Chapter X

1. Satan went to all the Lords and Lordesses in hada, and said unto each and every one: Thine shall be exaltation without labor; because thou art wise, others shall serve thee; and great shall be thy glory. As thou hast witnessed the rites and ceremonies, in Craoshivi, of the high-raised Gods, even so shall it be with thee. Behold, the heavens of the earth shall become the brightest and most glorious of all heavens. Be thou patient, enduring anything, for thou shalt surely, in time to come, be second to none, the highest of Gods!

2. And thy name shall be sung in the cermonies, and shall be honored even in the far-off heavens. It shall be said of thee, thou art amongst the youngest of Gods, that by thine own self-will mastered all things so suddenly that even the oldest of Gods stood appalled at thy daring.

3. Be thou patient, and seeming most humble, and bide thou thy time; thou wert born to be a leader even amongst Gods. Be secret; disclosing naught.

4. Satan said to Anuhasaj, even Lord God: Be thou dignified, and by thy much-professed love, like a father unto all the others. And it shall come to pass that they will thrust these great dominions upon thee.

5. Now whilst these matters were with these Lords, behold, in far-off Craoshivi Jehovih spake to God on the throne, before the Council of Jehovih's Son, saying: Because I indulged thy Lords and Lordesses in prosperous places, they are becoming forgetful of Me.

6. For so I created man, in prosperity he idolizeth himself. He saith: Behold me! What great things I can do: Yea, I am wise; I perceive the nothingness of the Creator! And he buildeth to his own ruin. I created life and death all around him, that he might learn My power ere he quitteth the earth. And hada I made wide, with a place of ascent and a place of descent. Upward I placed My holy lights, saying: Come! Downward, I made darkness, saying: Beware! hell lieth hither! But they plunge into misery headlong.

7. God said: What have they done, O Jehovih? Jehovih said: They are laying their heads together to rebel against the manner of My everlasting kingdoms. Summon thou the Diva before thee, and bid them speak outright as to what they desire.

8. God sent messengers into all the divisions of the lowest heavens, to the kingdoms of Jehovih's Lords and Lordesses, as the Father had commanded, summoning them to Craoshivi. On the other hand:

9. Satan spake to Anuhasaj, the plotter of the mischief, saying: Lest God in Craoshivi get wind of this matter, and so set at naught thy long-laid plans, send thou to him, saying: Greeting, in love to thee, Son of Jehovih, God of the heavens of the earth. From the light before me I am resolved to resign the Lord-dom. Search, therefore, and provide one in my place.

10. Satan continued, to Anuhasaj: Send thou to thy Lords and Lordesses, saying: Greeting in love to thee, Lord of Jehovih. I foresee that many will desire me to take the place of God of the earth and her heavens. Seek thou to relieve me of this, and choose one less radical, that thou mayst the more fully endorse him. Behold, I am about to resign the Lord-dom, and desire to see thee.

11. The Lords and Lordesses received the two communications at the same time; and they severally laid the matter before their Holy Councils; and great was the excitement therein. That which had been planned to be in secret was thus made public in all the hadas in a day, before thousands of millions!

12. At once the Lords and Lordesses hastened to Anuhasaj's capital; and they were each attended by ten thousand attendants.

13. Now when they were assembled, perceiving that God in Craoshivi knew of the matter, they were by their own shame further incited to disobey the Divan summons, and at once proceed to founding a consolidated kingdom, with Anuhasaj at the head. Anuhasaj made believe he desired not the Godhead, and only agreed to serve provided they installed him with oaths of fidelity. And this they did.

14. So, after a session of three days, Anuhasaj was elected and enthroned in Hored, a new heavenly place, and crowned Our God of the earth and her heavens, the Very Lord God in Jehovih. Thus he became a false God.

15. But they crowned him not with the true crown, for that was with God in Craoshivi; but they made one, creating it in the sacred circle. But since he could not be crowned by those beneath him, they were in a quandry how to proceed. Then satan spake to Anuhasaj, saying: Command them to lie on their bellies in token of submission to thee, and say to them: Lay the crown at my feet, and I will stand with my head bare; and when ye have prostrated yourselves, I will command the crown in my own name to rise up and lie upon my head; and if it so rise, then know ye of a truth our work is the highest, best work.

16. Anuhasaj then repeated this to the Lords and Lordesses, and they laid them down on their bellies, each being anxious to show fidelity, in hope of exaltation. And when they were down and saw not, Anuhasaj, having not power in Light, said: Crown of these most holy, wise Lords and Lordesses of heaven and earth, arise thou and lie on the head of him who shall have dominion on earth and in these heavens!

17. And thereupon he stooped down on the sly, and with his own hand raised it up and crowned himself, and commanded the Lords to rise up. And lo and behold, some of the Lords and Lordesses said they saw with the second sight of the soul, and that the crown rose of its own accord, being under the will of the circle!

18. And they clapped their hands, saying: All hail, Our God! All hail, Our God! All hail, Our God! Proclaiming him in the east and west and north and south.

19. He responded: The Lord, your God, reigneth! Peace be unto you. Behold, the heavens and earth are mine; be ye steadfast unto me, and ye shall be glorified in my name. Ye that have been Lords and Lordesses shall be Gods and Goddesses, with great power and with mighty kingdoms. As I foresaw this, so have I provided for you beforehand. In this very time and place will I crown you and apportion you with great glory. Yet think not that this is the last; it is but the first, and temporary until the new heavens are founded with broader boundaries.

Chapter XI

Of the Deity, alias Dyaus, alias De'yus, alias Deus; origin and power in the heavens and on earth.

1. Anuhasaj said: I, the Lord, your God, being the All Highest, through your choice, decree, for sake of harmony and concert in our labors, the establishment of a De'yus.

2. As the Craoshivians have had a Diva (Divinity), so will I have a De'yus. And by virtue of mine own authority I proclaim ye, my Lords and Lordesses, as the holy members thereof.

3. As the Diva hath been taught in these heavens, so also be the De'yus, whereof I assume the chief head.

4. As the Diva had laws, so also shall our De'yus; and they shall be promulgated on the earth, and taught to mortals as the laws of De'yus (Deity). Therefore by my own voice I dissolve the Diva of heaven; and it shall not be from this time forth forever. And whosoever of ye being members thereof, shall this day resign the Diva, and send word to the ruler of Craoshivi, for his benefit, and for his kingdom's benefit.

5. And the ruler of Craoshivi shall continue in his own place and kingdom; for it is his.

6. And the ruler of Vara-pishanaha, called Ahura, shall continue in his own place and kingdom, for it is his.

7. First, then, I take unto myself Anubi, the Lord loved by you all, and he shall be my associate, and his title shall be Master of the Scales of Heaven, for he shall determine the grades of the spirits and send them to their respective departments. On earth his title shall be Savior of Men, Son of De'yus.

8. Second, thou, Hi-kas, shalt be Ruler over Jaffeth and its heavenly kingdom; and thy title shall be Te-in, and of the first rank of God of the Earth.

9. Third, thou, Wotchissij, shall be ruler over Vind'yu, and her heavenly kingdom, and thy title shall be Sudga, and of the first rank of God of the Earth.

10. Fourth, thou Che-le-mung, shalt be ruler over Arabin'ya, and her heavenly kingdom, and thy title shall be Osiris, and of the first rank of God of the Earth.

11. Fifth, thou, Baal shalt be ruler over Heleste and her heavenly kingdom, and thy title shall be Baal, and of the first rank of God of the Earth.

12. Sixth, thou, Ashtaroth, shalt be ruler over Parsa, and its heavenly kingdom, and thy title shall be Ashtaroth, of the first rank of Goddess of the Earth.

13. Seventh, thou, Fo-ebe, shalt be ruler over Uropa and her heavenly kingdom, and thy title shall be Fo-ebe, and of the first rank of Goddess of the Earth.

14. Eighth, thou, Ho-jab, shalt be ruler over Japan and her heavenly kingdom, and thy title shall be Ho-jab, and of the first rank of God of the Earth.

15. After that the false God made appointments for the other divisions of the earth and their heavenly places, and after that he said unto them:

16. All my Gods and Goddesses shall have thrones in their places, and holy councils and attendants as becometh Gods of the first rank. And every one shall have a capital city, with subsidiaries according to the number and place of their spirits and mortal subjects.

17. And every God and Goddess shall manage his or her own kingdom in his or her own way; but every one shall nevertheless be tributary to my kingdom, according to the exactions I put upon him or them.

18. That ye may resign the Diva, and choose your assistants, before being crowned, I declare a day of recreation, to assemble at the trumpeter's call.

19. Hereupon the hosts relaxed from duty and made their resignations of the Diva, and sent them with messengers to God in Craoshivi, but not one of them mentioned the new state of affairs resolved upon. On the next day, at the trumpeter's call, they assembled again; and Anuhasaj said unto them: Come ye with me, and I will show you the place of Hored and its boundaries; for it shall not be my kingdom alone, but yours also, for my kingdom shall be the kingdom of your kingdoms.

20. And they entered an otevan, and, coming in the fourth belt below meteoris, in the sign of the twelfth arc of Chinvat; and Anuhasaj said: From this time forth this belt shall be called Hored, and it shall be my place forever. It shall be the central kingdom of all the earth's heavens.

21. And the multitude said: Hail, Kingdom of Hored, the holy hill, place of the Most High God! And it was known thereafter as the belt of Hored, hill of God. It was a three-quarters belt, and the base thereof was ten thousand miles from the earth, and the summit was fifteen thousand miles high; habitable within and without. And its ascending rank in grades was twenty, that is, it was easily habitable by spirits that attained to that grade; being above the grade of infants and drujas, and above the region of hells and knots, save in cases of great panic. Now, from the first place of Hored, where Anuhasaj crowned himself, which was the eastern base of the hill, to the place for his capital city, he made a roadway and called it Loo-hored, and it was the only opened roadway to the kingdoms below.

22. So it came to pass Anuhasaj had two capital cities; and the first was called the City of the Gate of Heaven, that is, Anubi; and the other was called the Place of Everlasting Rest, that is, Sanc-tu. Anuhasaj said to Anubi: Behold, the City of the Gate of Heaven shall be thy place. And thou shalt determine the rate of all souls who desire to enter the Place of Everlasting Rest. Thou shalt be judge over them. And whosoever is not for me shall not enter, but shall be cast into the kingdoms of hada. And those that are for me, thou shalt send unto me.

23. And thou shalt have a Holy Council of one hundred thousand; and of examiners thou shalt have one million. And thy capital shall be guarded on every side but one, with pillars of fires, so that none can pass but by the Gate of Heaven. And of guardsmen thou shalt have seven millions, divided into seven watches, one for each day. Of messengers betwixt thy place and mine, thou shalt have ten thousand; but betwixt thee and the Gods and Goddesses of the lower kingdoms, thou shalt have five hundred thousand. But, of thine own choice, shall be the number of es'enaurs, trumpeters and marshals, and thy attendants also.

24. And all Gods and Goddesses coming to me, or sending messengers to my holy place, shall come through thy city, even through the Gate of Heaven; and they shall come according to certain rites and ceremonies which I will give unto thee. Come, therefore, and receive thy crown.

25. Thus was crowned Anubi; and after him were crowned the other Gods and Goddesses; and Anuhasaj bequeathed to each one his own kingdom, according to the custom of the ancients. And when these matters were completed, he again spake before them, saying: Behold the example I have made before you; even before I provided myself for mine own kingdom I have given unto every one all things required. It is meet and proper, therefore, that ye contribute unto me and my place workmen and materials, that I may build in great glory also.

26. For, as I am exalted, and my kingdom made glorious, so have ye whereof to preach gloriously to your inhabitants of the place in store for them. Thus, did Anuhasaj put Gods and Goddesses under obligations to himself, and they acquiesced in his proceedings, saying: Nay, we will not only contribute man and women for this purpose, but we will labor with our own hands for the space of twenty days, helping to build the capital city, and to open roads, in all directions.

Chapter XII

Anuhasaj, the false God, declareth himself against Jehovih.

1. Anuhasaj never established the De'yus as projected at first, but took the name De'yus (Dyaus) upon himself, and became known in the heavens by that name. When he had thus established Hored in its entirety, he gave a feast to the Gods and Goddesses; and after it was ended, previous to their departure, he spake before them, saying:

2. The time of duty is now upon you, and upon me, the Lord your God, also. Be ye then solicitous of these things I speak of, that in the everlasting times we may be brethren, and there shall be no other Gods, but ourselves forever.

3. Behold, I have given into your hands to manage your own kingdoms in your way; for which reason I can no longer say, do ye this, or do ye thus and so, for my affairs are in mine own kingdom. But wherein I have wisdom I freely impart, and the choice is yours, whether ye will follow my advice or do otherwise, for ye are of equal rank with me. And, moreover, my kingdom is dependent upon you, and not yours upon mine. Hear ye then my words as if I were but one in a Council with wise Gods:

4. To overturn Jehovih and his dominions on the earth and in these heavens will be your first labor. And whenever corporeans embrace Him, calling themselves Faithists in the Great Spirit, or Faithists in Jehovih, or Faithists in Ormazd, or by any other name signifying the All Light, or Unseen, or Person of Ever Presence, ye shall pursue them, and destroy them off the face of the earth. To do which ye shall use the oracles, or prophets and seers, or magicians, or inspiration; and ye shall set the kings and queens of the earth to war upon them, and spare them not, man, woman or child.

5. And of spirits of the dead who fall into your respective kingdoms, being Faithists, bring them before Anubi and his hosts, and he shall send them into regions of darkness, saying to them: Behold, ye have your Jehovih! And Anubi shall place guards over them, and they shall not know where to go, but will cry out in their darkness.

6. Whereupon they shall be sworn into servitude in Hored to the Lord your God forever, and become slaves within your kingdoms.

7. And ye shall teach both mortals and spirits that Hored is the All Highest heaven, and that it is the place of the All Highest God, even De'yus. For them to attain which, ye shall exact servitude of them in your heavens accordingly as ye may desire.

8. In the rites and ceremonies, both in your heavens and on the earth, shall ye enforce the exchanging of words signifying Great Spirit to words signifying Lord God, who is of the form and size of a man, declaring of a truth that I sit on my throne in judgment of the world, for it is mine, and ye are one with me.

9. And all songs of praise shall be changed; and prayers and beseechings to your God, instead of Jehovih, or Ormazd, or the Great Spirit. For both mortals and angels shall be made to know that He is my enemy, leading my people astray. And as to the prophets and seers on the earth, who will persist in preaching or singing to the Great Spirit, ye shall incite torture and punishment and death unto them.

10. And whether I be De'yus, or God, or the Lord God, or the All Perfect, me only shall they worship, forever. And my place, Hored, shall be the sacred hill of God forever! And none shall approach me but by crawling on their bellies; for I will so exalt my lights that none can stand before me.

11. When the Lord God had finished his discourse, the other Gods responded in love and adoration. Thus ended the feast, and, according to the rites in other heavens, the Gods and Goddesses went and sat at the foot of the throne, and De'yus came down and took them by the hand, one at a time, and raised them up, saying: Arise, O God, and in my name, and wisdom, and power, go thy way. Thus they departed.

12. And as to the earth, great havoc and persecution were visited upon the Zarathustrians and Israelites, being put to death by hundreds of thousands.

Chapter XIII

1. Swift messengers coursing the heavens, from far-off etherean worlds, bound for destinations remote, passed over the regions of Hored; and the high-raised travelers felt the discordant plots of satan's Lord God and his hosts, thus bent to overthrow the Great Spirit's happy world. And so they sent word of it to Cpenta-armij, through whose fields the great serpent moved along. And her Most High Council, one with the Creator, cast about to know the cause and treatment of the dastardly outrage.

2. Then spake Jehovih to His Daughter, Chieftainess, saying: The Lord God was duly honored in My name, and swore before Me to serve faithfully, forever, by his highest light. Hold thou him to his purpose, and bind him in the world he hath assumed to rule for his own glory. And to his fellow-God, conspirators against Me, Who brought them into being, give thou them full sway to destroy My worshippers. Let them raise the name of their God, and bait mortal kings and queens to glut themselves in the havoc of My chosen, the Faithists.

3. The earth neareth her greatest corporeal growth, and these self-assuming Gods shall build monuments through their mortal emissaries, in the greatest divisions of the earth: Temples, and pyramids, and oracle-palaces, which shall stand thousands of years as testimonies of the audacity of Gods and Saviors. To honor whom, the Lord God hath sworn to make angels and men suppliant slaves in heaven and earth.

4. For I will use the corporeal temples and pyramids they shall build on the earth at the expense of My chosen, as testimony, in coming ages, of the oppression in the hadan-heavenly kingdoms of these self-Gods. Till which time I cannot teach mortals of the vanity of the lower heavens, save in the deserted ruins of their moldering monuments.

5. For in kosmon, mortals shall know that even as the earth hath been a place of foolish sacrifice to persons born of woman, so were My heavens debauched in that day by similar oppression and cruelty.

6. Let him who is falsely crowned Osiris, build in the Osirian field, and him who is proclaimed De'yus, build in the hadan field, for the time shall come when these testimonies shall be required in the sum of earth and heaven.

7. For I will show them that without an All Highest Person there is no resurrection for angels or men. Of which they that are slaughtered, ten thousand millions, and bound by the Lord God, shall swear, in kosmon, the fall of all things save Me.

8. Down to the lower heavens, to God in Craoshivi, sent Cpenta-armij swift messengers, with the words of Jehovih, comforting to God and his hosts, as to the wide plans on which the Father lieth the destinies of worlds. And God received them, and now comprehended why, alas, his Diva came not, nor answered his call but by resigning.

9. But God, the true ruler of heaven and earth, now saw how the prosperity of the indulged heaven had made bad men out of most holy Gods, even as prosperity on the earth closeth up man's eyes against his Creator, making him an egotist in self, and vociferous as to Jehovih's shortcomings, according to man's views. And God remembered how he had prayed for the continuation of the light in heaven, which Jehovih granted him; and he repented now, saying:

10. O Jehovih, why said I not: Thy will be done; let darkness come! Had I not seen on the earth how night must follow day, and winter after summer; that I must need pray for endless light in a heaven where Thy sons and daughters are as yet but babes in the time and course of worlds? Mine own judgment should have shown me that spells of darkness should follow seasons of light in Thy lower heavens. For, then, had these half-tried Lords and Gods stopped to consider ere they rushed into so mad a scheme.

11. God called together the Holy Council in Craoshivi, and told them of the words of the Creator, through His High-Raised Daughter. Then the Council spake, all who chose, and the thirty millions listened. And, meanwhile, messengers fresh from Hored, the seat of rebellion, came in, bringing full news to Craoshivi of the proceedings of the Lord God, alias, De'yus, and his self-Gods and Goddesses.

12. When the full particulars had been related, and the Council had spoken upon it, then the light of Jehovih came upon God, and God said:

13. In the name of our Father, I will speak to these Gods and Lords and acquaint them with Jehovih's words. Yea, I will entreat them to return even as they were.

14. Then God, overwhelmed by the terrible adversity of the heavens entrusted to his keeping, as in a small degree the captain of a merchant's ship, far out at sea, meeting with a mishap of broken masts, stript to the bulk, and rudder gone, powerless to save, feeleth the burning shame of incompetence before mariners, so God, before the High-Raised Chiefs of the etherean worlds, must helplessly view his shattered kingdoms.

15. With great sorrow God sent word to De'yus and his Gods, of Jehovih's warning; and he plead for them to return, as a father pleadeth to a wayward son. Off went the messengers swiftly; and God, even though long schooled to adverse trials and suspensions, burned with impatience for his messengers to return, hoping that his sweet pleadings might yet reverse the scenes.

16. Then came back the messengers, empty handed! Not one of the truant Gods had deigned to answer him. And God wept, scarce believing his messengers, that so great an insult could be heaped upon him, who had done nothing whereof any one could complain. Then Jehovih came and spake to God, saying: Weep not, My Son! He who followeth his highest light from day to day, great is his glory; and in whatsoever he loseth he shall regain a thousand-fold. Behold, I will bring love to thee that thou knowest not of: Remember thou, as this season is upon the earth and her heavens, even so do I send a season like unto it upon all My worlds.

Chapter XIV

1. In course of time, word came to Ahura, in Vara-pishanaha, of the proceedings of the Lord God, now styled De'yus, and of the revolt of all the lowest heavens in one fell swoop. And Ahura remembered his own shortcomings, thousands of years ago, and the terrible bondage that came upon him in the end. And he knew De'yus, who had been a sub-God under him hundreds of years, under the name Anuhasaj, who had tried to break the lines in the arc of Spe-ta, in the resurrection of Ailkin.

2. So Ahura prayed to Jehovih, before the Holy Council in Vara-pishanaha, to know what he should say or do in the matter, or if nothing at all. Jehovih answered him, saying:

3. My Son, thou art no longer a child. Address thou the Lord God, or not address him, as seemeth fit in thine own eyes. Behold, I suffered thee to try the same road, that thou mightst understand Me and My kingdoms.

4. Thereupon Ahura determined to send word to De'yus, in his own name, and in his own way. Then, then, is what he sent, to wit:

5. To Anuhasaj, my one-time sub-God, greeting to thee in justice and wisdom. Wert thou inexperienced I would treat thee with respect. But thou knowest thou art false. And because thou art false, thou shalt reap in falsehood.

6. Behold, the day shall come when thy Gods will desert thee; for such is the tree thou hast planted in thy kingdoms. This rule holdeth on earth and in all the heavens. Can that which is unborn, restrain its own birth? Or that which is not quickened into life, restrain the Creator's hand?

7. So also is it of him that soweth for self; he shall reap a harvest of selfs. And thy Gods will be for themselves, and thy marshals, and all thy hosts; every one pulling in an opposite way.

8. Not suddenly will these things come upon thee; for thou shalt have a mighty kingdom and great honor and glory, such as no other God before thee hath had in these heavens. And thy people shall be jealous to serve thee, striving with all their might to outdo one another in worshipful obedience to thee. And thy name, even the names De'yus and Lord God, shall stand for a season the highest on the earth of all names that have ever been.

9. And yet the time shall come that thy names shall be cast out of earth and heaven. Even the deeds that thou shalt do shall be the means of making thy names execrable.

10. Think not, O my Lord God, that thou wilt deal righteously, and keep thyself holy. Behold, I, too, was a revolted God that sat up a kingdom for mine own glory. And, in the time of the beginning thereof, I was most resulute to practice righteousness in all things.

11. But the surroundings overcame me; for as I was allied to self, so selfish officers under me beset me on all occasions, and I was forced to find new places and new glories for them, or, by their grumbling, they would sow my fields with mutiny. I was powerless in the great kingdom I built up. Thou knowest the result.

12. Thinkest thou the larger thy kingdom, the greater will be thy power to avert thy fall? My experience was the opposite of this.

13. I admonish thee in wisdom and justice; I know thou art doing these things not for the raising up of the fruit of the earth, but for thine own aggrandizement and glory. And I say unto thee, the time will surely come when thy Gods will do the same things against thee. And in that time the wise and learned and truthful will fly from thee, but the drujas and slaves will not leave thee; but thou shalt be environed with them, and cast into hell.

14. Thou shalt heap misery upon millions of thy subjects, but thou shalt not escape the hand of justice: Thou shalt reimburse them every one. Thou hast cast thy net in shoal water; thine own feet shall be tangled in the meshes thereof.

15. Behold, I, too, once craved a great heavenly kingdom; now I weep day and night because I have it. And thou, too, shalt experience the time of scalding tears, to be rid of that which thou cravest even now.

16. Yet, how else shall the dumb be raised in heaven? Who else shall minister to the wandering spirits that overspread the earth? And the evil drujas? And the lusters, and foul-smelling? Shall I say to thee: Go on, thou self-presuming Lord God, the Great Spirit hath a rod in pickle for thee!

17. Yea, He answereth the ambition of men and Gods sooner or later; in a way they think not of, He bringeth them up with a round turn.

18. Thou art like a man desirous of great bulk, that shutteth up the pores of the skin of his flesh; thou seekest to shut up the course of the heavens that riseth out of the earth, upward forever. And as the one choketh up with a foul smell, and dieth, so shall it be with thy kingdom. Behold, the way of everlasting light is outward; onward, away from the corporeal world; but the way of darkness is toward the earth.

19. Sayest thou the spirits of the dead shall not rise away from the earth? And, in their ignorance of the higher heavens, become guides to mortals!

20. Behold, thou hast traveled far; and thou struttest about, saying: It is enough; I, the Lord God, have traveled in the far-off heavens; stay ye at home, and work for me forever, that I may be glorified!

21. Wilt thou say: I, the Lord God,I, De'yus, am the only Son of the Void! Behold, by kingdom lieth in a little corner! Come and worship me, the Lord God, and ye shall see me on my throne!

22. Or wilt thou say: The impersonal space, senselessness, by accident fructified itself in corporeal substance, and became me, the Lord God, in size of a full-grown man, and then I created all the creations! Wherefore let men and angels fall down and worship the man, De'yus, who dwelleth in Hored, a ripple in the lowest heavens!

23. I profess not love to thee, Anuhasaj, but justice toward them beneath thee. For thou shalt hoodwink mortals, and even angels of little experience, to believe thou wert the very Creator; but thy Gods know thee as to who thou art, and the Gods above thee know also. All thy days at most have been but two thousand and seven hundred years! And the time shall come upon thee that thou shalt be forced by thine own fault to assert thou wert the very Creator, whose worlds have run thousands of millions of years! Who can carry so great a falsehood as this! And not carrying it, it shall fall down on thee and on thy people, and take root and spread abroad till thy place and thy Gods' places are the foundation of nothing but lies.

24. For the rule holdeth in all places, high and low, that according to the seed sown so shall be the harvest, whether good or bad. Nor can any man or God alter this rule, or bend it to the right or left.

25. If it be Jehovih's decree that some one shall make the name of God, and Lord God, and De'yus, execrable on earth and in heaven, it may be well that thou hast put thyself into the yoke to that end. Yet I would not have thee so, could I prevent it.

26. Thou wert one time my sub-God, and I remember thee well; thou wert young and full of promise. My judgment spake to me of thee, saying: A sub-God, to be proud of for thousands of years! But my judgment was not Jehovih's. My love for thee was early nipped in the bud. For thou wert forever talking of thyself. Thou madest thy neighbor Gods sick by forever relating thy experiences and thy prophecies as to what thou wouldst do.

27. And when Jehovih encompassed me about in mine own evil, thou didst tantalize me because I had not followed thy advice. Now I repeat unto thee, I could not follow any one's advice. And thou, too, shalt be environed about, and be unable to follow any one's advice. For such is the bondage of the Godhead, save we cut ourselves loose, making Jehovih the Head and Front, and ourselves His servants. For the God should not only be the greatest in his kingdom, but the most menial servant of his people; forever throwing off responsibility, and forever urging his subjects not to idolize him, but Jehovih! Forever showing them that their God is nothing more than themselves; that they must stand alone, and become, not slaves to their God, but independent beings full of manliness, having faith in the Great Spirit only.

28. By which the God bindeth not himself nor his people; giving full sway to the love of liberty in every soul, but in tenderness and love that harmonize with Jehovih's proceedings.

29. Now when thou camest back to me, after I was delivered out of hell, and my kingdoms raised to Vara-pishanaha, thou didst profess to understand these things, and of a truth, to love this philosophy. And thou didst pray fervently to Jehovih, repenting of thy former ways, taking part in the rites and ceremonies.

30. Then I opened my heart to thee. My much love for thee, as when I first knew thee, returned upon me a thousand fold. In joy and in tears I fell upon thee, and I praised Jehovih that He had sent me so sweet a love.

31. In each other's arms we repented, and we swore our mutual love forever. Then we both saw the way of Jehovih clear, and He made us strong and wise, full of rejoicing.

32. And we fell to, hand in hand, laboring with drujas, dark and most foul, teaching them day and night, forever repeating to their stupid minds. And when we were both well nigh exhausted thousands of times, and we slacked up, and withdrew for a short spell, we rested in each other's arms!

33. Then we reasoned and philosophised on the plans and glories of Jehovih's works; hopefully watching signs of progress in our wards. O the glory of those days! O the richness of thy wisdom and love to me in those days of darkness! For a hundred years we toiled thus, and I was blessed, and my people were blessed by thee, thou star of our love.

34. When we raised them up, my wards, four thousand millions, were lifted a small way up out of darkness, and our far-off Goddess, Atcheni, needed one who was great, like unto thee, to travel in other regions. And I parted with thee. My soul was as if divided in twain.

35. For hundreds of years thou traveledst and became rich in knowledge; but not to return to me, to my bursting heart! What more can I say? Thou art in my place, and I am in mine; but Jehovih is with Wisdom, Love, Truth and Fidelity, for these are his abiding places.

Chapter XV

1. De'yus replied not to Ahura, God of Vara-pishanaha, but sent the messengers away without a word. And satan came again to De'yus, saying: Send word to thy Gods to be firm, for this day hath Ahura and the God of Craoshivi beset them to return to Jehovih's worship.

2. De'yus feared nevertheless, so he inquired of satan what was the best great thing he could do. Satan said: O Lord, my God, this is the best thing thou canst do: For all the Divan laws destroyed, make thou De'yus laws instead. Why shalt thou follow in the footsteps of the ancients?

3. The Lord God said: Yea, yea! I will not be bound by the laws of the ancients, but I will have laws of mine own, and they shall be called the Laws of the Lord God.

4. Satan (self) said: These, then shall be thy words, O Lord God, which shall be the laws of De'yus, to wit:

5. I, the Lord God, have made self-preservation the first law.

6. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, thy heart and mind.

7. Him only shalt thou worship now, henceforth and forever.

8. Thou shalt not worship Jehovih; He is void; He is nothing.

9. Nor shalt thou worship any idol of anything, on the earth or in the heavens of the earth.

10. Whoever worshippeth anything save me, the Lord God, shall be put to death.

11. Behold, I am a God of justice and truth; I am a God of anger; vengeance is mine.

12. I have a gate at the hill of Hored; my guardians are cherubims and seraphims, with flaming swords.

13. Whoever raiseth his arm against me shall be destroyed; to do my will is the sixth law.

14. Whosoever putteth the mark of the circumcision on a male child shall be put to death.

15. Neither shall any man do evil for evil's sake; nor by violence oppress any man, woman or child.

16. Whoever exalteth me on earth, him will I exalt in heaven.

17. Whoever overthroweth other Gods, save the Lord God, who is the De'yus of heaven and earth, him will I exalt in heaven.

18. Now it came to pass that these decrees of the false God were established on the earth. And the names Dyaus became paramount to all other Gods in Vind'yu and eastern Parsi'e; and the name Te-in, in Jaffeth (China), and the name Lord God, in Arabin'ya (Egypt). And these peoples had now a new sacred book given to them. And yet all of these names represented only angel only, Anuhasaj, a one-time mortal.

19. Prior to this the Faithists on earth were taught non-resistance; to ignore leadership; to return good for evil, and to dwell together as brethren.

20. But now, because of the decrees of Anuhasaj, alias De'yus, Faithists were led astray, becoming warriors, and aspiring to become kings and rulers.

21. Nevertheless, many of them still called themselves by names signifying Faithists, but changing their belief from the Great Spirit to a God in shape and figure of a man, with attributes like a mortal.

22. And mortals in these countries made images of cherubims and seraphims, having flaming swords; and images of Anubis holding a pair of scales; the same as is made to this day, and called Justice.

23. In addition to these earthly decrees, Anuhasaj, alias the Lord God, made heavenly decrees betwixt his own kingdom and the kingdoms of his Gods. The chief decrees were: That, for the first one hundred years, all angels borne up out of the earth shall fall into their respective divisions, and shall belong as subjects to my Gods, to be appropriated by them in their own way.

24. That after the hundredth year, my Gods shall deliver to me one-tenth of their subjects of the highest grades.

25. De'yus made two hundred laws in reference to the kingdoms of his Gods, as to their boundaries and ornamentation, providing great pageantry and countless numbers of heralds, staff-bearers, musicians, and players of oratory (theatricals), besides innumerable servants and decorators, so that the pageantry might be in great splendor.

26. When he had completed these forms and system of government, he sent an invitation to his Gods to again feast with him, that they might ratify his laws and receive them.

27. And it thus came to pass that the laws of De'yus were ratified and accepted by the Gods; and they went away rejoicing, returning to their respective kingdoms, where they fell to work at once to provide themselves in their glory.


Continued

Index to Oahspe