Christ was born under a palm-tree, while the Gospel says His birth took place in a caravansarai, and that He was laid in a manger (Luke ii). The Qur'an says that He spoke when He was an infant in the cradle (Surahs iii. 41; v. 109; xix. 31), and that when young He created birds out of clay and made them, fly (Surahs iii. 43; v. 110). These are miracles. But the Gospel mentions the fact that His first Miracle was wrought soon after the beginning of His Ministry at the age of thirty years (Luke iii. 23; John ii. 11 ). So again in matters of duty and morality there is contradiction between the Qur'an and the Gospel (Injil). Christ taught men to love even their enemies: Muhammad in the Qur'an commands men to "fight in the way of God", to undertake Jihads. Christ said that "in the Resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage" (Matt. xxii. 30; Mark xii. 25; Luke xx. 35); whereas the Qur'an teaches that in Paradise there will be for Muslims almost unlimited indulgence in licentiousness.

It is not possible to refute this argument by asserting that the Holy Scriptures which Jews and Christians now possess have become corrupted: for in the earlier portion of this Treatise this statement has been fully answered. In connexion with any book which did not claim to be a Divine Revelation, as the Qur'an does, the matter could be easily explained. Everyone would agree that the compiler of the later book had been misled by incorrect information as to the contents of the earlier books: that his informants were ignorant men, who relied upon current fables instead of consulting the Bible itself. In the case of the Qur'an, however, we are unwilling to draw any such conclusion. We prefer to ask our Muslim friends to decide the matter for themselves. Possibly the respected reader will admit that our study of the Qur'an has not hitherto furnished us with any conclusive proof of its inspiration.

If the Qur'an were from God Most High, its doctrines must in every instance be higher, more noble,

more worthy of God, more lofty in their morality, than those of the Injil, just as those of the Injil are far more advanced in such matters than what was taught in the Torah. But this is not so. For in the Injil the future reward promised to God's faithful people does not consist in eating and drinking and other carnal delights, but in spiritual joys, such as peace of heart, purity, the love of God and His service. Thus the Injil teaches us that those who in this world truly believe in Christ and remain steadfast in love and obedience to God, being faithful unto death, will finally be received into the high and holy place which Christ has prepared for them. Ever there dwelling in the Divine Presence, "¹ His servants shall do Him service: and they shall see His face; and His Name shall be on their foreheads." The Injil forbids the use of force in religious matters, and leaves each man free to accept or reject the truth for himself. If any man desires to believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit's grace enables him to do so, and to receive new and spiritual birth, guidance, and salvation. Those who reject Christ are not forced to believe in Him, but are clearly told that by rejecting Him, they are pronouncing their own condemnation.² Again, the Gospel, in contrast with the Qur'an gives rest of heart and the assurance of acceptance with God to those who come to Him through Christ. Every true Christian knows this from his own experience. But, according to the Qur'an, every man during his whole life must always remain in doubt and uncertainty whether he is not one of those unfortunate persons whom God has condemned to Hell-fire and created for that purpose. The Gospel (البِشارة), in accordance with its name, proclaims the glad tidings that God has not created a single creature for eternal misery and destruction, but that, on the contrary, He "willeth that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth",³ and that, in order that this might be