and be very merry jocond Likewise the said Chapters mention and describe a certain Fountain in Paradise called Celzebile and another called Zengebila the waters whereof are whiter than snow sweeter than hony and more especially there is a fountain called Alcauzar which is only for Muhamed by a chapter which is the least in the Alcoran in the fourth book which in Arabick saies thus Asime ahtayneque Alcauzar i. e. we God have given thee Alcauzar which is this Fountain and Alcauzar is 70000. dayes journey in length and breadth with water whiter than snow and sweeter than honey in which Fountain are as many bowles glasses and drinking vessels as there are stars in the firmament of which Fountain we shall speak further hereafter Likewise the sayd Chapters mention and describe the Pages which are alwayes in Paradise which are called in Arabick Guildemin mohalledun and which they say and write are as beautifull as Pretious stones set in gold and are clothed with silk garments green purple and with Zunduz i. e. Tissue upon Tissue and these Pages wait upon those which are in Paradise with cups bowles and beakers of gold and silver and Guildemin Mohalledun signifies eternall Pages which are not of the race of men Likewise the aforesaid Chapters write and treat of the chast Virgins which God hath created in Paradise and they are called Horhin and in the singular number Hora and they are reclused and well watched and guarded in their Palaces and their garments are wonderfull thus he boasts and sayes further that their beauty is as the Light Muhamed in the Suné saith that if any one of these Virgins should appear at midnight she would enlighten all the world like the noon-day and if she should spit in the Sea the water of the Sea would become as sweet as hony and these Virgins are prepared in Paradise for men and further the said Chapters mention their Carkanets Rings Trinkets Coronets other Ornaments which are prepared in Paradise and that these Virgins are not of humane race but are continually created If I should goe about to set down all those things which the Alcoran and the Suné doe write of Paradise I should be too tedious and troublesome therefore I will onely set down that which Muhamed in the Suné reports concerning the feast which God will make to the men and women in Paradise which feast is called in Arabick Hadrate Alcoduz God makes this feast in the Paradise called Genetu Alcoduz i. e. the Paradise of the holy and Muhamed in the Suné sayes that after a time he will by vertue of his generall Redemption release the Moores who have deserved hell fire And that these Moores shall come out of hell black and burnt and he will bring them to his Fountain Alcauzar and cause them to goe into the Fountain and there they shall wash their bodyes and shall become as white as snow and when they are washed and purified Muhamed will take them with him and bring them into Paradise unto the other Moores who have not deserved hell After this hee saith that God shall command the Angell Gabriel to take the Key of the Paradise of the holy for to make this feast which Keyes are kept by another Angell and that when Gabriel shall goe to fetch the Keyes and shall demand them of the Angell that keeps them the sayd Angell shall put his hand to his mouth and shall draw forth thence seventy thousand keyes each of which hath a place of 70000. leagues in length which make together 2000000 leagues over And when the Angell Gabriel shall goe to take up the keyes he shall not be able to lift them because of their great weight and hereupon hee shall return to God and say Lord I cannot lift the keyes from the gound because of their great weight and God shall say unto him goe again and call upon my holy name and the name of my friend Muhamed and then take the keyes and bring them hither Then Gabriel shall goe again and call upon those names and shall take up the keyes and bring them to God The words of those names are those above mentioned Le ilehe allah Mohamed razolo allah with which keyes the Angell Gabriel shall open the sayd Paradise of Alcoduz where they shall find a table ready made of a Diamond of seven hundred thousand dayes journeys in length and breadth with divers seats of gold and silver about the Table they shall likewise find on the said table napkins and table-clothes richly wrought and woven Then God shall command all the Moores to sit down at the Table and they shall all sit down every one in his seat and presently the sayd pages and servants shall come and wait upon the Moores at this feast with their Vestments and Cups bowles and glasses in their hands and they shall set before the Moores most delicious cates and fruits of severall sorts and Skenk unto them the wine and water aforesaid and as soon as the Moores shall have eaten and drunk the Pages shall presently come with rich apparell for every Moore and so they shall cloath and dresse themselves and put their Jewels and bracelets on their Arms hands and legs and rings into their ears and when they are clothed drest and adorned with their Jewels and bravery the said Pages shall come every one with a dish in his hand and in the dish a Citron and shall give to every male of the Moores and as soon as the Moores shall smell to this Citron one of the aforesaid Virgins shall issue out of it most gallantly attired and beautifull and shall embrace the Moore and the Moore her and so they shall continue in that Act of embracing each other the space of fifty years without rising or separating from each others body taking all manner of pleasure that a man can have with a woman And after they shall have thus taken their pleasure God shall say O my servants now yee have eaten and drank and are clothed dressed and adorned with Jewels and have taken your pleasure in my Paradise and glory I will now shew you my glorious face hee sayes that God shall remove the Vayles which he hath on his face and shall shew his glorious visage to all the Moores and they shall all fall to the ground through the brightness which shall proceed from the face of God and then God shall say O my servants arise and rejoyce in my glory without fear of ever dying much less of being sad or discontented to eternitie Then sayes he they shall lift up their heads and see and behold God face to face in which Vision they shall take delight and content Hee sayth That after they have seen God they shall all goe from this place to the other Paradises to wit every one accompanied with his Virgin shall goe into his own Palace or mansion perpetually and eternally eating drinking and taking his pleasure joyfull and without sorrow or fear of
who Created all things visible and invisible was God did acknowledge and believe the Prophets Patriarks and Messengers of God and believed the Scriptures which God sent by his servants and also gave credit to the Evangelists the Thora and the Psalter and believed Jesus Christ and the other things above mentioned so that I say that although Muhamed in his time did some wicked things as we have said before for which divers Moores were offended at him yet nevertheless they never lost the faith which they had of God and the things aforesaid for although they were ignorant they acknowledged that Idolatry was a wicked thing and the way to destruction and so they have continued till our dayes believing all that Muhamed made them believe Wherefore I say that if Muhamed would the Moores had believed in Jesus Christ and had been all saved but he conceived that if they had believed truly he should not have been reputed for a Prophet nor a Law-giver nor a great Lord and this detestable Ambition deceived Muhamed and after him deceived his Disciples as here under will appear so that Muhamed made the Moores believe a great part of the Christian Law but not all for fear lest they should become Christians he also made them believe a great part of the Jewish Law but not all for fear lest they should become Jewes and made them also believe the Alcoran and the Suné and so many other fooleries which wee have mentioned above that he might make them Moores and Musselmen In this manner the Sect of the Moores increased not by any reason or excellency it had in it self for if Muhamed had begun his Sect among Philosophers Logicians and Astrologers and a Nation that had had any Law it had never had any progresse the which the Apostles of Jesus Christ did for they preached the faith of Jesus Christ amongst the most learned of all the Jewes and amongst the Astrologers Logicians and Philosophers of the Gentiles yea without Arms or Battells and only by their preaching the Law of Jesus Christ and his Gospell and by their miracles they converted all the World to the Catholique and Christian faith besides the Disciples of Jesus Christ wrought not that conversion meerly by preaching and doing miracles but also by disputing and arguing of the truth and by confuting Heretiques and wicked men who gainsaid them and thus the Christian faith was agitated and exalted by disputations untill it inlightned all places the which the Law or sect of Muhamed cannot endure for Muhameds sect will not be questioned by Disputation nor be examined by naturall reason for so the Alcoran commands in the ninth Chapter of the third Book where he saies Guale tugedilo c. i. e. never dispute you with the Jewes or Christians Wherefore I say and conclude that Muhamed withdrew the People of Mecca and Arabia from the error of Idolatry and brought them into heresie doing like those who administer fatall Physick which they hide in good tooth some food and they who eat thereof thinking they eat some delicate Cates are poisoned Thus did Muhamed introducing and mingling his false Law and his Impostures and delusions among the holy and good things of the Old and New Testament yea with things of the Law of Nature and so he made a Law and Sect which destroyes those eternally that believe it even as adulterated medicines kill those that take them And let this be sufficient for the first cause or reason of the propagation of Muhameds Law The second Cause of the growth and increase of Muhamed's Law was thus Muhamed seeing that divers rebelled against him for the causes aforesaid and returned to their former opinions and required him to doe miracles and to cause signs to appear from heaven as Noah did with the Ark and Moses who caused Manna to fall from heaven forty years and made twelve Fountains of water to spring out of a Rock and divided the red Sea into twelve Passages and Muhamed not being able to doe the like he thought his Law could not bee advanced any other way than by the Sword to wit by fighting with unbeleevers and bringing them to the obedience of his Law by force and for that purpose he began to make verses in the Alcoran saying that God commanded them to fight against the unbeleevers and rebellious and upon that Argument made a Chapter which is the third Chapter of the second Book all in the Tearms and commands of a Warriour Wherein he sets down one verse which is called the Verse of the Sword and from this Verse the whole Chapter is called the Chapter of the Sword which Verse is in Arabick thus O Zaltihum c. i. e. slay the Enemies and Unbeleevers and so they shall be tormented and confounded by you in the Suné he saies thus Ozatiluanne c. i. e. Kill them untill they all become Moores and beleevers Which command Muhamed hath reiterated in divers Chapters of the Alcoran but indeed he used great policie in it and brought his purpose about very subtilly to wit that in such a kind of War there must be some partiality and certain particular Captains or otherwise it could not be for which purpose he sent for ten Men who were already converted to his Sect of the chiefest of all Arabia felix and Arabia magna men much followed and potent and of themselves expert in Arms and well exercised in the Art of War the first and chief of them was called Ubequar the second Homar and these two were Muhameds fathers-in-law The third was called Hozman who collected the Alcoran The fourth was Alifrello a Cousin of Muhamed and these were all of Muhameds kindred The fifth was called Talha The sixth Azubere The seventh Zadin The eighth Zahedin The ninth Abdorazmen and the tenth Abuhobeyde These he convened and assembled under a Tree abroad in the fields and there began to preach a Sermon to them which were too long to repeat here In brief hee told them that he was sent from God for to withdraw his People from Idolatry and that they knew that there were divers Jewes and severall other Rebellious persons who opposed his Law and that it was necessary that his Law should be advanced and exalted above all other Lawes which Verse is inserted into the third Chapter of the Sword of the second book then he read to them the Verses and Chapters which were in the said Alcoran and told them that God had expresly commanded this way of making warre and that for his part he could doe no good in it without having Captains and Leaders for that purpose These Commanders and Gentlemen found it not good that he should have any other than themselves and were content to take the charge upon themselves and to side with Muhumed and those of his party and resolved to dye both they and theirs in the advancing of the Law of Muhamed and in making war against their own Fathers Mothers Brethren and
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
Sister of Aaron Observe O Moore the great error which the Alchoran committeth in this place and how he takes one person for another putting the Virgin Mary for the Sister of Moses and Aaron who was called Mary the Prophetess and there were above 1500. years between them Now can we call a Scripture which erres in so much time the Word or Scripture of God And if it were as some learned Moores say that even as God would and Commanded that Sarah Abraham's Wife should conceive her son Isaac when she was already ninety years old and was forty years past the time of conception So also God had preserved this Mary the Sister of Aaron that from her Jesus Christ our Saviour the Messias should come This reason is not good because in the second Chapter of the first Book he relates the conception of the Virgin Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ and how she was offered in the Temple for the service of God and that the Priests in those times cast lots which of them should have the tuition of her and the said Chapter sayes that the lot fell upon Zachary and that he took charge of her And in the same chapter sayes further that this Mary had communication with the Angels and talked with them and that she was fed and nourished with celestiall food which ye may read thus in the Arabick Ogna id calati c. and likewise he sayes in Arabick O quullenie da hale c. i. e. That the Angell said to Mary O Mary certainly God hath chosen adorned and exalted thee above the women of all generations and sayes further that one day Zachary went into Maries Oratory he having the keyes and there found her eating food which he had not given her and he said O Mary whence hadst thou this food seeing I have the Keyes of the Oratory and she answered him that God sent it her The Commentators of the Alcoran say upon this place that the food which Zachary found Mary eating was ripe fruits out of their season This was the same Mary to whom the Angell Gabriel came as appears in the same Chapter which is called in Arabick Sorathe alehamran i. e. a Song of the generation of Joachim the Father of the Virgin Mary I have set down this here for the greater demonstration and proof that this Mary was she unto whom the Angel Gabriel came with the salutation saying Hayle Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee and that conceived Jesus Christ of the Holy Ghost This salutation is in Arabick thus Oya Maryemujune c. Wherefore O Moore I conclude that this Mary was not the Sister of Aaron for the Sister of Aaron was not in the time of Zacharias the Father of St. John Baptist as this Mary was And Muhamed was deceived here by the name of Moses father who in Arabick is called Hembram by which name Joachim our Ladye 's father is called in Arabick And thus O Moore I tell thee that the reason which the Moores give of Maries being Aarons Sister is invallid seeing it is proved by the same Alcoran that this Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ lived in the time of Zacharias above 1500. years after the other Mary So that wee must say that Muhamed and the Alcoran take one person for another and erre in so long time A thing which is not sutable to a Prophet nor to the Scripture of God and therefore I say that Muhamed was neither a Prophet nor the Alcoran the Scripture of God And hence it appears how the Cutler 's made him erre and put one thing for another in the Alcoran and transpose the Histories of the Prophets out of due place putting the first last and the last first as shall hereafter appear so that it hapned to Muhamed with his Cutlers as the Proverb sayes When the blind leads the blind they both fall into the ditch The fourth Argument is from what he sayes in the third Chapter of the third Book the words in Arabick are O qualacad c. i. e. That God sent the Alforcan which is the same with the Alcoran unto Moses and Aaron for a Light and admonition to the just If the Moores say that Alforcan doth not signifie the Alcoran I will prove the contrary by the same Alcoran which in the second Chapter of the first Book sayes Onzele athorata y aliugile y nezele alforcane haleique i. e. God inspired the Thora the Gospell and the Alforcan into Muhamed and the same is in the seventh Chapter of the third Book in Arabick Otabaraque c. i. e. blessed be he that caused the Alforcan to descend upon his servant Muhamed for to admonish the Nations whence it appears from the Alcoran it self that Alforcan imports as much as Alcoran and therefore O Moore I conclude that Muhamed and the Alcoran erre likewise in this passage in saying that God sent it to Moses and wee need not wonder if Muhamed lay down this error seeing he sayes further in the Suné that David read all the Alcoran whilst they sadled his Mule for hee that sayes the one may as well say the other and he that makes one girdle may make a hundred And if thou sayest O Moore that by the Alcoran is meant the Psalter of David I say and prove the contrary by the Alcoran it self which in Arabick sayes thus O qualacad ateyne deude Zabora i. e. God sent and gave the Psalter to David hee doth not say that he gave him the Alcoran And the said Muhamed in the Suné sayes that God sent the Thorah to Moses the Gospel to Jesus Christ the Son of Mary the Psalter to David and the Alcoran to Muhamed And so I tell thee that thou hast no other answer than silence And knowest thou not O Moorish Alfaqui * Chief Priest in the Mahometan Religion who canst say the Alcoran by rote that it sayes in above 300 places that God gave the five books to Moses which he calls in Arabick Athorata and saies likewise in above as many places that God gave the Gospel to Jesus Christ and the Azabor i. e. the Psalter to David and in a thousand such places he doth not any where say that Alforcan signifies the Athora nor that the Psalter signifies the Alcoran therefore consider this well and thou wilt see and know the truth The fifth Argument is from what is said in the first Chapter of the first Book concerning two Angels called Harod and Marod who are hanged by the eye-lids in a Cave in the City of Babylon and are there tormented untill the day of Judgement the which he expresseth thus in Arabick O guame unzile c. signifying what hapned to the two Angels called Harote and Marute in Babylon The gloss upon this text sayes That God sent two Angels as Judges to the City of Babylon to doe judgement in that City unto the people and every night they ascended into heaven and descended every morning and sayes
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
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