any, to Mahometism. This has engaged me in a more strict enquiry concerning the parallelism of these two apostacies, and I will now give the result of it. Dr. Benson, in his exposition of the prophecy of "the Man of Sin," (2 Thess. ii. 1-12.) has attempted to shew, that popery alone, and no other person or power, can have pretensions to fulfil it. And he is clearly successful in his attempt, till he comes to the Mahometan religion. In favour of the claims of this superstition he allows, (1.) that Mahomet, though no Christian himself, led an apostacy of Christians: (2.) that, as he built his religion on Christianity, so he may in some sense be said to "sit in the temple of "God:" (3.) that he was "a man of sin," and a temporal potentate: (4.) that he arose after the downfall of the Roman empire, which was the time when this man of sin was to be expected.-These are important concessions, which no learned and candid examiner of the question will be disposed to retract. But now come the objections: which are assigned as so many reasons, why the Mahometan power can not be "the Man of Sin:" (1.) He is not seated in Rome: (2.) He attempted no miracles. 1. The first objection, is easily obviated. No prophecy of Antichrist represents him as seated at Rome, excepting that of Rev. xvii, which will be found to belong to one horn, or branch of him only, and that is the papal, there established. II. But Mahomet, it is said, attempted no miracles. Such evidences of a divine commission he very prudently disclaimed, in the manner in which our Lord and his Apostles performed them, not able to stand so severe a test. Yet by what other means, than by those described in these prophecies of the man man of sin, "by the working of Satan with all 66 power, and signs, and lying wonders*, deceiving "those who dwell on earth by the wonders which it "was granted him to do t," did he establish his religion? His Koran itself was a lying wonder, a pretended miracle; for he describes himself ascending to heaven to receive a part of it; and the remainder to be brought to him by angels ; and he asserts his Koran to be a divine composition; a miracle in itself; and frequently appeals to the world for its vindication as such §. What are these but "lying won"ders?" pretended miracles? "fire from heaven," to deceive the inhabitants of the earth? The Mahometan apostacy may therefore fairly stand by the side of the papal, as forming one horn of the second antichristian beast. And as this will be more readily admitted by those who have considered (as Dr. Benson by his concessions seems to have done) its right to the name and title of a Christian heresy or apostacy, I will here subjoin some quotations tending to illustrate this fact, which is not commonly seen or acknowledged. 66 "Mahomet did not pretend to deliver any new religion, but to revive the old one. He allowed "both the Old and New Testament, and that both "Moses and Jesus were prophets sent from God ¶ ; "that Jesus, son of Mary, is the word and a Spirit 66 sent from God, a Redeemer of all that believe in "him **." Mahomet represents himself as the Paraclete or Comforter sent by Jesus Christ; John ¶ Ib. p. 19. Prideaux, Life of Mahomet, p. 18. ** Sale's Koran, p. 19. 80. 65. Ockley's History of Saracens, ii. xvi. 7.* So in Mahomet's ascent to heaven, as invented in the Koran, while the Patriarchs and Prophets confess their inferiority to him, by entreating his prayers, in the seventh heaven he sees Jesus, whose superiority the false prophet acknowledges by commending himself to his prayers †. "Faith in the "divine books is a necessary article of the Mahome"tan Creed; and among these is the Gospel given to Issa or Jesus, which they assert to be corrupted "by the Christians." "If any Jew is willing to "become a Mahometan, he must first believe in "Christ and this question is asked him, Dost thou "believe that Christ was born of a Virgin by the blast 66 (i. e. inspiration) of God, and that he was the last "of the Jewish Prophets." If he answers in the affirmative, he is made a Mahometan §. "Mahomet arose "to establish a new religion, which came pretty near "the Jewish, and was not entirely different from "that of several sects of Christians, which got him a great many followers ||. "Fassus impostor (scil. "Muhammedes) Jesum de virgine Mariâ natum, Messiam, verbum Dei cœlitùs missum, Dei Spiritum, mi"raculis evangelicis clarum, Prophetam Dei, qui Evangelium tradiderit, ac docuit salutis viam, qui ven"turus ad judicium sit, et destructurus antichristum, "et conversurus Judæos, &c. Sic Apostolis Christi "credendum docuit ut Evangelio Christi, ac legi Mosis "et Prophetis omnibus. Sic de Christianis æquiùs quàm de Judæis sensit, quos et benignè habuit; unde "illud Muhammedis apud Elmacinum, qui Chris 66 Koran, p. 165. + Sale's Koran, ch. 17. Prideaux' Life of Mahomet, p. 55. Reeland on the Mahometan Religion, pref. p. 25. Ibid. p. 11, Leibnitz's Letter, 1706. "tianum "tianum opprimit, "judicii; qui Christiano nocet, mihi nocet; &c."* Thus also the Mahometan writers, when speaking of him, say, "jussit quoque credere veritatem Prophe"tarum et Apostolorum ;-item Christum filium Ma"riæ Dei esse et Verbum ejus atque Apostolum †;" and even at this day they honour, what we call, the Christian Religion, next to their own "Mahome"tism began as a Christian heresy, acknowledging "Christ for a prophet, a greater than Moses, born of "a Virgin, the Word of God; Alcoran, v. 27." § Sale asserts the Mahometan religion to be not only a Christian heresy, but an improvement upon the very corrupt idolatrous system of the Jews and "Christians of those times |." Joseph Mede affirms that the Mahometans are nearer to Christianity than many of the ancient heresies, the Cerinthians, Gnostics, Manichees ¶. "Whatever good is to be found "in the Mahometan Religion, (and some good doc"trines and precepts there undeniably are in it,) is in "no small measure owing to Christianity for, Ma adversarium eum habebit die 66 66 The impostor Mahomet confessed that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, that he was the Word of God sent from heaven, the Spirit of God declared by the miracles of the Gospel, the Prophet of God, whose office it was to deliver the Gospel, and teach the way of Truth, who is to come to judgment and to destroy Antichrist, and convert the Jews, &c. Thus also he taught, that the Gospel of Christ, and the law of Moses, and all the Prophets are to be believed. And thus he was better inclined to the Christians than to the Jews, and he treated them kindly. Whence that saying of Mahomet reported in Elmachus, He who oppresses a Christian, shall find him an adversary to him in the day of Judgment; he who injures a Christian, injures me. Spanhemii Introd. ad Hist. Sæc. vii. p. 609. + Elmacini Hist. Saracen. p. 3. Ricaut, Ottoman Empire, p. 188. ¶ Works, p. 645. ३ ↑ Ibid. "hometism "hometism is a borrowed system, made up for the "most part of Judaism and Christianity; and, if it "be considered in the most favourable view, might possibly be accounted a sort of Christian heresy. "If the Gospel had never been preached, it may "be questioned whether Mahometism would have "existed *." 66 "The Musselmans are already a sort of heterodox "Christians; they are Christians, if Locke reasons 'justly, because they firmly believe the immaculate "conception, divine character, and miracles of the "Messiah: but they are heterodox in denying vehemently his character of Son, and his equality, as "God, with the Father, of whose unity and attri"butes they entertain and express the most awful ideas, while they consider our doctrine as perfect blasphemy, and insist that our copies of the Scrip"tures have been corrupted both by Jews and Chris"tians t." These are such testimonies as have occurred to me in a no very extensive course of reading. They are derived from authors, who for the most part enjoyed favourable opportunities of examining the Mahometan tenets; and they exhibit that religion as rising upon the basis of true Religion, corrupted, even like the papal, to serve the purposes of a worldly and diabolical tyranny. In the Mahometan religion are these articles, all evidently derived from the Christian, and constituting in it a great superiority above any thing that paganism or mere philosophy have been able to produce: the belief of the existence of one all-wise, all-good, all-powerful God; of the immor * Dr. Jortin's first Charge. + Sir William Jones, in the Asiatic Disertations, vol. i. p. 63. |
