towards their creed by his zeal for the unity of the Deity, and his abhorrence of idolatry. But the descendant of Ishmael (of whose pure blood the Koreish pride themselves in being) was never to coalesce with the children of the Promise: "thy hand against theirs," was not spoken in vain three thousand years before; and was fulfilled when the children of Abraham scornfully resisted, even to the death, amalgamation with the Ishmaelite. Had they done otherwise, in all human probability would Jerusalem have been restored, and the Hebrews become once more a nation: but a mightier hand pointed to a different issue; the same obstinacy that had rejected the Son of Heaven incurred the hatred of his foe; and the Jew is devoted by Mahomet to destruction in this world, and damnation in the next. But even the conversion of the Jews to Islamism would not have altered the relations of the Moslem with Christendom, or made any difference in the result of the battle of Tours. Spiritual warfare found no arena in the minds of the combatants. The fanaticism of the Koran never came into mental collision with the fierce faith that chivalry had evolved from the Gospel of Peace; and it would perhaps savor of bigotry to ascribe to Christianity, such as was then practised, the check that the Saracens experienced in Europe; but the firm, vehement will, and iron vigor of the Norman, must ever ultimately prevail over the wild enthusiasm and unconnected activity of the Oriental. However strong in numbers, and powerful in resources, every expedition of the Saracen was a mere expansion of the foray of an Arab tribe; the Moor was, as he described himself, a thunderbolt of war, but the cloud that bore it must move on, or be dissolved. When the Moslem reached France on the south, and Hungary on the east, he encountered that stern northern race to whom the conquest of the world seems allotted. Baffled and thrown back on Barbary and the Bosphorus, the tide of Islam that must ever either flow or ebb, had turned. From that hour, it began to shrink, and is now rapidly subsiding into the narrow channel whence it overflowed. Would that we could find a pure and uniform faith following upon its retiring tide, as the harvest pursues the receding Nile! As yet there appears little probability of such a result; but, come what may, it is consolatory to believe that the opened eyes, and expanded hearts of men will never more submit to the Moslem's creed, in whose path has followed like its shadow, oppression, insecurity, poverty, and intolerance. It is not, however, by conversion that Islamism is on the decline" Moslem once, Moslem ever," is a proverb among the Greeks. His very being is identified with his faith; it is interwoven with every action of his life; it is the source of all his pride, hope, and comfort. Amongst us, too generally, our religion "is of our life a thing apart :" with the Moslem it seems inseparable. Inquire of the historian, the traveller, or even of the missionary, what number of conversions have taken place among that people on whose soul, from their very infancy, the faith of the Prophet and the scorn of Christianity seem stamped indelibly, and they will answer-none: it is only with a failing population that this war-faith can fail-ubi solitudinem, pacem. Then comes the Greek, or the Roman Catholic, or the Jew, who multiply apace; and the same belief in destiny that once carried the Moslem over the world irresistibly, now bids him submit to emigration or extinction. The Egyptian Moslem presents all the evil results of his religion in a striking manner, with little admixture of its better qualities, except the resignation, the hospitality and courteousness that it enjoins; to which must be added, respect to grey hairs, and filial reverence. The number of Moslems in Egypt is about 1,750,000, including Turks and Nubians. CHAPTER XIV. THE COPTS-THE MISSIONARIES. Shall we, whose souls are lighted BISHOP HEBER. NOTWITHSTANDING the general interest that prevails on matters connected with the Church, that of Africa has for a long time obtained but little consideration. And yet its creed has been as zealously fought for, preached, and suffered for, as any of its theologic brethren. From the busy port of Alexandria, to the lonely mountains of Abyssinia, this section of the church has borne testimony to such truth as it possessed, for 1800 years, according to its own professors; for thirteen centuries according to theologians. The African church claims descent from St. Mark, as that of Rome from St. Peter. In such state as Eutyches and Jacobus left her, she has maintained her integrity unimpaired through all the political vicissitudes that Egypt has undergone. I would fain devote a chapter to the first ages of this church, to the stirring and romantic career of Athanasius, and the hermit enthusiasm of St. Anthony; but I feel myself confined to generalities, and such details as even these that I permit myself, are perhaps scarcely adapted for a work like this. The Copts claim, and are generally admitted, to be descendants of the ancient Egyptians, and this claim seems substantiated by the strong likeness that the portraits on the ancient tombs bear to the Jacobite Egyptian of the present day.* Nubia "Le terme Arabe, un Cophte,' me semble une altération évidente du Grec Alyvros, un Egyptien; car on doit remarquer que y était prononcé belonged to this profession until about the 12th century, since when it has been Mahometan; and Abyssinia is therefore now isolated in its Christianity.* The church of Alexandria was not a little proud of giving a Patriarch, or rather a Metropolitan, to this remote region, and drew such glowing pictures of its illustrious suffragans, that Portugal sent a Jesuit mission to convert these prosperous and powerful heretics. After much controversy and bloodshed, however, Abyssinia shook off the Jesuits and their faith, and returned to the Coptic or Jacobite profession, to which they still adhere. There are about 150,000 persons of this creed in Egypt, so they would seem to have increased since the time in which Gibbon wrote of them; although it is said that considerable numbers annually become apostate to the Moslem creed, for the sake of marriage, or money, or both. These Copts differ little in appearance from the rest of the population in the fashion of their dress, except that they affect dark colors in their turbans and their robes. This gloomy garb suits their saturnine and melancholy countenances, in which the history of their persecuted race is plainly written. The head of their church is called the Patriarch of Alexandria. He is selected from amongst the monks of St. Anthony, who inhabit a convent in the Arabian desert, not far from the Red Sea. The convents are very numerous, and except for the greater length and severity of their fasts, they differ little in their rules from those of the Roman Catholics. The priests are allowed to marry, however, though their brides must be virgins, and, if these should die, no second marriage is allowed to the widower. They reject the use of images in their churches, but are very proud of their pictures. The services are read in the obsolete Coptic language, which is seldom understood by the ou chez les anciens Grocs; et que les Arabes, n'ayant ni g devant a o u-ni la lettre p, remplacent toujours ces lettres par g et b: les Cophtes sont donc proprement les représentans des Egyptiens."-Volney. * Gibbon observes that the climate of Nubia was too strong for Christianity; was it not rather the Arab sword of extermination in the first instance, and the Turkish invasion, under Selim, in the second, which eradicated the last vestige of the Nubian Christians in the sixteenth century? priests, and never by the people. The Sacrament is adminis tered in both elements, and confession is encouraged, but not insisted on. Balanced thus nearly between the Latin and the Greek churches, they have also many observances that partake of the Mecca ritual. They retain their turbans, but take off their slippers, on entering the house of prayer; they abstain from swine's flesh, and animals that have not been killed with the knife. The women pray in a different part of the church from the men. I was struck by one curious coincidence in their language: on inquiring the name of their longest fast, I was told it was called Lint. Their ancient language has been supposed to be that which the gypsies now use; but Mr. Lieder, who has carefully studied both, informs me that Sanscrit is the only tongue to which the latter bears any analogy, and that the Coptic has no living relations. The Copts have a very indifferent character, even in Egypt, where they are considered deceitful, sensual, and avaricious: nevertheless, they have been in all times extensively employed as scribes and accountants by the more ignorant Egyptian and Osmanli; and at present they fill most of the revenue departments in the Pasha's offices. They are not subject to conscription for military service, but they only owe this privilege to contempt in the eyes of the Moslems, who would not admit them to the honorable chance of being slain in the Prophet's cause. The Copts are very industrious, and exercise various trades according to their localities. Thus, in Cairo, they are generally jewellers and tailors; in the Fayoum, they make rose-water and other perfumes; at Siout, they occupy themselves in the manufacture of linen, and a certain inhuman process, which is said to be a monopoly of the priests.* Such is the material upon which our Missionaries have to labor, for among the Moslems their efforts are admitted to be all but hopeless. Mr. Kruset and Mr. Lieder have made perse * Clot Bey, tome i., p. 336. † Mr. Kruse is now gone to reside in Upper Egypt, at Siout. There is a considerable Coptic population there, but a scene of sterner trial, in every point of view, can scarcely be imagined than this brave man has ventured |