CHAPTER VIII.

VIEW, OF THE DEFECTS OF THE EVIDENCE IN FAVOUR OF THE MAHOMETAN RELIGION.

Connection of the proposed inquiry with the defign of this work.-Situation of the Roman and Perfian Empires.Genius and temper of the Arabs.-Illuftrious descent of the Impoftor.-Protected by his uncle the Prince of Mecca. -Advantageous marriage.-Qualifications of mind and body.-Conceives the defign of establishing a new religion. -Slow progrefs of this defign.-Danger.-Flight to Medina. Affumption of temporal power.-Inducements to his followers.- Plunder.-Paradise.-Predeftination.— Success in his wars. - Fanaticism of his followers accounted for.-Objects of worship changed, but modes of worship retained.-Doctrine of one Supreme God not new in Arabia.-No change in moral habits.-Senfual pleasures allowed.-Koran.-Extravagant claims in favour of it refuted.-Deficiency of internal and external evidence.Death of the Impoftor.-Appeal to infidels on behalf of our holy Religion.

AMONG other objects, propofed by

this work, I have endeavoured, whereever it has been practicable, to bring the fubftantial

fubftantial support of facts to the aid of argument. In the execution of my design, I have been occafionally led to confider, in what way persons, actually influenced by the motives which have been imputed to Jefus and his Apostles by the adversaries of Christianity, have invariably conducted themselves; and to fhew, in what particulars of times and of circumstances these persons, whether fanatics or impoftors, effentially differ from thofe, with whom they are too often confounded. By an honeft and undiffembling appeal to history, I would oppose to the enemies of revealed truth their favourite test of experience.

In this design, it would doubtlefs appear a confiderable omiffion, if I neglected an inquiry into the causes, which produced the fuccefs of the Arabian Impoftor; since that fuccefs has fometimes been confounded, by the defigning or the unthinking, with the fuccefs which attended the propagation of the Gofpel.

I SHALL therefore advert, as briefly as I can, to fome of the most discriminating circumftances, under which the Prophet of Arabia was enabled to execute his porten

tous

tous defigns; and thefe I fhall collect from unquestionable fources of information *.

THESE marked and distinct lines of feparation between the preaching of the Gospel and the propagation of the Koran will immediately be discovered, if we confider, Ift, The peculiar circumftances of the times in which Mahomet appeared; 2ndly, the temper and genius of the people to whom he addreffed himself; and, 3dly, his own natural and acquired advantages.

I. Ar the clofe of the fixth, and in the. commencement of the feventh, century, the powers which had fo long ruled the Eastern world, the Empire of Conftantinople and that of Perfia, were vifibly declining. The fame

As to the felection of materials for this chapter, which is chiefly hiftorical, the moft obftinate unbeliever, I think, will not object to the fources from which they are drawn. The writers here followed are Sale, who is allowed by Gibbon to be" half a Muffulman;" and Gibbon himself, who is not even half a Chriftian. I had not an opportunity, until very lately, of procuring the works to which they generally refer, Abulfeda and Abulpharagius, and their learned interpreters, Pocock and Gagnier: nor indeed fhould I think it neceffary to verify every quotation, as I have no fufpicion of being mifled by my guides. I have confulted Dr. Prideaux in his Life of Mahomet, and I have been inftructed and delighted by the Bampton Lectures of Dr. White. But I am not aware that I have ftated a fingle fact, which is not admitted by one, or both, of the Authors first mentioned.

Vol. V. p. 198. not. 65.

fame caufes feem to have contributed to the downfall, to which they were evidently verging. A long feries of conflicts with each other, inteftine confufion and disorder, general relaxation of discipline, and a prevalent corruption of morals, had been gradually fapping the foundation of the thrones, on which Justin and Chofroes were feated.

THE principles of weakness and difunion, by which the vigour of the Roman and Perfian monarchies was abated, had the oppofite effect of increafing the population and refources of Arabia: fince this country, lying contiguous to thofe once mighty Empires, afforded an asylum to the numerous victims of civil and ecclefiaftical tyranny. The exiles, whom the impolitic bigotry of the Greek Church, or the infupportable defpotifm of the Perfian prince, drove from their own homes, fought protection in a region, which from the earliest ages preferved many rude, but indelible, features of independence,

WITH this ftate of affairs in the neighbouring countries, the Arabians had the fulleft opportunities of becoming acquainted, not only by means of the fugi

tives to whom they performed offices of hofpitality, but from the actual observation of fuch of their countrymen as had ferved in the armies of the contending Emperors. "The hiftorians of the age of Juftinian represent the fate of the independent Arabs, who were divided by interest or affection in the long quarrel of the east. The tribe of Gaffan was allowed to encamp on the Syrian territory: the princes of Hira were permitted to form a city about forty miles to the fouthward of the ruins of Babylon. Their service in the field was speedy and vigorous; but their friendship was venal, their faith inconftant, their enmity capricious. It was an easier task to excite, than to disarm, these roving barbarians; and in the familiar intercourse of war, they learned to see, and to despise, the fplendid weakness both of Rome and of Perfia *."

II. IF we confider minutely the character and genius of the people to whom Mahomet first addreffed himself, the fuccefs of his fingular attempt will appear to be only commenfurate with the means employed for that purpose. The most striking features in the Arabian are his wild and

favage

Gibbon, Vol. V. p. 181. See alfo Sale, p. 37.