Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

is his messenger.

66

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

moves every doubt of Mohummud's identity or equality with God; so the epithet "Son" found in the passage, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son," &c., ought to be understood and admitted by every one as expressing the created nature of Christ, though the most highly exalted among all creatures. all creatures. If baptism were administered to one embracing Christianity in the name of the Father and the Holy Ghost, he would thereby no more become enrolled as a Christian, than as a Jew or as a Mohummudan; for both of them, in common with Christians, would readily submit to be baptized in the name of God and his prevailing influence over the universe. But as Christianity requires peculiarly a faith in Jesus, as the promised Messiah, the gracious Saviour enjoins baptism in the name of the Son also, so as to distinguish his happy followers from the Jews and the rest of the people. A mere association of names in divine commandments therefore never can be considered as tending to prove identity or equality between the subjects of those names :— such junction of names is found frequently in the Sacred Writings without establishing unity among the persons whom those names imply.

The Editor quotes the following passage, Matthew, ch. xxviii. ver. 18: "All power in heaven and earth is delivered unto me," recommending it as a sure proof of the deity of Jesus. I regret very much that the force of the expression "is delivered unto me," found in this passage, should have escaped the discerning notice of the Reverend Editor. Does not

the term "delivered" shew evidently an entire dependence of Jesus upon the Being who has committed to him such power! Is it consistent with the nature of an omnipotent God to exercise power delivered to him by another being, or to confess that the power he possesses has been received by him

from another ?

As to the question of the Editor, "Did Mohummud, arrogant as he was, ever make such a declaration as Jesus did, namely, that I am with you always even to the end of the world'?" I will not renew the subject, as it has been already discussed in examining the first position. I only entreat the attention of the Editor to the following assertions of Mohummud, known to almost all Moosulmans who have the least knowledge of their own reli

ان الله عز وجل بعثي رحمة وهدي للعالمين : gion

66

Truly the great and glorious God raised me as mercy and guidance to worlds."

66

was the first of all Prophets in creation, and the

[ocr errors]

I كنت اول النبيين في الخلف واخرهم في البعث

كنت نبيا وادم في الماء والطين ".last in appearance

I am the Lord of those انا سيد المرسلين ولا فخر فيه

was a Prophet when Adam was in earth and water."

that were sent by God.

"I

This is no boast to me."

My shadow is on the

انما ظلّي علي روس امتي من راءني فقد راء الله ".head only of my followers

و من عماني فعصي الله من اطاعني فقد اطاع الله

"He who has seen me has seen God."

"He who has obeyed me, has obeyed God: and

E

he who has sinned against me, has sinned against God."

It is, however, fortunate for Moosulmans, that from want of familiarity and intimate connexion between the primitive Mohummuddans and their contemporary heathens, the doctrines of Monotheism taught by Mohummud, and entertained by his followers, have not been corrupted by polytheistical notions of Pagans, nor have heathen modes of worship or festivals been introduced among Moosulmans of Arabia and Turkey as a part of their religion. Besides, metaphorical expressions having been very common among Oriental nations, Mohummuddans could not fail to understand them in their proper sense, although these expressions may throw great difficulty in the way of an European Commentator even of profound learning.

CHAPTER IV.

Inquiry into the Doctrine of the Atonement.

ALL the texts collected by the Reverend Editor in his review from the authority of the divine Teacher, in favour of the second important doctrine of the cross, implying the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus as an atonement for the sins of mankind, are as follow: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever." His giving his " flesh for the life of the world." "I lay down my life for my sheep." "The Son of Man is come to give his life a ransom for many." Is any of these passages, I would ask, in the shape of an explicit commandment, or are they more than a mere statement of facts requiring figurative interpretation? For it is obvious that an attempt to take them in their direct sense, especially the first, (" I am the living bread;--if any man eat of this," &c.,) would amount to gross absurdity. Do they reasonably convey any thing more than the idea, that Jesus was invested with a divine commission to deliver instructions leading to eternal beatitude, which whosoever should receive should live for ever? And that the Saviour, forseeing that the imparting of those instructions would, by exciting the anger and enmity of the superstitious Jews, cause

his life to be destroyed, yet hesitated not to persevere in their promulgation; as if a king, who hazards his life to procure freedom and peace for his subjects, were to address himself to them, saying, "I lay down my life for you." This interpretation is fully confirmed by the following passages. Luke, ch. iv. ver. 43:"And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also; for therefore am I sent." Ch. ii. vers. 47-49: " And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they (his parents) saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Wherein Jesus declares, that the sole object of his mission was to preach and impart divine instructions. Again, after having instructed his disciples in all the divine law and will, as appears from the following text, "For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me," (John, ch. xvii. ver. 8,) Jesus in his communion with God manifests that he had completed the object of his mission by imparting divine commandments to mankind: "I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." Had his death on the cross been the work, or part of the work, for the performance of which Jesus was sent into this world, he as the

« AnteriorContinuar »