sages which he quotes out of the Scriptures are much different in the Alcoran from what we find in our Bibles, and are artfully adapted to support his own delusions.
He pretended to receive all his revelations from the angel Gabriel, who he said was sent from God, for that purpose. And whereas he was subject to the falling sickness; whenever he had a fit, he said it was a trance, occasioned by the brightness of the angel’s appearance, who then came to communicate to him some new revelation. These pretended revelations he put into several chapters, the collection of which makes up the Alcoran, or Bible of the Mahometans; and taught them that the original of this book was laid up in the archieves of heaven, and that the angel brought him the copy of it chapter by chapter, according as occasion required they should be published to the people.
On his first appearing publickly as a prophet, the people laughed at him; and some called him Magician, Liar, Impostor, and the like opprobrious names, of which he often complains in the Alcoran; so that for a year or two he made very little progress, and scarce met with any thing but scorn and contempt for his pains. This however, did not discourage him from pursuing his design, which he did in a manner the most likely to obtain success: for he was a man of ready wit, and very engaging address, bearing all affronts, without shewing the least resentment; and knew how to apply himself to all sorts and degrees of people, soothing the rich with praise and flattery, and gaining the affections of the poor, by relieving their necessities. In a word, by an artful and insinuating behaviour, he at length surmounted the difficulties that stood in his way; so that in the fifth year of his pretended mission, his party
