The object of Mahomet's mission is here again stated to be the admonishing of
a people, namely the Arabs, unto whom no warner had before been sent;lest,
when condemned, these Arabs, should say,"Had a prophet come unto us, we
had been believers." Yet when Mahomet arises a prophet, the people of Mecca
refuse to believe in him, unless he come with Scriptures (or var. read.
with Miracles,) like those of Moses. "But," replies Mahomet,
"what an inconsistency is
this! have you not already rejected the revelation of Moses brought forward
by me to substantiate my claims, and said of it and of the Corân they are
but two cunning fabrications, one supporting the other; we reject both as
impostures." Upon which God is represented as directing Mahomet to say,"Show
me a book more right in its direction than these two, that I may follow
it," &c.
The testimony here borne to the authority and value of the book of Moses, and
the appeal to the citizens of Mecca to bring forward any other Scripture
containing truer direction, are unequivocal and