Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

226 INFLUENCE OF SCRIPTUREthe wliole;but I will give a portion, sufficient to show how the reasoning,on which many sectarians rely, may be just as good for any other creed,founded on an arrogation of premises, as that for which they contend.1182. ''Allah forbid that I should d(;preciatc the value of reason inany of its offices, lleason is Allah's gift to man, and must be used asAllah designs. But so is the Koran Allah's gift to man, and must beused as Allah designs. Two gifts from the same perfect being cannotconflict with each other. The Koran in its teachings and revealings maygo beyond or rise above the comprehension of our reason, because reasonin man is a finite and imperfect gift, while the Koran from Allah opensthe mind of an infinite and perfect being. But the Koran does not andcannot in any thing contradict reason, because Allah does not and cannotcontradict himself. Unless, therefore, you are prepared to say thatthe Koran is not Allah's gift to man—if you are a believer in its truedivine inspiration— you must see and admit that when the Koran, as Allah'smouth, reveals any thing which our reason cannot as yet comprehend, becausebeyond or above, though not against, that reason, then Faith mustsubmissively receive the revelation addressed to it, and Reason stop herspeculation and shut her mouth at the limit which Allah has set. Beasonhas to do with the evidences which show the Koran to he Allah's gift;with the grammatical and intended sense of what Allah taught and revealedin the Koran, and with the use of what in the Koran is clear to the comprehensionof man. But here Reason's province ends. When the Korangoes beyond or rises above this point, Reason must pause and adore, andFaith must gO' forward and receive. I do not hold, as you intimate, thatthe right exercise of reason 'is impious,' or that Beason isto be discardedand Faith suhstitutedj if by this be implied any thing incompatible betweenthe proper offices of Beason and Faith ;but I mean that our finitereason is to stoj) at the limit assigned her by her author, and let Faith asa liiijher power go forward and receive what Allah teaches or reveals toher acceptance.Faith can now receive more than Beason can as yet comprehend.She does so in the province of nature ; she must do so in theprovince of revelation.This cannot be denied without taking at once theground of the infidel—a ground from which, I doubt not, you would shrinkback as from the border of an open pit of destruction.1183. " I am thus brought to your remark, that ' The Mohammedansystem, as generally received, is not difficult to understand.' If this bestrictly true, it must be because that system, 'as generally received,' is notthe true system; for, in this sense, or as trulij and rightly received, theMohammedan system contains various things which it is difficult to understand,if by understanding be meant comprehending. "We may, indeed,understand that a fiict or a truth exists or istruth itself is,revealed, while that fact or thatfor the present, utterly be3'ond or above our comprehension.And this is precisely the case with the Mohammedan system righdy viewed.