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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70386	A relation of the beginnings and proceedings of the rebellion in the county of Cavan within the province of Ulster in Ireland, from the 23. of October, 1641. untill the 15. of June, 1642. Whereof hitherto nothing hath been reported. Whereunto is added, the acts, and twenty nine conclusions of that great and generall congregation of archbishops, bishops, and others, all of the Romish clergy in Ireland, met in the city of Kilkenny in that kingdom, on the 10 11 and 13 of May, 1642. Concerning the present state of the warre in Ireland; and for the ordering of matters appertaining to the same, both there, and by negotiation with forraign princes. Written, set forth, and presented to the most honourable the Houses of Parliament, by Henry Iones, D.D. There is also added a letter written from Dublin, August 4. 1642. containing some late and very remarkable passages in Ireland.	Jones, Henry, 1605-1682.; Culme, Hugh, 1599 or 1600-1644. aut	1642 (1642)	Wing J942B; ESTC R200914	331,124	447

the seduced there shall they remain eternal● They shall find there no rest neither drink but of boy●ng and most stinking water a reward conformed to their ●orks the Infidels believe not that they must render an ●ccompt of their actions and blaspheme but we keep ●ccompt and write exactly what they doe It will be said 〈◊〉 them at the day of Judgement Taste this day the punishment that ye have merited your pains shall be augmented and pains upon pains They who shall have had the feare of God before their eyes shall be in a place of felicity in the gardens of a most fertile Land enriched with grapes and Pomegranats they shall drink in Cups full of a delicious liquor and shall hear no vain speeches nor lying such is the recompense of them that obey the Commandements of God He is Lord of the heavens and earth none shall dare to speak when the Spirits and Angels shall be assembled before him none shall be able to speak or pray for another without his permission This day shall be the day of truth they that shal be acceptable to him shall retire towards his divine Majesty We have preached unto you that the punishment of God shal speedily come upon you every one shall see all that he shall have done and the wicked shall say at the day of Judgment would to God that I had been earth and dust CHAP. LXXIX The Chapter of them that take away containing forty six Verses written at Mecca Gelaldin entituleth this the Chapter of them that draw forth the soul. IN the name of God gracious and mercifull I sweare by the Angels that take away the souls from the bodies of Infidels and the wicked By the Angels that accompany the souls of believers By the Angels that exalt the glory of God By the Angels that guide the souls of the righteous when they goe into Paradise and by the Angels that are appointed for the affairs of the world that all people shall rise again at the day of Judgement that day the earth shall tremble and the hearts of men shall tremble at the first time that the Trumpet shall sound at the second their sight shall be troubled with feare and they shall say Behold we we are returned upon earth to the place whence we departed our bones were rotten and our returne to the world shall bring upon us only misery this second sound of the Trumpet is a sign of the wrath of God Then shall they be out of their sepulchers revived upon the earth Hast thou learned the history of Moses and how God his Lord called him in the holy valley called Tor and how he said goe towards Pharoah he is seduced from the right way and is in a great error Say unto him I called thee to the way of Salvation I will purifie and guide thee into the way of the Law of God to the end thou mayst have his fear before thine eyes Moses made Pharoah to see one of his great miracles neverthelesse he contemned Moses disobeyed him and departed from the right way he caused his people to assemble and made Proclamation that he was their God but God rigorously chastised him because of his blasphemies this is an example of his omnipotency to them that are righteous O ye wicked were ye more difficult to create then heaven God hath raised the roof thereof and proportioned it he hath made the night obscure and the day full of splendor he hath stretched forth the earth hath made fountains to spring forth to water the plants and to give drink to beasts he hath elevated and established the Mountains for you and for your flocks Men shall call to mind the good and the evill that they have done at the second sound of the Trumpet and hell shall appeare open before their eyes The wicked that have followed their own appetites on earth shall be precipitated into hell and such as have had the feare of God before their eyes and have subdued their passions in this world shall goe into Paradise The wic●ed will ask of thee when the day of Judgement shall be none knoweth it but thy Lord Thou art not sent but to preach the pains of hell to them that feare that day as if they saw it present before their eyes they shall imagine that they have not remained in the tomb but from evening untill morning when they rise againe CHAP. LXXX The Chapter of the Blind containing forty two Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull The Prophet frowned had a surly countenance and withdrew himself when the blind came towards him He will not tell thee if he will believe in God and if he will professe thy preaching depart thou from him that shall depart from the Law of God thou art obliged only to preach to him and not to make him to believe but forsake not them that shall come to see thee to be instructed and shall fear God The Alcoran is sent for the instruction of men it was copied upon the book that is kept in heaven to which honour and praise is due eternally Wherefore is man impious Is it because he is created of a little water retained in the womb of his mother untill the time appointed and because hee found the way to come forth is it for that God causeth him to dye and to revive when it seems good to him Hee performeth nor what God commandeth neither considereth the good things that nourish him We have sent rain we opened the treasures of the earth we made all sorts of grain to spring forth Blites Olives Dates Gardens and fields full of fruits and herbs to nourish you and your flocks When the Angel shall sound the Trumpet the second time Man shall flie his brother his mother wife and children every one shall take thought for himself that day shall the wicked have countenances covered with affliction the countenance of the good shall be joyfull and such as have sought the way between faith and impiety shall have the countenance covered with earth and dust CHAP. LXXXI The Chapter of Roundnesse containing twenty nine Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull When the Roundnesse of the Sun shall appeare the Stars fall the Mountains walk the Camel be without burden and without keeper when the beast shall be gathered together the Sea covered with fire Souls returne into bodies * The Arabians buried their daughters alive when they had done a fault the Daughter demand why they put her to death when the book of good and evill shall open when heaven shall cast oft its ornaments the fire of hell appeare and Paradise be opened then shall souls know the good and the evill that they have committed I sweare by the Planets by the obscurity of night and by the brightnesse of day that the words of the Alcoran are the words of the Prophet beloved of God powerfull with his divine Majesty ye

that God know●th not them that fought gallantly He knoweth them that were patient in adversity and persevered in obedien● his Commandements You expected death before yo● it At the battell of Beder you saw it with your eyes and were victorious ●●●tainly Mahomet is the Prophet and Apostle of God were many Prophets before him when they died on slain you returned upon your steps to impiety The● return upon their steps do no harm to God he w● ward onely such as acknowledge his favors and me● not die without his permission and that in a time p● bed and predestinate I will give the good things 〈◊〉 world to whom it pleaseth me and will abundantly ●●pence them that praise me How many Prophets an● with them that were not dejected through their a●ons that befell them in fighting for the Law of 〈◊〉 They were not weakned neither humbled to the I● God affecteth them that are patient in their adver● and such as persevere in his Law They said in thei●●ctions Lord pardon our sins confirm our steps an●●●●tect us against the Infidels God giveth them the 〈◊〉 of the Earth and the Treasures of Heaven he 〈◊〉 them that do good O ye that believe in God if y●●bey the wicked they will cause you to return upon steps you shall return to the number of the da● truly God is your Lord he is the best protector I w● fear into the hearts of Infidels because they have w● reason adored many Gods and the fire of Hell sh● their habitation God hath made the truth of his ●●ses to appear to you when by his permission you fle● Infidels untill you were weary of fighting ne● lesse you contradicted what the Prophet ordained disobeyed him after he had caused you to see who desired with affection There be among you that 〈◊〉 the goods of this world and others that love the 〈◊〉 things of heaven God hath withdrawn you from t●●●fidels to trie you he hath pardoned your sins he is ●●tifull to them that observe his Commandements 〈◊〉 you retreated from the Combat and yeilded witho●● son the Prophet recalled you and gave you to kno● errour with a thousand paines afflict not your 〈◊〉 with the losse of the spoyle that escaped you at the day of ●ictory neither with the mischief that befeil you when ●ou were vanquished God knoweth all your actions Af●er your labour he sent you great repose part of you slept 〈◊〉 all safety and the residue suffered themselves to be ●rried away at their pleasures they had thoughts of God ●●ntrary to the truth Think on the ignorant that say ●ave we seen any of the succour that God hath promi●●d Say to them all things proceed from God They ●●nceale in their souls what they publish not and say had ●e been free of our own wills we had not been slain say 〈◊〉 them although you had stayed in your houses and in our beds death would have taken away them that were ●rived at the houre of their destinie God approveth ●hat is in your hearts and knoweth what you have in our soules Certainly the Devill seduced them that fled ●hen the two Armies were in battell and that because of ●me sinne they had committed neverthelesse God par●oned them he is gracious and mercifull to his people Oh ●ee that believe be not like the Infidels that said spea●ing of their breathren that were slain in the Armie ●hat had they continued in their houses they had not ●●ed God putteth this sorrow in their heart because of ●heir impietie he giveth life and death and beholdeth all ●our actions if you be slain for his Law or die in his fa●our it shall be more advantagious to you then all the ●●easures of the world and if you die or be slain fight●●g for the Faith you shall appeare before his divine Ma●estie to be rewarded Through the grace of God thou ●ast rendred them docile although thou bee severe 〈◊〉 them they will not depart from thee pardon them ●ray for them Take their advise in occasions offered See Gelaldin ●nd being resolved to do any thing trust thou in God ●e loveth them that trust in him he protecteth you none ●hall obtain victory over you if he abandon you who ●hall protect you All the faithfull ought to resign them●elves to the will of his divine Mejestie It is not lawfull ●or the Prophet to deceive he that shall be a decei●er shall appeare at the day of Iudgement with his deceipt to be judged then shall men be payed with 〈◊〉 they have gained no injustice shall be done to them 〈◊〉 shall have loved God and Hell shall be the Habitation them that through deceit shal return in the displeasur● his divine Majestie They shall not be all equally ent●ted God shall appoint them their ranke and place he holdeth all their actions he assuredly rewarded the 〈◊〉 believers when he sent them a Prophet of their own ●●tion to preach to them his Commandements and inst● them in the Alcoran they before his comming were 〈◊〉 manifest errour When any mischief befell you it 〈◊〉 befell the Infidels you have demanded When doth 〈◊〉 mischief come it proceedeth from your selves certa● God is Omnipotent What befell you when the 〈◊〉 Camps encountred hapned through the permission God to distinguish the true believers that dispense th● goods with affection for the glory of his divine Majest● from them that abandoned the fight when it was said them Come fight for the Faith and answered had 〈◊〉 thought of fighting we had not followed you then we they neerer to impietie then to the Faith nevertheles● they had not all of them that in their heart that was 〈◊〉 their mouth God knoweth what they keep secret Th● be of them that said to their brethren Stay and go 〈◊〉 to the Combat your Companions had not been slain hi● they obeyed us say to them Deliver your selves fro● death if you can avoid it continuing in your houses Believe not that those that were slain for the Faith are dea● on the contrary they are alive with God they rejoy● for that such as ●an to hinder them to fight did not mee● them fear not for them they shall rejoyce eternally 〈◊〉 the favour of God he w●ll abundantly reward them tha● fight for his Law Those that obeyed God and the Prophet after being overcome that did good works and feared his divine Majestie shall receive great rewards When it was told them the people have conspired against you take heed to your selves this discourse increased the● faith and they said it sufficeth that God is our protector they were filled with the grace of God no more evill befell them and they observed the Commandements of his ●ivine Majestie He is gracious to them that obey him The Devill will cause in you a fear of the Infidels fear ●hem not but if you be good men fear me Afflict not ●our selves to see the wicked run to impietie they hurt not God he will not give them

things like to those which God inspired into his Prophets When thou shalt see the wicked at the point of death and the Angels stretching forth their hands to take their souls say unto them This day the torments of hell shall be the punishment of the blasphemies that ye have vomited against God and your disobedience to his Commandements God shall say to them you are come before us without riches and children naked as you were created and have cast behind your backs the instructions which we gave you I see not with you the Idols you adored you are separated from each other and have forsaken them that you esteemed on earth should have been your protectors God separateth the good from the wicked as the corn from the ear and the stone from the Date He causeth the living to spring from the dead and the dead from the living behold the works of God why will you depart from his Law He divideth the morning from darkness hath established night for the repose of men and the Sun and Moon to compute ages years moneths and seasons such are the effects of Gods power he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things He it is that created the Stars to give you light and guide you in the obscurity of the earth and sea he gratifieth with his grace and such as learn his Commandements He it is that created you of one sole person that gave you the earth to inhabit and preserveth you in the world hee hath conferred his grace on such as have obeyed his Commandements hath made raine to descend from heaven and caused the earth to produce divers sorts of herbs green things and corn he hath caused the Date to spring forth and the Palme tree with gardens enriched with Grapes Olives Pomgranets and many fruits alike and different Consider how fruits encrease and multiply this serveth for instruction of Gods Unity to them that have his fear before their eyes the Infidels have adored the devill with God who created them and said that God hath sons and daughters such is their ignorance praised be God he created heaven and earth how shall he have a son who hath no wives He created and knoweth all things he is your God and your Lord there is none other God but he worship him he conserveth all things he is seen of no man and beholdeth all things he is benigne and nothing is concealed from him O people there is come to you a light from your Lord to conduct you he that seeth clearly shall receive advantage and he that shall be blinde shall continue his miserie I am your Tutor neither observe I what you do Thus do I declare the mysteries of my Law the wicked shall in the end confesse that thou hast taught my Commandements to such as inclined to learn them Act what thy Lord hath inspired into thee there is no God but he separate thy selfe from the societie of unbelievers Had it pleased God they had not disobeyed his Commandements thou art not their Tutor injure not them that worship Idols they injure God through malice and ignoranc● every man esteemeth what he hath done and pleaseth himself in his opinion Certainly they shall all be assembled at the day of Judgement and be chastised after their demerits They have sworn by the name of God to fight for the faith if some miracle appeare to instruct them miracles proceed from God they know not the time wherein he will make them to appeare although they should see miracles they will not be converted I will overturne their hearts blind their sight and they shall never be converted I will leave them in their errors and disobedience with contempt and confusion If we should send to them Angels should the dead come and speake to them and should we bring about them all the witnesses of the world they shall not believe if it so please God most of them are ignorant we have allotted an enemy to each Prophet as the Devill is an enemy to men he tempteth them with the ornament of his discourses to render them proud If it had pleased thy Lord they had wanted that power depart thou from unbelievers and their blasphemies and incline not to their will they shall find no advantage in their impiety Do you desire another Judge then God who hath sent to you the Book that distinguisheth good from evill Such as know the Scripture are not ignorant that this Book was sent from God and containeth the Truth Be not thou in the number of them that doubt the word of God exactly commeth to passe no man can hinder its effects God understandet● and knoweth all things If thou incline to the will of most men they will seduce thee they believe but their own opinions and are lyars Thy Lord knoweth them that erre and such as follow the right way Eat what shall be slain in pronouncing the name of God they taught you what was forbidden eat not unlesse constrained through necessity Many erre from the right way and pursue their own appetites and ignorance God beholdeth them that offend him flie publike and secret sinne sinners shall be severely chastised eat not of what is not let-bloud in pronouncing the name of God lest you disobey his Commandements The Devils will tempt them that serve them they will perswade unbelievers to dispute against you if you incline to them you shall be Infidels as they are I raised again many of them that were dead through their sinnes I converted them and gave them a light to illuminate them in the darknesse wherein Infidels shall dwell for ever because they delight in their disobedience Thus will I place in every City leaders that shall seduce the wicked and themselves but shall not understand it When they beheld any signe of the truth of the Prophet appeare they said they will not believe in him unlesse he were accompanied with the vertues and merits of other Prophets God maketh choyce of them on whom he conferreth the grace of prophecie he shall chastise such as discourse in that manner with ignominie in this world and they shall feel in the other great torments by reason of their impietie God rejoyceth the hearts of them that he inclineth to lead into the way of Salvation and punisheth them that digresse from the right path his wrath fell upon the Infidels so soon as he ascended into Heaven The way thou followest is the right way we have recompensed such as have understanding to profit they shall be happy God shall be their protector because of their good works Remember thou the day wherein we shall assemble the people and when it shall be said to the Devils Oh ye bands of Devils wherefore are you risen against men The chiefe of those men that shall have obeyed them shall answer Lord suffer us to be revenged on each other and let each command in his turn See Gelaldin Oh Lord teach us the prefixed time that thou hast appointed to

created for men all that is in heaven and earth and conferreth on them his graces in generall and particular There be ignorant persons that dispute of the Diety without reason when it is said unto them do what God hath appointed they answer we will do what we saw don by our fathers They consider not that the devill calleth them their fathers to the pains of Hel he that obeyeth God doth good works fastneth him to the strongest knot will have a care of him at the hour of his end The impiety of the wicked ought not to afflict thee they shal be one day assembled in our presence to be chastised I will shew them all that they have don I know what is in the hearts of men I will prolong a while their punishment upon earth and precipitate them in the other world into the fire of hell Hast thou not damanded of them who created heaven and earth they said it is God say unto them therefore 〈…〉 be God nevertheless the greatest part of them are ignorant Whatsoever is in heaven Earth is Gods he hath no want of the world praise is due unto him in all that he doth if all the Trees of the world were Pens and the Sea Ink they could not comprehend the effect of his Omnipotency he is Omnipotent and knoweth all things He created and shall make you to rise again with one word he understandeth and seeth all things Consider they not that God causeth the night to enter into the day and the day into the night that he created the Sun and the Moon that move in the heaven until the day appointed he knoweth whatsoever ye do because he is truly God they that invoke other then him invoke things vain and unprofitable God alone is most high and most mighty Seest thou not how the ship runneth upon the water for a token of his Omnipotency to such as acknowledg his graces When the Wars arose against the Infidels many called upon God with resolution to follow his Law when he saved them on the Land some persevered to do well and others returned to their impiety none but deceivers and ingratfull persons despise his Commandments O people fear God and the day when the father shall not be able to succour his child neither the child serve his father Gods promises are infallible be not proud of your riches neither that God tolerateth and suffereth you he knoweth the time when ye shall be chastised the hour that the rain shall fall upon the earth he knoweth what is in the wombs of women whether it be male or female none but God knoweth what thou wilt ●o to morrow none but he knoweth the place where thou shalt die he knoweth all he knoweth all CHAP. XXXII The Chapter of Worship containing an hundred and thirty Verses written at Mecca IN the name of God gracious and mercifull I am the most wise God D●ubtless this book was sent by the lord of the Vniverse will the wicked say that thou hast invented it On the contrary it is the truth it self which proceedeth from thy Lord to preach to them that heretofore had none to instruct them peradventure they will follow the right way God created heaven and earth and all that is between them in six dayes and sitteth on his Throne who shall protect you who shall hear your prayers but he will you never consider it He disposeth all things in heaven and earth all men shall one day be assembled before him to be judged a thousand years are but one day before his divine Majesty he knoweth what is past present and future he is omnipotent merciful he hath created every thing for his people he formed man of the dirt and dust of the earth he inspired the soul into his body he giveth you hearing sight sense but few men return him thanks for his graces they say what shall we die and return to be a new people Certainly they beleive not in the Resurrection Say unto them the Angel of death shall cause you to dye and ye shall return before God to be judged Thou shalt then see how the Infidel will hang downe the head before their Lord and say Lord we now see the certainty of the Resurrection we this day know the truth of thy words permit us to reurn into the world we will be righteous we now understand what is profitable necessary for us we could have given a guide to every person my word is most true I will fill hell with the wicked Paradise with the righteous thus shal men be rewarded chastised according to their works Tast o ye wicked the pains that ye have deserved in refusing to beleive in this day w ch ye have found we leave you in the miseries du to your incredulity tast the eternall torments that ye have merited through your impiety Such as believe in the mysteries of my Law are humble they worship me alone praise me when they here mention of me they are not proud rebell not against my Commandments they arise from their bed to make their prayers with fear and hope and imploy in pious works some part of the wealth that we have given them No man hath either seen or knoweth what God reserveth to recompence the righteous for their perseverance The believers and unbelievers shall not be alike entreated the believers that have don good works shall enjoy Paradise as the reward of their labours and the unbelievers shall be precipita●ed into the fire of hell the more they shall labour to get out the further shall they enter into it it shall be said to them tast the pains of eternall flames which ye would not believe I will make the wicked to tast of the torments of the world and the pains of hell if they be not converted Who is more unjust then he that knoweth the Commandments of his Lord and disobeyeth them we will be avenged on his impiety we gave a most true Book to Moses to instruct the children of Israel we put into the right way those among them that persevered in their faith and obeyed our Commandments Thy Lord shall judge the difficulties of the Infidels at the day of Judgment see they not how much people we destroyed in times past that reposed confidence in their houses It is a token of our Omnipotency will they never understand it See they not how I thrust forth water in desert and barren lands that I cause herbs to spring forth for the nourishment of men beasts will they never consider it They demand when will the day of Judgement come Say unto them that da● shall not bring contentment to Infidels and they shall be without protection Depart thou far from them perseveere and attend they wait an occasion to mischief thee but thou shalt see them chastised CHAP. XXXIII The Chapter of Bands and Troups of Souldiers containing fourscore and seven Verses written at Medina IN the name of

neverthelesse they ere in doubt if they shall rise again See ●edaoi We created man without difficulty we know the mo●ions of his soul penetrate into his heart as the bloud in to the veins of his body O man think upon the day that thou shalt see thy good and evill Angell near thee at the right hand and on thy left they have observed and written all that thou hast done represent to thy self death before thine eies it is inevitable Think on the Angel that shall sound the Trumpet at the day of the Resurrection that day shall the wicked behold what was promised them and all men shall come before God to be judged Their guardian Angels shall conduct them and be the witnesses of their deportments It shall be said to the Infidells behold the day of which ye would have no thoughts we have now opened your eyes you shal see this day more hard then iron their guardian Angells shall say unto them behold here b●fore your eyes all that ye have done cast into Hell those obstinate Infidels that have hindrd their neighbour to do good that have offended in doubting of Gods Law and have affirmed there was another god with God cast them into the most grievous torments Then shall the Devill say to them Lord I did not seduce them they seduced themselves God shall say dispute not before me what was heretofore promised you is infallible my Word admitteth no alteration and I will do injustice to none God shall ask at the day of judgment if hell be full it shall answer is there any more Paradise is prepared for thē righteous who shal have the fear of God before their eyes it is promised to thē that shall be converted that shall obey the Commendments of his divine Majesty and persevere in their obendience It shall be said to them enter ye into Paradise exempt from all evill behold the eternall day ye shall have all that ye shall desire and more How rich and powerful Cities have we in times past destroyed their inhabitants sought in their Countryes places of retreat and escaped not the punishment of their crimes this ought to serve for example to them that comprehend it to them that hear it and to such that saw it Certainly we created in six dayes without difficulty the heaven earth all that is between them Persevere be not impatient for the words of unbelievers exalt the glory of thy Lord before the Sun go down an● before it rise pray to thy Lord at the entrance of the night the last of all shall be worship Hearken when the Angel shall call thee to generall Judgment that day shall all the world hear the Trumpet the people shall come out of their sepulchers and earth shall open before the eyes of men I give life and death and all the world shall be assembled before me to be judged This assemble is easie for me to accomplish I know what the wicked say thou shal● not cause them by force to embrace my Law teach it those that fear the torments prepared for Infidels CHAP. LI. The Chapter of Things dispersed containing sixty Verses Gelaldin Falkredin intitle this the Capter of things that disperse writen at Mecca IN the Name of God gracious and mercifull I swear by the winds that disperse the dust by ●he clouds charged with rain by the ship that runneth upon the waters and by them that divide the wealth of the earth that what hath been promised to you is true and that the day of Judgment is infallible I swear by heaven and the stars thereof that ye are in an exceeding great error God expelleth lyars far from him he curseth them that blasphem and such as beleive not in the Resurrection They ask when shall be the day of Judgment That day shall they be punished in the fire of hell It shall be said unto them taste the torments that ye have with impatience demanded They who had the fear of God befo●e their eyes shall be in gardens adorned with fountains they shall enjoy the pleasures prepared for them by God because they are righteous ●hey sleep very little by night implore pardon of God at the dawning of the day and give almes to the poor that beg and the poor that are bashfull God manifesteth on the earth and in your persons the signs of his omnipotenc● consider ye not that what is promised to you is written in heaven God is Lord of heaven and earth he is truth it self wil ye not confess him ●●d the Angels conveigh to th●e the books of Abraham Wh●n they ●ntred into his house they saluted him he likewise saluted them made signs to his ●ervants to bring a fat calf roasted which he presented to them he said unto them wherefore do ye not eat and was afraid in his mind of their coming They said fear not we are the Messengers of God they declared to him that he should have a son that should be a great personage Then his wife drew near crying with a loud voice smiting her face said one that is barren beareth no child they said the thing shall come to pass as we have spoken thy Lord ordaineth what pleaseth him and knoweth all Abraham said unto them O ye Messengers of God! what is your design they replied we are sent from God to destroy the Cities inhabited by the wicked and cast upon them stones of fire whereon are inscribed the names of them that they shall strike we will cau●e all the righteous to depart from among them if we finde there but one family of righteous we will there leave an example to posterity for them that fear the tormen●s of hel Moses is a sign of our omnipotency we sent him to Pharoah with reasons clear and intelligible he despised my Commandments and said that Moses was a Magician and possessed of the devil but we surprised him and drowned his people to his great displeasure Aad is an example of our omnipotency we sent an impetuous winde against those wicked people that destroyed them Temod is an example of our omnipotency with his Nation they waxed prou● and resisted the Commandments of their Lord when it was said to them that the punishment of the wicked was defer●ed to another time but thunder surprised th●m they saw it they had not the power to stand on their feet and were deprived of protection The people of Noahs time are an example of our omnipotency we p●stroyed them because they were impi●us we built heaven with strength and vertue I am he that giveth power strength we extended the earth created of every thing male female perhaps ye will consider it Say unto them turn ye to God I am sent from him to preach to you the pains of hell believe not that God hath another God with him the wicked said heretofore that the Prophets and Apostles whom he sent were Magicians and possessed of the Devil have they recommended to their

propositions my opinion yet with submission to wiser judgements 1. Though it may be dangerous to such as like reeds are shaken and like empty clouds carried about with every wind of doctrin yet to staid solid Christians the reading of Mahomets Heresies wil be no more dangerous then the reading of those errors which are recorded in Scripture for in them are mentioned many damnable errors and abominations of the Egyptians Cananites Hittites Sidonians and other Gentiles and of the Hebrews themselves of the Sadduces who denied Spirits Angells and the Resurrection 2. Is there more in reading the Alcoran then in reaing the Errors of ancient and modern Heretikes surely Tertullian Irenaus Epiphanius Austin and other Fathers were not of this opinion who have left upon record to posterity the damnable heresies of Arians Eutychians Nestorians Macedonians and others and in the Alcoran there are not such dangerous errors as among the Tetratheites Angelites and Theodosians who held there were four Gods or the Tritheites who affirmed there were three or the Gnosticks Manicheans Cerdonians Marcionites who maintained there were two contrary Gods the one good the other bad whereas the Alcoran sets down there is but one true God and although it denieth with Arius the Divinity of Christ yet it holds him a great Prophet nor doth it speak so blasphemously of Christ as the Simonians who held Simon Magus or the Ophites and Manicheans who said the Serpent was Christ or Menander who affirmed himself to be Christ and the Saviour of the world Besides are not the damnable Heresies of the modern Familists who deny Christs Divinity making as many Christs as there be illuminated Elders in their Congregations are not also the Heresies of the Socinians Antitrinitarians Adamites Ser●etians Antisabbatarians and many others exposed to the view of all that will read them why then may not the Alcoran Besides are men debarred from reading the Greek and Latine Poets nay are not many of them translated into our English tongue as also the modern Histories of the East and West Indies wherein are more damnable tenets then any in the Alcoran and they who have read the Jewish Talmud and Cabala will find them as ridiculous pieces as the Alcoran 3. If there were any lovelinesse beauty excellency or any thing else in the Alcoran that might win the mind and draw the affection after it I should hold the reading of it dangerous but whereas it is such a mishapen and deformed piece I think the reading of it will confirm us in the truth and cause us love the Scripture so much the more for as a beautifull body is never more lovely then when she is placed neer a Black-moore neither is truth more amiable then when it is beset with Errors Opposita juxta se posita clariùs elucescunt the Gem receives lustre from the foile the starrs from the night and fire is most scorching in Frost even so by an Antiperistasis truth is fortified by error Who can think that the sight of a Hob-Goblin or deformed vizard should draw the child from the Nurse or brest of the Mother to embrace it whereas the sight thereof will rather cause the child hold faster by the mother The wise Spartans oft-times brought drunkards into the room where their sons were not that they should be induced thereby to love but to abhorr drunkkenness which they could not have done had they not seen the unseemly and rude carriage the undecent behaviour and uncomposed gestures of the drunkard When Zisca had destroyed the Adamits of Bohemia he preserved two alive that they might reveal to the world the wicked errors of that Sect Who is so mad as to prefer the embracements of a filthy Baboon to his beautifull Mistresse or the braying of an Asse to a consort of Musick he deserves the ears of Midas that will prefer the Cuckoes song to the ●weet notes of the Nightingale 4. Though the Alcoran be received among many Na●ions yet this reception proceeds not from any love they bear to it or any lovelinesse they find in it but partly out of fear being forced by the Sword partly out of a preposterous desire of liberty and preferment and partly out of ignorance as not being suffered to read the Scriptures nor to hear Philosophy by which the errors thereof may be detected nor to enquire into the absurdities thereof or to dispute and question any thing in it for which cause also it is not suffered to be Printed nor are Christians permitted to enter into Mecca least their absurdities and impieties of their Religion should be manifested and thus are those silly souls kept in blindnesse and ignorance and therefore I never read that any Nation did voluntarily receive the Alcoran except the theevish Saracens of Arabia because it was a friend both to their theevery and lechery as permitting multiplicity of Wives and Concubines and a reward for those that shall murther and rob 5. The Alcoran is translated into French and other vulgar Tongues and the chief heads thereof by Purchas in his Pilgrimage by Heilin in his Geography by others into our own tongue without scruple or exception and I pray you why is the Arabick tongue the language of that false Prophet and in which he writ his Alcoran so much learned and taught in Schools and Christian Universities but that by it we may come to the knowledge of Mahomets La● and Religion and how should we know this little ho●n in Daniel that spake high and proud things against the Almighty if we read not his life and doctrine 6. There is a kind of necessity we should know evill as well as good falshood as well as truth that we may avoid the one and so much more love the other he that hath smelled a stinking weed will smell with more delight the sweet Rose he that reads the Alcoran will find it smell worse then Mahomets carkasse did which after his death lay putrifying upon the ground which his disciples permitted for many daies together hoping he would have been as good as his word who made them a promise that he would rise again the third day but at last finding he had forgot himself and that his body smelling not so sweet as Alexanders did after his death they were forced to bury it or otherwaies the dogs who were beginning to bury him in their guts had saved them a labour though Sugar be sweet in it self yet it is much more sweet to him that hath tasted Aloes and though Italy in it self be a delicious Countrey and garden of the world yet it is much more delightfull pleasant and beautifull to him who hath passed over the mountanous craggy and rugged Alps Did not the Prodigall love the bread of his fathers house evermore the better after he had been fed on husks with swine doubtlesse we shall find that after we have fed a while upon the course husks of the Alcoran with the Arabian swine we shall with much more eagernesse covet