John Ballou Newbrough - Oahspe

22. Hear me, O God: Thy duties make thee both Lord and God; but thy second resurrections shall be removed at short intervals, as thou shalt be hereafter informed. But thou shalt have power to appoint assistant Lords to be with thee, in my name, and the Father's. And thou shalt also exalt a successor after thee, with power to his successor also.

23. In Jehovih's name, receive thou this crown of yellow light, for it is the emblem of the oldest habitable country above the waters of the earth! And may the Father be with thee, now and forever. Amen!

24. He also sat at the foot of the throne, and Fragapatti raised him up, even as the others, saying: Arise, O God, and go thy way. So he stood aside. And now the es'enaurs sang and chanted, and the marshals led the way; and the newly empowered Gods departed out of the House of Mouru. And there had been provided for them, already, a vessel sufficient to reconduct them back to the earth; and they entered the vessel, and, amidst the flying of banners and the music of the trumpeters, they sped forward, and were soon out of sight.

Table of Contents

1. THE hosts of the second resurrection were now conducted to the mansions previously created in Haraiti by Fragapatti; and they were provided with teachers and occupations, according to their development.

2. Fragapatti said: The marshals in chief will now send the builders of the fire-ships before me; I will speak to them. Now when the builders had come, and duly saluted before the throne, Fragapatti said:

3. Go build me an avalanza capable of carrying three thousand million angels, with as many rooms, capable of descent and ascent, and east and west and north and south motion, and prepare it with a magnet, that it may face to the north, whilst traveling.

4. The builders saluted, and then withdrew, and went and built the vessel. And it was two hundred thousand paces east and west, and the same north and south; its height was one thousand lengths, and the vesture around it was a thousand paces thick; and it was provided with etherean curtains, two hundred thousand; and with four hundred thousand banners, of all possible colors and shades and tints. Besides these were fifty thousand small flags and streamers. The floor was woven in copy of a spider's net, extending from the centre outward, and with circular bars at crosses; and the frame-work within was constructed with one million uprights, the entire height of the vessel; and yet across these were twenty millions of bars; within the whole, were the rooms and halls, and places for musicians.

5. When it was completed, the builders notified Fragapatti. He said: Athrava, come thou and sit on the throne. I promised to go and see Hoab and his colony, in Zeredho, when he should send me word regarding certain matters. Behold, messengers have notified me, and Hoab desireth to know how he can establish his colony, that he may never more fear to be annoyed by other Gods and angels.

6. Let fifty thousand musicians enter the ship with me, besides a sufficient number of captains and officers to manage the ship. The marshals at once made the proper selections, and took them to the ship, when they all entered, Fragapatti with them, and they departed.

7. So, Fragapatti returned to Zeredho, the second highest lower heaven, of which the ambitious Hoab, with his colony, desired to be sole occupant forever.

8. Hoab was waiting to receive him, having aroused up a sufficient number of his indolent subjects to maintain the semblance of a heavenly Council. But what a surprise! He had expected only a small vessel, with a few attendants. And now, when he beheld the magnificence of the avalanza, and the majesty of the band of musicians, so far transcending anything he had ever seen, he feared, and was awe-stricken.

9. Fragapatti approached slowly, but with Avom lights, and when the ship was near at hand, the hosts aboard cast out hundreds of thousands of perfumed ovaries, which exploded with beautiful colors, filling the atmosphere around about with the most delightful perfume. Finally the avalanza came to anchor, and Fragapatti, without any ceremony, alighted, taking a thousand attendants with him, and came directly up to Hoab, who was abashed somewhat on account of his shabby appearance.

10. Fragapatti said: Friend and brother, peace and joy be unto thee and thy house! To which Hoab replied: All hail, great Chief! Happiness attend thee and thy hosts! And were it not that I had previously discovered thou wert a philosopher like myself, I would apologize for the vast difference betwixt the respective appearances of our hosts. But ye are welcome all the same!

11. Fragapatti said: A mere incident of conditions, most noble God. Thou art aware, when children go on a holiday excursion, they attire themselves in their best; so it is better that I find an apology than that thou shouldst.

12. Hoab said: Nay, Chief, there is a philosophy in this matter which hath worried me of late: A thousand years ago my colony was ambitious to retire itself in grandeur, and to build fine ships and go on excursions, also. Five hundred years later, they ceased building ships and going on excursions, saying: What is the use? Latterly, they are all utilitarians, doing just as little as possible. In fact, many of my subjects deny themselves comforts, on the plea that they can do without them.

13. Fragapatti said: Thou rememberest, when I was here before I said to thee that without contentment no people had attained to peace; and thou didst acquiesce. Why, then, shouldst thou not rejoice that thy people have thus subdued ambition and curiosity? Hast thy mind, in so short a time, lost its contentment? Thou knowest I came hither to impart to thee and thy people the great secret, that ye may so fortify yourselves that ye shall never fear for Gods or angels molesting you.

14. Hoab said: Hear me, O Chief: If my people lose all ambition for rites and ceremonies, and dancings, and excursions; and keep constantly striving to deny themselves of everything save what necessity calleth for; and if that necessity becometh smaller and smaller, where will be the end? Will not all inspiration die out? For, to tell the truth, since my people have given up rites and ceremonies, and prayers and singings, they have also given up rejoicings of soul, and are becoming like a dead people.

15. Fragapatti said: Then thou wouldst seem to prove that to hold on only to the useful in life would ultimately end in suicide to the state, to the family, to the individual, and even to the soul?

16. Hoab said: Many of my people are too lazy to clothe themselves; and because of shame, they seek secluded places, as they say, to live as they please. Do not such people commit suicide against the state? Hath a man a right to withdraw himself from his fellows, saying: It suiteth me better? We have been told that in the first age of mortals, they had no ambition to live together, being void of all talents, and that the Gods inspired them to language and to society, giving them rites and ceremonies as an inducement to make them harmonious and attractive to one another.

17. Fragapatti said: How shall I account for the difference betwixt thy arguments now and the other time I was with thee? Thou desiredst me to believe that thou and thy people were the highest, best, happiest of all people in the heavens. Why this change?

18. Hoab said: Thou didst promise me thou wouldst teach us some way of protection against being molested by other Gods and spirits from other kingdoms. Since then I have reasoned on the subject, and I perceive that if such a state of security could be given to my people, they would wander off into isolation, and even forget language and judgment. How, then, was it, thou toldest me thou hadst been in heavens where such a state of seeming impossibility existeth.