Gods Arrow Against Atheists, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Wherein is briefly shewed, the Religion of Mahomet to be a false and wicked Religion.
IF I shall speake some thing of the Mahometish Religion, I thinke the truth of the Christian Religion will appéere so much the more: for when blacke and white are laid together, the white carrieth the greater estimation and glorie with it. And beside, Mahomet himselfe testifieth of Christ to be a great Prophet of God,Math. Paris. hist. A… …n H…. 3. and a great worker of miracles, And that the same Iesus Christ was Borne of the Virgin Marie, that he liued without sin among men, that hee was a Prophet, and more than a Prophet, and that hee ascended into the heauens: and therefore he reproued the Iewes, for that they would not beléeue him to bée borne of a Uirgin. But on the other side, because he would not hauehave Christ to beare credit aboue him, hee disliked that hee should be called or reputed the Sonne of God. But beside the testimonie of all the former Prophetes of the worlde, both Iewes and Gentiles (as is before shewed) who all do teach,Suidas. that hee should bée the Sonne of God, Suidas doth moreouer confute this false Prophet, who reporteth in his historie, that the Pharisées at Ierusalem called a Councell to finde out the Father of Iesus. They enioyned certaine women to search his mother: the women affirmed they found her a Virgin. Then was it recorded in the famous register booke of the Temple, Iesus the Sonne of God, and of Marie the Virgin. This proueth, not onelyonly that the mother of Iesus was a Uirgin (which Mahomet truely held) but also that Iesus was the Son of God (which Mahomet allowed not.) And indeed Mahomets Religion is a patched religion, mixt partly with Iudaism, partly with Gentilism, partly with Papisme, partly with Christianisme, béeing subtilly contriued for the erecting of the same, and to bring followers after him, whereof shall be spoken more hereafter.
The beginning of Mahomets vprising, and of his Sect,Mathaeus Palm. Mathaeus Chro. li. 13 Drenchsle…r. chro. de Saracen. & Turc. orig. was thus: Many hundred yéeres after Christ, namely, in the yéere of our Lord, 597. & in the raigne of Mauricius the Emperour, when as Gregorius magnus was Byshop of Rome, this Mahomet was borne, béeing of the lyne of Ismael the Sonne of Abraham, by Agar the bond-woman, hauing vntounto his Father one Abdara, and vntounto his Mother▪ one Emma, béeing verie obscure and base parentes, in Mecha a Cittie of Arabia: his parents deceased, and left him a verie yoong Orphan, who in short time by misaduenture was taken captiue. This béeing once knowne vntounto his kindred,Volat. Geogr. lib. 12. one Abdemonapl…s (sayth Ʋolateran) and Israelite, bearing him good will, for his fauour and forwardnes of wit, payde his raunsome, and made him seruant and factor in all his merchandize.
Not long after his maister died without issue, and his seruant Mahomet matched with his mistresse, a widowe of fiftie yéeres of age, called Eadigam, and (saith Paulus Diaconus) his owne kinswoman: so that his maister béeing of credite and substance,Paul. Dia… rer. Rom. lib. 18. and his mistresse (afterwards his wife) of no lesse account, and also shortly after departing this life, hée succéedeth them both in credit, and al their substance, and by this meanes grew of great power and estimation.
Diaconus further sayth, that this Mahomet for the space of tenne yéeres gaue himself secretly by perswasion to bewitch the people, and other tenne yéeres after, with Rogues and vagabonds that repayred vntounto him, with force of Armes, with sworde, and shedding of bloud, hée spent in subduing of Countryes: And lastly, nine yéeres hée openly and manifestly enioyed as a deceiuer, a false Prophet, and a king ouer those whome hée had already infected throughout Arabia.
Sabellicus writeth,Sabel. Aenead. 8. li. 8 that Mahomets Father was an Heathen, and his Mother an Ismaelite, wherby it came to passe, that whilest his Mother taught somewhat of the religion of the Hebrews, and his Father on the other side the religion of the Gentiles, Mahomet (like a dutifull child, but not like a discréete sonne) obeyed both, and that was some cause of his mirt and patched religion. Hee had the falling sicknesse, which tooke him extremely, so that hée groueled along the ground, and fumed piteously at the mouth. His wisbéeing of great honour and substance, bewayled her hard hap in matching with a beggerly rascall, and a diseased creature: but hée (with his wilie companions) hauing taught a Doue to féed at his eare, wherin he had put graines of corne, perswaded his wife to be content, and that he was another manner of man than she tooke him to be: namely, that he was a Prophet, that the spirit of God tell vponupon him, and that the Angell Gabriel in the forme of a Doue came to his eare, and reuealed him secretes from God, whose presence he was not able to abide: and therefore was it that hee so prostrated himselfe, and lay in a traunce. His wife béeing herewith satisfied, shee began to that the same amongst her Gossips, saying: Say nothing, my husband is a Prophet. The women after theyr manner (wherof some of them all can kéepe no counsell) blazed abroad that Mahomet was a Prophet, & so from women it came to men.
This béeing once noysed, they flocked vntounto him from all parts of Arabia. He béeing throughly instructed in Satans schoole, and well séene in Magicke, obserued the present opportunitie.Auentin. Annal. li. 3. The Romanes and Persians then warred together, Mahomet with his Arabians want, & first tooke part with the Romanes, but afterwardes serued them a life touch, and forsooke them,Zonaras Annal. Tom. 3. and thereby weakened that side. In a while after he espyed the Persians goe to wracke, and hauing despised the Romans, he setteth lesse by the Persians, and then setteth foorth himselfe with might and main with his Captaines and Lieutenants (called Amirai) to subdue Nations, and to destroy the Christians, to th… end that he might e…tablish that false religion, deuised by himselfe and his wicked confederates: hée preuailed wonderfully, and in short time after his decease (in the time of Ebubezer and Haumar, that successiuely raigned after him in Arabia) there were got and subdued to the Arabians, the Region of Gaza, the Citie Bostra in Arabia, Damascus Phenicia, Egypt, Palestina, the Citie Ierusalem, all Syria, Antioch, Edessa, Mesopotamia, all Persia, yea, and in a manner all Asia: But I may not forget the ende of Mahomet, who in an euening fitting vp late in his pallace, and hauing taken his fill of wine, wherein one of his companions had powred some poyson, felt his wonted sicknesse approching and made hast forth, saying hée mu…t néedes depart to conferre with the Angell Gabriel, and goe aside, least his glorious presence should bée an occasion of their deathes: forth he went, and remembring that a soft place was best for his falling sicknes, downe hee fell vppon a dunghill, groueling along with great paine, fuming at the mouth, and gnashing his teeth. The Swine came about the dunghill, fell vppon him, wounded him sore, and had eaten him vp▪ had not his wife and others of his house heard the noyse of the hogges, and rescued the false Prophet. Antoninus reporteth,Antonin. chro. part. a. tit. 13. ca. … that hee was not without sundry diseases, which his intemperate dyet brought him: namely, the Plurifie, and a kinde of Lithargie, for oftentimes his sences seemed to bee taken from him. He continued drooping the space of fourtéene daies, at length he departed this life, his bellie had such a swelling that it séemed readie to burst, & his little finger bowed backwards. In the time of his sicknes, he commanded them that were about him that when breath departed his bodie, they should not straightway burie him, for he saide, that within thrée dayes hée would ascen… into heauen: but hereby appeared that he was a false Prophet, for they kept him aboue the ground the third and fourth day, yea (as Flores historiarum testifieth) the space of thirtie daies, in great hope hee would rise and ascend according to promise, but they saw nothing, sauing that they felte an intollerable stinch, so that in great disdayne (sayth Antoninus) Eum longe à domibus proiecerunt, they cast him farre from houses. But his companions (such as consulted with him, and concealed his falsehoode and trecherie) remembring themselues, & iudginge that the disdayne of Mahomet woulde bee their discredit, and his fall their foyle and shame, they fetch him agayne,Sabel. Enead. lib. 6. Naucl. Gene. 22. they chest him in an iron coffin, (saith Sabellicus and Nauclerus) they bring him vntounto the famous Temple of Mecha (in which Citie hée was borne) with great solemnitie, as if hee had neuer béene seared vponupon the dunghill with swine: they conuey to the roofe of the Temple mighty loadstones, they lift vp the iron Coffin, where the loadstones according to their nature drawe to them the iron, and holde it vp, and there hangs Mahomet▪ on high.
Anton. Chro. part. …. cap. 5. Volfgang. Drenchsle…er Chron. Naucler. Gen. 22. Sabel. Enead. 8, lib. 6.Those that imbrace the Religion of Mahomet, are called Saracens, for it was the pride of Mahomet to hauehave them so called, to aduaunce his owne doctrine and profession, because he knew himselfe lineally descended of Ismael the sonne of Agar the bondwoman: therefore to auoide this reproch, he bare the worlde in hand that hée came of Sara the frée-woman, the wife of Abraham, and called himselfe and his followers Saracens. Sabellicus writeth, that the Grecians of spite are wont to cal the Saracens, Agarens: for that they came not of Sara, but of Agar.
This Mahomet while he liued vsed the companie of Christians, Iewes, and Infidels.Sabel. Enead. 3. lib. 6 Et vt popularior esset eius lex, ex omnium gentium sectis aliquid assumpsit, & to the end his law might be the more fauored, he borrowed some thing of eueryevery sect. Fascicul. Temp.Satan furnished him with thrée instruments, as helys to bring his mischéeuous intent about. The first was a Iew, a great Astronomer, & a Magitian, who opened to him at large the Iewish follies: the second, one Iohn of Antioch: the third, one Sergius a Monke, both abhominable heretikes. EueryEvery one plaid his part. To slatter the Christians, he was content to be baptized of Sergius, Sabel. Enead. 8. lib. 6.& of these heretiks he learned with the Sabellians to denie the Trinitie, with the Manichees to establish two beginnings, with Eunomius to denie the equal power of the Father and the Sonne, with Macedonius to call the holy Ghost a creature, and with the Nicolaites to allow many wiues, & wanton lust.Ant. Chro. part. 2. tit. 15. cap. 2. Sergius the Monke also perswaded Mahomet in his Alcoran (so is the booke of his lawe tearmed) to commend the humilitie of Christian Monks & Priests, he made him also deliuer the Saracens a Monkes coule, which they vse to this day. Also instar Monachorum multos genuflexiones, many duckings & crouchings like the Monke. Matthias â Michou addeth,Mathias a Michou de Sarmat. Asian. lib. 1. lib. 7. that they vse shauing: & this no doubt was the Monks doctrine. They commend the blessed virgin Mary, confesse God to be the gouernor of al things, & that Iesus Christ was the Apostle of God, begottē by the Angel Gabriel on Mary the virgin, who neuer knew man,Laonic. de Turc. lib. 3. & that he was greater & worthier than man: they allow the miracles that Christ did, & the Gospell (so far forth as it agréeth with the Alcoran) and Moses, Sabel. Enead. 8. lib. 6.and the old Testament, correcting therein (so presumptuous is the spirit) certaine errors. Hee called himselfe a Prophet, and that hee was sent of God to supplie the imperfections of all lawes, hee forbad his followers all pictures and images in their Temples, hee forbad the eating of swines flesh, he commanded purifiyngs and washings, and similitudinem Iudaeorum, after the manner of the Iewes. The Christians hauehave Sunday for their Sabaoth, the Iewes Saturday, and Mahomet Friday, to dissent from the Hebrewes and Christians: or as Antoninus writeth, in the honour of Venus the Goddesse of Arabia, thereby the rather to winne that country people: and thus it pleased him to deuise a Religion mixt of all these, to the ende hee might hauehave of all religions some to build vp his kingdome. And indéede Mahomet tooke the aduantage of the time, for that time was a time of dissentiō among Princes, and of diuision amongst those which called themselues Christians. Heraclius the Emperour, & Chosdroes King of Persia were at deadly enmity, one warring against an other. The Scithian Nation were of neither side, but at last against both, raising a power of themselues, hauing Mahomet their ringleader. The Church was troubled with diuers sectes and heresies, as with Nestorians, Iacobites, Monothelites, &c. And then was there contention amongst the Bishops, who should hauehave the proud title of vniuersall Bishop. God was highly displeased with this wickednes, and suffered Nations to rise as a rodde or scourge to whippe his people: for where the hedge is broken; there it is easie for the beastes of the field to enter and spoile. Now the vanitie and falshood of this Religion may be proued thus.
1 First by the newnes of it, for it is but of late yéers begun, and there was neuer anie prophecie that did allow of such a Prophet, or of the doctrine of such a one. And therefore he commeth in his owne name, and so consequently not to be receiued.
2 Secondly, hee did no myracle at his comming,Math. Paris. hist. An. in Hen. 3. and therefore no reason that any should beléeue on him. Hee spake vntounto the Saracens of himselfe, Non sum miraculis aut iudiciis ad vos missus, I am not sent vntounto you with miracles and signes. There was no diuine power shewed in all his practise.Flor. hist.
3 Thirdly, it is manifest that Mahomet was a false Prophet, because he said that within thrée dayes after his death he should ascend into heauen, which was notoriously false, as before appeareth.Iacob de Vorag. legend. 1…7. Laonic. de reb. Turc. lib. 3.
4 Fourthly, the Religion of Mahomet is fleshly, consisting in natural delights and corporal pleasures, which shew that man, & not the diuine spirite of God, is the author therof: for it is permitted the Saracens by that his lawe to hauehave foure wiues (though these be of nigh kinne) yea fiue, marrying them virgins, and to take beside as many of them which they hauehave bought and taken captiues,Ant. Chro. as their abilitie will serue to maintaine. The paradise likewise promised to his followers is this, namely, they shall hauehave garmentes of silke, with all sorts of colours, bracelets of gold and Amber, parlours and banqueting houses vponupon flouds and riuers, vessels of golde and siluer, Angels seruing them bringing in gold, mylke, siluer, wine, lodginges furnished, cushions, pillowes, and downe-beds, most beautifull women to accompany them, maydens and virgins with twinkling eyes, gardens and orchyards with harbors, fountaines, springs, and all manner of pleasant fruit, riuers of milke, honie, and spiced wine, all manner of swéete odours, perfumes, and fragrant sentes, and to be short, whatsoeuer the flesh that desire to eate. Thus fleshly people hauehave a fleshly religion, & a fleshly paradise to inhabite. But like Prophet like people, and like religion: for Mahomet himselfe was such a fleshly fellow, as that though modest eares are both to heare, yet because the filthines of this Prophet may not bée concealed, I must vtter it: hée committed buggerie with an Asse,Bonsin. lib. 8. Decad. Berna d. in Rosar. part 1. serm. 14. Ant. Chro. part. 2. tit. 15. cap. 2. Caelius. Nichol. Clen. 1. epi. Anton. Chro. part. 2. cap. 5. Auicenna metaphys. Bonfinius writeth it. Againe, hee committed adulterie with an other mans wife, that vppon displeasure was from her husband, and when hée perceiued the murmur of the people, he feigned that hée had receiued a paper from heauen, wherein it was permitted him so to doe, to the ende hee might beget Prophets and worthie men. Againe Mahomet (as Caelius reporteth) had fortie wiues, and further he gloryed of himselfe, that it was giuen him from aboue to excéede tenne men (saith Cleonard) fiftie men (saith Antoninus) in carnall lust and venery. Auicenna one of Mahomets owne sect, is himselfe brought in disliking of this Religion, for this reason: Because Mahomet (saith hee) hath giuen vsus a lawe, which sheweth the perfection of felicitie to consist in those thinges which concerne the body, whereas the wise and sages of old had a greater desire to expresse the felicitie of the soule than of the bodie, as for the bodily felicitie though it were g…nted them yet they regarded not, neither esteemed it in comparison of the felicity which the soule requireth: his paradise & doctrine is such, as there séemeth smal difference betwéen Epicurism, Atheisme, & Mahometisme.
5 Mahomets law is a tyrannical law, for he made it death to dispute of it,Ant. chro. part. 2. tit. 13. cap. 5. and if any man speake against it (saith hée) Proditoriè occidatur, Let him bee traiterously put to death: and again, sine audientia occidatur, Let him bee put to death without comming to his answere. Sabel. Aenead. 8. li.Qua sanctione (saith Sabellicus) palā fecit …ihil sinceri in ea lege esse, &c. By which decree hee manifested, that there is nothing sincere in that law, &c. Moreouer hee wrote in the Arabian tongue,Math. Paris hist. Ang. in Hen. 3. and taught his followers, that his religion, A gladio cepit per gladium tenetur, & in gladio terminatur, began by the sword, is holden by the sword, and is finished or ended in the sword: which sheweth that the sword & arme of flesh is all the author and protector that his religion hath. Againe, Mahomet made this lawe amongst them, saying: He that slayeth his enemie, Paul. Olac. rer. Rom. lib. 18.or is slaine of his enemie, let him enter & possesse paradise: he spake like a man, with a carnal spirit, teaching reuenge to the vttermost, & pr…mising paradise to such: but no proofe of a diuine spirit appeareth in him.
6 As Mahomets religion is defended by force of sword and fraud, insomuch as hée made it death to cal it into question: so likewise did it begin, as by force of sword, so likewise by notable fraud, & was established through wiles, deceit, subtiltie, and lyes: for first he hauing the falling sicknes, perswaded his wife and others, that it was the power of God▪ & the presence of the Angell Gabriel that caused him to fall downe. Sergius the hereticall Monke was at hande, and bare false witnes to the same (saith Zonaras. Zonaras Annal. Tom. 3.) He told them that the same Deue which hee taught to féede at his care, was sometime an Angell, and sometime the holy Ghost. He had thrée companions all of a confederacie, to deuise and face out lyes with him. When hee perceiued that men gaue eare to him, he feigned that the Angell Gabriel had carryed him to Ierusalem, & thence to hauehave lifted him vp to heauen, and there to hauehave learned his law.
Antonio. chro. part. 2. tit. 13. ca. 5Hee made the Saracens beléeue, that before God made the world, there was written in the throne of God, There is no God but the God of Mahomet. When hee had framed his Alcoran, and bound it vp faire, he caused secretly a wilde asse to bée taken, and the booke to be bound about his necke, and as he preached vntounto the people, vponupon a sodaine hée stood amazed as if some great secrecie were reuealed to him from aboue, he brake out and tolde the people: Behold, God hath sent you a lawe from heauen, goe to such a desert, there yee shall find an Asse, and a booke tyed about his necke. The people ran in great hast, they found it so as hee had saide, they take the Asse, they bring the booke,Auierus li. 2. cap. 12. Iohn Leo. lib. 3. ca. 23 Aph…c. they honour the Prophet. Touching diuorced and separated wiues, hée tolde the Saracens he had receiued a paper from heauen. He vsed sooth-saying and diuination, the which at Fessa, a Cittie of Mauritania,Bernard. in Rosar. part 1. serm. 10. vntounto this day is called Zarragia. He perswaded his followers, that at the end of the world hée should bée transformed into the forme of a mightie Ramme, full of lacks and long fléeces of wooll: & that all that held of his lawe, should bée as fleas shrouding themselues in his fléeces, and that he would iumpe into heauen, and so conuey them all thither. These and such like were his sleightes, to beguile a foolish, rude, and barbarous country people: the foolerie, pride, and vanitie of whose religion, I trust eueryevery one doth sufficiently perceiue.
7 Mahomets Religion is no true Religion, but a méere deuise of his owne, and of thrée others his false conspirators: for hée hath patched together his Alcoran of the doctrine of Heathens, Indians, and Arabians, of superstitious Iewes, of Rechabites, of false Christians and Heretikes, as Nestorians, Sabellians, Manichées, Arrians, Cerinthians, Macedonians Eunomians, and Nicholaits, of illusions, and inuentions of their owne: and lastly (for further credit) hée borrowed some out of the old and new Testament. But God will not thus bée serued: for hée deliuered his mind of old vntounto Israell, and hée is not chaunged, but continueth the same God still.Deut. 12… Ye shall not (saith God) doe euerie man what seemeth him good in his owne eyes: Whatsoeuer I command you, take heed you doe it, thou shalt put nothing thereto, nor take ought there from. Satan béeing coniured to deliuer the truth of the Alcoran of Mahomet, said,Fascicul. Temp. that therein were comprised twelue thousand lyes, and the rest was truth: by all likelyhood verie little. And therfore I conclude, that there is no euidence to proue Mahomet a true Prophet, many to proue him to bée a false Prophet, and blasphemous, and presumptuous, and his Religion to bée a wicked, carnall, absurd, and false Religion, procéeding from a proud spirit, and humane subtill, and corrupt inuention, and euen from the deuill, the craftie father of lies, a murderer, and mankiller from the beginning. And so much héereof may suffise.