Of idolatry a discourse, in which is endeavoured a declaration of, its distinction from superstition, its notion, cause, commencement, and progress, its practice charged on Gentiles, Jews, Mahometans, Gnosticks, Manichees Arians, Socinians, Romanists : as also, of the means which God hath vouchsafed towards the cure of it by the Shechinah of His Son / by Tho. Tenison ...

CHAP. VII. Of the Idolatry of the Mahometans. (Book 7)

MAhomet was descended of the Koreischites, a Tribe of the Arabians. The Arabians were great Ido∣laters b 1.1, and it does not appear that he embraced any other Religion for some years, than that to which his Education led him. With the Arabians then he worshipped Statues and Daemons. The Statues of the Arabians are those three mentioned in the Alchoran, Allath, Alozza, and Menath c 1.2, Idols of stone. What the two latter were, is not so well understood; but most agree that by the former, or Allath, was meant a Deess like Venus, or Urania d 1.3. She had also among them the name of Cabar, or Cubar e 1.4. Herodotus re∣membreth this Arabian Urania by the name of Alilat, in his Thalia f 1.5, though in his Clio g 1.6 he had called her Alitta.

Neither did they worship Statues alone, but they worshipped Daemons too, of which such Statues were generally the Symbols. There is mention in the Alcho∣ran,

in Suratâ Noachi, of Vodda, Seraha, Jaguth, Jauk, Neser. Beidavi a 1.7 tell us, that these were the names of good men who lived betwixt Adam and Noah; that after death Images were made of them, that from them a benediction might be obtained; that in process of time they began to be worshipped. That Vodda was represented in the figure of a Man; Seraha of a Wo∣man; Jaguth of a Lion; Jauk of a Horse; Neser of an Eagle; and that this kind of Idolatry was transla∣ted to the Arabians. Other Authors make mention of their worship of Bacchus. Hesychius calleth him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Tertullian, b 1.8 Diasares, or Disares, as it is read in the late Edition of Paris. That name may be but the cor∣ruption of Osiris, though it is thought to be taken from a mountainous place in Arabia, called Dusares, and mentioned by Stephanus, de Urbibus.

The Arabians also worshipped Angels as well as Heroes, calling them Proverbially, the Daughters of God. The Alchoran chargeth them with this Idolatry, in Su∣ratâ de Bestiis, saying, They joined Genii (that is An∣gels) as Companions to God.

Mahomet growing weary of this false worship, about the fortieth year of his age, and perhaps of all real Religion, invented a new one of his own, which hath grown exceeding rankly since the first planting of it, as is the manner of many deadly and poysonous weeds. In this new Religion of his he applaudeth himself as the Restorer of the Worship of one God, and decla∣meth vehemently against Idols. And no wonder, for he took to him a Nestorian Monk as his Assistant, and he was himself the Son of a Jewess, to whose Religi∣on he might have some respect, by reason of that Re∣lation, though his mother died too soon to instil her Principles into him,

This Impostor in the Alchoran calleth the Gentiles

Associators, [or such as join others with God as sharers and fellows in his government], because they worship Angels and men, in the place of Gods. He giveth the like name to the Jews, because of their high venerati∣on for Ezra, whom in his uncharitable opinion they had set up as the fellow of the Deity. He also calleth the Christians Associators, by reason of the Trinity which they worship: His blasphemous pride dethroning Christ, and setting up himself as a greater Prophet.

He perpetually inculcated the worship of one God; and this is one of the forty conditions on which he promised Paradise to his Disciples.

If they bear wit∣ness, that there is no God but the one supreme God, and that he is his Apostle a 1.9.

His Ministers when they call the people to prayers, cry Alla, Achbar Alla; that is, God, the Highest God; not Alla oua Kubar Alla, God and Venus their Deity, as some have ima∣gined b 1.10; as if they had worshipped their Gentile Allath, Cabar or Cubar, after they had become the Dis∣ciples of Mahomet. Elmacinus c 1.11 summing up the pre∣cepts of Mahomet, beginneth in this manner:

Maho∣met in the forty-fourth year of his age published his Call, [his pretended commission from God]; for be∣fore that time he had secretly invited the people to his Religion. In the publication of it, First, he taught them to believe in God alone. Secondly, to worship and adore him. Thirdly, he destroyed the worship of Idols.

In the forty-first Surata of the Alchoran, he condemneth the worship of Angels. And this worship (saith Beidari d 1.12) he abolished first at Mecca. For Images he was so severe against the worship of them, that he forbad all Statues and Pictures; a Law by which the Grand Signior loseth much glory and ornament in his Empire. He brake in pieces e 1.13 with his own hands a wooden Dove found in Caaba; he sent Chaledus to

destroy the Idol Alozza a 1.14 Chaledus pull'd down the house [or Temple], and burnt the Image or Tree with fire. Thence a Daemoness issued out with great excla∣mation, and he smote her with his sword; which when he had reported to Mahomet, he assured him that that Daemoness was Alozza, whose worship should thenceforth cease.

Notwithstanding all this, his Disciples are accused of a double Idolatry.

First, They are accused as worshippers of their Prophet in the quality of the highest Lieutenant of God. And Mahomet himself gave the occasion of this worship, by teaching them this Creed, That there is one God, and Mahomet his Prophet: setting himself as it were at Gods right hand. It is most notorious that they pray frequently to him; and they pray not only to him to intercede for them with God, but to give them present assistance by virtue of the commission which he hath received from God. For this it seems is one of their Forms in which they pray for the Grand Signior b 1.15:

God make you victorious over your enemies, and may our good Prophet pour down his blessing into your heart.

And in this worship they offend two ways, for they give the honour to Maho∣met of a power which God hath not bestowed by com∣mission upon him, and which he hath not in himself as he is a creature of his kind. And they give this honour not meerly to an Hero, but to the wicked soul of a vile Impostor.

Secondly, They are accused as worshippers of the Tomb of their Prophet. I have not read in any good Author that they bow or kneel to it as to an object of worship. And yet I find it said of them by Cornelius Curtius, c 1.16, That they worship the Urn of their Pro∣phet. He (I confess) is not a competent witness, for a

little before having asserted a summus cultus, that is, sure, supreme worship, to be merited by the Nails of the Cross; a 1.17; he saith of the Jews, that they in such manner venerated the rod of Aaron, the two Tables of stone, and the Ark of the Covenant. Yet this, methinks, may be pronounced against them as a righteous sen∣tence: That if they expect (as they appear to do) some extraordinary blessing at the Tomb at Mecha, by virtue of the commission of their Prophet, and of the Maho∣metan Religion, they exercise a religious trust in that which is a lie; and they are tempted, as often as the e∣vent prayed for succeeds their Pilgrimage and Devoti∣on, to give thanks to an Impostor, for whose sake God does not, will not hear them. And such trust and thanks are highly dishonourable to the true God, who dwells not in any Shrine, and delights not in any false Prophet. Such Idolatrous trust some of them seem to put in the Magical coins or gems which are used by them. Many of them are mentioned by Hottinger, b 1.18, and amongst them one which contained the names of twenty Surata's in circular form, and a prayer, of which the following words are a part.

Shew me—that which is hidden in thy bosom, Oh thou who art indu'd with majesty and honour.

I see nothing of moment to be further said by me in this Argument; and therefore I here conclude it. And happy were it for the world if the superstition of Ma∣homet might have as speedy an end. The like may be said of that kind of Idolatry which hath infected many who profess the true or Christian Religion: And that false worship is my next Subject.

Notes

• b 1.1

  De Idol. Arab∣vide Abul Fara∣jium de Orig. & mor. Arab. & not. Pocock. p. 89, &c.
• c 1.2

  Alkor. Sur. 51.
• d 1.3

  See Seld. de Diis Syr. Synt. 2. c. 2. p. 253.
• e 1.4

  Hotting. Hist. Oriental. l. 1. c. 7. de Rel. vet. Arab. p. 153.
• f 1.5

  Herod. l. 3. p 185. D. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• g 1.6

  Id. l. 1. p 62. D. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• a 1.7

  Hotting. Hist. Orient. p. 156.
• b 1.8

  Tertull. in Apolog. sect. 24. p. 24. Ed. Par. 1664. Unic•…•…i{que} etiam Provinciae & Civitati suus Deus est, ut Sy∣riae Astartes, ut Arabiae Disa∣res, &c.
• a 1.9

  Muha•…•…ed Ben Abibecher, (who receiv'd as is said, the forty Apo∣thegms of Ma∣homet, from his mouth,) in Hott. de Pseud•…•… Mah. Initlo. l. 2. c. 3. p. 249.
• b 1.10

  Ap. Sold•…•… de Diis Syr. Syntag. 2. c. 4. De Venere Syri∣ac. p. 286, 287.
• c 1.11

  Elmacin. Hist. Saracen. l. 1. c. 1. p. 3.
• d 1.12

  Ap. Hott. de Rel. vet. Arab. p. 158.
• e 1.13

  Pocock. in Abul Phar. p. 98.
• a 1.14

  Id. ibid. p. 91.
• b 1.15

  M. Guilla∣•…•…ier's Voy. to Athens, p. 165.
• c 1.16

  Curt. de Cla∣vis Dominicis. c. 12. p. 131. Mahumetani Prophetae sui urnam—colunt.
• a 1.17

  Id. ibid. Ai•…•… at{que} iterùm ai•…•…, Sacratissimos Red. nostri Cla∣vos cultum & eum summum mereri. Ità He∣braei olim vir∣gam Aaronis, &c.
• b 1.18

  Hotting ci•…•…. Hebr. p. 150, 151, 152, 153, &c.