icted by the murky breaths of the Covenant-breakers and
harmony hath decreased among the friends. Gracious God! A hundred times it
hath been foretold that the violators are lying in ambush and by every
means desire to cause dissension among the friends so that this dissension
may end in violation of the Covenant. How is it that, notwithstanding this
warning, the friends have neglected this explicit statement?

The point at issue is clear, direct and of utmost brevity. Either
Baha'u'llah was wise, omniscient and aware of what would ensue, or was
ignorant and in error. He entered, by His supreme pen, into such a firm
Covenant and Testament with all the Baha'is, first with the A_gh_san, the
Afnan and His kindred, and commanded them to obey and turn toward Him. By
His supreme pen He hath explicitly declared that the object of the
following verse of the Kitab-i-Aqdas is the Most Great Branch:

'When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is
ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath
branched from this Ancient Root.' Its meaning briefly is this: that after
My ascension it is incumbent upon the A_gh_san, the Afnan and the kindred,
and all the friends of God, to turn their faces to Him Who hath branched
from the Ancient Root.

He also plainly saith in the Kitab-i-Aqdas: 'O ye people of the world!
When the Mystic Dove will have winged its flight from its Sanctuary of
Praise and sought its far-off goal, its hidden habitation, refer ye
whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to Him Who hath branched from
this mighty Stock.' Addressing all the people of the world He saith: When
the Mystic Dove flieth away from the orchard of praise to the Most Supreme
and Invisible Station--that is, when the Blessed Beauty turneth away from
the contingent world towards the invisible realm--refer whatever ye do not
understand in the Book to Him Who hath branched from the Ancient Root.
That is, whatever He saith is the very truth.

And in the Book of the Covenant He explicitly saith that the object of
this verse 'Who hath branched from this Ancient Root' is the Most Mighty
Branch. And He commandeth all the A_gh_san, the Afnan, the kindred and the
Baha'is to turn toward Him. Now, either one must say that the Blessed
Beauty hath made a mistake, or He must be obeyed. 'Abdu'l-Baha hath no
command for the people to obey save the diffusion of the fragrances of
God, the exaltation of His Word, the promul