to establish asceticism by creed or discipline, it would have aroused the utmost power reposing in the mightiest pen ever held by human hand.

It was left for Mohammed, as a measure of real "military necessity," by pretended revelation, to fulminate an interdict. Christianity, the only Religion "which is not naturally weakened by civilization,” which "has traversed the lapse of ages, acquiring a new strength and beauty with each advance of civilization, and infusing its beneficent influence into every sphere of thought and action," omitted asceticism wholly from its plan. It has led the conquering march of humanity, under the inspiration of its Founder, in obedience to immortal hope and celestial love; subordinating passion and appetite, not by the law of a carnal commandment, but by the power of an endless life. The Gospel of Jesus preached and testified by apostles, evangelists, confessors and martyrs, descends to no comparison with the Koran of Mohammed, whose sword, succeeded by the torch of Omar, led the hordes of Islam to the slaughter of the unbelievers.†

"Rationalism in Europe," by W. E. H. Lecky. Vol. i., pp. 311, 312. (American edition.)

See, among other authorities, "Mohammed der Prophet," [Stuttgart. 1843,] by Gustav Weil, then assistant-librarian, since 1845 Professor of Oriental Languages in the University of Heidelberg. At page 140, the learned author says:-"The danger which Mohammed incurred from his followers addicting themselves to the use of wine, was probably the occasion of this prohibition." Also, "Essais sur l'histoire des Arabes," etc.,

How much the Mohammedan interdict has been worth to the morality of Persia, (whatever was its value under military organization, on the march or in camp,) may be learned from the testimony of both travellers and missionaries :—

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Prohibiting the use of wine to its followers, tends to restrict the manufacture to those places where the Jews, Americans, or Hindoos, form part of the population. But

[Paris, 1847,] by Armand Pierre Caussin de Perceval, Professor of Arabic in the College of France, vol. iii, page 122, where he says:- -"According to the common opinion, it was during one of Mohammed's sieges in the territory of Medina, that he published the verses of the Koran which interdict wine and games of chance to the faithful."

Frederick von Schlegel, in his Lectures on the Philosophy of History, (Robertson's Translation, Bohn's edition, page 327,) suggests a second motive of Mohammed in making the prohibition. He says:-"Even the prohibition of wine was perhaps not so much intended for a moral precept, which, considered in that point of view, would be far too severe, as for answering a religious design of the founder; for he might hope that the express condemnation of a liquid which forms an essential element of the Christian sacrifice, would necessarily recoil on that sacrifice itself, and thus raise an insuperable barrier between his creed and the religion of Christ." This motive of Mohammed receives corroboration from the fact of his desire to proselyte from among the Jews, and from the consideration, (to which, however, Schlegel does not refer,) that the prohibition was likely to be one not altogether unacceptable to Jews, by reason of its confirmation of the antithesis between the Hebrew religion and the Christian religion on just this very point of the use of wine,-the only prohibition of its use by the Mosaic law being in connection with the religious rites of sacrifice, (Leviticus, c. 10, v. 9, 10.) (See also page 128 of this Argument.) Whereas it was precisely in the offering of the most significant Christian sacrament, (i. e., the Lord's Supper,) that its use was expressly ordained by Jesus, (Matthew, c. 26, v. 27. Mark, c. 14, v. 23.) And it is most remarkable, that while Moses forbade wine only to the priest, and then only when going "into the tabernacle of the congregation," Christianity enjoins the use of wine in the only sacrament which is universally administered at the altar and in the sanctuary. So deep is the Christian feeling in this precise relation of its use to the ceremonies of our religion, that the sale of wine for sacramental purposes is the only kind of sale which, by our prohibitory law, is free to all persons, at all places, and on all occasions.

the Persians have always been less scrupulous observers of this precept of the Koran than the other Mussulmans; and several of their kings, unable to resist the temptation, or conceiving themselves above the law, have set an example of drunkenness, which has been very generally followed by their subjects. At present, many persons indulge secretly in wine and generally to intemperance; as they can imagine no pleasure in its use, unless it produce the full delirium of intoxication. They. flatter themselves, however, that they diminish the sin by drinking only such as is made by infidels. * * * The Jews and Americans prepare wine on purpose for the Mohammedans by adding lime, hemp and other ingredients, to increase its pungency and strength: for the wine that soonest intoxicates is accounted the best, and the lighter and more delicate kinds are held in no estimation among the adherents of the prophet."

Its moral influence on Turkey, I leave to the description of Lord Bacon, who styles Turkey

"A cruel Tyranny, bathed in the blood of their emperors upon every succession; a heap of vassals and slaves; no nobles, no gentlemen, no freemen, no inheritance of land, no stirp of ancient families; a people that is without natural affection, and as the scripture saith, that regardeth not the desires of women; and without piety or care toward their children; a nation without morality, without letters,

* History of Ancient and Modern Wines. London, 1824.

See, also, Travels in Georgia and Persia, by Sir R. Kerr Porter, Vol. i., p. 348. Voyages de Chardin, Tom. ii., p. 67.

And, also, " Eight Years in Persia," by Rev. Justin Perkins, (missionary,) pp. 226, 227, and 402.

arts or sciences; that can scarce measure an acre of land or an hour of the day; base and sluttish in buildings, diet, and the like; and in a word, a very reproach of human society."*

The influence of entire abstinence upon all the different Mohammedan nations and races, to the extent the Mohammedan superstition has enforced it on the devout, I leave to the able writer of the article on "Food," in the Encyclopædia Brittanica.

Many men, as the natives of Bengal and other countries, live entirely upon vegetables; and others, as the Esquimaux, altogether upon animal food, while most examples of the human species use a mixed diet of animal and vegetable matter; and the majority of people find it most convenient to obtain a portion of their supply of carbon from fermented drinks, or from drinks distilled from such. The number of people who abstain from fermented drinks, however, proves that the requisite amount of carbon may be obtained from saccharine or oleaginous compounds, the deficiency being in general, probably, made up from the latter. There appears, nevertheless, to be little doubt but that, in order to attain the full perfection of the mental and bodily faculties, an admixture of animal and vegetable articles of food is essential; and also that a portion of the carbonaceous supply should be derived from alcoholic drinks. Those who live almost entirely upon animal food become stunted in growth and liable to the ravages of scurvy, and their mental and moral faculties are blunted and sensual; those who consume only

+ Lord Bacon's Works, (Boston edition,) Vol. xiii., p. 198, “Touching a Holy War."

vegetables are generally inactive and listless, and incapable of either active bodily or mental labor; and independently of other objections, there is reason to fear that the offspring of those who abstain entirely from fermented drinks, become in a generation or two enervated in mind and body. It is probably in this last mentioned manner that the decadence of the different Mohammedan nations and races is to be accounted for, at least in part." *

If you could enforce the outward observance of apparent conformity on a cowering and hypocritical population of unwilling subjects, judge you, by the testimony of Dr. Clarke, and of the ministers of religion, who know full well the workings of this law in the secret places, the devastation you will carry in its train. I desire, above all things, to bring the evil to the surface. It is safer on the skin than at the heart or in the brain. And bad as is the unguarded use of "rebellious liquors," it is safer-a hundred times safer to bear with it, until it can be met by curing the inward disease of which drunkenness is a manifestation, rather than to push the determined consumers of narcotics to the terrible alternative of opium.

Literature is full of testimonies against such legislation. You find them in essays, in speeches, in history, uttered by Cromwell, by Milton, by Burke, by Macaulay,

* Encyclopædia Brittanica, (8th edition); Article "Food;" subdivision, "The Principles of Dietetics;" Vol. ix., p. 768.