1

My object in these discourses has been not to prove that Mahomet was an impoftor, for that will not be difputed; but to show, in the first place, that with natural advantages greatly fuperior to thofe of Jesus, Mahomet, having the ambition to be the founder of a new religion, with the knowledge of Christianity, and a persuasion of its divine origin, was fo far from making any improvement upon it, that every thing that is really valuable in his fyftem was derived from it, and that whenever he departed from its principles, every thing that he advanced was wild and abfurd. Hence I infer that the great fuperiority of the religion of Jefus cannot be accounted for but by fuppofing that he had advantages of a fupernatural kind.

Secondly, the manner in which the two religions were promulgated and propagated fhews that the founders of them acted on quite different and even oppofite principles, The conduct of Jefus fhews in the clearest light, that he was confcious of a divine miffion; and that of Mahomet, that he was

not.

not. Their proceedings in making converts were accordingly very different.

Mahomet by his aufterities acquired a character for divine communications, at first with his relations and near friends; and it was only in a long courfe of time that this belief was propagated to others, and as foon as by this means, and his perfonal address and accomplishments, he had acquired a fufficient number of followers, he proceeded to the ufe of force.

On the contrary, Jefus had no recourfe to aufterity, or any peculiarity in his manner of living or acting; the converfion of his relations or friends was no particular object with him; but the tokens of his miffion were fuch as in a very fhort time convinced the most incredulous."

Mahomet led his followers to war and plunder. Jefus taught his difciples peace and fubmiffion in this world, and to look for their reward only in the world to come. Jefus commanded his difciples to love their enemies, Mahomet ordered his followers to put all theirs to the fword. His followers were

exposed

exposed to very little fuffering, but those of Jefus to the lofs of every thing valuable in life, and often of life itself,

If we confider the characters of the two men, the great fuperiority of that of Jefus is manifeft. Mahomet, though not without religion, had nothing of that rational and humble piety which eminently diftinguished Jefus nor did he difcover any marks of that ardent and difinterefted love of mankind in general, or even of his difciples in particular, which led Jefus to fuffer and die for them. Mahomet's paffions of luft and revenge, the fufpicion of which never fell upon Jefus, render him a very improper object of imitation; whereas Jefus exhibited in his life a perfect pattern of every human virtue,

Whence then could arife this great difference in the characters, and the conduct, of those two men, equally the founders of new systems of religion? The only hypothefis that can account for the fact is, that the consciousness which Jefus had of his peculiar and near relation to God, gave him that spirit of habitual devotion which is the genuine parent

parent of every other virtue; and the fure profpect of a great future reward gave him his fuperiority to all lower gratifications and pursuits. On the contrary, Mahomet, conscious that he was an impoftor, could have no other object than worldly power and fenfual indulgence; and, whatever might be his devotion at his outfet, he afterwards retained no more of it than was fubfervient to his schemes; and at length, as was probably the cafe with Oliver Cromwell, his religion was intirely fwallowed up by his ambition.

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE VI.

The Genuineness of the Book of Daniel, and his Prophetic Character, Vindicated.

PART I.

Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth, Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and fledfaft for ever, and his kingdom that which fhall not be destroyed, and his dominion fhall be even unto the end.

DANIEL Vi. 26, &c.

OF all the ancient prophets Daniel announces the greatest variety of particular future events, though the language of his prophecies is enigmatical, and therefore obfcure; in which it differs from that of all the preceding prophets. Whatever it was that Ifaiah, Jeremiah, and the others, foretold, it was in the moft intelligible language. Such is what we find in their writings relating to the future condition of