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🟡 Brilliant Proof (Burhne Lm) in reply to an attack upon the Bahai Revelation by Peter Z. Easton (Full Audiobook) | Mrz Abu'l-Fadl Gulpygn · Occult & Supernatural Audiobooks: Forbidden Rituals, Esoteric Texts & Paranormal Tales

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Speaker 1: Section 1 of The Brilliant Proof by Mirza Abolfazle Golpaygaoni
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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, or to volunteer, please
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Speaker 1: visit LibriVox.org Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater The Brilliant Proof
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Speaker 1: In reply to an attack upon the Baha'i revelation by
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Speaker 1: Peter Z. Easton, written December 28th, 1911, in Syria, by
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Speaker 1: the pen of Mirza Abul Fazlik al-Paygauni, he is the living,
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Speaker 1: the self-subsistent. In these days, which are the latter days
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Speaker 1: of 1911 AD and the early days of 1330 AH,
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Speaker 1: I have seen a curious article which astonished me. What
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Speaker 1: did I see? I find that one of the missionaries
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Speaker 1: of the Protestant sect, who accounts himself, among the learned
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Speaker 1: men of the twentieth century a helper of the pure
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Speaker 1: religion of christ and one of the civilized and cultured
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Speaker 1: occidentals by name peter z eastern has been so provoked
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Speaker 1: by jealousy at the universal spread of the heavenly word
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Speaker 1: of his holiness abdul baha throughout the vast expanses of
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Speaker 1: europe 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 Evangelical 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 Abdu'l-Bahá as Master before
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Speaker 1: a great assemblage, and introduced him, with terms of glorification
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Speaker 1: and commendation, to a mighty gathering. Having considered the entire
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Speaker 1: contents of the above article, I found the writer's sole aim,
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Speaker 1: to be an attempt to allay the fire of his
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Speaker 1: jealousy by the mention of evil words and execration, to
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Speaker 1: count himself as victorious by wielding the arms of calumny
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Speaker 1: and falsehood, which are usually the only sword and sole
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Speaker 1: 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 good morals and a spreader of the superior
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Speaker 1: virtues of christianity characterize himself with a quality which is
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Speaker 1: the most specific sign and attribute of antichrist no by
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Speaker 1: the life of god manifestors of such evil qualities do
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Speaker 1: exist in the world even as dawning places of glorious
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Speaker 1: qualities are also visible and manifest, in order that the
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Speaker 1: blessed words of the Christ, Ye shall know the tree
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Speaker 1: by its fruit, may be fulfilled, and that those who
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Speaker 1: 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 baha calls the people of europe to
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Speaker 1: the lofty attributes of humanity but peter z easton teaches
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Speaker 1: them libels execration falsehood and calumnies His Holiness Abdu'l-Bahá summons
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Speaker 1: the dwellers in the world to unity and harmony, but
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Speaker 1: Peter Z. Easton invites men to division and inharmony. His
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Speaker 1: Holiness Abdu'l-Bahá lifts his blessed hands heavenward in the assemblage
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Speaker 1: of prayer and invokes blessing and mercy for the people
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Speaker 1: of Europe today. from the court of the Almighty. But
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Speaker 1: Peter Z. Easton attempts to prove in learned magazines the
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Speaker 1: remoteness of the people of the East from praiseworthy Christian
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Speaker 1: qualities and desires that torment and punishment should fall upon them.
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Speaker 1: Abdu'l-Bahá commands, Speak evil of no one. and wish evil
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Speaker 1: for no one. But Peter Z. Easton says that no
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Speaker 1: one should wish well for, or consider as worthy of grace,
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Speaker 1: a people whose number he himself estimates as three millions.
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Speaker 1: I wonder, therefore, how we are to distinguish the good
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Speaker 1: and evil fruits of the tree of existence, and how
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Speaker 1: shall we comprehend its and interpret the blessed words ye
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Speaker 1: shall know the tree by its fruits to my mind
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Speaker 1: there is no criterion but this and peter z easton
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Speaker 1: cannot teach otherwise Consider the 34th verse of the 12th
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Speaker 1: chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, where His Holiness
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Speaker 1: the Christ says, O ye generation of vipers, how can ye,
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Speaker 1: being evil, speak good things? Yea, if it were possible
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Speaker 1: for the sugarcane... to yield a bitter fruit and for
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Speaker 1: the fragrant rose to exhale a foul odor such signs
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Speaker 1: as these ye shall know the tree by its fruits
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Speaker 1: would never have been revealed in the heavenly books and
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Speaker 1: such distinction would never have been appointed as the correct
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Speaker 1: criterion consequently that which emanates from his holiness abdul baha
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Speaker 1: consists in calling men to the principles of faithfulness and accord,
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Speaker 1: and exhorting them to good morals and lofty attributes, while
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Speaker 1: that which appears from Peter Z. Easton consists of varying
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Speaker 1: degrees of falsehood, calumny, libels, execration, and the like. The
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Speaker 1: purpose of all this is is that the nature of
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Speaker 1: each of the two persons may become manifest that the
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Speaker 1: fruits of the tree of existence may be distinguished and
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Speaker 1: men may find the true standard briefly as this servant
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Speaker 1: carefully perused and weighed the above-mentioned article it was found
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Speaker 1: that peter z easton in his own supposition has clung
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Speaker 1: to four proofs in opposing the great Baha'i cause. We
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Speaker 1: will therefore mention these four points and clearly show the
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Speaker 1: falsity of his fanciful ideas in each instance. First, words
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Speaker 1: of writers who in his opinion have made accusations against
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Speaker 1: Baha'u'llah attributing objectionable qualities to him. Second, the declaration that
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Speaker 1: the teachings of Baha'u'llah are pantheistic and that pantheism is
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Speaker 1: a false doctrine. Third, the statement that the intention of
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Speaker 1: the Baha'i religion is to re-establish despotic government, while despotism
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Speaker 1: is the practice of tyrannical, and forsaken governments. Fourth, that
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Speaker 1: the Baha'i religion is not able to show anything better
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Speaker 1: or superior to other religions. In a word, what new
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Speaker 1: things has Baha'u'llah brought which are not found in the
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Speaker 1: Christian religion? And what is the need of discerning NOW
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Speaker 1: THEREFORE IT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO WRITE AN ANSWER
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Speaker 1: TO THE ASSERTIONS MADE UNDER THE FOUR MENTIONED POINTS SO
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Speaker 1: THAT WE MAY DISTINGUISH TRUTH FROM FALSEHOOD AND GUIDANCE FROM
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Speaker 1: ERROR End of Section 1 Section 2 of The Brilliant
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Speaker 1: Proof by Mirzo Abolfazle Golpaigaoni This LibriVox recording is in
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Speaker 1: the public domain. Section 2 As to the first point,
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Speaker 1: which is the testimony of narrators, this missionary, Peter Z.
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Speaker 1: Easton has relied upon the statements of certain persons who
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Speaker 1: have written against the most holy beauty of Abhal. In
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Speaker 1: criticism and arrangement, he says, Why did not that esteemed
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Speaker 1: man Wilberforce heed and pay attention to the accounts of
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Speaker 1: the Christian missionaries who have lived in Persia and the
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Speaker 1: vicinity of Acre, all of whom have written against Baha'u'llah.
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Speaker 1: This is a summary of the proof advanced by that
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Speaker 1: reverend missionary, but in the estimation of the people of knowledge,
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Speaker 1: such proof is exceedingly weak and base. In the first place,
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Speaker 1: the writer of this article says, is truly and verily
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Speaker 1: astounded that a man such as Peter Z. Easton, who
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Speaker 1: considers himself among the scholars of the 20th century and
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Speaker 1: accounts himself a judge competent to differentiate truth from falsehood,
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Speaker 1: that a man of his calibre should rely upon the
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Speaker 1: testimony of one side only. He should weigh the statements
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Speaker 1: of at least one twenty persons, affirmative and negative, friendly
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Speaker 1: and hostile, good and evil. Then ponder upon the sayings
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Speaker 1: of the two sides with justice, in order that he
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Speaker 1: may arrive at a truthful conclusion as to the question,
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Speaker 1: and a judge with fairness and equity. for just as
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Speaker 1: some have written unfavourably regarding the most holy beauty of
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Speaker 1: abha other people of insight and perception both eastern and
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Speaker 1: western historians have recorded the utmost praise and eulogy in
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Speaker 1: their books concerning the most holy beauty of abha according
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Speaker 1: to what rule should conclusions be reached is man to
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Speaker 1: be content with the judgment of the enemy alone and
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Speaker 1: to consider as valid all that the opponent has written
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Speaker 1: is it not true that everyone who has committed this
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Speaker 1: mistake has done so by listening to the statements of
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Speaker 1: one side 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 AFRISM, 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, write in the most unmistakable terms that, quote,
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Speaker 1: the 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. Suetonius, 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, end quote. Refer to the histories of
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Speaker 1: the Church. in order that these statements may be confirmed
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Speaker 1: with your own eyes, and that you may bear witness
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Speaker 1: to the ignorance of Peter Z. Easton regarding historical facts.
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Speaker 1: At present, although travelling, the writer has with him four
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Speaker 1: histories of the Church, representing Protestantism, Catholicism, and Greek Orthodoxy.
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Speaker 1: Among the books written by the Greek Orthodox, roman and
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Speaker 1: alexandrian philosophers against the christian religion nay rather against the
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Speaker 1: very person of his holiness christ upon him be glory
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Speaker 1: is that of celsus one of the famous philosophers of
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Speaker 1: the second christian century he compiled a large book replete
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Speaker 1: with terrible libels and calumny against the pure and holy
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Speaker 1: person of Christ. Porphyry the Syrian, who was among the
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Speaker 1: greatest of Platonic philosophers, wrote a large book against Christianity,
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Speaker 1: recording therein, accusations and abusive attack against his holiness christ
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Speaker 1: and his disciples this book was burned and destroyed by
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Speaker 1: the order of two christian emperors sidotius and dolevantianus the
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Speaker 1: historians of the church state that he was an eminent
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Speaker 1: philosopher and an accomplished author ferento the eloquent master of
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Speaker 1: rhetoric a tutor of king antonius wrote fifteen volumes against
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Speaker 1: the christian religion and the ignoble manners of the christians
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Speaker 1: he antonius himself was one of the great emperors noted
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Speaker 1: for erudition and philosophy european scholars speak of him as
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Speaker 1: the caesar of sublime wisdom and have written lofty chapters
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Speaker 1: detailing his virtues james murdock the american in his translation
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Speaker 1: of the history of the church says with regard to
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Speaker 1: the great university which was founded by Ammonius Saccas at Alexandria,
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Speaker 1: and which is in need of no introduction or praise
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Speaker 1: on account of its fame. Quote, From this university graduated
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Speaker 1: two erudite scholars of eminence. One was the Emperor Mark Antony.
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Speaker 1: and the other was Epictetus, end quote. In short, this
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Speaker 1: great and wise emperor, whose praises you have heard, spoke
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Speaker 1: of the Christian people in terms of, quote, end quote.
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Speaker 1: End quote. 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: Emperor Julian, who was likewise an eminent philosopher, but whom
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Speaker 1: the Christians designate Julian the Apostate, has written many books
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Speaker 1: denouncing Christianity and criticising the manners of the Christian community.
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Speaker 1: he called them enemies of the world of humanity but
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Speaker 1: what the jews have written concerning his holiness jesus christ
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Speaker 1: is beyond the power of the pen to portray one
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Speaker 1: point however is sufficient for the man of intelligence and
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Speaker 1: sagacity namely that 1900 years have passed since the manifestation
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Speaker 1: of Christ, and yet none of the Jews expresses a
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Speaker 1: wish to investigate his religion. This well shows what the
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Speaker 1: Jewish learned men have written concerning his holiness, and what
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Speaker 1: evil qualities they have attributed to him. Taking the above
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Speaker 1: facts into consideration, We ask the astonishment. writer Peter Z.
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Speaker 1: Easton whether it is worthy of any unprejudiced man of
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Speaker 1: sense to judge the character and qualities of Baha'u'llah by
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Speaker 1: relying upon those who have written against him. if so
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Speaker 1: how can one be expected to disregard what the above-mentioned
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Speaker 1: hostile philosophers and eminent writers have stated concerning christ and
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Speaker 1: trust in the text of the gospels written by his
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Speaker 1: disciples rather than the testimony of learned men engaged in
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Speaker 1: investigating the qualities and characters of his holiness is this
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Speaker 1: not very astonishing? but the writer of this article states
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Speaker 1: that neither in these days nor in the days of
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Speaker 1: Christ should an intelligent man judge of a person by
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Speaker 1: trusting in what his enemies say of him nay one
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Speaker 1: should look at the deeds actions and traces of that
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Speaker 1: person and reflect upon that which has emanated from him,
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Speaker 1: thus recognizing as the right criterion Christ's own saying, ye
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Speaker 1: shall know the tree by its fruit. For it is
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Speaker 1: self-evident and proven thousands of times that every great personage
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Speaker 1: finds many enemies who are jealous of him. and when
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Speaker 1: an enemy feels himself impotent he clings to slander and
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Speaker 1: calumny and engages in libels and execration hence it is
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Speaker 1: said by wise men evil speech is the weapon of
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Speaker 1: the weak james murdoch of america in his translation of
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Speaker 1: church history writes that although Roman rulers were mostly temperate
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Speaker 1: and liberal towards their subjects in religious freedom, yet for
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Speaker 1: two reasons they interfered with the Christians and endeavoured to
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Speaker 1: extinguish and eradicate them. First, because of love for their
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Speaker 1: own religion, wherefore they would not allow the Christians to
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Speaker 1: interfere therewith and cause a weakening and degrading thereof. second
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Speaker 1: because the opponents of christianity accused its followers of vile
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Speaker 1: calumnies before the rulers and characterized them with all kinds
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Speaker 1: of vice and defects such as lack of piety abandonment
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Speaker 1: of prayer and worship desire for dominion and power and
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Speaker 1: a wish for leadership and changing of the government They
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Speaker 1: accused the Christians of immoral deeds and even of cannibalism,
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Speaker 1: asserting that the Christians would kidnap the children of the Romans,
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Speaker 1: kill them, and prepare their flesh for consumption at banquets
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Speaker 1: and entertainments. End quote. This is a brief account of
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Speaker 1: the calumnies which the above author has related. so that
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Speaker 1: men may thereby differentiate truth from falsehood. Were one to
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Speaker 1: ponder over these facts, he would testify that dependence upon
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Speaker 1: such falsehoods and calumnies has always been the excuse of
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Speaker 1: the enemies of God, whereas such methods have never been
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Speaker 1: conducive to attaining the knowledge of God and separating truth
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Speaker 1: from falsehood. for instance how can a man of perception
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Speaker 1: trust in the words of baha'u'llah's enemies who have written
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Speaker 1: that he god forbid intended to poison his brother were
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Speaker 1: such sayings to be considered a criterion the truth of
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Speaker 1: no one could be proven for all among the prophets
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Speaker 1: have been the subject of similar reviling and accusations moreover
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Speaker 1: jealousy and enmity entertained by mirza yahya the azal for
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Speaker 1: baha'u'llah dates back to the time of their residence in
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Speaker 1: baghdad when in that city yahya witnessed the shining traces
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Speaker 1: tablets of the sacred being whereby he assisted the cause
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Speaker 1: of god caused the penetration of the word of god
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Speaker 1: affected the gathering and union of the beloved and resisted
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Speaker 1: the schemes and deceitful activities of the enemy azal himself
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Speaker 1: fearing for his life which tendency is the most specific
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Speaker 1: quality of the people of falsehood did not dare to
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Speaker 1: appear nor to associate with people then the fire of
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Speaker 1: jealousy and hatred which is so aflame today in the
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Speaker 1: heart of mr easton became a blaze in his heart
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Speaker 1: and he repeatedly planned to murder baha'u'llah again he sought
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Speaker 1: to poison baha'u'llah in adrianople and according to trustworthy authorities
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Speaker 1: attempted to do so twice but failing to accomplish his
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Speaker 1: design availed himself of a new scheme and cried out
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Speaker 1: that others had sought to poison him and take his
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Speaker 1: life it is an evident point that a weak and
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Speaker 1: defeated enemy 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'u'llah had sought to
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Speaker 1: destroy azal he was not impotent and needed no such
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Speaker 1: method for the execution of his plan numerous historical and
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Speaker 1: tangible evidences can be furnished to demonstrate and prove that
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Speaker 1: it was even the powerful and mighty pen of Baha'u'llah,
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Speaker 1: which protected from death his own enemies, such as Subh-i-Azal,
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Speaker 1: Nasruddin Shah, and certain great doctors and divines. Otherwise, the
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Speaker 1: Babis would not have allowed a single one of these
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Speaker 1: people to have escaped alive. Yea, it was Baha'u'llah who said,
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Speaker 1: through the effect of pure heavenly utterances, even more refreshing
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Speaker 1: than the zephyrs of the morn wafting from the rose garden,
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Speaker 1: and even more limpid than the vernal rain, which distills
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Speaker 1: drop by drop from the fragrant rose petals, trained his
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Speaker 1: friends so that the people of the world were amazed
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Speaker 1: and astonished. for these possessors of hearts and souls. 313
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Speaker 1: of whom resisted in battle thousands of the regular troops
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Speaker 1: of the government during many months, astonishing and bewildering the
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Speaker 1: enemy as well as the warriors of other nations by
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Speaker 1: their valour, heroism, strength of heart, firmness and resolution in
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Speaker 1: the terrible battles of Neiriz, Zanjan and Mozandaran. were so
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Speaker 1: trained in tenderness of heart and gentleness of disposition through
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Speaker 1: the glorious teachings of baha'u'llah that during the long years
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Speaker 1: from the time of his arrival in baghdad down to
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Speaker 1: the present day they have shown forbearance and self-restraint throughout
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Speaker 1: many great events and have not committed that which would
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Speaker 1: disturb any soul or be contrary to the law of
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Speaker 1: any government they were killed but they killed no one
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Speaker 1: they endured violent calamities but their lips were not opened
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Speaker 1: in complaint When the late Haji Muhammad Reza of Isfahan
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Speaker 1: suffered martyrdom in the city of Eshqabad in 1882 AD,
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Speaker 1: the chief of police found the city in great excitement
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Speaker 1: and the Baha'is exposed to danger. He therefore permitted the
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Speaker 1: Baha'is to carry arms, but they did not do so,
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Speaker 1: considering death better than self-defense. The government then engaged in
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Speaker 1: the trial of those who conspired and murdered the martyrs.
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Speaker 1: After five months' trial, examining and hearing both sides, a
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Speaker 1: high justice of the War Department, accompanied by an imposing judge, body,
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Speaker 1: arrived at Eshqabad from St. 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 labour. As the governor of the
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Speaker 1: province had the right to lessen this penalty, in three
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Speaker 1: days four of the Baha'is appeared before him. This great
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Speaker 1: man was Kamaroff, 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 Baha'is, 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: labour 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 Eshqabad 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
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Speaker 1: murder and who sought to poison his own brother? what
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Speaker 1: then becomes of the words of his holiness christ ye
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Speaker 1: shall know them by their fruit and what becomes of
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Speaker 1: the criterion embodied in the words thou makest righteous by
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Speaker 1: thy words and thou judgest by thy sayings Should hatred
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Speaker 1: for the people of Baha cause one to deny all
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Speaker 1: reliable criteria and rules of judgment, it is for ye
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Speaker 1: to judge. End of Section 2 Section 3 of The
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Speaker 1: Brilliant Proof by Mirza Abolfazle Gulpaygauni This LibriVox recording is
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Speaker 1: in the public domain. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater Section
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Speaker 1: 3 As to the second point, which is Peter Z.
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Speaker 1: Easton's statement that the creed of the Baha'is is pantheism,
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Speaker 1: this likewise is a manifest calumny and a false accusation.
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Speaker 1: displaying his ignorance of the subject of pantheism for the
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Speaker 1: teachings of baha ullah in no manner resemble pantheism pantheism
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Speaker 1: is a philosophical question and to treat it is the
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Speaker 1: work of scholars and learned men. It has nothing to
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Speaker 1: do with the function of revelation or the station of
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Speaker 1: the founders of religions. The writer of this article believes
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Speaker 1: that the teachings of pantheism have originated from the Platonic
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Speaker 1: school of philosophy, which is founded upon devotion, seclusion, and
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Speaker 1: rigid discipline, and shunning bodily enjoyments. The same philosophy is
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Speaker 1: the source of celibacy in Christianity and Sufism in Mohammedanism.
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Speaker 1: It was transferred from the Brahmins of India to the
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Speaker 1: philosophers of Athens and to the Platonists of Alexandria, who
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Speaker 1: became known as the Neo-Platonists. this late platonic school held
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Speaker 1: that the reality of the spirit which is an active
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Speaker 1: essence effective throughout the world is but one indivisible reality
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Speaker 1: this indivisible reality simple essence and ancient identity comprehends all
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Speaker 1: things and the souls of all animate organisms are but
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Speaker 1: rays descending from that ancient reality. These Platonists, in their
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Speaker 1: own belief, gathered from this principle the theory that each
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Speaker 1: human soul is a ray from the universal divine reality,
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Speaker 1: and a drop from the sea of the ancient holy essence,
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Speaker 1: which is confined in the prison of the body, and
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Speaker 1: has thus been separated from that universal, simple reality of realities.
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Speaker 1: Thus they taught that a seeker of perfection must devote
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Speaker 1: himself to severe discipline such as vigils, successive prayers, fasting,
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Speaker 1: abstaining from physical luxuries, and denial of material bounties, in
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Speaker 1: order that he may release his soul from the bodily prison,
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Speaker 1: cause it to unite itself with the ancient reality of realities,
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Speaker 1: and reach the apex of eternal bliss. Referring to this theory,
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Speaker 1: Eben Mescovier cites in his work purification of morals a
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Speaker 1: quotation from the divine plato to wit die by thy
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Speaker 1: will and you shall live by nature this is a
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Speaker 1: brief account of the subject of pantheism its source and
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Speaker 1: origin if the people of investigation look with keen eyes
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Speaker 1: upon the creation and formation of nations they would find
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Speaker 1: the atoms of this strange doctrine scattered in the horizons
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Speaker 1: of the western regions they would also trace pantheism to
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Speaker 1: the thoughts of greek philosophers references thereto have come down
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Speaker 1: to us through treatises and essays of scholars and descriptions
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Speaker 1: thereof are to be found in various books and writings
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Speaker 1: were it not for the desire to avoid prolixity we
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Speaker 1: would draw examples from those writings in order that the
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Speaker 1: real truth might be known to men of insight and
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Speaker 1: the source and origin of pantheism as well as peter
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Speaker 1: z easton's ignorance of it BECOME CLEAR AND MANIFEST HIS
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Speaker 1: HOLINESS ABDUL-BAHA IN THE BOOK SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS HAS CLEARLY
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Speaker 1: SHOWN THE PLANE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN PANTHEISM FOR
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Speaker 1: HE HAS MENTIONED THE FOLLOWERS OF PANTHEISM AS OPPOSED TO
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Speaker 1: THE PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS AND HAS REMOVED ALL CAUSES FOR
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Speaker 1: SUCH SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS Reference to page 327 of that book
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Speaker 1: will thoroughly expose the shallowness of such false accusations. As
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Speaker 1: to the third point, this refers to Peter Z. Easton's
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Speaker 1: statement that the outcome of the Baha'i religion is a
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Speaker 1: return of despotic rule. Overlooking the falsehood and sheer calumny
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Speaker 1: of this statement, it is a proof of his lack
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Speaker 1: of information regarding the laws and ordinances of the Baha'i faith.
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Speaker 1: He is likewise ignorant of what has been explicitly revealed
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Speaker 1: in the Book of Laws, Kitab al-Abdas, concerning the organization
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Speaker 1: of 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 goodwill moreover in the glad tidings which is one
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Speaker 1: of the well-known tablets of this most great manifestation the
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Speaker 1: substance of the last paragraph is as follows End quote.
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Speaker 1: That is to say... hereditary sovereignty should be limited by
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Speaker 1: a national parliament and representative assembly. In this way, national
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Speaker 1: problems and questions of citizenship will find solution through the
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Speaker 1: cooperation of these two bodies, so that the country and
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Speaker 1: nation may attain perfection and people arrive happy. at the
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Speaker 1: highest pitch of welfare and prosperity inasmuch as the original
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Speaker 1: tablet is not at hand the substance thereof is mentioned
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Speaker 1: if a reference be made to the tablet of the
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Speaker 1: glad tidings which should be considered from all standpoints as
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Speaker 1: to the beauty of expression in the heavenly utterances, surely
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Speaker 1: the reader will exclaim, Blessed be God, the most excellent
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Speaker 1: of creators. In one of the long tablets which is
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Speaker 1: considered accessory to the Kitab-ul-Aqdas, he has illustrated the form
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Speaker 1: of constitutional government and representative assembly by the british government
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Speaker 1: the form of that great government has therefore met with
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Speaker 1: his approval and sanction consequently the fear that despotism will
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Speaker 1: be restored is caused by ignorance concerning the commandments of
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Speaker 1: this most great manifestation and the outcome of reliance upon
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Speaker 1: the sayings of enemies regarding international discussions. As to the
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Speaker 1: fourth and greatest point, he says, what new command is
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Speaker 1: there in the Baha'i religion, which is lacking in Christianity?
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Speaker 1: although this question is an abstruse one which cannot be
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Speaker 1: fully comprehended by a person unless he be well versed
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Speaker 1: in the books of the two peoples yet we will
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Speaker 1: expound it clearly in such a way as to be
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Speaker 1: easily understood by every soul and we will explain the
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Speaker 1: specific features of this great movement and prove the necessity
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Speaker 1: of this most holy manifestation for the comfort and upbuilding
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Speaker 1: of the world thus may disinterested persons attain insight and
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Speaker 1: every just one arise in thanksgiving for this great bestowal
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Speaker 1: of god the all-glorious it is evident to every perceiving
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Speaker 1: soul that the world of humanity will attain perfection and
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Speaker 1: that happiness and welfare, the desire of nations, and goal
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Speaker 1: of all hearts, will be ensured when religious differences and sectarianism,
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Speaker 1: the cause of alienation and estrangement of the people, are
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Speaker 1: utterly removed from the world, and all estrangements and schisms,
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Speaker 1: such as racial, patriotic, and political divisions, etc., are dispelled
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Speaker 1: from among men thus may men become as brothers loving
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Speaker 1: and kind toward each other these terrible wars which are
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Speaker 1: the greatest catastrophes of humanity and civilization will disappear the
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Speaker 1: vast sums the expenditure of which is undoubtedly the cause
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Speaker 1: of impoverishing men and destroying the world will no longer
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Speaker 1: be devoted to destructive pursuits and infernal machinery this question
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Speaker 1: is so clear and lucid that the most deficient mind
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Speaker 1: can pass judgment upon it nevertheless this condition has been
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Speaker 1: confirmed by the divine glad tidings and established by heavenly
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Speaker 1: prophecies for the holy books contain explicit record that in
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Speaker 1: the great day which has been exalted by various names
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Speaker 1: such as the last day the time of the end
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Speaker 1: the latter day the day of the lord etc the
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Speaker 1: glorious lord will descend and will unite all nations in
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Speaker 1: the worship of the one God. He will so train
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Speaker 1: all men in lofty and spiritual qualities that warfare and
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Speaker 1: conflict will be uprooted, rancor and hatred will be replaced
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Speaker 1: by sociability and peace, and implements of war be changed
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Speaker 1: into farming and trading tools. THIS IS A BRIEF STATEMENT
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Speaker 1: OF THE PROMISES OF THE PROPHETS CONCERNING THE LATTER DAY
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Speaker 1: IT IS SELF-EVIDENT THAT ALL NATIONS ARE AWAITING AND ANTICIPATING
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Speaker 1: THE ADVENT OF SUCH A DAY AND THE COMING OF
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Speaker 1: SUCH A GREAT CAUSE NAY, THEY PRAY AND SUPPLICATE GOD
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Speaker 1: TO HASTEN ITS ARRIVAL But the greatest obstacles among the
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Speaker 1: nations are the signs and conditions which shall appear with
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Speaker 1: the praiseworthy manifestation and promised day. For all the manifestations
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Speaker 1: of God and founders of religion who have formerly come
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Speaker 1: have mentioned the signs of this great event in their
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Speaker 1: respective books. and emphasized and clearly recorded them in their utterances.
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Speaker 1: But every prophet who appeared recorded the selfsame signs mentioned
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Speaker 1: by his predecessor and repeated the same words, yet without
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Speaker 1: undertaking to explain the meaning of those signs and conditions
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Speaker 1: or make his object therein known. For instance... Consider how,
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Speaker 1: for a thousand years, his holiness Moses and the Israelitish
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Speaker 1: prophets spoke and uttered glad tidings to the people of
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Speaker 1: the coming of the Lord of hosts, who would harmonize
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Speaker 1: and unite all in the worship of one God. Among
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Speaker 1: the signs of the day of his coming announced by
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Speaker 1: them are, first, The rolling up of the heavens. Second,
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Speaker 1: The sun will be darkened. Third, The moon shall not
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Speaker 1: give her light. Fourth, The stars shall fall from heaven. Fifth,
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Speaker 1: The dead shall arise from their tombs. Sixth, Ferocious animals
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Speaker 1: will make peace with grazing animals. Seventh, They will share
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Speaker 1: the same pasture and food. Eighth, the children will play
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Speaker 1: with poisonous serpents ninth the people of israel who in
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Speaker 1: that day shall have become scattered and humiliated throughout all
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Speaker 1: the nations of the east and west will be again
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Speaker 1: assembled together by the lord of hosts who will establish
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Speaker 1: them in their promised land and confer upon them eternal
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Speaker 1: glory and everlasting dominion. These are, in short, some of
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Speaker 1: the prophecies which all the Israelitish prophets announced to their
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Speaker 1: people and recorded in their books. They did not state, however,
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Speaker 1: that these promises were to be taken directly in a
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Speaker 1: literal sense without symbolism and interpretation or that the symbolic
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Speaker 1: texts were subject to commentary fifteen hundred years subsequent to
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Speaker 1: the time of his holiness moses the very same promises
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Speaker 1: and signs were revealed by his holiness christ upon whom
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Speaker 1: be glory Consider verses 29-31 of the 24th chapter of St. Matthew,
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Speaker 1: and the 10th and 11th verses of the 3rd chapter
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Speaker 1: of the 2nd epistle of Peter the Apostle, so that
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Speaker 1: you may witness the mention of these promises and signs
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Speaker 1: with the utmost clearness. Likewise, His Holiness Christ and His
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Speaker 1: disciples said, confined themselves to the mere mentioning of these
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Speaker 1: signs as was done by the israelitish prophets not undertaking
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Speaker 1: to explain their meaning consequently the christian doctors disagreed in
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Speaker 1: their interpretation of those holy books some said that those
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Speaker 1: promises were literal statements and not subject to interpretation and
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Speaker 1: must therefore be fulfilled outwardly others among the commentators stated
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Speaker 1: that those promises were symbolic and that they were words
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Speaker 1: requiring interpretation in order that their real meaning might thereby
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Speaker 1: become evident that is that the seal of the book
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Speaker 1: might be opened in the latter day 600 years after
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Speaker 1: his holiness christ The seal of the prophets announced his mission,
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Speaker 1: and the very same promises were again revealed in the Qur'an.
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Speaker 1: The same conditions and signs were identically repeated, but again,
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Speaker 1: the quran made no reference to the meaning intended by
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Speaker 1: those prophecies nor did it state whether they were symbolic
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Speaker 1: or subject to interpretation consequently were a man to consider
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Speaker 1: what has been stated he would most clearly find that
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Speaker 1: the greatest obstacles against the unification of nations have been
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Speaker 1: these very prophecies, glad tidings, conditions and signs. For the
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Speaker 1: various peoples have been prevented from uniting with each other,
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Speaker 1: because the meanings intended by those prophecies were not clear.
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Speaker 1: End of section 3 Section 4 of The Brilliant Proof
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Speaker 1: by Mirzo Abolfaz Legolpoigoni. This LibriVox recording is in the
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Speaker 1: public domain. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. Section 4 Although
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Speaker 1: citing an illustration leads to prolixity, yet we will do
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Speaker 1: so for the purpose of enlightening and further elucidating the
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Speaker 1: matter to the reader. For example, let us assume that
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Speaker 1: a Christian missionary should say to a Jew, Dear friend,
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Speaker 1: why are you sleeping and heedless? The promised Messiah, whose
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Speaker 1: coming was foretold by all the prophets, has appeared. Then
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Speaker 1: imagine the Jew answering, quote, how splendid how splendid what
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Speaker 1: beautiful glad tidings and joyous news we jews have made
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Speaker 1: all our wishes dependent upon the coming of the messiah
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Speaker 1: and daily supplicate by prayer for his advent now let
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Speaker 1: us see this promised messiah whom you declare to have
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Speaker 1: appeared the christian missionary answers The promised Messiah was that
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Speaker 1: wronged youth, Jesus of Nazareth, who sacrificed his life for
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Speaker 1: the liberation and salvation of the world, end quote. The
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Speaker 1: Jew would reply, quote, we jews have not found our
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Speaker 1: religion so easily that we can relinquish it carelessly you
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Speaker 1: consider yourself a teacher of the holy books see then
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Speaker 1: in the heavenly books the words that at the time
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Speaker 1: of the coming of the promised messiah the sun will
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Speaker 1: be darkened the moon will turn into blood the new
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Speaker 1: heaven and the new earth will become manifest the stars
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Speaker 1: will fall the dead will arise where and when did
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Speaker 1: these prophecies become fulfilled during the day of the nazarene
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Speaker 1: and who saw them furthermore let me show you numerous
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Speaker 1: passages wherein it has been clearly revealed that when the
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Speaker 1: promised messiah appears he will gather together all the jews
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Speaker 1: scattered throughout the world and he will save them from
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Speaker 1: the great humiliation execration and tyranny which they suffer then
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Speaker 1: he will establish them in the holy land and confer
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Speaker 1: upon them dominion and eternal glory now tell me when
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Speaker 1: did jesus of nazareth accomplish such a thing nay through
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Speaker 1: his manifestation the contrary came to pass For we were
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Speaker 1: 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 cause 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: shalmane and during the crusades they repeatedly attempted to force
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Speaker 1: the jews to accept christianity but in the end they
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Speaker 1: failed now had they known the meanings of these glad
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Speaker 1: tidings there would be no need of using force and
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Speaker 1: compulsion similar to this is the attitude of the muslim
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Speaker 1: toward the christian when the muslim desires to prove the
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Speaker 1: truth of the mission of the seal of the prophets
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Speaker 1: to a christian he refers the christian to the signs
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Speaker 1: recorded in the twenty fourth chapter of st matthew then
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Speaker 1: that muslim not understanding the meanings thereof is forced to
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Speaker 1: say that this gospel in the hands of the Christians
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Speaker 1: is not the original gospel which descended with Jesus, upon
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Speaker 1: whom be peace. As you readily see, the Muslim will
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Speaker 1: clearly prove in word and writing that this gospel has
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Speaker 1: been interpolated by the Christian scholars, and that it has
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Speaker 1: been attributed to his holiness Christ. In this case, the
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Speaker 1: Christian believes to whom the reality of the Gospel is
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Speaker 1: evident and manifest, and the love of this holy book,
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Speaker 1: firmly established in his heart, will be amazed at the
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Speaker 1: incorrect answer of the Muslim. Instead of fellowship and friendship
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Speaker 1: with the Muslim, the Christian becomes an enemy of the
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Speaker 1: Islamic religion, and an opponent of the Muhammadan people. In short,
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Speaker 1: one of the great obstacles to the unity of the
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Speaker 1: nation's is this difficulty which has been explained by the
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Speaker 1: foregoing illustration. All these abstruse problems are involved and explained
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Speaker 1: in the statement that because the Christian missionaries do not
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Speaker 1: understand the real meanings of the books of religions which
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Speaker 1: have appeared prior to the manifestation of His Holiness Christ,
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Speaker 1: upon whom be peace. Therefore, they cannot guide others to
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Speaker 1: their own religion. This has become evident and manifest. As
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Speaker 1: to the religions which have appeared before His Holiness Christ,
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Speaker 1: inasmuch as retrogression and reversal are opposed to natural motion
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Speaker 1: and contrary to the progress and advancement which are evident
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Speaker 1: and manifest in world movements, therefore the Christian religion cannot
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Speaker 1: turn development backward and cause other people to descend the
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Speaker 1: ladder of progress in order to unite them to themselves.
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Speaker 1: The great man, Lord Curzon, has partly understood this point
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Speaker 1: when he writes, the conversion of Asiatics to the Christian
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Speaker 1: religion is without effect and result. Now that this subject
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Speaker 1: has been clearly elucidated, we will submit that the present
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Speaker 1: state of progress in the world necessitates the most great manifestation.
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Speaker 1: While His Holiness Baha'u'llah resided in Baghdad, the first book
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Speaker 1: revealed by him was Kitab-i-Qa'un, which is the key to
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Speaker 1: unlock the seals of the heavenly books. it comprehends the
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Speaker 1: realities revealed in holy writ by it the doors of
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Speaker 1: the understanding of prophetic words were opened to the faces
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Speaker 1: of the people of Baha the real meaning of the
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Speaker 1: divine glad tidings were revealed and the original purposes of
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Speaker 1: such terms as were latent and unknown became manifested these
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Speaker 1: terms are death, life heaven earth sun moon stars resurrection
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Speaker 1: etc thus the means of unity became facilitated and the
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Speaker 1: hindrances to international misunderstandings were removed the signs and emblems
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Speaker 1: of accord and agreement among inimical and opposing people became
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Speaker 1: manifest and apparent for you observe that while now is
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Speaker 1: but the commencement of the bahai religion yet difficult questions
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Speaker 1: and doctrines have become so clearly explained to and so
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Speaker 1: easily accepted by various peoples that numerous souls among zoroastrians
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Speaker 1: jews And others, who have never believed in His Holiness Christ,
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Speaker 1: nor would listen to a single verse of the Gospel,
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Speaker 1: have now become acknowledged believers in Baha'u'llah through the effect
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Speaker 1: of His blessed utterances. Moreover, they consider His Holiness Christ,
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Speaker 1: the Promised Lord, and His Heavenly Book, the Divine Holy Word.
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Speaker 1: They associate and consort with Christians in their feasts and
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Speaker 1: gatherings with the utmost kindness and fellowship. In the spirit
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Speaker 1: of utmost friendship, a question is propounded to this esteemed missionary,
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Speaker 1: Peter Z. Easton, who without understanding in the least the
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Speaker 1: significance of the kingdom of Christ, eulogizes it. do these
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Speaker 1: evident signs cause the kingdom of Christ to be at hand?
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Speaker 1: or do anathema, execration, unseemly words and the writing of
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Speaker 1: debasing articles in magazines wherein libel and calumny are attributed
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Speaker 1: to pure and holy souls? it is most astonishing we
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Speaker 1: do not know what Mr. Easton and his allies understand
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Speaker 1: the kingdom of Christ to be and to signify, is
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Speaker 1: the kingdom of Christ for the ratification and execution of
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Speaker 1: his words, or to prove the opposite of the word
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Speaker 1: of Christ and promulgate the attributes of his enemies. His
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Speaker 1: holiness Christ clearly states, quote, bless them that curse you,
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Speaker 1: end quote. whereas Mr. Easton and his peers carry out
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Speaker 1: the meaning of, quote, curse them that bless you, end quote.
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Speaker 1: The soul who seeks benediction and mercy, they characterize with
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Speaker 1: most unseemly words and desire for him, evil and perdition.
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Speaker 1: Baha'u'llah proves to the unbelieving nations that His Holiness Christ
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Speaker 1: was the Son of God and and the word of God,
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Speaker 1: whereas Mr. Easton and his peers pronounce him the Antichrist. Strange!
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Speaker 1: John the Evangelist, the beloved of Christ, in his first
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Speaker 1: epistle says, quote, he who doeth righteousness is righteous, end quote.
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Speaker 1: But these opponents say, quote, he who doeth a righteous deed, verily,
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Speaker 1: he is a murderer and an imposter, end quote. Likewise,
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Speaker 1: in this epistle, he says, quote, Whosoever shall confess that
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Speaker 1: Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him,
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Speaker 1: and he is in God, end quote. But they say
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Speaker 1: that one who, according to their own admission, has convinced
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Speaker 1: three million souls and made them believe that jesus was
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Speaker 1: the son of god and the word of god is
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Speaker 1: deprived of the knowledge of god and has no portion
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Speaker 1: of the fragrance of god is it not always clearly
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Speaker 1: shown and positively proven that in this day we should
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Speaker 1: understand by the words ye shall know the tree by
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Speaker 1: its fruit in the sermon on the mount that the
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Speaker 1: purpose of his holiness christ was that we should not
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Speaker 1: pay heed to false accusations, or listen to that which
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Speaker 1: the people of prejudice spread among men? Nay, we should
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Speaker 1: consider the deeds of every person the correct criterion, and
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Speaker 1: through this balance differentiate between truth and falsehood. End of
1:03:58
Speaker 1: section 4 Section 5 of The Brilliant Proof by Mirzo
1:04:10
Speaker 1: Abolfazle Golpoigoni. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
1:04:18
Speaker 1: Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. Section 5. In short, let
1:04:26
Speaker 1: us return to the original matter, which refers to Peter Z.
1:04:31
Speaker 1: Easton's question. Quote, What has Baha'u'llah brought which is not
1:04:38
Speaker 1: found in the Christian religion? Although the great function of
1:04:45
Speaker 1: the revelation of Baha'u'llah in solving the intricacies of the
1:04:50
Speaker 1: heavenly books, facilitating the removal of differences from among nations,
1:04:57
Speaker 1: and establishing unity and harmony among the sections of the
1:05:03
Speaker 1: human world is sufficient proof of the greatness and thoroughness
1:05:10
Speaker 1: of the Baha'i religion. Nevertheless, we will now consider the
1:05:16
Speaker 1: laws and ordinances of this religion, explain their specific virtues,
1:05:23
Speaker 1: their benefits, and good results. First, a command which is
1:05:31
Speaker 1: particularly a feature of the Baha'i religion and is not
1:05:36
Speaker 1: found in the other religion is, quote, abstaining from crediting
1:05:43
Speaker 1: verbal traditions, end quote. It is well known to men
1:05:49
Speaker 1: of learning that it was a verbal tradition which divided
1:05:54
Speaker 1: the Jews into two great sects. Such traditions are the
1:05:59
Speaker 1: basis of the Book of Talmud and cause the division
1:06:04
Speaker 1: of that one nation. One of the two schisms, called
1:06:09
Speaker 1: the Rabbinim, looks upon the teachings of the Talmud as
1:06:14
Speaker 1: the law which needs to be followed and considers it
1:06:19
Speaker 1: the greatest means for the preservation and permanence of the
1:06:24
Speaker 1: Israelitish people. but the other sect garaim looks upon the
1:06:30
Speaker 1: talmud as sheer heresy and conducive to perdition thus these
1:06:38
Speaker 1: two sects cannot possibly be harmonized or cease mutual opposition
1:06:46
Speaker 1: similarly in the christian religion the main cause of schism
1:06:51
Speaker 1: and division were these verbal traditions which were termed authoritative.
1:06:59
Speaker 1: Each one of the Christian churches, such as the Catholic,
1:07:03
Speaker 1: the Orthodox, the Jacobite, the Nestorian, and others, consider it
1:07:09
Speaker 1: obligatory to follow these traditions inherited from and handed down
1:07:16
Speaker 1: by the Fathers of the Church as the very text
1:07:22
Speaker 1: of the Holy Book. Thus, when in any of the
1:07:26
Speaker 1: great councils the question of the unification of the Christian
1:07:31
Speaker 1: people would be at issue, they would avail themselves of
1:07:35
Speaker 1: these inherited traditions which were opposed to union and harmony. Likewise,
1:07:43
Speaker 1: in the religion of Islam, claiming these verbal traditions which
1:07:48
Speaker 1: were related of the founder of that religion, subsequent to
1:07:53
Speaker 1: his death, was the cause of the division and separation
1:07:58
Speaker 1: into various of the principal sects, such as the Sunnite,
1:08:04
Speaker 1: the Shiite, and the Kharajite, or into the secondary schools
1:08:09
Speaker 1: of Hanafite, Malakite, Shafiite, Hanbalite, etc. Each of these hold
1:08:17
Speaker 1: to a set of traditions considered as authentic by their
1:08:22
Speaker 1: own sect. But, baha'u'llah, close to the people of the
1:08:27
Speaker 1: world this door, which is the greatest means for sedition.
1:08:34
Speaker 1: For he has clearly announced that, quote, in the religion
1:08:40
Speaker 1: of God, all recorded matters are referable to the Book,
1:08:46
Speaker 1: and all unrecorded matters are dependent upon the decision of
1:08:53
Speaker 1: End quote. Thus all narrations, relations, and verbal traditions have
1:09:02
Speaker 1: been discredited among the Baha'i people and the door of
1:09:07
Speaker 1: dissension which is the greatest among the doors of hell
1:09:12
Speaker 1: has been closed and locked second One of the laws
1:09:19
Speaker 1: and ordinances peculiar to the Baha'i religion is the law
1:09:25
Speaker 1: prohibiting the interpreting of the word of God. For interpretation
1:09:31
Speaker 1: of the words and exposition of personal opinion has been
1:09:37
Speaker 1: one of the greatest means of dissension in the former religions.
1:09:43
Speaker 1: The cause of darkening of the horizon of faith and
1:09:48
Speaker 1: concealing the real meaning of the book of God. It
1:09:54
Speaker 1: is an evident fact that learned men differ in their minds,
1:10:00
Speaker 1: and the natural gifts of sagacity and intelligence, or the
1:10:05
Speaker 1: lack of understanding and comprehension, vary in degrees among them. Thus,
1:10:12
Speaker 1: when the door of interpretation opens, and perverting of the
1:10:16
Speaker 1: words from their outward meaning is opened strange opinions and
1:10:23
Speaker 1: curious contradictory interpretations will result and different sects will arise
1:10:30
Speaker 1: among the one people and one religious community consequently baha'u'llah
1:10:39
Speaker 1: has explicitly commanded his followers to wholly abandon the door
1:10:45
Speaker 1: of interpretation and follow the words revealed in the tablets
1:10:51
Speaker 1: according to their outward meaning, so that the events which
1:10:56
Speaker 1: have transpired among the past nations should not recur among
1:11:02
Speaker 1: the Baha'i people, and the unwelcome happenings which appeared among
1:11:08
Speaker 1: the various sects due to the difference in mentality and
1:11:13
Speaker 1: viewpoint should not become manifest in this new auspicious day
1:11:21
Speaker 1: which is the day of the glorious lord thus one
1:11:27
Speaker 1: of the explicit commands of this great manifestation is the
1:11:32
Speaker 1: ordinance abrogating differences which separate men it is because one
1:11:39
Speaker 1: of the occasions of dissension is difference of scholars with
1:11:45
Speaker 1: regard to the station of the manifestation of the cause.
1:11:51
Speaker 1: In former religions, even as testified by history, it has
1:11:56
Speaker 1: become evident that when in a question of this kind
1:12:01
Speaker 1: a difference has arisen between two of the doctors of
1:12:06
Speaker 1: religion— Both parties were firm in their standpoints and held
1:12:12
Speaker 1: tenaciously 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,
1:12:24
Speaker 1: thus closing the doors to agreement and unity to such
1:12:29
Speaker 1: an extent that religious fraternity was changed into deep and
1:12:36
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 4th century AD. Also, the Nestorian differences which
1:13:03
Speaker 1: took place in the 5th century AD 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
1:13:19
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
1:13:40
Speaker 1: which the Church historians have counted more than thirty, and
1:13:45
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 REALIZE THAT ALL THESE
1:14:02
Speaker 1: DIVISIONS AND SECTS CAME FROM THE DISAGREEMENTS OF THE DOCTORS
1:14:08
Speaker 1: AS TO THE DEGREE AND STATION OF HIS HOLINESS CHRIST
1:14:14
Speaker 1: AND THEIR PERSISTENCE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE OPINIONS. THE SUBJECT OF
1:14:19
Speaker 1: DISAGREEMENT BY THE DOCTORS AS TO THE STATION OF THE
1:14:23
Speaker 1: MANIFESTATION OF GOD IS has been one of those abstruse
1:14:29
Speaker 1: and difficult questions to solve which proved beyond the power
1:14:34
Speaker 1: of great minds and baffled a mighty king like constantine
1:14:40
Speaker 1: the great for notwithstanding the assistance and cooperation of the
1:14:47
Speaker 1: great bishops of the east and west he could not
1:14:51
Speaker 1: reconcile the various parties to the Aryan controversy nay during
1:14:58
Speaker 1: this long time the power of local councils the sword
1:15:03
Speaker 1: of European powers and the verdicts of inquisitorial boards failed
1:15:09
Speaker 1: to remove divisions and schisms caused by metaphysical discussions but
1:15:17
Speaker 1: the removal of this indissoluble knot and incurable disease by
1:15:22
Speaker 1: the easiest of means, has been announced in the holy
1:15:27
Speaker 1: Baha'i literature. For Baha'u'llah, in one of his holy tablets,
1:15:33
Speaker 1: has clearly revealed the following. Quote, Since men differ in
1:15:40
Speaker 1: their degree of knowledge, if two persons should be found
1:15:44
Speaker 1: to possess different viewpoints as regards the degree of and
1:15:49
Speaker 1: station of the manifestation of god both are acceptable before
1:15:55
Speaker 1: god for in accord with the blessed verse verily we
1:16:02
Speaker 1: have created souls different in degrees god has created men
1:16:09
Speaker 1: different in understanding and diverse in manners but if those
1:16:15
Speaker 1: having two points of view engage in conflict and strife
1:16:20
Speaker 1: while expressing their views, both of them are rejected. For
1:16:27
Speaker 1: by knowing the manifestation of God, it is intended to
1:16:32
Speaker 1: unify the hearts, cultivate souls, and to teach the truth
1:16:38
Speaker 1: of God. Whereas conflict and strife of two persons with
1:16:44
Speaker 1: two different points of view would do harm to the
1:16:48
Speaker 1: cause of god consequently both of them are referred to
1:16:54
Speaker 1: the fire this was the purport of the blessed tablet
1:17:00
Speaker 1: in brief accordingly in this holy cause no one has
1:17:06
Speaker 1: power to create in harmony and because of fear of
1:17:10
Speaker 1: falling no one dares to persist in his own opinion
1:17:15
Speaker 1: at the expense of harmony. Fourth, among the specific laws
1:17:21
Speaker 1: clearly laid down in the cause of Baha'u'llah is the
1:17:25
Speaker 1: law prohibiting slavery. No mention of this is made in
1:17:31
Speaker 1: other religions, as none of the former heavenly books has
1:17:36
Speaker 1: forbidden this traffic. All the humanitarian instincts which actuated the
1:17:42
Speaker 1: great power's to abolish and destroy it could not withhold
1:17:47
Speaker 1: the common people from this abominable practice, which has cost
1:17:53
Speaker 1: the government and nations great trouble and expense. For instance,
1:18:00
Speaker 1: the freeing of the slaves constitutes one of the important
1:18:04
Speaker 1: responsibilities of the Egyptian government. This necessitates a heavy drain
1:18:10
Speaker 1: upon the state treasury. Furthermore, the trial and indictment of
1:18:16
Speaker 1: those guilty of this nefarious traffic brings great affliction and
1:18:23
Speaker 1: often ruin upon many noted families. Fifth, among the laws
1:18:30
Speaker 1: peculiar to this great cause is the law making it legal.
1:18:36
Speaker 1: quote obligatory upon all to engage in allowable professions as
1:18:42
Speaker 1: a means of support and obedience to this law is
1:18:47
Speaker 1: accepted as an act of worship were a man of
1:18:53
Speaker 1: insight to consider this strong command he would testify to
1:18:58
Speaker 1: the great benefit it contributes towards regulating the affairs of
1:19:04
Speaker 1: civilization and removing impediments and calamities from human society. For
1:19:12
Speaker 1: it is evident how in this present day, innumerable souls
1:19:17
Speaker 1: designated as monks, anchorites, hermits, religious devotees, dignitaries and others,
1:19:25
Speaker 1: although sound in body and limb, abstain from occupation and trade,
1:19:32
Speaker 1: passing their time in indolence and idleness, and living upon
1:19:37
Speaker 1: the proceeds of other men's labour. In reality, such men
1:19:44
Speaker 1: as are atrophied limbs upon the body of humanity are
1:19:49
Speaker 1: and a heavy burden to the men of industry and agriculture. When,
1:19:55
Speaker 1: by a law of religion, these innumerable souls abandon idleness
1:20:01
Speaker 1: and indolence and engage in useful occupations, one can well
1:20:07
Speaker 1: realize how much this will contribute to the commonwealth and
1:20:13
Speaker 1: remove the difficulties of the body politic. sixth the law
1:20:20
Speaker 1: making the education of children of both sexes compulsory this
1:20:26
Speaker 1: law is also one of the commands explicitly revealed in
1:20:31
Speaker 1: this most great cause and concerning which no mention is
1:20:36
Speaker 1: made in any of the other religions for in the
1:20:41
Speaker 1: other religions THE EDUCATION OF THE MASSES IS MADE DEPENDENT
1:20:46
Speaker 1: UPON THE LAW OF THE GOVERNMENT. IF IN FORMER TIMES
1:20:50
Speaker 1: A GOVERNMENT WOULD FAIL TO ISSUE A DECREE PROVIDING FOR
1:20:54
Speaker 1: COMPULSORY EDUCATION, AND THIS FAILURE WOULD RESULT IN THE DECADENCE
1:21:00
Speaker 1: OF LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE, THE NATION WOULD TAKE NO THOUGHT
1:21:05
Speaker 1: OF IT, NOR WOULD THE PEOPLE CONSIDER THEMSELVES AND THE
1:21:09
Speaker 1: GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE. for no law concerning this subject has been
1:21:15
Speaker 1: revealed in the heavenly books. But when a law is
1:21:19
Speaker 1: laid down in the heavenly book of a nation, every
1:21:23
Speaker 1: individual member will consider himself bound to execute it, and
1:21:30
Speaker 1: no one will fail to heed that law, for they
1:21:34
Speaker 1: will not be dependent upon the government to carry it out. 7.
1:21:41
Speaker 1: the command prohibiting cursing and execration, and making it obligatory
1:21:47
Speaker 1: upon all to abstain from uttering that which may offend men. For,
1:21:54
Speaker 1: as is evident in moral science, cursing, reviling, and speaking
1:22:00
Speaker 1: in harsh words and offensive phrases is one of the
1:22:05
Speaker 1: greatest causes of alienating hearts. filling minds with rancor, creating
1:22:12
Speaker 1: hatred and animosity among the peoples, and igniting the fire
1:22:17
Speaker 1: of calamitous warfare among men. Thus it is said by
1:22:23
Speaker 1: wise men, Verily, war begins in words. And the poet
1:22:29
Speaker 1: Ferdowsi has said, Quote, A mere word is the cause
1:22:35
Speaker 1: of warfare. End quote. Another verse illustrating this point at
1:22:42
Speaker 1: issue is, quote, the wound inflicted by the tongue is
1:22:47
Speaker 1: deeper than that inflicted by the sword, end quote. We're
1:22:54
Speaker 1: one to ponder over the differences and schisms already spoken
1:22:59
Speaker 1: of which arose among the Christian people's CREATING DIFFERENT SECTS
1:23:05
Speaker 1: AND SCHOOLS SUCH AS THE ARIANS, NESTORIANS, GNOSTICS AND OTHERS
1:23:11
Speaker 1: KINDLING THE FIRE OF TERRIBLE BATTLEFIELDS AND VIOLENT CALAMITIES HE
1:23:17
Speaker 1: WOULD CLEARLY FIND FROM THE TESTIMONY OF AUTHENTIC HISTORY THAT
1:23:23
Speaker 1: THE PRINCIPLE AND INITIAL CAUSE OF SUCH DIVISIONS AND DISASTERS
1:23:29
Speaker 1: WAS THE DIFFERENCE OF OPINION between two religious doctors, which
1:23:35
Speaker 1: would result in discussion and controversy. In order to overcome
1:23:40
Speaker 1: his opponent and demonstrate the correctness of his own view,
1:23:46
Speaker 1: or because of believing his own opinion correct, each would
1:23:51
Speaker 1: so persist in his attitude that it would finally lead
1:23:56
Speaker 1: to harshness towards the other. this harshness would gradually lead
1:24:01
Speaker 1: to insinuating remarks and annoying statements which in time would
1:24:06
Speaker 1: culminate in reviling execrating fighting and even bloodshed now the
1:24:14
Speaker 1: harmful outcome of these religious fights and their evil effect
1:24:19
Speaker 1: upon human society needs no mentioning here for the calamities
1:24:25
Speaker 1: caused by these differences during the past ages are recorded
1:24:31
Speaker 1: in the historical books of every nation and the hardships
1:24:36
Speaker 1: which have continued down to our time as the painful
1:24:41
Speaker 1: result of those dissensions are evident to men of understanding
1:24:49
Speaker 1: end of section 5 SECTION 6 OF THE BRILLIANT PROOF
1:25:01
Speaker 1: BY MIRZO ABOLFAZLE GOLPAIGONI This LibriVox recording is in the
1:25:08
Speaker 1: public domain. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. SECTION 6 Perhaps
1:25:16
Speaker 1: someone may advance an objection, saying that ordinances prohibiting anathema
1:25:23
Speaker 1: and execration are are found in the other heavenly books, as,
1:25:29
Speaker 1: for instance, the commands of His Holiness Christ, well known
1:25:34
Speaker 1: as the Sermon on the Mount, wherein He most lucidly states,
1:25:42
Speaker 1: whosoever calleth another a fool is in danger of hellfire.
1:25:50
Speaker 1: In the Qur'an it is stated, curse not those who
1:25:55
Speaker 1: claim spiritual mission without the permission of god thus without
1:26:01
Speaker 1: knowledge cursing god as an enemy the answer to this
1:26:08
Speaker 1: objection is evident to the people of insight for such
1:26:15
Speaker 1: ordinances and prohibitions are considered as educational commands in the
1:26:22
Speaker 1: estimation of the learned, and not as laws and enactments
1:26:28
Speaker 1: of religion. Consider this command of the Sermon on the Mount,
1:26:34
Speaker 1: wherein he states, quote, End quote. Again he says, quote,
1:26:48
Speaker 1: store not for yourselves treasures end quote and again quote
1:26:54
Speaker 1: be not concerned with the morrow end quote also quote
1:27:01
Speaker 1: whosoever smiteth thee on the right cheek turn to him
1:27:06
Speaker 1: the other also end quote and quote whosoever desireth thy
1:27:13
Speaker 1: garment give him also thy cloak end quote. Then later
1:27:19
Speaker 1: on he says, quote, Whosoever asks of thee, give unto him,
1:27:26
Speaker 1: and whosoever would borrow of thee, prevent him not, end quote.
1:27:33
Speaker 1: It is fully evident that the learned men and doctors
1:27:38
Speaker 1: of the Christian and Mohammedan religions have not considered these
1:27:44
Speaker 1: ordinances as imperative. men of intelligence versed in law and
1:27:50
Speaker 1: jurisprudence have not deemed those who disobeyed these laws deserving
1:27:58
Speaker 1: of punishment and trial nay as already mentioned they have
1:28:04
Speaker 1: unanimously accounted them educational laws moreover Some of those laws
1:28:13
Speaker 1: are such that the doctors have not considered those slighting
1:28:17
Speaker 1: them as transgressors or evildoers before God. For instance, If
1:28:25
Speaker 1: anyone smites you upon the one cheek, turn to him
1:28:29
Speaker 1: the other. He who begs of you, give to him.
1:28:32
Speaker 1: He who seeks to borrow from you, do not refuse him.
1:28:36
Speaker 1: The above statement, will clearly show why such commands and
1:28:43
Speaker 1: ordinances were not considered by the leaders of the Christian
1:28:47
Speaker 1: peoples as imperative and obligatory, and why they could not
1:28:54
Speaker 1: remove cursing and execration from among the community. but in
1:29:00
Speaker 1: the bahai religion the commands prohibiting cursing reviling swearing and
1:29:07
Speaker 1: blasphemy have been revealed as imperative and obligatory laws the
1:29:15
Speaker 1: responsibility attaching to the violators has been revealed in various
1:29:21
Speaker 1: tablets emphatic commands have been issued in regard to the
1:29:27
Speaker 1: purity of pen and tongue, prohibiting the writing or speaking
1:29:33
Speaker 1: of that which will offend men. For example, although in
1:29:38
Speaker 1: various tablets, such as the Ishraqat and others, the law
1:29:44
Speaker 1: prohibiting cursing and execration has been explicitly laid down, Nevertheless, Baha'u'llah,
1:29:54
Speaker 1: during his latter days in the blessed Book of the Covenant,
1:30:01
Speaker 1: fortified and emphasized the following command to the people of
1:30:07
Speaker 1: the world. Quote, O ye people of the world, I
1:30:14
Speaker 1: exhort ye towards that which is the cause of the
1:30:18
Speaker 1: elevation of your stations, Hold fast to the fear of God,
1:30:24
Speaker 1: and adhere to the hem of kindliness. Verily, I say
1:30:30
Speaker 1: unto you, the tongue is for the mention of good.
1:30:36
Speaker 1: Defile it not with unseemly words. Verily, God has forgiven
1:30:43
Speaker 1: the past. Hereafter, all must utter that which is seemly.
1:30:50
Speaker 1: shun anathema execration and that whereby man is perturbed the
1:30:58
Speaker 1: station of man is great some time ago this lofty
1:31:04
Speaker 1: word was revealed from the treasury of the pen of
1:31:09
Speaker 1: abhall today is a great blessed day that which was
1:31:17
Speaker 1: latent in man is today revealed and become manifest the
1:31:24
Speaker 1: station of man is great should he adhere to veracity
1:31:30
Speaker 1: and truth and remain firm and steadfast in the cause
1:31:39
Speaker 1: every intelligent soul who reflects upon this utterance verily God
1:31:47
Speaker 1: has forgiven the past. Hereafter, all must utter that which
1:31:52
Speaker 1: is seemly. Shun anathema, execration, and that whereby man is perturbed.
1:32:03
Speaker 1: We'll clearly see how emphatic an ordinance has been given forth,
1:32:09
Speaker 1: ratifying the prohibition of anathema and execration. because according to
1:32:17
Speaker 1: the law current among the people of knowledge the purport
1:32:21
Speaker 1: of this blessed utterance is an explicit prohibition concerning anathema
1:32:28
Speaker 1: and execration the intended purpose thereof is the unpardonable position
1:32:35
Speaker 1: of the one who violates this mighty command and decisive
1:32:41
Speaker 1: blessed ordinance In this case, to the people of insight,
1:32:47
Speaker 1: it is evident, manifest and firmly established, that the prohibition
1:32:55
Speaker 1: as regards anathema and execration is an especialised ordinance and
1:33:02
Speaker 1: one of the particular commandments of this greatest dispensation. Thus,
1:33:09
Speaker 1: through the favour of God the Most High, from the
1:33:13
Speaker 1: traces of the supreme pen this unseemly action and the
1:33:19
Speaker 1: ordeals resulting therefrom may disappear from among the people of
1:33:25
Speaker 1: the world and the glad tidings recorded in the third
1:33:30
Speaker 1: verse of the twenty-second chapter of the revelation of saint
1:33:36
Speaker 1: john concerning the events of the day of manifestation namely, quote,
1:33:43
Speaker 1: hereafter there shall be no more cursing, end quote, shall
1:33:50
Speaker 1: be realized. Eighth, relative to the carrying of arms, except
1:33:57
Speaker 1: in time of necessity. This ordinance is not to be
1:34:02
Speaker 1: found in other religions, but in the Baha'i religion. it
1:34:08
Speaker 1: is considered as one of the imperative and essential commands.
1:34:14
Speaker 1: The great utility of this law is most evident and manifest.
1:34:21
Speaker 1: How many souls who are not able to control excessive
1:34:25
Speaker 1: anger have given vent to it by the use of
1:34:29
Speaker 1: arms ready at hand? If the murderer had not been armed...
1:34:36
Speaker 1: often after one hour the violence of his anger would
1:34:40
Speaker 1: have subsided, and no crime would have resulted. These are
1:34:47
Speaker 1: the minor evil results of carrying arms. There are other
1:34:53
Speaker 1: greater evils continually manifested by people who carry arms, which
1:34:59
Speaker 1: are productive of great revolutions and excessive losses, for the
1:35:05
Speaker 1: government and nations. The details of this are not in
1:35:11
Speaker 1: keeping with brevity, and are conducive to prolongation. Nevertheless, the
1:35:18
Speaker 1: afflictions of the nations and ordeals of the people are
1:35:23
Speaker 1: evident to men of perception. 9. THE QUESTION RELATIVE TO
1:35:30
Speaker 1: THE NECESSITY OF THE CREATION OF THE HOUSE OF JUSTICE
1:35:35
Speaker 1: AND INSTITUTION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLYS AND CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENTS THIS
1:35:43
Speaker 1: COMMAND IS LIKEWISE SPECIALIZED TO THIS EVIDENT RELIGION AND IS
1:35:49
Speaker 1: NOT MENTIONED IN THE OTHERS FOR UNDER OTHER RELIGIONS it
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Speaker 1: is possible for despotic governments to be restored and founded,
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Speaker 1: because the love of the permanence, establishment and endurance of
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Speaker 1: religious ordinances, and the fear of going contrary to them,
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Speaker 1: is so deeply rooted in human souls, by reason of
1:36:15
Speaker 1: the fear of God, that they would not pass away
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Speaker 1: in a thousand years, and would not be superseded, except
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Speaker 1: through the renewal of the religion and the reform of
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Speaker 1: laws in short these are some of the especial commands
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Speaker 1: of the bahai religion which the writer of these lines
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Speaker 1: has submitted in accordance with this opportune occasion the consideration
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Speaker 1: of brevity has made it necessary to omit the mentioning
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Speaker 1: of other special commandments in this most great dispensation among
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Speaker 1: them are ethics and conditions requisite for a wife's knowledge
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Speaker 1: of her travelling or absent husband another concerns the prohibition
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Speaker 1: of haughtiness and egoism another is a command as to
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Speaker 1: purity of all things with recommendation and encouragement to observe
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Speaker 1: sanitary measures and cleanliness, and to shun utterly all that
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Speaker 1: tends to filth and uncleanness. Among them is a command
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Speaker 1: directing the agreement of nations in the abolition of warfare
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Speaker 1: and battles, and the conservation of the conditions of security
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Speaker 1: and peace. Many such commands exist. the words of amplification
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Speaker 1: and detail of which are beyond the limits of this
1:37:51
Speaker 1: occasion for justice to this most important subject would necessitate
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Speaker 1: the compilation of a large volume and not a short
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Speaker 1: article but although the article may assume more lengthy proportion
1:38:09
Speaker 1: i am forced nevertheless to remind the people of knowledge
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Speaker 1: of one distinguishing feature of the many in the bahai
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Speaker 1: religion perchance the radiant sight may attain to the great
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Speaker 1: bestowal of this most supreme cause and the pure tongue
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Speaker 1: may utter thanksgiving and praise to god the blessed the
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Speaker 1: sublime it is this one of the abstruse problems of
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Speaker 1: social philosophy is the prevention of monopoly and wealth control
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Speaker 1: by certain individuals. This subject has been discussed by the
1:38:57
Speaker 1: philosophers of the world for many years. The wise men
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Speaker 1: of Europe and America, especially the socialists, in endeavouring to
1:39:08
Speaker 1: solve this abstruse problem, have entered into minute discussion and
1:39:15
Speaker 1: deep analyses. The governments of Europe and America have given
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Speaker 1: the subject exhaustive attention. Nevertheless, they have not yet agreed
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Speaker 1: upon any opinion, and have not reached a consensus of
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Speaker 1: remedy for the solution of this seemingly insurmountable question. but
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Speaker 1: if a soul should ponder and reflect upon the divine
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Speaker 1: institution concerning the question of heritage and the modus operandi
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Speaker 1: of the distribution of legacies among heirs according to the
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Speaker 1: laws of this dispensation he will see that this all-important
1:40:00
Speaker 1: problem has been solved in the simplest manner The distribution
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Speaker 1: of wealth among the nations has been established according to
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Speaker 1: the best method. Inasmuch as the matter of death among
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Speaker 1: mankind is an unavoidable event, if the distribution of the
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Speaker 1: estate left by those who are sent to God should
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Speaker 1: be effected according to this divine recommendation, it will be
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Speaker 1: impossible for wealth to be accumulated by the few, or
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Speaker 1: for any particular family to exercise a monopoly, leaving others
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Speaker 1: deprived and afflicted by poverty and want. For the mighty
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Speaker 1: lawgiver has dealt with this important affair in this manner.
1:40:54
Speaker 1: He has divided the heirs of the deceased into seven
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Speaker 1: classes— including teachers who are the spiritual fathers of enlightened
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Speaker 1: individuals in the world of humanity. The heritage is divided
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Speaker 1: according to the number 2,520, which is the lowest number
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Speaker 1: comprising the integral fractions of nine. Under this division, the
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Speaker 1: seven classes eligible to legacies are as follows. First, offspring. Second, wives. Third, fathers. Fourth, mothers. Fifth, brothers. Sixth, sisters. Seventh, teachers.
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Speaker 1: The nearest relatives are arranged the closest. Each class receives
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Speaker 1: its due according to the number 60, which runs down
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Speaker 1: through all. he has decreed that these seven classes mentioned
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Speaker 1: will come equally into possession of their legitimate rights each
1:42:10
Speaker 1: receiving his share from this division when the people of
1:42:14
Speaker 1: insight reflect upon that which has been recorded they will
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Speaker 1: see that with this command in operation wealth will never
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Speaker 1: be monopolized by a limited few and no individual through
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Speaker 1: sheer forceful skill will come into possession of another's wealth
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Speaker 1: wealth will always be in circulation among all all mankind
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Speaker 1: will inherit from one another and all will be benefited
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Speaker 1: from this capital Yea, when a person reflects upon the
1:42:53
Speaker 1: distribution affected in the Book of Bayan by the Bab,
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Speaker 1: he will conclude that such a division mentioned therein may
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Speaker 1: affect the interest of the offspring. But the manner in
1:43:10
Speaker 1: which it is provided for in the Book of Agdas
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Speaker 1: through the Supreme Pen, WHEREIN THE HERITAGE OF THE CHILDREN
1:43:20
Speaker 1: IS MULTIPLIED, DISPELS THIS FEAR. TO ALL PEOPLE OF INSIGHT,
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Speaker 1: IT IS EVIDENT THAT IN THIS MOST GREAT CAUSE, ALL
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Speaker 1: THE MEANS OF COMFORT FOR THE NATION HAVE BEEN PROVIDED,
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Speaker 1: AND A PLAN OF READJUSTMENT FOR THE AFFAIRS OF THE
1:43:39
Speaker 1: PEOPLE OF THE WORLD FROM ALL STANDPOINTS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
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Speaker 1: that which has been stated here will suffice to answer
1:43:50
Speaker 1: in brief the objections of mr easton and those like
1:43:57
Speaker 1: him now in regard to the question of features distinguishing
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Speaker 1: this great cause from other laws and religions of the
1:44:07
Speaker 1: people of the world in all centuries and ages If
1:44:12
Speaker 1: fair-minded and intelligent men of knowledge should ponder and reflect
1:44:18
Speaker 1: upon the judicious laws of the Lord of mankind, they
1:44:23
Speaker 1: will no doubt bear witness to the perfection of divine
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Speaker 1: providence in the laws thus instituted. For instance, these three
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Speaker 1: firm and irrefutable ordinances, namely, first, THE QUESTION OF HERITAGE
1:44:42
Speaker 1: AND THE QUESTION OF SOCIALISM SOLVED SECOND, THE QUESTION OF
1:44:48
Speaker 1: UNIVERSAL PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS REGARDING THE DISARMAMENT AND CONSERVING
1:44:55
Speaker 1: EXPENDITURE NOW DEVOTED TO IMPLEMENTS OF WAR THIRD, THE QUESTION
1:45:01
Speaker 1: OF ALL BEING COMMANDED TO ACQUIRE A PROFESSION, ART OR
1:45:05
Speaker 1: TRADE WHEREBY THEY MAY EARN A LIVING thus lightening the
1:45:10
Speaker 1: burden of expense to those upon whom it falls, such
1:45:15
Speaker 1: as farmers, laborers, and others. This expense is created by
1:45:22
Speaker 1: the idlers and unemployed members of the human family. These
1:45:28
Speaker 1: fair-minded and intelligent men will also testify that the readjustment
1:45:35
Speaker 1: of the world and the salvation of mankind is, FROM
1:45:39
Speaker 1: GREAT DANGERS IS CONDITIONED UPON FOLLOWING THE COMMANDS OF THIS
1:45:45
Speaker 1: 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
1:45:58
Speaker 1: KINGDOM NOW AT THIS POINT WE BRING OUR WORDS TO
1:46:03
Speaker 1: AN END AND AT THE CLOSING OF THIS STATEMENT We
1:46:08
Speaker 1: beseech God, the Blessed, the Supreme, to bestow upon Mr.
1:46:14
Speaker 1: Easton and other deniers, through his infinite mercy, the light
1:46:21
Speaker 1: of insight and knowledge, in order that they may glance
1:46:26
Speaker 1: at that which has been submitted in an impartial and
1:46:30
Speaker 1: disinterested spirit. Thus may they become informed of the reality
1:46:36
Speaker 1: of the divine cause, and be guided to that which
1:46:41
Speaker 1: is the source of salvation, life, glory, and prosperity. And
1:46:48
Speaker 1: this is not difficult by the favor of God. Written
1:46:54
Speaker 1: December 28th 1911, in Syria, by the pen of Mirza
1:47:01
Speaker 1: Abolfazl Gulpoigon.