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Under the beneficial and ennobling influence of Christianity
not only has the population of Europe so immensely increased,
but the different European nations are all of them vastly
more civilized, better educated, and wealthier than
before; and it is so well known as to be almost superfluous
to add, that for many generations past Christian Europe
has unquestionably been at the head of the nations of
the earth, in point of civilization, learning, power,
and influence. History therefore brings before our eyes
the undeniable fact that Islam failed not only to elevate
the nations upon whom it was imposed beyond the level
of the Christianity of those early days, but that it
had not intrinsic strength enough to prevent them from
sinking below the point at which it first met them;
while, on the contrary, Christian lands that refused
to submit to its yoke, so far from being punished by
God for this by the withdrawal of their national blessings,
have gone on improving and prospering till they have
left the Muslim nations far behind them in civilization,
wealth, and power.
If the assertion were correct that, since the appearance
of Islam, Christianity has ceased to be the true religion,
and that now it is God's will that all men, Christians
and Jews as well as pagans, should embrace the doctrines
of the Qur'an, we should naturally expect to find the
superseded religion of Christ in a state of decay, without |
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spiritual life or energy, and destitute of all tokens
of divine blessing, and the religion of Muhammad, if
not still in the bloom of youth, at least in the health
and vigour of manhood, and still spreading amongst civilized
peoples, by God's blessing, either in the track of victorious
armies as at the first, or by the gentler but surer
method of presenting to the world examples of the happiness,
prosperity, and greatness at which nations can arrive
under its influence. But how much the reverse of all
this is the actual state of things! It is true, the
Muhammadan nations in the interior of Africa, namely,
the Bornuese, the Mandengas, and the Phulas or Phelatas,
invited by the weak and defenceless condition of the
surrounding negro tribes, still make conquests, and
after subduing a tribe of pagans, impose upon those
that remain the creed of Islam;1 but, keeping
in view the whole of the Muhammadan world, this fitful
and far off activity reminds one only of those green
branches sometimes seen on trees already and for long
decayed at the core from age. Those countries which
form the proper centre and heart of Muhammadanism, and
are still the seat of its political power, namely, Turkey,
Persia, and the North of Africa, have long ago ceased
to send forth armies for the purpose of
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