will you say that Abraham Isaac Jacob and the Tribes were Iews or Christians Are you mâ—re knowing then God Who is more unjust then he that concealeth the miracles that he hath seen to proceed from God He is not ignorant of all your actions The good that those men have done remaine to them and the evill that they shall commit shall be against you enquire not after what they did Some ignorant among the people will say Their Prophet doth not appoint them to turn the face to that side to which they turned heretofore when they made their Oâ—isons Say unto them The East and Wâ—st belong unto God he directeth in the right way whom he pleaseth As we have conducted you into the right way we have likewise commanded you to doe that which is just that you be witnesses against the people at the day of judgement See Gelaldin and the Prophet witnesse against you I have not ordained that you turne your face as heretofore when you made your Orisons to the end they may be knowne that follow the Prophet from them that returne to their impiety It will be â—â—rksome to the people to turne to that side except to such â—s God hath guided into the right way God will not make â—aine your belief he is gracious and mercifull to his peoâ—le I see that thou liftest up thy face to Heaven turne â—hich way shall please thee but turne â—hâ—u towards Mecâ—a wheresoever thou art They These are the Iews and Christians that follow the written Law to whom heretofore the â—nowledge of Scripture was given knew that the Truth â—â—oceeded from their Lord what they doe is not concealed â—rom God when thou shalt meet them and that they will â—ot turne themselves as thou in making their prayers â—oe not thou likewise turne as they they turne not all the â—â—me way follow not their appetites having comprehenâ—ed the knowledge that hath been inspired into thee least â—hou fall into the number of the unjust Many to whom â—e have given the knowledge of the written Law underâ—â—and it perfectly as also doe their children neverthelesse â—â—ey conceale the Truth and are not ignorant that it proâ—â—edeth from thy Lord Be not thou of the number of them that doubt Turne thy selfe always towards Mecca Doâ— good wheresoever thou art God will be with thee he iâ— omnipotent From what place soever thou goest forth tuâ—â— thy face towards Mecca This is reasonable and ordaineâ— by thy Lord. Whatsoever you doe is not hid from God wheresoever you are turne towards Mecca that none maâ— find wherewith to reprove your actions but the unjustâ— feare not them but feare me I will accomplish my Gracâ— upon you and you shall be guided through the right waâ— We have sent unto you a Prophet of your Nation thâ— shall teach you my Commandements and purifie you Hâ— shall instruct you in the Scripture in knowledge and 〈◊〉 what you understand not Remember me I will remembâ—â— you praise me and be not in the number of the wickeâ— O ye that are * So the Turks stile themselves True believers implore uccor with paâ—â—ence and prayers Certainly God
appointed by the Law and enter not the bonds of marriage untill the time set downe in writing be accomplished God knoweth whatever is in your hearts take heed unto your selves he is gentle and gracious to them that feare him It is no sin to repudiate your wives before you have touched them you shall give them some presents and doe good unto them according to the proportion of your wealth or poverty and civilly intreat them as is the custome of honest men If you repudiate them before you have touched them and have bestowed on them any presents of garments moveables and other things they shall have the moity if they release it not to you or if the husband remitting with his owne hand the tie of marriage doth not leave to them the whole of courtesie it is requisite to gratifie them and to forget nothing of the benefits betweene you God beholdeth all your actions stand upon your guard when you make your prayers especially that at noone and be obedient unto God If you feare your enemies and cannot place your selves on your knees neither performe the Ceremonies that are appointed you omit not to say youâ— prayers on foote or on horseback and being freed froâ— feare remember God and how he hath taught you what you know not Such as die shall be good to their wives by their Testament they shall bestow on them wherewitâ— to live during the time they must tarry before they marry again drive them not from your houses If they willingly depart the sin of what they shall do in their own persons shall not be upon you God is omnipotent and just you shall likewise do good to your wives that you have divorced according to your power it is a thing reasonable among such as feare God Thus God teacheth you his Commandements perhaps you will learne them See you not them that departed their houses for the fear they had of death they are thousands in number God hath said to them die after this he raised them again God is the Benefactor of the people but the greatest part return him no thanks for his Favours Fight for his Law and know that he understandeth and knoweth all things Who is he that will afford him a good turne He will augment him with multiplicity of increase he giveth good and taketh it away from whom it pleaseth him you shall all returne before him to bee judged Knowest thou not that a company of the children of Israel after the death of Moses said to their Prophet send us a King we with him will fight for the Law of God He answereth them have you disobeyed the Commandements of God If they enjoyne you to fight you will not doe it They said wee have no greater desire then to fight for the glory of his divine Majestie wee for this Cause have abandoned our houses and those of our parents neverthelesse when they were commanded to fight they all except some few of them retired but God knoweth them that sin against him Their Prophet said to them God hath sent Saul to be your King they answered why shall he be our King we rather deserve the royalty then hee hee is not rich enough he replied God hath chosen him to command you he hat encreased his knowledge and stature he giveth royalty to whom he listeth he is liberall and prudent in all his actions Their Prophet said to them the signe of his reigne shall be that the Arke shall appeare to you from God to confirme your hearts wherein shall be contained the remainder of what the people of Moses and Aaron letâ— and it shall be borne by Angels this shall bee to you the signe of his reigne if you believe in God When Saul went forth with his troops to fight his enemies he said God shall trie you by a river he that shall drink of that river shall not be mine unlesse he drink with his hand they all except some few of them drank at their pleasure and having past that river with the true believers they said wee have â—ot this day strength sufficient to resist Goliah and his troops but such as believed in God and feared his divine Majestie said how often through the permission of God â—ath a small troop defeated a great armie He is with them that are patient when they saw Goliah with his troops appeare they said Lord give us patience confirme our steps â—nd give us victory over the Infidels They through the permission of God vanquished their enemies See Gelaldin David slew Goliah and God gave him the Royalty and knowledge of â—ture things Had not God raised the people one against â—he other the whole earth had been ful of disorders such are â—he miracles of God as I declare to thee with truth thou â—t indeed one of the Prophets of his divine Majestie We â—ave conferred our graces on the Prophets on some more â—hen on others many have spoken to their Lord and some â—ave been more elevated then others We gave knowledge â—o Iesus the Son of Mary and fortified him through the holy Spirit Had it pleased God the Prophets that came â—eretofore had not been slaine after they had taught his Commandements Men were of different opinions some believed in God others were impious had it pleased God â—hey had not been slaine but he doth what pleaseth him O ye that are true believers dispense in alms some part â—f your wealth that we have given you before the day arrive wherein you shall find no ransome alms protection nor prayers that can succour you Certainly Infidels are greatly too blame God! There is but one only God living and eternall thinke not that he slumbreth or sleepeth â—hat ever is in heaven or in earth is his who shall intercede for thee with his divine Majestie unlesse by his permissioâ— He knoweth all the actions of mâ—n and whatever they haâ— done they know nothing but what it hath pleased hiâ— teach them The largenesse of his Throne containeth hâ—ven and earth and the conservation of both is not trouâ—some to him hee is Omnipotent and glorious The â— ought not to be abjured it manifesteth the difference faith and impiety He that believeth not in Tagot or devill and hath faith in God layeth hold on the stronâ— knot that cannot be dissolved broken or cut a sunder â— understandeth and knoweth all things he aideth and sisteth them that believe in his unitie he will cause theâ— come out of darkenesse and will guide them into light wicked shall have Tagot and the devill for their protectâ— he shall cause them to forsake the light and shall lead tâ— into darkenesse such men shall remaine eternally in â— fire of hell Conâ—ider you not his action to whom God 〈◊〉 given the royalty That is Nebrot When he disputed concerning God 〈◊〉 Abraham Abraham said to him My Lord is he that givâ— life See Gelaldin and death He said I even I give life and death 〈◊〉 my subject when
causest life to come out of death and death out of life thou enrichest without measure whom thou seest good The believers shall not obey the unbelievers to the exclusion of true believers he that doth this thing â—bserveth not the Law of God but if you feare your enemies God willeth that you feare him also he is the assured refuge of the righteous say to them whether you conceale what is in your heart or whether you manifest it God knoweth all things he knoweth all that is either in Heaven or Earth he is Omnipotent Think on the day wherein every one shall find the good and the evill that he hath done then shall you desire to be cleansed from your sinnes See Gelaldin and that the number of your good works exceed that of your evill God willeth that you feare him he is gracious to them that worship him Say to them If you love God follow me God shall give you life and pardon your sinnes he is gracious and mercifull Say to them obey God and his Prophet If they returne in their sinne God will very severely punish them he loveth not Infidels God elected Adam and Noah the lineage of Abraham and the lineage of Joachim the one proceedeth from the other God knoweth and understandeth all things Remember thou how the wife of Joachim said Lord I vow unto thee the fruit that is in my wombe free See Kitab el tenoir and exempt from all affaires to serve thee in thy Temple Accept him from me who offer him to thee with affection thou understandest and knowest all things When shee was delivered shee said Lord I am delivered of a Daughter thou knowest thou hast given her to me I have named her Mary I will preserve through thine assistance her and her posterity from the malice of the Devill accept her Lord with a pleasing acceptation and cause her to produce good fruits Zachary had the care of the education of this daughter and whensoever hee went into his Oratorie he there found a thousand sorts of different fruits of divers seasons He said one day oh Mary whence doe these good things proceed she answered they proceed from God who enricheth without measure whom he pleaseth Then Zachary prayed to the Lord and said Lord give me a progenie that may bee pleasing to thee and that may observe thy Commandements Lord heare my prayers The Angels called him and said to him I declare to thee from God that thou shalt have a sonne called John See Gelaldin he shall affirme the Messias to be the word of God that he shall be a great person chaste a Prophet and one of the just Lord answered Zachary how shall I have a sonne I am old and my wife is barren The Angell said to him so God doth as pleaseth him Lord said Zachary give me some signe of the conception of my wife The signe that I will give thee answered the Angell shall be that thou shalt not speake in three dayes but by signes Remember thou thy Lord often praise him evening and morning Remember thou how the Angels said Oh Mary God hath chosen and purified thee above all women of the world oh Mary obey thy Lord praise him and worship him with them that worship him I relate to thee how the matter past thou wert not with the Ministers of the Temple when they cast in their pens to draw lots and to see which of them should have the care of the education oâ— Mary Oh Mahomet neither when they entred upon this difficulty Remember thou how the Angels said oh Mary God declareth unto thee a word from which shall proceed the Messias named Iesus the sonne of Mary full of honour in this world and that shall be in the other of the number oâ— Intercessors with his divine Majestie hee shall speakâ— in the cradle as a man betwixt thirty and fifty years and shall be in the number of the just She said Lord how shall I have a child without the touch of a man he answered so God doth as pleaseth him when he createtâ— any thing he saith be thou and it is I will teach him the Scriptures the Mysteries of the Law the Old Testament and the Gospell and he shall be a Prophet sent to the children of Israel Iesus said to the children of Israel I come to you with evident signs of my mission from your Lord I will make unto you of the slime of the earth the figure of a Bird I will blow upon it incontinently it shall be a Bird and by the permission of God shal fly I wil heal them that are borne blind and the leprous I will raise again the dead I wil teach you what you shal eat and what you ought not to eate this shall serve you for instruction if you believe in God I am come to confirme the old Testament and what hath been taught you heretofore Certainly it is lawfull for you to eat things that have been heretofore forbidden I am come to you with signs of my mission that testifie that I am truly sent from your Lord â—â—are God and obey me God is my Lord and your Lord â—orship him this is the right way When Iesus knew â—heir impiety he said who shall sustaine the Law of God 〈◊〉 my absence The Apostles answered him we will sustain â—â—e Law of God we believe in his unity be thou a witâ—esse before God that we resign our selves wholly to the â—leasure of his divine Majestie Lord we believe in what â—hou hast commanded and we have followed the Proâ—het thy Apostle write us in the number of them that â—rofesse thy Law The Iews conspired against Iesus and God caused their conspiracie to turne against them hee â—noweth the designs of Conspirators Remember thou â—ow the Lord said O Iesus I will cause thee to die I â—ill elevate thee to my self and remove thee farre from â—nfidels and preferre those that have obeyed thee to Infidels at the day of Iudgement That day shall assemble you all before me I will judge the differences between you and will punish the impious in this world and in the other none among them shall be of power to protect them I will reward them that shall have believed in my Law and have done good works God loveth not the unjust I relate to thee these mysteries and teach thee the Alcoran Iesus is with God as is Adam God created him of the Earth he said be thou and he was this truth proceedeth from thy Lord be not thou of the number of them that doubt If any one dispute with thee concerning thy Doctrine say to them Come call together your children and ours your wives and ours let us assemble and addresse our prayers to God I will lay the curse of his divine Majesty upon lyars This discourse is most true there is no God but God alone the omnipotent and wise If they depart from his Commandements he shall well observe the unbelievers say
to light many things of the Scripture which you conceale and he likewise leaveth in silence many things that it is not time to make manifest God hath sent you a Book full of light to conduct into the way of Salvation them that love him to bring them out of darknesse and by his speciall grace to lead them into the way of Salvation Certainly he that saith that the Messiah the Sonne of Mary is God is impious Say to him who can hinder God to exterminate the Messiah and his Mother with whatsoever is in the Earth when it shall seeme good to him God is King of Heaven and earth he created with them what seemed good to him he is Omnipotent The Jews and Christians have said we are the Children of God his wel-beloved Say to them shall not God chastise you for your sinnes Certainly ye are men He that created you pardoneth and punisheth as it pleaseth him he is the King of all that is in Heaven or Earth and of whatever is betweene them he is the refuge of the righteous O ye that have knowledge in the written Law The Poophet the Apostle of God is come to instruct you in a time that there is none other Prophet but hee on the Earth Will you say that no man preached to you the torments of Hell Certainly the word of God is this day preached to you the torment of Hell and the Omnipotencie of his Divine Majestie Remember thou what Moses said to his people Oh people call to mind the grace of God towards you he hath chosen from among you Prophets and Kings hath conferred on you what he hath given to none in the world Enter into the holy Land as God hath commanded turne not your backs to your enemies lest you be in the number of Reprobates They answered oh Moses there are Gyants and Tyrants in the Holy Land we will not enter into it untill they be gone out of it if they forsake it we will enter into it Then two men of them that were in the grace of God said to them enter at the gate and fight against them you shall be victorious trust in God if you believe in his Law They said oh Moses we will not enter so long as those Tyrants dwell therein goe and fight against them with thy Lord we will here attend Then said Moses Lord I dispose but of mine own and my brothers person separate us from this wicked people the Lord said to him the entrance into the Holy Land is prohibited to this people they shall wander forty years upon the Earth in confusion and amazement afflict not thy selfe with the deportments of the wicked teach them the Historie of the Sonnes of Adam how they offered sacrifices how the sacrifice of the one was accepted that of the other was not he through envie menaced his brother to murther him his brother said to him God receiveth the sacrifices and holocausts of such as have his feare before their eyes assuredly if thou extendest thine hand to slay me I will not stretch forth mine to hurt thee I feare the Lord of the Universe If thou chargest thy selfe with the murther of my person with thy past sinnes thou shalt goe to hell where the unjust shall be punished The murther of his brother seemed easie and advantagious for him he slew him and is in the number of the Damned God sent a Raven that made a pit in the Earth and shewed him the manner to bury the body of his brother Then said he would to God I had been weake and impotent that I were like to this Raven I must bury the body of my brother and he was penitent for his offence by reason of this murther we ordained to the children of Israel that he who shall slay a person innocent shall be punished as if he had slaine the whole world and he that shall give him his life shall be recompensed as if hee had given life to the whole world My Prophets came to the Children of Israel taught them my Commandements and caused them to see Miracles neverthelesse many of them were disobedient the punishment of them that oppose the will of God that of his Prophet and that endeavour to pollute the earth is to be slain hanged to have the right foot and the left hand or right hand and the left foot cut off and to bee extirpated from the earth they shall have in this world shame on the forehead and shall feele in the other great torments except such as shall be converted before their death and shall know that God is gracious and mercifull Oh ye that believe feare God fight for his Law you perhaps shall be happy All the Treasures of the world shall not bee able to redeeme Infidels at the day of Judgement they shall endure exceeding great torments they shall desire to goe out of the fire of Hell but shall dwell there eternally Cut off the hands of those men and women that steale they contract upon themselves the wrath of the world and the punishment that God hath prepared for the wicked He that shall turn and do good works shall be pardoned God is gracious and mercifull to the penitent Knowest thou not that the Kingdome of Heaven and of Earth is Gods that hee chastiseth and pardoneth whom it pleaseth him and that he is Omnipotent Oh Prophet afflict not thy selfe to behold them running to impietie that say with the mouth we believe and have no faith in their hearts neither for them that Judaize and hearken to the lies of their Doctors to relate them to others they pervert the language of the Old Testament and say If you be instructed in those precepts you ought to observe them if they instruct you not in them take heed to your selves Such as make use of the name of God to move the people to sedition are without faith God will not purifie their hearts they shall have in this world shame upon the forehead and feele in the other extreame torments They listen to blasphemies and eat what is prohibited If they repaire to thee and submit themselves to thy judgement judge their controversie with equity converse not with them if thou depart from their company they shall not hurt thee if thou givest judgement between them Judge with equitie God loveth the just How shall they submit to thy judgement seeing they have the Old Testament which containeth the Commandements of God They will not execute thy Judgement neither believe in the Old Testament whereis the guide of the right way and a light to the Prophets to judge the differences arising among true believers among Jews their Doctors and ther Priests who study the Scripture and are witnesses that it containeth the truth feare not the world but dread me sell not neither exchange my commandements for any price Such as judge not conformably to the Law of God are Infidels We have ordained the Talio man for man an eye for an eye a
things like to those which God inspired into his Prophets When thou shalt see the wicked at the point of death and the Angels stretching forth their hands to take their souls say unto them This day the torments of hell shall be the punishment of the blasphemies that ye have vomited against God and your disobedience to his Commandements God shall say to them you are come before us without riches and children naked as you were created and have cast behind your backs the instructions which we gave you I see not with you the Idols you adored you are separated from each other and have forsaken them that you esteemed on earth should have been your protectors God separateth the good from the wicked as the corn from the ear and the stone from the Date He causeth the living to spring from the dead and the dead from the living behold the works of God why will you depart from his Law He divideth the morning from darkness hath established night for the repose of men and the Sun and Moon to compute ages years moneths and seasons such are the effects of Gods power he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things He it is that created the Stars to give you light and guide you in the obscurity of the earth and sea he gratifieth with his grace and such as learn his Commandements He it is that created you of one sole person that gave you the earth to inhabit and preserveth you in the world hee hath conferred his grace on such as have obeyed his Commandements hath made raine to descend from heaven and caused the earth to produce divers sorts of herbs green things and corn he hath caused the Date to spring forth and the Palme tree with gardens enriched with Grapes Olives Pomgranets and many fruits alike and different Consider how fruits encrease and multiply this serveth for instruction of Gods Unity to them that have his fear before their eyes the Infidels have adored the devill with God who created them and said that God hath sons and daughters such is their ignorance praised be God he created heaven and earth how shall he have a son who hath no wives He created and knoweth all things he is your God and your Lord there is none other God but he worship him he conserveth all things he is seen of no man and beholdeth all things he is benigne and nothing is concealed from him O people there is come to you a light from your Lord to conduct you he that seeth clearly shall receive advantage and he that shall be blinde shall continue his miserie I am your Tutor neither observe I what you do Thus do I declare the mysteries of my Law the wicked shall in the end confesse that thou hast taught my Commandements to such as inclined to learn them Act what thy Lord hath inspired into thee there is no God but he separate thy selfe from the societie of unbelievers Had it pleased God they had not disobeyed his Commandements thou art not their Tutor injure not them that worship Idols they injure God through malice and ignorancâ— every man esteemeth what he hath done and pleaseth himself in his opinion Certainly they shall all be assembled at the day of Judgement and be chastised after their demerits They have sworn by the name of God to fight for the faith if some miracle appeare to instruct them miracles proceed from God they know not the time wherein he will make them to appeare although they should see miracles they will not be converted I will overturne their hearts blind their sight and they shall never be converted I will leave them in their errors and disobedience with contempt and confusion If we should send to them Angels should the dead come and speake to them and should we bring about them all the witnesses of the world they shall not believe if it so please God most of them are ignorant we have allotted an enemy to each Prophet as the Devill is an enemy to men he tempteth them with the ornament of his discourses to render them proud If it had pleased thy Lord they had wanted that power depart thou from unbelievers and their blasphemies and incline not to their will they shall find no advantage in their impiety Do you desire another Judge then God who hath sent to you the Book that distinguisheth good from evill Such as know the Scripture are not ignorant that this Book was sent from God and containeth the Truth Be not thou in the number of them that doubt the word of God exactly commeth to passe no man can hinder its effects God understandetâ— and knoweth all things If thou incline to the will of most men they will seduce thee they believe but their own opinions and are lyars Thy Lord knoweth them that erre and such as follow the right way Eat what shall be slain in pronouncing the name of God they taught you what was forbidden eat not unlesse constrained through necessity Many erre from the right way and pursue their own appetites and ignorance God beholdeth them that offend him flie publike and secret sinne sinners shall be severely chastised eat not of what is not let-bloud in pronouncing the name of God lest you disobey his Commandements The Devils will tempt them that serve them they will perswade unbelievers to dispute against you if you incline to them you shall be Infidels as they are I raised again many of them that were dead through their sinnes I converted them and gave them a light to illuminate them in the darknesse wherein Infidels shall dwell for ever because they delight in their disobedience Thus will I place in every City leaders that shall seduce the wicked and themselves but shall not understand it When they beheld any signe of the truth of the Prophet appeare they said they will not believe in him unlesse he were accompanied with the vertues and merits of other Prophets God maketh choyce of them on whom he conferreth the grace of prophecie he shall chastise such as discourse in that manner with ignominie in this world and they shall feel in the other great torments by reason of their impietie God rejoyceth the hearts of them that he inclineth to lead into the way of Salvation and punisheth them that digresse from the right path his wrath fell upon the Infidels so soon as he ascended into Heaven The way thou followest is the right way we have recompensed such as have understanding to profit they shall be happy God shall be their protector because of their good works Remember thou the day wherein we shall assemble the people and when it shall be said to the Devils Oh ye bands of Devils wherefore are you risen against men The chiefe of those men that shall have obeyed them shall answer Lord suffer us to be revenged on each other and let each command in his turn See Gelaldin Oh Lord teach us the prefixed time that thou hast appointed to
eternally in hell fire Who is more unjust then he that blasphemeth against God and his Commandements Such shall be punished conformably to the Scripture When the Angels of death shall cause them to die they shall say Where be the Idols that you adored instead of God they shall answer that those false gods have forsaken them and shall acknowledge their Idolatry but God shall say to them enter into hell with the men and devils that are condemned they shall execrate the Secâ—s that preceded them and being assembled they shall say Lord judge them they seduced us augment their miseries in hell God shall say We will adde to their and your pains but you understand it not They shall say among themselves we are not the cause that you were unbelievers you were not such to please us suffer with us the torments that you have merited I will not open the gate of heaven to such as disobey my Commandements untill a Camell pass through the eye of a needle so will I chastise sinners hell shall be their bed fire shall be their covering and such as shall have done good works according to their power shall dwell eternally in Paradise I will remove deceit far from their heart rivers shall flow in their fields with delights and they shall say praysed be God who hath brought us hither otherwise we had bin in the number of the erronious Certainly the Prophets Gods Messengers taught us the truth in saying the observance of the Commandements of his divine Majesty should render us heirs of Paradise Such as shall be saved shall tell the damned that they have found the grace foretold them of God and we will demand of them if they have not met with the punishment that his divine Majesty did denounce against them they shall say aloud Yes and that the curse of God is upon the unjust that misled men from his Law and they shall be eternally in the number of the miserable * The Mahometan Doctors believe that such as shall have doâ—e as much good as evil and whose ballance shall not decline neither on the scale of good works or of bad shall dwell in the place called Aaraf with them that have done neither good nor evill and this place is between Hell and Paradise Between the blessed and the damned there is a separation and a place called Aaraf or prisons wherin are many persons who know the blessed and the damned by their countenances they call to the blessed and salute them yet they go not into Paradise notwithstanding their great desire to enter When they turn their eyes towards the damned Lord say they involve us not in the number of the unjust Such as are in that place call to the damned they know them by their visages and say to what served your riches and that ye arose against the Faith and Commandements of God Behold the faithfull whom ye contemned you swore they should be deprived of mercy God hath spoken to them and hath said enter into Paradise and fear not you shall for ever be exempt from affliction the damned shall cry unto the blessed Give us of the water which you drink and the meats that you eat they shall answer The drink and bread of Paradise is prohibited to Infidels who sported with their faith that were proud of the wealth of the earth and that scoffed at the Commandements of God he hath forgotten them because they forgot the comming of the day of Judgement and blasphemed against his precepts We are come to the Inhabitants of Mecca to instruct them in the Alcoran we teach it unto men to give them knowledge of the right way and to acquire the mercy of God if they believe in that Book Shall they expect to believe untill they know its explication It s explication shall appear at the day of Judgement that day such as shall have lived without faith shall say Certainly the Prophets delivered the Truth shall we partake of their prayers will they intercede for us untill we return to the world to do better then we have done and to obey Gods Commandements But they shall be damned because of their blasphemies God is your Lord he created the heaven and the earth in six dayes and sitteth on his Throne he causeth the night incontinently to succeed the day the Sun the Moone and the Stars move at his command and all the world obeyeth him praised be God Lord of the Universe pray to God privately and publikely he abhorreth the unjust pollute not the earth after the ordure is removed pray to God to avoid his chastisements and obtain his mercy which is for the righteous It is God that sendeth the windes to dissipate the rain when they carry the clouds we drive them charged with water into places drie dead and ruined and cause the rain to fall there that they may produce herbs and fruits so will we cause the dead to arise again perhaps men will remember the good land bringeth forth good fruits through the permission of its Lord and the bad land produceth only darneill I teach my Commandements to such as are not ingratefull Certainly we sent Noah to instruct men he said O ye people worship one God alone if you adore other then him you shall be punished at the day of Judgement their Rulers answered O Noah thou art in a great error He replyed I erre not I am a messenger sent from God to preach his Will I give you most wholsome advise God hath taught me what you know not Is it strange to you that he hath sent you his Commandement by the tongue of a man like your selves to declare to you the torments of Hell Fear God he will pardon your sinnes But they belyed Noah we saved him in the Arke with his retinue and drowned those that contemned our Law they were altogether blinde We sent Hod to his brother Aad and to his retinue he said Oh ye people worship one God alone whom will ye adore or whom feare but God The Teachers answered thou art in an extream ignorance we believe thee to bâ— in the number of lyars he replyed I am not a lyar I am a messenger sent from God to preach his Commandements I give good and salutary advice wonder not that God teacheth you his precepts by the tongue of a man like you who declareth to you his pleasure Remember that he left you on Earth after Noah that he encreased you in number force and power Call to minde his grace you shall be happy They answered are we come to this to worship one God alone and to relinquish what our fathers adored Shew us the truth whereof thou dost preach if thou art true he said the wrath and indignation of God shall fall upon you will you dispute with us of the names that you and your fathers imposed on your Idols God did not enjoyne to worship them neither have you reason to doe it expect your punishment I will
us to believe in the miracles that wee see neither to obey the Commandements of his divine Majesty Lord give us patience and to dye in the number of True-believers Then said Pharaoh's Doctors dismisse Moses and his people that they may goe whither they see good to pollute the Earth that they may leave thee in quiet with thy Gods He said I will cause their Childeren to be slain their wives to be abused and I will inflict upon them a thousand torments Moses said to his people Implore succors of God with patience and prayers the whole Earth is Gods he giveth it to inherit to whom he seeth good the other world is for the righteous They said Oh Moses We before thy coming desired the death of our enemies he replyed God will not destroy your enemies to leave you alone upon the Earth he shall behold your actions We afflicted Pharaoh and his Subjects with famine perhaps unbelievers will consider it When any happinesse befell them they said they well deserved it and when they fell into misery they affirmed Moses and his people to be the cause of it It is God that punished them but of this most of them were ignorant They said unto Moses cease to shew us thy miracles to inchant us we will not obey thee We sent upon them a Deluge Grasse-hoppers Lice Frogs and Bloud one after another neverthelesse they were proud and in the number of the wicked When our wrath fell upon them they said oh Moses call upon thy Lord that hee give us what to thee he promised remove his displeasure from us we will believe thee and will dismisse with thee the Children of Israel When we delivered them from affliction they sharpened their tongues murmured and violated their promises we avenged our selves upon them and drowned them in the Sea for that they contemned our miracles and we gave the West and East to the Children of Israel who were humble before us we gave them our blessing our word was accomplished upon them because of their perseverance and we destroyed the Armies of Pharoah The Children of Israel having past the Sea met with men that adored Idols and said oh Moses make unto us Gods like to the Gods of this people he answered ye are ignorant these men are wretched what they doe is but ignorance and vanity shall I desire that you worship other Gods then God that preferred you to all the world We have delivered you from Pharoah's people who caused you to endure great torments they murther'd your children abused your wives and you suffered heavy afflictions for the punishment of your sins We detained Moses on the Mountaine thirty nights and ten other nights which is in all forty nights when he went up he said to his brother Aaron be thou my Lieutenant command this people in mine absence and follow not the path of the wicked When Moses at the time appointed arrived at the top of the Mountaine and that his Lord spake to him he said Lord permit me to see thee he said thou shalt not see me behold this Mountaine if it continue firme in this place thou shalt be able to see me when the Lord appeared upon the Mountaine with his light it was reduced to ashes and Moses amazed fell on the ground as dead When he rose againe he said blessed be the name of God I desire to obey him and believe that no man living is able to behold him He said to Moses I have chosen and preferred thee to all the world I have made thee a Prophet thou hast talked with me receive the grace which I have bestowed on thee and be not ingratefull We gave to him the Tables whereon was written what was necessary for the salvation of men and we said to him receive with affection what I give thee and command thy people to observe the contents of those Tables I will precipitate into Hell such as transgresse my Commandements I will deprive the proud of my graces they will not believe in my Law although they see all the miracles in the world if they see the right way they will not follow it they see the way of error and pursue it because they have abjured my Commandements and rejected my grace the good works of them that disobey me and that believe not in the Resurrection are unprofitable they shall be chastised after their demerits The people of Moses after his departure adored the Calfe a bellowing God saw they not that it spake not to them neither could conduct them into the right way Neverthelesse they adored it for which they were greatly too blame When this Calfe fell to the ground and they found their errour they said if God have not pity on us we shall be miserable When Moses returned he said to them whom did ye obey after my departure You were too hasty to worship that Idol he in displeasure cast against the ground the Tables that God had given him took his brother by the head and dragging him to him said Son of my mother how hast thou governed this people I wanted power replyed he and could not divert them from their evill It wanted little but they had slain me do me no harme rejoyce not my enemies with my misery and account me not with those that adored Idols Moses said Lord pardon me and my brother give us thy mercy thou art the mercifull of the mercifull The wrath of God and the infamy of the world shall fall upon them that worshiped the Calf and blasphemed against God he will be pitifull to such as shall repent and believe in his divine Majesty The displeasure of Moses being allayed he againe tooke the Tables whereon was written the way of salvation for such as have the feare of their Lord before their eyes he caused to be separated from his people at a time appointed threescore and ten persons who were surprized with an earth-quake and with thunder and said Lord thou couldst have destroyed them before they adored the Calf wilt thou destroy us all because of the sin of the ignorant that are amongst us Thou hast desired to prove this people thou guidest and causest to erre whom thou pleasest thou art our Protector pardon our sins for thou art altogether mercifull give us thy grace in this world and guide us to the day of Judgement neer to thy divine Majestie He said I will punish as I see good my mercy embraceth the whole world it is for such as have my feare before their eyes that pay Tithes obey my Commandements follow the right way believe in the Prophet * This is Mahomet who can neither write nor read and what is written in the Old Testament and the Gospell See Kitab el tenoir he shall command them things honest he shall prohibit things uncivill he shall teach them what meats are clean and forbid them to eat what is unclean he shall deliver them from Ceremonies weighty and trublesome and from the
chains that strictly bind them Such as shall believe in him that shall honour him that shall defend him from his enemies and follow the light that we shall send him shall be happy Say unto the people I am indeed a messenger sent from God to whom appertaineth the kingdome of the Heavens The Turks believe that Mahomet could neither write nor read and of Earth there is but one God alone he giveth life and death as seemeth good to him Believe in God and in his Prophet who can neither read nor write Such as shall believe in God in his Word and follow the Prophet shall not erre they shall follow a very good way There are some of the children of Israel that knew the truth and judge with equity We divided them into twelve Tribes when Moses required drink for his people we inspired him to strike the rock with his rod whence flowed twelve fountains and every one knew the place where he should drink we covered them with the shaddow of clouds we caused Manna and Quailes to descend upon them and commanded them to eat of the good things which we gave them They did not hurt us when they murmured but afflicted themselves This is the holy land It was said to them Dwell in this City and eat therein what shall please you enter at the gate with adoration See Gelaldin and beg pardon of your sinnes I will pardon you and will augment the graces of the righteous nevertheless the wicked that were among them altered the words that were spoken to them and perverted them and we sent upon them our indignation from Heaven because of their impiety Ask of them concerning a village that was upon the shore of the Sea whose inhabitants observed not the Sabbath and fished on the day of rest they saw in that day Serpents appear upon the water and other dayes they saw none Thus are tryed them because of their disobedience A party of them said Fish not O people it is lost labor God shall destroy and chastise them with grievous torments then their Doctors said They shall implore pardon of the Lord perhaps they will fear to offend him another time When they rejected what we taught them we saved such among them as abstain from evil-doing and grievously afflicted the wicked because of their disobedience when they gloried in their sin we said to them Be ye contemned and abhorred as Apes thy Lord shall send to them at the day of Judgement persons to torment them he is exact in punishing the wicked and mercifull to the righteous We sent upon them good and evill to prove them peradventure they will be converted Their posterity left a progeny heirs of their doctrine nevertheless they returned to their sins and say the Lord shall pardon them they beg pardon of him and return daily to their sin See Gelaldin Shall not account be required from them of what is ordained in the Scripture To wit not to speak of God but with truth They have read the Truth but have not comprehended it Paradise is onely for the righteous I will not deprive them of recompense who make their prayers at the time appointed and observe what is contained in the Scriptures Remember thou how we raised a mountain over them to shelter them and how they believed it would fall upon their heads wee said to them Learne with affection what we teach you and remember perhaps you will feare disobedience Thy Lord caused to come out of Adams reins all his posteritie and asked them saying Am not I your Lord they answered yes thou art our Lord we know it well They cannot therefore say at the day of Judgement That they knew not his unitie they shall say for excuse Our fathers adored many gods before us we are their posterity wilt thou destroy us because of their iniquity Thus doe I discover my mysteries to men it may be they will be converted Relate to them the history of him that saw our miracles he was dispoiled of his understanding the Devill followed it and he was in the number of the wretched Had we so pleased we had exalted him through the knowledge of our wonders among the Doctors but he crouched to the ground and followed his owne appetite like to a chafed dog if thou chase him with choller he putteth forth his tongue if thou leave him at rest he will still put forth his tongue like to the Infidels that contemn our instructions if thou recount to them our miracles or do not recount perhaps they will be converted perhaps they will not be converted and shall be like such as have abjured our Commandements and injured their own souls He whom God guideth is well guided and he whom God mis-leadeth is in the number of the miserable We have created Hell to punish Devils and men they have hearts and comprehend noâ— the truth they have eyes and see it not ears have they and heare it not they are like to beasts and worse then beasts they are altogether ignorant The most beautifull names of the world appertaine to God Beseech him by the beauty of his name and depart from them that depart from the truth through the names that they impose on their Idols they shall be chastised after their demerits Some there be that follow the truth and judge with equity I will by degrees punish them that shall reject our Commandements when they shall think thereon I will defer their punishment some time because my wrath is violent Remember they not that they said Mahomet is possest of the Devill On the contrary he declareth the joyes of Paradise and preacheth the torments of Hell Consider they not the Kingdome of Heaven and of Earth which God hath created of nothing The fear of death shall arrive before they have acknowledged their sins in what will they believe if they have not faith in the Alcoran He whom God shall mis-lead shall find none to guide him he shall leave Infidels confounded in their disobedience They shall enquire of thee concerning the hour and day of Judgement Say unto them No man knoweth it but God but the greatest part of the world believe it not I have not power to do either good or evill of my self if God do not permit it If I knew the future I should provide wealth to preserve me from poverty I am sent only to declare the joyes of Paradise and preach the torments of Hell to them that believe in God he it is that created you of one sole person and created his spouse of his rib to dwell with her When she doubted of being with child she ceased not to travell as she was wont but when her conception rendred her heavy they both besought God their Lord and said Lord give an happy progeny to the end we may be in the number of them that return thee thanks for thy favours When God gave them a son a râ—ghteous man they associated him in what
he had given them and all of them exalted the glory of his divine Majesty above the Idols of the Infidels that adored things which could create nothing that are things created and can do neither good nor harme If you call Idolaters to thâ— right way they will not follow you if ye invoke Idols misery shall be upon you will you be mute to professe the unity of God will you worship the Creatures instead of the Creators Go adore your Idols and may they heare your prayers if you believe them to be Gods Have they feet to walk hands to touch eys to see and eares to heare Say unto them if ye invoke your Idols and conspire against me you shall find none to protect you God is my protector he hath caused the Alcoran to descend from Heaven he is the defendor of the righteous what ye adore can neither benefit nor hurt you If thou invokest Idols they shall not heare thee they shall look upon thee and shall not see thee do what is lawfull to be done command things honest and depart from the ignorant if the Devill would seduce thee trust in God he heareth and knoweth all things such as fear him remember his mercies and chastisements when they are tempted of the Devil Although Infidels know the Truth the Devill ceaseth not to continue them in their sin they alwayes follow their impiety If thou goest to them to instruct them they say thou singest an old song say unto them I doe what my Lord inspired into me what I teach you is the light of faith the right way and the grace of God for them that believe in his divine Majesty for such as heare the Alcoran and study it perhaps God will give you his mercy Remember thou â—od in thy soul worship in publique and private pray unto him evening and morning and be not in the number of the ignorant The Angels that are near to thy Lord neglect not to worship him they prayse and adore him with humility CHAP. VIII The Chapter of the spoile containing seventy and five verses written at Medina Mahomets men differed concerning division of the spoyle which they took at the battell of Beder Mahomet divided it among them IN the name of God gracious and mercifull They will demand of thee to whom appertaineth the spoyle Say unto them the spoyle appertaineth to God and his Prophet Feare God live with mutuall amity and obey his divine Majesty and his Prophet if you believe in his Law Such as feare when they heare mention of God who augment their faith when they have heard relation of his miracles who trust in him who persevere in their prayers and dispend in pious works some part of their wealth believe in the unity of his divine Majesty they have the degree of their habitation in Paradise shall receive from their Lord pardon of their sinnes and exceeding great treasure When thy Lord caused thee to goe out of thine house to goe against the Infidels a party of the true believers had a great aversion to fighting See Gelaldin they disputed with thee the necessity of Combats having seen and known that their enemies led them to a certain death Call to mind that God promised you that a party of the Army of the Enemies should obey you Desire you other thing then the glory and honour of victory God confirmeth the Truth by his words and destroyeth the wicked he ratifieth the Truth and destroyeth falshood although it be contrary to the will of the impious Remember that your Lord heard you when you of him implored succors and that he assisted you with a thousand of his Angels sent from Heaven God sent you this aide only to let you know his grace and to confirme your hearts victory proceedeth from God he is omnipotent and most prudent Remember that God covered you with a secure sleep and caused water to descend from Heaven to wash purifie and deliver you from the malice of the Devill Plant in your heart generosity and patience and goe on with assurance God hath said to his Angels I will be with you confirme the steps of the True-believers I will cast feare into the heart of the wicked strike them on the head smite them on the fingers and feet because they have contradicted my will and that of the Prophet God severely chastiseth such as disobey his Commandements and oppose the will of his Prophet the unbelievers have heretofore tasted of his punishments in this world and shall in the end feele the paines of the fire of Hell Oh yee who believe in God! turne not the back to the wicked as vanquished when they approach to fight you he that shall turne the back shall returne in the wrath of God and be throwne headlong into the fire of Hell You slew not the Infidels at the fight of Beder God himselfe slew them See Gelaldin * Ob Mahomet Thou didst not cast stones against them God did cast them to advantage the True-believers he understandeth whatsoever they say and knoweth all their actions certainly he will augment the affliction of the wicked When ye required victory it was given you if you relinquish your impiety you shall doe well if you retutne to fight against the Prophet know that he will protect him against you your men of War shall advantage you in nothing notwithstanding they be numerous for that God is with the True-believers O ye that believe obey God his Prophet depart not from him since ye have heard the Commandements of his divine Majesty be not as those that say We have heard and were deaf and dumb The ignominy and misery that God layeth â—n beasts is to be deaf and dumb and to want the use of reason Had God seen any good inclination in the Infidels he had not left them in their deâ—fâ—nesse but although they had heard clearly they should have alwayes departed from his Law and have been obstinate O ye that believe in God! obey God and the Prophet demand life eternall in your prayers and know that God will separate the Gall frâ—m the Liver he will separate the Infidell from the True-believer and you all shall appeare before him to be â—â—compensed and chastised â—or your works feare the punishment that shall be inflicted especially on the seditious and ingratefull God is â—evere in his chastisements Remember that in the territory of Mecca ye were but â—n handfull of weak men and with feare of being taken and destroyed by the unbelievers God saved protected and enriched you with all manner of good things peradventure ye will give him thanks Oh ye that believe betray not God noâ— the Prophet neither such as confide in you and have entrusted their wealth in your hands otherwise your riches and children shall torment you in the other world There is with God great reward for the righteous O ye that believe if ye feare God he shall remove your enemies farre from you and
before their eyes shall suffer no torments in the other world it is declared to them on earth that they shall have all content the word of God admits of no alteration they shall enjoy perfection of felicity in Paradise Afflict not thy self for the words of the impious vertue proceedeth from God he understandeth and knoweth all things whatsoever is in heaven and in earth appertaineth to him They who worship Idols follow but their opinion and are lyars God hath created the night for repose and the day for labour such as heare his Word find therein marks of his omnipotency They have said doe ye believe that God hath a Son Praised be God he is most rich and hath no need of any person he possesseth whatsoever is in heaven and earth you have no reason in what ye alledge will you speak of God what ye know not God doth not aide in this world them that blaspheme against him he shall cause them to feele after their death great torments because of their impiety Instruct them in the History of Noah how he spake to his people and said O people if my abode with you the preaching of the Commandments of God be irksom to you know that all my support is in God assemble your Doctors with your Idols conceal not what ye doe goe whither you will ye shall find none to protect you if ye contemne my instructions I require not of you a reward for my pains I desire to receive of none other then God the Omnipotent and recommend my self to the Mill of his divine Majesty They slandered Noah then did we save him in the Arke and them that were with him we prolonged their posterity on earth and drowned the wicked consider the end of such as heard the word of God and contemned it We sent to them other Prophets after Noah they made them to see miracles and gave them most salutary instructions but they did not believe in what they had no will before to believe Thus I harden the heart of the wicked We after them sent Moses to Pharaoh and his subjects without miracles they arose against our Commandements when the truth was preached to them and said it was but Magick and enchantment Moses said to them will you say that the Truth is Sorcery God doth not assist Magicians and Sorcerers they said Art thou with thy brother come to divert us from the Religion of our Fathers and to be esteemed on earth We will believe in thy words Then Pharaoh commanded to summon the most skilfull of his Magicians they being assembled Moses said to them cast downe what yee have a will to cast downe on the ground having cast downe their cords and staves Moses said to them know ye none other thing but Magick God shall render it vaine and unprofitable he abhorreth such as defile the earth he confirmeth the Truth through his Word although it be against the will of the wicked Few men believed in Moses because of their feare to displease Pharoah and his Ministers Pharoah was powerfull on earth and in the number of the wicked Moses said O people if ye believe in God resign your selves to his will they answered All our confidence is in God Lord doe not thou abandon us to the malice of the unjust deliver us through thy mercy from the hands of Infidels We inspired Moses and his brother to dwell some time in Egypt with their people and to make Oratories in their houses therein to make their prayers and Preach to true believers Lord said Moses thou hast enriched Phaâ—oah and his people in this world they goe astray from the way of thy Law confound their riches and harden their hearts they will not believe untill they see thy judgements and feel the effect of thy wrath he said I hâ—â—e heard the prayers of you both be faithfull in your Embassie and follow not the way of the ignorant We gave passage through the sea to the children of Israel Pharoah pursued them with hatred and envy untill his people were drowned Then said Pharoah I believe there is none other God but the God of the children of Israel and I wholly recommend my self to his Will Thou dost now believe in God O Pharoah and wert before disobedient to his Commandements filling the earth with thy enormities I have delivered thee from this perill that thou maist be an example to posterity for many among the people are ignorant of my omnipotency We gave the Children of Israell to dwell in places full of delights and enriched them with the good things of the Earth they knew the differences that arose among them touching Religion thy Lord shall judge them at the day of Judgement If thou doubtest what we have taught thee repaire to them that have read the Scripture before thee what thy Lord hath taught thee is most true be not thou of them that doubt neither of such as derogate from the Commandements of God thou shalt be in the number of the wretched Those whom God will chastise shall not believe in his divine Majesty should they behold all the miracles of the world untill they see the torments of Hell The faith is exceeding profitable to the Cities that have received it when the Inhabitants of the City of Jonas embraced it we delivered them from our punishment we delivered them from ignominy and enriched them untill the time appointed if it pleased thy Lord all the world should believe in him wilt thou abhorre the people untill they believe in God No man can embrace the faith withâ—ut his permission he sendeth his indignation against them that disobey his Commandements Say unto them Consider all that is in Heaven and Earth miracles and preaching are of no use to such as will not believe shall they expect what their Predecessors expected Say unto them expect I will expect with you I will deliver my Prophets and the True-believers from the torments of Hell it is reasonable that I deliver them that obey my Commandements Oh people who causeth you to doubt of the Law which I teach you I will not worship the Idols that you adore I worship one God alone who shall cause you all to dye I will embrace his Law it commandeth to professe his Unity I am not of them that say he hath a companion equall to him Adore not what can neither benefit nor hurt thee if thou doe it thou shalt be in the number of the unjust If God will afflict thee none can deliver thee from affliction if God will doe good to thee none can deprive thee of his grace he hath given it to whom seemeth good to himself he is gracious and mercifull Oh people God teacheth you the truth whosoever shall follow the right way shall save his soule and whosoever shall go astray shall destroy it I am not your Tutor I do but what is inspired into me I have patience in my perseverance I wil expect the Judgement of God there is
shame and perpetually tormented When our will was to destroy that people and the light of the morning appeared and the water boyled in Noah's pot we commanded him to charge his Arke with two beasts of every kind and Species all creatures were destroyed except those of which we before made mention as well such as believed as them that did not believe and that but a few Noah said unto them ascend the Arke in the name of God who shall cause it to swimme and to anchor the Lord is gracious and mercifull towards us When the Arke began to flote like to a Mountaine Noah called to one of his sonnes who stayed on the Earth and said my * Gelalldin saith that he was called Kinan sonne come up into the Arke with us and remaine not with the Infidels he answered I will ascend an high mountaine that shall save me from the waters Noah said to him none is able this day to deliver thee from the punishment of God if it be not through his mercy The waters being risen he was in the number of them that were drowned God commanded the Earth to drinke its water and the Heavens to poure downe no more raine the water diminished upon the Earth after the people were drowned and the Arke rested upon the Mountaine called Gioudy thus were the unjust extirpated Noah prayed to his Lord and said Lord my son that remained in the waters was of my lineage thou didst promise me to save my family thou dost exactly performe thy promise thou art true in thy words and most just in thine actions Oh Noah answered â—od that son is not of thy lineage he hath offended me and disobeyed my Commandements doe not enquire of me concerning that which thou oughtest not to know otherwise thou shalt be in the number of the ignorant Lord said Noah I will take heed through thine assistance to enquire of thee what I ought not to know if thou hast not pitie on me I shall be in the number of the miserable God said oh Noah descend from the Arke with Salvation and blessing upon thee and upon a part of them that are with thee I will enrich the other part with the wealth of this world to punish them most severely at the day of Judgement I teach what shall be what neither thou nor thy people have not yet knowne be patient in thine afflictions Paradise is for them that have my feare before their eyes Wee sent Hod to the people of Aad his brother he said unto them oh people adore but one God alone otherwise ye shall be in the number of Infidels I require of you no recompense for the paines I take in preaching to you he that created me shall reward me will ye never be wise implore pardon of God be converted and obey his divine will he shall send you raine from Heaven and shall encrease your strength and riches be not in the number of the wicked they answered oh Hod thou shewest us no reasons to prove thy sayings thy words shall not make us to quit our Gods we give no credit to thy discourse and tell thee that some one of our Gods shall severely chastise thee He said take God and your selves to wâ—tnesse that I am innocent of the sinne that you commit in adoring Idols if you conspire against me none shall be able to protect you at the day of Judgement I recommend my selfe to the will of God mine and your Lord he conserveth all the crâ—atures of the Earth and loveth them that follow the right way I have discharged my duty and commission I have taught you what God commanded me if you goe astray he shall establish another â—eople in your place you do him no harme through your impiety he exactly observeth whatsoever is done in the world When we destroyed that pâ—ople we by our speciall grace delivered Hod from their malice and all the True-believers that were with him we delivered them from great affliction The pâ—ople of Aad contemned the Commandements of God and disobeyed his Prophets they followed the will of the obstinate were cursed in this world and shall be accursed at the day of Judgement because they disobeyed his divine Majesty with designe to extirpate the people of Hod his brother We sent Salhe to Temod his brother and his people he said to them oh pâ—ople worshâ—p one God alone he it is who hath created you of the dust of the earth and filled it with many sorts of fruits that you might inhabit it beg pardon of him and be converted he hearkneth to his creatures and heareth their prayers they answered oh Salhe it was hoped thou wouldst have beene our Captaine before the prohibitâ—on was made to adore the Gods of our fathers wee exceedingly doubt of what thou preachest Oh people said Salhe know ye not that God taught me what to you I preach and that he hath given me his grace who shall protect me if I disobey him You can but augment my paine should I believe you O people this Camell which God for you hath created shall be to you a miracle and instruction sufâ—er it to feed and doe it no harme The Turks believe that Salhe changed a rock into a Caâ—ell lest you be suddenly chastised They thâ—ough contempt wounded the Camell Then said he unto them ye shall live in your houses for the space of three dayes before ye be destroyed what is foretold to you is no Fiction when we destroyed them we through our speciall grace saved Salhe and the true-believers that were with him thunder surprized those Infidels and in the morning they were found in their houses dead extended as carkases Thus did Temod and his people contemne the Commandments of God to their disadvantageâ— Our Messengers that came to Abrahams house declared to him the birth of Isaac Jacob and their posterity they mutualy saluted when they enâ—â—ed into his house he caused rosted flesh to be brought to them to eate and perceiving that they did not eate contemned them in himself and was terrified with their coming they said unto him feare not we are sent to Lot to extirpate the inhabitants of his City Abrahams wife being present began to laugh when they foretold the birth of Isaac Jacob and their posterity she said ah God! shall I beate a son I who am old and have an husband extreamly aged this would be a miracle they answered are ye astonished at the power of God O ye of the family of Abraham God hath given you his blâ—ssing praise and glory are due to him in all places When Abraham was freed from his feare and they having announced the birth of his children he disputed with them a long time touching the inhabitants of the City of Lot he was of a mild disposition and frequently repeated the praâ—ses of God The Messengers said unto him O Abraham put an end to thy questions the houre is come wherein God hath commanded to destroy them they shall
and they were all destroyâ—d We created the heavens and the earth to be signes of the Truth and of our Unity The hour of Judgment approacheth absent thy self from thy self from thy people with mildnesse That is the Preface of the Alcoran containing seven versâ—s thy Lord who created all things knoweth all We taught thee seven signs and the most precious Alcoâ—an Tarry not to consider the divers sorts of riches which the wicked possessâ— afflâ—ct not thy self if they persist in their impiety Say unto them I preach none other thing but the word of God and the pains of hell We will chastise the wickâ—d as we chastised them that divided the Alcoran who approved one part and rejected the other I am thy Lord I will require of them an account of their actions preach what hath been commanded thee and depart from Infidels we will preserve thee from them that shall scorn thee as likewise from such as adore Idols I know that thou wilt be grieved at their discourse but praise and adore the Lord untill death CHAP. XVI The Chapter of the Bee containing an hundred and eight Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and mercifull See Gelaldin The chastisement of God is not far remote desire it not before its time praised be God he hath no companion he causeth the Angels to descend and sendeth his inspirations to whom it pleaseth him preach his power and the pains of Hell to unbelievers there is no God but he fear him he created the earth and the heavens he is more powerfull then your Idols and created man of the mire of the earth neverthelesse he is obstinate in his pride he created cleane beasts for your use you draw from them great emolument and advantage to cloth and nourish your selves yee see their beauty when they feed and and when they lead them to pasture they beare the burthen and whatsoever ye will send into Cities what ye cannot carry without them but with exceeding great travell God is gracious and mercifull towards you he created horses and mules and asses to beare you he created many glorious things of which you have not knowledge He teacheth them the right way who observe his Commandements had it pleased him he had guided all into the way of his Law He sâ—ndeth you water from Heaven to take away thirst and causeth plants to bring forth and trees that nourish your flocks he maketh the Olive trees to produce the Date trees Vines and all sorts of fruits These things are arguments of his Unity to such as consider them he created the night the day the Sun the Moone and the Stars that move at his pleasure these things are signs of his Omnipotency to them that are wise He created whatsoever is on Earth of divers colours kind and species he created the sea which affordeth you fish pearles and other precious stones to adorne you thou seest how the ships saile upon the waters and divide the waves for the advantage of commerce peradventure you will give God thanks for his favours He raised the mountaines to make firm the Earth and to hinder it to move he created the rivers and established wayâ—s to guide you he made the Stars to conduct you by night upon the sea and the mountains to direct you in your way by day who but he could have creatâ—d what he hath made will you never consider it It is not in your power to keep account of his mercies he is altogether gracious and mercifull and knoweth the secret of your souls the Idolls that ye adore can create nothing but are things dead without motion and know not in what time the world shall rise again your God is one sole God such as believe not the end of the world such as deny his Unity and boast of their false beliefe are abhorred of his divine Majesty when they are interrogated concerning what God hath inspired into Mahomet they answered that he preacheth Fables of antiquity but they shall bear their burthen at the day of Judgement who have seduced them from the right way and have not known it They that were before them were deceivers God overthrew their habitations the ruines fell upon them and he chastised them when they least thought of it he shâ—ll make them ashamed at the day of Judgement and shall demand of them where be the Idols for which they disputed against true-believers Such as have knowledge of Gods Commandements assure that shame shall be upon the foreheads of Infidels and that the Angels shall cause them to die because of the enormity of their sins They will say at the houre of death that they believe in God and are penitent for their faults God knoweth what they have done he shall command them to enter into hell where is the abode of the proud He shall command them who have his feare before their eyes to enter the house of Eternity and the gardens Eden wherein flow many rivers there shall they dwell eternally with the height of their desire Shall the wicked continue in their sin untill the Angels cause them to die or untill the day of Judgement Thus did their predecessors God was not unjust towards them they drew mischief on themselves through their iniquity they were chastised and felt the punishment which they had despised they have said had it so pleased God our fathers and we had adored him alone so spake their predecessors The Prophets are not obliged but to preach and instruct the people We sent a Prophet to every Nation to instruct it and to command the worship of one sole God and to quit the adoration of Tagot and of Idols God guided some into the right way and others were seduced consider what is the end of the wicked if thou indeavourest to put them into the right path thou shalt lose thy time God guideth not them that desire to erre they shall be deprived of protection at the day of Judgement they have sworne by their faith that God will not make the dead to rise againe but he shall cause them to rise againe to chastise them according to his promises but the greatest part of men doe not know it did they know it they would acknowledge their errors and the impious would acknowledge their blasphemies When we willed any thing we said be thou and it was They that depart from the wicked for the love of their Lord and shall convert themselves shall be rewarded in this world and yet more in the other had they knowledge to understand it Such as patiently endure the injuries of unbelievers and trust in their Lord shall be recompensed when they least think of it We heretofore sent but men to preach our Law ask of them that have knowledge of the written Law The Jewes and Christians if it be not true We have sent to them the Alcoran to the end thou maist instruct men in our Commandements peradventure they will consider it
promised to God break not promised faith ye call God to be witness of your promises hee knoweth all your actions Do not like the woman who spun a thred foulded it and afterwards entangled it and spoyled it believe not that there is deceit and error in your Law If the unbelievers be more in numbers then you God permitteth it to prove you he shall clear to you at the day of Judgement the doubts that be among you had it so pleased him you all had observed one and the same Law he guideth misleadeth whom it pleaseth him and will exactly require of you an accompt of your actions Believe not that there is deceipt in your Law take heed of stumbling having once confirmed your steps ye shall be severely chastised â—f ye seduce the people from the right way do not violate what ye have promised to God for any price his grace is of more advantage to you then the wealth of the earth had ye knowledge to understand it your wealth is perishable and the riches of heaven are eternall he shall recompence them that persevere in wel-doing and whosoever shall doe good works shall be blessed in this world and in the other When thou shalt read the Alcoran implore God to deliver thee from the malice of the Divell abominable to all the Creatures he hath no power over them that trust in his divine Majestie his power extendeth over such as go astray who obey not him and adore many Gods When we alter any precepts God well knoweth what he ordaâ—neth they say thou art a lyar but the greatest part of them are ignorant Say unto them that assuredly the Holy Ghost hath taught it from thy Lord to confirme believers in their faith and to guide into the right way them that professe his unity and to anounce to them the joyes of Paradise I know that they will say that a man hath taught him the Alcoran He whom they presume to have taught him is a Persian by Nation and speaketh the Language of the Persians and the Alcoran is in the Arabique tongue full of instruction and eloquence They who will not believe in God shall suffer great torments such as renounce his Commandements blaspheme against his divine Majesty those that reject his Law after having professed it shall feel the effect of his wrath and be punished for preferring the wealth of the earth to the riches of Heaven God guideth not unbelievers They in whose hearts he hath imprinted disobedience those whom he hath deprived of hearing and sight are ignorant they doubtlesse shall be at the end of the world in the number of the damned he is mercifull to them that convert and repent to have mislead the people from the right way and persevere in obedience to his Commandements Be thou mindfull of the day wherein man shall dispute against himself and every one shall be rewarded according to his works without injustice God teacheth you a Parable Behold a free and Priviledged City on the which God poureth his graces on all sides with abundance and is ingratefull for his benefits but he sent upon it misery famine and feare because of its ingratitude God hath sent to the Inhabitants thereof a Prophet of their Nation they have slandered him and were chastised because of their sinne Eate of what God hath given you and give him thanks for his grace if it be he whom ye worship he forbiddeth you to eat of Carrion of Bloud and Swines-flesh and whatsoever is not slaine in pronouncing the name of God he will be gracious and mercifull to them who shall eat through necessity without designe to offend him Lye not in saying Behold that which is permitted to be eaten blaspheme not against God such as blaspheme against him shall not prosper in this world and in the otâ—er shall suffer grievous torments We did heretofore prohibit the Jews to eat of what we have recounted to thee we did to them no injustice they drew mischief on themselves through their sinne thy Lord is gracious and mercifull to them that ignorantly offend him who convert and doe good works Abraham was obedient to God and professed his unity he adored not Idols and gave thanks to God for his mercies God elected and guided him into the right way he gave him wealth in this world and placed him in the other in the number of the blessed We have inspired thee to follow the Law of Abraham he professed the unity of God and adored not Idols he established the Sabbath among the Jews of which they dispute God shall judge their dâ—fference at the day of Judgement Call the people to the Law of God with prudence and preachings and dispute against them with good arguments God knoweth them that depart from the right way if they evilly intreat you intreat them as they shall intreat you if ye be patient patience is advantagious to them that take it willingly have patience for the love of God and afflict not your selves with the deportments and malice of the wicked God is with the righteous who have his feare before their eyes CHAP. XVII The Chapter of the Voyage by night containing an hundred and eleven verses written at Mecca Reader The Turks believe that this night of the Voyage Mahomet ascended into Heaven with the Angel Gabriel he was mounted on a white Burac which is a beast partly Mule partly Asse and partly Horse He saw all the Prophets that preceded him all the wonders of Paradise and saw God who sate on his Throne See Kitab el tenoir Tesfiir anf Giauhoir and the exposition of Gelaldin The Bedaoi intituleth this Chapter the Chapter of the Children of Israel IN the Name of God gracious and mercifull Praise be to him that caused his servant to goe in one night from the Temple of Mecca to the Temple of Jerusalem wee have blessed that Temple and whatsoever is about it in token of our omnipotency We gave to Moses the Old Testament to instruct the Children of Israel and to deterr them from the worship of any other God but of me to forbid them to adore the lineage of Noah or the lineage of them that we preserved in his Ark. To quit their saith and return to it ofâ—en Noah is my creature and my servant acknowledging my benefits wee prohibited in Scripture the children of Israel to defile twice the Earth left they kindled too great a fire when that befell you See Kitab el tenoir we stirred up our servants against you and they entered by force into the midst of your houses this was as soon executed as promised In the end we gave you advantage over your enemies we gave you wealth and children to succor you and ye were more numerous then the Infidels the good and the evill that you shall doe shall be for your souls We stirred up the wicked against you because of your sins to afflict you through the murther and bondage of your persons and they destroyed
will assemble them at the end of the world to reward them after their works We have indeed sent thee the Alcoran from heaven to proclaime the joys of Paradise and to preach the torments of hell we have sent it to the end thou maist teach it to the people we have sent it clear and intelligible that it may be understood according to occurences Say unto them believe or bâ—lâ—eve it not when those that have knowledge in the written Law heard it read they prostrated themselves on the ground with humility and said praised be God what he promiseth is infallible and incontinently is his command executed they wept prostrating the face towards the earth and the reading of the Alcoran augmented their devotion Say unto them implore God call God mercifull all his Attributes are most glorious Make it not appear to the world how often thou shalt pray neither how often thou shalt read the Alcoran and fear not to pray to God and to read the Alcoran follow in this the middle path and say praised be God he hath no Son he hath no companion neither protector to preserve him from contempt his greatness is perfect and compleat CHAP. XVIII The Chapter of the Cave containing an hundred and ten Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Praise be to God who hath sent the Alcoran to his servant There is no contradiction in this Book it teacheth the right way it preacheth to the wicked that they shall suffer great torments and proclaimeth to the righteous that they shall enjoy an eternall felicity it preacheth the torments of Hell principally to such as affirm That God hath a Son they are ignorant like to their predecessors they are arrogant in their discourse and utter nothing but blaspemies Wilt thou destroy thy self in following their footsteps If they believe not in the Alcoran they shall one day have sorrow and shall repent it We adorned the Earth with whatsoever is upon it for the advantage of men One part thereof is happy and plentifull and the other unfruitfull and desart Do ye not believe that the sleepers that entred the Cave and the Paper wherein their names were written be our miracles when those men entred the Cave they said Lord give us thy mercy and guide us into the right way Then did we cause them to sleep for the space of some years and awaked them having continued some time in that Cave to make it appear which of the two Religions was the most just I will relate to thee their History with truth they were young men who had the fear of their Lord before their eyes we strengthned them and encreased their faith when they were with the Infidels they said Our God is Lord of Heaven and Earth we will never worship but one God otherwise we shall separate our selves from the truth This people have adored Idols without reason who is more unjust then he who blasphemeth against God When they deserted the Infidels they worshipped one God alone Enter into the Cave God shall make his mercy towards you to appear and shall guide you through a path smooth and pleasant When the Sun arose he cast his rayes on the right side of their Cave and on the left at his going down they in the mean time were in the most spacious place of this Cave This is one of Gods miracles hee whom he guideth is well guided and whom he misleadeth shall find none to give him succour or to guide him Believe ye that they should be awake Assuredly they slept and turned themselves sometimes to one side sometimes to another Consider how their Dog extended his feet before that old habitation of stone if any one had entred towards them he would have caused them to flie and had affrighted them In the end we awaked them and they mutually enquired of each other in what place they were and how long they had there continued one of them replyed That they had been there a day or two then they all said God knoweth the time that we have abode here send one of us to the City with money to buy bread and meat let him not be fearfull neither make himself known to any if wee be known they will murther or constrain us to follow their Religion in which we shall be eternally miserable Thus did we stir up the people against them to the end they might know that thy Lord is true when he said He will cause the dead to arise again the Resurrection is indubitable nevertheless unbelievers dispute among them concerning the History of the Sleepers and say That they built a secret place to retire themselves God knoweth the Truth The True-believers believe that they made no building the Infidels say they were five and that their dog was the sixth they speak by opinion but the True-believers affirm them to be seven and their dog to be the eighth Say unto them My Lord knoweth how many they were few persons except God know â—heir number Doubt no more the History of the Sleeâ—ers the matter is averred and known dispute no more with the Jews and say not I will do this to morrow without saying If it please God Call God to minde after thou hast forgot him and say The Lord shall guide me and teach me the History of the Sleepers See Gelaldin who remained in the Cave three hundred years there be who affirme they continued there nine hundred years Say unto them God knoweth the time of their abode there he knoweth whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth he understandeth and seeth all things he alone disposeth every thing and hath no companion Preach what thy Lord hath inspired into thee his word admitteth of no alteration there is no safer refuge then in him dwell with those that invoke him morning and evening and desire to see his face depart not from their company if thou desirest to have content of life in this world obey not those whose heart we have hardned and are unmindfull of us follow not their impiety whatsoever they do is but offence and sin Say unto them the truth proceedeth from your Lord who shall desire it shall be True-believers and who shall not desire it shall be an Infidell we have prepared Hell to chastise the impious and prisons wherein to detaine them They shall implore succors against the melting pit into which they shall be plunged as into waters it shall rost their faces and shall be their drink I will not frustrate of reward them that shall have done well they shall enjoy the delights of the gardens of Eden wherein flow many rivers they shall have bracelets of â—ine Gold they shall be cloathed with green with Scarlet and shining colours and shall sit on thrones with an eternall felicity Declare to them this parable there were two men I gave to the one of them gardens whereâ—n was store of fruits he in contempt told his companion that he was more wealthy
feared he might cause his father to sin and seduce him into his error and infidelity the Lord through his goodness would have him to be destroyed to deliver his father from his malice The wall appertaineth to two infant Orphans of this City there is under it a treasure that belongeth to them their father was a righteous man God through his goodness willeth that the treasure be preserved for them untill they attain to years of discretion he likewise willed me to do what I have done behold the exposition of what thou wert impatient to learn If any one enquire of thee concerning Alexander the great relate to them his History we gave him on earth what he desired he went as far as the West where he found a fountain guarded by a man who said to him O Alexander chastise men through the murther of their persons bondage and ransome he answered I will put to death unbelievers in this world and the Lord shall punish them in hell and the righteous shall enjoy the glory of Paradise I will tell the wicked that God hath given us what we have desired After this he continued his way untill he came to a place where the Sun riseth he found that it riseth in a countrey where they have nothing to shelter them from its heat the thing is so we taught Alexander how to shelter himself he followed his way untill he arrived between two mountains inhabited of a Nation that spake a Language which he could hardly understand they said to him O Alexander Jagog and Magog defile the earth canst thou put between them and us an obstacle to hinder that they may not come to us God said Alexander hath not given me means to do it but assist me with your power I will put between them and you a strong separation give me iron that can cut stones that I may build betwixt the two mountains and that I may fortifie the way that devideth them blow when the iron striketh the stones to â—indle fire and poure on mâ—lten brass to joyn the stones and iron together if they come they cannot pierce through the mountains neither find a way to come to you this is a favour which God conferreth on you his promises are infallible when the hour arriveth he is true in what hee promiseth we will permit them to mixe each with other we will assemble all of them when the Trumpet shall sound then will we open Hell to the wicked and to such as would neither see nor hear the Alcoran Do they imagine them that worship me to be their gods we have prepared hell to punish them Say unto them shall I relate unto thee what shall befall the damned their works shall be unprofitable in this world although they think to do well good works are unprofitable to them that contemn the Commandements of their Lord and believe not in the Resurrection they shall not want ballance at the day of Judgement hell shall be their habitation because they deride our Commandements and our Apostles and Prophets The righteous shall enjoy eternally the delight of Paradise without discontinuation If the sea were inke to write the wondrous works of my Lord it will sooner have an end then his miracles Say unto the Infidels I am a man like you God hath taught me that there is but one God he that believeth in the Resurrection studieth to do good works worship but one God who is without a companion CHAP. XIX The Chapter of Mary containing fourscore and eighteen Verses written at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and merciful God is the rewarder conductor of the righteous liberall wise true Zachery the servant of thy Lord remembred his grace when he in secret prayed to his Lord and said Lord my bones are become feeble and mine head is white with old age Lord I was never rejected in my prayers hear my petition give me a son to succeed me that may be mine heir heir of the lineage of Jacob and be pleasing to thee O Zachary I declare unto thee that thou shalt have a son named John no man hath yet been called by that name he said Lord how shall I have a son my wife is barren and I am too old It was answered him the thing shall be as I have said unto thee it is easie to thy Lord who created thee he said Lord give me some signe of the conception of my wife he said to him thou shalt not speak for three nights Then went he out of his Oratory and made signes to the people to make their prayers evening and morning Oh John See Kitab el tenoir learn the Scripture with affection We from his infancie gave him knowledge clemency charity piety affection towards his father and mother and not violence and disobedience We blessed the day of his nativity the day that he shall dye and the day that he shall rise again Remember thou what is written of Mary she retired towards the East into a place farre remote from her kindred and took a vaile to cover her we sent her our Spirit in forme of a man she was afraid and said God will preserve me from thee if thou have his fear before thine eyes hee said oh Mary I am the Messenger of God thy Lord who shall give thee a Sonne active and prudent She answered how shall I have a sonne without the touch of man I desire not to be unchaste he said The thing shall be as I have told thee it is facile to thy Lord thy sonne shall be a token of the omnipotency of God and of his speciall grace towards such as shall believe in his divine Majesty She became with child and retired some time into a place remote from people where she sustained the colours of Child-birth at the foot of a Date-tree and said why am I not dead wherefore am I not in the number of persons forgotten The Angell said to her afflict not thy selfe God hath placed a brook under thee shake the foot of this Palme and the Dates shall fall gather them up eat and drink and wash thine eyes say unto them that thou shalt meet that thou fastest and hast made a vow not to speak to any one untill thy fast be accomplished Her parents met her while she bare her Infant and said unto her oh Mary behold a strange thing oh sister of Aâ—ron thy father did not command thee to doe evill neither was thy mother unchaste She made signes to her infant to answer them they said how shall the infant in the Cradle speak Then her infant spake and said I am the servant of God hee hath taught me the Scripture hath made me a Prophet blessed me in all places and commanded me to pray unto him hoe hath recommended to me purity through the whole course of my life and to honour my father and mother hee hath not made me either violent or malicious praysed shall be the day of my birth the day
that I shall dye and the day of my resurrection Thus spake Jesus the sonne of Mâ—â—y with truth of which ye doubt God approveth not the discourse of them that say he hath a sonne praised be God when he willeth any thing he saith be thou and it is he is mine and your Lord worship him this is the right way there be persons who in this regard have been of different opinion but misery is upon the incrudulous they shall be miserable at the day of Judgement The Infidels are manifestly erroneous from the right way If thou preach to them the torments of Hell and their ignorance they will not hear thee Wee are Lords of whatsoever is on Earth and dispose of every thing at our pleasure they shall be one day assembled before us to be judged Remember thou what is written of Abraham he was a righteous man and a Prophet he said to his Father adore not what neither seeth nor understandeth any thing and that cannot be profitable I know what ye know not follow me and I will conduct you into the right way worship not the Devill he is disobedient unto God otherwise I fear that God may chastise you and you may be in the number of the damned He answered oh Abraham dost thou abhorre my Gods unlesse thou change thy discourse I will stone thee depart from me for a long time he said May God inspire you I will pray for you he is exceeding good and will hear my prayers Whom will ye adore when I shall be gone from you Worship God my Lord and your prayers shall be heard he departed from them and worshipped one God We gave him two sonnes Iasaac and Jacob both Prophets we conferred our grace upon him with an eloquent and true tongue Remember thou what is written of Moses he was a righteous man our Prophet and Messenger we called him on the right side of the Mount Sinai drew him neer unto us and taught him our secrets We through speciall gâ—â—â— gave him a brother named Aaron Remember thou what is written of Ismael he exactly observed what he promised was a Prophet and an Apostle of the Lord preached purity and recommended to men to make their prayers often and was pleasing to his Lord. Remember thou what is written of Enoch hee was a just man and a Prophet and we took him up to an exceeding high place God gave his grace to these men among the Prophets of the lineage of Adam among them whom we caused to embarke with Noah among those of the lineage of Abraham and Israel and among those that we assembled and guided into the right way When the miracles of the mercifull were related to them they fell prostrate and adored him with tears in their eyes their posterity forsook their footsteps abandoned the Law and followed their own appetites but they shall be precipitated into Hell except such as shall be converted and do good works they shall enter into Paradise and no injustice shall be done to them they shall enter into the garden of Eden what the mercifull God doth promise is infallible they shall hear nothing spoken in Paradise that shall displease them they shall hear the salutation of Angels and morning and evening shall have what they desire such is Paradise which God giveth to his creatures that have his fear before their eyes I * Gelaldin saith â— that Mahomet complaineth to the Angel Gabriel for having been so long absent from him descend not from Heaven but by the permission of the Lord he is master of our actions in Heaven and Earth and of whatsoever is between them he hath not forgot thee worship him and persevere in thy adoration knowest thou any person that is named like him Man saith what shall I dye and rise again He considereth not that God hath created him of nothing I will one day assemble the Infidels and Devils I will cause them to appear at the gate of Hell upon their knees and will cast upon them all manner of misery because they have encreased their impiety towards their Lord. I know such as deserve to burn in Hell they shall be thrown thither headlong this is a most just sentence pronounced by the Lord. I will save the righteous and forbidâ—â—â— fidels to fall on their knees before Idols when the unbelievers and many of the faithfull heard my Commandements preached they said among themselves that they were in a better way then their neighbour how many have we destroyed befor them in past Ages more rich then they and hypocrites like unto them Say unto them God prolongeth the lâ—fe of the erroneous that they may know their errors and learn the knowledge of the pains prepared for them they shall understand who shall be the most miserable and who shall have been most weak in their faith and least affectionate to the service of his divine Majesty God shall encrease their faith who shall follow the right way and such as be obedient to him shall enjoy his grace Hast thou considered the action of the wicked They demand if they shall have riches and children after their Resurrection Would you know what shall be would you capitulate with the mercifull I will not do it I will write all that they say and will adde to their miseries I will give to them in this world what they require and they shall rise again naked without treasure and children See Gelaldin They adored Idols to have their protection Certainly they erred in that adoration they shall renounce them and be their enemies at the day of Judgement Seest thou not how we have sent the Devils against unbelievâ—rs to seduce them Be not impatient to to see them punished they shall be judged at the day appointed Be thou mindfull of the day when I shall assemble all the righteous in the presence of God and prâ—cipitate all the wicked into Hell their prayers shall not be heard except such as have accomplished their promises to the mercifull They have said Do ye believe that God hath a Son You utter a strange thing it wanteth not much but that Heaven and Earth open themselves and that the Mountains fall with their utter destruction They call God God the Son God hath not to do with a Son whatsoever is in Heaven and Earth adore him he knoweth the accompt and number of all things of the world Men shall appear before him at the day of Judgement and the True-believers that shall do good works shall be beloved of his divine Majesty We have sent thee the Alcoran written in thine own Language that thou mayst proclaim the delights of Paradise to them that fear me and preach the torments of Hell to such as dispute with obstinacy against the Faith How many of the wicked have we destroyed in past ages Hast thou heard speak of them Hast thou heard mention of their memory CHAP. XX. The Chapter of Beatitude and of Hell containing on hundred and thiâ—ty Verses
or the God of Moses They said the miracles that thou hast seen have they not touched thee He that created us doth things which are not in thy power to performe thy power extendeth only in this world we believe in God our Lord who will pardon our sinnes thou art the cause that hee abhorreth us with our magick hee is more powerfull then thou and eternall Hell is prepared for Infidels they shall finde repose neither in their life nor death and the righteous that shall do good works shall eternally enjoy the pleasures of the gardens of Eden wherein slow many delicious rivers such is the reward of them that are purged from their sins We said unto Moses go out by night with my people and make them a drie path through the Sea fear not that thine enemies may overtake thee neither be afraid of being drowned Paraoh shall follow them with his troops I will overwhelm in the sea and will mislead him with his people he shall not follow the right way O children of Israel we delivered you from your enemies and conducted you towards the mountains of Sinai we caused Manna and Quailes to descend upon you and said eat ye of the good things that we have given you and be not ungratefull otherwise my wrath shall fall upon you he upon whom mine indignation shall fall shall be thrown headlong into the fire of hell I will be mercifull to such as shall convert do good works and follow the right way O Moses who pressed thee to absent thy self from thy people He answered behold he that followeth my steps I am come up to receive thy Commandements We after thy departure estranged thy people from thee and Samery seduced them from the right way he returned upon his steps to his people in great displeasure and said O ye people did not God promise to you all manner of content he protracted the effect of his promises because of your sins will you that his wrath fall upon you wherefore have ye transgressed what ye promised to me They said we have not transgressed our promises of our own accord we took the most weighty ornaments of the people and cast them into the fire Samery himself did cast them in he made the body of a bellowing Calfe and said with his followers behold there your God the God of Moses whom he hath forgotten Saw they not that this Calf spake not to them and that it had not power to do good or evill Aaron had said unto them before the comming of Moses O ye people you have been seduced by this Calfe the mercifull is your God and your Lord follow and obey me They said shall we abide here untill Moses returne Moses at his return said unto Aaron what hindred thee to follow me when thou sawest them to turne aside from the Law of God wherefore hast thou disobeyed me O son of my mother said Aaron drag me not by the beard and haire I feared to displease thee if I forsook the children of Israel and disobey thy Commandements Moses said unto Samery what was thy design he answered I saw what this people seeth not I took an handfull of the earth of the footsteps of the Messenger of God and made the Figure of a Calfe the fairest that I could Moses said unto him goe get thee from among us thou shalt fly the presence of men all the dayes of thy life thou shalt say unto them come not nigh me touch me not the time of thy punishment is appointed thou shalt not escape it behold thy false god behold the Calfe which thou hast adored I will cause it to burne and will cast the ashes thereof into the sea your God is one God and there is none other God but the God that knoweth all things Thus doe I relate to thee things past we have sent thee the Alcoran such as shall abjure it shall beare their burthen at the day of Judgement and be eternally tormented I will one day require an account of their burden and will assemble them with all their subtilities when the Trumpet shall sound they shall demand of each other how long they have continued in the world they shall say that they have remained there but ten dayes and ten nights I know all that they will say the most prudent among them shall say that they have been but one day They shall enquire of thee concerning the Mountains Say unto them God shall teare them up and levell them with the Earth thou shalt see them levelled and beaten downe then shall men without retardment follow him that shall summon them to universall Judgement they shall humble themselves before God thou shalt that day heare low and humble voyces that day shall prayers be ineffectuall except of them that shall be pleasing to God whom he will permit to speak He knoweth whatsoever men doe in this world and what must befall them in the other and they know it not they shall humble themselves and hang down the head before the living and eternall Lord all Infidels shall be damned and the righteous of True-believers that have done good works shall not feare injustice We have sent the Alcoran in the Arabique tongue it teacheth men our Commandements peradventure they will feare impiety it teacheth them what they ought to know Exalt the glory of God King of the world he is truth it selfe presse not thy selfe to read the Alcoran untill thou hast well understood it Say Lord encrease my knowledge We heretofore prohibited Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit he was unmindfull of our Commandement I found in him no perseverance Remember thou that we commanded the Angels to humble themselves before him they humbled themselves except the Devill who refused to doe it Remember that we said Adam the Devill is thine enemy and the enemy of thy wife he will endeavour to make you miserable to cause you both to goe out of Paradise where thou sufferest neither hunger nor thirst nor cold nor heat The Devill tempted them and said oh Adam I will conduct thee to the tree of eternity a treasure that shall never perish they did both eat of the fruit of that tree then knew they their filthinesse and took the leaves of trees to cover their nakednesse Adam disobeyed his Lord and became miserable neverthelesse he heard and pardoned him and shewed him the right way he said discend from Paradise ye enemies of each other I will hereafter send you a guide he that shall follow him shall not erre and shall be blessed He that shall goe astray and will not believe in me shall be miserable in the world and blind at the day of Judgement that day shall he say Lord wherefore hast thou made me blind I had good sight when I was in the world I did this day forget thee as thou didst forget my Commandements thus doe I intreat Infidels The torments of the other world are more grievous then those of the Earth and of longer
had before prohibited Moses to suck the milk of any other nurse then that of his mother his sister said to Pharoahs servant wil ye that I provide you a nurse and people that shall carefully nourish him We caused him to be restored to his mother to nurse him she ceased from her sadness when she knew and saw that God was sincere in what he had promised but the greatest part of the people know it not When Moses was aged about thirty three years we gave him knowledge and wisdom thus do I reward the righteous Moses entring one day into the City met two men that fought the one was of the Children of Israel and the other was an Egyptian and of his enemies whom he assaulted and slew after this he said the Devil tempted me he is the open enemy of men Lord I have offended thee pardon me he pardoned him he is gracious and mercifull Lord since thou hast bin so gracious to me I will never give aid or succour to Infidels He continued in the City with fear and kept himself upon his guard on the morâ—ow he again met him whom the day before he had defended who sought likewise â—ith another Egyptian required his assistance Moses said unto him thou art seditious he replyed oh Moses wilt thou slay me as thou didst slay him yesterday Wilt thou be a murtherer of all men or a just man Not long after a man came in hast to him from the utmost part of the City who said unto him oh Moses the Officers of Pharoah have conspired against thee they desire to put thee to death save thy self and follow my councell He departed from the City with fear keeping himself upon his guard beseeching his Lord to deliver him from the hands of Infidels he went towards Mâ—adian and said Lord suffer me not to folow an evil way he met a great number of persons that made their flocks to drink he with them found 2 maids that could not water their Cattel he said unto them what do ye two here VVe have not strength to draw water to give our beasts to drink we tarry for the Shepheard our father is too old to draw it He drew water out of the well to water their Cattell and withdrew to a shade because of the heat of the Sunne saying Lord I am deprived of all the graces which heretofore then didst confer on me I â—m now poor and necâ—ssâ—â—â—us One of those maidens came to seek him bashfully said unto him my father calleth thee to recompence thee for the pains thou hast taken in watering our catle when he was in the old mans presence he related what had befaln him The old man said fear nothing I wil deliver thee from the hands of the wicked one of his daughters said to her sister give to this man to eat reward his pains he assisted us with affection their father said unto him I wil marry thee to one of my two daughters on condition that thou wilt have a care of my flocks the space of eight years ten years if it please thee said Moses I will not forsake thee thou shalt find me an honest man I wil serve thee the two terms either 8. or 10. yeares as shall seem good to thee God is witnesse of what I say After the term expired Moses forsook the house of his father in law withdrawing with his wife he beheld affar off a great fire on the side of the mountain and said to his Wife tarry here I see the fire of the omnipotent I will speedily return I will bring you a spark peradventure you shall be warmed when he drew near to this fire they cryed unto him from the right side of the valley from an eminent place and from a bush O Moses I am God Lord of the Universe cast thy staffe on the ground when he beheld his staffe to move as it had bin alive he fled for fear and returned no more O Moses draw near and fear not thou art in a place of safety put tâ—ine hand into thy pocket it shall come out white shining without harm draw back thine arm into thy sleeve it shall return to its former condition thy staffe and thine hand shall be two signs of my Omnipotency to Pharoah and his Ministers who disobey my Commandments Moses said Lord I have sâ—ain an Egyptian I am afraid they will take away my life command Aaron who is eloquent to go with me to aid me to confirm what I shal say I fâ—ar they wil traduce me I wil give thee thy Brother for thy assistant I wil give to you both strength to defend your selvs from their malice go do what is commanded you ye shall be victorious and all those that shal follow you when Moses came to Pharoah he made him to see my miracles preached my Commandments to his Ministers they said this is buâ— magick and witchcraft we have not heard these things to have bin spoken to our predecessors Moses said the Lord knoweth him that teacheth the right way and him that ought to have part in Paradise Infidels shall be most miserable Pharoah said to his Ministers do ye know any other God but me O Haman let me offer sacrifices and build a Temple shal I deceive myself with the God of Moses I believe him to be in the number of lyars He bâ—came proud on earth with his Ministers they bâ—lieved that they should never be assembled before me to be judged we surprized him with his people and caused him to perish in the Sea consider what is the end of unbelievers we abandoned them and they are in the number of the condemned to the fire of hell They shall finde none to protect them â—t the day of Judgment we cursed them on earth and at the day of the Resurrection they shall be abominable to all the world We taught Moses our Commandments after the destructâ—on of many Infidels before his coming We gave him the Book to be a light to the people to conduct them into the right way and acquire our grace peradventure they will remember Thou wert not with Moses when we spake to him we created another age after him thou didst not at that time dwell with the Inhabitants of Madian neither didst thou â—each them our Commandments it is we that have instructed thee in the History of past ages thou wert not on the mountain when when spake to Moses we sent thee through our special grace to preach to men the torments of Hell they have not yet had a preacher like unto thee perhaps they will consider it when they felt any punishment for their sins they said Lord hadst thou seÌ„t us an Apostl to instruct us we should have obeyed thy commandments have believed in thy Law when on our part they were instructed in the truth they said doth Mahomeâ— work miracles like Moses do they not traduce what Moses did when they say that Moses
Mahomet are two aparent Sorcerers when they said that they believed neither Prophet nor Scripture Say unto them bring any book from God that better teacheth the right way then the Old Testament and more savingly then the Alcoran I will follow it if ye speak the truth If they be not heard when they shall require this book know that they follow only their own appetites and their impiety who is more erroneous then he that followeth but his own passion and is not guided of God he guideth not Infidells Certainly we have sent them the Alcoran peradventur they wil believe in it they to whom we heretofore sent this book believe in the contents thereof when they heare it read they say we believe in those words it is the very truth that proceedeth from God we believe in the unity of his divine Majesty they shall be doubly rewarded because they have persevered in well-doing they have overcome evill through their good deeds and have expended in good works part of the wealth that we gave them When they heard the faith evill spoken of they withdrew themselves took leave of the company and said ye shall answer for your and we for our actions Regard not the ignorant thou shalt not convert all them that thou shalt desire to convert God converteth and guideth into the right way whom he pleaseth and knoweth such as serve him They said if I follow with thee the right way I must forsake my Country Shall not I establish them in a place of safety where they shall find all sorts of fruits to enrich them but the greaâ—est part of the people know it not How many Cities have we destroyed that took pleasure in their evill life No man inhabited them any more except very few and we became heirs of their riches God shall not destroy Mecca untill he have sent an Apostle to instruct the Inhabitants thereof in the right way God destroyeth not a Ciâ—y if the Inhabitants be not unjust and disobey not his Commandments The wealth of this world which ye pâ—ssesse pleaseth you but the riches of Heaven are much better eternall will ye not understand it Have we not kept promise with them to whom we promised Paradise and with them to whom we promised the riches of this world in the end were in the number of the damned Be thou mindfull of the day when thy Lord shal cal them say unto them where are your Idols which ye beleived to be my Companions the chief of them shal say Lord behold those that were seduced like us we are innocent of their Idolatry they adored not us they shall speak that day to the Idolaters to invoke their Idols but they shal not hear them they shal be visibly chastizâ—d on Earth Bâ— thou mindfull of the day when thy Lord shall call them and say unto them wherefore have ye not beleived my Apostles and my Prophets they shall be confounded and remâ—in dumbe He that shall be converted and do good works shall be happy Thy Lord createth what pleaseth him and maketh choyce of what seemeth to him good Praised be God he hath no companion he knoweth what is in the hearts of men and what they make manifest he is God there is no God but he praise is due to him in the beginning in the end he commandeth over all things all people shall one day be assembled before him to be judged Say unto them Had God given a continuall night even until the day of judgment what other God is there that is able to you give light will ye not hear me had God given you a continual day until the day of Judgment what other god could have given the night to refresh you will ye not consider his benefits his grace he hath created the night for repose and the day for labour pâ—radventure ye will give him thanks Be thou mindfull of the day when thy Lord shall call the Infidels and shall say unto them where are the Idols that ye worshipped We wil call a witness of every Nation and will say to the Idolaters bring your arguments that may prove the plurality of Gods Ye shall this day know your blasphemies and that there is but one God Caron was of the people of Moses he was proud because of his riches vve gave him so great treasures that many men were burdened when they conveyed away the Keyes Remember how his people said unto him Rejoyce not above measure in thy great wealth God abhorreth the that rejoyce without reason Beg of him paradise with thy riches forget not to do good in this world give almes of the substance which God hath given thee be not disobedient to him on Earth he abhorreth those that disobey him these riches were given thee because thou diâ—st instruct the people in the Old Testament knowest thou not that God destroyed in times past many rich and opulâ—nt persons Who is more strong more powerfull more rich then God He will not enquire of the wicked the number of their sinnes he knoweth all and the accompt Caron one day went forth in publique with all his retinue They that affected the wealth of this world said Would to God we had as much wealth as Caron he is happy but the more knowing among them said ye are unhappy the grace of God is more advantageous to them that believe in his Law and do good works then all the treasures of Caron none shall receive his grace but such as shall obey him and persevere in obedience to his Commandments VVe deprived Caron of all his treasures and none was able to protect him against us then they that had coveted his riches said oh miracle God giveth to and depriveth of wealth whom to him seemeth good Had not God given us his grace we had bin necessitous certainly the wicked shall be miserable I will bestow Paradise on them that hate vanity and disorder on the Earth and shall have my feare before their eyes whosoever shall do good shall find good who doth evill shall be chastised after his demerits He that hath taught thee the Alcoran shall cause thee to return to the * Mecca See Gelaldin place that thou desirest Tell the Inhabitants of that place that God knoweth them that teach the right way and such as go astray Thou didst not expect the Alcoran it is a speciall grace of thy Lord assist not the Infidels and take heed least they seduce thee after having learnt what hath bin taught thee Preach to the people the unity of God Be not in the number of them that belive many Deities adore God alone there is no God but hâ— al things shal have end except his face he commandeth over every thing and all men shall one day appear before him to be judged CHAP. XXIX The Chapter of the Spider containing sixty nine verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and merciful I am God most wise Men
neither like to them that are at present in the number or Heretiques were before as ye are every Sect is pleased in its opinions when any evill bâ—falleth them that call upon God and are converted neverthelesse some of them return to their Idolatry after the reception of his grace they are ingratefull they shall awhile be tolerated and in the end they shall too late understand their error Have we taught them reasons and arguments that prove that I have a companion The peoplâ— rejoyced when we enlarged to them our graces and became desperate when evill befell them see they not that I give and take away wealth as to me seemeth good This is a tâ—ken of my Vnity to such as obey my Commandments Give to your neighbour what appertaineth to him and particularly to the poor and true beleivers if ye desire to see the face of God such as shall do it shall be blessed The money which ye put to Vsury encreaseth in the hands of men God shal not suffer it to prosper the almes which ye give shal make you to see the face of his divine Maj. and shall be doubly restored to you God hath created you he enricheth you causeth you to die rise again can your Idols do as much Praised be God he hath no companion disorder appeared in the eâ—rth and in tâ—e sea because of the iniquities of men peradventure they will be converted when they shall feel the punishment of their crimes Say unto them go throughout the earth and consider the end of your predecessor the greatest part of them were Idolaters embrace the true Law before the day cometh when none shall be heard that day shall the wicked be separated from the good the impious shall give an accompt of their impiety and such as shaâ—l have lived well shall enjoy the joyes of Paradise the grace of God shall be their recompense God abhorreth Infidels It is a sign of his Omnipotency to send the winds to bring you rain and make you to taste the fruits of his grace the ship runneth upon the water through his permission for the advantage of your commerce will ye not be thankfull to him for his benefits We sent to every Nation Prophets and Apostles before thee they came with most intelligible precepts and with many miracles we chastisâ—d those that slandred them and protected the faithful God sendeth the winds that elevate the clouds and extendeth them in the aire in many pieces at his pleasure he causeth the rain to fall where he listeth and rejoyceth whom to him seemeth good of them that expect it with impatience consider the effects of his bounty he causeth the dry and barren earth to flourish again and restoreth the dead to life he iâ— Omnipotenâ— We sent the winds to assemble the clouds that covered men with their shaddow nevertheless they are returned to their impiety the dead shall not understand thee neither likewise the dumbe thou art not obliged to lead the blind none shall hearken to thee but such as shall believe in my Law and be obedient Say unto them God created you impotent he hath given you strength and after having reduced you to the weakness of old age doth what to him seemeth good he knoweth mens secrets and doth what pleaseth him â—he wicked shal swear at the day of judgment that they have remained but an hour in their sepulchers they lye in like manner when they deny the Resurrection the true believers that know the truth shal say unto theÌ„ ye have remained there the time apointed in the book of God to wâ—t untill the day of Resurrection behold the day of resurrection ye knew not at what time it should arrive this day excuses shall be unprofitable to Infidels they shall be â—eprived of protection We have taught in the Alcoran all that is profitable for the salvation of men if thou teachest them my Commandments unbeleivers will say thou bringest nothing but disorder thus God hardneth the hearts of the ignorant Be patient and persevere what God promiseth is infallible beware lest unbeleivers shake thy perseverance CHAP. XXXI The Chapter of Locman containing thirty four Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious merciful I am the most wise God The Turks say that Locman was a great Doctor in Davids time These precepts are the precepts of the book filled with doctrine it guideth into the way of salvation the righteous who make their prayers at the time appointed that pay tithes and beleive in the day of Judgment they are guided by their Lord and shall be blessed There be who deride this book they ignorantly depaâ—t from the law of God and have despised it but shall one day be severely punished when they are taught the comandments of God they turn the back with disdain they will not hear have ears stopped Say unto them you shall in the end suffer infinit pains Such as beleive in the Law of God and do good works shal eternally enjoy the delights of Paradise what God promiseth is infallible he is Omnipotent and altogether wise he created the heaven and sustaineth it without a pillar appearing to your eyes he lifted up the mountains upon the earâ—h to fasten and hinder it to move he hath thereon dispersed many beasts and sent rain from Heaven which causeth plants to spring forth and herbs of divers sorts Behold here what God hath created shew me what your Idols have created assuredly idolaters are manifestly seduced from the right way We inspired knowledg into Locman and spake unto him to give God thanks he that returneth thanks to God for his graces doth good for his soul God rejecteth the ingrateful and praise is due to him in al places Remember thou that Locman said unto his son O my son beleive not thou that God hath a companion it is an exceeding great sin we have commanded man to honour his father and mother his mother beareth him with greif upon grief weaneth him at the age of two years be thou not ingrateful for Gods benefits honor father mother thou shalt be one day before God to be Judged If thy parents press thee to beleive that God hath companions obey them not follow the way of them that obey him all men shall be one day assembled before him to be rewarded according to their works O my son if thou dost evil of the weight of a grain of Mustardseed or of the weight of a rock or of the greatnesse of heaven and earth God wil know it and put it in accompt he is exact and omniscient O my son make thy prayers at the time appointed do what is honest and civill fly what is not approved and be patient in thy adversities regard not the world disordred through pride converse not with the proud God detesteth the haughty observe thy steps walk with modesty speak gently they be persons that bray like Asses when they speak seest thou not that God hath
God gracious and mercifull Oh Prophet fear God and obey not unbelievers God knoweth all things and is most prudent in what he ordaineth observe what thy Lord hath taught thee he knoweth the actions of men recommend thy selfe to God it ought to suffice thee that he protecteth thee He hath not given two hearts unto men he hath not enjoyned us to call your wives your mothers those which you call your Children are not all your Children ye speak it only with the mouth but God alwayes speaketh the truth and guideth men into the way of salvation Call your neighbour by the name of his father this action shall be acceptable to God provided that ye have no evill desigâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the heart is ye know not his name call him your brothe◠〈◊〉 God or Sir God is gracious and mercifull The Prophet is obeyed of them that believe in God and honour his wives as their Mothers Kinsmen are heirs of each other it is so appointed by his divine Majesty to the Believers that went out of Mecca to follow the Prophet It is ordained in Scripture to do good to your parents Remember thou that we received the promise of the Prophets of thee of Noah of Abraham of Moses and of Jesus the Sonne of Mary to worship but one God we received a strong promise An accompt shall be required of their actions and the wicked shall feel the rigour of infinite paines Oh ye that believe in God! remember his favour towards you when ye were charged by troups of Enemies he sent against them an impetuous winde and troups invisible to your eyes to fight them he seeth all that ye do those invisible troups came from the East and from the West from above and below when your sight was troubled and your hearts failed you because of the great number of your Enemies ye had already conceived a very bad opinion of the Law of God then were the True-believes tried they trembled with fear The wicked and such as were weak in their faith said that whatsoever God and his Prophet had promised them was but abuse vanity Remember thou how a party of them said to the Inhabitants of the Territory of Medina there is no safety for you with Mahomet return into your houses Remember thou how many among them required dismission and said that their houses were forsaken Their houses were not forsaken but they had a design to flye had they returned to their houses they had on all sides perswaded them to follow impiety they should not there have made long abode because the before had promised God not to fly he would have required an accompt of their promises Say unto them flight shall be to you unprofitable if ye fly death for that ye ought no longer to continue in the world Say unto them who is able to protect you against GOD when he shall resolve to destroy you take none other protector but him he knoweth them that were disswaded to go to the â—eâ—ell to spare their Wealth and Persons They cast 〈◊〉 upon thee when they are surprized with fear they turn their eyes into the head as a man that dyeth and when they are delivered from fear they traduce thee because of their extream avarice Such men believe not in God he rendreth all their works unfruitfull it is a thing easie to his divine Majesty The Troups of the Infidels believed they were invincible and when they saw the troups of the True believers they desired to flye The Infidels desired to draw the Arabians to their party and have intelligence to know in what condition you are had they bin of your party few of them had bin slain the adhering to the Prophet of God serveth to you as a Cittadell it serveth as a Bulwark to them that apprehend the day of Judgment and think often on his divine Majesty When the believers said behold what God and his Prophet promised us they are sincere in their promises the sight of their enemies encreased their faith and zeale towards God and his Prophet There be persons among the True-believers who have performed what they promised to God many of them are dead in obedience to the Commandments of his divine Majesty others attend the same thing swarve not from wâ—at they have promised God shall recompense them for their zeal and chastise the Infidels or pardon them if it so please him he is gracious and merciful God shall destroy the unbelievers with their wrath against the believers he protecteth True-believers incombats he is strong and omnipotent The Iews descended from their Fortress to give aid to the Infidels but God cast fear into their hearts a party of them were slain and the rest taken slaves they by their death made you heirs of their lands their houses their riches and fortresses which you were not able to conquer God is omnipotent Oh Prophet if thy wives be too ambitious of the wealth of the earth and of garments too sumptuous Call them Say unto them that thou wilt deal well with them wilt repudiate them wiâ—h mildnesse and civility If they love God and his Prophet if they are vertuous his divine Majesty will give them an exceeding great reward Oh ye wives of the Prophet such of you as shall be unchaste shall be punished doubtly more then other women this is a thing easie to God such among you as shall obey God and his Prophet and shall do good works shall be rewarded more then other women an exceeding great reward is prepared for you Oh ye wives of the Prophet ye are not like other women of the world fear God and believe not in the discourse of such as have design to seduce you speak with civility abide in your houses go not forth to make your beauty appear and to make a shew as did the ignorant of old pray to God with affection give almes obey God and his Prophet God will deliver you from his wrath and will purifie you be mindful of the â—aw that is taught you in your houses he is mercifull to them that honour him he knoweth all the actions of the Prophet he hath promised his mercy and an exceeding great reward to those Men and Women that shall obey his Commandments Those men and women that believe in his unity that resign themselves to his divine pleasure that are patient and humble thâ— speak the truth that fast give alms are chast and 〈◊〉 men and women that observe his law ought not to coutrâ— his actions neither those of his Prophet nor say that thâ— could do better theâ— they if they would endeavour it 〈◊〉 that disobeyeth God and his Prophet erreth from the rigâ—â— way Remember what thou didst say to him whom Gâ—â— favoured Mahomet was amorous of Zeid his slaves wife he caused him to repudiate her to marry her because of her beauty to receive him into his Law and whom thâ— didst gratifie with liberty that saidst divorce not thy wiâ—â— and
is past present and future and all that is in heaven and in the earth even to the weight of an Atome what is yet lesse and what is yet greater then an Atome is written in a book that discovereth every thing he shall reward the true-beleivers that have don good works he shall give them his mercy and enrich them with precious treasures such as have endeavoured to suppresse his Law shall feel the effects of his indignation They that understand the Scripture know that God hath taught thee the very truth to guide the people into the right way into the path of honour and vertue but the wicked said among them will ye beleive a man who affirmeth that after your death ye shall rise again and be new creatures he lyeth impudently he is possessed of the devill Certainly they that beleive not in the Resurrection are in an exceeding great error and shall suffer most greivous pains see they not what is above and what is below them Consider they not the heaven and the earth If I will I can render it barren and cause a peice of the heaven to fall upon them for a signe of my Omnipotency We gave our grace to David and spake to the mountains birds and mettals with him to praise me we commanded him to make cuirasses Iron was soft in his hand as wax O lineage of David I be not ingrateful I see whatsoever ye do we made the winds subject to Solomon he commanded them evening morning from the East to the West we gave him a fountain and brook of dissolved brass the devils through our permission wrought it to his minde and we punished in the fire oâ— hell such as refused to obey him They built for him lost palaces and * Depein piâ—d spacious houses they formed basons foâ— water chanels and pools we said unto him O lineage oâ— David be not ingrateful for my graces for that few persons do acknowledg them When he dyed through ouâ— Commandment nothing discovered his death to the devils buâ— the wormes that had eaten the end of his staffâ— whereon he leaned when the devils saw him fall they perceived that had they known the future and what was hâ— from them they should not have laboured so long a timâ— in his service The Inhabitants of Saba have a mark of mâ— Omnipotency in their Countrey viz. two gardens the one on the North side and the other towards the South iâ— was said unto them eat of the good things that your Lord hath given you and return him thanks their Country is delicious God hath been merciful towards them neverthelesse they are ingrateful and impious we sent the river oâ— Arem that overflowed their gardens we changed them into two gardens of thorns of Cyprus and a little * An Judian Date Tamarinde thus did we punish them because of their impiety We established a way with many cities for facility of commerce among them See Gelaldin and the City which we blessed and spake unto the people to follow that way night and day with safety and without fear They said God destroyeth us through the length of this way they returned to their impiety and we dispersed them upon the earth to serve for example to posterity and instruction to such as persevere in my Law and acknowledg my graces The devill caused them to believe his opinion they followed him except some of the true believers that were among them he had no power over them but to know them that believed in the Resurrection and such as doubt Thy Lord observeth and regardeth all Say unto them invoke your Idols they have not power of the bigness of an Atome neither in heaven nor earth God hath no companion they shall find none to protect them at the day of Iudgment none shall intercede for them without the permission of his divine Majesty if they receive any relaxation in their fear they enquire of each other what God spake answer that he spake the truth that he is most high and most mighty Say unto them who enricheth you with the good things of heaven and earth they will say that it is God Say unto them who of you or of us followeth the right way Or who of you or of us is seduced Enquire not after our sins we are not curious to know what ye do God shall assemble us at the day of Judgment and shall judge our differences with equity he iâ— an exceeding great Judge say unto them let us see the Idols that ye have worshiped certainly there is but one God omnipotent and wise We have not sent thee but to declare to men the joyes of Paradise and to preach to them the pains of hell but the greatest part knoweth it not they aske in what time they shall see the punishment that is preached to them and if thou speakest the truth say unto them when the time thereof is come ye shall not be able to retard or advance an hour they have said that they will not beleive in the Alcoran but thou shalt see them one day assembled in the presence of thy Lord thou shalt see that they shall accuse one another the poorâ— shall say unto â—he rich you have hindred us to obey the Commandments of God they shall answer have we seduced you from the way that was taught you On the contrary you were wicked and malicious they shall say on the contrary you employed night and day your Artifices to render us ingratfull for the graces of God and to induce us to believe that he hath companions equal to him they shall repent of their sins when they shall see their punishment we will lay chains upon their necks and they shall be chastised after their demerits The chief Inhabitants of the Cities said to the Prophets that we sent to them to preach the torments of hell that they believe not their words We have said they more riches and more children then those that believe in their discourse we shall not be damned as they affirm Say unto them my Lord giveth and taketh away riches as seemeth good to him but the greatest part of the people know it not your wealth and your children shall not give you accesse to God such as shall performe good works shall be rewarded and shall live eternally in the delights of Paradise they that sâ—all endeavour to suppress our Law shall be cast headlong into the fire of Hell Say unto them my Lord giveth and taketh away wealth as to him seemeth good he maketh vain the alms which ye shall give if ye observe not his Law he is the rich of the rich Be thou mindfull of the day when I shall assemble the Idolaters and shall say to the Angels behold them who have adored you they shall say praised be God thou alone art our Master and protector they adored not us they worshipped the devill the greatest part of them beleived in his word this day they are
he will have to die in the heavens and earth the second time all the world shall rise again and attend his commandments the earth shall be full of the light of the Lord thereof he shall bring his book where in shal be written what the Prophets Martyrs have taught he shal judg the world with equity shall not do injustice to any every one shal be rewarded chastised for his works he knoweth all that they have don he shal send the Infidels into the fire of hel in troops â—hen they shal be arrived at the gate it shal open before their eyes it shall be said unto them behold Hell which ye have merited were there not Prophets and Apostles to teach you the Commandments of God and to preach unto you on Earth the coming of this rigorous day They shall say yes but the word of God shall be accomplished against the wicked It shall be said unto them goe enter into Hell ye shall abide there eternally it is the habitation of the proud Such as shall have the fear of God before their eyes shall be conducted in troups to the gate of Paradise the gate shall open before their eyes it shall be said unto them behold what ye have gained the peace of God is with you ye have not been ignorant enter into Paradise ye shall dwel therein eternally They shall say praised be God for that we believed in his Law and because we are heirs of his grace we will goe into Paradise into what place shall seeme good to us God giveth his blessing to the righteous Thou shalt see the Angels about the throne of thy Lord who shall praise and exalt his glory they shall say God hath judged his creatures with equity praise is due to the Lord of the Vniverse CHAP. XL. The Chapter of the True-believer containing eighty five Verses written at Mecca Reader Gelaldin entituleth this Chapter Of the Pitifull IN the name of God gracious and mercifull God is prudent and wise This Book is sent by the omnipotent who knoweth all things who pardoneth sinnes and accepteth the conversion of his Creatures he is severe in his chastisements and indulgent to his people there is no God but he and all the world shall one day be assembled before his divine Majesty to be judged No man disputeth against the precepts of the Alcoran but the wicked be not thou discontented if they live on earth with some felicity the people of Noahs time contemned his instructions their posterity did like them and every Nation hath conspired the death of them whom God sent to instruct them thy disputed to obscure the truth through their lies but they were punished and after what manner So is the word of God accomplished against the wicked they all shall be damned The Angells that are about the Throne of God and those that bear him praise and exalt his divine Majesty they beleive in his unity and beg pardon of him for the True-believers Lord Lord thy mercy extendeth through the whole world nothing is hid from thee either in Heaven or Earth pardon their sins that convert and embrace thy holy Law deliver them from the fire of Hell open to them the gate of the gardens of Eden which thou hast prepared for them their Fathers wives and children and them of their lineage that shal do good works thou art omnipotent and wise Depart from sin he that shall depart from it shall resent the effects of Gods mercy at the day of Iudgment and shall enjoy eternall felicity the Infidels shall be hated of God his hatred is far more dangerous then yours wil ye be Indels after being called to the observation of the Law of Salvation They said Lord wilt thou cause us to dye twice and shall we twice rise againe But they shall say at the the day of Judgment Lord we confesse we have offended thee we acknowledge our sinne in having renounced the belief of thine unity Shall we never go out of Hell to observe thy Law and follow the way of salvation No ye shal suffer in the fire of Hell because that ye have believd them that adored Idols and because ye have said that God hath companions equall to him All things obey one sole God omnipotent he it is that made you to see his Miracles and sendeth you the riches of Heaven and Earth none consider it but such as are converted Pray to God and observe his LAW although it be against the will of the wicked he elevateth his Creatures to what degree he listeth he hath created his Throne and sent his inspirations to whom he seeth good to preach the day of Judgement that day shall the people come out of their Monuments none shal be able to hide himselfe from his divine Majesty Who shall command that day It shall be God alone victorious that day shall he recompense every one after his works without injustice he is exact to make accompt If thou preach to the wicked the day of Judgement their heart will lift them up and they shall be full of affliction their prayers shall not be heard and none shall intereede for them God knoweth them that have eyes of treachery and seeth all that is in the hearts of men he judgeth of every thing with truth the Idols which they worship are without power God alone understandeth all things and is omnipotent Consider they not what was the end of their predecessors who were more powerfull and more wealthy then they God surprized them in their sinnes there was none of power to save them for that they despised the Prophets of his divine Majesty they contemned his Law and were impious but he severely chastised them he is omnipotent and most severe Wee sent Moses with miracles with reasons cleare and intelligible to Pharoah to Haman and Caron they said that Moses was A Sorcerer and a Lyar and when hee preached to them the truth on our behalfe they said kill him with all those that believe him and make their wives infamous but their conspiracy was but impiety Pharoah said hinder me not to kill Moses let him invoke his God to save him I fear that he may alter your Law and introduce some disorder in the Land Moses said God mine and your Lord shall defend me from the malice of the proud that believe not the day of judgement Then a man of the domestiques of Pharoah that secretly professe the true Law said will ye slay a man that declareth that God is his Lord and that hath made you to see miracles if he be a lyar his lye shal be against him but if he speak the truth something of what he hath preached shall befal you God guideth nether the wicked nor lyars Oh people you this day command on Earâ—h with splendor who shall defend us from the wrath of God if it fall upon us Pharoah said I speak nothing to you but what I have told you heretofore and I will guid you
all into the right way He of his Domestiques that secretly professed the true Law said oh people I fear lest ye be chastise as have been your predecessors as were the people of Noâ—â— Aad Temod and those that were after them God will 〈◊〉 do injustice to men I fear for you the day of judgment a daâ— when ye shall rise again with terror to render accompt â— your actions he whom God shal seduce shall find none 〈◊〉 guide him Certainly Joseph came hertofore with instructions clear and intelligible nevertheless ye doubted even untill his death and said that after him God shall not sendâ— Prophet like unto him thus doth GOD seduce the wicked that doubt of his Law he hateth such as dispute without reason they are abhorred of them that believe in his divine Majesty Thus God hardneth the heart of the proud and tyrants Pharoah sayd to * Haman was Pharoahs Leiutenant General Haman build me an high Palace peradventure I shal arrive at the Heavens and as high as the God of Moses I beleive him to be a lyar Thus Pharaoh delighted in his wicked actions he erred from the right way and his conspiracy was but his destruction He of his family that was a True-beleiver said oh people follow me See Gelaldin I will guide you into the right way the riches of the earth pass away lightly and the riches of Heaven are eternall he that doth evill shall finde evill who doth good man or woman beleiving in God shall enter into Paradise where he shall be enriched innumerably with all manner of riches Wherefore invite you me to precipitate my self into the fire of Hell since I exhort you to salvation Ye invite me to be wicked and to beleive that God hath companions and I know it is not so I call you to the omnipotent and mercifull God doubtlesse I will not worship your Idols they cannot hear you either in this world or in the other we all shall be one day assembled before God who will condemn Infidels to the fire of Hell consider hereafter what to you I have preached I am resined to the will of God he beholdeth all the actions of his creatures he shall chastise them for the evill that they shall commit and for their wicked designes He sent his punishment upon the Lineage of PHAROAH they deserved to be precipitated into the fire of Hell they shall burn evening and morning It shall be said to â—hem at the day of Iudgment oh people of Pharoah goe enter into the fire of Hell The Infidels shal quarrell in Hell the poor shall say unto the rich We followed you are you able this day to deliver us from eternal flames they shall answer we all are damned with you God is a most just Iudge The damned shall say to the Ministers of Hell Pray to your Lord that he may asswage these torments for one day they shall answer had ye not on earth the Prophets and Apostles of God to instruct you They shall say yes pray therefore to God your selves the wicked love nothing but impiety I will protect on earth my Prophets and them that observe my Law and particularly at the day of judgment that day the wicked shall have no excuse that shal advantage them my curse shall fall upon them and they all shall be damned We taught Moses the way of Salvation and made the Children of Israel heirs of his instructions to instruct them that shal understand them Persevere and be patient the promise of God is infallible implore pardon of thy sinnes and exalt the praise of thy Lord evening and morning They that dispute against the Commandments of God are without reason and have nought in their souls but pride and ignorace Implore succor of God he understandeth and seeth all things the Creation of the Heavens and of the Earth is greater then the Creation of men but the greatest part of men know it not the blind is not like to him that seeth clearly he that doth good is not like to him that doth evill neither is obscurity such as the light but few men consider it Doubtlesse the day of Iudgment shall come neverthelesse the greatest part of men will not believe it Your Lord hath said call upon me I will heare you Such as shall resist my Law shall go into Hell and be eternally seduced God hath created the night for repose and the day for travell he is bountiful towards his Creatures bvt the greatest part of the peopple are ingratefull GOD is your LORD Creator of all things there is no GOD but he How can the wicked blaspheme So do they blaspheme that are ingrateful for the graces of GOD he hath established you on Earth he hath covered you with the Heavens he hath formed you enriched you he your God your Lord blessed be God Lord of the Vâ—â— verse he it is that giveth and depriveth you of life there no God but he be obedient to him and observe his Laâ— Praised be God Lord of the Vniverse who hath createâ— you of mire Say unto the Infidels I am forbidden to woâ—ship the Idols that ye adore God hath taught me his â—nity I have received command to worship none but the Lord of the Vniverse he created you of dust mire and coâ—gealed blood he causeth you to be born little Infants hâ— maketh you to arrive to the age of discretion to virility old age many dye before that age and all attaine to the time of their destiny peradventure ye shall understand his unity he it is that maketh you to live and to dye and when he willeth any thing he saith be thou and it is See ye noâ— that they that dispute against his Commandments deparâ— from his Law Such as reject our Commandments and what we enjoyed our Prophets to preach to men shall find their errors when they shall see chaines on their necks and fetters on their feet they shall be dragged and burned in Hell then shall it be said unto them where are those Idols that yee adored upon Earth they shall answer they are departed from us certainly they are without power thus God seduceth Infidels to their confusion It shall be said unto them these paines befall you for that ye were proud and insolent without reason enter within the gates of Hell which is the habitation of the proud ye shall dwell there eternally Be patient and persevere the word of God is infallible I will make thee to see a part of what I have promised to men I will cause thee to dye and thou shalt behold them all assembled to be judged Certaâ—nly we sent Prophets before thee we have spoken to thee of one part of our Apostles and the rest are concealed from thee neither Prophets nor Apostle can preach any thing without Gods permission he chastiseth the wicked when he pleaseth he shall judge the differences that are between them and the Prophets and shall destroy the unbelievers God hath created
father and his people I am innocent of the sin that you commit in adoring Idols I woâ—ship him alone that created me he shall guide me into the way of Salvation and hath left his words to posterity perhaps the Infidels shall be converted I deferred heretofore the punishment of Idolaters until they had learned the truth and that a Prophet came to instruct them When he preached unto them the truth they said that it is but witchcraft and that they would give no faith to it Had the Alcoran beene sent to a man * â—Olid bin Maguiâ—he and Arâ—ua bin Mâ—sâ—oud in whom the Arabians had confidence See Kitab el tenior Master and Lord of two Cities or Villages they had esteemed and approved it Would they dispose of the graces of GOD He hath divided the riches of the world among men Some there be that are more eminent and scorn each other but the mercy of God is more advantageous then the riches of the Earth which they accumulate Although all the people be not of the same Religion we cease not to bestow on the wicked houses adorned with seeling enchased with silver staires doores and Beds of silver and gold These things are the riches of the Earth and Paradise is for them that are righteous I will cause to fall headlong with the Devils such as shall reject the Law of the mercifull the Devils shall be their companions they shall seduce them from the way of Salvation and they shall not know it When we shall come to judge the Vniverse they shall say would to GOD we had been as remote from you as the West is from the East Oh what company for you This day your repentance and your hopes shall be vaine ye were Infidels for company ye shall be companions in the Fire of Hel. Wilt thou make the blind to see and the deafe to heare Wilt thou guide them that wilfully erre If they dye before being punished on Earth I will be avenged on them in the other world Shall I shew thee during thy life the punishment that we have prepared for them We can do it but do thou only what hath been commanded thee thou art in the way of salvaâ—ion instruct men therein an accompt of thy mission shal be required of thee I wil require an accompt of their mission that we sent heretofore to instruct the people we wil demand of them if we appointed them to worship any other God but us Wee sent Moses to Pharoah and his Ministers he caused them to see our Miracles preached to them our Commandment he told them that he was the Messenger of the God of the Vniverse neverthelesse they scoffed I shewed them no greater Miracle then that of Moses his sister and we chastised them because of their nâ—redulity They said unto Moses oh Magician pray unto thy Lord that he deliver us from these evils and we will be converted when they were delivered they violated their promiser and Pharoah said to his people am not I King of Aegypt doth not the River NILVS flow under my obedience Know ye not that I am more powerful then that poor wretch Moses that knowes not what he sayes Give him * Pharoah caused braâ—â—lets of guilâ—ed Iron to be given with Collers to criminalls and made theâ— to go tâ—â—oâ—gh the City bracelets of Gold we will see if the Angels and those that follow his Doctâ—ine will testifie the truth of his words He terrified his Subjects they obeyed him for they were Infidels but we were avenged on them when they provoked us we drowned them and made them serve for example to posterity like those that preceeded them in impiety The people would not hearken to the Sonne of Mary when he spake by parable they said our Gods are more profitable to us then his lyes and questions On the contrary they were refractory he is our servant we conferred on him our grace and made him like to the other Prophets of the Children of Israel Had it pleased me I had created Angels on earth in your place the comming of Jesus the Sonne of Mary shall be a sign of the certainty of the day of Iudgment See Gelaldin And Kitab el tenoir doubt not concerning that day He said unto men â—ollow me it is the right way beware lest the Devill seduce you he is your open enemy I come to teach you the Commandments of God to resolve the doubts and judg the differences that are among you Fear God obey him he is your Lord and mine worship him it is the right way The people doubted his Doctrine but misery shall be upon the wicked they shall suffer great torments at the day of â—udgement will they expect that day for their conversion it shall surprize them and they know it not that day shall they be enemies one of another God shall say to the righteous fear not ye shall not this day resent any affliction The believers that have obeyed my Commandments shall enter into Paradise you and your wives shall there rejoyce ye shall drink in cups of fine gold ye shall there find whatsoever ye shall desire and all that can content the minde and delight the eyes and ye shall dwell eternally in supream felicity behold the Paradise that ye have gained by your good life it is enriched with abundance of fruits which ye shall eat with contentment and the wicked shall remain eternally in the fire of Hell they shall not be eased in their miseries and shall be dumâ— with despaire we do no injustice to them they drew mischief on themselves through their disobedience They shall demand of the Keeper of the fire will thy Lord never deliver â—s from these paines He shall answer them ye shall abide there Eternally We have taught men the truth but the greatest part of them would not believe it The wicked have conspired against thee and we conspired against them think they that I know not their secrets and whatsoever they utter The Angels our Messengers keep accompt Say unto them if God have a Son who shall we first adore Praised be God King of the Heavens and of the Earth the matter is not as the Infidels deliver it Leave them implunged in their impiety let them Laugh and rejoyce untill the day of their punishment arrive One God alone ought to be worshiped in Heaven and Earth he is most wise and omniscient Praised be he to whom appertaineth the Kingdome of the Heavens and Earth and whatsoever is between them He knoweth the hour and the day that all the world shall be assembled before him to be judged The Idols that the Infidels adore shall not be able to intercede for them the good intercede for them thaâ— have knowledge of the truth If thou ask of men who created them they will say it is God How can they then depart from his Commandments Lord this peole is incredulous Depart thou far form their company they shall in
your sins and make you to enter into Gardens wherein flow many rivers the light of faith shall goe before the Prophet and them that have followed him When God shall recompense them they shall say Lord give us thy light pardon our sins thou art omnipotent Oh Prophet fight against the Infidels and the wicked fortifie thy self against them hell shall be their habitation God teacheth unbelievers a parable and saith the wives of Noah and the wives of Lot were under the power of my two servants righteous men they betrayed them but did not escape the punishment of their sin It was said unto them enter into the fire of hell with them that goe into it God teacheth them a parable that follow his Law Take example by the wife of Pharoah she prayed to God and said Lord build me an house in Paradise deliver me from Pharoah from his works and unjust men Mary the daughter of Josaphat preserved her virginity we inspired into her our Spirit she believed the words of her Lord and the Scriptures shee was in the number of them that obey CHAP. LXVII The Chapter of Empire containing thirty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Praised be he to whom belongeth the Empire of the world who is omnipotent and hath created life and death to let you know which is the better he is omnipotent and mercifull He hath created seven heavens one upon another thou seest nothing of what he hath created that is not proportioned raise yet thy sight to heaven thou shalt not there see any thing defective behold it twice or more often thou shalt not perceive therein any thing vain or imperfect We have adorned the heaven and the world with Stars we expelled thence the Devils we prepared for them a great fire and the torments of hell for unbelievers They shall hear horrible and terrible voyces that proceed from despair and wrath when they shall be cast thither headlong when they shall enter into hell by troups the Overseer of the torments shall say unto them had you none on earth that preached to you the pains of hell yes shall they reply they were preached to us but we traduced our preachers we said that God did not command to do what they declared that they were lyars and seduced from the right way Had we heard them and had we been wise we should not this day have been in the number of the damned they shall confess their sins in the bottome of hell Such as fear God without seeing him shall receive pardon of their offences and an exceeding great reward Speak secretly or publiquely God knoweth whatsoever ye have in your hearts since the time of your creation he is blessed and omniscient He hath established wayes upon the earth goe on all sides and live of his good things ye all shall revive and be one day assembled before him to be judged Believe ye that he who is in heaven cannot render the earth drie and barren and cause it to tremble Believe ye that hee who is in heaven is not able to send against you an impetuous winde to destroy you Ye shall hereafter feel what are the torments of hell Your predecessors would not believe them and were chastised for their incredulity Consider ye not the birds that flie over your heads how they extend and shut their wings nothing supporteth them but that mercy that beholdeth all things Who but God shall protect you in your miseries The Infidels are proud Who shall enrich you if God restraineth his grace neverthelesse ye persevere in your sinnes and flie the truth Is he that creepeth on his face like to him that goeth on his feet in the right way Say unto them God hath created you hee hath given you sight hearing and sense but few among you return him thanks for his graces Say unto them he created you of earth and ye shall one day be assembled before him to render accompt of your actions The wicked dmaned when the day of Judgement shall be Say unto them God knowes I am sent only to preach to you the pains of hell Their visages shall become black when they shall see the punishment of their sinnes approach It shall be said to them behold that which ye have demanded with so much impatience Say unto them did you see that God destroyed me and them that were with me No he gave us his grace Who shall deliver the Infidels from the torments of hell Say unto them God is mercifull we believe in him and we are resigned to the will of his divine Majesty ye shall know hereafter them that shall be seduced If the water that watereth your flocks enter under the earth who shall give you other water or another Fountain to supply you CHAP. LXVIII The Chapter of the Pen containing fifty two Verses written at Mecca Bedaoi entituleth this the Chapter of the Letter Noun n and saith that it is as much as to say whale or great Fish Some other Doctors say that Noun n is the name of the Ink or Table on which the Angels write the Commandements of God Others affirm it to signifie the Ink-horn but many of the Mahometan Doctors intitle this the Chapter of the Pen. IN the Name of God gracious and mercifull I swear by the Pen and by all that is written that thou art not possessed of the Devill through the grace of thy Lord thou shalt have an infinite reward God hath created thee with a creation high and most illustrious Thou shalt hereafter know and the Infidels likewise shall know one day them among you that are ignorant Certainly thy Lord knoweth them that are seduced and them that follow the right way Obey not the wicked they desire thee to be more indulgent towards them and themselves more milde towards thee Obey not those infamous lyars those bablers sinners seducers and wicked persons full of treasures and children When the Mysteries of faith are related to them they say that they are but fables of antiquitie we will put upon their noses a mark of shame and ignominy we have tryed them as Gardeners when they have resolved in the evening to cut off the morning following some fruits of their garden for their refection and have not said if it please God By night which they slept God sent fier into their gardens that consumed them in the morning they called each other and said come to put order to your garden if ye desire to gather the fruits they believed the poore would enter they ran to drive them away and found their fruits black and their gardens blasted Then they said we are seduced we are sinners one of them said that it was requisite to praise God Then they said praised be God we are great sinners they approached each other and complained among themselves They said misery is upon us we were in a great error peradventure God will give us hereafter more then the value of what
XCII The Chapter of Night containing twenty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull I swear by the obscurity of Night by the brightnesse of Day by the creation of man and woman that your actions are very different He that shall yeild to God the obedience that is due to him and believeth in his Unity shall go into Paradise and whosoever shall not praise his divine Majesty and will not be converted shall go into hell his riches shall not save him and he shall be cast headlong into eternall flames It is we that guide the people we dispose the beginning and end of every thing I preach to you the torments of hell none shall enter there but the wretches that have blasphemed and departed far from the way of salvation he that hath the fear of God before his eyes and giveth almes shall be delivered from the fire of hell every one shall be recompensed for what he hath done for the love of God he shall be satisfied and contented CHAP. XCIII The Chapter of the Sun rising containing ten Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull I sweare by the brightnesse of the rising of the Sun and by the darknesse of night that thy Lord hath not forsaken thee He doth not hate thee his delay shall be to thee advantage and in the end thou shalt be content Did he not well lodge thee when thou wert an Orphan Did he not well guide thee when thou wert seduced Did not he inrich thee when thou wert poore Do no injury to Orphans devoure not the poor and recount the graces that God hath conferred on thee CHAP. XCIV The Chapter of Joy containing eight Verses written at Mecca Mahomet complains to the Angel Gabriel because he so long had refrained to visit him IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Have not I rejoyced thine heart have not we delivered thee from the burden that was heavy on thy shoulders we have raised thy name and reputation affliction is followed of content when thou shalt have finished thy prayers labour and love thy Lord. CHAP. XCV The Chapter of the Figge containing eight Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull I swear by the Figs and Olives by Mount Sinai and by the safety and freedome that is in this City of Mecca that we created man with proportion afterwards we rendred him contemptible except the true believers that do good works they shall receive an infinite reward After this ô wicked man what maketh thee to blaspheme against the Faith is not God the Judge of Judges CHAP. XCVI The Chapter of Blood congealed containing seventeen Verses written at Mecca Beddaoi and Gelaldin call this the Chapter of Reading IN the name of God gracious and mercifull Read the Alcoran and begin through the name of God who created all who made man of a little congealed blood Read the Alcoran and exalt the glory of thy Lord who hath instructed man in the Scriptures who taught him what he knew not neverthelesse he is in a great error he will not consider that he shall returne before God Hast thou considered him that would have hindred one of the servants of God to make his prayers hast thou understood if he were in the way of salvation hast thou seen if he blasphemed if he hath abandoned the faith knoweth he not that God forsaketh him If he desist not he shall be dragged by the hair into the fire of hell with the wicked he shall quit the place where they assemble to dispute against the faith and the devills shall cast them head-long into flames eternall Disobey not the commandements of God persevere in thy prayers worship God alwaies obedience to his commandements shall draw thee neer to his divine Majesty CHAP. XCVII The Chapter of Glory or Power containing five Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull We sent the Alcoran in the night of Glory and Power I have not taught thee the graces of this night of glory and vertue the prayers and good works that are done that night have more of merit and efficacy then those that have been performed in a thousand months The Angels descended that night to the earth thorow the permission of their Lord and salute the true believers untill the dawning of the day CHAP. XCVIII The Chapter of Instruction containing eight Verses written at Medina IN the name of God gracious and mercifull They that understand the Scripture and believe in many gods will not relinquish their Idolatry untill they have heard the instruction of the Prophet of God he shal read unto them a book clean and pure wherein are written the Precepts of the right way They that know the Scripture are not divided untill they have learned this instruction It commandeth to worship one only God to make their prayers at the time appointed and to pay tirbes this is the right way The unbelievers that know the Scriptures and adore many gods shall remain eternally in the fire of hell and shal be most miserable They that believe in one God and perform good works shal be most happy they shall be recompensed of their Lord in the garden of Eden wherein flow many rivers where they shall dwell eternally God shall be satisfied with their obedience and shall give them his blessing prepared for them that feare him CHAP. XCIX The Chapter of the Earth-quake containing eight Verses written at Medina IN the name of God gracious and mercifull When the earth shall tremble and shall cast bodies out of their sepulchres man shall demand what it will do they shall tell him news to wit that God hath commanded it to do so That day shall men come out of sepulchres from divers places and shall see the good and the evill that they have done he that hath committed evill of the weight of an atome shall be chastised and he that shall have done good of the weight of an atome shall be rewarded CHAP. C. The Chapter of Horses containing eleven Verses written at Mecca and Medina Some Arabians have called this the Chapter of Return or of them that return IN the name of God gracious and mercifull I sweare by the Horses and the noise they make with their feet when they return to war and by the fire which they make to arise when they strike their feet against stones that run lightly through jealousie and raise the dust in the midst of enemies that man is ingratefull for the graces of his Lord he himself is witnesse of his ingratitude and too much affecteth the riches of the earth knoweth he not â—â—â—t God will make all the world to revive that he will â—â—ing to light whatsoever is most secret in the hearts of â—en and that he knoweth all that they have done CHAP. CI. The Chapter of affliction containing eleven Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull When the extreme