Holding to the letter of the law is many times an indication of a desire for leadership. One who assumes to be the enforcer of the law shows an intellectual understanding of the Cause, but that spiritual guidance in them is not yet established.
The alphabet of things is for children, that they may in time use their reasoning powers. "Following the spirit" is a guidance by and through the heart, the prompter of the spirit. The Pharisees were extremely orthodox, holding strictly to the law. They were the cause of the condemnation and ultimate crucifixion of Jesus.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of Abdu’l-Baha recorded by Dr. Edward Getsinger in answer to his questions during his pilgrimage in 1915; Star of the West, vol. 6, no. 6, June 24, 1915)