The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-01
MOHAMMED'S PARADISE.


CENTRAL METHODIST cHuRCH-THE BIBLE
AID THE KORAN CoNTRAsTED.
Rev. DR.. Newman delivered his ninth serial dis
course ';The Seven Great Religions OF the World"
at tho Central Methodist Episcopal Church. Seventh
avenue and Fourteenth street, last evening. IL Is
estimated that not less than $4,000 persons have
listened 70 these lectures, Of which the three
remaining to- DO presented have boon post
poped until tho autumn, owing to the warm weather
The subject last evening was "rhe Bible ana
tho Koran" and before commencing 1t the
Doctor expressed his obligations TO the press OF this
city and OF Brooklyn, especially the AERALp, for
giving wide circulation TO hts discourses. Hc said
that received letters from England and France.
from eminent gentlemen there who read the abstracts
In the HERALD and who had requested copies of the
dlscourscs. Dr. Newman then gave as his text for
the evening Revelations xiii, Is and TO- He sad:-
The term Koran from Arabic word which
signifies that which ought 10 DO road. Alkornn
implies the same, and dIffers ouly by the
ADDITION OF the article 'rhe, signiiying tho Koran
The book Is divided into ia suras chapters and
these sub-divlded into verses. Among the Mo-
ham medans tnsro theories the origin OF
their sacred book. Some hold hat produ by
GABRIEL and givcn In SECTIONS 10 Tho prophet Others
affirm that uncrcated-that tho original Is In tho
seventh heaven, bouna IN silk anu adorned with pre-
cious stones; that 1t was carried down 10 the
lowest heaven and there delivered In sections by
MOunmmeus
whole book once each year Tor twenty three years
anu twice the last ycar Of hrs iife. All, however,
agree that, nasmuch as MohAmmcd could not write
himself tho contents were mcmorized by the prophet
and that he employed scribes to record what no had
committed. These were written on palm leaves, on
on shells, on bits oil wood and on tablets Of stone
during period OF twenty-thrce years They wsro
thrown by tho prophet pell nell into boxes, whero
they remained till after his DEATH ana in the CUSTODY
Of HIS wite HalsA daughter OF Omar.
THE KORAN FIRST APPEARED
Some time after NOhHmmedB death these fragments
assorted by Apu Bakr, who put the largest por
first and the shortest last, Many COPIES OF Inc
In the several copies that the kaIiph OH
man authorized a standard edition, and CON.
the origin OF tho Koran II is stated
that Mohammed ircquentcd cave In Mount A,ra,
near Mecca Tor religious contc mpation, wherein no
slept and had dreams splcndent IKE tho rosy dawn.
When he walked form the .rses bowed their heads
the blessed night Al Kadar GABRIEL appeared ana said,
'Cry." "what shall cryf" asked the prophet. The
hanrded awoke and felt as II .sDook" had been writ
ten III his heart Covered with perspiraton and
trembling with excitement hc fastened to his wife aud
saiu, ION CadJab, he OF whom ono would not have
believed II has become either soothsaysr or luna
70 happen unto thee. Blu. what has Deiallea IbseS
! Hast thou seen aueht terr,ber' He then told hsr
HUSBAND ana be or good cnosr He In whose hands
STANDS CadJah's lite Is my witness that thou wilt
be NE Prophet o. his people IL Is historic lac.
which he roared Ike young camel, and whcn rc-
stored he seemed 10 hear the ringing OF bcs within
him and iclt That words had been written on MS
MouAxMED AS rLAaIAnrsE
But what arc she sources whence Mohammed de
| rived that which no dictated to othersY He
had brilliant imagination,, which was Mil
tonic ana marvellous fluency OF dicton
in conversation and deolams,ion which reminds
| us oil the great Massillon: and had he had The
university advantages OF toose great mon he would
have the greatest OF poss and tho Rrsndest of
orators He drew largely from tho Zendavesta OF
He heup no and THAR sncPa h<vDkS IN
whicn he look his notion OF the seven apartments OF
hell He borrowed from them his ''Srxt," which Is u
strait bridao-hner than u hair, Sharper than the
edge Of u sword-laia over the midst OF pcrditiou,
and over which all must psss after the judgment,
and IRON which the wicked would tall into nell, nut
the good pass safely over II INTO heaven. Such u
fanciul bridge would please tho Imagination OF such
| man. There were also largo jewish settlements IN
| Arabia. He was on friendly terms with Two jewish
raDbies from whom he received much that Is Ia the
Koran. He rsvereneed Abraham, Noses and David.
l, also that here were large Christian settle
ments IN Arabia IRON which be Obtained the New
Testament ana tue Apocrypha Gospel ~ 81.
prophets but portrayed him tho Christ OF ST. Barna
has rather than the Christ OF tae tour evaugesis.
He was intimate terms with warakah, VINO was y
| Christian, and who predicted Mobammed's future
greatness He was also aided by the HISTORIAN priest
Behira- scagius GorgiusNcstor SO that we may Coz
cludo Whatever is excellent the Koran copied
from Bible or tase from the current tradsions o
the Jews anu Christians
| pARApIsAicAL SLAVERY AND coxcuBIyAoE.
The Koran contains no important truth not found
in our scriptures LIS prluc,pai doctrines are the
unity OF Cod the exisiencc OF angels. the rcsurrcc
ton OF this dead, the general Judgment, heaven ADD
neIl The cniei duties enJoiaea tnerepy are prayer
uuties are inpcriectly stated when compared with
| the Bible statement thereon. Mohaminea's conccp
| ton OF heaven Is physical. Tne first entertain
n.ent there Is TO eat OF a Loaf OF bread az
| large as Inc earth. Each saint Sili have %, wv
servants ana ssvsaywo "aSs e,ann sn %sac
whether he viii have ms former wives or not and
the Doctor said. u should be optional with woman
whether she would i've with ner former husband or
not The saints ara diviLed into three classes. Tbs