Hence arose the idolatries which
overspread the whole globe, as well Asia with its islands, as Africa and
Europe. To the intent that all those idolatries might be eradicated, it
came to pass of the Lord's divine providence, that a new religion,
accommodated to the genius of the orientals, took its rise; in which
something from each testament of the Word was retained, and which taught
that the Lord had come into the world, and that he was a grand prophet,
the wisest of all, and the Son of God. This was effected by means of
Mahomet, from whom that religion took its name. From these
considerations it is manifest, that this religion was raised up of the
Lord's divine providence, and accommodated, as we have observed, to the
genius of the orientals, to the end that it might destroy the idolatries
of so many nations, and might give its professors some knowledge of the
Lord, before they came into the spiritual world, as is the case with
every one after death. This religion would not have been received by so
many nations, neither could it have eradicated their idolatries, unless
it had been made agreeable to their ideas; especially unless polygamy
had been permitted; since without such permission, the orientals would
have burned with the fire of filthy adultery more than the Europeans,
and would have perished.
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