REV. G. E. WHITE, ON THE SHIA TURKS. 
237 
Discussion. 
The Chairman. — The fact, stated by the author of the paper 
before us, that both Christians and Mohammedans alike in Asia 
Minor appeal to various mediators reminds us how frequently the 
remains of old pagan religions survive. The Mohammedanism 
adopted by the Shias in the country we are considering appears to 
be somewhat superficial ; this difference from their co-religionists in 
India may perhaps be explained by the fact that some Anatolian 
Mohammedans are descended from nominal Christians, and the rest 
from pagans who differed from the old heathen of India. 
A book has lately been written containing articles by several 
missionaries giving accounts of Mohammedans in various parts of 
the world- these writers make it evident that considerable 
differences exist — for instance, divorce is not by any means equally 
prevalent in all Mohammedan countries. 
Mr. Henry Carus- Wilson. — I should like to put a question in 
the hope that there may be present someone who could give the 
answer. I observe that the writer of this paper only alluded in 
one place to the doctrine of “ merit ” as influencing the actions of 
the Shia Turks. 
A study of the great Book Religions of the East shows that the 
doctrine of accumulated “ merit,” under the symbol of “ the Scales,” 
acts as a mainspring in the everyday life of the Mohammedan, just 
as it does in the case of the Hindu, the Confucianist, and the 
Buddhist. 
The orthodox Mohammedan believes that he is attended 
through life by two recording angels, who keep an account of all 
bis deeds, good and evil. For every good deed the good angel 
records five good marks in his book ; but for every bad action the 
evil angel records only one bad mark in his book. Thus a man 
can, for instance, steal five dollars, and be quits with his conscience 
by paying back only one. The books, which are posted every day, 
