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Chapter XVIII

1. HEAR the words of your God, O ye priests and preachers and rab'bahs, and all ye that set yourselves up before men, professing to hold the key to salvation and the places of my resurrections in heaven.

2. Hearken to the words of your elder brother, God of these heavens and the earth; behold, I will set you in judgment over yourselves; and the powers of Jehovih within you shall cry out for truth and justice.

3. Take your chosen of the congregation of your church, and make manifest whereof ye preach.

4. And prove that you have a good and sufficient doctrine for the salvation of your souls.

5. Choose ye the best of your flock, and show before your God an example of all such as serve not mammon, but Jehovih. Seal up their mouths; for ye shall judge them, not by words, but by what cometh of the soul.

6. And ye shall divide with one another your earthly possessions, being as brethren. And ye shall cast it upon the altar of your church, saying: We give it to the poor!

7. Or, if ye have houses, ye shall say to the poor: Come and dwell herein!

8. Persuade not yourselves, O men of darkness, that ye are not graded by the angels above; or, say to yourselves: Jehovih seeth not, nor heareth.

9. Nor say: When we are dead, our souls shall turn suddenly good, and ascend to the right hand of God.

10. Nor flatter yourselves, saying: We did the best we could under the circumstances.

11. Verily, I say unto you: Ye have not fulfilled the first law, which is to make clean your own corporeal bodies. Because ye have stuffed yourselves with carnal food, my holy angels can not approach you; neither can your understanding approach the place of my kingdoms.

12. How much less, then, have ye purified your souls? Wherein ye will not put away flesh, because ye love flesh, even so will ye not put away self-righteousness. Because ye shun the practice of labor, showing to the world, ye love words, and the renown of men and caste, making preferences in your churches, having rich and poor therein, which is itself your condemnation. For ye should divide with one another; putting in practice your doctrines.

13. What one of you hath a congregation who have given up all, and who make themselves alike and like, rich and poor?

14. Say ye, my kingdoms in heaven are after such manner.

15. I say unto you: Ye shall be bound in the first resurrection, in hada, to all these whom ye have professed to lead; neither shall ye ascend until the lowest of your congregations of spirits have put away uncleanness and selfishness; which is the first labor. And, after this, they shall learn to practice fellowship in union, for the resurrection of others.

16. Flatter not yourselves, that, because ye wear fine cloth, and ye preach, that ye are not responsible also. Nor hope, that when ye become spirits, ye shall ascend suddenly into places of delight. Ye are marked by your God!

17. Your souls are written all over with your deeds and works and words; and ye shall see yourselves as in a mirror, and of your own accord shun my kingdoms of light.

18. Because ye have learned words, and practiced only in words, behold, I come in this day to command practice in works. Not for a pittance, but for all ye have.

19. I am not come to destroy your religions; ye have done that already.

20. I come to give ye a religion wherein all men can be as brethren.

21. Even the infidel shall accept the Creator and good works. For he, being the fruit of your behavior, is even in the foreground in the march of my armies.


Next: Chapter XIX