Memorabilia mundi, or, Choice memoirs of the history and description of the world by G.H.

Out of the Description of the Turkish EMPIRE.

WE will take notice of their Re∣ligion, how it is a meer Cou∣zenage thrust upon the filly people by the impious subtilty of one Mahomet, whose story is well worth our know∣ledge, and may cause us to commiserate the desperate Estate of those ignorant, yet perverse and bloudy Antichristi∣ans.

His place of Birth is questioned, whe∣ther he were a Cirenick, an Arabian, or Persian, it is not yet fully decided; cer∣tain enough it is he was of base Parents, his Father (some say) a Worshipper of Devils, and his Mother a faithless Jew, betwixt them they sent into the World a pernicious deceiver (which none but two such Religions could have made up.) In the year 597. when he had been for a while thus instructed by his

distracted Parents, poverty and hope to improve his Fortunes, perswaded him from his Native soil, to live for another while among true professed Christians, where he received so much knowledge of the Word, and light of the Gospel, as to pervert it to his destruction, and ruine of many Millions of souls.

In his first adventurous travels a∣broad, he fell into the hands of thee∣vish Saracens, which sold him to a Jew∣ish Merchant, and he imployed him to drive his Camels through Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and other forrain Countries, where he still gathered farther instru∣ctions of that truth which he intended to abuse. His wickedness first brake forth into fraud, open Theft and Ra∣pine, and other sins of highest rank, in which he continued and seduced others, till the death of his Master, and after marryed his Aged, but rich Mistress.

He had means now to act his malicious purposes, and wealth to countenance his exceeding Pride, which would not be

satisfied with a lower Ambition, then to be called a Prophet of God. This he began to practice, by the Counsel of one Sergius a Monk, who being cast out for Heresie from Constantinople, betook himself into Arabia, and joyned in with Mahomet to make up this mischief per∣fect: see now their Juggling. There wanted no craft betwixt them, to make use of his worst actions to gull the sim∣ple. For when by his debaucht drinking and gluttony, he was fallen into an Epi∣lepsie, and in his fits lay (Bear like) gro∣velling and foaming upon the Earth, as one without sense; he pretended an Exta-like swoon, wherein his soul was wrapped from his body, in which he con∣verst with Gabriel an Angel from Hea∣ven. To make this familiarity with God the more to be believed, he had bred up a Dove to take her meat from his ear, which he most blasphemously professed to be the Holy Ghost, who in such times and in that shape infused the prophesies which he was to preach. Lastly, what

they in their wicked fancies had concei∣ved, and meant to propagate, they di∣gested into a Volume, and called it the Alcoran.

For this too they had a trick, that it might seem to have been sent from Heaven into the hands of Mahomet; and to this purpose he had himself fed up a tame Bull, which by custom became so familliar, that no sooner he heard the voice of his Master, but he would straight run, cast the head in his lap, and use his wanton dalliance as with a Fel∣low. Betwixt the horns of this Bull, had he fastned the Alcoran, and conveyed him into a by-place, near where he had assembled the Multitude at a set time, to expect a wonderful Miracle from Heaven that might confirm his Prophe∣cy. The Scene thus ordered, on the sudden he lift up his voice, and made a loud cry, which no sooner the beast heard, but he brake his way through the Press, over-turned many of the Specta∣tors, which now stood at a gaze, and

gently laid his horns and book in the bo∣som of this false couzener, which he with much ceremony, and feigned Reverence received, and in their presence opening the Volume, began to interpret the chief of their Laws, which for hereafter they were to observe.

Circumcision he allowed, and with the old Law forbad Swines flesh, that he might with more ease lead on such as were Jewish; he suffered him∣self to be baptized by Sergius, that the Christian too might have in some mea∣sure his content: Moses and our Savi∣our he denyed not to be great Pro∣phets, but that neither party might e∣mulate the greater observance of other, and indeed especially that his own might seem new, and yet take place from both, he changed the circumsion of the Jews from the eighth day, and multiplyes baptism, which can be con∣ferred but once for all, upon the true believer. For the like reason of diffe∣rence with other Nations and Sects, he

left both the Jews Sabbath, and diem Christianorum Dominicum, and com∣mands his holy ceremonies to be cele∣brated on the Friday; for so it was, whent he Bull bestowed on him his Al∣caran. Before they enter the Temple, they wash all the unclean parts of their bodies, and then to prayer, which must be performed five times in a day with their face toward the South. They have a Months fast too once every year, but it is observed only for the day, for they may, when the Sun is down, redeem it with what gluttony they please; Wine is forbidden, only for a shew that he might not seem to have loved that which (he was guilty to himself) had brought him into his Epileptical fits. Briefly, what he knew would best agree with the brutish desires of the people, that he took order should be confirmed by his Laws, four or five Wives to eve∣ry Husband, and as many Concubines as they could maintain. For their bliss af∣ter life, he proposed no invisible de∣lights

which over reacht their under∣standing, but proportioned to each of their sensual thoughts. And promised to those which would keep his Law a Paradise of all kinds of pleasure, which they themselves most affected, to the covetous wealth, to the ambitious Ho∣nours, to the gluttenous Meats, to the Virgins rich attire, and embraces of An∣gels, the poor souls were never so fitted; and when he had thus for a long time discoursed over his Alcoran, he took a yoak from Sergius, and put it upon the Bulls neck; for it was fore-told by an Inscription brought by his door, that whosoever could yoke the Bull, it should be a sign to declare the man, as one sent from God, to govern his peo∣ple.

This huddle of Miracles put the Ga∣zers beyond all pause, so that in an in∣stant they cryed him up King, and held his companion in Reputation of a minor Prophet, called themselves Musulmanni; true believers, which the Turk still af∣fects,

rather than his right name of Turk, which imports banishment, and unpraids him the disgrace of his Original.

And now he hath past the difficulty of his attempt, an easie matter to draw on Millions of followers, such as would like that Religion best which baulkt not their pleasures; yet at last he met with an end answerable to his beginning, for he was poysoned by some of his own Fa∣mily.

He had long before prophesied, that he should be wonderfully conveyed to Heaven, and to make good his Fraud, had framed an Iron Chest for his Sepul∣chre, which he purposed should have been held up by force of a Load-stone placed in the top of the Temple, and by this means have appeared to the behol∣der to hang in the Air without any sup∣port. But this trick (it seems) was pre∣vented by death, yet they expected still his ascent to Heaven, till he stank upon Earth, so that at last they were forced to convey him into his Iron Coffin,

which remains to this day in Mecha a City of Persia, and is visited by the Turks, as the Sepulcher of our Saviour at Jerusalem by Pilgrim-Christians.