of Mahomet is falfe, not have more against him,than he himselfe confeffeth in his Tractate, Denaturâ Deorum: For as one faith, Re tollit dess, fed oratione reliquit, Hee took away their gods in deed, though not in word: And himfelfe faith,Vtinam tam facile veram religionem invenire poffim,quàm falfam convincere, I would I could as wel find out the truth of true Religion, as convince the falfeneffe of the other. All which are difputed at large by Tertullian, and Auguftine de Civitate Dei, and Clemens Alexandrinu, who lived in thofe dayes. Which we fpeake the more of because it was that which did fpread it felfe even over the whole World for many Ages together. And as for the gods that are worshipped by the Chaldeans, and Syrians, as the Sunne and Moone, they are not worth the naming, There is another Religion that is growne up The Religion fince Chrift, the Religion of Mahomet,which hath fpred over the most part of the World:for if that computation be true, that is lately given, they have fourteene times as much as any other hath: They arofe about fix hundred yeeres after Chrift, and therefore they have continued a long time. Ifpeake not this,because I thinke that any here had need to be diffwaded from it, but to fhew, that there was never any veri-fimilitude of the Deitie, but that our God was alwayes God alone, Therefore againftit I will ufe foure arguments: 1 He gives teftimony to the 1 Mahomet did fully acknowledge the truth both of the Old Teftament,and of the New; yet the things that he delivers, are contrary to both: and yet is con- the which confirmes our Religion,and fhews the Old and New trary to both. falfe falfeneffe of theirs. For he did acknowledge,that Mofes received the Old Teftament from God;and fo did the Prophets; and hee repeats most of the ftorie: hee acknowledgeth alfo the Creation of Adam,and the cating of the forbidden Fruit; and the whole storie of Abraham, and his calling, and the offering of his fonne Ifaac: befides, hee acknowledgeth the whole Hiftorie of Mofes; how God appeared to him, and how he went into Egypt, and of the ten Plagues that he fent upon the Egyptians, and the wonders that he wrought going downe into Canaan; and so of all the reft; naming the Booke of Pfalmes, and quoting things out of it, and of Deuteronomie; acknowledging many of the Prophets, as Eliah,Samuel,Iob,and 10nah: and he confeffeth,that there were many more, which he did not name. And fo he acknowledgeth the New Teftament likewife: he acknowledgeth that Chrift was borne of a Virgin,and that by the mightie Power of God,without man; that he healed difcafes;and that he received the Gospel from God himselfe, and that God gave Power to him more than to all the Prophets that were before him; and that he was the Word and Power of God; and that all that doe beleeve in him,fhall be faved, and they fhall follow him in white Garments; and that he which beleeves it not, fhall be damned: And he acknowledgeth the New Teftament to beare witneffe to the Old ; and he acknowledgeth the Refurrection, the comming of John Baptist; and he fpeakes very honourably of Christ,except onely in two things: G 2 I He Mabomet deni ed two things to Chrift. ཐ ligion wanted miracles to 1 He tookeup the opinion of the Arrians, to deny his Divinitie, 2 And alfo he denyed that hee was crucified, but that fome body was crucified for him.. He brought in a new religion, and yet he proHis new re- feffeth,that he had no miracles, or predictions of things to come. Now,when religion is not confirmed by miracles, or predictions of things to come,or holineffe of life, it is a token that there is no truth in it. confirme it, 3 3 His Alcoran is barbarous, fenfe. We may perceive it by the writing of the Alcoran, it is fo barbarous,that there is no fenfe in it, and they fay, that he could neither write nor and without reade, and fo the writings fhewes, that it was by one, that was an ignorant man that had not skill; and thofe ftories that are alledged out of the Scripture,have much falfhood mixed with them, which is a figne that he never read them himselfe, but had them by relation; which he delivering to a very ignorant people, they received it of him, and having inlarged themselves by the fword, fo they continue to this day. 4 4 His doctrine is impure, and fo his life. The impurity of his doctrine, he cut off what was hard to be beleeved, and what foever was difficult to practife, and propounded that to the people, wherein there was no hardneffe, no difficultie, promifing them a paradife, wherein they fhould have all pleafures, and fhould injoy women;and alfo,they fhould have meat,drink,apparel,and fruits of all forts, as alfo,they should have filken, and purple carpets to lye upon,&c.moreover hee profeffeth that hee had a licence given him from God, to know what women hee would, and to put them away when hee would, which licence was given to him, and to no other. All which arguments are enough to fhew the vanitie and falfehood of this Religion. Seeing there is none other GoD befides the Lord,we should fix this principle in us,and labor to ftrengthen it by this other medium alfo. When more candles are brought into a place, the light is greater,and you may fee the objects the better. Therefore,adde this to the other,that there is no other god; for this expreffeth not onely that the Lord is God, but that it is he whom we worship: for if there be a God that made Heaven and Earth, he would have revealed himselfe to the sonnes of men, but there hath never beene any other revea led. Remember the former things, and you fhall fee that there was never any other. Marke this chaine, and every linke of it is exceeding ftrong; fee if ever there hath beene any God befides him: For, if there was ever any god revealed to the fonnes of men, it was the God of the Lewes, who was revealed by Mofes and the Prophets; for all the dunghill gods of the Gentiles,they were but vanitie,and they appeared to be fo: And if it was the God of the Lewes, then also of the Chriftians, (because the New Teftament is builded upon the Old;) and then furely hee is that God, whom the Protestants worship, and not whom the Papists wor fhip. For, if you take all thofe things wherein they differ from us; as in their worshipping of Images,their Purgatory,their Indulgences,their G 3 Prayers ve 1. To beleeve that our God is to cleave to him. God alone,and John 6.68. Two things make us cleave 30 any thing, Prayers to, and for the dead; their Prayers in an unknowne tongue,and fo all other points of difference; you fhall finde that they were added and taken in, in continuance of time, now one, then another, and there are many that have taken pains to fhew the pedegree of them,when they came in: and therefore they that have not feduced hearts, whofe eyes the god of this world hath not blinded,may fee,that what our Divines cut off, is nothing but that which they have added before, the Papifts agree with us in all that wee teach, onely the difference is betweene the additions which have come in from time to time. Therefore you muft learne from hence to confirme your faith, by that Argument which Peter ufeth, loh. 6. 68. whither fball we goe? thou hast the words of eternal life. There are two things which make us cleave to any thing: 1 The firmeneffe of the thing. 2 When we can goe no whither elfe. So that looke to any time or place, and confider that all other gods are but meere vanitie. For looke upon the world and the creatures,and they have nobottome to ftand on, they have no stay to hold by. Therefore,let this teach us to cleave to him without feparation: look upon every fide,as David did to the right hand,and to the left,and you shall fee that there was never any other god; onely here the foule hath fure footing. Therefore fay,that if the diffolution of all things should come,as death and martyrdome, (as wee know not how foone they may) yet God fhall be our God, we will for fakel |