ed ones
must turn. He is the expounder of the words of God and after him will
succeed the first-born of his lineal descendants.

The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the Cause of God, as well
as the Universal House of Justice, to be universally elected and
established, are both under the care and protection of the Abha Beauty,
under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One
(may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of
God. Whoso obeyeth him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God;
whoso rebelleth against him and against them hath rebelled against God;
whoso opposeth him hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath
contended with God; whoso disputeth with him hath disputed with God; whoso
denieth him hath denied God; whoso disbelieveth in him hath disbelieved in
God; whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him hath
in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God. May the
wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon him! The
mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to
him who is the guardian of the Cause of God. It is incumbent upon the
members of the House of Justice, upon all the A_gh_san, the Afnan, the
Hands of the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and
subordination unto the guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and
be lowly before him. He that opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will
make a breach in the Cause of God, will subvert His word and will become a
manifestation of the Center of Sedition. Beware, beware, lest the days
after the ascension (of Baha'u'llah) be repeated when the Center of
Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious and with Divine Unity for his excuse
deprived himself and perturbed and poisoned others. No doubt every
vainglorious one that purposeth dissension and discord will not openly
declare his evil purposes, nay rather, even as impure gold, would he seize
upon divers measures and various pretexts that he may separate the
gathering of the people of Baha. My object is to show that the Hands of
the Cause of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone
beginning to oppose and protest against the guardian of the Cause of God
cast him out from the congregation of the people of Baha and in no wise
accept any excuse from him. How often hath grievous error been disguised
in the garb of truth, that it might sow