he genus do not
change and alter, but the form, color, and bulk will change and alter, or
even progress.

To recapitulate: as man in the womb of the mother passes from form to
form, from shape to shape, changes and develops, and is still the human
species from the beginning of the embryonic period--in the same way man,
from the beginning of his existence in the matrix of the world, is also a
distinct species, that is, man, and has gradually evolved from one form to
another. Therefore this change of appearance, this evolution of members,
this development and growth, even though we admit the reality of growth
and progress, does not prevent the species from being original. Man from
the beginning was in this perfect form and composition, and possessed
capacity and aptitude for acquiring material and spiritual perfections,
and was the manifestation of these words, "We will make man in Our image
and likeness." He has only become more pleasing, more beautiful, and more
graceful. Civilization has brought him out of his wild state, just as the
wild fruits which are cultivated by a gardener became finer, sweeter, and
acquire more freshness and delicacy.

The gardeners of the world of humanity are the Prophets of God.

SPIRITUAL NATURE OF MAN

We have many times demonstrated and established that man is the noblest of
beings, the sum of all perfections, and that all beings and all existences
are the centers from which the glory of God is reflected, that is to say,
the signs of the Divinity of God are apparent in the realities of things
and of creatures. Just as the terrestrial globe is the place where the
rays of the sun are reflected--as its light, its heat, and its influence
are apparent and visible in all the atoms of the earth--so, in the same
way, the atoms of beings, in this infinite space, proclaim and prove one
of the divine perfections. Nothing is deprived of this benefit; it is
either a sign of the mercy of God or it is a sign of His power, His
greatness, His justice, His lordship which imparts education; or it is a
sign of the generosity of God, His vision, His hearing, His knowledge, His
grace, and so on.

Without doubt each being is the center of the shining forth of the glory
of God: that is to say, the perfections of God appear from it and are
resplendent in it. It is like the sun, which is resplendent in the desert,
upon the sea, in the trees, in the fruits and blossoms, and in all earthly
things. The w