Chapter 18
There came to Paradise, God’s heavenly place, one Taenas, a messenger from the chiefs of the so-called Holy Confederacy. God’s chief marshal conducted him before God, and, being commanded to speak, he said:
Greeting to you, O God. On behalf of the Three Sons of the Holy Ghost, I come before you to proclaim their words. I have been instructed by them, what to say, and I declare to you, O God, my words are their words.
First, that you may hear us before we are adjudged; second, as you claim liberty to think and to speak for yourself, so do we all. And if error comes from our proceedings, it is our own matter, and not yours.
As you say: Behold the All Person, so do we not say; but we say: Behold the all expanse; it is only a shadow, a ghost. And for convenience’ sake, we name it, Holy Ghost.
Is this not our privilege? Who can deny us? Has one man rightful dominion over another? Or one captain, or one God?
God said: Proceed.
Taenas said: If we are right, then we ourselves shall judge what we will do. But if you are right, and this thing is an All Person, then you are His servant to do His will. Are these points true?
God said: It seems so.
Taenas said: And liberty to both sides?
God said: Yes.
Taenas said: When I was a child, I was helped to walk; but now that I am strong, I walk alone. Why then shall my judgment not also walk alone?
God said: Proceed, and I will speak afterward.
Taenas said: We have seen in ages past, that peace has always been proclaimed by the followers of Jehovih; and that both on earth and in heaven such people become the sufferers and victims of tyrants of earth and of false Gods in heaven.
We propose war, in the name of the Holy Ghost, both on earth and in heaven. We can have no war with you or your people, on earth, or in heaven; for you and your people, angels and mortals, are all peace, and do not war.
Our wars can be only with warriors. I put the matter this way: You have a virgin daughter, and a villain assails her; your doctrine is to rush in and take your daughter away from him; our doctrine is to beat him away from her.
We see evil Gods and evil spirits, assailing virtuous people on earth and in heaven. We propose to war them to destruction, for righteousness’ sake. Accordingly, we are more to your favor, O God, than against you.
We dip our hands in blood for the sake of peace and virtue, for the sake of liberty and knowledge. We shall say to the man of earth: You shall become learned! To the es’yan in heaven: You shall not return to mortals, but remain in your place, and become learned and virtuous.
For which reason we come to you, O God, so that you may know our foundation.
God said: Who then, do you say, men and angels shall worship?
Taenas said: In this, we do not command them. But we give them liberty to worship whomever they will.
God said: You have said: Our doctrine is to beat the villain away from the virgin; but what will you, or your example, teach?
Taenas answered: That an assailant deserves punishment.
God said: And will you say to the peaceful and virtuous: Take up arms, give your enemies torments?
Taenas answered: Yes, truly.
God said: And by what authority, if they inquire of you?
Taenas said: By authority of the Holy Ghost, and the Father (the Confederacy), and by the Son, that is, each and every Lord of the Confederacy.
For we shall teach mortals and angels that all things are by law; and the word, law, shall take the place of the term, Great Spirit, or Jehovih.
God said: Hear me, then, O Taenas, and in love bear my words to your so-called Triune Confederacy, and to the high leaders, saying to them, thus says God of Paradise, Son of Jehovih, according to the light of this throne:
You shall triumph for a long season on earth and in heaven; but not in the way you suppose.
For you will be forced to provide a worshipful head for mortals and angels. And it will come to pass, your three heavenly places will become known on earth and in heaven as the Triune Gods, or Trinity!
And the people will worship an imaginary figure of three parts, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And this will become their idol; and he will be accredited with love, anger, jealousy, favoritism, war and destruction.
Because you say: Give punishment to the wicked, you open the door of all evil. For he who has a quarrel with his neighbor, will accuse him as deserving punishment. Those who are in darkness, and being mighty, will fall upon the weak, and slay them.
A quarrel will ensue in your three heavenly kingdoms, and you will become as three false Gods. And since you do not profess the All Person, each of you three Gods will be forced to announce himself as such.
For the rule applies to all men and to all angels, that those who deny an All Highest Person in the Creator, become establishers of idolatry to themselves.
You have said: We shall leave mortals and angels to worship whom they will. Well, then, is it not well to worship Baal? And Dagon? And Ashtaroth? And yet, these Gods make slaves of their subjects, who worship them.
Taenas said: No, they are evil Gods. We will deliver their slaves into freedom.
God said: Who is master, and who is slave? Either on earth, or in heaven? Why not abolish your Triune Confederacy, lest you rule over others? And you profess liberty, so why not practice it?
Because you proclaim liberty as your chief object, you will entice the unlearned, the truant, the idle, and the lazy; for all these claim their weaknesses to be the boon of liberty.
It shall come to pass, in the far-distant future, your kingdoms will be made up of the lowest grades. And they will pull you all down from your present high resolves; and you will become tyrants and evil Gods yourselves, and meet the fate of all your predecessors.
The earth and its heavens were given into my keeping, for the resurrection of all the inhabitants; but I have neither commission nor desire to accomplish dominion by violence. Because you have withdrawn from my kingdoms, it is an act of your own.
Even my own grief at your secession shows me, how short I am in comprehending Jehovih’s ways. For I declare to you, O Taenas, and through you to your chiefs, that though your course seems evil in my sight, yet it will be proven in the distant future, that Jehovih will appropriate your labors to an ultimate good.
Go therefore with my words to the chiefs of the Triunes. I part with you all as a father parts with a son, who goes into a consuming fire.
Taenas said: In reverence to you, O God, I go to those who pity you for your too peaceful ways.
And with that, Taenas saluted in reverence, and departed, going his way.