tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit,-Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them."

'

The very fenfible Editor of this little Turkish manual of moral precepts, thus proceeds to explain the scheme, and apologize for the nature of his prefent undertaking. It is hoped, says he, this publication may not be mifconftrued, or misreprefented, into a defign to recommend Mohammedifm to Chriftians; or in any measure to set the Koran in competition with the Holy Scriptures: God be thanked we are not reduced to derive our morals from any fuch fource; as having the fuperior advantage and infinite happiness of drinking the waters of life from a purer ftream! The only view was, by undergoing a piece of drudgery, to present the public with what may at least be efteemed a curiofity by numbers who might be difgufted with the toil of acquiring it, viz. from a heap of jargon to extract and throw into a concife view, the moral maxims of an Arab, whofe dictates have been received by fuch extenfive. regions, in the fairest and most delightful quarter of the globe. May one farther motive be tolerated? The operations of that zeal, which is not according to knowledge, are fo violent in fome, contract the operations of the mind into so narrow a circle, and warp the judgment fo far from the truth; that we ought to pray for that degree of Laodicean lukewarmnefs, which may preferve to us the free and perfect use of our rational faculties: and there are many fincere and well meaning people, to whom it may be fome information, to find that muffulmen, although painted with fuch fierce whiskers on fign pofts at inn doors, are taught by their law, understand, and practice, the moral duties; to a degree that may fhame many who profess a better religion this compilation may therefore not be without its ufe in extending that charity of opinion toward our fellow. creatures, which is fo little understood, though it constitutes fo fundamental an article of the Chriftian religion.'

Our Author now goes on, by way of farther introduction, to lav before his Readers a compendious view of the life and conduct of that fubtil Arabian genius, whofe pretended miffion from heaven caused fo prodigious a revolution on earth! This account is chiefly borrowed from Mr. Maclaine's excellent translation of the learned Dr. Mofheim's ecclefiaftical hiftory; of which we lately made ample mention in fome of our Reviews. At the clofe of this extract from Dr. Mofheim, he introduces the following remark from Tournefort:

"Of all falfe religions, the Mahometan is the most dangerous, because it not only ftrongly flatters the fenfes, but in many points also agrees with Chriftianity. Mahometifm is founded

The words printed in Italics, are infe ted in the place of a parenthefis which we have omitted, as referring to a quotation from another writer, not here extracted.

of our Readers as have any defire of knowing what is advanced in the fecond, to the work itself.

The Morality of the Eaft; extracted from the Koran of Mohammed: digefted under alphabetical Heads. With an Introduction, and accafional Remarks. Small Svo. 2 s. fewed. Nicoll.

E

VER fince the publication of the late learned Mr. Sale's: edition of the Koran, in this country. it hath been a kind of fashion with men of a certain turn of fentiment, to cry up, and recommend, the Mohammedan difpenfation. Their view in doing this, is obvious enough; and therefore we, as Christians, fhould be cautious how we listen to their fpecious infinuations, in favour of other schemes of religion or morality, to the diminution of that honour or that zeal which are due to the. fuperior worth and unparalelled excellence of our own.-Candour, nevertheless, must allow, that there is much truth and propriety in the obfervation with which the Compiler of this little fynopfis of the Mohammedan fyftem begins his introductory 'difcourfe :

In order, fays he, to form a proper judgment of men and things, it will be incumbent on us to generalize our ideas, to extend them beyond the contemplation of our own countrymen, the profeffors of the fame religious principles, and beyond local modes of thinking: to mankind collective'y, and fubjects abstractedly; overlooking the feveral denominations by which humankind are broken into independent communities, and feparate brotherhoods; whether by the barriers of nature, the policy of governments, or mere obstinate tenacity of particular opinions.'

As it seems to be no part of our Editor's defign, to convert us to the Mohammedan faith, but merely to prefent us with a compendium of Eastern morality, of a more modern date than the Bible, in order to enlarge our Ideas, and extend our candour and charity to different perfuafions; fo he previously remarks, that, to form an impartial eftimate of the intrinfic merits of any religion, it may be neceffary to pafs over all the fupernaturals wherewith it is embellifhed, and recommended to the veneration of its votaries; and to examine the tendency of thofe practical duties enjoined for the conduct of man toward man: this is the infallible teft, the golden rule, laid down by our Meffiah, and brought home to the apprehenfions of thofe to whom it is addreffed, by a familiar and most happy ailufion. We are not only invited to judge for ourselves what is right;. but are referred to a fruit tree as a guide to our judgment: Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thifiles? Even fo every good"

tree

on the knowledge of the true God, the Creator of all things, upon the love of our neighbour, the purification of the body, and a quiet peaceable life. It abhors idols, and the worship of them is ftrictly prohibited."

To this laft quotation, our Editor fubjoins the following fingular conjecture, which we fhall tranfcribe, and leave to the Reader's animadverfion :

• Indeed Mohammed, fays he, appears to have been a zealous afferter of the unity of Deity; taking frequent occafion throughout the Koran to infift on it as the fundamental point of religion, and to denounce fevere vengeance against those who affociate other names or relations with God. If it may be pardonable to indulge a little in conjecture, it may not appear perhaps the moft abfurd that has been hazarded, when we reflect how extenfive the fpread of Mohammedifm has been, if we attribute fomewhat of that reformation from Romish idolatry, the feeds of which continued taking root, long before they were cultivat ed for political purpofes; to the indirect influence of the doctrine of the unity of the great God of the univerfe, who is truly, if, in an erroneous manner, the pure object of eastern adoration. That this conjecture may not be laughed out of countenance, without fomething farther being urged to apologife for making it; the Reader is requested to confider, that while the Chriftian world were daily worshipping and eating their God in the form and subftance of a cake; while they were debafing and wafting their rational powers on fcholaftic fubtilties, founded in abfurdity; the Afiatics adored a God whom they were taught to conceive in these terms-"God! there is no God but he; the living, the selffubfifting; neither flumber nor fleep feizeth him; to him belongeth whatsoever is in heaven, and on earth. Who is he that can intercede with him, but through his good pleasure? He knoweth that which is past, and that which is to come to them, and they fhall not comprehend any thing of his knowledge, but fo far as he pleafeth. His throne is extended over heaven and earth, and the prefervation of both is no burthen unto him. He is the high, the mighty." Thefe are expreffions which muft ftrike with their fublimity, even thofe who defpife the Arabian apoftle that dictated them.

Were it neceffary to enter into a comparison between the Mohammedan fyftem and popery, a thinking man would not hefitate long in deciding to which the preference was due for to inftance only in another particular; whereas the penances and atonements for fins in the latter, are chiefly directed to ufelefs rituals, and unprofitable mortifications; the expiations of the former have generally a benevolent direction to the good of fociety; as to the freeing the captive, to feeding and cloathing the hungry, &c. See fome inftances of this kind, under

the

the articles MURDER, OATHS, &c. befide other inftances which do not come fo directly under our view.

That the more northern nations have improved fo happily this first principle of theology, which dawned on them through the Mohammedan fyftem; and perhaps affifted them in recovering and refining the Chriftian religion from the rubbish under which it was overwhelmed by craft and ignorance, may be partly accounted for from those principles which will equally explain why they have afferted and maintain, the natural and civil rights of mankind, in a greater or lefs degree, while the foft nations of the east, continue from century to century the difpirited subjects to an absolute and fixed defpotifm.’

But enough of Introduction: let us now proceed to the principal part of this compilement, the collections from the Koran. These are not, however, very numerous; the following general heads comprehending most of the feveral fubjects, thus alphabetically digefted, viz. Alms, Avarice, Beneficence, Calumny, Charity, Civility, Covetousness, Diffentions, Divorces, Envy, Forgiveness, Hy pocrify, Infidelity, Justice, Marriage, Modefty, Murder, Qaths, Parents, Patience, Pride, Retaliation, Slander, Toleration, Ufury, Whoredom, Women; and a few others, which we have omitted for the fake of brevity.

To what has been delivered on most of these topics, by the Arabian Legislator, our editor has fubjoined fuch remarks as refpectively occurred to him, on the feveral fubjects; and these remarks feem in general to be founded in good sense, and an enlarged generous turn of thinking. Some of his opinions, however, will, we believe, appear very fingular to many of his readers; and may, perhaps, be combated with fuccefs, by thofe who entertain different fentiments, with regard to his notion of polygamy, and one or to other capital points. What he has faid, under the article INHERITANCE and LEGACIES, is, to fay the leaft of it, ingenious. The Koran ordains, that "Men ought to have a part of what their parents and kindred leave behind them when they die and women ought also to have a part of what their parents and kindred leave, whether it be little, or whether it be much; a determinate part is due to them. And when they who are of kin are prefent at the dividing of what is left, and alfo the orphans, and the poor, diftribute unto them fome part thereof; and if the eftate be too fmall, at leaft fpeak comfortably unto them. And let thofe fear to abuse orphans, who, if they leave behind them a weak offspring, are folicitous for them: let them therefore fear God, and fpeak that which is convenient. Surely they who devour the poffeffions of orphans unjuftly, fhall swallow down nothing but fire into their bellies, and fhall broil in raging flames. God hath thus commanded you concerning your children. A male fhall have as much as the fare

of