Such were the rapid conquests of the Saracens—­and permanent conquests also—­in Asia and Africa, under the stimulus of religious fanaticism, until they had reduced thirty-six thousand cities, towns, and castles, and built fourteen thousand mosques.

Now what are the deductions to be logically drawn from these stupendous victories and the consolidation of the various religions of the conquered into the creed of Mohammed,—­not repudiated when the pressure was removed, but apparently cherished by one hundred and eighty millions of people for more than a thousand years?

We must take the ground that the religion of Mohammed has marvellous and powerful truths, which we have overlooked and do not understand, which appeal to the heart and conscience, and excite a great enthusiasm,—­so great as to stimulate successive generations with an almost unexampled ardor, and to defend which they were ready to die; a religion which has bound diverse nations together for nearly fourteen hundred years.  If so, it cannot be abused, or ridiculed, or sneered at, any more than can the dominion of the popes in the Middle Ages, but remains august in impressive mystery to us, and even to future ages.

But if, in comparison with Christianity, it is a corrupt and false religion, as many assume, then what deductions must we draw from its amazing triumphs?  For the fact stares us in the face that it is rooted deeply in a large part of the Eastern world, or, at least, has prevailed victorious for more than a thousand years.

First, we must conclude that the external triumph of a religion, especially among ignorant or wicked people, is not so much owing to the purity and loftiness of its truths, as to its harmony with prevailing errors and corruptions.  When Mohammed preached his sublimest doctrines, and appealed to reason and conscience, he converted about a score of people in thirteen years.  When he invoked demoralizing passions, he converted all Arabia in eleven years.  And does not this startling conclusion seem to be confirmed by the whole history of mankind?  How slow the progress of Christianity for two hundred years, except when assisted by direct supernatural influences!  How rapid its triumphs when it became adapted to the rude barbaric mind, or to the degenerate people of the Empire!  How popular and prevalent and widespread are those religions which we are accustomed to regard as most corrupt!  Buddhism and Brahmanism have had more adherents than even Mohammedanism.  How difficult it was for Moses and the prophets to keep the Jews from idolatry!  What caused the rapid eclipse of faith in the antediluvian world?  Why could not Noah establish and perpetuate his doctrines among his own descendants before he was dead?  Why was the Socratic philosophy unpopular?  Why were the Epicureans so fashionable?  Why was Christianity itself most eagerly embraced when its light was obscured by fables and superstitions?  Why did the Roman