given them, viz. Abraham, Mofes, David, Jefus Chrift, "and Mahomet: that these books were fent to thefe five "prophets by the angel Gabriel; and each, when it came, su"perfeded the tie of the other; that these books were either "fent by little and little, as the Alcoran ; or by diftinct "books, as the five of Mofes; or altogether, as the Gospel. "That when God took any of these prophets to himself, he "took the facred book alfo, and only left a copy, except the "Alcoran; which, being the last book that was to be given, "was preserved. Hence they imagine no truly divine book << on earth, but the Alcoran. They neverthelefs very much. "refpect our Old and New Teftament, kifs them, and lay "them upon their heads. They acknowledge them to con"tain many truths, but they allow them not fo much autho"rity; because they say, they are not the fame which the pro"phets Mofes and Jefus delivered, but fome corrupted abridg"ments. Hence the Mahometan doctors hold the reading of "them vain and unprofitable; and fome of them judge it cri"minal." And a little after; " As to the Gofpel, which "they call Ingil, they hold, that Chrift took it with him to "heaven again; that the Apoftles wrote down each of them " what they could remember; and that this is the Gospel "which the Chriftians have now, different from that which "Chrift took up to heaven, and only an historical account of "what that prophet said and did; which hath been fince cor"rupted in many places by the firft Chriftians. To prove "this, they fay, we need do no more than compare the Gof"pel with the other facred books; for in them God ftill "fpeaks, and not the prophet; whereas the Gospel is nothing "but a hiftory of what the prophet did. They add, that the "true Gospel began with these words, O prophet, I have " fent my messenger, or angel, before thee, to prepare the way, "&c. An idle fancy, founded upon the first words of St. "Mark's Gofpel."

So Mahomet fays himself. Alcoran, ch. 25. p. 281.

Agreeable to the preceding account of Sir John Chardin, is that of Mr. Herbelot in his Bibliotheque Orientale in French a. "By the word Gospel (in their language Ingil) "in the Alcoran, the Musfulmen do not understand that which ❝is among the Chriftians, for they believe that corrupted; "but a chimerical Gofpel, which, they fay, was fent from God

by Jefus Christ, and of which there is nothing remaining but "what is cited from the Alcoran-That which they cite "from the Gofpel, whether hiftorical or doctrinal, hath fome "foundation in our Gofpels; but they always give it fome (c new turn, that it may not appear to be borrowed from the "Chriftians, and that they may perfuade the ignorant that they "have among them the true originals, which they never yet "were able to produce-But they among them, who are better inftructed in Christianity, will confefs, that the Gof"pel which the Chriftians now have, as well as that which was in the time of Mahomet, is the true Gospel of Jefus "Christ, and has nothing else in it; only they affert, that it "is altered and corrupted by the Chriftians, as well as the "Old Teftament by the Jews."

Thus univerfal is the charge of the Mahometans against the Chriftians' Gospels, that they are altered and corrupted. It is avowed and efpoused by that intolerable sophist and juggler in writing, Mr. Toland; which, though it may be eafily anfwered by other arguments, seems no way capable of fo full an answer, as by the preceding account. For if, as I have largely proved, Mahomet took his account of Chrift out of Apocryphal and spurious books; and neither these accounts, nor any thing like them, are to be found in our present Gofpels; his followers were under a fort of neceffity of falling into this mistake concerning the Chriftian books: for when, upon a fearch made into them, they found none of those things which are faid concerning Chrift, or afcribed to Chrift in the Alcoran, they muft neceffarily believe, either (1.) That they were forgeries of Mahomet; or (2.) That he took them out of

Apud Fabric. loc. cit. p. 370, &c.

Some

fame fpurious and fabulous books; or (3.) That he took them out of the genuine Gospels, which are fince that time altered. But as no one can fuppofe they would conclude either of the former, they must inevitably conclude the laft; and fo we at once fee, 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 poffeffion (of which above, Part II. Ch. VIII.), is that referred to in the Alcoran, and by the Mahometans, is perfectly whimsical and ridiculous; for befides 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 fayings and hiftories of CHRIST, and observations thereupon, it may not be unsuitable to add the four Sayings or Difcourfes afcribed to CHRIST by the Mahometan doctors, which are collected by Levinus Warner 2, and referred to by Mr. Toland in his Nazarenus, and afterwards tranfcribed by Fabricius. They are these :

III.

IV.