The life and death of Mahumed, the author of the Turkish religion being an account of his tribe, parents, birth, name, education, marriages, filthiness of life, Alcoran, first proselytes, wars, doctrines, miracles, advancement, &c. / by L. Addison ... author of The present state of the Jews.

Of the state of Martyrs, and of other Souls after this life, when they are separate from their Bodies.

The Martyrs are not finally extinct, but live with their Master, by whom they are sustained [where by Martyrs we are to un∣derstand all those who have died (in Battel or otherwise) for the defence or propagation of the Mahumedan Religion.] The Spirits or Souls of the Blessed do still remain, and shall enjoy delights until that day in which their Bodies shall be raised; but the wretched are tormented to the day of judgment. God, say the Musulmin, shall establish in the life of this, and the World to come, those who be∣lieve. They hold also, that every Man has his Guardian Angel, who appoints him his work; and that nothing of his actions is hid from God. They believe, that the An∣gel whom they call the Angel of Death, doth gather together the separate Spirits or Souls at the beck of the Lord. They have like∣wise a Tradition, how the Angel of Death doth beat the dead carkass in its grave: and they seem to borrow this Fable from that of the Jews, which Buxt. takes notice of, Synag. Jud. cap. 35. After the Arabian Author (out of whom these things are related) had set

down these Contents of Mahumedism, he concludes all with a large Encomium of Mahumed, and of their happiness who lived in his time; as also of the Empire of his Successors Abubecer, Omar, Osman, Ali: adding, that none ought ever to mention them but with signal reverence.

Gabriel Sionita in his 14 Chapter de Ur∣bib. & Morib. Oriental. gives us another ac∣count of Mahumedism out of Jacob Ben Si∣di Ali, an Arabian Author, which being not voluminous, I have thought good here to insert.

The Worship and Religion of the Musul∣min consists in this; That they belileve all the discourses which the Arch-Angel Gabriel had with Mahumed, concerning the things that are to be believed and done: of which these are the summ: viz. That the Musulmin believe in one God, and that there is none other like him. That they believe the Angels to be the Servants of God. That they believe the Scriptures which were sent to the Apostles; which are by common opinion divided into an hundred and four Books; of which ten were sent to Adam; fifty to Seth; and thirty to Enoch (whom they call Edris;) ten to Abra∣ham; the Law to Moses; the Psalms to David; the Gospel to Jesus Christ; and at last the Al∣coran was sent to Mahumed. And all these Books of Scripture they believe to be sent from

God, for the benefit of Men. They believe a day of Resurrection after death; and that some are predestinated to Fire (by which they mean Hell) and some to Paradise, according to the Will of God. For it is expresly said in the Alcoran, There is none of you who has not his place in Paradise, and his place in In∣ferno appointed for him. They believe also a reward of good Men, and the punishment of bad: The Intercession of Saints. It is also necessary, that every Musulmin believe the Divine Pen, which was created by the finger of God. This Pen, say the Mahumedan Doctors, is made of Pearls, and is of so great length and breadth, that a swift Horse in fifty years cannot pass over it. And it doth write all things past, present, and to come. The Ink with which it writes, is of light; the Language wherein it writes, none doth un∣derstand but the Arch-Angel Seraphael. They believe also the punishment of Sepulchres, or that the dead therein are often cruciated; and of this they produce an instance of what hapned in a certain Sepulchre betwixt Mecca and Medina. Thus far Gabriel Sionita.

The Doctrine of Mahumed, in several of the particulars already mention'd, is much otherwise reported by European Authors, than it is done here. But I have kept my self to the Orientals in this account, and am induced to believe they are the fittest to be

our informers, as dealing in their own sto∣ry, and in such things as did most nearly concern them, and in which we may imagine their care was to deal fairly.

But ere I shut up this tedious Chapter, I hope the Reader will not take it ill, that I advertise him of another account of the Ma∣humedans Religion, set down by Doctor Pocock, in his Learned Notes upon Greg. Abul. Farajius, pag. 284. &c. which he cites out of Algazalius, a Writer of great reputation among the Mahumedans; and it is called, The Interpretation of the Faith of the Ortho∣dox; which consists in these two points.

1. That there is no God, but the God. 2. That Mahumed is his Messenger. This is that Duplex Testimonium, which Elmacinus saith was the Poesie or Motto of Mahumeds Seal: though a learned Writer tells us out of Alkodaius, that his Seal had no other Inscription than Mahumed Messenger of God; which being but three words in the Arabick, was written in so many lines. This is the usual Devise of the Signets of the Bar∣barian Grandees.