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5 July 1912, 3 Talks at 309 West Seventy- eighth Street, New York - Notes by Howard MacNutt (218:3) Question: You have stated that we are living in a universal cycle, the first Manifestation of which was Adam and the universal Manifestation of which is Baha'u'llah. Does this imply that other universal cycles preceded this one and that all traces of them have been effaced-- cycles in which the ultimate purpose was the divine spiritualization of man just as it is the creative intention in this one? (218:4) The divine sovereignty is an ancient sovereignty, not an accidental sovereignty. (218:5) If we imagine this world of existence has a beginning, we can say the divine sovereignty is accidental-- that is, there was a time when it did not exist. A king without a kingdom is impossible. He cannot be without a country, without subjects, without an army, without dominion, or he would be without kingship. All these exigencies or requirements of sovereignty must exist for a king. When they do exist, we can apply the word sovereignty to him. Otherwise, his sovereignty is imperfect, incomplete. If none of these conditions exists, sovereignty does not exist.
(218:6)
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