st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul

"
"
"
ON THE MAHOMETAN CONTROVERSY. 97
off, in charge of his young men. The place, more
over, was well wooded: at least, Abraham could
cleave wood there for a burnt-offering; and this
accords but ill with the situation of your Kaaba.
MAH. For all that, it is Abraham s stone.
CHR. Grant that it is ;
can you kiss it in devotion,
because, forsooth, Abraham tied his camel, to it, or
even for some less decent association; and then
blame us for bowing down before the cross of Christ?
MAH. This mention of the cross brings us to what
you say of Christ s suffering. Now do you hold that
those who do the will of God are good or bad ?
CHR. I see your art. If I say good, you will tax
me with approving the conduct of the Jews, who ful
filled the will of God in slaying Jesus if :
bad, then I
should seem to make Christ suffer unwillingly, or he
too would come under that head.
MAH. Such was my meaning.
CHR. Then let us be clear about the meaning of
this ambiguous term "will." I hold that it often
stands for
toleration
or
long-suffering."
MAH. How so ?
CHR. Suppose that God says, Thou shalt not
steal ;
thou shalt not kill. As He is Almighty, His
will cannot be baffled. Yet it is evident that either
of us could, if we chose, rise up this very moment,
and steal or kill. If this is so, then are we not bound
to admit, that by God s will may sometimes be meant
His endurance, and that in this sense the wicked may
be doing what he endures, and so far fulfilling His will?
This may suffice as a specimen of the way in which
H