Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-12-19
alsasiiA5NT.
MAHOMEDANlSM.
srrEcH OF HON. oEoso. ?. xAnsn.

MAHOMEDANlSM. 2
sPEEcH or HON. sEoRoE r. MARSH. s
Hox. George p. Marsh. Of Burlington
VI. attended the 3lst anniversary Of the
New York Bible Society, and made q
very interesting speech, a portion Of
which we copy: .st E..a y
Mr.. Marsh spoke Of the prospects OF
distribution Of the Bible in the Ottoman
Empire. Ths christian people in that
part Of the world, he sail, are compose
chiefly Of Arminian sects, and in moral
dignity Of character anil all tho attributes
ol true manhood, the Musselm on, who
are servants, far exceeds the condition OF
their Armenian Christian masters. He
proceeded 10 compare the religion Of the
Musselman with that Of the Christian.
He said the moro he learned Of the char.
acter of the Mehometan religion, the
more they were struck with its similarity
to that OF Christianity. The Mohome.
tans already believed in the OH Tesla.
nient in this respect they very much re-.
semble the Jews. He read several Of
their most familiar texts, the principal
tendency Of which waste proclaim the
absolute character Of the one just Col.
From these various extracts from the Ko.
ran,it woulI seem that their religion cor.
responded very much with lhat Of the
Pantateuch. The great principle which
they teach and believe is entire resigna.
,ion and obedience to the will Of God.
So that with regard to the Old Testa.
ment their belief is very similar to our
own. They also bolieve in the Divine
character ofJesus Chlist. but they do not
believe the Gospel account OF his death
an1 resurrection.
They do not think that Go woull suf.
fer his son TO die an igpominious death.
They believe that he was Immediately
translated into Heaven anil did not suf.
fer death. H. enumerated what appear.
ell to be the principle difficulties in the
way Of Musselmen embracing the Chris.
'ian religion, one Of which is the idea
they entertain Of a sensual paradise,
which however, is to some exten, oped
for BY manv protesting Christianity
The other is the belief introduced, into
the Christian creOls, Of the resurrection
Of the body. They cannot receive. In
the eye of the Musselman. religion is the
basis Of all civil society. He cannot
conceive Of any distinction between the
Church and State, AMI he finds in tho
Koran every instruction he requires fur
his religion, and also for his civil duties
This is the chief distinction between the
Musselman anil the Christian, as Chris.
tianity teaches decided distinction be.
tween religion AMI civil government.
1t would be necessary. therefore. in
order TO promote Christianity among the
Mahometans, to effect the downfall Of
that system by political changes. These
changes are now taking place, and the
entire destruction Of Mshometansm is
now at hand. There ARE two OF three
translations Of the Scriptures into the
Turkish language and that printed in the
Arminian character is founl 10 be effica.
cious. Alvices from Turkey are of the
most encouraging character as 10 the
progress Of ofraiiglous free lom. The nun.
ber Of persons who speak the Turkish
language is supposed TO be about 49,.
100000 ami consequently the Bible in
the Turkish language would reach a lar.
ger population than that Of the whole
United States. The result, he believed
Of the present wal in Europe, would be
the establishment OF entire religious free.
dom or toleration for all sects Of reli.
gfous belief in the Ottoman Empire
this he believed would be the case,
whether the Allies or the Czar gained the
victory. The translation Of the Scriptures
into Arabic is also an important event,
and by these two transla,ions, a popuIa-
ton probably thrice that of this country
will be reached by the Word Of God. ,
He spoke Of the advantage Of: Con-.
stantInople as position for the distribu.
tion of.he Scriptures, and regarded the
Of the Ottoman Empire as pre-.
senting vast and glorious field for the
extension Of the Gospel. He believed
trat the great events now in progress
would under the Providence Of GoI be
the means Of extending correc. knowl.
edge Of the word Of God over the land in
which it was to be written, and which has
been so long shut to its reception.
The honorable gentleman continued
at length, showing how, by the wisdom
of Providence the vreat r IN, n, otions and
convulsons Of the w,rld are turned to
the great proposes Of religious reforma.
lion and the practical extension Of the
Gospel OF Jesus Christ, regard it as
source Of great consolation and encour.
agement that the work is under the di.
rection Of the Almighty.
The BoDY OF SIR JOHN. FRANKLIN
F,uNn nv DR. KAyr-The T.aka SIM.