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SCRIPTURES
Chapter 10
(3rd Indictment begins) JY: Man is unnatural in all his actions – Man is without
any natural affection – Purging man with war – “War have I made for the good of man”
– Forcing man to do good – No salvation for women – Earth beautiful without man –
AZ: By what means would you discern beauty? – Demiurge dissimilar from Man in every
part –Without Man, there can be no beauty – Cannot forgive what is not understood
– The true nature of Man – Concerning limitations and boundaries – Dreams, the uncreated,
and the hidden soul – No virtue is found in war – The seed of curiosity and the mortal
life – Searching to find some greater purpose
1 And the Demiurge spoke again unto me, saying: “Why will you continue to believe in man as though he were of himself both good and noble? Have you not seen for yourself how that man is filled with madness; rushing here and going there, ever seeking his own destruction?
2 For man is made most brutish and corrupt, being in his inward parts filled with baseness and deceit; being in his heart most aberrant; bringing down upon his head all manner of suffering which he, himself has created.
3 All these tribulations has man brought most subtly upon himself; for man is most unnatural in all his actions and affections; being unwilling to accept such boundaries and limitations as nature might impose.
4 For the pride of man has made him separate from the world in which he lives, setting him at constant odds against all things good and natural; bringing upon himself miseries and hardships of every kind;
5 Being tormented from within and without by all manner of diseases, and plagues, and famines; being harried and chased about by adversities and pestilences which would strangle the life and joys of all mankind.
6 And this because of such pride and conceit as do most readily arise from the heart of every man and every woman which would move about upon the face of the earth.
7 For man is filled with loathing, even against himself; striking hard through lustful passions against the whole of his own kind; ever seeking for himself some advantage against his neighbor; being filled most fully within himself with iniquities and evils of every kind.
8 Why then would you love so vile a beast as man, seeing that he is without any natural affection, being in his heart and mind devoid of goodness, having neither virtue nor merit, being of himself most unworthy of such redemption as you would give?
9 For man is ever divided against himself because of pride and vanity; being tossed to and fro by endless debates and contentions; which things would fill the whole of all his life with havoc and despair.
10 For this cause would I send forth unto man all manner of wars and conflicts whereby he might be made humble before me; for even I would make known to him that in the unnaturalness of all his ways is there found only doom and endless death.
11 Thus have I set forth to purge man of such evils as do arise from out of the very soul of him; for I have sent forth unto the earth a refiner’s fire which would burn away such dross as would corrupt the heart of man, to pervert the ways of all his doings.
12 For even so great a one as I did send unto the earth the ways of war, for war have I made for the good of man; for even I have commanded throughout the ages that a man should kill his enemies, to subdue them every whit; that through such means I might seek revenge against all those who will not believe in me.
13 For all those who will prove themselves unnatural in thought and deed would I purge away most hotly; striking down with bitter zeal even all those who despise my name, even unto the fourth and fifth generations of them which hate me.
14 Yet is this for the good of man; for in the ways of war would I renew most constantly the civilizations of man, causing that all things should be invigorated anew through such destructions and sorrows as do most surely follow in the steps of war;
15 Causing that men should rebuild what I have broken, and to mend what I have shattered, to make most busy the hands of all through constant labor.
16 Thus through war would I rid man of such sorrows as do arise by reason of his unnatural thoughts and deeds; for in war are the populations of man made greatly diminished, causing that many should not suffer any longer by way of disease, or plagues or famines.
17 For all these things has man brought unto himself alone, yet in war would I purge away a host of follies; causing that man should ever seek some newer path;
18 Making way through the heat of war for all manner of discoveries and inventions which would improve the life of all who live; delivering from the ashes of great destruction, that remnant who would seek most earnestly to follow after me.
19 See then, how I have made myself the only true benefactor of all mankind; for even I would instill in man a great many fears and guilts which would force a man to do good always; for it is certain that left to themselves alone, man cannot be good, seeing that he is most unnatural and contrary in all his ways.
20 For it is certain, that except I rule over the whole of man most harshly, then would he certainly destroy himself completely; to leave the earth and all its beauty in heaps of ruin and death.
21 Yet if any man shall turn away from the doing of his will, to submit himself to me in great repentance, then shall I forgive him and pardon him most abundantly.
22 And even that one shall I save from death and hell, whereby he might serve me through all time and eternity; to be to me even as a servant, being preserved against the day of wrath when I shall go forth unto all mankind to seek revenge against them.
23 Thus would I show forth to every man who would repent, great mercy; but unto women shall I grant neither forgiveness nor pardon, for they are an offense to me, and these shall I consign to the flames forever.
24 For women have corrupted all men, to bring upon the heads of all who live that certain death which none escape; for women are filled with mischief and deceit; capturing through the passions of the body the whole of man, whereby they might lead them to death.
25 Thus would I judge most harshly, even all who are an offense to me; being in their thoughts and actions most unnatural, bearing in their flesh that constant offense which even now does carry the whole of man unto judgment.
26 Consider then how beautiful the earth would be without this blight called man! How pristine and uncorrupted the natural beauty of all the lands, and seas, and airs above.
27 Why then will you make busy and filled with troubles the soul within; seeking therein to find in man that certain thing worthy of exaltation? For what purpose would you take to your heart the afflictions of all mankind, seeing that they are unworthy and undeserving?
28 Come now and answer straightly: What defense will you put forth in face of my indictment, seeing that in the ways of man I am truly knowing and most correct?”
29 And the Demiurge, when he was completed, he did spread himself upon the lands round about; and there was heard the hissing of his laughter. And standing forth again to answer, I did speak unto him, saying:
30 “Would you speak to me of beauty? Come, Jehovah-Yahweh, and tell me plainly: By what means would you discern for yourself the beauty of earth and sky and starry night, seeing that you are without form or bodily parts and passions?
31 That possessing in your soul the darkness of all your might, yet are you unable to perceive the only true nature of all mankind; for you are dissimilar from man in every part; being in all your thoughts and actions unlike the whole of man in every fashion;
32 Having for yourself no eyes with which to see, or ears with which to hear, or hands with which to touch; being in your presence most empty and quite devoid of such feelings and passions as man is heir to.
33 By what power then, would you know beauty, seeing that in you there is no beauty found; neither have you possessed to your soul such tender feelings and gentle sighings as would give birth to beauty, for beauty’s sake alone?
34 Consider then the falseness of all your words; for by pretense alone would you steal from the lips of man the words of beauty, filled with wonder; as though you, yourself, have known them.
35 Thus would you beguile and deceive all who would follow after you in fear; being ever hopeful that by words of wrath and anger you might take from man the thing you would have most dearly.
36 Be you therefore aware and fully knowing, that if man should perish from the earth to be no more, then would you lose forever the only thing that is made to fear you or to worship you; and in that day shall there swell within you that desolation from which there is no escape or pardon.
37 Come then, Jehovah-Yahweh, and to all my words give forth some ready heed, for this I would make known most surely concerning the mystery and the greatness of all mankind.
38 For this I tell you truly, that without the presence of man in the world far beyond, there can be no beauty found; and though all things would continue in their place, according to their several natures, still would they, of themselves, possess neither beauty nor grace.
39 And though the creations of the natural world would continue to move and stir about in the midst of all their lives together, still would there be no mind to perceive, or heart to conceive most fully, the beauty of all natural things.
40 Thus would you need most fully the presence of man in that world which lies beyond all beginning; for if by chance man should vanish from the earth completely, then would you yourself be most diminished.
41 For you, though fierce and mighty in yourself alone, would have not the mind of man to fear the powers which stir most dreadfully within you; causing that you should dwell in aloneness throughout the immensity of space, being bound forever in the vastness of some great vacuum; which would be for you as no existence at all.
42 Thus have you spoken falsely concerning the beauty of all natural things, seeing that without the presence of man there can be nothing beautiful or wondrous, seeing that without mind all things must continue in their aloneness, having neither meaning nor purpose, but life only.
43 And not this alone, for you have proclaimed aloud the forgiveness of all who should fear you to follow after; yet in this have you spoken most presumptuously; for in you is there given no means of familiarity, being unlike the man in every fashion, being dissimilar in likeness and image altogether.
44 For this I would reveal for your learning; for in the understanding of another is forgiveness made possible; for except a man understand the frailties of another, how then shall he forgive, seeing that he has no understanding of the one who sins?
45 Seeing then that you have no understanding of the ways of men, how then shall you forgive him? By what means would you know for yourself the nature and disposition of those dissimilar from yourself?
46 How then will you forgive what you cannot know, or pardon what you cannot see? Behold, in all these things have you spoken most falsely, causing that all those who should believe in you most fearfully, should despair continually because of such forgiveness as you would proffer.
47 Come then, Jehovah-Yahweh, and I will tell you of the only true nature of every man upon the earth; for it is the disposition of all men to be unnatural in all his ways; being in himself alone and most separate from the world in which he lives.
48 For in man is there found that constant pilgrim who travels forever onward between light and shadows; seeking and gathering to his soul portions great and small; reaching forth midst all his dreaming to find at last that higher place where even the Gods alone might dwell.
49 Consider then the ways of man, and be not troubled any longer because of them. For you know yourself how that all men are brought forth naked, even from his mother’s womb; yet from his infancy is there placed upon him clothings and coverings of every kind.
50 Tell me, Jehovah-Yahweh: Is it good that a man should clothe himself? For in nature was it determined that a man be born altogether naked. Who then did sin most dreadfully, man or nature?
51 Why then have you sought most harshly the condemnation of all mankind? For it is in the nature of man to remove such boundaries and limitations as would impose themselves upon him.
52 For if a river should flood, to make ruin the fruits of all his labor, then will the man seek some means whereby he might dam it, permitting that he might control the waters which flood upon the land, to save himself from sorrow.
53 And if there should rise up before the man some mountain which would impede, then will the man move the mount from out of his way whereby he might build highways upon the earth; permitting that even all other men might move about unhindered.
54 And if it so be that a man should dream that he should fly, while nature dictate that he be bound to the earth even as the beasts of the field, then will man contrive such means as will enable him to fly most surely, even to the very stars.
55 Thus has man sought most earnestly to remove such limitations as would hold him bound forever; for there is found in man that certain portion which has had elsewhere some far more noble birth, even the spirit within, which did leap forth from the very love of both the Father and the Mother in Heaven.
56 For man is the dreamer which would see through the darkness clearly plain; touching in his soul those hidden things which would compel that he create what is uncreated, fashioning from the dreams within, such things as would draw him closer still to God;
57 Breathing into such timely visions, the breath of his own life; causing that the fruits of all his dreams should take living form, to walk upon the earth; touching through the affairs of men, the hidden soul within.
58 Know then, Jehovah-Yahweh, that in war is there no virtue found; for it is the spirit within and not the war without that leads a man in all his searching.
59 For in the ways of man are you most fearful, causing that you should hate with bitter zeal, the whole of all mankind; for this cause would you bring war upon the whole of man; hoping therein to retard such progress as man would make for himself alone.
60 Be you wise therefore, and consider well the ways of man; for there is born in the heart of man a small but timely seed, even the seed of curiosity filled with constant wonder; which seed does lie buried deep in the mind of every man and every woman which live the mortal life.
61 And it is the life which all men live that does tempt the seed to grow; for the flesh of the body is the earth wherein the seed is firmly planted; and the life of the body like a river flowing gently onward.
62 And it is this life, though small and passing frail, even it has become to the seed within even as the wind, and rain and sun above.
63 Thus would man, prompted by the spirit deep within, seek most constantly to know and understand all things; probing here and seeking there, reaching out through smiles and tears to lay hold of that which is greater still.
64 For it is the meaning of all things which man does seek most earnestly; hoping therein to find for himself some greater purpose, reaching forth with open hands to touch the face of God.
65 For this cause did God send forth unto the earth the shadow of his own likeness; being ever hopeful that I might give into the hands of men, the greatest meaning and purpose of all.
66 Thus is there seen in the heart of all men, the beginnings of some endless wonder; being in their very persons both unique and strangely rare; for by the very hand of God was man separated from the natural world, whereby he might seek for himself that endless nature which comes from God alone.”
67 Thus did I speak unto the Demiurge a strong defense for the sake of man; and when I was completed, Jehovah-Yahweh did move most restlessly round about; and I did wait most patiently the coming forth of still some further accusation.