might be brought together and no strife, rancor or hatred
prevail. His Holiness Baha'u'llah addressing all humanity, said that Adam
the parent of mankind may be likened to the tree of nativity upon which
you are the leaves and blossoms. Inasmuch as your origin was one, you must
now be united and agreed; you must consort with each other in joy and
fragrance. He pronounced prejudice, whether religious, racial, patriotic,
political, the destroyer of the body-politic. He said that man must
recognize the oneness of humanity, for all in origin belong to the same
household and all are servants of the same God. Therefore mankind must
continue in the state of fellowship and love, emulating the institutions
of God and turning away from satanic promptings, for the divine bestowals
bring forth unity and agreement whereas satanic leadings induce hatred and
war.

This remarkable personage was able by these principles to establish a bond
of unity among the differing sects and divergent people of Iran. Those who
followed His teachings no matter from what denomination or faction they
came were conjoined by the ties of love, until now they cooperate and live
together in peace and agreement. They are real brothers and sisters. No
distinctions of class are observed among them and complete harmony
prevails. Daily this bond of affinity is strengthening and their spiritual
fellowship continually develops. In order to insure the progress of
mankind and to establish these principles His Holiness Baha'u'llah
suffered every ordeal and difficulty. His Holiness the Bab became a
martyr, and over twenty thousand men and women sacrificed their lives for
their faith. His Holiness Baha'u'llah was imprisoned and subjected to
severe persecutions. Finally he was exiled from Iran to Mesopotamia; from
Ba_gh_dad He was sent to Constantinople and Adrianople and from thence to
the prison of Akka in Syria. Through all these ordeals He strove day and
night to proclaim the oneness of humanity and promulgate the message of
Universal Peace. From the prison of Akka He addressed the kings and rulers
of the earth in lengthy letters summoning them to international agreement
and explicitly stating that the standard of the "Most Great Peace" would
surely be upraised in the world.

This has come to pass. The powers of earth cannot withstand the privileges
and bestowals which God has ordained for this great and glorious century.
It is a need and exigency of the time. Man c