Page:Mahometanism in its relation to prophecy - or, an inquiry into the prophecies concerning antichrist, with some reference to their bearing on the events of the present day (IA mahometanisminit00philrich).pdf/208

 The zeal of the Mahometan against heathen gods and idols, was nothing but a change of tactics on the part of the Evil Spirit. Satan had seen his dominion over mankind notably impaired by the successful preaching of the Gospel; idolatry had been rooted out of vast continents, and the knowledge of the one true God had been everywhere diffused; as the Psalmist had foretold, "the sound" of the Apostles "had gone forth into all lands," and the result had been, what our blessed Saviour described, "I beheld Satan," said our Lord, "like lightning falling from heaven," that is, from his usurped dominion in the mystic heaven. Under such circumstances, it was quite natural that Satan, in his last and greatest effort to regain that usurpation, should have recourse to some new expedient, suited to the exigencies of the moment. Idolatry was everywhere discredited, and so in ushering into existence the Alcoran of the False Prophet, and his attempt to supplant the faith of Christ by the creed of Antichrist, he simulated a wonderful zeal for the unity of the Godhead, and an inextinguishable hatred for the superstitions of polytheism. But alas! the zeal and the hatred were alike hypocritical; it was an angel of darkness in the garb of an Angel of Light, from whose inspirations they sprang: Satan