GOD'S Administration
In the interest of those contemplating writing on FATHER DIVINE and the Peace Mission Movement, as well as those reading material already published but not authorized or not endorsed by FATHER and MOTHER DIVINE, the following thoughts of FATHER DIVINE are herewith set forth:
'Men come from far and near trying to get the biography or write the history of GOD. The finite wisdom and understanding of man cannot define GOD and cannot write a true history of HIM, for from whence came that wisdom of theirs? Therefore, the limited mortal version of man cannot bind the Omniscience of GOD, and cannot measure GOD with the measure of finite man.'GOD is infinite by nature, and who can rightfully and accurately write GOD'S History? Who has a mind sufficient to cover the infiniteness of the Infinite One? Who has wisdom to fathom and explain and understand the Omniscience of the Omniscient One?'
From a Message by FATHER DIVINE on May 19, 1943. spoken directly after giving an interview to a young man who wanted to write HIS biography. Published in The New Day of May 27,1943, page 17.
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Writer: 'I would like to interpret it [The Peace Mission] YOU see, from an outsider looking in.'
FATHER: 'Well, that is the thought of it. That is where they get all mixed up and misinterpret; because GOD is HIS Own Interpreter and GOD alone can make it plain; not from a Personal point of view necessarily, but from an impersonal point of view, from a psychological point of view; from a mental and spiritual point of view. That is the real way to get the true Message. But when individuals desire - in the which the most of the newspaper men do - desire to get something from their personal point of view, and as you say, from your viewpoint or from their viewpoint, you cannot see the significance of the Truth when you are not a part of it. . . . it cometh not by sight nor with sight nor with hearing but with a righteous judgment. It is better revealed than told. You can get more first-hand information by being a partaker of the Spirit and Nature of it. You can even, from a physiological or from a traditional or, I might say, from an organizational point of view, one can get messages or get more definite information by their own experience, through being awakened into that light of whatsoever they are representing.'
Writer: 'Well now, don't YOU think I might be able to achieve that by visiting the Missions, by partaking in the activities and observing?'
FATHER: 'Well, by partaking more of the - yes the activities - that is true
in one sense of word - but mainly I stress to be a partaker of
the internality
of it and not just the physical structure of the demonstrated organization.'
Writer: 'Well then, isn't it - it is not possible then, to interpret the spirit of the Movement from the outside?'
FATHER: 'Well, the Spirit is better interpreted by the Spirit. . . . you would need to be converted, the same as all others would need to be, to get the real significance of the Truth, because the Spirit of the Truth will teach you or will reveal to you the Truth more effectively than what I would tell you Personally - what I would tell you MYSELF Personally. . . .
'I find lots of people for many years, for more than - well, I need not say how many years - but for many, many years the different writers have striven to write ME up with their viewpoint, as to what they see; and what they see cannot be the Truth unless they are born of the Truth. . . .
'It has been the experience of so many who sought it - they did not get it because they did not seek it conscientiously and sincerely and sympathetically. They did not seek it from a spiritual point of view, but they merely sought it from a literary point of view.'
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Dr. Charles Braden, author of These Also Believe (MacMillan, 1948), which contains a chapter on FATHER DIVINE, was granted an interview with FATHER DIVINE on August 4, 1945. An excerpt from this interview, appearing in The New Day of August 11,1945, page 20. follows.
FATHER: 'The thought of it is, it is unfortunate but I doubt whether I would be in a position to cooperate with anyone in writing a book in reference to ME. . .
'A person should not write unless they are unbiased, absolutely unbiased and at a place in consciousness where they could and would receive the Spirit of your Humble Servant. You can learn; as I often say to many other writers, they cannot write of ME rightfully saving by MY Spirit. They can write prejudicially, they can write critically and they can write antagonistically and slanderously and in different ways, but not democratically, because the Spirit of HIM of Whom you may write must present the picture more explicitly than what HE HIMSELF Could tell it '
Professor Braden: '. . . there have been some books written about YOU and I read everything I Could find. Still I wanted to see YOU and ask, do YOU feel YOU were misrepresented in a number of those books?'
FATHER: 'Why, no man Could be fair . . . . the only way to write of a person is to partake of that person's spirit . . . the same as a real F.B.I. or any other secret service agent - let that person be a partaker of the nature and characteristics and the habits and customs, rules and regulations of such persons they are anticipating reproducing, and that person will be in a better position to reproduce them characteristically and dispositionally than anyone else who has not made the rightful mental and spiritual contact. . .
'I found as I continued to unfold to the public that I Could not give them perfection through the literary world of expression.'
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Referring to the many newspapers which carried book reviews of FATHER DIVINE - Holy Husband (Doubleday, 1953), by Sarah Harris and Harriet Crittenden, FATHER DIVINE said in a Message which HE gave on November 13,1953, and which was published in The New Day of November 21, 1953, page 5:
'All of those who carry the article of that book, they shall be cut off. This is Judgment Day! And all who read it shall be cut off, together with it and with them. Aren't you glad! I mean, Mrs. Harris' book! The one that came and got some information from the Church and from MY representatives and then went out to take every lying testimony, every libelous and slanderous statement that has ever been made, concerning ME; tried to find it and publicize it! Now she is cursed! Naturally she is cursed! I mean, I curse her. I. in the Name of Almighty GOD! . . . and you have declared I AM GOD.
. . . 'I curse her and world without end until the world shall never end. And all who sympathize with her and the publisher, and all of the publishers - I say, I GOD, curse you down! Yes, I curse you! all who sympathize and harmonize with you; and all who desire to live will discontinue their publications discontinue reading their publications! If they desire to live, they will do it!
'For I have set before you, this day, a blessing and a cursing - life and death! And those who desire life, they will follow in the wake of the Spirit of Life; and those who think they can ignore this prophecy and prediction, declaration and reiteration of the Scriptures, they may go on and think they can - but they shall be cut off on every hand, in the fulfillment of the Scripture! I have declared it!
'To those who believe sincerely and are living in the Spirit of Meekness and Obedience, in all sincerity as I have been telling you, I say, 'International Peace - in the Air, on Land, on the Sea.' I AM giving you this International Peace! If you would be in the wake of all of the aggressor nations' machine guns and bombs and everything that they may claim to have to destroy the lives of the children of men, I have said, 'International Peace - in the Air, on Land, on the Sea,' for all of those who believe in ME and live according to MY Teaching.'
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The following Scripture verses enumerate the Blessings that fall on those who keep GOD'S Commandments, as well as the cursings that befall those who do not obey HIS Commandments, as found in Deuteronomy 28:1-46
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: - 'And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. - 'Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.'
Thereafter are listed the blessings of abundance, health, protection, success and prosperity in detail in verses 4 through 13.
'But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee. - 'Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
In verses 17 through 46 are listed the curses of lacks, wants and limitations, oppression, sickness and finally death which are predestined to come upon the unbelievers who disobey GOD.
For more information on the value and validity of different authors read Dr. Belstrom's Book 'Rediscovering God'. It's a wonderful review of the pros and cons of many who have written about FATHER DIVINE and The Peace Mission Movement.
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