The herald., 1897-03-08

when he claims to have been commits
stoned by God through the Angel Gabriel
to overthrow idolatry and reform the
religions of the world. From that time
until his death he claims to have had
| frequent intervals with the angel at
| which interviews the angel communi-
Gated to him the DEGREES of God which
he recorded or had recorded in the
| Koran.
"Of course 1t is not believed. except by
| his followers, that Mohammed had act
ual interviews with the Angel Gabriel,
but that he had powers not possessed
by men in general powers similar In
character and manifestation to those
possessed by Swedenborg there can be
no question.
"At one time, and indeed until with
In the last hundred years, Mohammed
was branded by the Christian church
as an imposter. A more careful and
enlightened study of his writings and
his work has modified this opinion and
he is now regarded even by those who
do not endorse his doctrines as one of
the great religious reformers of the
world
I'm judging Mohammed It should al
ways be borne in mind that he did not
pretend to set up new religion but to
restore that which had been given by
God himself in the earliest days and
which had become corrupted by world
ly and selfish men.
1--WE follow says the Koran, the
religion of Abraham who was no idol
ater. We believe in God and that which
has been sent down to us, and that
which has been sent down to Abraham.
to Ishmael, to Isaac, and to Jacob and
that which was delivered to Moses and
Jesus and that which was delivered from
God unto the prophets, and we make
no distinction between any of them and
to God we are resigned
THE unity of God was the great cor
ner-stone of this reformed religion.
There is no God but God was its lead
ing dogma. In the times of Mohammed
all Arabia. and in fact the surround
ing countries except Syria were given
over to idolatry. and even the Christian
church recognized a plurality of Gods
and saints to whom they bent the knee
and offered up alteration.
"Mohammed determined to destroy
idolatry and overthrow polytheism
And ii is now generally conceded that
Mohammed was a prophet and that he
was raised up by God for this very pur-
pose My own opinion is that he was
as truly a prophet as was Moses or
Elias
During the first thirteen years Of
his mission he relied upon argument and
persuasion to make proselytes and
strictly enJolned the same on mis- dis
ciples and it was not until several at
tempts had been made upon his life
that he resorted to the sword as a means
of propagating his religion.
when he commenced his religious
career his native country. Arabia, was
occupied by hundreds of disunited, war;
like and barbarous tribes, stepped in
idolatry, and waging continual warfare
upon each other. In his ministry OF
twenty-three years duration he COM
pletely overthrow idolatry and de-
stroyed every idol In Arabia: he civil
lied the people so far as they were capa-
BILE of civilization, and out of these war;
like tribes created a mighty empire.
His religion was more like that Of
Moses who demanded an eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth than like that
of Jesus, who commands us to return
good for evil, to do good unto those
who despitefully use us, but 1t was the
best his people were capable of receiv-
ing and was a great improvement on the
religion practiced by them when he
commenced his ministry.
when we take into consideration all
the surrounding circumstances, the peo-
pie he had to deal with, the obstacles he
had to overcome and the ignorance and
prejudice necessarily inherent in idol
worship, I think We may safely say
that Mohammed was the greatest relig-
ious reformer since the Christian era"