The Alcoran of Mahomet, translated out of Arabick into French, by the Sieur Du Ryer, Lord of Malezair, and resident for the French king, at Alexandria. And newly Englished, for the satisfaction of all that desire to look into the Turkish vanities. To which is prefixed, the life of Mahomet, the prophet of the Turks, and author of the Alcoran. With A needful caveat, or admonition, for them who desire to know what use may be made of, or if there be danger in reading the Alcoran.

A needful Caveat or Admo∣nition for them who desire to know what use may be made of, or if there be dan∣ger in reading the Alcoran: By Alexander Ross.

GOod Reader, the great Arabian Impostor now at last after a thousand years, is by the way of France arrived in England, and his Alcoran, or gallimaufry of Errors, (a Brat as deformed as the Parent, and as full of Heresies, as his scald head was of scurf) hath learned to speak English. I suppose this piece is exposed by the Translator to the publick view, no otherwise than some Monster brought out of Africa, for people to gaze, not to dote upon; and as the sight of a Monster or mishapen creature should induce the beholder to praise God, who hath not made him such; so should the reading of this Alcoran excite us both to

bless God's goodness towards us in this Land, who enjoy the glorious light of the Gospel, and behold the truth in the beauty of holiness; as also to admire God's Judg∣ments, who suffers so many Countreys to be blinded and inslaved with this mishapen issue of Mahomet's brain, being brought forth by the help of no other Midwifry than of a Iew and a Nestorian, making use of a tame Pigeon (which he had taught to pick corn out of his Ears) in stead of the holy Ghost, and causing silly people to be∣lieve, that in his falling-sickness (to which he was much subject) he had conference with the Angel Gabriel.

I know the publishing of the Alcoran may be to some dangerous and scandalous; dangerous to the Reader, scandalous to the higher Powers, who notwithstanding have cleared themselves by disliking the publish∣ing, and questioning the publishers thereof: but for the danger, I will deliver in these ensuing Propositions my opinion, yet with submission to wiser judgments.

• 1. Though it may be dangerous to such as like Reeds are shaken, and like empty clouds carried about with every wind of Doctrine; yet to staid and solid Christi∣ans, the reading of Mahomet's Heresies will be no more dangerous, than the reading of those errors which are recorded in Scrip∣ture, for in them are mentioned many

• damnable errors and abominations of the Egyptians, Canaanites, Hittites, Sidonians, and other Gentiles, and of the Hebrews themselves, of the Sadducees who denied Spirits, Angels, and the Resurrection.
• 2. Is there more danger in reading the Alcoran, than in reading the Errors of an∣cient and modern Hereticks? surely Ter∣tullian, Irenaeus, Epiphanius, Austin, and o∣ther Fathers were not of this opinion, who have left upon record to posterity, the damnable Heresies of Arians, Eutychians, Nestorians, Macedonians, and others: and in the Alcoran there are not such danger∣ous errors as among the Tetratheites, Ange∣lites, and Theodosians, who held there were four Gods, or the Tritheites, who affirmed there were three, or the Gnosticks, Mani∣cheans, Cerdonians, Marcionites, who main∣tained there were two contrary gods, the one good, the other bad, whereas the Al∣coran sets down there is but one true God; and although it denieth with Arius, the Divinity of Christ, yet it holds him a great Prophet; nor doth it speak so blasphe∣mously of Christ as the Simonians, who held Simon Magus; or the Ophites, and Manicheans, who said, the Serpent was Christ; or Menander, who affirmed him∣self to be Christ, and the Saviour of the World. Besides; Are not the damnable Heresies of the modern Familists, who

• deny Christ's Divinity, making as many Christs as there be illuminated Elders in their Congregations? are not also the Heresies of the Socinians, Anti-trinitarians, Adamites, Servetians, Antisabbatarians, and many others exposed to the view of all that will read them? why then may not the Alcoran? Besides, are Men debarred from reading the Greek and Latine Poets? nay, are not many of them translated into our English tongue? as also the modern Histo∣ries of the East and West Indies, where∣in are more damnable Tenets than any in the Alcoran, and they who have read the Iewish Talmud, and Cabala, will find them as ridiculous pieces as the Alcoran.
• 3. If there were any loveliness, beauty, excellency, or any thing else in the Alcoran that might win the mind, and draw the af∣fection after it, I should hold the reading of it dangerous, but whereas it is such a mishapen and deformed piece, I think the reading of it will confirm us in the truth, and cause us love the Scripture so much the more: for as a beautiful body is never more lovely than when she is placed near a Black-More, neither is truth more amia∣ble than when it is beset with Errors. Opposita juxta se posita clarius elucescunt, the Gem receives lustre from the foil, the Stars from the night, and Fire is most scorching in Frost; even so by an Antipe∣ristasis

• truth is fortified by error. Who can think that the sight of a Hob-Goblin, or deformed Vizard should draw the Child from the Nurse or breast of the Mother to embrace it; whereas the sight thereof will rather cause the Child hold faster by the Mother. The wise Spartans oft times brought Drunkards into the room, where their sons were, not that they should be induced thereby to love, but to abhor drunkenness, which they could not have done, had they not seen the unseemly and rude carriage, the undecent behaviour, and uncomposed gestures of the drunkard. When Zisca had destroyed the Adamites of Bohemia, he preserved two alive that they might reveal to the World the wicked errors of that Sect. Who is so mad as to prefer the embracements of a filthy Baboon, to his beautiful Mistress, or the braying of an Ass to a Consort of Musick? he de∣serves the ears of Midas that will prefer the Cuckows song to the sweet notes of the Nightingale.
• 4. Though the Alcoran be received a∣mong many Nations, yet this reception proceeds not from any love they bear to it, or any loveliness they find in it, but partly out of fear, being forced by the Sword, partly out of a preposterous desire of li∣berty and preferment, and partly out of ignorance, as not being suffered to read

• the Scriptures, nor to hear Philosophy, by which the errors thereof may be detected, nor to enquire into the absurdities there∣of, or to dispute and question any thing in it: for which cause also it is not suffered to be Printed, nor are Christians permit∣ted to enter into Mecca, lest the absur∣dities and impieties of their Religion should be manifested: and thus are those silly souls kept in blindness and ignorance, and there∣fore I never read that any Nation did vo∣luntarily receive the Alcoran, except the theevish Saracens of Arabia, because it was a friend both to their theevery and leche∣ry, as permitting multiplicity of Wives and Concubines, and a reward for those that shall murther and rob.
• 5. The Alcoran is translated into French and other vulgar Tongues, and the chief heads thereof by Purchas in his Pilgrimage, by Heylin in his Geography, and by others, into our own tongue without scruple or ex∣ception; and I pray you, why is the Ara∣bick tongue, the language of that false Pro∣phet, and in which he writ his Alcoran, so much learned and taught in Schools and Christian Universities, but that by it we may come to the knowledge of Ma∣homet's Laws and Religion? and how should we know this little horn in Daniel that spake high and proud things against the Almighty, if we read not his life and Doctrine?
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• 6. There is a kind of necessity we should know evil as well as good, falshood as well as Truth, that we may avoid the one, and so much more love the other▪ he that hath smelled a stinking weed will smell with more delight the sweet Rose; he that reads the Alcoran will find it smell worse than Mahomet's carkass did, which after his death lay putrifying upon the ground, which his disciples permitted for many days together, hoping he would have been as good as his word, who made them a promise that he would rise again the third day; but at last finding he had forgot himself, and that his body smelled not so sweet as Alexander's did after his death, they were forced to bury it, or o∣therwise the Dogs who were beginning to bury him in their guts, had saved them a la∣bour; though Sugar be sweet in it self, yet it is much more sweet to him that hath tasted Aloes, and though Italy in it self be a delicious Countrey, and garden of the World, yet it is much more delightful, pleasant, and beautiful, to him who hath passed over the mountainous, craggy, and rugged Alpes: Did not the Prodigal love the bread of his Fathers house evermore the better after he had been fed on husks with Swine? doubtless we shall find, that after we have fed a while upon the course husks of the Alcoran, with the Arabian Swine,

• we shall with much more eagerness covet after the plenty of our Fathers house, ex∣hibited to us in his Word, where we shall find the hidden Manna, the bread of Life, that came down from Heaven.
• 7. Books of Palmistry, Physiognomy, judicial Astrology, Necromancy, and o∣ther superstitious and impious Arts have been permitted to come abroad, that Men might see the vanity of those Arts, the knavery and wickedness of the Artists, the foolishness of credulous people, who suffer themselves to be deluded by them, and the malice of Satan the arch enemy of man∣kind, whose delight is to abuse, delude, and destroy Men: why then may not the Alcoran be read, that Men may see the vanity, impiety, and foolishness of it, by which the World have been so many years cheated and abused?
• 8. They that learn Arts and Sciences, desire the knowledg, not only of the good things, but of the evil things also, and the abuses of them, to the end they may avoid them; therefore Logick speaks as well of sophistical and fallacious syllogisms, as of demonstrative and topical; Ethicks treat of Vices as well as of Vertues; Na∣tural Philosophy handleth the natures, not only of useful and beneficial creatures, but also of hurtful and venomous, as of Ser∣pents; Physick speaks of poysons as well as

• of cures; Historians describe both the ver∣tuous and vicious actions of Princes; in Divinity we learn, not only what God and good Angels are, but also what Sathan is and his wicked Angels; in Navigation we must know, not only what places are Navigable, but also what are not; how shall we avoid Rocks, Quick-sands and Shelves, if we know them not? even so Christian Religion permits not only the reading of Scripture but also of heretical and heathenish books, as is said, that we may know what to embrace, what to shun; therefore if you would know what be the damnable errors to be avoided by Christi∣ans, read the Alcoran, and you shall find in it the sink of all, or most part of anci∣ent Heresies.
• 9. In reading of the Alcoran, though it be, as Cato said of the three Roman Embassa∣dors, that were to go to Antiochus, headless, heartless and footless, the one being maimed in his head, the second a fool, and the third lame in his Feet: I say, though it be with∣out head or tail, as we use to speak, being immethodical and confused, contradictory in many things, written in a rude Language, the Author himself being no Linguist or Scholar, nay, not able to read or write, though also it consist of lyes and sensless follies, yet this benefit we may reap; I say, in reading of it, that we shall be for∣ced

• to admire and praise the goodness of God towards us Christians who having suffered a great part of the World to sit in the valley of the shadow of death, to be oppressed with Cimmerian, yea more than palpable Egyptian darkness, hath placed us in the Temple, where we have the Golden Candlestick of his Word, and a clearer and more durable Lamp than that of Salomon's Temple, yea even the Sun of righteousness shining upon us in the land of Goshen, whilest a great part of the World doth follow the Antichristian beast, we follow the Lamb upon mount Sion; while they hear the voice of Sa∣tyres, Ostriches, and Schrich Owls, we hear the voice of the Turtle, and the Songs of Sion in our own Land: whilst they feed on husks with Swine, and drink the corrupted puddles of Mahomet's in∣ventions, we are fed with Angels food, and eat coelestial Manna, and drink of the pure river of life clear as crystal: Again, we may tremble at the reading of this Alcoran, when we consider the severity of God's Judgments, and the fierceness of his anger, who for the contempt of his Gospel, in those Countries where Ma∣homet is worshipped, hath suffered so many millions of people to be deluded, blinded, abused, and inslaved by that false Prophet, to believe his lyes, and by loathing the

• sweet Evangelical Manna, to devour greedily the poysonable Quails of his doctrine, and with it the wrath of God which hath faln on them whilst the flesh is between their teeth, so that they must needs perish everlastingly. Who would have thought that those Countreys which were honoured by God's own presence, by the Oracles of the Prophets, by the pre∣sence, miracles, and preaching of Christ, by the planting of the Apostles, by the blood of so many Martyrs, should be thus besotted, and enslaved by the tyranny of this grand Impostor? When we think on those things, let us work out our salva∣tion with fear and trembling, and let him who thinks he standeth, take heed lest he fall: they were not greater sinners than we, therefore doubtless except we repent we shall all likewise perish; the remissness of Heraclius Government, his falling into the Heresie of the Monothelites, the con∣tempt of the Gospel, the slighting of the Pastors, the wickedness of the people, the continual Schisms, rents, jars, and divisions of their Churches, were both the causes and occasions of these mise∣ries which have faln upon them; let us take heed then we be not partakers of their sins, lest we also partake of their plagues.
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• 10. The reading of the Alcoran will enable us to beat Mahomet with his own weapons, to cut off the head of this Goliah with his own Sword, and to wound this unclean bird with quills pickt out of his own wings, for even unwittingly and un∣willingly he is forced to acknowledg many truths of Christian Religion, in affirming there is but one true God the Creator of all things, and though he goeth about to overthrow the Doctrine of the Trinity, yet he doth plainly confirm it; when he speaks of God, of the Word▪ and of the Spirit, which three indeed are one in essence, though distinct in subsistence; though he laboureth to overthrow the Gos∣pel, yet he confirms it, when he calls it good, full, right, a light, and a guide to salvation: for if it be full, good, &c. what need was then of his Al•…•…ran? and though he endeavoureth to overthrow Christ's Divinity with Ar•…•…s and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and the Iews his ghostly Fathers▪ yet he •…•…ffirms it, in calling Christ the Word; for as the internal word of the mind is coeternal with the mind, so is Christ the Word of his Father, coeternal with the Father▪ he esta∣blisheth also the Article of Christ's Concep∣tion and Nativity▪ affirming him to be conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary▪ whom he confesseth to have been a pure Virgin, both before and

• after Christ's birth: so he confirms the Ar∣ticle of Christ's ascension into Heaven, and divers other points of Christianity, to whom we are more beholding for his re∣verend esteem of Christ, than the Jews who revile and blaspheme him.
• 11. In reading the Alcoran, though we find much dung, yet in it we shall meet with some gold, as▪ Virgil did in reading of Ennius his Verses. Aesop's Cock found a precious stone in a dunghil; where is much dross, some pure metal will be found; even so in the dirt of the Alcoran you shall find some jewels of Christian Vertues; and indeed if Christians will but diligently read and observe the Laws and Histories of the Mahometans, they may blush to see how zealous they are in the works of devotion, piety, and charity, how devout, cleanly, and reverend in their Mosques, how obedient to their Priests, that even the great Turk himself will at∣tempt nothing without consulting his Muf∣ti: how careful are they to observe their hours of prayers five times a day where ever they are, or however imployed? how constantly do they observe their Fasts from morning till night a whole month together; how loving and charitable the Muslemans are to each other, and how careful of strangers, may be seen by their Hospitals, both for the Poor and for Travellers: if we

• observe their Justice, Temperance, and o∣ther moral Vertues, we may truly blush at our own coldness, both in devotion and charity, at our injustice, intemperance, and oppression: doubtless these Men will rise up in judgment against us; and surely their de∣votion, piety, and works of mercy are main causes of the growth of Mahometism, and on the contrary, our neglect of Religion, and loosness of conversation, is a main hin∣drance to the increase of Christianity; is it not a shame that they should read over their Alcoran once every month, and we scarce read over the Bible in all our life? that they shall give such reverence to their Alcoran, as to honor the very Camel that carried it to Mecca, and to lay up for holy reliques the napkins and hanke•…•… chiefs that rubbed off the sweat from his skin; and we shall prefer lascivious Poems, and wan∣ton Ballads to the sacred word of Almighty God? do we not make our selves unwor∣thy of such an inestimable treasure?
• 12. The Turks are our neighbors, and their Territories border upon the domini∣ons of Christendom: there have been con∣tinual Wars, and will be still between us: it concerneth every Christian who makes conscience of his ways to examine the cause, and to look into the grounds of this War, whether they be just or not, which cannot be known but by reading the Alcoran in

• which we see the Mahometans to be the ene∣mies of the Cross of Christ, in denying his Death, and of his Divinity also, in that they deny his Godhead: we shall find so many passages in it repugnant to, and destructive of Christian Reli∣gion, that Christian Princes are bound to oppose the enemies thereof; after the example of those glorious Emperors, Con∣stantine, who made War against the Hea∣then* 1.1 Princes, Maxentius, Maximinus and Licinius, of Theodosius the elder against the Tyrant Eugenius the worshipper of Hercu∣les, of Theodosius the younger against the Saracens, of Honorius against the Goths, all enemies of Christ, by whose assistance they got notable victories, and glorious triumphs.
• 13. We cannot do better service to our Countrymen, nor offer a greater affront to the Mahometans, than to bring out to the open view of all, the blind Sampsons of their Alcoran, which have mastered so many Nations, that we may laugh at it, of which even their own Wise Men are ashamed, and are sorry it should be translated into any other language: for they are unwilling that their grand Hypocrite should be unmasked, or that the Visard of his pretended holiness should be taken off, whose filthy nakedness must appear when he is devested: they know that

• words and works of darkness cannot en∣dure the light: Trepidant{que} immisso lumine manes, the infernal Ghosts tremble at any glimpse of light; and the wild Beasts re∣turn to their dens, saith David, when the* 1.2 morning appears, not daring to seek their prey but in the dark night of ignorance; this great thief Mahomet hath destroyed many thousands, and under the Lyons skin, this Ass hath affrighted his beastly minded Saracens, therefore let us take away the ring from this Gyges, by which he hath made himself invisible, and let us with Hercules, pull out this thieving Cacus out of his dark den where he useth to hide and shelter him∣self, and expose his deformed carkass to the publick view, that we may wonder at it: and in detecting his errors, we fol∣low the practice of Christ, who discove∣red* 1.3 to the World the damnable Tenets of the Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites.
• 14. The Turks are preposterously zeal∣ous in praying for the conversion, or perver∣sion rather, of Christians to their irreligious religion; they pray heartily, and every day in their Temples, that Christians may im∣brace the Alcoran, and become their Pro∣selytes, in effecting of which they leave no means unassaied by fear and flattery, by punishments and rewards; now, is it fitting that they in charity and zeal should exceed us? we are bound to pray, and in∣deavour

• heartily for their conversion, from darkness to light, from error to truth; but how shall we do this, if we know not the dangerous and damnable estate they are in, which we cannot know but by reading their Alcoran?
• 15. In reading the Alcoran we shall see what is the force of superstition, and with what violence Men are carried headlong in the defence and maintenance even of the most absurd & impious opinions; what He∣cuba is more deformed than the Alcoran? yet how do the Turks fight and struggle, toil and care, hazard life and liberty, estates and all for it, as if it were the most beauti∣ful Helena in the World! these Men cannot endure the Image of Christ, or of a Saint in their Temples, calling this Idolatry, and yet they are the greatest Idolaters in the World themselves: for never was there such an Idol as the Alcoran, no Man must touch it, till first he be washed, and that being done, he must not touch it with his naked hands, but with a clean linen cloth; the Priest must kiss it, and bow to it; he must when he reads in it hold it up on high, for it is a sin to hold it lower than his girdle: Every piece of Paper that a Turk finds, he must use reverendly, because the Alcoran is written in paper, the Mule that carries it to Mecca is held in great ve∣neration, so that he or she is sanctified all

• the year after that can but touch him, and that handkerchief which wipeth off his sweat is a holy relique: thus do they strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel.
• 16. In reading the Alcoran & Turkish* 1.4 Story, we shall see who were Gog and Ma∣gog that made War against the Saints, even the Turks an obscure people of Scythia, therefore called Gog, because they were hid and unknown a long time, and the Sa∣racens, who were a known people, and the open enemies of the Church, therefore called Magog; these treacherously combi∣ned together, oppressed first the Persians, and afterward the Greek Empire, with the famous Churches of Asia, Greece, and Egypt; we shall also find that by the Star which fell from Heaven, and opened the bottomless pit, whose smoke darkned the Sun, and out of which came the Locusts, whose terror is described by St. Iohn, is meant Mahomet that great destroyer, as his name signifieth, answering to the name Apollyon, and Abaddon: for never was there* 1.5 such a destroyer, who by his pestilent doctrine hath destroyed so many Souls, and by the sword of his Locusts hath destroyed so many bodies, and ruinated so many goodly Countries.
• 17. If you will take a brief view of the Alcoran you shall find it a hodg podge made up of these four ingredients. 1. Of

• Contradictions. 2. Of Blasphemy. 3. Of ridiculous Fables. 4. Of Lyes: first, of Contradictions, he doth ordinarily say, and unsay the same thing; one while he tells us, that he was the first that ever entred into Paradise, and elsewhere he says he found Men and Women there; sometimes he affirms that Iews and Chri∣stians shall be saved by their own Religion, and sometimes again, that none can be sa∣ved who embrace not his Alcoran; In one place following the Opinion of Origen, or rather of the Origenists he affirmed that all the Devils shall be saved; in another place he saith, only those Devils shall be sa∣ved who hearken to, and obey his Alco∣ran. Secondly, of Blasphemy, for he bla∣sphemeth God, in saying that he prayeth for Mahomet, intimating hereby that he is inferior to that God he prayeth to; he makes God also swear by Flies, Worms, and such base Creatures, as if he were their inferiour, whereas God having none greater than himself, swears only by him∣self; He blasphemes the Father, in saying he cannot have a Son, because he is not married, as if there were no other genera∣tion but what is carnal; he blasphemes the Son with Arius, in denying his Divi∣nity; he blasphemes the Holy Ghost with Macedonius, affirming him to be the Crea∣ture of a Creature; he blasphemes God

• also, in making him the Author of his Alcoran, bragging that his name is writ∣ten upon the Throne of God, in that he is the greatest of the Prophets, who hath more knowledge than all the Men and An∣gels of the World: and many other brag∣ging words he uttereth of himself, by which we may see he is that little Horn which did spring up among the ten Horns of the great and terrible Beast of the Roman Em∣pire, destroying three of the Roman Horns, to wit, the Asians, Grecians and Egyptians; this is the Horn that hath many Eyes, as being crafty and vigilant, but his mouth speaks proud things, in blaspheming and bragging, as we have heard. Thirdly, of ridiculous Stories, and which are more unsavory than the Golden Legend, or Lu∣cian's true Narrations; he tells us that he divided once the Moon, one half where∣of fell into his lap, (this was not then the Man in the Moon, but the Moon in the Man) the other on the ground; these two pieces he souldred again. Perhaps in memory of this lying Miracle, the Turks use yet the half Moon for their Arms: He tells us of a great Army of Men and Angels raised by Salomon, but much hindred in their march by an Army of Flies, which Salomon rebuked, where we have a witless conference between Sa∣lomon and the Fly; he tells you a strange

• Story of Noah's Ark, how there the Hog was generated of the Elephants dung, and a Rat of the Hogs dung, which gnawing a hole in the Ark, at which Noah was af∣frighted; he touched the Lyon on the Forehead, out of whose Brains leaped out a Cat, as (Minerva did out of Iupiter's) which caused the Rat to run away: this is Philosophy indeed for a Hog. Fourth∣ly, of Lyes, for he belyeth God, in making him Author of his Impiety and Heresies; he belyes Christ, in saying he was con∣ceived by the smell of a Rose; he belyeth the Holy Ghost, in affirming that he inspi∣red Mahomet to write the Alcoran; he bely∣eth the Virgin Mary, calling her the daugh∣ter of Amram, and sister of Moses, confound∣ing her with Miriam, whereas there were so many generations between; he belyeth the Gospel, in saying it is corrupted by Christi∣ans; he belyeth Christians, when he saith they worship many gods, and that they give to God a companion, when they acknow∣ledge the Divinity of Christ▪ he belyeth the Iews in saying they make Eleazer a god; he belyes the Patriarchs, in saying that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob be∣lieved his Alcoran, being so many thou∣sand years before he was born, or his Al∣coran had any existence; he belyes also the Apostles, in making them his Scholars, who lived near six hundred years before

• he was born: by all which we may see who was the Compiler of this Alcoran, not the God of Truth, but the Father of Lyes; not Christ and his Apostles, whose weapons in propagating the Gospel, were powerful Preaching, Miracles, and pati∣ence in Suffering; not the Sword, the chief means that Mahomet useth to force his Alcoran, an instrument forbid by Christ, but used by him who hath been a mur∣therer from the beginning; but I will not take upon me the task of refuting the Al∣coran, being already refuted by Canta∣cuzenus, Richardus the Monk, Cusa the Cardinal, Woodmanstadius, Savanorola and others. I only thought good, upon in∣treaty of some learned and religious Men, to prefix this brief Caveat, that the Reader might be the better armed to encounter with any rub or difficulty he shall meet with in the reading thereof. But before I end, give me leave to clear my self a∣gain in this point, that it is not my meaning all should have the liberty to read the Al∣coran promiscuously. I know with the Apostle, that though all things be lawful, yet all things are not expedient, there are Children as well as Men in understanding; the Nurse may use that Knife which the Child may not, and that Sword which may without danger be handled by a sober Man, cannot without danger be touched

• by a mad Man; there are as well queasie as strong stomachs, and what is Meat to the one may be Venom to the other; though Mithridates could without hurt eat Poyson, others may not presume to escape so; it is lawful for any to look upon a Monster, but it is not expedient for conceiving Wo∣men; that Iron which an Ostrich can di∣gest, may destroy the stomach of other Creatures; how many have been decei∣ved in gathering Hemlock for Parsly? It is not for every Man to meddle with Apo∣thecaries Drugs, he may chance meet with Poyson as soon as an Antidote; if all Men were like Bees, to suck Hony even out of Henbane, there might be no dan∣ger in reading the Alcoran, but most Men are like Spiders, suck securely Poyson e∣ven out of the sweetest Roses; therefore they only may surely and without danger read the Alcoran, who are intelligent, ju∣dicious, learned, and throughly grounded in Piety, and principles of Christianity; but weak, ignorant, inconstant, and dis∣affected minds to the Truth, must not ven∣ture to meddle with this unhallowed piece, lest they be polluted with the touch there∣of, as they were who came near to a le∣prous Body; and if we will not venture to go into an infected House without pre∣servatives, much less should any dare to read the Alcoran, that is not sufficiently

• armed with Grace, Strength, and Know∣ledge, against all temptations. God grant we may walk in the light of the Gospel whilst we have it, that we may not be overwhelmed with the dismal night of Mahometan darkness, which God may just∣ly inflict upon us; for our sins, rents and divisions are no lesser than those were of the Greek, and Asiatick Churches, and doubtless except we repent we shall all perish with them, who for despising Gods sacred Oracles, are now taught to reverence every piece of paper they find, which they are made believe shall be put under the soals of their feet when they walk over the burning grate to their fools Paradise, as Busbequius in his Epistle tells us, who lived long amongst them, and was well acquainted with their opini∣ons; but what I have written here concerning the Alcoran, I submit to the judgment and wisdom of those who sit at the Stern, and can see more than the Passengers.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Euse•…•…. in vit. Coast. & l. 9. c. 9. Hist. The•…•…d. l. 5. c. 24. So∣crat▪ l. c. •…•…. 18. Aug. l. 5. de civit. dei, c. 23.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 10. 4 Vt iugulent h•…•…mines, surgunt de nocte latro∣n•…•…s.
• * 1.3

  Mat. 13.
• * 1.4

  Rev. 20.
• * 1.5

  Rev. 9.