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Brilliant Proof Burhane Lame in reply to an attack upon the Bahai Revelation by Peter Z Easton - Mirza Abul-Fadl Gulpaygani · Much Ado About Nothing

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Speaker 1: Section one of The Brilliant Proof by Mirzo Abulfazle Gulpaigawni.
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Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information ought to volunteer, please
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Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. The
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Speaker 1: Brilliant Proof Borhauni Laumeh in reply to an attack upon
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Speaker 1: the Bahai Revelation by Peter Z. Easton, written December twenty eighth,
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Speaker 1: nineteen eleven in Syria, by the pen of Myrzo Abulfazle
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Speaker 1: Goulpai Gawni. He is the living, the self subsistent in
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Speaker 1: these days, which are the latter days of nineteen eleven
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Speaker 1: AD and the early day of thirteen thirty AH. I
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Speaker 1: have seen a curious article which astonished me. What did
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Speaker 1: I see? I find that one of the missionaries of
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Speaker 1: the Protestant sect, who accounts himself among the learned men
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Speaker 1: of the twentieth century, a helper of the pure religion
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Speaker 1: of Christ, and one of the civilized and cultured occidentals
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Speaker 1: by name Peter Z. Eastern, has been so provoked by
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Speaker 1: jealousy at the universal spread of the heavenly word of
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Speaker 1: his holiness Abdul Bahao throughout the vast expanses of Europe,
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Speaker 1: that he has trespassed the limit of courtesy and humanity
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Speaker 1: and published an article replete with execration and calumny in
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Speaker 1: the magazine evangel christendom yea jealousy has caused many to
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Speaker 1: fall from the high station and lofty summit of courtesy
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Speaker 1: and thrown them headlong into the low depths of vain
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Speaker 1: words and the writing of falsehood and slander. But the
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Speaker 1: fire of jealousy has flamed in this person with even
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Speaker 1: greater violence, For he has seen how that glorious man
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Speaker 1: Archdeacon Wilberforce, as befitting the station of men of learning
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Speaker 1: and of eminence, has spoken of Abdul Baha as master
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Speaker 1: before a great assemblage and introduced him with terms of
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Speaker 1: glorification and commendation to a mighty gathering. Having considered the
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Speaker 1: entire contents of the above article, I found the writer's
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Speaker 1: soul aim to be an attempt to allay the fire
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Speaker 1: of his jealousy by the mention of evil words and execration,
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Speaker 1: to count himself as victorious by wielding the arms of
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Speaker 1: calumny and falsehood, which are usually the only sword and
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Speaker 1: sole weapon in the hands of a weak and ignorant opponent.
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Speaker 1: The realization of this caused even greater regret and remorse,
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Speaker 1: for I had never supposed that such traits and objectionable
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Speaker 1: qualities could be manifested by souls who pretended to civilization
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Speaker 1: and moral culture. Are there not enough revilers, calumniators, and
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Speaker 1: prevaricators in the other parts of the world that such
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Speaker 1: should also appear from Europe? Should one accounting himself a
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Speaker 1: teacher of God, good morals and a spreader of the
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Speaker 1: superior virtues of Christianity, characterize himself with a quality which
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Speaker 1: is the most specific sign and attribute of Antichrist. No,
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Speaker 1: by the life of God, manifestors of such evil qualities
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Speaker 1: do exist in the world, even as dawning places of
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Speaker 1: glorious qualities are also visible and manifest. In order that
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Speaker 1: the blessed words of the Christ, ye shall know the
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Speaker 1: tree by its fruit may be fulfilled, and that those
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Speaker 1: who are akin to His Holiness Christ, upon whom be glory,
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Speaker 1: may be distinguished from those who are contrary to him
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Speaker 1: His Holiness. Abdul Bahar calls the people of Europe to
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Speaker 1: the lofty attributes of humansanity, but Peter zed Eastern teaches
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Speaker 1: them libels, execration, falsehood, and calumnies. His holiness. Abdul Baha
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Speaker 1: summons the dwellers in the world to unity and harmony,
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Speaker 1: but Peter zed Eastern invites men to division and in harmony.
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Speaker 1: His Holiness Abdul Baha lifts his blessed hands heavenward in
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Speaker 1: the assemblage of prayer and invokes blessing and mercy for
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Speaker 1: the people of Europe from the court of the Almighty,
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Speaker 1: But Peter zed Eastern attempts to prove in learned magazines
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Speaker 1: the remoteness of the people of the East from praiseworthy
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Speaker 1: Christian qualities, and desires that torment and punishment should fall
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Speaker 1: upon them. Abdulbah Haw commands speak evil of no one
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Speaker 1: and wish evil for no one, but Peter z Eastern
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Speaker 1: says that no one should wish well for or consider
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Speaker 1: as worthy of grace a people whose number he himself
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Speaker 1: estimates as three millions. I wonder, therefore, how we are
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Speaker 1: to distinguish the good and evil fruits of the Tree
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Speaker 1: of existence, And how shall we comprehend and interpret the
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Speaker 1: blessed words. Ye shall know the tree by its fruits.
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Speaker 1: To my mind, there is no criterion but this, and
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Speaker 1: Peter Z Eastern cannot teach otherwise. Consider the thirty fourth
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Speaker 1: verse of the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew,
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Speaker 1: where His Holiness the c Christ says, oh, ye, generation
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Speaker 1: of vipers, How can ye, being evil speak good things? Yea?
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Speaker 1: If it were possible for the sugar cane to yield
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Speaker 1: a bitter fruit and for the fragrant rose to exhale
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Speaker 1: a foul odor, such signs as these, ye shall know
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Speaker 1: the tree by its fruits would never have been revealed
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Speaker 1: in the heavenly books, and such distinction would never have
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Speaker 1: been appointed as the correct criterion. Consequently, that which emanates
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Speaker 1: from His Holiness Abdul Bahal consists in calling men to
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Speaker 1: the principles of faithfulness and accord, and exhorting them to
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Speaker 1: good morals and lofty attributes, while that which appears from
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Speaker 1: Peter Z Easton consists of varying degrees of falsehood, calumny, libels, execration,
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Speaker 1: and the like. The purpose of all this is that
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Speaker 1: the nature of each of the two persons may become manifest,
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Speaker 1: that the fruits of the tree of existence may be
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Speaker 1: distinguished and men may find the true standard. Briefly, as
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Speaker 1: this servant carefully perused and weighed the above mentioned article,
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Speaker 1: it was found that Peter Z. Eastern, in his own supposition,
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Speaker 1: has clung to four proofs in opposing the Great ba
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Speaker 1: High cause. We will therefore mention these four points and
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Speaker 1: clearly show the falsity of his fanciful ideas in each instance.
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Speaker 1: First words of writers who, in his opinion, have made
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Speaker 1: accusations against Baha'a law, attributing objectionable qualities to him. Second,
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Speaker 1: the declaration that the teachings of Baha'a law are pantheistic,
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Speaker 1: and that pantheism is a false doctrine. Third, the statement
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Speaker 1: that the intention of the Bahai religion is to re
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Speaker 1: establish despotic government, while despotism is the practice of tyrannical
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Speaker 1: and forsaken governments. Fourth, that the Bahai religion is not
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Speaker 1: able to show anything better or superior to other religions.
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Speaker 1: In a word, what new things has Bahaullah brought which
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Speaker 1: are not found in the Christian religion? And what is
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Speaker 1: the need of decis distinction. Now, therefore, it is necessary
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Speaker 1: for us to write an answer to the assertions made
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Speaker 1: under the four mentioned points, so that we may distinguish
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Speaker 1: truth from falsehood and guidance from error. End of section one,
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Speaker 1: Section two of the Brilliant Proof by Mirzo Abolfazle Gulpaigoni.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Section two.
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Speaker 1: As to the first point, which is the testimony of narrators,
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Speaker 1: this missionary, Peter Z. Eastern has relied upon the statements
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Speaker 1: of certain persons who have written against the most Holy
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Speaker 1: beauty of ab Hall in criticism and arrangement. He says, quote,
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Speaker 1: why did not that esteemed man Wilberforce heed and pay
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Speaker 1: attention to the accounts of the Christian missionaries who have
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Speaker 1: lived in Persia and the vicinity of Aka, all of
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Speaker 1: whom have written against baha' Lah end quote. This is
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Speaker 1: a summary of the proof advanced by that reverend missionary.
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Speaker 1: But in the estimation of the people of knowledge, such
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Speaker 1: proof is exceedingly weak and base. In the first place,
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Speaker 1: the writer of this article is truly and verily astounded
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Speaker 1: that a man such as Peter Z. Easton, who considers
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Speaker 1: himself among the scholars of the twentieth century and accounts
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Speaker 1: himself a judge competent to differentiate truth from falsehood. That
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Speaker 1: a man of his caliber should rely upon the testimony
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Speaker 1: of one side only, He should weigh the statements of
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Speaker 1: at least twenty persons, affirmative and negative, friendly and hostile,
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Speaker 1: good and evil, then ponder upon the sayings of the
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Speaker 1: two sides with justice, in order that he may arrive
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Speaker 1: at a truthful conclusion as to the question, and a
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Speaker 1: judge with fairness and equity. For just as some have
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Speaker 1: written unfavorably regarding the Most Holy Beauty of Abhare, other
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Speaker 1: people of insight and perception, both Eastern and Western historians,
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Speaker 1: have recorded the utmost praise and eulogy in their books
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Speaker 1: concerning the Most Holy Beauty of Abhall. According to what
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Speaker 1: rule should conclusions be reached? Is man to be content
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Speaker 1: with the judgment of the enemy alone, and to consider
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Speaker 1: as valid all that the opponent has written? Is it
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Speaker 1: not true that everyone who has committed this mistake has
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Speaker 1: done so by listening to the statements of one side
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Speaker 1: and paying no attention to the testimony of others. Furthermore,
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Speaker 1: have not the people of Europe read history? Have they
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Speaker 1: not heard the famous aphorism history repeats itself. Did not
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Speaker 1: the Great Roman philosopher and historian Tacitus at the beginning
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Speaker 1: of the Christian era and the commencement of the spread
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Speaker 1: of Christianity right in the most unmistakable terms that quote,
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Speaker 1: the Cree Christian religion is the enemy of humanity. End quote.
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Speaker 1: In another place he wrote, quote the Christian religion is
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Speaker 1: among the destructive superstitions end quote. Swetonius, who was another
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Speaker 1: of the philosophers and a Roman historian, pronounced the pure
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Speaker 1: Christian religion quote dishonesty, its acceptance, contrary to truthfulness and highmindedness,
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Speaker 1: and inimical to loyalty and good citizenship end quote. Refer
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Speaker 1: to the histories of the Church, in order that these
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Speaker 1: statements may be confirmed with your own eyes, and that
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Speaker 1: you may bear witness to the ignorance of Peter z
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Speaker 1: Eastern regarding historical facts. At present, although traveling, the writer
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Speaker 1: has with him four histories of the Church, representing Protestantism, Catholicism,
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Speaker 1: and Greek Orthodoxy. Among the books written by the Greek,
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Speaker 1: Roman and Alexandrian philosophers against the Christian religion, nay, rather
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Speaker 1: against the very person of His Holiness Christ. Upon him
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Speaker 1: be glory is that of Celsus. One of the famous
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Speaker 1: philosophers of the second Christian century. He compiled a large
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Speaker 1: book replete with terrible libels and calumny against the pure
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Speaker 1: and holy person of Christ. Porphyry the Syrian, who was
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Speaker 1: among the greatest of Platonic philosophers, wrote a large book
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Speaker 1: against Christianity, recording therein accusations and abusive attack against his
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Speaker 1: holiness and his disciples. This book was burned and destroyed
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Speaker 1: by the order of two Christian emperors, Sidocius and Dolavantianus.
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Speaker 1: The historians of the Church state that he was an
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Speaker 1: eminent philosopher and an accomplished author. Ferrento, the eloquent master
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Speaker 1: of rhetoric, a tutor of King Antonius, wrote fifteen volumes
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Speaker 1: against the Christian religion and the quote ignoble manners end
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Speaker 1: quote of the Christians. He Antonius himself was one of
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Speaker 1: the great emperors, noted for erudition and philosophy. European scholars
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Speaker 1: speak of him as quote the caesar of sublime wisdom
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Speaker 1: end quote, and have written lofty chapters detailing his virtues.
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Speaker 1: James Murdoch the American, in his translation of the History
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Speaker 1: of the Church, says, with regard to the great university,
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Speaker 1: which was founded by Ammonius Sakas at Alexandria, and which
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Speaker 1: is in need of no introduction or praise on account
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Speaker 1: of its fame. Quote from this university graduated two erudite
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Speaker 1: scholars of eminence. One was the Emperor mark Antony, and
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Speaker 1: the other was Epictetus. End quote. In short, this great
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Speaker 1: and wise emperor, whose praises you have heard, spoke of
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Speaker 1: the Christian people in terms of quote inimical pretenders end quote,
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Speaker 1: quote imperfect minds end quote quote bereft of virtues and
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Speaker 1: praiseworthy qualities. End quote. This emperor considered it an important
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Speaker 1: duty to be hostile to Christians and exert himself in
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Speaker 1: destroying them. He says, quote you should ask concerning Jesus
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Speaker 1: of Nazareth from his own people, the Jews, and not
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Speaker 1: from these poor Romans, none of whom have seen him,
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Speaker 1: but whom baseness and indolence have caused to follow him.
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Speaker 1: End quote. Emperor Julian, who was likewise an eminent philosopher,
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Speaker 1: but whom the Christians designate Julian the Apostate, has written
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Speaker 1: many books denouncing Christianity and criticizing the manners of the
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Speaker 1: Christian community. He called them enemies of the world of humanity.
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Speaker 1: But what the Jews have written concerning his holiness Jesus
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Speaker 1: Christ is beyond the power of the pen to portray.
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Speaker 1: One point, however, is sufficient for the man of intelligence
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Speaker 1: and sagacity, namely that nineteen hundred years have passed since
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Speaker 1: the manifestation of Christ, and yet none of the Jews
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Speaker 1: expresses a wish to investigate his religion. This well shows
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Speaker 1: what the Jewish learned men have written concerning his holiness
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Speaker 1: and what evil qualities they have attributed to him. Taking
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Speaker 1: the above facts into consideration, we ask the astonishing writer
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Speaker 1: Peter Z. Eastern whether it is worthy of any unprejudiced
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Speaker 1: man of sense to judge the character and qualities of
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Speaker 1: Baha'a law by relying upon those who have written against him.
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Speaker 1: If so, how can one be expected to disregard what
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Speaker 1: the above mentioned hostile philosophers and eminent writers have stated
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Speaker 1: concerning Christ and trust in the text of the Gospels
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Speaker 1: written by his disciples, rather than the testimony of learned
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Speaker 1: men engaged in investigating the qualities and characters of his holiness.
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Speaker 1: Is this not very astonishing? But the writer of this
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Speaker 1: article states that Neither in these days nor in the
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Speaker 1: days of Christ, should an intelligent man judge of a
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Speaker 1: person by trusting in what his enemies say of him. Nay,
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Speaker 1: one should look at the deeds, actions, and true traces
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Speaker 1: of that person, and reflect upon that which has emanated
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Speaker 1: from him, thus recognizing as the right criterion Christ's own saying,
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Speaker 1: ye shall know the tree by its fruit, for it
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Speaker 1: is self evident and proven thousands of times that every
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Speaker 1: great personage finds many enemies who are jealous of him.
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Speaker 1: And when an enemy feels himself impotent, he clings to
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Speaker 1: slander and calumny, and engages in libels and execration. Hence,
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Speaker 1: it is said by wise men evil speech is the
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Speaker 1: weapon of the weak. James Murdoch of America, in his
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Speaker 1: translation of Church History, writes that quote, although Roman rulers
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Speaker 1: were most the temperate and liberal towards their subjects in
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Speaker 1: religious freedom, yet for two reasons they interfered with the
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Speaker 1: Christians and endeavored to extinguish and eradicate them. First, because
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Speaker 1: of love for their own religion, wherefore they would not
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Speaker 1: allow the Christians to interfere therewith and cause a weakening
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Speaker 1: and degrading thereof. Second, because the opponents of Christianity accused
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Speaker 1: its followers of vile calumnies before the rulers, and characterized
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Speaker 1: them with all kinds of vice and defects, such as
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Speaker 1: lack of piety, abandonment of prayer and worship, desire for
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Speaker 1: dominion and power, and a wish for leadership and changing
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Speaker 1: of the government. They accused the Christians of immoral deeds
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Speaker 1: and even of cannibalism, a certain that the Christians would
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Speaker 1: kidnap the children of the Romans, kill them, and prepare
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Speaker 1: their flesh for consumption at banquets and entertainments. End quote.
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Speaker 1: This is a brief account of the calumnies which the
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Speaker 1: above author has related, so that men may thereby differentiate
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Speaker 1: truth from falsehood. Were one to ponder over these facts,
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Speaker 1: he would testify that dependence upon such falsehoods and calumnies
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Speaker 1: has always been the excuse of the enemies of God,
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Speaker 1: whereas such methods have never been conducive to attaining the
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Speaker 1: knowledge of God and separating truth from falsehood. For instance,
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Speaker 1: how can a man of perception trust in the words
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Speaker 1: of Baha'a Law's enemies, who have written that he God
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Speaker 1: forbid intended to poison his brother, were such sayings to
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Speaker 1: be considered a criterion, the truth of no one could
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Speaker 1: be proven, for all among the prophets have been the
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Speaker 1: subject of similar reviling and accusations. Moreover, jealousy and enmity
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Speaker 1: entertained by mir Zo Yahya the Azal for Baha'a Law
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Speaker 1: dates back to the time of their residence in Baghdad,
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Speaker 1: when in that city Yahyah witnessed the shining traces tablets
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Speaker 1: of the sacred Being, whereby he assisted the cause of
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Speaker 1: God cause the penetration of the word of God, affected
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Speaker 1: the gathering and union of the beloved, and resisted the
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Speaker 1: schemes and deceitful activities of the enemy, as himself, fearing
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Speaker 1: for his life, which tendency is the most specific quality
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Speaker 1: of the people of falsehood, did not dare to appear
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Speaker 1: nor to associate with people. Then the fire of jealousy
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Speaker 1: and hatred, which is so aflamed today in the heart
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Speaker 1: of mister Eastern, became a blaze in his heart, and
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Speaker 1: he repeatedly planned to murder Baho'll Law. Again, he sought
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Speaker 1: to poison Baha'a Law in Adrianople, and, according to trustworthy authorities,
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Speaker 1: attempted to do so twice, but failing to accomplish his design,
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Speaker 1: availed himself of a new scheme and cried out that
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Speaker 1: others had sought to poison him and take his life.
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Speaker 1: It is an evident point that a weak and defeated
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Speaker 1: enemy he always stoops to such pretexts and seeks to
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Speaker 1: resist his opponents through secret means and subtle designs. On
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Speaker 1: the contrary, the victorious and powerful party has no need
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Speaker 1: of employing such means. For if Baha'a Law had sought
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Speaker 1: to destroy Azal, he was not impotent and needed no
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Speaker 1: such method for the execution of his plan. Numerous historical
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Speaker 1: and tangible evidences can be furnished to demonstrate and prove
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Speaker 1: that it was even the powerful and mighty pen of
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Speaker 1: Baha'a Law which protected from death his own enemies such
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Speaker 1: as subhe Azal Noceridine Shah and certain great doctors and divines.
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Speaker 1: Otherwise the barbies would not have allowed a single one
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Speaker 1: of these people to have escaped alive. Yeay, it was
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Speaker 1: Baha'allah who, through the effect of pure heavenly utterances, even
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Speaker 1: more refreshing than the zephyrs of the morn wafting from
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Speaker 1: the rose garden, and even more limpid than the vernal rain,
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Speaker 1: which distills drop by drop from the fragrant rose petals.
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Speaker 1: Trained his friends so that the people of the world
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Speaker 1: were amazed and astonished for these possessors of hearts and souls,
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Speaker 1: three hundred and thirteen of whom resisted in battle thousands
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Speaker 1: of the regular troops of the government during many months,
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Speaker 1: astonishing and bewildering the enemy, as well as the warriors
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Speaker 1: of other nations by their valor, heroism, strength of heart,
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Speaker 1: firmness and resolute in the terrible battles of Neris, Zanjan
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Speaker 1: and Mozandaran. Were so trained in tenderness of heart and
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Speaker 1: gentleness of disposition through the glorious teachings of Baha'a law,
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Speaker 1: that during the long years from the time of his
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Speaker 1: arrival in Baghdad down to the present day, they have
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Speaker 1: shown forbearance and self restraint throughout many great events, and
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Speaker 1: have not committed that which would disturb any soul or
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Speaker 1: be contrary to the law of any government. They were killed,
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Speaker 1: but they killed no one. They endured violent calamities, but
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Speaker 1: their lips were not opened in complaint. When the late
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Speaker 1: Halji Mohammad Rezol of Esfahan suffered martyrdom in the city
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Speaker 1: of esh Gabard in eighteen eighty two AD. The chief
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Speaker 1: of police found the city in great excitement and the
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Speaker 1: Bahai's exposed to danger. He therefore permitted the Bahais to
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Speaker 1: carry arms, but they did not do so, considering death
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Speaker 1: better than self defense. The government then engaged in the
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Speaker 1: trial of those who conspired and murdered the martyrs. After
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Speaker 1: five months trial, examining and hearing both sides, a high
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Speaker 1: Justice of the War Department, accompanied by an imposing body,
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Speaker 1: arrived at Eshgabard from Saint Petersburg. An open court, the
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Speaker 1: account of whose proceedings would lead to prolixity was held.
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Speaker 1: That court ordered two of the murderers to be hanged
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Speaker 1: and the conspirators to be imprisoned for life in Siberia
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Speaker 1: and subjected to hard labor. As the governor of the
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Speaker 1: province had the right to lessen this penalty. In three days,
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Speaker 1: four of the Bahais appeared before him. This great man
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Speaker 1: was came off the Victor of merv and the Viceroy
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Speaker 1: of the province. They interceded for the condemned murderers, as
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Speaker 1: the governor was greatly pleased with the excellent conduct and
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Speaker 1: good training of the Bahais, he accepted their intercession and
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Speaker 1: exercised his authority by changing the verdict of hanging into
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Speaker 1: exile and reducing the punishment of the others from hard
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Speaker 1: labor to simple confinement. These incidents referred to are not
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Speaker 1: based upon hearsay, but are recorded in the Register of
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Speaker 1: the Government of Eshgabod and in other official papers. Now
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Speaker 1: could such a pure morality, kindness and gentleness, such training,
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Speaker 1: and noble conduct be inculcated by one who had attempted murder,
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Speaker 1: and who sought to poison his own brother? What then
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Speaker 1: becomes of the words of His Holiness Christ, Ye shall
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Speaker 1: know them by their fruit, And what becomes of the
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Speaker 1: criterion embodied in the words Thou makest righteous by thy words,
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Speaker 1: and thou judgest by thy sayings. Should hatred for the
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Speaker 1: people of Bahar cause one to deny all reliable criteria
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Speaker 1: and rules of judgment, It is for ye to judge.
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Speaker 1: End of section two section three of the Brilliant Proof
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Speaker 1: by Mirzo Abolfazle Golpaigawni. This LibriVox recording is in the
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Speaker 1: public domain. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater section three. As
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Speaker 1: to the second point, which is peter z Eastern statement
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Speaker 1: that the creed of the Bahais is pantheism, this likewise
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Speaker 1: is a manifest calumny and a false accusation, displaying his
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Speaker 1: ignorance of the subject of pantheism. For the teachings of
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Speaker 1: Baha'u'llah in no manner resemble pantheism. Pantheism is a philosophical question,
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Speaker 1: and to treat it is the work of scholars and
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Speaker 1: learned men. It has nothing to do with the function
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Speaker 1: of revelation or the station of the founders of religions.
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Speaker 1: The writer of this article believes that the teachings of
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Speaker 1: pantheism have originated from the Platonic school of philosophy, which
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Speaker 1: is founded upon devotion, seclusion, rigid discipline, and shunning bodily enjoyments.
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Speaker 1: The same philosophy is the source of celibacy in Christianity
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Speaker 1: and sufism in Mahommedanism. It was transferred from the Brahmins
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Speaker 1: of India to the philosophers of Athens and to the
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Speaker 1: Platonists of Alexandria, who became known as the neo Platonists.
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Speaker 1: This late Platonic school held that the reality of the spirit,
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Speaker 1: which is an active essence effective throughout the world, is
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Speaker 1: but one indivisible reality. This indivisible reality, simple essence, and
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Speaker 1: ancient identity comprehends all things, and the souls of all
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Speaker 1: animate organisms are but raised descending from that ancient reality.
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Speaker 1: These Platonists, in their own belief, gathered from this principle
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Speaker 1: the theory that each human soul is a ray from
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Speaker 1: the universal divine reality and a drop from the see
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Speaker 1: of the ancient holy essence, which is confined in the
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Speaker 1: prison of the body, and has thus been separated from
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Speaker 1: that universal simple reality of realities. Thus, they taught that
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Speaker 1: a seeker of perfection must devote himself to severe discipline,
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Speaker 1: such as vigils, successive prayers, fasting, abstaining from physical luxuries,
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Speaker 1: and denial of material bounties, in order that he may
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Speaker 1: release his soul from the bodily prison, cause it to
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Speaker 1: unite itself with the ancient reality of realities and reach
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Speaker 1: the apex of eternal bliss. Referring to this theory, Eben
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Speaker 1: Mescovie cites in his work tehorato ach Lao Purification of
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Speaker 1: Morals a quotation from the divine Plato to it, quote
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Speaker 1: die by thy will, and you shall live by nature
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Speaker 1: end quote. This is a brief account of the subject
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Speaker 1: of pantheism, its source and origin. If the people of
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Speaker 1: investigation look with keen eyes upon the creation and formation
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Speaker 1: of nations, they would find the atoms of this strange
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Speaker 1: doctrine scattered in the horizons of the western regions. They
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Speaker 1: would also trace pantheism to the thoughts of Greek philosophers.
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Speaker 1: References Thereto have come down to us through treatises and
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Speaker 1: essays of scholars, and descriptions thereof are to be found
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Speaker 1: in various books and writings. Were it not for the
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Speaker 1: desire to avoid prolixity, we would draw examples from those
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Speaker 1: writings in order that the real truth might be known
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Speaker 1: to men of insight, and the source and origin of pantheism,
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Speaker 1: as well as Peter Z Easton's ignorance of it, become
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Speaker 1: clear and manifest his holiness. Abdul Bahar, in the book
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Speaker 1: Some Answered Questions, has clearly shown the plane of those
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Speaker 1: who believe in pantheism, for he has mentioned the followers
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Speaker 1: of pantheism as opposed to the prophets and messengers and
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Speaker 1: has removed all causes for such superstitious beliefs. Reference to
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Speaker 1: page three, p. Twenty seven of that book will thoroughly
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Speaker 1: expose the shallowness of such false accusations. As to the
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Speaker 1: third point, this refers to Peter Z. Eastern's statement that
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Speaker 1: the outcome of the Bahai religion is a return of
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Speaker 1: despotic rule. Overlooking the falsehood and sheer calumny of this statement,
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Speaker 1: it is a proof of his lack of information regarding
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Speaker 1: the laws and ordinances of the Bahai faith. He is
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Speaker 1: likewise ignorant of what has been explicitly revealed in the
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Speaker 1: Book of Laws kitabol ap Das concerning the organization of
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Speaker 1: a house of justice in every city of the world,
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Speaker 1: the members of which, according to the conditions stated in
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Speaker 1: the book, shall be elected by the people. Such members
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Speaker 1: must hold their consultations in the utmost purity of conscience
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Speaker 1: and good will. Moreover, in the glad Tidings, which is
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Speaker 1: one of the well known tablets of this most great manifestation,
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Speaker 1: the substance of the last paragraph is as follows quote.
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Speaker 1: Although a republican form of government profits all the people
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Speaker 1: of the world, yet the majesty of kingship is one
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Speaker 1: of the signs of God. If a statesman combine the
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Speaker 1: two into one form, their reward will be great before
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Speaker 1: God end quote. That is to say, hereditary sovereignty should
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Speaker 1: be limited by a national parliament and representative assembly. In
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Speaker 1: this way, national problems and questions of citizenship will find
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Speaker 1: solution through the cooperation of these two bodies, so that
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Speaker 1: the country and nation may attain perfection and people arrive
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Speaker 1: at the highest pitch of welfare and prosperity. Inasmuch as
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Speaker 1: the original tablet is not at hand, the substance thereof
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Speaker 1: is mentioned. If a reference be made to the tablet
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Speaker 1: of the glad Tidings, which should be considered from all
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Speaker 1: standpoints as to the beauty of expression in the heavenly utterances,
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Speaker 1: surely the reader will exclaim, Blessed be God, the most
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Speaker 1: excellent of creators, in one of the long tablets, which
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Speaker 1: is considered accessory to the kitabul agdas he has illustrated
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Speaker 1: the form of constitutional government and representative assembly by the
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Speaker 1: British government. The form of that great government has therefore
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Speaker 1: met with His approval and sanction. Consequently, the fear that
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Speaker 1: despotism will be restored is caused by ignorance concerning the
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Speaker 1: commandments of this most great manifestation and the outcome of
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Speaker 1: reliance upon the sayings of enemies. Regarding international discussions. As
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Speaker 1: to the fourth and greatest point, he says, quote, what
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Speaker 1: new command is therein the Baha'i religion which is lacking
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Speaker 1: in Christianity? And quote, Although this question is an abstruse
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Speaker 1: one which cannot be fully comprehended by a person unless
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Speaker 1: he be well versed in the books of the Two Peoples,
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Speaker 1: yet we will expound it clearly in such a way
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Speaker 1: as to be easily understood by every soul. And we
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Speaker 1: will explain the specific features of this great movement and
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Speaker 1: prove the necessity of this most holy manifestation for the
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Speaker 1: comfort and upbuilding of the world. Thus, may disinterested persons
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Speaker 1: attain in sight, and every just one arise in thanksgiving
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Speaker 1: for this great bestowal of God, the all glorious. It
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Speaker 1: is evident to every perceiving soul that the world of
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Speaker 1: humanity will attain perfection, and that happiness and welfare that
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Speaker 1: has desire of nations and goal of all hearts will
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Speaker 1: be ensured. When religious differences and sectarianism the cause of
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Speaker 1: alienation and estrangement of the people are utterly removed from
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Speaker 1: the world, and all estrangements and schisms such as racial,
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Speaker 1: patriotic and political divisions, etc. Are dispelled from among men. Thus,
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Speaker 1: may men become as brothers, loving and kind toward each other.
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Speaker 1: These terrible wars, which are the greatest catastrophes of humanity
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Speaker 1: and civilization, will disappear. The vast sums, the expenditure of
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Speaker 1: which is undoubtedly the cause of impoverishing men and destroying
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Speaker 1: the world, will no longer be devoted to destructive pursuits
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Speaker 1: and infernal machinery. This question is so clear and lucid
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Speaker 1: that the most deficient mind can pass judgment upon it. Nevertheless,
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Speaker 1: this condition has been confirmed by the divine glad tidings
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Speaker 1: and established by heavenly prophecies. For the Holy Books contain
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Speaker 1: explicit record that in the Great Day, which has been
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Speaker 1: exalted by various names such as the Last Day, the
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Speaker 1: Time of the End, the Latter Day, the Day of
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Speaker 1: the Lord, etc. The Glorious Lord will descend and will
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Speaker 1: unite all nations in the worship of the One God.
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Speaker 1: He will so train all men in lofty and spiritual
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Speaker 1: qualities that warfare and conflict will be uprooted, rancor and
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Speaker 1: hatred will be replaced by sociability and peace, and implements
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Speaker 1: of war be changed into farming and trading tools. This
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Speaker 1: is a brief statement of the promises of the prophets
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Speaker 1: concerning the latter day. It is self evident that all
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Speaker 1: nations are awaiting and anticipating the advent of such a
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Speaker 1: day and the coming of such a great cause. Nay,
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Speaker 1: they pray and supplicate God to hasten its arrival. But
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Speaker 1: the greatest obstacles among the nations are the signs and
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Speaker 1: conditions which shall appear with the praiseworthy manifestation and promised day.
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Speaker 1: For all the manifestations of God and founders of religion
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Speaker 1: who have formerly come have mentioned the signs of this
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Speaker 1: great event in their respective books, and emphasized and clearly
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Speaker 1: recorded them in their utterances. But every prophet who appeared
45:08
Speaker 1: recorded the self same signs mentioned by his predecessor, and
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Speaker 1: repeated the same words, yet without undertaking to explain the
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Speaker 1: meaning of those signs and conditions or make his object
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Speaker 1: therein known. For instance, consider how for a thousand years
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Speaker 1: his Holiness Moses and the Israelitish prophets spoke and uttered
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Speaker 1: glad tidings to the people of the coming of the
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Speaker 1: Lord of Hosts, who would harmonize and unite all in
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Speaker 1: the worship of one God. Among the signs of the
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Speaker 1: day of his coming announced by them are first the
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Speaker 1: rolling up of the heavens. Second, the sun will be darkened. Third,
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Speaker 1: the moon shall not give her light. Fourth, the stars
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Speaker 1: shall fall from heaven. Fifth, the dead shall arise from
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Speaker 1: their tombs. Sixth, ferocious animals will make peace with grazing animals. Seventh,
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Speaker 1: they will share the same pasture and food. Eighth, the
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Speaker 1: children will play with poisonous serpents. Ninth the people of Israel,
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Speaker 1: who in that day shall have become scattered and humiliated
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Speaker 1: throughout all the nations of the East and West, will
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Speaker 1: be again assembled together by the Lord of Hosts, who
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Speaker 1: will establish them in their promised land and confer upon
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Speaker 1: them eternal glory and everlasting dominion. These are, in short,
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Speaker 1: some of the prophecies which all the Israelitish prophets announced
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Speaker 1: to their people and recorded in their books. They did
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Speaker 1: not state, however, that these promises were to be taken
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Speaker 1: in a literal sense, without symbolism and interpretation, or that
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Speaker 1: the symbolic texts were subject to commentary. Fifteen hundred years
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Speaker 1: subsequent to the time of His Holiness Moses, the very
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Speaker 1: same promises and signs were revealed by His Holiness Christ,
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Speaker 1: upon whom be glory. Consider verses twenty nine to thirty
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Speaker 1: one of the twenty fourth Chapter of Saint Matthew and
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Speaker 1: the tenth and eleventh verses of the third chapter of
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Speaker 1: the Second Epistle of Peter the Apostle, so that you
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Speaker 1: may witness the mention of these promises and signs with
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Speaker 1: the utmost clearness. Wise, his Holiness Christ and his disciples
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Speaker 1: confined themselves to the mere mentioning of these signs, as
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Speaker 1: was done by the Israelitish prophets, not undertaking to explain
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Speaker 1: their meaning. Consequently, the Christian doctors disagreed in their interpretation
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Speaker 1: of those Holy books. Some said that those promises were
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Speaker 1: literal statements and not subject to interpretation, and must therefore
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Speaker 1: be fulfilled outwardly. Others among the commentators stated that those
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Speaker 1: promises were symbolic, and that they were words requiring interpretation
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Speaker 1: in order that their real meaning might thereby become evident.
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Speaker 1: That is, that the seal of the book might be opened.
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Speaker 1: In the latter day, six hundred years after His Holiness Christ,
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Speaker 1: the Seal of the Prophets announced his mission, and the
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Speaker 1: very same promises were again revealed in the Qur'an. The
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Speaker 1: same conditions and signs were identically repeated, but again the
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Speaker 1: Qoran made no reference to the meaning intended by those prophecies,
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Speaker 1: nor did its state whether they were symbolic or subject
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Speaker 1: to interpretation. Consequently, were a man to consider what has
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Speaker 1: been stated, he would most clearly find that the greatest
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Speaker 1: obstacles against the unification of nations have been these very prophecies,
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Speaker 1: glad tidings, conditions, and signs. For the various peoples have
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Speaker 1: been prevented from uniting with each other because the meanings
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Speaker 1: intended by those prophecies were not clear. End of section
50:07
Speaker 1: section four of the Brilliant Proof by Mirzo Abolfazle Golpoigoni.
50:14
Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by
50:20
Speaker 1: Nicholas James Bridgewater, section four. Although citing an illustration leads
50:27
Speaker 1: to perlixity, yet we will do so for the purpose
50:31
Speaker 1: of enlightening and further elucidating the matter. To the reader.
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Speaker 1: For example, let us assume that a Christian missionary should
50:42
Speaker 1: say to a Jew, quote, dear friend, why are you
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Speaker 1: sleeping and heedless? The promised Messiah, whose coming was foretold
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Speaker 1: by all the prophets has appeared? End quote. Then imagine
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Speaker 1: the Jew answering quote, how splendid, how splendid, What beautiful
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Speaker 1: glad tidings and joyous news. We Jews have made all
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Speaker 1: our wishes dependent upon the coming of the Messiah, and
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Speaker 1: daily supplicate by prayer for his advent. Now let us
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Speaker 1: see this promised Messiah, whom you declare to have appeared.
51:25
Speaker 1: End quote. The Christian missionary answers quote, the promised Messiah
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Speaker 1: was that wronged youth, Jesus of Nazareth, who sacrificed his
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Speaker 1: life for the liberation and salvation of the world. End quote.
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Speaker 1: The Jew would reply quote, oh, esteemed teacher, Clear signs
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Speaker 1: are recorded in the Holy Books regarding the appearance of
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Speaker 1: the Messiah, none of which came to pass. We Jews
51:59
Speaker 1: have not found our religions so easily that we can
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Speaker 1: relinquish it carelessly. You consider yourself a teacher of the
52:07
Speaker 1: Holy books. See then, in the heavenly books, the words
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Speaker 1: that at the time of the coming of the Promised Messiah,
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Speaker 1: the sun will be darkened, the moon will turn into blood,
52:21
Speaker 1: the new Heaven and the new Earth will become manifest,
52:25
Speaker 1: the stars will fall, the dead will arise. Where and
52:30
Speaker 1: when did these prophecies become fulfilled during the day of
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Speaker 1: the Nazarene, And who saw them? Furthermore, let me show
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Speaker 1: you numerous passages wherein it has been clearly revealed that
52:45
Speaker 1: when the Promised Messiah appears, he will gather together all
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Speaker 1: the Jews scattered throughout the world, and he will save
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Speaker 1: them from the great humiliation, execration, and tyranny which they suffer.
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Speaker 1: Then he will establish them in the Holy Land and
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Speaker 1: confer upon them dominion and eternal glory. Now, tell me
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Speaker 1: when did Jesus of Nazareth accomplish such a thing? Nay,
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Speaker 1: through his manifestation, the contrary came to pass. For we
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Speaker 1: were established in the Holy Land, but we have become scattered.
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Speaker 1: Through his coming. We were esteemed, we have become humiliated.
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Speaker 1: We were assembled, we became dispersed, we were blessed, we
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Speaker 1: became afflicted with curses. All this was contrary to the
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Speaker 1: promises given to the Israelitish people, So to accept Jesus
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Speaker 1: would be to deny those glorious prophets end quote in brief.
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Speaker 1: At this point in the conversation, the Christian missionary would
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Speaker 1: fail to answer the Jew for he himself does not
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Speaker 1: understand the real meanings of these glad tidings. How then
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Speaker 1: could he explain them to the Jews and cause them
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Speaker 1: to be convinced and assured. Therefore, during this long period,
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Speaker 1: the missionaries of the Christian religion have attempted to discomfit
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Speaker 1: and confound the Jews, yet without traversing the pathway of
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Speaker 1: true knowledge and real proof. Instead of bringing them near
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Speaker 1: the Gospels, they caused them to be annoyed and further removed.
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Speaker 1: It is therefore recorded in Church history that during this
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Speaker 1: long period, that is, since the conversion of the Great
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Speaker 1: Constantine down to our time, both in the days of
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Speaker 1: Charlemagne and during the Crusades, they repeatedly attempted to force
54:55
Speaker 1: the Jews to accept Christianity, but in the end they failed. Now,
55:02
Speaker 1: had they known the meanings of these glad tidings, there
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Speaker 1: would be no need of using force and compulsion. Similar
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Speaker 1: to this is the attitude of the Muslim toward the Christian.
55:15
Speaker 1: When the Muslim desires to prove the truth of the
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Speaker 1: mission of the Seal of the Prophets to a Christian,
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Speaker 1: he refers the Christian to the signs recorded in the
55:26
Speaker 1: twenty fourth chapter of Saint Matthew. Then that Muslim, not
55:32
Speaker 1: understanding the meanings thereof, is forced to say that this
55:37
Speaker 1: Gospel in the hands of the Christians is not the
55:40
Speaker 1: original Gospel which descended with Jesus, upon whom be peace.
55:46
Speaker 1: As you readily see, the Muslim will clearly prove in
55:50
Speaker 1: word and writing that this Gospel has been interpolated by
55:55
Speaker 1: the Christian scholars, and that it has been attributed to
55:59
Speaker 1: His Holiness Christ. In this case, the Christian, to whom
56:04
Speaker 1: the reality of the Gospel is evident and manifest, and
56:08
Speaker 1: the love of this Holy Book firmly established in his heart,
56:13
Speaker 1: will be amazed at the incorrect answer of the Muslim.
56:17
Speaker 1: Instead of fellowship and friendship with the Muslim, the Christian
56:22
Speaker 1: becomes an enemy of the Islamic religion and an opponent
56:26
Speaker 1: of the Mahommedan people. In short, one of the great
56:30
Speaker 1: obstacles to the unity of the nations is this difficulty,
56:35
Speaker 1: which has been explained by the foregoing illustration. All these
56:40
Speaker 1: abstruse problems are involved and explained in the statement that
56:46
Speaker 1: because the Christian missionaries do not understand the real meanings
56:51
Speaker 1: of the books of religions which have appeared prior to
56:55
Speaker 1: the manifestation of His Holiness Christ, upon whom zombie peace,
57:01
Speaker 1: therefore they cannot guide others to their own religion. This
57:06
Speaker 1: has become evident and manifest as to the religions which
57:11
Speaker 1: have appeared before His Holiness Christ, inasmuch as retrogression and
57:17
Speaker 1: reversal are opposed to natural motion and contrary to the
57:21
Speaker 1: progress and advancement which are evident and manifest in world movements. Therefore,
57:28
Speaker 1: the Christian cannot turn development backward and cause other people
57:34
Speaker 1: to descend the ladder of progress in order to unite
57:38
Speaker 1: them to themselves. The great man, Lord Curzon has partly
57:44
Speaker 1: understood this point when he writes, quote, the conversion of
57:49
Speaker 1: Asiatics to the Christian religion is without effect and results
57:55
Speaker 1: end quote. Now that this subject has been clearly a
57:59
Speaker 1: LOUSEI sedated, we will submit that the present state of
58:03
Speaker 1: progress in the world necessitates the most great manifestation. While
58:09
Speaker 1: His Holiness Baha'llah resided in Baghdad. The first book revealed
58:16
Speaker 1: by him was kitalbe Egon, which is the key to
58:21
Speaker 1: unlock the seals of the heavenly books. It comprehends the
58:27
Speaker 1: realities revealed in holy writ By it, the doors of
58:32
Speaker 1: the understanding of prophetic words were open to the faces
58:36
Speaker 1: of the people of bah The real meaning of the
58:40
Speaker 1: divine glad tidings were revealed, and the original purposes of
58:45
Speaker 1: such terms as were latent and unknown became manifested. These
58:52
Speaker 1: terms are death, life, heaven, earth, sun, moon, stars, resurrection, etc.
59:04
Speaker 1: Thus the means of unity became facilitated and the hindrances
59:10
Speaker 1: to international misunderstandings were removed. The signs and emblems of
59:16
Speaker 1: accord and agreement among inimical and opposing people became manifest
59:22
Speaker 1: and apparent. For you observe that while now is but
59:27
Speaker 1: the commencement of the Bahai religion, yet difficult questions and
59:32
Speaker 1: doctrines have become so clearly explained to and so easily
59:37
Speaker 1: accepted by various peoples that numerous souls among Zoroastrians, Jews,
59:45
Speaker 1: Nusayerites and others who have never believed in His holiness Christ,
59:52
Speaker 1: nor would listen to a single verse of the Gospel
59:55
Speaker 1: have now become acknowledged believers in Baha'a law through the
1:00:00
Speaker 1: effect of his blessed utterances. Moreover, they consider His Holiness
1:00:07
Speaker 1: Christ the Promised Lord, and his Heavenly Book the Divine
1:00:12
Speaker 1: Holy Word. They associate and consort with Christians in their
1:00:17
Speaker 1: feasts and gatherings with the utmost kindness and fellowship in
1:00:23
Speaker 1: the spirit of utmost friendship. A question is propounded to
1:00:28
Speaker 1: this esteemed missionary, Peter Z. Eastern, who, without understanding in
1:00:34
Speaker 1: the least the significance of the Kingdom of Christ, eulogizes it.
1:00:40
Speaker 1: Do these evident signs cause the Kingdom of Christ to
1:00:45
Speaker 1: be at hand? Or do anathema, execration, unseemly words and
1:00:51
Speaker 1: the writing of debasing articles in magazines wherein libel and
1:00:56
Speaker 1: calumny are attributed to pure and holy soul. It is
1:01:01
Speaker 1: most astonishing. We do not know what mister Eastern and
1:01:05
Speaker 1: his allies understand the Kingdom of Christ to be and
1:01:10
Speaker 1: to signify, is the Kingdom of Christ for the ratification
1:01:14
Speaker 1: and execution of his words, or to prove the opposite
1:01:19
Speaker 1: of the Word of Christ and promulgate the attributes of
1:01:23
Speaker 1: his enemies. His Holiness Christ clearly states quote bless them
1:01:30
Speaker 1: that curse you end quote, whereas mister Eastern and his
1:01:35
Speaker 1: peers carry out the meaning of quote curse them that
1:01:40
Speaker 1: bless you end quote. The soul who seeks benediction and
1:01:45
Speaker 1: mercy they characterize with most unseemly words and desire for
1:01:51
Speaker 1: him evil and perdition. Baha'llah proves to the unbelieving nations
1:01:58
Speaker 1: that his holiness Christ was the Son of God and
1:02:03
Speaker 1: the Word of God, whereas mister Eastern and his peers
1:02:07
Speaker 1: pronounce him the Antichrist. Strange John, the evangelist the Beloved
1:02:15
Speaker 1: of Christ, in his first epistle, says, quote he who
1:02:21
Speaker 1: doeth righteousness is righteous end quote. But these opponents say,
1:02:28
Speaker 1: quote he who doeth a righteous deed, verily he is
1:02:32
Speaker 1: a murderer and an impostor end quote. Likewise, in this
1:02:37
Speaker 1: epistle he says, quote whosoever shall confess that Jesus is
1:02:44
Speaker 1: the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he
1:02:49
Speaker 1: is in God end quote. But they say that one who,
1:02:55
Speaker 1: according to their own admission, has convinced three millions souls
1:03:00
Speaker 1: and made them believe that Jesus was the son of
1:03:04
Speaker 1: God and the Word of God is deprived of the
1:03:08
Speaker 1: knowledge of God, and has no portion of the fragrance
1:03:13
Speaker 1: of God. Is it not always clearly shown and positively
1:03:19
Speaker 1: proven that in this day we should understand by the
1:03:22
Speaker 1: words ye shall know the tree by its fruit in
1:03:27
Speaker 1: the Sermon on the Mount, that the purpose of His
1:03:30
Speaker 1: Holiness Christ was that we should not pay heed to
1:03:35
Speaker 1: false accusations or listen to that which the people of
1:03:39
Speaker 1: prejudice spread among men. Nay, we should consider the deeds
1:03:45
Speaker 1: of every person the correct criterion, and through this balance
1:03:52
Speaker 1: differentiate between truth and falsehood. End of section four section
1:04:05
Speaker 1: five of the Brilliant Proof by Mirzo Abulfazle Golpoigawni. This
1:04:13
Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Nicholas
1:04:19
Speaker 1: James Bridgewater, Section five. In short, let us return to
1:04:26
Speaker 1: the original matter, which refers to Peter Z. Easton's question,
1:04:33
Speaker 1: quote what has baha' Law brought which is not found
1:04:39
Speaker 1: in the Christian religion? End quote. Although the great function
1:04:45
Speaker 1: of the revelation of Baha'a law in solving the intricacies
1:04:49
Speaker 1: of the heavenly books, facilitating the removal of differences from
1:04:55
Speaker 1: among nations, and establishing unity and and harmony among the
1:05:02
Speaker 1: sections of the human world is sufficient proof of the
1:05:07
Speaker 1: greatness and thoroughness of the Bahih religion. Nevertheless, we will
1:05:14
Speaker 1: now consider the laws and ordinances of this religion explain
1:05:21
Speaker 1: their specific virtues, their benefits, and good results. First, a
1:05:29
Speaker 1: command which is particularly a feature of the Bahai religion
1:05:34
Speaker 1: and is not found in the other religion is quote
1:05:40
Speaker 1: abstaining from crediting verbal traditions end quote. It is well
1:05:47
Speaker 1: known to men of learning that it was a verbal
1:05:51
Speaker 1: tradition which divided the Jews into two great sects. Such
1:05:58
Speaker 1: traditions are the basis of the Book of Talmud and
1:06:02
Speaker 1: caused the division of that one nation. One of the
1:06:07
Speaker 1: two schisms, called the Rabinim, looks upon the teachings of
1:06:13
Speaker 1: the Talmud as the law which needs to be followed,
1:06:17
Speaker 1: and considers it the greatest means for the preservation and
1:06:22
Speaker 1: permanence of the Israelitish people. But the other sect, Gharaim,
1:06:29
Speaker 1: looks upon the Talmud as sheer heresy and conducive to perdition. Thus,
1:06:37
Speaker 1: these two sects cannot possibly be harmonized or cease mutual opposition. Similarly,
1:06:47
Speaker 1: in the Christian religion, the main cause of schism and
1:06:51
Speaker 1: division were these verbal traditions which were termed authoritative. Each
1:06:59
Speaker 1: one of the Christian churches, such as the Catholic, the Orthodox,
1:07:04
Speaker 1: the Jacobite, the Historian, and others, consider it obligatory to
1:07:11
Speaker 1: follow these traditions inherited from and handed down by the
1:07:17
Speaker 1: fathers of the Church as the very text of the
1:07:22
Speaker 1: Holy Book. Thus, when in any of the Great Councils
1:07:27
Speaker 1: the question of the unification of the Christian people would
1:07:31
Speaker 1: be at issue, they would avail themselves of these inherited
1:07:36
Speaker 1: traditions which were opposed to union and harmony. Likewise, in
1:07:43
Speaker 1: the religion of Islam, claiming these verbal traditions, which were
1:07:48
Speaker 1: related of the founder of that religion subsequent to his death,
1:07:54
Speaker 1: was the cause of the division and separation into various
1:07:59
Speaker 1: of the princele sects such as the Sunite, the Site,
1:08:05
Speaker 1: and the Horajite, or into the secondary schools of Hannaphite, Malakite, Schafiite, Hanbalite, etc.
1:08:14
Speaker 1: Each of these hold to a set of traditions considered
1:08:19
Speaker 1: as authentic by their own sect. But Baha'u'llah close to
1:08:26
Speaker 1: the people of the world. This door, which is the
1:08:30
Speaker 1: greatest means for sedition. For he has clearly announced that quote.
1:08:38
Speaker 1: In the religion of God, all recorded matters are referable
1:08:44
Speaker 1: to the book, and all unrecorded matters are dependent upon
1:08:51
Speaker 1: the decision of the House of Justice. End quote. Thus,
1:08:57
Speaker 1: all narrations, relations, and verbal traditions have been discredited among
1:09:04
Speaker 1: the Bahaigh people, and the door of dissension, which is
1:09:09
Speaker 1: the greatest among the doors of hell, has been closed
1:09:14
Speaker 1: and locked. Second, one of the laws and ordinances peculiar
1:09:21
Speaker 1: to the Bahai religion is the law prohibiting the interpreting
1:09:27
Speaker 1: of the Word of God. For interpretation of the words
1:09:32
Speaker 1: and exposition of personal opinion has been one of the
1:09:37
Speaker 1: greatest means of dissension in the former religions, the cause
1:09:43
Speaker 1: of darkening of the horizon of faith and concealing the
1:09:49
Speaker 1: real meaning of the Book of God. It is an
1:09:54
Speaker 1: evident fact that learned men differ in their minds, and
1:10:00
Speaker 1: the natural gifts of sagacity and intelligence, or the lack
1:10:05
Speaker 1: of understanding and comprehension, vary in degrees among them. Thus,
1:10:12
Speaker 1: when the door of interpretation and perverting of the words
1:10:17
Speaker 1: from their outward meaning is opened, strange opinions and curious
1:10:23
Speaker 1: contradictory interpretations will result, and different sects will arise among
1:10:30
Speaker 1: the one people and one religious community. Consequently, Baha'u'llah has
1:10:39
Speaker 1: explicitly commanded his followers to wholly abandon the door of
1:10:44
Speaker 1: interpretation and follow the words revealed in the tablets according
1:10:52
Speaker 1: to their outward meaning, so that the events which have
1:10:56
Speaker 1: transpired among the past nations should not recur among the
1:11:02
Speaker 1: behigh people, and the unwelcome happenings which appeared among the
1:11:08
Speaker 1: various sects due to the difference in mentality and viewpoint,
1:11:14
Speaker 1: should not become manifest in this new auspicious day, which
1:11:21
Speaker 1: is the day of the Glorious Lord. Thus, one of
1:11:26
Speaker 1: the explicit commands of this great manifestation is the ordnance
1:11:32
Speaker 1: abrogating differences which separate men. It is because one of
1:11:39
Speaker 1: the occasions of dissension is difference of scholars with regard
1:11:45
Speaker 1: to the station of the manifestation of the cause in
1:11:51
Speaker 1: former religions. Even as testified by history, it has become
1:11:57
Speaker 1: evident that when in a question of this kind a
1:12:01
Speaker 1: difference has arisen between two of the doctors of religion,
1:12:07
Speaker 1: both parties were firm in their standpoints and held tenaciously
1:12:13
Speaker 1: to their sides, while the laity according to their usage,
1:12:19
Speaker 1: would adhere some to one and some to the other,
1:12:23
Speaker 1: thus closing the doors to agreement and unity to such
1:12:28
Speaker 1: an extent that religious fraternity was changed into deep and
1:12:35
Speaker 1: bitter enmity, scientific dissension, terminating in bloody strife and warfare.
1:12:44
Speaker 1: This is illustrated by differences which arose between Arius the
1:12:49
Speaker 1: Priest and Alexander, the Bishop of Constantinople, regarding the Trinity
1:12:56
Speaker 1: in the fourth century AD. All so the Nestorian differences
1:13:02
Speaker 1: which took place in the fifth century between Nestorius, the
1:13:07
Speaker 1: Bishop of Constantinople and the other bishops, which caused terrible
1:13:13
Speaker 1: wars and the shedding of precious blood. The effect of
1:13:18
Speaker 1: these sad dissensions has lasted until the present day. There
1:13:24
Speaker 1: are clear proofs and evidences for the point at issue.
1:13:30
Speaker 1: Time does not allow us to make mention of the
1:13:34
Speaker 1: numerous sects and divisions of the Gnostics and others, of
1:13:39
Speaker 1: which the Church historians have counted more than thirty and
1:13:44
Speaker 1: incorporated them under the term born of philosophy. All seekers
1:13:52
Speaker 1: of full accounts are referred to authoritative books on the subject,
1:13:58
Speaker 1: in order that they may clearly allies that all these
1:14:02
Speaker 1: divisions and sects came from the disagreements of the doctors
1:14:07
Speaker 1: as to the degree and station of His Holiness Christ,
1:14:13
Speaker 1: and their persistence in their respective opinions. The subject of
1:14:18
Speaker 1: disagreement by the doctors as to the station of the
1:14:23
Speaker 1: manifestation of God has been one of those abstruse and
1:14:29
Speaker 1: difficult questions to solve, which proved beyond the power of
1:14:34
Speaker 1: great minds and baffled a mighty king like Constantine the Great,
1:14:41
Speaker 1: for notwithstanding the assistance and cooperation of the great bishops
1:14:48
Speaker 1: of the East and West, he could not reconcile the
1:14:52
Speaker 1: various parties to the Aryan controversy. Nay, during this long time,
1:15:00
Speaker 1: the power of local councils, the sword of European powers,
1:15:05
Speaker 1: and the verdicts of inquisitorial boards failed to remove divisions
1:15:10
Speaker 1: and schisms caused by metaphysical discussions. But the removal of
1:15:17
Speaker 1: this indissoluble knot and incurable disease by the easiest of
1:15:23
Speaker 1: means has been announced in the holy Baha'i literature. For
1:15:29
Speaker 1: baho' Llah, in one of his holy tablets, has clearly
1:15:34
Speaker 1: revealed the following quote. Since men differ in their degree
1:15:40
Speaker 1: of knowledge, if two persons should be found to possess
1:15:45
Speaker 1: different viewpoints as regards the degree and station of the
1:15:50
Speaker 1: manifestation of God, both are acceptable before God. For in
1:15:57
Speaker 1: accord with the Blessed verse, Verily, we have created souls
1:16:03
Speaker 1: different in degrees. God has created men different in understanding
1:16:11
Speaker 1: and diverse in manners. But if those having two points
1:16:16
Speaker 1: of view engage in conflict and strife while expressing their views,
1:16:23
Speaker 1: both of them are rejected. For by knowing the manifestation
1:16:28
Speaker 1: of God, it is intended to unify the hearts, cultivate souls,
1:16:36
Speaker 1: and to teach the truth of God. Whereas conflict and
1:16:41
Speaker 1: strife of two persons with two different points of view
1:16:46
Speaker 1: would do harm to the cause of God. Consequently, both
1:16:51
Speaker 1: of them are referred to the fire end quote. This
1:16:57
Speaker 1: was the purport of the Blessed Tablet in brief. Accordingly,
1:17:03
Speaker 1: in this holy cause, no one has power to create
1:17:07
Speaker 1: in harmony, and because of fear of falling, no one
1:17:11
Speaker 1: dares to persist in his own opinion at the expense
1:17:16
Speaker 1: of harmony. Fourth, among the specific laws clearly laid down
1:17:22
Speaker 1: in the cause of Baha'a law is the law prohibiting slavery.
1:17:28
Speaker 1: No mention of this is made in other religions, as
1:17:32
Speaker 1: none of the former heavenly books has forbidden this traffic.
1:17:38
Speaker 1: All the humanitarian instincts which actuated the great powers to
1:17:44
Speaker 1: abolish and destroy it could not withhold the common people
1:17:49
Speaker 1: from this abominable practice, which has cost the government and
1:17:54
Speaker 1: nations great trouble and expense. For instance, the freeing of
1:18:00
Speaker 1: the slaves constitutes one of the important responsibilities of the
1:18:05
Speaker 1: Egyptian government. This necessitates a heavy drain upon the state treasury. Furthermore,
1:18:14
Speaker 1: the trial and indictment of those guilty of this nefarious
1:18:19
Speaker 1: traffic brings great affliction and often ruin upon many noted families.
1:18:27
Speaker 1: Fifth among the laws peculiar to this great cause is
1:18:33
Speaker 1: the law making it quote obligatory upon all to engage
1:18:40
Speaker 1: in allowable professions as a means of support. And obedience
1:18:45
Speaker 1: to this law is accepted as an act of worship
1:18:50
Speaker 1: end quote. Were a man of insight to consider this
1:18:55
Speaker 1: strong command, he would testify to the great benefit it
1:19:00
Speaker 1: contributes towards regulating the affairs of civilization and removing impediments
1:19:07
Speaker 1: and calamities from human society. For it is evident how
1:19:13
Speaker 1: in this present day innumerable souls designated as monks anchortes, hermits,
1:19:21
Speaker 1: religious devotees, dignitaries, and others. Although sounding body and limb
1:19:28
Speaker 1: abstain from occupation and trade, passing their time in indolence
1:19:34
Speaker 1: and idleness, and living upon the proceeds of other men's labor.
1:19:41
Speaker 1: In reality, such men as are atrophied limbs upon the
1:19:46
Speaker 1: body of humanity, and a heavy burden to the men
1:19:51
Speaker 1: of industry and agriculture. When, by a law of religion,
1:19:57
Speaker 1: these innumerable souls a and in idleness and indolence and
1:20:03
Speaker 1: engage in useful occupations, one can well realize how much
1:20:09
Speaker 1: this will contribute to the commonwealth and remove the difficulties
1:20:15
Speaker 1: of the body. Politic sixth the law making the education
1:20:21
Speaker 1: of children of both sexes compulsory. This law is also
1:20:28
Speaker 1: one of the commands explicitly revealed in this most great cause,
1:20:33
Speaker 1: and concerning which no mention is made in any of
1:20:38
Speaker 1: the other religions, For in the other religions the education
1:20:43
Speaker 1: of the masses is made dependent upon the law of
1:20:47
Speaker 1: the government. If in former times a government would fail
1:20:51
Speaker 1: to issue a decree providing for compulsory education, and this
1:20:57
Speaker 1: failure would result in the decadence of learning and knowledge,
1:21:02
Speaker 1: the nation would take no thought of it, nor would
1:21:06
Speaker 1: the people consider themselves and the government responsible for No
1:21:12
Speaker 1: law concerning this subject has been revealed in the heavenly books.
1:21:17
Speaker 1: But when a law is laid down in the heavenly
1:21:20
Speaker 1: book of a nation, every individual member will consider himself
1:21:27
Speaker 1: bound to execute it, and no one will fail to
1:21:32
Speaker 1: heed that law, for they will not be dependent upon
1:21:36
Speaker 1: the government to carry it out. Seventh, the command prohibiting
1:21:43
Speaker 1: cursing and execration, and making it obligatory upon all to
1:21:48
Speaker 1: abstain from uttering that which may offend men. For, as
1:21:54
Speaker 1: is evident in moral science, cursing, reviling, and speaking in
1:22:00
Speaker 1: harsh words and offensive phrases is one of the greatest
1:22:05
Speaker 1: causes of alienating hearts, filling minds with rancor, creating hatred
1:22:12
Speaker 1: and animosity among the people's and igniting the fire of
1:22:17
Speaker 1: calamitous warfare among men. Thus, it is said by wise men,
1:22:24
Speaker 1: verily war begins in words, And the poet Ferdosi has said,
1:22:32
Speaker 1: quote a mere word is the cause of warfare end quote.
1:22:38
Speaker 1: Another verse illustrating this point at issue is quote the
1:22:44
Speaker 1: wound inflicted by the tongue is deeper than that inflicted
1:22:49
Speaker 1: by the sword end quote. Were one to ponder over
1:22:55
Speaker 1: the differences and schisms already spoken of which arose among
1:23:01
Speaker 1: the Christian peoples, creating different sects and schools, such as
1:23:07
Speaker 1: the Aryans, Nestorians, Gnostics, and others, kindling the fire of
1:23:13
Speaker 1: terrible battlefields and violent calamities. He would clearly find from
1:23:19
Speaker 1: the testimony of authentic history that the principle and initial
1:23:24
Speaker 1: cause of such divisions and disasters was the difference of
1:23:30
Speaker 1: opinion between two religious doctors, which would result in discussion
1:23:37
Speaker 1: and controversy in order to overcome his opponent and demonstrate
1:23:43
Speaker 1: the correctness of his own view, or because of believing
1:23:48
Speaker 1: his own opinion correct, each would so persist in his
1:23:52
Speaker 1: attitude that it would finally lead to harshness towards the other.
1:23:58
Speaker 1: This harshness would grow gradually lead to insinuating remarks and
1:24:03
Speaker 1: annoying statements, which in time would culminate in reviling, execrating, fighting,
1:24:10
Speaker 1: and even bloodshed. Now, the harmful outcome of these religious
1:24:16
Speaker 1: fights and their evil effect upon human society needs no
1:24:22
Speaker 1: mentioning here, for the calamities caused by these differences during
1:24:27
Speaker 1: the past ages are recorded in the historical books of
1:24:33
Speaker 1: every nation, and the hardships which have continued down to
1:24:38
Speaker 1: our time, as the painful result of those dissensions are
1:24:44
Speaker 1: evident to men of understanding end of section five, Section
1:24:57
Speaker 1: six of the brilliant pre roof by Myrzo Abolfazle Golpaiganni.
1:25:05
Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by
1:25:11
Speaker 1: Nicholas James Bridgewater, Section six. Perhaps someone may advance an
1:25:18
Speaker 1: objection saying that ordinances prohibiting anathema and execration are found
1:25:26
Speaker 1: in the other heavenly books, as, for instance, the commands
1:25:31
Speaker 1: of His Holiness Christ, well known as the Sermon on
1:25:35
Speaker 1: the Mount, wherein he most lucidly states quote whosoever calleth
1:25:43
Speaker 1: another a fool is in danger of hell fire end quote.
1:25:50
Speaker 1: In the Qur'an it is stated, quote cursed not those
1:25:54
Speaker 1: who claim spiritual mission without the permission of God, thus
1:26:00
Speaker 1: without knowledge, cursing God as an enemy end quote. The
1:26:07
Speaker 1: answer to this objection is evident to the people of insight,
1:26:14
Speaker 1: for such ordinances and prohibitions are considered as educational commands
1:26:21
Speaker 1: in the estimation of the learned, and not as laws
1:26:26
Speaker 1: and enactments of religion. Consider this command of the Sermon
1:26:32
Speaker 1: on the Mount, wherein he states, quote whosoever is angry
1:26:38
Speaker 1: with his brother falsely is subject to the law. End quote.
1:26:45
Speaker 1: Again he says, quote store not for yourselves treasures end quote,
1:26:52
Speaker 1: and again quote be not concerned with the morrow. End quote.
1:26:59
Speaker 1: Also quote whosoever mighteth THEE on the right cheek, turn
1:27:05
Speaker 1: to him the other also end quote. End quote. Whosoever
1:27:11
Speaker 1: desireth thy garment, give him also thy cloak. End quote.
1:27:18
Speaker 1: Then later on he says, quote whosoever asks of the
1:27:24
Speaker 1: give unto him. And whosoever would borrow of THEE, prevent
1:27:29
Speaker 1: him not end quote. It is fully evident that the
1:27:35
Speaker 1: learned men and doctors of the Christian and Mohammedan religions
1:27:41
Speaker 1: have not considered these ordinances as imperative. Men of intelligence,
1:27:49
Speaker 1: versed in law and jurisprudence, have not deemed those who
1:27:54
Speaker 1: disobeyed these laws deserving of punishment and trial nay. As
1:28:02
Speaker 1: already mentioned, they have unanimously accounted them educational laws. Moreover,
1:28:10
Speaker 1: some of those laws are such that the doctors have
1:28:14
Speaker 1: not considered those slighting them as transgressors or evil doers
1:28:21
Speaker 1: before God. For instance, quote, if anyone smites you upon
1:28:26
Speaker 1: the one cheek, turn to him the other he who
1:28:30
Speaker 1: begs of you give to him. He who seeks to
1:28:33
Speaker 1: borrow from you, do not refuse him. End quote. The
1:28:38
Speaker 1: above statement will clearly show why such commands and ordinances
1:28:44
Speaker 1: were not considered by the leaders of the Christian peoples
1:28:48
Speaker 1: as imperative and obligatory, and why they could not remove
1:28:54
Speaker 1: cursing and execration from among the community. But in the
1:28:59
Speaker 1: Bars High Religion, the commands prohibiting cursing, reviling, swearing, and
1:29:07
Speaker 1: blasphemy have been revealed as imperative and obbligatory laws. The
1:29:15
Speaker 1: responsibility attaching to the violators has been revealed. In various tablets,
1:29:22
Speaker 1: emphatic commands have been issued in regard to the purity
1:29:27
Speaker 1: of pen and tongue, prohibiting the writing or speaking of
1:29:33
Speaker 1: that which will offend men, for example, although in various
1:29:38
Speaker 1: tablets such as the ishra Got and others, the law
1:29:44
Speaker 1: prohibiting cursing and execration has been explicitly laid down. Nevertheless,
1:29:52
Speaker 1: baha' Luh, during his latter days, in the Blessed Book
1:29:58
Speaker 1: of the Covenant, fortified and emphasized the following command to
1:30:05
Speaker 1: the people of the world. Quote, oh ye, people of
1:30:11
Speaker 1: the world, I exhort ye towards that which is the
1:30:17
Speaker 1: cause of the elevation of your station. Hold fast to
1:30:22
Speaker 1: the fear of God and adhere to the hem of kindliness. Verily,
1:30:29
Speaker 1: I say unto you, the tongue is for the mention
1:30:34
Speaker 1: of good. Defile it not with unseemly words. Verily God
1:30:41
Speaker 1: has forgiven the past. Hereafter all must utter that which
1:30:47
Speaker 1: is seemly shun anathema execration, and that whereby man is perturbed,
1:30:57
Speaker 1: the station of man is great. Rate. Some time ago
1:31:03
Speaker 1: this lofty word was revealed from the treasury of the
1:31:08
Speaker 1: pen of abh All. Today is a great blessed day.
1:31:16
Speaker 1: That which was latent in man is today revealed and
1:31:21
Speaker 1: become manifest. The station of man is great. Should he
1:31:27
Speaker 1: adhere to veracity and truth, and remain firm and steadfast
1:31:35
Speaker 1: in the cause end quote. Every intelligent soul who reflects
1:31:42
Speaker 1: upon this utterance quote. Verily God has forgiven the past.
1:31:49
Speaker 1: Hereafter all must utter that which is seemly shun anathema execration,
1:31:57
Speaker 1: and that whereby man is perturbed end quote, will clearly
1:32:04
Speaker 1: see how emphatic an ordinance has been given forth ratifying
1:32:10
Speaker 1: the prohibition of anathema and execration. Because, according to the
1:32:17
Speaker 1: law current among the people of knowledge. The purport of
1:32:21
Speaker 1: this blessed utterance is an explicit prohibition concerning anathema and execration.
1:32:30
Speaker 1: The intended purpose thereof is the unpardonable position of the
1:32:35
Speaker 1: one who violates this mighty command and decisive blessed ordinance.
1:32:43
Speaker 1: In this case, to the people of insight, it is evident, manifest,
1:32:50
Speaker 1: and firmly established that the prohibition as regards anathema and
1:32:56
Speaker 1: execration is an a specialized ordnance and one of the
1:33:02
Speaker 1: particular commandments of this greatest dispensation. Thus, through the favor
1:33:10
Speaker 1: of God the most High, from the traces of the
1:33:14
Speaker 1: Supreme pen this unseemly action and the ordeals resulting therefrom
1:33:21
Speaker 1: may disappear from among the people of the world, and
1:33:26
Speaker 1: the glad tidings recorded in the third verse of the
1:33:31
Speaker 1: twenty second chapter of the Revelation of Saint John concerning
1:33:37
Speaker 1: the events of the day of Manifestation, namely, quote hereafter
1:33:44
Speaker 1: there shall be no more cursing end quote shall be realized. Eighth,
1:33:53
Speaker 1: relative to the carrying of arms, except in time of necessity.
1:34:00
Speaker 1: This ordinance is not to be found in other religions,
1:34:05
Speaker 1: but in the Bahai religion, it is considered as one
1:34:09
Speaker 1: of the imperative and essential commands. The great utility of
1:34:15
Speaker 1: this law is most evident and manifest, how many souls
1:34:22
Speaker 1: who are not able to control excessive anger have given
1:34:26
Speaker 1: vent to it by the use of arms ready at hand.
1:34:32
Speaker 1: If the murderer had not been armed, often after one hour,
1:34:38
Speaker 1: the violence of his anger would have subsided, and no
1:34:43
Speaker 1: crime would have resulted. These are the minor evil results
1:34:49
Speaker 1: of carrying arms. There are other greater evils, continually manifested
1:34:56
Speaker 1: by people who carry arms, which are productive of great
1:35:01
Speaker 1: revolutions and excessive losses for the government and nations. The
1:35:08
Speaker 1: details of this are not in keeping with brevity, and
1:35:13
Speaker 1: are conducive to prolongation. Nevertheless, the afflictions of the nations
1:35:20
Speaker 1: and ordeals of the people are evident to men of perception. Ninth,
1:35:28
Speaker 1: the question relative to the necessity of the creation of
1:35:33
Speaker 1: the House of Justice and institution of the national assemblies
1:35:39
Speaker 1: and constitutional governments. This command is likewise specialized to this
1:35:46
Speaker 1: evident religion, and is not mentioned in the others. For
1:35:52
Speaker 1: under other religions, it is possible for despotic governments to
1:35:57
Speaker 1: be restored and founded because the love of the permanence,
1:36:02
Speaker 1: establishment and endurance of religious ordinances, and the fear of
1:36:08
Speaker 1: going contrary to them, is so deeply rooted in human
1:36:12
Speaker 1: souls by reason of the fear of God, that they
1:36:17
Speaker 1: would not pass away in a thousand years, and would
1:36:21
Speaker 1: not be superseded except through the renewal of the religion
1:36:27
Speaker 1: and the reform of laws. In short, these are some
1:36:33
Speaker 1: of the especial commands of the Bahaigh religion which the
1:36:37
Speaker 1: writer of these lines has submitted in accordance with this
1:36:42
Speaker 1: opportune occasion. The consideration of brevity has made it necessary
1:36:49
Speaker 1: to omit the mentioning of other special commandments in this
1:36:54
Speaker 1: most great dispensation. Among them are ethics and conditions requisite
1:37:01
Speaker 1: for a wife's knowledge of her traveling or absent husband.
1:37:06
Speaker 1: Another concerns the prohibition of haughtiness and egoism. Another is
1:37:11
Speaker 1: a command as to purity of all things, with recommendation
1:37:16
Speaker 1: and encouragement to observe sanitary measures and cleanliness, and to
1:37:22
Speaker 1: shun utterly all that tends to filth and uncleanness. Among
1:37:29
Speaker 1: them is a command directing the agreement of nations in
1:37:33
Speaker 1: the abolition of warfare and battles, and the conservation of
1:37:38
Speaker 1: the conditions of security and peace. Many such commands exist,
1:37:45
Speaker 1: the words of amplification and detail of which are beyond
1:37:50
Speaker 1: the limits of this occasion. For justice to this most
1:37:54
Speaker 1: important subject would necessitate the compilation of a law volume,
1:38:01
Speaker 1: and not a short article. But although the article may
1:38:06
Speaker 1: assume more lengthy proportion, I am forced, nevertheless to remind
1:38:12
Speaker 1: the people of knowledge of one distinguishing feature of the
1:38:17
Speaker 1: many in the Baha'i religion. Perchance the radiant site may
1:38:23
Speaker 1: attain to the great bestow of this most supreme cause,
1:38:29
Speaker 1: and the pure tongue may utter thanksgiving and praise to God,
1:38:36
Speaker 1: the Blessed, the Sublime. It is this. One of the
1:38:42
Speaker 1: abstruse problems of social philosophy is the prevention of monopoly
1:38:49
Speaker 1: and wealth control by certain individuals. This subject has been
1:38:55
Speaker 1: discussed by the philosophers of the world form many years.
1:39:01
Speaker 1: The wise men of Europe and America, especially the socialists,
1:39:07
Speaker 1: in endeavoring to solve this abstruse problem, have entered into
1:39:12
Speaker 1: minute discussion and deep analyzes. The governments of Europe and
1:39:18
Speaker 1: America have given the subject exhaustive attention. Nevertheless, they have
1:39:25
Speaker 1: not yet agreed upon any opinion, and have not reached
1:39:29
Speaker 1: a consensus of remedy for the solution of this seemingly
1:39:34
Speaker 1: insurmountable question. But if a soul should ponder and reflect
1:39:40
Speaker 1: upon the divine institution concerning the question of heritage and
1:39:46
Speaker 1: the modus operandi of the distribution of legacies among heirs
1:39:53
Speaker 1: according to the laws of this dispensation, he will see
1:39:58
Speaker 1: that this all important problem has been solved in the
1:40:03
Speaker 1: simplest manner. The distribution of wealth among the nations has
1:40:09
Speaker 1: been established according to the best method. Inasmuch as the
1:40:15
Speaker 1: matter of death among mankind is an unavoidable event, if
1:40:21
Speaker 1: the distribution of the estate left by those who are
1:40:25
Speaker 1: sent to God should be affected according to this divine recommendation,
1:40:31
Speaker 1: it will be impossible for wealth to be accumulated by
1:40:35
Speaker 1: the few, or for any particular family to exercise a monopoly,
1:40:41
Speaker 1: leaving others deprived and afflicted by poverty and want. For
1:40:47
Speaker 1: the mighty lawgiver has dealt with this important affair in
1:40:53
Speaker 1: this manner. He has divided the heirs of the deceased
1:40:57
Speaker 1: into seven classes, including teachers, who are the spiritual fathers
1:41:04
Speaker 1: of enlightened individuals in the world of humanity. The heritage
1:41:11
Speaker 1: is divided according to the number two thy five hundred twenty,
1:41:16
Speaker 1: which is the lowest number comprising the integral fractions of nine.
1:41:22
Speaker 1: Under this division, the seven classes eligible to legacies are
1:41:27
Speaker 1: as follows, first offspring, second wives, third fathers, fourth mothers,
1:41:39
Speaker 1: fifth brothers, sixth sisters, seventh teachers. The nearest relatives are
1:41:49
Speaker 1: arranged the closest. Each class receives its due according to
1:41:54
Speaker 1: the number sixty, which runs down through all. He has
1:42:00
Speaker 1: decreed that these seven classes mentioned will come equally into
1:42:05
Speaker 1: possession of their legitimate rights, each receiving his share from
1:42:11
Speaker 1: this division. When the people of insight reflect upon that
1:42:16
Speaker 1: which has been recorded, they will see that with this
1:42:21
Speaker 1: command in operation, wealth will never be monopolized by a
1:42:26
Speaker 1: limited few, and no individual, through sheer forceful skill, will
1:42:33
Speaker 1: come into possession of another's wealth. Wealth will always be
1:42:38
Speaker 1: in circulation among all, All mankind will inherit from one another,
1:42:45
Speaker 1: and all will be benefited from this capital. YEA, when
1:42:51
Speaker 1: a person reflects upon the distribution affected in the Book
1:42:56
Speaker 1: of Bayon by the Bob, he will will conclude that
1:43:01
Speaker 1: such a division mentioned therein may affect the interest of
1:43:06
Speaker 1: the offspring, but the manner in which it is provided
1:43:11
Speaker 1: for in the Book of Abdas through the Supreme pen
1:43:16
Speaker 1: wherein the heritage of the children is multiplied, dispels this
1:43:22
Speaker 1: fear to all people of insight. It is evident that
1:43:28
Speaker 1: in this most great cause all the means of comfort
1:43:32
Speaker 1: for the nation have been provided, and a plan of
1:43:37
Speaker 1: readjustment for the affairs of the people of the world
1:43:41
Speaker 1: from all standpoints has been established. That which has been
1:43:47
Speaker 1: stated here will suffice to answer in brief the objections
1:43:53
Speaker 1: of mister Eastern and those like him now in regard
1:43:59
Speaker 1: to the question of features distinguishing this great cause from
1:44:04
Speaker 1: other laws and religions of the people of the world
1:44:08
Speaker 1: in all centuries and ages. If fair minded and intelligent
1:44:14
Speaker 1: men of knowledge should ponder and reflect upon the judicious
1:44:19
Speaker 1: laws of the Lord of mankind, they will no doubt
1:44:24
Speaker 1: bear witness to the perfection of Divine providence in the
1:44:28
Speaker 1: laws thus instituted, for instance, these three firm and irrefutable ordinances, namely, first,
1:44:39
Speaker 1: the question of heritage and the question of socialism solved. Second,
1:44:47
Speaker 1: the question of universal peace and international agreements regarding the
1:44:52
Speaker 1: disarmament and conserving expenditure now devoted to implements of war.
1:45:00
Speaker 1: The question of all being commanded to acquire a profession, art,
1:45:05
Speaker 1: or trade, whereby they may earn a living, thus lightening
1:45:10
Speaker 1: the burden of expense to those upon whom it falls,
1:45:15
Speaker 1: such as farmers, laborers, and others. This expense is created
1:45:21
Speaker 1: by the idlers and unemployed members of the human family.
1:45:27
Speaker 1: These fair minded and intelligent men will also testify that
1:45:33
Speaker 1: the readjustment of the world and the salvation of mankind
1:45:38
Speaker 1: from great dangers is conditioned upon following the commands of
1:45:45
Speaker 1: this most great manifestation. Thus will they utter the blessed words.
1:45:52
Speaker 1: Blessed is God, the possessor of the Dominion and the Kingdom.
1:45:59
Speaker 1: Now at this point we bring our words to an end,
1:46:03
Speaker 1: and at the closing of this statement we beseech God
1:46:09
Speaker 1: the Blessed the Supreme, to bestow upon mister Eastern and
1:46:15
Speaker 1: other deniers, through his infinite mercy, the light of insight
1:46:22
Speaker 1: and knowledge, in order that they make glance at that
1:46:26
Speaker 1: which has been submitted in an impartial and disinterested spirit.
1:46:33
Speaker 1: Thus may they become informed of the reality of the
1:46:36
Speaker 1: divine cause and be guided to that which is the
1:46:41
Speaker 1: source of salvation, life, glory, and prosperity. And this is
1:46:48
Speaker 1: not difficult by the favor of God. Written December twenty eighth,
1:46:55
Speaker 1: nineteen eleven in Syria by the pen of Mea Yeerzon
1:47:00
Speaker 1: Abolfaz Golpaign end of section six. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater,
1:47:11
Speaker 1: recorded in London, England,