should be among the first to embrace the foul im posture. If that were the fact, it furnishes palpable demonstration also, that when men have once began to swerve and deviate from the truth, no limits can be set to the degree of apostacy into which they are liable to fall. A fearful illustration is thus afforded of the law of the divine judgments, that where men, under the cloak of a Christian profession, receive not the love of the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness, God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, and that too to their inevitable ruin.

CHAPTER IX.

The Prophet now raised to a high Pitch of Dignity-Builds a Mosque -A Change in the Tone of his Revelations-The Faithful now com manded to fight for the true Religion-His first war-like Attempt unsuccessful-The Failure compensated in the Second-Account of the Battle of Beder-This Victory much boasted of-Difficulties in the Division of the Spoil-Caab, a Jew, assassinated at the Instance of the Prophet.

FROM a fugitive Mohammed became a monarch. No sooner had he arrived at Medina than he found himself at the head of an army devoted to his person, obedient to his will, and blind believers in his holy office. He began at once to make ar rangements for a permanent settlement, and his first business, after giving his daughter Fatima in marriage to Ali, was to erect a dwelling house for himself, and a temple or mosque, adjacent to his own residence, for a place of religious worship, in which he might publicly pray and preach before the people. For he now, in his own person, combined the temporal and the religious power; he was leader of his army, judge of his people, and pastor of his flock.

With the change of his fortunes, his doctrines began also to vary, Hitherto he had propagated his religion by the milder arts of arguments and entreaties, and his whole success before leaving Mecca is to be attributed solely to the effect of persuasion, and not of force. "Wherefore warn thy K

people; for thou art a warner only thou art not empowered to act with authority over them."* Up to the period of his flight, he had utterly disclaimed the use of any species of coercion in propagating, or of violence in defending, the prin- · ciples of his holy faith. In numerous passages of the Koran, published at Mecca, he expressly declares that his business was only to preach and admonish; that he had no authority to compel any one to embrace his religion; and that whether people believed or disbelieved was no concern of his, but a matter that belonged solely to God. "We have also spoken unto thee, O Mohammed, by revelation, saying, Follow the religion of Abraham, who was orthodox, and was no idolater. Invite men unto the way of thy Lord by wisdom and mild exhortation; and dispute with them in the most condescending manner: for thy Lord well knoweth him who strayeth from his path, and he well knoweth those who are rightly directed, Wherefore do thou bear opposition with patience; but thy patience shall not be practicable unless with God's assistance. And be not thou grieved on account of the unbelievers." "Let there be no violence in religion."‡ Indeed, so far was he from allowing his followers to resort to violence, that he exhorted them to bear with meekness the injuries offered them on account of their faith, and when persecuted himself, chose rather to quit the place of his birth, and retire, to a distant village than

make any resistance. But this exemplary moderation, continued for the space of twelve years, seems to have been owing altogether to his want of power, and the ascendency of his enemies; for no sooner was he enabled, by the assistance of the men of Medina, to withstand his adversaries, than he suddenly "altered his voice," declaring that God had allowed him and his followers to defend themselves by human weapons against the infidels; and as his forces increased, he pretended to have the divine permission to act upon the offensive also, to attack his foes, to root out idolatry at all hazards, and to urge the true faith at the point of the sword. "War is enjoined you against the infidels." "Fight, therefore, against the friends of Satan, for the stratagem of Satan is weak."| "O true believers, take your necessary precaution against your enemies, and either go forth to war in separate parties, or go forth all together in a body."‡ And when the months wherein ye shall not be allowed to attack them shall be past, kill the idolaters wherever ye shall find them, and take them prisoners, and besiege them, and lay wait for them in every convenient place."§ "When ye encounter the unbelievers, strike off their heads until 1 ye have made a great slaughter among them; and bind them in bonds; and either give them a free dismission, afterward, or exact a ransom, until the war shall have laid down its arms." "Verily, God hath purchased of the true believers their

*Koran, ch. ii,
Ch. ix,

† Ch. iv.
Il Ch. xlvii,

+Ibid.

souls, and their substance, promising them the en

joyment of paradise on condition, that they fight for the cause of God: whether they slay or be slain, the promise for the same is assuredly due by the law, and the gospel, and the Koran."* This fierce, intolerant, and sanguinary spirit will be found to distinguish most of the chapters revealed at Medina, so that it can frequently be determined, from the tone and temper pervading it, without consulting the date, whether the portion was revealed before or after the flight. The prophet's followers have faithfully acted up to the spirit of these precepts; and the terrific announcement at tending the Moslem arms has been, "The Koran, death, or tribute !" Even to the present day, every other religious sect living under the government of Mohammedan nations is compelled to pay an annual tax as a mulct for their infidelity, and are sure to meet with persecution, if not with death, if they oppose or vilify any of the tenets of the holy prophet. Indeed, every thing like argument or controversy with the unbelievers, though not absolutely forbidden, is far from being countenanced, as we may gather from the following precept to the prophet himself, "Let them not, therefore, dispute with thee concerning this matter; but invite them unto thy Lord; for thou followest the right direction, But if they enter into debate with thee, God well knoweth that which ye do; God will judge between you on the day of resurrection concerning that wherein ye now disagree."+