184 THE REV. W. ST. CLAIR TISDALL, M.A., ON ISLAM; 
days, from fear of being slain, till one of the leading men who 
formerly had received from Muhammad the present of 100 camels, 
came forward and declared, ‘“‘ Many of you say that the death of 
Muhammad will be the death of Islam; but I tell you, it will only 
be the means of making Islam stronger: for we shall not hesitate 
to cut off the head of anyone whom we suspect.” Throughout 
Arabia the Islamic yoke began to be cast off; and Abu Bekr’s 
fanatical troops had the greatest difficulty, and suffered several 
defeats, in finally restoring the Muhammadan supremacy. The 
terrorism then started has prevailed ever since in the world of 
Islam; and it is notorious that even now in its decrepitude every 
Mussulman who relinquishes his religion thereby forfeits his life. 
But for the use of the sword, we should probably never have heard 
either of Muhammad or of Islam. It is therefore an inexcusable 
omission, in setting forth the strength of Islam, to ignore its sword 
and its terrorism. 
I also think the author might have said more about the anti- 
Christian character of Muhammadanism. It professes to supersede 
and to replace Christianity. This is the gravest charge against it. 
These things I think it would have been well to have dwelt upon, 
especially as there are means enough in the present day to have 
assisted in so doing ; but the paper itself, so far as it goes, is good, 
clear, and useful. 
Professor ORCHARD. 
This paper, to my mind, is one of the most 
able and satisfactory contributions to the subject of Islam. I 
think the author has certainly shown that there is such a 
difference, not to say opposition, between Islam and Christianity, 
that Islam can never in any sense become a true substitute for 
Christianity, nor can it ever prepare the way for Christianity. 
Some of the fundamental conceptions of the two systems are not 
only different, but absolutely irreconcilable. A system that has 
the idea of God which Islam has—and that idea of sin which Islam 
has—that idea of the relation between God and man which Islam 
has—a system which knows nothing whatever of the need of the 
covering blood of God’s own Lamb, can neyer be in any real or true 
alhance with Christianity. 
I could have wished that the author had said a little more about 
what seems to me to be the characteristic feature of Islam, that is 
to say, its fatalism. It is very much through its fatalism, I think, 
ihat the system has obtained the immense hold it has on so 
