The Growth of Error, Chapter 4 · Section 10
SECT. X.
The Agreement between the Engliſh Socinians, and the Mahometans Detected. They both Believe Jeſus the Son of Mary to be the Meſſiah. Sundry other Inſtances, wherein they are Agreed. They both Deny Chriſt's Divinity, and the giving to him Divine Adoration. The Impoſtor Mahomet a Laſcivious Wretch, who Propagated his Religion by Force of Arms.
THe Good Opinion our Engliſh Socinians have of the Turkiſh Religion; whoſe Embracers, they place in a nearer Proximity to Salvation than Orthodox Chriſtians, moved me to Enquire, whether they had, according to their own Principles, any Reaſon for the…r Charity towards a People, whoſe Religion is as full of Blaſphemy, as their Souls are of Rancour againſt us Chriſtians: And after the moſt Free and Impartial Diſquiſition, it appeared unto me, that the Principles which themſelves Affirm to be moſt Important, are ſo very much the ſame, That our Socinians may be juſtly ſtyled Engliſh Turks, and the Turks Engliſh So…inianized Chriſtians.
I do not ſay, That every Engliſh Socinian doth underſtand the Principal Articles of his own, or of the Mahometan, Religion; much leſs, that they Deſign to Introduce Mahometaniſm. There are, I am Confident, many amongſt us, who Love the Socinians, but know very little of their Socinianiſm. They are ſtartled at the Noiſe raiſed againſt the Orthodox, their Syſtematical Niceties, and Obſcurities, their Myſteries, and Contradictions, and the like; but hereby they are more ſet againſt the Truth. than diſpoſed to cloſe with their Errors; and are ſo far from taking in the whole of their new Scheme; that, did they but ſee what it is, and what are its Tendencies, they would Abhor it.
For the ſake of theſe, I will ſhew what Arts are uſed by their Leaders, in the Repreſentations they make of the Mahometans, which they muſt be eſteemed to do either with a Deſign to give ſuch an Advantage to the Papiſts againſt Proteſtants now, as the Socinians gave heretofore unto Reynolds and Gifford, to write their Calvino-Turciſmus; or, to bring in the Turkiſh Religion amongſt us; or, rather, knowing how Falſe the Popiſh, and how Ridiculous as well as Blaſphemous the Mahometan Religion is, to take the People off from all Religion, that they may the more eaſily take up with Deiſm, or Atheiſm.
Thus one, ſpeaks (as I have already noted,) ſo Honourably of Mahomet, and ſo much of the Future Happineſs of the Mahometans; and another, whom I cannot but Reſpect for his learning, hath, in his Reaſonableneſs of Chriſtianity, reduced the Vital Principles of our Holy Religion to what is receiv'd into the Alcoran. This was, ſaith the Author of this Diſcourſe, the Great Propoſition that was controverted concerning Jeſus of Nazareth, Reaſon ab. of Chriſti. p. 26. &c.whether He was the Meſſiah or no? And the Aſſent to that was that which diſtinguiſhed Believers from Unbelievers. — That this is the ſole Doctrine, Preſſed, and Required to be Believ'd in the whole Terour of our Saviours, and his Apoſtles Preaching we have ſhewed through the whole Hiſtory of the Evangeliſts, and the Acts. And, I Challenge them (ſaith he) to ſhew, that there was any other Doctrine upon their Aſſent to which, or Diſbelief of it, men were Pronounced Believers or Unbelievers.
Thus you ſee that the whole of Chriſtianity is brought within the Compaſs of theſe few words, To believe that Jeſus of Narareth, or Jeſus the ſon of Mary, is the Meſſiah. They that Believe thus much, are Good Chriſtians, ſuch as were Received into the Church of Chriſt, as Members of his Body, as far as meer believing could make them ſo.
Now I ſay, that according to this Principle the Mahometans are good Chriſtians, and ought to be Receiv…d into the Church of Chriſt, as Members of his Body. For they do Profeſs to believe, That Jeſus the Son of Mary is the Meſſiah, in the ſecond Chapter of the Alcoran. Certainly we gave the Law to Moſes, and after him ſent many Prophets: We Inſpired Knowledge into Jeſus the Son of Mary, and Strengthened him by the Holy Ghoſt. In the next Chapter, The Angels called Zachary and ſaid unto him. I Declare to thee from God, that thou ſhalt have a Son, called John, he ſhall affirm the Meſſias to be the Word of God; that he ſhall be a Great Perſon, Chaſte; a Prophet, and one of the Juſt. — Remember thou, how the Angels ſaid, Oh! Mary, God Declareth unto thee a Word, from which ſhall Proceed the Meſſias, named Jeſus, the Son of Mary, full of Honour in this World, and that ſhall be in the other of the Number of Interceſſors, with his Divine Majeſty — I will teach him the Scriptures the Myſteries of the Law, the Old Teſtament, and the Goſpel and He ſhall be a Prophet ſent to the Children of Iſrael. Jeſus ſaid to the Children of Iſrael, I come to you with evident ſigns of my Miſſion from your Lord— I am come to you with Signs of my Miſſion, that Teſtifie that I am truly ſent from your Lord — Remember thou how the Lord God ſald, O Jeſus I will cauſe thee to Die, I will Raiſe thee to my ſelf, and Remove thee far from Infidels, and Prefer thoſe that have Obeyed thee to Infidels, at the Day of Judgment. And of the Jews, (in the fourth Chapter,) it's ſaid, God Imprinted Infidelity in their Hearts, they ſhall never Believe in his Law, except very Few of them, becauſe of their Malice, and the Blaſphemies, they Vomited againſt Mary. They ſaid, we have ſlain the Meſſiah, Jeſus the Son of Mary, the Prophet and Apoſtle of God:Chap. 5. Chap. 61. — The Meſſiah the Son of Mary is a Prophet and Apoſtle of God. — Remember thou, that Jeſus the ſon of Mary, ſaid to the Children of Iſrael, I am the Meſſenger of God; He hath ſent me to Confirm the Old Teſtament — ſo far the Alcoran.
Mahumed Ben Achmed, an Eminent Interpreter of the Alcoran by [His Word] underſtands [the Son,] which when ſpoken abſolutely, points us only unto the Son of God. Lib. 1. c. 1.Elmacinus, in his Hiſtory of the Saracens, ſaith, that the Mahometans hold Chriſt the Son of Mary to be the Son of God And, as Borcardus, The Saracens do affirm, and confeſs Chriſt to be truly the Son of God: De Ter. S. p. 1. c. 7. Sect. 12.Beſides, it's alſo ſaid, that they believe Jeſus Chriſt to be the Son of God, Aſcended into Heaven, ſetting on the Right hand of the Father, and Mahomet on the Left. Thus Sandius in his Church Hiſtory ſo much Admired by our Engliſh Socinians. Hiſt. Enuc. lib. 3. Sec. 7. p. …2, &c.Now ſeeing what our Author Inſiſts on as Neceſſary to make a man a True Believer, is in the Turkiſh Alcoran, I wou'd fain know, whether the Mahometans, who Believe theſe Points, are not in his Eſteem ſuch Chriſtians as ought to be Received into the Church of Chriſt, as Members of his Body? What is it that He requires as neceſſary to our being ſuch that the Turks do not profeſs to hold? Doth not he enjoyn them to Believe, that Jeſus the Son of Mary, is the Meſſiah ſent of God, (which he proved by Miracles) that he Dyed, Roſe again, and is one the Right Hand of the Omnipotent God? The Turks Believe the ſame. Will he have us worſhip Chriſt but not with that Adoration which is due to the moſt High God? The Turks will do it, ſo Sandius. Chriſtum eſſè adorandum, ſed non eo ſummo Cultu, …. …i. ſu….quo Adoratur ejus Dominus & Deus. Doth he ſay, that Jeſus is more highly exalted than Mahomet himſelf? Mahomet in his Alcoran grants it; not only that Jeſus is on the Right Hand, and himſelf on the Left, but that he is Inferiour to the Bleſſed Virgin, the Mother of our Lord So Sandius out of Bellonius, Cuſanus, Richardus, and others. Doth He Require us to Believe that Chriſt Dyed, Roſe again, and that there ſhall be a Reſurrection of our Souls and Bodies? the Turks Believe it. Will he have it, that Chriſt ſhall Appear Perſonally, and erect a Glorious Kingdom on Earth when all muſt Believe in him? The Mahometans ſay the ſame, only they will allow unto Jeſus but forty, not a thouſand years for his Perſonal Reign. Doth he Require us to Believe the Old and New Teſtament to be Inſpired? It is no more than what is affirm'd in their Alcoran where it's expreſs,Chap. 2. that God ſent Mahomet to Confirm the Scriptures, namely the Old Teſtament and the Goſpel, that God Inſpired into him to Confirm the Ancient Scripture. And Nicholaus Cardinal de Cuſa, in the Prologue to his Cribratio Alcorani, ſaith, that Balthaſar de Luparis, ſometime a Merchant at Conſtantinople, oft told him that the Mahometan Doctors did greatly reſpect and love the Goſpel, preferring it to the Book of their own Law: That one of the moſt Learned of their Doctors being Inſtructed out of the Goſpel of John, touching the Truth, Propoſed to Balthaſar his Deſign of going to Rome with Twelve others, might he have ſafe Conduct, which the Cardinal de Cuſa procured; but the Learned Turk was hindred by Death And Sandius, …hi ſupra.out of Borcardus Reports, That theſe Saracens have Saint John in the Higheſt Eſteem, next unto Jeſus Chriſt, and the Bleſſed Virgin, counting Him the greateſt, and moſt Holy amongſt the Prophets. Doth our Author urge the Neceſſity of Repentance? The Turks preſs the ſame, as neceſſary unto the Pardon of Sin, though not of that Sin which is unto Death. What then is it that can hinder their being good Chriſtians in the Judgment of our Engliſh Socinians? Or, ſeeing our Socinians believe no more touching what they judge neceſſary to Salvation, than the Turks do; what is it that makes them better Chriſtians than the Mahometans are?
Our Author is pleaſed to challenge Us, to ſhew, that there is any other Doctrine; upon our Aſſent to which, or Disbelief of it, Men were pronounced Believers or Unbelievers. But I crave leave to tell him, amongſt other Doctrines, that of Chriſt's Divinity is one. If he will conſult John 5.18, 23, 24, &c. He'll find it to be clearly Revealed, and ſufficiently proved by the Lord Jeſus Himſelf, that the Belief of his being God, Equal with the Father, is ſo neceſſary, that without it, we can't be pronounced Believers
The Holy Evangeliſt, in the Account he gives of the Diſcourſe that was between Chriſt, and the Jews, expreſly declares, that the Jews ſought to kill Jeſus; becauſe he ſaid, that God was his Father, making Himſelf equal with God. Notwithſtanding which, the Lord Jeſus went on to the Proofs, aſſuring them, that His doing the ſame Works which the Father doth, doth evince him to be God, equal with the Father; adding, that the Father hath ſo committed all Judgment unto the Son, that all Men ſhould Honour the Son, even as they Honour the Father: That is, with the ſame Honour, Worſhip, and Adoration: For, he that Honoureth not the Son, Honoureth not the Father, which has ſent him; which Words do plainly ſhew, that 'tis the Will of the Father, That we believe his Son Jeſus to be God, equal with himſelf. For a rendring the ſame Honour to the Son which is due unto the Father, carrieth in it, an Aſcription of thoſe Eſſential Perfections of God to him, which make him to be God, equal with the Father; which cannot be lawfully done by any, but ſuch as believe him to be ſo; as appears not only from the Nature of the thing, but from Rom. 10.14. where it's ſaid, that we can't call, or give Divine Honour to him, in whom we have not believed. If then Honouring the Son as we Honour the Father be ſo neceſſary a Duty, that they who neglect it do not Honour the Father, a believing the Son to be God, in the ſame Senſe the Father is God, is ſo neceſſary, as a believing the Father to be God; which is ſo very neceſſary, that on the Disbelief of it, Men were pronounced Unbelievers
This is, I confeſs, a Parting Point, between Orthodox Chriſtians on the one Hand, and the Mahometans, and Engliſh Socinians on the other. For, if Aſſent to this Doctrine, viz. That Jeſus Chriſt is God, equal with the Father, be ſo neceſſary, that without it, we can't be pronounced Believers, they who disbelieve it, cannot be Chriſtians; whence it is, that the Mahometans, and Engliſh Socinians, denying the Divinity of Chriſt, and the lawfulneſs of rendring to him Divine Worſhip▪ are for the ſame Reaſon, link…d together, as Enemies to the Chriſtian Religion.
The moſt learned, and ſober amongſt Foreign Socinians, being aware of this; tho', they denied Chriſt's Deity, yet urged the giving Divine Worſhip unto Chriſt, as neceſſary to the diſtinguiſhing themſelves from the Mahometans, and proving themſelves to be good Chriſtians. But the Engliſh Socinians falling in with Franciſcus Davidis, and that Party in Poland, are of opinion, that they muſt be guilty of Idolatry, if they give Divine Worſhip to him that is but a Creature; and to eſcape Idolatry, refuſe to give to the Son, Divine Worſhip, and ſo put it out of their Power to prove themſelves to be better Chriſtians than the Turks are, or to plead their own Cauſe without defending the Mahometans; which as I take it, is the true Reaſon; why the more Learned amongſt them do write ſo Reſpectfully, and Charitably of theſe Iſhmaelites and do, not only ſpeak Honourably of the Impoſtor Mahomet's Deſign, as if it had been only to reform the Chriſtian Religion; but aſſign the Reaſon of the Propagation of that Religion, not to the Sword, but to their Denial of the Bleſſed Trinity. And yet it is moſt manifeſt, that Mahomet, a very vicious Man, being under the Conduct of Sergius, a Neſtorian, did, by his Aſſiſtance, invent a Religion, with a Deſign, if poſſible, to pleaſe the Pagan, Jew, and Chriſtian; and, conſidering the Ignorance and Debauchery of the People amongſt whom he was; He prepar'd ſuch a Heav'n for them who obſerved his Alcoran, as moſtly ſuited their ſenſual and voluptuous Diſpoſitions: And, being himſelf a moſt laſcivious Wretch, whilſt he would by his Alcoran reſtrain others, pretends to have an Indulgence from Heaven, for the Gratification of his own Luſts.
Thus the Amorous Prophet being taken with the Beauty of his Slave, Zeid's Wife, obliged Zeid to Repudiate her, bringing in the one God,Chap. 33. ſaying; When Zeid did Repudiate his Wife, we married thee to her, to the End there might remain no Errour among the True Believers — The Prophet ſins not in doing what God has permitted — O Prophet, we permit thee to know the Women to whom thou haſt given Dowry, the Women ſlaves, which God hath given thee, the Daughters of thine Uncles, and of thine Aunts, that have abandon'd with thee the Company of the Wicked; — Thou ſhalt retain whom of thy Wives thou ſhalt deſire to retain; and ſhalt repudiate ſuch as thou ſhalt deſire to repudiate, and ſhalt lie with them that ſhall pleaſe thee.
Thus much out of the Alcoran, where tis alſo ſaid, that amongſt his Slaves (which were many) he might, if their Beauty pleaſed him, make exchanges; and leaſt his laſcivious Practices ſhould encourage his Wives to do the like with True Believers; He charges his Believers not to come into his Houſes without Permiſſion; and when permitted, not to tarry long, for that moleſteth the Prophet; and, modeſt Man, he is aſhamed to bid them be gone. — The Wives of the Prophet ſhall have their Faces covered when they ſpeak unto 'em; they ought not to importune the Prophet of God, neither to know his Wives, this would be a moſt Enormous Sin.
Beſides, Mahomet did conſtantly Preach, that God had ſent him to confirm his Law by Force of Arms, and not by Miracles. This is ſo notoriouſly true, that it cannot but amaze the leaſt acquainted with the Turkiſh Stories, to hear any Pretender to Learning affirm, that Mahomet was againſt forcing any to a Cloſure with his Blaſphemies.
Though they proclaimed Liberty to all that would ſubmit to their Alcoran; yet, ſo far reſolv'd on the propagating their Religion by Force, that no Truce could prevent their uſing violent Methods, when they had a Tendency to promote their Deſign; whence it is, that in the Alcoran, the ninth Chapter, entituled by the Mahometan Doctors [the chapter of Puniſhment] but by Mahomet [the Chapter of Converſion] beginneth not as the reſt, with theſe Words [in the Name of God, Gracious and Merciful] becauſe theſe are Words of Peace and Salvation; and Mahomet, in this Chapter, commands to break Truce with his Enemies. To kill them where-ever they ſhall meet them, take them Slaves, detain them Priſoners, and obſerve where they paſs, to lay Ambuſh for them; But if they be converted, if they pray at t…me Appointed, and pay Tithes, leave them in Quiet, God is merciful to them that repent.
Whether the laſcivious, and bloody Mindedneſs of this Mahomet, and his Partizans be ſome of the Trifles of whom Sandius ſpeaks, who, after he had given the faireſt Repreſentation of the Faith and Morals of the Turks, adds, Caetera, quae in Alcorano invenimus, ſunt merae nugae, I ſubmit to the Reader, it being to me very clear, that they who would be Advocates for Mahomet, or his Religion, have very little Reaſon for their Pretences to Sobriety, or Liberty of Conſcience, which is no otherwiſe granted by them than as it's ſubſervient to their ſecular Intereſts. And touching that ingenious Gentleman, who under the plauſible Covert of the Reaſonableneſs of Chriſtianity, hath lopt off ſo many of the moſt Eſſential Parts of Chriſt's Religion, as to defend no more of it, than that Grand Impoſtor Mahomet would have done; he has, I think, done no ſervice at all to Chriſtianity; and it muſt be acknowledged, that thoſe Engliſh Socinians, who write ſo Honourably of Mahomet, his Deſign, and Religion, may be more juſtly look'd on as Penſioners of the Great Turk, than the learned Oppoſers of Socinian Hereſies can be repreſented as the Grand Penſioner of the World▪