aske thee O Moore who art a Philosopher and an Astrologer where doth it appear to be true that the first Heaven is of Silver the second of Gold the third of a Pearl or a precious stone the fourth of an Emerauld the fifth of a Diamond the sixth of a Carbuncle though he saies the the seventh is of Light knowest thou not O Moore that Gold Silver Pearl and the other following stones are obscure bodies which our sight cannot penetrate because they are opacous and not transparent and knowest thou not that we see the Planet Mercury which is Lodged in the second Heaven and doe likewise see the Planet Venus which is in the third Heaven and we see the Sun which gives light to all the world and is in the fourth Heaven wee see Mars in the fifth Jupiter in the sixth and Saturn in the seaventh Heaven in brief we also see the Stars which are in the eighth Heaven which Planets wee often cannot see because of some little cloud which interposeth between them and our sight and the Moon often Eclipseth and covereth the Suné It is manifest that in the course of the Moon at certain times in the year she interposeth Eclipseth and hides the Sun from our eys because the Moon is an obscure body although the Sun and the Stars be light bodies so that if the first Heaven the second the third and the rest were metalline as Muhamed sayes how could we see the said Planets and Stars and now O Moore what answer hast thou but silence And concerning the third I intend it for the five things which Muhamed sayes God gave him that night which he never gave before to any Prophet Consider O Moore if they are not things which cannot be proved either by human understanding or Logicall reason for human and Logicall reason commandeth and teacheth that a man should say nothing but what can be proved Now tell me O Moore how can it be proved that Muhamed was the most excellent creature that God ever created in Heaven or on Earth Likewise how can it be proved that he shall be Lord over all men at the day of judgement or that he shall be the generall Redeemer at the day of judgement which things are hidden and unknown to all the world neither doth his own word give any proof And therefore I say That what cannot be proved by it self nor by reason should not be spoken nor ought to be regarded Muhamed should at least that night have desired of God some speciall sign as he gave to Moses to David to Salomon to Jesus Christ and to the Apostles after them which signs and miracles they wrought in the presence of the people But Muhamed was very crafty subtile to speak of things which the people neither saw nor could see and thus he sets down all the miracles which the Moores read of him none of them were done in the presence of any Moore but himself saies that he did such and such a thing and that such a thing befell such a one and such a miracle was already done but never mentions in whose presence he wrought them And so also he reported and composed this mystery of the Vision but he doth not bring in the testimony of any that saw him when he went up the Ladder nor when he got upon Alborac nor when he made the Zala or praier on behalf of the Prophets who were already all Moores it had at least been reasonable that some man then living had been in the Temple at the Zala for to have been witness of such things So that O Moore I tell thee that upon consideration of all these things thou mayest of thy self know that it is all false and nothing of it true and because I will not be too tedious I will not lay down the Arguments which might be made upon every thing which Muhamed mentions in this vision but I will conclude as concerning the sayd Vision CHAP. IX The ninth Chapter treateth of the Paradise and glory which Muhamed and the Alcoran promise unto the Moores in the world to come and how many Paradises there are and how they are called and how many kinds of glory the Moores shall have in Paradise THe Alcoran the Suné in describing the Paradise of the Moores and the glory thereof lay down five things First the Paradise it self and the mansions thereof Secondly the riches and ornaments of Paradise Thirdly the food and provisions the servants vessels of Gold and Silver and the eating and drinking in Paradise Fourthly the apparell garments and Jewels which the Moores say are prepared in Paradise And fiftly and lastly the Virgins their beauty their names and whence they are begotten and wherewith they are clothed Now this Paradise is such according as the second chapter of the first book of the Alcoran expresseth in Arabick Cerihoile c. i. e. That the Paradise promised unto the Moores is as big as heaven and earth which is all the world But tell mee O Moore where is this Paradise as big as all the world or els we must say that God hath Created another world besides this wherein this Paradise is which were very confused to say therefore O Moore I tell thee thou must still be silent The Alcoran sayes that God created seven Paradises or seven Habitations each of which is called a Paradise the first is called Genete alhodi the second Genete alfirdeuci the third Genete anahim the fourth Genete reduan the fifth Genete azelen the sixth Genete alcoduz the seventh Genete Almega Which Paradises are wrought with gold and silver Pearls and Pretious stones and have divers palaces halls chambers and Gardens and divers fruit-Trees two sorts or kinds of each under which palaces run Fountains and Rivers of waters and fountains of Milk Honey and most sweet Wine In the midst of Paradise as the Alcoran sayes and the Suné describes is a Tree as big as all Paradise whereof some leaves are of gold others of silver and the branches of this Tree cover the walls of Paradise and this tree is called Tuba The books of the Suné say that in every leaf of it the name of Muhamed is written joyntly with the name of God running thus Le ilehe ille allah Muhamed razollola i. e. There is no other God but the Lord and Muhamed is his Messenger The Alcoran in the nineteenth Chapter of the third Book and in the Chapter of Sacrifices in the chapter of Mount Sinay in the chapter of the Glorious in the Chapter of the Falls and in the Chapter of Man in the fourth Book shewes and describes how these Paradises are furnished and adorned with divers Tapestries and Beds with Curtains and Vallens of cloth of gold of purple of silk and with divers garnishings quilts chayrs of gold and Pretious stones and after what manner the Moores shall sit and lye on these beds couches and tapestries that they shall laugh and take delight without care or grief
to be true And if they were true how comes it that they were not recorded amongst so many other things which are written of Salomon So that O Moore you must believe that this was all composed and Contrived by the two Cutlers above mentioned and not by God Likewise the Alcoran sayes in the 19th Chapter of the third Book That God created a Tree in Hell which tree as the Comment saies is as big as all Hell and that the chief of the Devills is the fruit of this tree which tree is called Saiaratazacom Of which fruit he sayes the damned shall eat and shall drink boyling lead and with such drink shall fill their bellies The words are in Arabick Oim sajaratazacom talhohaquaro ozosayatim Of which tree the people of Mecca and Muhamed's Uncles made a scoff made verses on it and upon occasion of this tree divers Moores fel away and returned to their former opinions and hereupon this tree in another place of the Alcoran is called The cursed tree viz. in the eleventh Chapter of the second Book which in Arabick sayes thus O guassa jarate c. i. e. That Muhamed terrified or threatned the peeple of Mecca with the cursed tree The Comment sayes that it was called accursed because it was an occasion of the losse of divers Moores who thereupon became advised and returned to their former Sects The Alcoran speaks yet a greater fable than these saying that God created the Heavens of Smoak in Arabick it sayes thus O cune aztegne c. i. e. that God sits in the Heavens being of smoak and saith c. In the Suné Muhamed sayes that God hath fixed the earth upon the point of an Oxes horn and sayes that Earthquakes proceed from this Oxe who bears the earth on the top of his horn Now tell me O Moore who art an Astrologer and hast read Ptolomy and understandest the sphear and the Astrolabe and also knowest how the earth is fixed and remains firm for the motion of the Heavens What thinkest thou of this Oxe who carrys the earth on his horn for if the earth be fixed on this Oxes horn on what doth this Oxe stand Consider O Moore this great mistake and error which is so ignorant and unreasonable as to affirm that the Heavens are created of smoak and that the earth is fixed on an Oxes horn Likewise O Moore I would have thee consider whether this Oxe be a bruit beast or an Angell if thou sayest it is a beast then you must consider that the Oxe must eat and drink and dye and if the Oxe dyes then is the earth destroyed But if thou sayest that this Oxe is an Angel it must also dye * According to Mahomets opinion seeing Angels dye and so the earth will bee destroyed And therefore I conclude that all this aforesaid is a meer vanity and hath neither reason nor truth in it but are as great fooleries as those of John de Lenzina for it was never asserted by any Philosopher Astrologer Prophet or Scripture that the earth is founded or established on the horn of an Oxe or Cow Muhamed further sayes and relates another thing in the Suné which amongst the Moores is held for an Article of their faith and Law viz. When any deceased person is laid in the grave and buried there come two black Angels to him who are called in Arabick Munguir and Guannequir one of which Angels carryes an Iron Mace and the other certain Iron hooks or Forks and these Angels cause the dead person to rise on his knees and the dead person doth put on his soul over his body even as a man puts on a shirt but so that here the Suné sayes not that the dead shall rise again out of the grave but onely that the body shall put on the soul and after that the dead party hath put on his soul and is raised on his knees these Angels begin to examine him and aske him whether he believed in Muhamed and his Law and whether hee did good works in this world that is to say whether he made his Zala and fasted his Ramadan paid Tyths and gave Alms and if the dead render a good account of himself then these two black Angels leave him and there come two other Angels as white as Snow and one of them sitteth at his head and the other at his feet and thus these two Angels shall accōpany the dead person untill the day of Judgement But if the dead party give an ill account of himself then sayes the Suné the Angell that carrys the Mace shall strike him such a blow on the head as shall run him seaven fathome under ground and the other shall presently fasten his hooks upon him and drag him under the earth and he that hath the Mace shall continually beat him with great blows and he that hath the forks shall continually drag him untill the day of Judgement All which the Moores hold for authentick and for an Article of their Faith The words in Arabick say thus Ogua anne Almu c. i. e. That the Moores are examined in their Sepulchers whether they have done good or evill works and that God will confirm and accomplish the answer of those that believe in him and in Muhamed meaning that they will answer well and shall not have any torments For which purpose and the Angels examination the Moores make their Sepulchers spacious leaving a void place where the dead lyeth and covering the place with plancks that the earth may not fall on the dead party Likewise they leave the cloaths wherein the dead is wound up untyed at the head and feet that the dead may put forth his head and feet and raise himself upon his knees when he is examined And also the Moores put about the dead body certain names written with Safforn and Oringe-flower water or wrap them in the winding sheet to the end that the dead person may be delivered from the pains and torments of the grave and Sepulcher Furthermore the Moores have a praier which they say every day after their Zala or morning praier beseeching God to deliver and preserve them from the torments of the grave which praier is in Arabick thus O allahume negine c. i. e. Deliver me O Lord God from the inquisition of the two Angels and from the torments of the grave and from the evill life Amen All this I have here inserted that the Moores may not deny this Article and that they may also see the vanity which they hold and believe in their Law or Worship For this is a very vain and ridiculous thing and without any reason Now speak O Moore who art a man of good reason and judgement how is it possible that such a saying as this can enter into thy head and that thou shouldest believe so great a mockery and untruth the which doth contradict the Alcoran and the Suné it self For the Alcoran and the Suné in severall places doe say
they of Mecca and the Jewes of Medina said that this Alcoran was nothing but old stories put in Ryme by Muhamed who was a Poet and this saying is in many places of the Alcoran I think above a hundred calling him in Arabick Sair which we call a Poet and thus O Moore I tell thee that thou hast no other answer but silence And thus thou mayest come to know the Truth and how unprofitable it is to set down the same history so often and to make many verses of one thing thereby to make the writing larger Futhermore thou oughtest O Moore to consider and observe the order which is in the Holy Evangelists of Mathew Mark Luke and John and how they succeed each other in order with their Chapters Acts Mysteries and Miracles and how every one is inserted according to its order and reason and how all the Acts and Miracles are done and set down in their places which is a most necessary thing and not superfluous and shewes that the Evangelists are of God and the work of the Holy Ghost not forged by Cutlers whom Muhamed thought were learned men and of whom he learnt and daily wrote down what they dictated and taught him whereby they ruined Muhamed and made him insert so many vanities in his Alcoran Likewise O Moore thou shouldest consider and observe the Miracles which are set down in the five Books of Moses which Moses did and which thy Alcoran mentions and likewise consider the Miracles which Jesus Christ wrought which are related in the Evangelists and which the Alcoran also mentions and thou wilt see O Moore what difference there is between those Miracles and the Miracles which Muhamed saies he wrote as you may see by some miracles under-mentioned which Muhamed did which when I have related to thee thou wilt O Moore come to know and observe that the Miracles which were done by Moses and by Jesus Christ were done of Charity and according to the need or want which required them and thou wilt see that they were divine true and supernaturall and done in the presence of thousands of men and women and on the other side thou wilt see that Muhamed's miracles were done needlesly without Charity and not in the presence of multitudes of men no not of a few but only done and testified by himself alone for we doe not read of any miracle of Muhamed done in the presence of other men but only himself saies it as is the miracle of the Dream or Vision and of Alborack and of the Angell when he came to him and severall others which I will relate here amongst which miracles you shal not find one man to witness any one Miracle of all those which he hath written The first Miracle is that which is mentioned above in the first Chapter of Muhamed's life when the Angell Gabriel launched his stomack and pulled out his heart and took out the black coar as we have related above concerning which Miracle we doe not read in all the Law of the Moores that any one saw it done The second Miracle is that which Muhamed reports of the Cloud the book Azar saies that Muhamed travelling with the Camels of his Master Gaddiza's husband in the journey one day it chanced to be very hot through the great Sun-shine and a Cloud setled over Muhameds head and followed him and over-shadowed him all the way Muhamed saies this happened when he was 16. or 17. years old but doth not allege any witness that saw the Cloud follow him and overshadow him The third Miracle was when the aforesaid Angell came to him to the Cave and saluted him and began to give him the Law and the Alcoran as it is said in the first Chapter of Muhamed's Law The fourth Miracle was that where Muhamed saies that the beasts stones trees and birds greeted him and spake to him The book Azar saies that when Muhamed had received the Embassage from the Angell Gabriel in the said Cave as he returned home all the beasts birds trees and stones greeted him and said to him Rejoyce O Muhamed for thou art the Prophet and messenger of God and that Muhamed going alongst the Path there lay the Trunk of a Tree in the way insomuch that Muhamed was about to turn another way but because he should not goe out of his way the tree was cleft asunder in the midst and so Muhamed passed through the middle of the tree and assoon as he was passed the tree grew togither again as it was before all this Muhamed saies hapned to him and yet there was no one saw it neither were these Miracles at all needfull nor done of Charity nor in the presence of others The fift Miracle was when the Trees came to be a shadow unto Muhamed and after they had shadowed him they returned to their own places again at his command In the Suné it is said that Muhamed reported that being one day uncovered in the fields he had occasion to untruss during which the Sun shone so hot on his head that he was all in a sweat Whereupon he looked towards certain Trees which were far from him and called them and bade them come and shadow him and he saies that at the same instant there came two trees tearing the earth with their roots till they came to the place where Muhamed was and there they shadowed him and afterward Muhamed commanded the said Trees to return to their places again the which they did and the earth closed up again as it was at first the words in Arabick say thus O Guafidubaique c. i. e. that Muhamed called the trees to come to him and by the Divine will they came very obediently with their boughs And afterwards hee commanded them to return to their places with their roots The sixth Miracle was when the Moon divided it self into two pieces the Alcoran in the Chapter of the Moon in the fourth book saies that the Moon divivided it self in the midst and the gloss and the book of Azar upon this Text say That Muhamed reported that one night an Uncle of his called Bugellin who was the most potent of his Uncles came and said to him O Muhamed if thou wilt doe a miracle which I shall require I will presently become Moore and Musselman and will believe that thou art a Prophet unto whom Muhamed answered and said that he was content Then his Uncle told him that if hee could make the Moon come to the midst of Heaven and be in the Full whereas she was then as the said books report twenty one dayes old and if the Moon did divide it self in the midst and come out of Heaven to the Earth and those two pieces goe the one through the hole of one of Muhameds sleeves and the other piece through the hole of the other sleeve and both pieces come out of the Coller of Muhameds Coat speaking and saying that Muhamed was the Prophet of God and joyn themselves together again
and return again to heaven where they were at first if hee did all this hee promised to be converted and to become a Moore and Musselman The Books aforesaid say that Muhamed prayed unto God and beseeched him for his Divine power to doe all that his Uncle demanded and they say that the Moon presently came into the midst of heaven full and divided it self in the midst and descended and did what is above recited and after all was done his Uncle answered saying that it was all done by the Art of Negromancie these words the said Chapter there mentions and in Arabick they are thus Ogua iniaran aeyten i. e. the wicked say that it was a manifest sorcerie The seventh Miracle was when the trunk of the Palme tree wept the book of Azar saies that the night when Muhamed departed from Mecca to goe to Medina which departure the Moores call Alhigera i. e. Lapidation or banishment Muhamed had a dry Trunk of a Palm tree in his house and because that the night of his departure after midnight the Trunk was very moist Muhamed called the Moores and desired them to come and see a great miracle The Moores answered that they desired nothing else but to see Miracles then he brought them all where the trunk lay and bad them touch the Trunk with their hands and see how the Trunk wept for Muhameds departure These are his greatest miracles and the most authentique amongst the Moores Muhamed saies that he did all the Miracles above-mentioned but hee doth not mention any witnesse that saw any one of them done Concerning which Miracles there might be great arguments made which I omit for fear of being too tedious but shall leave them to the Readers own judgement that I may conclude this Chapter for if I should set down all the Miracles which we read of and are reported in the Suné to be done by Muhamed they could not be comprized in twenty five quires of paper for the Suné and all the six books report that Muhamed did a thousand such Miracles CHAP. XI The Eleventh Chapter treateth how the Christian faith is approved for good holy and true and given by God by the very Alcoran and Suné of Muhamed THe Alcoran testifieth that Jesus Christ our Lord is the most excellent Prophet that ever came into the world and that his blessed mother Mary was a Virgin and brought him forth in her Virginity and that when shee was a little mayden of three years of age shee went into the temple to serve God and was attended by Angels and talked and conversed with Angels in the temple and that she was brought up in the temple and fed on celestiall food and was saluted by the Angell Gabriel who declared unto her that she was the best of the women of all nations and that she should conceive of the holy Ghost and should bring forth Jesus Christ the word of God who should be a great Prophet and be endowed with all graces Likewise the Angelick salutation is in the Alcoran and the words which the Virgin and the Angell had together as they are in the Gospell and that the Virgin Mary said how can it be and that the Angell answered her the holy Ghost shall come into thee and the power of the most high shall over-shaddow thee and that the Virgin Mary consented and was impregnated by the operation of the holy Ghost and that Jesus Christ our Lord was born of a most glorious and miraculous birth and that he did all supernaturall miracles dyed rose again and ascended to heaven by his own power and how he must come again to the earth to judgement as the true Judge and that his disciples were holy men and wrought divers miracles raysing the dead and healing incurable diseases and mentioneth some Saints and Christian Martyrs All this above I will prove by the Alcoran and the Suné Furthermore in the first Chapter of the first book he says in Arabick thus O delique c. i. e. That the bible to wit the old and new testament is the Law and way of the just likewise in the same Chapter he says in Arabick qualazai atenne c. i. e. Wee God gave the scripture to Jesus Christ and assisted him by the holy Spirit the same words he says a little further in the same Chapter In the second Chapter of the first book he says in Arabick thus Onezele haleique c. i. e. that God inspired the Alcoran into Muhamed and sent the Thora and the Gospell for a Law and way unto men In the 4th Chapter of the first book he says in Arabick thus Ogua attenne c. i. e. wee God have given the Gospell to Jesus Christ a way light and salvation to men and they who will not submit to what God hath given shall be condemned In severall other places of the Alcoran and the Suné he says that the Thora of Moores and the Gospell of Jesus Christ came from God for a Law salvation and Light unto men and thus I have proved that the Law of Jesus Christ is in the Alcoran approved for good and holy Concerning the blessed Virgin Mary in the second Chapter of the first Book which is called the Chapter of the generation of Joakim the Father of the Virgin Mary he sayes in Arabick thus O Guait calet c. i. e. That when Anne Joakims wife was with child of the Virgin Mary she said O my Creator I freely offer unto thy service what I bear in my womb therefore hear me O Lord for thou givest ear and art wise and when her time was out she brought forth a woman child which birth was holy and she called the child Mary and prayed God that she and her child might be protected and defended from the temptations of the Devill and the Commentators on the Alcoran say and conclude on this place that only Jesus Christ and Mary his Mother were exempted from the temptation of the Devill and they firmly hold that the Virgin Mary was Conceived without originall sin in the said Chapter he saies that the Virgin Mary came to divine service at the Temple when she was a little Maiden and lived there a most holy life and that Zacharias the Father of St. John Baptist had the tuition of her and that she was fed and nourished with Celestiall food and that Angels discoursed and conversed with her The Arabick saies thus Ogua id c. i. e. That the Angell said O Mary God hath chosen and purifyed thee and exalted thee above all the women of all generations and presently he mentions that she was saluted by the Angell Gabriel and that the Angell Gabriel told and discovered to her the mystery of the Incarnation and that she answered the Angell and did consent and was with child in which words is contained the Ave Marie and all that which the Holy Gospell relates he saies in Arabick thus Ogua Zaleti c. which is the Salutation
the faith of Jesus Christ why tarriest thou then O Moore why dost thou not become a Christian that thou mayest goe to the place where this Christian Martyr is I believe that divers Moores hear this aforesaid but doe not believe it but bid thou the Moore which denies it to read the gloss of Alzamaxeri and the gloss of Buhatia and if he doe not find what I have set down above word for word in the said two glosses let him call me the greatest lyer in the world This History his Grace Martin Gartia Lord Bishop of Barchinone hath set down in his Book of the Alcoran which I translated out of Arabick into the Spanish tongue by his Graces command and himself hath the said two Arabick glossaries Yee must know that the Alcoran holds forth and attributes three excellencies to our Lord Jesus Christ which it doth not give to any other of the Prophets not to Moses Abraham David no nor to Muhamed The first is that which the Alcoran mentions in the second Chapter of the first Book viz. That he ascended to Heaven in Soul and Body and upon this place the Suné sayes that he must come into the world to judge as a just Judge in Arabick and the Suné he sayes thus Oguayniziolo c. i. e that Jesus the Son of Mary shall come down to the earth and shall be a just Judge therein The second excellency which the Alcoran attributes to Jesus Christ is that it calls him Calimethuallah i. e. The word of God The third is that he is called in the Alcoran Rohc alkodus allah i. e. The holy Spirit of God of which two names never was any man worthy nor ever will be so that having proved that Jesus Christ is the word of God and the holy Spirit of God it is proved that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and very God This appears in the third Chapter of the first Book of the Alcoran which in Arabick runs thus Omet mazeho c. i. e. The Messras Jesus the Son of Mary is no other than the word of God sent to Mary the Spirit of God himself and the messenger of God by which words O Moore thou mayest see that he declares that Jesus Christ is God and Man CHAP. XII The twelfth and last Chapter treateth and sheweth that Christians should not wonder why Muhamed's Sect hath so propagated and that the Moores should not be so presumptuous and say as they usually doe that if their Religion were not good it had never propagated so much for that reason is of no waight It likewise sheweth how Muhamed's Disciples carried themselves after his death and what discords contests and murthers were practised amongst them for dominion and the Vanities of this world and to become Kings Califes and great Potentates NOw to the end that Christians may not have occasion or ground to wonder and much less the Moores to presume I will lay down three causes whereby the Sect of the Moores hath propagated and augmented but not by any goodness in it self The first cause was that Muhamed began and instituted this Law or Religion of the Moores in a Nation very rustick ignorant beastly and Idolatrous being men voyd and destitute of all knowledge and understanding for amongst that people were no Logicians Astrologers Philosophers nor Physicians but they were all earthly given to eating drinking and luxury an ignorant and rude people as the Alcoran calls them in the first Chapter of the first Book in Arabick Sufeha i. e. ignorant people The Countrey likewise was full of Idolaters aswell in Arabia the happy as in Arabia the great and throughout all Persia and Armenia where were twelve sorts or Sects of Idolaters as we shewed in the first Chapter of this book some of them worshiped a tree unto which they Sacrifised and annually celebrated Feasts and a kind of Easter which tree they called Detulanger the Lord and Captain of the Province where this tree was in Muhamed's time was called Azamahinali Others worshipped a great statue made of a black metall which was three fathoms long this Idoll was called Bohinum and it was in the Province of Armenia the Lord and Captain of this Idoll in Muhameds time was called Alquazad Others in Armenia worshipped the Sun and the Prince of that people was called Sanharben Carquar They of Mecca and the Provinces adjacent worshipped Alzete and Alluza as we have said before so that Muhamed began his Sect amongst the most blockish people in the world and unto these Muhamed gave to understand that they were Idolaters and that they ought to worship the God of heaven and earth who was the true God who had Created the Heavens the Planets the earth and the waters that caused rain to fall from heaven and fruits to proceed from the earth for Man and beast that God who caused men to dye and after death to rise again for to reward every man according to his deserts with glory or punishment that God who created the Paradises with so many excellent things for the blessed and that God who created Hell with so many Torments for the Damned All which they of Mecca and the other Idolaters denyed and by his preaching this aforesaid to them which is the Contents of half the Alcoran divers began to believe in Muhameds Law or Sect many likewise were induced to believe Muhamed by reason of the great boasting and threatning which he used when hee read the Alcoran and the scrowles of the Punishment of their predecessors viz. Those who are drowned in the world by the Deluge and who escaped in the Ark of Noah also the People of Lot and of the five Cities which are very neer unto Mecca he also threatned and terrified them with the example of Pharaohs People and the nine plagues which God sent upon them and told them how they were swallowed up in the Sea because they did not believe in Moses hee also terrified them with the pains of Hell and with the horror of the things which hee writes of Hell which is obvious in divers chapters of the Alcoran and thus they beleeved in Muhamed and were perswaded that he who Created all things and hath power over all was the true God so that whereas Muhamed converted them to his own opinion and made them know nine Articles of the Christian faith and those other things of the Christian faith expressed in the precedent Chapter if he had as well given them knowledge of the whole Christian faith and had injoyned them to believe all the 12. Articles and be Baptised he had done very well and they had all been Christians but hee would not doe so because he could not that way have made himself so great as he did The immoderate ambition wherewith Muhamed was transported hath undone the Moores and been the cause of his own and their error and utter perdition Yet this wee must believe that the Moores who believed in God and acknowledged that he
Commaunded so to doe and these ceremonies are in Arabick called Menecique Alhage They retayn likewise another Ceremony viz. when the Pilgrims goe to Mecca and are passed a river called in Arabick Batni Muhacil he commands them to cast Stones on the right hand at the top of a little hill which Ceremony the Idolaters observed saying that when Abraham led his son to be Sacrificed the devill came to this place and told Ismael that his father led him away to be Sacrificed and the book Azar reports that Ismael took up Stones and flung e'm at the devill and in memoriall hereof the Idolatrous Pilgrimes used to cast Stones Concerning which ceremonies I will tell the O Moore that although the Idolaters by command from Caydar and his Successors and in reverence of the said Idoll Allethe Aluza did observe them in honour and memoriall whereof Muhamed would have them kept and commandeth all Moores to observe them yet he having made a new Religion or Worship ought to have instituted new Ceremonies and not old Ceremonies yea such as were grounded upon Idolatry and not upon reason so that it doth evidently appeare that Muhamed did not wholly draw the Moores from Idolatry seeing he commands the observation of so many Ceremonies which are the relicks of Idolatry Now lest we deviate too far from the discourse begun where I said that Muhamed transported merchandises untill he was 38 years old I will proceed to shew that he then lest off trading and began to lead a hermeticall and solitary life and dayly frequented a cave near unto Mecca called in Arabick Garhera i. e. the cave of Hera where he dayly continued untill evening but the Moores know nothing of what he there did or Spake onely the book Azar sayes that he worshiped the God of heaven and forbare worshiping the aforesaid Idoll The said book Azar further relates that Muhamed used so great abstinence in this cave that his bodily strength fayled and head aked insomuch that his discourse faltered and he talked Idely and at last lost his sence and understanding The said book Azar and another book entitled Azifa say further that when Muhamed was in the said grot he had many visions and heard others speaking of him and discerned the voyce but not the person and continued so a long time plainly hearing a voice behind him but when he turned his face that way he could hear nothing All which Muhamed every night told his wife Gadisa but shee told him it was nothing but diabolicall delusions and hereby he became distracted and lost his sence and this fury and revishment of mind followed him so long that one day the said book sayes he resolved to goe to the precipice of a mountain and desperately to cast himself headlong saying that it was better to dye than to be reputed a fool And Muhamed sayes that when he was in this resolution the Angell Gabriel came into the said cave in his own form with white wings and said to him Rejoyce O Muhamed for God sendeth thee much greeting and lets thee know that thou shalt be his Prophet and messenger and the most perfect of all his Creatures which words in Arabick are thus Oya Muhamed allah c. i. e. O Muhamed God greeteth thee c. Moreover the Angell said to him O Muhamed Read and he answered and said What shall I read I cannot read the Angell replyed to him thus as the Arabick runns Oya Muhemed acra bizmi c. i. e. O Muhamed read in the name of thy Creator who created the worme man read in the name of thy most honoured Creator who with a pen shewes man what he never knew before and this was the first Chapter of the Alcoran and so the Angell vanished away And Muhamed in the sixt book of the Suné and namely in the book of flowers said the words following in Arabick Ofara aytu alme c. i. e. That the Angell Gabriel came sitting in a golden throne between heaven and earth and told him the prophecy and embassage And the book Azar sayes that when the Angell was gone Muhamed returned home very joyfull and that the beasts and the trees greeted him saying Absir ya Muhamed ineque c. i. e. Rejoyce O Muhamed for thou shalt be the messenger of God and most dear unto him It was night before he got home and calling his wife Gadisa he told her all the Mystery revealed by the Angell and that he was a Prophet and the messenger of God whereupon his wife answered him Alas Muhamed I fear it is nothing but the delusions of Satan which answer much grieved and displeased Muhamed so that he was very pensive for a great while doubting whether it were a thing from God or a temptation of the Devill and a great chilness and cold seazed on him wherefore casting himself on a bed he commanded his servants to cover him well as they did and laid divers coverlids upon him and the said book Azar relates that as Muhamed lay thus the Angell Gabriel came to him with the second Chapter of the Alcoran which is in Arabick thus Oya aynhe at c. i. e. Arise O thou that art covered exalt and magnifie thy Creator and cleanse thy garments and cloaths and abhor Idolls After the Angell had given him this Chapter he vanished and Muhamed calling his wife Gadisa read the Chapter to her nevertheless she told him that she did not beleeve it to be any thing but a fantasm and a temptation or delusion which was formerly vvont to come upon him this displeased Muhamed very much and at mid-night his wife told him further that if the Angell of God were his freind he would have come again ere this but because it was not from him therefore he came not neither would come again And hereupon Muhamed lay all night much troubled at the Angell's absence Then sayes Azar at the dawning of the day the Angell came with the third Chapter saying in Arabick O guadoha gualleyli c. i.e. God sweares to Muhamed by the dawning which brings the day and by the night which gives darknes that his Creator hath not forgot him neither will he forget what he hath promised him with which Chapter Muhamed recovered his strength and calling his wife read this Chapter to her but she told him again that she would beleeve nothing till she saw the Angell with her own eies and Muhamed told her she could not see the Angell Afterwards Muhamed called one of his youths whom he had brought up from a child whose name was Zeydin and told him That if he would beleeve that he was a Prophet and a messenger of God and would become a Moore he would release him and make him a freeman and revealed all the secret of the Angell Gabriel to him hereupon the youth was content to beleeve Muhamed and become Moore was the first Moore that beleeved in Muhamed Then Muhamed made a Law and Suné that whatsoever
Christian or Jew that was a slave would become Moore should be set free whether his Patron i. e. Master would yeeld to it or no. This Zeydin was a slave and bred up by Muhamed from his infancy yea he loved him so well that the people of Mecca said he was his son and he was called so by them all I will relate the great offence which Muhamed did unto this Zeydin and his wife in the Chapter of wives All this aforesaid was done when Muhamed was 40 years old so that he then began his Sect and called himself a Prophet in the 40. year of his age which was the year of our Lord D C and L X and he was born in the year D C and X X and dyed in the year 583 so that he was 23 years composing his sect or Religion and lived 63 years After that Zeydin his foster-child was become Moore Gadisa his wife became Moore also and certaine slaves and others did secretly become Moores unto whom Muhamed preached privately in his house and made them beleeve that the aforesaid Idoll was not God but a devill and a thing made with mens hands and that there was no other God but the God of heaven who created heaven and earth and who caused rain and made the earth bring forth all manner of fruites and food for man and beast and made all other Creatures Also he gave them to understand that men must die and afterwards rise againe at the day of judgement and give an account to God of all that they have done in this world and that to the good he would give the glory of Paradise though the glory which Muhamed promiseth be carnall and full of Vanity as I shall shew in this book in a Chapter which handles this point particularly and to the wicked he would give the paines of hell to eternity which the Idolaters of Mecca denied affirming that after death there was no resurrection and that there was no Paradise nor Hell And ye must understand that upon this occation of what Muhamed affirmed concerning the day of Judgement Paradise and Hell and the men of Mecca denying the same Muhamed composed and made certain Chapters of the Alcoran perswading them that God sent them to him by the Angell Gabriel and he caused those Chapters to be written in scrowles of paper and notes and gave them to the Moores to ruminate them and afterwards he had them restored again to him and put them in a box called the box of the Ambassage and Legateship and he kept a Secretary for this purpose of whom we shall speake hereafter and after this manner he perverted severall Moores who prayed with him and read the Alcoran the most secretly they could untill that one of the principal men of Mecca called Homar Alhatas who was afterwards Muhamed his father in Law became Moore or Musselman as also his aforesaid two Vncles Hanza and Alabez a neere kinsman of his called Alibutalib Muhamed's son-in-Law haveing maried his daughter Fatima and another eminent man of Mecca called Vbechar afterwards also Muhamed's father-in-Law All these became Moores and Musselmen on one day and being men of rank and power consulted to manifest and publish what Muhamed kept secret and to pray read the Alcoran openly Whereat Muhamed's nine Vncles and all the people of Mecca were extremely inraged and said that he blasphemed their Idoll and their God and the God of their forefathers and had made Chapters and verses in contempt of him and that it was a great shame to them to suffer it wherefore they consulted together and concluded to kill him but being men that regarded their honour and considering that in killing him they should be blamed and disgraced because he was taken for a fool by all the people of Mecca for one Possest therefore they did bear with his folly For that he was reputed Idiot an is evident through the whole Alcoran where he sayes that his Vncles all others took him for an Idiot a Demoniake person and said in Arabick thus Oagehele Latihete c. i. e. That Muhamed Commanded that they should worship one God onely and that he was no other than a Sorcerer or Lyer and in other Chapters he is called Meginan i. e. Possest of the devill and there are very few Chapters but doe mention that he said himself that he was a lyar and a demoniack rymer and when he went in the streets all the people of Mecca jeered him and mocked him saying one to another Behold the prophet Look there is he that will destroy our God and after this manner Muhamed dwelt at Mecca ten yeares Divers men of Mecca went a nights to hear the Moores read the Alcoran and made it their Common table talk and laughter saying that it was old stories turned into verse as appears in severall Chapters of the Alcoran which say in Arabick O in he de ille azatiro alegualin i. e. This is nothing but old tales Moreover those of Mecca said that Muhamed had certain Christians who taught him to make the Alcoran as we may see in the seaventh Chapter of the third book which in Arabick sayes thus Oguacalei c. i. e. This is not the Alcoran but a libell which Muhamed hath composed and hath had some persons which helped him The glossers on the Alcoran and the said book Azar doth say that thosewhich helped him were two sword-cutlers Christian slaves unto one of Mecca who knew much of the new testament with these Muhamed conversed and questioned them about many things of the Bible of which they resolved him and upon this surmise they reported that he asked these two Cutlers concerning those things which he did not certainly know and as they answered so he set it down in Arabick in the scrowles and perswaded the Moores that God sent them to him by the Angell Gabriel and indeed there is great reason to beleeve this because in the Alcoran there are so many contrarieties unnecessary stories and fables all which hapned through those Cutlers who told him what themselves did not certainly know and as they said so he wrote in his tablebooks and papers and that hence it is that he doth so vary and change verses and sets down such contrareities in the Alcoran and things which agree not together And indeed the Alcoran doth erre in Philosophy Logick and Astrologie because the Cutlers spake not truth neither were Logicians Astrologers nor Philosophers Likewise those of Mecca said that he kept a Christian who taught him to make the Alcoran and others said it was a Jewe so that the people of Mecca had all these Suspitions of him during the ten years that he dwelt at Mecca Afterwards when Muhamed's Vncles and the chiefest of the gentry of Mecca which were the Corexirtes Haximistes and Benitamins three very potent and rich families saw that he perverted many and that the sect encreased and grew to a head they assembled one
night in the house of one of the most eminent amongst them and held counsell about Muhamed and they all concluded to kill him emprison him or at least to banish him and that this was so consulted of wee may read in the second Chapter of the second book which in Arabick sayes thus Ognaid pamcoro c. i. e. That they of Mecca took Counsell to kill him or to send him into banishment or to imprison him And being so in consultation certain men who were secretly become Moores did the same night give Muhamed notice of it and he presently fled and all the Moores with him and went to Medina a City ten dayes journey from Mecca He had also notice of the preparations of the Citizens of Mecca who had set guards in the wayes perceiving that he and his Moores would flee away that night whereupon Muhamed bid all the Moores that every one should lay a handfull of embers on the heads of his horse and cast another handful into the ayr and tye the raynes of their horses reading a verse which is in the 18th Chapter of the third book of the Alcoran and is thus Oguaihalme minbeym c. i. e. That they tooke a vayl or skreen in their hands and about them so that they blinded them and they saw nothing And the book Azar sayes that by the Embers which were laid over the horses heads and by repeating the said verse the Moores and he passed through their enemies and were not perceived and so they went to Medina otherwise called Tribik where he was received for a Prophet and there dwelt thirteen years there finished his sect or religion and dyed there At Medina he found five families of Jews dwelling there and in the parts adjacent who began to dispute and question those things which he had then inserted in the Alcoran and required him to doe some miracles as Moses and the Prophets deceased had done to whom he answered That God was his witnes and that his testimony ought to suffice and that he came not to work miracles but to reduce those which wandered and went astray unto the Law of God and of Abraham of which questions and answers the Chapters of the Alcoran are full and in many Chapters he excuseth himself of doing miracles alleging unto the Jewes that divers messengers and Prophets wrought miracles and yet were not beleeved yea that those Prophets suffered persecution and with this excuse he quotes in the Alcoran the names of divers men which were never heard of nor are named any where els There he relates the history of a Prophet called Hadin alias Had and of another called Zamud alias Hud and of a third called Zaleh and of their nation called the people of Hud and of a camell who with her foale was a League in length which two beasts one day drank up the water of the City where that people dwelt and the next day swallowed up men whereupon one day they of the City slew them and because of the sin in killing them there fell a great tempest upon that people Thus Muhamed had great disputing and debating with the Jewes and himself extolled their Law that so they might be silent nevertheless they still disputed against him and laughed at the Moores and Mussellmen and set strife betwixt him and his Moores as shall appeare in due place which jarring continued untill he got power and then he began to suppress the Jews and fought eleven battailes with them overcame them and slew most part of them and the survivors had their lives given them by the Moores and became their subjects and tributaries and from thence forward he began to combate against the people of Mecca and they of Mecca opposed him as shall be shewen hereafter But that I may not be tedious I will conclude this Chapter and running through the eleven following Chapters I shall finish this treatise and the life of Muhamed and of all that he did whilst he was at Almedina CHAP II. The second chapter treateth of the Alcoran what it signifies of the matters therein contained and of how many songs it is composed who collected it and reduced it into four books in the order it is now in and how many years Muhamed was making it how it begins and ends and which are the first and last chapters ALcoran signifies a lesson or Collection of Chapters or songs though it be also called by another name Alforzan i. e. scattered verses and Chapters because he was so long in making it and the Chapters thereof are called suar and one alone is called in Arabick Surah The Alcoran treateth of divers things and especially of the Sect or Law of Muhamed and of what the Moores should beleeve and doe of the hope of reward in the world to come for the Good and of torment for the Wicked It also treateth of things permitted and forbidden to the Moores aswell of food and drink as of women with whom they may or may not marry also it speaks of the Creation of the world how God Created Adam and Eve how they sinned and were cast out of Paradise and came to the earth how the evill Angells sinned and what was the cause of their sin and how they lost the Caelestiall glory It also speaks how God sent Moses to bring the people of Israel out of the Captivity and power of Pharaoh how the Jewes received the Law what befell them at their going out of Egypt how they had Manna sinned and worshiped the calf and how they passed the red sea wherein Pharaoh was drowned It also treateth of divers other histories although he hath put them confusedly and out of order as the Cutler 's related them It also speaks of the prophets of the old Testament although he mentions divers which are not named in any author It likewise containeth the admonitions which Muhamed used to the people of Mecca and his threats to induce them to beleeve his Sect. It also speaks of glory and discourseth of the glory which the Moores shall have in Paradise as also of Hell and of the paines and torments which are there It speaks of the wonders which God dayly doth and of the mysteries and divine works which we dayly see in the heaven earth and sea It also speaks of the Virgin Mary of Jesus Christ our Lord of the mysteries of his nativity and life and of the miracles that he wrought and of the Euangelists and of the true Law which Jesus Christ hath given us as it shall fully appeare in the eleventh Chapter of this Treatise Furthermore the Alcoran mentions divers frauds and much filthiness used by Muhamed and divers contrarieties and repugnancies which have no reason in them and divers excuses which God accepted from Muhamed and made for him upon severall dishonest and immodest cases which Muhamed committed in his life as wee shall shew in the Chapter of Offences and Wives Finally in the Alcoran are many examples of Iudgements wherewith
been and is still consufed not agreeing together especially in their sutes of Law or Judicature Mariages and Divorces And yee must know that the sayings and deeds of Muhamed in the said Books are reduced to four kinds or sorts viz. to certain and true Defective Abrupt and Weak Those words or works of Mahumed which have the testimony of his Wife Axa and the ten Disciples when they say that they saw Mahumed do or say such and such things arecalled true certain and what is said of Mahumed and is reported by his other Wives without the testimony of Axa or any of his disciples is called Defective and those works and words which have but the testimony of the learned and principall men which lived in Muhameds time are called abrupt that is that they came not to the knowledge of any disciple nor of the said Axa and the fourth kind of words and works are those which proceed from good Doctors after Muhamed gave out that hee was sick and infirm In Arabick they are called Caheh Dahif Mancof Zaquini All which I prove by what a Doctor sayes who made the Book of Flowers which was collected out of the said six Books For he sayes in his Preface that all the Contents in his Book of Flowers were drawn from the certain and true sayings of Muhamed and all that is written in another Book which another Doctor collected he sayes is of the certain defective cut-off or abrupt and sick The words in Arabick are these O quuille me c. These six Books of the Suné treat of all that Muhamed spake and did and commanded to be done as will appear by the Contents of the following Chapters in which said six Books there are as many Contradictions fooleries superfluous irrationall and ungrounded things as there be in the Alcoran and the Moores say that the Alcoran is the word of God which is incredible CHAP. IIII. The fourth Chapter of this book handleth certain arguments which may be framed and brought against the Alchoran proving that it is false of it self and not the word of God And also against Muhameds Suné proving that it is of it self a ridiculous thing and fit for men of little knowledge and judgment THe first argument is from what is said in the second Chapter of the fourth book which is in Arabick Ogna Nofigha c. i. e. that at the end of the world a trumpet or horn shall sound and the Angels in Heaven and men on earth shall fall down dead and afterwards the said trumpet or horn shall sound again and all aswell Angels as men shall rise again wherein the Alchoran affirmeth that Angels are mortall and that they must all dye and rise again the which impugneth divine and humane Law and is against all naturall reason and that for severall causes First because Angels are spirits having no body but spirit onely and not having bodies they cannot dye for death is nothing but the separation of the soul from the body and in regard men are compos'd of body and soul when the soul is separated from the body and departed the body becomes a Caryon and the soul goes whether God pleaseth according to every mans deserts and works and because the body is composed of the four Elements it corrupteth and turneth to earth but the soul of man after it is created never dyes how then can it be as the Alcoran says that Angels dye when humane souls dye not The second cause is because Adam's sin was the occasion of his death by which sinning all his posterity were condemned to dye whence it follows that if he had not sinned neither he nor any of his posterity had been subject to death Now tell me O Moore what sins have the Angels committed whereby they have deserved death as Adam who incurred it by sin The third cause or ground is a naturall reason which gives all men to know and understand that Angels dye not neither can dye which is this Lucifer and all the Angels that sinned with him by their pride against God were for this sin deprived of the glory of Heaven and Paradice and were cast into the bottomless pit for ever and were not condemned to dye because they were spirits And if the devils by reason of their sins were not condemned to dye how is it that the Alcoran sayes that Angels shall dye So from these three grounds we may conclude that Angels shall not dye and that he that says that Angels dye speaks not the truth and in regard the Alcoran says that Angels dye I say it is not of God nor the word of God The second Argument is from what the Alcoran sayes in severall Chapters and namely in the first Chapter of the first book in the first Chapter of the second and fourth books in which three Chapters he relates the Creation of the world and the history of Adam how he was created of earth by the hand and Workmanship of God and how God inspired life into him and further in the said Chapters he says and affirms that after Adam was created God Commanded the Angels to bow themselves down to the ground and worship Adam and that they all did so except Sathan who refused to doe it and God asked him why hee would not worship him whom he had made with his own hands and he says that Sathan answered that he was Created of a more excellent nature viz. Of fire and Adam of durt then God cursed Sathan and he and all those who had the like will as he were cast into the bottomless pit and are cursed for ever All this the Alcoran affirms saying that the cause of the fall of Sathan and the evill Angels was because that they would not worship Adam nor prostrate themselves before him and the words in Arabick are thus Ognaidcale c. And doe signifie that which we have related and declared above which is not onely an untruth but also a great Heresy and Blasphemy Now speak O Moore and observe whether this hath any sense or reason in it for you must conceive that if such a thing were true it would have been written in the first of the five books of Moses which is called the book of Genesis or the Creation wherein he sets down the Creation of the world and how God created all Celestiall and Terrestriall things but doth not mention any such imposture and you must observe that God would never command that any should be worshipped but himself so that the Alcoran sayes that which was never true and which can never enter into the brains of a reasonable man and therefore in conclusion I say that the Alcoran hath not any reason or truth in it The third Argument is upon the first Chapter of the third Book where hee sayes that the Virgin Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ was the Sister of Aaron and Moses and sayes in Arabick thus Ogia Mariamu ya ohta Aron i. e. O Mary O
that one day a fair Lady came to them and complained of her husband and was so acceptable unto them that they solicited her chastity she told them that she was content to grant their desires upon condition that they would teach her their Praier whereby they ascended into heaven They through the great desire they had to enjoy her company taught her the Praier and when she had it perfect she presently repeated it and ascended to heaven and the Gloss sayes that when the Angels would have ascended again to heaven they could not and by reason of the sin which they had committed they lost the grace of Praier and remained on earth then God denounced against them that they should choose their punishment whether they would suffer it in this world or in the next and they chose it in this world and so for that sin they remain hanging by the eye-lids untill the day of Judgement The text of the Alcoran sayes that those two Angels taught the men of that place the art of Negromancy and divers of the Moores say that this woman was translated into the Star or light of the morning although it be not received for authentick and approved of amongst the Moores All this aforesaid I prove by the Alcoran by the gloss or CoÌ„ment on the Alcoran and by the Suné Now behold O Moore who art an Astrologer and a Philosopher and consider this History in thy Alcoran and thou wilt see whether there be any reason in it Likewise behold thou Moore who art a Divine according to the Moorish Divinitie which is called in Arabick Tenbid and thou wilt see whether it can be conceived by a Moorish Divine that the Angels were ever Judges on earth and whether they have ever known or can know women But thou maist say that they had ground to search this woman O Moorish Divine dost thou not conceive that such a thing doth not savour of Divinitie nor can a wise man believe it especially a Divine Likewise tell me O Moore who daily readest the Alcoran how can it consist with the Alcoran Which sayd that Angels are Spirits which is in Arabick Roch for if the Angels are Roch and Spirits as the Alcoran makes 'em then they are not Corporeall as he sayes here and in divers other places and as shall hereafter further appear The sixth Argument is upon what is said in the ninth Chapter of the second book and the nineteenth Chapter of the third book and niâ—the Chapter of Dominion or Empire in the fourth book where he sayes that the Stars lye in the first Heaven that God set them there for the beauty and Ornament of the World and to the end that they should stone the devils and that the said Stars are the keepers of Heaven that the devils may not goe into it and that God set them there for this purpose for ye must know that when the devils ascend towards Heaven immediatly the Stars goe and encounter them with fiery Darts as it is in the nineteenth Chapter of the third book the very words wherof are in Arabick thus O gualacad zeynne c. i. e. That God set the Stars in the Heaven for the beautifying of the world and as a guard against all the cursed devils and that a Star with a brand or flame of fire doth interpose against the devill that would hear the secrets and all this or little lesse all the Chapters above quoted doe alleage And hereupon the Suné says that the Stars are set in the first Heaven bound with chains of gold and that the greatest of them is as big as a great mountain And the Suné says that the devils climb up to Heaven and hear divine secrets and then come down hither and tell those secrets to divers men their familiars This Muhamed sayes in the book of Flowers and that the Stars which guard Heaven doe presently interpose and confront the devils with firebrands when they come and the devils flee from them and goe away with what secrets they have heard and reveale them to divine men Now speak O Moore who art a wise Astrologer Divine and Philosopher whether this can enter into the brains of a man of any of these professions tell me where is that Astrologer who grants that the Stars are fixed and bound to the first Heaven with golden chains hast thou not read the sayings of Philosophers who affirme that the least Star is greater than all the Earth and for what he says that all the Stars are in the first Heaven knowst thou not that the Planets are in seven Heavens each having his particular orbe and knowest thou not that the Moon is in the first and nearest to us Mercury in the second Venus in the third the Sun in the fourth Mars in the fifth Jupiter in the sixth and Saturne in the seventh highest of all Now speak O Moore what thinkest thou of this thy Scripture which speaks so many absurdities weigh and consider it well and thou wilt find that it was all dictated by the aforesaid Cutlers and not by God nor sent by the Angell of God The names of the Planets in Arabick are these 1. Hilil for the Moon 2. Ymareh Mercury 3. Zahra Venus 4. Samei The Sun 5. Musteri Mars 6. Hotared Jupiter 7. Zohal Saturne And all the Stars are in the eighth Heaven in which are the twelve Signs the first of which is called in Arabick 1. Quabsi for Aries 2. Zanre Taurus 3. Toguemen Gemini 4. Zaraton Cancer 5. Aced Leo. 6. Alhadra Virgo 7. Arinzen Libra 8. Alauce Sagitarius 9. Algidi Capricornus 10. Alhamle Scorpio 11. Adalu Aquarius 12. Alhot Pisces I have wrote all this because that thou O Moore who art a good Astrologer shouldst peruse thy books of Astrology and what the Moores Astrologers have written and see whether thou canst find what the Alcoran sayes to correspond with their writings and meanings and so thou shalt see that it is clean contrary and not Consonant to what they say and write of this matter The seventh Argument is upon what he sayes in the eighth Chapter of the fourth book and in the Chapter of Devils where he sayes that a Company of Devils came one night to hear Muhamed and the Moores read the Alcoran and in these two Chapters hee sayes that the Devils took such delight in the Alcoran that they presently beleived in Muhamed and became Moores And the words of the Alcoran in the Chapter of Devils are thus O coluhia c. i. e. O Muhamed tell the Moores that a Company of Devils heard the Alcoran and said one to another that they had heard the wonderfull Alcoran read and that they beleived it and were not miscriants against their Creatour And the words of the eighth Chapter run thus in Arabick O guaid Zarafna c. i. e. And when God sent thee a Company of Devils that they might hear the Alcoran when they heard it read they bad each other be silent
that at the day of judgement every body shall receive its soul and men shall rise with soul and body for to give account to God at the last judgement and every one with his body shall receive glory or punishment Now then if this be true how is it that the Suné says that men receive glory or punishment in the grave and how can it enter into the brains of a Divine or of any man of knowledge that the body should put on the soul like a shirt And suppose it were true and that the soul did cloath the body like a shirt nevertheless this body is not a man that can be examined or tormented neither is the soul of it self Man for Man cannot be so called but when he is living and composed of soul and body together How then can the body answer without a soul or the soul without a body and how can the body when it is a Carkasse and lump of earth feel the Bastinado's or blows of a Mace So that O Moore and Wiseman as thou thinkest thy self to be thou hast no answer but silence and to acknowledge that all this is vanity and the words of men ignorant and of small understanding I would also O Moore that thou shouldst tell me how will the two white Angels accompany this dead body when it is full of worms and when it is corrupted and stinketh horribly and what blows can the black Angels give if the body be all filth Worms and Earth and yet the Suné sayes that they shall beat it thus untill the day of judgement So that O Moore thou must believe that the words of the Suné carry no good reason with them as neither doe the words of thy prophet Muhamed And here I will conclude this fifth Chapter CHAP. VI. The sixth Chapter treateth of divers offences which the Moores took whilst Muhamed was instituting his Law and Sect by reason of which offences divers Moores became more cautious and wise rebelled against Muhamed and returned to their former Sects and wayes of Worship THe first offence was upon the translation and vision which Muhamed had one night and his ascension to heaven by a Ladder and his riding upon Alborack and for the things which he said he saw that night in heaven as shall more at large appear in our eighth Chapter for which the Moores took offence and rebelled against him The second offence was upon the altering of the Alkibla viz. when Muhamed dwelt at Mecca and began his Sect he commanded them to make their praiers and Zala towards the holy temple of Jerusalem i. e. that when they praied they should turn their faces towards the temple of Jerusalem which command and practice continued among the Moores 12 years ten years at Mecca and 2 years at Medina which were two years after the banishment which Banishment of Muhamed is called in Arabick Alhigera Now when Muhamed and the other Moores were in Medina there were also divers Jewes who told the Moores that Muhamed commanded his followers to make their praiers towards the holy temple of Jerusalem towards which place the Jewes also made their praiers Likewise the Jewes told them that Muhamed commanded the Moores to fast the same Fast as the Jewes did and so the Jewes told them that they Moores followed the custome of the Jewes in their manner of fasting and of making their praiers towards the holy Temple of Jerusalem which two commandements of fasting and praier are written in the first Chapter of the Alcoran and upon occasion of the Jews talking in this manner and their disputing with Muhamed and the Moores about their fasting and praier Muhamed commanded the Moores that they should never observe the Jewish Fast more but should fast in the month of Ramadan The observation of which month of Ramadan was commanded in the second year of Muhamed's being at Medina twelve years after he began his Law and if the Moores are jgnorant that they fasted the Jewish Fast I prove it by the first Chapter of the first book of the Alcoran which in Arabick sayes thus Oya aynhe c. i. e. O yee Moores fasting is commanded unto you as it was commanded to the former And the comment sayes that those former were the Jews and by vertue of this command the Moores observed the Jewish fast 12 years and untill Muhamed commanded them not to observe it longer but to fast in the month Ramadan and this other command is in the same book and Chapter and is in Arabick thus Osabro ramadan alledi onzele fihi Alcoran i. e. That thence forward they should fast in the month Ramadan in which month the Alcoran was inspired And moreover the same year he commanded them to chang the Alkibla upon the same Reason of the Jewes disputing and that they should not pray any more towards the holy Temple of Jerusalem but onely towards the Minster or temple of Mecca in Arabâ—a It sayes in Arabick thus Ofaqueli gâ—â—ageheque c. which signifies O Muhamed when thou praiest turn thy face towards the temple of Mecca and ye Moores turn your faces directly towards that temple wheresoever ye be ye must turn your faces towards the said temple of Mecca so the Moores upon these commands left off the Jewish fast and began to fast in the month of Ramadan and left the temple of Jerusalem and turned towards the Temple of Mecca And forasmuch as the aforesaid Idol was in the said Temple of Mecca the Jewes again opposed the Moores telling and shewing them how Muhamed made them return to Idolatry again by commanding them to pray towards the place where the Idoll was Whereupon the Moores were offended at him and acknowledged that it was a greater error to leave the holy Temple of Jerusalem and the holy house of Salomon and to turn their faces and pray towards Mecca where the Idol was towards which place all the Idolaters of the Countreys about Mecca turned their faces in honour to the said Idoll And thus the Moores began to murmur against Muhamed and sayd that it was not good to pray to the Idoll and thereupon divers Moores became wary and circumspect and turned to their former Sects and waies of worship And when Muhamed saw the great offence they took he made the Verses aforesaid and thereupon the Moores were silent and were induced to make prayers towards the Temple of Mecca saying that God was pleased with it and had commanded it by the Alcoran And this was the Moores second offence And Muhamed and the Moores continued thus five years making their prayers towards Mecca whilst the aforesaid Idoll was in the temple of Mecca untill Muhamed conquered Mecca and destroyed the Idoll and most part of the people of Mecca were slain by the sword because they would not become Moores Now tell me O Moore what thinkest thou of these five years during which Muhamed and the Moores made their praiers towards the place where the Idoll was Truly to
man in the world but he was ever worthy being divine names and such as were the names and the dignity of Jesus Christ such were his life his words his works and his Counsels And likewise thou wilt find the Evangelists so full of such great and manifest miracles and pious works which Jesus Christ did in his life and of so good and holy Doctrine which his Disciples taught after him that there cannot possibly be better And O Moore by making this comparison thou wilt see what difference there is between Muhamed and our Redeemer Jesus Christ and the Scriptures of either and so thou wilt come to know the truth CHAP. VIII The eighth Chapter treateth of Muhamed's Dream and the Vision which he sayes he had when he ascended to heaven by a Ladder and rode upon Alborac and of the things which he sayes he saw that night in Heaven Paradise and Hell THe Alcoran in the eleventh Chapter of the second Book sayes in Arabick Ozubhene c. i. e. Praysed be he that caused his servant to be transported from the Temple of Mecca unto the blessed Temple of Jerusalem The gloss upon this text sayes that Muhamed one day being at Almedina he arose from his bed to say Mattins which the Moores call Zalata kobbe in the Moske or house of Praier The book Azar above mentioned saies that after Muhamed had praied the usuall Prayer he turned his face to the people there present and began to speak and told them that he being that night in bed in Axa's chamber whom he most entirely loved of all his eleven wives about midnight he awaked by reason of the great knocking which was at the gate and arose and opened the gate of the Gallery and there he found the Angel Gabriel with seven pair of wings whiter than snow and clearer than Christall who had a beast with him as white as milk which beast was bigger than an Asse and less than a Mule and was called Alborack The said book Azar reporteth that Muhamed said that the Angel Gabriel embraced him and saluting him said to him O Muhamed God sendeth thee much greeting and commandeth thee to come along with me this night for to see divers secrets which the sons of men never saw and Muhamed answered him that he was glad of that and was very willing to goe whereunto the Angell replyed O Muhamed then get up upon Alborack but Alborack turned aside and would not let Muhamed get up on him and the Angell sayd to Alborack why turnest thou aside and wilt not let Muhamed ride upon thee know thou That never better man than Muhamed hath ever rode upon thee nor ever shall Alborack answered I will never yeeld that Muhamed get upon me unless he first promise me that I shall goe into Paradise Then Muhamed sayd O Alborack I promise thee that thou shalt be the first beast that shall enter into Paradise And no sooner had Muhamed sayd these words but Alborack presently consented and Muhamed got upon him And the Angell led Alborack by the reynes of his Bridle and so they travelled till they came to the holy Temple of Jerusalem And the sayd book Azar sayes that as Muhamed was riding on his way he heard the voyce of a woman who cryed after him O Muhamed Muhamed And the Angell sayd to him O Muhamed doe not answer this woman and going farther another woman began to cry after him and called O Muhamed Muhamed And the Angell Gabriel again admonished him not to answer her and as they went farther on Muhamed entreated the Angell to tell him who those women were and Gabriel told him that the first was she that published the Law of the Jewes and if he had answered her all the Moores would have turned Jewes and the other he said was she that published the Law of the Christians and that if he had answered her all the Moores would have become Christians The sayd book Azar further reports that Muhamed sayd that when he was arived at the Temple of Jerusalem and was come neer to the gate of the Temple he alighted off from Alborack and Gabriel and Muhamed went together to the Temple and as they went they met all the Prophets and Messengers who were also purposely come thither and they all came forth of the Temple and received Muhamed and greeted him saying thus in Arabick O Marhaben birazuli azadih guanabyi alquerin i. e. Rejoyce thou true Messenger and Honourable Prophet And then they all carried him in procession with great honour unto the great Chappell which is called in Arabick Mihrab and requested him to make a Zala or Praier for them all And thereupon Muhamed went into the Mihrab or Chappell and made the Zala with all the Prophets and Messengers and they all made application to Muhamed that he would remember them when hee should speak with God and so they all departed and Muhamed and the Angell Gabriel were left there alone Then they two went out of the gate of the Temple there found a ladder which reached from earth to heaven all made of the Light of God and so they began to ascend the said Ladder the Angell first and Muhamed after him holding by the Angell's hand till they arived at the first heaven which heaven Muhamed saies was made of pure silver and there they saw the Stars hanging on this first heaven with chains of gold and the biggest of them was as big as the mountain Noho which is a Mountain neer to Almedina And the Angell Gabriel knocked at heaven gate and the Porter asked who art thou And he answered I am the Angell Gabriel and Muhamed the Prophet and friend of God is with me and as soon as the Porter heard Muhamed's name hee opened the gate of the first heaven and they went in and found an ancient hoary-headed man which was Adam And Adam came and embraced Muhamed and thanked God that he had given him such a son and recommended himself to Muhamed And passing farther they saw a great multitude of Angells in this first heaven of divers shapes and figures viz. of men oxen horses flying birds and cocks and amongst the Cocks he sayes there was one whose feet stood on the first heaven and his head reached to the second Muhamed asked the Angell what it was and why the Angels had so many formes and shapes and what their figures signified Unto whom the Angell answered and said that all these Angells prayed to God for the Inhabitants and dwellers on the earth viz. the Angels which had the forms of men praied for men they which had the formes and shape of Oxen prayed for Oxen and so of the rest and they which had the form of Cocks praied and mediated for the Cocks Then said Muhamed Now tell me what means that great Cock the Angell answered When this Cock croweth all the Cocks here of his shape crow presently and when the Cocks on earth hear the Cocks of heaven crow then they
crow also and whilst Muhamed stood wondring at it this great Cock began to crow and all the Cocks in heaven crowed with him and presently afterwards all the Cocks on earth crowed also The said book sayes That from this place they ascended to the second heaven which was made of beaten gold and knockt at the gate and the Porter asking who was there the Angell Gabriel answered it is I and Muhamed the friend of God is here with me and as soon as he had named Muhamed presently the gates of that heaven opened of themselves and they went in and saw upon all the gates of that heaven the name of God written together with the name of Muhamed which is in Arabick thus Ole ilehe ille allah Muhemed razolo allah i. e. This God is the onely God and Muhamed is the Messenger of God It sayes that entring in at the gate of this second heaven they found Noah a very old gray-headed man Muhamed embraced him and Noah was very glad to see Muhamed and to speak with him and Noah made application to him and entreated him to remember him when he came to God Hee sayes that in this second heaven they found a great multitude of Angels half as many more as were in the first heaven and of very wonderfull and great shapes amongst which was one Angell who stood on the second heaven and his head reached to the third and one of his hands to the East and the other unto the West end of heaven and many other wonderfull things they saw here And from this heaven they ascended to the third heaven which was made of a pretious Stone and there they met with Abraham being an old hoary man and the Angels in this heaven were far more in number than those of the two other heavens and much greater and amongst them they saw an Angell who from one eye to the other had the distance of 70000. dayes-journey Which Angell held a book in his hand and never did any thing else but look on the said book and expunge what was therein written and write anew therein Muhamed asked the Angell Gabriel who this Angell was and what it was he read in that book and what he wrote and expunged The Angell answered and told him that this Angell was called in Arabick Malach almenti i. e. The Angell of the dead And the book which he had in his hand was the book called in Arabick Alhaunhe ahnafod i. e. the preserved book wherein are the names of all men that are born and the Angell noteth and calculateth the years and dayes that every one must live and when any mans dayes are expired hee expunges such a mans name and presently the man dies on earth Likewise he writes down the names of all men that are born and the dayes of their life and how long they shall live so that this Angell hath no other office but to put in and expunge out of this book He sayes that from thence they went to the fourth heaven which was made of a very pure Emerauld in which heaven they found Joseph the son of Jacob who greeted Muhamed and made great application to him and there they saw many more Angels than were in the other heavens and of far greater bodyes amongst which there was one great Angell which made great lamentation Muhamed asked the Angell Gabriel wherefore this Angell lamented so and Gabriel answered him that that angell lamented the sins of men and those which went to hell From thence they went to the fifth heaven which was made of a Diamond where Moses was who made application to Muhamed and in this heaven were as many Angels as in the other but farre greater And so they ascended to the sixth heaven where was John Baptist who saluted Muhamed and in this heaven they saw a multitude of Angells far greater than any of the former and this heaven was made of a Carbuncle In the seventh heaven they met with Jesus Christ unto whom Muhamed made application and this heaven was made of the Light of God and here they saw many more Angels than in the other six heavens and far greater amongst which was one that had seventie thousand heads and every head had seven hundred thousand tongues and each of these tongues had seven hundred thousand voyces with all which voyces or languages they praised God day and night Likewise amongst these Angels were divers which alwayes watched without ever shutting their eies others alwayes bowed their heads without ever erecting themselves others lay alwayes prostrate and never arose and others praised God with such loud voyces that they put their fingers into their ears lest they should become deaf with the noise of their voyces In this seventh heaven the Angell Gabriel took his leave of Muhamed and told him that he might not goe further and that now God would guide him himself Muhamed saies that he began to ascend certain sublimities and hights and through so much rain and snow that hee became so wearied and tyred that hee could goe no farther and at that instant Muhamed heard a voyce saying in Arabick thus Oya Muhamed anden gualirabach cellem i. e. O Muhamed approach and salute thy Creator Whereupon Muhamed drew neer to the voyce and saw so great a light that it troubled his sight He sayes that God had on his glorious face seventy thousand vayles of Devine light and the Text of the Alcoran in the third book sayes that Muhamed approached God within two bowe-shots or little lesse In Arabick it is thus O zumen c. i. e. That Muhamed approached God within little less than two shots of a Cross-bow Muhamed sayes further that so great a light proceeded from the vayles which God had on his face that hee could not behold the visage of God Nevertheless Muhamed sayes that God interpos'd his hand for a shadow unto Muhamed but he could not endure it by reason of the great cold which proceeded from it He saies that in this place God spake to him and gave him divers Commandements of the Law and told him many secrets and yee must know that if I should write all the things which Muhamed sayes hee saw that night a ream of paper would not contain them Muhamed sayd as the book Azar reporteth that this night God granted five things unto him which were never given to any Man before nor since The first was that he should be the chiefest and most elect creature that God ever created either in heaven or on earth which the Arabick calls Hayriall quilleh The second was That he should be the most excellent and most Honourable Lord of all the sons of Adam at the day of judgement the Arabick says thus leydo qualidiademe y aume alquima The third was That he should be the generall Redeemer which in Arabick is said Safey Mustafa and for this cause Muhamed is by another name called Almebi i. e. he that takes away sins The fourth was
That he should understand all languages In Arabick it is exprest thus Ohtito jagua ni ih alquelin The fifth and last was that spoyles of warre and battaills should belong to him only which is in Arabick Ohillet c. Muhamed saies that God gave him all these things that night whereat divers Moores were offended and said that it was all fictions and lies that he never went up to heaven nor spake with God And to the end that the Moores should beleeve all that he said he made certaine verses in the Chapter of the stars in the fourth book which in Arabick run thus Oguaneginni c. which in Prose are That God swears by the Starrs that he will not suffer your freind to be tempted nor to speak untruth nor to speak vainly and that it was all a true revelation which Almighty God had shewn unto him and that he had approached God within two bow-shots or thereabouts And that God had revealed to his servant Muhamed what was revealed to him and that Muhamed's heart lied not and that Muhamed that night saw the great wonders of God and that God shewed him a very high throne in the divine Empire where is the Paradise of God All this Interpretation is drawn Verbatim from the Arabick in the Chapter aforesaid So that when the Moores read these verses they beleeved and held it for a great Miracle though divers of them were offended and returned to their former Sects In the eleventh Chapter of the second book he sayes Oguama c. That God put this Vision for a great offence to men that is in respect of their dammage who were offended the book of Azar sayes that Muhamed took leave of his Creator turned back to goe down by the same way he went up and returning to the seaventh heaven he told the Angell Gabriel all that had passed between him and his Creator And the Angell said to him O Muhamed God hath commanded me that I should lead thee to see Paradise and the secrets there and afterwards we will goe to Hell and thou shalt see the secrets of Hell and the people that are there and how they are tormented of the devill and hereupon they went first to Paradise and saw it's riches excellencies and beatitudes and the chast Virgins and youths and the rivers of water of milk of honey and of wine which are in Paradise and the fountains and their names the Palaces trees and gardens All which you shall see described at large in the ensuing ninth Chapter which is the Chapter of Paradise from whence they went to hell and saw that hell had seven gates and saw an infinite of Devills of divers kinds and figures some fetterd with chaines of fire others with ginnes and boults and divers men sitting at tables who had good meat set before them and amongst the good food also much bad and unwholesome and they left the good food and eat the bad whereupon Muhamed asked the Angell Gabriel what men those were and he told him that they were the maried men of this world who left their own good wives and went to other mens And he sayes that they saw divers men who never did any thing else but drink boyling lead and fill their bellies with it and afterwards their bellies opened and all that they had drank ran out and then they drank again and did thus perpetually And Muhamed asked the Angell what kind of men those were and he answered that they were those who eat and devoured Orphants estates in this world in brief he sayes he saw divers other things which would be too long to rehearse Now hearken O Moore and consider all that I shall say upon this vision of Muhamed and give ear to three things which I shall tell thee and give what answer to them thou canst The first is a naturall reason which cannot be understood but by reason and good judgement The second is a Philosophicall and Astrologicall reason which cannot be understood but by Astrology and Philosophy The third containes a humane and logicall reason for humane and logicall reason is that which separateth truth from falshood Now for the first which is held forth by naturall reason it is from what Muhamed in this vision sayes that the Angell Gabriel brought him a beast called Alborac on which Muhamed should have rid but she would not yeald to it untill Muhamed had promised that shee should be the first beast which should goe into Paradise upon this I ask thee O Moore what reason is there that a bruit beast should or can goe into Paradise yea as he says that this Alborac shall be the first beast that shall goe into Paradise for it he be the first it followes that there must be a second and a third Now how can it enter into the brains of a man endued with naturall reason to beleeve that bruit beasts shall goe into Paradise besides in the six books of the Suné Muhamed says that the Ram which Abraham killed was fed forty years in Paradise and says further that the sheep which the Moores kill at their Easter shall goe into Paradise so that O Moore thou canst not avoyd nor contradict any thing of this above which affirmes that beasts enter and goe into Paradise consider this therefore O Moore with thy naturall reason and thou wilt see that it is ridiculous an impudent lie and utterly false Concerning which beast Alborac I doe further aske thee O Moore who art an Alfaquy and a learned man and who hast read all the Alcoran and the commentaries thereon viz. Buhatia Buzamanim Azamahxari Acahalibi and Mahuma Miquite and who hast also read the six books of the Suné and the Recele Bulugis Halil and Almazhodi and who hast likewise read seaven hundred volumnes which the Moores have in their Laws and Sect if peradventure thou hast found any text gloss or paraphrase which mention this Alborac or from whence he came or whether he went whether he was from heaven or from earth or of what race of beasts he was or what became of him after that Muhamed came from Heaven to the gate of the Temple and so thou wilt say that there is not nor hath been any mention made of him in all the writings of the Moores although he ought to have been had in remembrance especially being a beast which had so much privilege as to be the first that should goe into Paradise Now what wilt thou answer me O Moore to this and to what I shall say further concerning this beast which is That the Moores say and believe and find in the Alcoran and the Suné that those which goe into Paradise are Mazhodin guerammum bararat i. e. That they are holy blessed honoured and Angelicall So that if this Alborac be gone into Paradise wee must say that he is blessed honoured and Angelicall And thus O Moore thou hast no other answer to this first conclusion but silence For the second I
Kindred and thereupon took an oath and swore to have Muhamed for their Lord Prophet and Leader and he swore likewise to hold them for his sons and brethren and promised them Paradise and that they should not be bound to give an account of their sins this is contained in the 13th Chap. of the 4th Book where he saies in Arabick thus O idyobeyhune c. i. e. that Muhameds disciples swore unto him under the tree and so Muhamed with his Captains and their followers whom he had already converted began to make war and the first incounter which they had was with 300. Gentlemen of Mecca neer unto a River called the River of Bedrin where they of Mecca were all overthrown and put to the sword and afterwards Muhamed fought twelve battells against the Jewes untill hee had vanquished all the Jewes which were at Medina and the Countries adjacent and those which remained alive became tributary to the Moores and so in process of time by wars bloodshed and large promises the sect of Muhamed increased untill he at last conquered Mecca and all the Countrey adjacent and gained likewise all Arabia Felix and Arrabia Magna and a great part of Armenia and Persia before he dyed and when he was dead the Primacy devolved to the Caliph or King Ubequar his father-in-Law in whose time the strength of the Moores was increased to threescore thousand horse-men and after this Ubequar the Dominion came to Homar Muhameds second father-in-law and these two in their times with their Moores gained all the Land of Syria and Africk and in this manner the Law or sect of Muhamed hath spread it self by force of Arms not by doing Miracles as the Law of Jesus Christ did The third cause whereby the Law or Sect of Muhamed hath augmented was by the great promises which Muhamet made to the Moores and which the Alcoran promiseth that is to say the glory of Paradise as it is declared in the ninth Chapter the Alcoran promiseth that those Moores which dye in War are not dead but living and that they eat and drink this he sayes in the first and second Chapters of the first Book in Arabick thus Oguale c. i. e. Doe not think that those who dye in War are dead for they are living with their Creator eating and drinking Wherefore the Moores when they make war choose death as soon as life and hereupon the Suné sayes that none that dye in this world when they are out of this life desire to live here again except those which dye in battail and those sayes the Suné desire to come again into this world that they might dye again in battail and enjoy again the great delight which they had in dying and from thest false promises it is that the Moores to this day have fought so valiantly and have gotten dominion over their enemies and besides he promiseth them that all the spoils should be shared equally amongst them and so also I say that if the King our Soveraign would promise this one thing unto those who would goe beyond the Seas to fight against the Moores I dare promise before God that in three years the Christians would Conquer all Africa and Asia and this is the third cause whereby the Sect of the Moores hath increased the which are against God and against our Neighbour nor hath Jesus Christ commanded any such thing in his Gospell but Peace Charity and Mercy wherwith he will reward every one that shall deserve it Now O Moore observe and consider the propagation of thy Law and by what means it was and then observe the propagation of the faith of Jesus Christ and how it is altogether founded upon Charity and Peace without shedding of mens blood without robbing or turning any man out of his own but Muhamed in the third Chapter of the second Book saies that they must expell their enemies out of their houses and behead them and kill them Now behold O Moore the difference between these two Laws and thou will know thy God and save thy soul And the Disciples of Muhamed did not only fight against their enemies and expelled them from their habitations and dominions but also made War amongst themselves killing each other for to have the Califage and Kingdom and so I say that except Ubiquar and Homar Muhameds Fathers-in-Law who dyed naturall deaths all the rest killed each other the first that dyed was Hozman whom Haly caused to be slain that he might be King Haly also dyed in the same manner one Moagua causing him to be killed and the said Moagua was slain by a son of Haly called Ahoceim and he was also killed by another and so one killed another successively to the number of thirty Caliphs of whose differences deaths battails and quarrels there is a Book written which the Moores in Arabick call Kitabu almu licu i. e. The Book of the King which Book they let none read but men of good years but this Book is not like that which we call the Acts of the Apostles and thus Muhameds Sect increased and spread by the three causes aforesaid and not by its own goodness Now consider O Moore the Disciples of Jesus Christ and what lives they lead after Jesus Christs Ascension Preaching and declaring the faith and doing miracles without Armes and without envying each other yea only to exalt the faith of Jesus Christ their Lord and Master they were persecuted and all dyed Martyrs not as the Disciples of Muhamed who as we said killed each other for dominion and to be Princes in this world but we must say as doth the Proverb as was the Captain such were his followers the which more plainly appears when we say that even as was our Lord Jesus Christ the greatest Master and as were his words works and admonitions full of purity chastity righteousness peace and other graces of clemency mercy and piety a friend to the poor and humble so also were his holy Disciples full of purity and chastity full of righteousness patience charity friends to the poor peaceable and humble and left all that they had in the world to follow their Master Jesus Christ our Lord Preaching the Christian Faith to all the world cloathed in sack-cloth armed with nothing but the Holy Ghost without killing or fighting doing miracles cleansing the Leprous healing the sick impotent and blind and raising the dead as the Alcoran it self testifies and thus the holy Disciples of Jesus Christ converted all the world as David saies There is no language tongue or speech Where their sound is not heard In all the earth and Coasts thereof Their knowledge is conferd But this was not like Muhamed and his words and works who was altogether full of pride vanity vain glory Luxury Revenge and Cruelty destitute of all vertue and charity estranged and separated from all mercy and pitty full of vices and void of chastity insomuch that all his thoughts and studies were nothing but to kill rob