*

of men; together with many moral precepts. Thus he united by this mixture all the four religions of his paternal country; and thereby procured a more easy admittance for his new doctrine. Further, he established his religion in fuch a manner that it did not excite against itself the paf fions of men, but on the contrary flattered them in various ways. According to his fyftem the fum of religion confifted in the performance of certain corporeal ceremonies-purifications, the recital of certain prayers, alms, fafts, and pilgrimages to Mecca. It was truly much easier to perform these than to restrain lufts, to fupprefs all finful appetites, and to confine those which are innocent within their proper bounds. He attributed fuch a value to these mechanical ceremonies, that he supposed atonement to be thereby made for every crime and every fin. Such a doctrine, fo extremely

1

tremely accommodating to the finful paffions of every kind; together with the permiffion of polygamy and capricious divorce; and the promise of a full enjoyment of grofs, fenfual luxu ries in a future life, brought more men under his fubjection than could have been effected by a moderate army.And lastly, Mahomet was not fo much a Prophet as a Soldier. He endeavoured to propagate his religion not through arguments, he did not address it to the understanding; but he appealed to arms, and made it a fundamental law of his religion to wage inceffant war against unbelievers; and, fhould they refufe either to become Mahometans, or to purchase a freedom of religion from the hands of the faithful, by the payment of a certain tribute, to decide the matter with the fword.

f See the Coran, ch. ix.

Under

Under fuch circumftances it would have been a phenomenon most wonderful and at variance with the whole analogy of hiftory, if the doctrine of the prophet of Arabia had experienced an unhappy, or even a lefs fortunate, fate. But that an hiftory, and a religion founded thereon,-which was diametrically opposed to all the modes of divine fervice that exifted at the time of its origin; and could be established on nothing else but on their ruinswhich demanded from its followers under the punishment of eternal mifery, a perfect change in the whole train of their thoughts; a deteftation of all unchafte pleasures, fornication, adultery, polygamy, wanton and diffolute divorce; the abfolute avoidance of all ambitious, covetous and avaritious projects and concerns; and which placed the effence of the true worship of God not in vifible ceremonies, but in a pure, humble, philanthropic, and truly virtuous

Сс

virtuous mind :-that a religion, which was fupported by no powerful men; but was preached by thirteen poor, defpifed and illiterate perfons; that this religion; without any the leaft poffible affiftance of worldly power; without any active compulfion; but, on the contrary, under the greatest oppreffion, afflictions and torments of its fupporters; fhould have prevailed over the whole nation of the Jews and the united power of the Romans; thould have acquired in a few years many thousand followers; foon afterwards fpread itself into the fartheft parts of the North and Weft; and laftly should have fubjected even kings and emperours, together with the greatest and moft civilized nations: this is an event which has not its parallel in all hif tory; and can by no means be ex plained, without calling to our aid a

I fpeak, here of its firft propagation.

moft

moft extraordinary fupport of the Almighty.

After what has been faid, it is almoft incomprehenfible how Lord Bolingbroke could object against the Chriftian religion, that it had produced no effects worthy of a divine origin. What kind of effects is then demanded? • If the revelations (fays Bolingbroke") which have been pretended, had not been pretended only-the neceffary confequence would have been, that the fyftem of religion and government would have been uniform through the whole world.' And why? Because the divine Omnipotence' would have impofed it on all mankind, fo às neceffarily to engage their affent.' But God never acts in this manner in the government of the world as far as we are acquainted with it. He has given us, as Bolingbroke confeffes, à natural revelation of

Works, vol. iv. p. 224. iWorks, vól. v. p. 261-267. CC 2

his