WHAT purposes the Mahometan revelation is, or is calculated to be, fubfervient to, or what arguments and evidences it's votaries have to produce for the fupport of it's divine character, I know not: and therefore, as I have not whereon to ground this conclufion, viz. that the Mahometan revelation is divine; fo I have not whereon to conclude the contrary; nor does it appear to be a matter of concern to me, whether it be one, or the other of these.

As to the want of miracles, with refpect to the Mahometan revelation, it does not appear, to me, to be a negative proof that fuch revelation is not divine. The Deity is at liberty, when he gives a revelation, whether miraculous power shall attend it, and be prefent with it, or not; and, as we cannot be certain that God has tied himself to this rule, viz. that, whenever he gives a revelation, miraculous power fhall always attend the promulgation of it; therefore, the want of miracles cannot be a proof that a revelation is not divine; nor do I know whether the advocates for the Mahometan revelation have any miracles to appeal to, as evidences of it's divine original. To say, that miracles are a proper fence and fecurity against

delufion and impofition, is, in my opinion, groundlessly urged; because miracles, or the pretence of them, (which, perhaps, perfons at a distance either of time or place cannot eafily and with certainty distinguish one from the other) thefe answer the contrary pur-pofe, as they become a plaufible pretext to that delufion and impofition which is, or has been grounded upon them; in which it is allowed, at least by Proteftants, that the church of Rome has been abundantly fruitful. Were miracles to be admitted as proper evidences of a divine character, then, as the pretence of them is most easy, and is always at hand, when any thing favourable offers that will countenance fuch pretence; fo, to prove them cheats may be exceeding difficult, in a multitude of cafes. And, as the fuppofition, of a divine character being annexed to a revelation, carries fuch weight with it as to command the regard of those who go feriously into the belief of it; fo, the admitting miracles to be a proper ground for fuch belief is most hazardous; and, indeed, is of dangerous confequence, as it opens a wide door to religious frauds and impofitions, the grounds of which the bulk of mankind are not difpofed, nor, perhaps, well qua

lified carefully to examine; fo that the pretence miracles seems to be a proper foundation for the building religious cheats upon, and which the bulk of the people are in great danger of being betrayed by. Befides, a juft and proper fenfe of the moral character of the Deity, by which alone the divine conduct can with certainty be judged of, is a much better ground and fecurity against delufion and impofition, at leaft all that is hurtful; and may with much more safety be relied on, than miracles can poffibly be. Nevertheless, though we, at this distance, may not have whereon to ground this conclufion, viz. that the Mabometan revelation is divine; nor, perhaps, whereon to ground the contrary; yet, the pretence of the propriety and fitness of a divine interpofition, at that time, feems as plaufible, perhaps, as moft other pretences of that kind. The Christian fect, at that time, had, in fome men's opinions, greatly corrupted natural religion; or, at least, a great number of Chriftians, at that time, diffented from the reft of the world in what fome esteem to be a fundamental article of natural religion, viz. the unity of God; by paying their highest refpect to a treble Deity s

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Deity; that is, to a Deity compounded of three distinct individual intelligences or perfons, whofe complex idea is exprest by the term Trinity. For, though the doctrine of a trine or treble Deity was not maintained by all Chriftians; yet, as great contests took place with regard to the number of perfons that conftitute the fupreme God; fo, I apprehend that the bulk of the people, at least the most powerful, carried it for a treble Deity. And, indeed, at that time, it was not very likely that the matter would stop here, there being rather a great deal of danger of their proceeding farther, by their adding to, and placing another perfon in the Godhead, viz. the Virgin Mary; and thereby of multiplying a treble into a quarudple Deity. The zeal and piety of those times ran to a great length in favour of the Virgin Mary; infomuch that they gave her the ftile and title of the mother of God, they pronounced her to be immaculate, they confidered her as having authority over her fon (who is the fecond perfon in the Trinity) by praying to her to lay her commands upon him, a multitude of prayers and other acts of devotion were directed to her; and nothing feemed wanting to compleat the extravagancy

travagancy of their zeal, but the uniting or joining the perfon of the virgin to the other, three, and thereby making her the fourth perfon in the Godhead, which would have conftituted a quadruple Deity. And as the human judgment was greatly misled at that time, or, at leaft, that was judged by fome to be the cafe; fo men's affections and actions became greatly vitiated thereby; infomuch that they not only with-held their hands from performing thofe kind offices, one to another, which the previous obligations of nature called for from them; but they alfo put off humanity itself, if I may fo fpeak, and became beasts of prey to each other; the fpirit of love, as it were, ceahing to be the characteristic of a Christian, by a fpirit of malice and ill-will's taking place of it. For as, at that time, difputes and controverfies on the fore-mentioned subject took place; fo the difputants did not bear with, and forbear one another in love, but, on the contrary, they fell foul one of another, and that not only by flander and defamation, but also by acts of violence and cruelty. Now, whether, and how far the Mahometan revelation was a proper remedy for the aforefaid evils, if they may be fo called;