duty of every Christian to become a Muhammadan; but if, on the contrary, we have to answer it in the negative, every Muhammadan, who is really anxious not to be deceived in a matter of such stupendous importance, will learn from his own conscience what step it is his sacred duty to take. In order to avoid every appearance of partiality, we will now examine Muhammadanism on exactly the same points in regard to Christianity on which we have already found Christianity superior to the Mosaic dispensation, and we will do so in the same order in which each point came under treatment in the preceding comparison. Our object will now be, in considering each of these points separately, to see whether or not Muhammadanism is in that particular point as superior to Christianity as we have found Christianity to be superior to the earlier stage of revealed religion.

Above (ante p. 1) we recognized, in the vitality and world-overcoming power with which Christianity made its appearance, and effected its rapid spread amongst mankind, a proof that by it God had given to the world a higher stage of the true religion than that which previously existed; and we likewise discerned, in the awful dissolution of the Jewish commonwealth, soon after the rise of Christianity, a judgement of the Almighty upon the Jewish nation for their culpable rejection of Christ and His religion, as well as a token that the ancient dispensation had been superseded. Now if it is asserted, that, since

the rise of Muhammadanism, Christianity has similarly been superseded as the true religion, we are entitled to ask, in analogy with the above, whether this assertion is borne out by facts showing that Muhammadanism possesses greater vitality and power for conquering the hearts of men than the religion of Christ; and that, since Islam has made its appearance in the world, God's judgements so rest upon Christendom as to deaden in it all spiritual life, to deprive the Christian nations of their national blessings and prosperity, and to prevent a Christianizing influence amongst the non-Christian nations of the world.

There is so much undeniable truth in Islam that it would be strange indeed if it did not exercise some power over the hearts of men. At the time Muhammad began to preach his new religion, most of the Arabs were idolaters, and the Ka'ba contained above three hundred idols; it was, therefore, natural that the new doctrine, 'There is no god but God', should have made a deep impression upon some minds who felt the hollowness of idol-worship. But to exercise some power over the hearts of men, and to exercise a power stronger than Christianity, are two different things, and the latter is the question now under consideration.

It is true that a comparison between the effects produced respectively by Muhammadanism and Christianity upon the hearts of men is rendered somewhat