know the mystery of God, even Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden . . . for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.'

By the testimony of the New Testament, therefore, we see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only sinless person among the sons of men, that in purity and goodness He stands at the head of the human race, and that in Him the Word of God was manifested. And, since in Him alone not only perfect humanity (بشرية) but perfect Deity (الوهبّة) existed, the two natures united in one Personality, He was worthy (and He alone) to offer to God an acceptable sacrifice and a full and perfect atonement and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, and to be the one Mediator (متوسِطّ) and intercessor between the Most Holy God and sinful men. He therefore, of His infinite love, suffered numberless hardships and endured terrible agonies which we had deserved by reason of our manifold sins and transgressions of God's holy law. He was betrayed by one of His own disciples to the Jews, and by them delivered over to the Romans to be put to death. He died on the cross for our sins. He was buried: and on the third day He rose again from the dead. All this is fully related in the last chapters of the Four Gospels. In the Acts of the Apostles ¹ as well as at the end of St. Luke's Gospel we are told of His triumphal

return to heaven on the fortieth day after His resurrection. As His disciples stood gazing ¹ upwards after He has ascended and vanished from their sight, two men in white apparel, who were doubtless angels of God, comforted them with the promise of His return (according to what He had Himself previously told ² His disciples) to judge the world. Then you and I and all men shall stand before Him to be judged, who died for our sins, and who now offers us salvation if we accept Him as our Saviour and Redeemer. 'Behold, ³ he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they which pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him.'

It is clear from the Gospels that His death on the cross was not a mere martyrdom, and that it was not through weakness and inability to protect Himself from His enemies that He was crucified, but that He came into the world for the purpose of giving His most precious life as a ransom for many, and that He did this of His own free will, through His great love for us men, and in accordance with the will of His Father in heaven. This is a matter which our Muslim brethren misunderstand, and it is one of primary importance. Accordingly we quote a few passages from the holy