THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 519 



A most fhameful proftitution of manners prevailed in 

 the Greek church, as alio innumerable herefies, which were 

 firfl: received as true tenets of their religion, but were foon 

 after perfecuted in a moft uncharitable manner, as being 

 erroneous. Their lies, their legends, their faints and mi- 

 racles, and, above all, the abandoned behaviour of the 

 prieflhood, had brought their characters in Arabia almoft 

 as low as that of the detefled Jew, and, had they been confi- 

 dered in their true light, they had been ftill lower, 



The dictates of nature in the heart of the honefl Pagan, 

 constantly employed in long, lonely, and dangerous voyages, 

 awakened him often to reflect who that Providence was 

 that invifibly governed him, fupplied his wants, and often 

 mercifully faved him from the deftruction into which his 

 own ignorance or rafhnefs were leading him. Poifoned by 

 no fyflem, perverted by no prejudice, he wifhed to know 

 and adore his Benefactor, w T ith purity and fimplicity of heart, 

 free from thefe fopperies and follies with which ignorant 

 priefts and monks had difguifed his worfhip. PofTelled of 

 charity, Heady in his duty to his parents, full of veneration 

 for his fuperiors, attentive and merciful even to his beafls ; 

 in a word, containing in his heart the principles of the firfl 

 religion, which God had inculcated in the heart of Noah, 

 «he Arab was already prepared to embrace a much more per- 

 fect one than what Chriflianity, at that time, disfigured by 

 foily and fuperftition r appeared to him to be. 



Mahomet, of the tribe of Beni Koreifh (at whofe infli- 

 gation is uncertain) took upon himfelf to be the apoftle of 

 a new religion, pretending to have, for his only object, the 

 worfhip of the true God. Oflenfibly full of the morality of 



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