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28

THE MOHAMMEDAN CONTROVERSY

accordingly devoted to the Mosaic account of the fall, the effects of which are traced in man's corruption. A searching examination follows into the real evil of sin, and its heinousness is found to consist in the intention: hence, and from copious illustrations in Scripture, corrupt desires, even though they do not break out into overt acts, are proved to be offensive and deserving punishment in the sight of God. The erroneous notions of Moslems as to venial offences are grounded upon false principles; and it is shewn that all sins, though they may differ in enormity, are alike transgressions of the law;— nay, that what appears to us a venial sin may, from the intention, be in God's sight one of the most aggravated nature. The dreadful effects of sin are next treated of. The pains of hell will be chiefly mental and spiritual, in opposition to the doctrine of the Coran which depicts, with hideous detail, the various species of bodily torments inflicted upon the damned. The Mohammedan account of the fall of Satan is shewn to be without foundation; the origin of Evil is cautiously touched upon ; and the reason of its. permission left with Almighty wisdom. The whole of this argument is conducted with great ability.

The next portion of the work is devoted to the doctrine of Pardon, and the means of securing it as held by different religions. Among these the Zoroastrian, Hindoo1 and Chinese creeds are considered; the opportunity being taken advantage of for describing the compulsory manner in which Islam banished the first of these from Persia. Then the Mohammedan religion is weighed in the balance and, like its predecessors, found wanting; its ceremonies are classed in the same category with heathen rites and practices; while Mohammed acknowledged himself to have been a sinner, and a mere man, incapable of being an atonement for the sins of others. The errors of Islam are shewn to have originated in mistaken notions of the nature of sin ; and the doctrine denounced which lays down that the intention to commit any sinful act, however rife or fondly cherished, is not


1 In the forthcoming Urdoo edition, the remarks upon the Hindoo religion might be expanded so as to form a useful episode for the Hindoos who, we may hope, will not be backward in reading the treatise.

           

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