From the character of the Christian religion and that of the Mohammedan, one must, without further examination, embrace the one and reject the other : for it is much more evident to us that a religion should moderate men’s behavior than that one religion should be true.

It is unfortunate for humankind when religion is dictated by a conqueror. The Mohammedan religion, which speaks only of the sword, still acts on men with the destructive spirit that founded it.

The story of Sabbaco, [1] one of the pastoral kings, is remarkable. The god of Thebes appeared to him in a dream and commanded him to have all the priests of Egypt put to death. He judged that it was no longer the gods’ pleasure that he reign, since they commanded him to do things so contrary to their usual will, and he withdrew to Ethiopia.