ALGERIA AND TUNIS. 233 



Subjoined are some extracts from an Arab work 

 which Abd-el-Kader addressed a few years ago to the 

 French Asiatic Society : 



" All the prophets, from Adam to Mahomet, are 

 agreed upon the fundamental points : they have all 

 proclaimed the unity of God, and the duty of paying 

 him worship. . . . There is one point common to 

 all that of proclaiming respect for the divinity and 

 charity towards His creatures. The modifications 

 which have occurred, at different epochs, relate to 

 principles of emergency, to matters which vary 

 according to circumstances. Just as a doctor may 

 prescribe one potion one day, and another the next, 

 in the same way it may be said that a religion is good 

 for the epoch in which it was revealed. Mahomet 

 said, <I am not come to abolish the Pentateuch or 

 the Gospel, but to supplement them. The Pentateuch 

 contains external directions appropriate for the masses; 

 the Gospel contains inward directions specially in- 

 tended for those who seek perfection. I admit both 

 the one and the other ; I maintain the lex talionis, 

 which is a guarantee for the security of human life. 

 So much for the external and general directions. At 

 the same time I enjoin pardon for injuries received as 

 an excellent means for being pleasing in the sight of 

 God. So much for the inward and special precepts.' 



" It will be seen that in reality these three religions 

 are but one, and that the divergences between them 

 are only on points of detail. One may compare them 



VOL. II. R 



