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more encouraging than the following:"A perfon that had known the heathen, that had seen the little benefit from the great pains hitherto taken with them, and confidered that one after another had abandoned all hopes of the converfion of those infidels (and some thought they would never be converted, till they saw miracles wrought as in the apostles' days, and this the Greenlanders expected and demanded of their instructors): one that confidered this, I say, would not fo much wonder at the past unfruitfulness of these young beginners, as at their steadfaft perfeverance in the midst of nothing but distress, difficulties and impediments, internally and externally; and that they never defponded of the conversion of those poor creatures amidst all seemingimpoffibilities*."

From the widely disproportionate effects, which attend the preaching of modern miffionaries of Chriftianity, compared with what followed the ministry of Chrift and

* Hift. of Greenland, vol. ii. p. 376.

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his apostles, under circumstances either alike, or not so unlike as to account for the difference, a conclusion is fairly drawn, in support of what our histories deliver concerning them, viz. that they poffeffed means of conviction, which we have not; that they had proofs to appeal to, which we want.

SEC

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SECTION III.

Of the Religion of Mahomet.

THE only event in the history of the hu

man species, which admits of comparison with the propagation of Chriftianity, is the fuccefs of Mahometanism. The Mahometan institution was rapid in its progrefs, was recent in its history, and was founded upon a fupernatural or prophetic character affumed by its author. In these articles the resemblance with Christianity is confefsed. But there are points of difference, which feparate, we apprehend, the two cases entirely.

I. Mahomet did not found his pretenfions upon miracles, properly so called'; that is, upon proofs of fupernatural agency, capable of being known and attested by others. Christians are warranted in this affertion by the evidence of the Koran, in which Mahomet

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homet not only does not affect the power of working miracles, but expressly disclaime it. The following passages of that book furnish direct proofs of the truth of what we alledge :-" The infidels say, Unless a sign be fent down unto him from his lord, we will not believe; thou art a preacher only *." Again, "Nothing hindered us from fending thee with miracles, except that the former nations have charged them with imposturet." And lastly, "They say, Unless a fign be fent down unto him from his lord, we will not believe; answer, Signs are in the power of God alone, and I am no more than a public preacher. Is it not fufficient for them, that we have fent down unto them the book of the Koran to be read unto them ‡?" Beside these acknowledgments, I have observed thirteen diftinct places, in which Mahomet puts the objection (unless a fign, &c.) into the mouth of the unbeliever, in not one of which does he alledge

* Sale's Koran, c. xiii. p. 201, ed. quarto.
† c. xvii. p. 232. ‡ c. xxix. p. 328.

a miracle.

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a miracle in reply. His answer is, " that God giveth the power of working miracles when and to whom he pleaseth*;" " that if he should work miracles, they would not believe †;" "that they had before rejected Mofes, and Jesus and the Prophets, who wrought miracles ‡ ;" "that the Koran itself was a miracle §."

The only place in the Koran, in which it can be pretended that a sensible miracle is referred to (for I do not allow the secret vifitations of Gabriel, the night journey of Mahomet to heaven, or the prefence in battle of invisible hosts of angels, to deserve the name of fenfible miracles) is the beginning of the fifty-fourth chapter. The words are thefe" The hour of judgement approacheth, and the moon hath been split in funder; but if the unbelievers see a sign, they turn afide, saying, "This is a powerful charm." The Mahometan expositors difagree in their

* Sale's Koran, c. v. x. xiii. twice. † c. vi.
‡ c. iii. xxi. xxviii.

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c. xvi.

inter

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