this volume is intended-will be disposed to receive them otherwise than with a smile of contempt. I once thought of inserting in this place an account of Muhammad's celebrated" Night journey," as a specimen of Musalmán traditions; but I cannot bring myself to waste time and space on such folly. It is worse than silly; it is absolutely profane.

May the day soon arrive when the nations that have so long trusted in him of Mecca, shall recognize in Jesus of Nazareth, the Prophet that they need to guide them to the knowledge of all heavenly truth;-yea, and more than a prophett-a Priest also, who atones for their sins and ever lives to make intercession for them, and a King to defend and rule over them, whose kingdom (unlike that of Muhammad) is not of this world, and who summons them to contests and victories the most truly heroic and gloriousspiritual contests, spiritual victories!

Since the last edition of these Letters appeared several important works on the subject of Muhammadanism have issued from the press. We may, in particular, refer to a series of articles in various Nos. of the Calcutta Review during the years 1853-4-5. These papers (which are understood to be from the pen of Mr. W. Muir) are very learned, full of thought, and eminently suggestive; and we are happy to learn that they will probably appear in a separate form. We regret that our space will hardly allow us to make quotations.

1. The writer differs from Sprenger in regard to the personal influence of Muhammad in the formation of the Muhammadan faith. He holds that "it was Mahomet that formed Islam; it was not Islam, nor any preexisting Moslem spirit, that moulded Mahomet." Sprenger, on the contrary, calls Islam "the voice of the Arabian people." Still, Mr. Muir admits that the "materials" were there, and that Muhammad was a workman of "unparalleled art and rare supremacy of mind" who fashioned them into shape.

2. With regard to Muhammad's moral character, Mr. Muir's estimate coincides with the views expressed in the preceding pages. He says: "The heart of Mahomet was vindictive and revengeful."

"Am

bition, rapine, assassination, lust, are the undenied features of his later life."

3. With regard to the character of Islam itself we read: "It Presents a wonderful adaptation to fallen humanity; for the spurious imitation of godliness satisfies the serious mind, while the laxity of its moral code, and the compatibility of its external observances with inner irreligion present no barrier to the sensualist."

4. With regard to the question whether Muhammad was an im postor or a fanatic, Mr. Muir powerfully states as at least a possibility the idea of "a diabolical inspiration." At all events "Mahomet delibe rately yielded to a compromise with evil," and even from a pretty early period had recourse to fraud.

5. With regard to Muhammad's treatment of the Jewish and Christian scriptures we read: "The popular impression that would attribute to Mahomet either the formal cancelment of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, or any imputation against their perfect genuineness and authority, is entirely mistaken. No expression regarding them ever escaped the lips of Mahomet but those of the most implicit reverence and highest eulogy." This fact is of importance in arguing with Muham madans. It is also fatal to the claims of Muhammad; for if the Scriptures be what he admits them to be, the Kuran (which is in so many things irreconcilably opposed to them) must be false.

6. Mr. Muir's view of the terrible disease under which Muhammad laboured agrees with that which has been quoted from Sprenger. The excited states and ecstitac swoons connected with it " perhaps suggested to his own mind the idea of inspiration, and were undoubtedly taken by his followers to be evidence of it."

LETTER XIV.

SPECIAL APPLICATION OF THE ARGUMENT OF THE THREE PRECEDING LETTERS.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,

In the last three letters we have entered with considera-' ble minuteness into an examination of the evidences of Hinduism, Pársíism, and Muhammadanism. We have done so, because these three religions are still very extensively followed in India. Doubtless you have been interested in attending to the amount of evidence possessed by these systems respectively. The discussion in which we have been engaged is sufficient to convince any unprejudiced student in India of the folly of regarding any one of these religions as a Revelation from God. We have seen that the most boasted part of their evidence entirely vanishes at the touch of enlightened reason.

1

But we can derive still another benefit from the discussion which has occupied the last three letters. It greatly strengthens the evidence in favour of Christianity. Observe how it does so.

We saw in Letter VII. that Christianity was either from God or man. We compared it, at some length, with the works of God; and we saw how beautifully it harmonizes both with Nature and with Providence. Something was also said about its non-resemblance to the works of man. But this latter part of the argument can now be much better appreciated; for we have lately been examining

the kind of religions that man is Japable of inventing. And let it not be forgotten that Hinduism, Pársíism, and Muhammadanism were the productions of the ablest men of some of the greatest nations of the earth. In these systems we see the best sort of religions that man can invent. Had Christianity been of human origin, it would have resembled them; at all events, it could hardly have excelled them. It must have resembled them in their imperfection of character and deficiency of evidence.

But how exceedingly unlike them Christianity is in character, we have seen in letters IX and X; and, as to evidence, you must have felt, my young friend, as we tried them by the very same tests in succession as we had applied to the Bible, that the difference was infinite between their unsubstantial, shadowy claims, and the solid, commanding argument in support of Christianity.

Had Christianity been of human invention, it would not have excelled Hinduism,-for Hinduism, in its philosophical aspect at least, is the elaborated production of minds possessed of wonderful acuteness and great dialectic power.

Nor would it have excelled Pársíism,-for Pársíism, as restored under the Sasanian dynasty, is a reformation of religion effected by the ablest minds of Persia after they had enjoyed the opportunity of coming in contact with Grecian philosophy," Judaism, and Christianity.

Nor would it have excelled Muhammadanism,—for Muhammad, a man of superior intellect, great energy, and enlarged experience, brought forward an eclectic system, that is, a system of doctrines selected from Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Paganism, so that he ought to have produced the very best possible specimen of a humanly-devised religion.

* Greek literature was assiduously cultivated under the Parthian kings who preceded Ardashír Bábegan, and to some extent afterwards.

And certainly these was nothing in the country, or the age of the world, in which Christianity arose-nothing in the talents of its promulgators, or the circumstances in which they were placed, that could have warranted the hope of the new religion excelling the most elaborate systems of Eastern faith and wisdom. Religion was in a fearfully low condition in Judea when Christianity arose. Except the abhorrence of idolatry, there was hardly one feature in the system of the Jews on which we can dwell with complacency. The pure religion of the Old Testament they had "made void" by the "traditions of men." The spirit had fled the carcase only was left.

What then could the illiterate fishermen of Galilee have been expected to excogitate but some meaningless system of rites and ceremonies-some crude and narrow superstition-some baser form of corrupted Judaism, at once repulsive and intolerant? But how different is the fact! The truth, then, is that other religions are unable to stand the scrutiny of Reason, and only appear the more objectionable the longer we ponder them; whereas, Christianity calmly invites and fully sustains investigation, and discloses only the more of her majestic strength and beauty, the longer and steadier the gaze that we fix upon her. How is the fact to be explained? Why does Christianity stand single and apart from other religions in her evidence? Only one reason can be assigned. It is because she stands single and apart from other religions in her origin. They are the inventions of man; she is the gift of God.

So far as the Internal Evidence is concerned, you can easily test for yourself the truth of what has now been asserted. Take the Bible, and deliberately compare it with the Vedas and Puránas of the Hindus, the Zendavesta of the Pársís, and the Kurán of the Musalmans, Happily, several of the authoritative Hindu works have been rendered into English, so that it is easy to compare them