Page 115 - New English Book L

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Now, if John Baptist (pbuh) were the Messenger
appointed by God to prepare the way before Jesus (pbuh)
Christ, and if he was his herald and subordinate, there is
no sense and wisdom whatever in to go about baptizing
the crowds in the waters of a river or a pond and to occupy
himself with half a dozen disciples. He ought to have
immediately followed and adhered to Jesus (pbuh) when he
had seen and known him! He did nothing of the kind! Of
course, a Muslim always speaks of a prophet with utmost
respect and reverence, and I am not expected to comment
further, as an Ernest Renan or an indifferent critic would do!
But to say that a prophet whom they describe as a dervish
of the wilderness clad in the skins of animals, and a dervish
who comes forth and sees his “Adon” and the “Angel of the
Covenant,” and then does not follow and cleave to him, is
ridiculous and incredible. To think and believe that a prophet
is sent by God to prepare the way, to purify and clear the
religion for the coming of his superior, and then describing
him as living all his life in the desert among the animals, is
to tell us that he was constructing chaussées, causeways or
railways, not for men, but for beasts and genii.

3. Nor was John Baptist (pbuh) the Prophet Elijah or Elias,
as Christ is made to have said. The Prophet Malakhi, in his
fourth chapter (verse 5, 6), speaks of the coming of Elijah,
which fact is foretold to take place some time before the
day of the Resurrection and not before the Appearance of
the Messenger in question. Even if Christ had said that was
Elijah, the people did not know him. What Jesus (pbuh) meant
to say was that the two were similar in their ascetical life,
their zeal for God, their courage in scolding and admonishing
the kings and the hypocrite leaders of the religion.

I cannot go on discussing this untenable claim of the
Churches concerning being the Messenger “to prepare the
way.” But I must add that this Baptist did not abrogate one
iota of the Law of Moses (pbuh) , nor add to it a tittle. And
as to baptism, it is the old Jewishma’muditha or ablution.