,the ,world ,order of ,bah'u'llh      by
 ,shoghi ,effendi          ,edition #a1 
7,september #bjjf7                      
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,,contents      ,baha'i ,terms of ,use  
,the ,world ,order of ,bah'u'llh        
,the ,world ,order of ,bah'u'llh        
,sources of the ,bah' ,world ,order     
,local and ,national ,houses of ,justice
     ,the ,institution of ,guardianship 
,the ,animating ,purpose of ,bah'       
,institutions     ,situation in ,egypt  
,,the ,,world ,,order ,,of              
,,bah',u',,ll,h3 ,,further              
,,considerations     ,the ,world ,order 
of ,bah'u'llh3 ,further ,considerations 
,a ,blessing in ,disguise               
,distinguishing ,features of ,bah'      
,world ,order     ,the ,onslaught of    
,all ,peoples and ,kindreds             
,difference ,between ,bah' ,faith and   
,ecclesiastical ,organizations     ,a   

,living ,organism     ,the ,greatest    
,drama of the ,world's ,spiritual       
,history  ,,the ,,goal ,,of ,a ,,new    
,,world ,,order     ,the ,goal of a ,new
 ,world ,order     ,a ,war-,weary ,world
     ,the ,signs of ,impending ,chaos   
,the ,impotence of ,statesmanship       
,the ,guiding ,principles of ,world     
,order     ,seven ,lights of ,unity     
,a ,world ,super-,state     ,unity in   
,diversity     ,the ,principle of       
,oneness     ,the ,federation of        
,mankind     ,the ,fire of ,ordeal      
,the ,mouthpiece of ,god  ,,the ,,golden
 ,,age ,,of ,,the ,,cause ,,of          
,,bah',u',,ll,h     ,the ,golden ,age of
 the ,cause of ,bah'u'llh     ,america's
 ,contribution to the ,cause            
,decline of ,mortal ,dominion           
,contrast with ,religions of the ,past  
,fundamental ,principle of ,religious   
,truth     ,necessity for a ,fresh      
,revelation     ,the ,station of the ,bb
     ,the ,outpouring of ,divine ,grace 
,the ,divine ,polity     ,our ,beloved  

,temple  ,,america ,,and ,,the ,,most   
,,great ,,peace     ,america and the    
,most ,great ,peace  ,,the              
,,dispensation ,,of ,,bah',u',,ll,h     
,the ,dispensation of ,bah'u'llh        
,the ,bb     #8,abdu'l-,bah     ,the    
,administrative ,order  ,,the           
,,unfoldment ,,of ,,world ,,civilization
     ,the ,unfoldment of ,world         
,civilization     ,humanity's ,coming of
 ,age     ,the ,process of ,integration 
,the ,final ,consummation     ,pangs of 
,death and ,birth     ,universal        
,fermentation     ,this ,age of         
,transition     ,collapse of ,islm      
,deterioration of ,christian            
,institutions     ,signs of ,moral      
,downfall     ,breakdown of ,political  
and ,economic ,structure                
,bah'u'llh's ,principle of ,collective  
,security     ,community of the ,most   
,great ,name     ,a ,world ,religion    
,divine ,retribution     ,world ,unity  
the ,goal              ,,the ,,world    
,,order ,,of ,,bah',u',,ll,h            

,the ,world ,order of ,bah'u'llh        
,to the members of the ,national        
,spiritual ,assembly of the ,bah's of   
the  ,united ,states and ,canada4       
,dearly-beloved co-workers3    ,i have  
been acquainted by the perusal of your  
latest communications with  the nature  
of the doubts that have been publicly   
expressed1 by one who is  wholly        
misinformed as to the true precepts of  
the ,cause1 regarding the  validity of  
institutions that stand inextricably    
interwoven with the ,faith  of          
,bah'u'llh4 ,not that ,i for a moment   
view such faint misgivings in the  light
 of an open challenge to the structure  
that embodies the ,faith1 nor  is it    
because ,i question in the least the    
unyielding tenacity of the faith  of the
 ,american believers1 if ,i venture to  
dwell upon what seems to me  appropriate
 observations at the present stage of   
the evolution of our  beloved ,cause4 ,i
 am indeed inclined to welcome these    
expressed  apprehensions inasmuch as    

they afford me an opportunity to        
familiarize the  elected representatives
 of the believers with the origin and   
the character  of the institutions which
 stand at the very basis of the ,world  
,order  ushered in by ,bah'u'llh4 ,we   
should feel truly thankful for such     
futile  attempts to undermine our       
beloved ,faith--attempts that protrude  
their ugly  face from time to time1 seem
 for a while able to create a breach in 
the  ranks of the faithful1 recede      
finally into the obscurity of oblivion1 
and  are thought of no more4 ,such      
incidents we should regard as the       
interpositions of ,providence1 designed 
to fortify our faith1 to clarify  our   
vision1 and to deepen our understanding 
of the essentials of ,his  ,divine      
,revelation4          ,sources of the   
,bah' ,world ,order      ,it would1     
however1 be helpful and instructive to  
bear in mind certain  basic principles  
with reference to the ,will and         
,testament of #8,abdu'l-,bah1  which1   

together with the ,kitb-i-,aqdas1       
constitutes the chief depository        
wherein are enshrined those priceless   
elements of that ,divine  ,civilization1
 the establishment of which is the      
primary mission of the  ,bah' ,faith4 ,a
 study of the provisions of these sacred
 documents will  reveal the close       
relationship that exists between them1  
as well as the  identity of purpose and 
method which they inculcate4 ,far from  
regarding  their specific provisions as 
incompatible and contradictory in       
spirit1  every fair-minded inquirer will
 readily admit that they are not only   
complementary1 but that they mutually   
confirm one another1 and are            
inseparable parts of one complete unit4 
,a comparison of their contents  with   
the rest of ,bah' sacred ,writings will 
similarly establish the  conformity of  
whatever they contain with the spirit as
 well as the letter  of the             
authenticated writings and sayings of   
,bah'u'llh and #8,abdu'l-,bah4  ,in     

fact1 he who reads the ,aqdas with care 
and diligence will not find it  hard to 
discover that the ,most ,holy ,book     
itself anticipates in a number of       
passages the institutions which         
#8,abdu'l-,bah ordains in ,his ,will4   
,by  leaving certain matters unspecified
 and unregulated in ,his ,book of ,laws1
  ,bah'u'llh seems to have deliberately 
left a gap in the general scheme of     
,bah' ,dispensation1 which the          
unequivocal provisions of the ,master's 
,will  have filled4 ,to attempt to      
divorce the one from the other1 to      
insinuate  that the ,teachings of       
,bah'u'llh have not been upheld1 in     
their entirety  and with absolute       
integrity1 by what #8,abdu'l-,bah has   
revealed in ,his  ,will1 is an          
unpardonable affront to the unswerving  
fidelity that has  characterized the    
life and labors of our beloved ,master4 
,i will not attempt in the least to     
assert or demonstrate the authenticity  
of the ,will and ,testament of          

#8,abdu'l-,bah1 for that in itself would
 betray  an apprehension on my part as  
to the unanimous confidence of the      
believers  in the genuineness of the    
last written wishes of our departed     
,master4 ,i  will only confine my       
observations to those issues which may  
assist them to  appreciate the essential
 unity that underlies the spiritual1 the
  humanitarian1 and the administrative  
principles enunciated by the ,author    
and the ,interpreter of the ,bah'       
,faith4    ,i am at a loss to explain   
that strange mentality that inclines to 
uphold  as the sole criterion of the    
truth of the ,bah' ,teachings what is   
admittedly only an obscure and          
unauthenticated translation of an oral  
statement made by #8,abdu'l-,bah1 in    
defiance and total disregard of the     
available text of all of ,his           
universally recognized writings4 ,i     
truly  deplore the unfortunate          
distortions that have resulted in days  
past from  the incapacity of the        

interpreter to grasp the meaning of     
#8,abdu'l-,bah1  and from his           
incompetence to render adequately such  
truths as have been  revealed to him by 
the ,master's statements4 ,much of the  
confusion that has  obscured the        
understanding of the believers should be
 attributed to this  double error       
involved in the inexact rendering of an 
only partially  understood statement4   
,not infrequently has the interpreter   
even failed to  convey the exact purport
 of the inquirer's specific questions1  
and1 by his  deficiency of understanding
 and expression in conveying the answer 
of  #8,abdu'l-,bah1 has been responsible
 for reports wholly at variance with the
  true spirit and purpose of the ,cause4
 ,it was chiefly in view of the         
misleading nature of the reports of the 
informal conversations of               
#8,abdu'l-,bah with visiting pilgrims1  
that ,i have insistently urged the      
believers of the ,west to regard such   
statements as merely personal           

impressions of the sayings of their     
,master1 and to quote and consider as   
authentic only such translations as are 
based upon the authenticated text  of   
,his recorded utterances in the original
 tongue4    ,it should be remembered by 
every follower of the ,cause that the   
system of  ,bah' administration is not  
an innovation imposed arbitrarily upon  
the  ,bah's of the world since the      
,master's passing1 but derives its      
authority  from the ,will and ,testament
 of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 is specifically     
prescribed in  unnumbered ,tablets1 and 
rests in some of its essential features 
upon the  explicit provisions of the    
,kitb-i-,aqdas4 ,it thus unifies and    
correlates  the principles separately   
laid down by ,bah'u'llh and             
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 and  is indissolubly    
bound with the essential verities of the
 ,faith4 ,to  dissociate the            
administrative principles of the ,cause 
from the purely  spiritual and          
humanitarian teachings would be         

tantamount to a mutilation  of the body 
of the ,cause1 a separation that can    
only result in the  disintegration of   
its component parts1 and the extinction 
of the ,faith  itself4          ,local  
and ,national ,houses of ,justice       
,it should be carefully borne in mind   
that the local as well as the           
international ,houses of ,justice have  
been expressly enjoined by the          
,kitb-i-,aqdas2 that the institution of 
the ,national ,spiritual ,assembly1 as  
an intermediary body1 and referred to in
 the ,master's ,will as the  8,secondary
 ,house of ,justice10 has the express   
sanction of #8,abdu'l-,bah2  and that   
the method to be pursued for the        
election of the ,international  and     
,national ,houses of ,justice has been  
set forth by ,him in ,his ,will1 as     
well as in a number of ,his ,tablets4   
,moreover1 the institutions of the      
local and national ,funds1 that are now 
the necessary adjuncts to all local  and
 national spiritual assemblies1 have not

 only been established by               
#8,abdu'l-,bah in the ,tablets ,he      
revealed to the ,bah's of the ,orient1  
but  their importance and necessity have
 been repeatedly emphasized by ,him in  
,his utterances and writings4 ,the      
concentration of authority in the hands 
of the elected representatives of the   
believers2 the necessity of the         
submission of every adherent of the     
,faith to the considered judgment of    
,bah' ,assemblies2 ,his preference for  
unanimity in decision2 the decisive     
character of the majority vote2 and even
 the desirability for the exercise  of  
close supervision over all ,bah'        
publications1 have been sedulously      
instilled by #8,abdu'l-,bah1 as         
evidenced by ,his authenticated and     
widely-scattered ,tablets4 ,to accept   
,his broad and humanitarian ,teachings  
on one hand1 and to reject and dismiss  
with neglectful indifference ,his  more 
challenging and distinguishing precepts1
 would be an act of manifest  disloyalty

 to that which ,he has cherished most in
 ,his life4    ,that the ,spiritual     
,assemblies of today will be replaced in
 time by the  ,houses of ,justice1 and  
are to all intents and purposes         
identical and not  separate bodies1 is  
abundantly confirmed by #8,abdu'l-,bah  
,himself4 ,he has  in fact in a ,tablet 
addressed to the members of the first   
,chicago  ,spiritual ,assembly1 the     
first elected ,bah' body instituted in  
the ,united  ,states1 referred to them  
as the members of the 8,house of        
,justice0 for that  city1 and has thus  
with ,his own pen established beyond any
 doubt the  identity of the present     
,bah' ,spiritual ,assemblies with the   
,houses of  ,justice referred to by     
,bah'u'llh4 ,for reasons which are not  
difficult to  discover1 it has been     
found advisable to bestow upon the      
elected  representatives of ,bah'       
communities throughout the world the    
temporary  appellation of ,spiritual    
,assemblies1 a term which1 as the       

position and  aims of the ,bah' ,faith  
are better understood and more fully    
recognized1  will gradually be          
superseded by the permanent and more    
appropriate  designation of ,house of   
,justice4 ,not only will the present-day
 ,spiritual  ,assemblies be styled      
differently in future1 but they will be 
enabled also  to add to their present   
functions those powers1 duties1 and     
prerogatives  necessitated by the       
recognition of the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh1
 not merely as  one of the recognized   
religious systems of the world1 but as  
the ,state  ,religion of an independent 
and ,sovereign ,power4 ,and as the ,bah'
 ,faith  permeates the masses of the    
peoples of ,east and ,west1 and its     
truth is  embraced by the majority of   
the peoples of a number of the          
,sovereign  ,states of the world1 will  
the ,universal ,house of ,justice attain
 the  plenitude of its power1 and       
exercise1 as the supreme organ of the   
,bah'  ,commonwealth1 all the rights1   

the duties1 and responsibilities        
incumbent  upon the world's future      
super-state4    ,it must be pointed out1
 however1 in this connection that1      
contrary to what  has been confidently  
asserted1 the establishment of the      
,supreme ,house of  ,justice is in no   
way dependent upon the adoption of the  
,bah' ,faith by  the mass of the peoples
 of the world1 nor does it presuppose   
its  acceptance by the majority of the  
inhabitants of any one country4 ,in     
fact1  #8,abdu'l-,bah1 ,himself1 in one 
of ,his earliest ,tablets1 contemplated 
the  possibility of the formation of the
 ,universal ,house of ,justice in ,his  
own  lifetime1 and but for the          
unfavorable circumstances prevailing    
under the  ,turkish rgime1 would have1  
in all probability1 taken the           
preliminary  steps for its              
establishment4 ,it will be evident1     
therefore1 that given  favorable        
circumstances1 under which the ,bah's of
 ,persia and of the  adjoining countries

 under ,soviet rule1 may be enabled to  
elect their  national representatives1  
in accordance with the guiding          
principles laid  down in                
#8,abdu'l-,bah's writings1 the only     
remaining obstacle in the way of  the   
definite formation of the ,international
 ,house of ,justice will have  been     
removed4 ,for upon the ,national ,houses
 of ,justice of the ,east and the  ,west
 devolves the task1 in conformity with  
the explicit provisions of the  ,will1  
of electing directly the members of the 
,international ,house of  ,justice4 ,not
 until they are themselves fully        
representative of the rank  and file of 
the believers in their respective       
countries1 not until they  have acquired
 the weight and the experience that will
 enable them to  function vigorously in 
the organic life of the ,cause1 can they
 approach  their sacred task1 and       
provide the spiritual basis for the     
constitution of  so august a body in the
 ,bah' world4          ,the ,institution

 of ,guardianship      ,it must be also 
clearly understood by every believer    
that the institution  of ,guardianship  
does not under any circumstances        
abrogate1 or even in the  slightest     
degree detract from1 the powers granted 
to the ,universal ,house  of ,justice by
 ,bah'u'llh in the ,kitb-i-,aqdas1 and  
repeatedly and  solemnly confirmed by   
#8,abdu'l-,bah in ,his ,will4 ,it does  
not constitute in  any manner a         
contradiction to the ,will and ,writings
 of ,bah'u'llh1 nor  does it nullify any
 of ,his revealed instructions4 ,it     
enhances the prestige  of that exalted  
assembly1 stabilizes its supreme        
position1 safeguards its  unity1 assures
 the continuity of its labors1 without  
presuming in the  slightest to infringe 
upon the inviolability of its           
clearly-defined sphere  of jurisdiction4
 ,we stand indeed too close to so       
monumental a document to  claim for     
ourselves a complete understanding of   
all its implications1 or  to presume to 

have grasped the manifold mysteries it  
undoubtedly contains4  ,only future     
generations can comprehend the value and
 the significance  attached to this     
,divine ,masterpiece1 which the hand of 
the ,master-builder  of the world has   
designed for the unification and the    
triumph of the  world-wide ,faith of    
,bah'u'llh4 ,only those who come after  
us will be in a  position to realize the
 value of the surprisingly strong       
emphasis that has  been placed on the   
institution of the ,house of ,justice   
and of the  ,guardianship4 ,they only   
will appreciate the significance of the 
vigorous  language employed by          
#8,abdu'l-,bah with reference to the    
band of  ,covenant-breakers that has    
opposed ,him in ,his days4 ,to them     
alone will be  revealed the suitability 
of the institutions initiated by        
#8,abdu'l-,bah to  the character of the 
future society which is to emerge out of
 the chaos  and confusion of the present
 age4 ,in this connection1 ,i cannot but

 feel  amused at the preposterous and   
fantastic idea that ,muammad-#8,al1 the 
prime mover and the focal center of     
unyielding hostility to the person of   
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 should have freely      
associated himself with the members of  
the family of #8,abdu'l-,bah in the     
forging of a will which in the words of 
the writer herself1 is but a 8recital of
 the plottings0 in which for  thirty    
years ,muammad-#8,al has been busily    
engaged4 ,to such a hopeless  victim of 
confused ideas1 ,i feel ,i can best     
reply by a genuine expression  of       
compassion and pity1 mingled with my    
hopes for her deliverance from so       
profound a delusion4 ,it was in view of 
the aforesaid observations1 that ,i     
have1 after the unfortunate and         
unavoidable delay occasioned by my ill  
health and absence from the ,holy ,land 
during the ,master's passing1  hesitated
 to resort to the indiscriminate        
circulation of the ,will1  realizing    
full well that it was primarily directed

 to the recognized  believers1 and only 
indirectly concerned the larger body of 
the friends  and sympathizers of the    
,cause4          ,the ,animating        
,purpose of ,bah' ,institutions         
,and now1 it behooves us to reflect on  
the animating purpose and the  primary  
functions of these divinely-established 
institutions1 the sacred  character and 
the universal efficacy of which can be  
demonstrated only by  the spirit they   
diffuse and the work they actually      
achieve4 ,i need not  dwell upon what ,i
 have already reiterated and emphasized 
that the  administration of the ,cause  
is to be conceived as an instrument and 
not a  substitute for the ,faith of     
,bah'u'llh1 that it should be regarded  
as a  channel through which ,his        
promised blessings may flow1 that it    
should  guard against such rigidity as  
would clog and fetter the liberating    
forces  released by ,his ,revelation4 ,i
 need not enlarge at the present moment 
upon  what ,i have stated in the past1  

that contributions to the local and     
national ,funds are of a purely         
voluntary character2 that no coercion or
  solicitation of funds is to be        
tolerated in the ,cause2 that general   
appeals addressed to the communities as 
a body should be the only form in  which
 the financial requirements of the      
,faith are to be met2 that the          
financial support accorded to a very few
 workers in the teaching and            
administrative fields is of a temporary 
nature2 that the present  restrictions  
imposed on the publication of ,bah'     
literature will be  definitely          
abolished2 that the ,world ,unity       
activity is being carried out  as an    
experiment to test the efficacy of the  
indirect method of teaching2  that the  
whole machinery of assemblies1 of       
committees and conventions is  to be    
regarded as a means1 and not an end in  
itself2 that they will rise  or fall    
according to their capacity to further  
the interests1 to  cordinate the        

activities1 to apply the principles1 to 
embody the ideals  and execute the      
purpose of the ,bah' ,faith4 ,who1 ,i   
may ask1 when viewing  the international
 character of the ,cause1 its far-flung 
ramifications1 the  increasing          
complexity of its affairs1 the diversity
 of its adherents1 and  the state of    
confusion that assails on every side the
 infant ,faith of ,god1  can for a      
moment question the necessity of some   
sort of administrative  machinery that  
will insure1 amid the storm and stress  
of a struggling  civilization1 the unity
 of the ,faith1 the preservation of its 
identity1  and the protection of its    
interests8 ,to repudiate the validity of
 the  assemblies of the elected         
ministers of the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh   
would be  to reject those countless     
,tablets of ,bah'u'llh and              
#8,abdu'l-,bah wherein  ,they have      
extolled the station of the 8trustees of
 the ,merciful10  enumerated their      
privileges and duties1 emphasized the   

glory of their  mission1 revealed the   
immensity of their task1 and warned them
 of the  attacks they must needs expect 
from the unwisdom of their friends as   
well  as from the malice of their       
enemies4 ,it is surely for those to     
whose hands  so priceless a heritage has
 been committed to prayerfully watch    
lest the  tool should supersede the     
,faith itself1 lest undue concern for   
the minute  details arising from the    
administration of the ,cause obscure the
 vision of  its promoters1 lest         
partiality1 ambition1 and worldliness   
tend in the  course of time to becloud  
the radiance1 stain the purity1 and     
impair the  effectiveness of the ,faith 
of ,bah'u'llh4          ,situation in   
,egypt      ,i have already referred in 
my previous communications of ,january  
#aj1 #aibf1  and ,february #ab1 #aibg1  
to the perplexing yet highly significant
 situation  that has arisen in ,egypt as
 a result of the final judgment of the  
,muslim  ecclesiastical court in that   

country pronounced against our ,egyptian
  brethren1 denouncing them as heretics1
 expelling them from their midst1  and  
refusing them the application and       
benefits of the ,muslim ,law4 ,i have   
also acquainted you with the            
difficulties with which they are faced1 
and  the plans which they have          
conceived1 in order to obtain from the  
,egyptian  civil authorities a          
recognition of the independent status of
 their ,faith4  ,it must be explained1  
however1 that in the ,muslim countries  
of the ,near  and ,middle ,east1 with   
the exception of ,turkey which has      
lately abolished  all ecclesiastical    
courts under its rule1 every recognized 
religious  community has1 in matters of 
personal status such as marriage1       
divorce and  inheritance1 its own       
ecclesiastical court1 totally           
independent of the  civil and criminal  
tribunals1 there being in such instances
 no civil code  promulgated by the      
government and embracing all the        

different religious  communities4       
,hitherto regarded as a sect of ,islm1  
the ,bah's of ,egypt1  who for the most 
part are of ,muslim origin1 and unable  
therefore to refer  for purposes of     
marriage and divorce to the recognized  
religious tribunals  of any other       
denomination1 find themselves in        
consequence in a delicate  and anomalous
 position4 ,they have naturally resolved
 to refer their case  to the ,egyptian  
,government1 and have prepared for this 
purpose a petition  to be addressed to  
the head of the ,egyptian ,cabinet4 ,in 
this document they  have set forth the  
motives compelling them to seek         
recognition from their  rulers1 have    
asserted their readiness and their      
qualifications to exercise  the         
functions of an independent ,bah' court1
 have assured them of their  implicit   
obedience and loyalty to the ,state1 and
 of their abstinence from  interference 
in the politics of their country4 ,they 
have also decided to  accompany the text

 of their petition with a copy of the   
judgment of the  ,court1 with selections
 from ,bah' writings1 and with the      
document that  sets forth the principles
 of their national constitution which1  
with few  exceptions1 is identical with 
the ,declaration and ,by-laws           
promulgated by  your ,assembly4    ,i   
have insisted that the provisions of    
their constitution should1 in all  its  
details1 conform to the text of the     
,declaration of ,trust and ,by-laws     
which you have established1 endeavoring 
thereby to preserve the uniformity      
which ,i feel is essential in all ,bah' 
,national ,constitutions4 ,i would      
like1 therefore1 in this connection to  
request of you what ,i have already     
intimated to them1 that whatever        
amendments you may decide to introduce  
in  the text of the ,declaration and    
,by-laws should be duly communicated to 
me1  that ,i may take the necessary     
steps for the introduction of similar   
changes in the text of all other        

,national ,bah' ,constitutions4    ,it  
will be readily admitted that in view of
 the peculiar privileges  granted to    
recognized religious ,communities in the
 ,islamic countries of  the ,near and   
,middle ,east1 the request which is to  
be submitted by the  ,bah' ,egyptian    
,national ,assembly to the ,government  
of ,egypt is more  substantial and      
far-reaching than what has already been 
granted by the  ,federal ,authorities to
 your ,assembly4 ,for their petition is 
chiefly  concerned with a formal request
 for recognition by the highest civil   
authorities in ,egypt of the ,egyptian  
,national ,spiritual ,assembly as a     
recognized and independent ,bah' court1 
free and able to execute and  apply in  
all matters of personal status such laws
 and ordinances as have  been           
promulgated by ,bah'u'llh in the        
,kitb-i-,aqdas4    ,i have asked them to
 approach informally the authorities    
concerned1 and to  make the fullest     
possible inquiry as a preliminary       

measure to the formal  presentation of  
their historic petition4 ,any assistance
 which your  ,assembly1 after careful   
deliberation1 may find it advisable to  
offer to  the valiant promoters of the  
,faith in that land will be deeply      
appreciated1 and will serve to confirm  
the solidarity that characterizes  the  
,bah' ,communities of ,east and ,west4  
,whatever the outcome of this  mighty   
issue--and none can fail to appreciate  
the incalculable  possibilities of the  
present situation--we can rest assured  
that the  guiding ,hand that has        
released these forces will1 in ,his     
inscrutable  wisdom and by ,his         
omnipotent power1 continue to shape and 
direct their  course for the glory1 the 
ultimate emancipation1 and the          
unqualified  recognition of ,his ,faith4
    ,your true brother1  ,shoghi4       
,haifa1 ,palestine4  ,february #bg1     
#aibi4            ,,the ,,world ,,order 
,,of ,,bah',u',,ll,h3 ,,further         
,,considerations          ,the ,world   

,order of ,bah'u'llh3 ,further          
,considerations      ,to the beloved of 
the ,lord and the handmaids of the      
,merciful throughout  the ,west4        
,dearly-beloved co-workers3    ,amid the
 reports that have of late reached the  
,holy ,land1 most of which  witness to  
the triumphant march of the ,cause1 a   
few seem to betray a  certain           
apprehension regarding the validity of  
the institutions which  stand           
inseparably associated with the ,faith  
of ,bah'u'llh4 ,these  expressed        
misgivings appear to be actuated by     
certain whisperings which  have emanated
 from quarters which are either wholly  
misinformed regarding  the fundamentals 
of the ,bah' ,revelation1 or which      
deliberately contrive  to sow the seeds 
of dissension in the hearts of the      
faithful4          ,a ,blessing in      
,disguise      ,viewed in the light of  
past experience1 the inevitable result  
of such  futile attempts1 however       
persistent and malicious they may be1 is

 to  contribute to a wider and deeper   
recognition by believers and unbelievers
  alike of the distinguishing features  
of the ,faith proclaimed by  ,bah'u'llh4
 ,these challenging criticisms1 whether 
or not dictated by  malice1 cannot but  
serve to galvanize the souls of its     
ardent supporters1  and to consolidate  
the ranks of its faithful promoters4    
,they will purge  the ,faith from those 
pernicious elements whose continued     
association with  the believers tends to
 discredit the fair name of the ,cause1 
and to  tarnish the purity of its       
spirit4 ,we should welcome1 therefore1  
not only  the open attacks which its    
avowed enemies persistently launch      
against it1  but should also view as a  
blessing in disguise every storm of     
mischief  with which they who apostatize
 their faith or claim to be its faithful
  exponents assail it from time to time4
 ,instead of undermining the ,faith1    
such assaults1 both from within and from
 without1 reinforce its  foundations1   

and excite the intensity of its flame4  
,designed to becloud  its radiance1 they
 proclaim to all the world the exalted  
character of its  precepts1 the         
completeness of its unity1 the          
uniqueness of its position1  and the    
pervasiveness of its influence4    ,i do
 not feel for one moment that such      
clamor1 mostly attributable to  impotent
 rage against the resistless march of   
the ,cause of ,god1 can ever  distress  
the valiant warriors of the ,faith4 ,for
 these heroic souls1  whether they be   
contending in ,america's impregnable    
stronghold1 or  struggling in the heart 
of ,europe1 and across the seas as far  
as the  continent of ,australasia1 have 
already abundantly demonstrated the     
tenacity of their ,faith and the abiding
 value of their conviction4             
,distinguishing ,features of ,bah'      
,world ,order      ,i feel it1 however1 
incumbent upon me by virtue of the      
responsibility  attached to the         
,guardianship of the ,faith1 to dwell   

more fully upon the  essential character
 and the distinguishing features of that
 world order as  conceived and          
proclaimed by ,bah'u'llh4 ,i feel       
impelled1 at the present  stage of the  
evolution of the ,bah' ,revelation1 to  
state candidly and  without any         
reservation1 whatever ,i regard may tend
 to insure the  preservation of the     
integrity of the nascent institutions of
 the ,faith4 ,i  strongly feel the urge 
to elucidate certain facts1 which would 
at once  reveal to every fair-minded    
observer the unique character of that   
,divine  ,civilization the foundations  
of which the unerring hand of ,bah'u'llh
 has  laid1 and the essential elements  
of which the ,will and ,testament of    
#8,abdu'l-,bah has disclosed4 ,i        
consider it my duty to warn every       
beginner  in the ,faith that the        
promised glories of the ,sovereignty    
which the ,bah'  teachings foreshadow1  
can be revealed only in the fullness of 
time1 that  the implications of the     

,aqdas and the ,will of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 
as the twin  repositories of the        
constituent elements of that            
,sovereignty1 are too  far-reaching for 
this generation to grasp and fully      
appreciate4 ,i cannot  refrain from     
appealing to them who stand identified  
with the ,faith to  disregard the       
prevailing notions and the fleeting     
fashions of the day1 and  to realize as 
never before that the exploded theories 
and the tottering  institutions of      
present-day civilization must needs     
appear in sharp  contrast with those    
,god-given institutions which are       
destined to arise  upon their ruin4 ,i  
pray that they may realize with all     
their heart and  soul the ineffable     
glory of their calling1 the overwhelming
 responsibility  of their mission1 and  
the astounding immensity of their task4 
,for let every earnest upholder of the  
,cause of ,bah'u'llh realize that  the  
storms which this struggling ,faith of  
,god must needs encounter1 as the       

process of the disintegration of society
 advances1 shall be fiercer than  any   
which it has already experienced4 ,let  
him be aware that so soon as the  full  
measure of the stupendous claim of the  
,faith of ,bah'u'llh comes to  be       
recognized by those time-honored and    
powerful strongholds of orthodoxy1      
whose deliberate aim is to maintain     
their stranglehold over the thoughts    
and consciences of men1 this infant     
,faith will have to contend with        
enemies more powerful and more insidious
 than the cruellest  torture-mongers and
 the most fanatical clerics who have    
afflicted it in  the past4 ,what foes   
may not in the course of the convulsions
 that shall  seize a dying civilization 
be brought into existence1 who will     
reinforce  the indignities which have   
already been heaped upon it6            
,the ,onslaught of ,all ,peoples and    
,kindreds      ,we have only to refer to
 the warnings uttered by #8,abdu'l-,bah 
in order to  realize the extent and     

character of the forces that are        
destined to  contest with ,god's holy   
,faith4 ,in the darkest moments of ,his 
life1 under  #8,abdu'l-amd's rgime1 when
 ,he stood ready to be deported to the  
most  inhospitable regions of ,northern 
,africa1 and at a time when the         
auspicious  light of the ,bah'          
,revelation had only begun to break upon
 the ,west1 ,he1  in ,his parting       
message to the cousin of the ,bb1       
uttered these prophetic  and ominous    
words3 8,how great1 how very great is   
the ,cause6 ,how very  fierce the       
onslaught of all the peoples and        
kindreds of the earth4 ,ere  long shall 
the clamor of the multitude throughout  
,africa1 throughout  ,america1 the cry  
of the ,european and of the ,turk1 the  
groaning of ,india  and ,china1 be heard
 from far and near4 ,one and all1 they  
shall arise with  all their power to    
resist ,his ,cause4 ,then shall the     
knights of the ,lord1  assisted by ,his 
grace from on high1 strengthened by     

faith1 aided by the  power of           
understanding1 and reinforced by the    
legions of the ,covenant1  arise and    
make manifest the truth of the verse3   
#8,behold the confusion that  hath      
befallen the tribes of the defeated6'0  
,stupendous as is the struggle which    
,his words foreshadow1 they also        
testify to the complete victory which   
the upholders of the ,greatest ,name    
are destined eventually to achieve4     
,peoples1 nations1 adherents of divers  
faiths1 will jointly and successively   
arise to shatter its unity1 to sap  its 
force1 and to degrade its holy name4    
,they will assail not only the  spirit  
which it inculcates1 but the            
administration which is the channel1    
the instrument1 the embodiment of that  
spirit4 ,for as the authority with      
which ,bah'u'llh has invested the future
 ,bah' ,commonwealth becomes more  and  
more apparent1 the fiercer shall be the 
challenge which from every  quarter will
 be thrown at the verities it enshrines4

          ,difference ,between ,bah'    
,faith and ,ecclesiastical              
,organizations      ,it behooves us1    
dear friends1 to endeavor not only to   
familiarize  ourselves with the         
essential features of this supreme      
,handiwork of  ,bah'u'llh1 but also to  
grasp the fundamental difference        
existing between  this world-embracing1 
divinely-appointed ,order and the chief 
ecclesiastical organizations of the     
world1 whether they pertain to the      
,church of ,christ1 or to the ordinances
 of the ,muammadan ,dispensation4       
,for those whose priceless privilege is 
to guard over1 administer the  affairs1 
and advance the interests of these ,bah'
 institutions will have1  sooner or     
later1 to face this searching question3 
8,where and how does this  ,order       
established by ,bah'u'llh1 which to     
outward seeming is but a  replica of the
 institutions established in            
,christianity and ,islm1 differ  from   
them8 ,are not the twin institutions of 

the ,house of ,justice and of  the      
,guardianship1 the institution of the   
,hands of the ,cause of ,god1 the       
institution of the national and local   
,assemblies1 the institution of the     
,mashriqu'l-,adhkr1 but different names 
for the institutions of the  ,papacy and
 the ,caliphate1 with all their         
attending ecclesiastical orders  which  
the ,christians and ,moslems uphold and 
advocate8 ,what can possibly be  the    
agency that can safeguard these ,bah'   
institutions1 so strikingly  resemblant1
 in some of their features1 to those    
which have been reared by  the ,fathers 
of the ,church and the ,apostles of     
,muammad1 from witnessing  the          
deterioration in character1 the breach  
of unity1 and the extinction of         
influence1 which have befallen all      
organized religious hierarchies8 ,why   
should they not eventually suffer the   
self-same fate that has overtaken  the  
institutions which the successors of    
,christ and ,muammad have reared80      

,upon the answer given to these         
challenging questions will1 in a great  
measure1 depend the success of the      
efforts which believers in every land   
are now exerting for the establishment  
of ,god's kingdom upon the earth4  ,few 
will fail to recognize that the ,spirit 
breathed by ,bah'u'llh upon  the world1 
and which is manifesting itself with    
varying degrees of  intensity through   
the efforts consciously displayed by    
,his avowed  supporters and indirectly  
through certain humanitarian            
organizations1 can  never permeate and  
exercise an abiding influence upon      
mankind unless and  until it incarnates 
itself in a visible ,order1 which would 
bear ,his name1  wholly identify itself 
with ,his principles1 and function in   
conformity  with ,his laws4 ,that       
,bah'u'llh in ,his ,book of ,aqdas1 and 
later  #8,abdu'l-,bah in ,his ,will--a  
document which confirms1 supplements1   
and  correlates the provisions of the   
,aqdas--have set forth in their entirety

  those essential elements for the      
constitution of the world ,bah'         
,commonwealth1 no one who has read them 
will deny4 ,according to these          
divinely-ordained administrative        
principles1 the ,dispensation of        
,bah'u'llh--the ,ark of human           
salvation--must needs be modeled4 ,from 
them1  all future blessings must flow1  
and upon them its inviolable authority  
must ultimately rest4    ,for           
,bah'u'llh1 we should readily recognize1
 has not only imbued mankind  with a new
 and regenerating ,spirit4 ,he has not  
merely enunciated certain  universal    
principles1 or propounded a particular  
philosophy1 however  potent1 sound and  
universal these may be4 ,in addition to 
these ,he1 as well  as #8,abdu'l-,bah   
after ,him1 has1 unlike the             
,dispensations of the past1  clearly and
 specifically laid down a set of ,laws1 
established definite  institutions1 and 
provided for the essentials of a ,divine
 ,economy4 ,these  are destined to be a 

pattern for future society1 a supreme   
instrument for  the establishment of the
 ,most ,great ,peace1 and the one agency
 for the  unification of the world1 and 
the proclamation of the reign of        
righteousness and justice upon the      
earth4 ,not only have they revealed all 
the directions required for the         
practical realization of those ideals   
which the ,prophets of ,god have        
visualized1 and which from time         
immemorial  have inflamed the           
imagination of seers and poets in every 
age4 ,they have  also1 in unequivocal   
and emphatic language1 appointed those  
twin  institutions of the ,house of     
,justice and of the ,guardianship as    
their  chosen ,successors1 destined to  
apply the principles1 promulgate the    
laws1  protect the institutions1 adapt  
loyally and intelligently the ,faith to 
the  requirements of progressive        
society1 and consummate the             
incorruptible  inheritance which the    
,founders of the ,faith have bequeathed 

to the world4    ,should we look back   
upon the past1 were we to search out the
 ,gospel and  the ,qur'n1 we will       
readily recognize that neither the      
,christian nor the  ,islamic            
,dispensations can offer a parallel     
either to the system of ,divine         
,economy so thoroughly established by   
,bah'u'llh1 or to the safeguards  which 
,he has provided for its preservation   
and advancement4 ,therein1 ,i am        
profoundly convinced1 lies the answer to
 those questions to which ,i have       
already referred4    ,none1 ,i feel1    
will question the fact that the         
fundamental reason why the  unity of the
 ,church of ,christ was irretrievably   
shattered1 and its  influence was in the
 course of time undermined1 was that the
 ,edifice which  the ,fathers of the    
,church reared after the passing of ,his
 ,first ,apostle  was an ,edifice that  
rested in nowise upon the explicit      
directions of  ,christ ,himself4 ,the   
authority and features of their         

administration were  wholly inferred1   
and indirectly derived1 with more or    
less justification1  from certain vague 
and fragmentary references which they   
found scattered  amongst ,his utterances
 as recorded in the ,gospel4 ,not one of
 the  sacraments of the ,church2 not one
 of the rites and ceremonies which the  
,christian ,fathers have elaborately    
devised and ostentatiously observed2    
not one of the elements of the severe   
discipline they rigorously imposed  upon
 the primitive ,christians2 none of     
these reposed on the direct  authority  
of ,christ1 or emanated from ,his       
specific utterances4 ,not one of  these 
did ,christ conceive1 none did ,he      
specifically invest with sufficient     
authority to either interpret ,his      
,word1 or to add to what ,he had not    
specifically enjoined4    ,for this     
reason1 in later generations1 voices    
were raised in protest  against the     
self-appointed ,authority which         
arrogated to itself privileges  and     

powers which did not emanate from the   
clear text of the ,gospel of  ,jesus    
,christ1 and which constituted a grave  
departure from the spirit  which that   
,gospel did inculcate4 ,they argued with
 force and justification  that the      
canons promulgated by the ,councils of  
the ,church were not  divinely-appointed
 laws1 but were merely human devices    
which did not even  rest upon the actual
 utterances of ,jesus4 ,their contention
 centered around  the fact that the     
vague and inconclusive words1 addressed 
by ,christ to  ,peter1 8,thou art       
,peter1 and upon this rock ,i will build
 my ,church10 could  never justify the  
extreme measures1 the elaborate         
ceremonials1 the  fettering creeds and  
dogmas1 with which ,his successors have 
gradually  burdened and obscured ,his   
,faith4 ,had it been possible for the   
,church  ,fathers1 whose unwarranted    
authority was thus fiercely assailed    
from every  side1 to refute the         
denunciations heaped upon them by       

quoting specific  utterances of ,christ 
regarding the future administration of  
,his ,church1 or  the nature of the     
authority of ,his ,successors1 they     
would surely have been  capable of      
quenching the flame of controversy1 and 
preserving the unity of  ,christendom4  
,the ,gospel1 however1 the only         
repository of the utterances of         
,christ1 afforded no such shelter to    
these harassed leaders of the ,church1  
who found themselves helpless in the    
face of the pitiless onslaught of  their
 enemy1 and who eventually had to submit
 to the forces of schism  which invaded 
their ranks4    ,in the ,muammadan      
,revelation1 however1 although ,his     
,faith as compared with  that of ,christ
 was1 so far as the administration of   
,his ,dispensation is  concerned1 more  
complete and more specific in its       
provisions1 yet in the  matter of       
succession1 it gave no written1 no      
binding and conclusive  instructions to 
those whose mission was to propagate    

,his ,cause4 ,for the  text of the      
,qur'n1 the ordinances of which         
regarding prayer1 fasting1  marriage1   
divorce1 inheritance1 pilgrimage1 and   
the like1 have after the  revolution of 
thirteen hundred years remained intact  
and operative1 gives  no definite       
guidance regarding the ,law of          
,succession1 the source of all  the     
dissensions1 the controversies1 and     
schisms which have dismembered and      
discredited ,islm4    ,not so with the  
,revelation of ,bah'u'llh4 ,unlike the  
,dispensation of  ,christ1 unlike the   
,dispensation of ,muammad1 unlike all   
the ,dispensations  of the past1 the    
apostles of ,bah'u'llh in every land1   
wherever they  labor and toil1 have     
before them in clear1 in unequivocal and
 emphatic  language1 all the laws1 the  
regulations1 the principles1 the        
institutions1  the guidance1 they       
require for the prosecution and         
consummation of their  task4 ,both in   
the administrative provisions of the    

,bah' ,dispensation1  and in the matter 
of succession1 as embodied in the twin  
institutions of  the ,house of ,justice 
and of the ,guardianship1 the followers 
of ,bah'u'llh  can summon to their aid  
such irrefutable evidences of ,divine   
,guidance that  none can resist1 that   
none can belittle or ignore4 ,therein   
lies the  distinguishing feature of the 
,bah' ,revelation4 ,therein lies the    
strength  of the unity of the ,faith1 of
 the validity of a ,revelation that     
claims not  to destroy or belittle      
previous ,revelations1 but to connect1  
unify1 and  fulfill them4 ,this is the  
reason why ,bah'u'llh and #8,abdu'l-,bah
 have  both revealed and even insisted  
upon certain details in connection with 
the ,divine ,economy which they have    
bequeathed to us1 their followers4 ,this
  is why such an emphasis has been      
placed in their ,will and ,testament    
upon  the powers and prerogatives of the
 ministers of their ,faith4    ,for     
nothing short of the explicit directions

 of their ,book1 and the  surprisingly  
emphatic language with which they have  
clothed the provisions  of their ,will1 
could possibly safeguard the ,faith for 
which they have both  so gloriously     
labored all their lives4 ,nothing short 
of this could protect  it from the      
heresies and calumnies with which       
denominations1 peoples1 and  governments
 have endeavored1 and will1 with        
increasing vigor1 endeavor to  assail it
 in future4    ,we should also bear in  
mind that the distinguishing character  
of the  ,bah' ,revelation does not      
solely consist in the completeness and  
unquestionable validity of the          
,dispensation which the teachings of    
,bah'u'llh and #8,abdu'l-,bah have      
established4 ,its excellence lies also  
in  the fact that those elements which  
in past ,dispensations have1 without the
  least authority from their ,founders1 
been a source of corruption and of      
incalculable harm to the ,faith of ,god1
 have been strictly excluded by the     

clear text of ,bah'u'llh's writings4    
,those unwarranted practices1 in        
connection with the sacrament of        
baptism1 of communion1 of confession of 
sins1 of asceticism1 of priestly        
domination1 of elaborate ceremonials1 of
  holy war and of polygamy1 have one and
 all been rigidly suppressed by the     
,pen of ,bah'u'llh2 whilst the rigidity 
and rigor of certain observances1  such 
as fasting1 which are necessary to the  
devotional life of the  individual1 have
 been considerably abated4          ,a  
,living ,organism      ,it should also  
be borne in mind that the machinery of  
the ,cause has been  so fashioned1 that 
whatever is deemed necessary to         
incorporate into it in  order to keep it
 in the forefront of all progressive    
movements1 can1  according to the       
provisions made by ,bah'u'llh1 be safely
 embodied  therein4 ,to this testify the
 words of ,bah'u'llh1 as recorded in the
  ,eighth ,leaf of the exalted          
,paradise3 8,it is incumbent upon the   

,trustees of  the ,house of ,justice to 
take counsel together regarding those   
things which  have not outwardly been   
revealed in the ,book1 and to enforce   
that which is  agreeable to them4 ,god  
will verily inspire them with whatsoever
 ,he  willeth1 and ,he1 verily1 is the  
,provider1 the ,omniscient40 ,not only  
has  the ,house of ,justice been        
invested by ,bah'u'llh with the         
authority to  legislate whatsoever has  
not been explicitly and outwardly       
recorded in ,his  holy ,writ1 upon it   
has also been conferred by the ,will and
 ,testament of  #8,abdu'l-,bah the right
 and power to abrogate1 according to the
 changes and  requirements of the time1 
whatever has been already enacted and   
enforced  by a preceding ,house of      
,justice4 ,in this connection1 ,he      
revealed the  following in ,his ,will3  
8,and inasmuch as the ,house of ,justice
 hath power to  enact laws that are not 
expressly recorded in the ,book and bear
 upon daily  transactions1 so also it   

hath power to repeal the same4 ,thus for
 example1  the ,house of ,justice       
enacteth today a certain law and        
enforceth it1 and a  hundred years      
hence1 circumstances having profoundly  
changed and the  conditions having      
altered1 another ,house of ,justice will
 then have power1  according to the     
exigencies of the time1 to alter that   
law4 ,this it can do  because that law  
formeth no part of the divine explicit  
text4 ,the ,house of  ,justice is both  
the initiator and the abrogator of its  
own laws40 ,such is  the immutability of
 ,his revealed ,word4 ,such is the      
elasticity which  characterizes the     
functions of ,his appointed ministers4  
,the first  preserves the identity of   
,his ,faith1 and guards the integrity of
 ,his law4  ,the second enables it1 even
 as a living organism1 to expand and    
adapt  itself to the needs and          
requirements of an ever-changing        
society4    ,dear friends6 ,feeble      
though our ,faith may now appear in the 

eyes of men1  who either denounce it as 
an offshoot of ,islm1 or contemptuously 
ignore  it as one more of those obscure 
sects that abound in the ,west1 this    
priceless gem of ,divine ,revelation1   
now still in its embryonic state1  shall
 evolve within the shell of ,his law1   
and shall forge ahead1 undivided  and   
unimpaired1 till it embraces the whole  
of mankind4 ,only those who have        
already recognized the supreme station  
of ,bah'u'llh1 only those whose  hearts 
have been touched by ,his love1 and have
 become familiar with the  potency of   
,his spirit1 can adequately appreciate  
the value of this ,divine               
,economy--,his inestimable gift to      
mankind4    ,leaders of religion1       
exponents of political theories1        
governors of human  institutions1 who at
 present are witnessing with perplexity 
and dismay the  bankruptcy of their     
ideas1 and the disintegration of their  
handiwork1  would do well to turn their 
gaze to the ,revelation of ,bah'u'llh1  

and to  meditate upon the ,world ,order 
which1 lying enshrined in ,his          
teachings1 is  slowly and imperceptibly 
rising amid the welter and chaos of     
present-day  civilization4 ,they need   
have no doubt or anxiety regarding the  
nature1 the  origin or validity of the  
institutions which the adherents of the 
,faith  are building up throughout the  
world4 ,for these lie embedded in the   
teachings themselves1 unadulterated and 
unobscured by unwarrantable  inferences1
 or unauthorized interpretations of ,his
 ,word4    ,how pressing and sacred the 
responsibility that now weighs upon     
those who  are already acquainted with  
these teachings6 ,how glorious the task 
of  those who are called upon to        
vindicate their truth1 and demonstrate  
their  practicability to an unbelieving 
world6 ,nothing short of an immovable   
conviction in their divine origin1 and  
their uniqueness in the annals of       
religion2 nothing short of an unwavering
 purpose to execute and apply them  to  

the administrative machinery of the     
,cause1 can be sufficient to  establish 
their reality1 and insure their success4
 ,how vast is the  ,revelation of       
,bah'u'llh6 ,how great the magnitude of 
,his blessings  showered upon humanity  
in this day6 ,and yet1 how poor1 how    
inadequate our  conception of their     
significance and glory6 ,this generation
 stands too  close to so colossal a     
,revelation to appreciate1 in their full
 measure1  the infinite possibilities of
 ,his ,faith1 the unprecedented         
character of  ,his ,cause1 and the      
mysterious dispensations of ,his        
,providence4    ,in the qn1 ,bah'u'llh1 
wishing to emphasize the transcendent   
character  of this new ,day of ,god1    
reinforces the strength of ,his argument
 by ,his  reference to the text of a    
correct and authorized tradition1 which 
reveals  the following3 8,knowledge is  
twenty and seven letters4 ,all that the 
,prophets have revealed are two letters 
thereof4 ,no man thus far hath known    

more than these two letters4 ,but when  
the ,q'im shall arise1 ,he will cause   
the remaining twenty and five letters to
 be made manifest40 ,and then           
immediately follow these confirming and 
illuminating words of ,bah'u'llh3       
8,consider3 ,he hath declared knowledge 
to consist of twenty and seven  letters1
 and regarded all the prophets1 from    
,adam even unto ,muammad1 the  #8seal1' 
as expounders of only two letters       
thereof4 ,he also saith that the  ,q'im 
will reveal all the remaining twenty and
 five letters4 ,behold from  this       
utterance how great and lofty is ,his   
station6 ,his rank excelleth that  of   
all the prophets1 and ,his revelation   
transcendeth the comprehension and      
understanding of all their chosen ones4 
,a revelation1 of which the  prophets of
 ,god1 ,his saints and chosen ones have 
either not been informed  or which1 in  
pursuance of ,god's inscrutable decree1 
they have not  disclosed--such a        
revelation1 these vile and villainous   

people have sought  to measure with     
their own deficient minds1 their own    
deficient learning  and understanding40 
,in another passage of the same ,book1  
,bah'u'llh1 referring to the            
transformation effected by every        
,revelation in the ways1 thoughts and   
manners of the people1 reveals these    
words3 8,is not the object of every     
,revelation to effect a transformation  
in the whole character of mankind1 a    
transformation that shall manifest      
itself1 both outwardly and inwardly1    
that shall affect both its inner life   
and external conditions8 ,for if the    
character of mankind be not changed1 the
 futility of ,god's universal           
,manifestations would be apparent40     
,did not ,christ ,himself1 addressing   
,his disciples1 utter these words3 8,i  
have yet many things to say unto you1   
but ye cannot bear them now4 ,howbeit   
when ,he1 the ,spirit of ,truth1 is     
come1 ,he will guide you into all       
truth08    ,from the text of this       

recognized tradition1 as well as from   
the words of  ,christ1 as attested by   
the ,gospel1 every unprejudiced observer
 will  readily apprehend the magnitude  
of the ,faith which ,bah'u'llh has      
revealed1 and recognize the staggering  
weight of the claim ,he has  advanced4  
,no wonder if #8,abdu'l-,bah has        
portrayed in such lurid colors the      
fierceness of the agitation that shall  
center in the days to come round  the   
nascent institutions of the ,faith4 ,we 
can now but faintly discern the         
beginnings of that turmoil which the    
rise and ascendancy of the ,cause of    
,god is destined to cast in the world4  
,the ,greatest ,drama of the ,world's   
,spiritual ,history      ,whether in the
 ferocious and insidious campaign of    
repression and cruelty  which the rulers
 of ,russia have launched against the   
upholders of the  ,faith under their    
rule2 whether in the unyielding         
animosity with which the  ,shiites of   
,islm are trampling upon the sacred     

rights of the adherents of  the ,cause  
in connection with ,bah'u'llh's house in
 ,baghdd2 whether in  the impotent rage 
which has impelled the ecclesiastical   
leaders of the  ,sunnite sect of ,islm  
to expel our ,egyptian brethren from    
their midst--in  all of these we can    
perceive the manifestations of the      
relentless hate  which peoples1         
religions1 and governments entertain for
 so pure1 so  innocent1 so glorious a   
,faith4    ,ours is the duty to ponder  
these things in our heart1 to strive to 
widen  our vision1 and to deepen our    
comprehension of this ,cause1 and to    
arise1  resolutely and unreservedly1 to 
play our part1 however small1 in this   
greatest drama of the world's spiritual 
history4    ,your brother and co-worker1
  ,shoghi4    ,haifa1 ,palestine1       
,march #ba1 #aicj4            ,,the     
,,goal ,,of ,a ,,new ,,world ,,order    
,the ,goal of a ,new ,world ,order      
,fellow-believers in the ,faith of      
,bah'u'llh3    ,the inexorable march of 

recent events has carried humanity so   
near to the  goal foreshadowed by       
,bah'u'llh that no responsible follower 
of ,his  ,faith1 viewing on all sides   
the distressing evidences of the world's
  travail1 can remain unmoved at the    
thought of its approaching deliverance4 
,it would not seem inappropriate1 at a  
time when we are commemorating the      
world over the termination of the first 
decade since #8,abdu'l-,bah's sudden    
removal from our midst1 to ponder1 in   
the light of the teachings  bequeathed  
by ,him to the world1 such events as    
have tended to hasten the  gradual      
emergence of the ,world ,order          
anticipated by ,bah'u'llh4    ,ten years
 ago1 this very day1 there flashed upon 
the world the news of the  passing of   
,him ,who alone1 through the ennobling  
influence of ,his love1  strength and   
wisdom1 could have proved its stay and  
solace in the many  afflictions it was  
destined to suffer4    ,how well we1 the
 little band of ,his avowed supporters  

who lay claim to  have recognized the   
,light that shone within ,him1 can still
 remember ,his  repeated allusions1 in  
the evening of ,his earthly life1 to the
 tribulation  and turmoil with which an 
unregenerate humanity was to be         
increasingly  afflicted4 ,how poignantly
 some of us can recall ,his pregnant    
remarks1 in  the presence of the        
pilgrims and visitors who thronged ,his 
doors on the  morrow of the jubilant    
celebrations that greeted the           
termination of the  ,world ,war--a war1 
which by the horrors it evoked1 the     
losses it entailed  and the             
complications it engendered1 was        
destined to exert so far-reaching  an   
influence on the fortunes of mankind4   
,how serenely1 yet how powerfully1  ,he 
stressed the cruel deception which a    
,pact1 hailed by peoples and  nations as
 the embodiment of triumphant justice   
and the unfailing  instrument of an     
abiding peace1 held in store for an     
unrepented humanity4  ,peace1 ,peace1   

how often we heard ,him remark1 the lips
 of potentates and  peoples unceasingly 
proclaim1 whereas the fire of unquenched
 hatreds still  smoulders in their      
hearts4 ,how often we heard ,him raise  
,his voice1 whilst  the tumult of       
triumphant enthusiasm was still at its  
height and long  before the faintest    
misgivings could have been felt or      
expressed1  confidently declaring that  
the ,document1 extolled as the ,charter 
of a  liberated humanity1 contained     
within itself seeds of such bitter      
deception  as would further enslave the 
world4 ,how abundant are now the        
evidences  that attest the perspicacity 
of ,his unerring judgment6    ,ten years
 of unceasing turmoil1 so laden with    
anguish1 so fraught with  incalculable  
consequences to the future of           
civilization1 have brought the  world to
 the verge of a calamity too awful to   
contemplate4 ,sad indeed is  the        
contrast between the manifestations of  
confident enthusiasm in which  the      

,plenipotentiaries at ,versailles so    
freely indulged and the cry of          
unconcealed distress which victors and  
vanquished alike are now raising in  the
 hour of bitter delusion4          ,a   
,war-,weary ,world      ,neither the    
force which the framers and guarantors  
of the ,peace ,treaties  have mustered1 
nor the lofty ideals which originally   
animated the author  of the ,covenant of
 the ,league of ,nations1 have proved a 
sufficient bulwark  against the forces  
of internal disruption with which a     
structure so  laboriously contrived had 
been consistently assailed4 ,neither the
  provisions of the so-called           
,settlement which the victorious ,powers
 have  sought to impose1 nor the        
machinery of an institution which       
,america's  illustrious and far-seeing  
,president had conceived1 have proved1  
either in  conception or practice1      
adequate instruments to ensure the      
integrity of  the ,order they had       
striven to establish4 8,the ills from   

which the world  now suffers10 wrote    
#8,abdu'l-,bah in ,january1 #aibj1 8will
 multiply2 the  gloom which envelops it 
will deepen4 ,the ,balkans will remain  
discontented4  ,its restlessness will   
increase4 ,the vanquished ,powers will  
continue to  agitate4 ,they will resort 
to every measure that may rekindle the  
flame of  war4 ,movements1 newly-born   
and world-wide in their range1 will     
exert their  utmost effort for the      
advancement of their designs4 ,the      
,movement of the  ,left will acquire    
great importance4 ,its influence will   
spread40    ,economic distress1 since   
those words were written1 together with 
political  confusion1 financial         
upheavals1 religious restlessness and   
racial  animosities1 seem to have       
conspired to add immeasurably to the    
burdens  under which an impoverished1 a 
war-weary world is groaning4 ,such has  
been  the cumulative effect of these    
successive crises1 following one another
  with such bewildering rapidity1 that  

the very foundations of society are     
trembling4 ,the world1 to whichever     
continent we turn our gaze1 to however  
remote a region our survey may extend1  
is everywhere assailed by forces it  can
 neither explain nor control4           
,europe1 hitherto regarded as the cradle
 of a highly-vaunted civilization1  as  
the torch-bearer of liberty and the     
mainspring of the forces of world       
industry and commerce1 stands bewildered
 and paralyzed at the sight of so       
tremendous an upheaval4 ,long-cherished 
ideals in the political no less  than in
 the economic sphere of human activity  
are being severely tested  under the    
pressure of reactionary forces on one   
hand and of an insidious  and persistent
 radicalism on the other4 ,from the     
heart of ,asia distant  rumblings1      
ominous and insistent1 portend the      
steady onslaught of a creed  which1 by  
its negation of ,god1 ,his ,laws and    
,principles1 threatens to  disrupt the  
foundations of human society4 ,the      

clamor of a nascent  nationalism1       
coupled with a recrudescence of         
skepticism and unbelief1 come  as added 
misfortunes to a continent hitherto     
regarded as the symbol of  age-long     
stability and undisturbed resignation4  
,from darkest ,africa the  first        
stirrings of a conscious and determined 
revolt against the aims and  methods of 
political and economic imperialism can  
be increasingly  discerned1 adding their
 share to the growing vicissitudes of a 
troubled  age4 ,not even ,america1 which
 until very recently prided itself on   
its  traditional policy of aloofness and
 the self-contained character of its    
economy1 the invulnerability of its     
institutions and the evidences of its   
growing prosperity and prestige1 has    
been able to resist the impelling       
forces that have swept her into the     
vortex of an economic hurricane that    
now threatens to impair the basis of her
 own industrial and economic life4      
,even far-away ,australia1 which1 owing 

to its remoteness from the              
storm-centers of ,europe1 would have    
been expected to be immune from the     
trials and torments of an ailing        
continent1 has been caught in this      
whirlpool of passion and strife1        
impotent to extricate herself from their
  ensnaring influence4          ,the    
,signs of ,impending ,chaos      ,never 
indeed have there been such widespread  
and basic upheavals1 whether  in the    
social1 economic or political spheres of
 human activity as those  now going on  
in different parts of the world4 ,never 
have there been so  many and varied     
sources of danger as those that now     
threaten the structure  of society4 ,the
 following words of ,bah'u'llh are      
indeed significant as  we pause to      
reflect upon the present state of a     
strangely disordered  world3 8,how long 
will humanity persist in its            
waywardness8 ,how long will  injustice  
continue8 ,how long is chaos and        
confusion to reign amongst men8  ,how   

long will discord agitate the face of   
society8 ,the winds of despair  are1    
alas1 blowing from every direction1 and 
the strife that divides and  afflicts   
the human race is daily increasing4 ,the
 signs of impending  convulsions and    
chaos can now be discerned1 inasmuch as 
the prevailing  order appears to be     
lamentably defective40    ,the          
disquieting influence of over thirty    
million souls living under  minority    
conditions throughout the continent of  
,europe2 the vast and  ever-swelling    
army of the unemployed with its crushing
 burden and  demoralizing influence on  
governments and peoples2 the wicked1    
unbridled  race of armaments swallowing 
an ever-increasing share of the         
substance of  already impoverished      
nations2 the utter demoralization from  
which the  international financial      
markets are now increasingly suffering2 
the  onslaught of secularism invading   
what has hitherto been regarded as the  
impregnable strongholds of ,christian   

and ,muslim orthodoxy--these stand out  
as the gravest symptoms that bode ill   
for the future stability of the         
structure of modern civilization4       
,little wonder if one of ,europe's      
preminent thinkers1 honored for his     
wisdom and restraint1 should have  been 
forced to make so bold an assertion3    
8,the world is passing through  the     
gravest crisis in the history of        
civilization40 8,we stand10 writes      
another1 8before either a world         
catastrophe1 or perhaps before the dawn 
of  a greater era of truth and wisdom40 
8,it is in such times10 he adds1 8that  
religions have perished and are born40  
,might we not already discern1 as we    
scan the political horizon1 the         
alignment of those forces that are      
dividing afresh the continent of ,europe
  into camps of potential combatants1   
determined upon a contest that may      
mark1 unlike the last war1 the end of an
 epoch1 a vast epoch1 in the  history of
 human evolution8 ,are we1 the          

privileged custodians of a  priceless   
,faith1 called upon to witness a        
cataclysmical change1  politically as   
fundamental and spiritually as          
beneficent as that which  precipitated  
the fall of the ,roman ,empire in the   
,west8 ,might it not  happen--every     
vigilant adherent of the ,faith of      
,bah'u'llh might well  pause to         
reflect--that out of this world eruption
 there may stream forces  of such       
spiritual energy as shall recall1 nay   
eclipse1 the splendor of  those signs   
and wonders that accompanied the        
establishment of the ,faith of  ,jesus  
,christ8 ,might there not emerge out of 
the agony of a shaken world a  religious
 revival of such scope and power as to  
even transcend the potency  of those    
world-directing forces with which the   
,religions of the ,past have1  at fixed 
intervals and according to an           
inscrutable ,wisdom1 revived the        
fortunes of declining ages and peoples8 
,might not the bankruptcy of this       

present1 this highly-vaunted            
materialistic civilization1 in itself   
clear  away the choking weeds that now  
hinder the unfoldment and future        
efflorescence of ,god's struggling      
,faith8    ,let ,bah'u'llh ,himself shed
 the illumination of ,his words upon our
 path  as we steer our course amid the  
pitfalls and miseries of this troubled  
age4 ,more than fifty years ago1 in a   
world far removed from the ills and     
trials that now torment it1 there flowed
 from ,his ,pen these prophetic  words3 
8,the world is in travail and its       
agitation waxeth day by day4 ,its  face 
is turned towards waywardness and       
unbelief4 ,such shall be its plight     
that to disclose it now would not be    
meet and seemly4 ,its perversity will   
long continue4 ,and when the appointed  
hour is come1 there shall suddenly      
appear that which shall cause the limbs 
of mankind to quake4 ,then and only     
then will the ,divine ,standard be      
unfurled and the ,nightingale of        

,paradise  warble its melody40          
,the ,impotence of ,statesmanship       
,dearly-beloved friends6 ,humanity1     
whether viewed in the light of man's    
individual conduct or in the existing   
relationships between organized         
communities and nations1 has1 alas1     
strayed too far and suffered too great  
a decline to be redeemed through the    
unaided efforts of the best among its   
recognized rulers and statesmen--however
 disinterested their motives1  however  
concerted their action1 however         
unsparing in their zeal and  devotion to
 its cause4 ,no scheme which the        
calculations of the highest             
statesmanship may yet devise2 no        
doctrine which the most distinguished   
exponents of economic theory may hope to
 advance2 no principle which the  most  
ardent of moralists may strive to       
inculcate1 can provide1 in the last     
resort1 adequate foundations upon which 
the future of a distracted world  can be
 built4 ,no appeal for mutual tolerance 

which the worldly-wise might  raise1    
however compelling and insistent1 can   
calm its passions or help  restore its  
vigor4 ,nor would any general scheme of 
mere organized  international           
coperation1 in whatever sphere of human 
activity1 however  ingenious in         
conception1 or extensive in scope1      
succeed in removing the  root cause of  
the evil that has so rudely upset the   
equilibrium of  present-day society4    
,not even1 ,i venture to assert1 would  
the very act of  devising the machinery 
required for the political and economic 
unification  of the world--a principle  
that has been increasingly advocated in 
recent  times--provide in itself the    
antidote against the poison that is     
steadily  undermining the vigor of      
organized peoples and nations4 ,what    
else1 might  we not confidently affirm1 
but the unreserved acceptance of the    
,divine  ,program enunciated1 with such 
simplicity and force as far back as     
sixty  years ago1 by ,bah'u'llh1        

embodying in its essentials ,god's      
divinely  appointed scheme for the      
unification of mankind in this age1     
coupled with  an indomitable conviction 
in the unfailing efficacy of each and   
all of its  provisions1 is eventually   
capable of withstanding the forces of   
internal  disintegration which1 if      
unchecked1 must needs continue to eat   
into the  vitals of a despairing        
society4 ,it is towards this goal--the  
goal of a new  ,world ,order1 ,divine in
 origin1 all-embracing in scope1        
equitable in  principle1 challenging in 
its features--that a harassed humanity  
must  strive4    ,to claim to have      
grasped all the implications of         
,bah'u'llh's prodigious  scheme for     
world-wide human solidarity1 or to have 
fathomed its import1  would be          
presumptuous on the part of even the    
declared supporters of ,his  ,faith4 ,to
 attempt to visualize it in all its     
possibilities1 to estimate  its future  
benefits1 to picture its glory1 would be

 premature at even so  advanced a stage 
in the evolution of mankind4            
,the ,guiding ,principles of ,world     
,order      ,all we can reasonably      
venture to attempt is to strive to      
obtain a glimpse  of the first streaks  
of the promised ,dawn that must1 in the 
fullness of  time1 chase away the gloom 
that has encircled humanity4 ,all we can
 do is  to point out1 in their broadest 
outlines1 what appear to us to be the   
guiding principles underlying the ,world
 ,order of ,bah'u'llh1 as amplified  and
 enunciated by #8,abdu'l-,bah1 the      
,center of ,his ,covenant with all      
mankind and the appointed ,interpreter  
and ,expounder of ,his ,word4    ,that  
the unrest and suffering afflicting the 
mass of mankind are in no  small measure
 the direct consequences of the ,world  
,war and are  attributable to the       
unwisdom and shortsightedness of the    
framers of the  ,peace ,treaties only a 
biased mind can refuse to admit4 ,that  
the financial  obligations contracted in

 the course of the war1 as well as the  
imposition  of a staggering burden of   
reparations upon the vanquished1 have1  
to a very  great extent1 been           
responsible for the maldistribution and 
consequent  shortage of the world's     
monetary gold supply1 which in turn has1
 to a very  great measure1 accentuated  
the phenomenal fall in prices and       
thereby  relentlessly increased the     
burdens of impoverished countries1 no   
impartial  mind would question4 ,that   
inter-governmental debts have imposed a 
severe  strain on the masses of the     
people in ,europe1 have upset the       
equilibrium  of national budgets1 have  
crippled national industries1 and led to
 an  increase in the number of the      
unemployed1 is no less apparent to an   
unprejudiced observer4 ,that the spirit 
of vindictiveness1 of suspicion1 of     
fear and rivalry1 engendered by the war1
 and which the provisions of the  ,peace
 ,treaties have served to perpetuate and
 foster1 has led to an  enormous        

increase of national competitive        
armaments1 involving during the  last   
year the aggregate expenditure of no    
less than a thousand million  pounds1   
which in turn has accentuated the       
effects of the world-wide  depression1  
is a truth that even the most           
superficial observer will  readily      
admit4 ,that a narrow and brutal        
nationalism1 which the post-war  theory 
of self-determination has served to     
reinforce1 has been chiefly  responsible
 for the policy of high and prohibitive 
tariffs1 so injurious  to the healthy   
flow of international trade and to the  
mechanism of  international finance1 is 
a fact which few would venture to       
dispute4    ,it would be idle1 however1 
to contend that the war1 with all the   
losses it  involved1 the passions it    
aroused and the grievances it left      
behind1 has  solely been responsible for
 the unprecedented confusion into which 
almost  every section of the civilized  
world is plunged at present4 ,is it not 

a  fact--and this is the central idea ,i
 desire to emphasize--that the          
fundamental cause of this world unrest  
is attributable1 not so much to the     
consequences of what must sooner or     
later come to be regarded as a          
transitory dislocation in the affairs of
 a continually changing world1 but      
rather to the failure of those into     
whose hands the immediate destinies of  
peoples and nations have been committed1
 to adjust their system of  economic and
 political institutions to the          
imperative needs of a rapidly  evolving 
age8 ,are not these intermittent crises 
that convulse present-day  society due  
primarily to the lamentable inability of
 the world's  recognized leaders to read
 aright the signs of the times1 to rid  
themselves once for all of their        
preconceived ideas and fettering creeds1
  and to reshape the machinery of their 
respective governments according to     
those standards that are implicit in    
,bah'u'llh's supreme declaration of  the

 ,oneness of ,mankind--the chief and    
distinguishing feature of the ,faith    
,he proclaimed8 ,for the principle of   
the ,oneness of ,mankind1 the           
cornerstone of ,bah'u'llh's             
world-embracing dominion1 implies       
nothing  more nor less than the         
enforcement of ,his scheme for the      
unification of  the world--the scheme to
 which we have already referred4 8,in   
every  ,dispensation10 writes           
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 8the light of ,divine   
,guidance has been  focussed upon one   
central theme4444 ,in this wondrous     
,revelation1 this  glorious century1 the
 foundation of the ,faith of ,god and   
the  distinguishing feature of ,his ,law
 is the consciousness of the ,oneness of
  ,mankind40    ,how pathetic indeed are
 the efforts of those leaders of human  
institutions  who1 in utter disregard of
 the spirit of the age1 are striving to 
adjust  national processes1 suited to   
the ancient days of self-contained      
nations1  to an age which must either   

achieve the unity of the world1 as      
adumbrated  by ,bah'u'llh1 or perish4   
,at so critical an hour in the history  
of  civilization it behooves the leaders
 of all the nations of the world1  great
 and small1 whether in the ,east or in  
the ,west1 whether victors or           
vanquished1 to give heed to the clarion 
call of ,bah'u'llh and1  thoroughly     
imbued with a sense of world solidarity1
 the sine qu non of  loyalty to ,his    
,cause1 arise manfully to carry out in  
its entirety the one  remedial scheme   
,he1 the ,divine ,physician1 has        
prescribed for an ailing  humanity4 ,let
 them discard1 once for all1 every      
preconceived idea1 every  national      
prejudice1 and give heed to the sublime 
counsel of #8,abdu'l-,bah1  the         
authorized ,expounder of ,his teachings4
 ,you can best serve your  country1 was 
#8,abdu'l-,bah's rejoinder to a high    
official in the service of  the federal 
government of the ,united ,states of    
,america1 who had questioned  ,him as to

 the best manner in which he could      
promote the interests of his  government
 and people1 if you strive1 in your     
capacity as a citizen of the  world1 to 
assist in the eventual application of   
the principle of  federalism underlying 
the government of your own country to   
the  relationships now existing between 
the peoples and nations of the world4   
,in ,the ,secret of ,divine             
,civilization 7,the ,mysterious ,forces 
of  ,civilization71 #8,abdu'l-,bah's    
outstanding contribution to the future  
reorganization of the world1 we read the
 following3    8,true civilization will 
unfurl its banner in the midmost heart  
of the  world whenever a certain number 
of its distinguished and high-minded    
sovereigns--the shining exemplars of    
devotion and determination--shall1 for  
the good and happiness of all mankind1  
arise1 with firm resolve and clear      
vision1 to establish the ,cause of      
,universal ,peace4 ,they must make the  
,cause of ,peace the object of general  

consultation1 and seek by every means   
in their power to establish a ,union of 
the nations of the world4 ,they must    
conclude a binding treaty and establish 
a covenant1 the provisions of  which    
shall be sound1 inviolable and definite4
 ,they must proclaim it to  all the     
world and obtain for it the sanction of 
all the human race4 ,this  supreme and  
noble undertaking--the real source of   
the peace and well-being  of all the    
world--should be regarded as sacred by  
all that dwell on earth4  ,all the      
forces of humanity must be mobilized to 
ensure the stability and  permanence of 
this ,most ,great ,covenant4 ,in this   
all-embracing ,pact the  limits and     
frontiers of each and every nation      
should be clearly fixed1 the  principles
 underlying the relations of governments
 towards one another  definitely laid   
down1 and all international agreements  
and obligations  ascertained4 ,in like  
manner1 the size of the armaments of    
every government  should be strictly    

limited1 for if the preparations for war
 and the  military forces of any nation 
should be allowed to increase1 they will
  arouse the suspicion of others4 ,the  
fundamental principle underlying this   
solemn ,pact should be so fixed that if 
any government later violate any  one of
 its provisions1 all the governments on 
earth should arise to reduce  it to     
utter submission1 nay the human race as 
a whole should resolve1 with  every     
power at its disposal1 to destroy that  
government4 ,should this  greatest of   
all remedies be applied to the sick body
 of the world1 it will  assuredly       
recover from its ills and will remain   
eternally safe and  secure40    8,a     
few10 ,he further adds1 8unaware of the 
power latent in human endeavor1         
consider this matter as highly          
impracticable1 nay even beyond the scope
 of  man's utmost efforts4 ,such is not 
the case1 however4 ,on the contrary1    
thanks to the unfailing grace of ,god1  
the loving-kindness of ,his favored     

ones1 the unrivaled endeavors of wise   
and capable souls1 and the thoughts  and
 ideas of the peerless leaders of this  
age1 nothing whatsoever can be  regarded
 as unattainable4 ,endeavor1 ceaseless  
endeavor1 is required4  ,nothing short  
of an indomitable determination can     
possibly achieve it4  ,many a cause     
which past ages have regarded as purely 
visionary1 yet in  this day has become  
most easy and practicable4 ,why should  
this most great  and lofty ,cause--the  
day-star of the firmament of true       
civilization and the  cause of the      
glory1 the advancement1 the well-being  
and the success of all  humanity--be    
regarded as impossible of achievement8  
,surely the day will  come when its     
beauteous light shall shed illumination 
upon the assemblage  of man40           
,seven ,lights of ,unity      ,in one of
 ,his ,tablets #8,abdu'l-,bah1          
elucidating further ,his noble theme1   
reveals the following3    8,in cycles   
gone by1 though harmony was established1

 yet1 owing to the  absence of means1   
the unity of all mankind could not have 
been achieved4  ,continents remained    
widely divided1 nay even among the      
peoples of one and  the same continent  
association and interchange of thought  
were well nigh  impossible4             
,consequently intercourse1 understanding
 and unity amongst all  the peoples and 
kindreds of the earth were unattainable4
 ,in this day1  however1 means of       
communication have multiplied1 and the  
five continents  of the earth have      
virtually merged into one4444 ,in like  
manner all the  members of the human    
family1 whether peoples or governments1 
cities or  villages1 have become        
increasingly interdependent4 ,for none  
is  self-sufficiency any longer         
possible1 inasmuch as political ties    
unite all  peoples and nations1 and the 
bonds of trade and industry1 of         
agriculture  and education1 are being   
strengthened every day4 ,hence the unity
 of all  mankind can in this day be     

achieved4 ,verily this is none other but
 one of  the wonders of this wondrous   
age1 this glorious century4 ,of this    
past ages  have been deprived1 for this 
century--the century of light--has been 
endowed  with unique and unprecedented  
glory1 power and illumination4 ,hence   
the  miraculous unfolding of a fresh    
marvel every day4 ,eventually it will be
  seen how bright its candles will burn 
in the assemblage of man4    8,behold   
how its light is now dawning upon the   
world's darkened horizon4  ,the first   
candle is unity in the political realm1 
the early glimmerings of  which can now 
be discerned4 ,the second candle is     
unity of thought in world  undertakings1
 the consummation of which will ere long
 be witnessed4 ,the  third candle is    
unity in freedom which will surely come 
to pass4 ,the  fourth candle is unity in
 religion which is the corner-stone of  
the  foundation itself1 and which1 by   
the power of ,god1 will be revealed in  
all  its splendor4 ,the fifth candle is 

the unity of nations--a unity which in  
this century will be securely           
established1 causing all the peoples of 
the  world to regard themselves as      
citizens of one common fatherland4 ,the 
sixth  candle is unity of races1 making 
of all that dwell on earth peoples and  
kindreds of one race4 ,the seventh      
candle is unity of language1 i4e41 the  
choice of a universal tongue in which   
all peoples will be instructed and      
converse4 ,each and every one of these  
will inevitably come to pass1  inasmuch 
as the power of the ,kingdom of ,god    
will aid and assist in their            
realization40          ,a ,world        
,super-,state      ,over sixty years    
ago1 in ,his ,tablet to ,queen          
,victoria1 ,bah'u'llh1  addressing 8the 
concourse of the rulers of the earth10  
revealed the  following3    8,take ye   
counsel together1 and let your concern  
be only for that which  profiteth       
mankind and bettereth the condition     
thereof4444 ,regard the world  as the   

human body which1 though created whole  
and perfect1 has been  afflicted1       
through divers causes1 with grave ills  
and maladies4 ,not for  one day did it  
rest1 nay its sicknesses waxed more     
severe1 as it fell  under the treatment 
of unskilled physicians who have spurred
 on the steed  of their worldly desires 
and have erred grievously4 ,and if at   
one time1  through the care of an able  
physician1 a member of that body was    
healed1  the rest remained afflicted as 
before4 ,thus informeth you the         
,all-,knowing1  the ,all-,wise4444 ,that
 which the ,lord hath ordained as the   
sovereign remedy  and mightiest         
instrument for the healing of all the   
world is the union of  all its peoples  
in one universal ,cause1 one common     
,faith4 ,this can in no  wise be        
achieved except through the power of a  
skilled1 an all-powerful  and inspired  
,physician4 ,this verily is the truth1  
and all else naught but  error40    ,in 
a further passage ,bah'u'llh adds these 

words3 8,we see you adding  every year  
unto your expenditures and laying the   
burden thereof on the  people whom ye   
rule2 this verily is naught but grievous
 injustice4 ,fear  the sighs and tears  
of this ,wronged ,one1 and burden not   
your peoples  beyond that which they can
 endure4444 ,be reconciled among        
yourselves1 that  ye may need armaments 
no more save in a measure to safeguard  
your  territories and dominions4 ,be    
united1 ,o concourse of the sovereigns  
of the  world1 for thereby will the     
tempest of discord be stilled amongst   
you and  your peoples find rest4 ,should
 any one among you take up arms against 
another1 rise ye all against him1 for   
this is naught but manifest  justice40  
,what else could these weighty words    
signify if they did not point to the    
inevitable curtailment of unfettered    
national sovereignty as an              
indispensable preliminary to the        
formation of the future ,commonwealth of
  all the nations of the world8 ,some   

form of a world super-state must needs  
be evolved1 in whose favor all the      
nations of the world will have          
willingly ceded every claim to make war1
 certain rights to impose taxation  and 
all rights to maintain armaments1 except
 for purposes of maintaining  internal  
order within their respective dominions4
 ,such a state will have  to include    
within its orbit an international       
executive adequate to enforce  supreme  
and unchallengeable authority on every  
recalcitrant member of the              
commonwealth2 a world parliament whose  
members shall be elected by the  people 
in their respective countries and whose 
election shall be confirmed  by their   
respective governments2 and a supreme   
tribunal whose judgment  will have a    
binding effect even in such cases where 
the parties concerned  did not          
voluntarily agree to submit their case  
to its consideration4 ,a  world         
community in which all economic barriers
 will have been permanently  demolished 

and the interdependence of ,capital and 
,labor definitely  recognized2 in which 
the clamor of religious fanaticism and  
strife will  have been forever stilled2 
in which the flame of racial animosity  
will  have been finally extinguished2 in
 which a single code of international   
law--the product of the considered      
judgment of the world's federated       
representatives--shall have as its      
sanction the instant and coercive       
intervention of the combined forces of  
the federated units2 and finally a      
world community in which the fury of a  
capricious and militant nationalism     
will have been transmuted into an       
abiding consciousness of world          
citizenship--such indeed1 appears1 in   
its broadest outline1 the ,order        
anticipated by ,bah'u'llh1 an ,order    
that shall come to be regarded as the   
fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age4 
8,the ,tabernacle of ,unity10 ,bah'u'llh
 proclaims in ,his message to all       
mankind1 8has been raised2 regard ye not

 one another as strangers4444 ,of  one  
tree are all ye the fruit and of one    
bough the leaves4444 ,the world is  but 
one country and mankind its citizens4444
 ,let not a man glory in that  he loves 
his country2 let him rather glory in    
this1 that he loves his  kind40         
,unity in ,diversity      ,let there be 
no misgivings as to the animating       
purpose of the world-wide  ,law of      
,bah'u'llh4 ,far from aiming at the     
subversion of the existing  foundations 
of society1 it seeks to broaden its     
basis1 to remold its  institutions in a 
manner consonant with the needs of an   
ever-changing  world4 ,it can conflict  
with no legitimate allegiances1 nor can 
it  undermine essential loyalties4 ,its 
purpose is neither to stifle the flame  
of a sane and intelligent patriotism in 
men's hearts1 nor to abolish the  system
 of national autonomy so essential if   
the evils of excessive  centralization  
are to be avoided4 ,it does not ignore1 
nor does it attempt  to suppress1 the   

diversity of ethnical origins1 of       
climate1 of history1 of  language and   
tradition1 of thought and habit1 that   
differentiate the  peoples and nations  
of the world4 ,it calls for a wider     
loyalty1 for a  larger aspiration than  
any that has animated the human race4   
,it insists  upon the subordination of  
national impulses and interests to the  
imperative claims of a unified world4   
,it repudiates excessive  centralization
 on one hand1 and disclaims all attempts
 at uniformity on  the other4 ,its      
watchword is unity in diversity such as 
#8,abdu'l-,bah  ,himself has explained3 
8,consider the flowers of a garden4     
,though differing in kind1 color1 form  
and shape1 yet1 inasmuch as they are    
refreshed by the waters of one  spring1 
revived by the breath of one wind1      
invigorated by the rays of one  sun1    
this diversity increaseth their charm   
and addeth unto their beauty4  ,how     
unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers
 and plants1 the leaves and  blossoms1  

the fruit1 the branches and the trees of
 that garden were all of  the same shape
 and color6 ,diversity of hues1 form and
 shape enricheth and  adorneth the      
garden1 and heighteneth the effect      
thereof4 ,in like manner1  when divers  
shades of thought1 temperament and      
character1 are brought  together under  
the power and influence of one central  
agency1 the beauty  and glory of human  
perfection will be revealed and made    
manifest4 ,naught  but the celestial    
potency of the ,word of ,god1 which     
ruleth and  transcendeth the realities  
of all things1 is capable of harmonizing
 the  divergent thoughts1 sentiments1   
ideas and convictions of the children of
  men40    ,the call of ,bah'u'llh is   
primarily directed against all forms of 
provincialism1 all insularities and     
prejudices4 ,if long-cherished ideals   
and time-honored institutions1 if       
certain social assumptions and religious
  formulae have ceased to promote the   
welfare of the generality of mankind1   

if they no longer minister to the needs 
of a continually evolving  humanity1 let
 them be swept away and relegated to the
 limbo of obsolescent  and forgotten    
doctrines4 ,why should these1 in a world
 subject to the  immutable law of change
 and decay1 be exempt from the          
deterioration that  must needs overtake 
every human institution8 ,for legal     
standards1  political and economic      
theories are solely designed to         
safeguard the  interests of humanity as 
a whole1 and not humanity to be         
crucified for the  preservation of the  
integrity of any particular law or      
doctrine4          ,the ,principle of   
,oneness      ,let there be no mistake4 
,the principle of the ,oneness of       
,mankind--the pivot  round which all the
 teachings of ,bah'u'llh revolve --is no
 mere outburst  of ignorant emotionalism
 or an expression of vague and pious    
hope4 ,its  appeal is not to be merely  
identified with a reawakening of the    
spirit of  brotherhood and good-will    

among men1 nor does it aim solely at the
  fostering of harmonious coperation    
among individual peoples and nations4   
,its implications are deeper1 its claims
 greater than any which the  ,prophets  
of old were allowed to advance4 ,its    
message is applicable not  only to the  
individual1 but concerns itself         
primarily with the nature of  those     
essential relationships that must bind  
all the states and nations as  members  
of one human family4 ,it does not       
constitute merely the enunciation  of an
 ideal1 but stands inseparably          
associated with an institution  adequate
 to embody its truth1 demonstrate its   
validity1 and perpetuate its  influence4
 ,it implies an organic change in the   
structure of present-day  society1 a    
change such as the world has not yet    
experienced4 ,it  constitutes a         
challenge1 at once bold and universal1  
to outworn  shibboleths of national     
creeds--creeds that have had their day  
and which  must1 in the ordinary course 

of events as shaped and controlled by   
,providence1 give way to a new gospel1  
fundamentally different from1 and       
infinitely superior to1 what the world  
has already conceived4 ,it calls for  no
 less than the reconstruction and the   
demilitarization of the whole  civilized
 world--a world organically unified in  
all the essential aspects  of its life1 
its political machinery1 its spiritual  
aspiration1 its trade  and finance1 its 
script and language1 and yet infinite in
 the diversity of  the national         
characteristics of its federated units4 
,it represents the consummation of human
 evolution--an evolution that has  had  
its earliest beginnings in the birth of 
family life1 its subsequent  development
 in the achievement of tribal           
solidarity1 leading in turn to  the     
constitution of the city-state1 and     
expanding later into the  institution of
 independent and sovereign nations4     
,the principle of the ,oneness of       
,mankind1 as proclaimed by ,bah'u'llh1  

carries with it no more and no less than
 a solemn assertion that  attainment to 
this final stage in this stupendous     
evolution is not only  necessary but    
inevitable1 that its realization is fast
 approaching1 and  that nothing short of
 a power that is born of ,god can       
succeed in  establishing it4    ,so     
marvellous a conception finds its       
earliest manifestations in the  efforts 
consciously exerted and the modest      
beginnings already achieved by  the     
declared adherents of the ,faith of     
,bah'u'llh who1 conscious of the        
sublimity of their calling and initiated
 into the ennobling principles of  ,his 
,administration1 are forging ahead to   
establish ,his ,kingdom on this  earth4 
,it has its indirect manifestations in  
the gradual diffusion of the  spirit of 
world solidarity which is spontaneously 
arising out of the  welter of a         
disorganized society4    ,it would be   
stimulating to follow the history of the
 growth and  development of this lofty  

conception which must increasingly      
engage the  attention of the responsible
 custodians of the destinies of peoples 
and  nations4 ,to the states and        
principalities just emerging from the   
welter of  the great ,napoleonic        
upheaval1 whose chief preoccupation was 
either to  recover their rights to an   
independent existence or to achieve     
their  national unity1 the conception of
 world solidarity seemed not only remote
  but inconceivable4 ,it was not until  
the forces of nationalism had  succeeded
 in overthrowing the foundations of the 
,holy ,alliance that had  sought to curb
 their rising power1 that the           
possibility of a world order1           
transcending in its range the political 
institutions these nations had          
established1 came to be seriously       
entertained4 ,it was not until after the
  ,world ,war that these exponents of   
arrogant nationalism came to regard such
  an order as the object of a pernicious
 doctrine tending to sap that  essential

 loyalty upon which the continued       
existence of their national  life       
depended4 ,with a vigor that recalled   
the energy with which the  members of   
the ,holy ,alliance sought to stifle the
 spirit of a rising  nationalism among  
the peoples liberated from the          
,napoleonic yoke1 these  champions of an
 unfettered national sovereignty1 in    
their turn1 have  labored and are still 
laboring to discredit principles upon   
which their  own salvation must         
ultimately depend4    ,the fierce       
opposition which greeted the abortive   
scheme of the ,geneva  ,protocol2 the   
ridicule poured upon the proposal for a 
,united ,states of  ,europe which was   
subsequently advanced1 and the failure  
of the general  scheme for the economic 
union of ,europe1 may appear as setbacks
 to the  efforts which a handful of     
foresighted people are earnestly        
exerting to  advance this noble ideal4  
,and yet1 are we not justified in       
deriving fresh  encouragement when we   

observe that the very consideration of  
such  proposals is in itself an evidence
 of their steady growth in the minds and
  hearts of men8 ,in the organized      
attempts that are being made to         
discredit  so exalted a conception are  
we not witnessing the repetition1 on a  
larger  scale1 of those stirring        
struggles and fierce controversies that 
preceded  the birth1 and assisted in the
 reconstruction1 of the unified nations 
of  the ,west8          ,the ,federation
 of ,mankind      ,to take but one      
instance4 ,how confident were the       
assertions made in the  days preceding  
the unification of the states of the    
,north ,american  continent regarding   
the insuperable barriers that stood in  
the way of  their ultimate federation6  
,was it not widely and emphatically     
declared  that the conflicting          
interests1 the mutual distrust1 the     
differences of  government and habit    
that divided the states were such as no 
force1  whether spiritual or temporal1  

could ever hope to harmonize or control8
  ,and yet how different were the       
conditions prevailing a hundred and     
fifty  years ago from those that        
characterize present-day society6 ,it   
would  indeed be no exaggeration to say 
that the absence of those facilities    
which modern scientific progress has    
placed at the service of humanity in    
our time made of the problem of welding 
the ,american states into a single      
federation1 similar though they were in 
certain traditions1 a task  infinitely  
more complex than that which confronts a
 divided humanity in  its efforts to    
achieve the unification of all mankind4 
,who knows that for so exalted a        
conception to take shape a suffering    
more  intense than any it has yet       
experienced will have to be inflicted   
upon  humanity8 ,could anything less    
than the fire of a civil war with all   
its  violence and vicissitudes--a war   
that nearly rent the great ,american    
,republic--have welded the states1 not  

only into a ,union of independent       
units1 but into a ,nation1 in spite of  
all the ethnic differences that         
characterized its component parts8 ,that
 so fundamental a revolution1  involving
 such far-reaching changes in the       
structure of society1 can be  achieved  
through the ordinary processes of       
diplomacy and education seems  highly   
improbable4 ,we have but to turn our    
gaze to humanity's  blood-stained       
history to realize that nothing short of
 intense mental as  well as physical    
agony has been able to precipitate those
 epoch-making  changes that constitute  
the greatest landmarks in the history of
 human  civilization4          ,the     
,fire of ,ordeal      ,great and        
far-reaching as have been those changes 
in the past1 they cannot  appear1 when  
viewed in their proper perspective1     
except as subsidiary  adjustments       
preluding that transformation of        
unparalleled majesty and  scope which   
humanity is in this age bound to        

undergo4 ,that the forces of a  world   
catastrophe can alone precipitate such a
 new phase of human thought  is1 alas1  
becoming increasingly apparent4 ,that   
nothing short of the fire  of a severe  
ordeal1 unparalleled in its intensity1  
can fuse and weld the  discordant       
entities that constitute the elements of
 present-day  civilization1 into the    
integral components of the world        
commonwealth of  the future1 is a truth 
which future events will increasingly   
demonstrate4    ,the prophetic voice of 
,bah'u'llh warning1 in the concluding   
passages of  the ,hidden ,words1 8the   
peoples of the world0 that 8an          
unforeseen calamity  is following them  
and that grievous retribution awaiteth  
them0 throws  indeed a lurid light upon 
the immediate fortunes of sorrowing     
humanity4  ,nothing but a fiery ordeal1 
out of which humanity will emerge1      
chastened  and prepared1 can succeed in 
implanting that sense of responsibility 
which  the leaders of a new-born age    

must arise to shoulder4    ,i would     
again direct your attention to those    
ominous words of ,bah'u'llh  which ,i   
have already quoted3 8,and when the     
appointed hour is come1 there  shall    
suddenly appear that which shall cause  
the limbs of mankind to  quake40    ,has
 not #8,abdu'l-,bah ,himself asserted in
 unequivocal language that  8another    
war1 fiercer than the last1 will        
assuredly break out08    ,upon the      
consummation of this colossal1 this     
unspeakably glorious  enterprise--an    
enterprise that baffled the resources of
 ,roman statesmanship  and which        
,napoleon's desperate efforts failed to 
achieve--will depend the  ultimate      
realization of that millennium of which 
poets of all ages have  sung and seers  
have long dreamed4 ,upon it will depend 
the fulfillment of  the prophecies      
uttered by the ,prophets of old when    
swords shall be beaten  into            
ploughshares and the lion and the lamb  
lie down together4 ,it alone  can usher 

in the ,kingdom of the ,heavenly ,father
 as anticipated by the  ,faith of ,jesus
 ,christ4 ,it alone can lay the         
foundation for the ,new ,world  ,order  
visualized by ,bah'u'llh--a ,world      
,order that shall reflect1 however      
dimly1 upon this earthly plane1 the     
ineffable splendors of the ,abh         
,kingdom4    ,one word more in          
conclusion4 ,the proclamation of the    
,oneness of  ,mankind--the head         
corner-stone of ,bah'u'llh's            
all-embracing dominion--can  under no   
circumstances be compared with such     
expressions of pious hope as  have been 
uttered in the past4 ,his is not merely 
a call which ,he raised1  alone and     
unaided1 in the face of the relentless  
and combined opposition  of two of the  
most powerful ,oriental potentates of   
,his day--while ,himself  an exile and  
prisoner in their hands4 ,it implies at 
once a warning and a  promise--a warning
 that in it lies the sole means for the 
salvation of a  greatly suffering world1

 a promise that its realization is at   
hand4    ,uttered at a time when its    
possibility had not yet been seriously  
envisaged in any part of the world1 it  
has1 by virtue of that celestial        
potency which the ,spirit of ,bah'u'llh 
has breathed into it1 come at last  to  
be regarded1 by an increasing number of 
thoughtful men1 not only as an          
approaching possibility1 but as the     
necessary outcome of the forces now     
operating in the world4          ,the   
,mouthpiece of ,god      ,surely the    
world1 contracted and transformed into a
 single highly complex  organism by the 
marvellous progress achieved in the     
realm of physical  science1 by the      
world-wide expansion of commerce and    
industry1 and  struggling1 under the    
pressure of world economic forces1      
amidst the  pitfalls of a materialistic 
civilization1 stands in dire need of a  
restatement of the ,truth underlying all
 the ,revelations of the past in a      
language suited to its essential        

requirements4 ,and what voice other than
  that of ,bah'u'llh--the ,mouthpiece of
 ,god for this age--is capable of       
effecting a transformation of society as
 radical as that which ,he has  already 
accomplished in the hearts of those men 
and women1 so diversified  and seemingly
 irreconcilable1 who constitute the body
 of ,his declared  followers throughout 
the world8    ,that such a mighty       
conception is fast budding out in the   
minds of men1  that voices are being    
raised in its support1 that its salient 
features  must fast crystallize in the  
consciousness of those who are in       
authority1  few indeed can doubt4 ,that 
its modest beginnings have already taken
 shape  in the world-wide               
,administration with which the adherents
 of the ,faith of  ,bah'u'llh stand     
associated only those whose hearts are  
tainted by  prejudice can fail to       
perceive4    ,ours1 dearly-beloved      
co-workers1 is the paramount duty to    
continue1 with  undimmed vision and     

unabated zeal1 to assist in the final   
erection of that  ,edifice the          
foundations of which ,bah'u'llh has laid
 in our hearts1 to  derive added hope   
and strength from the general trend of  
recent events1  however dark their      
immediate effects1 and to pray with     
unremitting fervor  that ,he may hasten 
the approach of the realization of that 
,wondrous ,vision  which constitutes the
 brightest emanation of ,his ,mind and  
the fairest  fruit of the fairest       
civilization the world has yet seen4    
,might not the hundredth anniversary of 
the ,declaration of the ,faith of       
,bah'u'llh mark the inauguration of so  
vast an era in human history8    ,your  
true brother1  ,,shoghi    ,haifa1      
,palestine1  ,november #bh1 #aica       
,,the ,,golden ,,age ,,of ,,the ,,cause 
,,of ,,bah',u',,ll,h          ,the      
,golden ,age of the ,cause of ,bah'u'llh
      ,to the beloved of ,god and the   
handmaids of the ,merciful throughout   
the  ,united ,states and ,canada4       

,friends and fellow-defenders of the    
,faith of ,bah'u'llh3    ,significant as
 have been the changes that have lately 
overtaken a swiftly  awakening humanity 
at this transitional phase of its       
checkered history1  the steady          
consolidation of the institutions which 
the administrators of  the ,faith of    
,bah'u'llh are1 in every land1 toiling  
to establish should  appear no less     
remarkable to even those who are as yet 
imperfectly  acquainted with the        
obstacles they have had to surmount or  
the meagre  resources on which they     
could rely4    ,that a ,faith which1 ten
 years ago1 was severely shaken by the  
sudden  removal of an incomparable      
,master should have1 in the face of     
tremendous  obstacles1 maintained its   
unity1 resisted the malignant onslaught 
of its  ill-wishers1 silenced its       
calumniators1 broadened the basis of its
  far-flung administration1 and raised  
upon it institutions symbolizing its    
ideals of worship and service1 should be

 deemed sufficient evidence of the      
invincible power with which the         
,almighty has chosen to invest it from  
the  moment of its inception4    ,that  
the ,cause associated with the name of  
,bah'u'llh feeds itself upon  those     
hidden springs of celestial strength    
which no force of human  personality1   
whatever its glamour1 can replace2 that 
its reliance is  solely upon that mystic
 ,source with which no worldly          
advantage1 be it  wealth1 fame1 or      
learning can compare2 that it propagates
 itself by ways  mysterious and utterly 
at variance with the standards accepted 
by the  generality of mankind1 will1 if 
not already apparent1 become            
increasingly  manifest as it forges     
ahead towards fresh conquests in its    
struggle for  the spiritual regeneration
 of mankind4    ,indeed1 how could it1  
unsupported as it has ever been by the  
counsels and  the resources of the wise1
 the rich1 and the learned in the land  
of its  birth1 have succeeded in        

breaking asunder the shackles that      
weighed upon  it at the hour of its     
birth1 in emerging unscathed from the   
storms that  agitated its infancy1 had  
not its animating breath been quickened 
by that  spirit which is born of ,god1  
and on which all success1 wherever and  
however it be sought1 must ultimately   
depend8    ,it is not necessary for me  
to recall1 even in their briefest       
outline1 the  heart-rending details of  
that appalling tragedy which marked the 
birth-pangs of our beloved ,faith1      
enacted in a land notorious for its     
unrestrained fanaticisms1 its crass     
ignorance1 its unbridled cruelty4 ,nor  
do ,i need to expatiate on the valor1   
the sublime fortitude1 that defied  the 
cruel torture-mongers of that race1 or  
stress the number1 or emphasize  the    
purity of the lives1 of those who died  
willingly that their ,cause  might live 
and prosper4 ,nor is it necessary to    
dwell upon the indignation  which those 
atrocities evoked1 and the feelings of  

unqualified admiration  that surged1 in 
the breasts of countless men and women1 
in regions remote  from the scene of    
those indescribable cruelties4 ,suffice 
it to say that  upon these heroes of    
,bah'u'llh's native land was bestowed   
the  inestimable privilege of sealing   
with their life-blood the early triumphs
  of their cherished ,faith1 and of     
paving the way for its approaching      
victory4 ,in the blood of the unnumbered
 martyrs of ,persia lay the seed of  the
 ,divinely-appointed ,administration    
which1 though transplanted from its     
native soil1 is now budding out1 under  
your loving care1 into a new order1     
destined to overshadow all mankind4     
,america's ,contribution to the ,cause  
,for great as have been the attainments 
and unforgettable the services of  the  
pioneers of the heroic age of the ,cause
 in ,persia1 the contribution  which    
their spiritual descendants1 the        
,american believers1 the                
champion-builders of the organic        

structure of the ,cause1 are now making 
towards the fulfillment of the ,plan    
which must usher in the golden age of   
the ,cause is no less meritorious in    
this strenuous period of its history4   
,few1 if any1 ,i venture to assert1     
among these privileged framers and      
custodians of the constitution of the   
,faith of ,bah'u'llh are even dimly     
aware of the preponderating rle which   
the ,north ,american continent is       
destined to play in the future          
orientation of their world-embracing    
,cause4  ,nor does any appreciable      
number among them seem sufficiently     
conscious of  the decisive influence    
which they already exercise in the      
direction and  management of its        
affairs4    8,the continent of          
,america10 wrote #8,abdu'l-,bah in      
,february1 #aiag1 8is1 in  the eyes of  
the one true ,god1 the land wherein the 
splendors of ,his light  shall be       
revealed1 where the mysteries of ,his   
,faith shall be unveiled1  where the    

righteous will abide1 and the free      
assemble40    ,that the supporters of   
the ,cause of ,bah'u'llh1 throughout the
 ,united  ,states and ,canada1 are      
increasingly demonstrating the truth of 
this solemn  affirmation is evident to  
even a casual observer of the record of 
their  manifold services1 whether in    
their individual capacities or through  
their  concerted endeavors4 ,the        
manifestations of spontaneous loyalty   
which  marked their response to the     
expressed wishes of a departed ,master2 
the  generosity with which they have1 on
 more than one occasion1 arisen to lend 
a helping hand to the needy and harassed
 among their brethren in ,persia2  the  
vigor with which they have resisted the 
shameless attacks which  unrelenting    
enemies1 both from within and without1  
have1 with increasing  frequency1       
launched against them2 the example which
 the body of their  national            
representatives have set to their sister
 ,assemblies in fashioning  the         

instruments essential to the effective  
discharge of their collective  duties2  
their successful intervention on behalf 
of their persecuted  fellow-workers in  
,russia2 the moral support they have    
extended to their  ,egyptian            
fellow-disciples at a most critical     
stage in their struggle for             
emancipation from the fetters of        
,islamic orthodoxy2 the historic        
services  rendered by those intrepid    
pioneers who1 faithful to the call of   
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 forsook their homes to  
plant1 in the uttermost corners of  the 
globe1 the standard of ,his ,faith2 and1
 last but not least1 the  magnificence  
of their self-sacrifice1 culminating in 
the completion of the  super-structure  
of the ,mashriqu'l-,adhkr--these stand  
out each as an  eloquent testimony to   
the indomitable character of the faith  
,bah'u'llh  has kindled in their hearts4
    ,who1 contemplating so splendid a   
record of service1 can doubt that these 
faithful stewards of the redeeming grace

 of ,god have preserved1 undivided  and 
unimpaired1 the priceless heritage      
entrusted to their charge8 ,have  they  
not1 one might well reflect1 in ways    
which only future historians  will      
indicate1 approached the high standard  
that characterized those deeds  of      
imperishable renown accomplished by     
those that have gone before them8       
,not by the material resources which the
 members of this infant community  can  
now summon to their aid2 not by the     
numerical strength of its  present-day  
supporters2 nor by any direct tangible  
benefits its votaries  can as yet confer
 upon the multitude of the needy and the
 disconsolate  among their countrymen1  
should its potentialities be tested or  
its worth  determined4 ,nowhere but in  
the purity of its precepts1 the         
sublimity of  its standards1 the        
integrity of its laws1 the              
reasonableness of its  claims1 the      
comprehensiveness of its scope1 the     
universality of its  program1 the       

flexibility of its institutions1 the    
lives of its founders1  the heroism of  
its martyrs1 and the transforming power 
of its influence1  should the           
unprejudiced observer seek to obtain the
 true criterion that  can enable him to 
fathom its mysteries or to estimate its 
virtue4          ,decline of ,mortal    
,dominion      ,how unfair1 how         
irrelevant1 to venture any comparison   
between the slow and  gradual           
consolidation of the ,faith proclaimed  
by ,bah'u'llh and those  man-created    
movements which1 having their origin in 
human desires and with  their hopes     
centered on mortal dominion1 must       
inevitably decline and  perish6         
,springing from a finite mind1 begotten 
of human fancy1 and  oftentimes the     
product of ill-conceived designs1 such  
movements succeed1  by reason of their  
novelty1 their appeal to man's baser    
instincts and  their dependence upon the
 resources of a sordid world1 in        
dazzling for a  time the eyes of men1   

only to plunge finally from the heights 
of their  meteoric career into the      
darkness of oblivion1 dissolved by the  
very  forces that had assisted in their 
creation4    ,not so with the           
,revelation of ,bah'u'llh4 ,born in an  
environment of  appalling degradation1  
springing from a soil steeped in        
age-long  corruptions1 hatreds and      
prejudice1 inculcating principles       
irreconcilable  with the accepted       
standards of the times1 and faced from  
the beginning  with the relentless      
enmity of government1 church and people1
 this nascent  ,faith of ,god has1 by   
virtue of the celestial potency with    
which it has  been endowed1 succeeded1  
in less than four score years and ten1  
in  emancipating itself from the galling
 chains of ,islamic domination1 in      
proclaiming the self-sufficiency of its 
ideals and the independent  integrity of
 its laws1 in planting its banner in no 
less than forty of the  most advanced   
countries of the world1 in establishing 

its outposts in  lands beyond the       
farthest seas1 in consecrating its      
religious edifices in  the midmost heart
 of the ,asiatic and ,american          
continents1 in inducing two  of the most
 powerful governments of the ,west to   
ratify the instruments  essential to its
 administrative activities1 in obtaining
 from royalty  befitting tributes to the
 excellence of its teachings1 and1      
finally1 in  forcing its grievances upon
 the attention of the representatives of
 the  highest ,tribunal in the civilized
 world1 and in securing from its members
  written affirmations that are         
tantamount to a tacit recognition of its
  religious status and to an express    
declaration of the justice of its       
cause4    ,circumscribed though its     
power as a social force may as yet      
appear1 and  however obvious may seem   
the present ineffectiveness of its      
world-embracing program1 we1 who stand  
identified with its blessed name1       
cannot but marvel at the measure of its 

achievements if we but compare  them    
with the modest accomplishments that    
have marked the rise of the             
,dispensations of the past4 ,where else1
 if not in the ,revelation of           
,bah'u'llh1 can the unbiased student of 
comparative religion cite  instances of 
a claim as stupendous as that which the 
,author of that ,faith  advanced1 foes  
as relentless as those which ,he faced1 
a devotion more  sublime than that which
 ,he kindled1 a life as eventful and as 
enthralling  as that which ,he led8 ,has
 ,christianity or ,islm1 has any        
,dispensation that  preceded them1      
offered instances of such combinations  
of courage and  restraint1 of           
magnanimity and power1 of               
broad-mindedness and loyalty1 as  those 
which characterized the conduct of the  
heroes of the ,faith of  ,bah'u'llh8    
,where else do we find evidences of a   
transformation as swift1  as complete1  
and as sudden1 as those effected in the 
lives of the apostles  of the ,bb8 ,few1

 indeed1 are the instances recorded in  
any of the  authenticated annals of the 
religions of the past of a              
self-abnegation as  complete1 a         
constancy as firm1 a magnanimity as     
sublime1 a loyalty as  uncompromising1  
as those which bore witness to the      
character of that  immortal band which  
stands identified with this ,divine     
,revelation--this  latest and most      
compelling manifestation of the love and
 the omnipotence  of the ,almighty6     
,contrast with ,religions of the ,past  
,we may vainly search in the records of 
the earliest beginnings of any of  the  
recognized religions of the past for    
episodes as thrilling in their  details1
 or as far-reaching in their            
consequences1 as those that illumine    
the pages of the history of this ,faith4
 ,the almost incredible  circumstances  
attending the martyrdom of that youthful
 ,prince of ,glory2  the forces of      
barbaric repression which this tragedy  
subsequently  released2 the             

manifestations of unsurpassed heroism to
 which it gave rise2  the exhortations  
and warnings which have streamed from   
the pen of the  ,divine ,prisoner in    
,his ,epistles to the potentates of the 
,church and the  monarchs and rulers of 
the world2 the undaunted loyalty with   
which our  brethren are battling in     
,muslim countries with the forces of    
religious  orthodoxy--these may be      
reckoned as the most outstanding        
features of what  the world will come to
 recognize as the greatest drama in the 
world's  spiritual history4    ,i need  
not recall1 in this connection1 the     
unfortunate episodes that have1         
admittedly1 and to a very great extent1 
marred the early history of both        
,judaism and ,islm4 ,nor is it necessary
 to stress the damaging effect of  the  
excesses1 the rivalries and divisions1  
the fanatical outbursts and  acts of    
ingratitude that are associated with the
 early development of the  people of    
,israel and with the militant career of 

the ruthless pioneers of  the ,faith of 
,muammad4    ,it would be sufficient for
 my purpose to call attention to the    
great  number of those who1 in the first
 two centuries of the ,christian era1   
8purchased an ignominious life by       
betraying the holy ,scriptures into the 
hands of the infidels10 the scandalous  
conduct of those bishops who were       
thereby branded as traitors1 the discord
 of the ,african ,church1 the  gradual  
infiltration into ,christian doctrine of
 the principles of the  ,mithraic cult1 
of the ,alexandrian school of thought1  
of the precepts of  ,zoroastrianism and 
of ,grecian philosophy1 and the adoption
 by the churches  of ,greece and of     
,asia of the institutions of provincial 
synods of a model  which they borrowed  
from the representative councils of     
their respective  countries4    ,how    
great was the obstinacy with which the  
,jewish converts among the early        
,christians adhered to the ceremonies of
 their ancestors1 and how fervent  their

 eagerness to impose them on the        
,gentiles6 ,were not the first fifteen  
bishops of ,jerusalem all circumcised   
,jews1 and had not the congregation     
over which they presided united the laws
 of ,moses with the doctrine of         
,christ8 ,is it not a fact that no more 
than a twentieth part of the  subjects  
of the ,roman ,empire had enlisted      
themselves under the standard of        
,christ before the conversion of        
,constantine8 ,was not the ruin of the  
,temple1 in the city of ,jerusalem1 and 
of the public religion of the ,jews1    
severely felt by the so-called          
,nazarenes1 who persevered1 above a     
century1  in the practice of the ,mosaic
 ,law8    ,how striking the contrast    
when we remember1 in the light of the   
afore-mentioned facts1 the number of    
those followers of ,bah'u'llh who1  in  
,persia and the adjoining countries1 had
 enlisted at the time of ,his           
,ascension as the convinced supporters  
of ,his ,faith6 ,how encouraging to     

observe the undeviating loyalty with    
which ,his valiant followers are        
guarding the purity and integrity of    
,his clear and unequivocal teachings6   
,how edifying the spectacle of those who
 are battling with the forces of a      
firmly intrenched orthodoxy in their    
struggle to emancipate themselves  from 
the fetters of an outworn creed6 ,how   
inspiring the conduct of those  ,muslim 
followers of ,bah'u'llh who view1 not   
with regret or apathy1 but  with        
feelings of unconcealed satisfaction1   
the deserved chastisement which  the    
,almighty has inflicted upon those twin 
institutions of the ,sultanate  and the 
,caliphate1 those engines of despotism  
and sworn enemies of the  ,cause of     
,god6          ,fundamental ,principle  
of ,religious ,truth      ,let no one1  
however1 mistake my purpose4 ,the       
,revelation1 of which  ,bah'u'llh is the
 source and center1 abrogates none of   
the religions that  have preceded it1   
nor does it attempt1 in the slightest   

degree1 to distort  their features or to
 belittle their value4 ,it disclaims any
 intention of  dwarfing any of the      
,prophets of the past1 or of whittling  
down the eternal  verity of their       
teachings4 ,it can1 in no wise1 conflict
 with the spirit  that animates their   
claims1 nor does it seek to undermine   
the basis of any  man's allegiance to   
their cause4 ,its declared1 its primary 
purpose is to  enable every adherent of 
these ,faiths to obtain a fuller        
understanding of  the religion with     
which he stands identified1 and to      
acquire a clearer  apprehension of its  
purpose4 ,it is neither eclectic in the 
presentation of  its truths1 nor        
arrogant in the affirmation of its      
claims4 ,its teachings  revolve around  
the fundamental principle that religious
 truth is not  absolute but relative1   
that ,divine ,revelation is progressive1
 not final4  ,unequivocally and without 
the least reservation it proclaims all  
established religions to be divine in   

origin1 identical in their aims1        
complementary in their functions1       
continuous in their purpose1            
indispensable in their value to mankind4
    8,all the ,prophets of ,god10       
asserts ,bah'u'llh in the ,kitb-i-qn1   
8abide  in the same tabernacle1 soar in 
the same heaven1 are seated upon the    
same  throne1 utter the same speech1 and
 proclaim the same ,faith40 ,from the   
8beginning that hath no beginning10     
these ,exponents of the ,unity of ,god  
and ,channels of ,his incessant         
utterance have shed the light of the    
invisible ,beauty upon mankind1 and will
 continue1 to the 8end that hath no     
end10 to vouchsafe fresh revelations of 
,his might and additional  experiences  
of ,his inconceivable glory4 ,to contend
 that any particular  religion is final1
 that 8all ,revelation is ended1 that   
the portals of  ,divine mercy are       
closed1 that from the daysprings of     
eternal holiness no  sun shall rise     
again1 that the ocean of everlasting    

bounty is forever  stilled1 and that out
 of the ,tabernacle of ancient glory the
 ,messengers of  ,god have ceased to be 
made manifest0 would indeed be nothing  
less than  sheer blasphemy4    8,they   
differ10 explains ,bah'u'llh in that    
same epistle1 8only in the  intensity of
 their revelation and the comparative   
potency of their light40  ,and this1 not
 by reason of any inherent incapacity of
 any one of them to  reveal in a fuller 
measure the glory of the ,message with  
which ,he has been  entrusted1 but      
rather because of the immaturity and    
unpreparedness of the  age ,he lived in 
to apprehend and absorb the full        
potentialities latent in  that ,faith4  
8,know of a certainty10 explains        
,bah'u'llh1 8that in every ,dispensation
  the light of ,divine ,revelation has  
been vouchsafed to men in direct        
proportion to their spiritual capacity4 
,consider the sun4 ,how feeble its  rays
 the moment it appears above the        
horizon4 ,how gradually its warmth and  

potency increase as it approaches its   
zenith1 enabling meanwhile all  created 
things to adapt themselves to the       
growing intensity of its light4  ,how   
steadily it declines until it reaches   
its setting point4 ,were it1 all  of a  
sudden1 to manifest the energies latent 
within it1 it would1 no  doubt1 cause   
injury to all created things4444 ,in    
like manner1 if the ,sun  of ,truth were
 suddenly to reveal1 at the earliest    
stages of its  manifestation1 the full  
measure of the potencies which the      
providence of  the ,almighty has        
bestowed upon it1 the earth of human    
understanding would  waste away and be  
consumed2 for men's hearts would neither
 sustain the  intensity of its          
revelation1 nor be able to mirror forth 
the radiance of  its light4 ,dismayed   
and overpowered1 they would cease to    
exist40    ,it is for this reason1 and  
this reason only1 that those who have   
recognized the ,light of ,god in this   
age1 claim no finality for the          

,revelation with which they stand       
identified1 nor arrogate to the ,faith  
they have embraced powers and attributes
 intrinsically superior to1 or          
essentially different from1 those which 
have characterized any of the  religious
 systems that preceded it4    ,does not 
,bah'u'llh ,himself allude to the       
progressiveness of ,divine  ,revelation 
and to the limitations which an         
inscrutable ,wisdom has chosen  to      
impose upon ,him8 ,what else can this   
passage of the ,hidden ,words imply1  if
 not that ,he ,who revealed it          
disclaimed finality for the ,revelation 
entrusted to ,him by the ,almighty8 8,o 
,son of ,justice6 ,in the night-season  
the beauty of the immortal ,being hath  
repaired from the emerald height of     
fidelity unto the ,sadratu'l-,muntah1   
and wept with such a weeping that the   
concourse on high and the dwellers of   
the realms above wailed at ,his         
lamenting4 ,whereupon there was asked1  
,why the wailing and weeping8 ,he made  

reply3 ,as bidden ,i waited expectant   
upon the hill of faithfulness1 yet      
inhaled not from them that dwell on     
earth the fragrance of fidelity4 ,then  
summoned to return ,i beheld1 and lo6   
certain doves of holiness were sore     
tried within the claws of the dogs of   
earth4 ,thereupon the ,maid of ,heaven  
hastened forth1 unveiled1 and           
resplendent1 from ,her mystic mansion1  
and  asked of their names1 and all were 
told but one4 ,and when urged1 the first
  ,letter thereof was uttered1 whereupon
 the dwellers of the celestial  chambers
 rushed forth out of their habitation of
 glory4 ,and whilst the  second letter  
was pronounced they fell down1 one and  
all1 upon the dust4  ,at that moment a  
,voice was heard from the inmost shrine3
 #8,thus far and no  farther4' ,verily  
we bear witness to that which they have 
done and now are  doing40    8,the      
,revelation of which ,i am the bearer10 
,bah'u'llh explicitly  declares1 8is    
adapted to humanity's spiritual         

receptiveness and capacity2  otherwise1 
the ,light that shines within me can    
neither wax nor wane4  ,whatever ,i     
manifest is nothing more or less than   
the measure of the ,divine  glory which 
,god has bidden me reveal40    ,if the  
,light that is now streaming forth upon 
an increasingly responsive  humanity    
with a radiance that bids fair to       
eclipse the splendor of such  triumphs  
as the forces of religion have achieved 
in days past2 if the  signs and tokens  
which proclaimed its advent have been1  
in many respects1  unique in the annals 
of past ,revelations2 if its votaries   
have evinced  traits and qualities      
unexampled in the spiritual history of  
mankind2 these  should be attributed not
 to a superior merit which the ,faith of
  ,bah'u'llh1 as a ,revelation isolated 
and alien from any previous             
,dispensation1 might possess1 but rather
 should be viewed and explained as  the 
inevitable outcome of the forces that   
have made of this present age an  age   

infinitely more advanced1 more          
receptive1 and more insistent to        
receive an ampler measure of ,divine    
,guidance than has hitherto been        
vouchsafed to mankind4                  
,necessity for a ,fresh ,revelation     
,dearly beloved friends3 ,who1          
contemplating the helplessness1 the     
fears and  miseries of humanity in this 
day1 can any longer question the        
necessity  for a fresh revelation of the
 quickening power of ,god's redemptive  
love  and guidance8 ,who1 witnessing on 
one hand the stupendous advance achieved
  in the realm of human knowledge1 of   
power1 of skill and inventiveness1 and  
viewing on the other the unprecedented  
character of the sufferings that        
afflict1 and the dangers that beset1    
present-day society1 can be so blind  as
 to doubt that the hour has at last     
struck for the advent of a new          
,revelation1 for a re-statement of the  
,divine ,purpose1 and for the           
consequent revival of those spiritual   

forces that have1 at fixed  intervals1  
rehabilitated the fortunes of human     
society8 ,does not the very  operation  
of the world-unifying forces that are at
 work in this age  necessitate that ,he 
,who is the ,bearer of the ,message of  
,god in this day  should not only       
reaffirm that self-same exalted standard
 of individual  conduct inculcated by   
the ,prophets gone before ,him1 but     
embody in ,his  appeal1 to all          
governments and peoples1 the essentials 
of that social  code1 that ,divine      
,economy1 which must guide humanity's   
concerted efforts  in establishing that 
all-embracing federation which is to    
signalize the  advent of the ,kingdom of
 ,god on this earth8    ,may we not1    
therefore1 recognizing as we do the     
necessity for such a  revelation of     
,god's redeeming power1 meditate upon   
the supreme grandeur of  the ,system    
unfolded by the hand of ,bah'u'llh in   
this day8 ,may we not  pause1 pressed   
though we be by the daily preoccupations

 which the  ever-widening range of the  
administrative activities of ,his ,faith
 must  involve1 to reflect upon the     
sanctity of the responsibilities it is  
our  privilege to shoulder8             
,the ,station of the ,bb      ,not only 
in the character of the revelation of   
,bah'u'llh1 however  stupendous be ,his 
claim1 does the greatness of this       
,dispensation reside4  ,for among the   
distinguishing features of ,his ,faith  
ranks1 as a further  evidence of its    
uniqueness1 the fundamental truth that  
in the person of  its ,forerunner1 the  
,bb1 every follower of ,bah'u'llh       
recognizes not  merely an inspired      
annunciator but a direct ,manifestation 
of ,god4 ,it is  their firm belief that1
 no matter how short the duration of    
,his  ,dispensation1 and however brief  
the period of the operation of ,his     
laws1  the ,bb had been endowed with a  
potency such as no founder of any of the
  past religions was1 in the providence 
of the ,almighty1 allowed to possess4   

,that ,he was not merely the precursor  
of the ,revelation of ,bah'u'llh1  that 
,he was more than a divinely-inspired   
personage1 that ,his was the  station of
 an independent1 self-sufficient        
,manifestation of ,god1 is  abundantly  
demonstrated by ,himself1 is affirmed in
 unmistakable terms by  ,bah'u'llh1 and 
is finally attested by the ,will and    
,testament of  #8,abdu'l-,bah4          
,nowhere but in the ,kitb-i-qn1         
,bah'u'llh's masterly exposition of the 
one unifying truth underlying all the   
,revelations of the past1 can we  obtain
 a clearer apprehension of the potency  
of those forces inherent in  that       
,preliminary ,manifestation with which  
,his own ,faith stands  indissolubly    
associated4 ,expatiating upon the       
unfathomed import of the  signs and     
tokens that have accompanied the        
,revelation proclaimed by the  ,bb1 the 
promised ,q'im1 ,he recalls these       
prophetic words3 8,knowledge is  twenty 
and seven letters4 ,all that the        

,prophets have revealed are two  letters
 thereof4 ,no man thus far hath known   
more than these two letters4  ,but when 
the ,q'im shall arise1 ,he will cause   
the remaining twenty and  five letters  
to be made manifest40 8,behold10 adds   
,bah'u'llh1 8how great  and lofty is    
,his station60 8,of ,his ,revelation10  
,he further adds1 8the  ,prophets of    
,god1 ,his saints and chosen ones1 have 
either not been  informed1 or in        
pursuance of ,god's inscrutable ,decree1
 they have not  disclosed40    ,and yet1
 immeasurably exalted as is the station 
of the ,bb1 and marvellous  as have been
 the happenings that have signalized the
 advent of ,his ,cause1  so wondrous a  
,revelation cannot but pale before the  
effulgence of that ,orb  of unsurpassed 
splendor ,whose rise ,he foretold and   
whose superiority ,he  readily          
acknowledged4 ,we have but to turn to   
the writings of the ,bb  ,himself in    
order to estimate the significance of   
that ,quintessence of  ,light of which  

,he1 with all the majesty of ,his power1
 was but its humble  and chosen         
,precursor4    ,again and again the ,bb 
admits1 in glowing and unequivocal      
language1 the  preminent character of a 
,faith destined to be made manifest     
after ,him and  to supersede ,his       
,cause4 8,the germ10 ,he asserts in the 
,persian ,bayn1 the  chief and          
best-preserved repository of ,his laws1 
8that holds within itself  the          
potentialities of the ,revelation that  
is to come is endowed with a  potency   
superior to the combined forces of all  
those who follow me40 8,of  all the     
tributes10 the ,bb repeatedly proclaims 
in ,his writings1 8,i have  paid to ,him
 ,who is to come after ,me1 the greatest
 is this1 ,my written  confession1 that 
no words of ,mine can adequately        
describe ,him1 nor can any  reference to
 ,him in my ,book1 the ,bayn1 do justice
 to ,his ,cause40  ,addressing ,siyyid  
,yayy-i-,darb1 surnamed ,vahd1 the most 
learned and  influential among his      

followers1 ,he says3 8,by the           
righteousness of ,him  ,whose power     
causeth the seed to germinate and ,who  
breatheth the spirit of  life into all  
things1 were ,i to be assured that in   
the day of ,his  ,manifestation thou    
wilt deny ,him1 ,i would unhesitatingly 
disown thee and  repudiate thy faith4444
 ,if1 on the other hand1 ,i be told that
 a ,christian1  who beareth no          
allegiance to ,my ,faith1 will believe  
in ,him1 the same will  ,i regard as the
 apple of ,mine eye40          ,the     
,outpouring of ,divine ,grace      8,if 
all the peoples of the world10          
,bah'u'llh ,himself affirms1 8be        
invested with the powers and attributes 
destined for the ,letters of the        
,living1 the chosen disciples of the    
,bb1 whose station is ten thousand      
times more glorious than any which the  
apostles of old have attained1 and  if  
they1 one and all1 should1 swift as the 
twinkling of an eye1 hesitate  to       
recognize the ,light of my ,revelation1 

their faith shall be of no avail1  and  
they shall be accounted among the       
infidels40 8,so tremendous10 ,he        
writes1 8is the outpouring of ,divine   
grace in this ,dispensation that if     
mortal hands could be swift enough to   
record them1 within the space of a      
single day and night1 there would stream
 verses of such number as to be         
equivalent to the whole of the ,persian 
,bayn40    ,such1 dearly-beloved        
friends1 is the effusion of celestial   
grace  vouchsafed by the ,almighty to   
this age1 this most illumined century6  
,we  stand too close to so colossal a   
,revelation to expect in this1 the first
  century of its era1 to arrive at a    
just estimate of its towering grandeur1 
its infinite possibilities1 its         
transcendent beauty4 ,small though our  
present numbers may be1 however limited 
our capacities1 or circumscribed  our   
influence1 we1 into whose hands so pure1
 so tender1 so precious a  heritage has 
been entrusted1 should at all times     

strive1 with unrelaxing  vigilance1 to  
abstain from any thoughts1 words1 or    
deeds1 that might tend  to dim its      
brilliance1 or injure its growth4 ,how  
tremendous our  responsibility2 how     
delicate and laborious our task6        
,dear friends3 ,clear and emphatic as   
are the instructions which our  departed
 ,master has reiterated in countless    
,tablets bequeathed by ,him to  ,his    
followers throughout the world1 a few1  
owing to the restricted  influence of   
the ,cause in the ,west1 have been      
purposely withheld from the  body of    
,his occidental disciples1 who1 despite 
their numerical  inferiority1 are now   
exercising such a preponderating        
influence in the  direction and         
administration of its affairs4 ,i feel  
it1 therefore1  incumbent upon me to    
stress1 now that the time is ripe1 the  
importance of  an instruction which1 at 
the present stage of the evolution of   
our ,faith1  should be increasingly     
emphasized1 irrespective of its         

application to the  ,east or to the     
,west4 ,and this principle is no other  
than that which  involves the           
non-participation by the adherents of   
the ,faith of  ,bah'u'llh1 whether in   
their individual capacities or          
collectively as  local or national      
,assemblies1 in any form of activity    
that might be  interpreted1 either      
directly or indirectly1 as an           
interference in the  political affairs  
of any particular government4 ,whether  
it be in the  publications which they   
initiate and supervise2 or in their     
official and  public deliberations2 or  
in the posts they occupy and the        
services they  render2 or in the        
communications they address to their    
fellow-disciples2  or in their dealings 
with men of eminence and authority2 or  
in their  affiliations with kindred     
societies and organizations1 it is1 ,i  
am firmly  convinced1 their first and   
sacred obligation to abstain from any   
word or  deed that might be construed as

 a violation of this vital principle4   
,theirs is the duty to demonstrate1 on  
one hand1 the nonpolitical character  of
 their ,faith1 and to assert1 on the    
other1 their unqualified loyalty and    
obedience to whatever is the considered 
judgment of their respective            
governments4          ,the ,divine      
,polity      ,let them refrain from     
associating themselves1 whether by word 
or by deed1  with the political pursuits
 of their respective nations1 with the  
policies  of their governments and the  
schemes and programs of parties and     
factions4  ,in such controversies they  
should assign no blame1 take no side1   
further  no design1 and identify        
themselves with no system prejudicial to
 the best  interests of that world-wide 
,fellowship which it is their aim to    
guard and  foster4 ,let them beware lest
 they allow themselves to become the    
tools of  unscrupulous politicians1 or  
to be entrapped by the treacherous      
devices of  the plotters and the        

perfidious among their countrymen4 ,let 
them so shape  their lives and regulate 
their conduct that no charge of secrecy1
 of  fraud1 of bribery or of            
intimidation may1 however ill-founded1  
be brought  against them4 ,let them rise
 above all particularism and            
partisanship1  above the vain disputes1 
the petty calculations1 the transient   
passions  that agitate the face1 and    
engage the attention1 of a changing     
world4 ,it  is their duty to strive to  
distinguish1 as clearly as they possibly
 can1  and if needed with the aid of    
their elected representatives1 such     
posts  and functions as are either      
diplomatic or political from those that 
are  purely administrative in character1
 and which under no circumstances are   
affected by the changes and chances that
 political activities and party         
government1 in every land1 must         
necessarily involve4 ,let them affirm   
their  unyielding determination to      
stand1 firmly and unreservedly1 for the 

way of  ,bah'u'llh1 to avoid the        
entanglements and bickerings inseparable
 from  the pursuits of the politician1  
and to become worthy agencies of that   
,divine ,polity which incarnates ,god's 
immutable ,purpose for all men4    ,it  
should be made unmistakably clear that  
such an attitude implies neither  the   
slightest indifference to the cause and 
interests of their own  country1 nor    
involves any insubordination on their   
part to the authority  of recognized and
 established governments4 ,nor does it  
constitute a  repudiation of their      
sacred obligation to promote1 in the    
most effective  manner1 the best        
interests of their government and       
people4 ,it indicates  the desire       
cherished by every true and loyal       
follower of ,bah'u'llh to  serve1 in an 
unselfish1 unostentatious and patriotic 
fashion1 the highest  interests of the  
country to which he belongs1 and in a   
way that would  entail no departure from
 the high standards of integrity and    

truthfulness  associated with the       
teachings of his ,faith4    ,as the     
number of the ,bah' communities in      
various parts of the world  multiplies  
and their power1 as a social force1     
becomes increasingly  apparent1 they    
will no doubt find themselves           
increasingly subjected to the  pressure 
which men of authority and influence1 in
 the political domain1  will exercise in
 the hope of obtaining the support they 
require for the  advancement of their   
aims4 ,these communities will1 moreover1
 feel a  growing need of the good-will  
and the assistance of their respective  
governments in their efforts to widen   
the scope1 and to consolidate the       
foundations1 of the institutions        
committed to their charge4 ,let them    
beware lest1 in their eagerness to      
further the aims of their beloved       
,cause1 they should be led unwittingly  
to bargain with their ,faith1 to        
compromise with their essential         
principles1 or to sacrifice1 in return  

for  any material advantage which their 
institutions may derive1 the integrity  
of their spiritual ideals4 ,let them    
proclaim that in whatever country they  
reside1 and however advanced their      
institutions1 or profound their desire  
to enforce the laws1 and apply the      
principles1 enunciated by ,bah'u'llh1   
they will1 unhesitatingly1 subordinate  
the operation of such laws and the      
application of such principles to the   
requirements and legal enactments of    
their respective governments4 ,theirs is
 not the purpose1 while endeavoring  to 
conduct and perfect the administrative  
affairs of their ,faith1 to  violate1   
under any circumstances1 the provisions 
of their country's  constitution1 much  
less to allow the machinery of their    
administration to  supersede the        
government of their respective          
countries4    ,it should also be borne  
in mind that the very extension of the  
activities  in which we are engaged1 and
 the variety of the communities which   

labor  under divers forms of government1
 so essentially different in their      
standards1 policies1 and methods1 make  
it absolutely essential for all  those  
who are the declared members of any one 
of these communities to  avoid any      
action that might1 by arousing the      
suspicion or exciting the  antagonism of
 any one government1 involve their      
brethren in fresh  persecutions or      
complicate the nature of their task4    
,how else1 might ,i  ask1 could such a  
far-flung ,faith1 which transcends      
political and social  boundaries1 which 
includes within its pale so great a     
variety of races and  nations1 which    
will have to rely increasingly1 as it   
forges ahead1 on the  good-will and     
support of the diversified and          
contending governments of the           
earth--how else could such a ,faith     
succeed in preserving its unity1 in     
safeguarding its interests1 and in      
ensuring the steady and peaceful        
development of its institutions8        

,such an attitude1 however1 is not      
dictated by considerations of selfish   
expediency1 but is actuated1 first and  
foremost1 by the broad principle  that  
the followers of ,bah'u'llh will1 under 
no circumstances1 suffer  themselves to 
be involved1 whether as individuals or  
in their collective  capacities1 in     
matters that would entail the slightest 
departure from the  fundamental verities
 and ideals of their ,faith4 ,neither   
the charges which  the uninformed and   
the malicious may be led to bring       
against them1 nor the  allurements of   
honors and rewards1 will ever induce    
them to surrender  their trust or to    
deviate from their path4 ,let their     
words proclaim1 and  their conduct      
testify1 that they who follow           
,bah'u'llh1 in whatever land  they      
reside1 are actuated by no selfish      
ambition1 that they neither thirst  for 
power1 nor mind any wave of             
unpopularity1 of distrust or criticism1 
which a strict adherence to their       

standards might provoke4    ,difficult  
and delicate though be our task1 the    
sustaining power of  ,bah'u'llh and of  
,his ,divine guidance will assuredly    
assist us if we  follow steadfastly in  
,his way1 and strive to uphold the      
integrity of ,his  laws4 ,the light of  
,his redeeming grace1 which no earthly  
power can  obscure1 will if we          
persevere1 illuminate our path1 as we   
steer our course  amid the snares and   
pitfalls of a troubled age1 and will    
enable us to  discharge our duties in a 
manner that would redound to the glory  
and the  honor of ,his blessed ,name4   
,our ,beloved ,temple      ,and finally1
 dearly-beloved brethren1 let me once   
more direct your  attention to the      
pressing claims of the                  
,mashriqu'l-,adhkr1 our beloved         
,temple4 ,need ,i remind you of the     
imperative necessity of carrying out to 
a  successful conclusion1 while there is
 yet time1 the great enterprise to      
which1 before the eyes of a watching    

world1 we stand committed8 ,need ,i     
stress the great damage which further   
delay in the prosecution of this        
divinely-appointed task must1 even in   
these critical and unforeseen           
circumstances1 inflict upon the prestige
 of our beloved ,cause8 ,i am1 ,i can   
assure you1 acutely conscious of the    
stringency of the circumstances with    
which you are faced1 the embarrassments 
under which you labor1 the cares  with  
which you are burdened1 the pressing    
urgency of the demands that are  being  
incessantly made upon your depleted     
resources4 ,i am1 however1 still  more  
profoundly aware of the unprecedented   
character of the opportunity  which it  
is your privilege to seize and utilize4 
,i am aware of the  incalculable        
blessings that must await the           
termination of a collective  enterprise 
which1 by the range and quality of the  
sacrifices it entailed1  deserves to be 
ranked among the most outstanding       
examples of ,bah'  solidarity ever since

 those deeds of brilliant heroism       
immortalized the  memory of the heroes  
of ,nayrz1 of ,zanjn1 and of ,tabars4 ,i
 appeal to  you1 therefore1 friends and 
fellow-disciples of ,bah'u'llh1 for a   
more  abundant measure of               
self-sacrifice1 for a higher standard of
 concerted  effort1 for a still more    
compelling evidence of the reality of   
the faith  that glows within you4       
,and in this fervent plea1 my voice is  
once more reinforced by the  passionate1
 and perhaps1 the last1 entreaty1 of the
 ,greatest ,holy ,leaf1  whose spirit1  
now hovering on the edge of the ,great  
,beyond1 longs to carry  on its flight  
to the ,abh ,kingdom1 and into the      
presence of a ,divine1 an  almighty     
,father1 an assurance of the joyous     
consummation of an enterprise1  the     
progress of which has so greatly        
brightened the closing days of her      
earthly life4 ,that the ,american       
believers1 those stout-hearted pioneers 
of  the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh1 will      

unanimously respond1 with that same     
spontaneous generosity1 that same       
measure of self-sacrifice1 as have      
characterized their response to her     
appeals in the past1 no one who is      
familiar with the vitality of their     
faith can possibly question4    ,would  
to ,god that by the end of the spring of
 the year #aicc the multitudes  who1    
from the remote corners of the globe1   
will throng the grounds of the  ,great  
,fair to be held in the neighborhood of 
that hallowed shrine may1 as  a result  
of your sustained spirit of             
self-sacrifice1 be privileged to gaze   
on the arrayed splendor of its dome--a  
dome that shall stand as a flaming      
beacon and a symbol of hope amidst the  
gloom of a despairing world4    ,your   
true brother1  ,,shoghi    ,haifa1      
,palestine1  ,march #ba1 #aicb          
,,america ,,and ,,the ,,most ,,great    
,,peace          ,america and the ,most 
,great ,peace      ,to the beloved of   
the ,lord and the handmaids of the      

,merciful throughout  the ,united       
,states and ,canada4    ,friends and    
fellow-promoters of the ,faith of ,god3 
,forty years will have elapsed ere the  
close of this coming summer since  the  
name of ,bah'u'llh was first mentioned  
on the ,american continent4  ,strange   
indeed must appear to every observer1   
pondering in his heart the  significance
 of so great a landmark in the spiritual
 history of the great  ,american        
,republic1 the circumstances which have 
attended this first public  reference to
 the ,author of our beloved ,faith4     
,stranger still must seem the           
associations which the brief words      
uttered on that historic occasion must  
have evoked in the minds of those who   
heard them4    ,of pomp and             
circumstance1 of any manifestations of  
public rejoicing or of  popular         
applause1 there were none to greet this 
first intimation7#a7 to  ,america's     
citizens of the existence and purpose of
 the ,revelation  proclaimed by         

,bah'u'llh4 ,nor did he who was its     
chosen instrument  profess himself a    
believer in the indwelling potency of   
the tidings he  conveyed1 or suspect the
 magnitude of the forces which so       
cursory a  mention was destined to      
release4    ,announced through the mouth
 of an avowed supporter of that narrow  
ecclesiasticism which the ,faith itself 
has challenged and seeks to  extirpate1 
characterized at the moment of its birth
 as an obscure offshoot  of a           
contemptible creed1 the ,message of the 
,most ,great ,name1 fed by  streams of  
unceasing trial and warmed by the       
sunshine of #8,abdu'l-,bah's  tender    
care1 has succeeded in driving its roots
 deep into ,america's genial  soil1 has 
in less than half a century sent out its
 shoots and tendrils as  far as the     
remotest corners of the globe1 and now  
stands1 clothed in the  majesty of the  
consecrated ,edifice it has reared in   
the heart of that  continent1 determined
 to proclaim its right and vindicate its

 capacity to  redeem a stricken people4 
,unsupported by any of the advantages   
which  talent1 rank and riches can      
confer1 the community of the ,american  
believers1 despite its tender age1 its  
numerical strength1 its limited         
experience1 has by virtue of the        
inspired wisdom1 the united will1 the   
incorruptible loyalty of its            
administrators and teachers achieved the
  distinction of an undisputed          
leadership among its sister communities 
of  ,east and ,west in hastening the    
advent of the ,golden ,age anticipated  
by  ,bah'u'llh4    ,and yet how grave   
the crises which this infant1 this      
blessed1 community  has weathered in the
 course of its checkered history6 ,how  
slow and painful  the process that      
gradually brought it forth from the     
obscurity of  unmitigated neglect to the
 broad daylight of public recognition6  
,how  severe the shocks which the ranks 
of its devoted adherents have sustained 
through the defection of the faint in   

heart1 the malice of the                
mischief-maker1 the treachery of the    
proud and the ambitious6 ,what storms   
of ridicule1 of abuse and of calumny its
 representatives have had to face  in   
their staunch support of the integrity1 
and their valiant defense of  the fair  
name1 of the ,faith they had espoused6  
,how persistent the  vicissitudes and   
disconcerting the reverses with which   
its privileged  members1 young and old  
alike1 individually and collectively1   
have had to  contend in their heroic    
endeavors to scale the heights which a  
loving  ,master had summoned them to    
attain6    ,many and powerful have been 
its enemies who1 as soon as they        
discovered  the evidences of the growing
 ascendancy of its declared supporters1 
have  vied with one another in hurling  
at its face the vilest imputations and  
in  pouring out upon the ,object of its 
devotion the vials of their fiercest    
wrath4 ,how often have these sneered at 
the scantiness of its resources and  the

 seeming stagnation of its life6 ,how   
bitterly they ridiculed its  origins    
and1 misconceiving its purpose1         
dismissed it as a useless  appendage of 
an expiring creed6 ,have they not in    
their written attacks  stigmatized the  
heroic person of the ,forerunner of so  
holy a ,revelation as  a coward         
recanter1 a perverted apostate1 and     
denounced the entire range of  ,his     
voluminous writings as the idle chatter 
of a thoughtless man8 ,have  they not   
chosen to ascribe to its divine ,founder
 the basest motives which  an           
unscrupulous plotter and usurper can    
conceive1 and regarded the ,center  of  
,his ,covenant as the embodiment of     
ruthless tyranny1 a stirrer of          
mischief1 and a notorious exponent of   
expediency and fraud8 ,its              
world-unifying principles these impotent
 enemies of a steadily-rising  ,faith   
have time and again denounced as        
fundamentally defective1 have           
pronounced its all-embracing program as 

utterly fantastic1 and regarded  its    
vision of the future as chimerical and  
positively deceitful4 ,the  fundamental 
verities that constitute its doctrine   
its foolish ill-wishers  have           
represented as a cloak of idle dogma1   
its administrative machinery  they have 
refused to differentiate from the soul  
of the ,faith itself1 and  the mysteries
 it reveres and upholds they have       
identified with sheer  superstition4    
,the principle of unification which it  
advocates and with  which it stands     
identified they have misconceived as a  
shallow attempt at  uniformity1 its     
repeated assertions of the reality of   
supernatural  agencies they have        
condemned as a vain belief in magic1 and
 the glory of  its idealism they have   
rejected as mere utopia4 ,every process 
of  purification whereby an inscrutable 
,wisdom chose from time to time to      
purge the body of ,his chosen followers 
of the defilement of the  undesirable   
and the unworthy1 these victims of an   

unrelenting jealousy  have hailed as a  
symptom of the invading forces of schism
 which were soon  to sap its strength1  
vitiate its vitality1 and complete its  
ruin4    ,dearly-beloved friends6 ,it is
 not for me1 nor does it seem within the
  competence of any one of the present  
generation1 to trace the exact and  full
 history of the rise and gradual        
consolidation of this invincible arm1   
this mighty organ1 of a continually     
advancing ,cause4 ,it would be premature
  at this early stage of its evolution1 
to attempt an exhaustive analysis1  or  
to arrive at a just estimate1 of the    
impelling forces that have urged  it    
forward to occupy so exalted a place    
among the various instruments  which the
 ,hand of ,omnipotence has fashioned1   
and is now perfecting1 for  the         
execution of ,his divine ,purpose4      
,future historians of this mighty       
,revelation1 endowed with pens abler    
than any which its present-day          
supporters can claim to possess1 will no

 doubt transmit to posterity a  masterly
 exposition of the origins of those     
forces which1 through a  remarkable     
swing of the pendulum1 have caused the  
administrative center of  the ,faith to 
gravitate1 away from its cradle1 to the 
shores of the  ,american continent and  
towards its very heart--the present     
mainspring and  chief bulwark of its    
fast evolving institutions4 ,on them    
will devolve the  task of recording the 
history1 and of estimating the          
significance1 of so  radical a          
revolution in the fortunes of a slowly  
maturing ,faith4 ,theirs  will be the   
opportunity to extol the virtues and to 
immortalize the memory  of those men and
 women who have participated in its     
accomplishment4 ,theirs  will be the    
privilege of evaluating the share which 
each of these  champion-builders of the 
,world ,order of ,bah'u'llh has had in  
ushering in  that golden ,millennium1   
the promise of which lies enshrined in  
,his  teachings4    ,does not the       

history of primitive ,christianity and  
of the rise of ,islm1  each in its own  
way1 offer a striking parallel to this  
strange phenomenon  the beginnings of   
which we are now witnessing in this1 the
 first century  of the ,bah' ,era8 ,has 
not the ,divine ,impulse which gave     
birth to each of  these great religious 
systems been driven1 through the        
operation of those  forces which the    
irresistible growth of the ,faith itself
 had released1 to  seek away from the   
land of its birth and in more propitious
 climes a ready  field and a more       
adequate medium for the incarnation of  
its spirit and the  propagation of its  
cause8 ,have not the ,asiatic churches  
of ,jerusalem1 of  ,antioch and of      
,alexandria1 consisting chiefly of those
 ,jewish converts1  whose character and 
temperament inclined them to sympathize 
with the  traditional ceremonies of the 
,mosaic ,dispensation1 been forced as   
they  steadily declined to recognize the
 growing ascendancy of their ,greek and 

,roman brethren8 ,have they not been    
compelled to acknowledge the superior   
valor and the trained efficiency which  
have enabled these standard-bearers  of 
the ,cause of ,jesus ,christ to erect   
the symbols of ,his world-wide  dominion
 on the ruins of a collapsing ,empire8  
,has not the animating spirit  of ,islm 
been constrained1 under the pressure of 
similar circumstances1 to  abandon the  
inhospitable wastes of its ,arabian     
,home1 the theatre of its  greatest     
sufferings and exploits1 to yield in a  
distant land the fairest  fruit of its  
slowly maturing civilization8    8,from 
the beginning of time until the present 
day10 #8,abdu'l-,bah ,himself  affirms1 
8the light of ,divine ,revelation hath  
risen in the ,east and shed  its        
radiance upon the ,west4 ,the           
illumination thus shed hath1 however1   
acquired in the ,west an extraordinary  
brilliancy4 ,consider the ,faith        
proclaimed by ,jesus4 ,though it first  
appeared in the ,east1 yet not until    

its light had been shed upon the ,west  
did the full measure of its             
potentialities become manifest40 8,the  
day is approaching10 ,he1 in another    
passage1 assures us1 8when ye shall     
witness how1 through the splendor of    
the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh1 the ,west will
 have replaced the ,east1 radiating  the
 light of ,divine ,guidance40 8,in the  
books of the ,prophets10 ,he again      
asserts1 8certain glad-tidings are      
recorded which are absolutely true and  
free from doubt4 ,the ,east hath ever   
been the dawning-place of the ,sun of   
,truth4 ,in the ,east all the ,prophets 
of ,god have appeared 444,the ,west hath
  acquired illumination from the ,east  
but in some respects the reflection of  
the light hath been greater in the      
,occident4 ,this is specially true of   
,christianity4 ,jesus ,christ appeared  
in ,palestine and ,his teachings were   
founded in that country4 ,although the  
doors of the ,kingdom were first  opened
 in that land and the bestowals of ,god 

were spread broadcast from  its center1 
the people of the ,west have embraced   
and promulgated  ,christianity more     
fully than the people of the ,east40    
,little wonder that from the same       
unerring pen there should have flowed1  
after #8,abdu'l-,bah's memorable visit  
to the ,west1 these often-quoted  words1
 the significance of which it would be  
impossible for me to  overrate3 8,the   
continent of ,america10 ,he announced in
 a ,tablet unveiling  ,his ,divine ,plan
 to the believers residing in the       
,north-,eastern ,states of  the         
,american ,republic1 8is in the eyes of 
the one true ,god the land  wherein the 
splendors of ,his light shall be        
revealed1 where the mysteries  of ,his  
,faith shall be unveiled1 where the     
righteous will abide and the  free      
assemble40 8,may this ,american         
democracy10 ,he ,himself1 while in      
,america1 was heard to remark1 8be the  
first nation to establish the           
foundation of international agreement4  

,may it be the first nation to  proclaim
 the unity of mankind4 ,may it be the   
first to unfurl the standard  of the    
#8,most ,great ,peace'444 ,the ,american
 people are indeed worthy of  being the 
first to build the tabernacle of the    
great peace and proclaim  the oneness of
 mankind444 ,may ,america become the    
distributing center of  spiritual       
enlightenment and all the world receive 
this heavenly blessing4  ,for ,america  
has developed powers and capacities     
greater and more wonderful  than other  
nations444 ,may the inhabitants of this 
country become like  angels of heaven   
with faces turned continually toward    
,god4 ,may all of them  become servants 
of the omnipotent ,one4 ,may they rise  
from their present  material attainments
 to such a height that heavenly         
illumination may  stream from this      
center to all the peoples of the        
world444 ,this ,american  nation is     
equipped and empowered to accomplish    
that which will adorn the  pages of     

history1 to become the envy of the world
 and be blest in both the  ,east and the
 ,west for the triumph of its people444 
,the ,american continent  gives signs   
and evidences of very great advancement4
 ,its future is even  more promising1   
for its influence and illumination are  
far-reaching4 ,it  will lead all nations
 spiritually40    ,would it seem        
extravagant1 in the light of so sublime 
an utterance1 to  expect that in the    
midst of so enviable a region of the    
earth and out of  the agony and wreckage
 of an unprecedented crisis there should
 burst forth  a spiritual renaissance   
which1 as it propagates itself through  
the  instrumentality of the ,american   
believers1 will rehabilitate the        
fortunes  of a decadent age8 ,it was    
#8,abdu'l-,bah ,himself1 ,his most      
intimate  associates testify1 ,who1 on  
more than one occasion1 intimated that  
the  establishment of ,his ,father's    
,faith in the ,north ,american continent
 ranked  as the most outstanding among  

the threefold aims which1 as ,he        
conceived  it1 constituted the principal
 objective of ,his ministry4 ,it was ,he
 ,who1 in  the heyday of ,his life and  
almost immediately after ,his ,father's 
ascension1 conceived the idea of        
inaugurating ,his mission by enlisting  
the  inhabitants of so promising a      
country under the banner of ,bah'u'llh4 
,he  it was ,who in ,his unerring wisdom
 and out of the abundance of ,his heart 
chose to bestow on ,his favored         
disciples1 to the very last day of ,his 
life1 the tokens of ,his unfailing      
solicitude and to overwhelm them with   
the marks of ,his special favor4 ,it was
 ,he ,who1 in ,his declining years1 as  
soon as delivered from the shackles of a
 long and cruel incarceration1  decided 
to visit the land which had remained for
 so many years the object  of ,his      
infinite care and love4 ,it was ,he     
,who1 through the power of ,his         
presence and the charm of ,his          
utterance1 infused into the entire body 

of  ,his followers those sentiments and 
principles which could alone sustain    
them amidst the trials which the very   
prosecution of their task would         
inevitably engender4 ,was ,he not1      
through the several functions which ,he 
exercised whilst ,he dwelt amongst them1
 whether in the laying of the           
corner-stone of their ,house of         
,worship1 or in the ,feast which ,he    
offered  them and at which ,he chose to 
serve them in person1 or in the emphasis
  which ,he on a more solemn occasion   
placed on the implications of ,his      
spiritual station--was ,he not1 thereby1
 deliberately bequeathing to them  all  
the essentials of that spiritual        
heritage which ,he knew they would  ably
 safeguard and by their deeds           
continually enrich8 ,and finally who can
  doubt that in the ,divine ,plan which1
 in the evening of ,his life1 ,he       
unveiled to their eyes ,he was investing
 them with that spiritual primacy  on   
which they could rely in the fulfillment

 of their high destiny8    8,o ye       
apostles of ,bah'u'llh60 ,he thus       
addresses them in one of ,his  ,tablets1
 8,may my life be sacrificed for you6444
 ,behold the portals which  ,bah'u'llh  
hath opened before you6 ,consider how   
exalted and lofty is the  station you   
are destined to attain2 how unique the  
favors with which you  have been        
endowed40 8,my thoughts10 ,he tells them
 in another passage1 8are  turned       
towards you1 and my heart leaps within  
me at your mention4 ,could ye  know how 
my soul glows with your love1 so great a
 happiness would flood  your hearts as  
to cause you to become enamored with    
each other40 8,the full  measure of your
 success10 ,he declares in another      
,tablet1 8is as yet  unrevealed1 its    
significance still unapprehended4 ,ere  
long ye will1 with  your own eyes1      
witness how brilliantly every one of    
you1 even as a shining  star1 will      
radiate in the firmament of your country
 the light of ,divine  ,guidance and    

will bestow upon its people the glory of
 an everlasting  life40 8,the range of  
your future achievements10 ,he once more
 affirms1  8still remains undisclosed4  
,i fervently hope that in the near      
future the  whole earth may be stirred  
and shaken by the results of your       
achievements40 8,the ,almighty10 ,he    
assures them1 8will no doubt grant you  
the help of ,his grace1 will invest you 
with the tokens of ,his might1 and  will
 endue your souls with the sustaining   
power of ,his holy ,spirit40 8,be  not  
concerned10 ,he admonishes them1 8with  
the smallness of your numbers1  neither 
be oppressed by the multitude of an     
unbelieving world444 ,exert  yourselves2
 your mission is unspeakably glorious4  
,should success crown  your enterprise1 
,america will assuredly evolve into a   
center from which  waves of spiritual   
power will emanate1 and the throne of   
the ,kingdom of  ,god will1 in the      
plentitude of its majesty and glory1 be 
firmly  established40    8,the hope     

which #8,abdu'l-,bah cherishes for you10
 ,he thus urges them1 8is  that the same
 success which has attended your efforts
 in ,america may crown  your endeavors  
in other parts of the world1 that       
through you the fame of  the ,cause of  
,god may be diffused throughout the     
,east and the ,west and the  advent of  
the ,kingdom of the ,lord of ,hosts be  
proclaimed in all the five  continents  
of the globe444 ,thus far ye have been  
untiring in your labors4  ,let your     
exertions1 henceforth1 increase a       
thousandfold4 ,summon the people  in    
these countries1 capitals1 islands1     
assemblies and churches to enter  the   
,abh ,kingdom4 ,the scope of your       
exertions must needs be extended4 ,the  
wider its range1 the more striking will 
be the evidences of ,divine             
assistance444 ,oh6 that ,i could travel1
 even though on foot and in the  utmost 
poverty1 to these regions and1 raising  
the call of ,y ,bah'u'l-,abh  in cities1
 villages1 mountains1 deserts and       

oceans1 promote the ,divine  teachings6 
,this1 alas1 ,i cannot do6 ,how         
intensely ,i deplore it6 ,please  ,god1 
ye may achieve it40 ,and finally1 as if 
to crown all ,his previous  utterances1 
is this solemn affirmation embodying    
,his ,vision of ,america's  spiritual   
destiny3 8,the moment this ,divine      
,message is carried forward by  the     
,american believers from the shores of  
,america and is propagated  through the 
continents of ,europe1 of ,asia1 of     
,africa and of ,australasia1  and as far
 as the islands of the ,pacific1 this   
community will find itself  securely    
established upon the throne of an       
everlasting dominion4 ,then will  all   
the peoples of the world witness that   
this community is spiritually  illumined
 and divinely guided4 ,then will the    
whole earth resound with the  praises of
 its majesty and greatness40    ,it is  
in the light of these above-quoted words
 of #8,abdu'l-,bah that every           
thoughtful and conscientious believer   

should ponder the significance of  this 
momentous utterance of ,bah'u'llh3 8,in 
the ,east the light of ,his  ,revelation
 hath broken2 in the ,west have appeared
 the signs of ,his  dominion4 ,ponder   
this in your hearts1 ,o people1 and be  
not of those who  have turned a deaf ear
 to the admonitions of ,him ,who is the 
,almighty1 the  ,all-,praised444 ,should
 they attempt to conceal its light on   
the continent1  it will assuredly rear  
its head in the midmost heart of the    
ocean1 and1  raising its voice1         
proclaim3 #8,i am the life-giver of the 
world6'0    ,dearly-beloved friends6    
,can our eyes be so dim as to fail to   
recognize in  the anguish and turmoil   
which1 greater than in any other country
 and in a  manner unprecedented in its  
history1 are now afflicting the         
,american  nation1 evidences of the     
beginnings of that spiritual renaissance
 which  these pregnant words of         
#8,abdu'l-,bah so clearly foreshadow8   
,the throes and  twinges of agony which 

the soul of a nation in travail is now  
beginning to  experience abundantly     
proclaim it4 ,contrast the sad plight of
 the nations  of the earth1 and in      
particular this great ,republic of the  
,west1 with the  rising fortunes of that
 handful of its citizens1 whose mission1
 if they be  faithful to their trust1 is
 to heal its wounds1 restore its        
confidence and  revive its shattered    
hopes4 ,contrast the dreadful           
convulsions1 the  internecine conflicts1
 the petty disputes1 the outworn        
controversies1 the  interminable        
revolutions that agitate the masses1    
with the calm new light  of ,peace and  
of ,truth which envelops1 guides and    
sustains those valiant  inheritors of   
the law and love of ,bah'u'llh4 ,compare
 the disintegrating  institutions1 the  
discredited statesmanship1 the exploded 
theories1 the  appalling degradation1   
the follies and furies1 the shifts1     
shams and  compromises that characterize
 the present age1 with the steady       

consolidation1 the holy discipline1 the 
unity and cohesiveness1 the  assured    
conviction1 the uncompromising loyalty1 
the heroic self-sacrifice  that         
constitute the hallmark of these        
faithful stewards and harbingers of  the
 golden age of the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh4
    ,small wonder that these prophetic  
words should have been revealed by      
#8,abdu'l-,bah3 8,the ,east10 ,he       
assures us1 8hath verily been illumined 
with  the light of the ,kingdom4 ,ere   
long will this same light shed a still  
greater illumination upon the ,west4    
,then will the hearts of its people be  
vivified through the potency of the     
teachings of ,god and their souls be    
set aglow by the undying fire of ,his   
love40 8,the prestige of the ,faith of  
,god10 ,he asserts1 8has immensely      
increased4 ,its greatness is now        
manifest4  ,the day is approaching when 
it will have cast a tremendous tumult in
 men's  hearts4 ,rejoice1 therefore1 ,o 
denizens of ,america1 rejoice with      

exceeding  gladness60    ,most prized   
and best-beloved brethren6 ,as we look  
back upon the forty  years which have   
passed since the auspicious rays of the 
,bah' ,revelation  first warmed and     
illuminated the ,american continent we  
find that they may  well fall into four 
distinct periods1 each culminating in an
 event of such  significance as to      
constitute a milestone along the road   
leading the  ,american believers towards
 their promised victory4 ,the first of  
these four  decades 7#ahic-aijc71       
characterized by a process of slow and  
steady  fermentation1 may be said to    
have culminated in the historic         
pilgrimages  undertaken by              
#8,abdu'l-,bah's ,american disciples to 
the shrine of  ,bah'u'llh4 ,the ten     
years which followed 7#aijc-aiac71 so   
full of the  tests and trials which     
agitated1 cleansed and energized the    
body of the  earliest pioneers of the   
,faith in that land1 had as their happy 
climax  #8,abdu'l-,bah's memorable visit

 to ,america4 ,the third period         
7#aiac-aibc71 a  period of quiet and    
uninterrupted consolidation1 had as its 
inevitable  result the birth of that    
divinely-appointed ,administration1 the 
foundations of which the ,will of a     
departed ,master had unmistakably       
established4 ,the remaining ten years   
7#aibc-aicc71 distinguished throughout  
by further internal development1 as well
 as by a notable expansion of the       
international activities of a growing   
community1 witnessed the completion  of 
the superstructure of the               
,mashriqu'l-,adhkr--the                 
,administration's  mighty bulwark1 the  
symbol of its strength and the sign of  
its future  glory4    ,each of these    
successive periods would seem to have   
contributed its  distinct share in      
enriching the spiritual life of that    
community1 and in  preparing its members
 for the discharge of the tremendous    
responsibilities  of their unique       
mission4 ,the pilgrimages which its     

foremost  representatives were moved to 
undertake in that earliest period of its
  history fired the souls of its members
 with a love and zeal which no  amount  
of adversity could quench4 ,the tests   
and tribulations it  subsequently       
suffered enabled those who survived them
 to obtain a grasp of  the implications 
of their faith that no opposition1      
however determined and  well-organized1 
could ever hope to weaken4 ,the         
institutions which its  tried and tested
 adherents later on established         
furnished their promoters  with that    
poise and stability which the increase  
of their numbers and the  ceaseless     
extension of their activities urgently  
demanded4 ,and finally the  ,temple     
which the exponents of an already firmly
 established ,administration  were      
inspired to erect gave them the vision  
which neither the storms of  internal   
disorder nor the whirlwinds of          
international commotion could  possibly 
obscure4    ,it would take me too long  

to attempt even a brief description of  
the first  stirrings which the          
introduction of the ,bah' ,revelation   
into the ,new  ,world1 as conceived1    
initiated and directed by our beloved   
,master1  immediately created4 ,nor does
 space permit me to narrate the         
circumstances  attending the            
epoch-making visit of the first         
,american pilgrims to  ,bah'u'llh's     
hallowed shrine1 to relate the deeds    
which signalized the  return of these   
bearers of a new-born ,gospel to their  
native country1 or  to assess the       
immediate consequences of their         
achievements4 ,no word of  mine would   
suffice to express how instantly the    
revelation of  #8,abdu'l-,bah's hopes1  
expectations and purpose for an awakened
 continent1  electrified the minds and  
hearts of those who were privileged to  
hear ,him1  who were made the recipients
 of ,his inestimable blessings and the  
chosen  repositories of ,his confidence 
and trust4 ,i can never hope to         

interpret  adequately the feelings that 
surged within those heroic hearts as    
they sat  at their ,master's feet1      
beneath the shelter of ,his             
prison-house1 eager to  absorb and      
intent to preserve the effusions of ,his
 divine ,wisdom4 ,i can  never pay      
sufficient tribute to that spirit of    
unyielding determination  which the     
impact of a magnetic personality and the
 spell of a mighty  utterance kindled in
 the entire company of these returning  
pilgrims1 these  consecrated heralds of 
the ,covenant of ,god1 at so decisive an
 epoch of  their history4 ,the memory of
 such names as ,lua1 ,chase1 ,mac,nutt1 
,dealy1  ,goodall1 ,dodge1 ,farmer and  
,brittingham--to mention only a few of  
that  immortal galaxy now gathered to   
the glory of ,bah'u'llh--will for ever  
remain associated with the rise and     
establishment of ,his ,faith in the     
,american continent1 and will continue  
to shed on its annals a lustre that     
time can never dim4    ,it was through  

these pilgrimages1 as they succeeded one
 another in the  years immediately      
following the ascension of ,bah'u'llh1  
that the  splendor of the ,covenant1    
beclouded for a time by the apparent    
ascendancy  of its ,arch-,breaker1      
emerged triumphant amidst the           
vicissitudes which had  afflicted it4   
,it was through the arrival of these    
pilgrims1 and these  alone1 that the    
gloom which had enveloped the           
disconsolate members of                 
#8,abdu'l-,bah's family was finally     
dispelled4 ,through the agency of these 
successive visitors the ,greatest ,holy 
,leaf1 who alone with her ,brother      
among the members of her ,father's      
household had to confront the rebellion 
of almost the entire company of her     
relatives and associates1 found that    
consolation which so powerfully         
sustained her till the very close of her
  life4 ,by the forces which this little
 band of returning pilgrims was able  to
 release in the heart of that continent 

the death-knell of every scheme         
initiated by the would-be wrecker of the
 ,cause of ,god was sounded4    ,the    
,tablets which were subsequently        
revealed by the untiring pen of         
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 embodying in passionate 
and unequivocal language ,his           
instructions and counsels1 ,his appeals 
and comments1 ,his hopes and wishes1    
,his fears and warnings1 soon began to  
be translated1 published and  circulated
 throughout the length and breadth of   
the ,north ,american  continent1        
providing the ever-widening circle of   
the first believers with  that spiritual
 sustenance which could alone enable    
them to survive the  severe trials they 
were soon to experience4    ,the hour of
 an unprecedented crisis was1 however1  
inexorably approaching4  ,evidences of  
dissension1 actuated by pride and       
ambition1 were beginning to  obscure the
 radiance and retard the growth of the  
newly-born community  which the         
apostolic teachers of that continent had

 labored to establish4  ,he who had been
 instrumental in inaugurating so        
splendid an era in the  history of the  
,faith1 on whom the ,center of          
,bah'u'llh's ,covenant had  conferred   
the titles of 8,bah's ,peter10 of the   
8,shepherd of ,god's ,flocks10  of the  
8,conqueror of ,america10 upon whom had 
been bestowed the unique  privilege of  
helping #8,abdu'l-,bah lay the          
foundation-stone of the ,bb's           
,mausoleum on ,mt4 ,carmel--such a man1 
blinded by his extraordinary success    
and aspiring after an uncontrolled      
domination over the beliefs and         
activities of his fellow-disciples1     
insolently raised the standard of       
revolt4 ,seceding from #8,abdu'l-,bah   
and allying himself with the            
,arch-,enemy  of the ,faith of ,god1    
this deluded apostate sought1 by        
perverting the  teachings and directing 
a campaign of unrelenting vilification  
against the  person of #8,abdu'l-,bah1  
to undermine the faith of those         

believers whom he  had during no less   
than eight years1 so strenuously toiled 
to convert4 ,by  the tracts he          
published1 through the active           
collaboration of the  emissaries of his 
chief ,ally1 and reinforced by the      
efforts which the  ,christian           
ecclesiastical enemies of the ,bah'     
,revelation were beginning  to exert1 he
 succeeded in dealing the nascent ,faith
 of ,god a blow from  which it could    
only slowly and painfully recover4    ,i
 need not dwell on the immediate effects
 of this serious yet transitory         
cleavage in the ranks of the ,american  
adherents of the ,cause of  ,bah'u'llh4 
,nor do ,i need to expatiate on the     
character of the defamatory  writings   
that poured upon them4 ,nor does it seem
 necessary to recount the  measures to  
which an ever-vigilant ,master resorted 
in order to assuage and  eventually to  
dissipate their apprehensions4 ,it is   
for the future  historian to appraise   
the value of the mission of each of the 

four chosen  messengers of              
#8,abdu'l-,bah who1 in rapid succession1
 were dispatched by  ,him to pacify and 
reinvigorate that troubled community4   
,his will be the  task of tracing1 in   
the work which these deputies of        
#8,abdu'l-,bah were  commissioned to    
undertake1 the beginnings of that vast  
,administration1 the  corner-stone of   
which these messengers were instructed  
to lay--an  ,administration whose       
symbolic ,edifice ,he1 at a later time1 
was to found in  person and whose basis 
and scope the provisions of ,his ,will  
were destined  to widen4    ,suffice it 
to say that at this stage of its        
evolution the activities of an          
invincible ,faith had assumed such      
dimensions as to force on the one hand  
its enemies to devise fresh weapons for 
their projected assaults1 and on  the   
other to encourage its supreme ,promoter
 to instruct its followers1  through    
qualified representatives and teachers1 
in the rudiments of an  ,administration 

which1 as it evolved1 would at once     
incarnate1 safeguard  and foster its    
spirit4 ,the works of such stubborn     
assailants as those of  ,vatralsky1     
,wilson1 ,jessup and ,richardson vie    
with one another in their  futile       
attempts to stain its purity1 to arrest 
its march and compel its  surrender4 ,to
 the charges of ,nihilism1 of heresy1 of
 ,muammadan  ,gnosticism1 of immorality1
 of ,occultism and ,communism so freely 
leveled  against them1 the undismayed   
victims of such outrageous              
denunciations1  acting under the        
instructions of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 retorted
 by initiating a  series of activities  
which by their very nature were to be   
the precursors  of permanent1 officially
 recognized administrative institutions4
 ,the  inauguration of ,chicago's first 
,house of ,spirituality designated by   
#8,abdu'l-,bah as that city's 8,house of
 ,justice02 the establishment of the    
,bah' ,publishing ,society2 the founding
 of the ,green ,acre ,fellowship2 the   

publication of the ,star of the ,west2  
the holding of the first ,bah'          
,national ,convention1 synchronizing    
with the transference of the sacred     
remains of the ,bb to its final         
resting-place on ,mt4 ,carmel2 the      
incorporation of the ,bah' ,temple      
,unity and the formation of the         
,executive ,committee of the            
,mashriqu'l-,adhkr--these stand out as  
the  most conspicuous accomplishments of
 the ,american believers which have     
immortalized the memory of the most     
turbulent period of their history4      
,launched through these very acts into  
the troublesome seas of ceaseless       
tribulation1 piloted by the mighty arm  
of #8,abdu'l-,bah and manned by the     
bold initiative and abundant vitality of
 a band of sorely-tried disciples1  the 
,ark of ,bah'u'llh's ,covenant has1 ever
 since those days1 been  steadily       
pursuing its course contemptuous of the 
storms of bitter  misfortune that have  
raged1 and which must continue to assail

 it1 as it  forges ahead towards the    
promised haven of undisturbed security  
and peace4    ,unsatisfied with the     
achievements which crowned the concerted
 efforts of  their elected              
representatives within the ,american    
continent1 and  emboldened by the       
initial success of their pioneer        
teachers1 beyond its  confines1 in      
,great ,britain1 ,france and ,germany1  
the community of the  ,american         
believers resolved to win in distant    
climes fresh recruits to the  advancing 
army of ,bah'u'llh4 ,setting out from   
the western shores of  their native land
 and impelled by the indomitable energy 
of a new-born  faith1 these itinerant   
teachers of the ,gospel of ,bah'u'llh   
pushed on  towards the islands of the   
,pacific1 and as far as ,china and      
,japan1  determined to establish beyond 
the farthest seas the outposts of their 
beloved ,faith4 ,both at home and abroad
 this community had by that time        
demonstrated its capacity to widen the  

range and consolidate the  foundations  
of its vast endeavors4 ,the angry voices
 that had been raised  in protest       
against its rise were being drowned amid
 the acclamations with  which the ,east 
greeted its recent victories4 ,those    
ugly features that had  loomed so       
threateningly were gradually receding   
into the distance1  furnishing a still  
wider field to these noble warriors for 
the exercise of  their latent energies4 
,the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh in the        
continent of ,america had indeed been   
resuscitated4 ,phoenix-like it had risen
 in all its freshness1 vigor and  beauty
 and was now1 through the voice of its  
triumphant exponents1  insistingly      
calling to #8,abdu'l-,bah1 imploring    
,him to undertake a journey  to its     
shores4 ,the first fruits of the mission
 entrusted to its worthy  upholders had 
lent such poignancy to their call that  
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 ,who had  just been     
delivered from the fetters of a galling 
tyranny1 found ,himself  unable to      

resist4 ,his great1 ,his incomparable1  
love for ,his own favored  children     
impelled ,him to respond4 ,their        
passionate entreaty had1 moreover1  been
 reinforced by the numerous invitations 
which representatives of  various       
interested organizations1 whether       
religious1 educational or  humanitarian1
 had extended to ,him1 expressing their 
eagerness to receive  from ,his own     
mouth an exposition of ,his ,father's   
teachings4    ,though bent with age1    
though suffering from ailments resulting
 from the  accumulated cares of fifty   
years of exile and captivity1           
#8,abdu'l-,bah set  out on ,his         
memorable journey across the seas to the
 land where ,he might  bless by ,his    
presence1 and sanctify through ,his     
deeds1 the mighty acts ,his  spirit had 
led ,his disciples to perform4 ,the     
circumstances that have  attended ,his  
triumphal progress through the chief    
cities of the ,united  ,states and      
,canada my pen is utterly incapable of  

describing4 ,the joys  which the        
announcement of ,his arrival evoked1 the
 publicity which ,his  activities       
created1 the forces which ,his          
utterances released1 the  opposition    
which the implications of ,his teachings
 excited1 the  significant episodes to  
which ,his words and deeds continually  
gave  rise--these future generations    
will1 no doubt1 minutely and befittingly
  register4 ,they will carefully        
delineate their features1 will cherish  
and  preserve their memory1 and will    
transmit unimpaired the record of their 
minutest details to their descendants4  
,it would indeed be presumptuous on  our
 part to attempt1 at the present time1  
to sketch even the bare outline  of so  
vast1 so enthralling a theme4           
,contemplating after the lapse of above 
twenty years this notable landmark in   
,america's spiritual history we still   
find ourselves compelled to confess our 
inability to grasp its import or  to    
fathom its mystery4 ,i have alluded in  

the preceding pages to a few of  the    
more salient features of that           
never-to-be-forgotten visit4 ,these     
incidents1 as we look back upon them1   
eloquently proclaim #8,abdu'l-,bah's    
specific purpose to confer through these
 symbolic functions upon the  first-born
 of the communities of the ,west that   
spiritual primacy which was  to be the  
birthright of the ,american believers4  
,the seeds which #8,abdu'l-,bah's       
ceaseless activities so lavishly        
scattered  had endowed the ,united      
,states and ,canada1 nay the entire     
continent1 with  potentialities such as 
it had never known in its history4 ,on  
the small  band of ,his trained and     
beloved disciples1 and through them on  
their  descendants1 ,he1 through that   
visit1 had bequeathed a priceless       
heritage--a  heritage which carried with
 it the sacred and primary obligation to
 arise  and carry on in that fertile    
field the work ,he had so gloriously    
initiated4 ,we can dimly picture to     

ourselves the wishes that must have     
welled from ,his eager heart as ,he bade
 ,his last farewell to that promising   
country4 ,an inscrutable ,wisdom1 we can
 well imagine ,him remark to ,his       
disciples on the eve of ,his departure1 
has1 in ,his infinite bounty singled    
out your native land for the execution  
of a mighty purpose4 ,through the       
agency of ,bah'u'llh's ,covenant ,i1 as 
the ploughman1 have been called  upon   
since the beginning of my ministry to   
turn up and break its ground4  ,the     
mighty confirmations that have1 in the  
opening days of your career1  rained    
upon you have prepared and invigorated  
its soil4 ,the tribulations  you        
subsequently were made to suffer have   
driven deep furrows into the  field     
which my hands had prepared4 ,the seeds 
with which ,i have been  entrusted ,i   
have now scattered far and wide before  
you4 ,under your loving  care1 by your  
ceaseless exertions1 every one of these 
seeds must  germinate1 every one must   

yield its destined fruit4 ,a winter of  
unprecedented severity will soon be upon
 you4 ,its storm-clouds are fast        
gathering on the horizon4 ,tempestuous  
winds will assail you from every  side4 
,the ,light of the ,covenant will be    
obscured through my departure4  ,these  
mighty blasts1 this wintry desolation1  
shall however pass away4 ,the  dormant  
seed will burst into fresh activity4 ,it
 shall put forth its buds1  shall       
reveal1 in mighty institutions1 its     
leaves and blossoms4 ,the vernal        
showers which the tender mercies of my  
heavenly ,father will cause to  descend 
upon you will enable this tender plant  
to spread out its branches  to regions  
far beyond the confines of your native  
land4 ,and finally the  steadily        
mounting sun of ,his ,revelation1       
shining in its meridian splendor1  will 
enable this mighty ,tree of ,his ,faith 
to yield1 in the fullness of  time and  
on your soil1 its golden fruit4    ,the 
implications of such a parting message  

could not long remain  unrevealed to    
#8,abdu'l-,bah's initiated disciples4   
,no sooner had ,he  concluded ,his long 
and arduous journey across the ,american
 and ,european  continents than the     
tremendous happenings to which ,he had  
alluded began to  be made manifest4 ,a  
conflict1 such as ,he had predicted1    
severed for a time  all means of        
communication with those on whom ,he had
 come to place such  implicit trust and 
from whom ,he was expecting so much in  
return4 ,the  wintry desolation1 with   
all its havoc and carnage1 pursued      
during four  years its relentless       
course1 while ,he1 repairing to the     
quiet solitude of  ,his residence in the
 close neighborhood of ,bah'u'llh's     
hallowed shrine1  continued to          
communicate ,his thoughts and wishes to 
those whom ,he had left  behind and on  
whom ,he had conferred the unique tokens
 of ,his favor4 ,in the  immortal       
,tablets which1 in the long hours of    
,his communion with ,his  dearly-beloved

 friends ,he was moved to reveal1 ,he   
unfolded to their eyes  ,his conception 
of their spiritual destiny1 ,his ,plan  
for the mission ,he  wished them to     
undertake4 ,the seeds ,his hands had    
sown ,he was now watering  with that    
same care1 that same love and patience1 
which had characterized  ,his previous  
endeavors whilst ,he was laboring in    
their midst4    ,the clarion call which 
#8,abdu'l-,bah had raised was the signal
 for an  outburst of renewed activity   
which1 alike in the motives it inspired 
and  the forces it set in motion1       
,america had scarcely experienced4      
,lending an  unprecedented impetus to   
the work which the enterprising         
ambassadors of  the ,message of         
,bah'u'llh had initiated in distant     
lands1 this mighty  movement has        
continued to spread until the present   
day1 has gathered  momentum as it       
extended its ramifications over the     
surface of the globe1  and will continue
 to accelerate its march until the last 

wishes of its  original ,promoter are   
completely fulfilled4    ,forsaking     
home1 kindred1 friends and position a   
handful of men and women1  fired with a 
zeal and confidence which no human      
agency can kindle1 arose  to carry out  
the mandate which #8,abdu'l-,bah had    
issued4 ,sailing northward  as far as   
,alaska1 pushing on to the ,west        
,indies1 penetrating the ,south         
,american continent to the banks of the 
,amazon and across the ,andes to the    
southernmost ends of the ,argentine     
,republic1 pressing on westward into the
  island of ,tahiti and beyond it to the
 ,australian continent and still  beyond
 it as far as ,new ,zealand and         
,tasmania1 these intrepid heralds of    
the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh have succeeded 
by their very acts in setting to  the   
present generation of their             
fellow-believers throughout the ,east an
  example which they may well emulate4  
,headed by their illustrious            
representative1 who ever since the call 

of #8,abdu'l-,bah was raised has  been  
twice round the world and is still1 with
 marvellous courage and  fortitude1     
enriching the matchless record of her   
services1 these men and  women have been
 instrumental in extending1 to a degree 
as yet unsurpassed  in ,bah' history1   
the sway of ,bah'u'llh's universal      
dominion4 ,in the  face of almost       
insurmountable obstacles they have      
succeeded in most of the  countries     
through which they have passed or in    
which they have resided1 in  proclaiming
 the teachings of their ,faith1 in      
circulating its literature1  in         
defending its cause1 in laying the basis
 of its institutions and in  reinforcing
 the number of its declared supporters4 
,it would be impossible  for me to      
unfold in this short compass the tale of
 such heroic actions4  ,nor can any     
tribute of mine do justice to the spirit
 which has enabled  these               
standard-bearers of the ,religion of    
,god to win such laurels and to  confer 

such distinction on the generation to   
which they belong4    ,the ,cause of    
,bah'u'llh had by that time encircled   
the globe4 ,its light1  born in darkest 
,persia1 had been carried successively  
to the ,european1 the  ,african and the 
,american continents1 and was now       
penetrating the heart of  ,australia1   
encompassing thereby the whole earth    
with a girdle of shining  glory4 ,the   
share which such worthy1 such           
stout-hearted1 disciples have had  in   
brightening the last days of            
#8,abdu'l-,bah's earthly life ,he alone 
has  truly recognized and can           
sufficiently estimate4 ,the unique and  
eternal  significance of such           
accomplishments the labors of the rising
 generation  will assuredly reveal1     
their memory its works will befittingly 
preserve  and extol4 ,how deep a        
satisfaction #8,abdu'l-,bah must have   
felt1 while  conscious of the           
approaching hour of ,his departure1 as  
,he witnessed the  first fruits of the  

international services of these heroes  
of ,his ,father's  ,faith6 ,to their    
keeping ,he had committed a great and   
goodly heritage4 ,in  the twilight of   
,his earthly life ,he could rest content
 in the serene  assurance that such able
 hands could be relied upon to preserve 
its  integrity and exalt its virtue4    
,the passing of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 so      
sudden in the circumstances which caused
  it1 so dramatic in its consequences1  
could neither impede the operation of   
such a dynamic force nor obscure its    
purpose4 ,those fervid appeals1         
embodied in the ,will and ,testament of 
a departed ,master1 could not but       
confirm its aim1 define its character   
and reinforce the promise of its        
ultimate success4    ,out of the pangs  
of anguish which ,his bereaved followers
 have suffered1  amid the heat and dust 
which the attacks launched by a         
sleepless enemy had  precipitated1 the  
,administration of ,bah'u'llh's         
invincible ,faith was  born4 ,the potent

 energies released through the ascension
 of the ,center of  ,his ,covenant      
crystallized into this supreme1 this    
infallible ,organ for the               
accomplishment of a ,divine ,purpose4   
,the ,will and ,testament of            
#8,abdu'l-,bah  unveiled its character1 
reaffirmed its basis1 supplemented its  
principles1  asserted its               
indispensability1 and enumerated its    
chief institutions4 ,with  that         
self-same spontaneity which had         
characterized her response to the       
,message proclaimed by ,bah'u'llh       
,america had now arisen to espouse the  
cause of the ,administration which the  
,will and ,testament of ,his ,son had   
unmistakably established4 ,it was given 
to her1 and to her alone1 in the        
turbulent years following the revelation
 of so momentous a ,document1 to  become
 the fearless champion of that          
,administration1 the pivot of its       
new-born institutions and the leading   
promoter of its influence4 ,to their    

,persian brethren1 who in the heroic age
 of the ,faith had won the crown of     
martyrdom1 the ,american believers1     
forerunners of its golden age1 were now 
worthily succeeding1 bearing in their   
turn the palm of a hard-won victory4    
,the unbroken record of their           
illustrious deeds had established beyond
 the  shadow of a doubt their           
preponderating share in shaping the     
destinies of  their ,faith4 ,in a world 
writhing with pain and declining into   
chaos this  community--the vanguard of  
the liberating forces of                
,bah'u'llh--succeeded  in the years     
following #8,abdu'l-,bah's passing in   
raising high above the  institutions    
established by its sister communities in
 ,east and ,west what  may well         
constitute the chief pillar of that     
future ,house--a ,house which  posterity
 will regard as the last refuge of a    
tottering civilization4    ,in the      
prosecution of their task neither the   
whisperings of the  treacherous nor the 

virulent attacks of their avowed enemies
 were allowed  to deflect them from     
their high purpose or to undermine their
 faith in the  sublimity of their       
calling4 ,the agitation provoked by him 
who in his  incessant and sordid pursuit
 of earthly riches would have1 but for  
#8,abdu'l-,bah's warning1 sullied the   
fair name of their ,faith1 had left     
them in the main undisturbed4 ,schooled 
by tribulation and secure within  the   
stronghold of their fast evolving       
institutions they scorned his           
insinuations and by their unswerving    
loyalty were able to shatter his  hopes4
 ,they refused to allow any             
consideration of the admitted prestige  
and past services of his father and of  
his associates to weaken their          
determination to ignore entirely the    
person whom #8,abdu'l-,bah had so       
emphatically condemned4 ,the veiled     
attacks with which a handful of deluded 
enthusiasts subsequently sought in the  
pages of their periodical to check  the 

growth and blight the prospects of an   
infant ,administration had  likewise    
failed to achieve their purpose4 ,the   
attitude which a besotted  woman later  
on assumed1 her ludicrous assertions1   
her boldness in flouting  the ,will of  
#8,abdu'l-,bah and in challenging its   
authenticity and her  attempts to       
subvert its principles were again       
powerless to produce the  slightest     
breach in the ranks of its valiant      
upholders4 ,the treacherous  schemes    
which the ambition of a perfidious and  
still more recent enemy has  devised and
 through which he is still striving to  
deface #8,abdu'l-,bah's  noble handiwork
 and corrupt its administrative         
principles are being once  more         
completely frustrated4 ,these           
intermittent and abortive attempts on   
the part of its assailants to force the 
surrender of the newly built  stronghold
 of the ,faith its defenders have from  
the very beginning utterly  disdained4  
,no matter how fierce the assaults of   

the enemy or skillful his  stratagem    
they have refused to yield one jot or   
one tittle of their  cherished          
convictions4 ,his insinuations and      
clamor they have consistently  ignored4 
,the motives which animated his actions1
 the methods he steadily  pursued1 the  
precarious privileges he seemed         
momentarily to enjoy they  could not but
 despise4 ,thriving for a time through  
the devices which their  scheming minds 
had conceived and supported by the      
ephemeral advantages  which fame1       
ability or fortune can confer these     
notorious exponents of  corruption and  
heresy have succeeded in protruding for 
a time their ugly  features only to     
sink1 as rapidly as they had risen1 into
 the mire of an  ignominious end4       
,from the midst of these afflictive     
trials1 reminiscent in some of their    
aspects of the violent storm that had   
accompanied the birth of the ,faith  in 
their native land1 the ,american        
believers had again triumphantly        

emerged1 their course undeflected1 their
 fame unsullied1 their heritage         
unimpaired4 ,a series of magnificent    
accomplishments1 each more significant  
than the previous1 were to shed         
increasing lustre on an already         
illustrious record4 ,in the dark years  
immediately following #8,abdu'l-,bah's  
ascension their deeds shone with a      
radiance that made them the object of   
the envy and the admiration of the less 
privileged among their brethren4  ,the  
entire community1 untrammeled and       
supremely confident1 was rising to a    
great and glorious opportunity4 ,the    
forces that had motivated its birth1    
that had assisted in its rise1 were now 
accelerating its growth1 in a  manner   
and with such rapidity that neither the 
pangs of a world-wide  sorrow nor the   
unceasing convulsions of a distracted   
age could paralyze  its efforts or      
retard its march4    ,internally the    
community had embarked in a number of   
enterprises that were  to enable it on  

the one hand to extend still further the
 scope of its  spiritual jurisdiction   
and on the other to fashion the         
essential  instruments for the creation 
and consolidation of the institutions   
which  such an extension imperatively   
demanded4 ,externally its undertakings  
were  inspired by the twofold objective 
of prosecuting1 even more intensely than
  before1 the admirable work which in   
each of the five continents its         
international teachers had initiated1   
and of assuming an increasing share  in 
the handling and solution of the        
delicate and complex problems with      
which a newly-emancipated ,faith was    
being confronted4 ,the birth of the     
,administration in that continent had   
signalized these praiseworthy           
exertions4 ,its gradual consolidation   
was destined to insure their            
continuance and to accentuate their     
effectiveness4    ,to enumerate only the
 most outstanding accomplishments which1
 in their own  country and beyond its   

confines1 have so greatly enhanced the  
prestige of  the ,american believers and
 have redounded to the glory and honor  
of the  ,most ,great ,name is all ,i can
 presently undertake1 leaving to future 
generations the task of explaining their
 import and of affixing a fitting       
estimate to their value4 ,to the body of
 their elected representatives must  be 
attributed the honor of having been the 
first among their sister  ,assemblies of
 ,east and ,west to devise1 promulgate  
and legalize the  essential instruments 
for the effective discharge of their    
collective  duties--instruments which   
every properly constituted ,bah'        
community must  regard as a pattern     
worthy to be adopted and copied4 ,to    
their efforts must  likewise be ascribed
 the historic achievement of            
establishing their  national endowments 
upon a permanent and unassailable basis 
and of  creating the necessary agency   
for the formation of those subsidiary   
organs  whose function is to administer 

on behalf of their trustees such        
possessions as these may acquire beyond 
the limits of their immediate           
jurisdiction4 ,by the weight of their   
moral support so freely extended to     
their ,egyptian brethren they were able 
to remove some of the most  formidable  
obstacles which the ,faith had to       
surmount in its struggle to  enfranchise
 itself from the fetters of ,muslim     
orthodoxy4 ,through the  effective and  
timely intervention of these same       
elected representatives  they were able 
to avert the woes and dangers which had 
menaced their  persecuted fellow-workers
 in the ,soviet ,republics1 and to ward 
off the  rage which had threatened with 
immediate ruin one of the most precious 
and  noblest of ,bah' institutions4     
,nothing short of the whole-hearted     
assistance1 whether moral or financial  
which the ,american believers1          
individually and collectively1 were     
moved to extend on several occasions  to
 the needy and harassed among their     

brethren in ,persia could have saved    
these hapless victims of the            
consequences of the calamities that had 
visited them in the years following     
#8,abdu'l-,bah's ascension4 ,it was the 
publicity which the efforts of their    
,american brethren had created1 the     
protests they were led to make1 the     
appeals and petitions they had          
submitted1 which mitigated these        
sufferings and curbed the violence of   
the  worst and most tyrannical opponents
 of the ,faith in that land4 ,who else1 
if not one of their most distinguished  
representatives1 has risen to force     
upon the attention of the highest       
,tribunal the world has yet seen the    
grievances which a ,faith1 robbed of one
 of its holiest sanctuaries1 had        
suffered at the hand of the usurper8    
,who else has succeeded in securing1    
through patient and persistent effort1  
those written affirmations which        
proclaim the justice of a persecuted    
cause and tacitly recognize its right   

to an independent religious status8     
8,the ,commission10 is the resolution   
passed by the ,permanent ,mandates      
,commission of the ,league of ,nations1 
8recommends that the ,council should ask
 the ,british ,government to make       
representations to the ,irq ,government 
with a view to the immediate  redress of
 the denial of justice from which the   
petitioners 7the ,bah'  ,spiritual      
,assembly of ,baghdd7 have suffered40   
,has any one else except  an ,american  
believer been led to obtain from royalty
 such remarkable and  repeated          
testimonies to the regenerating power of
 the ,faith of ,god1 such  striking     
references to the universality of its   
teachings and the sublimity  of its     
mission4 8,the ,bah' teaching10 such is 
the ,queen's written  testimony1 8brings
 peace and understanding4 ,it is like a 
wide embrace  gathering together all    
those who have long searched for words  
of hope4 ,it  accepts all great         
,prophets gone before1 it destroys no   

other creeds and  leaves all doors open4
 ,saddened by the continual strife      
amongst believers  of many confessions  
and wearied of their intolerance towards
 each other1 ,i  discovered in the ,bah'
 teaching the real spirit of ,christ so 
often  denied and misunderstood3 ,unity 
instead of strife1 ,hope instead of     
condemnation1 ,love instead of hate1 and
 a great reassurance for all men40      
,have not the ,american adherents of the
 ,faith of ,bah'u'llh1 through the      
courage displayed by one of the most    
brilliant members of their community1   
been instrumental in paving the way for 
the removal of those barriers  which    
have1 for well-nigh a century1 hampered 
the growth and crippled the  energy of  
their fellow-believers in ,persia8 ,is  
it not ,america who1 ever  mindful of   
#8,abdu'l-,bah's passionate entreaty1   
has sent out to the ends of  the earth a
 steadily increasing number of its most 
consecrated  citizens--men and women the
 one wish of whose lives is to          

consolidate the  foundations of         
,bah'u'llh's world-embracing dominion8  
,in the northernmost  capitals of       
,europe1 in most of its central states1 
throughout the ,balkan  ,peninsula1     
along the shores of the ,african1 the   
,asiatic and ,south ,american           
continents are to be found this day a   
small band of women pioneers who1       
single-handed and with scanty resources1
 are toiling for the advent of the  ,day
 #8,abdu'l-,bah has foretold4 ,did not  
the attitude of the ,greatest ,holy     
,leaf1 as she approached the close of   
her life1 bear eloquent testimony to    
the incomparable share which her        
steadfast and self-sacrificing lovers in
  that continent have had in lightening 
the burden which had weighed so long    
and so heavily on her heart8 ,and       
finally who can be so bold as to deny   
that the completion of the              
superstructure of the                   
,mashriqu'l-,adhkr--the  crowning glory 
of ,america's past and present          

achievements--has forged that  mystic   
chain which is to link1 more firmly than
 ever1 the hearts of its                
champion-builders with ,him ,who is the 
,source and ,center of their ,faith and 
the ,object of their truest adoration8  
,fellow-believers in the ,american      
continent6 ,great indeed have been your 
past and present achievements6          
,immeasurably greater are the wonders   
which  the future has in store for you6 
,the ,edifice your sacrifices have      
raised  still remains to be clothed4    
,the ,house which must needs be         
supported by  the highest administrative
 institution your hands have reared1 is 
as yet  unbuilt4 ,the provisions of the 
chief ,repository of those laws that    
must  govern its operation are thus far 
mostly undisclosed4 ,the ,standard      
which1  if #8,abdu'l-,bah's wishes are  
to be fulfilled1 must be raised in your 
own  country has yet to be unfurled4    
,the ,unity of which that standard is to
 be  the symbol is far from being yet   

established4 ,the machinery which must  
needs incarnate and preserve that unity 
is not even created4 ,will it be        
,america1 will it be one of the         
countries of ,europe1 who will arise to 
assume the leadership essential to the  
shaping of the destinies of this        
troubled age8 ,will ,america allow any  
of her sister communities in ,east or   
,west to achieve such ascendancy as     
shall deprive her of that spiritual     
primacy with which she has been invested
 and which she has thus far so  nobly   
retained8 ,will she not rather          
contribute1 by a still further          
revelation of those inherent powers that
 motivate her life1 to enhance the      
priceless heritage which the love and   
wisdom of a departed ,master have       
conferred upon her8    ,her past has    
been a testimony to the inexhaustible   
vitality of her faith4  ,may not her    
future confirm it8    ,your true        
brother1  ,,shoghi4    ,haifa1          
,palestine1  ,april #ba1 #aicc4         

,,the ,,dispensation ,,of               
,,bah',u',,ll,h          ,the           
,dispensation of ,bah'u'llh      ,to the
 beloved of ,god and the handmaids of   
the ,merciful throughout the  ,west4    
,fellow-laborers in the ,divine         
,vineyard3    ,on the #bcrd of ,may of  
this auspicious year the ,bah' world    
will celebrate  the #ijth anniversary of
 the founding of the ,faith of          
,bah'u'llh4 ,we1 who  at this hour find 
ourselves standing on the threshold of  
the last decade  of the first century of
 the ,bah' era1 might well pause to     
reflect upon  the mysterious            
dispensations of so august1 so momentous
 a ,revelation4 ,how  vast1 how         
entrancing the panorama which the       
revolution of four score years  and ten 
unrolls before our eyes6 ,its towering  
grandeur well-nigh  overwhelms us4 ,to  
merely contemplate this unique          
spectacle1 to visualize1  however dimly1
 the circumstances attending the birth  
and gradual  unfoldment of this supreme 

,theophany1 to recall even in their     
barest  outline the woeful struggles    
that proclaimed its rise and accelerated
 its  march1 will suffice to convince   
every unbiased observer of those eternal
  truths that motivate its life and     
which must continue to impel it forward 
until it achieves its destined          
ascendancy4    ,dominating the entire   
range of this fascinating spectacle     
towers the  incomparable figure of      
,bah'u'llh1 transcendental in ,his      
majesty1 serene1  awe-inspiring1        
unapproachably glorious4 ,allied1 though
 subordinate in  rank1 and invested with
 the authority of presiding with ,him   
over the  destinies of this supreme     
,dispensation1 there shines upon this   
mental  picture the youthful glory of   
the ,bb1 infinite in ,his tenderness1   
irresistible in ,his charm1 unsurpassed 
in ,his heroism1 matchless in the       
dramatic circumstances of ,his short yet
 eventful life4 ,and finally there      
emerges1 though on a plane of its own   

and in a category entirely apart  from  
the one occupied by the twin ,figures   
that preceded ,him1 the vibrant1  the   
magnetic personality of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 
reflecting to a degree that no  man1    
however exalted his station1 can hope to
 rival1 the glory and power  with which 
,they who are the ,manifestations of    
,god are alone endowed4    ,with        
#8,abdu'l-,bah's ascension1 and more    
particularly with the passing of  ,his  
well-beloved and illustrious sister the 
,most ,exalted ,leaf--the last  survivor
 of a glorious and heroic age--there    
draws to a close the first and  most    
moving chapter of ,bah' history1 marking
 the conclusion of the  ,primitive1 the 
,apostolic ,age of the ,faith of        
,bah'u'llh4 ,it was  #8,abdu'l-,bah     
,who1 through the provisions of ,his    
weighty ,will and  ,testament1 has      
forged the vital link which must for    
ever connect the age  that has just     
expired with the one we now live in--the
 ,transitional and  ,formative period of

 the ,faith--a stage that must in the   
fullness of time  reach its blossom and 
yield its fruit in the exploits and     
triumphs that  are to herald the ,golden
 ,age of the ,revelation of ,bah'u'llh4 
,dearly-beloved friends6 ,the onrushing 
forces so miraculously released  through
 the agency of two independent and      
swiftly successive  ,manifestations are 
now under our very eyes and through the 
care of the  chosen stewards of a       
far-flung ,faith being gradually        
mustered and  disciplined4 ,they are    
slowly crystallizing into institutions  
that will  come to be regarded as the   
hall-mark and glory of the age we are   
called  upon to establish and by our    
deeds immortalize4 ,for upon our        
present-day  efforts1 and above all upon
 the extent to which we strive to       
remodel our  lives after the pattern of 
sublime heroism associated with those   
gone  before us1 must depend the        
efficacy of the instruments we now      
fashion--instruments that must erect the

 structure of that blissful             
,commonwealth which must signalize the  
,golden ,age of our ,faith4    ,it is   
not my purpose1 as ,i look back upon    
these crowded years of heroic  deeds1 to
 attempt even a cursory review of the   
mighty events that have  transpired     
since #ahdd until the present day4 ,nor 
have ,i any intention to  undertake an  
analysis of the forces that have        
precipitated them1 or to  evaluate their
 influence upon peoples and institutions
 in almost every  continent of the      
globe4 ,the authentic record of the     
lives of the first  believers of the    
primitive period of our ,faith1 together
 with the  assiduous research which     
competent ,bah' historians will in the  
future  undertake1 will combine to      
transmit to posterity such masterly     
exposition  of the history of that age  
as my own efforts can never hope to     
accomplish4  ,my chief concern at this  
challenging period of ,bah' history is  
rather to  call the attention of those  

who are destined to be the              
champion-builders  of the               
,administrative ,order of ,bah'u'llh to 
certain fundamental verities  the       
elucidation of which must tremendously  
assist them in the effective            
prosecution of their mighty enterprise4 
,the international status which the     
,religion of ,god has thus far achieved1
  moreover1 imperatively demands that   
its root principles be now definitely   
clarified4 ,the unprecedented impetus   
which the illustrious deeds of the      
,american believers have lent to the    
onward march of the ,faith2 the intense 
interest which the first                
,mashriqu'l-,adhkr of the ,west is fast 
awakening among divers races and        
nations2 the rise and steady            
consolidation of ,bah' institutions in  
no less than forty of the most  advanced
 countries of the world2 the            
dissemination of ,bah' literature in  no
 fewer than twenty-five of the most     
widely-spoken languages2 the success    

that has recently attended the          
nation-wide efforts of the ,persian     
believers in the preliminary steps they 
have taken for the establishment1  in   
the outskirts of the capital-city of    
their native land1 of the third         
,mashriqu'l-,adhkr of the ,bah' world2  
the measures that are being  taken for  
the immediate formation of their first  
,national ,spiritual  ,assembly         
representing the interests of the       
overwhelming majority of ,bah'          
adherents2 the projected erection of yet
 another pillar of the ,universal       
,house of ,justice1 the first of its    
kind1 in the ,southern ,hemisphere2 the 
testimonies1 both verbal and written1   
that a struggling ,faith has obtained   
from ,royalty1 from governmental        
institutions1 international tribunals1  
and  ecclesiastical dignitaries2 the    
publicity it has received from the      
charges  which unrelenting enemies1 both
 new and old1 have hurled against it2   
the  formal enfranchisement of a section

 of its followers from the fetters of   
,muslim orthodoxy in a country that may 
be regarded as the most enlightened     
among ,islamic nations--these afford    
ample proof of the growing momentum     
with which the invincible community of  
the ,most ,great ,name is marching      
forward to ultimate victory4            
,dearly-beloved friends6 ,i feel it     
incumbent upon me1 by virtue of the     
obligations and responsibilities which  
as ,guardian of the ,faith of           
,bah'u'llh ,i am called upon to         
discharge1 to lay special stress1 at a  
time when the light of publicity is     
being increasingly focussed upon us1    
upon certain truths which lie at the    
basis of our ,faith and the integrity   
of which it is our first duty to        
safeguard4 ,these verities1 if valiantly
  upheld and properly assimilated1 will1
 ,i am convinced1 powerfully  reinforce 
the vigor of our spiritual life and     
greatly assist in  counteracting the    
machinations of an implacable and       

vigilant enemy4    ,to strive to obtain 
a more adequate understanding of the    
significance of  ,bah'u'llh's stupendous
 ,revelation must1 it is my unalterable 
conviction1  remain the first obligation
 and the object of the constant endeavor
 of  each one of its loyal adherents4   
,an exact and thorough comprehension of 
so  vast a system1 so sublime a         
revelation1 so sacred a trust1 is for   
obvious  reasons beyond the reach and   
ken of our finite minds4 ,we can1       
however1 and  it is our bounden duty to 
seek to derive fresh inspiration and    
added  sustenance as we labor for the   
propagation of ,his ,faith through a    
clearer  apprehension of the truths it  
enshrines and the principles on which it
 is  based4    ,in a communication      
addressed to the ,american believers ,i 
have in the  course of my explanation of
 the station of the ,bb made a passing  
reference to the incomparable greatness 
of the ,revelation of which ,he         
considered ,himself to be the humble    

,precursor4 ,he ,whom ,bah'u'llh has    
acclaimed in the ,kitb-i-qn as that     
promised ,q'im ,who has manifested no   
less than twenty-five out of the        
twenty-seven letters which all the      
,prophets were destined to reveal--so   
great a ,revealer has ,himself testified
  to the preminence of that superior    
,revelation that was soon to supersede  
,his own4 8,the germ10 the ,bb asserts  
in the ,persian ,bayn1 8that holds      
within itself the potentialities of the 
,revelation that is to come is  endowed 
with a potency superior to the combined 
forces of all those who  follow me40    
8,of all the tributes10 ,he again       
affirms1 8,i have paid to ,him  ,who is 
to come after ,me1 the greatest is this1
 ,my written confession1 that  no words 
of ,mine can adequately describe ,him1  
nor can any reference to ,him  in ,my   
,book1 the ,bayn1 do justice to ,his    
,cause40 8,the ,bayn10 ,he in that  same
 ,book categorically declares1 8and     
whosoever is therein revolve round  the 

saying of #8,him ,whom ,god shall make  
manifest1' even as the ,alif 7the       
,gospel7 and whosoever was therein      
revolved round the saying of ,muammad1  
the ,apostle of ,god40 8,a thousand     
perusals of the ,bayn10 ,he further     
remarks1 8cannot equal the perusal of a 
single verse to be revealed by  #8,him  
,whom ,god shall make manifest4'444     
,today the ,bayn is in the stage of     
seed2 at the beginning of the           
manifestation of #8,him ,whom ,god shall
 make  manifest' its ultimate perfection
 will become apparent4444 ,the ,bayn and
  such as are believers therein yearn   
more ardently after ,him than the       
yearning of any lover after his         
beloved4444 ,the ,bayn deriveth all its 
glory from #8,him ,whom ,god shall make 
manifest4' ,all blessing be upon him    
who believeth in ,him and woe betide him
 that rejecteth ,his truth40            
,addressing ,siyyid ,yayy-i-,darb       
surnamed ,vahd1 the most learned1 the   
most eloquent and influential among ,his

 followers1 the ,bb utters this         
warning3 8,by the righteousness of ,him 
,whose power causeth the seed to        
germinate and ,who breatheth the spirit 
of life into all things1 were ,i to  be 
assured that in the day of ,his         
manifestation thou wilt deny ,him1 ,i   
would unhesitatingly disown thee and    
repudiate thy faith4444 ,if1 on the     
other hand1 ,i be told that a           
,christian1 who beareth no allegiance to
 ,my  ,faith1 will believe in ,him1 the 
same will ,i regard as the apple of     
,mine  ,eye40    ,in one of ,his prayers
 ,he thus communes with ,bah'u'llh3     
8,exalted art  ,thou1 ,o my ,lord the   
,omnipotent6 ,how puny and contemptible 
my word and all  that pertaineth unto me
 appear unless they be related to ,thy  
great glory4  ,grant that through the   
assistance of ,thy grace whatsoever     
pertaineth unto  me may be acceptable in
 ,thy sight40    ,in the                
,qayymu'l-,asm--the ,bb's commentary on 
the ,srih of  ,joseph--characterized by 

the ,author of the qn as 8the first1 the
 greatest  and mightiest0 of the books  
revealed by the ,bb1 we read the        
following  references to ,bah'u'llh3    
8,out of utter nothingness1 ,o great and
  omnipotent ,master1 ,thou hast1       
through the celestial potency of ,thy   
might1  brought me forth and raised me  
up to proclaim this ,revelation4 ,i have
 made  none other but ,thee my trust2 ,i
 have clung to no will but ,thy will444 
,o  ,thou ,remnant of ,god6 ,i have     
sacrificed myself wholly for ,thee3 ,i  
have  accepted curses for ,thy sake1 and
 have yearned for naught but martyrdom  
in  the path of ,thy love4 ,sufficient  
witness unto me is ,god1 the ,exalted1  
the  ,protector1 the ,ancient of ,days40
 8,and when the appointed hour hath     
struck10 ,he again addresses ,bah'u'llh 
in that same commentary1 8do ,thou1  by 
the leave of ,god1 the ,all-,wise1      
reveal from the heights of the ,most    
,lofty and ,mystic ,mount a faint1 an   
infinitesimal glimmer of ,thy           

impenetrable ,mystery1 that they who    
have recognized the radiance of the     
,sinaic ,splendor may faint away and die
 as they catch a lightening glimpse  of 
the fierce and crimson ,light that      
envelops ,thy ,revelation40    ,as a    
further testimony to the greatness of   
the ,revelation identified with         
,bah'u'llh may be cited the following   
extracts from a ,tablet addressed by    
#8,abdu'l-,bah to an eminent            
,zoroastrian follower of the ,faith3    
8,thou hadst  written that in the sacred
 books of the followers of ,zoroaster it
 is  written that in the latter days1 in
 three separate ,dispensations1 the sun 
must needs be brought to a standstill4  
,in the first ,dispensation1 it is      
predicted1 the sun will remain          
motionless for ten days2 in the second  
for  twice that time2 in the third for  
no less than one whole month4 ,the      
interpretation of this prophecy is this3
 the first ,dispensation to which  it   
refers is the ,muammadan ,dispensation  

during which the ,sun of ,truth  stood  
still for ten days4 ,each day is        
reckoned as one century4 ,the           
,muammadan ,dispensation must have1     
therefore1 lasted no less than one      
thousand years1 which is precisely the  
period that has elapsed from the        
setting of the ,star of the ,imamate to 
the advent of the ,dispensation         
proclaimed by the ,bb4 ,the second      
,dispensation referred to in this       
prophecy is the one inaugurated by the  
,bb ,himself1 which began in the  year  
#abfj ,a4,h4 and was brought to a close 
in the year #abhj ,a4,h4 ,as to the     
third ,dispensation--the ,revelation    
proclaimed by ,bah'u'llh--inasmuch as   
the ,sun of ,truth when attaining that  
station shineth in the plenitude of  its
 meridian splendor its duration hath    
been fixed for a period of one  whole   
month1 which is the maximum time taken  
by the sun to pass through a  sign of   
the ,zodiac4 ,from this thou canst      
imagine the magnitude of the  ,bah'     

cycle--a cycle that must extend over a  
period of at least five  hundred        
thousand years40    ,from the text of   
this explicit and authoritative         
interpretation of so  ancient a prophecy
 it is evident how necessary it is for  
every faithful  follower of the ,faith  
to accept the divine origin and uphold  
the  independent status of the          
,muammadan ,dispensation4 ,the validity 
of the  ,imamate is1 moreover1          
implicitly recognized in these same     
passages--that  divinely-appointed      
institution of whose most distinguished 
member the ,bb  ,himself was a lineal   
descendant1 and which continued for a   
period of no  less than two hundred and 
sixty years to be the chosen recipient  
of the  guidance of the ,almighty and   
the repository of one of the two most   
precious legacies of ,islm4    ,this    
same prophecy1 we must furthermore      
recognize1 attests the independent      
character of the ,bb ,dispensation and  
corroborates indirectly the truth  that 

in accordance with the principle of     
progressive revelation every            
,manifestation of ,god must needs       
vouchsafe to the peoples of ,his day a  
measure of divine guidance ampler than  
any which a preceding and less          
receptive age could have received or    
appreciated4 ,for this reason1 and not  
for any superior merit which the ,bah'  
,faith may be said to inherently        
possess1 does this prophecy bear witness
 to the unrivaled power and glory  with 
which the ,dispensation of ,bah'u'llh   
has been invested--a  ,dispensation the 
potentialities of which we are but      
beginning to perceive  and the full     
range of which we can never determine4  
,the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh should indeed 
be regarded1 if we wish to be  faithful 
to the tremendous implications of its   
message1 as the culmination  of a cycle1
 the final stage in a series of         
successive1 of preliminary and          
progressive revelations4 ,these1        
beginning with ,adam and ending with the

  ,bb1 have paved the way and           
anticipated with an ever-increasing     
emphasis  the advent of that ,day of    
,days in which ,he ,who is the ,promise 
of ,all ,ages  should be made manifest4 
,to this truth the utterances of        
,bah'u'llh abundantly testify4 ,a mere  
reference to the claims which1 in       
vehement language and with compelling   
power1 ,he ,himself has repeatedly      
advanced cannot but fully demonstrate   
the  character of the ,revelation of    
which ,he was the chosen bearer4 ,to the
  words that have streamed from ,his    
pen--the fountainhead of so impetuous a 
,revelation--we should1 therefore1      
direct our attention if we wish to      
obtain  a clearer understanding of its  
importance and meaning4 ,whether in ,his
  assertion of the unprecedented claim  
,he has advanced1 or in ,his allusions  
to the mysterious forces ,he has        
released1 whether in such passages as   
extol the glories of ,his long-awaited  
,day1 or magnify the station which  they

 who have recognized its hidden virtues 
will attain1 ,bah'u'llh and1  to an     
almost equal extent1 the ,bb and        
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 have bequeathed to      
posterity mines of such inestimable     
wealth as none of us who belong to  this
 generation can befittingly estimate4   
,such testimonies bearing on this  theme
 are impregnated with such power and    
reveal such beauty as only those  who   
are versed in the languages in which    
they were originally revealed can  claim
 to have sufficiently appreciated4 ,so  
numerous are these testimonies  that a  
whole volume would be required to be    
written in order to compile  the most   
outstanding among them4 ,all ,i can     
venture to attempt at present  is to    
share with you only such passages as ,i 
have been able to glean from  ,his      
voluminous writings4    8,i testify     
before ,god10 proclaims ,bah'u'llh1 8to 
the greatness1 the  inconceivable       
greatness of this ,revelation4 ,again   
and again have ,we in  most of ,our     

,tablets borne witness to this truth1   
that mankind may be  roused from its    
heedlessness40 8,in this most mighty    
,revelation10 ,he  unequivocally        
announces1 8all the ,dispensations of   
the past have attained  their highest1  
their final consummation40 8,that which 
hath been made  manifest in this        
preminent1 this most exalted            
,revelation1 stands  unparalleled in the
 annals of the past1 nor will future    
ages witness its  like40 8,he it is10   
referring to ,himself ,he further       
proclaims1 8,who in the  ,old ,testament
 hath been named ,jehovah1 ,who in the  
,gospel hath been  designated as the    
,spirit of ,truth1 and in the ,qur'n    
acclaimed as the  ,great ,announcement40
 8,but for ,him no ,divine ,messenger   
would have been  invested with the robe 
of prophethood1 nor would any of the    
sacred  scriptures have been revealed4  
,to this bear witness all created       
things40  8,the word which the one true 
,god uttereth in this day1 though that  

word be  the most familiar and          
commonplace of terms1 is invested with  
supreme1 with  unique distinction40     
8,the generality of mankind is still    
immature4 ,had it  acquired sufficient  
capacity ,we would have bestowed upon it
 so great a  measure of ,our knowledge  
that all who dwell on earth and in      
heaven would  have found themselves1 by 
virtue of the grace streaming from ,our 
pen1  completely independent of all     
knowledge save the knowledge of ,god1   
and  would have been securely           
established upon the throne of abiding  
tranquillity40 8,the ,pen of ,holiness1 
,i solemnly affirm before ,god1 hath    
writ upon ,my snow-white brow and in    
characters of effulgent glory these     
glowing1 these musk-scented and holy    
words3 #8,behold ye that dwell on       
earth1 and ye denizens of heaven1 bear  
witness1 ,he in truth is your           
,well-,beloved4 ,he it is ,whose like   
the world of creation hath not seen1 ,he
  ,whose ravishing beauty hath delighted

 the eye of ,god1 the ,ordainer1 the    
,all-,powerful1 the ,incomparable6'0    
8,followers of the ,gospel10 ,bah'u'llh 
addressing the whole of ,christendom    
exclaims1 8behold the gates of heaven   
are flung open4 ,he that had ascended   
unto it is now come4 ,give ear to ,his  
voice calling aloud over land and  sea1 
announcing to all mankind the advent of 
this ,revelation--a ,revelation  through
 the agency of which the ,tongue of     
,grandeur is now proclaiming3  #8,lo1   
the sacred ,pledge hath been fulfilled1 
for ,he1 the ,promised ,one1 is  come6'0
 8,the voice of the ,son of ,man is     
calling aloud from the sacred  vale3    
#8,here am ,i1 here am ,i1 ,o ,god my   
,god6' 444 whilst from the ,burning     
,bush breaketh forth the cry3 #8,lo1 the
 ,desire of the world is made manifest  
in ,his transcendent glory6' ,the       
,father hath come4 ,that which ye were  
promised in the ,kingdom of ,god is     
fulfilled4 ,this is the ,word which the 
,son veiled when ,he said to those      

around ,him that at that time they could
  not bear it444 ,verily the ,spirit of 
,truth is come to guide you unto all    
truth444 ,he is the ,one ,who glorified 
the ,son and exalted ,his ,cause4440    
8,the ,comforter ,whose advent all the  
scriptures have promised is now come    
that ,he may reveal unto you all        
knowledge and wisdom4 ,seek ,him over   
the  entire surface of the earth1 haply 
ye may find ,him40    8,call out to     
,zion1 ,o ,carmel10 writes ,bah'u'llh1  
8and announce the joyful  tidings3 #8,he
 that was hidden from mortal eyes is    
come6 ,his all-conquering  sovereignty  
is manifest2 ,his all-encompassing      
splendor is revealed444  ,hasten forth  
and circumambulate the ,city of ,god    
that hath descended from  heaven--the   
celestial ,kaaba round which have       
circled in adoration the  favored of    
,god1 the pure in heart and the company 
of the most exalted  angels4'0 8,i am   
the ,one10 ,he in another connection    
affirms1 8,whom the  tongue of ,isaiah  

hath extolled1 the ,one with ,whose name
 both the ,torah and  the ,evangel were 
adorned40 8,the glory of ,sinai hath    
hastened to circle  round the           
,day-,spring of this ,revelation1 while 
from the heights of the  ,kingdom the   
voice of the ,son of ,god is heard      
proclaiming3 #8,bestir  yourselves1 ye  
proud ones of the earth1 and hasten ye  
towards ,him4' ,carmel  hath in this day
 hastened in longing adoration to attain
 ,his court1 whilst  from the heart of  
,zion there cometh the cry3 #8,the      
promise of all ages is  now fulfilled4  
,that which had been announced in the   
holy writ of ,god1 the  ,beloved1 the   
,most ,high1 is made manifest4'0 8ijz is
 astir by the breeze  announcing the    
tidings of joyous reunion4 #8,praise be 
to ,thee1' ,we hear her  exclaim1 #8,o  
my ,lord1 the ,most ,high4 ,i was dead  
through my separation from  ,thee2 the  
breeze laden with the fragrance of ,thy 
presence hath brought me  back to life4 
,happy is he that turneth unto ,thee1   

and woe betide the  erring4'0 8,by the  
one true ,god1 ,elijah hath hastened    
unto ,my court and  hath circumambulated
 in the day-time and in the night-season
 ,my throne of  glory40 8,solomon in all
 his majesty circles in adoration around
 ,me in this  day1 uttering this most   
exalted word3 #8,i have turned my face  
towards ,thy  face1 ,o ,thou omnipotent 
,ruler of the world6 ,i am wholly       
detached from all  things pertaining    
unto me1 and yearn for that which ,thou 
dost possess4'0  8,had ,muammad1 the    
,apostle of ,god1 attained this ,day10  
,bah'u'llh writes  in a ,tablet revealed
 on the eve of ,his banishment to the   
penal colony of  ,akk1 8,he would have  
exclaimed3 #8,i have truly recognized   
,thee1 ,o ,thou the  ,desire of the     
,divine ,messengers6' ,had ,abraham     
attained it1 ,he too1 falling  prostrate
 upon the ground1 and in the utmost     
lowliness before the ,lord thy  ,god1   
would have cried3 #8,mine heart is      
filled with peace1 ,o ,thou ,lord of    

all that is in heaven and on earth6 ,i  
testify that ,thou hast unveiled  before
 mine eyes all the glory of ,thy power  
and the full majesty of ,thy  law6'444  
,had ,moses ,himself attained it1 ,he1  
likewise1 would have raised  ,his voice 
saying3 #8,all praise be to ,thee for   
having lifted upon me the  light of ,thy
 countenance and enrolled me among them 
that have been  privileged to behold    
,thy face6'0 8,north and ,south both    
vibrate to the call  announcing the     
advent of our ,revelation4 ,we can hear 
the voice of ,mecca  acclaiming3 #8,all 
praise be to ,thee1 ,o ,lord my ,god1   
the ,all-,glorious1 for  having wafted  
over me the breath redolent with the    
fragrance of ,thy  presence6'           
,jerusalem1 likewise1 is calling aloud3 
#8,lauded and magnified  art ,thou1 ,o  
,beloved of earth and heaven1 for having
 turned the agony of my  separation from
 ,thee into the joy of a life-giving    
reunion6'0    8,by the righteousness of 
,god10 ,bah'u'llh wishing to reveal the 

full  potency of ,his invincible power  
asserts1 8should a man1 all alone1 arise
  in the name of ,bah and put on the    
armor of ,his love1 him will the        
,almighty cause to be victorious1 though
 the forces of earth and heaven be      
arrayed against him40 8,by ,god besides 
,whom is none other ,god6 ,should any   
one arise for the triumph of our ,cause1
 him will ,god render victorious  though
 tens of thousands of enemies be leagued
 against him4 ,and if his  love for ,me 
wax stronger1 ,god will establish his   
ascendancy over all the  powers of earth
 and heaven4 ,thus have ,we breathed the
 spirit of power into  all regions40    
8,this is the ,king of ,days10 ,he thus 
extols the age that has witnessed the   
advent of ,his ,revelation1 8the ,day   
that hath seen the coming of the        
,best-beloved1 ,him ,who through all    
eternity hath been acclaimed the ,desire
  of the ,world40 8,the world of being  
shineth in this ,day with the           
resplendency of this ,divine            

,revelation4 ,all created things extol  
its  saving grace and sing its praises4 
,the universe is wrapt in an ecstasy of 
joy and gladness4 ,the ,scriptures of   
past ,dispensations celebrate the great 
jubilee that must needs greet this most 
great ,day of ,god4 ,well is it with    
him that hath lived to see this ,day and
 hath recognized its station40  8,were  
mankind to give heed in a befitting     
manner to no more than one word  of such
 a praise it would be so filled with    
delight as to be overpowered  and lost  
in wonder4 ,entranced1 it would then    
shine forth resplendent above  the      
horizon of true understanding40    8,be 
fair1 ye peoples of the world20 ,he thus
 appeals to mankind1 8is it  meet and   
seemly for you to question the authority
 of one ,whose presence  #8,he ,who     
conversed with ,god' 7,moses7 hath      
longed to attain1 the beauty of  ,whose 
countenance #8,god's ,well-beloved'     
7,muammad7 had yearned to behold1       
through the potency of ,whose love the  

#8,spirit of ,god' 7,jesus7 ascended to 
heaven1 for ,whose sake the #8,primal   
,point' 7the ,bb7 offered up ,his life80
  8,seize your chance10 ,he admonishes  
,his followers1 8inasmuch as a fleeting 
moment in this ,day excelleth centuries 
of a bygone age444 ,neither sun nor     
moon hath witnessed a day such as       
this444 ,it is evident that every age in
  which a ,manifestation of ,god hath   
lived is divinely ordained and may1 in a
  sense1 be characterized as ,god's     
appointed ,day4 ,this ,day1 however1 is 
unique and is to be distinguished from  
those that have preceded it4 ,the       
designation #8,seal of the ,prophets'   
fully reveals and demonstrates its high 
station40    ,expatiating on the forces 
latent in ,his ,revelation ,bah'u'llh   
reveals the  following3 8,through the   
movement of ,our ,pen of glory ,we have1
 at the  bidding of the omnipotent      
,ordainer1 breathed a new life into     
every human  frame and instilled into   
every word a fresh potency4 ,all created

 things  proclaim the evidences of this 
world-wide regeneration40 8,this is10   
,he  adds1 8the most great1 the most    
joyful tidings imparted by the pen of   
this  wronged ,one to mankind40 8,how   
great10 ,he in another passage exclaims1
 8is  the ,cause6 ,how staggering the   
weight of its message6 ,this is the ,day
 of  which it hath been said3 #8,o my   
son6 verily ,god will bring everything  
to  light though it were but the weight 
of a grain of mustard seed1 and hidden  
in a rock1 or in the heavens or in the  
earth2 for ,god is subtile1 informed  of
 all4'0 8,by the righteousness of the   
one true ,god6 ,if one speck of a  jewel
 be lost and buried beneath a mountain  
of stones1 and lie hidden  beyond the   
seven seas1 the ,hand of ,omnipotence   
will assuredly reveal it in  this day1  
pure and cleansed from dross40 8,he that
 partaketh of the waters  of ,my        
,revelation will taste all the          
incorruptible delights ordained by ,god 
from the beginning that hath no         

beginning to the end that hath no end40 
8,every single letter proceeding from   
,our mouth is endowed with such         
regenerative power as to enable it to   
bring into existence a new  creation--a 
creation the magnitude of which is      
inscrutable to all save ,god4  ,he      
verily hath knowledge of all things40   
8,it is in ,our power1 should ,we  wish 
it1 to enable a speck of floating dust  
to generate1 in less than the  twinkling
 of an eye1 suns of infinite1 of        
unimaginable splendor1 to cause  a      
dewdrop to develop into vast and        
numberless oceans1 to infuse into every 
letter such a force as to empower it to 
unfold all the knowledge of past  and   
future ages40 8,we are possessed of such
 power which1 if brought to  light1 will
 transmute the most deadly of poisons   
into a panacea of  unfailing efficacy40 
,estimating the station of the true     
believer ,he remarks3 8,by the sorrows  
which afflict the beauty of the         
,all-,glorious6 ,such is the station    

ordained  for the true believer that if 
to an extent smaller than a needle's eye
 the  glory of that station were to be  
unveiled to mankind1 every beholder     
would  be consumed away in his longing  
to attain it4 ,for this reason it hath  
been  decreed that in this earthly life 
the full measure of the glory of his own
  station should remain concealed from  
the eyes of such a believer40 8,if the  
veil be lifted10 ,he similarly affirms1 
8and the full glory of the station  of  
those who have turned wholly towards    
,god1 and in their love for ,him        
renounced the world1 be made manifest1  
the entire creation would be            
dumbfounded40    ,stressing the         
superlative character of ,his           
,revelation as compared with the        
,dispensation preceding it1 ,bah'u'llh  
makes the following affirmation3  8,if  
all the peoples of the world be invested
 with the powers and  attributes        
destined for the ,letters of the        
,living1 the ,bb's chosen  disciples1   

whose station is ten thousand times more
 glorious than any  which the apostles  
of old have attained1 and if they1 one  
and all1 should1  swift as the twinkling
 of an eye1 hesitate to recognize the   
light of ,my  ,revelation1 their faith  
shall be of no avail and they shall be  
accounted  among the infidels40 8,so    
tremendous is the outpouring of ,divine 
grace in  this ,dispensation that if    
mortal hands could be swift enough to   
record  them1 within the space of a     
single day and night there would stream 
verses  of such number as to be         
equivalent to the whole of the ,persian 
,bayn40    8,give heed to my warning1 ye
 people of ,persia10 ,he thus addresses 
,his  countrymen1 8,if ,i be slain at   
your hands1 ,god will assuredly raise up
 one  who will fill the seat made vacant
 through my death2 for such is ,god's   
method carried into effect of old1 and  
no change can ye find in ,god's mode  of
 dealing40 8,should they attempt to     
conceal ,his light on the continent1    

,he will assuredly rear ,his head in the
 midmost heart of the ocean and1        
raising ,his voice1 proclaim3 #8,i am   
the lifegiver of the world6'444 ,and if 
they cast ,him into a darksome pit1 they
 will find ,him seated on earth's       
loftiest heights calling aloud to all   
mankind3 #8,lo1 the ,desire of the      
world is come in ,his majesty1 ,his     
sovereignty1 ,his transcendent          
dominion6'  ,and if ,he be buried       
beneath the depths of the earth1 ,his   
,spirit soaring to  the apex of heaven  
shall peal the summons3 #8,behold ye the
 coming of the  ,glory2 witness ye the  
,kingdom of ,god1 the most ,holy1 the   
,gracious1 the  ,all-,powerful6'0       
8,within the throat of this ,youth10 is 
yet another  astounding statement1      
8there lie prisoned accents which1 if   
revealed to  mankind to an extent       
smaller than a needle's eye1 would      
suffice to cause  every mountain to     
crumble1 the leaves of the trees to be  
discolored and  their fruits to fall2   

would compel every head to bow down in  
worship and  every face to turn in      
adoration towards this omnipotent ,ruler
 ,who1 at  sundry times and in diverse  
manners1 appeareth as a devouring flame1
 as a  billowing ocean1 as a radiant    
light1 as the tree which1 rooted in the 
soil  of holiness1 lifteth its branches 
and spreadeth out its limbs as far as   
and beyond the throne of deathless      
glory40    ,anticipating the ,system    
which the irresistible power of ,his    
,law was  destined to unfold in a later 
age1 ,he writes3 8,the world's          
equilibrium  hath been upset through the
 vibrating influence of this most great1
 this  new ,world ,order4 ,mankind's    
ordered life hath been revolutionized   
through  the agency of this unique1 this
 wondrous ,system--the like of which    
mortal  eyes have never witnessed40     
8,the ,hand of ,omnipotence hath        
established ,his  ,revelation upon an   
unassailable1 an enduring foundation4   
,storms of human  strife are powerless  

to undermine its basis1 nor will men's  
fanciful  theories succeed in damaging  
its structure40    ,in the              
,sratu'l-,haykal1 one of the most       
challenging works of ,bah'u'llh1  the   
following verses1 each of which         
testifies to the resistless power       
infused into the ,revelation proclaimed 
by its ,author1 have been recorded3     
8,naught is seen in ,my temple but the  
,temple of ,god1 and in ,my beauty but  
,his ,beauty1 and in ,my being but ,his 
,being1 and in ,my self but ,his ,self1 
and in ,my movement but ,his ,movement1 
and in ,my acquiescence but ,his        
,acquiescence1 and in ,my pen but ,his  
,pen1 the ,mighty1 the ,all-,praised4   
,there hath not been in ,my soul but the
 ,truth1 and in ,myself naught could  be
 seen but ,god40 8,the ,holy ,spirit    
,itself hath been generated through the 
agency of a single letter revealed by   
this ,most ,great ,spirit1 if ye be of  
them that comprehend40444 8,within the  
treasury of ,our ,wisdom there lies     

unrevealed a knowledge1 one word of     
which1 if we chose to divulge it to     
mankind1 would cause every human being  
to recognize the ,manifestation of  ,god
 and to acknowledge ,his omniscience1   
would enable every one to discover  the 
secrets of all the sciences1 and to     
attain so high a station as to  find    
himself wholly independent of all past  
and future learning4 ,other  knowledges 
,we do as well possess1 not a single    
letter of which ,we can  disclose1 nor  
do ,we find humanity able to hear even  
the barest reference  to their meaning4 
,thus have ,we informed you of the      
knowledge of ,god1 the  ,all-,knowing1  
the ,all-,wise40 8,the day is           
approaching when ,god will have1 by  an 
act of ,his ,will1 raised up a race of  
men the nature of which is  inscrutable 
to all save ,god1 the ,all-,powerful1   
the ,self-,subsisting40 8,he  will1 ere 
long1 out of the ,bosom of ,power draw  
forth the ,hands of  ,ascendancy and    
,might--,hands who will arise to win    

victory for this ,youth  and who will   
purge mankind from the defilement of the
 outcast and the  ungodly4 ,these ,hands
 will gird up their loins to champion   
the ,faith of  ,god1 and will1 in ,my   
name the self-subsistent1 the mighty1   
subdue the  peoples and kindreds of the 
earth4 ,they will enter the cities and  
will  inspire with fear the hearts of   
all their inhabitants4 ,such are the    
evidences of the might of ,god2 how     
fearful1 how vehement is ,his might60   
,such is1 dearly-beloved friends1       
,bah'u'llh's own written testimony to   
the nature of ,his ,revelation4 ,to the 
affirmations of the ,bb1 each of  which 
reinforces the strength1 and confirms   
the truth1 of these remarkable          
statements1 ,i have already referred4   
,what remains for me to consider in     
this connection are such passages in the
 writings of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 the        
appointed ,interpreter of these same    
utterances1 as throw further light  upon
 and amplify various features of this   

enthralling theme4 ,the tone of  ,his   
language is indeed as emphatic and ,his 
tribute no less glowing than  that of   
either ,bah'u'llh or the ,bb4           
8,centuries1 nay ages1 must pass away10 
,he affirms in one of ,his earliest     
,tablets1 8ere the ,day-,star of ,truth 
shineth again in its mid-summer         
splendor1 or appeareth once more in the 
radiance of its vernal glory444  ,how   
thankful must we be for having been made
 in this ,day the recipients of  so     
overwhelming a favor6 ,would that we had
 ten thousand lives that we  might lay  
them down in thanksgiving for so rare a 
privilege1 so high an  attainment1 so   
priceless a bounty60 8,the mere         
contemplation10 ,he adds1 8of  the      
,dispensation inaugurated by the        
,blessed ,beauty would have sufficed to 
overwhelm the saints of bygone          
ages--saints who longed to partake for  
one  moment of its great glory40 8,the  
holy ones of past ages and centuries    
have1 each and all1 yearned with tearful

 eyes to live1 though for one  moment1  
in the ,day of ,god4 ,their longings    
unsatisfied1 they repaired to  the      
,great ,beyond4 ,how great1 therefore1  
is the bounty of the ,abh ,beauty  ,who1
 notwithstanding our utter unworthiness1
 hath through ,his grace and  mercy     
breathed into us in this                
divinely-illumined century the spirit of
  life1 hath gathered us beneath the    
standard of the ,beloved of the world1  
and chosen to confer upon us a bounty   
for which the mighty ones of bygone     
ages had craved in vain40 8,the souls of
 the well-favored among the  concourse  
on high10 ,he likewise affirms1 8the    
sacred dwellers of the most  exalted    
,paradise1 are in this day filled with  
burning desire to return  unto this     
world1 that they may render such service
 as lieth in their power  to the        
threshold of the ,abh ,beauty40    8,the
 effulgence of ,god's splendrous mercy10
 ,he1 in a passage alluding to  the     
growth and future development of the    

,faith1 declares1 8hath enveloped  the  
peoples and kindreds of the earth1 and  
the whole world is bathed in  its       
shining glory444 ,the day will soon come
 when the light of ,divine unity  will  
have so permeated the ,east and the     
,west that no man dare any longer       
ignore it40 8,now in the world of being 
the ,hand of divine power hath  firmly  
laid the foundations of this all-highest
 bounty and this wondrous  gift4        
,whatsoever is latent in the innermost  
of this holy cycle shall  gradually     
appear and be made manifest1 for now is 
but the beginning of its  growth and the
 dayspring of the revelation of its     
signs4 ,ere the close of  this century  
and of this age1 it shall be made clear 
and evident how  wondrous was that      
springtide and how heavenly was that    
gift60    ,in confirmation of the       
exalted rank of the true believer1      
referred to by  ,bah'u'llh1 ,he reveals 
the following3 8,the station which he   
who hath  truly recognized this         

,revelation will attain is the same as  
the one  ordained for such prophets of  
the house of ,israel as are not regarded
 as  ,manifestations #8endowed with     
constancy4'0    ,in connection with the 
,manifestations destined to follow the  
,revelation of  ,bah'u'llh1             
#8,abdu'l-,bah makes this definite and  
weighty declaration3  8,concerning the  
,manifestations that will come down in  
the future #8in the  shadows of the     
clouds1' know verily that in so far as  
their relation to  the source of their  
inspiration is concerned they are under 
the shadow of  the ,ancient ,beauty4 ,in
 their relation1 however1 to the age in 
which they  appear1 each and every one  
of them #8doeth whatsoever ,he          
willeth4'0    8,o my friend60 ,he thus  
addresses in one of ,his ,tablets a man 
of recognized  authority and standing1  
8,the undying ,fire which the ,lord of  
the ,kingdom  hath kindled in the midst 
of the holy ,tree is burning fiercely in
 the  midmost heart of the world4 ,the  

conflagration it will provoke will      
envelop  the whole earth4 ,its blazing  
flames will illuminate its peoples and  
kindreds4 ,all the signs have been      
revealed2 every prophetic allusion hath 
been manifested4 ,whatever hath been    
enshrined in all the ,scriptures of the 
past hath been made evident4 ,to doubt  
or hesitate is no more possible444      
,time is pressing4 ,the ,divine ,charger
 is impatient1 and can tarry no  longer4
 ,ours is the duty to rush forward and1 
ere it is too late1 win the  victory40  
,and finally1 is this most stirring     
passage which ,he1 in one of  ,his      
moments of exultation1 was moved to     
address to one of ,his most trusted  and
 eminent followers in the earliest days 
of ,his ministry3 8,what more  shall ,i 
say8 ,what else can my pen recount8 ,so 
loud is the call that  reverberates from
 the ,abh ,kingdom that mortal ears are 
well-nigh deafened  with its vibrations4
 ,the whole creation1 methinks1 is being
 disrupted and  is bursting asunder     

through the shattering influence of the 
,divine summons  issued from the throne 
of glory4 ,more than this ,i cannot     
write40    ,dearly-beloved friends6     
,enough has been said1 and the quoted   
excerpts from  the writings of the ,bb1 
of ,bah'u'llh and of #8,abdu'l-,bah are 
sufficiently numerous and varied1 to    
convince the conscientious reader of    
the sublimity of this unique cycle in   
the world's religious history4 ,it      
would be utterly impossible to          
over-exaggerate its significance or to  
overrate the influence it has exerted   
and which it must increasingly exert  as
 its great system unfolds itself amidst 
the welter of a collapsing              
civilization4    ,to whoever may read   
these pages a word of warning seems1    
however1  advisable before ,i proceed   
further with the development of my      
argument4  ,let no one meditating1 in   
the light of the afore-quoted passages1 
on the  nature of the ,revelation of    
,bah'u'llh1 mistake its character or    

misconstrue the intent of its ,author4  
,the divinity attributed to so great  a 
,being and the complete incarnation of  
the names and attributes of ,god in  so 
exalted a ,person should1 under no      
circumstances1 be misconceived or       
misinterpreted4 ,the human temple that  
has been made the vehicle of so         
overpowering a ,revelation must1 if we  
be faithful to the tenets of our        
,faith1 ever remain entirely            
distinguished from that 8innermost      
,spirit of  ,spirits0 and 8eternal      
,essence of ,essences0--that invisible  
yet rational ,god  ,who1 however much we
 extol the divinity of ,his             
,manifestations on earth1  can in no    
wise incarnate ,his infinite1 ,his      
unknowable1 ,his incorruptible  and     
all-embracing ,reality in the concrete  
and limited frame of a mortal  being4   
,indeed1 the ,god ,who could so         
incarnate ,his own reality would1 in    
the light of the teachings of           
,bah'u'llh1 cease immediately to be     

,god4 ,so  crude and fantastic a theory 
of ,divine incarnation is as removed    
from1 and  incompatible with1 the       
essentials of ,bah' belief as are the no
 less  inadmissible pantheistic and     
anthropomorphic conceptions of ,god--   
both of  which the utterances of        
,bah'u'llh emphatically repudiate and   
the fallacy  of which they expose4      
,he ,who in unnumbered passages claimed 
,his utterance to be the 8,voice of     
,divinity1 the ,call of ,god ,himself0  
thus solemnly affirms in the            
,kitb-i-qn3 8,to every discerning and   
illumined heart it is evident that      
,god1 the unknowable ,essence1 the      
,divine ,being1 is immeasurably exalted 
beyond every human attribute such as    
corporeal existence1 ascent and         
descent1 egress and regress444 ,he is1  
and hath ever been1 veiled in the       
ancient eternity of ,his ,essence1 and  
will remain in ,his ,reality            
everlastingly hidden from the sight of  
men444 ,he standeth exalted beyond  and 

above all separation and union1 all     
proximity and remoteness444 #8,god  was 
alone2 there was none else beside ,him' 
is a sure testimony of this  truth40    
8,from time immemorial10 ,bah'u'llh1    
speaking of ,god1 explains1 8,he1 the   
,divine ,being1 hath been veiled in the 
ineffable sanctity of ,his exalted      
,self1 and will everlasting continue to 
be wrapt in the impenetrable  mystery of
 ,his unknowable ,essence444 ,ten       
thousand ,prophets1 each a ,moses1  are 
thunderstruck upon the ,sinai of their  
search at ,god's forbidding  voice1     
#8,thou shalt never behold ,me6'2 whilst
 a myriad ,messengers1 each as  great as
 ,jesus1 stand dismayed upon their      
heavenly thrones by the  interdiction   
#8,mine ,essence thou shalt never       
apprehend6'0 8,how bewildering  to me1  
insignificant as ,i am10 ,bah'u'llh in  
,his communion with ,god  affirms1 8is  
the attempt to fathom the sacred depths 
of ,thy knowledge6 ,how  futile my      
efforts to visualize the magnitude of   

the power inherent in  ,thine           
handiwork--the revelation of ,thy       
creative power60 8,when ,i  contemplate1
 ,o my ,god1 the relationship that      
bindeth me to ,thee10 ,he1 in  yet      
another prayer revealed in ,his own     
handwriting1 testifies1 8,i am moved  to
 proclaim to all created things #8verily
 ,i am ,god6'2 and when ,i consider  my 
own self1 lo1 ,i find it coarser than   
clay60    8,the door of the knowledge of
 the ,ancient of ,days10 ,bah'u'llh     
further  states in the ,kitb-i-qn1      
8being thus closed in the face of all   
beings1  ,he1 the ,source of infinite   
grace 444 hath caused those luminous    
,gems of  ,holiness to appear out of the
 realm of the spirit1 in the noble form 
of  the human temple1 and be made       
manifest unto all men1 that they may    
impart  unto the world the mysteries of 
the unchangeable ,being and tell of the 
subtleties of ,his imperishable         
,essence444 ,all the ,prophets of ,god1 
,his  well-favored1 ,his holy and chosen

 ,messengers are1 without exception1 the
  bearers of ,his names and the         
embodiments of ,his attributes444 ,these
  ,tabernacles of ,holiness1 these      
primal ,mirrors which reflect the ,light
 of  unfading glory1 are but expressions
 of ,him ,who is the ,invisible of the  
,invisibles40    ,that ,bah'u'llh       
should1 notwithstanding the overwhelming
 intensity of ,his  ,revelation1 be     
regarded as essentially one of these    
,manifestations of ,god1  never to be   
identified with that invisible ,reality1
 the ,essence of  ,divinity itself1 is  
one of the major beliefs of our         
,faith--a belief which  should never be 
obscured and the integrity of which no  
one of its  followers should allow to be
 compromised4    ,nor does the ,bah'    
,revelation1 claiming as it does to be  
the culmination  of a prophetic cycle   
and the fulfillment of the promise of   
all ages1  attempt1 under any           
circumstances1 to invalidate those first
 and  everlasting principles that       

animate and underlie the religions that 
have  preceded it4 ,the ,god-given      
authority1 vested in each one of them1  
it  admits and establishes as its       
firmest and ultimate basis4 ,it regards 
them  in no other light except as       
different stages in the eternal history 
and  constant evolution of one religion1
 ,divine and indivisible1 of which it   
itself forms but an integral part4 ,it  
neither seeks to obscure their  ,divine 
origin1 nor to dwarf the admitted       
magnitude of their colossal             
achievements4 ,it can countenance no    
attempt that seeks to distort their     
features or to stultify the truths which
 they instill4 ,its teachings do  not   
deviate a hairbreadth from the verities 
they enshrine1 nor does the  weight of  
its message detract one jot or one      
tittle from the influence  they exert or
 the loyalty they inspire4 ,far from    
aiming at the overthrow  of the         
spiritual foundation of the world's     
religious systems1 its avowed1  its     

unalterable purpose is to widen their   
basis1 to restate their  fundamentals1  
to reconcile their aims1 to reinvigorate
 their life1 to  demonstrate their      
oneness1 to restore the pristine purity 
of their  teachings1 to cordinate their 
functions and to assist in the          
realization  of their highest           
aspirations4 ,these divinely-revealed   
religions1 as a  close observer has     
graphically expressed it1 8are doomed   
not to die1 but  to be reborn444 #8,does
 not the child succumb in the youth and 
the youth in  the man2 yet neither child
 nor youth perishes8'0    8,they ,who   
are the ,luminaries of ,truth and the   
,mirrors reflecting the light  of       
,divine ,unity10 ,bah'u'llh explains in 
the ,kitb-i-qn1 8in whatever  age and   
cycle they are sent down from their     
invisible habitations of  ancient glory 
unto this world to educate the souls of 
men and endue with  grace all created   
things1 are invariably endowed with an  
all-compelling  power and invested with 

invincible sovereignty444 ,these        
sanctified  ,mirrors1 these             
,day-,springs of ancient glory are one  
and all the exponents  on earth of ,him 
,who is the central ,orb of the         
universe1 its essence and  ultimate     
purpose4 ,from ,him proceed their       
knowledge and power2 from ,him is       
derived their sovereignty4 ,the beauty  
of their countenance is but a           
reflection of ,his image1 and their     
revelation a sign of ,his deathless     
glory444 ,through them is transmitted a 
grace that is infinite1 and by them  is 
revealed the light that can never       
fade444 ,human tongue can never         
befittingly sing their praise1 and human
 speech can never unfold their          
mystery40 8,inasmuch as these ,birds of 
the celestial ,throne10 ,he adds1 8are  
all sent down from the heaven of the    
,will of ,god1 and as they all arise to 
proclaim ,his irresistible ,faith1 they 
therefore are regarded as one soul  and 
the same person444 ,they all abide in   

the same tabernacle1 soar in the  same  
heaven1 are seated upon the same throne1
 utter the same speech1 and  proclaim   
the same ,faith444 ,they only differ in 
the intensity of their  revelation and  
the comparative potency of their        
light444 ,that a certain  attribute of  
,god hath not been outwardly manifested 
by these ,essences of  ,detachment doth 
in no wise imply that they ,who are the 
,day-,springs of  ,god's attributes and 
the ,treasuries of ,his holy names did  
not actually  possess it40    ,it should
 also be borne in mind that1 great as is
 the power manifested by  this          
,revelation and however vast the range  
of the ,dispensation its ,author  has   
inaugurated1 it emphatically repudiates 
the claim to be regarded as  the final  
revelation of ,god's will and purpose   
for mankind4 ,to hold such a  conception
 of its character and functions would be
 tantamount to a  betrayal of its cause 
and a denial of its truth4 ,it must     
necessarily  conflict with the          

fundamental principle which constitutes 
the bedrock of  ,bah' belief1 the       
principle that religious truth is not   
absolute but  relative1 that ,divine    
,revelation is orderly1 continuous and  
progressive  and not spasmodic or final4
 ,indeed1 the categorical rejection by  
the  followers of the ,faith of         
,bah'u'llh of the claim to finality     
which any  religious system inaugurated 
by the ,prophets of the past may advance
 is as  clear and emphatic as their own 
refusal to claim that same finality for 
the ,revelation with which they stand   
identified4 8,to believe that all       
revelation is ended1 that the portals of
 ,divine mercy are closed1 that  from   
the daysprings of eternal holiness no   
sun shall rise again1 that the  ocean of
 everlasting bounty is forever stilled1 
and that out of the  tabernacle of      
ancient glory the ,messengers of ,god   
have ceased to be made  manifest0 must  
constitute in the eyes of every follower
 of the ,faith a  grave1 an inexcusable 

departure from one of its most cherished
 and  fundamental principles4    ,a     
reference to some of the already quoted 
utterances of ,bah'u'llh and            
#8,abdu'l-,bah will surely suffice to   
establish1 beyond the shadow of a       
doubt1 the truth of this cardinal       
principle4 ,might not the following     
passage of the ,hidden ,words be1       
likewise1 construed as an allegorical   
allusion to the progressiveness of      
,divine ,revelation and an admission by 
its ,author that the ,message with which
 ,he has been entrusted is not the      
final and ultimate expression of the    
will and guidance of the ,almighty8 8,o 
,son of ,justice6 ,in the night-season  
the beauty of the immortal ,being hath  
repaired from the emerald height of     
fidelity unto the ,sadratu'l-,muntah1   
and wept with such a weeping that the   
concourse on high and the dwellers  of  
the realms above wailed at ,his         
lamenting4 ,whereupon there was asked1  
,why the wailing and weeping8 ,he made  

reply3 ,as bidden ,i waited expectant   
upon the hill of faithfulness1 yet      
inhaled not from them that dwell on     
earth the fragrance of fidelity4 ,then  
summoned to return ,i beheld1 and lo6   
certain doves of holiness were sore     
tried within the claws of the dogs of   
earth4 ,thereupon the ,maid of heaven   
hastened forth unveiled and  resplendent
 from ,her mystic mansion1 and asked of 
their names1 and all  were told but one4
 ,and when urged1 the first letter      
thereof was uttered1  whereupon the     
dwellers of the celestial chambers      
rushed forth out of their  habitation of
 glory4 ,and whilst the second letter   
was pronounced they fell  down1 one and 
all1 upon the dust4 ,at that moment a   
voice was heard from  the inmost shrine3
 #8,thus far and no farther4' ,verily   
,we bear witness to  that which they    
have done and now are doing40    ,in a  
more explicit language ,bah'u'llh       
testifies to this truth in one of  ,his 
,tablets revealed in ,adrianople3 8,know

 verily that the veil hiding ,our       
countenance hath not been completely    
lifted4 ,we have revealed ,our ,self to 
a degree corresponding to the capacity  
of the people of ,our age4 ,should  the 
,ancient ,beauty be unveiled in the     
fullness of ,his glory mortal eyes      
would be blinded by the dazzling        
intensity of ,his revelation40    ,in   
the ,sriy-i-,sabr1 revealed as far back 
as the year #ahfc1 on the very  first   
day of ,his arrival in the garden of    
,ridvn1 ,he thus affirms3 8,god  hath   
sent down ,his ,messengers to succeed to
 ,moses and ,jesus1 and ,he will        
continue to do so till #8the end that   
hath no end'2 so that ,his grace may1   
from the heaven of ,divine bounty1 be   
continually vouchsafed to mankind40     
8,i am not apprehensive for ,my own     
self10 ,bah'u'llh still more explicitly 
declares1 8,my fears are for ,him ,who  
will be sent down unto you after        
,me--,him ,who will be invested with    
great sovereignty and mighty dominion40 

,and again ,he writes in the            
,sratu'l-,haykal3 8,by those words which
 ,i have  revealed1 ,myself is not      
intended1 but rather ,he ,who will come 
after ,me4 ,to  it is witness ,god1 the 
,all-,knowing40 8,deal not with ,him10  
,he adds1 8as ye  have dealt with ,me40 
,in a more circumstantial passage the   
,bb upholds the same truth in ,his      
writings4 8,it is clear and evident10   
,he writes in the ,persian ,bayn1 8that 
the object of all preceding             
,dispensations hath been to pave the way
 for  the advent of ,muammad1 the       
,apostle of ,god4 ,these1 including the 
,muammadan ,dispensation1 have had1 in  
their turn1 as their objective the      
,revelation proclaimed by the ,q'im4    
,the purpose underlying this            
,revelation1 as well as those that      
preceded it1 has1 in like manner1 been  
to announce the advent of the ,faith of 
,him ,whom ,god will make manifest4     
,and this ,faith--the ,faith of ,him    
,whom ,god will make manifest--in its   

turn1  together with all the            
,revelations gone before it1 have as    
their object the  ,manifestation        
destined to succeed it4 ,and the latter1
 no less than all the  ,revelations     
preceding it1 prepare the way for the   
,revelation which is yet  to follow4    
,the process of the rise and setting of 
the ,sun of ,truth will  thus           
indefinitely continue--a process that   
hath had no beginning and will  have no 
end40    8,know of a certainty10        
,bah'u'llh explains in this connection1 
8that in  every ,dispensation the light 
of ,divine ,revelation hath been        
vouchsafed to  men in direct proportion 
to their spiritual capacity4 ,consider  
the sun4  ,how feeble its rays the      
moment it appeareth above the horizon4  
,how  gradually its warmth and potency  
increase as it approacheth its zenith1  
enabling meanwhile all created things to
 adapt themselves to the growing        
intensity of its light4 ,how steadily it
 declineth until it reacheth its        

setting point4 ,were it all of a sudden 
to manifest the energies latent  within 
it1 it would no doubt cause injury to   
all created things444 ,in like  manner1 
if the ,sun of ,truth were suddenly to  
reveal1 at the earliest  stages of its  
manifestation1 the full measure of the  
potencies which the  providence of the  
,almighty hath bestowed upon it1 the    
earth of human  understanding would     
waste away and be consumed2 for men's   
hearts would  neither sustain the       
intensity of its revelation1 nor be able
 to mirror  forth the radiance of its   
light4 ,dismayed and overpowered1 they  
would  cease to exist40    ,in the light
 of these clear and conclusive          
statements it is our clear duty  to make
 it indubitably evident to every seeker 
after truth that from 8the  beginning   
that hath no beginning0 the ,prophets of
 the one1 the unknowable  ,god1         
including ,bah'u'llh ,himself1 have all1
 as the channels of ,god's  grace1 as   
the exponents of ,his unity1 as the     

mirrors of ,his light and the  revealers
 of ,his purpose1 been commissioned to  
unfold to mankind an  ever-increasing   
measure of ,his truth1 of ,his          
inscrutable will and ,divine  guidance1 
and will continue to 8the end that hath 
no end0 to vouchsafe  still fuller and  
mightier revelations of ,his limitless  
power and glory4    ,we might well      
ponder in our hearts the following      
passages from a prayer  revealed by     
,bah'u'llh which strikingly affirm1 and 
are a further  evidence of1 the reality 
of the great and essential truth lying  
at the  very core of ,his ,message to   
mankind3 8,praise be to ,thee1 ,o ,lord 
my ,god1  for the wondrous revelations  
of ,thine inscrutable decree and the    
manifold  woes and trials ,thou hast    
destined for myself4 ,at one time ,thou 
didst  deliver me into the hands of     
,nimrod2 at another ,thou hast allowed  
,pharaoh's rod to persecute me4 ,thou   
alone canst estimate1 through ,thine    
all-encompassing knowledge and the      

operation of ,thy ,will1 the            
incalculable  afflictions ,i have       
suffered at their hands4 ,again ,thou   
didst cast me into  the prison-cell of  
the ungodly for no reason except that ,i
 was moved to  whisper into the ears of 
the well-favored denizens of ,thy       
kingdom an  intimation of the vision    
with which ,thou hadst1 through ,thy    
knowledge1  inspired me and revealed to 
me its meaning through the potency of   
,thy  might4 ,and again ,thou didst     
decree that ,i be beheaded by the sword 
of the  infidel4 ,again ,i was crucified
 for having unveiled to men's eyes the  
hidden gems of ,thy glorious unity1 for 
having revealed to them the  wondrous   
signs of ,thy sovereign and everlasting 
power4 ,how bitter the  humiliations    
heaped upon me1 in a subsequent age1 on 
the plain of ,karbil6  ,how lonely did  
,i feel amidst ,thy people2 to what     
state of helplessness ,i  was reduced in
 that land6 ,unsatisfied with such      
indignities1 my  persecutors decapitated

 me and carrying aloft my head from land
 to land  paraded it before the gaze of 
the unbelieving multitude and deposited 
it  on the seats of the perverse and    
faithless4 ,in a later age ,i was       
suspended  and my breast was made a     
target to the darts of the malicious    
cruelty of  my foes4 ,my limbs were     
riddled with bullets and my body was    
torn asunder4  ,finally1 behold how in  
this day my treacherous enemies have    
leagued  themselves against me1 and are 
continually plotting to instill the     
venom  of hate and malice into the souls
 of ,thy servants4 ,with all their might
  they are scheming to accomplish their 
purpose444 ,grievous as is my plight1   
,o ,god1 my ,well-beloved1 ,i render    
thanks unto ,thee1 and my spirit is     
grateful for whatsoever hath befallen me
 in the path of ,thy good-pleasure4  ,i 
am well pleased with that which ,thou   
didst ordain for me1 and welcome1       
however calamitous1 the pains and       
sorrows ,i am made to suffer40          

,the ,bb      ,dearly-beloved friends6  
,that the ,bb1 the inaugurator of the   
,bb  ,dispensation1 is fully entitled to
 rank as one of the self-sufficient     
,manifestations of ,god1 that ,he has   
been invested with sovereign power and  
authority1 and exercises all the rights 
and prerogatives of independent         
,prophethood1 is yet another fundamental
 verity which the ,message of           
,bah'u'llh insistently proclaims and    
which its followers must                
uncompromisingly uphold4 ,that ,he is   
not to be regarded merely as an         
inspired ,precursor of the ,bah'        
,revelation1 that in ,his person1 as ,he
  ,himself bears witness in the ,persian
 ,bayn1 the object of all the ,prophets 
gone before ,him has been fulfilled1 is 
a truth which ,i feel it my duty to     
demonstrate and emphasize4 ,we would    
assuredly be failing in our duty to  the
 ,faith we profess and would be         
violating one of its basic and sacred   
principles if in our words or by our    

conduct we hesitate to recognize the    
implications of this root principle of  
,bah' belief1 or refuse to uphold       
unreservedly its integrity and          
demonstrate its truth4 ,indeed the chief
  motive actuating me to undertake the  
task of editing and translating  ,nabl's
 immortal ,narrative has been to enable 
every follower of the ,faith  in the    
,west to better understand and more     
readily grasp the tremendous            
implications of ,his exalted station and
 to more ardently admire and love  ,him4
    ,there can be no doubt that the     
claim to the twofold station ordained   
for  the ,bb by the ,almighty1 a claim  
which ,he ,himself has so boldly        
advanced1  which ,bah'u'llh has         
repeatedly affirmed1 and to which the   
,will and  ,testament of #8,abdu'l-,bah 
has finally given the sanction of its   
testimony1  constitutes the most        
distinctive feature of the ,bah'        
,dispensation4 ,it is  a further        
evidence of its uniqueness1 a tremendous

 accession to the  strength1 to the     
mysterious power and authority with     
which this holy cycle  has been         
invested4 ,indeed the greatness of the  
,bb consists primarily1 not  in ,his    
being the divinely-appointed ,forerunner
 of so transcendent a  ,revelation1 but 
rather in ,his having been invested with
 the powers  inherent in the inaugurator
 of a separate religious ,dispensation1 
and in  ,his wielding1 to a degree      
unrivaled by the ,messengers gone before
 ,him1 the  scepter of independent      
,prophethood4    ,the short duration of 
,his ,dispensation1 the restricted range
 within which  ,his laws and ordinances 
have been made to operate1 supply no    
criterion  whatever wherewith to judge  
its ,divine origin and to evaluate the  
potency  of its message4 8,that so brief
 a span10 ,bah'u'llh ,himself explains1 
8should have separated this most mighty 
and wondrous ,revelation from ,mine  own
 previous ,manifestation1 is a secret   
that no man can unravel and a  mystery  

such as no mind can fathom4 ,its        
duration had been foreordained1  and no 
man shall ever discover its reason      
unless and until he be informed  of the 
contents of ,my ,hidden ,book40         
8,behold10 ,bah'u'llh further explains  
in the ,kitb-i-,bad'1 one of ,his works 
refuting the arguments of the  people of
 the ,bayn1 8behold1 how immediately    
upon the completion of the  ninth year  
of this wondrous1 this most holy and    
merciful ,dispensation1 the  requisite  
number of pure1 of wholly consecrated   
and sanctified souls had  been most     
secretly consummated40    ,the marvelous
 happenings that have heralded the      
advent of the ,founder of  the ,bb      
,dispensation1 the dramatic             
circumstances of ,his own eventful      
life1 the miraculous tragedy of ,his    
martyrdom1 the magic of ,his influence  
exerted on the most eminent and powerful
 among ,his countrymen1 to all of  which
 every chapter of ,nabl's stirring      
narrative testifies1 should in          

themselves be regarded as sufficient    
evidence of the validity of ,his claim  
to so exalted a station among the       
,prophets4    ,however graphic the      
record which the eminent chronicler of  
,his life has  transmitted to posterity1
 so luminous a narrative must pale      
before the  glowing tribute paid to the 
,bb by the pen of ,bah'u'llh4 ,this     
tribute  the ,bb ,himself has1 by the   
clear assertion of ,his claim1          
abundantly  supported1 while the written
 testimonies of #8,abdu'l-,bah have     
powerfully  reinforced its character and
 elucidated its meaning4    ,where else 
if not in the ,kitb-i-qn can the student
 of the ,bb  ,dispensation seek to find 
those affirmations that unmistakably    
attest the  power and spirit which no   
man1 except he be a ,manifestation of   
,god1 can  manifest8 8,could such a     
thing10 exclaims ,bah'u'llh1 8be made   
manifest  except through the power of a 
,divine ,revelation and the potency of  
,god's  invincible ,will8 ,by the       

righteousness of ,god6 ,were any one to 
entertain so  great a ,revelation in his
 heart the thought of such a declaration
 would  alone confound him6 ,were the   
hearts of all men to be crowded into his
  heart1 he would still hesitate to     
venture upon so awful an enterprise40   
8,no eye10 ,he in another passage       
affirms1 8hath beheld so great an       
outpouring of bounty1 nor hath any ear  
heard of such a ,revelation of          
loving-kindness444 ,the ,prophets       
#8endowed with constancy1' whose        
loftiness  and glory shine as the sun1  
were each honored with a ,book which all
 have  seen1 and the verses of which    
have been duly ascertained4 ,whereas the
  verses which have rained from this    
,cloud of divine mercy have been so     
abundant that none hath yet been able to
 estimate their number444 ,how can  they
 belittle this ,revelation8 ,hath any   
age witnessed such momentous            
happenings80    ,commenting on the      
character and influence of those heroes 

and martyrs whom  the spirit of the ,bb 
had so magically transformed ,bah'u'llh 
reveals the  following3 8,if these      
companions be not the true strivers     
after ,god1 who  else could be called by
 this name8444 ,if these companions1    
with all their  marvelous testimonies   
and wondrous works1 be false1 who then  
is worthy to  claim for himself the     
truth8444 ,has the world since the days 
of ,adam  witnessed such tumult1 such   
violent commotion8444 ,methinks1        
patience was  revealed only by virtue of
 their fortitude1 and faithfulness      
itself was  begotten only by their      
deeds40    ,wishing to stress the       
sublimity of the ,bb's exalted station  
as compared  with that of the ,prophets 
of the past1 ,bah'u'llh in that same    
epistle  asserts3 8,no understanding can
 grasp the nature of ,his ,revelation1  
nor can  any knowledge comprehend the   
full measure of ,his ,faith40 ,he then  
quotes1  in confirmation of ,his        
argument1 these prophetic words3        

8,knowledge is  twenty and seven        
letters4 ,all that the ,prophets have   
revealed are two  letters thereof4 ,no  
man thus far hath known more than these 
two letters4  ,but when the ,q'im shall 
arise1 ,he will cause the remaining     
twenty and  five letters to be made     
manifest40 8,behold10 ,he adds1 8how    
great and lofty  is ,his station6 ,his  
rank excelleth that of all the ,prophets
 and ,his  ,revelation transcendeth the 
comprehension and understanding of all  
their  chosen ones40 8,of ,his          
,revelation10 ,he further adds1 8the    
,prophets of ,god1  ,his saints and     
chosen ones1 have either not been       
informed1 or1 in  pursuance of ,god's   
inscrutable decree1 they have not       
disclosed40    ,of all the tributes     
which ,bah'u'llh's unerring pen has     
chosen to pay to  the memory of the ,bb1
 ,his 8,best-,beloved10 the most        
memorable and touching  is this brief1  
yet eloquent passage which so greatly   
enhances the value of  the concluding   

passages of that same epistle4 8,amidst 
them all10 ,he  writes1 referring to the
 afflictive trials and dangers besetting
 ,him in  the city of ,baghdd1 8,we     
stand life in hand wholly resigned to   
,his ,will1  that perchance through     
,god's loving kindness and grace1 this  
revealed and  manifest ,letter          
7,bah'u'llh7 may lay down ,his life as a
 sacrifice in the  path of the ,primal  
,point1 the most exalted ,word 7the     
,bb74 ,by ,him1 at  ,whose bidding the  
,spirit hath spoken1 but for this       
yearning of ,our soul1  ,we would not1  
for one moment1 have tarried any longer 
in this city40    ,dearly-beloved       
friends6 ,so resounding a praise1 so    
bold an assertion  issued by the pen of 
,bah'u'llh in so weighty a work1 are    
fully re-echoed  in the language in     
which the ,source of the ,bb ,revelation
 has chosen to  clothe the claims ,he   
,himself has advanced4 8,i am the       
,mystic ,fane10 the ,bb  thus proclaims 
,his station in the ,qayymu'l-,asm1     

8which the ,hand of  ,omnipotence hath  
reared4 ,i am the ,lamp which the       
,finger of ,god hath lit  within its    
niche and caused to shine with deathless
 splendor4 ,i am the  ,flame of that    
supernal ,light that glowed upon ,sinai 
in the gladsome ,spot1  and lay         
concealed in the midst of the ,burning  
,bush40 8,o ,qurratu'l-#8,ayn60  ,he1   
addressing ,himself in that same        
commentary1 exclaims1 8,i recognize in  
,thee none other except the #8,great    
,announcement'--the ,announcement voiced
 by  the ,concourse on high4 ,by this   
name1 ,i bear witness1 they that circle 
the  ,throne of ,glory have ever known  
,thee40 8,with each and every ,prophet1 
,whom  ,we have sent down in the past10 
,he further adds1 8,we have established 
a  separate ,covenant concerning the    
#8,remembrance of ,god' and ,his ,day4  
,manifest1 in the realm of glory and    
through the power of truth1 are the     
#8,remembrance of ,god' and ,his ,day   
before the eyes of the angels that      

circle  ,his mercy-seat40 8,should it be
 ,our wish10 ,he again affirms1 8it is  
in ,our  power to compel1 through the   
agency of but one letter of ,our        
,revelation1  the world and all that is 
therein to recognize1 in less than the  
twinkling  of an eye1 the truth of ,our 
,cause40    8,i am the ,primal ,point10 
the ,bb thus addresses ,muammad ,shh    
from the  prison-fortress of ,mh-,k1    
8from which have been generated all     
created  things444 ,i am the            
,countenance of ,god ,whose splendor can
 never be  obscured1 the light of ,god  
whose radiance can never fade444 ,all   
the keys  of heaven ,god hath chosen to 
place on ,my right hand1 and all the    
keys of  hell on ,my left444 ,i am one  
of the sustaining pillars of the ,primal
 ,word  of ,god4 ,whosoever hath        
recognized ,me1 hath known all that is  
true and  right1 and hath attained all  
that is good and seemly444 ,the         
substance  wherewith ,god hath created  
,me is not the clay out of which others 

have  been formed4 ,he hath conferred   
upon ,me that which the worldly-wise can
  never comprehend1 nor the faithful    
discover40 8,should a tiny ant10 the    
,bb1 wishing to stress the limitless    
potentialities latent in ,his           
,dispensation1 characteristically       
affirms1 8desire in this day to be      
possessed of such power as to be able to
 unravel the abstrusest and most        
bewildering passages of the ,qur'n1 its 
wish will no doubt be fulfilled1        
inasmuch as the mystery of eternal might
 vibrates within the innermost  being of
 all created things40 8,if so helpless a
 creature10 is  #8,abdu'l-,bah's comment
 on so startling an affirmation1 8can be
 endowed  with so subtle a capacity1 how
 much more efficacious must be the power
  released through the liberal effusions
 of the grace of ,bah'u'llh60    ,to    
these authoritative assertions and      
solemn declarations made by  ,bah'u'llh 
and the ,bb must be added               
#8,abdu'l-,bah's own incontrovertible   

testimony4 ,he1 the appointed           
interpreter of the utterances of both   
,bah'u'llh and the ,bb1 corroborates1   
not by implication but in clear and     
categorical language1 both in ,his      
,tablets and in ,his ,testament1 the    
truth  of the statements to which ,i    
have already referred4    ,in a ,tablet 
addressed to a ,bah' in ,mzindarn1 in   
which ,he unfolds the  meaning of a     
misinterpreted statement attributed to  
,him regarding the rise  of the ,sun of 
,truth in this century1 ,he sets forth1 
briefly but  conclusively1 what should  
remain for all time our true conception 
of the  relationship between the two    
,manifestations associated with the     
,bah'  ,dispensation4 8,in making such a
 statement10 ,he explains1 8,i had in   
mind no  one else except the ,bb and    
,bah'u'llh1 the character of whose      
,revelations it had been my purpose to  
elucidate4 ,the ,revelation of the ,bb  
may be likened to the sun1 its station  
corresponding to the first sign of  the 

,zodiac--the sign ,aries--which the sun 
enters at the ,vernal ,equinox4 ,the    
station of ,bah'u'llh's ,revelation1 on 
the other hand1 is represented by  the  
sign ,leo1 the sun's mid-summer and     
highest station4 ,by this is meant  that
 this holy ,dispensation is illumined   
with the light of the ,sun of  ,truth   
shining from its most exalted station1  
and in the plenitude of its             
resplendency1 its heat and glory40      
8,the ,bb1 the ,exalted ,one10          
#8,abdu'l-,bah more specifically affirms
 in  another ,tablet1 8is the ,morn of  
,truth1 the splendor of ,whose light    
shineth  throughout all regions4 ,he is 
also the ,harbinger of the ,most ,great 
,light1  the ,abh ,luminary4 ,the       
,blessed ,beauty is the ,one promised by
 the sacred  books of the past1 the     
revelation of the ,source of light that 
shone upon  ,mount ,sinai1 ,whose fire  
glowed in the midst of the ,burning     
,bush4 ,we are1  one and all1 servants  
of their threshold1 and stand each as a 

lowly keeper  at their door40 8,every   
proof and prophecy10 is ,his still more 
emphatic  warning1 8every manner of     
evidence1 whether based on reason or on 
the text  of the scriptures and         
traditions1 are to be regarded as       
centered in the  persons of ,bah'u'llh  
and the ,bb4 ,in them is to be found    
their complete  fulfillment40    ,and   
finally1 in ,his ,will and ,testament1  
the repository of ,his last wishes  and 
parting instructions1 ,he in the        
following passage1 specifically         
designed to set forth the guiding       
principles of ,bah' belief1 sets the    
seal of ,his testimony on the ,bb's dual
 and exalted station3 8,the  foundation 
of the belief of the people of ,bah 7may
 my life be offered up  for them7 is    
this3 ,his holiness the exalted ,one    
7the ,bb7 is the  ,manifestation of the 
unity and oneness of ,god and the       
,forerunner of the  ,ancient ,beauty    
7,bah'u'llh74 ,his holiness1 the ,abh   
,beauty 7,bah'u'llh7  7may my life be   

offered up as a sacrifice for ,his      
steadfast friends7 is  the supreme      
,manifestation of ,god and the          
,day-,spring of ,his most divine        
,essence40 8,all others10 ,he           
significantly adds1 8are servants unto  
,him and  do ,his bidding40             
#8,abdu'l-,bah      ,dearly-beloved     
friends6 ,i have in the foregoing pages 
ventured to attempt  an exposition of   
such truths as ,i firmly believe are    
implicit in the claim  of ,him ,who is  
the ,fountain-,head of the ,bah'        
,revelation4 ,i have moreover           
endeavored to dissipate such            
misapprehensions as may naturally arise 
in  the mind of any one contemplating so
 superhuman a manifestation of the      
glory of ,god4 ,i have striven to       
explain the meaning of the divinity with
  which ,he ,who is the vehicle of so   
mysterious an energy must needs be      
invested4 ,that the ,message which so   
great a ,being has1 in this age1 been   
commissioned by ,god to deliver to      

mankind recognizes the divine origin and
  upholds the first principles of every 
,dispensation inaugurated by the        
prophets of the past1 and stands        
inextricably interwoven with each one of
  them1 ,i have also to the best of my  
ability undertaken to demonstrate4      
,that the ,author of such a ,faith1 ,who
 repudiates the claim to finality  which
 leaders of various denominations uphold
 has1 despite the vastness of  ,his     
,revelation1 disclaimed it for ,himself 
,i have1 likewise1 felt it  necessary to
 prove and emphasize4 ,that the ,bb1    
notwithstanding the  duration of ,his   
,dispensation1 should be regarded       
primarily1 not as the  chosen ,precursor
 of the ,bah' ,faith1 but as ,one       
invested with the  undivided authority  
assumed by each of the independent      
,prophets of the  past1 seemed to me yet
 another basic principle the elucidation
 of which  would be extremely desirable 
at the present stage of the evolution of
 our  ,cause4    ,an attempt ,i strongly

 feel should now be made to clarify our 
minds  regarding the station occupied by
 #8,abdu'l-,bah and the significance of 
,his  position in this holy             
,dispensation4 ,it would be indeed      
difficult for us1  who stand so close to
 such a tremendous figure and are drawn 
by the  mysterious power of so magnetic 
a personality1 to obtain a clear and    
exact  understanding of the rle and     
character of ,one ,who1 not only in the 
,dispensation of ,bah'u'llh but in the  
entire field of religious history1      
fulfills a unique function4 ,though     
moving in a sphere of ,his own and      
holding a rank radically different from 
that of the ,author and the  ,forerunner
 of the ,bah' ,revelation1 ,he1 by      
virtue of the station ordained  for ,him
 through the ,covenant of ,bah'u'llh1   
forms together with them what  may be   
termed the ,three ,central ,figures of a
 ,faith that stands  unapproached in the
 world's spiritual history4 ,he towers1 
in conjunction  with them1 above the    

destinies of this infant ,faith of ,god 
from a level to  which no individual or 
body ministering to its needs after     
,him1 and for no  less a period than a  
full thousand years1 can ever hope to   
rise4 ,to  degrade ,his lofty rank by   
identifying ,his station with or by     
regarding it  as roughly equivalent to1 
the position of those on whom the mantle
 of ,his  authority has fallen would be 
an act of impiety as grave as the no    
less  heretical belief that inclines to 
exalt ,him to a state of absolute       
equality with either the central ,figure
 or ,forerunner of our ,faith4 ,for     
wide as is the gulf that separates      
#8,abdu'l-,bah from ,him ,who is the    
,source  of an independent ,revelation1 
it can never be regarded as commensurate
  with the greater distance that stands 
between ,him ,who is the ,center of the 
,covenant and ,his ministers who are to 
carry on ,his work1 whatever be their   
name1 their rank1 their functions or    
their future achievements4 ,let those   

who have known #8,abdu'l-,bah1 who      
through their contact with ,his magnetic
  personality have come to cherish for  
,him so fervent an admiration1  reflect1
 in the light of this statement1 on the 
greatness of ,one ,who is so  far above 
,him in station4    ,that #8,abdu'l-,bah
 is not a ,manifestation of ,god1 that1 
though the  successor of ,his ,father1  
,he does not occupy a cognate station1  
that no one  else except the ,bb and    
,bah'u'llh can ever lay claim to such a 
station  before the expiration of a full
 thousand years--are verities which lie 
embedded in the specific utterances of  
both the ,founder of our ,faith and  the
 ,interpreter of ,his teachings4        
8,whoso layeth claim to a ,revelation   
direct from ,god10 is the express       
warning uttered in the ,kitb-i-,aqdas1  
8ere the expiration of a full  thousand 
years1 such a man is assuredly a lying  
imposter4 ,we pray ,god that  ,he may   
graciously assist him to retract and    
repudiate such claim4 ,should  he       

repent1 ,god will no doubt forgive him4 
,if1 however1 he persists in his  error1
 ,god will assuredly send down one who  
will deal mercilessly with  him4        
,terrible indeed is ,god in punishing60 
8,whosoever10 ,he adds as a  further    
emphasis1 8interpreteth this verse      
otherwise than its obvious  meaning is  
deprived of the ,spirit of ,god and of  
,his mercy which  encompasseth all      
created things40 8,should a man appear10
 is yet another  conclusive statement1  
8ere the lapse of a full thousand       
years--each year  consisting of twelve  
months according to the ,qur'n1 and of  
nineteen  months of nineteen days each1 
according to the ,bayn--and if such a   
man  reveal to your eyes all the signs  
of ,god1 unhesitatingly reject him60    
#8,abdu'l-,bah's own statements1 in     
confirmation of this warning1 are no    
less emphatic and binding3 8,this is10  
,he declares1 8my firm1 my unshakable   
conviction1 the essence of my           
unconcealed and explicit belief--a      

conviction  and belief which the        
denizens of the ,abh ,kingdom fully     
share3 ,the ,blessed  ,beauty is the    
,sun of ,truth1 and ,his light the light
 of truth4 ,the ,bb is  likewise the    
,sun of ,truth1 and ,his light the light
 of truth444 ,my station  is the station
 of servitude--a servitude which is     
complete1 pure and real1  firmly        
established1 enduring1 obvious1         
explicitly revealed and subject to  no  
interpretation whatever444 ,i am the    
,interpreter of the ,word of ,god2  such
 is my interpretation40    ,does not    
#8,abdu'l-,bah in ,his own ,will--in a  
tone and language that might  well      
confound the most inveterate among the  
breakers of ,his ,father's              
,covenant--rob of their chief weapon    
those who so long and so persistently   
had striven to impute to ,him the charge
 of having tacitly claimed a  station   
equal1 if not superior1 to that of      
,bah'u'llh8 8,the foundation of  the    
belief of the people of ,bah is this10  

thus proclaims one of the  weightiest   
passages of that last document left to  
voice in perpetuity the  directions and 
wishes of a departed ,master1 8,his     
,holiness the ,exalted ,one  7the ,bb7  
is the ,manifestation of the unity and  
oneness of ,god and the  ,forerunner of 
the ,ancient ,beauty4 ,his ,holiness the
 ,abh ,beauty  7,bah'u'llh7 7may my life
 be a sacrifice for ,his steadfast      
friends7 is  the supreme ,manifestation 
of ,god and the ,day-,spring of ,his    
most divine  ,essence4 ,all others are  
servants unto ,him and do ,his bidding40
    ,from such clear and formally laid  
down statements1 incompatible as they   
are with any assertion of a claim to    
,prophethood1 we should not by any      
means infer that #8,abdu'l-,bah is      
merely one of the servants of the       
,blessed  ,beauty1 or at best one whose 
function is to be confined to that of an
  authorized interpreter of ,his        
,father's teachings4 ,far be it from me 
to  entertain such a notion or to wish  

to instill such sentiments4 ,to regard  
,him in such a light is a manifest      
betrayal of the priceless heritage      
bequeathed by ,bah'u'llh to mankind4    
,immeasurably exalted is the station    
conferred upon ,him by the ,supreme ,pen
 above and beyond the implications of   
these1 ,his own written statements4     
,whether in the ,kitb-i-,aqdas1 the most
  weighty and sacred of all the works of
 ,bah'u'llh1 or in the  ,kitb-i-#8,ahd1 
the ,book of ,his ,covenant1 or in the  
,sriy-i-,ghusn 7,tablet  of the         
,branch71 such references as have been  
recorded by the pen of                  
,bah'u'llh--references which the        
,tablets of ,his ,father addressed to   
,him  mightily reinforce--invest        
#8,abdu'l-,bah with a power1 and        
surround ,him with  a halo1 which the   
present generation can never adequately 
appreciate4    ,he is1 and should for   
all time be regarded1 first and         
foremost1 as the  ,center and ,pivot of 
,bah'u'llh's peerless and all-enfolding 

,covenant1 ,his  most exalted handiwork1
 the stainless ,mirror of ,his light1   
the perfect  ,exemplar of ,his          
teachings1 the unerring ,interpreter of 
,his ,word1 the  embodiment of every    
,bah' ideal1 the incarnation of every   
,bah' virtue1  the ,most ,mighty ,branch
 sprung from the ,ancient ,root1 the    
,limb of the ,law  of ,god1 the ,being  
8round ,whom all names revolve10 the    
,mainspring of the  ,oneness of         
,humanity1 the ,ensign of the ,most     
,great ,peace1 the ,moon of the         
,central ,orb of this most holy         
,dispensation--styles and titles that   
are  implicit and find their truest1    
their highest and fairest expression in 
the magic name #8,abdu'l-,bah4 ,he is1  
above and beyond these appellations1    
the 8,mystery of ,god0--an expression by
 which ,bah'u'llh ,himself has chosen   
to designate ,him1 and which1 while it  
does not by any means justify us to     
assign to ,him the station of           
,prophethood1 indicates how in the      

person of  #8,abdu'l-,bah the           
incompatible characteristics of a human 
nature and  superhuman knowledge and    
perfection have been blended and are    
completely  harmonized4    8,when the   
ocean of ,my presence hath ebbed and the
 ,book of ,my ,revelation is  ended10   
proclaims the ,kitb-i-,aqdas1 8turn your
 faces towards ,him ,whom ,god  hath    
purposed1 ,who hath branched from this  
,ancient ,root40 ,and again1 8,when  the
 ,mystic ,dove will have winged its     
flight from its ,sanctuary of ,praise   
and sought its far-off goal1 its hidden 
habitation1 refer ye whatsoever ye      
understand not in the ,book to ,him ,who
 hath branched from this mighty         
,stock40    ,in the ,kitb-i-#8,ahd1     
moreover1 ,bah'u'llh solemnly and       
explicitly  declares3 8,it is incumbent 
upon the ,aghsn1 the ,afnn and ,my      
kindred to  turn1 one and all1 their    
faces towards the ,most ,mighty ,branch4
 ,consider  that which ,we have revealed
 in ,our ,most ,holy ,book3 #8,when the 

ocean of ,my  presence hath ebbed and   
the ,book of ,my ,revelation is ended1  
turn your  faces toward ,him ,whom ,god 
hath purposed1 ,who hath branched from  
this  ,ancient ,root4' ,the object of   
this sacred verse is none other except  
the  ,most ,mighty ,branch              
7#8,abdu'l-,bah74 ,thus have ,we        
graciously revealed unto  you our potent
 ,will1 and ,i am verily the ,gracious1 
the ,all-,powerful40    ,in the         
,sriy-i-,ghusn 7,tablet of the ,branch7 
the following verses have  been         
recorded3 8,there hath branched from the
 ,sadratu'l-,muntah this sacred  and    
glorious ,being1 this ,branch of        
,holiness2 well is it with him that hath
  sought ,his shelter and abideth       
beneath ,his shadow4 ,verily the ,limb  
of the  ,law of ,god hath sprung forth  
from this ,root which ,god hath firmly  
implanted in the ,ground of ,his ,will1 
and ,whose ,branch hath been so         
uplifted as to encompass the whole of   
creation4 ,magnified be ,he1  therefore1

 for this sublime1 this blessed1 this   
mighty1 this exalted  ,handiwork6444 ,a 
,word hath1 as a token of ,our grace1   
gone forth from the  ,most ,great       
,tablet--a ,word which ,god hath adorned
 with the ornament of ,his  own ,self1  
and made it sovereign over the earth and
 all that is therein1  and a sign of    
,his greatness and power among its      
people 444,render thanks  unto ,god1 ,o 
people1 for ,his appearance2 for verily 
,he is the most great  ,favor unto you1 
the most perfect bounty upon you2 and   
through ,him every  mouldering bone is  
quickened4 ,whoso turneth towards ,him  
hath turned  towards ,god1 and whoso    
turneth away from ,him hath turned away 
from ,my  beauty1 hath repudiated ,my   
,proof1 and transgressed against ,me4   
,he is the  ,trust of ,god amongst you1 
,his charge within you1 ,his            
manifestation unto  you and ,his        
appearance among ,his favored           
servants444 ,we have sent ,him down  in 
the form of a human temple4 ,blest and  

sanctified be ,god ,who createth        
whatsoever ,he willeth through ,his     
inviolable1 ,his infallible decree4     
,they  who deprive themselves of the    
shadow of the ,branch1 are lost in the  
wilderness of error1 are consumed by the
 heat of worldly desires1 and are  of   
those who will assuredly perish40    8,o
 ,thou ,who art the apple of ,mine eye60
 ,bah'u'llh1 in ,his own  handwriting1  
thus addresses #8,abdu'l-,bah1 8,my     
glory1 the ocean of ,my                 
loving-kindness1 the sun of ,my bounty1 
the heaven of ,my mercy rest upon       
,thee4 ,we pray ,god to illumine the    
world through ,thy knowledge and wisdom1
  to ordain for ,thee that which will   
gladden ,thine heart and impart         
consolation to ,thine eyes40 8,the glory
 of ,god rest upon ,thee10 ,he writes   
in another ,tablet1 8and upon whosoever 
serveth ,thee and circleth around       
,thee4 ,woe1 great woe1 betide him that 
opposeth and injureth ,thee4 ,well is   
it with him that sweareth fealty to     

,thee2 the fire of hell torment him who 
is ,thine enemy40 8,we have made ,thee a
 shelter for all mankind10 ,he1 in yet  
another ,tablet1 affirms1 8a shield unto
 all who are in heaven and on  earth1 a 
stronghold for whosoever hath believed  
in ,god1 the ,incomparable1  the        
,all-,knowing4 ,god grant that through  
,thee ,he may protect them1 may  enrich 
and sustain them1 that ,he may inspire  
,thee with that which shall be  a       
wellspring of wealth unto all created   
things1 an ocean of bounty unto  all    
men1 and the dayspring of mercy unto all
 peoples40    8,thou knowest1 ,o my     
,god10 ,bah'u'llh1 in a prayer revealed 
in  #8,abdu'l-,bah's honor1 supplicates1
 8that ,i desire for ,him naught except 
that which ,thou didst desire1 and have 
chosen ,him for no purpose save that    
which ,thou hadst intended for ,him4    
,render ,him victorious1 therefore1     
through ,thy hosts of earth and         
heaven444 ,ordain1 ,i beseech ,thee1 by 
the  ardor of ,my love for ,thee and ,my

 yearning to manifest ,thy ,cause1 for  
,him1  as well as for them that love    
,him1 that which ,thou hast destined for
 ,thy  ,messengers and the ,trustees of 
,thy ,revelation4 ,verily1 ,thou art the
  ,almighty1 the ,all-,powerful40    ,in
 a letter dictated by ,bah'u'llh and    
addressed by ,mrz q ,jn1 ,his           
amanuensis1 to #8,abdu'l-,bah while the 
latter was on a visit to ,beirut1 we    
read the following3 8,praise be to ,him 
,who hath honored the ,land of ,b       
7,beirut7 through the presence of ,him  
round ,whom all names revolve4 ,all the 
atoms of the earth have announced unto  
all created things that from behind  the
 gate of the ,prison-city there hath    
appeared and above its horizon  there   
hath shone forth the ,orb of the beauty 
of the great1 the ,most ,mighty  ,branch
 of ,god--,his ancient and immutable    
,mystery--proceeding on its way to      
another land4 ,sorrow1 thereby1 hath    
enveloped this ,prison-city1 whilst     
another land rejoiceth444 ,blessed1     

doubly blessed1 is the ground which ,his
  footsteps have trodden1 the eye that  
hath been cheered by the beauty of  ,his
 countenance1 the ear that hath been    
honored by hearkening to ,his call1  the
 heart that hath tasted the sweetness of
 ,his love1 the breast that hath        
dilated through ,his remembrance1 the   
pen that hath voiced ,his praise1 the   
scroll that hath borne the testimony of 
,his writings40    #8,abdu'l-,bah1      
writing in confirmation of the authority
 conferred upon ,him  by ,bah'u'llh1    
makes the following statement3 8,in     
accordance with the  explicit text of   
the ,kitb-i-,aqdas ,bah'u'llh hath made 
the ,center of the  ,covenant the       
,interpreter of ,his ,word--a ,covenant 
so firm and mighty that  from the       
beginning of time until the present day 
no religious ,dispensation  hath        
produced its like40    ,exalted as is   
the rank of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 and however 
profuse the praises  with which in these
 sacred ,books and ,tablets ,bah'u'llh  

has glorified ,his  son1 so unique a    
distinction must never be construed as  
conferring upon  its recipient a station
 identical with1 or equivalent to1 that 
of ,his  ,father1 the ,manifestation    
,himself4 ,to give such an              
interpretation to any  of these quoted  
passages would at once1 and for obvious 
reasons1 bring it  into conflict with   
the no less clear and authentic         
assertions and warnings  to which ,i    
have already referred4 ,indeed1 as ,i   
have already stated1 those  who         
overestimate #8,abdu'l-,bah's station   
are just as reprehensible and have  done
 just as much harm as those who         
underestimate it4 ,and this for no      
other reason except that by insisting   
upon an altogether unwarranted          
inference from ,bah'u'llh's writings    
they are inadvertently justifying  and  
continuously furnishing the enemy with  
proofs for his false  accusations and   
misleading statements4    ,i feel it    
necessary1 therefore1 to state without  

any equivocation or  hesitation that    
neither in the ,kitb-i-,aqdas nor in the
 ,book of  ,bah'u'llh's ,covenant1 nor  
even in the ,tablet of the ,branch1 nor 
in any  other ,tablet1 whether revealed 
by ,bah'u'llh or #8,abdu'l-,bah1 is     
there  any authority whatever for the   
opinion that inclines to uphold the     
so-called 8mystic unity0 of ,bah'u'llh  
and #8,abdu'l-,bah1 or to establish  the
 identity of the latter with ,his       
,father or with any preceding           
,manifestation4 ,this erroneous         
conception may1 in part1 be ascribed to 
an  altogether extravagant              
interpretation of certain terms and     
passages in the  ,tablet of the ,branch1
 to the introduction into its ,english  
translation of  certain words that are  
either non-existent1 misleading1 or     
ambiguous in  their connotation4 ,it is1
 no doubt1 chiefly based upon an        
altogether  unjustified inference from  
the opening passages of a ,tablet of    
,bah'u'llh1 extracts of which1 as       

reproduced in the ,bah' ,scriptures1    
immediately precede1 but form no part   
of1 the said ,tablet of the ,branch4    
,it should be made clear to every one   
reading those extracts that by the      
phrase 8the ,tongue of the ,ancient0 no 
one else is meant but ,god1 and that    
the term 8the ,greatest ,name0 is an    
obvious reference to ,bah'u'llh1 and    
that 8the ,covenant0 referred to is not 
the specific ,covenant of which         
,bah'u'llh is the immediate ,author and 
#8,abdu'l-,bah the ,center but that     
general ,covenant which1 as inculcated  
by the ,bah' teaching1 ,god ,himself    
invariably establishes with mankind when
 ,he inaugurates a new  ,dispensation4  
8,the ,tongue0 that 8gives10 as stated  
in those extracts1 the  8glad-tidings0  
is none other than the ,voice of ,god   
referring to  ,bah'u'llh1 and not       
,bah'u'llh referring to #8,abdu'l-,bah4 
,moreover1 to maintain that the         
assertion 8,he is ,myself10 instead of  
denoting the mystic unity of ,god and   

,his ,manifestations1 as explained in   
the ,kitb-i-qn1 establishes the identity
 of ,bah'u'llh with  #8,abdu'l-,bah1    
would constitute a direct violation of  
the oft-repeated  principle of the      
oneness of ,god's ,manifestations--a    
principle which the  ,author of these   
same extracts is seeking by implication 
to emphasize4    ,it would also amount  
to a reversion to those irrational and  
superstitious  beliefs which have       
insensibly crept1 in the first century  
of the ,christian  era1 into the        
teachings of ,jesus ,christ1 and by     
crystallizing into  accepted dogmas have
 impaired the effectiveness and obscured
 the purpose  of the ,christian ,faith4 
8,i affirm10 is #8,abdu'l-,bah's own    
written comment on the ,tablet of the   
,branch1 8that the true meaning1 the    
real significance1 the innermost  secret
 of these verses1 of these very words1  
is my own servitude to the  sacred      
,threshold of the ,abh ,beauty1 my      
complete self-effacement1 my utter      

nothingness before ,him4 ,this is my    
resplendent crown1 my most precious     
adorning4 ,on this ,i pride myself in   
the kingdom of earth and heaven4        
,therein ,i glory among the company of  
the well-favored60 8,no one is          
permitted10 ,he warns us in the passage 
which immediately follows1 8to give     
these verses any other interpretation40 
8,i am10 ,he1 in this same  connection1 
affirms1 8according to the explicit     
texts of the ,kitb-i-,aqdas  and the    
,kitb-i-#8,ahd the manifest ,interpreter
 of the ,word of ,god444 ,whoso         
deviates from my interpretation is a    
victim of his own fancy40               
,furthermore1 the inescapable inference 
from the belief in the identity of  the 
,author of our ,faith with ,him ,who is 
the ,center of ,his ,covenant would  be 
to place #8,abdu'l-,bah in a position   
superior to that of the ,bb1 the        
reverse of which is the fundamental1    
though not as yet universally           
recognized1 principle of this           

,revelation4 ,it would also justify the 
charge  with which1 all throughout      
#8,abdu'l-,bah's ministry1 the          
,covenant-,breakers  have striven to    
poison the minds and pervert the        
understanding of  ,bah'u'llh's loyal    
followers4    ,it would be more correct1
 and in consonance with the established 
principles of ,bah'u'llh and the ,bb1 if
 instead of maintaining this  fictitious
 identity with reference to             
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 we regard the           
,forerunner and the ,founder of our     
,faith as identical in reality--a truth 
which the text of the ,sratu'l-,haykal  
unmistakably affirms4 8,had the  ,primal
 ,point 7the ,bb7 been someone else     
beside ,me as ye claim10 is             
,bah'u'llh's explicit statement1 8and   
had attained ,my presence1 verily ,he   
would have never allowed ,himself to be 
separated from ,me1 but rather ,we      
would have had mutual delights with each
 other in ,my ,days40 8,he ,who now     
voiceth the ,word of ,god10 ,bah'u'llh  

again affirms1 8is none other except    
the ,primal ,point ,who hath once again 
been made manifest40 8,he is10 ,he thus 
refers to ,himself in a ,tablet         
addressed to one of the ,letters of the 
,living1 8the same as the ,one ,who     
appeared in the year sixty 7#abfj       
,a4,h474  ,this verily is one of ,his   
mighty signs40 8,who10 ,he pleads in the
  ,sriy-i-,damm1 8will arise to secure  
the triumph of the ,primal ,beauty 7the 
,bb7 revealed in the countenance of ,his
 succeeding ,manifestation80  ,referring
 to the ,revelation proclaimed by the   
,bb ,he conversely  characterizes it as 
8,my own previous ,manifestation40      
,that #8,abdu'l-,bah is not a           
,manifestation of ,god1 that ,he gets   
,his light1  ,his inspiration and       
sustenance direct from the              
,fountain-head of the ,bah'             
,revelation2 that ,he reflects even as a
 clear and perfect ,mirror the rays  of 
,bah'u'llh's glory1 and does not        
inherently possess that indefinable  yet

 all-pervading reality the exclusive    
possession of which is the  hallmark of 
,prophethood2 that ,his words are not   
equal in rank1 though they  possess an  
equal validity with the utterances of   
,bah'u'llh2 that ,he is  not to be      
acclaimed as the return of ,jesus       
,christ1 the ,son ,who will come  8in   
the glory of the ,father0--these truths 
find added justification1 and  are      
further reinforced1 by the following    
statement of #8,abdu'l-,bah1  addressed 
to some believers in ,america1 with     
which ,i may well conclude  this        
section3 8,you have written that there  
is a difference among the  believers    
concerning the #8,second ,coming of     
,christ4' ,gracious ,god6 ,time and     
again this question hath arisen1 and its
 answer hath emanated in a clear  and   
irrefutable statement from the pen of   
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 that what is meant  in  
the prophecies by the #8,lord of ,hosts'
 and the #8,promised ,christ' is the    
,blessed ,perfection 7,bah'u'llh7 and   

,his holiness the ,exalted ,one 7the    
,bb74 ,my name is #8,abdu'l-,bah4 ,my   
qualification is #8,abdu'l-,bah4 ,my    
reality is #8,abdu'l-,bah4 ,my praise is
 #8,abdu'l-,bah4 ,thraldom to the       
,blessed ,perfection is my glorious and 
refulgent diadem1 and servitude to  all 
the human race my perpetual religion444 
,no name1 no title1 no mention1  no     
commendation have ,i1 nor will ever     
have1 except #8,abdu'l-,bah4 ,this is   
my longing4 ,this is my greatest        
yearning4 ,this is my eternal life4     
,this is  my everlasting glory40        
,the ,administrative ,order             
,dearly-beloved brethren in             
#8,abdu'l-,bah6 ,with the ascension of  
,bah'u'llh  the ,day-,star of ,divine   
guidance which1 as foretold by ,shaykh  
,amad and  ,siyyid ,kzim1 had risen in  
,shrz1 and1 while pursuing its westward 
course1 had mounted its zenith in       
,adrianople1 had finally sunk below the 
horizon of ,akk1 never to rise again ere
 the complete revolution of one         

thousand years4 ,the setting of so      
effulgent an ,orb brought to a definite 
termination the period of ,divine       
,revelation--the initial and most       
vitalizing stage in the ,bah' era4      
,inaugurated by the ,bb1 culminating in 
,bah'u'llh1 anticipated and extolled by 
the entire company of the  ,prophets of 
this great prophetic cycle1 this period 
has1 except for the  short interval     
between the ,bb's martyrdom and         
,bah'u'llh's shaking  experiences in the
 ,syh-,chl of ihrn1 been characterized  
by almost  fifty years of continuous and
 progressive ,revelation--a period which
 by its  duration and fecundity must be 
regarded as unparalleled in the entire  
field of the world's spiritual history4 
,the passing of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 on the  
other hand1 marks the closing of the    
,heroic and ,apostolic ,age of this same
 ,dispensation--that primitive period   
of our ,faith the splendors of which can
 never be rivaled1 much less be         
eclipsed1 by the magnificence that must 

needs distinguish the future  victories 
of ,bah'u'llh's ,revelation4 ,for       
neither the achievements of the         
champion-builders of the present-day    
institutions of the ,faith of           
,bah'u'llh1 nor the tumultuous triumphs 
which the heroes of its ,golden  ,age   
will in the coming days succeed in      
winning1 can measure with1 or be        
included within the same category as1   
the wondrous works associated with  the 
names of those who have generated its   
very life and laid its pristine         
foundations4 ,that first and creative   
age of the ,bah' era must1 by its  very 
nature1 stand above and apart from the  
formative period into which we  have    
entered and the golden age destined to  
succeed it4    #8,abdu'l-,bah1 ,who     
incarnates an institution for which we  
can find no  parallel whatsoever in any 
of the world's recognized religious     
systems1  may be said to have closed the
 ,age to which ,he ,himself belonged and
 opened  the one in which we are now    

laboring4 ,his ,will and ,testament     
should thus  be regarded as the         
perpetual1 the indissoluble link which  
the mind of ,him  ,who is the ,mystery  
of ,god has conceived in order to insure
 the continuity  of the three ages that 
constitute the component parts of the   
,bah'  ,dispensation4 ,the period in    
which the seed of the ,faith had been   
slowly  germinating is thus intertwined 
both with the one which must witness its
  efflorescence and the subsequent age  
in which that seed will have finally    
yielded its golden fruit4    ,the       
creative energies released by the ,law  
of ,bah'u'llh1 permeating and  evolving 
within the mind of #8,abdu'l-,bah1 have1
 by their very impact and  close        
interaction1 given birth to an          
,instrument which may be viewed as the  
,charter of the ,new ,world ,order which
 is at once the glory and the promise   
of this most great ,dispensation4 ,the  
,will may thus be acclaimed as the      
inevitable offspring resulting from that

 mystic intercourse between ,him  ,who  
communicated the generating influence of
 ,his divine ,purpose and the  ,one ,who
 was its vehicle and chosen recipient4  
,being the ,child of the  ,covenant--the
 ,heir of both the ,originator and the  
,interpreter of the ,law of  ,god--the  
,will and ,testament of #8,abdu'l-,bah  
can no more be divorced from  ,him ,who 
supplied the original and motivating    
impulse than from the ,one ,who         
ultimately conceived it4 ,bah'u'llh's   
inscrutable purpose1 we must ever  bear 
in mind1 has been so thoroughly infused 
into the conduct of  #8,abdu'l-,bah1 and
 their motives have been so closely     
wedded together1 that  the mere attempt 
to dissociate the teachings of the      
former from any system  which the ideal 
,exemplar of those same teachings has   
established would  amount to a          
repudiation of one of the most sacred   
and basic truths of the  ,faith4    ,the
 ,administrative ,order1 which ever     
since #8,abdu'l-,bah's ascension has    

evolved and is taking shape under our   
very eyes in no fewer than forty        
countries of the world1 may be          
considered as the framework of the ,will
  itself1 the inviolable stronghold     
wherein this new-born child is being    
nurtured and developed4 ,this           
,administrative ,order1 as it expands   
and  consolidates itself1 will no doubt 
manifest the potentialities and reveal  
the full implications of this momentous 
,document--this most remarkable         
expression of the ,will of ,one of the  
most remarkable ,figures of the         
,dispensation of ,bah'u'llh4 ,it will1  
as its component parts1 its organic     
institutions1 begin to function with    
efficiency and vigor1 assert its  claim 
and demonstrate its capacity to be      
regarded not only as the nucleus  but   
the very pattern of the ,new ,world     
,order destined to embrace in the       
fullness of time the whole of mankind4  
,it should be noted in this connection  
that this ,administrative ,order is     

fundamentally different from anything   
that any ,prophet has previously        
established1 inasmuch as ,bah'u'llh has 
,himself revealed its principles1       
established its institutions1 appointed 
the person to interpret ,his ,word  and 
conferred the necessary authority on the
 body designed to supplement  and apply 
,his legislative ordinances4 ,therein   
lies the secret of its  strength1 its   
fundamental distinction1 and the        
guarantee against  disintegration and   
schism4 ,nowhere in the sacred          
scriptures of any of the  world's       
religious systems1 nor even in the      
writings of the ,inaugurator of  the ,bb
 ,dispensation1 do we find any          
provisions establishing a covenant  or  
providing for an administrative order   
that can compare in scope and  authority
 with those that lie at the very basis  
of the ,bah'  ,dispensation4 ,has either
 ,christianity or ,islm1 to take as an  
instance two  of the most widely        
diffused and outstanding among the      

world's recognized  religions1 anything 
to offer that can measure with1 or be   
regarded as  equivalent to1 either the  
,book of ,bah'u'llh's ,covenant or to   
the ,will  and ,testament of            
#8,abdu'l-,bah8 ,does the text of either
 the ,gospel or the  ,qur'n confer      
sufficient authority upon those leaders 
and councils that  have claimed the     
right and assumed the function of       
interpreting the  provisions of their   
sacred scriptures and of administering  
the affairs of  their respective        
communities8 ,could ,peter1 the admitted
 chief of the  ,apostles1 or the ,imm   
#8,al1 the cousin and legitimate        
successor of the  ,prophet1 produce in  
support of the primacy with which both  
had been  invested written and explicit 
affirmations from ,christ and ,muammad  
that  could have silenced those who     
either among their contemporaries or in 
a  later age have repudiated their      
authority and1 by their action1         
precipitated the schisms that persist   

until the present day8 ,where1 we may   
confidently ask1 in the recorded sayings
 of ,jesus ,christ1 whether in the      
matter of succession or in the provision
 of a set of specific laws and  clearly 
defined administrative ordinances1 as   
distinguished from purely  spiritual    
principles1 can we find anything        
approaching the detailed  injunctions1  
laws and warnings that abound in the    
authenticated utterances  of both       
,bah'u'llh and #8,abdu'l-,bah8 ,can any 
passage of the ,qur'n1 which  in respect
 to its legal code1 its administrative  
and devotional ordinances  marks already
 a notable advance over previous and    
more corrupted  ,revelations1 be        
construed as placing upon an            
unassailable basis the  undoubted       
authority with which ,muammad had1      
verbally and on several  occasions1     
invested ,his successor8 ,can the       
,author of the ,bb ,dispensation        
however much ,he may have succeeded     
through the provisions of the ,persian  

,bayn in averting a schism as permanent 
and catastrophic as those that          
afflicted ,christianity and ,islm--can  
,he be said to have produced            
instruments for the safeguarding of ,his
 ,faith as definite and efficacious  as 
those which must for all time preserve  
the unity of the organized  followers of
 the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh8    ,alone of 
all the ,revelations gone before it this
 ,faith has1 through the  explicit      
directions1 the repeated warnings1 the  
authenticated safeguards  incorporated  
and elaborated in its teachings1        
succeeded in raising a  structure which 
the bewildered followers of bankrupt and
 broken creeds  might well approach and 
critically examine1 and seek1 ere it is 
too late1  the invulnerable security of 
its world-embracing shelter4    ,no     
wonder that ,he ,who through the        
operation of ,his ,will has inaugurated 
so  vast and unique an ,order and ,who  
is the ,center of so mighty a ,covenant 
should have written these words3 8,so   

firm and mighty is this ,covenant that  
from the beginning of time until the    
present day no religious ,dispensation  
hath produced its like40 8,whatsoever is
 latent in the innermost of this  holy  
cycle10 ,he wrote during the darkest and
 most dangerous days of ,his  ministry1 
8shall gradually appear and be made     
manifest1 for now is but the  beginning 
of its growth and the dayspring of the  
revelation of its signs40  8,fear not10 
are ,his reassuring words foreshadowing 
the rise of the  ,administrative ,order 
established by ,his ,will1 8fear not if 
this ,branch be  severed from this      
material world and cast aside its       
leaves2 nay1 the  leaves thereof shall  
flourish1 for this ,branch will grow    
after it is cut  off from this world    
below1 it shall reach the loftiest      
pinnacles of glory1  and it shall bear  
such fruits as will perfume the world   
with their  fragrance40    ,to what else
 if not to the power and majesty which  
this ,administrative  ,order--the       

rudiments of the future all-enfolding   
,bah' ,commonwealth--is  destined to    
manifest1 can these utterances of       
,bah'u'llh allude3 8,the  world's       
equilibrium hath been upset through the 
vibrating influence of  this most great1
 this new ,world ,order4 ,mankind's     
ordered life hath been  revolutionized  
through the agency of this unique1 this 
wondrous ,system--the  like of which    
mortal eyes have never witnessed40      
,the ,bb ,himself1 in the course of ,his
 references to 8,him ,whom ,god will    
make manifest0 anticipates the ,system  
and glorifies the ,world ,order which   
the ,revelation of ,bah'u'llh is        
destined to unfold4 8,well is it with   
him10 is ,his remarkable statement in   
the third chapter of the ,persian       
,bayn1 8who fixeth his gaze upon the    
,order of ,bah'u'llh and rendereth      
thanks unto his ,lord6 ,for ,he will    
assuredly be made manifest4 ,god hath   
indeed irrevocably ordained it in the   
,bayn40    ,in the ,tablets of          

,bah'u'llh where the institutions of the
 ,international  and ,local ,houses of  
,justice are specifically designated and
 formally  established2 in the          
institution of the ,hands of the ,cause 
of ,god which  first ,bah'u'llh and then
 #8,abdu'l-,bah brought into being2 in  
the  institution of both local and      
national ,assemblies which in their     
embryonic  stage were already           
functioning in the days preceding       
#8,abdu'l-,bah's  ascension2 in the     
authority with which the ,author of our 
,faith and the  ,center of ,his         
,covenant have in their ,tablets chosen 
to confer upon them2  in the institution
 of the ,local ,fund which operated     
according to  #8,abdu'l-,bah's specific 
injunctions addressed to certain        
,assemblies in  ,persia2 in the verses  
of the ,kitb-i-,aqdas the implications  
of which  clearly anticipate the        
institution of the ,guardianship2 in the
 explanation  which #8,abdu'l-,bah1 in  
one of ,his ,tablets1 has given to1 and 

the emphasis  ,he has placed upon1 the  
hereditary principle and the law of     
primogeniture  as having been upheld by 
the ,prophets of the past--in these we  
can discern  the faint glimmerings and  
discover the earliest intimation of the 
nature  and working of the              
,administrative ,order which the ,will  
of #8,abdu'l-,bah was  at a later time  
destined to proclaim and formally       
establish4    ,an attempt1 ,i feel1     
should at the present juncture be made  
to explain the  character and functions 
of the twin pillars that support this   
mighty  ,administrative ,structure--the 
institutions of the ,guardianship and of
 the  ,universal ,house of ,justice4 ,to
 describe in their entirety the diverse 
elements that function in conjunction   
with these institutions is beyond  the  
scope and purpose of this general       
exposition of the fundamental  verities 
of the ,faith4 ,to define with accuracy 
and minuteness the  features1 and to    
analyze exhaustively the nature of the  

relationships  which1 on the one hand1  
bind together these two fundamental     
organs of the  ,will of #8,abdu'l-,bah  
and connect1 on the other1 each of them 
to the ,author  of the ,faith and the   
,center of ,his ,covenant is a task     
which future  generations will no doubt 
adequately fulfill4 ,my present         
intention is to  elaborate certain      
salient features of this scheme which1  
however close we  may stand to its      
colossal structure1 are already so      
clearly defined that  we find it        
inexcusable to either misconceive or    
ignore4    ,it should be stated1 at the 
very outset1 in clear and unambiguous   
language1 that these twin institutions  
of the ,administrative ,order of        
,bah'u'llh should be regarded as divine 
in origin1 essential in their  functions
 and complementary in their aim and     
purpose4 ,their common1 their           
fundamental object is to insure the     
continuity of that divinely-appointed   
authority which flows from the ,source  

of our ,faith1 to safeguard the unity   
of its followers and to maintain the    
integrity and flexibility of its        
teachings4 ,acting in conjunction with  
each other these two inseparable        
institutions administer its affairs1    
cordinate its activities1 promote  its  
interests1 execute its laws and defend  
its subsidiary institutions4            
,severally1 each operates within a      
clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction2 
each is equipped with its own attendant 
institutions--instruments designed  for 
the effective discharge of its          
particular responsibilities and duties4 
,each exercises1 within the limitations 
imposed upon it1 its powers1 its        
authority1 its rights and prerogatives4 
,these are neither contradictory1  nor  
detract in the slightest degree from the
 position which each of these           
institutions occupies4 ,far from being  
incompatible or mutually  destructive1  
they supplement each other's authority  
and functions1 and are  permanently and 

fundamentally united in their aims4     
,divorced from the institution of the   
,guardianship the ,world ,order of      
,bah'u'llh would be mutilated and       
permanently deprived of that hereditary 
principle which1 as #8,abdu'l-,bah has  
written1 has been invariably upheld  by 
the ,law of ,god4 8,in all the ,divine  
,dispensations10 ,he states1 in a       
,tablet addressed to a follower of the  
,faith in ,persia1 8the eldest son  hath
 been given extraordinary distinctions4 
,even the station of  prophethood hath  
been his birthright40 ,without such an  
institution the  integrity of the ,faith
 would be imperiled1 and the stability  
of the entire  fabric would be gravely  
endangered4 ,its prestige would suffer1 
the means  required to enable it to take
 a long1 an uninterrupted view over a   
series  of generations would be         
completely lacking1 and the necessary   
guidance to  define the sphere of the   
legislative action of its elected       
representatives  would be totally       

withdrawn4    ,severed from the no less 
essential institution of the ,universal 
,house of  ,justice this same ,system of
 the ,will of #8,abdu'l-,bah would be   
paralyzed in  its action and would be   
powerless to fill in those gaps which   
the ,author  of the ,kitb-i-,aqdas has  
deliberately left in the body of ,his   
legislative  and administrative         
ordinances4    8,he is the ,interpreter 
of the ,word of ,god10 #8,abdu'l-,bah1  
referring to the  functions of the      
,guardian of the ,faith1 asserts1 using 
in ,his ,will the  very term which ,he  
,himself had chosen when refuting the   
argument of the  ,covenant-breakers who 
had challenged ,his right to interpret  
the utterances  of ,bah'u'llh4 8,after  
him10 ,he adds1 8will succeed the       
first-born of his  lineal descendants40 
8,the mighty stronghold10 ,he further   
explains1 8shall  remain impregnable and
 safe through obedience to him who is   
the ,guardian  of the ,cause of ,god40  
8,it is incumbent upon the members of   

the ,house of  ,justice1 upon all the   
,aghsn1 the ,afnn1 the ,hands of the    
,cause of ,god1  to show their          
obedience1 submissiveness and           
subordination unto the  ,guardian of the
 ,cause of ,god40    8,it is incumbent  
upon the members of the ,house of       
,justice10 ,bah'u'llh1  on the other    
hand1 declares in the ,eighth ,leaf of  
the ,exalted ,paradise1  8to take       
counsel together regarding those things 
which have not outwardly  been revealed 
in the ,book1 and to enforce that which 
is agreeable to them4  ,god will verily 
inspire them with whatsoever ,he        
willeth1 and ,he verily is  the         
,provider1 the ,omniscient40 8,unto the 
,most ,holy ,book0 7the                 
,kitb-i-,aqdas71 #8,abdu'l-,bah states  
in ,his ,will1 8every one must turn1 and
  all that is not expressly recorded    
therein must be referred to the         
,universal ,house of ,justice4 ,that    
which this body1 whether unanimously or 
by a majority doth carry1 that is verily

 the truth and the purpose of ,god      
,himself4 ,whoso doth deviate therefrom 
is verily of them that love discord1    
hath shown forth malice1 and turned away
 from the ,lord of the ,covenant40      
,not only does #8,abdu'l-,bah confirm in
 ,his ,will ,bah'u'llh's above-quoted   
statement1 but invests this body with   
the additional right and power to       
abrogate1 according to the exigencies of
 time1 its own enactments1 as well  as  
those of a preceding ,house of ,justice4
 8,inasmuch as the ,house of  ,justice10
 is ,his explicit statement in ,his     
,will1 8hath power to enact laws  that  
are not expressly recorded in the ,book 
and bear upon daily  transactions1 so   
also it hath power to repeal the same444
 ,this it can do  because these laws    
form no part of the divine explicit     
text40    ,referring to both the        
,guardian and the ,universal ,house of  
,justice we read  these emphatic words3 
8,the sacred and youthful ,branch1 the  
,guardian of the  ,cause of ,god1 as    

well as the ,universal ,house of        
,justice to be universally  elected and 
established1 are both under the care and
 protection of the  ,abh ,beauty1 under 
the shelter and unerring guidance of the
 ,exalted ,one  7the ,bb7 7may my life  
be offered up for them both74           
,whatsoever they  decide is of ,god40   
,from these statements it is made       
indubitably clear and evident that the  
,guardian of the ,faith has been made   
the ,interpreter of the ,word and that  
the ,universal ,house of ,justice has   
been invested with the function of      
legislating on matters not expressly    
revealed in the teachings4 ,the         
interpretation of the ,guardian1        
functioning within his own sphere1 is as
  authoritative and binding as the      
enactments of the ,international ,house 
of  ,justice1 whose exclusive right and 
prerogative is to pronounce upon and    
deliver the final judgment on such laws 
and ordinances as ,bah'u'llh has  not   
expressly revealed4 ,neither can1 nor   

will ever1 infringe upon the  sacred and
 prescribed domain of the other4        
,neither will seek to curtail  the      
specific and undoubted authority with   
which both have been divinely  invested4
    ,though the ,guardian of the ,faith 
has been made the permanent head of so  
august a body he can never1 even        
temporarily1 assume the right of        
exclusive legislation4 ,he cannot       
override the decision of the majority of
  his fellow-members1 but is bound to   
insist upon a reconsideration by them   
of any enactment he conscientiously     
believes to conflict with the meaning   
and to depart from the spirit of        
,bah'u'llh's revealed utterances4 ,he   
interprets what has been specifically   
revealed1 and cannot legislate  except  
in his capacity as member of the        
,universal ,house of ,justice4 ,he is   
debarred from laying down independently 
the constitution that must govern  the  
organized activities of his             
fellow-members1 and from exercising his 

influence in a manner that would        
encroach upon the liberty of those whose
  sacred right is to elect the body of  
his collaborators4    ,it should be     
borne in mind that the institution of   
the ,guardianship has  been anticipated 
by #8,abdu'l-,bah in an allusion ,he    
made in a ,tablet  addressed1 long      
before ,his own ascension1 to three of  
,his friends in  ,persia4 ,to their     
question as to whether there would be   
any person to whom  all the ,bah's would
 be called upon to turn after ,his      
ascension ,he made  the following reply3
 8,as to the question ye have asked me1 
know verily  that this is a well-guarded
 secret4 ,it is even as a gem concealed 
within  its shell4 ,that it will be     
revealed is predestined4 ,the time will 
come  when its light will appear1 when  
its evidences will be made manifest1 and
  its secrets unraveled40               
,dearly-beloved friends6 ,exalted as is 
the position and vital as is the        
function of the institution of the      

,guardianship in the ,administrative    
,order of ,bah'u'llh1 and staggering as 
must be the weight of  responsibility   
which it carries1 its importance must1  
whatever be the  language of the ,will1 
be in no wise over-emphasized4 ,the     
,guardian of the  ,faith must not under 
any circumstances1 and whatever his     
merits or his  achievements1 be exalted 
to the rank that will make him a        
co-sharer with  #8,abdu'l-,bah in the   
unique position which the ,center of the
 ,covenant  occupies--much less to the  
station exclusively ordained for the    
,manifestation of ,god4 ,so grave a     
departure from the established tenets of
  our ,faith is nothing short of open   
blasphemy4 ,as ,i have already stated1  
in  the course of my references to      
#8,abdu'l-,bah's station1 however great 
the  gulf that separates ,him from the  
,author of a ,divine ,revelation it can 
never measure with the distance that    
stands between ,him ,who is the ,center 
of ,bah'u'llh's ,covenant and the       

,guardians who are its chosen ministers4
  ,there is a far1 far greater distance 
separating the ,guardian from the       
,center of the ,covenant than there is  
between the ,center of the ,covenant    
and its ,author4    ,no ,guardian of the
 ,faith1 ,i feel it my solemn duty to   
place on record1 can  ever claim to be  
the perfect exemplar of the teachings of
 ,bah'u'llh or  the stainless mirror    
that reflects ,his light4 ,though       
overshadowed by the  unfailing1 the     
unerring protection of ,bah'u'llh and of
 the ,bb1 and  however much he may share
 with #8,abdu'l-,bah the right and      
obligation to  interpret the ,bah'      
teachings1 he remains essentially human 
and cannot1  if he wishes to remain     
faithful to his trust1 arrogate to      
himself1 under  any pretense whatsoever1
 the rights1 the privileges and         
prerogatives which  ,bah'u'llh has      
chosen to confer upon ,his ,son4 ,in the
 light of this truth  to pray to the    
,guardian of the ,faith1 to address him 

as lord and master1  to designate him as
 his holiness1 to seek his benediction1 
to celebrate  his birthday1 or to       
commemorate any event associated with   
his life would  be tantamount to a      
departure from those established truths 
that are  enshrined within our beloved  
,faith4 ,the fact that the ,guardian has
 been  specifically endowed with such   
power as he may need to reveal the      
purport  and disclose the implications  
of the utterances of ,bah'u'llh and of  
#8,abdu'l-,bah does not necessarily     
confer upon him a station co-equal with 
those ,whose words he is called upon to 
interpret4 ,he can exercise that  right 
and discharge this obligation and yet   
remain infinitely inferior to  both of  
them in rank and different in nature4   
,to the integrity of this cardinal      
principle of our ,faith the words1 the  
deeds of its present and future         
,guardians must abundantly testify4 ,by 
their conduct and example they must     
needs establish its truth upon an       

unassailable foundation and transmit to 
future generations unimpeachable        
evidences of its reality4    ,for my own
 part to hesitate in recognizing so     
vital a truth or to  vacillate in       
proclaiming so firm a conviction must   
constitute a shameless  betrayal of the 
confidence reposed in me by             
#8,abdu'l-,bah and an  unpardonable     
usurpation of the authority with which  
,he ,himself has been  invested4    ,a  
word should now be said regarding the   
theory on which this  ,administrative   
,order is based and the principle that  
must govern the  operation of its chief 
institutions4 ,it would be utterly      
misleading to  attempt a comparison     
between this unique1 this               
divinely-conceived ,order  and any of   
the diverse systems which the minds of  
men1 at various periods  of their       
history1 have contrived for the         
government of human institutions4  ,such
 an attempt would in itself betray a    
lack of complete appreciation of  the   

excellence of the handiwork of its great
 ,author4 ,how could it be  otherwise   
when we remember that this ,order       
constitutes the very pattern of  that   
divine civilization which the almighty  
,law of ,bah'u'llh is designed  to      
establish upon earth8 ,the divers and   
ever-shifting systems of human  polity1 
whether past or present1 whether        
originating in the ,east or in the      
,west1 offer no adequate criterion      
wherewith to estimate the potency of its
  hidden virtues or to appraise the     
solidity of its foundations4    ,the    
,bah' ,commonwealth of the future1 of   
which this vast ,administrative  ,order 
is the sole framework1 is1 both in      
theory and practice1 not only  unique in
 the entire history of political        
institutions1 but can find no  parallel 
in the annals of any of the world's     
recognized religious systems4  ,no form 
of democratic government2 no system of  
autocracy or of  dictatorship1 whether  
monarchical or republican2 no           

intermediary scheme of  a purely        
aristocratic order2 nor even any of the 
recognized types of  theocracy1 whether 
it be the ,hebrew ,commonwealth1 or the 
various ,christian  ecclesiastical      
organizations1 or the ,imamate or the   
,caliphate in  ,islm--none of these can 
be identified or be said to conform with
 the  ,administrative ,order which the  
master-hand of its perfect ,architect   
has  fashioned4    ,this new-born       
,administrative ,order incorporates     
within its structure  certain elements  
which are to be found in each of the    
three recognized  forms of secular      
government1 without being in any sense a
 mere replica of  any one of them1 and  
without introducing within its machinery
 any of the  objectionable features     
which they inherently possess4 ,it      
blends and  harmonizes1 as no government
 fashioned by mortal hands has as yet   
accomplished1 the salutary truths which 
each of these systems undoubtedly       
contains without vitiating the integrity

 of those ,god-given verities on  which 
it is ultimately founded4    ,the       
,administrative ,order of the ,faith of 
,bah'u'llh must in no wise be  regarded 
as purely democratic in character       
inasmuch as the basic  assumption which 
requires all democracies to depend      
fundamentally upon  getting their       
mandate from the people is altogether   
lacking in this  ,dispensation4 ,in the 
conduct of the administrative affairs of
 the ,faith1  in the enactment of the   
legislation necessary to supplement the 
laws of  the ,kitb-i-,aqdas1 the members
 of the ,universal ,house of ,justice1  
it  should be borne in mind1 are not1 as
 ,bah'u'llh's utterances clearly  imply1
 responsible to those whom they         
represent1 nor are they allowed to  be  
governed by the feelings1 the general   
opinion1 and even the convictions  of   
the mass of the faithful1 or of those   
who directly elect them4 ,they are  to  
follow1 in a prayerful attitude1 the    
dictates and promptings of their        

conscience4 ,they may1 indeed they must1
 acquaint themselves with the           
conditions prevailing among the         
community1 must weigh dispassionately in
  their minds the merits of any case    
presented for their consideration1 but  
must reserve for themselves the right of
 an unfettered decision4 8,god will     
verily inspire them with whatsoever ,he 
willeth10 is ,bah'u'llh's               
incontrovertible assurance4 ,they1 and  
not the body of those who either        
directly or indirectly elect them1 have 
thus been made the recipients of  the   
divine guidance which is at once the    
life-blood and ultimate safeguard  of   
this ,revelation4 ,moreover1 he who     
symbolizes the hereditary principle  in 
this ,dispensation has been made the    
interpreter of the words of its         
,author1 and ceases consequently1 by    
virtue of the actual authority vested   
in him1 to be the figurehead invariably 
associated with the prevailing  systems 
of constitutional monarchies4    ,nor   

can the ,bah' ,administrative ,order be 
dismissed as a hard and rigid  system of
 unmitigated autocracy or as an idle    
imitation of any form of  absolutistic  
ecclesiastical government1 whether it be
 the ,papacy1 the  ,imamate or any other
 similar institution1 for the obvious   
reason that upon  the international     
elected representatives of the followers
 of ,bah'u'llh  has been conferred the  
exclusive right of legislating on       
matters not  expressly revealed in the  
,bah' writings4 ,neither the ,guardian  
of the  ,faith nor any institution apart
 from the ,international ,house of      
,justice  can ever usurp this vital and 
essential power or encroach upon that   
sacred  right4 ,the abolition of        
professional priesthood with its        
accompanying  sacraments of baptism1 of 
communion and of confession of sins1 the
 laws  requiring the election by        
universal suffrage of all local1        
national1 and  international ,houses of 
,justice1 the total absence of episcopal

 authority  with its attendant          
privileges1 corruptions and bureaucratic
 tendencies1  are further evidences of  
the non-autocratic character of the     
,bah'  ,administrative ,order and of its
 inclination to democratic methods in   
the  administration of its affairs4     
,nor is this ,order identified with the 
name of ,bah'u'llh to be confused  with 
any system of purely aristocratic       
government in view of the fact that  it 
upholds1 on the one hand1 the hereditary
 principle and entrusts the  ,guardian  
of the ,faith with the obligation of    
interpreting its teachings1  and        
provides1 on the other1 for the free and
 direct election from among  the mass of
 the faithful of the body that          
constitutes its highest  legislative    
organ4    ,whereas this ,administrative 
,order cannot be said to have been      
modeled  after any of these recognized  
systems of government1 it nevertheless  
embodies1 reconciles and assimilates    
within its framework such wholesome     

elements as are to be found in each one 
of them4 ,the hereditary authority      
which the ,guardian is called upon to   
exercise1 the vital and essential       
functions which the ,universal ,house of
 ,justice discharges1 the specific      
provisions requiring its democratic     
election by the representatives of the  
faithful--these combine to demonstrate  
the truth that this divinely  revealed  
,order1 which can never be identified   
with any of the standard  types of      
government referred to by ,aristotle in 
his works1 embodies and  blends with the
 spiritual verities on which it is based
 the beneficent  elements which are to  
be found in each one of them4 ,the      
admitted evils  inherent in each of     
these systems being rigidly and         
permanently excluded1  this unique      
,order1 however long it may endure and  
however extensive its  ramifications1   
cannot ever degenerate into any form of 
despotism1 of  oligarchy1 or of demagogy
 which must sooner or later corrupt the 

machinery  of all man-made and          
essentially defective political         
institutions4    ,dearly-beloved        
friends6 ,significant as are the origins
 of this mighty  administrative         
structure1 and however unique its       
features1 the happenings  that may be   
said to have heralded its birth and     
signalized the initial  stage of its    
evolution seem no less remarkable4 ,how 
striking1 how edifying  the contrast    
between the process of slow and steady  
consolidation that  characterizes the   
growth of its infant strength and the   
devastating onrush  of the forces of    
disintegration that are assailing the   
outworn  institutions1 both religious   
and secular1 of present-day society6    
,the vitality which the organic         
institutions of this great1 this        
ever-expanding ,order so strongly       
exhibit2 the obstacles which the high   
courage1 the undaunted resolution of its
 administrators have already            
surmounted2 the fire of an unquenchable 

enthusiasm that glows with  undiminished
 fervor in the hearts of its itinerant  
teachers2 the heights  of self-sacrifice
 which its champion-builders are now    
attaining2 the  breadth of vision1 the  
confident hope1 the creative joy1 the   
inward peace1  the uncompromising       
integrity1 the exemplary discipline1 the
 unyielding  unity and solidarity which 
its stalwart defenders manifest2 the    
degree to  which its moving ,spirit has 
shown itself capable of assimilating the
  diversified elements within its pale1 
of cleansing them of all forms of       
prejudice and of fusing them with its   
own structure--these are evidences of  a
 power which a disillusioned and sadly  
shaken society can ill afford to        
ignore4    ,compare these splendid      
manifestations of the spirit animating  
this vibrant  body of the ,faith of     
,bah'u'llh with the cries and agony1 the
 follies and  vanities1 the bitterness  
and prejudices1 the wickedness and      
divisions of  an ailing and chaotic     

world4 ,witness the fear that torments  
its leaders  and paralyzes the action of
 its blind and bewildered statesmen4    
,how fierce  the hatreds1 how false the 
ambitions1 how petty the pursuits1 how  
deep-rooted the suspicions of its       
peoples6 ,how disquieting the           
lawlessness1 the corruption1 the        
unbelief that are eating into the vitals
  of a tottering civilization6    ,might
 not this process of steady             
deterioration which is insidiously      
invading so many departments of human   
activity and thought be regarded as  a  
necessary accompaniment to the rise of  
this almighty ,arm of ,bah'u'llh8       
,might we not look upon the momentous   
happenings which1 in the course of  the 
past twenty years1 have so deeply       
agitated every continent of the  earth1 
as ominous signs simultaneously         
proclaiming the agonies of a            
disintegrating civilization and the     
birthpangs of that ,world ,order--that  
,ark of human salvation--that must needs

 arise upon its ruins8    ,the          
catastrophic fall of mighty monarchies  
and empires in the ,european  continent1
 allusions to some of which may be found
 in the prophecies of  ,bah'u'llh2 the  
decline that has set in1 and is still   
continuing1 in the  fortunes of the     
,sh'ih hierarchy in ,his own native     
land2 the fall of the  ,qjr dynasty1 the
 traditional enemy of ,his ,faith2 the  
overthrow of the  ,sultanate and the    
,caliphate1 the sustaining pillars of   
,sunn ,islm1 to  which the destruction  
of ,jerusalem in the latter part of the 
first century  of the ,christian era    
offers a striking parallel2 the wave of 
secularization which is invading the    
,muammadan ecclesiastical  institutions 
in ,egypt and sapping the loyalty of its
 staunchest  supporters2 the humiliating
 blows that have afflicted some of the  
most  powerful ,churches of ,christendom
 in ,russia1 in ,western ,europe and    
,central  ,america2 the dissemination of
 those subversive doctrines that are    

undermining the foundations and         
overthrowing the structure of seemingly 
impregnable strongholds in the political
 and social spheres of human  activity2 
the signs of an impending catastrophe1  
strangely reminiscent of  the ,fall of  
the ,roman ,empire in the ,west1 which  
threatens to engulf the  whole structure
 of present-day civilization--all       
witness to the tumult  which the birth  
of this mighty ,organ of the ,religion  
of ,bah'u'llh has  cast into the        
world--a tumult which will grow in scope
 and in intensity as  the implications  
of this constantly evolving ,scheme are 
more fully  understood and its          
ramifications more widely extended over 
the surface of  the globe4    ,a word   
more in conclusion4 ,the rise and       
establishment of this  ,administrative  
,order--the shell that shields and      
enshrines so precious a                 
gem--constitutes the hall-mark of this  
second and formative age of the  ,bah'  
era4 ,it will come to be regarded1 as it

 recedes farther and farther  from our  
eyes1 as the chief agency empowered to  
usher in the concluding  phase1 the     
consummation of this glorious           
,dispensation4    ,let no one1 while    
this ,system is still in its infancy1   
misconceive its  character1 belittle its
 significance or misrepresent its       
purpose4 ,the  bedrock on which this    
,administrative ,order is founded is    
,god's immutable  ,purpose for mankind  
in this day4 ,the ,source from which it 
derives its  inspiration is no one less 
than ,bah'u'llh ,himself4 ,its shield   
and  defender are the embattled hosts of
 the ,abh ,kingdom4 ,its seed is the    
blood of no less than twenty thousand   
martyrs who have offered up their  lives
 that it may be born and flourish4 ,the 
axis round which its  institutions      
revolve are the authentic provisions of 
the ,will and  ,testament of            
#8,abdu'l-,bah4 ,its guiding principles 
are the truths which ,he  ,who is the   
unerring ,interpreter of the teachings  

of our ,faith has so  clearly enunciated
 in ,his public addresses throughout the
 ,west4 ,the laws  that govern its      
operation and limit its functions are   
those which have  been expressly        
ordained in the ,kitb-i-,aqdas4 ,the    
seat round which its  spiritual1 its    
humanitarian and administrative         
activities will cluster are  the        
,mashriqu'l-,adhkr and its              
,dependencies4 ,the pillars that sustain
  its authority and buttress its        
structure are the twin institutions of  
the  ,guardianship and of the ,universal
 ,house of ,justice4 ,the central1 the  
underlying aim which animates it is the 
establishment of the ,new ,world  ,order
 as adumbrated by ,bah'u'llh4 ,the      
methods it employs1 the standard  it    
inculcates1 incline it to neither ,east 
nor ,west1 neither ,jew nor  ,gentile1  
neither rich nor poor1 neither white nor
 colored4 ,its watchword  is the        
unification of the human race2 its      
standard the 8,most ,great ,peace02  its

 consummation the advent of that golden 
millennium--the ,day when the  kingdoms 
of this world shall have become the     
,kingdom of ,god ,himself1 the  ,kingdom
 of ,bah'u'llh4    ,,shoghi4    ,haifa1 
,palestine1  ,february #h1 #aicd4       
,,the ,,unfoldment ,,of ,,world         
,,civilization          ,the ,unfoldment
 of ,world ,civilization      ,to the   
beloved of ,god and the handmaids of the
 ,merciful throughout the  ,west4       
,friends and fellow-heirs of the grace  
of ,bah'u'llh3    ,as your co-sharer in 
the building up of the ,new ,world      
,order which the mind  of ,bah'u'llh has
 visioned1 and whose features the pen of
 #8,abdu'l-,bah1  its perfect           
,architect1 has delineated1 ,i pause to 
contemplate with you the  scene which   
the revolution of well-nigh fifteen     
years after ,his passing  unfolds before
 us4    ,the contrast between the       
accumulating evidences of steady        
consolidation  that accompany the rise  
of the ,administrative ,order of the    

,faith of ,god1  and the forces of      
disintegration which batter at the      
fabric of a  travailing society1 is as  
clear as it is arresting4 ,both within  
and  outside the ,bah' world the signs  
and tokens which1 in a mysterious       
manner1 are heralding the birth of that 
,world ,order1 the establishment of     
which must signalize the ,golden ,age of
 the ,cause of ,god1 are growing and    
multiplying day by day4 ,no fair-minded 
observer can any longer fail to  discern
 them4 ,he cannot be misled by the      
painful slowness characterizing  the    
unfoldment of the civilization which the
 followers of ,bah'u'llh are  laboring  
to establish4 ,nor can he be deluded by 
the ephemeral  manifestations of        
returning prosperity which at times     
appear to be capable  of checking the   
disruptive influence of the chronic ills
 afflicting the  institutions of a      
decaying age4 ,the signs of the times   
are too numerous  and compelling to     
allow him to mistake their character or 

to belittle  their significance4 ,he    
can1 if he be fair in his judgment1     
recognize in  the chain of events which 
proclaim on the one hand the            
irresistible march  of the institutions 
directly associated with the ,revelation
 of ,bah'u'llh  and foreshadow on the   
other the downfall of those powers and  
principalities that have either ignored 
or opposed it--he can recognize in  them
 all evidences of the operation of      
,god's all-pervasive ,will1 the  shaping
 of ,his perfectly ordered and          
world-embracing ,plan4    8,soon10      
,bah'u'llh's own words proclaim it1     
8will the present day ,order  be rolled 
up1 and a new one spread out in its     
stead4 ,verily1 thy ,lord  speaketh the 
truth and is the ,knower of things      
unseen40 8,by ,myself10 ,he  solemnly   
asserts1 8the day is approaching when   
,we will have rolled up the  world and  
all that is therein1 and spread out a   
new ,order in its stead4  ,he1 verily1  
is powerful over all things40 8,the     

world's equilibrium10 ,he  explains1    
8hath been upset through the vibrating  
influence of this ,most  ,great1 this   
new ,world ,order4 ,mankind's ordered   
life hath been  revolutionized through  
the agency of this unique1 this wondrous
 ,system1  the like of which mortal eyes
 have never witnessed40 8,the signs of  
impending convulsions and chaos10 ,he   
warns the peoples of the world1 8can    
now be discerned1 inasmuch as the       
prevailing ,order appeareth to be       
lamentably defective40                  
,dearly-beloved friends6 ,this ,new     
,world ,order1 whose promise is         
enshrined  in the ,revelation of        
,bah'u'llh1 whose fundamental principles
 have been  enunciated in the writings  
of the ,center of ,his ,covenant1       
involves no less  than the complete     
unification of the entire human race4   
,this unification  should conform to    
such principles as would directly       
harmonize with the  spirit that         
animates1 and the laws that govern the  

operation of1 the  institutions that    
already constitute the structural basis 
of the  ,administrative ,order of ,his  
,faith4    ,no machinery falling short  
of the standard inculcated by the ,bah' 
,revelation1 and at variance with the   
sublime pattern ordained in ,his        
teachings1 which the collective efforts 
of mankind may yet devise can ever  hope
 to achieve anything above or beyond    
that 8,lesser ,peace0 to which the      
,author of our ,faith has ,himself      
alluded in ,his writings4 8,now that ye 
have  refused the ,most ,great ,peace10 
,he1 admonishing the kings and rulers of
 the  earth1 has written1 8hold ye fast 
unto this the ,lesser ,peace1 that haply
  ye may in some degree better your own 
condition and that of your  dependents40
 ,expatiating on this ,lesser ,peace1   
,he thus addresses in that  same ,tablet
 the rulers of the earth3 8,be          
reconciled among yourselves1 that  ye   
may need no more armaments save in a    
measure to safeguard your  territories  

and dominions444 ,be united1 ,o kings of
 the earth1 for thereby  will the       
tempest of discord be stilled amongst   
you1 and your peoples find  rest1 if ye 
be of them that comprehend4 ,should any 
one among you take up  arms against     
another1 rise ye all against him1 for   
this is naught but  manifest justice40  
,the ,most ,great ,peace1 on the other  
hand1 as conceived by ,bah'u'llh--a     
peace that must inevitably follow as the
 practical consequence of the           
spiritualization of the world and the   
fusion of all its races1 creeds1        
classes and nations--can rest on no     
other basis1 and can be preserved       
through no other agency1 except the     
divinely appointed ordinances that are  
implicit in the ,world ,order that      
stands associated with ,his ,holy ,name4
 ,in  ,his ,tablet1 revealed almost     
seventy years ago to ,queen ,victoria1  
,bah'u'llh1 alluding to this ,most      
,great ,peace1 has declared3 8,that     
which  the ,lord hath ordained as the   

sovereign remedy and mightiest          
instrument  for the healing of all the  
world is the union of all its peoples in
 one  universal ,cause1 one common      
,faith4 ,this can in no wise be achieved
 except  through the power of a skilled1
 an all-powerful and inspired           
,physician4  ,this1 verily1 is the      
truth1 and all else naught but error444 
,consider  these days in which the      
,ancient ,beauty1 ,he ,who is the ,most 
,great ,name1  hath been sent down to   
regenerate and unify mankind4 ,behold   
how with drawn  swords they rose against
 ,him1 and committed that which caused  
the ,faithful  ,spirit to tremble4 ,and 
whenever ,we said unto them3 #8,lo1 the 
,world ,reformer  is come1' they made   
reply3 #8,he1 in truth1 is one of the   
stirrers of  mischief4'0 8,it beseemeth 
all men in this ,day10 ,he1 in another  
,tablet1  asserts1 8to take firm hold on
 the ,most ,great ,name1 and to         
establish the  unity of all mankind4    
,there is no place to flee to1 no refuge

 that any one  can seek1 except ,him40  
,humanity's ,coming of ,age      ,the   
,revelation of ,bah'u'llh1 whose supreme
 mission is none other but the          
achievement of this organic and         
spiritual unity of the whole body of    
nations1 should1 if we be faithful to   
its implications1 be regarded as        
signalizing through its advent the      
coming of age of the entire human race4 
,it should be viewed not merely as yet  
another spiritual revival in the        
ever-changing fortunes of mankind1 not  
only as a further stage in a chain  of  
progressive ,revelations1 nor even as   
the culmination of one of a series  of  
recurrent prophetic cycles1 but rather  
as marking the last and highest  stage  
in the stupendous evolution of man's    
collective life on this planet4  ,the   
emergence of a world community1 the     
consciousness of world  citizenship1 the
 founding of a world civilization and   
culture--all of which  must synchronize 
with the initial stages in the          

unfoldment of the ,golden  ,age of the  
,bah' ,era--should1 by their very       
nature1 be regarded1 as far as  this    
planetary life is concerned1 as the     
furthermost limits in the  organization 
of human society1 though man1 as an     
individual1 will1 nay  must indeed as a 
result of such a consummation1 continue 
indefinitely to  progress and develop4  
,that mystic1 all-pervasive1 yet        
indefinable change1 which we associate  
with the stage of maturity inevitable in
 the life of the individual and  the    
development of the fruit must1 if we    
would correctly apprehend the           
utterances of ,bah'u'llh1 have its      
counterpart in the evolution of the     
organization of human society4 ,a       
similar stage must sooner or later be   
attained in the collective life of      
mankind1 producing an even more         
striking phenomenon in world relations1 
and endowing the whole human race  with 
such potentialities of well-being as    
shall provide1 throughout the           

succeeding ages1 the chief incentive    
required for the eventual fulfillment   
of its high destiny4 ,such a stage of   
maturity in the process of human        
government must1 for all time1 if we    
would faithfully recognize the          
tremendous claim advanced by ,bah'u'llh1
 remain identified with the  ,revelation
 of which ,he was the ,bearer4    ,in   
one of the most characteristic passages 
,he ,himself has revealed1 ,he          
testifies in a language that none can   
mistake to the truth of this            
distinguishing principle of ,bah'       
belief3 8,it hath been decreed by ,us   
that the ,word of ,god and all the      
potentialities thereof shall be         
manifested unto men in strict conformity
 with such conditions as have been      
foreordained by ,him ,who is the        
,all-,knowing1 the ,all-,wise444 ,should
 the  ,word be allowed to release       
suddenly all the energies latent within 
it1 no  man could sustain the weight of 
so mighty a revelation444 ,consider that

  which hath been sent down unto        
,muammad1 the ,apostle of ,god4 ,the    
measure  of the ,revelation of which ,he
 was the ,bearer had been clearly       
foreordained  by ,him ,who is the       
,almighty1 the ,all-,powerful4 ,they    
that heard ,him1  however1 could        
apprehend ,his purpose only to the      
extent of their station  and spiritual  
capacity4 ,he1 in like manner1 uncovered
 the ,face of ,wisdom  in proportion to 
their ability to sustain the burden of  
,his ,message4 ,no  sooner had mankind  
attained the stage of maturity1 than the
 ,word revealed  to men's eyes the      
latent energies with which it had been  
endowed--energies  which manifested     
themselves in the plenitude of their    
glory when the  ,ancient ,beauty        
appeared1 in the year sixty1 in the     
person of  #8,al-,muammad1 the ,bb40    
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 elucidating this        
fundamental verity1 has written3 8,all  
created things have their degree or     
stage of maturity4 ,the period of       

maturity in the life of a tree is the   
time of its fruit-bearing444 ,the       
animal attains a stage of full growth   
and completeness1 and in the human      
kingdom man reaches his maturity when   
the light of his intelligence  attains  
its greatest power and development444   
,similarly there are periods  and stages
 in the collective life of humanity4 ,at
 one time it was passing  through its   
stage of childhood1 at another its      
period of youth1 but now it  has entered
 its long-predicted phase of maturity1  
the evidences of which  are everywhere  
apparent444 ,that which was applicable  
to human needs during  the early history
 of the race can neither meet nor       
satisfy the demands of  this day1 this  
period of newness and consummation4     
,humanity has emerged  from its former  
state of limitation and preliminary     
training4 ,man must now  become imbued  
with new virtues and powers1 new moral  
standards1 new  capacities4 ,new        
bounties1 perfect bestowals1 are        

awaiting and already  descending upon   
him4 ,the gifts and blessings of the    
period of youth1  although timely and   
sufficient during the adolescence of    
mankind1 are now  incapable of meeting  
the requirements of its maturity40      
,the ,process of ,integration      ,such
 a unique and momentous crisis in the   
life of organized mankind may1          
moreover1 be likened to the culminating 
stage in the political evolution  of the
 great ,american ,republic--the stage   
which marked the emergence of a  unified
 community of federated states4 ,the    
stirring of a new national              
consciousness1 and the birth of a new   
type of civilization1 infinitely  richer
 and nobler than any which its component
 parts could have severally  hoped to   
achieve1 may be said to have proclaimed 
the coming of age of the  ,american     
people4 ,within the territorial limits  
of this nation1 this  consummation may  
be viewed as the culmination of the     
process of human  government4 ,the      

diversified and loosely related elements
 of a divided  community were brought   
together1 unified and incorporated into 
one  coherent system4 ,though this      
entity may continue gaining in cohesive 
power1 though the unity already achieved
 may be further consolidated1  though   
the civilization to which that unity    
could alone have given birth  may expand
 and flourish1 yet the machinery        
essential to such an unfoldment  may be 
said to have been1 in its essential     
structure1 erected1 and the  impulse    
required to guide and sustain it may be 
regarded as having been  fundamentally  
imparted4 ,no stage above and beyond    
this consummation of  national unity    
can1 within the geographical limits of  
that nation1 be  imagined1 though the   
highest destiny of its people1 as a     
constituent  element in a still larger  
entity that will embrace the whole of   
mankind1  may still remain unfulfilled4 
,considered as an isolated unit1        
however1  this process of integration   

may be said to have reached its highest 
and  final consummation4    ,such is the
 stage to which an evolving humanity is 
collectively  approaching4 ,the         
,revelation entrusted by the ,almighty  
,ordainer to  ,bah'u'llh1 ,his followers
 firmly believe1 has been endowed with  
such  potentialities as are commensurate
 with the maturity of the human         
race--the  crowning and most momentous  
stage in its evolution from infancy to  
manhood4    ,the successive ,founders of
 all past ,religions ,who1 from time    
immemorial1  have shed1 with            
ever-increasing intensity1 the splendor 
of one common  ,revelation at the       
various stages which have marked the    
advance of mankind  towards maturity may
 thus1 in a sense1 be regarded as       
preliminary  ,manifestations1           
anticipating and paving the way for the 
advent of that ,day  of ,days when the  
whole earth will have fructified and the
 tree of humanity  will have yielded its
 destined fruit4    ,incontrovertible as

 is this truth1 its challenging         
character should never  be allowed to   
obscure the purpose1 or distort the     
principle1 underlying  the utterances of
 ,bah'u'llh--utterances that have       
established for all  time the absolute  
oneness of all the ,prophets1 ,himself  
included1 whether  belonging to the past
 or to the future4 ,though the mission  
of the ,prophets  preceding ,bah'u'llh  
may be viewed in that light1 though the 
measure of  ,divine ,revelation with    
which each has been entrusted must1 as a
 result of  this process of evolution1  
necessarily differ1 their common origin1
 their  essential unity1 their identity 
of purpose1 should at no time and under 
no  circumstances be misapprehended or  
denied4 ,that all the ,messengers of    
,god  should be regarded as 8abiding in 
the same ,tabernacle1 soaring in the    
same  ,heaven1 seated upon the same     
,throne1 uttering the same ,speech1 and 
proclaiming the same ,faith0 must1      
however much we may extol the measure of

  ,divine ,revelation vouchsafed to     
mankind at this crowning stage of its   
evolution1 remain the unalterable       
foundation and central tenet of ,bah'   
belief4 ,any variations in the splendor 
which each of these ,manifestations  of 
the ,light of ,god has shed upon the    
world should be ascribed not to any     
inherent superiority involved in the    
essential character of any one of  them1
 but rather to the progressive capacity1
 the ever-increasing  spiritual         
receptiveness1 which mankind1 in its    
progress towards maturity1  has         
invariably manifested4          ,the    
,final ,consummation      ,only those   
who are willing to associate the        
,revelation proclaimed by  ,bah'u'llh   
with the consummation of so stupendous  
an evolution in the  collective life of 
the whole human race can grasp the      
significance of the  words which ,he1   
while alluding to the glories of this   
promised ,day and to  the duration of   
the ,bah' ,era1 has deemed fit to utter4

 8,this is the ,king  of ,days10 ,he    
exclaims1 8the ,day that hath seen the  
coming of the  ,best-,beloved1 ,him     
,who1 through all eternity1 hath been   
acclaimed the  ,desire of the ,world40  
8,the ,scriptures of past               
,dispensations10 ,he further  asserts1  
8celebrate the great jubilee that must  
needs greet this most  great ,day of    
,god4 ,well is it with him that hath    
lived to see this ,day and  hath        
recognized its station40 8,it is        
evident10 ,he1 in another passage       
explains1 8that every age in which a    
,manifestation of ,god hath lived is    
divinely-ordained1 and may1 in a sense1 
be characterized as ,god's  appointed   
,day4 ,this ,day1 however1 is unique1   
and is to be distinguished  from those  
that have preceded it4 ,the designation 
#8,seal of the ,prophets'  fully        
revealeth its high station4 ,the        
,prophetic ,cycle hath verily ended4    
,the ,eternal ,truth is now come4 ,he   
hath lifted up the ensign of power1 and 

is now shedding upon the world the      
unclouded splendor of ,his ,revelation40
  8,in this most mighty ,revelation10   
,he1 in categorical language1 declares1 
8all the ,dispensations of the past have
 attained their highest1 their  final   
consummation4 ,that which hath been made
 manifest in this preminent1  this most 
exalted ,revelation1 standeth           
unparalleled in the annals of the  past1
 nor will future ages witness its like40
    #8,abdu'l-,bah's authentic          
pronouncements should1 likewise1 be     
recalled as  confirming1 in no less     
emphatic manner1 the unexampled vastness
 of the  ,bah' ,dispensation4           
8,centuries10 ,he affirms in one of ,his
 ,tablets1 8nay1  countless ages1 must  
pass away ere the ,day-,star of ,truth  
shineth again in  its mid-summer        
splendor1 or appeareth once more in the 
radiance of its  vernal glory444 ,the   
mere contemplation of the ,dispensation 
inaugurated by  the ,blessed ,beauty    
would have sufficed to overwhelm the    

saints of bygone  ages--saints who      
longed to partake1 for one moment1 of   
its great glory40  8,concerning the     
,manifestations that will come down in  
the future #8in the  shadows of the     
clouds1'0 ,he1 in a still more definite 
language1 affirms1  8know1 verily1 that 
in so far as their relation to the      
,source of their  inspiration is        
concerned1 they are under the shadow of 
the ,ancient ,beauty4  ,in their        
relation1 however1 to the age in which  
they appear1 each and  every one of them
 #8doeth whatsoever ,he willeth4'0      
8,this holy  ,dispensation10 ,he1       
alluding to the ,revelation of          
,bah'u'llh1 explains1  8is illumined    
with the light of the ,sun of ,truth    
shining from its most  exalted station1 
and in the plenitude of its             
resplendency1 its heat and  glory40     
,pangs of ,death and ,birth             
,dearly-beloved friends3 ,though the    
,revelation of ,bah'u'llh has been      
delivered1 the ,world ,order which such 

a ,revelation must needs beget is as    
yet unborn4 ,though the ,heroic ,age of 
,his ,faith is passed1 the creative     
energies which that ,age has released   
have not as yet crystallized into  that 
world society which1 in the fullness of 
time1 is to mirror forth the  brightness
 of ,his glory4 ,though the framework of
 ,his ,administrative ,order  has been  
erected1 and the ,formative ,period of  
the ,bah' ,era has begun1  yet the      
promised ,kingdom into which the seed of
 ,his institutions must  ripen remains  
as yet uninaugurated4 ,though ,his      
,voice has been raised1 and  the ensigns
 of ,his ,faith have been lifted up in  
no less than forty  countries of both   
the ,east and the ,west1 yet the        
wholeness of the human  race is as yet  
unrecognized1 its unity unproclaimed1   
and the standard of  its ,most ,great   
,peace unhoisted4    8,the heights10    
,bah'u'llh ,himself testifies1 8which1  
through the most  gracious favor of     
,god1 mortal man can attain in this ,day

 are as yet  unrevealed to his sight4   
,the world of being hath never had1 nor 
doth it  yet possess1 the capacity for  
such a revelation4 ,the day1 however1 is
  approaching when the potentialities of
 so great a favor will1 by virtue of    
,his behest1 be manifested unto men40   
,for the revelation of so great a favor 
a period of intense turmoil and         
wide-spread suffering would seem to be  
indispensable4 ,resplendent as has  been
 the ,age that has witnessed the        
inception of the ,mission with which    
,bah'u'llh has been entrusted1 the      
interval which must elapse ere that     
,age yields its choicest fruit must1 it 
is becoming increasingly apparent1  be  
overshadowed by such moral and social   
gloom as can alone prepare an           
unrepentant humanity for the prize she  
is destined to inherit4    ,into such a 
period we are now steadily and          
irresistibly moving4 ,amidst the        
shadows which are increasingly gathering
 about us we can faintly discern  the   

glimmerings of ,bah'u'llh's unearthly   
sovereignty appearing fitfully  on the  
horizon of history4 ,to us1 the         
8generation of the half-light10  living 
at a time which may be designated as the
 period of the incubation  of the ,world
 ,commonwealth envisaged by ,bah'u'llh1 
has been assigned a  task whose high    
privilege we can never sufficiently     
appreciate1 and the  arduousness of     
which we can as yet but dimly recognize4
 ,we may well  believe1 we who are      
called upon to experience the operation 
of the dark  forces destined to unloose 
a flood of agonizing afflictions1 that  
the  darkest hour that must precede the 
dawn of the ,golden ,age of our ,faith  
has  not yet struck4 ,deep as is the    
gloom that already encircles the world1 
the  afflictive ordeals which that world
 is to suffer are still in preparation1 
nor can their blackness be as yet       
imagined4 ,we stand on the threshold of 
an age whose convulsions proclaim alike 
the death-pangs of the old order  and   

the birth-pangs of the new4 ,through the
 generating influence of the  ,faith    
announced by ,bah'u'llh this ,new ,world
 ,order may be said to have  been       
conceived4 ,we can1 at the present      
moment1 experience its stirrings in  the
 womb of a travailing age--an age       
waiting for the appointed hour at  which
 it can cast its burden and yield its   
fairest fruit4    8,the whole earth10   
writes ,bah'u'llh1 8is now in a state of
 pregnancy4  ,the day is approaching    
when it will have yielded its noblest   
fruits1 when  from it will have sprung  
forth the loftiest trees1 the most      
enchanting  blossoms1 the most heavenly 
blessings4 ,immeasurably exalted is the 
breeze  that wafteth from the garment of
 thy ,lord1 the ,glorified6 ,for lo1 it 
hath  breathed its fragrance and made   
all things new6 ,well is it with them   
that  comprehend40 8,the onrushing winds
 of the grace of ,god10 ,he1 in the     
,sratu'l-,haykal1 proclaims1 8have      
passed over all things4 ,every creature 

hath been endowed with all the          
potentialities it can carry4 ,and yet   
the  peoples of the world have denied   
this grace6 ,every tree hath been       
endowed  with the choicest fruits1 every
 ocean enriched with the most luminous  
gems4 ,man1 himself1 hath been invested 
with the gifts of understanding and     
knowledge4 ,the whole creation hath been
 made the recipient of the  revelation  
of the ,all-,merciful1 and the earth the
 repository of things  inscrutable to   
all except ,god1 the ,truth1 the ,knower
 of things unseen4 ,the  time is        
approaching when every created thing    
will have cast its burden4  ,glorified  
be ,god ,who hath vouchsafed this grace 
that encompasseth all  things1 whether  
seen or unseen60    8,the ,call of      
,god10 #8,abdu'l-,bah has written1 8when
 raised1 breathed a new  life into the  
body of mankind1 and infused a new      
spirit into the whole  creation4 ,it is 
for this reason that the world hath been
 moved to its  depths1 and the hearts   

and consciences of men been quickened4  
,erelong the  evidences of this         
regeneration will be revealed1 and the  
fast asleep will  be awakened40         
,universal ,fermentation      ,as we    
view the world around us1 we are        
compelled to observe the manifold       
evidences of that universal fermentation
 which1 in every continent of the  globe
 and in every department of human life1 
be it religious1 social1  economic or   
political1 is purging and reshaping     
humanity in anticipation  of the ,day   
when the wholeness of the human race    
will have been recognized  and its unity
 established4 ,a twofold process1       
however1 can be  distinguished1 each    
tending1 in its own way and with an     
accelerated  momentum1 to bring to a    
climax the forces that are transforming 
the face  of our planet4 ,the first is  
essentially an integrating process1     
while the  second is fundamentally      
disruptive4 ,the former1 as it steadily 
evolves1  unfolds a ,system which may   

well serve as a pattern for that world  
polity  towards which a                 
strangely-disordered world is           
continually advancing2 while  the       
latter1 as its disintegrating influence 
deepens1 tends to tear down1  with      
increasing violence1 the antiquated     
barriers that seek to block  humanity's 
progress towards its destined goal4 ,the
 constructive process  stands associated
 with the nascent ,faith of ,bah'u'llh1 
and is the  harbinger of the ,new ,world
 ,order that ,faith must erelong        
establish4 ,the  destructive forces that
 characterize the other should be       
identified with a  civilization that has
 refused to answer to the expectation of
 a new age1  and is consequently falling
 into chaos and decline4    ,a titanic1 
a spiritual struggle1 unparalleled in   
its magnitude yet  unspeakably glorious 
in its ultimate consequences1 is being  
waged as a  result of these opposing    
tendencies1 in this age of transition   
through  which the organized community  

of the followers of ,bah'u'llh and      
mankind  as a whole are passing4    ,the
 ,spirit that has incarnated itself in  
the institutions of a rising  ,faith    
has1 in the course of its onward march  
for the redemption of the  world1       
encountered and is now battling with    
such forces as are1 in most  instances1 
the very negation of that ,spirit1 and  
whose continued existence  must         
inevitably hinder it from achieving its 
purpose4 ,the hollow and  outworn       
institutions1 the obsolescent doctrines 
and beliefs1 the effete  and discredited
 traditions which these forces          
represent1 it should be  observed1 have1
 in certain instances1 been undermined  
by virtue of their  senility1 the loss  
of their cohesive power1 and their own  
inherent  corruption4 ,a few have been  
swept away by the onrushing forces which
 the  ,bah' ,faith has1 at the hour of  
its birth1 so mysteriously released4    
,others1 as a direct result of a vain   
and feeble resistance to its rise in    

the initial stages of its development1  
have died out and been utterly          
discredited4 ,still others1 fearful of  
the pervasive influence of the          
institutions in which that same ,spirit 
had1 at a later stage1 been  embodied1  
had mobilized their forces and launched 
their attack1 destined  to sustain1 in  
their turn1 after a brief and illusory  
success1 an  ignominious defeat4        
,this ,age of ,transition      ,it is   
not my purpose to call to mind1 much    
less to attempt a detailed  analysis of1
 the spiritual struggles that have      
ensued1 or to note the  victories that  
have redounded to the glory of the      
,faith of ,bah'u'llh  since the day of  
its foundation4 ,my chief concern is not
 with the  happenings that have         
distinguished the ,first1 the ,apostolic
 ,age of the  ,bah' ,dispensation1 but  
rather with the outstanding events that 
are  transpiring in1 and the tendencies 
which characterize1 the formative       
period of its development1 this ,age of 

,transition1 whose tribulations are  the
 precursors of that ,era of blissful    
felicity which is to incarnate  ,god's  
ultimate purpose for all mankind4    ,to
 the catastrophic fall of mighty        
kingdoms and empires1 on the eve of     
#8,abdu'l-,bah's departure1 ,whose      
passing may be said to have ushered in  
the  opening phase of the ,age of       
,transition in which we now live1 ,i    
have1 in a  previous communication1     
briefly alluded4 ,the dissolution of the
 ,german  ,empire1 the humiliating      
defeat inflicted upon its ruler1 the    
successor and  lineal descendant of the 
,prussian ,king and ,emperor to whom    
,bah'u'llh had  addressed ,his solemn   
and historic warning1 together with the 
extinction of  the ,austro-,hungarian   
,monarchy1 the remnant of the once-great
 ,holy ,roman  ,empire1 were both       
precipitated by a war whose outbreak    
signalized the  opening of the ,age of  
,frustration destined to precede the    
establishment of  the ,world ,order of  

,bah'u'llh4 ,both of these momentous    
events may be  viewed as the earliest   
occurrences of that turbulent ,age1 into
 the outer  fringes of whose darkest    
phase we are now beginning to enter4    
,to the ,conqueror of ,napoleon ,,iii1  
the ,author of our ,faith had1 on the   
morrow of the ,king's victory1          
addressed1 in ,his ,most ,holy ,book1   
this clear  and ominous warning3 8,o    
,king of ,berlin6 444,take heed lest    
pride debar thee  from recognizing the  
,day-,spring of ,divine ,revelation1    
lest earthly desires  shut thee out1 as 
by a veil1 from the ,lord of the ,throne
 above and of the  earth below4 ,thus   
counseleth thee the ,pen of the ,most   
,high4 ,he1 verily1 is  the ,most       
,gracious1 the ,all-,bountiful4 ,do thou
 remember the one whose power           
transcended thy power 7,napoleon ,,iii71
 and whose station excelled thy         
station4 ,where is he8 ,whither are gone
 the things he possessed8 ,take         
warning1 and be not of them that are    

fast asleep4 ,he it was who cast the    
,tablet of ,god behind him1 when ,we    
made known unto him what the hosts of   
tyranny had caused ,us to suffer4       
,wherefore1 disgrace assailed him from  
all  sides1 and he went down to dust in 
great loss4 ,think deeply1 ,o ,king1    
concerning him1 and concerning them who1
 like unto thee1 have conquered  cities 
and ruled over men4 ,the ,all-,merciful 
brought them down from their  palaces to
 their graves4 ,be warned1 be of them   
who reflect40    8,o banks of the       
,rhine60 ,bah'u'llh1 in another passage 
of that same ,book1  prophesies1 8,we   
have seen you covered with gore1        
inasmuch as the swords of  retribution  
were drawn against you2 and so you shall
 have another turn4  ,and ,we hear the  
lamentations of ,berlin1 though she be  
today in conspicuous  glory40           
,collapse of ,islm      ,the collapse of
 the power of the ,sh'ih hierarchy1 in a
 land which had  for centuries been one 
of the impregnable strongholds of       

,muslim  fanaticism1 was the inevitable 
consequence of that wave of             
secularization  which1 at a later time1 
was to invade some of the most powerful 
and  conservative ecclesiastical        
institutions in both the ,european and  
,american  continents4 ,though not the  
direct outcome of the last war1 this    
sudden  trembling which had seized this 
hitherto immovable pillar of ,islamic   
orthodoxy accentuated the problems and  
deepened the restlessness with  which a 
war-weary world was being afflicted4    
,sh'ih ,islm had lost once  for all1 in 
,bah'u'llh's native land and as the     
direct consequence of its  implacable   
hostility to ,his ,faith1 its combative 
power1 had forfeited its  rights and    
privileges1 had been degraded and       
demoralized1 and was being  condemned to
 hopeless obscurity and ultimate        
extinction4 ,no less than  twenty       
thousand martyrs1 however1 had to       
sacrifice their lives ere the  ,cause   
for which they had stood and died could 

register this initial  victory over     
those who were the first to repudiate   
its claims and mow down  its gallant    
warriors4 8,vileness and poverty were   
stamped upon them1 and  they returned   
with wrath from ,god40    8,behold10    
writes ,bah'u'llh1 commenting on the    
decline of a fallen  people1 8how the   
sayings and doings of ,sh'ih ,islm have 
dulled the joy  and fervor of its early 
days1 and tarnished the pristine        
brilliancy of its  light4 ,in its       
primitive days1 whilst they still       
adhered to the precepts  associated with
 the name of their ,prophet1 the ,lord  
of mankind1 their  career was marked by 
an unbroken chain of victories and      
triumphs4 ,as they  gradually strayed   
from the path of their ,ideal ,leader   
and ,master1 as they  turned away from  
the light of ,god and corrupted the     
principle of ,his  ,divine unity1 and as
 they increasingly centered their       
attention upon them  who were only the  
revealers of the potency of ,his ,word1 

their power was  turned into weakness1  
their glory into shame1 their courage   
into fear4  ,thou dost witness to what a
 pass they have come40    ,the downfall 
of the ,qjr ,dynasty1 the avowed        
defender and the willing  instrument of 
a decaying clergy1 almost synchronized  
with the humiliation  which the ,sh'ih  
ecclesiastical leaders had suffered4    
,from ,muammad  ,shh down to the last   
and feeble monarch of that dynasty1 the 
,faith of  ,bah'u'llh was denied the    
impartial consideration1 the            
disinterested and  fair treatment which 
its cause had rightly demanded4 ,it had1
 on the  contrary1 been atrociously     
harassed1 consistently betrayed and     
prosecuted4  ,the martyrdom of the ,bb2 
the banishment of ,bah'u'llh2 the       
confiscation  of ,his earthly           
possessions2 ,his incarceration in      
,mzindarn2 the reign of  terror that    
confined ,him in the most pestilential  
of dungeons2 the  intrigues1 the        
protests1 and calumnies which thrice    

renewed ,his exile and  led to ,his     
ultimate imprisonment in the most       
desolate of cities2 the  shameful       
sentences passed1 with the connivance of
 the judicial and  ecclesiastical       
authorities1 against the person1 the    
property1 and the  honor of ,his        
innocent followers--these stand out as  
among the blackest acts  for which      
posterity will hold this blood-stained  
dynasty responsible4 ,one  more barrier 
that had sought to obstruct the forward 
march of the ,faith  was now removed4   
,though ,bah'u'llh had been banished    
from ,his native land1 the tide of      
calamity which had swept with such fury 
over ,him and over the followers of  the
 ,bb1 was by no means receding4 ,under  
the jurisdiction of the ,suln of        
,turkey1 the arch-enemy of ,his ,cause1 
a new chapter in the history of ,his    
ever-recurring trials had opened4 ,the  
overthrow of the ,sultanate and the     
,caliphate1 the twin pillars of ,sunn   
,islm1 can be regarded in no other      

light except as the inevitable          
consequence of the fierce1 the sustained
  and deliberate persecution which the  
monarchs of the tottering ,house of     
,uthmn1 the recognized successors of the
 ,prophet ,muammad1 had launched        
against it4 ,from the city of           
,constantinople1 the traditional seat of
 both  the ,sultanate and the           
,caliphate1 the rulers of ,turkey had1  
for a period  covering almost three     
quarters of a century1 striven1 with    
unabated zeal1  to stem the tide of a   
,faith they feared and abhorred4 ,from  
the time  ,bah'u'llh set foot on        
,turkish soil and was made a virtual    
prisoner of  the most powerful potentate
 of ,islm to the year of the ,holy      
,land's  liberation from ,turkish yoke1 
successive ,caliphs1 and in particular  
the  ,sulns #8,abdu'l-#8,azz and        
#8,abdu'l-amd1 had1 in the full exercise
 of the  spiritual and temporal         
authority which their exalted office had
 conferred  upon them1 afflicted both   

the ,founder of our ,faith and the      
,center of ,his  ,covenant with such    
pain and tribulation as no mind can     
fathom nor pen or  tongue describe4     
,they alone could have measured or borne
 them4    ,to these afflictive trials   
,bah'u'llh has repeatedly testified3    
8,by the  righteousness of the          
,almighty6 ,were ,i to recount to thee  
the tale of the  things that have       
befallen ,me1 the souls and minds of men
 would be  incapable of sustaining its  
weight4 ,god ,himself beareth ,me       
witness40  8,twenty years have passed10 
,he1 addressing the kings of            
,christendom1 has  written1 8during     
which ,we have1 each day1 tasted the    
agony of a fresh  tribulation4 ,no one  
of them that were before ,us hath       
endured the things ,we  have endured4   
,would that ye could perceive it6 ,they 
that rose up against  us have put us to 
death1 have shed our blood1 have        
plundered our property1  and violated   
our honor40 8,recall to mind ,my        

sorrows10 ,he1 in another  connection1  
has revealed1 8,my cares and anxieties1 
,my woes and trials1 the  state of ,my  
captivity1 the tears that ,i have shed1 
the bitterness of ,mine  anguish1 and   
now ,mine imprisonment in this far-off  
land444 ,couldst thou be  told what hath
 befallen the ,ancient ,beauty1 thou    
wouldst flee into the  wilderness1 and  
weep with a great weeping444 ,every     
morning ,i arose from my  bed1 ,i       
discovered the hosts of countless       
afflictions massed behind ,my  door2 and
 every night when ,i lay down1 lo1 ,my  
heart was torn with agony at  what it   
had suffered from the fiendish cruelty  
of its foes40    ,the orders which these
 foes issued1 the banishments they      
decreed1 the  indignities they          
inflicted1 the plans they devised1 the  
investigations  they conducted1 the     
threats they pronounced1 the atrocities 
they were  prepared to commit1 the      
intrigues and baseness to which they1   
their  ministers1 their governors1 and  

military chieftains had stooped1        
constitute a record which can hardly    
find a parallel in the history of any   
revealed religion4 ,the mere recital of 
the most salient features of that       
sinister theme would suffice to fill a  
volume4 ,they knew full well that  the  
spiritual and administrative ,center of 
the ,cause they had striven to          
eradicate had now shifted to their      
dominion1 that its leaders were ,turkish
  citizens1 and that whatever resources 
these could command were at their       
mercy4 ,that for a period of almost     
three score years and ten1 while still  
in the plenitude of its unquestioned    
authority1 while reinforced by the      
endless machinations of the civil and   
ecclesiastical authorities of a         
neighboring nation1 and assured of the  
support of those of ,bah'u'llh's        
kindred who had rebelled against1 and   
seceded from1 ,his ,cause1 this         
despotism should have failed in the end 
to extirpate a mere handful of its      

condemned subjects must1 to every       
unbelieving observer1 remain one of the 
most intriguing and mysterious episodes 
of contemporary history4    ,the ,cause 
of which ,bah'u'llh was still the       
visible leader had1 despite  the        
calculations of a short-sighted enemy1  
undeniably triumphed4 ,no  unbiased     
mind1 penetrating the surface of        
conditions surrounding the  ,prisoner of
 ,akk1 could any longer mistake or deny 
it4 ,though the tension  which had been 
relaxed was1 for a time1 heightened     
after ,bah'u'llh's  ascension and the   
perils of a still unsettled situation   
were revived1 it  was becoming          
increasingly evident that the insidious 
forces of decay1  which for many a long 
year were eating into the vitals of a   
diseased  nation1 were now moving       
towards a climax4 ,a series of internal 
convulsions1 each more devastating than 
the previous one1 had already been      
unchained1 destined to bring in their   
wake one of the most catastrophic       

occurrences of modern times4 ,the murder
 of that arrogant despot in the  year   
#ahgf2 the ,russo-,turkish conflict that
 soon followed in its wake2 the  wars of
 liberation which succeeded it2 the rise
 of the ,young ,turk  movement2 the     
,turkish ,revolution of #aiji that      
precipitated the downfall of            
#8,abdu'l-amd2 the ,balkan wars with    
their calamitous consequences2 the      
liberation of ,palestine enshrining     
within its bosom the cities of ,akk and 
,haifa1 the world center of an          
emancipated ,faith2 the further         
dismemberment  decreed by the ,treaty of
 ,versailles2 the abolition of the      
,sultanate and  the downfall of the     
,house of ,uthmn2 the extinction of the 
,caliphate2  the disestablishment of the
 ,state ,religion2 the annulment of the 
,shar'ah ,law and the promulgation of a 
universal ,civil ,code2 the  suppression
 of various orders1 beliefs1 traditions 
and ceremonials  believed to be         
inextricably interwoven with the fabric 

of the ,muslim  ,faith--these followed  
with an ease and swiftness that no man  
had dared  envisage4 ,in these          
devastating blows1 administered by      
friend and foe  alike1 by ,christian    
nations and professing ,muslims1 every  
follower of the  persecuted ,faith of   
,bah'u'llh recognized evidences of the  
directing ,hand  of the departed        
,founder of his religion1 ,who1 from the
 invisible ,realm1  was unloosing a     
flood of well-deserved calamities upon a
 rebellious  religion and nation4       
,compare the evidences of ,divine       
visitation which befell the persecutors 
of  ,jesus ,christ with these historic  
retributions which1 in the latter part  
of  the first century of the ,bah' ,era1
 have hurled to dust the chief          
adversary of the religion of ,bah'u'llh4
 ,had not the ,roman ,emperor1 in  the  
second half of the first century of the 
,christian ,era1 after a  distressful   
siege of ,jerusalem1 laid waste the     
,holy ,city1 destroyed the  ,temple1    

desecrated and robbed the ,holy of      
,holies of its treasures1 and           
transported them to ,rome1 reared a     
pagan colony on the mount of ,zion1     
massacred the ,jews1 and exiled and     
dispersed the survivors8    ,compare1   
moreover1 these words which the         
persecuted ,christ1 as witnessed  by the
 ,gospel1 addressed to ,jerusalem1 with 
,bah'u'llh's apostrophe to              
,constantinople1 revealed while ,he lay 
in ,his far-off ,prison1 and recorded   
in ,his ,most ,holy ,book3 8,o          
,jerusalem1 ,jerusalem1 thou that       
killest the  ,prophets and stonest them 
which are sent unto thee1 how often     
would ,i have  gathered thy children    
together1 even as a hen gathereth her   
chickens under  her wings60 ,and again1 
as ,he wept over the city3 8,if thou    
hadst known1  even thou1 at least in    
this thy day1 the things which belong   
unto thy  peace6 but now they are hid   
from thine eyes4 ,for the days shall    
come upon  thee1 that thine enemies     

shall cast a trench about thee1 and     
compass thee  round1 and keep thee in on
 every side1 and shall lay thee even    
with the  ground1 and thy children      
within thee2 and they shall not leave in
 thee one  stone upon another2 because  
thou knewest not the time of thy        
visitation40    8,o ,spot that art      
situate on the shores of the two seas60 
,bah'u'llh thus  apostrophizes the ,city
 of ,constantinople1 8,the throne of    
tyranny hath1  verily1 been established 
upon thee1 and the flame of hatred hath 
been  kindled within thy bosom1 in such 
wise that the ,concourse on high and    
they  who circle around the ,exalted    
,throne have wailed and lamented4 ,we   
behold  in thee the foolish ruling over 
the wise1 and darkness vaunting itself  
against the light4 ,thou art indeed     
filled with manifest pride4 ,hath thine 
outward splendor made thee vainglorious8
 ,by ,him ,who is the ,lord of  mankind6
 ,it shall soon perish1 and thy         
daughters and thy widows and all  the   

kindreds that dwell within thee shall   
lament4 ,thus informeth thee the        
,all-,knowing1 the ,all-,wise40    ,to  
,suln #8,abdu'l-#8,azz1 the monarch who 
decreed each of ,bah'u'llh's  three     
banishments1 the ,founder of our ,faith1
 while a prisoner in the  ,suln's       
capital1 addressed these words3         
8,hearken1 ,o king1 to the speech  of   
,him that speaketh the truth1 ,him that 
doth not ask thee to recompense  ,him   
with the things ,god hath chosen to     
bestow upon thee1 ,him ,who  unerringly 
treadeth the ,straight ,path 444,set    
before thine eyes ,god's  unerring      
,balance and1 as one standing in ,his   
presence1 weigh in that  ,balance thine 
actions every day1 every moment of thy  
life4 ,bring thyself  to account ere    
thou art summoned to a reckoning1 on the
 day when no man  shall have strength to
 stand for fear of ,god1 the day when   
the hearts of  the heedless ones shall  
be made to tremble40    ,to the         
,ministers of the ,turkish ,state1 ,he1 

in that same ,tablet1 revealed3  8,it   
behooveth you1 ,o ,ministers of ,state1 
to keep the precepts of ,god1 and  to   
forsake your own laws and regulations1  
and to be of them who are guided        
aright444 ,ye shall1 erelong1 discover  
the consequences of that which ye  shall
 have done in this vain life1 and shall 
be repaid for them444 ,how  great the   
number of those who1 in bygone ages1    
have committed the things  ye have      
committed1 and who1 though superior to  
you in rank1 have1 in the  end1 returned
 unto dust1 and been consigned to their 
inevitable doom6444  ,ye shall follow in
 their wake1 and shall be made to enter 
a habitation  wherein none shall be     
found to befriend or help you444 ,the   
days of your  life shall roll away1 and 
all the things with which ye are        
occupied1 and  of which ye boast        
yourselves1 shall perish1 and ye shall1 
most certainly1  be summoned by a       
company of ,his angels to appear at the 
spot where the  limbs of the entire     

creation shall be made to tremble1 and  
the flesh of  every oppressor to        
creep444 ,this is the day that shall    
inevitably come  upon you1 the hour that
 none can put back40    ,to the         
inhabitants of ,constantinople1 while   
,he lived the life of an exile  in their
 midst1 ,bah'u'llh1 in that same        
,tablet1 addressed these words3  8,fear 
,god1 ye inhabitants of the ,city1 and  
sow not the seeds of dissension  amongst
 men444 ,your days shall pass away as   
have the days of them who were  before  
you4 ,to dust shall ye return1 even as  
your fathers of old did  return40 8,we  
found10 ,he1 moreover1 remarks1 8upon   
,our arrival in the ,city  its governors
 and elders as children gathered about  
and disporting  themselves with clay444 
,our inner eye wept sore over them1 and 
over their  transgressions and their    
total disregard of the thing for which  
they were  created444 ,the day is       
approaching when ,god will have raised  
up a people  who will call to           

remembrance ,our days1 who will tell the
 tale of ,our  trials1 who will demand  
the restitution of ,our rights from them
 that1  without a tittle of evidence1   
have treated ,us with manifest          
injustice4 ,god  assuredly dominateth   
the lives of them that wronged ,us1 and 
is well aware  of their doings4 ,he     
will1 most certainly1 lay hold on them  
for their sins4  ,he1 verily1 is the    
fiercest of avengers40 8,wherefore10 ,he
 graciously  exhorteth them1 8hearken ye
 unto ,my speech1 and return ye to ,god 
and  repent1 that ,he1 through ,his     
grace1 may have mercy upon you1 may wash
 away  your sins1 and forgive your      
trespasses4 ,the greatness of ,his mercy
  surpasseth the fury of ,his wrath1 and
 ,his grace encompasseth all who have   
been called into being and been clothed 
with the robe of life1 be they of  the  
past or of the future40    ,and1        
finally1 in the ,law-i-,ra's we find    
these prophetic words recorded3         
8,hearken1 ,o ,chief 444 to the ,voice  

of ,god1 the ,sovereign1 the ,help in   
,peril1 the ,self-,subsisting444 ,thou  
hast1 ,o ,chief1 committed that which   
hath made ,muammad1 the ,apostle of     
,god1 groan in the ,most ,exalted       
,paradise4 ,the world hath made thee    
proud1 so much so that thou hast turned 
away from the ,face through ,whose      
brightness the ,concourse on high hath  
been illumined4 ,soon thou shalt find   
thyself in evident loss444 ,the day is  
approaching when the ,land of ,mystery  
7,adrianople7 and what is beside it     
shall be changed1 and shall pass out of 
the hands of the ,king1 and  commotions 
shall appear1 and the voice of          
lamentation shall be raised1 and  the   
evidences of mischief shall be revealed 
on all sides1 and confusion  shall      
spread by reason of that which hath     
befallen these captives at the  hands of
 the hosts of oppression4 ,the course of
 things shall be altered1  and          
conditions shall wax so grievous1 that  
the very sands on the desolate  hills   

will moan1 and the trees on the mountain
 will weep1 and blood will  flow out of 
all things4 ,then wilt thou behold the  
people in sore  distress40    ,thirteen 
hundred years had to elapse from the    
death of the ,prophet  ,muammad ere the 
illegitimacy of the institution of the  
,caliphate1 the  founders of which had  
usurped the authority of the lawful     
successors of  the ,apostle of ,god1    
would be fully and publicly             
demonstrated4 ,an  institution which in 
its inception had trampled upon so      
sacred a right and  unchained the forces
 of so distressful a schism1 an         
institution which1 in  the latter days1 
had dealt so grievous a blow to a ,faith
 ,whose ,forerunner  was ,himself a     
descendant of the very ,imms whose      
authority that  institution had         
repudiated1 deserved full well the      
chastisement that had  sealed its fate4 
,the text of certain ,muammadan         
traditions1 the authenticity of which   
,muslims themselves recognize1 and which

 have been extensively quoted by        
eminent ,oriental ,bah' scholars and    
authors1 will serve to corroborate  the 
argument and illuminate the theme ,i    
have attempted to expound3 8,in the     
latter days a grievous calamity shall   
befall ,my people at the hands of  their
 ruler1 a calamity such as no man ever  
heard to surpass it4 ,so fierce  will it
 be that none can find a shelter4 ,god  
will then send down ,one of ,my         
descendants1 ,one sprung from ,my       
family1 ,who will fill the earth with   
equity and justice1 even as it hath been
 filled with injustice and  tyranny40   
,and1 again3 8,a day shall be witnessed 
by ,my people whereon there  will have  
remained of ,islm naught but a name1 and
 of the ,qur'n naught  but a mere       
appearance4 ,the doctors of that age    
shall be the most evil the  world hath  
ever seen4 ,mischief hath proceeded from
 them1 and on them will  it recoil40    
,and1 again3 8,at that hour ,his        
malediction shall descend upon  you1 and

 your curse shall afflict you1 and your 
religion shall remain an  empty word on 
your tongues4 ,and when these signs     
appear amongst you1  anticipate the day 
when the red-hot wind will have swept   
over you1 or the  day when ye will have 
been disfigured1 or when stones will    
have rained  upon you40    8,o people of
 the ,qur'n10 ,bah'u'llh1 addressing the
 combined forces of  ,sunn and ,sh'ih   
,islm1 significantly affirms1 8,verily1 
the ,prophet of  ,god1 ,muammad1        
sheddeth tears at the sight of your     
cruelty4 ,ye have  assuredly followed   
your evil and corrupt desires1 and      
turned away your  face from the light of
 guidance4 ,erelong will ye witness the 
result of  your deeds2 for the ,lord1   
,my ,god1 lieth in wait and is watchful 
of your  behavior444 ,o concourse of    
,muslim divines6 ,by your deeds the     
exalted  station of the people hath been
 abased1 the standard of ,islm hath been
  reversed1 and its mighty throne hath  
fallen40          ,deterioration of     

,christian ,institutions      ,so much  
for ,islm and the crippling blows its   
leaders and institutions  have          
received--and may yet receive--in this1 
the first century of the ,bah'  ,era4   
,if ,i have dwelt too long on this      
theme1 if ,i have1 to a                 
disproportionate degree1 quoted from the
 sacred writings in support of my       
argument1 it is solely because of my    
firm conviction that these  retributive 
calamities that have rained down upon   
the foremost oppressor  of the ,faith of
 ,bah'u'llh should rank not only among  
the stirring  occurrences of this ,age  
of ,transition1 but as some of the most 
startling  and significant events of    
contemporary history4    ,both ,sunn and
 ,sh'ih ,islm had1 through the          
convulsions that had seized  them1      
contributed to the acceleration of the  
disruptive process to which ,i  have    
previously referred--a process which1 by
 its very nature1 is to pave  the way   
for that complete reorganization and    

unification which the world1  in every  
aspect of its life1 must achieve4 ,what 
of ,christianity and of the             
denominations with which it stands      
identified8 ,can it be said that this   
process of deterioration that has       
attacked the fabric of the ,religion of 
,muammad has failed to exert its baneful
 influence on the institutions          
associated with the ,faith of ,jesus    
,christ8 ,have these institutions       
already  experienced the impact of these
 menacing forces8 ,are their foundations
 so  secure and their vitality so great 
as to enable them to resist this        
onslaught8 ,will they1 as the confusion 
of a chaotic world spreads and  deepens1
 fall in turn a prey to their violence8 
,have the more orthodox  among them     
already arisen1 and1 if not1 will they  
arise1 to repel the  onset of a ,cause  
which1 having pulled down the barriers  
of ,muslim  orthodoxy1 is now advancing 
into the heart of ,christendom1 in both 
the  ,european and ,american continents8

 ,would such a resistance sow the seeds 
of  further dissension and confusion1   
and consequently serve indirectly to    
hasten the advent of the promised ,day8 
,to these queries we can but partly     
answer4 ,time alone can reveal the      
nature of the rle which the institutions
 directly associated with the           
,christian ,faith are destined to assume
 in this1 the ,formative ,period of  the
 ,bah' ,era1 this dark age of transition
 through which humanity as a  whole is  
passing4 ,such events as have already   
transpired1 however1 are of  such a     
nature as can indicate the direction in 
which these institutions  are moving4   
,we can1 in some degree1 appraise the   
probable effect which the  forces       
operating both within the ,bah' ,faith  
and outside it will exert  upon them4   
,that the forces of irreligion1 of a    
purely materialistic philosophy1 of     
unconcealed paganism have been unloosed1
 are now spreading1 and1 by             
consolidating themselves1 are beginning 

to invade some of the most  powerful    
,christian institutions of the western  
world1 no unbiased observer  can fail to
 admit4 ,that these institutions are    
becoming increasingly  restive1 that a  
few among them are already dimly aware  
of the pervasive  influence of the      
,cause of ,bah'u'llh1 that they will1 as
 their inherent  strength deteriorates  
and their discipline relaxes1 regard    
with deepening  dismay the rise of ,his 
,new ,world ,order1 and will gradually  
determine to  assail it1 that such an   
opposition will in turn accelerate their
 decline1  few1 if any1 among those who 
are attentively watching the progress of
 ,his  ,faith would be inclined to      
question4    8,the vitality of men's    
belief in ,god10 ,bah'u'llh has         
testified1 8is  dying out in every land2
 nothing short of ,his wholesome        
medicine can ever  restore it4 ,the     
corrosion of ungodliness is eating into 
the vitals of  human society2 what else 
but the ,elixir of ,his potent          

,revelation can  cleanse and revive it80
 8,the world is in travail10 ,he has    
further written1  8and its agitation    
waxeth day by day4 ,its face is turned  
towards  waywardness and unbelief4 ,such
 shall be its plight that to disclose it
 now  would not be meet and seemly40    
,this menace of secularism that has     
attacked ,islm and is undermining its   
remaining institutions1 that has invaded
 ,persia1 has penetrated into  ,india1  
and raised its triumphant head in       
,turkey1 has already manifested  itself 
in both ,europe and ,america1 and is1 in
 varying degrees1 and under  various    
forms and designations1 challenging the 
basis of every established  religion1   
and in particular the institutions and  
communities identified  with the ,faith 
of ,jesus ,christ4 ,it would be no      
exaggeration to say that we  are moving 
into a period which the future historian
 will regard as one of  the most        
critical in the history of              
,christianity4    ,already a few among  

the protagonists of the ,christian      
,religion admit the  gravity of the     
situation that confronts them4 8,a wave 
of materialism is  sweeping round the   
world02 is the testimony of its         
missionaries1 as  witnessed by the text 
of their official reports1 8the drive   
and pressure  of modern industrialism1  
which are penetrating even the forests  
of ,central  ,africa and the plains of  
,central ,asia1 make men everywhere     
dependent on1  and preoccupied with1    
material things4 ,at home the ,church   
has talked1  perhaps too glibly1 in     
pulpit or on platform of the menace of  
secularism2  though even in ,england we 
can catch more than a glimpse of its    
meaning4  ,but to the ,church overseas  
these things are grim realities1 enemies
 with  which it is at grips444 ,the     
,church has a new danger to face in land
 after  land--determined and hostile    
attack4 ,from ,soviet ,russia a         
definitely  anti-religious ,communism is
 pushing west into ,europe and ,america1

 ,east  into ,persia1 ,india1 ,china and
 ,japan4 ,it is an economic theory1     
definitely  harnessed to disbelief in   
,god4 ,it is a religious irreligion444  
,it has a  passionate sense of mission1 
and is carrying on its anti-,god        
campaign at  the ,church's base at home1
 as well as launching its offensive     
against its  front-line in              
non-,christian lands4 ,such a conscious1
 avowed1 organized  attack against      
religion in general and ,christianity in
 particular is  something new in        
history4 ,equally deliberate in some    
lands in its  determined hostility to   
,christianity is another form of social 
and  political faith--nationalism4 ,but 
the nationalist attack on ,christianity1
  unlike ,communism1 is often bound up  
with some form of national              
religion--with ,islm in ,persia and     
,egypt1 with ,buddhism in ,ceylon1 while
  the struggle for communal rights in   
,india is allied with a revival both of 
,hinduism and ,islm40    ,i need not    

attempt in this connection an exposition
 of the origin and  character of those  
economic theories and political         
philosophies of the  post-war period1   
that have directly and indirectly       
exerted1 and are still  exerting1 their 
pernicious influence on the institutions
 and beliefs  connected with one of the 
most widely-spread and best organized   
religious  systems of the world4 ,it is 
with their influence rather than with   
their  origin that ,i am chiefly        
concerned4 ,the excessive growth of     
industrialism  and its attendant        
evils--as the aforementioned quotation  
bears witness--the  aggressive policies 
initiated and the persistent efforts    
exerted by the  inspirers and organizers
 of the ,communist movement2 the        
intensification of  a militant          
nationalism1 associated in certain      
countries with a  systematized work of  
defamation against all forms of         
ecclesiastical  influence1 have no doubt
 contributed to the de-,christianization

 of the  masses1 and been responsible   
for a notable decline in the authority1 
the  prestige and power of the ,church4 
8,the whole conception of ,god10 the    
persecutors of the ,christian ,religion 
have insistently proclaimed1 8is a      
conception derived from the ancient     
oriental despotisms4 ,it is a           
conception quite unworthy of free men40 
8,religion10 one of their leaders  has  
asserted1 8is an opiate of the people40 
8,religion10 declares the text  of their
 official publications1 8is a           
brutalization of the people4  ,education
 must be so directed as to efface from  
the people's minds this  humiliation and
 this idiocy40    ,the ,hegelian        
philosophy which1 in other countries1   
has1 in the form of an  intolerant and  
militant nationalism1 insisted on       
deifying the state1 has  inculcated the 
war-spirit1 and incited to racial       
animosity1 has1 likewise1  led to a     
marked weakening of the ,church and to a
 grave diminution of its  spiritual     

influence4 ,unlike the bold offensive   
which an avowedly atheistic  movement   
had chosen to launch against it1 both   
within the ,soviet union and  beyond its
 confines1 this nationalistic           
philosophy1 which ,christian rulers  and
 governments have upheld1 is an attack  
directed against the ,church by  those  
who were previously its professed       
adherents1 a betrayal of its cause  by  
its own kith and kin4 ,it was being     
stabbed by an alien and militant        
atheism from without1 and by the        
preachers of a heretical doctrine from  
within4 ,both of these forces1 each     
operating in its own sphere and using   
its own weapons and methods1 have       
moreover been greatly assisted and      
encouraged by the prevailing spirit of  
modernism1 with its emphasis on a       
purely materialistic philosophy1 which1 
as it diffuses itself1 tends            
increasingly to divorce religion from   
man's daily life4    ,the combined      
effect of these strange and corrupt     

doctrines1 these  dangerous and         
treacherous philosophies1 has1 as was   
natural1 been severely  felt by those   
whose tenets inculcated an opposite and 
wholly  irreconcilable spirit and       
principle4 ,the consequences of the     
clash that  inevitably ensued between   
these contending interests1 were1 in    
some cases1  disastrous1 and the damage 
that has been wrought irreparable4 ,the 
disestablishment and dismemberment of   
the ,greek ,orthodox ,church in ,russia1
  following upon the blow which the     
,church of ,rome had sustained as a     
result  of the collapse of the          
,austro-,hungarian ,monarchy2 the       
commotion that  subsequently seized the 
,catholic ,church and culminated in its 
separation  from the ,state in ,spain2  
the persecution of the same ,church in  
,mexico2 the  perquisitions1 arrests1   
intimidation and terrorization to which 
,catholics  and ,lutherans alike are    
being subjected in the heart of ,europe2
 the  turmoil into which another branch 

of the ,church has been thrown as a     
result of the military campaign in      
,africa2 the decline that has set in the
  fortunes of ,christian ,missions1 both
 ,anglican and ,presbyterian1 in        
,persia1  ,turkey1 and the ,far ,east2  
the ominous signs that foreshadow       
serious  complications in the equivocal 
and precarious relationships now        
existing  between the ,holy ,see and    
certain nations in the continent of     
,europe--these  stand out as the most   
striking features of the reverses which1
 in almost  every part of the world1 the
 members and leaders of ,christian      
ecclesiastical institutions have        
suffered4    ,that the solidarity of    
some of these institutions has been     
irretrievably  shattered is too apparent
 for any intelligent observer to mistake
 or deny4  ,the cleavage between the    
fundamentalists and the liberals among  
their  adherents is continually         
widening4 ,their creeds and dogmas have 
been  watered down1 and in certain      

instances ignored and discarded4 ,their 
hold  upon human conduct is loosening1  
and the personnel of their ministries is
  dwindling in number and in influence4 
,the timidity and insincerity of  their 
preachers are1 in several instances1    
being exposed4 ,their endowments  have1 
in some countries1 disappeared1 and the 
force of their religious  training has  
declined4 ,their temples have been      
partly deserted and  destroyed1 and an  
oblivion of ,god1 of ,his teachings and 
of ,his ,purpose1  has enfeebled and    
heaped humiliation upon them4    ,might 
not this disintegrating tendency1 from  
which ,sunn and ,sh'ih  ,islm have so   
conspicuously suffered1 unloose1 as it  
reaches its climax1  still further      
calamities upon the various             
denominations of the ,christian         
,church8 ,in what manner and how rapidly
 this process1 which has already set    
in1 will develop the future alone can   
reveal4 ,nor can it1 at the present     
time1 be estimated to what extent will  

the attacks which a still powerful      
clergy may yet launch against the       
strongholds of the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh 
in the ,west accentuate this decline and
 widen the range of inescapable         
disasters4    ,if ,christianity wishes  
and expects to serve the world in the   
present  crisis1 writes a minister of   
the ,presbyterian ,church in ,america1  
it must  8cut back through ,christianity
 to ,christ1 back through the           
centuries-old  religion about ,jesus to 
the original religion of ,jesus40       
,otherwise1 he  significantly adds1 8the
 spirit of ,christ will live in         
institutions other  than our own40      
,so marked a decline in the strength and
 cohesion of the elements  constituting 
,christian society has led1 in its turn1
 as we might well  anticipate1 to the   
emergence of an increasing number of    
obscure cults1 of  strange and new      
worships1 of ineffective philosophies1  
whose sophisticated  doctrines have     
intensified the confusion of a troubled 

age4 ,in their  tenets and pursuits they
 may be said to reflect and bear witness
 to the  revolt1 the discontent1 and the
 confused aspirations of the            
disillusioned  masses that have deserted
 the cause of the ,christian churches   
and seceded  from their membership4     
,a parallel might almost be drawn       
between these confused and confusing    
systems of thought that are the direct  
outcome of the helplessness and         
confusion afflicting the ,christian     
,faith and the great variety of popular 
cults1 of fashionable and evasive       
philosophies which flourished in the    
opening centuries of the ,christian     
,era1 and which attempted to absorb and 
pervert the state religion of that      
,roman people4 ,the pagan worshipers who
  constituted1 at that time1 the bulk of
 the population of the ,western ,roman  
,empire1 found themselves surrounded1   
and in certain instances menaced1 by    
the prevailing sect of the              
,neo-,platonists1 by the followers of   

nature  religions1 by ,gnostic          
philosophers1 by ,philonism1 ,mithraism1
 the adherents  of the ,alexandrian     
cult1 and a multitude of kindred sects  
and beliefs1 in  much the same way as   
the defenders of the ,christian ,faith1 
the  preponderating religion of the     
western world1 are realizing1 in the    
first  century of the ,bah' ,era1 how   
their influence is being undermined by a
  flood of conflicting beliefs1         
practices and tendencies which their own
  bankruptcy had helped to create4 ,it  
was1 however1 this same ,christian      
,religion1 which has now fallen into    
such a state of impotence1 that         
eventually proved itself capable of     
sweeping away the institutions of       
paganism and of swamping and suppressing
 the cults that had flourished in  that 
age4    ,such institutions as have      
strayed far from the spirit and         
teachings of  ,jesus ,christ must of    
necessity1 as the embryonic ,world      
,order of  ,bah'u'llh takes shape and   

unfolds1 recede into the background1 and
 make  way for the progress of the      
divinely-ordained institutions that     
stand  inextricably interwoven with ,his
 teachings4 ,the indwelling ,spirit of  
,god  which1 in the ,apostolic ,age of  
the ,church1 animated its members1 the  
pristine purity of its teachings1 the   
primitive brilliancy of its light1      
will1 no doubt1 be reborn and revived as
 the inevitable consequence of  this    
redefinition of its fundamental         
verities1 and the clarification of  its 
original purpose4    ,for the ,faith of 
,bah'u'llh--if we would faithfully      
appraise it--can never1  and in no      
aspect of its teachings1 be at variance1
 much less conflict1  with the purpose  
animating1 or the authority invested in1
 the ,faith of  ,jesus ,christ4 ,this   
glowing tribute which ,bah'u'llh        
,himself has been  moved to pay to the  
,author of the ,christian ,religion     
stands as sufficient  testimony to the  
truth of this central principle of ,bah'

 belief3--8,know  thou that when the    
,son of ,man yielded up ,his breath to  
,god1 the whole  creation wept with a   
great weeping4 ,by sacrificing ,himself1
 however1 a  fresh capacity was infused 
into all created things4 ,its evidences1
 as  witnessed in all the peoples of the
 earth1 are now manifest before thee4   
,the deepest wisdom which the sages have
 uttered1 the profoundest learning      
which any mind hath unfolded1 the arts  
which the ablest hands have  produced1  
the influence exerted by the most potent
 of rulers1 are but  manifestations of  
the quickening power released by ,his   
transcendent1 ,his  all-pervasive and   
resplendent ,spirit4 ,we testify that   
when ,he came into  the world1 ,he shed 
the splendor of ,his glory upon all     
created things4  ,through ,him the leper
 recovered from the leprosy of          
perversity and  ignorance4 ,through ,him
 the unchaste and wayward were healed4  
,through ,his  power1 born of ,almighty 
,god1 the eyes of the blind were opened1

 and the  soul of the sinner            
sanctified444 ,he it is ,who purified   
the world4 ,blessed  is the man who1    
with a face beaming with light1 hath    
turned towards ,him40          ,signs of
 ,moral ,downfall      ,no more1 ,i     
believe1 need be said of the decline of 
religious institutions1  the            
disintegration of which constitutes so  
important an aspect of the  ,formative  
,period of the ,bah' ,era4 ,islm had    
both as a result of the  rising tide of 
secularism and in direct consequence of 
its declared and  persistent hostility  
to the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh sunk to a   
depth of  abasement rarely attained in  
its history4 ,christianity had1         
likewise1  owing to causes not wholly   
dissimilar to those operating in the    
case of  its sister ,faith1 steadily    
weakened1 and was contributing1 in an   
increasing measure1 its share to the    
process of general disintegration--a    
process that must necessarily precede   
the fundamental reconstruction of  human

 society4    ,the signs of moral        
downfall1 as distinct from the evidences
 of decay in  religious institutions1   
would appear to be no less noticeable   
and  significant4 ,the decline that has 
set in in the fortunes of ,islamic and  
,christian institutions may be said to  
have had its counterpart in the life    
and conduct of the individuals that     
compose them4 ,in whichever direction   
we turn our gaze1 no matter how cursory 
our observation of the doings and       
sayings of the present generation1 we   
can not fail to be struck by the        
evidences of moral decadence which1 in  
their individual lives no less than  in 
their collective capacity1 men and women
 around us exhibit4    ,there can be no 
doubt that the decline of religion as a 
social force1 of  which the             
deterioration of religious institutions 
is but an external  phenomenon1 is      
chiefly responsible for so grave1 so    
conspicuous an evil4  8,religion10      
writes ,bah'u'llh1 8is the greatest of  

all means for the  establishment of     
order in the world and for the peaceful 
contentment of  all that dwell therein4 
,the weakening of the pillars of        
religion hath  strengthened the hands of
 the ignorant and made them bold and    
arrogant4  ,verily ,i say1 whatsoever   
hath lowered the lofty station of       
religion hath  increased the waywardness
 of the wicked1 and the result cannot be
 but  anarchy40 8,religion10 ,he1 in    
another ,tablet1 has stated1 8is a      
radiant  light and an impregnable       
stronghold for the protection and       
welfare of the  peoples of the world1   
for the fear of ,god impelleth man to   
hold fast to  that which is good1 and   
shun all evil4 ,should the lamp of      
religion be  obscured1 chaos and        
confusion will ensue1 and the lights of 
fairness1 of  justice1 of tranquillity  
and peace cease to shine40 8,know thou10
 ,he1 in  yet another connection1 has   
written1 8that they who are truly wise  
have  likened the world unto the human  

temple4 ,as the body of man needeth a   
garment to clothe it1 so the body of    
mankind must needs be adorned with  the 
mantle of justice and wisdom4 ,its robe 
is the ,revelation vouchsafed  unto it  
by ,god40    ,no wonder1 therefore1 that
 when1 as a result of human perversity1 
the  light of religion is quenched in   
men's hearts1 and the divinely appointed
  ,robe1 designed to adorn the human    
temple1 is deliberately discarded1 a    
deplorable decline in the fortunes of   
humanity immediately sets in1  bringing 
in its wake all the evils which a       
wayward soul is capable of  revealing4  
,the perversion of human nature1 the    
degradation of human  conduct1 the      
corruption and dissolution of human     
institutions1 reveal  themselves1 under 
such circumstances1 in their worst and  
most revolting  aspects4 ,human         
character is debased1 confidence is     
shaken1 the nerves of  discipline are   
relaxed1 the voice of human conscience  
is stilled1 the  sense of decency and   

shame is obscured1 conceptions of duty1 
of  solidarity1 of reciprocity and      
loyalty are distorted1 and the very     
feeling  of peacefulness1 of joy and of 
hope is gradually extinguished4         
,such1 we might well admit1 is the state
 which individuals and institutions     
alike are approaching4 8,no two men10   
,bah'u'llh1 lamenting the plight of  an 
erring humanity1 has written1 8can be   
found who may be said to be  outwardly  
and inwardly united4 ,the evidences of  
discord and malice are  apparent        
everywhere1 though all were made for    
harmony and union40 8,how  long10 ,he1  
in the same ,tablet1 exclaims1 8will    
humanity persist in its  waywardness8   
,how long will injustice continue8 ,how 
long is chaos and  confusion to reign   
amongst men8 ,how long will discord     
agitate the face of  society8 ,the winds
 of despair are1 alas1 blowing from     
every direction1 and  the strife that   
divideth and afflicteth the human race  
is daily  increasing40    ,the          

recrudescence of religious intolerance1 
of racial animosity1 and of  patriotic  
arrogance2 the increasing evidences of  
selfishness1 of  suspicion1 of fear and 
of fraud2 the spread of terrorism1 of   
lawlessness1  of drunkenness and of     
crime2 the unquenchable thirst for1 and 
the feverish  pursuit after1 earthly    
vanities1 riches and pleasures2 the     
weakening of  family solidarity2 the    
laxity in parental control2 the lapse   
into  luxurious indulgence2 the         
irresponsible attitude towards marriage 
and the  consequent rising tide of      
divorce2 the degeneracy of art and      
music1 the  infection of literature1 and
 the corruption of the press2 the       
extension of  the influence and         
activities of those 8prophets of        
decadence0 who advocate  companionate   
marriage1 who preach the philosophy of  
nudism1 who call  modesty an            
intellectual fiction1 who refuse to     
regard the procreation of  children as  
the sacred and primary purpose of       

marriage1 who denounce  religion as an  
opiate of the people1 who would1 if     
given free rein1 lead  back the human   
race to barbarism1 chaos1 and ultimate  
extinction--these  appear as the        
outstanding characteristics of a        
decadent society1 a society  that must  
either be reborn or perish4             
,breakdown of ,political and ,economic  
,structure      ,politically a similar  
decline1 a no less noticeable evidence  
of  disintegration and confusion1 can be
 discovered in the age we live in--the  
age which a future historian might well 
recognize to have been the  preamble to 
the ,great ,age1 whose golden days we   
can as yet but dimly  visualize4    ,the
 passionate and violent happenings that 
have1 in recent years1 strained  to     
almost the point of complete breakdown  
the political and economic  structure of
 society are too numerous and complex to
 attempt1 within the  limitations of    
this general survey1 to arrive at an    
adequate estimate of  their character4  

,nor have these tribulations1 grievous  
as they have been1  seemed to have      
reached their climax1 and exerted the   
full force of their  destructive power4 
,the whole world1 wherever and however  
we survey it1  offers us the sad and    
pitiful spectacle of a vast1 an         
enfeebled1 and  moribund organism1 which
 is being torn politically and          
strangulated  economically by forces it 
has ceased to either control or         
comprehend4 ,the  ,great ,depression1   
the aftermath of the severest ordeals   
humanity had ever  experienced1 the     
disintegration of the ,versailles       
system1 the  recrudescence of militarism
 in its most menacing aspects1 the      
failure of  vast experiments and        
new-born institutions to safeguard the  
peace and  tranquillity of peoples1     
classes and nations1 have bitterly      
disillusioned  humanity and prostrated  
its spirits4 ,its hopes are1 for the    
most part1  shattered1 its vitality is  
ebbing1 its life strangely disordered1  

its  unity severely compromised4    ,on 
the continent of ,europe inveterate     
hatreds and increasing rivalries are    
once more aligning its ill-fated peoples
 and nations into combinations  destined
 to precipitate the most awful and      
implacable tribulations that  mankind   
throughout its long record of martyrdom 
has suffered4 ,on the ,north  ,american 
continent economic distress1 industrial 
disorganization1  widespread discontent 
at the abortive experiments designed to 
readjust an  ill-balanced economy1 and  
restlessness and fear inspired by the   
possibility of political entanglements  
in both ,europe and ,asia1 portend  the 
approach of what may well prove to be   
one of the most critical phases  of the 
history of the ,american ,republic4     
,asia1 still to a great extent in  the  
grip of one of the severest trials she  
has1 in her recent history1             
experienced1 finds herself menaced on   
her eastern confines by the onset of    
forces that threaten to intensify the   

struggles which the growing  nationalism
 and industrialization of her           
emancipated races must ultimately       
engender4 ,in the heart of ,africa1     
there blazes the fire of an atrocious   
and bloody war--a war which1 whatever   
its outcome1 is destined to exert1      
through its world-wide repercussions1 a 
most disturbing influence on the  races 
and colored nations of mankind4    ,with
 no less than ten million people under  
arms1 drilled and instructed in  the use
 of the most abominable engines of      
destruction that science has  devised2  
with thrice that number chafing and     
fretting at the rule of alien  races and
 governments2 with an equally vast army 
of embittered citizens  impotent to     
procure for themselves the material     
goods and necessities  which others are 
deliberately destroying2 with a still   
greater mass of  human beings groaning  
under the burden of ever-mounting       
armaments1 and  impoverished by the     
virtual collapse of international       

trade--with evils  such as these1       
humanity would seem to be definitely    
entering the outer  fringes of the most 
agonizing phase of its existence4    ,is
 it to be wondered at1 that in the      
course of a recent statement made by    
one of the outstanding ,ministers in    
,europe this warning should have been   
deliberately uttered3 8,if war should   
break out again on a major scale in     
,europe1 it must bring the collapse of  
civilization as we know it in its  wake4
 ,in the words of the late ,lord ,bryce1
 #8,if you don't end war1 war will  end 
you4'0 8,poor ,europe is in a state of  
neurasthenia44401 is the  testimony of  
one of the most outstanding figures     
among its present-day  dictators4 8,it  
has lost its recuperative power1 the    
vital force of  cohesion1 of synthesis4 
,another war would destroy us40 8,it is 
likely10  writes one of the most eminent
 and learned dignitaries of the         
,christian  ,church1 8there will have to
 be one more great conflict in ,europe  

to  definitely establish once and for   
all an international authority4 ,this   
conflict will be the most horrible of   
horribles1 and possibly this  generation
 will be called on to sacrifice hundreds
 of thousands of lives40    ,the        
disastrous failure of both the          
,disarmament and ,economic ,conferences2
  the obstacles confronting the         
negotiations for the limitation of      
,naval  armaments2 the withdrawal of two
 of the most powerful and heavily armed 
nations of the world from the activities
 and membership of the ,league of       
,nations2 the ineptitude of the         
parliamentary system of government as   
witnessed by recent developments in     
,europe and ,america2 the inability of  
the leaders and exponents of the        
,communist movement to vindicate the    
much-vaunted principle of the           
,dictatorship of the ,proletariat2 the  
perils  and privations to which the     
rulers of the ,totalitarian states have1
 in  recent years1 exposed their        

subjects--all these demonstrate1 beyond 
the  shadow of a doubt1 the impotence of
 present-day institutions to avert the  
calamities with which human society is  
being increasingly threatened4 ,what    
else remains1 a bewildered generation   
may well ask1 that can repair the       
cleavage that is constantly widening1   
and which may1 at any time1 engulf  it8 
,beset on every side by the cumulative  
evidences of disintegration1 of  turmoil
 and of bankruptcy1 serious-minded men  
and women1 in almost every  walk of     
life1 are beginning to doubt whether    
society1 as it is now  organized1 can1  
through its unaided efforts1 extricate  
itself from the  slough into which it is
 steadily sinking4 ,every system1 short 
of the  unification of the human race1  
has been tried1 repeatedly tried1 and   
been  found wanting4 ,wars again and    
again have been fought1 and conferences 
without number have met and deliberated4
 ,treaties1 pacts and covenants  have   
been painstakingly negotiated1 concluded

 and revised4 ,systems of  government   
have been patiently tested1 have been   
continually recast and  superseded4     
,economic plans of reconstruction have  
been carefully devised1  and            
meticulously executed4 ,and yet crisis  
has succeeded crisis1 and the  rapidity 
with which a perilously unstable world  
is declining has been  correspondingly  
accelerated4 ,a yawning gulf threatens  
to involve in one  common disaster both 
the satisfied and dissatisfied nations1 
democracies  and dictatorships1         
capitalists and wage-earners1 ,europeans
 and ,asiatics1  ,jew and ,gentile1     
white and colored4 ,an angry            
,providence1 the cynic might  well      
observe1 has abandoned a hapless planet 
to its fate1 and fixed  irrevocably its 
doom4 ,sore-tried and disillusioned1    
humanity has no doubt  lost its         
orientation1 and would seem to have lost
 as well its faith and  hope4 ,it is    
hovering1 unshepherded and visionless1  
on the brink of  disaster4 ,a sense of  

fatality seems to pervade it4 ,an       
ever-deepening gloom  is settling on its
 fortunes as she recedes further and    
further from the  outer fringes of the  
darkest zone of its agitated life and   
penetrates its  very heart4    ,and yet 
while the shadows are continually       
deepening1 might we not claim  that     
gleams of hope1 flashing intermittently 
on the international horizon1  appear at
 times to relieve the darkness that     
encircles humanity8 ,would it  be untrue
 to maintain that in a world of         
unsettled faith and disturbed  thought1 
a world of steadily mounting armaments1 
of unquenchable hatreds  and rivalries1 
the progress1 however fitful1 of the    
forces working in  harmony with the     
spirit of the age can already be        
discerned8 ,though the  great outcry    
raised by post-war nationalism is       
growing louder and more  insistent every
 day1 the ,league of ,nations is as yet 
in its embryonic  state1 and the storm  
clouds that are gathering may for a time

 totally  eclipse its powers and        
obliterate its machinery1 yet the       
direction in  which the institution     
itself is operating is most significant4
 ,the voices  that have been raised ever
 since its inception1 the efforts that  
have been  exerted1 the work that has   
already been accomplished1 foreshadow   
the  triumphs which this presently      
constituted institution1 or any other   
body  that may supersede it1 is destined
 to achieve4          ,bah'u'llh's      
,principle of ,collective ,security     
,a general ,pact on security has been   
the central purpose towards which  these
 efforts have1 ever since the ,league   
was born1 tended to converge4  ,the     
,treaty of ,guarantee which1 in the     
initial stages of its development1  its 
members had considered and discussed2   
the debate on the ,geneva  ,protocol1   
the discussion of which1 at a later     
period1 aroused among the  nations1 both
 within the ,league and outside it1 such
 fierce controversy2  the subsequent    

proposal for a ,united ,states of       
,europe and for the economic            
unification of that continent2 and last 
but not least the policy of  sanctions  
initiated by its members1 may be        
regarded as the most  significant       
landmarks in its checkered history4     
,that no less than fifty  nations of the
 world1 all members of the ,league of   
,nations1 should have1  after mature    
deliberation1 recognized and been led to
 pronounce their  verdict against an act
 of aggression which in their judgment  
has been  deliberately committed by one 
of their fellow-members1 one of the     
foremost  ,powers of ,europe2 that they 
should have1 for the most part1 agreed  
to  impose collectively sanctions on the
 condemned aggressor1 and should have   
succeeded in carrying out1 to a very    
great measure1 their decision1 is no    
doubt an event without parallel in human
 history4 ,for the first time in  the   
history of humanity the system of       
collective security1 foreshadowed by    

,bah'u'llh and explained by             
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 has been seriously      
envisaged1  discussed and tested4 ,for  
the first time in history it has been   
officially  recognized and publicly     
stated that for this system of          
collective security  to be effectively  
established strength and elasticity are 
both  essential--strength involving the 
use of an adequate force to ensure the  
efficacy of the proposed system1 and    
elasticity to enable the machinery  that
 has been devised to meet the legitimate
 needs and aspirations of its  aggrieved
 upholders4 ,for the first time in human
 history tentative efforts  have been   
exerted by the nations of the world to  
assume collective  responsibility1 and  
to supplement their verbal pledges by   
actual  preparation for collective      
action4 ,and again1 for the first time  
in  history1 a movement of public       
opinion has manifested itself in support
 of  the verdict which the leaders and  
representatives of nations have         

pronounced1 and for securing collective 
action in pursuance of such a  decision4
    ,how clear1 how prophetic1 must     
sound the words uttered by ,bah'u'llh in
  the light of recent international     
developments3--8,be united1 ,o concourse
 of  the sovereigns of the world1 for   
thereby will the tempest of discord be  
stilled amongst you1 and your peoples   
find rest4 ,should any one among you    
take up arms against another1 rise ye   
all against him1 for this is naught  but
 manifest justice40 8,the time must     
come10 ,he1 foreshadowing the  tentative
 efforts that are now being made1 has   
written1 8when the  imperative necessity
 for the holding of a vast1 an          
all-embracing  assemblage of men will be
 universally realized4 ,the rulers and  
kings of  the earth must needs attend   
it1 and1 participating in its           
deliberations1  must consider such ways 
and means as will lay the foundations of
 the  world's ,great ,peace among men444
 ,should any king take up arms against  

another1 all should unitedly arise and  
prevent him40    8,the sovereigns of the
 world10 writes #8,abdu'l-,bah in       
elaboration of this  theme1 8must       
conclude a binding treaty1 and establish
 a covenant1 the  provisions of which   
shall be sound1 inviolable and definite4
 ,they must  proclaim it to all the     
world1 and obtain for it the sanction of
 all the  human race444 ,all the forces 
of humanity must be mobilized to insure 
the  stability and permanence of this   
,most ,great ,covenant444 ,the          
fundamental  principle underlying this  
solemn ,pact should be so fixed that if 
any  government later violate any one of
 its provisions1 all the governments on 
earth should arise to reduce it to utter
 submission1 nay the human race as  a   
whole should resolve1 with every power  
at its disposal1 to destroy that        
government40    ,there can be no doubt  
whatever that what has already been     
accomplished1  significant and          
unexampled though it is in the history  

of mankind1 still  immeasurably falls   
short of the essential requirements of  
the system which  these words           
foreshadow4 ,the ,league of ,nations1   
its opponents will observe1  still lacks
 the universality which is the          
prerequisite of abiding success  in the 
efficacious settlement of international 
disputes4 ,the ,united ,states  of      
,america1 its begetter1 has repudiated  
it1 and is still holding aloof1  while  
,germany and ,japan1 who ranked among   
its most powerful supporters1  have     
abandoned its cause and withdrawn from  
its membership4 ,the decisions  arrived 
at and the action thus far taken1 others
 will maintain1 should be  regarded as  
no more than a magnificent gesture1     
rather than a conclusive  evidence of   
international solidarity4 ,still others 
may contend that though  such a verdict 
has been pronounced1 and such pledges   
been given1  collective action must1 in 
the end1 fail in its ultimate purpose1  
and that  the ,league itself will perish

 and be submerged by the flood of       
tribulations destined to overtake the   
whole race4 ,be that as it may1 the     
significance of the steps already taken 
cannot be ignored4 ,whatever the        
present status of the ,league or the    
outcome of its historic verdict1        
whatever the trials and reverses which1 
in the immediate future1 it may  have to
 face and sustain1 the fact must be     
recognized that so important a  decision
 marks one of the most distinctive      
milestones on the long and  arduous road
 that must lead it to its goal1 the     
stage at which the oneness  of the whole
 body of nations will be made the ruling
 principle of  international life4      
,this historic step1 however1 is but a  
faint glimmer in the darkness that      
envelops an agitated humanity4 ,it may  
well prove to be no more than a mere    
flash1 a fugitive gleam1 in the midst of
 an ever-deepening confusion4 ,the      
process of disintegration must          
inexorably continue1 and its corrosive  

influence must penetrate deeper and     
deeper into the very core of a          
crumbling age4 ,much suffering will     
still be required ere the contending    
nations1 creeds1 classes and races of   
mankind are fused in the crucible of    
universal affliction1 and are forged by 
the fires of a fierce ordeal into  one  
organic commonwealth1 one vast1 unified1
 and harmoniously functioning  system4  
,adversities unimaginably appalling1    
undreamed of crises and  upheavals1 war1
 famine1 and pestilence1 might well     
combine to engrave in  the soul of an   
unheeding generation those truths and   
principles which it  has disdained to   
recognize and follow4 ,a paralysis more 
painful than any  it has yet experienced
 must creep over and further afflict the
 fabric of a  broken society ere it can 
be rebuilt and regenerated4    8,the    
civilization10 writes ,bah'u'llh1 8so   
often vaunted by the learned  exponents 
of arts and sciences will1 if allowed to
 overleap the bounds of  moderation1    

bring great evil upon men444 ,if carried
 to excess1  civilization will prove as 
prolific a source of evil as it had been
 of  goodness when kept within the      
restraints of moderation444 ,the day is 
approaching when its flame will devour  
the cities1 when the ,tongue of         
,grandeur will proclaim3 #8,the ,kingdom
 is ,god's1 the ,almighty1 the          
,all-,praised6'0 8,from the moment the  
,sriy-i-,ra's 7,tablet to ,ra's7 was    
revealed10 ,he further explains1 8until 
the present day1 neither hath the  world
 been tranquillized1 nor have the hearts
 of its peoples been at  rest444 ,its   
sickness is approaching the stage of    
utter hopelessness1  inasmuch as the    
true ,physician is debarred from        
administering the remedy1  whilst       
unskilled practitioners are regarded    
with favor1 and are accorded  full      
freedom to act4 ,the dust of sedition   
hath clouded the hearts of men1  and    
blinded their eyes4 ,erelong they will  
perceive the consequences of  what their

 hands have wrought in the ,day of      
,god40 8,this is the ,day10 ,he  again  
has written1 8whereon the earth shall   
tell out her tidings4 ,the  workers of  
iniquity are her burdens444 ,the ,crier 
hath cried out1 and men  have been torn 
away1 so great hath been the fury of    
,his wrath4 ,the people  of the left    
hand sigh and bemoan4 ,the people of the
 right abide in noble  habitations3 they
 quaff the ,wine that is life indeed    
from the hands of the  ,all-,merciful1  
and are1 verily1 the blissful40         
,community of the ,most ,great ,name    
,who else can be the blissful if not the
 community of the ,most ,great ,name1   
whose world-embracing1 continually      
consolidating activities constitute the 
one integrating process in a world whose
 institutions1 secular as well as       
religious1 are for the most part        
dissolving8 ,they indeed are 8the people
  of the right10 whose 8noble           
habitation0 is fixed on the foundations 
of the  ,world ,order of ,bah'u'llh--the

 ,ark of everlasting salvation in this  
most  grievous ,day4 ,of all the        
kindreds of the earth they alone can    
recognize1  amidst the welter of a      
tempestuous age1 the ,hand of the       
,divine ,redeemer  that traces its      
course and controls its destinies4 ,they
 alone are aware of  the silent growth  
of that orderly world polity whose      
fabric they  themselves are weaving4    
,conscious of their high calling1       
confident in the society-building power 
which their ,faith possesses1 they press
 forward1 undeterred and  undismayed1 in
 their efforts to fashion and perfect   
the necessary  instruments wherein the  
embryonic ,world ,order of ,bah'u'llh   
can mature  and develop4 ,it is this    
building process1 slow and unobtrusive1 
to which  the life of the world-wide    
,bah' ,community is wholly consecrated1 
that  constitutes the one hope of a     
stricken society4 ,for this process is  
actuated by the generating influence of 
,god's changeless ,purpose1 and is      

evolving within the framework of the    
,administrative ,order of ,his ,faith4  
,in a world the structure of whose      
political and social institutions is    
impaired1 whose vision is befogged1     
whose conscience is bewildered1 whose   
religious systems have become anemic and
 lost their virtue1 this healing        
,agency1 this leavening ,power1 this    
cementing ,force1 intensely alive and   
all-pervasive1 has been taking shape1 is
 crystallizing into institutions1  is   
mobilizing its forces1 and is preparing 
for the spiritual conquest and  the     
complete redemption of mankind4 ,though 
the society which incarnates  its ideals
 be small1 and its direct and tangible  
benefits as yet  inconsiderable1 yet the
 potentialities with which it has been  
endowed1 and  through which it is       
destined to regenerate the individual   
and rebuild a  broken world1 are        
incalculable4    ,for well nigh a       
century it has1 amid the noise and      
tumult of a distracted  age1 and despite

 the incessant persecutions to which its
 leaders1  institutions1 and followers  
have been subjected1 succeeded in       
preserving  its identity1 in reinforcing
 its stability and strength1 in         
maintaining  its organic unity1 in      
preserving the integrity of its laws and
 its  principles1 in erecting its       
defenses1 and in extending and          
consolidating  its institutions4        
,numerous and powerful have been the    
forces that have  schemed1 both from    
within and from without1 in lands both  
far and near1 to  quench its light and  
abolish its holy name4 ,some have       
apostatized from its  principles1 and   
betrayed ignominiously its cause4       
,others have hurled  against it the     
fiercest anathemas which the embittered 
leaders of any  ecclesiastical          
institution are able to pronounce4      
,still others have heaped  upon it the  
afflictions and humiliations which      
sovereign authority can  alone1 in the  
plenitude of its power1 inflict4    ,the

 utmost its avowed and secret enemies   
could hope to achieve was to  retard its
 growth and obscure momentarily its     
purpose4 ,what they actually            
accomplished was to purge and purify its
 life1 to stir it to still greater      
depths1 to galvanize its soul1 to prune 
its institutions1 and cement its  unity4
 ,a schism1 a permanent cleavage in the 
vast body of its adherents1  they could 
never create4    ,they who betrayed its 
cause1 its lukewarm and faint-hearted   
supporters1  withered away and dropped  
as dead leaves1 powerless to cloud its  
radiance  or to imperil its structure4  
,its most implacable adversaries1 they  
who  assailed it from without1 were     
hurled from power1 and1 in the most     
astonishing fashion1 met their doom4    
,persia had been the first to repress   
and oppose it4 ,its monarchs had        
miserably fallen1 their dynasty had     
collapsed1 their name was execrated1 the
 hierarchy that had been their  ally and
 had propped their declining state1 had 

been utterly discredited4  ,turkey1     
which had thrice banished its ,founder  
and inflicted on ,him cruel  and        
life-long imprisonment1 had passed      
through one of the severest ordeals  and
 far-reaching revolutions that its      
history has recorded1 had shrunk  from  
one of the most powerful empires to a   
tiny ,asiatic republic1 its  ,sultanate 
obliterated1 its dynasty overthrown1 its
 ,caliphate1 the  mightiest institution 
of ,islm1 abolished4    ,meanwhile the  
,faith that had been the object of such 
monstrous betrayals1  and the target for
 such woeful assaults1 was going from   
strength to  strength1 was forging      
ahead1 undaunted and undivided by the   
injuries it  had received4 ,in the midst
 of trials it had inspired its loyal    
followers  with a resolution that no    
obstacle1 however formidable1 could     
undermine4  ,it had lighted in their    
hearts a faith that no misfortune1      
however black1  could quench4 ,it had   
infused into their hearts a hope that no

 force1  however determined1 could      
shatter4          ,a ,world ,religion   
,ceasing to designate to itself a       
movement1 a fellowship and the          
like--designations that did grave       
injustice to its ever-unfolding         
system--dissociating itself from such   
appellations as ,bb sect1 ,asiatic      
cult1 and offshoot of ,sh'ih ,islm1 with
 which the ignorant and the  malicious  
were wont to describe it1 refusing to be
 labeled as a mere  philosophy of life1 
or as an eclectic code of ethical       
conduct1 or even as  a new religion1 the
 ,faith of ,bah'u'llh is now visibly    
succeeding in  demonstrating its claim  
and title to be regarded as a ,world    
,religion1  destined to attain1 in the  
fullness of time1 the status of a       
world-embracing ,commonwealth1 which    
would be at once the instrument and  the
 guardian of the ,most ,great ,peace    
announced by its ,author4 ,far from     
wishing to add to the number of the     
religious systems1 whose conflicting    

loyalties have for so many generations  
disturbed the peace of mankind1  this   
,faith is instilling into each of its   
adherents a new love for1 and a  genuine
 appreciation of the unity underlying1  
the various religions  represented      
within its pale4    8,it is like a wide 
embrace10 such is the testimony of      
,royalty to its claim  and position1    
8gathering together all those who have  
long searched for  words of hope4 ,it   
accepts all great ,prophets gone before 
it1 destroys no  other creeds1 and      
leaves all doors open40 8,the ,bah'     
teaching10 she has  further written1    
8brings peace to the soul and hope to   
the heart4 ,to those  in search of      
assurance the words of the ,father are  
as a fountain in the  desert after long 
wandering40 8,their writings10 she1 in  
another statement  referring to         
,bah'u'llh and #8,abdu'l-,bah1 has      
testified1 8are a great cry  toward     
peace1 reaching beyond all limits of    
frontiers1 above all  dissension about  

rites and dogmas444 ,it is a wondrous   
message that  ,bah'u'llh and ,his son   
#8,abdu'l-,bah have given us4 ,they have
 not set it  up aggressively knowing    
that the germ of eternal truth which    
lies at its  core cannot but take root  
and spread40 8,if ever the name of      
,bah'u'llh or  #8,abdu'l-,bah10 is her  
concluding plea1 8comes to your         
attention1 do not  put their writings   
from you4 ,search out their ,books1 and 
let their  glorious1 peace-bringing1    
love-creating words and lessons sink    
into your  hearts as they have into     
mine40    ,the ,faith of ,bah'u'llh has 
assimilated1 by virtue of its creative1 
its  regulative and ennobling energies1 
the varied races1 nationalities1 creeds 
and classes that have sought its shadow1
 and have pledged unswerving  fealty to 
its cause4 ,it has changed the hearts of
 its adherents1 burned  away their      
prejudices1 stilled their passions1     
exalted their conceptions1  ennobled    
their motives1 cordinated their efforts1

 and transformed their  outlook4 ,while 
preserving their patriotism and         
safeguarding their lesser  loyalties1 it
 has made them lovers of mankind1 and   
the determined  upholders of its best   
and truest interests4 ,while maintaining
 intact their  belief in the ,divine    
origin of their respective religions1 it
 has enabled  them to visualize the     
underlying purpose of these religions1  
to discover  their merits1 to recognize 
their sequence1 their interdependence1  
their  wholeness and unity1 and to      
acknowledge the bond that vitally links 
them  to itself4 ,this universal1 this  
transcending love which the followers of
  the ,bah' ,faith feel for their       
fellow-men1 of whatever race1 creed1    
class  or nation1 is neither mysterious 
nor can it be said to have been         
artificially stimulated4 ,it is both    
spontaneous and genuine4 ,they whose    
hearts are warmed by the energizing     
influence of ,god's creative love       
cherish ,his creatures for ,his sake1   

and recognize in every human face a     
sign of ,his reflected glory4    ,of    
such men and women it may be truly said 
that to them 8every foreign  land is a  
fatherland1 and every fatherland a      
foreign land40 ,for their  citizenship1 
it must be remembered1 is in the        
,kingdom of ,bah'u'llh4  ,though willing
 to share to the utmost the temporal    
benefits and the  fleeting joys which   
this earthly life can confer1 though    
eager to  participate in whatever       
activity that conduces to the richness1 
the  happiness and peace of that life1  
they can1 at no time1 forget that it    
constitutes no more than a transient1 a 
very brief stage of their  existence1   
that they who live it are but pilgrims  
and wayfarers whose goal  is the        
,celestial ,city1 and whose home the    
,country of never-failing joy and       
brightness4    ,though loyal to their   
respective governments1 though          
profoundly interested  in anything that 
affects their security and welfare1     

though anxious to  share in whatever    
promotes their best interests1 the      
,faith with which the  followers of     
,bah'u'llh stand identified is one which
 they firmly believe  ,god has raised   
high above the storms1 the divisions1   
and controversies of  the political     
arena4 ,their ,faith they conceive to be
 essentially  non-political1            
supra-national in character1 rigidly    
non-partisan1 and  entirely dissociated 
from nationalistic ambitions1 pursuits1 
and purposes4  ,such a ,faith knows no  
division of class or of party4 ,it      
subordinates1  without hesitation or    
equivocation1 every particularistic     
interest1 be it  personal1 regional1 or 
national1 to the paramount interests of 
humanity1  firmly convinced that in a   
world of inter-dependent peoples and    
nations  the advantage of the part is   
best to be reached by the advantage of  
the  whole1 and that no abiding benefit 
can be conferred upon the component     
parts if the general interests of the   

entity itself are ignored or  neglected4
    ,small wonder if by the ,pen of     
,bah'u'llh these pregnant words1 written
 in  anticipation of the present state  
of mankind1 should have been revealed3  
8,it is not for him to pride himself who
 loveth his own country1 but rather  for
 him who loveth the whole world4 ,the   
earth is but one country1 and  mankind  
its citizens40 ,and again1 8,that one   
indeed is a man who today  dedicateth   
himself to the service of the entire    
human race40 8,through the  power       
released by these exalted words10 ,he   
explains1 8,he hath lent a fresh        
impulse1 and set a new direction1 to the
 birds of men's hearts1 and hath        
obliterated every trace of restriction  
and limitation from ,god's ,holy        
,book40    ,their ,faith1 ,bah's firmly 
believe1 is moreover undenominational1  
non-sectarian1 and wholly divorced from 
every ecclesiastical system1  whatever  
its form1 origin1 or activities4 ,no    
ecclesiastical organization1  with its  

creeds1 its traditions1 its limitations1
 and exclusive outlook1  can be said 7as
 is the case with all existing political
 factions1 parties1  systems and        
programs7 to conform1 in all its        
aspects1 to the cardinal  tenets of     
,bah' belief4 ,to some of the principles
 and ideals animating  political and    
ecclesiastical institutions every       
conscientious follower of  the ,faith of
 ,bah'u'llh can1 no doubt1 readily      
subscribe4 ,with none of  these         
institutions1 however1 can he identify  
himself1 nor can he  unreservedly       
endorse the creeds1 the principles and  
programs on which they  are based4      
,how can a ,faith1 it should moreover be
 borne in mind1 whose  divinely-ordained
 institutions have been established     
within the  jurisdiction of no less than
 forty different countries1 the policies
 and  interests of whose governments are
 continually clashing and growing more  
complex and confused every day--how can 
such a ,faith1 by allowing its          

adherents1 whether individually or      
through its organized councils1 to      
meddle in political activities1 succeed 
in preserving the integrity of its      
teachings and in safeguarding the unity 
of its followers8 ,how can it  insure   
the vigorous1 the uninterrupted and     
peaceful development of its  expanding  
institutions8 ,how can a ,faith1 whose  
ramifications have brought  it into     
contact with mutually incompatible      
religious systems1 sects and            
confessions1 be in a position1 if it    
permits its adherents to subscribe to   
obsolescent observances and doctrines1  
to claim the unconditional  allegiance  
of those whom it is striving to         
incorporate into its  divinely-appointed
 system8 ,how can it avoid the constant 
friction1 the  misunderstandings and    
controversies which formal affiliation1 
as distinct  from association1 must     
inevitably engender8    ,these directing
 and regulating principles of ,bah'     
belief the upholders  of the ,cause of  

,bah'u'llh feel bound1 as their         
,administrative ,order  expands and     
consolidates itself1 to assert and      
vigilantly apply4 ,the  exigencies of a 
slowly crystallizing ,faith impose upon 
them a duty which  they cannot shirk1 a 
responsibility they cannot evade4       
,nor are they unmindful of the          
imperative necessity of upholding and of
  executing the laws1 as distinguished  
from the principles1 ordained by        
,bah'u'llh1 both of which constitute the
 warp and woof of the  institutions upon
 which the structure of ,his ,world     
,order must ultimately  rest4 ,to       
demonstrate their usefulness and        
efficacy1 to carry out and apply  them1 
to safeguard their integrity1 to grasp  
their implications1 and to  facilitate  
their propagation ,bah' communities in  
the ,east1 and recently  in the ,west1  
are displaying the utmost effort and are
 willing1 if  necessary1 to make        
whatever sacrifices may be demanded4    
,the day may not be  far distant when in

 certain countries of the ,east1 in     
which religious  communities exercise   
jurisdiction in matters of personal     
status1 ,bah'  ,assemblies may be called
 upon to assume the duties and          
responsibilities  devolving upon        
officially constituted ,bah' courts4    
,they will be  empowered1 in such       
matters as marriage1 divorce1 and       
inheritance1 to  execute and apply1     
within their respective jurisdictions1  
and with the  sanction of civil         
authorities1 such laws and ordinances as
 have been  expressly provided in their 
,most ,holy ,book4    ,the ,faith of    
,bah'u'llh has1 in addition to these    
tendencies and  activities which its    
evolution is now revealing1             
demonstrated1 in other  spheres1 and    
wherever the illumination of its light  
has penetrated1 the  force of its       
cohesive strength1 of its integrating   
power1 of its  invincible spirit4 ,in   
the erection and consecration of its    
,house of  ,worship in the heart of the 

,north ,american continent2 in the      
construction  and multiplication of its 
administrative headquarters in the land 
of its  birth and in neighboring        
countries2 in the fashioning of the     
legal  instruments designed to safeguard
 and regulate the corporate life of its 
institutions2 in the accumulation of    
adequate resources1 material as well  as
 cultural1 in every continent of the    
globe2 in the endowments which it  has  
created for itself in the immediate     
surroundings of its ,shrines at its     
world center2 in the efforts that are   
being made for the collection1 the      
verification1 and the systematization of
 the writings of its ,founders2 in  the 
measures that are being taken for the   
acquisition of such historical  sites as
 are associated with the lives of its   
,forerunner and its ,author1  its heroes
 and martyrs2 in the foundations that   
are being laid for the  gradual         
formation and establishment of its      
educational1 its cultural and           

humanitarian institutions2 in the       
vigorous efforts that are being exerted 
to safeguard the character1 stimulate   
the initiative and coordinate the       
world-wide activities of its youth2 in  
the extraordinary vitality with  which  
its valiant defenders1 its elected      
representatives1 its itinerant  teachers
 and pioneer administrators are pleading
 its cause1 extending its  boundaries1  
enriching its literature1 and           
strengthening the basis of its          
spiritual conquests and triumphs2 in the
 recognition which civil  authorities   
have1 in certain instances1 been induced
 to grant to the body  of its local and 
national representatives1 enabling them 
to incorporate  their councils1         
establish their subsidiary institutions1
 and safeguard  their endowments2 in the
 facilities which these same authorities
 have  consented to accord to its       
shrines1 its consecrated edifices1 and  
educational institutions2 in the        
enthusiasm and determination with which 

certain communities that had been       
severely tested and harassed are        
resuming their activities2 in the       
spontaneous tributes paid by royalty1   
princes1 statesmen and scholars to the  
sublimity of its cause and the  station 
of its ,founders--in these1 as in many  
others1 the ,faith of  ,bah'u'llh is    
proving beyond doubt its virility and   
capacity to  counteract the             
disintegrating influences to which      
religious systems1 moral  standards1 and
 political and social institutions are  
being subjected4    ,from ,iceland to   
,tasmania1 from ,vancouver to the ,china
 ,sea spreads the  radiance and extend  
the ramifications of this               
world-enfolding ,system1 this  many-hued
 and firmly-knit ,fraternity1 infusing  
into every man and woman it  has won to 
its cause a faith1 a hope1 and a vigor  
that a wayward  generation has long     
lost1 and is powerless to recover4 ,they
 who preside  over the immediate        
destinies of this troubled world1 they  

who are  responsible for its chaotic    
state1 its fears1 its doubts1 its       
miseries  will do well1 in their        
bewilderment1 to fix their gaze and     
ponder in their  hearts upon the        
evidences of this saving grace of the   
,almighty that lies  within their       
reach--a grace that can ease their      
burden1 resolve their  perplexities1 and
 illuminate their path4          ,divine
 ,retribution      ,the whole of mankind
 is groaning1 is dying to be led to     
unity1 and to  terminate its age-long   
martyrdom4 ,and yet it stubbornly       
refuses to embrace  the light and       
acknowledge the sovereign authority of  
the one ,power that  can extricate it   
from its entanglements1 and avert the   
woeful calamity  that threatens to      
engulf it4    ,ominous indeed is the    
voice of ,bah'u'llh that rings through  
these  prophetic words3 8,o ye peoples  
of the world6 ,know1 verily1 that an    
unforeseen calamity followeth you1 and  
grievous retribution awaiteth you4      

,think not that which ye have committed 
hath been effaced in ,my sight40 ,and   
again3 8,we have a fixed time for you1  
,o peoples4 ,if ye fail1 at the         
appointed hour1 to turn towards ,god1   
,he1 verily1 will lay violent hold on   
you1 and will cause grievous afflictions
 to assail you from every  direction4   
,how severe1 indeed1 is the chastisement
 with which your ,lord  will then       
chastise you60    ,must humanity1       
tormented as she now is1 be afflicted   
with still severer  tribulations ere    
their purifying influence can prepare   
her to enter the  heavenly ,kingdom     
destined to be established upon earth8  
,must the  inauguration of so vast1 so  
unique1 so illumined an era in human    
history  be ushered in by so great a    
catastrophe in human affairs as to      
recall1 nay  surpass1 the appalling     
collapse of ,roman civilization in the  
first  centuries of the ,christian ,era8
 ,must a series of profound convulsions 
stir  and rock the human race ere       

,bah'u'llh can be enthroned in the      
hearts and  consciences of the masses1  
ere ,his undisputed ascendancy is       
universally  recognized1 and the noble  
edifice of ,his ,world ,order is reared 
and  established8    ,the long ages of  
infancy and childhood1 through which the
 human race had  to pass1 have receded  
into the background4 ,humanity is now   
experiencing  the commotions invariably 
associated with the most turbulent stage
 of its  evolution1 the stage of        
adolescence1 when the impetuosity of    
youth and its  vehemence reach their    
climax1 and must gradually be superseded
 by the  calmness1 the wisdom1 and the  
maturity that characterize the stage of 
manhood4 ,then will the human race reach
 that stature of ripeness which  will   
enable it to acquire all the powers and 
capacities upon which its  ultimate     
development must depend4          ,world
 ,unity the ,goal      ,unification of  
the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of
 the stage which  human society is now  

approaching4 ,unity of family1 of tribe1
 of  city-state1 and nation have been   
successively attempted and fully        
established4 ,world unity is the goal   
towards which a harassed humanity is    
striving4 ,nation-building has come to  
an end4 ,the anarchy inherent in  state 
sovereignty is moving towards a climax4 
,a world1 growing to  maturity1 must    
abandon this fetish1 recognize the      
oneness and wholeness of  human         
relationships1 and establish once for   
all the machinery that can  best        
incarnate this fundamental principle of 
its life4    8,a new life10 ,bah'u'llh  
proclaims1 8is1 in this age1 stirring   
within all  the peoples of the earth2   
and yet none hath discovered its cause1 
or  perceived its motive40 8,o ye       
children of men10 ,he thus addresses    
,his  generation1 8the fundamental      
purpose animating the ,faith of ,god and
 ,his  ,religion is to safeguard the    
interests and promote the unity of the  
human  race444 ,this is the straight    

path1 the fixed and immovable           
foundation4  ,whatsoever is raised on   
this foundation1 the changes and chances
 of the  world can never impair its     
strength1 nor will the revolution of    
countless  centuries undermine its      
structure40 8,the well-being of         
mankind10 ,he  declares1 8its peace and 
security are unattainable unless and    
until its  unity is firmly established40
 8,so powerful is the light of unity10  
is ,his  further testimony1 8that it can
 illuminate the whole earth4 ,the one   
true  ,god1 ,he ,who knoweth all things1
 ,himself testifieth to the truth of    
these  words444 ,this goal excelleth    
every other goal1 and this aspiration is
 the  monarch of all aspirations40 8,he 
,who is your ,lord1 the ,all-,merciful10
 ,he1  moreover1 has written1           
8cherisheth in ,his heart the desire of 
beholding  the entire human race as one 
soul and one body4 ,haste ye to win your
 share  of ,god's good grace and mercy  
in this ,day that eclipseth all other   

created  days40    ,the unity of the    
human race1 as envisaged by ,bah'u'llh1 
implies the  establishment of a world   
commonwealth in which all nations1      
races1 creeds  and classes are closely  
and permanently united1 and in which the
 autonomy  of its state members and the 
personal freedom and initiative of the  
individuals that compose them are       
definitely and completely safeguarded4  
,this commonwealth must1 as far as we   
can visualize it1 consist of a world    
legislature1 whose members will1 as the 
trustees of the whole of mankind1       
ultimately control the entire resources 
of all the component nations1 and  will 
enact such laws as shall be required to 
regulate the life1 satisfy  the needs   
and adjust the relationships of all     
races and peoples4 ,a world  executive1 
backed by an international ,force1 will 
carry out the decisions  arrived at1 and
 apply the laws enacted by1 this world  
legislature1 and  will safeguard the    
organic unity of the whole commonwealth4

 ,a world  tribunal will adjudicate and 
deliver its compulsory and final verdict
 in  all and any disputes that may arise
 between the various elements           
constituting this universal system4 ,a  
mechanism of world  inter-communication 
will be devised1 embracing the whole    
planet1 freed  from national hindrances 
and restrictions1 and functioning with  
marvellous  swiftness and perfect       
regularity4 ,a world metropolis will act
 as the nerve  center of a world        
civilization1 the focus towards which   
the unifying  forces of life will       
converge and from which its energizing  
influences will  radiate4 ,a world      
language will either be invented or     
chosen from among the  existing         
languages and will be taught in the     
schools of all the federated  nations as
 an auxiliary to their mother tongue4 ,a
 world script1 a world  literature1 a   
uniform and universal system of         
currency1 of weights and  measures1 will
 simplify and facilitate intercourse and

 understanding among  the nations and   
races of mankind4 ,in such a world      
society1 science and  religion1 the two 
most potent forces in human life1 will  
be reconciled1  will coperate1 and will 
harmoniously develop4 ,the press will1  
under such  a system1 while giving full 
scope to the expression of the          
diversified  views and convictions of   
mankind1 cease to be mischievously      
manipulated by  vested interests1       
whether private or public1 and will be  
liberated from  the influence of        
contending governments and peoples4 ,the
 economic  resources of the world will  
be organized1 its sources of raw        
materials  will be tapped and fully     
utilized1 its markets will be cordinated
 and  developed1 and the distribution of
 its products will be equitably         
regulated4    ,national rivalries1      
hatreds1 and intrigues will cease1 and  
racial  animosity and prejudice will be 
replaced by racial amity1 understanding 
and coperation4 ,the causes of religious

 strife will be permanently  removed1   
economic barriers and restrictions will 
be completely abolished1  and the       
inordinate distinction between classes  
will be obliterated4  ,destitution on   
the one hand1 and gross accumulation of 
ownership on the  other1 will disappear4
 ,the enormous energy dissipated and    
wasted on war1  whether economic or     
political1 will be consecrated to such  
ends as will  extend the range of human 
inventions and technical development1 to
 the  increase of the productivity of   
mankind1 to the extermination of        
disease1  to the extension of scientific
 research1 to the raising of the        
standard of  physical health1 to the    
sharpening and refinement of the human  
brain1 to  the exploitation of the      
unused and unsuspected resources of the 
planet1 to  the prolongation of human   
life1 and to the furtherance of any     
other agency  that can stimulate the    
intellectual1 the moral1 and spiritual  
life of the  entire human race4    ,a   

world federal system1 ruling the whole  
earth and exercising  unchallengeable   
authority over its unimaginably vast    
resources1 blending  and embodying the  
ideals of both the ,east and the ,west1 
liberated from the  curse of war and its
 miseries1 and bent on the exploitation 
of all the  available sources of energy 
on the surface of the planet1 a system  
in  which ,force is made the servant of 
,justice1 whose life is sustained by its
  universal recognition of one ,god and 
by its allegiance to one common         
,revelation--such is the goal towards   
which humanity1 impelled by the         
unifying forces of life1 is moving4     
8,one of the great events10 affirms     
#8,abdu'l-,bah1 8which is to occur in   
the  ,day of the manifestation of that  
incomparable ,branch is the hoisting of 
the ,standard of ,god among all nations4
 ,by this is meant that all nations  and
 kindreds will be gathered together     
under the shadow of this ,divine        
,banner1 which is no other than the     

,lordly ,branch itself1 and will become 
a  single nation4 ,religious and        
sectarian antagonism1 the hostility of  
races  and peoples1 and differences     
among nations1 will be eliminated4 ,all 
men  will adhere to one religion1 will  
have one common faith1 will be blended  
into one race and become a single       
people4 ,all will dwell in one common   
fatherland1 which is the planet itself40
 8,now1 in the world of being10 ,he  has
 moreover explained1 8the ,hand of      
,divine power hath firmly laid the      
foundations of this all-highest bounty1 
and this wondrous gift4 ,whatsoever  is 
latent in the innermost of this holy    
,cycle shall gradually appear and  be   
made manifest1 for now is but the       
beginning of its growth1 and the        
dayspring of the revelation of its      
signs4 ,ere the close of this century   
and of this age1 it shall be made clear 
and evident how wondrous was that       
spring-tide1 and how heavenly was that  
gift40    ,no less enthralling is the   

vision of ,isaiah1 the greatest of the  
,hebrew  ,prophets1 predicting1 as far  
back as twenty five hundred years ago1  
the  destiny which mankind must1 at its 
stage of maturity1 achieve3 8,and ,he   
7the ,lord7 shall judge among the       
nations1 and shall rebuke many people3  
and they shall beat their swords into   
plowshares1 and their spears into       
pruninghooks3 nation shall not lift up  
sword against nation1 neither shall     
they learn war any more 444,and there   
shall come forth a rod out of the  stem 
of ,jesse1 and a ,branch shall grow out 
of his roots444 ,and he shall  smite the
 earth with the rod of his mouth1 and   
with the breath of his lips  shall he   
slay the wicked4 ,and righteousness     
shall be the girdle of his  loins1 and  
faithfulness the girdle of his reins4   
,the wolf also shall dwell  with the    
lamb1 and the leopard shall lie down    
with the kid2 and the calf  and the     
young lion and the fatling together444  
,and the sucking child shall  play on   

the hole of the asp1 and the weaned     
child shall put his hand on  the        
cockatrice's den4 ,they shall not hurt  
nor destroy in all my holy  mountain3   
for the earth shall be full of the      
knowledge of the ,lord1 as the  waters  
cover the sea40    ,the writer of the   
,apocalypse1 prefiguring the millenial  
glory which a  redeemed1 a jubilant     
humanity must witness1 has similarly    
testified3 8,and  ,i saw a new heaven   
and a new earth3 for the first heaven   
and the first  earth were passed away2  
and there was no more sea4 ,and ,i1     
,john1 saw the  holy city1 new          
,jerusalem1 coming down from ,god out of
 heaven1 prepared as  a bride adorned   
for her husband4 ,and ,i heard a great  
voice out of heaven  saying1 #8,behold1 
the tabernacle of ,god is with men1 and 
he will dwell with  them1 and they shall
 be his people1 and ,god himself shall  
be with them1  and be their ,god4 ,and  
,god shall wipe away all tears from     
their eyes2 and  there shall be no more 

death1 neither sorrow1 nor crying1      
neither shall  there be any more pain3  
for the former things are passed away4'0
    ,who can doubt that such a          
consummation--the coming of age of the  
human  race--must signalize1 in its     
turn1 the inauguration of a world       
civilization  such as no mortal eye hath
 ever beheld or human mind conceived8   
,who is it  that can imagine the lofty  
standard which such a civilization1 as  
it  unfolds itself1 is destined to      
attain8 ,who can measure the heights to 
which human intelligence1 liberated from
 its shackles1 will soar8 ,who can      
visualize the realms which the human    
spirit1 vitalized by the outpouring     
light of ,bah'u'llh1 shining in the     
plenitude of its glory1 will  discover8 
,what more fitting conclusion to this   
theme than these words of  ,bah'u'llh1  
written in anticipation of the golden   
age of ,his ,faith--the  age in which   
the face of the earth1 from pole to     
pole1 will mirror the  ineffable        

splendors of the ,abh ,paradise8 8,this 
is the ,day whereon naught  can be seen 
except the splendors of the ,light that 
shineth from the face  of thy ,lord1 the
 ,gracious1 the ,most ,bountiful4       
,verily1 ,we have caused  every soul to 
expire by virtue of ,our irresistible   
and all-subduing  sovereignty4 ,we have 
then called into being a new creation1  
as a token of  ,our grace unto men4 ,i  
am1 verily1 the ,all-,bountiful1 the    
,ancient of ,days4  ,this is the ,day   
whereon the unseen world crieth out3    
#8,great is thy  blessedness1 ,o earth1 
for thou hast been made the foot-stool  
of thy ,god1  and been chosen as the    
seat of ,his mighty throne6' ,the realm 
of glory  exclaimeth3 #8,would that my  
life could be sacrificed for thee1 for  
,he ,who  is the ,beloved of the        
,all-,merciful hath established ,his    
sovereignty upon  thee1 through the     
power of ,his name that hath been       
promised unto all  things1 whether of   
the past or of the future4'0    ,shoghi4

    ,haifa1 ,palestine1  ,march #aa1    
#aicf4              ,,footnotes         
#a ,in an address by ,dr4 ,henry ,h4    
,jessup at the ,parliament of           
,religions1        ,columbian           
,exposition1 ,chicago1 #ahic4--;,editor4