"Ye have already," says he, after the battle of Bedr, "had a
miracle shown you, in two armies which attacked each other; one army
fought for God's true religion, but the other were infidels." (Sale's
Koran, c. iii. p. 36.) Again; "Ye slew not those who were slain at Bedr,
but God slew them.--If ye desire a decision of the matter between us,
now hath a decision come unto you." (Sale's Koran, c. viii. p. 141.)
Many more passages might be collected out of the Koran to the same
effect; but they are unnecessary. The success of Mahometanism during
this, and indeed every future period of its history, bears so little
resemblance to the early propagation of Christianity, that no inference
whatever can justly be drawn from it to the prejudice of the Christian
argument. For what are we comparing? A Galilean peasant accompanied by a
few fishermen with a conqueror at the head of his army. We compare
Jesus, without force, without power, without support, without One
external circumstance of attraction or influence, prevailing against the
prejudices, the learning, the hierarchy, of his country; against the
ancient religious opinions, the pompous religious rites, the philosophy,
the wisdom, the authority, of the Roman empire, in the most polished and
enlightened period of its existence,--with Mahomet making his way
amongst Arabs; collecting followers in the midst of conquests and
triumphs, in the darkest ages and countries of the world, and when
success in arms not only operated by that command of men's wills and
persons which attend prosperous undertakings, but was considered as a
sure testimony of Divine approbation.
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