The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-02
A REMARKABLE WORK.

recent publications comes 10 US from MessIs
Harper Bros, in the form Of series OF lectures
lately delivered by r. B0sworth Smith, N. A.,
before the "Royal Institution of Great Britain, :
upon the subject OF Mohammed and Mohammed-
anism. When we reflect that up to the present
day religion nearly rs old as the Christian reh-
gion, with quite as brilliant history in proselyt-
ism, which numbers to-day $50, 00O, 900 OF devout
believers, and has a controlling hold upon three
continents, is yet generally regarded as an
ignorant superstition, and its Prophet as rank
imposter, we must acknowledge the time
as having arrived for tolerant and dispas-
sionate investigation of its claims and merits
The result Of Mr. Smiths researches are,
therefore, entitled to the full weight claimed for
them; the more 80 because his book is written in
. singularly apt and lucid style. and evidences
much more close and comprehensive study Of the
subject than has get been laid before the English
reader.
Among the many popular fallacies he dispels in
regard to this latest and most historic Of all re-
ligions, he shows concluslvely that Mohammed-
anism did not originate with it's Prophet, that it
was preached before his era, and that it was,
after all. only republication of Judaism, with
such modification as adapted it to Arab soil. That
instead of widely diverging from Christianity,
it is 80 thoroughly in coneonance Herewith that,
considering Mohammed's intense reverence for
Christ, it eau almost be called the only form of
Christianity which has proved itself suitable to
the nations OF the East. Like Christianity, its
origin was due to great popular reaction against
idolstry and the sinfulness OF the times, and
with Christianity and Judaism it constitutes the
only religions Of the world, either historic or
modern, avowedy Monotheistic. " Isiam'-sub-
mission to AMI faith in God alone-there is but
one God-away with all others. This is the Mo-
hammedan creed, this the Mussulman life. In
his Mohammed ouly reasserted that which had
been the life of the old Hebrew nation, the song
Of al its prophets.
From the Jews he adopted much of their oral
and written law, their fAsts and their feasts, and
until he could hope no longer made Jerusalem
the Kiblah Of the world. From the Christians
he adopted their uncomprising denunciation Of
idolatry, and he destroyed the idols Of the Kaaba
as Indignantly a. Christ cast down those of the
temple He accepted the doctrines Of spiritual
sacrifice, of divine revelation, Of humility and
federation. dispute not" said Mohammed to
his followers, Gag inst those who have received
the Scriptures that is, Jews and Christians-ex-
cept with gentleness; but say unto them We be-
ieye in the revelation which hath been sent down
to us, and also in that which hath been sent
down to YOU; and our God and your God is one"
The three creeds are oil, undoubtedly, branches
from the same parent stock and all look back to
Abraham as the first teacher Of the unity OF God.
That, admitting this seeming identity, there are
vet wide points Of diversion in the kindred faiths
is neither surprising nor unreasonable. Polyg-
amy is sanctioned by the one and rejected oy
the other. The ono accepts miracles, the other
rejects them; the one repudates the sword in
the work of evange,zation the other deifesit, but
how much OF tits is attributable to the difference
in the nature Of the respective followers OF the
two religions, or to what extent these differences
have been induced, controlled or perverted by
circumstances, We refer our readers to the book
itself for information.
As for Mohammed himself, the author paints
him as . man fttedin every attribute for the role
which he fulfilled Compare Mohammed, " says
he. "with the long roll Of men whom the world,
by common consent called great take him all
in all, what he was, and what he did, and what
those inspired by him have done, and he stands
above and beyond them all-he was all gr; at
things in one"
According to the writer-whether in error or
not, he was thoroughly and unquestionably sim
cere in the divine nature Of his mission. Cp to
the age OF forty he was an idol worshipper, when,
in the sacred month OF Ramadhan he became
inspired. This was the crisis of his life Like
Isaiah, he could not at first believe that one 80
unworthy could be chosen Of the Lord. He
doubted-at one time meditated suicide, and it
required all the assurance Of his first convert,
the good Kadljah, to confirm him in his inspired
mission.
In three years he had made only fourteen prose-
lytes In ten years the doctrine had fought it's way
up to the era Of persecution, and it's Prophet had
to fly AID secrete himself in ctvern league
from Mecca, where he was preserved from death
by spider weaving it's web across the entrance
Of the cave.
At this period and subsequently he is de-
scribed a being % bashful ~ . yelled virgin"
as easy OF approach to all who wished to see
him as the river bsuk to him who draweth water