A. L. M. Nicolas, in his introduction to volume I of “Le
Bayán Persan” (pp. 3–5), writes as follows:
“Everyone agrees in acknowledging that it would be
absolutely impossible for him [the Báb] to proclaim loudly his doctrine or to
spread it among men. He had to act as does a physician to children, who must
disguise a bitter medicine in a sweet coating in order to win over his young
patients. The people in the midst of whom he appeared were, and still are,
alas, more fanatical than the Jews were at the time of Jesus, when the majesty
of Roman peace was no longer there to put a stop to the furious excesses of
religious madness of an over-excited people. Therefore, if Christ, in spite of
the relative calm of the surroundings in which He preached, thought it
necessary to employ the parable, Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad, a fortiori, was obliged
to disguise his thought in numerous circuitous ways and only pour out, one drop
at a time, the filter of his divine truths. He brings up his child, Humanity;
he guides it, endeavoring always not to frighten it and directs its first steps
on a path which leads it slowly but surely, so that, as soon as it can proceed
alone, it reaches the goal pre-ordained for it from all eternity.”
(Footnotes
to Chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)
