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Nor muft we imagine, that any creature, how excellent fever, can be the object of divine worship. Those who worfhip the ftars are not lefs idolaters than those who worship wood and ftone and thofe who worship angels are equally idolaters with those who worshipped the ftars. The idolatry of the latter is not fo grofs, but it is as real as that of the former: for idolatry confifts not in worshipping a mean creature, but any creature at all.

Now idolatry is a crime which fo violates the law of God, as wholly to destroy the spirit of piety. In truth it is directly oppofite to the two great ends of religion. It evidently oppofes the glory of God, spoiling him thereof to bestow it on a creature. It pposes our salvation; for the Scripture declares, Idolaters fhall not inherit the kingdom of heaven.

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Hence it follows, that the Chriftianity which we profess, is the corruption of the Christian religion, and that Mahometanism is the re-establishment of pure original Chriftianity. For if this religion when in its purity acknowledged Jesus Christ as a mere creature only, we turn it upfide down, when we worship Jefus Chrift as being effentially God Most High. And if the religion of those who worship him as the Supreme God, is thẹ corruption of Chriftianity; then Mahometanifm which fets Ged infinitely above Chrift, is in this respect, the re-establish. ment of it.

We allow, that Chriftianity confifts more in practice, than in bare abftracte i fpeculations. But can we treat as bare, abftracted fpeculations, principles of fo vaft importance, that according as they are falfe or true, we are idolaters, or we are not? If Jefus Chrift is Supreme God, he ought to be worfhipped as fuch. Nor can our adverfaries without the utmost impiety, refufe to acknowledge him as the Supreme, and to worship him under that character; but if he is not, we cannot without idolatry confound him with the Supreme God, The point in view is, To av id impiety or idolatry: confequently this is not a point of mere fpeculation, but closely connected with our practice, and that in things of the highest importance, VOL. XV. CHAP.

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That if Jefus Christ is not of the fame Effence with the Father, we must regard Mahomet as fent of God.

T has been fhewn, That if Jefus Chrift is not the Supreme

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God, Mahometanifm is, in this refpect at least, the reeftablishment of pure Chriftianity. If it may be faid, his religion is, in other respects, full of fiction and impofture: I afk, How came truth and error to make fo clofe an alliance ? Mahomet is an impoftor. We all acknowledge this but Mahomet has abolished idolatry. This we fuppofe: fee how two the most oppofite characters meet in one perfon! If Mahomet has undeceived the world with regard to the Chriftian idolatry (for fo I muft term the worship Chriftians pay to Christ, if he is not the Supreme Being) by what spirit did he fo great a work? By the Spirit of God, or the Spirit of the devil? If he acted by the Spirit of the devil, how came he to abolifh idolatry? If he acted by the Spirit of God, how is he an impoftor?

Heathen idolatry was overthrown before he appeared, by the preaching of the Apoftles and the firft Chriftians. It was not Mahomet therefore who did this. But it was he who

taught, That the Chriftians were idolaters, by worshipping Chrift as the Supreme God. He counted no pains more ef fential, than to recover those from their error, who under the name of Trinity, worshipped in effect more Gods than one. For it is thus he fpeaks in his Koran. Chrift then and his Apoftles were the reformers of the Heathen world by detroying Heathen idolatry. But Mahomet ought to be confidered as the reformer of the Chriftian, by deftroying the Chriftian id latry.

As then we fhould have been much amazed, if the Apoftles had deftroyed Heathen idolatry by preaching fables, is it not equally amazing, That Mahomet fhould have abolished the -Chriftian idolatry by impoftures.

Chrift declares, We are to know teachers by their fruits. Now, judging by this principle, we cannot but have a very high opinion of Mahomet, and acknowledge him as a great Prophet, if indeed he has taught men not to confound the Supreme God with a creature. He has enlightened many

nations and many ages. He has placed God on the throne of God, and the creature in the rank of a creature. What could be more holy than fuch a defign? What more grand than fuch a work?

Certainly, if Mahomet has enlightened the world, by fcattering the darkness of this deep fuperftition, it would be a great injury to conteft any of thofe titles which the Mufulmen give him: nay, we may boldly fay, he ought to be regarded as a teacher of truth, as a Prophet, as a greater Prophet than Jesus Christ himfelf! Strange paradoxes thefe? Yet they are certain and evident truths, if Jefus Christ is not the Supreme God.

I fay, a teacher of truth. None can doubt of this, fince he taught men the moft effential truth. This firft element of religion, "No creature ought to be worshipped as the Supreme God," is the ground of natural religion diftinguished from fuperftition, of the Jewish religion diftinguished from Heathen idolatry, and of the Chriftian religion in its purity. Mahomet then who has established his religion upon this grand principle, is not only a teacher of truth, but likewife a teacher who reeftablishes all thofe truths, which are most important and most effential to religion.

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"However you cannot deny, That Mahomet flatters our worft paffions, and is rather a carnal than a fpiritual teacher." If this is fo, how aftonishing is it, that fo much truth fhould be joined with fo much vice and impurity! For we know, that there is no communion between light and darkness: and confequently, that if Mahomet did not act by the fpirit of God, he acted by the fpirit of the world: if he did not act by the fpirit of the world, he acted by the Spirit of God. Let us then fearch in him for the characters of the one or the other of

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28 A COPY OF THE LATE REV. MR. WESLEY'S WILL.

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these spirits. We are told that Mahomet is impure both in his maxims and morals. This is the character of the spirit of the world but it is contefted. We know, he has reformed religion, by abolishing the Christian superstition, and caufing one God to be worshipped every where. This is the character of the Spirit of God, and the fact is inconteftable. Is it then more certain, with regard to us, that Mahomet has the character of the divine, than of the diabolical spirit.

If he was an impoftor, how came an impoftor to prosper the goop pleasure of God, enlighten the world, destroy idolatry? Would God have made an impoftor the inftrument of his mercy, and the Minifter of his glory? What fhould we have thought of Divine Providence, if it had chose devils, appearing like men, to preach the gofpel? We fhould have believed, either that God designed to make the gospel detested, by putting it in the devil's mouth : or to confecrate the devil, notwithstanding his wichedness, by making him the depofitary of the gofpel. The more odious this comparifon is, the more it illuftrates the truth. For what we fay of the Devil, we fay of Seducers, his Minifters; of Mahomet in particular. If such an impoftor was chofen by Providence to re-eftablish the true religion, Providence defigned either to mae religion infamous, in re-eftablishing it by an impoftor, or to confecrate impofture, by making choice of it, to re-establish religion: but the one or the other of these fuppofitions are impious and extravagant.

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A COPY of the late Rev. Mr. WESLEY'S WILL.

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JOHN WESLEY, Clerk, fometime Fellow of LincolnCollege, Oxford, revoking all others, appoint this to be my laft Will and Testament.

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A COPY OF THE LATE REV. MR. WESLEY'S WILL. 29

I give all my Books now on fale, and the copies of them (only fubject to a rent charge of 851. a year to the widow and children of my Brother) to my faithful friends, John Horton, Merchant, George Wolff, Merchant, and William Marriott, Stock-Broker, all of London, in truft for the general Fund of the Methodist Conference in carrying on the work of God, by Itinerant Preachers, on condition that they permit the following Committee, Thomas Coke, James Creighton, Peard Dickenfon, Thomas Rankin, George Whitfield, and the London Affiftant for the time being, ftill to fuperintend the Printing Prefs, and to employ Hannah Paramore and George Paramore as heretofore, unless four of the Committee judge a change to be needful.

I give the Books, Furniture, and whatever elfe belongs to me in the three houfes at Kingswood in truft to Thomas Coke, Alexander Mather, and Henry Moore, to be ftill employed in teaching and maintaining the children of poor travelling Preachers.

I give to Thomas Coke, Doctor John Whitehead, and Henry Moore all the Books which are in my Study and Bedchamber at London, and in my Studies elsewhere, in truft for the ufe of the Preachers who shall labour there from time to time.

I give the Coins, and whatever elfe is found in the drawer of my Bureau at London, to my dear grand daughters Mary and Jane Smith.

I give all my Manuscripts to Thomas Coke, Doctor Whitehead, and Henry Moore, to be burnt or published as they fee good.

I give whatever Money remains in my Bureau and Pocets at my decease t be equally divided between Thomas Drifcoe, William Collins, John Eafton, and Ifaac Brown.

I defire my Gowns, Caffocks, Safhes, and Eands, may remain at the Chapel for the use of the Cler yinen ane ding there.

I defire the London Affiftant for the time being, t. divide the reft of my wearing apparel between those four of he travelling Preachers that want it moft; only my Pellife I give to the

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