You Christians must see, then, that these persons were not worthy to be considered as authors of the precepts of religion : Your Gospels are, consequently, mere corruptions; otherwise, it must be allowable to take bribes, and to betray Christ to his enemies the Jews; because these disciples are to be considered as the sources of the precepts; and because their practice may be cited as resulting from the appointment of God."

After adverting to Peter's want of faith when walking on the sea, the discrepancies observable in the different accounts of the calling of Andrew and Peter, some saying that it happened before John was put in prison, some after; others that it took place upon the occasion of casting their nets into the sea and taking a great draught of fishes, it is concluded, that these circumstances are sufficient proof with the Mohammedans, that the Gospels have been corrupted.

We now proceed to the fourth cause of the

سبب : corruptions, which is mentioned as follows چهارم اینست که بعضی از سخنان واقع است در آنها که في انفسها صلاحیت آن ندارد که از خدا ومسيح بظهور آمده باشد و مجملش اینست که در فصل ششم انجیل متي ودر فصل یازدهم انجيل لوقا واقعست اطاعت وانقياد نمودن مسیح شیطان را یکبار بکوه شدن يكبار بالاي

بيت المقدس رفتن و اطاعت نمودن مسیح شیطان را برضا بود یا بکراهت و هيچ يك از آنها روا نبوده باشد

مسیح پسر

خداست

أما أول ظاهر وهويدا است اما دويم بنابرانکه باوجود مستغرق بودن در بحر ناسوتیت خطاب کرده باشد بمسیح باینکه او را سجده نماید با وجود مستغرق بودن مسیح در بحر لاهوتیت تا انکه او را مالك زينت دنیا کرداند وسلطنت دنیا را با و ارزاني دارد وبالجمله تجویز مانند انها باوجود انکه اناجیل ناطقند بانکه مسیح معبود است معبود در او حلول نموده است علم و قدرت خداست و مانند این چنانچه مذکور شد از ساحت بینش و دانش بگرانست و باز در اکثر اناجیل شما واقعست که وخدا پدر او چنانچه بطرس نیز در رساله خود یاد نموده و باز واقعست پدر که خداست پسر را که مسیح است امر فرموده خطاب نموده است که نداند فرزند غیر پدر را و پدر غیر پسررا لازم اید (که) شما یا معشر النصاري نه پسررا شناسید و نه پدر را پس نادان بوده باشید بخدا و بپسر حدا و هرکس که ایشان را ندانسته باشد پس ایمان بایشان نیاورده باشد کافر بوده باشد چه معلوم است که مسیح درین سخنان از جمله راست گفتاران است یا نه وشما هيچ يك از آنها را روا نمیدارید پس متعین کردید که صاحبان اناجیل وبطرس که استاد یعضی از ایشان مانند لوقا و مرقس است دروغ گویان

وبي عقيده کان بوده باشند و از واقع بودن تغير وانحراف

در آنها غیر ازین سند وشاهدي نخواهيم .

"The

fourth cause is this: There are certain sentiments laid down in the Gospels, which from their own character, can never have come either from God or the Messiah. Of these the following are a specimen. In the 6th Section of St. Matthew, (chap. iv. 1, 17,) and in the 11th of St. Luke, (chap. iv. 1, 13,) it is said, that Christ obeyed Satan; that he was at one time upon a mountain; and at another on the top of the temple. Now, Christ must have obeyed Satan either willingly or unwillingly: neither of which can be allowed. As to the first, it was impossible: and, as to the second, notwithstanding Satan's being mortal, he addresses the Messiah who is divine, desiring him to fall down and worship him, that he may be put in possession of the empire of the world with all its glory. To allow such sentiments as these, then, while the Gospels assert that Christ was God, and that God dwelt in him, and that he was in his own person both the knowledge and power of God, and the like, would be to bid defiance to the conclusions of reason and learning. Again, it is stated in many of your Gospels, that Christ is the Son of God; and that God is his Father, as we find it recorded

by St. Peter. Again, it is said that God, who is the Father, thus addressed Christ. The Son knows none but the Father, and the Father knows no one except the Son. Whence it must follow, that you Christians can know neither the Father nor the Son. You are therefore ignorant of both. And those who are thus ignorant can have no faith, and must be infidels. Now, in this case, Christ must either have told the truth, or not: neither of which you can allow. Whence it must follow, that the authors of the Gospels, and Peter, who was the teacher of some of them, Mark and Luke, for example, were both liars and infidels; and, that the Gospels themselves have been altered and corrupted, we want no further document or testimony in proof."

In support of this conclusion several passages are cited, in which the disciples were reproved by our Lord for being defective in faith: after which an objection is answered which might be founded upon the Koran, viz. that Mohammed allows the Apostles to have been faithful men. The answer is, that the Mohammedans allow the faithfulness of the Apostles as stated in the Koran but not as found in the Gospels, &c. because no reliance can be placed on these do

cuments.

In the next place we are presented with the in

consistency of Christ's being at the same time God, and the word of God: of his creating all things, and becoming flesh :-of no one having seen the Father, and yet that those who had seen him had seen the Father: to which several of the passages already mentioned are added. After this, some metaphysical proofs are offered on the impossibility of God having a Son, becoming flesh, and descending upon the Messiah and the disciples; suffering death, &c. and being at the same time, the First Cause. And the conclusion is, that such sentiments as these are proofs sufficient, that the Gospels are not divine. We then have the impossibility of union with the Deity stated as follows, with the views of the Soofee Doctors on this

ظاهر است که دو یکي شدن از جمله محالات .subject است واستحاله ان اختصاصي بوجوب وجود بالذات ندارد وغافل کردیده از انکه ابطال اتحاد واجب بممکن از آن حيثيت محض بوجوب وجود بالذات است و طایفه از شما يا معشر النصاري قايلند بمتحد کرديدن و يكي شدن واجب بالذات با ممكن بالذات بظهور روحاني بصورت جسماني ويقوبیه (یعقوبیه) از شما تایلند بممازجت او مثل ممازجت شیر باب و مانند این سخنان كثير الهذيان که بطلانشان متفرع بر وجوب بالذات است واما اتحادي که واقعست از علماي صوفیه که مشام جان از اشتمام روایح