Second Book of Lords

CHAPTER I.

1. In the beginning man was naked and not ashamed; but the Lord raised man up and bade him hide his nakedness, and man obeyed, and was clothed.
2. And the Lord walked by man for a long season, showing him the way of resurrection; and man was obedient, depending on the Lord for all things.
3. And the Lord said unto man: Behold, I have walked with thee, and taught you; but by my indulgence you hast neglected to put forth your* own energy.
4. Now I am going away from you* for a season, that you mayst learn to develop thyself.
5. But lest you stumble and fall, I leave with you* certain commandments, and they should be a guide unto you* and your*** heirs forever.
6. Hear you then the commandments of the Lord your*** God.
7. You should love your* Creator with all your* mind, and heart, and soul, all the days of thy life.
8. And you should love your*** neighbor as thyself.
9. Because you wert born into the world without covering, you should clothe thyself.
10. Then inquired man of the Lord: Behold, you hast shown the ass what is good for him to eat, and the fish, and the serpent, and the lion; every living creature; but man only hast you not shown?
11. The Lord said: Of everything that growe up out of the ground that is good to eat give I unto you, and they should be food for you.
12. But of all things of flesh and blood, wherein is life, you should not eat.
13. For you should not kill.
14. Man inquired of the Lord: You has shown the males and females of all the living the times and periods to come together; but man and woman hast you not shown?
15. The Lord said: You should learn from the beasts, and birds, and fishes, that the female during gestation is in keeping of her Creator.
16. You should also respect the times of woman.
17. Man inquired of the Lord: You hast shown the bird how to build her nest, and the carnivore how to scent the subtle track of his prey, and the spider to weave his net; but as to the manner of man’s house, or as to herbs that are good or are poisonous, you has not shown man.
18. The Lord said: All the instinct that is in the bird, or beast, or fish, or insect, or creeping thing, was created with them, but man was created blank; and yet man should attain to more subtle senses than any other living creature.
19. Man inquired: How should man attain to these?
20. The Lord answered: Serve your* Creator by doing good unto others with all your* wisdom and strength, and by being true to your** own highest light, and all knowledge should come to you*.
21. So the Lord left man for a season to himself; and man so loved the earth and whatsoever ministered unto his ease, and to his flesh desires, that he fell from his high estate. And great darkness came upon the earth. And man cast aside his clothes, and went naked, and became carnal in his desires.

CHAPTER II.

1. The Lord went abroad over the earth, calling: Come to me, O man! Behold your*** Lord is returned!
2. But man heard not the voice of the Lord; for, by man’s indulgence, the spirit of man was covered up in his own flesh.
3. The Lord sent his loo’is (masters of generations, angels next in rank above guardian angels, i.e., ashars) to the I’hins, and they raised up heirs unto the Lord; by controlling the parentage of the unborn brought they into the world a new race of men, of the same seed and blood as of old, and these heard the voice of the Lord.
4. And the Lord said unto man: Because you kept not my commandments you hast brought affliction upon thyself, and your*** people, to the farthest ends of the world.
5. Now will I raise you* up once more, and deliver the tribes of men from darkness into light.
6. And the Lord delivered man into wisdom, and peace and virtue; and the earth became as a garden of sweet smelling flowers and luxurious fruit.
7. The Lord said: How sayst you, O man? Shalt you still have a keeper?
8. And man said: Behold, I am strong and wise. Go you away from the earth. I understand your*** commandments.
9. The Lord inquired: Knowest you the meaning of, Love your*** Creator? And man said: Yea, Lord; and to love my neighbor as myself; and to do good unto others with all my wisdom and strength. Yea, I have the All Highest Light. I am wiser than the ancients. Behold, I want no Lord nor God; I am the highest product of all the universe.
10. The Lord said: I will try you*, O man; I will go away for a season.
11. So the Lord departed once more. And man had nothing to look up to, so he looked at himself and became vainglorious. And the tribes of men aspired to overcome one another; war and destruction followed.
12. Man forgot his Creator; he said: No Eye see me, no Ear hear”’ me. And he neglected to guard himself against the serpent (corporeality); and the serpent said unto him: Partake you of all things, for they are your**.
13. And man gave heed, and, lo and behold, the race of man descended into utter darkness. And man distinguished not his sister or mother; and woman distinguished not her brother or father.
14. And God beheld the wickedness of man, and he called out, saying: Hear my voice, O man! Hear the voice of the Lord!
15. But because of the darkness of man he could not hear the voice of God, his Lord.
16. And the Lord sent his angels down to man that they might appeal to man’s understanding.
17. But the angels loved darkness also, and strove not to lift man up out of darkness. And the Lord was of no more avail amongst mortals, and he departed away from the earth. And man became on the earth as a harvest that is blighted and rotted because of its rankness.

END OF THE SECOND BOOK OF LORDS.