224 
RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY. 
about religion, with the intention of persuading him of the truth and 
excellence of theirs. His answers were such as to stimulate them to 
farther arguments ; and in spite of their pride the principal MolJahs, 
who had heard of his reputation, paid him the first visit, and endea¬ 
voured in every way to entangle him in his talk. At length he thought 
that the best mode of silencing them was by writing a reply to the argu¬ 
ments which they brought both against our belief and in favour of their 
own. His tract was circulated through different parts of Persia, and 
was sent from hand to hand to be answered. At length it made its way 
to the King’s Court, and a Mollah of high consideration, who resided 
at Hamadan, and who was esteemed one of the best controversialists 
in the country, was ordered to answer it. After the lapse of more than 
a year he did answer it, but such were the strong positions taken 
by Mr. Martyn, that the Persians themselves were ashamed of the 
futility of their own attempts to break them down ; for, after they had 
sent their answer to the Ambassador, they requested that it might be 
returned to them again, as another answer was preparing to be given.^ 
Such answer has never yet been given; and we may infer from this cir¬ 
cumstance, that if, in addition to the Scriptures, some plain treatises of 
the evidences of Christianity, accompanied by strictures upon the false¬ 
ness of the doctrines of Mahomed, were translated into Persian and dis¬ 
seminated throughout that country, very favourable effects would be 
produced. Mr. Martyn caused a copy of his translation to be beauti¬ 
fully written, and to be presented by the Ambassador to the King, who 
was pleased to receive it very graciously. A copy of it was made by 
Mirza Baba, a Persian, who gave us lessons in the Persian language; 
and he said, that many of his countrymen asked his permission to take 
Mr. Martyn’s translation to their homes, where they kept it for se¬ 
veral days, and expressed themselves much edified by its contents. 
But whilst he was employed in copying it, Mollahs (the Persian scribes) 
* I have heard since my return to England that Mr. Martyn’s tract has been sent to a 
Mollah of great celebrity residing at Bagdad, in the hope that he may be more successful in 
refuting it. 
