2. At a very early age thou shalt explain to them, by blocks and with tools, the science and measurements of architecture, as to the names and kinds thereof, to the place and use of braces, beams and roofs.
3. Moreover, as soon as they are capable of holding a pencil, thou shalt teach them to make drafts of houses, and the parts thereof. And when they are old enough to handle tools, thou shalt teach them to make models of houses, and to estimate the strength of the parts required.
4. To the chief of clothiers, Tae said: Thy duties shall be one with thy group, and what I say to thee is to them also. Thou shalt not only provide clothing for Shalam, in wisdom as to comfort, pattern and beauty, but thou shalt prepare the way to teach these, our adopted infants, the art and workmanship of clothing the human form in the way most conducive to health and comfort.
5. At an early age thou shalt teach them the art of sewing and cutting, providing for them models in human form, so they may learn everything from a hat to a shoe, as to the material used, the strength required, and how to determine the same.
6. To the chief of dieticians, Tae said: Thou and thy group shall be one; what I say to thee is to them also. Thou shalt determine and provide diet for Shalam; as to the best herbivorous foods, and how to prepare them, and how to preserve such as shall be kept over.
7. In this matter thou shalt determine and explain the constituent parts of the human body, and shalt find and provide herbivorous elements adapted to development and purity, so that the best and strongest and healthiest of men and women may be made out of these, our adopted infants. Neither shalt thou follow whims or fancies; but thou shalt support thyself by facts collected from the different nations of the earth.
8. And in the preparation of food, thou shalt teach these infants the art and the properties and all things pertaining to food and diet. And explain to them the blood-thirsty character of carnivorous animals, and carnivorous people, giving them facts and figures, so that in all thou teachest them they shall be learned wisely, and not in conceit merely.
9. Thus spake Tae to all the chiefs, explaining to them their parts. And after he had finished with them individually, then he spake to them collectively, saying:
10. The greatest of all learning is to learn how to live in the best way, that we may be happy here and hereafter. There is no other learning so important as this.
11. To man, Jehovih provided neither wool nor hair nor feathers to cover his body; and yet He created him too tender to live without covering.
12. In sexual relation, man and woman alone, of all the animal world, can be taught shame.
13. Whatever dress attracteth the least thought to sex is the most modest dress; whatever dress giveth the fullest, best development to all parts of the body, with adaptation to comfort for the seasons, is the best dress.
14. Next to dress is diet. As to what is best to eat, for the best, healthiest corporeal man, and the best for the wisest, holiest spiritual man, is the best diet.
15. These, with houses to live in, comprise the chief requirements for the corporeal life of man.
16. And yet, to produce these, and prepare them up unto man's service, many trades and sciences have been developed on the earth.
17. Now, behold, in this day Jehovih hath provided amply unto us. He hath opened up unto us the nations of the earth, where we can go and witness many things, especially as to the habits and dispositions of man; as to his mode of life, in food and clothes and houses.
18. Now, behold, ye have taken a great work upon yourselves; which is to riase up these little ones according to your highest light.
19. Ye have bound yourselves to follow your own highest light. And ye know that all light is progressive. Ye can not settle down, saying: I know enough!
20. But ye are bound to investigate. And how can ye do this without acquainting yourselves with what hath been proved amongst other peoples?
21. In some countries, infants are whipped for crying; in other countries, they are held up by the heels; and, in some countries, infants cry not at all.
22. The chief of nurses shall discover these facts, and appropriate them.
23. In like manner, shall every chief take his part, and develop the highest proven and possible standard.
24. As much as ye thus fulfill your places, so shall be your satisfaction and happiness afterward. As much as ye neglect your parts, so will ye censure and accuse yourselves afterward.
25. As Faithists, ye accept all people as angels; mortals are simply undelivered.
26. All mortals are in an embryotic state, preparing for birth (commonly called, death).
27. Heaven is now, and is near, even within all who will accept it.
28. At an early age, infants can be taught that to serve Jehovih bringeth happiness; to serve mortal inspirations and surroundings (satan) bringeth unhappiness.
29. Therefore, though ye teach our infants about diet and architecture and clothing and all other things, ye will still be but little improvement on Uz, save ye teach them that the chief aim of life should be to develop the spiritual man that is within.
30. By this system of education in Shalam, there shall be two branches, one relating to corporeal things and one to spiritual things.
2. Education, in regard to corporeal things, must embrace the manipulation and handling of corporeal things for useful purposes. And, foremost of all problems is: How to provide the necessities of life with one's own hands, that he may not be rendered a dependent on others.
3. This shall be one of the first problems ye shall make our infants understand.
4. Young children not only ask questions, but they desire illustrations, with the privilege of trying to do something themselves.
5. Their questions must be answered by their nurses and their teachers.
6. It is not sufficient unto Jehovih's requirements of you, that ye put off His children with elusive answers, or with incomprehensible explanations.
7. Education must be accompanied with practice. As, for example, ye show the child certain seeds, explaining what will grow therefrom; ye shall plant and illustrate. And when the vine hath come up out of the ground, ye shall not only illustrate its corporeality, but shall display the life therein as a manifestation of Jehovih's Presence.
8. To simply teach the child the botany, without reference to the spirituality that underlieth all living things, would have little effect in turning the child's thoughts to its own life and growth in spirit.
9. At an early age, these infants shall be thus put to work in gratification of their own desires to do something; and their work shall be educational, corporeally and spiritually.
10. And when they are large enough to handle tools, they shall be permitted to work at trades, or in art; and full and sufficient explanations shall be given to all their questions.
11. And this shall come to pass in Shalam; without tiresome study and without tiresome labor, these infants, at fourteen years, shall be wiser and better learned than Uzians at twenty.
12. For they shall not be limited to one trade each, or one occupation each; but, to a great extent, all of them shall know all trades and occupations.
13. For botany, they shall have a garden; and for astronomy, an observatory; for chemistry, a laboratory; for clothing, a factory; for horticulture and agriculture, they shall have orchards, fields and gardens.
14. Such, then, shall be the method of teaching our infants.
15. Now, as to Jehovih and His creations, in magnitude and perfection, they shall be ever kept before the child's mind, to exalt its gratitude and adoration, and to make it rejoice in its own life.
16. For there is not, in all the philosophies in all the world, wherewith to restrain the private life and habits from secret vice, save through belief in Jehovih's eye being ever upon us.
17. Nevertheless, a child that is raised up without learning angel communion is but half raised.
18. By the actual presence of angels, and by children seeing them and conversing with them, the proximity of heaven to earth becometh firmly established in the child's mind, and it beholdeth the fitness of one world to the other.
19. For which education the infants shall, at an early age, be made familiar with the unseen world, by training in the crescent.
20. And their teachers shall try them to discover su'is and sar'gis in them; and, finding these talents, shall cultivate them in righteousness and wisdom for the glory of the Father.
21. And it shall come to pass that many of these infants shall not only see without their corporeal eyes, and hear without their corporeal ears, but they will attain to adeptism.
22. And the angels of heaven shall descend amongst us, appearing so as to be seen, and talking with us so as to be heard.
23. And, because of such exceeding great light amongst us, no one shall practice deception; for the minds and souls of all shall become as an open book.
24. These are the promises Jehovih hath given us; by the signs of the times they are proven probable. Through faith in Him we shall make these things true.
25. In faith He will bless you all.
2. And it so happened that amongst the hosts, Jehovih had provided a goodly number of musicians, players and singers, who furnished spiritual entertainment in response to the prayers and sermons of such as supplicated the Almighty.
3. In addition to these occupations, the groups were cast into responsible positions for the future; so that the members of all the groups found it necessary to begin and pursue a special line of education, themselves, so as to become teachers.
4. Consequently, each group became as a school in its specialty; for whoso had taken it upon himself to live and practice his highest light was bound also to admit an increase of light.
5. Jehovih hath said: Two conditions have I placed before all men, ascension and declension; let no man stand still, for so I did not create him.
6. Such as will not ascend, shall be in declension; such as desire not declension, let them not stand still.
7. And I have given to My Gods and Lords of heaven, and to wise men on earth, knowledge to provide unto the multitude something to do constantly, that satan (mischief) may not enter in amongst them to their injury.
8. Tae said: Now is kosmon; men and women know of their own knowledge a way to provide unto self-development in wisdom, virtue, truth and affiliation.
9. And it was so; the hosts of Shalam had been chosen and provided by Jehovih as an example of self-purifiers and self-instructors for founding His kingdom on earth.
10. Jehovih hath said: In kosmon, purification shall not come by baptism with either water or fire. But each one shall turn his thoughts inward, to himself, to becoming a constant magistrate, sitting in judgment upon himself as to his thoughts, works and behavior.
11. To perfect himself in his part, in the family of My kingdom, is My new commandment unto My chosen.
12. For no man perfecteth himself unto full requitement whilst he leaveth undone that which he might have done.
13. After awhile, Tae and his hosts divided and apportioned the hours of the day; so many to labor, so many to rest, so many to study, thus to one thing and another, that the groups might be orderly. Nevertheless, entire freedom was given to all the members to come and go, to labor or rest, as they might elect.
14. Now, it so happened that more than half of the people were celibates, and they reasoned, and said, inquiring: Is it not better that the teachers and nurses be celibates? And this question extended throughout the colony, so it became necessary to determine which should be . And though the question was not weighty of itself, yet, in order to provide an understanding for similar questions, the chiefs of the nurses and the chiefs of the teachers appealed to Tae, who was C'chief.
15. And the Light of Jehovih came upon Tae, and he said unto them: Did either one shirk from service it would be plain what should be judged for righteousness' sake. But because ye are ambitious to do good work, which is tedious, with many trials, ye all deserve great honor.
16. Because ye are ambitious to serve the Father, by serving these little ones, your aspirations are noble. Because ye are willing to yield to one another any preference, ye are an example of holiness.
17. The question ye have asked, which is simply: Who can be the highest best teacher of an orphan child, a celibate who has never raised a child, or a married person who hath raised a child? is not a question, therefore, of self-interest or self-gratification, but one of knowledge.
18. If I decide this matter, behold, it would be simply one man's decision. Why should I make myself responsible in a matter that can be determined by yourselves?
19. Take ye, therefore, sufficient time to inquire as to the facts that have been demonstrated. Go, find of married people who have raised up children of their own in the right way, and number their proportion to those who have raised up their children in the wrong way.
20. The chiefs took the matter in hand, and they not only examined those in Shalam, but hundreds of families of Uzians, and again they came before Tae, to report.
21. And this was the sum of their report, namely: Every one accuseth all others, that no married people have raised up their children in the right way, and, yet, each one accrediteth himself as having raised his own in nearly the right way.
22. Tae asked: But how found ye the children they had raised?
23. They answered: They were all raised in the wrong way. Though they were good enough in their own parents' eyes, yet, to others, they were far short of the mark of either wisdom or righteousness.
24. Tae said: Why, then, since those who have raised children have been failures, ye shall surely not choose them. The celibates have made no failures, for they have not tried.
25. Let this, then, be our rule and guide: Since every mortal life should be made ripe with experience in all things, and since celibates have no children of their own, and since these children are orphans and castaways, let it be testimony that Jehovih hath thus provided the celibates as substitutes for natural parents.
26. So, let the nurses and teachers, in their youngest infancy, be celibates.
27. And this was carried out in practice.
2. Whilst the nurses and teachers were providing for the infants, the rest of the people were providing habitations, factories and educational workshops, and also tilling the ground and ornamenting it with fields, gardens and orchards, and with walks and terraces.
3. In regard to the houses, the temple of Jehovih, the temple of Apollo and the gymnasium were the most important, and, yet, none of these were like unto the buildings of the ancients.
4. Jehovih had said: Behold, the ancients built their temples so durable that succeeding generations forgot the art of building. Better is it for man's talent to remain, than for stones and pillars of iron.
5. For which reason, in kosmon, thou shalt not build imperishably in corporeal things; but rather leave the way open for succeeding generations to build also.
6. The temple of Jehovih, which was devoted to public worship on every seventh day of the week, was provided with fountains in the north-east and south-west, and with the four lights of the square, and with the four dark corners of evil and temptation, and with a throne of Light in the east, with time-bells, a gau and sacred wheel. The ceiling represented the stars and planets, interblended with plateaux of the heavenly kingdoms. The east was adorned with the rising sun, the south with the sun at noon, and the west with the setting sun. The north was adorned with the pole-star and aurora borealis. The belt of the zodiac, colored in cream-yellow, crossed over the ceiling and faded down the east and west walls. On the south wall was the coil and travel of the great serpent (solar phalanx), from the time of the Arc of Bon (of Moses, Capilya and Chine) down to the Arc of Kosmon, in the etherean heavens. Flags of golden colors were provided for the four lights, and were mounted on silver-colored staffs inclining toward the altar of the Covenant; and this was in the place Tae stood, betwixt the crescent horns, when they had, on the first day, made the covenant. And in the place of the crescent, where the fifty-one stood, was laid a stone crescent, provided with seats and gate-ways for successive affiliations to Jehovih's kingdom. The outside of the temple was of wood, and was surrounded by posts made of native trees, surmounted with a roof of cement.
7. When the temple was completed, Tae said: Who but Gods could have made anything so beautiful with such cheap material! And if it perish in two generations, two things man shall gain; the third generation can build another; and, moreover, we shall not have left a temple on earth that will call us back from the higher heavens for more than two generations of time, to look after mortals who might applaud us.
8. In regard to worship in the temple, Jehovih had said:
9. As, in the olden times, I provided a preacher to stand at the altar in the east, and speak unto the multitude, behold, in kosmon, the multitude shall render an account before My altar of their fulfillment of My commandments, and My C'chief shall respond in My name.
10. And such, indeed, it was; instead of a preacher denouncing people for their sins, it was a place where the people returned thanks and praises to Jehovih, with rejoicing, in anthems and songs of praise, with pleadings in Jehovih's name for the Uzians to learn the lessons of the new kingdom.
11. And it came to pass that Uzians did come, and listen, and look on, and examine, saying and inquiring:
12. Why was not this tried before? A people without a leader!
13. And whilst they thus pondered, they looked upon the meadows and lawns, the orchards and hot-houses and the rich-growing fields, saying: Is not this the garden of Paradise?
14. The temple of Apollo was devoted to music, dancing, calisthenics, initiative processions, rites and ceremonies of amusement. The interior was finished illustrative of proportions and figures of symmetry and beauty. The decorations illustrated attitudes, posings and groupings. On the east summit was a figurative illustration of the God Apollo with his heavenly hosts, descended to the lower heavens, in past ages, looking down on to earth at a group of druks (ill-formed mortals) with long arms, who were squatting on their haunches. Apollo was illustrating, on a well-formed model, to his angels, how the druks of earth were to be changed into shapeliness and beauty.
15. In its external structure, the temple of Apollo illustrated a combination of one thousand designs of architecture, arches, curves, columns, pillars and so on. And yet all of this was made of the forest trees of Shalam and without cost.
16. Next to these was the gymnasium, which contained also two swimming baths and one hundred single bath-rooms.
17. Here were all kinds of places for developing muscular action, with swings, ropes to walk, places for leaping, places for tumbling and climbing. This was under the charge of the group of physicians. The temple of Apollo was under the charge of the group of musicians. The temple of Jehovih was under the charge of the C'chief and his group of chiefs.
18. Besides these, were the houses of Architecture, the house of Mechanics, the house of Horticulture, which adjoined the hothouses on the north and west. Here were grown all kinds of fruit and herbs for food, and many beautiful flowers, rich-growing all the year around.
19. Then the Agricultural house; then the factories, for hats, clothing, shoes, cutlery, and, in fact, all conceivable places required by man.
20. And not the least interesting of all was the house of Nurseries.
21. Here were the heart and kernel of the whole colony, the orphans and castaways gathered up from amongst the Uzians.
22. Now, from the first of the inhabitation of Shalam, the Voice had constantly urged Tae and Es to make continual additions of infants to the colony.
23. The Voice had said: Give thy people plenty to do. Keep the nurses busy; give them little to mourn for coming out of Egypt (Uz); keep them at work; keep them in the rites and ceremonies.
24. Then Tae said to Es: Take thou one of the women with thee, and go back to Uz; gather in more infants.
25. And that ye may be known and respected by the Uzians as to your occupation, go in plain black dress, without oddity, and I will give to each of you a wooden triangle, which shall be suspended on your bosoms by a cord over the neck; for this is the symbol of earth, sky and spirit, the three entities which constitute the universe, being emblematical of Jehovih.
26. So, Es took Hamarias, a young woman of Thessagowan, and went back to Uz, and in the cities gathered up infant waifs and brought them to Shalam.
27. And thus, every year, they brought from twenty to fifty additional infants, and adopted them in the nurseries.
28. So that, in not many years, there were more than a thousand orphans in the colony.
29. It so happened, in the second year of Shalam, that a disease came amongst the cows, and the physicians forbade the babes being fed on their milk.
30. So, for some days, they were in straits as to how to support the infants till other milk could be supplied.
31. And one Abbayith, an elderly woman, said unto them: Why worry yourselves? Behold, the corn is in ear. Go, gather it, and press out the milk and cook it, and give to the babes; for this also is good milk.
32. So, they gathered the corn and scraped it and pressed out the milk which, on being boiled a little, was found to be excellent food for infants.
33. Thus was discovered artificial milk, even as it is bottled and sold to this day. And the chemists also made water extracts from slippery elm bark, and from flax seed, combined with rice milk, and this also made an excellent liquid food for infants.
34. Jehovih had said: Whether flesh or milk or cheese that man useth for food, behold, in the herbs and plants and trees I created, I gave the same things. Let man discover them, and understand the fruit of My inventions.
2. I had undertaken to nurse, with bottles, ever so many babes, more than was possible for one woman to attend, taking one at a time on my lap, but I could not get round in time. So, also, I had had observation that babes should be held in somebody's arms, and that when they cried they should be taken up, held upright, and diverted by walking with them or by tossing them.
3. To do these things for many babes was not possible for one nurse; so, after I had prayed for strength and light as to what was best to be done, the Voice came to me, plainly, as if I had read it in a book, saying:
4. My Daughter, why thwartest thou the way of My creations? Had I designed My little ones to be upright, I should have provided a way for them.
5. Thou shalt permit them to lie down, and to roll about. Neither shalt thou encumber them with pillows and cushions. Permit them to exercise themselves by crawling in their own way.
6. And when the proper time cometh for them to stand upright, and to jump, behold, I will be with them.
7. Es said: Now, thereupon, I began a new system. I not only searched to know myself, but to develop these little ones. And when I took away the pillows and cushions, giving them double blankets to lie on, and opportunity to exercise by rolling about, behold, they grew in strength daily, and not only soon ceased to cry, but began to sing songs (to me they were songs) and to laugh and amuse themselves with their hands and toes and whatever they got hold of.
8. From this little light, of applying the law of development unto babes, I applied myself to make them understand that they should divert themselves, without depending on their nurses. For many of the orphans we had received were little tyrants, having been spoiled by former nurses, and they screamed constantly, to make some one carry them about and divert them.
9. Now, therefore, I perceived that Jehovih required more of me than merely to feed and clean these little ones; the minds of the spoiled ones had to be remodeled; they should be made to comprehend that no one was slave unto them; and, moreover, that they themselves should cultivate patience, gentleness and love, as better attributes than fretfulness and authority.
10. For, let no one be surprised, even babes can be spoiled to think themselves an authority, with power to command obedience from adults. And they discover, at an early age, that to give vent to peevishness and passion bringeth the nurse to do them service.
11. And I saw, too, that some, even such as could merely hold up their heads, became jealous, to be the first fed, or the first washed, and answered my negligence with fearful screams.
12. Now, it came to pass, when I ceased taking them up to feed them, and did away with the pillow-props, and laid them all down alike, and gave them food at the same time (according to their groups), I had not only provided unto them better corporeal development, but better spiritual development.
13. Such as had been peevish and jealous ceased their former habits, and began to look with respect to the other babes, rolling beside them.
14. Not many months passed by till they began to be interested in one another, examining their feet and hands, and evidently trying to comprehend who they were, and whence they came. And they also saw in one another a representation of themselves, appreciating a fellowship that was surpassingly beautiful.
2. And it was so. And, moreover, they were of all shades of color, and of all nations and peoples on the earth.
3. And they were timed and disciplined from the very first; a time to be fed, a time for bathing, a time for dressing and a time for sleeping.
4. Besides these times, the nurses provided music twice a day for them, and at regular hours. And many of the babes began to sing and to beat time to the music, even before they could stand upright.
5. And when the children were able to walk, the nurses provided them, in processions, with music to their steps; and a time was also set apart for these.
6. Soon after this, they were given simple calisthenics; and, in time after this, calisthenics proper, for the development of the arms, limbs and person.
7. Thus were they trained to keep time with music; to carry themselves erect; to control the motions of their feet, limbs, arms and hands, and, also, made to develop the full use of their joints. And they were taught the names of the bones, joints and muscles, by repeating the words in time to the music, being in songs and semi-songs.
8. Great were the delight and interest these little ones took in these exercises; and it came to pass, that even whilst they were little more than babes, they had mastered the names and uses of the bones and muscles of the body.
9. And they were timed and limited in exercise, adapted to the most delicate and slender, and to the most robust; and every one learned simply by diversion, and not by talk or labor.
10. After this, they were taught marching, slow and fast, even running in time to music; and, after this, simple tournaments.
11. Simple tournaments embraced games of hunting and chasing; some of them taking the part of foxes or wolves, and others, the part of hunters. Yet, in all these games, the teachers and musicians took part, directing and cautioning, guarding and supervising the games, teaching the little ones the oneness of teachers and pupils. Teaching the stronger children to be observant and gentle toward the weaker ones, illustrating to them how Jehovih had made them all as brothers and sisters.
12. Es said: Never was I so reproved for the shortness of my former life, and for my belief in the depravity of man, as now, when these little ones demonstrated love and respect toward one another, as if they had indeed been begotten by the angels of heaven. They were like little saints, and more of a lesson to their teachers of the glorious creation of Jehovih, than the teachers were to them of the wisdom of man.
13. Amongst their first lessons of labor were those in the gardens, teaching them how to plant; teaching them the names of seeds, flowers, plants, trees and all growing things; explaining to them how Jehovih, by His Ever Presence, giveth life and growth and form unto all things.
14. And they listened, heeded, and, with delight, sought their turns and privileges to do some little work.
15. Now, with the beginning of labor, with them, was also the beginning of times and seasons for recreation (play), which, for the first six years, occupied the principal part of the day. And, yet, every day they took lessons of a few minutes in painting or drawing, or demonstrating with blocks, cords, squares and angles.
16. At six years of age, they were entered as apprentices to labor, devoting half an hour daily to knitting, or sewing, or working with tools, giving them an opportunity of manifesting their best adaptation.
17. At six years of age, they were also taught for half an hour one evening in the week to sit in the sacred circle for angel communion, that they might become conversant with angels, seeing them, and hearing them discourse on heavenly things. Here they were taught praying in concert, and the order of praise to Jehovih and His creations.
18. And the angels appeared amongst them, oft carrying them in their arms, and otherwise demonstrating the tangibility of the presence of the spirits of the dead.
19. And the children were delighted, often ejaculating thanks unto Jehovih and praise for His everlasting heavens.
20. Now was also the time that many of them began to manifest su'is, being capable of seeing and hearing angels whilst in normal condition, and also of seeing and hearing corporeal things miles away, and without their corporeal eyes and ears.
2. The chieftainess sat in the midst, and was representative of the Light, repeating from the words of Jehovih or His Embassadors. And the responses were by the children, and by the angels, and many of them were after this manner, to wit:
3. Chieftainess: I am the Light and the Life; My creations are for the joy and glory of My Sons and Daughters.
4. Response: All Light is Jehovih; let His Sons and Daughters rejoice in Him.
5. Proclaim Him with great joy; shout with glee in the house of the Almighty!
6. C.: To show them the glory of My love, and the wide dominions I created for their everlasting inheritance, I send My holy angels from My kingdoms on high.
7. R.: Who shall fathom the inventions of Jehovih, and the foundation of His love! He provided His holy angels to come down from the skies, the light and joy of His everlasting heavens.
8. He fashioned a way for the soul of man to live forever; from the resting-place of the spirits of the dead, He bringeth them in the Voices of His love.
9. C.: I have swallowed up death in victory; the pain of the parting, betwixt the living and the dead, I have bridged over with Mine own hand, for the joy of My chosen.
10. R.: Greater than life, greater than death, is the Almighty; with His own hand He handleth them as toys; by His breath bloweth He away all terrors.
11. He provided us a life on the earth to learn earthly things; death was His invention to adapt us to His imperishable heavens.
12. Glory be to Jehovih on high; glory for His beloved angels who come to bless us.
13. Sing unto the Almighty, O ye little ones; His eye guardeth over you; His hand reacheth to the uttermost places.
14. C.: The earth is My paradise; the songs of My beloved reach up to My realms in the skies.
15. R.: Proclaim the Creator to the ends of the world; to His children He gave the earth as a paradise.
16. Sing a song of gladness unto the Almighty; with the harp and the horn, and with the voices of His beloved, mete out praise forever!
17. Let us praise Him; let us adore Him; the Almighty hath given us loves on the earth and loves in heaven.
18. Shout unto Him in love; be outspoken to the Almighty; He answereth in fair fields and plenteous harvests. He filleth the air with sweet perfumes; the color of the fields and forests are records of His skill.
19. Now, during the chanting, the angels came and joined audibly in the response, and often took on the semblance of corporeal forms and walked about within and without the sacred circle, and, at times, spake a few words of greeting and joy in Jehovih's name.
2. For such purposes these two houses were provided with angel chambers adjoining the stages, and during the performances the angels came in sar'gis, also taking parts in the operas, ascending and descending before the audiences, singing and speaking audibly, so all could hear them.
3. Many of the plays and operas were composed and prepared by the angels, who also gave directions how to put the pieces on the stage. And in some of the pieces there were, of the children and angels combined, more than three hundred performers on the stage at one time.
4. Instead of the crude and loud-sounding horns and hideous instruments, as used by the Uzians for their operas, the opera here was provided with an organ of full power, and with instruments of delicacy and sweetness, so that the most refined ear should not be shocked or pained by any crude or disgusting noise, so common in the Uzian orchestras.
5. Now, as to the plays, whether in the opera or in the theatre, they varied on different nights, as to being adapted to young children, or to older ones, or to adults. But, for the most part, the plays and operas pertained to illustrations embracing a life on earth and an entrance into the lower heavens, showing also the part in real life which angels of purity take in guarding and advising mortals, by inspiration, to righteousness, and also showing how drujas inspire mortals to sensual things and to wickedness.
6. So, that the plays required the presence of angels, to illustrate their parts in the affairs of mortal; and every play was made a lesson and sermon on life, so simple a child could understand them and apply the instructions to its own soul.
7. Herein, then, was the difference betwixt the plays and operas in Shalam, as compared with plays and operas with the Uzians: With the latter, they apply to the lives and adventures of mortals, and to histories of mortal affairs and occurrences wrapt up in inexplicable causes; but the plays and operas with the Faithists, in Shalam, illustrated the same things by showing the causes that govern and control mortals by spirit-presence.
8. So that (for example), were it necessary to exhibit a drunkard on the stage, it was also shown how the drunkard was surrounded by dark spirits (drujas), who inspired him to his course; and also was exhibited the struggle of his guardian angels to save him, showing thus how the choice lay with himself as to who he would serve, satan or Jehovih.
9. In the simple plays, where the children took their parts at first, they were taught without books, by repeating after their teachers.
10. And here was a new school, not known amongst the Uzians; which was, to learn by hearing words spoken, to repeat them. First, they practiced with half a dozen words, then with a dozen words, then with two dozen, then four dozen, and so on. And it came to pass, in a little while, many of the children could repeat whole chapters, by simply hearing the words spoken once.
11. Tae said: Here, first of all, began to manifest that clearness of mind resulting from an herbivorous diet which was and is wholly unknown amongst the Uzians.
12. Tae said: And Jehovih further blessed our children in su'is, so that many of them who had not yet been taught to read, could lay a hand on a printed page, and repeat it word for word.
13. Tae said: And their little playmates, hearing them, could repeat the same things. And some of them would hold a sealed letter in their hands, and read it word by word; so that dissemblance and secrecy were become as a farce before Jehovih's children.