200 UNIVERSAL KRUDITION. 



principal dogmas of the Mahometan religion 

 are, the unity of God , that there is no other 

 God but God, and that he is one : that Maho- 

 met was fent from God, and was his prophet, 

 and that this laft truth has been confirmed by 

 numberlefs miracles (which always appear ridi- 

 culous to thole that are not of the fame religion). 

 The Mahometans have alfo their faints to whom 

 they like wile attribute miracles, but inferior to 

 thofe of their prophet. They acknowledge, 

 moreover, that there are angels, who are the mi- 

 nifters of the commands of God : they believe in 

 a general reiurredtion of the dead ; in a day of 

 judgment ; in a hell ; and paradife, whofe delights 

 are painted by the Coran in the mofl pleafing 

 figures, and with the mofl glowing colours. It 

 is reprefented as a delicious garden, watered by 

 fountains and rivers of milk, of wine and honey, 

 and adorned with trees that are for ever green, 

 and that bear apples whofe kernels turn into wo- 

 men, who constantly preferve their youth, their 

 beauty and virginity, and are of fo fweet a na- 

 ture, that if one of them were to fpit into the 

 ocean, all its fait waters would become immedi- 

 ately frefh. TheMufiulmanslikewife believe in 

 predeftination j and fay that no good or evil arifes 

 but by the ordinance of God : and if they arc 

 afked, why God has created the wicked ? they 

 reply, that it is not for us to fearch too curioufly 

 into the fecrets of the Almighty , that what ap- 

 pears good in the eyes of man, may be found 

 evil before God, and that good which we call 



evil. 



