Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-07-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
IRON NJ de ST. PnRE's Studies of Nature
THE COFFEE-HOUsE OF sURAT
nv ORIENT1L EPUOGUE.

/ house, to which persons OF various coun-
tries reSorted. One day Persian Seder
( or doctor of the law, entered the room.
This man had employed his whole life in
/ theological discussions, -andyet believed
no longer IN the existence of a Deity.
"What is Godl" said he, "whence does
( he come?-From whom does he derive his
origin? II what part OF the universe does
ne eXistl Ifhe were . corporal beng,
We should sec him; if a spiritual existence,
he would be intelligent and Just, and would
not permit his rational creatures 10 be un.
happy. ], for instance, after having been
so much devoted TO his service, should
have been the highPriest at Ispahan, in
stead Of being compelled 10 abandon Per
STA, after having ondeavored to enllghtea
my counrymon; Is evident then that
there is no God Thus was the doctor
bewildcred by his own ambition. BY per
petually reasoning on the first cause Of all
things, he had at last, actually lost his IN
Outstanding; insomuch that he took it IN
his head, that il was not his own reason
ofwhich he was deprived, but that the ~
toll'gence by which the universe IS govern
ed no longer existed.
This doctor had @ slave, CalFro almost
naked, whom he left at the door of coffee
house. He himself sat down on sofa,
and took a cup of opium. When this por-
ton had begun to operate on his brain, he
thus addressed his slave, who was sitting
on q store in the sunshine, and busy in
driving away the flies that tOrmented him:
Thou wretched negro dost thou believe
there is a God!' WHO can doubtIt!' an
swered the slave; and instantly taking q
Gtue wooden monkey from the ragged piece
: OF cotton that covered his waist, here,
said he, lis the God who protected nc ev-
err since I was born. j IS made OF a
branch of the fctiche trees that grows 10
/ my country The company in the coffee
room were not less astoniShcd az the an
swcg Of the slave. than at ,he question of
his master. "Thou poor idiot!' said a
Brama, Struggling his shoulders; what!
dost thou carry thy God in Thy grdlef
Know. that that there is no other God than
/ Drama, who created the world, and whose
temples are on the banks OF the Oranges.
! The bramins only arc his priests; and It Is
by his particular protection that they have
been preserved 10000 years, amid all
the revolutions Of India Here he was
interrupted by q jewish courler, who ask
od-'How can tho bramans believe that
God has no temples but in India, and that
he exists for their caste only? There IS
no other God than the God Of Abraham,
and he has no people but the people Of Is
real. lie still preserves them, although
dispersed over ,he whole earth; and he will
continue to preserve them till the happy
period, when heis to restore Jerusalem to
them, give them dominion over all nations,
and re-establlsh their temples, once the
wonder of the world In uttering these
words the Isrcalite shed some tears. He
was proceeding, when an Italian, IN blue
robe angrily said, You give a very iniu-
rious representation of God, in asserting
that The lsrealtes only are the objects of
his favor lie rejected them seventeen
hundred years ago, which is evident from
their present dispersion. lie now invites
all men in the pale Of the church Of Rome
out o. which there is no salvation A
protestant minister Of the Danish mission
lat Trarquehar, changing counleuance,
here addressed The catholic priest: How
,can Won thus exclude all from salvation
but the members of your IdoIatrous COM
munion2-Learn, that none can be saved,
but those who, deciplcs of Jesus, and in
conformity to his gospel, worship God in
sDirif and IN truth Then a Turk, Gus
tom house officer at Surat, who was smok-
mo his pipc, said to the two christians,
with a very grave countenace, Fathers,
why do Won e6nine the knowledge Of God
10 your churches?-The law Of Jesus has
been abolished ever since the divine mis-
sion of Mahomet, the comforter foretold by
that very Jesus, ia the word Of God. Your
Religion exists IN a few kingdoms only;
ours has been erected on lis ruins in the
finest countries Of Europe, Africa, Asia q
The isles. Il IS now seated on the throne
orthe Mogul, and has penetrated even IN
n China, that country OF knowledge. You
perceivc yourselves the reprobatIon OF the
Iews in their present humiliation; behold
/ the mission of the prophet in his victories.
None can be saved but the friends of Ma
bomet and Omar; for as to the disciples OF
IAT they are infdels.' At these words,
the seider, who was native Of Persia
where the people are universally Of the sect
1rAli affected TO smile. But this tholo-
r;cal conversation, among persons OF such
5;9sreDt nations and religions, produced
great quarrel, for besides those already
9@entio6ed. there were Abyssio.sa Chris
hans. Cophts, Tartarian Lamas' Arabian
Isbmaelites. and Geu5ces or worshipPers