in its first elements only, had been the bearer of the religious idea. The whole historical completion of its edifice, formed a new and entire contrast to that idea. Within mankind, Christianity was a ray emitted by the religious idea, whose effulgence, in its action on the collective mind, and in its consolatory influence on countless hearts of men, was and is still, fraught with untold blessing. Christianity bestowed on mankind, in the place of Heathenism, a new religious purport, and proclaimed Love to be the motive principle of human morality. But Christianity was satisfied with the general assertion, and limiting its sphere of action to the individual man, failed to insist on its realisation in the social man. It partially neutralised its own recognition of the principle of Love, by further adopting in its historical development, that of exclusion or election. It cannot therefore, if viewed according to general principles, be accepted as the consummation of the Religious Idea. That idea has yet to await and to achieve its final victory in the world of man.

165

LECTURE VIII.

THE RELATION OF MAHOMEDANISM TO JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY.

THE spread of Christianity has been virtually wholly confined to Europe, and to the European colonies in America. In Asia and Africa, it has on the contrary, found no spot on which to take firm root. Not only did the soil of its very birth-places-Palestine and Syria-even though moistened with the blood of its thousand devoted followers who fell in the Crusades, prove uncongenial to its propagation, but it was also speedily ejected from those portions of the neighbouring continent, North and East Africa, where it had flourished during a brief period. the dominion in Spain that it had lost for several previous centuries, it at the same moment witnessed the falling of one of its earliest and most important seats of empire, Constantinople, into the hands of its mighty rival.

Even while regaining

Though it may be foreseen that sooner or later, Turkey in Europe will lapse to one of the Christian powers, yet is it clearly manifest, that the grand line of demarcation between the Western and Eastern world must long endure among mankind. Who is then, the successful rival that thus victoriously took her place

by the side of Christianity? Islamism or the religion of Mahomed. The number of its believers greatly exceeds that of the professors of Christianity. We hence perceive that Christianity and Moslemism, (if the Heathenism of Eastern Asia and of Central Africa be excepted, whose votaries are without doubt collectively, numerically the largest body) share the religious government of the world. The professors of Judaism exist equally in the countries where both these, its two derivative creeds, prevail. In the regions of Heathenism, in China, India, and Central Africa, it is remarkable that the Hebrews, though dwelling apart in small and remote settlements, have lost all connection with their brethren of creed and race in other lands.

It is impossible not to concede a deep significance to a religion, that after conquering, as by the stroke of an enchanter, a world into which for six centuries Christianity had sought in vain to penetrate, has filled for twelve hundred years the mental being of a third of mankind. There must at once be recognised in Mahomedanism a singular accordance with the whole character of the Orient, by which it was thus enabled to effect a regeneration of the heathen Eastern world, that Christianity was powerless to achieve. For us especially, according to the standard by which we have to follow the course of the religious idea throughout the world of man, the origin, development, and diffusion of Islamism possess an equal interest with those of Christianity. For us too, another great fact is involved in Islamism. Precisely because we thus see, that the religious idea has not found entrance into the mental world of man by means of Christianity alone, but that Mahomedanism has been equally the vehicle of its

introduction there where Christianity could not gain admittance, do we also perceive that the religious idea is destined for all mankind, and that herein lies the proof of its ultimate and certain victory over all mankind.

With two special observations should our present inquiry be opened. The one is, that the author of Moslemism, Mahomed (unlike the founders of Christianity) is a completely historical personage.

By this is meant, that there exist other and authentic records of his life and works besides those his own and his disciples' writings furnish. We know this Mahomed in his virtues and in his failings, in the deceptions he practises, in the terror he inspires. The second is, that Mahomedanism is a religion that was born and cradled beneath the fluttering of war's banner, grew and attained its giant proportions and strength at the point of the sword. While Moses addressed the religious idea to his race alone, and the prophets predicted its victory over the world of man by means of the slow but irresistible power of truth, under the guidance of a divine providence; while Jesus sent his disciples to preach the word to the Heathens, and Christianity only at a later age seized on the sword and spear as a means of diffusing the true faith, Mahomedanism won the allegiance of its very first converts on the battle-field, and its founder declared a war of extermination against unbelievers, to be the duty of the faithful. Significantly enough, out of the rivalry of two towns, Mecca and Medina, did Mahomedanism win its first accession of power; the first champions of Moslemism were in nought better than a horde of predatory and nomadic Bedouins ;

and the whole power acquired by Islamism, it attained by methods entirely consistent with its origin. These circumstances should in no way lead us to pronounce a hasty condemnation, but rather induce an opposite judgment. If a religion is upheld of which the founder displayed so much human weakness, and of which the propagation was effected by means so irreligiously violent; if, notwithstanding the frailty of that founder, and the deeds of violence attending its dissemination, this faith, I say, endured and awakened such ardent enthusiasm in its followers, it must have possessed a deep significance, of power to overcome these, its enfeebling accidents. The Arabian empire fell, but Islamism exists. New races and peoples overspread Mahomedan Asia, but they all upheld Islamism. Thus Mahomedanism no more declined with the power of its first converts, than did Christianity with the downfall of Rome. Islamism has ever won to itself the allegiance of each newly-arising eastern nation, as did Christianity that of the various races of northern barbarians by whom, at the period of their migrations, the then civilised world was overspread. Mahomedanism has thus risen superior to its origin. The characteristics of the Oriental nature may at once be recognised in the mode of its dissemination. The inhabitant of the East is incapable of gradual development; he accomplishes everything by sudden impulses. If success attend not these first impulsive efforts, he never attains it. Having once reached a higher point of civilisation by a first vast and energetic effort, at that point he remains at a stand-still during thousands of after years.

Let us in the first place, briefly sketch the life of