The suruey of popery vvherein the reader may cleerely behold, not onely the originall and daily incrementes of papistrie, with an euident confutation of the same; but also a succinct and profitable enarration of the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill Christs ascension, contained in the first and second part thereof: and throughout the third part poperie is turned vp-side downe.

CHAP. XVII. Of Mahomet and the Saracens.

MAhomet descended of the Image of Ismael and Agar, and being a very poore orphane, ioyned himselfe to his kins∣woman Chadiga; first, as an hired seruant, afterward as her betrothed husband; & so was greatly enriched by her, as who was a woman of exceeding wealth Which Chadiga, when she took very heauily, that Mahomet was troubled with the faling euil; he told her, it was no disease, but that the archangel Ga∣briel then appeered to him, whose wonderfull maiestie because he was not able to behold, he fell groueling vpon the ground.

* 1.1This Mahomet professed himselfe to be the mighty prophet of the euerliuing God, & by that meanes stirred vp to sedition, great troupes of men aswel in Asia as in Africa: which people he infected with a new kind of religion, & perswaded them that they were called Saracens by Gods holy decree, of Sara the wife of Abraham; & that they were the lawful successors of that diuine promise that was made to Abraham & his seed for euer.

The form of the aforesaid mangled religion, Mahomet (who was borne and buried in Mecha a citie in Arabia) composed by the help of the Arrian monke Sergius, and called it the Alco∣ran: which word (Alcoran) in the Arabian language, signifieth (law or doctrine.) In which Alcoran they professe that Christ is a prophet, and an excellent doctour; but withall, they deny him to be God, and the true Sauiour of the world.

The Saracens called Arabians of the place, Ismaelites of Ismael, and Agarenes of Agar, being in wages vnder Hera∣clius the emperour,* 1.2 rebelled for want of pay about the yere of Christ 628. and within 38. yeeres they conquered all Syria, Damascus, Ierusalem, much of Assyria, and the greater part of Asia: al which they subdued to the religion of Mahomet, at that time but newly broched, and of the Arabians or Saracens first of all receiued. For so soone as the Agarenes dwelling in Arabia, and seruing in wars vnder Cesar, vnderstoode by pro∣clamation that they could no longer haue the emperours pay; they stirred vp sedition against the Romane captaines: by the meanes whereof the power of Mahomet encreased; to whome

the common people being destitute of an head, and in some di∣stresse for want of mony, did submit themselues, aswell for his great riches, as for other his singular gifts.

The Iewes, Arrians, and pseudochristians, did al embrace Mahomets Alcoran and mangled religion: they first subdued Arabia and part of Syria; for in Damascus Mahomet had his pallace.

The Saracens hauing mightily enlarged their dominions, diuided themselues into seuerall gouernements: they termed their chiefe lord Caeliphae, their next gouernour, Seriphes, next to him a Sultan, who was ouer euery prouince: at length, the empire was translated to the Turkes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An. Dom. 623
• * 1.2

  Genes. 16.4. Genes. 17.20.