his part Sabellicus writeth that to flatter the Christians he was baptized of Sergius and that of these Heretikes hee learned with the Sabellians to denie the Trinitie with the Manichees to establish two beginnings with Eunomius to deny the equal power of the father and the sonne with Macedonius to call the holy Ghost a creature with the Nicolaites to allow the number of wiues and wandering lust Sergius the Monke saith Antoninus perswaded Mahomet in his Alcoran so is the booke of his law tearmed to commend the humilitie of Christian Monks and priests He made him deliuer the Saracens a monks coule which they vse vnto this day Also Instarmonachorum multas genu-flexiones Many duckings and crouchings after the maner of Monks which is seene in their kind of salutation Mathias â Michou addeth that the sect of Mahomet vse also shauing and this no doubt was the Monks doctrine Laonicus the Athenian reporteth that the Turks cōfesse God to be y e gouernour of all thinges and that Iesus was the Apostle of GOD begotten by the Aungell Gabriell vppon Marie the Virgine which neuer knew man and that hee was greater or woorthier then manne Sabellicus addeth they commende the blessed Virgin they allowe the myracles and approoue the Gospell as farre foorth as it agreeth wyth the Alcoran This is but a shadow of Religion and a cloake couering a number of blasphemies In confessing a God they denie the trinity of persons in speaking of Iesus they most wickedly with the Arrians denye his Godhead and that he is the Sonne of God Al that is spoken of the virgin the miracles and the Gospell by those blasphemous Turkes though to seeme a praise yet is it a dispraise when as the truth is not plainely and absolutely deliuered but maymed mingled with falshood The Apostle S. Iames sayth Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Lawe and yet fayle in one poynt he is guilty of al. The Saracens iest at the Christians for affirming that Iesus the great frende of God would suffer coutumely reproche and endure death by the handes of the Iewes they denie that hee suffered or that hee died but that hee ascended into heauen and that the Iewes tooke an other in his stead executed him which is an olde heresie so write Nauclerus and Antonimus with others Mahomet forgat here to deliuer vnto his people the testimonie of the Prophet Esay which opened the truth of Christ He was oppressed and hee was afflicted yet did he not open his mouth hee is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter as a sheepe before the shearer is dumbe so hee opened not his mouth It followeth And who shall declare his age It passeth mans reach for he is God from euerlasting Our Sauiour testifieth of himselfe the willing minde he had to suffer and to die that sinners might liue The bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Again I am the good shepheard the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheepe I lay down my life for my sheepe Therefore doth the Father loue me because I lay downe my life that I may take it againe No man taketh it from mee but I lay it downe of my selfe S. Paule yeeldeth testimony also to the truth saying Hee offered vp himselfe without spotte to God When Peter went about to withstand such as came to apprehende him he forbadde him saying What thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and hee will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels how then shal the scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so Heere hee sheweth his yeelding and consenting mind That another suffred in his stead is an old damned heresie which Mahomet reuiued after the death of Cerinthus Basilides He hath forbidden his followers al pictures images in their temples mingling saith Mathew Paris some hony with his poison y t rather to deceiue the drinker He receiueth the old testament correcting therin so presumptuous is this spirit certain errors hee alloweth after his manner of three Prophets Moses Christ Mahomet whome he calleth Razales Yet immediately he is found contrary to himself The Christians pray toward the East the Iews saith Iacobus de Voragine towards the West Mahomet cōmandeth his people to pray toward y e south he might haue turned himself for al his religiō to y e deuil towards y e north The christiās haue sunday for their sabaoth the Iews Saturday Mahomet Friday as Laonicus writeth to dissent frō y e Hebrews Christians as Volateran writeth for y t he was made king vppon that day or as Antoninus writeth in y e honour of Venus the Goddesse of Arabia therby the rather to win that country people and so it may verie well be for most of his religion standeth vppon venerie as I shal deliuer vnto you anō He taught Circumcisiō although saith Antoninus it is not found y t he himself was circumcised He forbad y e eating of swines flesh bloud strangled he commaunded washings purifyings ad similitudinem Iudaeorum after the maner of the Iews He called himself a Prophet that he was sent of God to supply y e imperfection of al lawes to lace y e remisse to mittigate the seuere lawe The Iews hearing the name of Moses y e abādoning of pictures y e receiuing of y e old testament y e using of purifications y e doctrine of circumcisiō swines flesh that he said vnto them as Flores historiarum writeth he was y e promised Messias they flocked about him 10 of thē continued w t him to his dying day as Paulus Diaconus writeth When they had heard his doctrine seen y e maner of his diet conuersatiō they espied that he eate Camels flesh therby perceiued he was not the man they looked for Then they imagined what was to be done to bee driuen to forsake him his religion for altogether y t they iudged a disgracing vnto them They kept him company fearing least the Christian religion by the meane of Sergius should take much root after their olde maner shewing whose children therein they were they continually pricke him forwards against the Christians Ther are six points chiefly wherein the Iews differ from the Christians Ludouicus Carettus a Iew conuerted to the christian faith shall indifferently reporte them for both sides for there-upon hee stood afore hee was throughly perswaded in the truth The first is the trinity which they denye acknowledging one God but denying y e three persons The seconde the incarnation of the worde which is the diuinitie of Christ which they confesse not Thirdly the manner of Christs cōming as they dreame to destroy kingdoms to raigne here vpō earth but he came poore meek riding vpō an Asse accounted among the wicked whose sins he bare for his kingdom was not of this
The Clark of the band in their greedines called theÌ„ doogs thereof rose a mutine they made their mone vnto the better sort of their couÌ„try they forsook their Emperor This was their first fall from ChristiaÌ„ kings Emperors wherof ther ensued great mischief This furious cruel dispositioÌ„ an other of y e same name with this false prophet an Emperor of y e Turks shewed at CoÌ„stantinople Missing an aple vpoÌ„ a certaine tree in his Orchard he gaue commandement that the bowels of three pages that were about him should be ript that it might be knowne which of them had eaten it The time at this present will not serue to shewe the infinite streames of Christian and Innocent bloude these enemies of God most cruelly shedde There commeth to my remembrance among other histories their doings in Poland where at one battell they slewe of Christians as many as their single eares did fill nine greate sackes These people are wild sauage and cruel Mahomet made them a law accordingly saying He that slayeth his enemie or is slaine of his enemie lette him enter and possesse paradise This is contrary to Gods word in the old and new testament this is contrary to the rule of charitie which slayeth not but forgiueth the enemie The Paradise of Mahomet must then be the bottomles pitte of Hell Of the contrary the true word of God and the Gospell of Iesus Christ was not plaÌ„ted neither by force of arms neither by eloquence of words neither by enticing speach of mannes wisedome but by the worke of the blessed spirite and power of God S. Paule putteth the Corinthians in remembraunce thereof saying Brethren you see your calling howe that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God hath chosen the weake thinges of the world to confound the mightie things And vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which ar not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should reioice in his presence It might seeme very strange that 12. men the seruants of any king or emperour beeing abiect persons without weapon or armour shoulde subdue vnto themselues from the king or emperour the whole dominion It might seeme very strange that a few vnlearned vnlettered men shoulde confound put to silence all subtil Logitians al sage philosophers al skilful Astronomers profound Diuines It might seeme verye strange y t a few men naked frendlesse should conquer the whole world The 12 Apostles are sent forth to preach according vnto the institution of our sauiour coÌ„manded they shall possesse neither gold nor siluer nor money in their purses nor a scrip for their iurney nor two coats nor shoes nor a staffe being simple men vnlearned of one language yet haue they coÌ„founded the wise coÌ„futed the learned coÌ„uerted all languages conquered y e whole world vnto their master Christ This is it which Chrysostom calleth MaximuÌ„ miraculuÌ„ the greatest miracle orbeÌ„ terraruÌ„ absque miraculis à duodecim pauperibus illiteratis hominibus attractuÌ„ That the whole world should be caried away without miracles alone by 12. poore vnlearned men They woar no armor they proclame no warres they were authors of no seditioÌ„ our sauiour bequeathed vnto theÌ„ peace they preached peace wheÌ„ they came to city or house their salutatioÌ„ was peace be in this house y e spirit of peace was resiant amoÌ„g theÌ„ They coÌ„pelled no man as Mahomet his disciples did Tertullian writeth Sed nec religionis est cogere religionem quae spoÌ„te suscipi debeat noÌ„ vi cuÌ„ hostiae ab animo lubenti expostuleÌ„tur But it is not the nature of religioÌ„ to coÌ„train religioÌ„ which ought to be receiued willingly not by coÌ„pulsion wheÌ„ as sacrifices are required of a willing mind Lactantius hath y e like reasoning w t y e infidels y t coÌ„pelled y e christiaÌ„s to sacrifice NoÌ„ opus est vi iniuria quia religio cogi noÌ„ potest Ye need not vse force violeÌ„ce for religioÌ„ may not be coÌ„strained He sheweth y e practise of y e Christians and the reason thereof Nemo à nobis retinetur inuitus invtilis est enim Deo qui fide ac deuotione caret Wee holde no man against his wil for he is vnprofitable to God that wanteth faith and deuotion This compulsion is to be vnderstood of Christian toward Heathen or Heathen towards Christian but when as any receiue the Christian faith vowe their seruice vnto the onely true GOD matriculate their names in the congregation of the faithfull and afterwardes decline giuing themselues vnto carnalitie raising of schisme broaching of heresies and falshoode the whippe of Christ must be taken in hand to purge the house of God the â—â—â—â—e of discipline and correction must be vsed the magistrate must draw the sworde and execute Iustice according vnto the lawes of God Christian Princes established and decreed for the aduauncing of pietie and rooting out of sinne and all iniquity Augustine discourseth hereof at large and sheweth how heretikes and schismatikes by imperial lawes and constitutions are forcibly to be reformed Of olde the Christians gaue almes and reliefe vnto the poore of themselues charitie dieth they are now taxed and seased of olde Christian deuotion moued men to fast deuotion dieth they haue now daies times assigned them of olde they repaired to the Church of great zeale zeale dieth they are now enioined by penal Lawes of olde being mindfull of Christs death they frequented sundrie times to the Lordes Table forgetfulnes is come in place they are now called vpon certain times in the yeare of olde Christ was sincerely faithfully serued his worde purely taught Christian Princes dutifully obeyed the feare of God was before their eyes but nowe a daies there is corruption crept in papisme idolatry treason conspiracie practised by false Christians They fall within compasse of the Lawes they haue iustice shewed them they are seuerely punished chastised this is no persecution this is no compulsion to the faith but correction for falling from the faith this is the rule of godlinesse which Mahomet obserued not Fifthly the lawe of Mahomet is not witnessed and confirmed by signes wonders and miracles therefore the Lawe of Mahomet is a must false religion He said vnto the Saracens of himselfe Non sum cum miraculis aut indiciis ad vos missus I am not sent vnto you with myracles and signes There was no diuine power shewed in all his practise This Lawe was not reuealed vnto himselfe he confessed himself to be altogether vnlearned hee had three helpers as I saide before hee called himselfe a prophet when as the Law and prophets ende in Iohn the baptist And after him we are to looke for no mo Prophets
The prophets of olde arrogated not any such name or title vnto themselues but by long tract of time their holinesse of lifs the wonders they wrought and the truth of Gods word which they deliuered declared them to bee no lesse As for this false prophet his beastlines of life his want of testimonie from aboue his vntruthes and absurdities deliuer his doctrine to be most damnable The law of God which Moses receiued was deliuered after a most wonderful manner God stood vpon mount Sinai there was fire there was thunder there was lightening there was darkenes there was the sounde of the trumpetes heard the voice of the Lord was mighty the foundations of the earth shooke the mountaine smoaked and the people trembled The prophets and seruants of God successiuely in the times and ages following confirmed their message and embasies with straunge signes tokens The birth of our Sauiour Christ the preaching of the Gospell the sealing vp of the same with his bloud after moste strange marueilous sightes declared him to be y e only true Messias sauiour of the worlde authorised his doctrine confirmed y e faith of y e Christians A virgin to bring forth Angels singing glory shepheards rūning to search a strāg star appearing wisemen cōming frō far the heauēs opening y e holy ghost descēding the father soūding this is my Son Iohn y e baptist pointing w t y e finger Beholde the lamb of God The blind y e deafe y e dumb the lame the sicke all cured the deade raised to life These deliuer vnto vs the power of the moste high and mightie God Againe at his passion palpable darknesse the vaile of the temple renting the earth shaking the rockes cleauing the graues opening the deade rising and yeelding testimonie to the liuing of the truth in Christ Last of all his rising from the deade his instructing of the Apostles his visible Ascension into the Heauens and his sending of the holy Ghost according vnto promise perswadeth sufficiently in all respectes that his doctrine is the moste sacred truth of the onely true and euerlasting GOD. Sixtly and lastly the Lawe of Mahomet is a confused kinde of doctrine patched together of contraries dissenting and varying within it selfe therefore the Lawe of Mahomet is a most wicked Religion Sergius the Monke Iohn of Antioch and the superstitious Iewe patched together according vnto their variyng mindes diuerse doctrine but in this they agreed in setting downe lies and falshood After the death of Mahomet sayth Antoninus the disciples of this false Prophet could not agree in the reading pointing vnderstanding and expounding of the Alcoran Some added some diminished some maymed and some corrupted the Lawe The Iewes put in what pleased them best the Heretikes vrged their opinions the Heathens also pleaded for themselues so that the Alcoran was despised and of no reputation and woorthely In processe of time after greate dissention one Elehege beeyng chosen to rayne ouer them commaunded all coppyes shoulde bee brought vnto hym of them all he made one booke which is the Alcoran that they haue at this day and the rest he caused to be burned to ashes There are yet three thinges to bee considered in this false Religion which I will briefly runne ouer First what was the occasion of the beginning therof Dissention among Prynces and diuision among those that called themselues Christians Sathan espyed it and put foorth his Seruaunt Mahomet to woorke mischiefe Heraclius the Emperour and Chosdroes Kyng of Persia were at deadly enmitie warring one against the other The Scythian Nation fell from them both and founde Mahomet to theyr ringe-leader Againe the Church of GOD was then lamentably diuided Peter Archbishoppe of Constantinople fell into a detestable heresie sucked out of the schoole of Valentinus Marcion Manes the Heretikes Iacobus Syrus of him haue the Iacobits in the East their name tooke part with Seuerus he held that Christ neyther dyed neyther suffered but an other for him which opinion Mahomet followed So that the Church was troubled with Nestorians Iacobites Monothelits and the Monkes of Benedicts order which then began to swarme like locustes vppon the earth Not onely this but also y e Church of Rome beganne to lift vp her selfe in pride abhomination the Pope calling himselfe vniuersall Bishop God was highly displeased with this wickednes and suffered Mahomet to rise as a rod or scourge to whippe his people Wee are nowe to pray that GOD at length will be reconciled with his people and that hee will cast the rodde into the fire The second thing we haue to consider is why this false religion of Mahomet is so vniuersally receyued Carnalitie and fleshlinesse is the cause It intreateth of venerie fleshlie delightes and temporall pleasures therefore it is become plausible to manie Mathew of Westmonaster writeth Vnde credo quod si hodie viueret multos inueniret discipulos Whereupon I beleeue if Mahomet lyued at this day hee shoulde finde many Disciples In the yeare 1246 Innocentius 4. sent to great Cham the Emperour of the Tartarians perswading him to receyue the Christian faith to leaue shedding of Innocent bloude and to serue GOD in Spirite and truth At that time also came the Embassadoures of the Saracens pleadynge and vrgyng hym to the Lawe of Mahomet alleadging that it was easier more tollerable full of pleasures and more fitte for Warriours then the Christian fayth Cham liked of the conditions he was carnally giuen embraced Mahomet vnto this day Thirdly and lastly why is the Religion of Mahomet continued being knowne to bee wicked carnall and fleshly Mahomet made it death to dispute thereof If any speake against me saith he proditoriè occidatur Let him be traiterouslye put to death Againe Sine audientia occidatur let him be put to death without comming to his aunswere Qua sanctione saith Sabellicus palam fecit nihil sinceri in ea lege esse c. By which decree hee made manifest that there is nothing sounde in that Lawe the which he couered as an hidde mysterye and forbadde to bee reasoned of that the vulgar sorte shoulde not knowe what was decreed or established I am nowe comming to that which I haue lastlye promised to deliuer vnto you to wit that which concerneth our selues the way to please GOD and meane to win those that are without When as our light so shineth before men that they seeyng our good woorks may glorifie our Father which is in heauen And I will bee the shorter herein for that I doubt not but you haue bene here tofore by mee out of this place often exhorted thereto I feare mee béloued in our Sauiour Christ least that I haue beene ouer tedious in the premisses I haue the longer waded therein not hauing at othertimes the like occasion offered me to discourse of the like matter Christian lights Christian fruits holy cōuersatiō hath now moued this Saracen to serue the true God in