One
would imagine, to hear some men talk, or to read some books, that the
setting up of a religion by dint of miraculous pretences was a thing of
every day's experience: whereas, I believe that, except the Jewish and
Christian religion, there is no tolerably well authenticated account of
any such thing having been accomplished.
II. The establishment of Mahomet's religion was affected by causes which
in no degree appertained to the origin of Christianity.
During the first twelve years of his mission, Mahomet had recourse only
to persuasion. This is allowed. And there is sufficient reason from the
effect to believe that, if he had confined himself to this mode of
propagating his religion, we of the present day should never have heard
either of him or it. "Three years were silently employed in the
conversion of fourteen proselytes. For ten years, the religion advanced
with a slow and painful progress, within the walls of Mecca. The number
of proselytes in the seventh year of his mission may be estimated by the
absence of eighty-three men and eighteen women, who retired to
Aethiopia.
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