Edition:Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era (1923)/Religious Unity

CHAPTER VIII

RELIGIOUS UNITY

“O ye people of the world! The virtue of this most Great Manifestation is that We have effaced from the Book whatever was the cause of differences, corruption afd—discord, and recorded therein that which leads to Unity, Harmony and Concord. Joy unto those who act in accordance therewith |” —BauA’u'LLAH in Tablet of the World.

Sectarianism im the Nineteenth Century.

Never, perhaps, did the world seem further from religious unity than in the nineteenth century. For many centuries had the great religious communities—the Zoroastrian, Mosaic, Buddhist, Christian, Muhammadan and others—been existing side by side, but instead of blending together into a harmonious whole they had been at constant enmity and strife, each against the others. Not only so, but each had become split up, by division after division, into an increasing number of sects which were often bitterly opposed to each other. Yet Christ had said: “ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” and Muhammad had said: “This your religion is the one religion. . . . To you hath God prescribed the faith which He commanded unto Noah, and which We have revealed unto thee, and which We commanded unto Abraham and Moses and Jesus saying: ‘ Observe this faith, and be not divided into. sects therein !’”’ ‘The founder of every one of the great religions had called his followers to love and unity, but in every case the aim of the founder was to a large extent lost sight of in a welter of intolerance and bigotry, formalism and hypocrisy, corruption and misrepresentation, schism and contention. ‘The aggregate number of more or less hostile sects in the world was probably greater at

the commencement of the Baha'i era than at any previous period 106 [Page 107]RELIGIOUS- UNITY = — 107

in human history. It seemed as if humanity at that time were experimenting with every possible kind of religious belief, with every possible sort of ritual and ceremonial observance, with every possible variety of moral code.

At the same time an increasing number of men were devoting their energies to fearless investigation and critical examination of the laws of nature and the foundations of belief. New scientific knowledge was being rapidly acquired and new solutions were being found for many of the problems of life. The development of inventions such as the steamship and railway, postal system and — Press, greatly aided the diffusion of ideas and the fertilizing contact of widely different types of thought and life.

The so-called “‘ conflict between religion and science” became a fierce battle. In the Christian world Biblical criticism combined with physical science to dispute, and to some extent to refute, the authority of the Bible, an authority that for centuries had been the generally accepted basis of belief. A rapidly increasing proportion of the population became sceptical about the teachings of the churches. A large number even of religious priests secretly or openly entertained doubts or reservations regarding the creeds adhered to by their respective denominations.

This ferment and flux of opinion, with increasing recognition of the inadequacy of the old orthodoxies and dogmas, and groping and striving after fuller knowledge and understanding, were not confined to Christian countries, but were manifest, more or less, and in different forms, among the people of all countries and religions.

The Message of Baha’u’llah.

It was when this state of conflict and confusion was at its height, that Baha’u’llah sounded his great trumpet-call to humanity :—

“ That all nations should become one in faith, and all men as brothers ; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled. . . . These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family ” (words spoken to Professor Browne).

It is a glorious message, but how are its proposals to be carried [Page 108]108 BAHA’U’LLAH AND THE NEW ERA

into effect? Prophets have preached, poets have sung and saints have prayed about these things for thousands of years, but diversities of religion have not ceased nor have strife and bloodshed and discord been annulled, What is there to show that now the miracle is to be accomplished? Are there any new factors in the situation ? Is not human nature the same as it ever was, and will it not continue to be the same while the world lasts? Iftwo people want the same thing, or two nations, will they not fight for it in the future as they have done in the past? If Moses, Buddha, Christ and Muhammad failed to achieve world unity will Baha’u’llah succeed ? If all previous faiths became corrupted and rent asunder into sects will not the Baha'i faith share the same fate? Let us see what answer the Baha'i teachings give to these and similar questions.

Can Human Nature Change ?

Education and religion are alike based on the assumption that it 4s possible to change human nature. In fact, it requires but little investigation to show that the one thing we can say with certainty about any living thing is that it cannot keep from changing. Without change there can be no life, Even the mineral cannot resist change, and the higher we go in the scale of being, the more varied, complex, and wonderful do the changes become. Moreover, in progress and development among creatures of all grades we find two kinds of change—one slow, gradual, often almost imperceptible ; and the other rapid, sudden and dramatic. The latter occur at what are called “ critical stages” of development. In the case of minerals we find such critical stages at the melting and boiling points, for example, when the solid suddenly becomes a liquid or the liquid becomes a gas. In the case of plants we see such critical stages when the seed begins to germinate, or the bud bursts into leaf. In the animal world we see the same on every hand, as when the grub suddenly changes into a butterfly, the chick emerges from its shell, or the babe is born from its mother’s womb. In the higher life of the soul we often see a similar transformation, when a man is “born again” and his whole being becomes radically changed in its aims, its character and activities. Such critical stages often affect a whole species or [Page 109]RELIGIOUS UNITY 109

multitude of species simultaneously, as when vegetation of all kinds suddenly bursts into new life in spring-time.

Baha’u’llah declares that just as lesser living things have times of sudden emergence into new and fuller life, so for mankind also a “critical stage,” a time of “re-birth,” is at hand, Then modes of life which have persisted from the dawn of history up till now will be quickly, irrevocably, altered, and humanity enter on a new phase of life as different from the old as the butterfly is different from the caterpillar, or the bird from the egg. Mankind as a whole, in the light of new Revelation, will attain to a new vision of truth ; as a whole country is illumined when the sun rises, so that all men see clearly, where but an hour before everything was dark and dim. ‘“ This is a new cycle of human power,” says ‘Abdu’l-Baha. “All the horizons of the world are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a rose-garden and a paradise.” ‘The analogies of nature are all in favour of such a view ; the prophets of old have with one accord foretold the advent of such a glorious day ; the signs of the times show clearly that profound and revolutionary changes in human ideas and institutions are even now in progress. What could be more futile and baseless therefore, than the pessimistic argument that, although all things else change, human nature cannot change ?

First Steps Towards Unity.

As a means of promoting religious unity Baha’u’llah advocates the utmost charity and tolerance, and calls on his followers to “consort with the people of all religions with joy and gladness,” In his last Will and Testament he says :—

“Contention and conflict hath He straitly forbidden in His book (Kitabw’l-Agdas) ; such is the command of the Lord in this all-highest Revelation—a command which he hath exempted from all annulment and arrayed with the adorning of His confirmation.

“O ye people of the world! The Religion of God is for the sake of love and union; make it not the cause of enmity and conflict... . The hope is cherished, that the people of Baha shall ever turn unto the Hallowed Word: ‘Lo! All things are of God !’—the All-Glorious Word that, like unto water, quencheth the fire of hate and rancour which doth smoulder in hearts and breasts. By this one Word shall the diverse sects of the world attain unto the light of real union; verily the Truth [Page 110]110 BAHA’U’LLAH AND THE NEW ERA

He speaketh, and to the Path He leadeth, and He is the Mighty, the Gracious, the Beauteous.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha says :—

“All must abandon prejudices and must even go to each other’s churches and mosques, for, in all of these worshipping places, the Name of God is mentioned. Since all gather to worship God, what difference is there? None of them worship Satan. The Muhammadans must go to the churches of the Christians and the Synagogues of the Jews, and vice versa, the others must go to the Muhammadan Mosques. They hold aloof from one another merely because of unfounded prejudices and dogmas. In America I went to the Jewish Synagogues, which are similar to the Christian Churches, and I saw them worshipping God everywhere.

“Tn many of these places I spoke to them about the original foundations of the divine religions, and I explained to them the proofs of the validity of the divine prophets and of the Holy Manifestations. I encouraged them to do away with blind imitations. All of the leaders must, likewise, go to each other’s Churches and speak of the foundation and of the fundamental principles of the divine religions. In the utmost unity and harmony they must worship God, in the worshipping places of one another, and must abandon fanaticism.” —Svar of the West, vol. ix, No. 3, p. 37.

Were even these first steps accomplished and a state of friendly mutual tolerance established between the various religious sects, what a wonderful change would be brought about in the world ! In order that real unity may be achieved, however, something - more than this is required. For the disease of sectarianism, tolerance is a valuable palliative, but it is not a radical cure, It does not remove the cause of the trouble,

The Problem of Authority.

The different religious communities have failed to unite in the past, because the adherents of each have regarded the founder of their own community as the one supreme authority, and his law as the divine law. Any prophet who proclaimed a different message was, therefore, regarded as an enemy of the truth. The different sects of each community have separated for similar reasons. The adherents of each have accepted some subordinate authority and regarded some particular version or interpretation of the Founder’s Message as the One True Faith, and all others as wrong. It is obvious that while this state of matters exists no [Page 111]RELIGIOUS UNITY III

true unity is possible. Baha’u’llah, on the other hand, teaches that all the prophets were bearers of authentic messages from God 3; that each in his day gave the highest teachings that the people could then receive, and educated men so that they were able to receive further teachings from his successors. He calls on the adherents of each religion, not to deny the Divine Inspiration of their own prophets, but to acknowledge the Divine Inspiration of all other prophets, to see that the teachings of all are essentially in harmony, and are parts of a great plan for the education and the unification of humanity. He calls on the people of all denominations to show their reverence for their prophets by devoting their lives to the accomplishment of that unity for which all the prophets laboured and suffered. In his letter to Queen Victoria he likens the world to a sick man whose malady is aggravated because he has fallen into the hands of unskilful physicians ; and a tells how the remedy may be effected :—

“That which the Lord hath made to be the wholesome Medicine and the most perfect Remedy is the uaion of all that dwell on the earth in one Religion and under one Law, and this cannot be brought about save through a skilful, perfect and inspired physician. By My Life! ‘This is but truth itself, and all else is but manifest error. Whensoever that most potent Instrument did appear and that Light did shine with its Ancient Splendour, they that did claim to heal intervened between Him and the world, hindering thereby its recovery unto this day.”

Progressive Revelation.

A great stumbling-block to many, in the way of religious unity, is the difference between the revelations given by the different prophets. What is commanded by one is forbidden by another ; how then can both be right, how can both be proclaiming the Will of God? Surely the truth is One, and cannot change. Yes, the Absolute Truth is One and cannot change, but the Absolute Truth is infinitely beyond the present range of human understanding, and our conceptions of it must constantly change. Our earlier, imperfect ideas will be by the Grace of God replaced, as time goes on, by more and more adequate conceptions. Baha’u’llah says, in a tablet to some Persian Baha’is :—

beginners may make progress. ‘The milk must be given according to measure so that the babe of the world may enter into the Realm of Grandeur and be established in the Court of Unity.”

It is milk that strengthens the babe so that it can digest more solid food later on. ‘To say that because one prophet is right in giving a certain teaching at a certain time, therefore another prophet must be wrong who gives a different teaching at a different time, is like saying that because milk is the best food for the new-born babe, therefore, milk and nothing but milk should be the food

of the grown man also, and to give any other diet would be wrong !

‘Abdu’l-Baha says :—

“Each divine revelation is divided into two parts. ‘The first part is essential and belongs to the eternal world. It is the exposition of Divine truths and essential principles. It is the expression of the Love of God. This is one in all the religions, unchangeable and immutable. ‘The second part is not eternal; it deals with practical life, transactions and business, and changes according to the evolution of man and the requirements of the time of each prophet. For example. . . . During the Mosaic period the hand of a person was cut off in punishment of a small theft; there was a law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but as these laws were not expedient in the time of Christ, they were abrogated. Likewise divorce had become so universal that there remained no fixed laws of marriage, therefore His Holiness Christ forbade divorce.

“ According to the exigencies of the time, His Holiness Moses revealed ten laws for capital punishment. It was impossible at that time to protect the community and to preserve social security without these severe measures, for the children of Israel lived in the wildemess of Tah, where there were no established courts of justice and no penitentiaries. But this code of conduct was not needed in the time of Christ. ‘The history of the second part of religion is unimportant, because it relates to the customs of this life only; but the foundation of the religion of God is one, and His Holiness Baha’u’llah has renewed that foundation,”—Divine Philosophy, second edition, p. 146.

The religion of God is the One Religion, and all the prophets have taught it, but it is a living and a growing thing, not lifeless and unchanging. In the teaching of Moses we see the Bud ; in that of Christ the Flower; in that of Baha’u’llah the Fruit. The flower does not destroy the bud, nor does the fruit destroy the flower. It destroys not, but fulfils. The bud scales must [Page 113]RELIGIOUS UNITY 113

fall in order that the flower may bloom, and the petals must fall that the fruit may grow and ripen. Were the bud-scales and the petals wrong or useless, then, that they had to be discarded ? Nay, both in their time were right and necessary ; without them there could have been no fruit. So it is with the various prophetic teachings ; their externals change from age to age, but each revelation is the fulfilment of its predecessors ; they are not separate nor incongruous, but different stages in the life history of the One Religion, which has in turn been revealed as seed, as bud and as flower, and now enters on the stage of fruition.

Infallibility of the Prophets.

Baha’u’llah teaches that everyone endowed with the Station of Prophethood is given sufficient proofs of his Mission, is entitled to claim obedience from all men and has authority to abrogate, alter or add to the teachings of his predecessors. In the Book of Igan we read :—

“Tt is far from the Bounty of the Bounteous, and remote from the Abundant Mercy, to choose one soul from among all the servants, for the guidance of His creatures, without bestowing upon him sufficient and perfect proofs, and at the same time punishing people for not believing in him. Nay, the Generosity of the King of Existence hath embraced all the contingent beings through the appearance of the Manifestations of Himself. <<”

“The purpose of every Manifestation is to bring about change and transformation in the regions of the world, publicly and privately, outwardly and inwardly. For if the affairs of the world change not, the appearance of Universal Manifestations would be futile.”

God is the One infallible Authority, and the Prophets are infallible because their Message is the Message of God given to the world through them. ‘That Message remains valid until it is superseded by a later Message given by the same or another Prophet.

God is the great Physician who alone can rightly diagnose the world’s sickness and prescribe the appropriate remedy. The remedy prescribed in one age is no longer suitable in a later age, when the condition of the patient is different. ‘To cling to the old remedy when the physician has ordered new treatment is not [Page 114]114 BAHA’U’LLAH AND THE NEW ERA

to show faith in the physician, but infidelity. It may be a shock to the Jew to be told that some of the remedies for the world’s sickness which Moses ordered over three thousand years ago are now out of date and unsuitable; the Christian may be equally shocked when told that Muhammad had anything necessary or valuable to add to what Jesus prescribed ; and so also the Muslim, when asked to admit that the Bab or Baha'u'llah had authority to alter the commands of Muhammad; but according to the Baha'i view, true devotion to God implies reverence to att His Prophets, and implicit obedience to His /atest Commands, as given by the Prophet for our own age. Only by such devotion can true Unity be attained.

The Supreme Manifestation.

Like all the other prophets, Baha’u’llah states his own Mission in the most unmistakable terms.

In the Lawh-i-Agdas, a tablet addressed especially to Christians, he says :—

“Surely the Father hath come and hath fulfilled that which you were promised in the Kingdom of God. ‘This is the Word which the Son veiled when He said to those around Him that at that time they could not bear it. But when the stated time was ended, and the Hour arrived, the Word shone forth from the Horizon of the Will. Beware, O Concourse of the Son (i.e. Christians)! Cast it not behind you, but hold thereunto. It is better for you than all that which is before you! ... Verily, the Spirit of Truth is come, to guide you into all Truth. Verily, He speaketh not from Himself, nay, but rather from the All-Knowing and Wise. He is the One whom the Son hath glorified. . . . Abandon that which is before you, O people of the earth, and take that which is commanded you by Him who is the Powerful, the Faithful.”

And in a letter to the Pope, written from Adrianople in 1867, he says :—

“ Beware lest celebration hinder you from the Celebrated and worship hinder you from the Worshipped One! Behold the Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing! He hath come to minister to the life of the world, and for the uniting of whatever dwelleth therein. Come, O ye people, to the Dawning Place of Revelation! ‘Tarry not, even for an hour! Are ye learned in the Gospel, and yet are unable to see the Lord of Glory ? [Page 115]RELIGIOUS UNITY 115

“This beseemeth you not, O leared concourse! Say then, if ye deny this matter, by what proof do you believe in God? Produce your proof... .”

Just as in these letters to Christians he announces the fulfilment of ‘the Gospel promises, so he proclaims also to Muhammadans, Jews, Zoroastrians and the people of other faiths the fulfilment of the promises of their Holy Books. He addresses all men as the sheep of God, who have hitherto been divided into different flocks and sheltered in different folds. His message, he says, is the Voice of God, the Good Shepherd, who has come in the fulness of time to gather His scattered sheep into one flock, removing the barriers between them, “ that there may be one fold and One Shepherd.”

A New Situation.

The position of Baha’u’llah among the prophets is unprecedented and unique, because the condition of the world at the time of his advent was unprecedented and unique. Bya long and chequered process of development in religion, science, art and civilization the world had become ripe for a teaching of Unity. ‘The barriers which in previous centuries had made a world-unity impossible were ready to crumble when Baha’u’llah appeared, and since his birth, in 1817, and more especially since the promulgation of his teachings began, these barriers have been breaking down in most astonishing fashion. Be the explanation what it may, about the fact there can be no doubt.

In the days of previous prophets geographical barriers alone were amply sufficient to prevent world-unity. Now that obstacle has been overcome. For the first time in human history men on opposite sides of the globe are able to communicate with each other quickly and easily. ‘Things done in Europe yesterday are known in every continent of the world to-day, and a speech made in America to-day may be read in Europe, Asia and Africa to-morrow,

Another great obstacle was the language difficulty. Thanks to the study and teaching of foreign languages, that difficulty has already been to a large extent overcome 3 and there is every reason to suppose that ere many years an international auxiliary language [Page 116]116 BAHA’U’LLAH AND THE NEW ERA

will be adopted and taught in all the schools of the world. Then this difficulty also will be completely removed.

The third great obstacle was religious prejudice and intolerance. That, too, is disappearing. Men’s minds are becoming more open. The education of the people is passing more and more out of the hands of sectarian priests ; and new and more liberal ideas can no longer be prevented from penetrating into even the most exclusive and conservative circles.

Baha'u'llah is thus the first of the great prophets whose message has become known within a period of comparatively few years in every quarter of the globe. Within a short time the essential teachings of Baha'u'llah, accurately translated from his own authentic writings, will be directly accessible to every man, woman and child in the world who is able to read.

‘ Fulness of the Baha’i Revelation.

The Baha'i Revelation is unprecedented and unique among the faiths of the world by reason of the fulness and completeness of its authentic records, The recorded words that can with certainty be attributed to Christ, to Moses, to Zoroaster, to Buddha, to Krishna, are very few, and leave many modern questions of great practical importance unanswered. Many of the teachings commonly attributed to these religious founders are of doubtfuly #

f

( authenticity, | and some are evidently ateretions of later date, “The Muhammadans possess in the Qur'an, and in a large store of traditions, a much fuller record of the life and teachings of their prophet, but Muhammad himself, though inspired, was illiterate, as were most of his early followers. “The methods employed for recording and spreading his teachings were in many respects “unsatisfactory, and the authenticity of many of the traditions is very doubtful. As a result, differences of interpretation and conflicting opinions have caused divisions and dissensions in Islim, as in all previous religious communities.

On the other hand, both the Bab and Baha’u’llah wrote copiously and with great eloquence and power. As both were debarred from public speaking and spent most of their lives (after the declaration of their mission) in prison, they devoted a large proportion of their time to writing, with the result that in richness [Page 117]RELIGIOUS UNITY 117

of authentic scriptures the Baha'i Revelation is unapproached by any of its predecessors. Clear and full expositions are given of many truths which were but dimly foreshadowed in previous revelations, and the eternal principles of truth, which all the prophets have taught, have been applied to the problems which are facing the world to-day—problems of the utmost complexity and difficulty, many of which had not arisen in the days of former prophets. It is evident that this full record of authentic revelation must have a powerful effect in preventing misunderstandings in the future and in clearing up those misunderstandings of the past which have kept the various sects asunder.

The Baha’i Covenant.

The Baha'i Revelation is unprecedented and unique in still another way. Before the death of Baha'u'llah he repeatedly put in writing a Covenant appointing his eldest son ‘Abdu’l-Baha, whom he often refers to as “‘ The Branch,” or “The Most Great Branch,” as the authorized interpreter of the teachings, and declaring that any explanations or interpretations given by him are to be accepted as of equal authority with the words of Baha’u’llah himself. In his Will and Testament he says :—

“ Reflect upon that which is revealed in my Book, the 4gdas: ‘ When the Ocean of my Presence hath ebbed, and the Book of my Revelation hath been completed, turn your faces toward Him whom God hath purposed, who hath branched from this Ancient Root!’ The reference in this blessed verse is to the Most Great Branch.”

And in the Tablet of the Branch, in which he explains the station of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, he says :—

“© people! Praise ye God for the manifestation of the Branch, for verily it is the most great favour unto you and the most perfect blessing upon you; and through Him every mouldering bone is quickened. Whosoever turns to Him hath surely turned unto God, and whosoever turns away from Him hath turned away from my Beauty, denied my Proof and is of those who transgress.””

After the death of Baha’u’llah, ‘Abdu’l-Baha had abundant opportunities, both in his own home and on his extensive travels, of meeting people from all parts of the world and of all shades of [Page 118]118 BAHA’U’LLAH AND THE NEW ERA

opinion. He heard all their questions, their difficulties and objections, and gave full explanations which were carefully recorded in writing. During a long series of years ‘Abdu’l-Baha continued this work of elucidating the teachings and showing their application to the most varied problems of modern life. Differences of opinion which have arisen among believers have been referred to him and authoritatively settled, and thus the risks of future misunderstandings have been further reduced.

Baha'u'llah further arranged that after the death of ‘Abdu’lBaha an international spiritual assembly (Baytu’l-‘Adl), representative of all Baha@’is throughout the world, should be appointed to take charge of the affairs of the Cause, to control and co-ordinate all its activities, prevent divisions and schisms, and preserve the teachings from corruption and misrepresentation.!

Moreover, Baha’u’llah expressly forbade interpretation of the teachings by anyone but ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and after him the International Baytu’l-‘Adl. In the Book of Aqdas he declared that all explanations or interpretations of the sacred texts contrary to the obvious sense thereof are forbidden. Ina “ thousand or thousands of years” another Manifestation will appear, under the shadow of Bah@u’llah, with clear proofs of His Mission, but until then the words of Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the decisions of the International Baytu’l-‘Adl constitute the authorities to which all believers must turn for guidance, No Baha’i may found a school or sect based on any particular interpretation of the teachings or any supposed divine revelation. Anyone contravening these injunctions is considered a ‘‘ Coyenant-breaker” or “‘ Naqiz.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha says :—

“One of the enemies of the Cause is he who endeavours to interpret the words of Baha’u’llah and thereby colours the meaning according to his capacity, and collects around him a following, forming a different sect, promoting his own station, and making a division in the Cause.” —Star of the West, vol. iii, p. 8.

‘

In another Tablet he writes :—

“These people (promoters of schism) are like the froth that gathers on the surface of the sea ; a wave will surge from the ocean of the Covenant

« Regarding the International Baytu’l-‘Adl, see Chapter XV, p. 222. [Page 119]RELIGIOUS UNITY 119

and through the power of the Abha Kingdom will cast this foam ashore. . . . These corrupt thoughts that emanate from personal and evil intentions will all vanish, whereas the Covenant of God shall remain stable and secure.”—Star of the West, vol. x. p. 95.

There is nothing to keep men from forsaking religion if they wish to do so. ‘Abdu’l-Baha says: “God Himself does not compel the soul to become spiritual. “The exercise of the free human will is necessary.” The spiritual Covenant, however,

clearly makes sectarianism within the Baha@’i community quite impossible.

No Professional Priesthood.

One other feature of the Baha'i organization must be specially mentioned, and that is the absence of a professional priesthood. Voluntary contributions towards the expenses of teachers are permitted and many devote their whole time to work for the Cause, but all Baha’is are expected to share in the work of teaching, etc., according to their opportunity and ability, and there is no special class distinguished from their fellow believers by the exclusive exercise of priestly functions and prerogatives.

In former ages priesthoods were necessary, because people were illiterate and uneducated and were dependent on priests for their religious instruction, for the conduct of religious rites and ceremonies, for the administration of justice, etc. Now, however, times have changed. Education is fast becoming universal, and if the commands of Baha’u’llah are carried out, every boy and girl in the world will receive a sound education, Each individual will then be able to study the Scriptures for himself, to draw the Water of Life for himself, direct from the Fountain-head.

( Elaborate rites and ceremonies, requiring the services of a special profession or caste, have no place in the Baha'i system ; and the administration of justice is entrusted to the authorities instituted for that purpose.

For a child a teacher is necessary, but the aim of the true teacher is to fit his pupil to do without a teacher ; to see things with his own eyes, hear with his own ears, and understand with his own mind. Just so, in the childhood of the race, the priest is necessary, but his real work is to enable men to do without him : [Page 120]120 BAHA’U’LLAH AND THE NEW ERA

to see things divine with their own eyes, hear them with their own ears and understand them with their own minds. Now the priest’s work is all but accomplished, and the aim of the Baha'i teaching is to complete that work, to make men independent of all save God, so that they can turn directly to Him, i.e. to His Manifestation. When all turn to one Centre, then there can be no cross-purposes or confusion ; and the nearer all draw to

the Centre, the nearer they will draw to each other