Doctors, They will ask thee (says Gabriel) concerning the last 'hour, at what time its coming is fixed? Answer, verily, the knowledge thereof is with my LORD; none shall declare the 'fixed time thereof except he. The knowledge thereof is with 'God alone; but the greater part of men know it not.' This prophet goes even somewhat farther and alledgeth five things, of which he says, Jesus was ignorant. Thus from the most perfect agreement between Rational Christians and Mohammedans, in the essentials of religion, I think we have the fairest prospect of accomplishing an union.

Nothing now remaining but a few circumstantials, which may easily be got over by men of genius and resolution.

The only difficulty to settle is, whether Jesus and Rational Christianity, or Mohammed and the Turkish religion shall be embraced? To determine which, it will be necessary to enquire after the manner of Dr. Abbadie, which of them, according to your system of Rational Religion was the best preacher, and maintained the fairest and most consistent character, as a good man, commissioned of God to be an instructor of mankind. The consequence of which will be, that either the Socinian scheme must be reprobated, and the doctrines of Orthodoxy be embraced, or we must all become Mohammedans, in order to preserve a consistent character. Then, Sir, I presume, that you and myself will bid fair for being two of the first characters of the new modelled church; a character surely not unworthy of the utmost exertion of all our rational powers.

In great hope of success, and the dawnings of that approaching glory, I remain, Reverend Sir, Yours, &c.

Reverend Sir,

LETTER XII.

You will recollect, that in the close of my last, I promised to attend to the resolution of that important point, whether the religion of Jesus, according to the Socinian hypothesis, or that of the prophet Mohammed shall be universally embraced, as you know it must be a very desirable thing to have only one religion over the whole world; and especially, if we could get ourselves promoted to be leaders in that blessed system, and plan of operation.

* Kor. ch. vii. 219.

The whole matter will, I imagine, rest on this single article, which of the two prophets appears to be most faithful, wise, charitable, and zealous for the glory of God; or, in other words, whether Christ or Mohammed is the better man, and sustains the most consistent character. This is, indeed, a matter of hazardous enquiry, and what few besides Rational Christians would dare to attempt; what I at least should not be bold enough to undertake, had the subject been entirely new. But the ingenious, judicious Dr. Abbadie has paved my way, in his excellent Treatise on Christ's Divinity; a Treatise which I earnestly recommend to the perusal of every rational Christian, every intelligent Dissenter.

The nature of the subject requires a considerable degree of seriousness, therefore you will be obliging enough to forgive me, if I should dismiss the smile, which used to play on my countenance when I dealt in controversy heretofore. The present disquisition is no less serious, than, to determine for certainty, whether you, Sir, and your Rational brethren, be blasphemers; or myself, and the rest of the Orthodox be Idolaters, as you have most candidly represented us.

There is an infinite distance, you know, between the Creator, and the most dignified of all his creatures; therefore God cannot be represented as a mere creature without blasphemy, nor can the creature be adored as GOD, without the most monstrous Idolatry. If then, JESUS CHRIST be the true God and eternal life, it must be blasphemy to say, that he is but a man like ' ourselves.' And if he is but a man like ourselves, or but a mere Creature, how dignified soever, we must be guilty of shocking Idolatry, in worshipping him, even as we worship the FATHER, as GOD over all, blessed for evermore.* You cannot be offended, Sir, with my bringing the matter to this issue, seeing you have so illiberally charged the Orthodox with Idolatry, though it should even turn out, that before I have done, I should convict you yourself, of blasphemy against GOD in the human nature, and the grossest rebellion against your Judge, of which you are capable. If I worship him according to the Scriptures, you must be condemnable for worshipping him, provided he is that mere Creature you are pleased to represent him.

It is an observation made by some, that those who doubt the Divinity of Jesus Christ, must also doubt the Divinity of the Scriptures. Which observation seems to be warranted, from the proceedings of Rational Christians in our day. One nibbles at this part of the sacred volume, another nibbles at that; for instance, the Song of Solomon is very offensive to some, the Apocalypse to others; whilst some of their brethren are equally offended with the book of Daniel, part of the Prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah, some of the Psalms, and many passages * Vid. Dr. Abbadie, page 6, of his Treatise on Christ's Divinity.

of even the Pentateuch itself. Which spirit of scepticism evidently betrays a doubt of the authenticity of the whole volume of inspiration. This accounts for the new name (not on a white-stone) given by some to Rational Dissenters, I mean that of Christian Deists; for which distinction they have as yet discovered very little thankfulness to their benefactors. The Trinitarians, on their part, think it not consistent to suppose, that God should create a whole race of rational intelligent beings, and leave them without any given law, any obligation to walk according to his will; therefore they conclude, that some revelation of his mind has been given and preserved in the world. for the general use of mankind; that wherever it is given, it must be an entire perfect revelation. They have carefully examined all the writings of the learned and wise, from Moses down to Dr. Priestley, and find on examination, that no book bids so fair for being that inspired Code of laws, as this same blessed, though antiquated book, the Bible; consequently the carping and cavillings of modern sceptics, against this and the other part of revelation, cannot to them be very agreeable.

You have been pleased to dignify our people with the name of Idolaters. When this fit of zeal for Rational Religion was upon you, I hope you considered maturely the import of the charge, as opposite to the glory of God and our own salvation, and indeed incompatible with either. Idolatry introduceth more Gods than one, as Mohammed charges all the Christians with doing, and with which you yourself are pleased to charge all the Orthodox, i. e. the king upon the throne, the bishops upon the bench, all the conscientious clergy of the established church, as well as those among Dissenters, who can subscribe the doctrinal articles of the church of England. Indeed to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, as we do, if he is, as you say, only a man like ourselves, must be more contrary to the glory of God than the grossest Paganism. This is to advance a mere creature, yea, a creature not of the highest order in the creation, to all intents and purposes, to an equality with the infinite Jehovah. Idolatry more shocking than was ever devised in nations, the most barbarous, for they never exalted their subordinate Deities, to an equality with him whom they accounted supreme.* Idolatry then, Sir, being so very heinous in itself, so dreadful in its consequences, and the worshipping of Jesus Christ as God, equal

Hear, therefore, and consider, ye Orthodox; your religion is the rankest of all Idolatry, if it is true that your Redeemer is but a mere Mau, in all respects like yourselves. Know assuredly, that Christian Idolatry, is the very worst Idolatry that ever was invented.

It is as contrary to the true interests of the immortal soul, as it is to the glory of God. For if you are Idolaters, according to the Rev. Dr. Priestley's representation, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven; consequently you must all be damned. Idolaters are shut out from the kingdom of God; this Rational gentleman has proved (1 mean, asserted) that all Trinitarians are Idolaters, therefore you must either be shut out, or he must appear to be a lying prophet, as well as his friend Mohammed.

to the Father, being the very worst species of idolatry, according to you and the prophet Mohammed; it is high time it were eradicated, and a more consistent system adopted.

You say, that there are not THREE that bear record in heaven, and in effect, that it is a villanously interpolated passage which asserts there are. The prophet Mohammed also has repeatedly declared his implacable enmity against the Doctrine of the TRINITY, as irreconcileable to his scheme of reformation. According to this, it will, it must appear, that Christianity had, by some fatality, corrupted the true religion and that Mohammed restored it to its pristine purity. That the immediate followers of Jesus worshipped him as God, let their writings bear witness: and that in after ages, that corruption was indulged, your own writings sufficiently testify; therefore, beyond a doubt, religion was corrupted in the first ages of Christianity, seeing the people were then addicted to worship the SON, even as they worshipped the FATHER. But Mohammed arose, a great prophet and reformer; he corrected the errors of Christianity, and taught the people to worship ONE GOD, in one person only, just as you would have us to do; and to obey one prophet, even as you would wish a teacher sent from God to be obeyed. The Orthodox, indeed, in an invariable manner, have to this day continued to worship FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST; believing that there is no medium between CHRIST's being the true GOD, the same in essence with the Father, or his being an arrant Impostor, influenced by the spirit of Satan. But the rationals having imbibed the spirit of Mohammed, adopted the doctines of the Koran, are concerned every where to destroy the worship of the TRINITY; and especially that of JESUS CHRIST, Setting up in its stead the worship of ONE GOD in one person only, and reducing JESUS, his prophet, to a level with themselves; a mere man, such as Mohammed professed himself to be. Thus it is clear to a demonstration, that the fathers have in all ages been corrupters of religion, and that the author of the Koran, and the Socinian Doctors have been, and still are, the true reformers, who teach us not to receive, nor acknowledge the MYSTERY OF God, and of the Father, and OF CHRIST.

So striking the harmony between Mohammed and yourself, and so very pertinent the language of his Koran, that I have often wondered, why you quoted not his authority to authenticate your doctrine and to confound the Orthodox. Permit me, Sir, to refer you to the prophet himself. O ye who have received the Scriptures! Exceed not the just bounds in your religion, by raising Jesus to an equality with God; neither say of God any other than the truth. Verily, CHRIST JESUS, the SON of MARY, is the apostle of God and his WORD, which he conveyed into MARY, and a spirit proceeding from him. Believe

Kor. ch. iv. 126.

therefore in God and his apostles, and say not THERE ARE THREE GODS: forbear this, it will be better for you. God is 'but One God. Far be it from him, that he should have a Son ---Christ doth not proudly disdain to be a servant unto God.' Again, yet more, if possible, to our purpose,* They are surely Infidels who say, verily, GOD is CHRIST the SON of MARY; since CHRIST said, O children of Israel! Serve God, my Lord and your Lord. Whoever shall give a companion to 'God, God shall exclude him from paradise, and his habitation 'shall be hell fire. They are certainly infidels who say, God is the third, of Three; for there is no God, beside one God. And if they refrain not from what they say, a painful torment shall 'surely be inflicted on such of them as are unbelievers.---Christ, 'the Son of Mary, is no more than an apostle; and his mother ' was a woman of veracity.---Behold how we declare them the signs of God's Unity; and then behold, how they turn aside from the truth! Say, will ye worship any besides God?' &c. Now from this long quotation from the prophet Mohammed, would not any body take him for a Rational Dissenter, educated by such a tutor as Dr. Taylor, or Dr. Priestley? Or, in other words, Would not one, who is well acquainted with the fundamentals of the Turkish religion, on reading your polemical pamphlets, be apt to mistake you for a Mohammedan? I mean, respecting those essential principles of religion, the Doctrines of the TRINITY, and the DIVINITY OF JESUS.

The worshipping of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as three persons in the union of the divine essence, you say, 'is the grand corruption of Christianity, and, indeed, hath changed it into idolatry.' The restoring of it therefore to its purity must be a great and good work, such as could not be effected by any other spirit, than that of truth. Now Mohammed hath effectually reformed this abuse, and has purged all the eastern world from that idolatry, to which their forefathers were addicted, in worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ, as in union with Father and the Holy Ghost. How is it then, that he can be that impostor he is represented, seeing the first principles of his religion are founded according to you, in the purest truth, and he hath been the author of such a great reformation, as restoring religion from the worst kind of Idolatry, to the worship of as a God, and the acknowledgment of Jesus, One teacher divinely commissioned? Without doubt, this notable prophet was under the influence of either a good or a bad spirit, if of a good spirit, he cannot be an impostor; if of a bad spirit, how could he work such a reformation? Did the Devil consider it as his interest to have Christian Idolatry abolished, if to worship Jesus be idolatry, as you ussert? Surely this would be to have Satan divided against himself; a practice contrary to the uniform tenour of his conduct. In short Chap. v. p. 146.