in truth, a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young or old.  Well is it with him that adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty.  Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst have not cast behind thy back the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise.  We have proved thee through it, and found thee other than that which thou didst profess.  Arise, and make amends for that which escaped thee.  Erelong the world and all that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers of old.  It behooveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires.  Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and shield Him from the darts of such as act unjustly.

“For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought.  Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred.  Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) in this, the Straight Path.  Hath thy pomp made thee proud?  By My Life!  It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast by this firm Cord.  We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless.  It behooveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou possessest, and cry out:  ‘Here am I, O Lord of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth!’

“O King!  We were in ’Iraq, when the hour of parting arrived.  At the bidding of the King of Islam (Sultan of Turkey) We set Our steps in his direction.  Upon Our arrival, there befell Us at the hands of the malicious that which the books of the world can never adequately recount.  Thereupon the inmates of Paradise, and they that dwell within the retreats of holiness, lamented; and yet the people are wrapped in a thick veil!”

And further We have said:  “More grievous became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, until they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring injustice, enter the Most Great Prison.  And if anyone ask them:  ‘For what crime were they imprisoned?’ they would answer and say:  ‘They, verily, sought to supplant the Faith with a new religion!’ If that which is ancient be what ye prefer, wherefore, then, have ye discarded that which hath been set down in the Torah and the Evangel?  Clear it up, O men!  By My life!  There is no place for you to flee to in this day.  If this be My crime, then Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and before Him He Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ), and yet earlier He Who conversed with God (Moses).  And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners!  Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.”