same time Jesus took the form and appearance of Simon, and stood by laughing at their mistake. This we find in Irenæus, Tertullians, and Epiphanius t; and I have above proved ", that there were a sect of Christians called Docetæ, in the very beginning of the second century, for this reason, that they thought Christ did not really suffer, but only in appearance. This opinion of Christ, I have shewn in the place cited, was very probably in the Gospel of Basilides, and the Gospel of Peter, if they were not the same book; and the incomparable Photius tells us, he read it in so many words in the spurious Acts of the Apostles, forged by Leucius Charinus x. From all which I argue that Mahomet, or his assistants for him, dealt in apocryphal books, and took this passage thence; because there were not, that I know of, at that time in the world, any set of persons who entertained that impious opinion, that Christ did not suffer, from whom they could have it. I cannot forbear remarking here, that though Mahomet, according to his apocryphal books, does in this place deny the death and crucifixion of Christ, affirming another was crucified in his room, and he immediately translated by God to heaven; yet in another place, viz. that above produced, No. II. he introduces God himself, saying to Jesus, I will cause thee to die, I will raise thee to myself, &c. than which nothing can be a more palpable and gross contradiction. But the Alcoran is exceeding full of such, and so are those apocryphal books out of which it was compiled. Thus I have endeavoured to shew whence Mahomet took his accounts of Christ. If any should yet inquire, why he did not cite and name the apocryphal books from which he borrowed? I answer, 1. That he was ever willing to gratify and be complacent to the Christians: this is a common observation; and as dean Prideaux well observes y, It was his usage through the whole scene of his imposture, to flatter the Christians on all occasions. Now to have cited those accounts out of books, as of authority r Adv. Hæres. 1. 1. c. 23. • De Præscr. adv. Hær. c. 46. t Hæres. 24. §. 3. " Par. II. Ch. XXI. * See the place produced at large in the place last cited. y Life of Mahomet, p. 53. et 132. among the Christians, which really were not so, but instead of that rejected by them, would have exposed him to their severest resentment, and so obstructed the reception of his scheme. 2. The truth is, Mahomet durst not with safety to his design cite any book. His doing this had been a proof that he was able either to read himself, or had some assistants with him in the compiling of his work; both of which he denied, as his followers do still; who, when they are pressed, how without miracles they can prove his mission, give this answer, That instead of all miracles is the Alcoran: for that Mahomet, who was an illiterate person, that could neither write nor read, or that any man else, by human wisdom alone, should be able to compose a book so excellent in eloquence and doctrine, as they will have that to be, is what they will not admit possible z. COROLL. I. From the foregoing discourse it is easy to see the reason and foundation of the Mahometans charging the Christians with having altered and corrupted the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a charge frequently laid against us in the Alcoran, (see Chap. III. p. 100. Chap. V. p. 129.) and has been commonly observed by those who have wrote of the Mahometans. See Grotius a, Forbes b, Prideaux, Toland 4, and Mangeye. Sir John Chardin f gives us a more particular account; the substance of which is, "That though God hath "sent into the world 124,000 prophets, there were only five of "them who had the laws of public worship given them, viz. Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus Christ, and Mahomet: that "these books were sent to these five prophets by the angel "Gabriel; and each, when it came, superseded the tie of the "other; that these books were either sent by little and little, "as the Alcoran 8; or by distinct books, as the five of Moses; "or altogether, as the Gospel. That when God took. any of "these prophets to himself, he took the sacred book also, and z Prideaux's Life of Mahomet, p. 31. De Verit. Relig. Christ. 1. 6. §. 3. b Institut. Histor. Theolog. lib. 4. c. 4, &c. Life of Mahomet, p. 15, 16. d Nazarenus, ch. 4. • Remarks on Nazaren. c. 6. f Travels to Persia and the East Indies. Vid. Fabric. Cod. Apocr. P. 3. p. 367. So Mahomet says himself. Alcoran, ch. 25. p. 281. only left a copy, except the Alcoran; which, being the last "book that was to be given, was preserved. Hence they ima"gine no truly divine book on earth, but the Alcoran. They "nevertheless very much respect our Old and New Testa❝ment, kiss them, and lay them upon their heads. They ac"knowledge them to contain many truths, but they allow them "not so much authority; because they say, they are not the "same which the prophets Moses and Jesus delivered, but some corrupted abridgments. Hence the Mahometan doctors "hold the reading of them vain and unprofitable; and some "of them judge it criminal." And a little after, "As to the "Gospel, which they call Ingil, they hold, that Christ took it "with him to heaven again; that the apostles wrote down each "of them what they could remember; and that this is the "Gospel which the Christians have now, different from that "which Christ took up to heaven, and only an historical ac"count of what that prophet said and did; which hath been "since corrupted in many places by the first Christians. To prove this, they say, we need do no more than compare the Gospel with the other sacred books; for in them God still 66 speaks, and not the prophet; whereas the Gospel is nothing "but a history of what the prophet did. They add, that the "true Gospel began with these words, O prophet, I have sent "my messenger, or angel, before thee, to prepare the way, &c. "An idle fancy, founded upon the first words of St. Mark's "Gospel." 66 Agreeable to the preceding account of sir John Chardin, is that of Mr. Herbelot in his Bibliotheque Orientale in French h. By the word Gospel (in their language Ingil) in the Alcc coran, the Mussulmen do not understand that which is "among the Christians, for they believe that corrupted; but a "chimerical Gospel, which, they say, was sent from God by "Jesus Christ, and of which there is nothing remaining but "what is cited from the Alcoran.That which they cite "from the Gospel, whether historical or doctrinal, hath some "foundation in our Gospels; but they always give it some new turn, that it may not appear to be borrowed from the Christians, and that they may persuade the ignorant that they h Apud Fabric. loc. cit. p. 370, &c. "have among them the true originals, which they never yet "were able to produce-But they among them, who are "better instructed in Christianity, will confess, that the Gospel "which the Christians now have, as well as that which was in "the time of Mahomet, is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, and "has nothing else in it; only they assert, that it is altered and "corrupted by the Christians, as well as the Old Testament by "the Jews." Thus universal is the charge of the Mahometans against the Christians' Gospels, that they are altered and corrupted. It is avowed and espoused by that intolerable sophist and juggler in writing, Mr. Toland; which, though it may be easily answered by other arguments, seems no way capable of so full an answer, as by the preceding account. For if, as I have largely proved, Mahomet took his account of Christ out of apocryphal and spurious books; and neither these accounts, nor any thing like them, are to be found in our present Gospels; his followers were under a sort of necessity of falling into this mistake concerning the Christian books: for when, upon a search made into them, they found none of those things which are said concerning Christ, or ascribed to Christ in the Alcoran, they must necessarily believe, either (1.) That they were forgeries of Mahomet; or (2.) That he took them out of some spurious and fabulous books; or (3.) That he took them out of the genuine Gospels, which are since that time altered. But as no one can suppose they would conclude either of the former, they must inevitably conclude the last; and so we at once see, how it came to pass they charged our scriptures with corruption, and how groundless that charge is. COROLL. II. Hence it appears, that Mr. Toland's notion in his Nazarenus, that the Gospel of Barnabas, which is in prince Eugene's possession, (of which above, Part II. Chap. VIII.) is that referred to in the Alcoran, and by the Mahometans, is perfectly whimsical and ridiculous; for besides that that Gospel appears plainly a late Mahometan forgery, it is evident Mahomet took his accounts from other books. After my preceding collection out of the Alcoran, of the sayings and histories of CHRIST, and observations thereupon, it may not be unsuitable to add the four Sayings or Discourses |