his religion had fwallowed up the numerous and flourishing churches in the Eaft; overflowed the Weft; and was become the terror of united Chriftendom. This event is truly aftonishing; and the enemies of Chriftianity have Inot failed to make use of it as an argument to fhew that there was nothing miraculous in the extenfion of the re

ligion of Jefus. But in this they have either not known, or have anxiously fuppreffed, the connections and means of affiftance which favoured Mahomet, and which leave nothing wonderful in the fuccefs of his doctrine.-Mahomet came into the world exactly at the time proper for his purpofes. Religion in Arabia Felix, the paternal country of his new system, was then in the most deplorable state,

e Boulainvilliers, Vie de Mahomed, avec des reflexions fur la religion Mahomedane, et les coutumes des Mufulmans. Amsterdam. 2d edit. 1731, in 8vo. P. 442.

The inhabitants of the country were divided into four religious parties. Some of them were devoted to the idolatrous worship of the Sabians, who adored the stars as divinities: and others to Zendicifm, or the idolatry of the Magi, who worshipped fire. The Jewish religion had a great many followers, who treated the others with much cruelty. And the Chriftians who were refident there at that time, formed principally an affemblage of different heretical fects, who had taken refuge among this free people, because they were not tolerated in the Roman empire. Under fuch a distracted ftate of religion, it would have been highly wonderful if Mahomet had not procured in a fhort time a numerous train of followers. The Chriftian religion, on the contrary, received its origin in a country where the only true God was worfhipped, and the Mofaic law (which it abrogated) univerfally revered. The political

political State of the world at the period when Mahomet appeared was uncommonly favourable to a new conqueror. The Western part of Roman empire was then overflowed by the Goths; and the Eaftern fo weakened through the Huns and Perfians, that it could refift no vigorous attack; without taking into confideration the abfurd fuperftition, the horrid contests, and blood-thirsty fpirit of perfecution which had then almoft entirely extinguifhed Chriftianity. In the Perfian empire exifted ruinous internal commotions which were excited principally through the impious doctrine of Manes, and the defolating principles of Mazdack, who, a fhort time before the appearance of Mahomet, had given himself out for a prophet, and introduced a community of wives and of property. But at the time of the Apostles the power of the Romans was ftill in its meridian height, and had

united almoft the whole globe under

its fovereignty.

Again, Arabia was very populous; many Jews and Chriftians had taken refuge there from other kingdoms where they had been perfecuted by the prevailing fects. The Arabians were a free people; not devoted like other nations to the extravagances of luftful pleasures, but temperate and hardy, and therefore properly qualified for new conquefts. This brave people was at that time divided into separate tribes, who were all independent, and connected with one another in no political union: a circumftance which uncommonly facilitated the conquefts of Mahomet. Mahomet himself was defcended from a family of much power and confequence; and by a marriage with an opulent widow became one of the richeft men in Mecca. He was endowed with fine and politic talents; and from the various journies which

he

he made in his mercantile concerns, had acquired a perfect acquaintance with the conftitution of the country.He compounded his new religious fyf tem out of all the four prevailing religions of Arabia. From the idolatry of the Sabians and Magi he took the divine celebration of Friday, and of the four months in the year; the pilgri mage to Mecca, together with different fuperftitious fables concerning the refurrection of the dead and the laft judgment. From the Jews he bor rowed many tales, particularly concerning angels; numerous purifications and fafts; the prohibition of certain kinds of food and of ufury; the permiffion of polygamy and of capricious divorce. From the Chriftian fects he derived a variety of doctrinal tenets as well falfe as true, concerning the divine decrees; the authority of Jefus and of the Evangelifts; the refurrection of the body; the univerfal judgment

of