The New York herald., 1850-12-06

ON MAHAMMKD, AT THE BROOKLYN FEMALE ACADEMY.
On Tuesday evening, the Rev DIR. Schroeder
delivered the third lecture of the course at the
Brooklyn Female Academy, TO numerous aud
fashionable audience. Subject" The Life and
Opinionsof Mahomed" Dr. Schroeder commenc-
ed bv saying that he would Introduce to them this
evening, history of the life and opinions OF Ma
homed, the founder Of the Moslem religion. He
traced the pedigree of the celebrated imposter back
TO Abraham; the tribe to which his (Mahomed's)
cestors belonged, occupied the southern portion Of
Arabia. The ancient Inhabitants ct that region OF
Asia, had within the temple in which they worship
ped, upwards OF one hundred images, TO which they
paid divine konOrs; amongst those idols was stone
which the learned ancestors OF korosh, TO which
the prophets belonged, worshiPed. The lecturer
next described the birth, education and marriage
of Mahomed, who, according to the lecturer,
evinced in early life, reverence for the religion
of Abraham. He was in the habit of retiring TO a
cave, there 10 contemplate his future mission. His
wife and her relatives were the trst to embrace
his doctrines his next desciple was Abu Boxer,
man Of great influence amongst the tribe OF koresh.
After he was joined by Abu Boxer, he boldly pro-
Jews and Christians. He acknowledged that both
were OF God, but they became corrupted, and he
was commissioned 10 reconcile them. The lecturer
then went on to describe the various religious
opinions entertained in Asia at the time, which he
compared to a chaos. Mahomeds object was to
strike out of this mass OF error new system
which all might agree on. He then described the
Hight OF the prophet 10 the seventh heaven, where
he received all his eatons and declared the
most perfect of all earthly beings In the manner of
Him who appointed the twelve apostles, Mahomet
appointed twelve missionaries, TO 60 forth and
teach his doctrine. Al first, he tried gentle means
TO propagate his religious opinions; but he soon
afterwards drew the sword and, at the point Of it,
he spread his doctrines all over Asia and Africa.
He was, however, for time, vigorously opposed;
for both he and his followers were driven from
Mecca to Medina His followers afterwards raj
lied; armies were raised and divided into sections,
each section commanded by an experienced leader;
and, in the tenth year of his mission, all Arabia
professed the doctrine of Mesemism. He after
wards followed up his triumphs, and, before Gen.
tury elapsed his conquests were greater than those
OF the Roman empire. The lecturer then drew a
beautiful contrast between Christianity and Islam
ism The latter was propagated by violence,
rapine, and blood while the former appeal
ed to the reason and judgment of mankind
The Koran, the lecturer said, binds together more
than one hundred and twenty millions OF people, Of
different languages, manners, and customs, and it
was, he said matter for curious speculation how
many millions of human beings, all differing so
much from each other, could be held together by
| the writings contained in that small volume
| The great doctrine of the Mosem, he said, was
the preservation from corruption of the Koran, and,
perhaps, II was TO the veneration In which this
volume is held by the Turks, that tine Moslem re-
lgion has spread, and kept its hold on he minds OF
It's followers, for so many centuries The lecturer
then went on TO describe the spiritual influences OF
4
! from manuscript with such rapldity that we could
not keep pace with him. On the doctrine of judg-
ment, the Turks hold that both men and animals
will be placed together-that ALA sits a throne
that the guardian angels of the Moslems has his
life written, from his birth 10 his death--that he
hands II TO each-that IL is then read aloud, and,
according 10 his works, he is either ennhilated or
sent to place of everlasting bliss There are, said
the lecturer, according TO the Koran, seven places
| OF punishment, and the seventh and lowest Is set
| apart for knaves and hypocres. He then COM
pared the faith and practices of the apostles and
| early Christians with Maho med and his followers.
Let us, said he, rejpice that we have untarnlshed
what many ne glect 10 read-the true Book of Reve-
lation. He said II Was true that the language OF
the Koran was sublime and lofty, but still II had no
title TO originality; il a tissue Of idle con-
ces, borrowed from the heretcal and schi itical
writers, who lived in the first ages of Christianity
He concluded by remarkng that the days Of Mos
! lemism was numbered. Every vessel that arrive:
from Europe, brings news OF the approaching
downfall of the Turkish empire. DR.. Schroeder
! at the conclusion of the lecture was loudly ap
! plauded.