Hazrat Ahmad — Page 35
HADHRAT AHMAD 35 was concluded an hour later. Then the audience insisted that the sittings of the conference should be extended by another day beyond the 28th in order to permit the reading of the paper to be completed. Accordingly arrangements were made to continue the sittings on the 29th, and since some of the representatives of other religions had also made requests for additional time, it was announced that on the following day the proceedings would open at 9:30 a. m. instead of 10:30 a. m. , and that the reading of the paper of the Promised Messiah would be continued. . The impression created by the first day's reading of Ahmad's paper could be judged by the fact that while on the first two days of the conference the audience did not assemble fully even at 10:30, on the second day of the reading men of all creeds and persuasions were assembled in large numbers by 9:00 and the proceedings commenced punctually at the appointed time. On this day also the period of two and a half hours assigned for the paper proved inadequate, and since the audience with one voice demanded that the reading should be completed, the moderators had no choice but to extend the time once more. . In short, it took altogether seven and a half hours to finish the reading. The paper created a great stir in Lahore and everyone was agreed that it was the best one read at the conference. The followers of all creeds and sects were unanimous in its praise. . Those who compiled the report of the conference estimated that during the time that the essay was being read, the audience had gradually swelled to between seven and eight thousand people. In short, this lecture was a great triumph for the Promised Messiah and it further impressed the minds of his opponents with the transcendent quality of his genius. Even adverse newspapers were compelled to admit that the Promised Messiah's paper excelled all others which were read at the conference. An English translation of it under the title, 'The Teachings of Islam' has met with a specially warm reception in Europe and America. . A Challenge. In the beginning of 1897 the Promised Messiah had recourse in another expedient to demonstrate his truth to the Christian world. . With a view to prove that Jesus was only human and to establish the baselessness of the Christian doctrine, he made a public