words to the Law of God. If they do deviate from it, they
will be held responsible and reproved in the presence of God. It is
certain that they have no share in the permission "He doeth whatsoever He
willeth," for this condition is peculiar to the supreme Manifestations.

So Christ--may my spirit be sacrificed to Him!--was the manifestation of
these words, "He doeth whatsoever He willeth," but the disciples were not
partakers of this condition; for as they were under the shadow of Christ,
they could not deviate from His command and will.

PART FOUR: ON THE ORIGIN, POWERS AND CONDITIONS OF MAN

46: MODIFICATION OF SPECIES

We have now come to the question of the modification of species and of
organic development--that is to say, to the point of inquiring whether
man's descent is from the animal.

This theory has found credence in the minds of some European philosophers,
and it is now very difficult to make its falseness understood, but in the
future it will become evident and clear, and the European philosophers
will themselves realize its untruth. For, verily, it is an evident error.
When man looks at the beings with a penetrating regard, and attentively
examines the condition of existences, and when he sees the state, the
organization and the perfection of the world, he will be convinced that in
the possible world there is nothing more wonderful than that which already
exists. For all existing beings, terrestrial and celestial, as well as
this limitless space and all that is in it, have been created and
organized, composed, arranged and perfected as they ought to be; the
universe has no imperfection, so that if all beings became pure
intelligence and reflected for ever and ever, it is impossible that they
could imagine anything better than that which exists.

If, however, the creation in the past had not been adorned with utmost
perfection, then existence would have been imperfect and meaningless, and
in this case creation would have been incomplete. This question needs to
be considered with the greatest attention and thought. For example,
imagine that the contingent world resembles in a general way the body of
man. If this composition, organization, perfection, beauty and
completeness which now exist in the human body were different, it would be
absolute imperfection. Now, if we imagine a time when man belonged to the
animal world, or when he was merely an animal, we shall find that
existence wou