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Articles_of_he_Bishop_of_Uramiah, page : 543
and sinners"! To blame a prophet for his fastings and
abstinence is a sin of infidelity or of gross ignorance. But
to reproach a person who claims to be a Messenger of God
of frequenting the banquets of publicans and sinners, and
for being fond of wine, is quite natural and a very serious
charge against the sincerity of that person who pretends to
be a spiritual guide of men. Can we Muslims believe in
the sincerity of a Khwaja or Mullah when we see him mix-
ing with drunkards and prostitutes? Could the Christians
bear with a curate or parson of a similar conduct? Cer-
tainly not. A spiritual guide may have conversations with all
sorts of sinners in order to convert and reform them, pro-
viding that he is sober, abstemious, and sincere. Accord-
ing to the quotation just mentioned, Christ admits that his
abstinence is a sin of infidelity or of gross ignorance. But
to reproach a person who claims to be a Messenger of God
of frequenting the banquets of publicans and sinners, and
for being fond of wine, is quite natural and a very serious
charge against the sincerity of that person who pretends to
be a spiritual guide of men. Can we Muslims believe in
the sincerity of a Khwaja or Mullah when we see him mix-
ing with drunkards and prostitutes? Could the Christians
bear with a curate or parson of a similar conduct? Cer-
tainly not. A spiritual guide may have conversations with all
sorts of sinners in order to convert and reform them, pro-
viding that he is sober, abstemious, and sincere. Accord-
ing to the quotation just mentioned, Christ admits that his