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    with a shell of fiction , being destitute of divine revelation * The rapid progress of Islamism has been attributed to the vicious licence permitted and promised to its votaries ; but an Arabian iruposior , many years after the Hegira , allowed a much greater Ianit ^ of morals to his followers , and notwithstanding some success , his sect did not survive him . On

    the contrary , the prophet , in forbidding the use of wine , created a restriction to which the Arabians were not before accustomed ; nor will any religion owe its dispersion and prevalence to a declaration of freedom of action ;

    for it is consonant to the genius of man , to admire and follow system * abounding with rules and regulations , and even prescribing a conduct which seems to do violence to all the natural feelings and unbiassed inclinations of the

    human breast . Were this not the case , Fakeers , Monks , and Dervishes could never have existed : it would have been impossible that any man in the world should , like Uveis , the Mahometan , have established a sect and met with

    proselytes , whose pretensions to piety were founded on the ex . traction of all their teeth . Mahomet was too wise to omit the palpable parts and outward ceremonials , which are the life and soul of all superstitions ; which , in fact , are the

    superstitions . He was too wise , to make his Koran a promulgation of licences instead of restraints ; his fasts and abstinences , his ablutions , his pilgrimage to Mecca , are so many meritorious mortifications , which have all tended to the ff ^ &gAtm ' ' of his ttochcine . To th © same * knowledge of the

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    human mind may be attributed the miraculous relations of th « Koran . It has been before hinted , that a variety of principles and articles of faith have been invented by the founders of different Maho « me tan sects , but that these he . resies do not engage the attention

    of the great body of the people . Some persons are inclined to think , that many of the higher classes in Turkey are very sceptical in matters of religion . * Of this I

    could form no judgment , but it was not difficult to see , that few , except the lower orders , retain that spirit of intolerance and bigotry which Mahometans are accused

    of displaying in all their commerce with Christians . A notion hag very generally obtained , of their contempt and hatred of

    infidels so far prevailing , that it is established amongst them , that they may break any engagement with an unbeliever ; but nothing is more unfounded than such &

    supposition , for the contrary con * duct is expressly commanded by the Koran ; + and they have been always notorious for their good faith in their commercial inter .

    course with other nations . u How do we trade amongst the Turks , " enquires Mr Harley , who had fallen into the common error * " and trust the Mahometans , one of whose doctrines in the Alcoran

    rs , not to keep faith with Christians ? They have obtained it by * — , — - * It must r however , be confes * e 4 t that in so great a natioo there are many of the learned I ' urks who do not implicitly believe all that i * * aul mi UW Koran , Sec . Cantcmir , Octorpaa iii 9 t > book i . p . 31 Tindai . . . __ u t Sec a Short System of tff > 'W * mtttn Theology , took ti fttt * **•

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    632 Present State of the Mahometan Religion in Turkey .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1813, page 632, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2433/page/8/