he attacks us, shall
we not defend ourselves? If he likes to believe without examination,
must we therefore not examine before we believe?

"And what is this luminous doctrine that fears the light? What is
this apostle of a God of clemency, who preaches nothing but murder and
carnage? What is this God of justice, who punishes blindness which
he himself has made? If violence and persecution are the arguments of
truth, are gentleness and charity the signs of falsehood?"

A man then advancing from a neighboring group, said to the Iman:

"Admitting that Mahomet is the apostle of the best doctrine,--the
prophet of the true religion,--have the goodness at least to tell
us whether, in the practice of his doctrine, we are to follow his
son-in-law Ali, or his vicars Omar and Aboubekre?"*

* These are the two grand parties into which the Mussulmans
are divided. The Turks have embraced the second, the
Persians the first.

At the sound of these names a terrible schism arose among the Mussulmans
themselves. The partisans of Ali and those of Omar, calling out heretics
and blasphemers, loaded each other with execrations. The quarrel became
so violent that neighboring groups were obliged to interfere, to prevent
their coming to blows. At length, tranquillity being somewhat restored,
the legislator said to the Imans:

"See the consequences of your principles! If you yourselves were to
carry them into practice, you would destroy each other to the last man.
Is it not the first law of God that man should live?"

Then, addressing himself to the other groups, he continued:

"Doubtless this intolerant and exclusive spirit shocks every idea of
justice, and overturns the whole foundation of morals and society; but
before we totally reject this code of doctrine, is it not proper to hear
some of its dogmas? Let us not pronounce on the forms, without having
some knowledge of the substance."

The groups having consented, the Iman began to expound how God, having
sent to the nations lost in idolatry twenty-four thousand prophets, had
finally sent the last, the seal and perfection of all, Mahomet; on whom
be the salvation of peace: how, to prevent the divine word from being
any longer perverted by infidels, the supreme goodness had itself
written the pages of the Koran. Then, explaining the particular dogmas
of Islamism, the Iman unfolded how the Koran, partaking of the divine
nature, was uncreated and eternal, like its aut