hostile movements lasted for several centuries. But in the one case, the earth, as it were, opened her mouth and helped in absorbing the foaming waters of the inundation, which might have engulfed the newly Christian State; and in the other, the fires of Persia were quenched by the opening of the flood-gates from Arabia.

Decidedly the greatest, and, from its long duration, no less than the vastness of its power, by far the most formidable adversary of Christianity, as a national institution and dominant political force in the world, is the politico-religious system ushered in by Mohammed. Mohammedanism stands forth in history as the great anti-Christian Power, the hereditary enemy of Christendom. This, its historical character, at once precludes us from attributing its origination to Divine will and Providential purpose, and stamps it as essentially the outcome of that spiritual kingdom whose element is the reverse of truth and light, of love and life. Islamism is misjudged, if represented as a Providential Dispensation, needed for the enlightenment, progress, and happiness of, the world, or by supposing its design to have been the helping forward and benefiting Christ's Cause and Kingdom. Its proper nature is of a directly opposite kind, though subject — be it repeated — like everything else, to the all-controlling Government of God, and having in the end to subserve the plan of His all-wise Providence.

V. — Mohammed, the Prophet and Propagator of Islam, laid the Foundation of the anti-Christian and permanently hostile Policy of the Mussulman world against Christianity and Christendom.

The anti-Christian character of the religion and policy of the Islamic world derives its origin from the Founder of Islam. Mohammed was diametrically opposed to Christ, both in his religious teaching and in his practical aims. It is simply preposterous to attribute to him a mission to benefit, develop, and complete, the great Cause introduced into the world by Jesus Christ: instead of helping it on, his aim was rather to hinder, humble, and undo it. The devastating wars of conquest, carried on by the Mohammedan nations against Christendom, for so many centuries, are

nothing but the direct and natural outcome of Mohammed's own hostile position towards Christ and Christianity, rendered patent by his acts, though attempted to be disguised by his words. Islam historically proved itself anti-Christian, because Mohammed personally was an Antichrist.

Mohammed's character and work differ essentially and totally from that of the Founder of our own religion. Christ Jesus, the God-man, was in His own Person a new beginning, a spiritual centre, for mankind. His unflinching and comprehensive demand was, 'Ye must be born anew' (John iii. 7). He laboured for the regeneration of man and of mankind. As a wise master-builder He laid His foundation deep in the inmost personal life of man. His work is a vital organism by which the regenerate Christian individual expands into the Christian Church, and the Christian Church leads to the Christian State; all of which retain their separate existence and legitimate independence within their respective spheres. Mohammed, on the other hand, was not a new or a regenerate man, but a natural individual like all the rest, with a strong predominance of the sensual in him. He did not even rise above the narrow shackles of the Arabian nationality. His great aim was not the regeneration, but the subjugation, of individuals and nations, not a spiritual kingdom of God, but a secular empire in a religious guise. His main efforts were not devoted to the spiritual elevation of the character and personal life of his followers, but to their organisation into a compact body with which he might operate after the manner of worldly despots. Therefore the structure he erected became, so to speak, top-heavy, lacking the organic cohesion of life, and had to be artificially held together either by the allurements of worldly gain and carnal pleasure, or by the iron clasps of compulsion and rude force. Two systems so widely different as to their nature and object could not possibly coexist in harmony; and the author of the rival system could not but oppose the work of his great Predecessor, however liberal he might be in verbal protestations of esteem for His Person and His Gospel.

Mohammed, as we have seen in the First Book, formed the plan of politically uniting the entire Arabic nation on the basis of a more rational religion, after which many of