Lectionary Readings for Wednesday, April 24th, 2019

Weekday Sabbath

God’s First Book Chapters VI and VII

Chapter VI

OF CITIES AND GOVERNMENT.

1. To re-instate the Zarathustrian law, the largest city shall not exceed two thousand
souls; and the smallest shall be ten families. Save they are celibates, in which case a city
may be as small as eight souls, having one rab’bah or priest.

2. The best, highest learned man, who shall be a celibate, shall be the priest and ruler of
the city; and the sins of the people of the city shall be upon his head. But if it be a large
city he may choose one, or as many as six priests, to rule with him; and in that case the
sins of the city shall be upon them.

3. When a matter cometh up, the priest shall call whom he will to speak thereon; and
when they have spoken, he shall decree by his highest light, and that shall be the law
without repeal, save by himself.

4. It shall be lawful for the governor, who is the chief priest, prior to death, to repeal
all his laws; so that his successor shall make new laws. For no man shall be bound
after death by his own laws, in which case he could not come back and repeal them.

5. But as regardeth the laws a governor or chief priest maketh whilst he ruleth over a city,
and over all persons whom he hath ruled during his life-time, he shall be responsible for
them, both in this world and the next. For if a priest or governor maketh a law of
darkness, and his people live by that law, their souls will be in darkness in the next world
through his fault, and he shall answer to them in the soul world for what he hath done in
this.

6. Wherein the manufacture of copper or iron, or other things, require more than two
thousand people, there shall be another city, with five breadths of the first city between
them. And the government of the second city shall be like unto the government of the
first. But in no case shall there be more than four cities near about in the same country.

7. Ye shall neither hire nor be hired; neither amongst yourselves nor with the king’s
peoples. Nor shall ye have servants nor masters, for all shall be alike servants to Ormazd
only.

8. Sin-wah inquired: Was it not taught in the Zarathustrian age to respect the caste of
men according to the number of their servants? And whether, according to the descent of
men, they were born of parents who had risen above servitude for many generations?

9. God said: The old law was for the olden time. It was a good law to improve the breed
of men for special trades and learning. And that law hath fulfilled its purpose. The
physician hath found great cures; and he knoweth all the parts of the flesh and the blood.
The miner knoweth the different kinds of stone, and the metals in them, and how to
extract them. The farmer knoweth grounds and the yield thereof, and what they will best
bring forth. The spinner and weaver have found the best of fibers for paper and for cloth.
And so hath it come to pass in all departments; by the Zarathustrian law of caste have
they perfected these things sufficient unto the requirement of man.

10. For which reason ye shall teach all things unto all; and they shall work with their own
hands at all industries; remembering that the highest, best, most perfect man is he that can
do all things.

11. Jon-Le inquired: Since a man dieth in a few years at most, why shall he strive to learn
things that pertain to the earth?

12. God said: All learning is as a gymnasium to the spirit. Knowledge is the strength of
the soul.

13. Ye shall teach all things unto your sons and daughters, perfecting them in the talents
created withal. First, to useful labors; second, to learning; third, to music and art, in
sculpture and painting; fourth, to mining; and fifth, to perfectness.

14. And ye shall intersperse labor and learning with recreation, not only in rites and
ceremonies, but in harmless games, as in dancing, racing and playing, old and young.

15. Cultivating joyous hearts, for these are outspoken words of glory to the Great Spirit.

16. Every governor, and priest, and rab’bah, shall provide for a successor; after the light
of the Counsel of the All Highest shall they be chosen.

Chapter VII

1. Hi Seiang became converted to the doctrines of Po as taught by God, who was called
Te-in in those days in that country.

2. Ah Sin and Hi Seiang and Tse Gow entered into compact to throw off the dominion of
Han, and so notified him. Han thereupon declared war against them. And he pursued
them cruelly, laying waste a great country.

3. Po and his followers were thus driven toward the south; and on their way they gathered
up the Faithists of the tribes of He-ah.

4. Now it came to pass that Han’s success in war was so great that he concentrated not his
armies, but caused them to scatter in different ways. And behold, he went so far that the
barbarians fell upon his armies and destroyed them. And Han himself perished by the
blow of a barbarian woman.

5. In the fourth year of the inspiration of Po, he returned and possessed the countries
of Feh, Heng’a Di and Se Lov, and he reinstated Ah Sin and Hi Seiang as governors.

6. Hi Seiang called a council of thirteen kingdoms of Jaffeth, and after seventy days’
deliberation Hi Seiang was made ruler over Jaffeth, receiving the title, KING OF THE SUN.

7. And he established the doctrines of Po by law, changing the name of All Light, to Tein, signifying God. And he stopped all persecution against the Faithists; and he prohibited
idol worship.

8. And Po traveled east and west, north and south; teaching and displaying miraculous
things. And God was with him at all times and places.

9. Gathering together the chosen; explaining and practicing the commandments of God
(Te-in).

10. And man ceased to worship all idols and Gods and saviors; worshipping the Creator
only.

END OF THE FIRST CHINESE BIBLE.