Force of this Argument; and gave the feveral Objections their Anfwers. It remains that I should confider,

Fourthly, how great and how diftinguifhing an Advantage this brings to the Chriftian Inftitution; and to what Useful Ends and Purposes the Confideration of it may be apply'd: And then,

Laftly, Enquire into the Time when, and the Manner how this Miracle ceas'd, and make some suitable Reflections upon it, with regard both to Thofe who liv'd Then, when this ftop was put to the Gospel, and to Us who live Now in the Latter Ages of the World.

But the handling of thefe Two Points must be the Work of a Second Discourse.

A

PART II.

ÏSAIAH İx. 22.

A little one shall become a Thousand; and afmall one, a strong Nation: I, the Lord, will haften it in His Time.

F the Five Points which I propos'd, from these Words, to handle, Three have been confider'd: I come now, in the

Fourth place, to fhew, How great, IV. and how diftinguishing an Advantage it is to the Chriftian Inftitution, to have been propagated after so swift and unaccountable a manner; and to what useful Ends and Purposes the Confideration of it may be apply'd. And

I

I. This

ift. This is, I fay, an Advantage peculiar to the Chriftian Inftitution: For no other Religion ever had fo large an Increafe, with fo little of Humane Aid and Affiftance; or prevail d in fuch a manner, as to make a Recourfe to Supernatural Influences neceffary, in order to explain the Succefs of it. This may be collected, in great measure, from what hath been already hinted, in the preceeding Difcourse. However, I fhall here resume the Reflection, and more particularly and fully evince the Truth of it.

Of all falfe Religions, the Mahomet an came nearest to the Chriftian, in the swift manner of its Propagation; for in a small time it over-ran a great part of the Eastern World. But this Succefs, how extraordinary foever, had nothing miraculous in it; nothing, but what may easily be accounted for, by reflecting on the Circumftances (already intimated) with which the Propagation of that Imposture was attended. Such, as the loose Manners and lamentable Divifions of the Chriftians of that time; the Suitableness of Mahomet's Doctrine to the fenfual Inclinations of Men,especially of thofe East

ern

ern People, to whom it was first addrefs'd; and the Method he us'd of procuring Submiffion to it, by the Dint of the Sword, not by the Power of Perfuafion and Argument. A Religion, that gave a full Indulgence to the Ambition, the Lufts, and Cruelty of Mankind could not fail of gaining Profelytes; and, when a Warlike and Savage Race of Men, united by the hopes of Rapine and Spoil, fet upon a diffolute, divided,

and

weakned Enemy (as the Chriftians then were) the Succefs of fuch an Enterprize was fure and easie: and on the Succefs of Mahomet's Arms the Success of his Religion depended. When, by an uninterrupted Courfe of Victories, he had, laid the Foundation of the Saracen Empire, it was no wonder that a new Empire fhould be able to introduce a new Religion; the Increase of the One, was naturally follow'd by a proportionable Enlargement of the Other: which,' therefore, I fay, had nothing miraculous in it; nothing, that rivall'd, or any-ways refembled the Succefs of the Gospel that Stone, which was cut out of the Mountain, without Hands (i.e. without visible Caufes and Inftruments, proportion'd to fuch a Work) and brake in pieces all other

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King