“ Therefore, betaking himself to frame such a religion as he thought might best go down with them, he drew up a scheme of that Imposture he afterwards deluded them with; which being a medley made up of Judaism, the several heresies of the Christians then in the east, and the old Pagan rites of the Arabs, with an indulgence to all sensual delights, it did too well answer his design in drawing men of all sorts to the embracing of it. ”

“ On Mahomet's first appearing publicly as a prophet, the peoplo laughed at him, for the ridiculousness of his pretence, some called him a sorcerer, and a magician; others, a liar, an impostor, and a teller of old fables; of which he often complains in his Alcoran; so that for the first year he prevailed nothing among them, or got any thing else by his publishing those chapters of his Alcoran, which ho had then composed, or his preaching to them the doctrine of them, but scorn and contempt. ”

“ And, from this time, both having conspired to found themselves an empire in imposture, their followers have been ever since endeavouring by the same methods, that is, those of fire and sword, to propagate it among mankind ”

“ How the Egyptians were plagued for despising Moses; and how Ad and Thamed, two ancient tribes of the Arabs, were totally extirpated for the same reason. His stories of his two last were fables of his own invention, which he related unto them after this manner:—that Ad the grandson of Aram, the son of Sem, planted himself after tho confusion of languages in the southern parts of Arabia, there his posterity falling into idolatry, the prophet Hud (whom the Commentators of the Alcoran will have to be Heber) was sent to reclaim them into the true worship ”

“ Yet behold, O gracious Sovereign, the whole species lies still involved in such woeful ruin, that out of so great a number, not one has been able to escape and arrive hither in the long space of many thousand years. ”

“ Our Saviour tells his disciples, "If I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." By tho Comforter, the Mahometans will have their prophet Mahomet to be here meant; and therefore among other titles which they gave him in their language, one is Paraclet, which is the Greek word here used in this text for the Comforter, made Arabic. They also say, that the very name of Mahomet, both here and in other places of the Gospel was expressly mentioned, but that the Christians, out of malice, have blotted it out, and corrupted these holy writings ”

“ Our enemies thence gather new matter of triumph: when instead of seeing the vacant places of the fallen angels filled, they behold hell continually crowded with innumerable victims: to what end, then, are they created, O Lord? Why are the souls that confess to you, delivered up a prey to beasts? ”

“ Remember how you graciously vouchsafed, from the inexhaustible fund of your goodness, to create man out of nothing, and to raise him above all the works of your sublunary creation, by enriching him with the eminent gift of a rational soul, capable of knowing you, and this on purpose that he might become a partaker of our felicity, and repair the loss we sustained by the fall of our reprobate brethren. ”

“ For he tells them in many places in his Alcoran, that they shall enter into pleasant gardens, where many rivers flow, and many curious fountains continually send forth most pleasing streams, nigh which they will repose themselves on most delicate beds, adorned with gold and precious stones, under the shadow of the trees of Paradise, which shall continually yield them all manner of delicious fruits ”

“ And thus far I have laid together as exactly and particularly as I could, out of the best authors that treat of this Impostor, all that is credibly related of him, and those methods which ho took for the framing and propagating that impious forgery, which he hath imposed upon so large a part of mankind.
The Angels' intercession for Man's redemption.
Mankind having for the long and tedious space of more than five thousand years continued in a miserable state of exile, not one of them being able to shake off the clog of original guilt, and soar to his native country, Heaven ”

“ Deuteronomy xxxii. 2, it is said, "The Lord eame from Sinai and rose from Seir unto them: he shineth forth from mount Pharan, and he came with ten thousand of saints: from his right hand went a fiery Law for them"—By which words they will have meant the eoming down of the Law to Moses on mount Sinai; of the Gospel to Jesus at Jerusalem; and of the Alcoran to Mahomet at Mecca. For, say they, Seir are the mountains of Jerusalem, where Jesus appeared; and Pharan the mountains of Mecca, where Mahomet appeared. ”

“ For when Mosailema, who in the last year of Mahomet set up for a prophet as well as he, had, in hopes of the same success, in like manner composed an Alcoran, and published it in a book to his followers, Abu Beker thought it necessary to publish Mahomet's also in the same manner, and that not only in opposition to the now Impostor, but also for the better supporting of that which he adhered to ”

“ As to his story of Thamed, he said that they were an ancient tribe of the Arabs, dwelling on the confines of Syria: and that on their revolt to idolatry God sent unto them the prophet Saleh; that on their demand of a miracle to testify his mission, he caused a rock to bring forth a camel in sight of them all!!!—That they, notwithstanding, in contempt wounded the camel ”

“ After his father's death, he continued uuder the tuition of his mother till the eighth year of his age, when, she also dying, he was taken under the care of his grandfather, Abdol Motallah, who, at his death, which happened the next year after, committed him to the care of his uncle, Abu Taleb, to be educated by him out of charity ”

“ As that they should drink nothing but boiling and stinking water; nor breathe any thing else but exceeding hot winds; things most terrible in Arabia; that they should dwell for ever in continual fire excessively burning, and be surrounded with a black, hot, and salt smoke, as with a coverlid ”