the Koran many precepts of sublime virtue, borrowed for the most part from the pages of the Christian revelation. He therefore boasts himself of these; he is not an idolater, as the heathen; he has also his fasts and his prayers, and too often such are the ignorance and debasement of the corrupt nominal Christians who surround him, that he sees nothing to tempt him to prefer their creed or practice to his own. Indeed, the fallen state of the Christian churches of the East is a fearful stumbling block to the Mohammedan. While the professed disciples of Christ retained the doctrines and precepts of their divine Master, his religion made rapid way, long after the age of miracles, among the oriental nations; but when the churches of Asia fell into the errors and evil deeds against which they had been warned in the book of the Revelation, till at length the apostacies of later ages supervened, Mohammed found too easy a triumph for his blasphemous inventions; and alas! there was little vitality, and there is now far less, in the eastern communions of those who call themselves Christians to combat them. As therefore Mohammedanism has thriven upon corrupted Christianity, a powerful means in the hands of God to weaken and destroy it, is, by his blessing, to restore the churches of Asia to the simplicity of the faith once delivered to the saints, and to those blessed fruits which will shew that they have been with Jesus, whom the followers of Mohammed acknowledge to be a prophet, though his precepts are so little adorned by his disciples.

It is a token for good upon the Episcopal church in the United States of America, that it has become, in a very marked manner, notwithstanding its own

incipient state, a missionary communion. Among its other plans it commissioned Mr. Southgate, one of its missionaries, to visit Turkey, and several of the countries eastward of it, with a view to report as to the propriety of establishing missions in those lands. The result of his travels we have in the volumes before us, which however we shall not report upon, as they relate chiefly to Armenia, Kurdistan, Persia, and Mesopotamia, though the author gives us also some Turkish information. In conse. quence of his statements, the American Protestant Episcopal Board of Missions is commenc ing a mission at Constantinople, and another among the Jacobite Christians of Mesopotamia. The object proposed will be chiefly to aid in the resuscitation of the Eastern churches; in which the missionaries of several other societies in Great Britain and America have already, for many years, taken a lively interest; though little has been effected worthy of a work of such magnitude and importance. The church of England enjoys peculiar advantages in prosecuting this labour of love. We remember being much struck with the awkward and invidious figure which the zealous congregationalist, Sereno Dwight, and his companion Eli Smith, made in their missionary tour in Asia Minor, Armenia, Georgia, and Persia, ten years ago, by reason of their connecting episcopacy and the use of a liturgy, which the Eastern churches have enjoyed from the times of the apostles, with the superstitions and corruptions of later ages. What did those churches know of the "American Board of Missions," under the auspices of which Mr. Dwight and his friend travelled, or of the sects which compose it? We

are far from disparaging the zealous and useful labours of the godly men who conduct that Society, or their excellent missionaries; but when the latter come to cope with the ancient, though decayed or heretical, communions of the East, they are greatly at a disadvantage. They carry no credentials which the people acknowledge. When asked, Who ordained you What church do you belong to? Who are your bishops? Where is your Liturgy? What creeds What creeds do you use?-they can give no reply intelligible and satisfactory to the inquirer. But the Church of England will not ask Oriental Christians to cashier bishops, or to abolish any godly and edifying custom of ancient days, and to begin to found new churches upon the principles of modern congregationalism. The conduct of her missionaries towards the Syrian church in India, shews that she has adopted wiser and more scriptural views; and the results prove that God will bless her labours in instructing, correcting, and building up, where the new lights of these our days would commence with subverting.

We differ in opinion, as will be seen by the preceding remarks, from those who think that Mohammedanism furnishes a halfway-house, or vantage-ground, between Paganism and Christianity. Mr. Chancellor Forster, examining chaplain to the late Bishop Jebb, has undertaken to prove, in his "Mahometanism Unveiled," that this system of imposture is the appointed and favoured handmaid to the Gospel; an improvement, it would seem, upon Judaism, though not so good as Christianity; that God gave it by promise to Abraham for Ishmael, as Judaism and Christianity for Isaac; that as the latter promise was accomCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 35.

plished by the advent of Christ, so was the former by the advent of Mahomet, who was "parallel to Jesus Christ and his typical," his religion being "a providential arrangement" of Jehovah, "acting co-ordinately with Christianity to bring about that consummation spoken of in Scripture prophecy, when the one true religion shall universally prevail." We, on the contrary, consider it to be a direct and powerful impediment in the way of the Gospel; an impediment more formidable than paganism itself. For how stands the matter? Mr. Southgate-who, when speaking of Mohammedanism, assumes far too much of the apologist, as if, like Mr. Forster, viewing it as a handmaid to the Gospel-writes as follows:

"The student of Islamism will often

find occasion to remark that it holds a middle place between Christianity and Paganism. This is not only true of its doctrines, which, in some points, apBible, and, in others, border upon the proach the eminent spirituality of the fantastic follies of heathenish superstition; but its precepts also partake throughout of the same mingled charac

ter. Thus it is with the rank and duties which it assigns to woman. It neither exhibits the elevating influence of Christianity, nor the degrading tendencies of idolatry. It raises her above the rank which any other system, excepting our own, has ever assigned to her, but it leaves room for much higher improvement.

"The institutions of Mohammed in this particular are worthy only of praise. The remark may create surprise, but I do not utter it incautiously. We are not to judge of the false prophet of Islamism by our standard, but by that which he had before his own eyes. He was an Arab, born a pagan. The religion in which he was nurtured was as unfavourable in its influences upon woman, as any form of heathenism that ever existed. It was, throughout, debasing and polluting. He undertook its reform. He raised the Arab female from her degradation. He made distinct provision for her relief from many of the wicked prejudices to which she had been subjected. The evils which he could not remove he suffered to re

4 U

main. They reappear on the pages of the Koran, but they are not original there. They are only copies transferred from the immemorial usages of his people. He tolerated them, but he did not create them. On the contrary, in most instances he impliedly condemns while he allows them. Thus he gives permission to husbands to chastise their wives, if disobedient; but he recommends, at the same time, that they avoid all canses of quarrel. Divorce, too, though allowed, is strongly disapproved. Reconciliation is pronounced preferable to separation, and mediation is set before chastisement. Even here is improvement, the design being to abate evils which probably could not be removed.

"If now we turn to the other side of the picture, and observe the positive institutions of the Koran, we shall find still higher reasons to free its author from censure, however much its precepts may fall below the benign institutions of Christianity."

Again, speaking of the funda. mental article of the Mohammedan creed, that "There is no God but God, and Mohammed in his Apostle," Mr. Southgate

says:

"This passage bears a remarkable

resemblance to one in the New Testa

ment, John xvii. 3: And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.' The one may have suggested the other."

Now all this appears to us quite wrong. Heathenism does not specifically oppose Christianity; it knows nothing of it; it is directly contrary to it; but it is not so by design and upon calculation. But Mohammedanism was invented after it, and with a view to supersede it. It does not, as Mr. Southgate asserts, hold a middle place between Christianity and Paganism." Even its primary doctrine, that there is but one God, though a doctrine of Holy Writ, is urged by Mohammedans, as by those who call themselves "Unitarian Christians," against the doctrine of the Trinity, as if the one contradicted the other; which it does

not, for the Trinitarian does not believe in three Gods. It is easier to convince a Pagan of the truth of this matter, than a Mohammedan; not however because the Pagan is a polytheist, but because when he comes to believe the unity of the Godhead, which even what is called natural religion is sufficient to prove, he has no pre-conceived opinion as to the mode of subsistence; whereas the disciple of Mahomet has been trained to repugn the Christian doctrine; and we believe that one express and prominent design of the false prophet was to oppose the doctrine of the Trinity which he found prevailing throughout Christendom; and he did so in the most subtle man. ner, by declaring that Jesus Christ was, like himself, a teacher sent from God. He had no objection to calling Christ a prophet. All he wished to rob him of was his Divinity; for that being taken away, the whole fabric of Christianity falls to the ground, and an opening is left for the introduction of Mohammedanism or any other invention. So far from thinking with Mr. Southgate, that we gain anything by the alleged parallel between the first article of the Moslem creed, and the Scripture declaration which he refers to, we believe that the Moslem article of faith was designedly constructed to contravene the Christian; and if, as Mr. Southgate supposes, the arch-imposter had that particular passage of Holy Writ in his mind, his parody upon it was as blasphemous as it was insidious. So far from finding any parallel, as Mr. Southgate does, we find the strongest possible opposition. The truth acknowledged in common is merely an article of natural religion, as is shewn by the apostle Paul in the first chapter to the Romans; Mahomet

sacrificed nothing by avowing it, and Christianity gains nothing specific by the avowal; but the substitution of the divine mission of Mahomet for that of Christ, is the pregnant part of the sentence. Then again, as to all the rest that Mr. Southgate says about Mohammedanism having its sacred books, and ritual, and prayers, and fastings, and the like, so far from these being preparatives for the reception of Christianity, they are only obstacles; as it is easier to fill an empty tank with pure water, than first to empty and cleanse one that has been choked up with mire and rubbish, and then to fill it. In dealing with the Hindoos, it has not been found conducive to the propagation of Christianity among them, to lay hold of something which may be made to assume a forced resem. blance to some fact or doctrine of Holy Writ-as for instance the Avaturs, or incarnations of their deities and to make it an introduction to, or apology for, the new doctrine. It is best to keep the line of demarcation every where well-defined; and to tell men, at once and plainly, that the Gospel is intended to bring all things into obedience to Christ.

Asia Minor is a land of melancholy recollections; for here were

situated the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, all of which places are now under the sway of the false Prophet, and of which Smyrna alone retains its ancient prosperity, the others being desolate Turkish villages. Yet we believe, and are sure, that in the purposes of Jehovah, even this dreary region shall be visited by the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness, and the Crescent shall wane before the effulgence of the Cross. At present the prospect is dark, and the difficulties are apparently insuperable; but still some openings occur for Christian

enterprise, through the medium of commercial intercourse, and in other ways; and if more were done for conveying scriptural knowledge, and promoting, by the divine blessing, a revival of piety among the degenerate native Christians, the effect upon the Mohammedan population might be very powerful; for hitherto they cannot be said to know what Christianity is, amidst the ignorance and debasements which conceal its fair visage.

We must reserve our cursory notes upon that most remarkable of all lands, Syria, to our next Number.

THE Turkish and Egyptian question has become increasingly complicated. Mehemet Ali declined acceding to the offer proposed to him by the Porte, in conjunction with England, Russia, Austria, and Prussia, of the hereditary viceroyalty of Egypt, and the retention of the pashalic of Acre for his life; in addition to which he humbly requested the Sultan to be permitted to hold for life the remaining pashalics of Syria. His imperial master, however, without

allowing of any parley, upon the expiration of the ten days, accorded to the Pasha for deliberation, declared the offer cancelled, and proceeded to depose his rebellious subject. This ungracious promptitude was displeasing to the allies, who desired to keep open the door to negociation; hoping to prevent the further horrors and fearful contingencies of war, and perhaps wishing to allow France to act as a conciliator, so as to gain the main objects, and yet by

some minor concessions to give both the King of the French and the Pasha of Egypt an honourable opportunity of adjusting the question.

In the mean time the English squadron in the Levant, in conjunction with the Turkish fleet, and the almost nominal naval aid of Austria, has blockaded the ports of Syria and Egypt, and commenced active hostile operations by the bombardment of Beyrout, and other maritime towns of Syria, and arming as many of the natives as could be induced to rise against their Egyptian conqueror, and to return to their allegiance to the Porte. Hitherto these operations have been favourable to the allies, and the whole coast of Syria is under their control; but the power which the Pasha still retains in the interior, and the approach of winter, presage many difficulties, should the Pasha bring his whole strength into the field; which he would perhaps be enabled to do, as France is pledged not to permit Egypt to be snatched from him, so that he would be tolerably secure in that quarter, unless the allies should determine to provoke a general European warfare.

We trust however, and believe, that matters will not arrive at such an extremity. Lord Palmerston and M. Thiers have been, rather extra-officially, defending themselves in diplomatic letters designed for popular circulation; and though their explanations and polite recriminations have not removed the difficulties which beset the question, they shew that neither party saw his way at once to relinquish the pen for the sword; though M. Thiers seemed well-inclined to do so, if the reasonable portion of his countrymen would allow it. His policy has been to ingratiate himself with the revolution. ary spirits which distract not only France but all Europe; and among these, war, in any shape, especially war with England, or whatever might lead to disturbance, and endanger the throne of Louis Philippe, is furiously coveted. His dangerous machinations have received a check, by his dismissal from office, his royal master having refused to adopt the war-breathing expressions which he wished to infuse into the speech from the throne at the approaching meeting of the Chambers. The king is endeavouring to collect around him men of more moderate doctrines; and in particular has appointed M. Guizot bis minister for foreign affairs; and we trust that their accession to office will enable Louis Philippe, without any dishonourable retractation, to extricate both France and England from the

difficulties in which M. Thiers has been a main instrument of placing them. It augurs well for peace that both the British Government and people, and the king of the French and his new ministers, are anxious to maintain it; though there is a strong war party in France, whose mischievous efforts have done much to inflame that highly susceptible, jealous, and martial people. But the solid-thinking men there, as here, must be averse to war; and we trust that their influence, both in the new cabinet and the Chambers, will be able to quell the voice of popular passion. There is ample ground for reconsideration and adjustment of the pending question. France equally with the allies, as M. Thiers himself states, guaranteed the integrity of the Ottoman empire; but the allies included in that guarantee its defence against the ambition of Mehemet Ali, whereas France, he says, meant only that the Egyptian army should not cross the mountains of Taurus, and thus give Russia an excuse for marching to Constantinople, but not that Mehemet should disgorge any of his usurped territory. But if it was the dictate of European policy to render Turkey strong in order to ward off Russia, it was also necessary not to allow Egypt to weaken it, and thereby enable Russia to take advantage of its impotence. But practically the whole question has come to a single point,-namely, whether the Pasha of Egypt shall possess for life the government of the central and northern portions of Syria. All parties are willing to concede to him Egypt in perpetuity, and a life interest in the pashalic of Acre (for the recent basty deposition of Mehemet by the Porte will doubtless be rescinded, as has been requested by the allies, if any reasonable prospect occurs of settling the dispute); but the question between France and the Pasha on the one hand, and the Porte and its allies on the other, is simply whether Mehemet shall retain for life the pashalics of Damascus, Aleppo, and Tripoli. Now M. Thiers contends, and so far we think with justice, that if the integrity of the Ottoman empire is to be regarded absolutely, the cession of Egypt is a breach of it; and that in principle there is as decided a violation by resigning the life government of Acre as by adding to it the other three pashalics. It is quite clear that the abstract question has been broken in upon by all parties; and therefore the only practical point is to what extent the breach shall be allowed. We cannot see what there should be in the consideration of this to provoke feelings of national