The Household of God
Volume 2
Rise and spiritual prime of the first world empire Hanoch
- Chapter 154 -
ENOCH'S DIALOGUE WITH THE OTHER STRANGER. ENOCH AND ADAM IN A QUANDARY
These words went to Enoch's heart and he pondered in his heart all Abedam's words and particularly those of the stranger.
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But this time all-pondering was in vain; for he, whom I had ordained high priest, had to undergo a harder test than anyone else.
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While the stranger was talking in secret to Abedam, Enoch used the opportunity and went over to the other stranger - to ask him who might be the unknown speaker, from where he had derived this purely divine wisdom and what his name was.
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But the other stranger replied to Enoch saying: "How can you ask me about that?
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"I am only an opponent of His, and you know that according to ancient custom the opponent must be silent while the other speaks; and once the other has convinced him that his, namely, the opponent's tenets are wrong he has thereby bound his tongue and deprived him of any further right to speak.
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"Look, this my opponent has done to me. Therefore, owing to an ancient custom I also no longer have the right to reveal anything concerning Him without His permission - least of all before you, the present High Priest of the Lord!
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"It has never been a custom to force the disputants to reveal their names as this would have created bias.
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"Indeed, at all times the disputants have for this reason had to veil their face and even state their case in a broken, monotonous voice.
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Truly, lately it was no longer even permitted to both to speak, but one of them had also to state the case of his opponent. In this way their identity was kept safe and a more unbiased judgment could be passed on them.
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"However, what has become of this order since you request me, an opponent bound to be silent, to speak up, whereas you as a chief justice should only punish me if I had asked your permission to speak a single word to you?
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"Look, for this time-honored reason I can and may not answer you.
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"For although my opponent is by far wiser than I, I am nevertheless clever enough not to let myself be trapped.
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"What I have just said, I had to say; for also this is an ancient custom owing to which everyone has the right to defend himself.
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"So do not receive it unkindly. However, if you should have a new order to introduce, make this known beforehand to all the people so that they can prepare themselves for a coming dispute-day."
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After this defensive speech Enoch was at a complete loss what to do; therefore, he stepped up to Adam asking him for advice.
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But Adam replied: "Why are you so forward? Look, this is unseemly for a true judge.
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"Just settle the dispute, - and once that is ended, why do you bother about other things as well?
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"Surely the wisdom of the one and no less the strictly judicial steadfastness of the other, making him at least before me a man of the good old type, are amazing,
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"But why does this confound you? Did not the Lord Himself make you a basic teacher and priest of all the people? So remain with that and leave the other things, alone which today do not concern you.
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The dispute is settled; what more do you want?
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"Why should it bother you that Abedam from the evening region recognized his fellow countryman sooner than you did? Rest now and give honor to God; this is all I can advise you to do."
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These words of Adam partly calmed down Enoch; nevertheless he could not banish the words of the stranger from his heart, nor those of Abedam. And so he again addressed himself to Adam saying:
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"Father, in one respect you are certainly right; but the stranger expressly asked me to serve his food to all the hungry. What shall I do here? For, how could the stranger demand this of me if he were merely an ordinary disputant?
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"This is truly a very difficult case. For he is too wise to be presumptuous; out of what might does he then do this?"
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Here Adam again began to be baffled and finally said to Enoch: "Yes, there you are of course again right.
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"But I reckon the rest will put everything right again. If he wishes to be recognized by you and us all, he will surely reveal himself - if it is important to him -; if not, we give the honor to God, - but everything else shall proceed according to God's order.
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"Behold, thus we, too, remain with it; the Lord's will be done! Amen."