| Kitáb-i-Íqán | 165 |
leaders of their Faith. Should a poor and obscure
person, destitute of the attire of men of learning,
address them saying: "Follow ye, O people!
the Messengers of God," (1) they would, greatly surprised
at such a statement, reply: "What! Meanest
thou that all these divines, all these exponents of
learning, with all their authority, their pomp and
pageantry, have erred, and failed to distinguish
truth from falsehood? Dost thou, and people like
thyself, pretend to have comprehended that which
they have not understood?" If numbers and excellence
of apparel be regarded as the criterions of
learning and truth, the peoples of a bygone age,
whom those of today have never surpassed in
numbers, magnificence and power, should certainly
be accounted a superior and worthier
people.
It is clear and evident that whenever the Manifestations
of Holiness were revealed, the divines of
their day have hindered the people from attaining
unto the way of truth. To this testify the records of
all the scriptures and heavenly books. Not one
Prophet of God was made manifest Who did not
fall a victim to the relentless hate, to the denunciation,
