1 |
And now concerning thy reference to the existence of two Gods. Beware, beware, lest thou be
led to join partners with the Lord, thy God. He is,
and hath from everlasting been, one and alone, without
peer or equal, eternal in the past, eternal in the
future, detached from all things, ever-abiding, unchangeable,
and self-subsisting. He hath assigned no
associate unto Himself in His Kingdom, no counsellor
to counsel Him, none to compare unto Him,
none to rival His glory. To this every atom of the
universe beareth witness, and beyond it the inmates
of the realms on high, they that occupy the most
exalted seats, and whose names are remembered before
the Throne of Glory. |
2 |
Bear thou witness in thine inmost heart unto this
testimony which God hath Himself and for Himself
pronounced, that there is none other God but Him,
that all else besides Him have been created by His
behest, have been fashioned by His leave, are subject
to His law, are as a thing forgotten when compared
to the glorious evidences of His oneness, and are as
nothing when brought face to face with the mighty
revelations of His unity. |
3 |
He, in truth, hath, throughout eternity, been one
in His Essence, one in His attributes, one in His
works. Any and every comparison is applicable only
to His creatures, and all conceptions of association
are conceptions that belong solely to those that serve
Him. Immeasurably exalted is His Essence above the
descriptions of His creatures. He, alone, occupieth
the Seat of transcendent majesty, of supreme and inaccessible
glory. The birds of men's hearts, however
high they soar, can never hope to attain the heights
of His unknowable Essence. It is He Who hath called
into being the whole of creation, Who hath caused
every created thing to spring forth at His behest.
Shall, then, the thing that was born by virtue of
the word which His Pen hath revealed, and which the
finger of His Will hath directed, be regarded as partner
with Him, or an embodiment of His Self? Far
be it from His glory that human pen or tongue
should hint at His mystery, or that human heart
conceive His Essence. All else besides Him stand poor
and desolate at His door, all are powerless before the
greatness of His might, all are but slaves in His Kingdom.
He is rich enough to dispense with all creatures. |
4 |
The tie of servitude established between the worshiper
and the adored One, between the creature and
the Creator, should in itself be regarded as a token
of His gracious favor unto men, and not as an indication
of any merit they may possess. To this testifieth
every true and discerning believer. |