T h e Mooselmin’s ideas o f the Creator are grand and elevated. Whatever is, exists either necessarily and o f itself, and is God, or has not its being from itself, and does not exist necessarily, and is o f two sorts : substance and accidents : substances are o f two kinds, abstract and concrete; abstract substances are, all spirits and intellectual beings : concrete being the matter and form. Whenever God is spoken o f b y the Mohammedans, as having form, eyes, &c. it is meant, allegorically, to convey the idea of some particular attribute. T h e y deny that Christ was crucified. Finally, the Mohammedan religion recommends toleration ; and all liberal Mohammedans insist that e ve ry man ought to worship God according to the law o f his forefathers. “ l f i t pleased God,” say they, “ all men would b e lie v e ; why then should a worm, a wretched mortal, be so foolish as to pretend to force other men to believe,? T h e soul believes only by the will o f God : these are the true principles o f Mohammedans. It must, however, be observed, that the principles here laid down are not always the rule o f action, any more than the sublime truths inculcated b y the Christian religion are altogether acted upon b y its professors. ° Both religions a cknowledge the greatness o fGod, and yet bigotry is so prevalent at Old Fas, that if a Christian were there to exclaim A lla h k ’beer, God is great, he would be invited immediately to add to it, and Mohammed is his prophet, which, if lie were inadvertently to utter before witnesses, he would be compelled to become a Mohammedan, and would be circumcised a cco rd in gly : alternately with that of the Virgin, declared that her object was to secure a friend on both sides. O f the Mohammedan Religion. 203 so that Europeans should be extremely cautious, when unpro tected, or not in the suite o f an ambassador, what words they ever repeat after a Mohammedan, even if ignorant o f the meaning thereof. I do not apprehend, however, that it is necessary to observe this caution in any part o f the empire except at Old Fas where bigotry, as before observed, predominates. Martin Martinius, the jesuit, and Abraham Ecchellensis, prof e s s o r o f Oriental languages at Rome in the 17 th century tax the Koran with asserting, that God himself prays lor Mohammed ; this absurdity has probably originated in an incorrect translation o f the Koran, published about 270 years since, which translates, 1 may the blessing o f God be upon thee, may the prayers o fG o d be upon thee the same Arabic word (Sollah) which signifies peace or blessing, when applied to a man, signifies prayer. Sollah A llah ala Seedna Mohamnled, signifies, V pray to God, through our master Mohammed,” not, “ the prayers o f God are upon Mohammed.” It has been said by Maccarius, in his T heolog. Polemic, p. 119, that Mohammed does not acknowledge any hell. W h y then does he explain the seven gates o f h ell, mentioned in the Koran, chap. xv- ? which are an emblem o f the seven deadly sins, and of their various punishments ; for, according to the Arabian prophet, hell has seven gates, allegorically, and heaven has seven heavens, or degrees o f happiness ; the highest and clnefest ' o f which, according to the Mohammedans, is to see God. The (Gehennume) hell o f Mohammed is.not an eternal punishment. Monsieur de St. Olon, ambassador from the King o f F rance at Marocco, says, in his description o f the kingdom o f Marocco, c {ia p [{ T he Mohammedans maintain, that b y washing their head, hands, and feet, they are purified from all s in : but this
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