I should work the works of Satan, the bereft of mercy, who first himself beguiled mankind, and then, by filling them with hate and bitterness, hath made them his tools, to carry out thereby his devilish ends of murder, slavery, and rapine.

CONTRADICTORY PASSAGES. Sura iii. 104. Sura ii. 273. Sura x. 98. Sura x. 107. Sura xi. 119.

"Now tell me how thou wilt reconcile the two sets of passages that follow (for they are confessedly discordant) out of the Book thou holdest to be divine? The first, 'Let there be a people amongst you who invite to that which is just, enjoin the right and forbid the evil; these shall be blessed.' Again, 'The direction of them appertaineth not unto thee; but, rather, the Lord directeth whom he pleaseth.' And more forcibly still: 'Had the Lord so pleased, verily all that are on the earth would have believed, every one. Wilt thou, then, compel men to become believers, seeing that no soul can believe but by command (or permission) of God?' Seest thou not how these commands are inconsistent with force? Hear yet again: 'SAY, O men, the truth hath verily now come unto you from your Lord; he, therefore, that is rightly directed, is directed for the benefit of his own soul; and he that erreth, erreth only against the same; I am no Guardian over you. Do thou (O Mahomet) follow that which is revealed unto thee. Be patient until the Lord decide; for he is the best of all Deciders.' Similarly, in another text: 'If thy Lord had pleased, he had made all men of

one faith; but they shall not cease to differ among themselves, excepting those upon whom thy Lord hath mercy; and unto this hath he created them.' Again, thy Master reiterates emphatically, that he Was sent with Mercy to the whole human race.¹ 'Mercy,' in slaying, plundering, and enslaving! The Jews accuse thy Book of contradicting itself. I will use no such opprobrious expression towards the Book; but what I say is, that thou, my Friend, contradictest thyself. Thou art never weary of crying up thy faith as divine; and anon, thou turnest clean round, and sayest just the opposite; for what, after all, are these doings,—killing and shedding of blood, rapine and robbery, and making slaves of men and women, what are they, but the works of the Devil?

"If the precedent of Moses and Joshua be urged, I demand miracles such as they wrought in justification of the commission to fight. Moreover, they fought against idolaters; but here, the horrors of war, bloodshed, rapine, and slavery are hurled against the innocent, nay, against the very people of God,—those who observe His ordinances, devote soul and body to His service, believe in His Messiah, worship Him and are guided into the right way,—those whose leaders are blessed and renowned both in this world and that which is to come.

"Still further, thou art not content with this, but insistest on calling it 'The Way of the Lord.' God forbid that such should be His way, or that His