Bahá’í Sacred Writings, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, #469
By its nature, human society standeth in need of essential relations and rules, for otherwise it would not enjoy peace and protection, nor experience happiness and security. Without them, the sacred glory of humankind would remain unmanifested and the desire of all hearts would remain unrealized. Countries would not prosper, nor would cities and villages find order and adornment. The affairs of the world would fail to be regulated and the development of the human race would be rendered impossible. There would be no tranquillity or peace of mind. The virtues of the human world would remain unmanifested and the candle of the bestowals of the All-Merciful would remain unlit. Human reality would fail to discover the secrets of the world of being or to apprehend the all-embracing wisdom of the Almighty. Marvellous arts and sciences would not be diffused, great discoveries would not be made, and the earth would not become the observatory of endless stars. Human invention and industry would not astonish every mind; the East and the West would not freely communicate; and the power of steam would not join together the distant regions of the earth.
… Religion may be regarded as the spirit of life and the government as the agent of deliverance. Religion is even as the resplendent sun and the government as the vernal clouds. These two effulgent luminaries, even as twin shining stars, cast from the horizon of this world their radiance upon humanity. One illumineth the realm of the spirit and the other adorneth the domain of earthly existence. One causeth human conscience to reveal its hidden gems and the other turneth this nether world into the garden of paradise. Through their influence this world of dust becometh the envy of the realm of heaven and this abode of darkness the object of longing of the kingdom of light…. Our meaning is that these two mighty agents, even as milk and honey, or as twin lodestars, confirm and assist each other. Thus to affront one is to betray the other, and to disobey one is to sin grievously against the other.