first place; because we know that the religions of false Prophets, such as Zoro. aster was, have been allowed to prevail: and that idolatry does still prevail to a great extent. And, in the second, as it respects Mohammed that no such thing as a miracle has been performed by a false Prophet; for, should we allow the Koran to be inimitable in some parts, yet there are others in which this can by no means be said: and, in these instances, the challenge to produce the like, has been made where universal experience has not been exceeded: in such cases, therefore, God has not allowed a miracle to be performed by a false Prophet.

"It has been said that the miracle of Mohammed is more convincing than those of other Prophets, because his remains, when theirs do not; and which in process of time become weaker and weaker. We reply, this would be true, had not their miracles been recorded by themselves, as well as established and attested in their own times; but had, through a long period of time, been preserved by tradition only, and then been recorded, without sufficient evidence as to their truth. But this is not the case. What ever, therefore, may have been their want of force in ancient times, under the same defect must they labour to this very day. And, again, if the conviction of a fact loses force by length of time, any one coming to the knowledge of any fact at the age of twenty, must be said, at the age of sixty, to have lost part of that conviction (which is sufficiently absurd,) and, that the conviction attending the accounts of the miracles of Moses and Jesus must be essentially different."

Mr. Martyn refutes the allegation that Mohammed wrought numerous miracles, which were witnessed by his followers and transmitted by them to succeeding ages, by an appeal to a disclaimer made in the Koran itself, as in the following quotation.

"As it respects the accounts attended by collateral evidence, he is said to have described the miracles of the other Prophets, and at the same time to have made a claim to prophecy; and that it is there fore improbable that he wrought no miracles. To this we reply, in the first place, that having affirmed the Koran to be his miracle; he could have had no occasion for another. And, in the second, that it appears from the Koran itself, that he laid claim to no other miracle; and to this effect are the following passages: "Nothing hindered us from sending thee with miracles, except that former nations have

And

charged them with imposture." again: They have sworn by God by the most solemn oath, that if a sign came unto them, they would certainly believe therein: Say, Verily signs are in the power of God alone; and he permitteth you not to understand that when they come, they will not believe. And we will turn aside their hearts, and their sight from the truth.' And again: And when a sign cometh unto them, they say, We will, by no means, believe, until a revelation be brought unto us like unto that which hath been delivered unto the Messengers of God. God best knoweth whom he will appoint for his Messenger' And again, when he was asked for a miracle, he said by way of excuse, My Lord be praised! Am I other than a man, sent as an Apostle?' Again, in the chapter on cattle, when it was said that the Koran was made up of nothing but patched up stories, dreams, and poetry, it was added, 'Let him come unto us therefore with some miracle, in like manner as the former Prophets were sent.' He replied: 'None of the cities which we have destroyed, believed the miracles which they saw performed before them: will these therefore believe if they see a miracle? (This does not occur in the chapter mentioned by Mr. Martyn; but in that on the Prophets. Sale, Vol. II. p. 147.) Of this kind several others might be adduced, which, according to the Commentators, go to prove that his not working miracles, in these instances, was rather a mercy than the contrary; for he knew, as they say, that if he had, still these men would not have believed, and would consequently have been subject to the greater condemnation."

In his second tract Mr. M. attacks Mohammedanism and its author, with a boldness which few would have manifested in the circumstances in

which he was placed. The following is a specimen :

"It was shown in the former Tract, that Mohammed wrought no miracle: we now say that those who have recorded his miracles are not to be believed: because many of the miracles which they have recorded are said to have been performed while he was an infidel: and for any one to work miracles in a state of infidelity is absurd. The accounts of such miracles are, therefore false.

*Sale, Vol. II. p. 99. † Ibid. Vol. I. p. 162-3. Ibid. Vol. I. p. 164-5. Ibid. Vol. II. p. 105.

"That Mohammed was in a state of infidelity may be shown from the Koran itself. In the chapter entitled 'Consultation,' we have: Thus have we revealed unto thee a revelation, by our command. Thou didst not understand, before this, what the book of the Koran was, nor what the faith was And again, in the chapter entitled 'Brightness:" And did he not find thee wandering in error, and hath he not guided thee into the truth?'t And again, in the chapter entitled 'Have we not opened:' 'Have we not eased thee of thy burden, which galled thy back?' This, the Commentators say, alludes to the sins, which rested upon him during the times of ignorance (or infidelity). Again, in the chapter of Victory: Verily we have granted thee a manifest victory; that God may forgive thee thy preceding, and thy subsequent sin.'s Mocátil says, this relates to what he had formerly done in a state of idolatry, and after he had left that state. Zamakhshari

says in his Commentary on the passage, that it relates, in the first place, to Mohammed's affair with Mary the Copt: and, in the second, to that with the wife of Zaid. Hence it must appear, that, as those who recorded his miracles after his mission is said to have taken place, also recorded those which are said to have been performed while he was an idolater, no reliance whatever can be placed upon them.

"Another consideration is, his having propagated his religion by human, and not by divine means; namely, either by the sword, or by giving rewards, contrary to the practice of former Prophets: and another is, that all the precepts of his religion have been given in conformity with his own lustful disposition. And, as there was no end to his lust, according to his own confession: That God had made his delight to consist in women and perfumes,' he passed a law, that he himself should have nine wives, but that others should not exceed four. The story of Zaid's wife too, is very well known: namely, that he was violently in love with her, and that when some obstacles stood in his way, he immediately removed them by a pretended revelation. Again, in the story of Mary the Copt, when his wife Hafsa had seen him with her, he took an oath that he would go near her no more; but, as his desires gave him some uneasiness on this subject, he obtain

ed a revelation which released him from his oath. And again, no one was allowed to take, or even to speak with, any one of his wives, contrary to what was allowed in the cases of others: nor was any one permitted to enter his house by any chance. His wives too were not permitted to speak kindly to any one: and of this kind is a great part of his revelation, savouring most strongly of the lustful disposition of its author."

In the course of this tract Mr. M refutes some of the leading dogmas of the Koran; and explains some of the fuudamental doctrines of the gospel, such as the trinity and the atonement of Christ; and we regret that we have not room to insert his excellent remarks on these topicks.

The third and last tract of Mr. M. is thus introduced:

"What has been written in the two

foregoing Tracts on the vanity of Mohammedanism, will perhaps be sufficient to satisfy any impartial inquirer; but, as little has there been adduced in support of the Christian religion, and nothing in proof of the mission of Moses, it may not be amiss here to state the reasons for my own belief in the missions of Moses and Jesus: and, although my statements may fail of convincing others, they will at least serve to show why I have chosen this in preference to other religions. But as it seemed desirable to prove the reality of the prophetic missions in general, in order to meet the doubts of Deists, who, from the peculiar character of their faith in the unity of the Deity, or other considerations dependent thereupon, think the appearance of a Prophet unnecessary, or, that he is nothing more than any other man, I shall, in the first place, offer a few remarks on this subject.

"First, then, let it be remarked, that as to the truth of the unity of the Deity, or that union with him constitutes perfection, and is the greatest of human acquirements, there is here no question. But as some, speaking inconsiderately of the Deity, hesitate not to affirm, that no action or person or thing can be said to be exempt from his influence; and that it is he who appears in every thing and person, and that therefore there can be neither defect, perfection, nearness or distance with respect to him, since every person and thing is God, and from God, and with God; we may be allowed to ask, How then does it come to pass, that these very persons do, both in word and deed, virtually affirm the contrary? They avoid pain and necessity, for instance, and seek pleasure as a good ;

and further, they exert the utmost of their endeavours in the prosecution of these ends. To refute, however, every article of belief as held by these people, would be almost endless; we therefore pass over this for the present, and proceed to the subject more immediately before us, premising only, that union with the Deity is beyond the power of human nature alone to acquire; but is what men do consider as the object and end of all their endeavours. On the means to be employed, however, much difference of opinion is found to exist among the learned; the following is what appears to me to come nearest to the truth."

Mr. M. then goes on to show, that the notions of the Soofees about union with the Deity, are to the last degree absurd and contradictory. After this, he explains that spiritual union with God, through the intervention of a mediator which the gospel describes. Then follows the statement of his reasons for his "belief in the missions of Moses and Jesus," which is continued to the end of the tract.

"The rejoinder of Mohammed Ruza of Hamadan, in answer to Mr. M.'s tracts," is by far the most extended piece of the whole controversy. It fills 290 pages, and makes up considerably more than a third part of the whole volume. It is learned, and elaborate, and subtle; but after all, far less calculated, in our opinion, to produce effect, than the other Mohammedan papers. It consists of preliminary remarks, a preface, and eight sections. The preliminary remarks consist chiefly of praise given to the tract of Mirza Ibrahim, and of censure bestowed on Mr. M. for his incredulity.

In con

cluding these remarks this Moola says of Mr. M. "What he takes for arguments are the mere effects of prejudice, which he inherited from his forefathers, and which he must have rejected upon the perusal of our Professor's tract, had he possessed a grain of candour." The subjects discussed in the preface and sections, are the following:

"The Preface, in which is shown the necessity of having the mind free from Doubt and Scepticism, &c. Section 1. On the necessity of Benignity, and a diposition to pardon, in the character of the Deity. Section 2. On the Padre's (Mr.

for two quo

We shall allow space tations from this long essay. The following will show the exalted opinion which the author entertains, and we suppose Musselmen in general entertain, of the great impostor.

"With respect to the practice of Mohammed, it consisted in the most extensive cultivation of the virtues of truth, fidelity, chastity, courage, eloquence, liberality, piety, humility, condescension and kindness towards his compatriots, and of patience and zeal in the labours of his divine mission. Constant in his generosity, and active in providing for all men the com

forts both of this world and of that which is to come, he was favoured with the knowledge of futurity, and with the answer of God to all his prayers. Upon the whole, such was the assemblage of manners the most laudable, of properties the most agreeable, of conduct the most pleasing, of deportment the most becoming, of endowments the most brilliant, either as it respected his theory or his practice of qualifications corporeal and intellectual, innate and acquired, as to convince the maturest judgment, that they could thus be united in no one, who was not either a Prophet or his Apostle.

"But waving all this, let any one only contemplate the purity and holiness of the law which he has laid down, the faith which it requires, the worship it prescribes, its rites, decisions, rules, examples, the provisions which it has made for both worlds, and of which all stand equally in need; and then let him ask, whether it is possible any further doubt can remain, that all this must have come from God?

"But further, supposing he was not a Prophet, still his appearing at a period when the whole world was divided in opinion, and no Prophet had, for a long time, been sent-when the established order of things was every where verging to ruin, and the incendiaries of error and confusion daily gaining ground-the Arabs immersed in the grossest idolatry-the Persians worshipping the sun and moon

the Turks spreading devastation and woe, and persecuting the servants of God-the Hindoos bowing down, some to oxen and others to stones-the Jews and others denying the true religion-the Christians concealing the truth, and giving currency to falsehood-and, in short, the whole world overspread with error and indifference almost to a miracle-the appearance, we say, of a personage qualified as he was, both in the knowledge and experience of religion, and at such a time, must at least have called for the implicit obedience of all; and not for such an opposition, as would, in no case, allow either him or his religion to exist. Although an iniquitous league was formed against him with the idolatrous Koreish, what was his conduct? It was this, he sought neither wealth nor fame; but contented with little and desirous of less, he conducted himself, not only in the most humble manner possible, but at the same time, with the greatest zeal and perseverance for the spiritual welfare of the saints. If the opposition to him was not mere cavil, and the effect of prejudice, it is difficult for us to say which it was.

"Uncandid disputant! The words of Mohammed surpassed those of mortals; his properties were scarcely inferior to the Deity; and yet you can say, the assemblage of such properties are sufficient to prove that he was not a Prophet! If, however, he had withheld his testimony to the mission of Jesus, or had not described his life and character as he has done, we should never have considered Jesus as a Prophet. Because, it appears upon the face of his history, that he was most likely one of those who are termed Majzúb. That he had no participation in the Divine Essence is clear, otherwise he never would have acknowledged those defects inherent in himself which he did, and which we shall hereafter (Deo volente) show marked his character. Would our opponent confess the truth, he might say, how he can suppose a Divine personage (such as he believes Jesus to have been) could submit to the labours of a prophetic mission; and, after all, during his whole exemplary life, convert only a few to the true faith, but leave the great work itself to be done by the Apostles. And, on the other hand, how Mohammed did, in about the space of ten hours, so fascinate the Arabs, both by his address and manners, as to bring over, by his preaching only, multitudes almost innumerable from the ways of error to the path of truth. Such indeed was the fortitude of the Prophet in bearing the reproaches of others, that the Almighty himself has said respecting him, that he was the paragon of all moral excellence.' And, upon the whole,

Our next extract shall relate to the wonderful "revelation of the Hebrew child."

"Of this there are two accounts, the first of which respects his history, which is as follows: A certain learned and pious Israelite named Phineas had a wife whose name was Rachel. She was very infirm, exceedingly pious and obedient, and withal, extremely beautiful. Her constant employment was prayer to God that he would grant her a son; and, in this her cries and tears were incessant. It once happened that Phineas overheard the cries and supplications of his wife; and, being much affected with the circumstance, he joined her in making his petitions for a son. Their prayer was heard, and Rachel was soon observed to be pregnant. After six months' gestation, a child of perfect form and beauty was ushered into the world, which happened on Thursday the first day of October, in the 420th year from the destruction of the second temple. From this time to the birth of Mohammed was a period of four and thirty years. This child was called Nahman, who, as soon as he was born, fell down and worshipped. When he had lifted up his head, he said, Above this firmament of the heavens which ye see, there are nine hundred and fifty-five others. Above those is the firmament of living creatures. Above these is there a high throne, and above this is there a throne of consuming fire. The attendants, moreover, upon this throne, no less than the throne itself, consist entirely of fire. When Phineas had heard this from the child, he gave him a strict charge to speak no more:-Be silent, said he: the child became silent accordingly, and, until he had attained his twelfth year, he spoke no

more.

"Grief and lamentation was now once more the lot of Rachel. Would to God, cried she, we had had no son! for he is at last become speechless and dumb. It one day happened that Phineas, returning from his school, entered his house; his wife, as it was her custom, waited on him, and washed his feet. On this occasion she had brought her child with her, and soon began to solicit her husband, with the greatest earnestness, that he would beseech the Almighty, either to restore