The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-26
Mohammedans a chrfstians.

l or Cleveland shall be elected, may our country
prosper and God be glorifed
1 o
1 Mohammedans as Christians.
Moncure D. conway. in san Francisco Chronicle.
It is fact strangely ignored that the MohaIn
ineuans are Christians 1t is true that Mosiem
Christianity has suffered sort Of arrest in a
primitive phase outgrOwn by the developments OF
ChFlstendom, but the Mohammedan's faith in
the present and hope for the future of the world
centerS in Christ. They are called 'Mohamme-
dan. but it is epithet Mohammed is to
them little more than what Wesley is TO the
wesleyans In the course of a conversation on
theology with Arab, asked him why he and
his friends SO constantly spoke of Christ as to
appear instead of Mohammed, and why the
Prophet was assigned no function in the ap-
preaching contamination. 'Mohammed cannot
appear, he said, because he is dead" In an
Swer to my further inquiry, he said: Christ is
not dead 1t was mere efigy Of him that the
Jews erucIiied There are two men who never
dled-Elias and Jesus He did not say
that Elias was to be He that should come in
form of a Mahdi, being rather reticent on that
point, but he was clear in his belief that Christ
still lives and that he will appear 10 judge the
world and reign over it So much, indeed, was
warranted By the Koran and other Mussulman
books, but did net before realize that it had
been formed into so consistent esehatology
Afterward took some pains 10 converse on such
subjects with other MOhammsdans, and found
that their ideas of Christ were held by most Of
those generally called Christians The No
hammedan also believes. with uncompromising
hdelity, that Jesus was miracuiously conceived
by the Virgin Mary; that He alone of all the hu-
man race performed miracles, and when he shall
again be heralded and again appear, viii convert
European Christians from their one errror-their
belief ia the Trinity--aud gather them, with
Jews and Moslems into one divine kingdom, of
which He shall be king
In letter from Dongola, printed Ia the Daily
News of May l. the following incident is related
When the priests of the Austrian mission and
the ave nuns already referred to were brought
before the Mahdi and given the choice of aban-
doning their religion or having their heads cut
on, they were about to be led 10 execution, when
one of the priests had lucky inspiration and.
turning to the Mahdi he said: 'Yoa say that
Christ is to come and join you to aid in making
the Mohammedan religion universal Then, let
US 1--we until Christ comes and tells US TO
follow you The Mahdi seems to have expected
this appeal, for he gave immediate orders that
they should not be harmed These priests and
nuns are now living in a house outside the town,
On monthly stipend supplied by the Mahdi.
Rubens,s simon Peter on the Cross.
Rev. Robert Collyer.
1 was in Cologne some years ago-had been
wandering all day about the eity-and was quite
tired and very cross; for it seemed as if the
whole city had made up its mind to pick my
pocket. was going to my lodgings when my
guide said, There rs picture want you to
still see" Anything to payg' I asked grimly.
Yes he answered, 50 much. Then" |
said, Il viii not go. am sick Of the whole busi
moss, and tired out / will go home Bnt the
man had his way after all, and went to see the
picture painted by Rubens for his own parish
church Il was an altar piece. aud they were
ready to show it after pa1d my money. No
man in this world could be more unit than was
to see that picture They turned it TO the light
and stood half minute Isuppose, IN the silence
with the setting enR shining on it, and then
was sobbing and striving to choke back my
tears. 1t is terrible picture, as some of you
wall remember-the death of this Simon Peter !
on the cross. with his head AeYnward. The
master never made grander work than in that
picture, The pain of 1T smites yon with o solid
stroke, but the secret Of its greatness Is in the
eyes; and these are wonderful gray eyee-the
eyes of the prophet in which the painter has 1
hidden such deeps Of glory and victory that as
stood there amazed through the power and i
beauty oft, seemed to hear the angels singing
The man was looking from the cross right into
the heart Of heaven. The light was more than 4
the shining of the sum it was the light which
kindles 9Rns-it was tbs light of God He knew
nothing Of the pain death had no dominion, he
had fought the good fight The curtains of time
were falling, the eternal life was sustaining the
faiptiag and falling spirit and simon Peter was
already absent from the body and present with
the Lord,