VII

ARE MUHAMMAD AND ISLAM FORETOLD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, AS CHRIST AND CHRISTIANITY HAVE BEEN IN THE OLD?

WE have found above (see p. 6) that it was a token of the truth and divine origin of the Christian religion that the temporary nature of the Mosaic dispensation was proclaimed in the Old Testament itself, and the coming of a higher and more enduring religion foretold. Now every one must allow that it would likewise form a strong argument in favour of Muhammadanism, if passages could be found in the New Testament which either showed that Christianity was also a partial and temporary system, or directed our hopes to another Prophet and Saviour to come. This is so evident, even to Muhammadans, that they have actually attempted to strengthen their position by maintaining that the coming of Muhammad was foretold in the gospel. But, upon examination, we find that this assertion is based upon wholly untenable ground. The assertion occurs already in the Qur'an, namely, in the following general manner: I write it down for those . . . who shall follow the Apostle, the unlettered Prophet, whom they shall find described with them in the Law and Gospel' [Suratu'l-A'raf (vii) 156-7], and in the more explicit manner in the words: 'Jesus, the son of Mary, said, O children of

Israel, I am God's Apostle to you to confirm the Law which was given before me, and to announce an Apostle that shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.' [Suratu's-Saff (lxi) 6]. In reference to the first passage, which finds a description of Muhammad already in the Old Testament, it suffices to say that there is indeed a prophet or servant of God foretold, but that he is uniformly represented as springing from the people of Israel, and that no one who has eyes to read what is written can find in the whole Old Testament a single passage speaking of a Prophet who is to arise from among the Arabs. According to the second passage, Christ has not only announced the coming of another apostle after him, but has even foretold his name. Now if we read the New Testament through from beginning to end, we find not a single verse capable of bearing such a construction, and we should be left to suppose that the Qur'an must refer to a book which is not the gospel, but which may have erroneously or perfidiously professed to be so, if the Muhammadan doctors did not tell us that it refers to those words in which Christ promised to His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit, or Comforter, from His Father in heaven, namely, John xiv. 16, 26; xv. 26; xvi. 7. But the Greek term rendered 'Comforter' is derived from a verb signifying 'to call upon some one, to induce him to come and bring help, or to cause him to leave off