Discourses Relating to the Evidence of Revealed Religion (Volume 3) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1799. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... DISCOURSE V. Of the Principles and Evidences of Mahometanifm compared with those of Christianity. PART I. 'They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.-- Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error, i John iv. 5. AS things are set in the clearest: light by means of contrast, or a comparison with their opposites, I propose in a series of discourses to compare the conduct of Mahomet, with respect to his pretended divine mission, with that of Jesus. And as very few Christians have given much attention to the subject of Mahometanism, which, at this distance from the professors of it, does not obtrude itself upon us, it is probable that the difference between the conduct of Mahomet and that of Jesus, being a circumstance but little known, may strike some persons with R 2 peculiar peculiar force. Unbelievers must fee that these two men conducted themselves in a very different manner, and therefore that they must have acted on different principles, and have had a different consciousness with respect to their pretensions; and therefore, that if one of them was an impostor (as Mahomet in this part of the world is universally acknowledged to have been), the probability is, that the other was not. All, however, that I would say is, that the consideration of the history of Mahomet furnishes a probable argument, of the internal kind, for the truth of the Christian religion; the history of Jesus with respect to the promulgation of his religion having been the reverse of that of Mahomet. Also as but few, either of unbelievers in Christianity, or of Christians, give themselves the trouble to read the Koran, I shall produce pretty copious extracts from it, that you may form a better idea of this celebrated work than can be...