religion. It was but little that, in the capacity of a merchant, he could fee, or learn, of the state of the Roman empire, on the borders of Syria; and the state of civil war in which Perfia was then involved would rather have given him an idea of the difficulty of conquering it. For all history fhews that civil wars make nations warlike, by converting great numbers of men into foldiers. And what profpect could a private merchant have had of uniting all the tribes of Arabs under one head, divided as they then were, and always had been, into a great number of separate clans, perpetually at war with each other, and profeffing very differ ent religions; many of them being heathen idolaters, many Christians, and many of them converts to Judaism; and without this union under himself he could not have expected to make any foreign conquefts.

That Mahomet's retiring a month in every year to a cave in mount Hara near Mecca (Sale's Preliminary Difcourse, p. 52) was originally with a view to any impofture, is far from being certain; and that he was subject to the epilepfy, or falling fick

nefs, and in the fits of this disorder was led to fancy himself infpired (Univerfal Hiftory, p. 23), is not fupported by any fufficient evidence; nor does what is known of his history make it probable. But the veneration he would naturally acquire by this retirement, to which he might have been led by real devotion, or enthusiasm, might have given him ideas, and opened to his mind. prospects which he had not conceived when he first entered it.

He might even imagine that he was deftined by God to act some extraordinary part on the theatre of the world; and being a real believer in the unity of God, and being impreffed with a sense of the great importance of that doctrine, which he faw to be violated not only by many of his countrymen, the heathen Arabs, but by all the Christians that he had converfed with, or heard of, he might think it to be greatly meritorious to endeavour the extirpation of idolatry in general, Chriftian or Heathen. He might also imagine that fo great an object would justify fome imposture that he thought to be useful for that good end. For

that

that he, or any man, could really imagine that all the chapters of fuch a work as the Koran, a work of fuch extent, and confifting of fo many diftinct fections, delivered at different times, as particular occafions called for them, were really delivered to him, as he pretended, by the angel Gabriel, cannot be admitted. That he muft, therefore, have been a real impoftor, though he might begin with being an enthusiast, will not be queftioned by any except Mahometans. And that, as a founder of a new religion, he was an impoftor, may be inferred from feveral circumftances, in which his conduct forms a remarkable contraft with that of Jefus.

1. The only proper evidence of a divine miffion is unquestionably a visible miracle, or the doing of fuch a thing as the divine Being alone, the author of nature, and the fole controller of its laws, can do. .Accordingly, Jesus said, (John x. 37) " If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not;" and (John v. 36)" The works which the Father hath given me to finish, the fame works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath fent me." But to this

Mahomet

66

Mahomet did not pretend, though his enemies, as we find by the Koran, were continually calling upon him to fhew them fome miracle, as the only evidence of the truth of his pretenfions. They who know not the scriptures fay, Unless God fpeak to us, or fhew us a fign, we will not believe," Koran, Vol. I. p. 23. "We will by no means believe until a revelation be brought unto us like unto that which hath been delivered unto the meffengers of God."

Vol. I. p. 177. "The infidels fay, Unless

fome fign be fent down to him from his Lord, we will not believe," Vol. I. p. 162. Vol. II. p. 4, and 55.

Sometimes we find the unbelievers calling for fpecific miracles, as that of an angel, fuch as he pretended brought him the chapters of the Koran, being visible to them, Koran, Vol. I. p. 158. " They fay, What kind of an apoftle is this: he eateth food, and walketh in the streets. Unless an angel be fent down unto him, and become a preacher with him; or unless a treasure be caft down unto him, or he have a garden whereof we may eat, we will not believe.'

Vol. II. p. 202. They fay, Unless an angel be fent down unto us, or we can fee our Lord himself, we will not believe."

Vol. II. p. 203. "Surely, they say, God has commanded us that we give no credit to any apostle, until one fhall come to us with a facrifice, which fhall be confumed by fire." Vol. I. p. 89.

The Heathen Arabs, who denied the refurrection, called for the revival of some of their dead ancestors, as a proof of his miffion. "Verily those Meccans fay, Affuredly our final end will be no other than our first natural death; neither fhall we be raised again. Bring now our forefathers back to life, if ye speak the truth." Koran, Vol. II. p. 365, 366. They also challenged him to inflict fome miraculous punishment on themselves. "They will urge thee to haffen the punishing. They urge thee to bring down vengeance fwiftly upon them." Vol. II. p. 25.

In answer to these perpetual calls for miracles, Mahomet replied, (and the repetition of this in the Koran is endless) that his miffion was confined to preaching and giving warnings.