SECT. III. A proof against the Mahometans, taken out of the sacred books of the Hebrews and Christians; and that they are not corrupted.

MAHOMET and his followers confess, that both Moses⁷⁵⁷⁷⁵⁷   Azoara v. xxi. and Jesus were sent by God;⁷⁵⁸⁷⁵⁸   Azoara v. xii. and that they who first propagated 233the institution of Jesus were holy men.⁷⁵⁹⁷⁵⁹   Azoara v. lxxi. But there are many things related in the Alcoran,⁷⁶⁰⁷⁶⁰   As the temple of Mecha, built by Abraham, Azoara xi. and many other things of Abraham, Azoara xxxi. A confused history of Gideon and Saul, Azoara iii. Many things in the history of Exodus, Azoara xvii. xxx. and xxxviii. Many things in the history of Joseph, Azoara xxii. Concerning the birds cut in pieces by Abraham, and called to life again, Azoara iv. Concerning Mary’s being brought up with Zachariah, Azoara v. Concerning the birds made of clay by Jesus, ibid. and xiii. which is the law of Mahomet, directly contrary to what is delivered by Moses, and the disciples of Jesus. To instance in one example out of many: all the apostles and disciples of Jesus entirely agree in this testimony, that Jesus died upon the cross, returned to life upon the third day, and was seen of many: on the contrary, Mahomet says, that Jesus was privately taken up into heaven,⁷⁶¹⁷⁶¹   Azoara xi. and that a certain resemblance of him was fixed to the cross; and consequently Jesus was not dead, but the eyes of the Jews were deceived. This objection cannot be evaded, unless Mahomet will say, as indeed he does, that the books both of Moses, and of the disciples of Jesus,⁷⁶²⁷⁶²   Azoara ix. have not continued as they were, but are corrupted; but this fiction we have already confuted in the third book. Certainly, if any one should say, that the Alcoran is corrupted, the Mahometans would deny it, and say, that that was a sufficient answer to a thing which was not proved. Bat they cannot easily bring such arguments for the uncorruptedness of their book, as we bring for ours, viz. that copies of them were immediately dispersed all over the world; and that not, like the Alcoran, in one language only; and were faithfully preserved, by so many sects, who differed so much in other things. The Mahometans persuade themselves, that in the xivth chapter of St. John, which speaks of sending the Comforter, there was something written of Mahomet, which the Christians have put out: but here we may ask them; do they suppose 234this alteration of the Scripture to have been made after the coming of Mahomet, or before? It is plainly impossible to have been done after the corning of Mahomet, because at that time there were extant, all over the world, very many copies, not only Greek, but Syriac, Arabic, and in places distant from Arabia, Ethiopic and Latin, of more versions than one. Before the coming of Mahomet, there was no reason for such a change; for nobody could know what Mahomet would teach; further, if the doctrine of Mahomet had nothing in it contrary to the doctrine of Jesus, the Christians would as easily have received his books, as they did the books of Moses and the Hebrew prophets. Let us suppose on each side, that there was nothing written either of the doctrine of Jesus, or of that of Mahomet; equity will tell us, that that is to be esteemed the doctrine of Jesus, in which all Christians agree; and that the doctrine of Mahomet, in which all Mahometans agree.