f decay. The leaves and blossoms have withered
and perished; the tree has become stricken and fruitless. It is not
reasonable that man should hold to the old tree, claiming that its life
forces are undiminished, its fruit unequaled, its existence eternal. The
seed of reality must be sown again in human hearts in order that a new
tree may grow therefrom and new divine fruits refresh the world. By this
means the nations and peoples now divergent in religion will be brought
into unity, imitations will be forsaken, and a universal brotherhood in
reality itself will be established. Warfare and strife will cease among
mankind; all will be reconciled as servants of God. For all are sheltered
beneath the tree of His providence and mercy. God is kind to all; He is
the giver of bounty to all alike, even as Jesus Christ has declared that
God "sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust"--that is to say, the mercy
of God is universal. All humanity is under the protection of His love and
favor, and unto all He has pointed the way of guidance and progress.
Progress is of two kinds: material and spiritual. The former is attained
through observation of the surrounding existence and constitutes the
foundation of civilization. Spiritual progress is through the breaths of
the Holy Spirit and is the awakening of the conscious soul of man to
perceive the reality of Divinity. Material progress ensures the happiness
of the human world. Spiritual progress ensures the happiness and eternal
continuance of the soul. The Prophets of God have founded the laws of
divine civilization. They have been the root and fundamental source of all
knowledge. They have established the principles of human brotherhood, of
fraternity, which is of various kinds--such as the fraternity of family, of
race, of nation and of ethical motives. These forms of fraternity, these
bonds of brotherhood, are merely temporal and transient in association.
They do not ensure harmony and are usually productive of disagreement.
They do not prevent warfare and strife; on the contrary, they are selfish,
restricted and fruitful causes of enmity and hatred among mankind. The
spiritual brotherhood which is enkindled and established through the
breaths of the Holy Spirit unites nations and removes the cause of warfare
and strife. It transforms mankind into one great family and establishes
the foundations of the oneness of humanity. It promulgates the spirit of
international agreement and ensu