so exaggerate our reverence for
him as to undervalue his masters, among whom especially are to be
counted the travelling and law-giving philosophers, such as Agathodaemon,
Hermes, AEsculapius and others. The line of their succession is long;
the chief classes into which they may be divided are as follows: (1) The
Theosophist without philosophy; (2) the speculative philosopher without
theosophy; (3) the philosopher who is equally strong in both; (4) the
Theosophist who is strong in theosophy but mediocre or weak in
philosophy; (5) the philosopher who is strong in philosophy but mediocre
or weak in theosophy, etc. Now if the complete mastery of both
philosophic and theosophic science is found in one man, _this_ man is
the representative of God on earth. Failing such a person, the title
devolves on him who is complete in theosophy, though he may be mediocre
in philosophy. Failing him, the representative of God is he who is
complete in theosophy without possessing any philosophy at all. There
never fails to be in the world _one_ great theosophist.

"But the speculative philosopher, fully equipped in philosophy, has no
claim to the rule in this earth. For there is always a theosophist on
earth and he is better fitted for the post than the philosopher, as the
place of God's Vicar on earth cannot remain unoccupied. By this 'rule,'
however, I do not mean the possession of political power; only the Imam
who is also a theosophist _may_ take over the political power and
exercise it publicly, or he may rule in secret. In the latter case he is
termed the mystical pole ("qutb"); to him the rule belongs, even though
he live in the deepest poverty. If the political power should really
come into his hand, the age becomes illuminated; but if it lacks such
divine guidance, it is overwhelmed by darkness.

"It is nobler to aim at a high attainment at theosophy and philosophy
alike than to confine one's effort to one or the other. This book is
intended for those who devote themselves to both, and not to the latter
only; in it we address ourselves only to the untrammelled thinker in the
reign of theosophy; the lowest step which the reader of it should have
attained, if he would derive any benefit therefrom, is at any rate to
have felt a flash of the divine light reach him, and in some measure to
have made it his own. Whoever merely wishes to study philosophy, let him
attend the school of the Peripatetics; for that purpose it is good and
suff