FATHER DIVINE
The amazement of those who come in our midst for the first time can rarely be concealed, for even the most favorable newspaper accounts cannot describe the great accomplishments of the SAVIOR on earth among men--FATHER DIVINE! Especially of late is the gathering of the people unto HIM, and as time goes on, visitors grow more numerous as they come singly and in groups, as nineteen hundred years ago when they sought the Babe of Bethlehem.
On this occasion among the many visitors was a gentleman from Texas, a magistrate (Judge Rainey of Philadelphia) and a lady from Chicago, all of whom very readily gave their impressions of this mighty Movement that is sweeping the world, after their first few hours contact with it. The first to express was the gentleman from Texas, and it was following his remarks which our transcribed verbatim before FATHER'S Message, that our REDEEMER spoke--first explaining our sincerity, which the speaker found so pleasing, and then telling HIS hearers something of HIS Work in cleansing the land of its corruption in all forms, illustrating it in two parables.
Sergeant Rieger, representing the Police Department and City Government, who came in during the course of the banquet, confirmed FATHER'S Message, and told of some personal experiences in which FATHER, through HIS Teachings inculcated in HIS followers, has aided the Police Department. His remarks appear verbatim after FATHER's Message. The proofreading of a Message given September 1, 1937, gave further food for thought, and FATHER spoke also on some of the points brought out. FATHER, We Thank THEE!
(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber. FATHER invites visiting guests to speak)
PEACE, EVERYONE: Here we all are again! By the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose we stand! In the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose I say, here we all are because you have unified yourselves in Righteousness, Truth and Justice in the act of your duty with ME, therefore you are ONE with ME in the Unity of the Spirit, of Mind or of Purpose, for on one of these great causes we are unified together! Aren't you glad!
Now that little Message as just proofread--having been given nearly two years ago, nineteen hundred and thirty-seven, is just as expressive today as it was when it was given.
'Righteousness will exalt the nation but sin is a reproach to any people!'
If you live Evangelically and bring your bodies into subjection to Righteousness
you need not fret nor worry. You will find knocks are boosts and you will find
criticisms are praise! You will find oppositions will help you, you will thrive
on them!
For this cause we can rejoice and reiterate, yea, repeat that identical Message as transcribed that was given in nineteen hundred and thirty-seven at Twenty West One Hundred and Fifteenth Street. Remember,
'That which a man soweth he must also reap!'
If you sow seeds of vice and seeds of crime, seeds of dishonesty and debauchery
of every kind, you must reap the fruit of the seeds you have sown! People will
be dishonest to you, they will rob you, they will undermine you, they will overcome
you even as you overcome others, but by living Evangelically according to MY
Message it is a matter of impossibility for you to be a failure, for if GOD is
for you none can actually be against you! It may appear as if though they are
against you at times but you will see the words of the Apostle are true,
'All things work together for good to them that love the LORD and are called according to HIS Purpose!'
Now Whilst listening to the reading of that Message I thought of how it seems
to be at times when things do not apparently go exactly as you might desire to
have them go. You may look and just behind the oppositions lies the way of expression
of Peace and Happiness beyond measure; therefore you can glory in tribulations
knowing this, that tribulation worketh Patience!
All of these points are well worth considering. By this you will gain the victory and have Success and Prosperity over all oppositions!
Now I need not say more; I believe it is enough said in that Message as just transcribed and proof-read to redeem the world! Those of you who desire to have a copy of that Message, may get it in this week's issue of THE NEW DAY--it will be released to the press.
Oh, it is a privilege to observe the mystery--so free is this and other Messages which are given!
At this instance I would just like to say, we have visiting friends with us as usual. If any of our visiting friends would like to have a word to say, feel free to speak. Move volitionally as we do if you care to. If you do not care to move volitionally as we do, give us your names, addresses and professions; we will gladly introduce you according to custom. I thank you.
(The gentleman from Texas spoke at this time as follows:)
"I am a stranger in your midst here from Texas, and really did not intend to make a talk, and I am not going to say much, but I don't believe that I could come in a meeting of this kind without saying something.
"Now I have been in public work for about fifteen years. I came to New York about three weeks ago or two weeks ago and last Sunday I attended the first--should I say that?--well, perhaps I should say the most wonderful meeting that I have ever attended before, at the Rockland Palace.
"Now YOU know I am telling the truth and I tell you why you know I am telling the truth--because you know there is no other meeting like that. Never before have I seen anything like that in Texas or anywhere. But I tell YOU what impressed me most of all is the thing that I have been seeking so long, which I found--and that is sincerity. I am just so tired of words and no deeds. You know what I am talking about don't you? Tired of words, empty words without deeds!
"It is pitiful! It is in Texas and it is all over the country, and I have come to find something that I did not believe--words and deeds! I believe I should say deeds first, because it seem like YOU do more than YOU say! I have heard the greatest Philosopher, I believe, of all time. There is no question about it. HE can speak in terms of reincarnation and then speak in simple terms of how to vote and make it all equally plain and equally necessary. You know that is wonderful, isn't it? There isn't any question about it! You understand what HE is talking about and I understand what HE is talking about.
"And then I look around and--I am going to stop because after all, I will say too much. Let me tell you I am looking around at something I didn't believe I would ever see. I believe I have the courage to mention it, if you will allow me to, without being offensive--I hope not. I say I believe in practice--I cannot speak like you speak, but I look around and I look at the ladies in this room and I see something that I have not seen in years: I don't see--excuse me--I don't see any painted fingernails, thank GOD! Then there are other things I don't see painted. I am through. Thank YOU. Thank YOU!"
(FATHER DIVINE arose to speak as follows:)
PEACE, EVERYONE! It is a privilege to see and observe the mystery that GOD is revealing HIMSELF to HIS People. Remember what I said many years ago concerning "Who are the chosen people of GOD?" Those people that are the peoples of the earth, who have chosen GOD, are GOD'S chosen people!
Now I would like to say, according to the last speaker, we believe in the realness of the reality, of the "realtors." We believe in being "realtors" in reality, and establishing it with the spirit of sincerity. But as I said in that Message, with all of our sincerity, you do not see us grieving and crying, weeping and moaning around here. You do not see us trying to appear to be sincere by putting on sad faces and in our hearts and in our deeds and in our actions being hypocritical. I forbid that I or any of MY co-workers, followers or friends would express falsity in actions or in deeds or in appearances.
I could make up some falsity of MYSELF and not appear as I do appear to be, but I want you to see ME as I AM, and whatsoever I AM expressing, I want it to be plainly seen and known to men. Can you not see the mystery? I do not wish to put on falsity on MY Personal Body nor with MYSELF to appear to be what I AM really not, but I desire to express as accurately in the exact expression of the reality of MYSELF as possible, and I desire to see MY followers do the same.
For this cause we may suffer shame, as it may be termed, but one thing we are not ashamed of--
'I am not ashamed of the Gospel of CHRIST, for it is the power of GOD unto salvation to everyone that believeth.'
It has given power over wickedness, vice and crime, debauchery and sin of every
kind. When the brother mentioned deeds, we would not be so well pleased here,
with and by the government, the City Government, the State Government and even
the Federal Government, if we were not sincere and honest in deeds and in truth.
Men cannot buy our votes! Governmentally, men cannot buy our votes! They do not make enough money nor have enough American money to buy our votes! We will vote in whatsoever way politically, legally, we feel is the just and the right way to vote! See the mystery?
I believe in the honesty of aim and of purpose starting at the fireside and then extending to others that they might be partakers of the spirit of honesty, of competence and of truth; hence, nationally or politically we do not sell our votes, because money is not the height of our ambition; but to the extreme reverse, Perfection with the CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS brought to fruition is the height of our ambition.
MY followers want to bring forth the CHRIST within to fruition and I will bring into legalization the reality of that CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS and establish it according to MY Message. Can you not see the mystery? I AM trying to legalize RIGHTEOUSNESS, TRUTH and JUSTICE as I see it. I AM trying to legalize MY Religious Conviction, reincarnate it in others and transmit it to them. Can you not see the mystery?
When the legalization of RIGHTEOUSNESS shall have been established universally, we shall have a RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT on the earth among us, and we will no longer look up in the mythological heaven to find a RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT where you will be protected, but you will find RIGHTEOUSNESS here on earth with us. Then you will have something to live for, will you not?
Then I say, the legalization of righteousness, truth and of justice, of square dealing and integrity, of honesty, of competence, and of truth--all of these desirable characteristics and attributes of GOD I Came to legalize, that mankind might realize the good can be a reality as well as the wicked and the negative.
As I heard one testifying here a little while ago, they have legalized crime. The legalization of the brothel in a great many places, the legalization of many of the different illegal and immoral habits of men, has been established on the earth plane. Why not bring into actuality the legalization of the Law of the Spirit of Life that was in CHRIST JESUS?
For this cause it has been transmitted, that it might be legalized among us and we might have a RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT controlled by the Law of the Spirit of Life that was in CHRIST JESUS and brought into legalization for the earth plane. For this cause I stress, to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, we will produce RIGHTEOUSNESS within ourselves and will legalize it by realizing the significance of the practicality of RIGHTEOUSNESS and bringing it into actuality and causing RIGHTEOUSNESS to be made real, tangible and practical.
Wickedness has been as active visibly manifested as the visibilization of a physical, tangibilated body of man. Wickedness has been materialized, reincarnated and personified. Men personify wickedness and they are a wicked people. They are not only wicked mentally and spiritually, but even their physical bodies are made wicked by the wickedness they have conceived and have been legalized in, in the act of doing the crooked work among the politicians and other representatives of the legal field of endeavor. They have been physically manifested as wicked people because of the wickedness they produce and bring into legalization and enact wickedness through their physical system and through their daily activities.
Well now, I Came to eradicate such, as a rebuttal to such an issue. Can you not see the mystery? I Came as One representing the Law of the Spirit of Life that was in CHRIST JESUS, and as the REPRODUCER and the FULFILLER of GOD'S unadulterated Life, to legalize it and personify it, that others might copy after it in opposition to those things that have been wickedly established materially. Can you not see the mystery?
Hence, this is exactly what I AM doing! I AM curbing crime in this City and elsewhere, wheresoever I AM, as no man can. No man can curb crime as I can! MY co-workers, followers and friends, they are willing to sacrifice their lives for RIGHTEOUSNESS' sake--no longer merely to sing the old familiar Christian song:
'Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the LAMB?'
but to act it out in reality; for
'Actions speak louder than words.'
They are Soldiers of the Cross! MY followers even capture burglars and hold-up
men with their naked hands because they are Soldiers of the Cross and followers
of the LAMB! Can you not see the mystery? And they also sacrifice their automobiles
and other things in this City as baits, as fishers to catch men who are hold-up
men, burglars and muggers. Can you not see the mystery? The automobiles are all
over the City wheresoever MY followers are, without being locked. They leave
them in the street without being locked! They are willing to sacrifice them as
a bait for the unrighteous crooks. Can you not see the mystery? And when they
go to steal an automobile, why, then we catch the man, even if they get the bait
at times. They have gotten a few baits of automobiles from MY followers, but
we have caught the men and pulled them in. Can you not see the mystery!
I do not mean that I do it Personally directly, neither MY followers directly at all times in those cases, but at times the Police Department will get them when we send out the alarm. Therefore it is a way to catch the wrong! It is a way to curb the crime.
When Jesus sent men out to fish, as He did Peter, James and John, He said:
'I will make you fishers of men.'
Well now, men of vice and crime, you have to have bait to get them. Many times
if you do not have a bait to draw them out, you will not catch them. I AM glad
I AM a BAIT for them!
Now this I did not tell so openly to the general public before. When I made MYSELF known in New York City, I said I Came to help clean up the City of its vice and its crime and of all corruption. I will get at the crooked politicians and all such. Well, you see, it stirred up, and the number racket has been eradicated completely. Now we are working on the sweepstakes. It is a hard saying, but yet it is true, for things that are unjust to you and your family, just taking the money from your little children and causing you to try to get something for nothing by being dishonest, it is not producing the spirit of honesty, of competence and of truth for the imbibement of your offspring and for others to imbibe such a spirit thereof. Can you not see the mystery?
Therefore I AM working from every angle expressible to reach all unrighteousness wheresoever it may be found, but the legalization of RIGHTEOUSNESS must be established as well as legalized crime has been. Can you not see the mystery?
So then, we believe in being sincere, just as sincere as sincere can be, but we do not believe in being sad and putting on long faces to appear as if though we are sincere. But we mean to be sincere as sincere can be and as honest as honest can be, and yet be as HAPPY as a bird in the tree!
If you notice, on the battlefields, to accomplish great things, it has been taught by all civilization in and among the armies and the navies, to always sing and have beautiful music, to lift your minds, to raise your vibrations above sadness, above doubts and above fears, that you might go up against the enemy. Well now, the vibrations among us are always lifted because we sing praise to GOD and give thanks at the remembrance of HIS HOLINESS, and we find so much to be thankful and happy for; therefore we are HAPPY and can march up against the burglar or hold-up man without anything in our hands and we capture him.
It has been a common saying quite often used in America and in some of the other countries--of course, this is only a superstitious fairy tale, as it may be termed, but yet it is logical in this instance--to give you a little sketch of a reflection of a parable of what GOD is actually doing--it has been said that if you carry some fresh salt along with you and throw some fresh salt on any wild bird's tail, you can catch him. He cannot do a thing!
So it is with the Spirit of GOD'S Presence. It will catch every unjust and unrighteous one when you are wholly consecrated to your GOD, for GOD is the OMNIPOTENT ONE and HIS ACTUAL PRESENCE electrifies and shocks the audiences wheresoever HE IS. Wheresoever MY true and faithful followers are, they will electrify those who come in contact with them until they cannot do them any harm.
There is a place at Coney Island where they can go in and walk through and there is a bellows that will blow up and cause you to get frightened, and if you turn around, all you have to do--I have seen men go in there with their companions, you know, and as they walked through there the bellows would blow with so much air, it would throw the ladies' dresses up and the man would look around as though he was offended, and a man with a little electric rod in his hand would just touch him like that with the little electric rod and he would calm right down. This is a parable concerning electricity.
But as I was telling you in that Message as proofread, concerning the mystery of Mr. Edison in his parable, it was merely a parable concerning the mystery of GOD'S Presence. Electricity is a true parable in the actuated words of expression, telling you how GOD can and will calm the nations. When this man touches you with that little electric rod, you become calm and you do not feel like doing anything.
If MY followers stay charged with the magnetic current of GOD'S INFINITE electric MAGNETICNESS, it will attract and draw and yet it will shock others who come in contact with it antagonistically or conflictingly and they cannot do a thing! They cannot do a thing!
That was the experience of the brother when that man ran out after him last night or whenever it was, he was saying, and came right up to him and the other one said to him, "Why don't you grab him?" What did he say? (FATHER speaking to Mr. Eagle.)
Mr. Eagle: He said,
'Why don't you grab that guy?'
And the other one said,
'I'm not going to do it--that guy's got something.'
(FATHER continuing:)
Now, he did not have anything in his hand, but he said PEACE and he called MY Name and the man lost his energy, lost his courage--the other man. So, know within yourselves, if you stay charged with GOD'S INFINITENESS, knowing within yourself you are living soberly, righteously and godly and are honest, competent and true, naught can do anything to you harmfully. I thank you. I thank you. I thank you!
(FATHER speaks again following another testimony:)
PEACE, EVERYONE! At this instance I would just like to say we have with us Sergeant Rieger, representing the Police Department of New York City and the City Government. I thank you. Sergeant Rieger!
Sergeant Rieger: "PEACE, everyone: I was listening to our good friend from Texas and I said to FATHER, I have got a message for him to take back to Texas. When you go back to Texas, my friend, you can tell those Texas Rangers--I believe they represent the State, don't they, law enforcement--and you can tell your county officials as well as any city officers, what FATHER'S followers have done in Harlem. I am here to tell you, and I as one should know what they have done. First, when FATHER and HIS followers moved in West One Hundred and Fifteenth Street between Fifth and Lennox Avenue, they cleaned it out of all undesirableness--it took approximately twelve hours to do it. There was no force--it was just the Presence of FATHER HIMSELF and HIS followers.
"They moved prostitutes out of there and they moved muggers out of there and pimps and what not. They have gone to other streets and they have moved that element out. I have been on desk duty in the station house when they brought in muggers who were armed with a revolver. After the prisoner had been booked, as we say, his pedigree entered in the arrest record, I questioned the prisoner and asked him how it came about that he was taken into custody by one of FATHER DIVINE'S followers. I got his statement. He said,
They just come up to me and said, "PEACE!" and I was helpless.
He said,
`They took me by the arm and took away the revolver and brought me in here.'
"We have had some burglaries on One Hundred and Fifteenth Street, in the
vicinity of Lennox Avenue, and several of FATHER'S followers brought the thieves
into the station house and recovered the property. I was on the desk duty again
at that time and I sat there amazed! I should not be amazed because I know what
they do, but they brought these three hoodlums in so fast--that is what amazed
me.
"Now they have had any number of false alarms of fire in years gone by. When I came and laid the facts before FATHER, HE advised HIS followers to go out and put a stop to it. I must say that in two and a half to three years we have had no more than three false alarms of fires.
"The other morning at half past one, there was a false alarm sent in at One Hundred and Twenty-second Street and Mount Morris Park West. The radio car arrived. There was a man standing on the corner. He said, `PEACE!' The officer immediately recognized who it was. He said, `The man who sent that alarm in just walked west on Mount Morris Park. I will point him out.' He did and the man was apprehended.
"Now, when you go back to Texas, you can tell them, from my own word I will qualify that statement, that wherever you find the followers of FATHER DIVINE in Texas, you will find law-abiding, peace-loving, righteous people! Thank you."
(A lady from Chicago spoke telling of attending the general Mass Meeting at
Rockland Palace and being so interested she remained from four o'clock in the
afternoon until the close of the meeting at midnight. She added that she felt
it was most wonderful that FATHER had brought the cost of living so low, and
was very grateful for the delicious dinner she had; and while she read many
articles of FATHER'S Work, she had no idea how wonderful it was. Judge Rainey
of Philadelphia spoke next preceding another Lecture FATHER gave on this occasion.)
New Day: July 20, 1939 A.D.F.D., Pg.85
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