were a hundred things in the Professor's harangue that might have been excepted against, as mere dreams supported by no evidence, but I had no inclination to call in question dogmas, on the truth or falsehood of which nothing in religion depended.

"He was speaking, at one time, about the angels, and asserted, that man was superior to them, and that no being greater than man could be created. Here the Jew reminded me of a passage in the Bible, quoting something in Hebrew. I was a little surprised, and was just about to ask, where he found any thing in the Bible to support such a doctrine? when the Moojtuhid, not thinking it worth while to pay any attention to what the Jew said, continued his discourse. At last the Jew grew impatient, and finding an opportunity of speaking, said to me, 'Why do not you speak?-Why do not you bring forward your objections? The Professor, at the close of some of his long speeches, said to me, 'You see how much there is to be said on these subjects: several visits will be necessary; we must come to the point by degrees?' Perceiving how much he dreaded a close discussion, I did not mean to hurry him, but let him talk on, not expecting we should have any thing about Mahometanism the first night. But at the instigation of the Jew, I said, 'Sir, you see that Abdoolghune is anxious that you should say something about Isiam.' He was much displeased at being brought so prematurely to the weak point, but could not decline accepting so direct a challenge. Well,' said he to me, I must ask you a few questions,-Why do you believe in Christ?' I replied, That is not the question. I am at liberty to say, that I do not believe in any religion; that I am a plain man, seeking the way of salvation; that it was, moreover, quite unnecessary to prove the truth of Christ to Mahometans, because they allowed it.' 'No such thing,' said he. The Jesus we acknowledge is he who was a prophet, a mere servant of God, and one who bore testimony to Mahomet; not your Jesus, whom you call God,' said he, with a contemptuous

smile. He then enumerated the persons who had spoken of the miracles of Mahomet, and told a long story about Salmon, the Persian, who had come to Mahomet. I asked, 'whether this Salmon had written an account of the miracles he had seen?' He confessed that he had not. Nor,' said I, 'have you a single witness to the miracles of Mahomet.' He then tried to show, that though they had not, there was still sufficient evidence. 6 For,' said he, 'suppose five hundred persons should say that they heard some particular thing of a hundred persons who were with Mahomet : would that be sufficient evidence, or not?' 6 Whether it be or not,' said I, 'you have no such evidence as that, nor any thing like it; but if you have, as they are something like witnesses, we must proceed to examine them, and see whether their testimony deserves credit.'

"After this, the Koran was mentioned; but as the company began to thin, and the great man had not a sufficient audience before whom to display his eloquence, the dispute was not so brisk. He did not, indeed, seem to think it worth while to notice my objections. He mentioned a well-known sentence from the Koran, as being inimitable. I produced another sentence, and begged to know why it was inferior to the Koranic one. He declined saying why, under pretence that it required such a knowledge of rhetoric, in order to understand his proofs, as probably I did not possess. A scholar afterward came to Seid Ali, with twenty reasons for preferring Mahomet's sentence to mine.

"It was midnight when dinner, or rather supper, was brought in, it was a sullen meal. The great man was silent; and I was sleepy. Seid Ali, however, had not had enough. While burying his hand in the dish with the Professor, he softly mentioned some more of my objections. He was so vexed, that he scarcely answered any thing; but, after supper, told a very long story, all reflecting upon me. He described a grand assembly of Christians, Jews, Guebres, and

Sabians (for they generally do us the honour of stringing us with the other three,) before Iman Ruza. The Christians were of course defeated and silenced. It was a remark of the Iman's, in which the Professor acquiesced, that it was quite useless for Mahometans and Christians to argue together, as they had different languages and different histories.' To the last I said nothing; but to the former replied by relating the fable of the Lion and the Man, which amused Seid Ali so much, that he laughed out before the great man, and all the way home."

So universal a spirit of inquiry had been excited in the city of Shiraz, by Mr. Martyn's frequent disputations, as well as by the notoriety of his being engaged in a translation of the New Testament into Persian, that the Preceptor of all the Moollahs began greatly to "fear whereunto this would grow." On the 26th of July, therefore, an Arabic defence of Mahometanism made its appearance from his pen. A considerable time had been spent in its preparation, and on its seeing the light it obtained the credit of surpassing all former treatises upon Islam.

This work, as far as a judgment of it can be formed from a translation, discovered among Mr. Martyn's papers, is written with much temper and moderation, and with as much candour as is consistent with that degree of subtilty which is indispensable in an apology for so glaring an imposture as Mahometanism.

The Chief Moollah begins by declaring his desire to avoid all altercation and wrangling, and expresses his hopes that God would guide into the right way those whom he chose. He then endeavours, in the body of the work, to show the superiority of the single perpetual miracle of the Koran, addressed to the understanding, above the variety of miracles wrought by Moses and by Christ, which were originally addressed only to the senses, and that these, from lapse of time, become every day less and less powerful in their influence. And he concludes with the following address to Mr. Martyn:

"Thus behold, then, O thou that art wise, and consider with the eye of justice, since thou hast no excuse to offer to God. Thou hast wished to see the truth of miracles. We desire you to look at the great Koran : that is an everlasting miracle."

"This was finished by Ibraheem ɓen al Hosyn, after the evening of the second day of the week, the 23d of the month Temadi, the second in the year 1223 of the Hegira of the Prophet. On him who fled be a thousand salutations!"

This work Mr. Martyn immediately set himself to refute, in dependence on his Saviour to "give him a wisdom which his adversaries should not be able to gainsay." His answer was divided into two parts: the first was devoted principally to an attack upon Mahometanism: the second was intended to display the evidences, and establish the authority of the Christian faith. It was written in Persian, and from a translation of the first part, which has been found, we perceive that Mr. Martyn, "having such hope, used great plainness of speech," whilst, at the same time, he treated his opponent with meekness and courtesy.

After replying to the various arguments of Mirza Ibraheem, Mr. Martyn shows why men are bound to reject Mahometanism-that Mahomet was foretold by no Prophet-that he worked no miracle-that he spread his religion by means merely human, and framed his precepts and promises to gratify men's sensuality, both here and hereafter-that he was most ambitious, both for himself and his family-that his Koran is full of gross absurdities and palpable contradictions that it contains a method of salvation wholly inefficacious, which Mr. Martyn contrasted with the glorious and efficacious way of salvation held out in the Gospel, through the Divine Atonement of Jesus Christ. He concludes by addressing Mirza Ibraheem in these words:

"I beg you to view these things with the eye of impartiality. If the evidence be indeed convincing, mind not the contempt of the ignorant, nor even

death itself-for the vain world is passing away, like the wind of the desert.

"If you do not see the evidence to be sufficient, my prayer is, that God may guide you; so that you who have been a guide to men in the way you thought right, may now both see the truth, and call men to God, through Jesus Christ, who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood.' His Glory and Do. minion be everlasting!"

6

Reverting to the Journal, we meet with the following statements illustrative of the Persian character, and descriptive of the genius of Soofeism. From these, also we discover that notwithstanding individuals were to be found in Shiraz, who professed Mahometanism without having imbibed the spirit of cruelty and extermination which belongs to it, that Mr. Martyn was nevertheless exposed there to personal danger, and subjected to much contempt and many insults.July 29.-Mirza Ibraheem declared publicly, before all his disciples that if I really confuted his arguments, he should be bound in conscience to become a Christian.' Alas! from such a declaration, I have little hope. His general good character for uprightness, and unbounded kindness to the poor, would be a much stronger reason with me for believing that he may be, perhaps a Cornelius.

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6

August 2.-Much against his will Mirza Ibraheem was obliged to go to his brother, who is Governor of some town, thirty-eight parasangs off. To the last moment he continued talking with his nephew, on the subject of his book, and begged, that in case of his detention, my reply might be sent to him.

August 7.-My friends talked, as usual, much about what they call Divine Love; but I do not very well comprehend what they mean. They love not the Holy God, but the God of their own imagination-a God who will let them do as they please.

"I often remind Seid Ali of one defect in his system, which is, that there is no one to stand between