sin.' Besides retaliation in case of murder, the Qur'an seems also to approve of private revenge for any minor injuries, in the following passage, 'And whoever, in making exact reprisal for injury done him, shall again be wronged, God will assuredly aid him' [Suratu'l-Hajj (xxii) 59] . Such teaching cannot but foster a harsh and vindictive spirit towards one another, instead of that noble spirit of kindly forbearance and love recommended in the gospel. Whilst, therefore, in regard to the duty we owe our fellow-men, the gospel is characterized by pure love; and the Torah by strict justice, the Qur'an seems to expose itself in some measure to the charge of injustice and cruelty. This appears to be felt, and tacitly admitted, by Muslims themselves; for even, professedly Muhammadan Governments, such, e.g. as that of the Osmanlis, do not think of carrying out such cruel laws as those prescribed in the following verses of the Qur'an: 'The recompense of those who war against God and His apostle, and go about to commit disorders on the earth, shall be, that they shall be slain, or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off on opposite sides, or be banished the land' [Suratu'l-Ma'ida (v) 39]. And again in verse forty-two: 'As for the thief, whether man or woman, cut ye off their hands in recompense for their doing.'

5. Slavery.

We have seen above (p. 26) that the Old Testament tolerated and recognized slavery, although it

considerably mitigated its hardships, and placed the slaves under the protection of the public laws, whilst we found the whole spirit and tendencies of Christianity to be opposed to it, and calculated, wherever it can exercise its legitimate influence, to bring about its entire abolition. Here, therefore, we have to ask the question: 'Does Islam assume a diviner, i.e. more generous and benevolent aspect as regards that most degraded class of men, the slaves, than Christianity?' History answers 'No,' emphatically: on the contrary, it is a fact that to this moment slavery remains undisturbed in every country under Muhammadan rule, Muslims buying and selling not only non-Muslims, but even their brethren in the Faith, especially the Negroes, as they buy and sell cattle; and that never yet has the religion of the Qur'an produced in any place an amount of philanthropy and generosity sufficient to effect the general emancipation of slaves, whilst in none of the great empires of Christian Europe is domestic slavery tolerated, or would the public spirit suffer human beings to be sold like brutes; and throughout the vast dominions of England, comprising about one-fifth of the human race, a law is in force, that, as soon as any slave sets his foot on English ground, that moment he becomes a free man. So different has been the respective influence of Muhammadanism and Christianity in regard to slavery; and all this is the natural fruit of the