E RR ATA: Page 14, read Tablet written by EláBeha ( not to Americans ). Page 17. third line, read "Victory" is this that no one, elc. Other minor errors will be corrected in next edition.
Tablets, Communes and
Holy Utterances
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cdl.u,I,., THE T EACHINGS CLEARLY DEFINED BY THE MASTER. These teachings are simplicity itself. To accept the glad tidings of the coming of God, to confess His Oneness and Singleness, to be naturalized with the attributes of God, to come neare- to the knowl- edge of God; to attain these great aims is all that is necessary for man. These are the words of the Blessed Master to An- ton Haddad for the benefit of all.
FIRST COMMUNE.
0 God, give me Knowledge, Faithá and Love. Adorn my head, 0 God, with the crown of Thy Providence, my heart with the light of knowing Thee, my tongue with the utterance of Thy Great- est Name * * *. and mine ear with listen- ing to Thy Holy Word, for Thou art the only One whose action was, is and ever shall be glorified, and whose commands shall ever be obeyed. 0 God, help me to be just! Lift me up from the ocean of superstitions and imaginations, and g rant me an iron sight (spiritual perception) to see and realize from the surrounding existence Thy Oneness and Thy Truth.
DAILY MORNING PRAYER. 0 my God, strengthen Thou these hands to take hold of Thy Book with such rectitude and up- rightness that all the soldiers of the world will fail to h inder it; and protect them, 0 my Lord, from disposing of anything not owned by them. Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty! 0 my God, I have turned my face to Thee, and pray Thee to illuminate it with the Lights of Thy Face, and keep it from turning to any but Thee! God has testified that there is no God but He (the affairs and creations are in His Hands). He has manifested the Sun of the Manifestation, the Speaker of Mount Sinai, through whom He made the Supreme Horizon shine, and the Lote Tree (of Life) speak; and between the heaven and the earth a call was vociferously raised, saying: "The Ruler, who is the Lord of the Worlds, and the King of earth and heaven, has come, and His is the King- dom, Glory and Omnipotence!" Praise be to Thee, Thou art the Most Glorified above all my prayers and those of others, and above all my exaltation and those of heaven and earth! 0 my God, do Thou not disappoint the one, who, by the fingers of hope, has held fast to the trail of Thy Mercy and Bounty, 0 Thou, the Most Merci- ful of the Merciful ! I confess Thy Oneness and Singleness, and that Thou art God, and there is no God but Thee. Thou hast manifested Thy affair, fulfilled Thy promise, and opened the door of Thy Bounty upon those in heaven and earth. Prayer, peace, glory and praise be upon Thy friends and beloved, who, not with- standing the affairs of the world and its vanity, nothing could prevent them from clinging to Thee; but, on the contrary, spent everything within their power and provision in Thy Cause, with the hope of receiving a higher reward from Thy Bounty. Thou art the Forgiving, the Generous. MORNING PRAYER. Praise to Thee, 0 my God, for Thou hast awak- ened me after my sleep, made me appear after my absence, and raised me after my death. I arose this morning, facing the light of the dawn of Thine Appearance, which lightened the horizon of the heavens of Thy Power and Majesty, confessing the truth of Thy Word, believing in Thy Book and holding to Thy Robe. I beg of Thee, by the power of Thy Will and the performance of Thy Wish, to make what Thou didst show me in my VISION-a solid foundation for the house of Thyá love in the hearts of Thy favorites, and the best cause for the manifestation of Thy Generosity and Providence. 0 my God, let my destiny, which is written. by Thy Greatest Pen, be to obtain the blessings of the worlds to come and the present one. I hereby bear witness that in Thy Hands are the reins of all things, and Thou changest them according to Thy Will, and that there is no God but Thee, for Thou art the One, the Almighty and the Faithful. Thou art the One who changest by His command the dishonored to the highest state of honor, the weak to be strong, the failing to have power, the con- fused to be in peace, and the doubting to have strong faith. There is no God but Thee, who art the Dearest and the most Generous. The heavens of Thy Char- ity and the oceans of Thy Bounty are so vast that Thou hast never disappointed those who beg of Thee, nor refused those who willed to come unto Thee. Thou art the most Powerful and Mighty.
COMMUNE. I beg of Thee, Most High is Thy Name-by that Letter (Power) which, when it was pronounced by the Mouth oi Th y Will, th e seas moved, the winds did blow, the fruit s appeared, the trees began to thri ve, the traces were destroyed, the Curtains were to rn asunder, and the faithful hurri ed to th e lights of the Face of their God, the Chosen-to teach me what is hidden in the treasures o f Thine Under- standing secl uded in the stores o f Thy Knowl- edge. Thou seest m e, 0 my God, that I am depending on Thy Name, which is the Mos t Sacred, the Brightest, the D earest, the Greatest, the Highest and th e Most Brilliant, and th at I a m holding on to th e lower part of that Garme nt, which 1s being grasped by all th e creatures in this and all other worlds.
PRAYER WHEN ASSUMING DAILY DUTIES. He is the Exaltt:d and the Truthful One. By Thy Generosity, 0 my God, I come to this mo rnin g, and I leave th e house, depending o n Thee and delivering all my co nce rns to Thy Hand. Therefore send down upon me, from the heave ns of Thy Mercy, a special blessing from Thy Pres- ence ; b1 ing me back in peace and ri g hteo usness, as Thou has se nt me out. T here is n o Go d but Thee. Thou hast all the knowledge and the wisdom.
EVENING PRAYER. HE rs THE CREATOR OF ALL THE NAMES. 0 my God, my God, ho w can I choose to sleep, and the eyes of Thy fav orites a re a wakened beca use of Thv Deoarture. and how can I take my re st upon my bed, and the hearts of Thy favorites are aching because Th ou has left them. 0 my God. I put my spirit, my so ul and myself in th e right hand of Thy Power and Safety, and I lay my head upon my pillow under the P ower of Thy Protection, and I lift it up according to Thy Wish and Will, for Thou a rt the Protector, th e Watcher, the Almighty and th e Powerful. By Thy Glory I do not want, sleeping or waking, but what Thou wishest me to be. I am Thy servant, and in Thy Hand, confirm m e to do that which brings the wave of the sweet fragrance of Thy Plea,.ure. This is my hope, and the ho pe of every one who is near to Thee. Prais e t o Thee, 0 God of all the wo rld s.
HE IS THE LIST E NER AND T HE ANSWERER. A token issued from the presence of the Opáá pressed; to him who confesses the Oneness of God and His Sin g leness, and th at He is the First and th e L ast, th e Manifested and th e Secluded. Th ere is no Go d but H e wh o is the Sing le One, the per- fe ct in knowledge and wisdom. We have heard your supplications and granted them to you, and re- m embered you with such a remembrance that at- tracts the hearts to you. W e command you, and all my redeemer s, to keep yourself in favor and love with all the people; to be righteo us, pious, and to do what will draw you nearer to God your L o rd, and th e Lord of all the world. Say: Praise t o Thee, 0 Go d my L ord, I beg of Thee, by the prophets, redeemers and the chosen, to send down upon me, throu g h the showers descending from the heavens of Thy Bounty, a special provi- dence and a . particular m ercy from Thy Majestic Presence. Open upon my face the doors of Thy Gifts and Benignities, Thou who art the most Bounteous, most Pitiful, most Benevolent and most Generous. There is no God but Thee. Thou art the great Forgiver and the most Merciful.
HEALING TABLET. I beg of Thee, 0 my God! my God! by the ocean of Thy Healing Power ; by the dawning lights of the Orb of Thy Generosity; by Thy Name, which commands Thy servants to perform Thy orders; by the executive power of Thy Supreme Word; by the Might of Thy Greatest Pen; by Thy Glorious Sun of Righteousness, and by Thy Mercy, which ex- isted before the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, to shower upon me (and upon * * * ) Thy gifted waters to purify me (or us) from every affliction and disease, ind from every defect and weakness. Thou seest, 0 my God, that the needy one is standing at the door of Thy bounty, and that the waiting one is holding on to the robe of Thy gen- erosity. I beg of Thee not to disappoint him in what he desires from the sea of Thy favor and from the shining sun of Thy providence. For Thou art the Omnipotent. There is no God but Thee, for Thou art the most Powerful and Mighty.
A PRAYER WRITTEN BY THE MASTER. My God, my God, Thou art my Beloved and my Hope, my intended Aim and my Desire. With great humbleness and entire devotion I whisper to Thee to make me the minaret amongst Thy creatures and the banner of Thy Gift in Thy Kingdom. Make me one of Thy worshipers, and one who cuts him- self from everything but Thee, one who sanctifies himself from every worldly thing, and be diverted from the defects of the suspicious. Let my bosom be dilated with joy through the Spirit of Confirmation from Thy Kingdom: Illumi- nate my sight, so that I may behold the hosts of success following one another and descending upon me from Thy Omnipotence. Thou art the Almighty, the Invincible, the Powerful.
A PRAYER WRITTEN BY THE MASTER. Praise .be to Thee, 0 my God, for Thou hast made me drink the Wine of Knowledge from that beautiful Cup at the meeting of the Beloved of God, enabled me to enter Thy Kingdom, caused me to hear th e call of the angels of Thy Holiness, at- tracted me with the Magnet of Thy Love, illu- minated my face with the Light of Thy Oneness, helped me utter Thy Name, kindled me with the fire of Thy Love, dilated my breast with joy through tbe Light of Thy Knowledge, awakened me by Thy Breeze and quickened me by Thy Spirit. 0 my God, make me true and sincere to Thy Face, to diffuse Thy Fragrance. A promoter of Thy Word, a servant to Thy Beloved, a supplicater for Thy Kingdom and a pleader at the Doors of Thy Singleness, that I may be enabled to characterize myself with Thy Attributes an d Characteristics. Thou art the Merciful. Thou art the Compas- sionate. Thou art the Righteous, the Pitiful, the Bountiful.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL. Praise to Thee, 0 God my Lord! Every time I try to mention Thee my dreadful sins* and awful *Doubt and denial of God. Spiritual ignorance . crimes prevent me, and by them I find myself re- moved from Thee and prevented from calling upon Thee for help. But my assurance of Thy Gener- osity encourages me, and my full trust in Thy Bounty enables me to mention Thee, and ask of Thee what Thou hast to gi ve. I ask Thee, 0 my God, by Thy Mercy, which was b efore all thin gs existing, and to which all those who are in the depths of the seas of names did bear witness, not to leave me to myself, for I long always to do what is wrong. Keep me in the stronghold of Thy Shelter and amidst the surroundings of Thy pro- t ection. I do not want, 0 my God, but that which was appointed for me by Thy Power, and thi s is what I have chose n to myself, that Thy good D es- tiny and Judgment may confirm me, and that I may be exalted by what Thou hast written and ordained for me. I beg of Thee, 0 Beloved of the hearts of Thy lovers, by the manifestation of Thy Command- ments, by the depths of Thine Inspiration, by tlie heights of Thine Exaltation, and by the stores of Thine U nderstand ing, not to forbid m e from vi sit- ing Thy Sacred H ouse and Holy Abode. Admit me, 0 God, to be so fortunat e as to drink from the • fountain of its Holy Courts, to wander around it and to stand beside its Gate, for Thou art He who is, was and ever shall be Powerful and Mighty. Nothing ca n be hidden from Thy Knowledge. Thou art He who has all the Power and the Glory and th e Majesty. Praise to God, the Lord of all th e worlds. TO THE AMERICANS-A DECLARATION. I HE IS GOD.
0 ye, the beloved of God and the children of God, th e new Heaven is already come, the new ear t h is already . established, and th e new Holy J erusale m is already descended fr o m Heaven, from th e presence of the Almighty, in the fo rm of a g lorious virgin. excellent in her b eauty, an un- equaled gem a mong the other virg ins, secluded in the tent. ready to receive. The angels of th e High- est of th e Kingdom have called in the ears of the inhabitants of the earth an d heave n with a loud and melod io us voice, saying: "This is th e city. of God an d Hi s residence with th e h oly a nd sanctified souls of Hi s servants. H e shall li ve with them, for th ey are His people and H e is th eir God. " H e has wiped th eir tears, lighted th eir candl es, g ive n peace to t hei r h eart s and widened th eir breasts ; there- fore, t he roots of death were rooted out, sorrow. wa iling and crying have ceased, and the lesser King of Majesty (Abbas) occupies th e Throne o f the Kingdom. a nd renews the performance of untold actions. This is the absolute truth, and o f a higher certainty than what was said in th e R evelation by St. John: . " He is the Alph a and th e Omega." This is He wh o quenches the thi rst from the spring of life. This is He who heals th e sick with the anti- dote of safety and confirm s with a fl ood of grace from thi s Kingdom. He is of th e g reatest heirs to the apostles .and saints, the L ord is His God and He is His dearest Son. (Abdu l-Beha.) Good tidings to yon, 0 beloved of God, His people, His ch ildren and His party! Raise your voices in praising and glorifying the glorious Lord, for th e li gh t s have shone, the traces appeared, the seas moved, an d gave out eve ry precious gem.
AN ASSURANCE TO THE TEACHER . HE I S GOD.
Oh, you who have been drawn by the fragrant waves, spreading from the Gardens of th e gifts of God: God has already opened by His powerful and mighty Hand the doors of prosperity, and the herald has ' proclaimed á tidings of happiness, saying: "Salute the advance, oh you, essence of the Spirit, Jiving in the shell of phantoms! Happin ess to you in this triumphant day, the day of the spring of life, and the day of the gracious light descending on thee by the benevolence of thy loving God." By God, it is the truth that the fire burning in the Blessed and Sinaitic Tree, spread its blaze, lifted up its waves, rolled its glorious flames, declared its brilliancy and its glow, wove a network of rays from the eastá to the west of the earth! And oh you, who areá expecting this grace and preaching in .. this mercy, let your breast be ex- panded and your heart refresh ed, because God has strengthened you to spread these fragrant waves. which gave a sweet scent to the surrounding hori- zons. The Highest of the Kingdom of the Most Glorious call upon you from the highest heaven, and they converse thus with .you: A blessing to you, oh you who are heralding the Name of God! Gladness to you, oh you who are attracted toward God! Glory to you, oh you who are proclaiming the mentioning of God! Happiness to you, oh you who were confirmed by the Holy Spirit from the highest heaven! Let your loins be girt with strength, your back with iron , your eye with bril- liancy, your soul with ease, and your heart with de- light by that greatest gift you are assured to ob- tain, which shall appear and illuminate more brightly than the beautiful Venus and the shining Sun in horizons of the chiefest magnificence, in the first dawning of witnesses and in the chief sources of existence. And kings shall glorify you in the em- pyrean space, and El Abha is upon the enlightened faces of those who were adorned by the victory of the Most Merciful in this highest step.
TABLET TO THE AMERICANS. HE IS THE LIVING AND THE ANCIENT OF DAYS.
0 ye beloved of God, and His sincere fri ends! By the Life of God, the hearts are cheered when- ever you are mentioned, and the souls are comforted in your love, and the holy spirits are captivated by your fragrance, and that the eyes are expecting to see you, and the hearts are longing to meet you: owing to the fact that your hearts were kindled with the fire of the Love of God, and your eyes satisfied in witnessing the Word of God, and your ears were charmed by hearing the Word of God, and your souls were rested in the appearance of the mysteries of God; blessed are ye, oh children of the Kingdom of God; glad tidings to you, oh friends of God, as He has made your destiny great, and your share victory and happiness, your lamp lit, and your spring yields supply. You are the most brilliant stars, you are the most dazzling lamps, you are the green branches, you are the ripe fruits, you are the beautiful gardens. you are the overflowing bowl. God is merciful and compassionate: His bounty is great and great; He appropriates with His mercy those whom He likes, and chooses for His Love those whom He approves of. This is in accordance with what Christ said (peace and praise be on Him) .: "Many are called, but few chosen." God makes your endeavor praiseworthy and your reward great, and your days, by El-Beha, be feasts and pleasure for casting aside the imaginary God and accepting the knowable; and for discarding every evil spirit, craving to the witnessed light and turning your faces to the exalted position. God will show forth your endeavors and increase your spirit and fragrance, and perfume the different di- rections with your odors, enlighten the horizon with your lights, quicken the hearts with that which is treasured within you, cheer the souls with what you have accomplished, cause the verses of thank- fulness to be recited in all places, the banner of re- membrance of you to wa ve through the ages. your fame and praise encircle the horizon and the tongues speak of your virtues and good endeavor. By the Living Truth, that bounty is great and great, and the Lord is Supreme in Majesty. The confirmation is successive, and success is contináá nous, and the kindness of your God, the Merciful. the Compassionate, will surround you from all sides
TABLET FROM THF MASTERTO THE \ AMERICANS Oh ye people of El-Behal Ye have been and are the dawnings of affection and the day-springs oi Divine Grace; defile not the tongue with cursing or execration of any one, and guard the eye from that which is not seemly. Shew forth that which ye have; if it be accepted the object is attained; if not, inter- ference is vain; leave him to himself while ad- vancing toward God, th e Protective, the Self-Sub- sisting. Be not a cause of grief, much less of strife and sedition. It is hoped that ye will be nurtured in the shade of the lotus tree of Divine Grace, and practice that which God desireth. Ye are all leaves of one tree and drops of one sea. Oh friends, consort with all the people of the world with joy and fragrance. If there be to you a word or essence whereof others than you are de- void, communicate it and sh ew it forth in the lan- g uage of affection and kindn ess : if it be r eceived and be effecti ve the object is attained; and if not, l eave it to him a nd with regard to him, deal not harshly, but pray. The language of love is the lode- stone of h earts and the fo od of the soul ; it stands in the relati on of ideas to words, and is as a h orizon fo r the shining of the Sun of Wisdom and Knowl- edge.
A NNOUN CEM ENT OF THE DEPA RTURE OF BERA 'ULLAH. Oh fri end of my heart and delight of my soul! In these days th e showers o f a ffli ction do so de scend from th e clo ud s o f the firmament of fate, and the thunderbolts o f g riefs and sorrows do so succeed o ne anoth er, th at neither h ath the tongue strength to describ e nor the pen power to utteár th em-for the horizon of the Phenomena l world is bereft of t he effulgence of the Sun of W sidom and R evela- tio n, and the t hrone of the Universe is deprived of th e radiance o f the Most M ig hty Luminary. The ea rs of th e fr iends are, to outward appearance, de- barred from harkening to th e cry of th e Supreme P en, and th e eyes of the longin g are veiled fr o m the co ntemplation o f the Most Gl orious Horizon. Great God I how dire a catastrophe is thi s which has a risen in th e wo rld, and how grievous a cal a mity is this which has appeared in the Universe. The Sun o f Truth hath bidden farew ell to this earthly sphere and now shines with a brightness which waneth not in the regi on s of Might and Glory. Albeit thi s su- preme afflictio n transcends endurance, and th is most dire disaster lays in ruins the edifice of resig nation and patienc e-yet having regard to the autho ritative command and binding behest revealed from the Holy Angel World in the Kitab-i-Akdas, we and you alike must adorn ourselves with the ornament of patience and resignation; lay hold of the firm rope of submission and acquiescence; apply ourselves with strong hearts and tranquil souls to what will conduce to the progress of mankind, the peace and prosperity of the world, the amelioration of charac- ters and the 'appearance of charity and concord, and attach ourselves with our whole being to the coun- sels of the Lord of the Visible and Invisible, so that the Phenomenal world may, by the Grace of that Beneficent Being, be beheld an envy to the Gar- den of Paradise . . Nor is this thing difficult with God. The blessed text revealed in the Kitab-i-Akdas shall here be cited. H e says (great is His Glory and uni- versal His Bounty): "Oh people of the earth! When. the Sun of my B eauty sets and the firmament of My Form is hid- den, be not troubled, a rise for th e helping of my work and the advancement of my word through- out the worlds. Verily, we are with you under all conditions and will help you with the Truth. Verily we can do this. Whosoever knoweth m e will rise 1.1p to serve me with such uprising that the Hosts of Heaven and earth shall not put him down." And in another place He says: "Say, oh people, let not trouble take possession of you when the kingdom of my Epiphany becomes concealed and the waves of the ocean of my Utter- ances are hushed. Verily, there is in my E piphany a reason, and in my Occultation another reason. which none knoweth, save God, the Incomparable and the All-Knowing, and we shall see you from the Most Glorious Horizon and will help whomsoever riseth up for the helping of our work, with Hosts
from the Supreme Concourse and a Cohort of the Cherubim."
HE IS GOD, EXALTED IS HE. (A Command of Non-Resistance.) It hath been known that God (glorious is His mention) is sanctified from the world and what is therein, and that the meaning of "victory" is this-that no one should fight or strive with an- other. The Lord, He doeth what He Will. He hath committed the kingdoms of creation, both land and sea, into the hand of kings, and they are the mani- festations of the Divine Power according to the de- gree of their rank-verily, He is the Potent, the Sov- ereign. But that which God (glorious is His men- tion) hath desired for himself, is the hearts of His servants, which are treasures of praise, love of the Lord, stores of .d ivine knowledge and wisdom. The will of the Eternal King hath ever been to purify the hearts of His servants from the promptings of the world and what is therein, so that they may be prepared for illumination by the effulgences of the Lord of the Names and Attributes. Therefore, no stranger should find his way into the city (posses- sion) of the heart, so that the Incomparable Friend may come unto His own place-that is, the efful- gence of His Names and Attributes, not His Es- sence (exalted is He), for that Peerless King hath been and will be holy for everlasting, above ascent or descent. Therefore, to-day, "victory" neither hath been, nor will be opposition to any one, nor strife with any person; but rather what is well-pleas- ing-i. e., that the cities of men's hearts, which are under the dominion of the hosts of selfishness and lust, should be subdued by the sword of the Word of Wisdom, and of Exhortation. Every one, then, who desireth "victory" must first subdue the city of his own heart with the sword of spiritual truth and of the Word, and must protect it from remembering aught beside God; afterward let him turn his concern toward the cities of other's hearts. This is what is intended by "victory"; sedition ha th never been nor is pleasing to God, and that which certain ig- norant persons formerly wrought was never ap- proved. If ye be slain for His good pleasure, verily. it is better for you than that ye sho uld slay. To- day the friends of God mu st appear in such fashion, amid st God's .servants, th at by their actions t hey may lead all unto the pleasure of the Lord of Glory. I swear by th e Sun of th e Horizon of Holiness that the real friends of Go d never have regarded nor will regard the earth and its transitory ri ches. God hath ever regarded the hearts of His servants, and this, too, by reason of His m ost great favor, tha t per- chance mortal soul s may be cleansed and sanctifi ed fro m earthly st at es and may attain unto everl asti ng places. But that Real Kin g is iu Himself sufficient . unto Himself and independent of all ; neither doth an y advantage accrue to Him from th e love of con - tingent beings, nor doth any hurt befall Him fro m their hatred. A ll earthly places appear th rough Him a nd unt o Him return , and God singly and alon e abidet h in His own place, which is hol y above space and tim e, mention an d utterance, sig n, de- scription, definition, hei g ht and depth. And none knoweth thi s save Him an d whosoever hath k nowl- edge of the Book. (Holy utterances.) There is no God but Him, t h e Mighty, the Bountifu l.
*HE IS EL-ABHA. From the lights of that Shining Brilliancy an d Brig htness, the horizons have already shone; bl essed are they who are successiul. From that Blessed Tree in Mo unt Sinai a call has been vociferously rai sed: blessed are they who are hearing. From that Holy Fragrance in that White Spot all sides and re- gions have been perfumed; blessed are they who in- hal e the odor thereof. The Light of Unity has been transfigured in the Temple of Seclusion; blessed are they who are wishing for Light. The Face o f EI- Beha has been uncovered ; blessed are they who are thereby attracted. The Cup of Giving, overflowing with the Wine of Fulfillment, is passing round; blessed are th ey who are drinking. The Kingdo m of El-Abha and the Supreme God h ave been h ono red and g lorified ; blessed are they who are winning a place in the Kingdom. The clouds of Generosity are ove rflowin g with th e Greatest Abundance; truly, it is a Great Abundance! The hearts have been en- lightened from the Lights of the Face of th e Be- loved; truly, it is a clear Light! Abdul-Beha, the Servan t of Beha, has clad Him- self in the mantle of servitude and devotion, for the beloved of El-Beha; trul y, this is a Great Victory! -Abbas-Abdul-Beha.
*The above Tablet was expressly written by the Master, and chanted into the phonograph by Him at my long and earnest plead ing. The orginial writ- ing and the phonograph records were given to me b,y Him on March 23, 1899, at Acea. I to ok the phon ograph there for this purpose and left it there. -E. C. Getsinger.
TO THE AMERICANS. (H e Is the Most Merciful Lord.) Oh ye children of the Kingdom , let it be known that the Sultan of the Kingdom has already estab- lished Himself on the throne of humanity, and that the Sun of the Worlds of Divinity has already arisen and shone from the horizon of His Majesty. The exaltation is to Him, the authority is to Him, the greatness is to Him, and to those who were en- lightened by His Light, and who were flooded by the flood of His Generosity. And that the Lord of Hosts, who was promised in the Bible and by the tongue of David, has already directed the multitudes of His angels and the battalions of His hosts with His blessing to the eastern parts of this earth, and to the western parts of it. And that they marched to the battlefields and to the challenging grounds and attacked the parties of darkness and the soldiers of infidelity by flashing arrows of light--and so they broke their lines and defeated them by thousands. And thus the different directions were lighted, the face of the heavens shone, the lights displayed their brightness, and the darkness . was dispersed by a shining light spread from the fire of the Blessed Tree in the Paradise of the Glorious God. There- fore, the faces of the faithful beamed, and the tongues of the godly praised, and the faces of the pharisees were darkened. Praise to God, the Lord of all the worlds. And you, oh children of the Kingdom, yqur ex- ample is that which was declared by the Holy Spirit in the revered Gospel, that a generous Prince had spread a rare and excellent table, adorned with different kinds of graces and gifts, containing what the soul longs for, what the eyes of the friends would enjoy, that which tastes delicious to the great, and which makes the hearts of the pious happy. And He invited to it the great, the princes and the learned. But when the appointed time came and the different foods were prepared, of many most de- licious varieties, those who were invited refused to be present, and showed their great treachery, and hesitated to come with those crowds who drank from that Spring of Life. At that time the Prince called the high, the low, the neighbor and the stranger, and set them at the table, and fed them with the best food with great benevolence and bounty, because those heads had no portion from that grace, but the others were fit to receive these gifts. And you, oh sons of the Kingdom, in those far away parts and wide lands, as you were fit for these merciful gifts and godly graces, God, the Almighty, sent to you a chosen soul to guide you to this sacred and heavenly table, and to show you those lights shining from the Kingdom of your God; also show- i.ng you these gifts descending from the heavens of the Majesty of your Creator. Oh you people, what a great enjoyment is com- ing to you from these gifts, what a great happiness is coming to you from these coveted blessings, what a great exaltation is coming to you from this food, and what a great blessing is coming to you from this benevolence, which is the breeze of God to awaken every sleeper, and the Spirit of God will give life to every moldering bone. Good tidings to you! Good tidings to you! Awake! Awake! for in a short time these fra- grances, which give life to the soul, shall be diffused and the lights, which disperse the darkness, shall shine universally. Blessed are the nostrils which shall inhale these sweet odors, and gladness to every eye which shall be enlightened by this light, sooner or later!
SELECTED PRECEPTS OF EL-HAK. (The Manifestation.) This manuscript contains fifteen clauses called "Good Tidings," each of which indicates some re- form, or law conducive to the general well-being of mankind. As indicating the ideals held up by El- Hak for the guidance of His followers, it is inter- esting and important. The inscription at the top is as follows: "The Divine ordinances and commands, for- merly revealed in sundry epistles, have, agreeably to the Supreme and Most Holy Command, been col- lected, that ail may become cognizant of the grace, mercy and favor of God in this Most Mighty Mani- festation and this Great Announcement, and may engage in praise and thanksgiving to the Desired Object of all the inhabitants of the world. Verily, He helpetl1 His servants unto that which He will- eth, for He is the \Vise Orctainer." In substance the reforms enacted in the fifteen clauses are as follows: 1. Abolition of religious warfare. 2. Permission of all sects and peoples to unite in friendly intercourse. 3. Permission to study foreign languages, coupled with a recommendation that one language and writing ( either of those already existing or especially devised for the purpose). should be se- lected by general consent as a mediumá of interna- tional communication. 4. All El-Hak's followers are bound loyally to serve and support any king who extends his pro- tection to their faith. 5. The followers of El-Hak, in whatever land they dwell, must cheerfully and ungrudingly submit to the laws and conform to the customs of that country. 6. Promise of the "Most Great Peace." 7. All are permitted, subject to the dictates of decency and good taste, to follow their own inclina- tion as to dress and the wearing of the hair. 8. The good works and devotions of Christian priests (and ministers) are recognized and will be accepted, but they must henceforth abandon their seclusion and "engage in that which shall advantage them and whereby mankind shall be ben- efited." (See text 12.) They are also permitted to marry. 9. Confession of sin s to one's fellowmen and :seeking absolution from them is not permitted. To God only should confession be made, and from Him only should pardon be sought. A form of prayer suitable for such confession is given. IO. The Bab's command to destroy certain classes of books (e. g., books of logic, philoso phy a nd other sciences, conducing, in his opinion, only to self-conceit and disputation) and to "renew" all books after a certain period is abrogated. 11. The study of sciences and arts is commended and encouraged, but they shoud be such as conduce to the welfare of mankind. 12. All men must learn and practice some craft, trade or profession. The diligent and conscientious practi ce o f some craft, trade or profess ion is in itself an act of worship. Mendicity a nd idleness are hateful to God. 13. The settlement of differences, the apportion- m ent of alms and the ordering of the affairs of the commonwealth generally are intrusted to the "House of Justice." 14. Visitation of the tombs of martyrs and pil- g rimages to the, shrine of saints are no longer to be regarded as obligatory. Nevertheless it is a pious work for rich men to leave money to the " House of Justice" to enable their poorer brethren to perform these pilgrimages. 15. Thoug h a republic conduces most to the gen- eral welfare. it is not de sired that kings, who are the " Sig ns of God's Power," should cease to exist. If statesmen can combine these two things in this cycle their reward with God shall be great.