8

How did the Eldest view the work of the Youngest on behalf of mankind?

With wonder, the Eldest in the ruined kingdom followed the activity of their younger brothers and sisters. And the Darkness, flowing through them without cease, confused their thoughts even more and aroused their anger; Then were they agreed that they would strive against their younger brothers and sisters, agreed that they would try to draw mankind back into Darkness; for they were determined that their creatures should not belong to the Light.

Then began the struggle between the Eldest and the Youngest.

The Youngest taught the human beings to live in purity, in love and in peace with one another.

But the Eldest taught them to envy and to persecute one another, to live in sin and lawlessness; taught them to gather themselves in mighty armies against each other, to kill and to plunder; taught them to seize peoples, cities and riches to which they had no right.

The Youngest taught the humans to make just laws.

But the Eldest taught them to make unjust laws.

The Youngest taught that one man and one woman should go through life together; taught humans to love and to care for their offspring.

But the Eldest taught men to take many women, and women to take many men; for in this way they were neither able to care for nor to love each of their offspring; many knew not their own children even, nor could they follow their lives.

And the Eldest continued to cast stones in the path of the Youngest.

Many fell and many grew weary; but God, their Father, raised up the fallen, sustained the weak, forgave and nullified that in which they had erred and sinned.

God, their Father helped and strengthened them, and gave them courage anew.

And onward they all pressed, striving against Darkness, striving for the Light and striving for the good.

But when an eon had passed since some of the Eldest had last answered God's calling voice in repentance, God let his voice sound again to those who were still in the ruined kingdom.

Few answered, for but few repented of what they had sinned. But God forgave the repentant, for He loved them all. And the streaming waves of the Light carried these away from the ruined kingdom, and it became darker yet about those left behind.

Again, century upon century, millennium upon millennium passed.

And the Youngest tried to bring mankind greater knowledge of that which was invisible to the human eye; tried to teach that the highest power was God; taught that God was a merciful and loving Father, Who loved all, and would bring all to His Kingdom.

But the Eldest whispered to humans that the highest power was a being of wrath and vengeance, taught that those who bowed not before this harsh deity would be cast into the pit, there to languish forever.

And they taught them to have many gods, to form images of wood and stone, and to kneel before these lifeless objects; taught them to appease divine wrath by shedding the blood of human beings and animals upon the altars that had been built to these images that were without life and without power.

As centuries passed, as millennia were added to millennia, the thoughts of human beings became confused, and everything they were taught became bewildering, for they were unable to tell evil from good, to separate Darkness from the Light; for the Eldest continued to beset the Youngest in their work.

And they drew Darkness closely over the Earth, and the Darkness awakened the inner forces of the globe to terrible, fiery eruptions. And the greatest of those realms that the embodied Youngest had created upon the Earth was laid waste and sank into the sea. Few only were able to flee the death and destruction, for the waters washed away the greater part of the mighty land.

And the Youngest grieved over that which was lost.

But God, their Father, supported and strengthened the weak and gave them courage.

And they pressed onward, striving for Light, striving for the good.

Again, century was added to century, millennium to millennium. Again, the Youngest brought more and greater knowledge to the humans, taught them again to found mighty realms and great nations, to build beautiful cities and magnificent dwellings; taught them to extract the ores and many-hued, sparkling stones of the mountains, to embellish their dwellings with the metals and to adorn their bodies with the precious stones.

And the Youngest strove anew to impart to humans greater knowledge of that hidden to the earthly eye. And some few learned to receive messages from the world they could not see.

But unseen to humans, the Eldest followed and beset the Youngest in their activities.

And they drew Darkness closer about the Earth, and they taught the humans to make use of some of the hidden forces of the Darkness, taught them again to worship many gods, taught them to commit many cruel acts by calling upon the powers of the Darkness.

Thus, first gaining and at other times losing ground, human beings journeyed slowly forward through the passing millenniums towards the Light, acquiring ever greater knowledge under the guidance of the Youngest, whilst the Eldest strove to draw them back, draw them under the power of the Darkness.