The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-23
A MYSTIC ORDER.
Secret Brotherhood With 50,-
100000 Followers.
StrangeReligiOus Rites-Averse
to Publicity.
ARE FOUND In PERSIA
The Bible is Used With a New
Interpretation.
Return of a Party Who Studied
Their Teachings.

New York, May 23.-Singular and secret
was the mission which took the Rev. Dr.
Abrahim Kheiralla and a select few TO
Persia. The party consisted of the doc
tor, his daughters, Nabiha and Lahlba,
and some wealthy delegates who took
part in the pilgrimage. They returned
few days ago.
In the interior of Persia they visited
chiefs of a strange order or brotherhood,
who teach a religion whose followers. 1t
is claimed, number about 5O,OO0OOO scat
tered all over the earth.
Those who belong to TINS mysuc DroLn-+
erhood are averse to publicity, and do not
seek proselytes, nor desire to spread their
Individual man or woman, who pleads
an earnest motive is refused the teacnr
grasping them. A cardinal obligation i'm
posed upon those who teach and those
who receive instruction, and are deSrouS
of imparting it to Others is that no re
Enumeration of any kind may be recelved'
The chief text book OF this Persian proLn-
erhood is the Bible, though the interPre-
tation of it is a radical variant from that
taught in the Christian churches
The doctrine of reincarnation is taught;
evolution is declared to be non-eXlStant.
and theology-So- cailed-lS alSo aNerreu ~
be false in its theories and doctrines
DR.. Kheiralla, who is the chief repre-
sentative of the brotherhood in the United
States. is a man of unusual intellectual
received his teachingS, Although born in
Persia. he was educated in European uni
Church of England. He lived for twenty
one, years in CAIRO, EgyXpt. There ne met
"A
structed him in the new faith. and guided
him to the headquarters of the order in
Persia DR.. Kheiralla left Persia, and he
asserted that he had RECEIVED true IN
depreciation of the Bible, which p BOOK
priestcraft and monarchy had witully
The teachings of the brotherhood. he
said. proved that God is an identity, an
individual, a person This is the positive
point of their argument-that He is
neither the universe, a nothing, power.
a law. nor a principle, is the negative
point of the argument
he shows
claimed, why the great purpose mere Is
not TO worship and giorify GG 2 c as the
with the material law as qceqk science
deaf fheosop n9 teaeh NOR to AWAKEN the
Christ within us as Christian scientists
as Spiritualists teach. 1t will be seen
therefore that this religion from Persia
differs greatly from accepted Christianity.
or the various Oriental creeds and phil
Two years ago DIR. Kheiralla came to
America and taught a select few who, in
turn, impaired their lore to others until
members of the brotherhood here. Last
fall several converts, mostly wealthy, &C
of the party is said to be the widow of
one of the best known millionaires of Cal
ifornia: and the mother OF resident OF
SO far as can be learned, nothing con
corning the teaching of the order is print
ed, except a small pamphlet. written by
Or. Kheiralla, entitled "Bab-ed-Din; the
the East The Truth Shall Make You
Free" This pamphlet simply contains
ciples of the religion which it represents.
The author. in his preface says:
vincing proofs justifes the elaim-to be
a most complete revelation of the light
which a larger knowledge of Almighty
God our Creator gives to us than any
herewith is given that particular knowl-
edge for which every soul is thirSting;
and. while here, what are our real duties
to our Creator, SO that, in our earnest
performance of these duties. We may Sc
cure to ourselves a neVer-endlng happl-
anything that can not be proven by his
reason and judgment. For this reason
proven by science and logic The pamph-
let also emphasizes that the teacher can
cause The truth is not his. and it is not
lawful for him to receive material profit
from that which belongs not to him.
Concerning the Bible, the pamphlet
:'The gospels are first and chiefly his
torical record of the Masters life; sec
ondly a record of his teachings to the
masses. But the secret doctrines of Jesus
are still preserved intact in the last book
of the New ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
which contains the same teaching as, and
exactly correspond with, the truth stored
in the revelations or visions of Ezekiel,
Zechariah, Isaiah the builders of pyra-
mids and the temple of Solomon"
Ahother P6GuI5d Ieaeure Ui elIis TT1Ision
der does not seek to build places of wor-
ship nor hold any public meetings. Those
candidates for membership who are &C
cepted are taught in groups After the
teaching has been received the members
separate. No lodges, organizations SINH
lar to other secret societies, are formed,
nor is there any ritual grips, passwords,
etc, as in Free Masonry.
1t is said that on DR.. Kheiralla's first
visit to the United States he was intro
duced to Col. R. G.. IngerSol, and the
two held friendly argument from their
respective standpoints- Finally Col; In
gersoll admitted that Kheiralla had the
best of the argument. although he would
not admit that he was right. and still
preserved his position as an agnoStic.
The name of the order is known to only
those who have taken the full course by
teaching and receiving acceptance from
the great head of the order. All instruc-
ton is private and oral hence it is that
the members are not publicly known and
recognized.