Truth About the Split — Page 255
255 these men expressed regret for their conduct but, nevertheless, from that day efforts began to be made to alienate the people from Hadrat Khalifatul Masih. Charges began to be laid at his door, and in Lahore it began to be urged publicly that he should be deposed from his office by whatever means possible. These activities came to the notice of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih ra. The festival of Eid was close at hand. Hadrat Khalifatul Masih ra summoned them all from Lahore. (Khwaja Sahib was not present on this occasion. He had gone to Kashmir. Besides, as I have already said, he preferred to proceed by secret methods. ) Hadrat Khalifatul Masih ra had resolved to announce their expulsion from the Community in the course of the Eid sermon. Now, they knew full well that resistance was useless and that people would not lend ear to their words. They, therefore, for a second time sued for pardon and some of them had to renew their oath of Bai‘at. Thus was this danger averted for the time being. But still the experience did not bring about true repentance in their hearts. It served only to make them more guarded in their movements. It was at this time that Khwaja Sahib began his career of public lectures with a view to capturing the public mind. He delivered his lectures and himself wrote eulogistic reports about them for publication in the papers of the