bely'd and mifreprefented by the Chriftian writers, in refpect of the abfurdities of the Alcoran. This laft part of the accufation is true enough, which ought to be no fuch mighty wonder, fince the Chriftians fo grofly bely one another every day : but as to the firft part, that in any point he has given a falfe account of them, neither Dr. MANGEY, nor any elfe, can ever show against the most candid of men. In the mean time, he did from his heart abhorr the real fables and abfurdities of the Mahometans, as did his and my Mafter SPANHEMIUS; who yet, as became a person of unfophisticated Learning and an ingenuous fpirit inftead of railing at MAHOMET for a frantic ad fenseless fellow (tho heartily owning him to have been a wicked Impoftor) fays it is certain, that he was richly furnished with natural endowments, of a beautiful prefence, having a fubtle genius, agreeable manners, showing liberality to the poor, courtefy to every body, fortitude against his enemies, and above all things a reverend regard for the name of God. Somewhat lower (after mentioning the provifion he made against drunkenness, extortion, gaming, luxury, and fwearing) he affirms, what every one must own who reads the Alcoran, that 10 he was fevere against perjur'd perfons, adulterers,

8 He likewife heard TRIGLAND and MARK, at whofe public Lectures I attended: yet tis not alone to his fame, but also to his writings that I appeal, as to his candor. Facts are obftinate things.

9 Id certum, I, naturalibus egregiè dotibus inftruétum Muhammedem, forma praeftanti, ingenio callido, moribus facetis, ac prae fe ferentem liberalitatem in egenos, comitatem in fingulos, fortitudinem in hoftes, ac prae ceteris reverentiam divini nominis. Hift. Ecclef. fecul.7. cap. 7. lem. 5. col. 1209.

10 Severus fuit in perjuros, adulteros, homicidas, obtrectatores, prodigos, avaros, falfos teftes, &c. Magnus idem patientiae, charitatis, mifericordiae, beneficentiae, gratitudinis, honoris in parentes ac fuperiores praeco, ut & divinarum laudum. Ibid. lem. 7. col 1213.

murderers,

murderers, backbiters, prodigals, mifers, falfe witneffes, &c. He was a great preacher (continues he) of patience, charity, mercy, beneficence, gratitude, reverence to parents and fuperiors, and of the praifes of God. The impoftures, lyes, difguifes, and inventions of MAHOMET in other refpects, did not hinder the mosft zealous among the Proteftant Hiftorians, to give him a good character, where he thought him deferving it. Paffing over Dr. PRIDEAUX, whofe immortal work of The Connection between theOld and New Testament is the most learned, as it is the most entertaining, that has appear'd in Britain for a confiderable time; and omitting several others who fcorn'd to take adVi rage of Mahometanifm, or rather to expose themselves, by countenanceing the ill-invented ftories of lying Fryars, and petulant but fervil and fhallow Chaplains: I fhall only quote a paffage out of MARACCI, who in another place (quoted allo by RELAND before me) fays that this Superftition contains every thing that's found plaufible or probable in the Chriftian Religion, and that feem conformable to the law or light of Nature. This is enough, Ithink, to hold'em for a fort of Christians, and not the worst fort neither. But the paffage I specially mean is this. I have 12 been always of opinion, experience and reafon perfuading me, that if the Alcoran and the Gofpel be propos'd to those nations [namely the Jews and the Gentiles] they will ftill imbrace the Alcoran and the Mahometan Superftition, fooner than the Gospel and the Chriftian

11 Habet nimirum haec Superftitio quicquid plaufibile ac probabile in Chriftiana Religione reperitur, &c. In prefat. ad Prodrom. Alcoran. The words wou'd take up too much room, and I have tranflated them as literally as cou'd be.

on 12 Ego femper in ea opinione fui (experientiâ id mihi & ratie fuadente) quod fi Alcoranus & Evangelium, &c. Of the reft of the original words I fay as in the foregoing citation.

M

Religion;

.

.

Religion; unless that beforehand they be carefully inftructed, as to the truth of the Gospel, and the lyes and frauds of the Alcoran. For at first fight thofe things contain'd in the Alcoran will appear more conformable to the dictates of corrupt nature, than what the Gofpel propofes; as, that there is one God, omnipotent, omniscient, the creator and ruler of all things, and who has nothing in common with created beings; that fervent and frequent prayers be addreft to him; that alms be diftributed to the poor, boly pilgrimages undergone, the body mortify'd with faflings, and juftice obferv'd; that modefty, beneficence, piety, and other virtues be practis'd; that wrong be done to no man, and that thefts, adulteries, murders, with other crimes be avoided; that worldly things be defpis'd, as tranfitory, and good works perform'd moreover, that all men are to give an account to God of their actions; that in heaven èternal happiness is prepar'd for the good, in the injoyment of those things which humán nature defires with the greatest ardors that eternal punishment is prepar'd in bell for the wicked, with other the like things, which for certain occurr every where in the Alcoran. But if a Heathen hears a Minifter of the Gofpel propofe to him one God in three perfons, God made man, a poor, crucify'd God, who was dead and bury'd, the Mystery of the Eucharift, the neceffity of the Sacrament of Pennance, marriage with one wife, the indiffoluble knot of wedlock, a life join'd to perpetual affliction, doing good to one's enemies, the highest happiness confifting in things which neither eye faw, nor ear heard, nor enter'd into the heart of man ; with fuch other things, that either furpass the conception of human understanding, or are most difficult, if not impoffible, to the natural state or weakness of man, and that he compares them with the doctrines of the Alcoran, he will inftantly reject thofe, and imbrace thefe. How well MARACCI has judg'd

I

I refer to every one's confideration: but I am perfuaded he was no favorer of Mahometanifm, againft which he has ftrenuoufly written; as I my Telf declar'd, in terms than which I cou'd find no ftronger, that the Alcoran is the groffeft of all Im- Nazaren. poftures. Of this Dr. MANGE Y, according to Page 20. his ufual fair dealing, takes no notice: but thinks Page 43. it not unfeasonable to fet forth the Mahometan fentiments in relation to the Chriftian Religion, that the world may fee, what fort of Chriftianity is allow'd by NAZARENUS. Not the Chriftianity that allows this proceding, no more than the Mahometan Christianity, I affure him. I am convinc'd by this time, that your Lordship will not expect I fhou'd troble my felf or others with his account of the Mahometan fentiments, of which he knows as little, as he's unwilling to do them juftice, who have as much right to fair usage, as the beft Chriftians in the world.

VI. NOR yet, my Lord, wou'd I take notice of what he fays concerning the Nazarens and Ebionites, fince he understands much less of this matter; were it not for the strange mistakes committed on this occafion, by one who has the opportunity of learning better things from your Lordship: tho, by his quality of Doctor, one wou'd think he fhou'd by this time be able to teach others. His whole fecond chapter is one continu'd thread of fhameful errors and prevarications. In the ninth chapter of my book I faid, that the Jewish converts to Chriftianity were term'd Page 26: Nazarens from JESUS of Nazareth, and that it appears all the firft Chriftians were fo; fince PAUL himself is, in the Acts of the Apostles, call'da ringleader of the Herefy of the Nazarens. To this Dr. MANGEY makes two exceptions: the one, that they were not fo call'd at the beginning, nor

at any time but by their enemies; the other implies, that they were not fo denominated from JESUS of Nazareth. To prove the first I produc'd the Acts. 24.5. place of the Acts juft now quoted, by which it undeniably appears, that they were call'd Naza

Page 6.

Acts 24.

5, 14.

rens, whether by themselves or others, before Ibid. 11.26. they were term'd Chriftians at Antioch. That they were so call'd by themselves I quoted 13 EPIPHANIUS who exprefly affirms it even of the Apoftles, as the Doctor himself cannot deny; tho but a few lines before, he's pofitive that no one writer of antiquity ever own'd the name of Nazaren. EPIPHANIUS, to be fure, is not a writer of antiquity, for he liv'd fo little a while fince as the 4th century; and the Apoftles, we all know, were later writers, fince they liv'd but in the first century. Yet PAUL owns the name: for charg'd with being a ringleader of the berefy of the Nazarens, he answer'd, after the way they call Herefy, fo worship I the God of my fathers; that is, after the way of the Nazarens. By the by, a man of quite another character than the Doctor, as well for learning as for moderation, and who fees with his own eyes; gave a friend of mine at Tunbridge, that communicated them to me a good while ago, fome manufcript Remarks on NAZAREN US. Among other things, he thinks that my account Jeems to lead one to imagine that EPIPHANIUS deriv'd the name of Jeffeans from JESUS, which, adds this worthy perfon, he did not: and then remarking that thole Jejeans were the Effeans of PHILO (who I agree with him were no Chriftians) he wou'd prove his affertion by fhowing, that EPIPHANIUs derives them from JESSE the father of DAVID. That he fuppofes fo much is

MS. Page 6.

13. Haeref. 19. num. 4, 5, 6, 7.

certain: