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Chapter XII

1. FRAGAPATTI caused the ship, the avalanza, to be moved to other black mountains, deep buried in revolting crimes and misery; wherein no one with God-like power had ventured in for hundreds of years. Again he called down Jehovih's fire, and raised walls, impenetrable, high on every side, affrighting and stirring up the self-condemned with frenzied fear. And they ran, all polluted with foul thoughts, which had clothed them about with foulness terrible, and oaths and curses and imprecations against all righteousness.

2. And Hoab, too, now a very sun, desperate to do overwhelming good things, even more a thousand times than in his self-ease of other days he refrained from dark company lest he be polluted, now rushed in headlong to the very worst and foulest. Proclaiming Jehovih and active work to stir them up; and by his quick and p. 206a unmistakable zeal proving his soul's connection with the Almighty's Power.

3. After Fragapatti and Hoab rushed in, hundreds of thousands of ethereans did so also, laboring for the Father's kingdom; with flames of fire cutting loose the demons' grips of torture on the helpless, and hurling them separate. None could escape because of the walls around, now seething with the choking smell of brimstone; and must needs fall prostrate, before the crystallizing lights thrust at them, weeping and wailing.

4. All day long, and all night, Fragapatti and Hoab, now a powerful worker, the which Fragapatti had previously seen would be the case, and the etherean hosts, rested not; but waded into the hell of death. Turning them to the right or to the left, the miserable, devouring wretches, brothers and sisters of mortals and spirits, now engulfed in their own depravity, and by their desperate desire for sin, holding millions of the moderately good as officers of torture, in order to gratify their horrid love of witnessing horrors. Into groups and series they roughly selected them, as a starting point for the das that were to come after, and more carefully divide them.

5. Then Fragapatti called the das and put them to work with their rods of water and rods of fire, making stations beyond the walls of fire, where the naked, trembling, rescued sufferers and drujas were housed and fed, restrained by guardians of ample strength and foresight. For of such nature is the low man and low woman, that love of evil in time delighteth to feed itself in evil more than in good, and will even turn against benefactors, and spurn good offerings.

6. Of whom Jehovih saith: As by fire the dross of metal is burned and cast out, leaving that which is pure; so created I the righteous with light from My countenance, to burn out the dross which the wicked nestle into their bosoms. Wherein, man shall perceive that it is the dross that healeth Me and My chosen. Go, then, deliver the wicked in hell, and make them clean with water and with fire, and ye shall find a star in every soul. And as many of these as ye deliver, so is your glory in My etherean kingdoms.

7. For each deliverer is as a sun around which these stars congregate, and they magnify one another forever. And when these stars have grown, they also go and do in like manner; for it is of such that My exalted ones are in the highest heavens, whom ye call Gods and Lords, and justly so, because of their supremacy.

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8. Thus went Fragapatti through the lowest regions of Aoasu; for forty days and nights labored he and his hosts, and he broke up the regions of hell, and cast out the souls of the tortured, thousands of millions of them. Neither was there left any place standing in all the lower heavens where evil held dominion.

9. And there were established in those regions around about, two hundred thousand colonies, comprising the evil ones who had been rescued. But the very lowest, who knew not anything, who were: some, infants who died at the time of birth; some, infants of drunkards, who came to the lower heavens with the intoxicating liquors or smoke of their mother's debauchery; some, very young abortions, slain by their mothers and fathers; some, chaotic, killed in wars, who were mad and crazed, howling and screaming and fighting, of whom there were nine hundred millions: these Fragapatti had brought away from all the others, putting guardians over them for the present.

10. Then he called together the crew of the avalanza, and all the hosts of Hoab, and Hoab himself; and when they were duly in order, Fragapatti extemporized a throne and sat on it; and thus he spake, saying:

11. Without Thee, O Jehovih, man is nothing. Nor can he stand upright, nor hold up his head, nor his soul after he is up, save but by Thee. When he cutteth himself off from Thee, he falleth like a limb of a tree that is severed.

12. He goeth about boasting: There is no All Person. But his words are as a severing knife, and he knoweth it not. He setteth up his judgment, saying: Thou wert good for fools, O Jehovih; but as for me, Thou art a foolish encumbrance!

13. Yea, he saith: Who hath seen Jehovih! And he laugheth because of his cleverness. He saith: What stood Jehovih upon when He created the worlds? How long slept He before He created? He saith: What a foolish Creator! He created sin and death! He saith: Who knoweth the size of His head; the length of His arm; the place He liveth; or who hath heard His voice!

14. He saith: Verily, there is no All Person; no All Highest; no Light. This is the second downward stage, and in the third, he saith: A curse upon Faith! A curse upon all things! A curse upon myself! And then cometh hell and her horrors to swallow him up.

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15. But thou art near, O Jehovih! Thy hosts traverse the universe. In Thy name they come, and Thy power and glory are with them. In their majesty they encounter all evil; they cast out hell and its prisoners.

16. Then Fragapatti turned to Hoab, saying: Speak, O Hoab. Nine hundred millions of dead, that are still sleeping in death, lie at our feet. These regions are unsuited for their treatment; whither shall we take them? Or shall we, because they are so dead, leave them to shift for themselves.

17. Then rose Hoab, saluting, and tears were in his eyes. He said: Mighty art Thou, O Jehovih! Lo, I was on the verge of an everlasting fall! I was on a steep precipice, but saw not. With blinded eyes I walked about. I lost Thy countenance. My family became strangers to Thee, and we were following close after, to become strangers to one another!

18. Yea, I was ungrateful before Thee. I forgot that Thou createdst me. I forgot that all the joys I had ever had were bestowed by Thee; and that by Thee I had been made capable to appreciate mine own enjoyment. And then I raised up my voice against Thee, and turned Thee out of the world.

19. Yea, I chose a corner and appropriated it for my own ease and glory. I said: To keep other Gods and angels away from my lands, that is all I desire. But Thou wert mindful of me, O Jehovih! Thy voice sounded in the heavens above, and Thy Son came down in Thy glory. He beheld my vanity and my weakness, but he rebuked me not. Yea, I told him I loved not to go to those beneath me and raise them up. I said: Let them shift for themselves!

20. Now am I rebuked in mine own words! Now have I cast myself out of hell. Behold, I said: Zeredho shall be a place for me and my people forever! None shall come hither to make us afraid or to annoy us. And Thy Son said to me: I can teach thee and thy people that ye shall never more fear to be annoyed by the low or by the evil-minded; nor shall ye fear for Gods or angels to come and inhabit Zeredho!

21. Thus spake Thy Son, O Jehovih! And he hath given us the secret. We no longer fear that others will encroach upon Zeredho. Behold, Zeredho is Thy place, O Jehovih. These unfortunates, these drujas, are Thy children. They shall go to Zeredho. I fear not pollution now, nor do my hosts. We will wade into this filth, like scavengers into a filthy street, and we will make these children like shining stars in Thy firmament!

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22. Yea, O Jehovih, nothing more can make us afraid! We have nothing; we have nothing to lose. We are Thy servants, now and forever!

23. Then spake Fragapatti, saying: Behold the size of my avalanza, O Hoab! If thou wilt but take the measure, thou shalt find it is just the size and build to take thee and thy hosts and these drujas. Think not that this matter so happened, for I sent beforehand, and had all these unfortunates enumerated, and thy people enumerated also.

24. When Hoab perceived this great wisdom in Fragapatti, and comprehended the care that had been used to accomplish so much, he made no reply at first, but, looking at him, burst into tears. Presently, he said: By Thy Power and Wisdom, O Jehovih, will I, also, lift my fellows up out of darkness and misery!


Next: Chapter XIII