number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Save us in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment.

B.

Mr. VOLNEY in a work entitled "The Ruins: or a Survey of the Revolutions of Empires," has endeavored, to undermine every species of religion, and to place them all on a level, as not only useless but pernicious. He has however many observations in the work, which are worthy to be considered by christians of every sect; and christians ought not to despise admonition, from whatever quarter it may come.

In p 82, we have a picture, at which christians may blush. On the one hand we see Mahometans praying for success in their wars against christians.-"Indulgent God! grant us the favor to exterminate these christians; it is for thy glory we fight, and by our death we are martyrs to thy name"-On the other hand, we have the prayer of christians against Mahometans:

"Let us give thanks to God and celebrate his power: he has strengthened our arm to humble his enemies. Beneficent God! incline thine ear to our prayers. Permit us to exterminate these impious Mahometans, and overthrow their empire, and we will give thee the tenth of the spoil, and erect new temples to thy honor."

The christian priests say to the soldiers "We pray for you, and God accepts our incense and blesses your arms."

In view of this contrast of

prayers, Mr. Volney exclaims"What madness is this which strikes my ear! What blind and fatal insanity possesses the human mind! Sacrilegious prayers, return to the earth, from whence you came! Is it thus, O man, that you worship the Divinity? And do you think that he whom you call Father of all, can receive with complacence the homage of free-booters and murderers? Ye conquerors, with what sentiments does he behold your arms reeking with the blood that he has created!".

In p. 38 he thus addresses conquerors-"Ye conquerors, who pretend by your arms to serve God, what need has he of your aid? If he wishes to punish, are not earthquakes, volcanos and the thunder-bolt in his hand? And does a God of clemency know no other way of correcting but by extermination?"

Fighting christians are here very properly compared with Mahometans; and we must leave them in the hands of Mr. Volney, but with this prayer to God in their behalf "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!"

The 23d chapter is entitled "Problem of religious contradictions." In this the writer exhibits an assembly composed of persons of the various religions,

Jewish Mahometan, Christian, &c. Each is represented

-

as vindicating his own religion, and censuring the religion of others. After a Jewish Rabbin had spoken against the christian religion, a groupe of christian Monks advanced with a "standard," on which are painted "pincers, a gridiron and a funeral pile, and the words justice, charity and mercy." The Monks exclaim; It is proper to make an example of this impious here tie, and to burn him alive for the glory of God." Upon which the followers of Mahomet reproach the christians in a tone of irony; Such is the religion of peace, whose humble and humane spirit you have so loudly vaunted! Such that evangelical charity, which combats incredulity with no other weapon than mildness, and opposes only patience to injuries! Hypocrites! it is thus you deceive nations! It is in this manner you have propagated your destructive errors! When weak you have preached liberty, toleration and peace; when power has been in your hands, you have practised violence and persecution." P. 192.

On what ground can christians justify themselves against these reproaches, which a despiser of all religion has put into the mouth of a Mahometan? We can not pretend that there have been no facts on which such accusations might justly be founded. We can only plead that violations of the moral precepts of our religion, are no proof that the precepts are unjust; and that the reproaches lie against the trans gressors, and not against the religion, whose laws they violate

The 23d chapter is entitled

"The end of all religious the same." In this the assembly is still continued. The Mahome. tans boast of the morality of their religion. The christian priests answer; "And have you the presumption to talk of morality? You, whose chief has practised licentiousness, and preached doc trines that are a scandal to all purity; and the leading principle of whose religion is homicide and war? For the truth of this we appeal to experience. For twelve centuries past your fanaticism has never ceased to spread desolation and carnage through the na tions of the earth.-How different is the case with our sublime. and celestial morality! It is she that drew the earth from its primitive barbarity, from the absurd and cruel superstitions of idolatry, from human sacrifices, and the orgies of pagan mystery. It is she that has purified the manners of men, proscribed incest and adultery, polished savage nations, abolished slavery, introduced new and unknown virtues to the world, universal charity, the equality of mankind in the eyes of God, forgiveness and forgetfulness of injuries, extinction of the passions, contempt of worldly greatness, and, in short, taught the necessity of a life perfectly holy and spiritual." pp.

303-4-5.

To which the Mahometans reply:

"We admire the ease with which you can reconcile that evangelical charity and meekness, of which you so much boast, with the injuries and outrages that you are continually exercis ing towards your neighbor.—In

respect to the manner in which you have practised your boasted doctrine, we in our turn appeal to the testimony of facts, and ask;-Was it your evangelical meekness and forbearance which excited those endless wars among your sectaries, those atrocious persecutions of what you call hereties, those crusades against the Arians, the Manicheans and the Protestants; not to mention those which you have committed against us? Was it the charity of your gospel that led you to exterminate whole nations in A merica, and to destroy the empires of Mexico and Peru; that makes you still desolate Africa, the inhabitants of which you sell like cattle, notwithstanding the abolition of slavery, which you pretend your religion has effect ed; that makes you ravage India, whose domains you usurp? In short, is it charity that has prompted you for three centuries past to disturb the peaceable in habitants of three continents?" pp. 305, 307, 308.

When the Mahometans had elosed their reply, the "Bramins, the Rabbins, the Bonzes, the Chamans, the priests of the Molucca Islands and of the coasts of Guinea," united in their reproaches against the christians; “Yes,” said they, "these men are robbers and hypocrites, preaching simplicity, to enveigle confidence; humility, the more easy to enslave; poverty, in order to appropriate all riches to themselves; they promise another world, the better to invade this; and while they preach toleration and charity, they commit to the frames, in the name of God,

those who do not worship him exactly as they do." p. 308.

Thus Mahometans and Christians mutually reproach each other; and those who are acquainted with history must acknowledge, that on both sides the reproaches are but too well founded. There is however in one respect a remarkable difference, which falls with great severity on the practice of christians. The Mahometans are accused of having a religion which tolerates and justifies "homicide and war," and of acting according to a "leading principle" of their religion, in spreading "desolation and carnage through the nations of the earth." In the very worst of their practices they are not accused of violating the principles of their religion, or of walking contrary to the example of its founder.

On the other hand, christians boast of a religion which inculcates universal charity, meekness, humility and forgiveness of injuries, and which forbids vielence and revenge. The example of their Founder was according to his precepts, and directly the reverse of that of Mahomet. The Mahometans admit that such are the principles of the christian religion; but they accuse, and justly accuse christians of violating the precepts of their own religion, and of being as sanguinary in their practices as Mahometans themselves.

It would be worse than useless to attempt a vindication of the christian world against these severe reproaches. As a people, every nation in Christendom must plead guilty. But to the truly

humble christian, who has imbibed the spirit of his Lord, it must afford comfort to reflect, that while these reproaches are a stain on the christian name, they imply the excellency of the religion of the gospel; and in stead of demanding a renunciation of christianity, they call only for a reformation in those who profess it. They also suggest this important truth, that if such a reformation should be effected, as to bring the practice of professed christians to a conformity to the principles of their religion, those customs would be abolish. ed, against which Mr. Volney declaimed,and which he made the foundation of his reproaches. Let us then hold fast our profession, and reform our lives.

In pp. 160, 161, we have an exhibition of christians as divid. ed into a multitude of sects, and all "parties of a persecuting spirit when strong, tolerant when weak, hating each other in the name of a God of peace, forming to themselves an exclusive paradise in a religion of universal charity, each dooming the rest to endless torments."

In p. 816, an impressive supposition is made, namely, that God should adopt the contracted principles and spirit of the various classes and sects of religionists; and sitting on his throne as a judge, should thus address them; "Mortals! Iconsent to a dopt your own principles of justice into my administration. Of all the different religions you profess, a single religion shall now be preferred to the rest; all the others shall be condemned to everlasting destruction. Nor is

this enough; among the different sects of the chosen religion, one only shall experience my favor, and the rest be condemned. I will go farther than this: of this single sect of this one religion, I will reject all the individuals whose conduct has not corresponded to their speculative precepts. O man! Few indeed will then be the number of the elect you assign me!"

The exclusive principle being thus established and announced, by which the whole human race were doomed to destruction, excepting those of one particular sect, and all of this sect, excepting those who had practised according to the precepts of the religion they professed-and it being still uncertain which one of the innumerable sects would be found the chosen people-they were all "seized with: terror" and cried-" No, no! we are brethren and equals, we cannot consent to condemn, each other." That is, they would rather renounce their practice of judging and condemning one another, than to hazard the unknown consequences which might result from God's adopting their exclusive, intolerant, and vindictive principle.

I am very far from believing with Mr. Volney, that all the various religions in the world are useless, or that they are all equallyfacceptable to God, or safe to man. Yet I sincerely believe, that the conduct of people of dif ferent sects in reproaching and condemning one another, is perfectly unwarrantable, antichristian and presumptuous. The illustration given in the supposi

tion of God's adopting the exclusive principle, is very striking; and I wish it may have a proper effect on my own mind, and on the mind of every reader. There are, I hope, but a few who have such a share of presumption and self confidence, as not to tremble at the thought of God's adopting the principle in the manner above stated. But alas! how many professed christians arrogantly adopt it in their treatment of oth ers, while totally ignorant of what would be the consequences to themselves, if it should be adopted by God!

It is pleasing to reflect that the main things by which Mr. Volney attempted to invalidate the christian religion, are such as really go to establish its excellency; and to show that its principles and precepts are such as tend to render mankind virtuous and happy. The reproaches founded on the sanguinary and cruel customs which have been adopted by many christians, are decidedly of this character. So also is the objection founded on the self-sufficient and censorious spirit by which christians of one sect doom those of another "to endless torments." The precepts of the gospel as clearly prohibit such slander and censure, as they do "homicide and war."

Mr. Volney has labored to impress the idea, that the religion of the gospel is no better than that of the Alcoran. But what are his proofs? They are such as these--Many professed christians have been as sanguinary and intolerant as the followers of Mahomet; and in these very things, they have violated the spirit and Vol. III.

47

precepts of their own religionwhich cannot be said of the Ma

hometans. All this may indeed go to establish the fact, that intolerant and sanguinary christians are more wicked and inconsistent than Mahometans themselves; but at the same time it is fairly implied, that the principles and precepts of the christian religion, are as much better than those of the Mahometan, as the spirit of universal kindness and peace, is better than the spirit of intolerance, homicide and war; and that so excellent is the christian religion, that its professors cannot depart from the law of forbearance and kindness, without being chargeable with glar ing inconsistency.

Thus we find an excellent eulogium of the religion of Jesus, fairly implied in one of the most artful attempts to sink its reputation Had Mr. Volney proved that the precepts and example of the Messiah, like those of Mahomet, are adapted to encourage and justify intolerance, homicide and war; I would have joined with him in reprobating the christian religion. But this he has not done; and this it was impossible for him to do. We may therefore take our leave of Mr. Volney, by giving thanks to God, that the most artful and eloquent writings against christianity, serve but to illustrate its amiable and excellent spirit; and by humbly beseeching all who bear the christian name to unite their efforts, to abolish from the world those evil and inconsistent customs which afford such ground for severe reproach.