Fulfilment of a Grand Prophecy - Hazrat Ahmad’s Challenge to John Alexander Dowie — Page 50
52. Vol. XXVI. , No. 25]. Fulfillment of a Grand Prophecy. THE LITERARY DIGEST. RIVAL MESSIAHS IN A PROPOSED PRAYER. DUEL. . M. IRZA GHULAM AHMAD. of Qadian, Punjab, Indla, la "the promised Messiah," according to statements made over his own signature. He bas challenged Dr. Dowle, of this country, to a duel, the weapon being prayer and each side to petition the Almighty "that of us two whoever is the liar may perish first. ". The person who issues this challenge, according to The Review of Religions (Gurdaspur, India), -is "the Promised. Messiah sent for the reformation of the world exactly at the time fixed by calculations based on biblical prophecies as the time of the advent of the Mes" siab," and he has a following of over a bundred thousand members, "rapidly growing. The teaching of this Messiah is that Christ was a mere mortal, a good "man," without divinity, Mirza Ghulam. Abmad further declares in the organ already named: • "Dr. Dowie should further bear in mind that this challenge does not proceed from an ordinary Mohammedan, I am the very. Messiah, the promised one, for whom he is so anxiously waiting. Between Dr. . Dowie's position and mine the difference is this, that Dowie fixes the appearance of the Messiah within the next twenty-five years, while I give him the glad tidings that the Messiah has already appeared. . I am that Messiab, and Almighty God bas shown numerous signs from earth as well as from heaven in my support. My following, which already claims a hundred thousand souls, is making a rapid progress. The proof that Dr. Dowie furDishes in support of his extravagant claims is the very height of absurdity. . He claims to have healed hundreds of sick men. But why did his healingpower fail in the case of his own beloved daughter, where it should have been exercised in the highest degree?" 895 made by the followers of the challenging Messiah, as we read in the Indian publication already named. This discovery is that "Jesus did not die upon the cross," but was "taken down alive. and senseless. " Subsequently the son of Mary “recovered, traveled eastward, and lived up to a good old age. " His tomb, it is. also stated, is "situated in the Khun Yar Street at Srinagar,. Cashmere. Our authority opioes: "The incontrovertible testiMIRZA GHULAM AHMAD,. He bas challenged Dr. Dowie to a prayer duel to the death. . Joha Alexander Dowie, writes the Messiah, "claims to bave been sent by the son of Mary in his capacity of Godhead, that as his apostle he may draw the whole world to a belief in the despicable dogma of bis divinity. " The Indian claimant proceeds: "Whether the God of Mohammedans or the God of Dowie is the true God may be settled without the loss of millious of lives which Dr. Dowie's prediction would involve. That method is that, without threatening the Mohammedan public in general with destruction, he should choose me as his opponent and pray to God that of us two whoever is the llar may perish first. I look upon the son of Mary as a weak human being, altho 1 recognize bim as a prophet of God, while Dr. Dowie takes him for the Lord of Universe. Which of us is right, is the real point at issue. If. Dr. Dowie is certain of the divinity of the son of Mary, be should publish the proposed prayer with the signatures of at least one thousand men affixed to it. Upon receiving it, I should address the same prayer to Almighty God and publish it with the signatures of the same number of witnesses. If Dr. Dowie has the courage to accept this challenge, he will thereby open a way for all other Christians to the acceptance of truth. In making this proposal, I have not taken the initiative, but the jealous God bas inspired me upon Dr. Dowie's presumptuous prediction that all. Mohammedans shall perish. " "An important discovery regarding Jesus Christ" has been mony afforded by the tomb itself, backed as it is by the unanimous oral testimony of hundreds of thousands of men, and by the written evidence of ancient documents, becomes in our opinion too strong to be resisted by the most determined of. skeptics,". TRANSFORMATION OF THE. QUAKER,. UAKERS, "the people called. Friends, have been greatly changed by time, according to Edward. Gardner, himself a Quaker, who writes in The American Friend (Philadelphia). . This transformation, according to him, is one of the significant religious phenomena of the day, and it should not be overlooked by those who would under-. stand the moral forces now at work ju this republic. A great future is predicted for the transforming movement. "It will be an aggressive church, not a passive oue," he says. "Its work will be constructive as well as preservative. " He gives the following details of the Quaker's transformation; "For a century or more, Friends were known by their peculiar dress. At length it was discovered that simplicity of dress. did not mean uniformity, and that the cut. of the coat or the shape of the bonnet did not add to the spiritual life of the wearer. . The Quaker of to-day is not known by his. dress if he dresses with taste, but not with extravagance, he is, no doubt, conforming more nearly to the spirit of early Quakerism than did his predecessor of a hung dred years ago, George Fox himself, it is said, bought bis wife a red mantle, and William Peon's dress did not at all conform to the Quaker ideal of a later period. "Music. painting, and literature are now taking their rightful place among Friends. Congregational singing is recognized as being a part of true worship, and in many places instrumental music is also made a part of the devotional service. "In the Quaker home of a century ago the sweet influence of song was unknown. The Bible and the writings of early Friends were the only books; no pictures adorned the walls, and Puritan austerity was the rule of life. In the Quaker home of to-day we find music, paintings, and an abundance of books; means of recreation abound, and a daily paper has become almost a necessity. ". H. The Quaker home of 1500 "lacked somewhat in grace," thinks the Friend we are quoting. "in kindly sympathy, and in a broad view of life," Quaker "sternness may have "repelled some. ". But there is reason to think that the Quaker home of 1900 has less of these faults. We rend further: "Closer interdenominational fellowship has become very prom. inent within the last few years. It is very gratifying to know that the Friends have entered heartily into the spirit of it. This agreement on the essentials of Christianity and hearty cooperation in active work gives great encouragement for the future. . The sharp contrast between the bitterness of the church-members of one denomination toward those of other denominations in