c l a s s i c a l
A young (left) and older (right) portrait of Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) is presented above. Grotius was a famous and brilliant Remonstrant (Arminian) leader, a jurist in the Dutch Republic, the founder of International Treaty Law, a Church of England advocate and personal friend of John Locke. Below he writes on the subject of Islam, with the intended goal of disproving its validity, and demonstrating the supremacy of Christ and Christianity.
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But on the other hand it would be tedious to relate how many things there are in the Islamic writings that do not agree to the truth of history; and how many that are very ridiculous -- such as the story of a beautiful woman who learnt a famous song from angels overtaken with wine, by which she used to ascend up into heaven, and to descend thence; who when she was ascended very high into the heavens, was apprehended by God, and fixed there, and that she is the star Venus.
Such another is that of the mouse in Noah's ark that sprung out of the dung of an elephant; and on the contrary, of a cat bred out of the breath of a lion. And particularly that of death's being changed into a ram, which was to stand in the middle space betwixt heaven and hell; and that of getting rid of banquets in the other life by sweat; and of a company of women being appointed to everyone for sensual pleasure. Which things are really all of them such that they are deservedly given over to senselessness, who can give any credit to them, especially when the light of the gospel shines upon them.
Having finished this last dispute, I come now to the conclusion, which regards not strangers but Christians of all sorts and conditions; briefly showing the use of those things which have been hitherto said; that those which are right may be done, and those which are wrong may be avoided.
First, that they lift up undefiled hands to that God who made all things visible and invisible out of nothing, with a firm persuasion that He takes care of mankind, since not a sparrow falls to the ground without His leave: and that they do not fear them who can only hurt the body, before Him who has an equal power over both body and soul: that they should trust not only on God the Father, but also on Jesus; since there is no other name on earth by which we can be saved. . . .
They are moreover exhorted carefully to preserve the holy doctrine of Christ as a most valuable treasure; and to that end often to read Sacred Writings, by which no one can possibly be deceived who has not first deceived himself. For the authors of them were more faithful and more full of the divine influence than either willingly to deceive us in any necessary truth, or to hide it in obscurity; but we must bring a mind prepared to obey, which if we do, none of those things will escape us, which we are to believe, hope, or do; and by this means that Spirit will be cherished and excited in us, which is given us as a pledge of future happiness [i.e., heavenly bliss or eternal life].
Further, they are to be deterred from imitating the heathen. First, in the worship of false gods, which are nothing but empty names, which evil angels make use of to turn us from the worship of the true God; wherefore we cannot partake of their rites [various practices and worship], and at the same time be profited by the sacrifice of Christ.
Secondly, in a licentious [immoral] way of living, having no other law but what lust dictates, which Christians ought to be the furthest from; because they ought not only far to exceed the heathen, but also the Scribes and Pharisees among the Jews, whose righteousness, which consisted in certain external acts, was not sufficient to secure them a heavenly kingdom.
The circumcision made with hands avails nothing now, but that other internal circumcision of the heart, obedience to the commands of God, a new creature, faith which is effectual by love, by which the true Israelites are distinguished, the mystical Jews, that is, such as praise God. . . .
Islam gave occasion for mentioning the following admonitions: it was foretold by our Lord Jesus that after His time there should come some who should falsely say they were sent of God; but though an angel should come from heaven, we are not to receive any other doctrine than that of Christ, confirmed by so many testimonies. . . .
They may also take occasion from hence to remember that the weapons appointed for the soldiers of Christ are not such as Mohammed depends upon, but proper to the Spirit, fitted for the pulling down of strongholds erected against the knowledge of God; the shield of faith, which may repel the fiery darts of the devil; the breastplate of righteousness, or holiness of life; for a helmet which covers the weakest part, the hope of eternal salvation; and for a sword, the Word delivered by the Spirit, which can enter into the innermost parts of the mind. . . .
In the last place, we direct our discourse, as we did at the beginning, to common readers beseeching them to give God the glory if they receive any good from what has been said; and if there be anything they dislike, let them impute it to the errors all mankind are prone to fall into; and to the place and time in which this was delivered, more according to truth, than elaborately.
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Hugo Grotius, The Truth of the Christian Religion, ed. John le Clerc (Edinburgh: Thomas Turnbull, 1819), 244-51. All direct references to "the Mahometans," "Mahomet," or "Mahometanism" are translated here as "Muslims," "Mohammed," and "Islam" respectively.
__________
But on the other hand it would be tedious to relate how many things there are in the Islamic writings that do not agree to the truth of history; and how many that are very ridiculous -- such as the story of a beautiful woman who learnt a famous song from angels overtaken with wine, by which she used to ascend up into heaven, and to descend thence; who when she was ascended very high into the heavens, was apprehended by God, and fixed there, and that she is the star Venus.
Such another is that of the mouse in Noah's ark that sprung out of the dung of an elephant; and on the contrary, of a cat bred out of the breath of a lion. And particularly that of death's being changed into a ram, which was to stand in the middle space betwixt heaven and hell; and that of getting rid of banquets in the other life by sweat; and of a company of women being appointed to everyone for sensual pleasure. Which things are really all of them such that they are deservedly given over to senselessness, who can give any credit to them, especially when the light of the gospel shines upon them.
Having finished this last dispute, I come now to the conclusion, which regards not strangers but Christians of all sorts and conditions; briefly showing the use of those things which have been hitherto said; that those which are right may be done, and those which are wrong may be avoided.
First, that they lift up undefiled hands to that God who made all things visible and invisible out of nothing, with a firm persuasion that He takes care of mankind, since not a sparrow falls to the ground without His leave: and that they do not fear them who can only hurt the body, before Him who has an equal power over both body and soul: that they should trust not only on God the Father, but also on Jesus; since there is no other name on earth by which we can be saved. . . .
They are moreover exhorted carefully to preserve the holy doctrine of Christ as a most valuable treasure; and to that end often to read Sacred Writings, by which no one can possibly be deceived who has not first deceived himself. For the authors of them were more faithful and more full of the divine influence than either willingly to deceive us in any necessary truth, or to hide it in obscurity; but we must bring a mind prepared to obey, which if we do, none of those things will escape us, which we are to believe, hope, or do; and by this means that Spirit will be cherished and excited in us, which is given us as a pledge of future happiness [i.e., heavenly bliss or eternal life].
Further, they are to be deterred from imitating the heathen. First, in the worship of false gods, which are nothing but empty names, which evil angels make use of to turn us from the worship of the true God; wherefore we cannot partake of their rites [various practices and worship], and at the same time be profited by the sacrifice of Christ.
Secondly, in a licentious [immoral] way of living, having no other law but what lust dictates, which Christians ought to be the furthest from; because they ought not only far to exceed the heathen, but also the Scribes and Pharisees among the Jews, whose righteousness, which consisted in certain external acts, was not sufficient to secure them a heavenly kingdom.
The circumcision made with hands avails nothing now, but that other internal circumcision of the heart, obedience to the commands of God, a new creature, faith which is effectual by love, by which the true Israelites are distinguished, the mystical Jews, that is, such as praise God. . . .
Islam gave occasion for mentioning the following admonitions: it was foretold by our Lord Jesus that after His time there should come some who should falsely say they were sent of God; but though an angel should come from heaven, we are not to receive any other doctrine than that of Christ, confirmed by so many testimonies. . . .
They may also take occasion from hence to remember that the weapons appointed for the soldiers of Christ are not such as Mohammed depends upon, but proper to the Spirit, fitted for the pulling down of strongholds erected against the knowledge of God; the shield of faith, which may repel the fiery darts of the devil; the breastplate of righteousness, or holiness of life; for a helmet which covers the weakest part, the hope of eternal salvation; and for a sword, the Word delivered by the Spirit, which can enter into the innermost parts of the mind. . . .
In the last place, we direct our discourse, as we did at the beginning, to common readers beseeching them to give God the glory if they receive any good from what has been said; and if there be anything they dislike, let them impute it to the errors all mankind are prone to fall into; and to the place and time in which this was delivered, more according to truth, than elaborately.
__________
Hugo Grotius, The Truth of the Christian Religion, ed. John le Clerc (Edinburgh: Thomas Turnbull, 1819), 244-51. All direct references to "the Mahometans," "Mahomet," or "Mahometanism" are translated here as "Muslims," "Mohammed," and "Islam" respectively.
WWB - Thanks for this series. I like the grace with which Grotius writes and the clarity of thought. I was thinking that he was going to decry the determinism found in Islam and draw a connection to Calvinism. Maybe I missed it...
ReplyDeleteI, too, appreciate his clarity of thought and his direct approach; and I'm glad, oh, so glad that he did not take the route of drawing the connection between Islam's deterministic views of Allah and that of Calvinism. I think doing so would have distracted from his distinctly Christian apologetic against Islam, and all other false religions, since Calvinists -- even hard determinists -- are in the Christian faith.
DeleteWWB - Good point. Sorry.
DeleteNo need to be sorry. I've drawn the same conclusions before and often think about them, hahaha!!!
Delete