words. In the 15th chapter RICOLDUS fays that the Saracens are nothing, unless they fulfill the Law and the Gofpel. He's very large on the fame argument in the following chapter; and in the 17th he fays the Mahometans maintain, that the Alcoran fucceded the Gospel. The Gospel therfore, whether truely extant or not, is in their opinion part of the foundation of their Religion, as the Old Testament is of ours. This I afferted with the best judges, and Dr. MANGEY has the temerity to deny it. That they have more books than the bulk of Chriftians imagine, I cou'd bring many vouchers, or at least that they pretend to have fuch. I fhall here content my felf with the teftimony of the reverend Mr. Edward Terry, in his Voyage to the East Indies. He was Chaplain to the Ambaffador Sir THOMAS ROWE, and Rector of Greenford in Middlefex. The Mahome- Page 277. tans fay, that they have the books of MOSES; but they have very much corrupted that story, in afcribing that to ISMAEL which is faid of ISAAC, Gen, 21. as if ISMAEL fhou'd have been facrific'd and not ISAAC-They say that they have the book of DAVID's Pfalms, and fome writings of SOLOMON, with other parcels of the Old Teftament; which, if fo, I believe are made much to vary from the ftory. I believe fo too, and affirm'd as much in N AZARENUS; yet am fully perfuaded that they have a Pentateuch and Pfalms fuch as they are, and that they often fing portions of the laft, which is not now the fubject before me. But because the words and authority of one who was not onely an Englishman, but likewise a Batchelor of Divinity, may weigh more with Dr. MANGEY about the four books, than thofe of Arabian Mahometans, or Christian foreners; I fhall produce thofe of THOMAS SMITH B. D. out of his Remarks upon the manners, religion, and government of the Turks. He was afterwards Dr. SMITH, commonly monly nicknam'd Togray, and as ftanch a Churchman as my adverfaries cou'd with. It is the highest Page 202. unkindness in the world, fays he, not to believe them, when they fwear one particular Oath; for then they are moft ferious, and defire to remove all posible fufpicion of falfhood: which is, BY THE TRUTH OF THE FOUR BOOKS the thing is fa or fo, or I will do this or that; meaning the Law of MOSES, the Pfalter of DAVID, the Gospel of JESUS, and the Alcoran of MAHOMET, for they look on the three first also as facred, and reverence their authority. If I had not this gentleman to bear me out, with feveral others that fhall appear when neceffary, I make no doubt but the Doctor wou'd queftion the very exiftence of my nameless Arabians, who judge it needless to troble him at prefent. Nor is this conjecture at all improbable, fince notwithstanding Monfieur DE LA MONNOYE'S account, which was printed on purpofe to prevent all finifter furmises, he calls the notice I give of the Gospel of BARNABAS a fham difcovery. I wou'd have the Doctor to know that I am no coiner, and that I think an impious coiner of a book under the name of an Apoftle, to deferve as fevere a punishment, as a falfe coiner of money, bearing the King's name and infcription. The reality of my difcovery is fufficiently known to all Europe: and fo will now the reality of the Mahometans allowing the four books to be the foundation of their Religion, to any man that cou'd doubt of it before. Wherfore, as your Lordfhip bears an awful regard to the good faith requir'd by the light of Nature, and the facred truth injoyn'd by the precepts of the Gospel, I hope you'll procure me due reparation from your dome Page 3. 5 See Menagiana Edit. Amft. vol. 4. P. 321. Also NazareNUS. Append. II. pag. 9-——-13. ftic, ftic, for averring that I have utter'd a falfhood in Page 27! faying, that it is the conftant and general belief of Mahometans, that these four books [the Pentateuch, the Pfalms, the Gospel, and the Alcoran] confti tute the foundation of their Religion, or that Mabometanifm is generally call'd [I faid, call'd by fome] Nazaren. the Religion of the four books. That I have made page 11. this undeniably evident I appeal to the public, which I doubt not will do me juftice, both in this point and the rest of the controverfy, shou'd your Lordship happen to forget it. V. WHEN the Doctor discourses of Mahometan Chriftianity (a fubject he had better let alone, fince he knows fo little about it) he's very Page 43 angry with fuch as fpeak well of the Mahometans where they deserve it: for in other respects thofe perfons are as little favorers of Mahometanifm, as any Chaplain you have, or the most orthodox in your diocese. He quotes my felf representing Ibid. the Mahometans as a fort of Chriftians, and not the worst fort neither: but ftops fhort there, wheras I go on and fay, that they are farr from Pref. p. 31 being the best. What kind of Chriftianity allows this proceding one of your Lordship's great reading and experience can beft tell; but tis manifeft that the Mahometans, whom (after PETER MARTYR by name, and hundreds not nam'd) I ftil'd a fect or fort of Chriftians, allow no fuch difingenuous dealing: and are therfore in this refpect better, than fuch as ufe it or connive at it; as they are likewise better than Idolatrous Chriftians, than tritheistical Chriftians, than perfecuting Christians, than feveral other forts of falfe Christians I cou'd easily specify. No confideration shall prevail with me to refuse any party of men the good qualities or principles they may have, notwithstanding their bad ones. This fame difpofition of mind has brought the late no les learned than modeft ADRIAN RELAND under Dr. MANGEY's difpleasure. Indeed he's not without company in his anger: nor do I wonder at it in atribe of men who declaim'd against Moderation in Queen ANNE's reign, and against Sincerity under King GEORGE, in this however very confiftent with their own principles and practises. RELAND in the Preface to his Two books concerning the Mahometan Religion, profeffedly detefts the falfe accounts which moft men give of other men's Religion, which he exemplifies in the calumnies of the Heathens against the Jews, of the Heathens and Jews against the firft Chriftians, of the Papifts against the Reform'd, and of almost all fects against their adverfaries. And I apprehend, fays he, that my prefent labor in examining the Mahometan Religion, and fetting it forth fuch as really it is in it felf, may give occafion to our adverfaries, of propagating the Jame calumny with greater confidence. Yet I shall not fuffer my felf by so vain an apprehenfion to be frighted from going on with my undertaking. We ought to fearch after the Truth wherever it lies, and it is a laudable indeavor in my opinion to fet a flop to lies, and to acquaint every one that defires it, with a Religion which is fpread farr and wide: not to exhibit it difguiz'd, not overspread with the clouds of falfe 6 Et vereor, ne ipfe hic labor meus in indaganda Religione Mahomedica, & ea exhibenda uti revera eft, occafionem daturus fit adverfariis noftris, eandem calumniam majori fiducia propagandi. Nec tamen patiar me tam vano metu ab incoepto deterreri. Veritas, ubicunque eft, indagari debet; & laudabile ftudium mihi videtur mendaciis obicem ponere, & Religionem longè latèque diffufam usicuique qui volet confpiciendam exhibere: non fucatam, non obtectam maledicentiae vel errorum nebulis, fed ita uti docetur in Templis & Scholis Mohammedicis; ut certis ictibus eam impetere, &, fi non arimo ipforum Turcarum, noftro faltem vanitatem ejus perfuadere poffimus. Edit. fecund. pag. 8. n. 4. bood hood and miftakes, but as it is taught in the Maho- 7 Reftat ut de me aliquid addam, & lectorem rogem, ne in malam partem interpretetur laborem qualemcunque meum, duobus hifce libris impenfum. Non fuit mihi prepofitum religionem Mahommedicam (quam execror) palliare aut fucare, nedum propugnare aut defendere. Qui hoc de me judicium ferret, nae ille gravem mihi injuriam faceret, & a vero aberraret. Debui patrocinium caufae Mohammedicae fufcipere, fi vera fcribere vellem, in multis quae falfo iis tribuuntur. Si quis illa mendacia, quae nulla autoritate fuffulta de Turcis narrantur, malit propagare, ut bardi illi, & afini, & infani, & diaboli, & fi quid pejus, audiant, per me licet; qui quotidie magis magifque experior mundum decipi velle, & praeconceptis opinionibus regi. Ibid. p.47. n. 13. bely'd * |