which God disapproves and which calls for punishment, and speak no more of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, these words that you yourself admit to be so confusing: and give up the worship of the cross which brings loss and no profit, for I wish you to turn away from it, since your learning and nobility of soul are degraded thereby. For the great and high God says: ‘Verily, God will not forgive the union of other gods with Himself; but other than this will He forgive to whom He pleaseth. And whoso uniteth gods with God, hath devised a great wickedness.’ (iv. 51.) And again: ‘Surely now are they infidels who say, “God is the Messiah, Son of Mary;” for the Messiah said, “O children of Israel! worship God, my Lord and your Lord.” Verily, those who join other gods with God, God doth exclude from Paradise, and their abode the Fire; and for the wicked no helpers! They surely are infidels who say, “God is a third of three:” for there is no god but one God; and if they refrain not from what they say, a grievous chastisement shall assuredly befall such of them as believe not. Will they not, therefore, turn unto God, and ask pardon of Him? since God is Forgiving, Merciful! The Messiah, Son of Mary, is but an Apostle; other Apostles have flourished before him; and his mother was a just person; they both ate food.’ (v. 76–9.) Then leave this path of error and this long and stubborn clinging to your religion and those burdensome and wearisome fasts which are a constant trouble to you and are of no use or profit and produce nothing but weariness of body and torment of soul. Embrace this faith and take this, the right and easy path, the true faith, the ample law and the way that God has chosen for His favoured ones and to which He has invited the people of all religions, that He may show His kindness and favour to them by guiding them into the true path by means of His guidance, and fill up the measure of His goodness unto men.