The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1877-05-23
THE srRuoGLEIN THE EAST.
[Fronl ;Ile IallInlore snn.l

ntRuil III tile lIisti ~ NOHih pS iuoiich "uN
unphilosophical 10 ignore the fact hat
This Is isa struggle In which two civiliza-
tions aud two religions have appealed 10
the wager OF battle The secular features
Of tie Eastern question are :nanifest
enough. but II Is idleto deny that religious
aud moral elements are also involved, ], and
the forces of sentiment are at least as
strong aud peryadlng as The warfare Of
races. M FLU
III view of the impending collision he
tween Russians and Turks it Is therefore
OF interest TO know the religious issues
whichiare 10 be stiiedby battle between
lie contestants. Tie Christian faith Of
Russia is f,iniiliartoAll aud being essen
tally that OF tile rest of Christendom,
needs no explanation. Thf religion of.
Mohammed, which has been adopted by
Turks, may not lbe generally understood.
Hence brief sketch may not he without
interest. hIollan,nied was born III Mecca,
a. ID. 500 ore7l. His family was wealthy
aud illustrious. but his father died in lis
infancy. AID the family lionors and family
fortune descended 10 another son. Five
camels and an Ethiopian slave were the
sole heritage Of the future Prophet Mecca,
his biah-place, had been for many genera
tions The seat Of the Kpeishltes, the prih-
cipal ofthe tril,es OF Arabia, aud claiming
u descent from Ishnlael. Their temple
supposed TO have been erected by Abra.
ham, was the great object q. their rever,
ence. They had. however, fallen from the
filth Of their ancestors into a system
Of idolatry peculiar TO themselves. 10
which, while recognizing The Supreme
Being, they worsbippsd a number Of in-
ferlor diyinities, male aud female, whom
they represented AZ his offspring, though
their affection for ilcIatiy had really de-
clined when Mohammed lnade his aps
peamnce, and they had fallen into the
error of The Sadducees, rejecting tile doc.
trines Of the resurrection and Of future
state. Like all the AIabians, the koreis,
hiies devoted themselves 10 mercantile
pursuits. and Mohammed was trained In
The mercantile profession. In his COM
mefcial expeditions, which led him into
foreign countries. be was brought into in
innate association with both Jews and
Christians, from the former Of whom lie
obtained the recurd ofihe faith originally
held by Abraham. the master whom he
most reveIed. and from both q stroug
conviction nf The uuity or tile Supreme
Being. He had little disposition, how.
ever, To- affiliate with either, as the re-
ligion of both emanated from descendants
of Isaac. aud both looked upon tile race Of
Ishmacl with contempt and aversion.
Not long after Iii. fst marriage he con-
ceiyed the idea ofbccoming tile founder
ofa new religion. The restoration of tile
faith of Abraham. who had come out
fronl I,lolators aud obtained the know.
ledge ofone Gud. becaGsc Ire dream of his
life. IL has been disputed whether he
was an impnstos o. s,t. II i certain.
however, tnat he could neither read nor
write. aud he claimed as evidence Of his
divine mission that, being utterly illitcrale,
~ could read the Koran. which be said
had been brought 10 him by the angel Ga.
briel, announcing % him that he was the
Prophet az God. Ne had. However. he
come well acquainted with a Persian jew,
aud degraded HISTORIAN monk, from
whom lie derived the knowledge of the
Jewish and Christian scriptures. But for
the fabulous story Of their origin his firsl
doctrines commended themselves TO men
Or intelligence. lie acknowledged the
authenticity aud unifleati0n OF the Jewish
and Christian scriptures, aud that Moses
and Christ were prophets sent from God.
The fundamental principles Of his faith
was The unity ofthe Supreme Being, to
whom I've also attributed Infinite know
ledge. power and bcncyolpncc. 10 show
the minuieness 10 which the goodness Of
the Almighty extends The Koran declares
that .'the weight of an ant III Heaven Or
on earth, the least weight, like the
heaviest. escapelh not the knowledge Of
tie Most High The day of flnal judg-
mept i 10 close accordance with the
Christian Scriptures, andon fear, love and
erali.u,ls 10 God depends the eternal well
fare Of mortnls. But the divergence from
the Christian faith commences IN the
several rewards accorded hereafter to the
righteous aud the refusal orall mercy 70
IdoIators both In this world and the next
FOR true believers, whose works do not
correspond with their faith, there ish
minor hell reserved. which, ifilicy have
Iabored and fought for the faith, will net
be inlerminable. For jews, Christians
aud Zoroasttlans special hells are ap.
pointed; though ifthey have led pure lives
some hope IL held out q their ultimate
salvation. Next 10 the Supreme Being
the prophet ie TO be the object Of special
yeucratlon. The doctrines o. pred,Stina-
ton aud aImAgiying are fundamental
points of the practical religion Of
Il