SECTION XI.
The Charge of Mahometanism refuted.
The reader may, if he pleases, consider himself as entered, at present, on a kind of historical voyage. Mr. Sellon pretends to think, that we are in full sail for Constantinople; and that Calvinism is at once the compass by which we steer, and the breeze by which we are carried, plump into the Grand Seignor's harbour. Predestination and the ineluctabilis ordo rerum, are, according to this sage Arminian geographer, situate only in the latitude of Mahomet: and every man, who believes, with scripture, that God worketh all things after the council of his own will; and, with our Church, that all things, both in heaven and earth, are ordered by a never-failing providence; every man, who thus believes, is, in my redoubtable adversary's estimation, a Mahometan.
I must acknowledge, that such a contemptible cavil as this, is too low and ridiculous to merit a single moment's attention. However, as it has been urged, formerly, by the wretched authors of Calvino-Turcismus;1 and now repeated, with an air of seeming seriousness, by Mr John Wesley's advocate; I beg permission of my renders to touch at Constantinople in earnest; not with a view to stay there for good, but just to look about us, and determine, for ourselves, whether Calvinism and Mahometanism are the same, or not.
Dean Prideaux shall set us on shore. This learned historian observes, that the religion of Mahomet is "made up of three parts: whereof one was borrowed from the Jews, another from the Christians, and the third from the Heathen Arabs."2 A whole third, then, of the Mahometan system, is neither more nor less than Christianity at second hand. But shall we therefore disclaim a dozen or twenty articles of our Christian Creed, because those articles were adopted by Mahomet? What a prodigious gap such absurd conduct would make in our Confession of Faith, may be easily judged of, from the ensuing specimen.
"The first doctrine that Mahomet propagated among them [i.e. among his followers at Mecca,] was, That there is but one God, and that be only is to be worshipped; and that all idols were to be taken away, and their worship utterly abolished.3
"He allowed both the Old and the New Testament; and that Moses and Jesus Christ were prophets sent from God.4
"They [i.e. the Mahometans] own that there are angels, executioners of God's commands, designed for certain offices both in heaven and earth.5
"They believe a general resurrection of the dead.6
"They hold both a general judgment, and a particular one [at death7].
"If a person ask, Why God hath created the infidels and wicked? Their answer is, That we ought not to be over-curious to search into the secrets of God.8
"The morals of the Mahometans consist in doing good, and shunning evil.9
"Their casuists hold, that actions done without faith in God are sins.10
"They forbid to judge of uncertain things; because it doth not belong to its to judge of the things which God hath concealed from us.11
"Their devotion extends even to the sacred names. When they pronounce the name of God, they make a bow; and add, most high, most blessed, most strong, most excellent, or some such epithet.12
"The Mahometans tolerate all religions. 13
"They are commanded to pray, at the appointed times:
"And to give alms.14
"They hold a heaven and hell.15
" Mahomet forbad adultery to his followerers.16
"They assert the immortality of the soul."17
Among the maxims of the Alcoran, are; "Forgive those who have offended thee. Do good to all."18
Now, would any reasonable Christian strike out these articles from his Creed, only because Mahomet has inserted them in his? And does it follow, that the most respectable persons in the world, who are influenced by these excellent principles of faith and practice, are, for that reason, to be dubbed Mahometans? But the plain truth is, Mr. Sellon knows no more of Constantinople, than he does of Geneva. He is equally unacquainted with the real systems both of Turcism and Christianity. Even a superficial survey of his subject would have sufficed to inform him, that "The questions, relating to predestination and free-grace, have been agitated, among the Mahometan doctors, with as much heat and vehemence, as ever they were in Christendom."19 The Mahometan, have their sort of Arminians, no less than we. If Mr. Sellon asks, "How goes the stream of doctrines at Constantinople?" I also can ask, in my turn, flow goes the stream at Ispahn? If the Mahometan Turks, of the sect of Omar, believe an absolute predestination and providence; it is no less certain, that the Mahometan Persians, of the sect of Halis, deny predestination, and assert free-will, with as much outrageous fervour, as Mr. John Wesley himself. But shall I hence infer, that Mr. Wesley is a Mahometan? I cannot, in justice, pay the Mahometans so bad a compliment. I rather say to Mr. Wesley, what the excellent Mr. Hervey said to him long ago, "Before you turn Turk, or Deist, or Atheist, see that you first become an honest man. They will all disown you, if you go over to their party, destitute of common honesty. Out of zeal to demolish the doctrine of election, you scruple not to overleap the bounds of integrity and truth."20
After all, there is not that conformity between the Christian and the Turkish doctrine of predestination, which Mr. Wesley and his consistory would have us believe. Do Mahometans assert an election in Christ to grace and glory? Do they maintain, that, in the pre-ordination of events, the means are no less pre-ordained, than the end? Do they consider the Son of God, as joint agent with his Father, in the providential disposure of all things below? Do they hold the eternal covenant of grace, which obtained among the persons of the godhead, in behalf, and for the salvation, of a peculiar people, who shall, by the regenerating efficacy of the Holy Ghost, be made zealous of good works? Do the Mahometans believe any thing about final perseverance, and the inamissibility of saving grace? No such thing. I can easily prove their denial of these gospel doctrines, whenever that proof shall be necessary. And even as to the predestination of temporal events, the disciples of Omar (so far as I can hitherto find, and unless their doctrine be greatly mis-represented) seem to have exceeding gross and confused ideas. They appear to consider predestination as a sort of blind, rapid, over-bearing impetus, which, right or wrong, with means or without, carries all things violently before it, with little or no attention to the peculiar and respective nature of second causes. Whereas, according to the Christian scheme, predestination forms a wise, regular, connected plan? and Providence conducts the execution of it in such a manner as to assign their due share of importance to the correlative means; and secure the certainty both of means and end, without violating or forcing the intellectual powers of any one rational agent.
I have already scrupled to enrol Mr. Wesley himself on the list of mussulmen. Some of his tenets, however, are so nearly related to the worst branches of the Mahometan system, that he might very readily be mistaken, at first sight, for a disciple of Hali. Survey the dark side of Mahometism; and you will almost aver, that the portrait was intended for the mufti of Moorfields.
"The Mahometans would have us believe, that he [viz. Mahomet] was a saint, from the fourth year of his age: for then, say they, the angel Gabriel took him from among his fellows, while at play with them; and carrying him aside, cut open his breast, and took out his heart, and wrung out of it that black drop of blood, in which (say they) was contained the fomes peccati: so that he had none of it ever after."21 - So much for Mahomet's sinless perfection.
"They hold it unlawful to drink wine; and to play at chess, tables, cards, or such-like recreations.22
"They esteem good works meritorious of heaven.23
"Some will be honoured for their abstinence, in eating and drinking sparingly and seldom. Some profess poverty, and will enjoy no earthly things. Others brag of revelations, visions, and enthusiasms. Some are for traditions, and merits, by which [they suppose] salvation is obtained, and not by grace."24 How easy would it be, to run the parallel between Mahometans and some other folks! I must, however, partly acquit Mr. Wesley of Mahometism, on the head of recreations; for, in a certain two-penny extract from somebody else, published in the year 1767, Mr. Wesley recommends the recreating exercise of battledoor and shuttlecock, together with that of the wooden horse.
Beside the above articles, the Mahometans hold, that there is a third, or middle place, for the reception of some departed souls.25
They deny the perpetuity of faith: beliveing, that whosoever renounceth it, loseth the merit of all his good works; and that, during all that time, he can do nothing acceptable to God, until he hath repented: and then he becomes a mussulman, or faithful, again."26 Their dervises "live a very retired and austere life; going bare-foot, with a leathern girdle round their bodies, full of sharp points, to mortify the flesh."27
The Mahometan bigotry is so excessive, that "they esteem themselves only to he wise, valiant, and holy. The rest of the world they look upon to be fools and reprobates ; and use them accordingly."28
Among the followers of Mahomet, "Any person may be a priest, that pleases to take the habit and perform the functions; and may lay down his office when he will: there being nothing like ordination amongst them."29
By this time, the reader may judge, whether the Church of England, or Mr. Wesley and his friend Sellon, make the nearest approaches to Mahometism. As to myself in particular, I can give a decisive proof that I am not a Mahometan. It might be better for Mr. Sellon, if I was. For, it is one of the essential commands, enjoined by the Alcoran, that Mahomet's disciples must "never dispute with the ignorant."30 Consequently, were Mahomet and I master and scholar, the Yorkshire Arminian would have escaped the whole of his present chastisement.
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