Lectionary Readings for Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

New Moon

God’s First Book Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Chapter 4

1. Hi Seiang, the governor, sent for Ah Sin to come and investigate the nature of Po. So,
when the three were together, God wrote in the sand the word TE-IN, and it was as if a
flame of fire pierced the ground.

2. Po said: From this time forth Te-in shall be the name of the tribes who have faith in the
Creator only. Because he alone hath written it.

3. Ah Sin said: How canst thou distinguish betwixt that which is written by the spirits of
the dead, and that which is written by the Creator?

4. Po said: Light cometh in light; darkness cometh in darkness.

5. Hi Seiang asked: Sayest thou, thou canst see the angels and the Gods?

6. Po said: I see the angels, but the Gods I cannot see. Angels are like ourselves; but the
Gods are as a flame of fire.

7. Now, whilst they were thus discoursing, a light in the form of a triangle came
and rested on Po’s head, and the word Te-in was inscribed on the sides of the triangle.

8. The governor said: What signifieth this? And Po, being under the influence of the light
of God, said:

9. Call me Te-in; I am the Father (rab’bah, or bah) over all the living. I write in the sand,
and speak in the mouths of my seers and prophets. He that ye call Po is My Son, begotten
for the deliverance of My chosen out of the bondage of Han and his satellites (subkingdoms).

10. Behold, My people are imprisoned and tortured; persecuted and abused. And ye twain
have kingdoms taxed for the glory of Han in his unrighteous work.

11. Provide ye also triangles, and espouse Me, and I will deliver your kingdoms also.

12. Hi Seiang and Ah Sin both desired some pretext to throw off the yoke of the Han
dynasty, and now lent willing ears to the instruction of Po and the Voice (Te-in).

13. Accordingly, the learned men of these provinces were called together, to learn of God,
through Po, the mysteries of earth and heaven, and especially as to the great monarchy.

14. When these Councils were assembled, God cast his light upon Po, and they all
saw it. And the words Po spake were called GOD’S WORDS (Vede’or). Word by word
learned they the wisdom of God, repeating them over and over, which was called
LEARNING BY THE MOUTH, being in contradistinction from learning by books and tablets.

15. God said: Great trials will come upon My people. The kings will seek to destroy the
doctrines of the Lord thy God (Te-in).

16. For which reason ye shall not write nor engrave My words until I come in judgment
of the world.

17. These, then, that follow, are the sacred laws given through Po, by God (Te-in):

18. Seek to bring forth heirs that will be a glory to thy Creator.

19. Marry not because of the impulse of the beast (the natural man), but consider thine
own spirit and the spirit of thy spouse.

20. Shut not up thyself in celibacy, but multiply and adorn the earth.

21. Thy Creator provided milk for the infant; but with the coming of the teeth, thou shalt
provide for their service also.

22. Feed thou him according to the Ormazdian law. To make him a warrior, give thou
him fish and flesh. To make him patient and strong, with docility, remember the camel
and the ox, feeding on the herbs that grow on the earth.

23. Ne-gwon asked: Was not celibacy the highest of all laws? Is it not so now?

24. God said: There are times for all things. In the days of Zarathustra celibacy was the
first of laws. In those days man was not ready for God’s laws. Yet thou shalt not call the
one law higher than the other.

25. The fullness of earth knowledge requireth marriage, yet the bondage after death
holdeth the spirit of man for six generations to his own heirs. By celibacy, a man’s soul is
not bound after death (by the love he beareth his children) to linger about the earth, and
he may ascend quickly into paradise.

26. The man or woman that is weak, or deformed, or blind, or deaf, or with running sores,
or with hidden sickness, shall not marry, nor bring forth heirs. Nor shall man take sorrow
to his soul for this; for it is the testimony of the Father that his race is emancipated from
the earth.

27. Thou shalt keep sacred the Panic language; nor shall these, my holy words, be given
in any language till my time is fulfilled on the earth.

28. Thy sons at the age of eleven years, and daughters at the age of nine years, shall begin
to learn maxims. And at that same time they shall be consecrated to the Creator and
committed to His service. And of the sixth law this is made a part, to wit: Teachers in
public shall be celibates; children who decide that they will become teachers, or priests,
or priestesses, shall take the vows of celibacy. For such persons are married to the Great
Spirit; and they shall be as Gods and Goddesses, knowing no more love to one person
than another.

29. Remember that they who marry, are chosen by Ormazd to raise up offspring for
the glory of heaven and earth; and they shall dwell together in peace, love and harmony.

Chapter 5
1. The wise shall rule over the foolish, but to raise them up.

2. The rich shall apportion their riches for the benefit of the city.

3. The poor shall reverence the rich and take counsel from them.

4. Behold, I have given many gifts unto my people: the woman to give suck; the very
strong man to carry burdens; the wise man to oversee the city; the learned man to explain
the ancients; the prophet to hear my voice; the magician to hear the voice of angels; the
physician to heal the sick; every several one gave I good gifts.

5. Thou shalt not covet another man’s gifts, but be wise in discovering thine own, and
using them for the benefit of the city.

6. Neither shalt thou covet another man’s riches, nor anything that is his. What more is a
rich man than a watch-dog? Behold, it is his matter, whether he fulfilleth my
commandments.

7. According to every man’s gifts do I require of him, as to what he can do for the people
of his city.

8. To the poor man, my exactions are lighter than a straw on a camel’s back.

9. For the ignorant man, and for the very young child, I provided the wise and rich
as Gods to raise them up. As they minister unto them, so do I bless them for their labor.

10. What they do corporeally for the resurrection of those beneath them, so do I answer
them in spirit in my resurrections in the heavens.

11. Thou shalt not marry but once; neither shalt thou look after any other partner all the
days of thy life.

12. The husband shall be the master of the house; but when he is not present, the wife
shall be master.

13. Seven castes have I made for my chosen: The first are the prophets; the second,
such as have the highest genealogy; the third, the rab’bahs and priests; the fourth, the
nuns (spe-e-su); the fifth, physicians; the sixth, the rich; and seventh, the very poor.

14. Each and every caste shall remain by itself; all of them are worthy before me, and are
equally my children.

15. Thou shalt not kill, for food to eat, anything that breathes the breath of life.

16. Thou shalt love to search for thy Creator in all things on the earth, in the earth, in the
waters, and in the air above the earth.

17. Thou shalt love to search for all that is good in thy neighbor; but to excuse all the evil
that is in him.

18. Thou shalt keep the sacred days of thy God, and cause all thy people to rejoice in the
delightful creations of thy Creator.

19. Thou shalt obey the prophet of thy God; and be obedient to the father (rab’bah) of the
city. Next to these, thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, and pay reverence to thy
grandfather and grandmother.

20. In the house (temple) of thy God, remember that all men are alike; for even as death
layeth the high and the low alike, so stand my people in the house I have built.

21. Thou shalt respect the opinions of all men; for even thyself may be in error.

22. Thou shalt speak but little of thyself or anything that is thine; for all others have a
history also.

23. Thou shalt make thyself compatible unto others in all righteousness.