with error and absurdity. But it might be easily proved, that whatever it justly defines of the Divine attributes, was borrowed from our holy Scriptures; which even from its first promulgation, but especially from the completion of the New Testament, has extended the views, and enlightened the understandings of mankind; and thus furnish

been ineffectually turned against itself by its ungenerous enemies. In this instance, particularly, the copy is far below the great original, both in the propriety of its images and the force of its descriptions."

with which men every where regard the original compositions of their country; but with their admiration they blended their piety. To know and to feel the beauties of the Koran, was in some respect to share in the temper of heaven; and he who was most affected with admiration in the perusal of its beauties, seemed fitly the object of that mercy which had given it to ignorant man.ed them with arms which have too often The Koran, therefore, became naturally and necessarily the standard of taste. With a language thus hallowed in their imaginations, they were too well satisfied either to dispute its elegance, or improve its structure. In succeeding ages, the additional 7. Koran, the sublimity of the, contrastsanction of antiquity or prescription, was ed. "Our holy Scriptures are the only given to these compositions which their fa- compositions that can enable the dim sight thers had admired; and while the belief of of mortality to penetrate into the invisible its divine original continues, that admira- world, and to behold a glimpse of the Dition which has thus become the test and the vine perfections. Accordingly, when they duty of the faithful, can neither be altered would represent to us the happiness of heanor diminished. When, therefore, we con- ven, they describe it, not by any thing misider these peculiar advantages of the Ko-nute and particular, but by something generan, we have no reason to be surprised at the admiration in which it is held. But, if descending to a more minute investigation of it, we consider its perpetual inconsistence and absurdity, we shall indeed have cause for astonishment at that weakness of humanity, which could ever have received such compositions as the work of the Deity."

6. Koran, the style and merits of the, examined. "The first praise of all the productions of genius (continues this author) is invention; that quality of the mind, which, by the extent and quickness of its view, is capable of the largest conceptions, and of forming new combinations of objects the most distant and unusual. But the Koran bears little impression of this transcendant character. Its materials are wholly borrowed from the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, from the Talmudical legends and apocryphal gospels then current in the east, and from the traditions and fables which abounded in Arabia. The materials collected from these several sources are here heaped together with perpetual and heedless repetitions, without any settled principle or visible connection. When a great part of the life of Mahomet had been spent in prepara. tory meditation on the system he was about to establish, its chapters were dealt out slowly and separately during the long period of twenty-three years. Yet, thus defective in its structure, and no less objectionable in its doctrines, was the work which Mahomet delivered to his followers as the oracles of God. The most prominent feature of the Koran, that point of excellence in which the partiality of its admirers has ever delighted to view it, is the sublime notion it generally impresses of the nature and attributes of God. If its author had really derived these just conceptions from the inspiration of that Being whom they attempt to describe, they would not have been surrounded, as they now are on every side,

ral and great; something that, without descending to any determinate object, may at once by its beauty and immensity excite our wishes, and elevate our affections. Though in the prophetical and evangelical writings, the joys that shall attend us in a divine state, are often mentioned with ardent admiration, they are expressed rather by illusion than by similitude; rather by indefinite and figurative terms, than by any thing fixed and determinate. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him,' 1 Cor. ii. 9. What a reverence and astonishment does this passage excite in every hearer of taste and piety! What energy, and at the same time what simplicity in the expression! How sublime, and at the same time how obscure, is the imagery! Different was the conduct of Mahomet in his descrip tions of Heaven and Paradise. Unassisted by the necessary influence of virtuous intentions and Divine inspiration, he was neither desirous nor indeed able, to exalt the minds of men to sublime conceptions, or to rational expectations. By attempting to explain what is inconceivable, to describe what is ineffable, and to materialize what in itself is spiritual, he absurdly and impiously aimed to sensualize the purity of the Divine essence. Thus he fabricated a system of incoherence, a religion of depravity, totally repugnant to the nature of that Being, who, as he pretended, was its object; but therefore more likely to accord with the appetites and conceptions of a corrupt and sensual age. That we many not appear to exalt our Scriptures thus far above the Koran by an unreasonable preference, we shall produce a part of the second chapter of the latter, which is deservedly admired by the Mahometans, who wear it engraved on their ornaments, and recite it in their prayers. God! there is no God but be; the the self-subsisting; neither slumber

"living,

nor sleep seizeth him: to him belongeth || shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax whatsoever is in heaven, and on earth. Who old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou is he that can intercede with him but change them, and they shall be changed. through his good pleasure? He knoweth But thou art the same, and thy years shall that which is past, and that which is to have no end. The Koran, therefore, upon come. His throne is extended over heaven a fair examination. far from supporting its and earth, and the preservation of both is to arrogant claim to a supernatural work, sinks him no burden. He is the high, the mighty.' below the level of many compositions conSale's Koran, v. ii. p. 30. To this descrip- fessedly of human original; and, still lower tion who can refuse the praise of magnifi- does it fall in our estimation, when compacence? Part of that magnificence, however, red with that pure and perfect pattern is to be referred to that verse of the Psalm- which we justly admire in the scriptures ist whence it was borrowed: He that of truth. It is therefore abundantly appakeepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor rent, that no miracle was either externally sleep,' Psal. cxxi. 4. But if we compare it performed for the support, or is internally with that other passage of the inspired involved in the composition of the MahomePsalmist, (Psal. ii. 24-27.) all its boasted tan revelation." See Sale's Koran. Prigrandeur is at once obscured, and lost in the deaux's Life of Mahomet. White's Serblaze of a greater light! O, my God, takemons at Bampton Lectures; and article me not away in the midst of my days; thy MAHOMETANISM. years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou

KTISTOLATRÆ, a branch of the Monophysites, which maintained, that the body of Christ before his resurrection, was corruptible.

1

LABADISTS were so called from their habited by twenty thousand lamas, or priests, founder, John Labadie, a native of France. who have their separate apartments round He was originally in the Romish commu- about the mountain, and according to their nion; but leaving that, he became a mem-respective quality, are placed nearer or at ber of the reformed church, and per- a greater distance from the sovereign ponformed with reputation the ministerial tiff He is not only worshipped by the function in France, Switzerland, and Hol- Thibetians, but also is the great object of land. He at length erected a new com-adoration for the various tribes of heathen munity, which resided successively at Mid-Tartars who roam through the vast tract dleburg, in Zaland, Amsterdam, Hervor of continent, which stretches from the den, and at Altona, where he died about banks of the Wolga to Correa, on the sea 1674. After his death, his followers remo- of Japan. He is not only the sovereign ved their wandering community to Wie-pontiff, the vicegerent of the Deity on wert, in the district of North Holland, earth, but the more remote Tartars are where it soon fell into oblivion. If we are said to absolutely regard him as the Deity to judge of the Labadists by their own ac- himself, and call him God the everlasting count, they did not differ from the reform-Father of heaven. They believe him to ed church so much in their tenets and be immortal, and endowed with all knowdoctrines as in their manners and rules of ledge and virtue. Every year they come discipline; yet it seems that Labadie had up from different parts to worship and some strange notions. Among other things, make rich offerings at his shrine: even the he maintained that God might and did, emperor of China, who is a manchon Taron certain occasions, deceive men; that the tar, does not fail in acknowledgments to faithful ought to have all things in common; him in his religious capacity; and actually that there is no subordination or distinction entertains at a great expence, in the palace of rank in the true church: that in read- of Pekin, an inferior lama, deputed as his ing the Scriptures, greater attention should nuncio from Thibet. The grand lama, it be paid to the internal inspiration of the has been said, is never to be seen but in a Holy Spirit than to the words of the text; secret place of his palace, amidst a great that the observation of Sunday was a mat- number of lamps, sitting cross-legged on a ter of indifference; that the contemplative cushion, and decked all over with gold and life is a state of grace and union with precious stones, where at a distance the God, and the very height of perfection. people prostrate themselves before him, it LAITY, the people as distinguished not being lawful for any so much as to from the clergy. See CLERGY. kiss his feet. He returns not the least sign of respect, nor ever speaks even to the greatest princes; but only lays his hand upon their heads, and they are fully persuaded they receive from thence a full forgiveness of all their sins.

LAMA GRÅND, a name given to the Sovereign pontiff or high priest of the Thibetian Tartars, who resides at Patoli, a vast palace on a mountain near the banks of Barampooter, about seven miles from Lahassa. The foot of this mountain is in

The Sunniasses, or Indian pilgrims, often

visit Thibet as a holy place; and the lama always entertains a body of two or three hundred in his pay. Besides his religious influence and authority, the grand lama is possessed of unlimited power throughout his dominions, which are very extensive. The inferior lamas, who form the most numerous as well as the most powerful body in the state, have the priest-ligion, dwells in divine tranquillity in a buildhood entirely in their hands: and besides fill up many monastic orders which are held in great veneration among them. The whole country, like Italy, abounds with priests; and they entirely subsist on the great number of rich presents which are sent them from the utmost extent of Tartary, from the empire of the Great Mogul, and from almost all parts of the Indies.

The opinion of those who are reputed the most orthodox among the Thibetians is, that, when the grand lama seems to die, either of old age or infirmity, his soul, in fact, only quits a crazy habitation to look for another, younger or better; and is dis-of convents filled with monks and friars, covered again in the body of some child by certain tokens, known only to the lamas or priests, in which order he always appears.

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