Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 155
155 of decision was just and reasonable, (e. g. , The Argonaut of San Francisco ). This challenge was first issued in 1902 and was repeated in 1903, but Dr. Dowie paid no attention to it, and some of the American papers began to enquire as to why he had not given a reply. He himself said in his own paper of December, 1903 : 'There is a Muhammadan Messiah in India who has repeatedly written to me that Jesus Christ lies buried in Kashmir, and people ask me why I do not answer him. Do you imagine that I shall reply to such gnats and flies? If I were to put down my foot on them I would crush out their lives. I give them a chance to fly away and live. ' But as it had been written so it came to pass; that if he took up the challenge he would be destroyed in the lifetime of the Promised Messiah as , and even if he evaded it he would not be able to ward off the calamity, and that his Zion would certainly be involved in it. God laid His hand on Dowie. Rebellion broke out against him in Zion. His own wife and son turned against him, and alleged that while he publicly condemned the use of wine he was secretly addicted to it. Many other charges were brought against him and he was finally expelled from Zion, a miserable pittance being allotted for his maintenance. This man, who used to live in greater ease and luxury than is available to princes, was now reduced almost to beggary and was not provided even with the necessaries of life. He then had an attack of paralysis and the feet under which he had said he could crush the