Of the hosts of Osiris, the false.
1. NOW sallied forth the captains, generals, and well-disciplined hosts of hada, the angels of De'yus, bent on independence to the earth and heaven from all other rulers save the Lord God, and to establish him forever. Foremost of the three mighty divisions was Osiris' army, of more than a thousand million angels, going boldly forth to cover the great lands of the earth, Arabin'ya, Parsi'e and Heleste.
2. In the front, dashing madly on, was Baal, and next him, his assistant Goddess, Ashtaroth, followed by their first attendants and high exalted officers. Some of whom displayed great maps of mortal cities and cultured lands, where the peaceful worshippers of Jehovih dwelt, hundreds of thousands. And the lists of altars and temples to the Great Spirit, where the righteous came daily and deposited their earnings and products as sacrifices for benefit of the weak and helpless. And the wide fields, where toilers brought out of the earth, religiously, wheat, and flax, and cotton, and barley, as gifts from the Great Spirit. And the canals, filled with boats, carrying produce, and fruit, and cloth, in interchange, one district with another. And the mounds and tree-temples of the I'hins, the sacred people, small, white and yellow; the forefathers and foremothers of the great I'huan race, the half-breeds, betwixt the brown burrowers in the earth and the I'hins.
3. Over these maps, and charts, and lists, the generals and captains discoursed as they descended to the rolling earth; most learnedly laying plans to overturn Jehovih's method, and build up De'yus, the God of Hored.
4.Osiris himself, to display such dignity as becometh a great God, halted in his heavenly place, and now head-quarters of the belligerents. And so rested on his throne, with his tens of thousands of messengers ready to answer his summons and bear his will to the remotest parts of his mighty army, and to bring him back news in return of the nature of the proceedings. And betwixt Osiris' and De'yus' thrones another long line of messengers extended, a thousand angels, high raised and resolute, suitable to travel in the ever-changing atmospherean belts of great velocity.
5. Beside Baal, on the downward course to the earth, but a little behind him, woman-like, was Ashtaroth, with her thousand attendants, all accoutered to show their high esteem for their p. 395 warring Goddess. By the oft-changing wave of her hand, her part of the army had learned to know her will, and most zealously observe her commands.
6. And now, on every side, farther than the eye could see, the thousand millions rushed on, some in boats, some in ships and otevans, and others in single groups, descending. As one can imagine an earthly kite sufficient to carry its holder high up in the wind, so, reversed, and single-handed, hundreds of thousands flew toward the earth by ballast flags, the most daring of angels.
7. Toward the earth they came as if on a frolic, full of jokes and loud boasting, sworn and swearing to forever clear the earth of Jehovih's worshippers. Many of them, long trained in schools and colleges and factories, in heaven, only too glad for a change of scenes and labor, and all promised by their superiors that now they were to take their first lessons in becoming Gods and Goddesses. Of whom thousands and thousands hoped for some daring deed, in order to gain sudden promotion.
8. To the east and west, and north and south, Baal and Ashtaroth spread out their armies, wide as the three great lands they had sworn to subdue unto the Lord God, who, of woman born, was the most presuming son the earth had yet brought forth. And to alight on the earth, to flood the temples and altars with so great an abundance of spirits as would drive Jehovih's ashars into disastrous confusion, and vanquish them, was the theme and project. To be foremost in so great a work was the temptation of promotion, which caused them on every side to strive with their utmost speed and power.
9. The which Jehovih foresaw, and so spake to God in Craoshivi, warning him; whereof due observance of the danger had been communicated by messengers to the managing angels in the altars and temples of worship. And these again, through the rab'bahs and the oracles, had spread abroad amongst mortals the threatened dangers, cautioning them.
10. Thus Jehovih's angels fortified themselves, through the faith of mortals, and held on, bringing together their scanty numbers, knowing well that by Jehovih's law they must not resist by arms, but only through words and good example, high-toned by faith in the Father over all.
11. Down, down, down on these, on every side came the destroying hosts, the thousand millions; with oaths and loud clamor rushing for the altars and temples; flying suddenly to the holy arcs; in hundreds of thousands of places, shouting:
12. Avaunt this arc! Avaunt this altar! Avaunt this temple! Ye Jehovian usurpers, begone! In the name of the Lord our God! We command!
13. But alas, for them, every arc, and altar, and temple to Jehovih was invincible. There stood His angels, so strong in faith, unmoved and majestic, that even the assailing spirits halted, overawed. And as they stood a moment, contemplating whence came so great majesty, to be in such sommon place, the Jehovians made this reply:
14. To none we bow in adoration but Great Jehovih! Whose Very Self contributed to make us what we are, His servants in doing good unto others with all our wisdom and strength! In Him we stand to shield His helpless ones by virtuous peace and love harmonious. Wherefore, then, come ye in arrogance, demanding our wards to service of your God, born of woman?
15. The Osirians said: Fly, O sycophants! Ye that bow down in fear and trembling to One hollow as the wind, and Personless. Too long have earth and heaven been cajoled by far-off foreign Gods, who come hither to win subjects for their kingdoms' glory, by that pitiful tale of an Ever Presence Over All, Whom none have seen nor known. Begone! Give us these earthly anchorages! To build in unit, earth and heaven, to rule ourselves by Gods we know and reverence!
16. The Jehovians said: Is this your only power? By threats and commands? O harmless words, in mockery of truthful Gods! No good works nor promises, save to exalt the self of earth and hada, and glorify your masters, born only equal with yourselves. Why not rush in and carry us off, ye that are a thousand to one, and by your deeds prove the great source whence ye draw your power?
17. The Osirians said: To give ye a chance of liberty, to save ye from the Savior's judgment, Anubi, who shall cast ye into hell, we hoped to find your willing departure in peace. Behold ye, then, we will wall this altar around and shut off the attendant ashars with mortals, and flood the place with drujas, to obsess them to total madness. If, then, ye love your wards as ye profess, abandon all to us, for the glory of De'yus, whose son is Osiris, our commanding God.
18. The Jehovians said: Words! words! words! At first no explanation, p. 396 and only your command. Now, forsooth, an argument! And presently ye will withdraw, deceived in what your commanding Gods told you would result. We tell you we will not hence, save by our superiors, Jehovih's, rightly raised to precedence.
19. The Osirians said: For which reason, behold our Lord God, who was honored in the title through Jehovih's hand; whom ye should obey according to your oaths.
20. The Jehovians said: Till such time the Lord God put aside Jehovih, we were his; but when for his self-glory he denied his Creator, his false position freed us from his obligations. To obey him now, would make us false to Jehovih, and forever weaken us in reaching the Nirvanian kingdoms.
21. But now the clamoring angels, Osirians, in the background crowded forward menacingly, and the tide rose to the highest pitch. The morning sun was dawning in the east, a most wonderful assistant to Jehovih's sons in time of battle; and their messengers brought from the fields and country places many ashars who had been on watch all night with sleeping mortals. The Osirians saw them coming; knew the turn, one way or another, was at hand! But by the audacity of the Jehovians, one to a thousand, were kept looking on in wonder till the sun's rays pierced their weapons and melted them in their hands.
22. First one and then another of the Osirians, then tens and hundreds and thousands, turned away or looked about, discomfited, like a host of rioters attempting to assault a few well-trained soldiers, and, becoming affrighted, turn and flee harmlessly. So Jehovih's sons and daughters won the victory in the first assault, save in rare instances, one in a hundred, where the Osirians triumphed and got possession.