had He pleased. The Gospel narrative is so clear on this point that no one can fail to understand it.

182. M. When you say that Christ's death saves Christians from their sins, this must mean (1) from ability to sin, or (2) from the punishment of their sins. According to your Scriptures, the prophets (who, as you say, believed in Him) were not saved from either the one or the other. It did not save from sin Judas the betrayer of Jesus, or Peter who denied Him, or Thomas who doubted Him, or the other disciples who "forsook Him and fled." Nor does it save modern Christians from sin. (We see a good many of them in India, in Egypt, in Palestine, in Turkey, and even in Persia!) Some may be good, but good men are found in all religions. Christ's death does not exempt Christians from punishment here: it is difficult to believe therefore that it will do so hereafter. Nor do they even escape from the curse on Eve, for even Christian mothers suffer in childbirth.

C. Faith in Christ crucified saves true Christians (John iii. 3, 5) from the love of sin, and through the grace of God's Holy Spirit overcomes sinful desires and temptations in them, and makes them long, pray, and strive to rise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. If they fall into sin, they are punished here; but change of heart does produce change of life. They are conscious of reconciliation with God, and obtain that peace which

the world can neither give nor take away. No other religion produces such good fruit. Islam certainly does not. We find the Bible bearing witness to the change which faith in Christ crucified wrought in Peter, in Paul: we see the like change in many among our own countrymen, and you see it too in those of your people who have become true Christians. You must not confound nominal Christians with true ones. The tree is known by its fruit, and St. James tells us that faith which does not produce good fruit is dead and not living faith (Jas. ii. 26).

183. M. If it is true that "in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to Him" (Acts x. 35), that is to God, what possible need can there be for an Atonement?

C. St. Peter, in the very chapter from which you quote, answers your question by preaching remission of sins through belief in Christ crucified (Acts x. 36-43). He shows us that verse 35 means that, when God sees that any man is trying to do right through fear of God, He guides that man to believe in Christ who died for him, as He guided Cornelius to believe and be baptized (Acts x. 48).

184. M. At least we Muslims need no atonement, for all Muslims are ultimately saved.

C. It would be hard to prove that on any better authority than your Traditions. Yet Surah XII., Hud, 120 (cf. Surah XXXII., As Sujdah, 13, &c.) tells us that God "will fill hell with jinns and men