340 Religion, Literature, and Philosophy of the Mahometans. low the religion of their country, while all their thoughts are engrossed in providing the necessaries of life. With the philosophical parties we might expect to gain some advantage, but it can only be done by first enlightening their minds and instructing them in the true principles of science; and in order to accomplish this end, we must begin by ascertaining how much they know that is right, and what they believe that is wrong. It is an unfortunate thing that they have no authentic history prior to the age of Mahomet: for the Arabs do not appear to have possessed any written records, except some poems, and perhaps genealogies: and when Persia was conquered by them, the writings of that nation were destroyed as idolatrous abominations; and the remnants which escaped the first fury of this zeal were never employed to any useful purpose, and have been gradually allowed to perish. While, unfortunately for the truth, Mahomet has given the sanction of religious authority to many Jewish traditions and historical fables; out of which a history of the world has been framed, to which even the freethinkers are attached from early habits and from national pride; and it would be extremely difficult to persuade any class among them that what they believe is untrue. It is in this manner only that we can account for their utter neglect of Grecian history, while they carefully translated their philosophy. It is this confident belief in the truth of their own histories, that makes it impossible for us to convince them that our Scriptures have not been corrupted; which must always be the first step in arguing with a Mahometan. And perhaps one of the most useful measures which could be adopted, would be to furnish the Persians with translations of short treatises on ancient history, and the lives of those eminent men with whose names they are familiar. Their law should be known by those who undertake to instruct them in divine truth: for it is not confined to those cases to which the laws of Europe apply; but extends to the regulation of their conduct in the most minute particulars: it is one of the most powerful elements in their education, and insensibly makes a lasting impression on the minds of those who afterwards doubt or reject its sacred authority; so that a man may deny Mahomet and neglect his ordinances, but he will still retain the Mahometan character. It is not possible to form a just estimate of their temper, feelings, and character without a knowledge of that law which provides them with specific rules of conduct in the various circumstances and relations of life, instead of leaving them to learn their duty by applying general principles to particular cases. There is a common opinion, which may almost be classed among vulgar errors, that the Koran contains the law of the Mahometans; yet any one who reads that book may perceive that it is very defective, even as a compendium of the principles of those laws which are necessary in a civilized state of society. The fact is that the Koran is but one, and that the smallest though the most revered source of their law: they have three others; viz. the Traditions of the Acts and Sayings of omet; the Concurrence of the Faithful; and Analogy-and their Treatises on the Principles of their Laws, with the Commentaries upon them, and their volumes of the decisions of their early Doctors, would form a very respectable law library. These works are but little known in Europe; a further acquaintance with them would throw considerable light upon the early habits and manners of the East; and might frequently serve to elucidate the customs of the Jews, from whom it is probable that much of the Mahometan law has been borrowed. Neither should their poetry be overlooked by any one who hopes to exercise a beneficial influence over their minds: it is deficient, indeed, in works of that class to which we ascribe the highest degree of merit; while the barrenness of the land, the dangers of a country life, and the seclusion of the women, deprive them of the poet's favourite themes. Still it contains much that deserves our admiration, and would afford us pleasure: it is full of just conceptions, forcibly expressed, of the attributes of the Deity, and of our weakness and entire dependence upon His mercy; and abounds in short rules of conduct which are often founded upon sound morality, and geneally show an accurate observation of human life and in many of their epigrams there is great force of thought, and conciseness of expression. Too much of their best poetry is indeed devoted to the mystical and metaphysical points of the Sufy philosophy, and is neither to our taste nor comprehension: yet we shall never know the true state of their minds till we have unravelled these subtleties with which they are possessed; nor can we become acquainted with the genius and character of a people till we are familiar with their poetry, which is the warm expression of their senti : ments. In science and medicine, and the various branches of natural history, they have rather gone back than advanced; for learning has not met with much encouragement since the days of the Caliphs: and their knowledge on all those points is perhaps about equal to that of the Moors in Spain. But there are many who are eager for further instruction, and to whom our later discoveries would afford delight; and this seems to open a way for the safest and most successful attack. Experience is daily teaching them the superiority of Europeans in all the arts; and they would be unable to resist the evidence of a course of experimental lectures: and if once they can be brought to give up their old opinions on one subject, we shall find less difficulty in persuading them to receive our instruction upon others. The greatest obstacle to our success will perhaps be met with in their Sufy philosophy, which it is almost impossible to describe. It appears to be founded upon the doctrines of Plato, and mixed up with the notions of the Gnostics, Mystics, and in short of all the various sects which have prevailed in the East: but there are no didactic works on the subject, and the doctrines are conveyed in allegories and allusions, which are capable of any mysti fication that may suit the fancy, and the elucidation of which is the secret which unites the different societies of Sufies. There are at pre sent two great sects among them; one which hold to their religion, and accommodate their philosophy to their faith; the other reject their religion as a fable. All the early Sufies were of the former description; and their leading doctrines were love to God, or the longing of the soul to return to God; abstraction from the world, and meditation upon the divine attributes, whereby the soul becomes united with God even in this life; and the exemption of the enlightened from obedience to the ordinances of the laws; and they taught these doctrines as the spiritual part of their religion, which had come down by tradition from Mahomet. The utter absence of every thing, in their religion, which can soften the heart, or interest the affections, seems to have led them to adopt these opinions. But the Sufies of modern times have gone further, and rejected the religion of Mahomet altogether; though they have a great respect for his talents, and claim him as one of the great teachers of their sect. They are shy of communicating their doctrines where they are not likely to be admitted; and it would be hazardous to speak confidently of their opinions. Unity seems their great principle,-unity of mind and unity of matter; and hence the power of attraction, both intellectual and corporeal, which pervades the universe. They appear also to hold the doctrines of the Anima Mundi and the eternity of matter, with many of the consequences which may be deduced from them. The Persians have, however, professed treatises on Moral Philosophy, in which there is nothing of Sufyism; though they proceed upon some of the metaphysical opinions which prevail among the Sufies; and all parties agree in acknowledging those great principles of truth and justice which are the bases of morality. The most celebrated of these works is the Akhlaki Nasiri, which was composed by Nasrud-din Tusi, about the middle of the thirteenth century; the most splendid period of Persian literature. Nasr-ud-din is still celebrated for his talents and learning, especially for his skil! in astronomy, and seems to be justly entitled to the admiration of his countrymen. But the most popular of all his works is this treatise on ethics, which he undertook at the suggestion of Nasir-ud-din the prince of Kahistan, at whose court he was then residing. The prince had proposed that he should translate an Arabic work which had been written about the close of the tenth century; but this Tusi declined, as it took no notice of the duties of man in his domestic and social relations; and he was probably influenced by the wish of adapting a work on a matter of such general utility, as far as he could, to the views and opinions of every sect and persuasion. The book is divided into three discourses, in which he treats of our moral duties, as individuals, as members of a family, and as citizens. His views are clear, his style is plain, his conclusions fairly and simply drawn, and his principles favourable to peace and good conduct; nor is there any other difficulty in the work than that of ascertaining, at the present day, the precise meaning of the technical terms of the metaphysics of that age. A translation of this work would be interesting to those who study the human mind, and delight in tracing the history of opinions; and would be very useful to such persons as take an interest in the conversion of the Mahometans. The author frequently quotes Plato and Aristotle in a manner which shows that he was familiar with their works; but the most curious fact, and that which gives peculiar interest to the work, is the manner in which he has twice quoted the New Testament, but without naming it. In the first discourse, he concludes his description of the future happiness that will be the reward of a virtuous life by saying, that it is alluded to under certain forms, as a joy "which eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard; and which hath not occurred to the heart of man." And in the third discourse he makes it the duty of a wise prince rather to modify ancient institutions than introduce new laws; which opinion, he says, is confirmed by what they have related of Jesus, who said, "I am not come that I may destroy the law; rather I am come that I may complete it; where he leaves out the word "prophets," as not applicable to his argument. The work is written in Persian, and these passages are in Arabic, like the quotations from Plato and others; and the question is, whether he took them from an Arabic version of the New Testament, or used a Greek copy, and translated them himself. He has the reputation of having been a good Greek scholar, which is rendered probable by the manner in which he quotes Plato and Aristotle, and by his Arabic edition of Euclid; and he might easily have obtained a Greek Testament from those who supplied him with the other books. But there were many Christians dispersed through the East; and it is not to be supposed, that those whose native tongue was Arabic, should have been left without a translation of the Scriptures. It seems, at all events, fit that a search should be made in the great libraries of Europe; and that some means should be taken to ascertain whether there exists among the Christians of Asia or Africa, any Arabic version of the New Testament that has not yet become known to us; for these two passages are translated with such closeness and beauty of expression, that the version from which they are taken, if they were taken from any version, would be inestimable. Various obstacles may for a long time impede this search; but it is hoped that these observations, however imperfect, may serve to excite some attention to this curious fact, that the New Testament has been quoted by a Mahometan writer in a work on Moral Philosophy; and that they may likewise have the effect of showing, that the missionaries who are sent out to the East ought to have some knowledge, not only of the language, but also of the religion, literature, and philosophy of the people whom they hope to convert. From the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine. K. PARENTAL ADMONITIONS. [THE following address was delivered by the Rev. F. M. Marzials, President of the Consis tory of Montauban, in France, on the marriage of his eldest daughter to the Rev. Charles Cook, Methodist Missionary, in the Church of the Carmelites, June 1st, 1826.] To the short exhortation contained in our marriage-ceremony, I think it my duty, considering the holy calling of your husband, to add something more peculiarly adapted to you. The ministry of the Gospel is a most holy, important, and weighty charge. Its end is to advance the kingdom of God, to propagate the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ, for the salvation of sinners, the edification of the soul, the comfort of broken and contrite hearts, and the establishment of moral order. He who is devoted to this great and excellent work, no longer belongs to himself; but is the Minister of Christ, and the servant of others, for his sake. The zeal of God's house should eat him up. Conscious of the importance of his mission, he ought to preach the Gospel in season and out of season; full of Christ, he should glory only in him, and boldly proclaim the doctrine of the cross, though it should prove foolishness and a stumbling-block to them that perish. His life, conformable to his preaching, should have nothing in it in common with that of the worldling; he should be "vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity." Now, my dear, she who is one flesh with such a man, ought to be penetrated, like him, with the high excellency of his office; she should feel the great responsibility attached to her situation, and be convinced that all her thoughts, sentiments, and actions, should, like those of her husband, tend to promote the great objects of his ministry. O how delightful and encouraging is it, for a Minister of Christ to see his partner in life join, as far as she can and ought, in his labour; and, instead of being cast down, grieved, and discouraged, cheerfully bearing her part of the reproach that his devotedness to Christ brings upon him! And how is the church edified and made joyful by such an example of harmonizing feelings and actions in the Minister and his partner! O how do the pious bless God for it! But suppose, my dear, that the wife of this servant of Christ, without, however, being entirely devoted to the world, should look with a favourable eye on its maxims, fashions, and customs, and avoid them only for the sake of that decency required by her husband's vocation; how could she aid, second, or encourage him? What sweet religious discourse could they have together? What holy emotions could they experience in the mutual declaration of the state of their souls, and of the grace and hope by which they are comforted and edified? Alas! between them there could be nothing like this; on the contrary, it often happens that such a wife as we here suppose, is so far from entering into the views and feelings with which sincere piety, true Christian faith, and a regard to the divine commands inspire her husband, that she is the first to despise and treat them with disdain, and perhaps to oppose them. The fear of blame from the world, the desire of its applause and favour, render his preaching exceedingly | disagreeable to her, if it do not accord with the principles and taste of the age. She is the first to be weary of that testimony which he constantly bears to the love of Christ; and if her husband change not his doctrine, nor relax in the exercise of his functions, it is not her fault; and the marriage union, formed, on her part, from motives of self-love, vanity, or other worldly considerations, is an unhappiness for both; but especially for her who has been actuated by these motives. Yes, my dear, wo to the wife of that Minister of Christ, who has paralyzed his piety and zeal! The unhappy effect of her fatal influence necessarily extends to his family, where there will be only the form of piety; and his church will have to deplore too frequently the sad consequences of it. Alas! she not only loses her own soul, but Irbours to destroy her husband's. Blessed be God, I have the consolation to believe, that the salvation of your soul is your chief concern; and that you love, with all your heart, that merciful Saviour who has redeemed us by the price of his blood. I have confidence that you desire, above all things, to make progress in spiritual life, and to experience more and more that God is good. You have seriously considered the new duties to which you are called; you have seen what renunciation of the world and yourself is required of you, and that, as a Christian woman, nothing can excuse you from taking the yoke of Christ, and bearing his burden; but more particularly, as the wife of a servant of Christ, you are bound still more and more to choose the better part, which shall not be taken from you. And in the presence of the Lord, moved by his grace, I love to cherish the thought in my heart, that with this disposition you have formed the resolution of uniting your days to those of the Minister of Christ with whom you are become one. Thus you have fully declared your intention to devote yourself entirely, with him, to the service of the Lord; to join in his labours, and have the same mind and intentions in this glorious, though difficult service. Follow his advice, be encouraged by his example, imitate his zeal; and, in all humility, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. May God grant that you may never cease to pray, and that I may never cease to pray for you; that he may enlighten, strengthen, and help you faithfully to discharge all the duties of your new situation, to the satisfaction of your husband, and the edification of souls. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, who lived in the fourth century, in one of his letters, congratulates himself, that his wife seconded him, by her zeal and love, in the exercise of his important functions. You know that I also have cause to bless God in this respect; and by his grace I hope that your husband will also rejoice before God on your account. And you, whom I love as my brother in the common faith, as a good and faithful servant in the work of the ministry; and to whom I am still more tenderly attached, as the husband of my beloved daughter, and a new son, I have but little to say to you. You do not vainly deceive yourself in the character of your wife, nor expect from her a perfection without de fect: such a perfection is not in nature. Then help her to acquire a knowledge of herself, s to say to you, flatter not yourselves that you shall be screened from afflictions; you will certainly experience your part. They are the portion of God's children, as well as of the children of the world. Fortify yourselves then, against their bitterness and sting; not by human means, which will leave you void of help in the time of need, but by prayer: a proud re ments or diversions by which we hope to ren der ourselves insensible to our sufferings, increase rather than diminish our pain. Never rely on yourselves, but on God; see his hand in all his dispensations, whatever you may experience; enter into his designs, which are always full of mercy. Never for one moment forget, that with God, and by him, all things work for the moral, spiritual, and eternal good of those who sincerely love him. What comfort does it afford, to feel that we prefer his will to our own, and to be able to say in all the trying occurrences of life," Not as I will, but as thou wilt." Pray, and such shall be your disposition and will. that she may see more exactly how far she is still from the end at which she ought to aim, and persevere in seeking it. Your conjugal affection, and your Christian love, will point out to you the most proper method of quickening her progress in that life which is according to the Spirit of God; and, by his grace, she will rejoice to put your advice in practice, for her own happiness, and your satisfaction. Hap-liance on artificial strength, or those amusepy is that wife, who has in her husband a man whose chief desire is after the heavenly life, as well for his partner, as for himself. With what purity of affection does he love her! With what tenderness does he give her his advice! With what kindness does he reprove her! What delicacy in his attentions! What joy in fulfilling her wishes! One would say, he lived only for her. My dear son, your wellestablished Christian character, your strong conviction that every good disposition and feeling come from God, your perseverance in the holy practice of prayer, lead me to bless the Lord for the union of my daughter with you; and on this account I congratulate both myself and her. You will make with her but one heart and one soul in the Lord; you will love her as one of his redeemed, even as Christ loved his church. That this may be the case, let both of you increase in the love of God, which is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost; then nothing shall ever weaken your mutual affection; nor shall you ever have the sad experience of those whose affections in the marriage state are all earthly and human! Alas! their happiness is but a momentary intoxication or delirium. Ah! how many, the second instant of their union, could wish they had never formed it; they trusted to temporal or worldly advantages, for the continuance of their happiness, but soon they prove that these produce only a temporary passion, which is followed by weariness, satiety, and disgust. Certainly vanity can only beget vanity, and consequently unhappiness and regret. But the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost given unto us, is a fruitful and inexhaustible source of all those fine affections, the mutual communication of which produces the joy and happiness of families. Watch and pray; this is a duty, and is necessary in all circumstances and states of life. All states have their changes and trials, all are exposed to snares and temptations; and that of marriage not less than others. Afflictions are also its lot; cares, fears, and alarms, often hasten to it with precipitation, and in tumult; and then if God be not with us, if he do not reign in our hearts, if we do not live in continual communion with him, marriage is a deplorable state, and we shall bitterly lament that ever we entered upon it. In affliction, those persons of whom the world is the idol, far from comforting, load each other with reproach; instead of strengthening and supporting each other, perhaps they shun and detest one another. Yes, it is doubtless painful to see even strangers insensible to our sufferings, and not weep with us; but for a husband or wife not to do this, is a redoubled and inexpressible affliction. How does it diminish the pains of husbands and wives, when, through faith and piety, there exists a mutual sympathy? Nothing can equal their encouragement and comfort. But I ought My dear children, I shall rejoice to see you blessed in temporal things; but much more so, if, instead of drawing back, you advance more and more in the ways of the Lord. The most valuable riches is piety. God grant that both you and I, (who am yet so poor in that respect,) may more earnestly seek this! The fuller the heart is, the more abundant are the fruits. Purity of thought, modesty in our deportment, mildness of speech, simplicity of manners, humility in all our conduct, and charity towards all, on all occasions, are some of the excellent things that it enjoins and produces. Far from you for ever be those partial, too indulgent, or even relaxed sentiments of the age on this subject. The world apparently experience a degree of pleasure in seeing us act as they do; but in reality they condemn us for imitating them, even at a distance. As they are not certain that a worldly life is not wrong, they are charmed to find a kind of justification in the Minister and his family, who aim at following their footsteps. But, as they conceive that every thing in us should be worthy of our holy calling, they feel a secret contempt for those who, through complaisance to the world, and its ways, do not live conformably to their profession. Then, fear not; by living according to the strict rules of Christian piety, you will force them to give you their esteem. If they murmur against your regularity, exactness, and severity, in the practice of your duty this will only be in words; for in them you will have a silent approver, the voice of their conscience. I have, perhaps, my dear children, already said too much, at this time; but, on an occasion so solemn for you and for me, is it not a duty, as well as a dictate of affection, to address to you a fow words of exhortation and encouragement? From the Christian Observer. PROGRESS OF EDUCATION IN EUROPE. THE following is the substance of the intelligence collected by the correspondents of the British and Foreign School Society, relative to the progress of education in various parts of Europe, under the system of mutual instruc tion. France. There are now in France between 500 and 600 schools on the system of mutual instruction: the reports from the provinces are generally of a favourable kind, and the schools in Paris are said to be prosperous. The committee have received the gratifying information, that there is a prospect of introducing the system into Egypt, through the medium of a number of youths, who have been placed under the direction of M. Jomard, the secretary of the society at Paris. These youths have been confided to his care by the governor of Egypt, in order to be instructed in European arts and sciences. The committee state, that those parts of France, where the people have received the greatest assistance in forming primary schools, are generally those in which the country is best improved, where industry displays its greatest activity and obtains the greatest success, where happiness is more abundant, and where good morals are more general. In forty-three departments, comprising those where instruction has made the smallest progress, and in which the schools provide for only 177,420 scholars, the number of illegitimate children, compared with the adults, is considerably greater than in forty-three other departments, where instruction is more extended, and where 885,589 children are taught. We regret to learn, that, out of 31,600,000 inhabitants of France, from fifteen to sixteen millions can neither read nor write. Three-fourths of those who are of age to be admitted into the schools, are deprived of every kind of education. This deplorable want is however very unequally felt. In some departments of the north and the east, the number of children who attend the schools may be one-tenth of the population; while, in others, it is not more than the two-hundredth-andtwenty-ninth part. The committee strongly recommend the system of mutual instruction, by which, with the same sum which is annually devoted to the support of about 27,000 existing schools, they could extend the benefits of education fourfold. It is therefore the more distressing to learn, that the number of schools on this system has progressively diminished. The cause, we fear, is obvious in the political and religious bigotry which has taken such deep root in some of the most influential quarters. Switzerland.-In Switzerland the system has been introduced with happy effects. At Geneva, Fribourg, Lausanne, and other places schools have been established, and are reported to be prosperous. Netherlands.-In the kingdom of the Netherlands, education enjoys the royal favour. The model schools at Brussels are reported to be successful and well attended. Societies for the promotion of elementary instruction have been formed in the provinces of Luxemburg, Namur, and Liege: the two latter are chiefly occupied in the publication and distribution of cheap school-books in the French language. Infant schools are about to be established at Brussels; and the king has encouraged the attempt by a liberal donation. Germany and Prussia.-The accounts of the progress of popular education, in the greater part of Germany, are most gratifying. In the Prussian dominions especially, the greatest efforts are made, both on the part of the government and by private individuals and communities, to extend the benefits of early instruction, and to prevent any class of society from being excluded from them. In most of the large towns the schools have, within these few years, been reorganized and the number increased; and since the king has placed considerable sums at the disposal of the committees, selected and appointed by the communities themselves, a public spirit has been excited, and a general interest called forth, which promise the best results. Some of the smaller states of Germany follow the example of Prussia; and have, of late, much enlarged and improved the establishments for the education of schoolmasters. The system of mutual instruction is in many schools partially adopted, and daily gains ground. In all these schools the holy Scriptures are daily read, and the formation of pious habits in the youthful mind is considered as the primary object of education. It is to be lamented, that, in some districts of Germany, especially in the dominion of Austria, a very different spirit actuates the ruling powers; but some of the Catholic States, and especially the Government of the kingdom of Bavaria, promote the cause of universal education. Denmark-In no country has the British system made such rapid progress as in Denmark. The system of mutual instruction had been introduced into upwards of 2000 schools, probably containing 100,000 scholars. This success is chiefly owing to the effective patronage of the king. His majesty's support is connected with no compulsory measures whatever; but is solely expressed by recommendation, encouragement, and benevolent aid. In many of the schools the system is applied, not only to the elementary branches of learning, but also to linear drawing, music, gymnastics, and the Latin and French languages. Sweden.-Education in Sweden is proceeding with no lingering steps; and is warmly patronised by the king, whose generous views are zealously seconded by the council of state. Sixty-six individuals have studied the system during the last twelve months, in the schools of the society at Stockholm, and received certificates of their ability to teach it in the provinces. In the whole kingdom of Sweden there are at present 110 schools on the system of mutual instruction, in which 7728 children are educated, besides various schools of a higher class in which the system has been introduced. Russia. The schools instituted at Petersburg for foreign children are thriving, and afford education to 300 boys and 200 girls. Among these children are the offspring of Germans, English, Flemish, Swedes and Jews. Italy. The schools established in Italy and Sicily, though struggling with difficulties incident to their situation, enjoy considerable prosperity. The societies at Naples and Florence were proceding successfully, at the date of the last intelligence, in their benevolent career. |