5 Now Meng-ste was the oldest sage; he took the chair of chief, and said,
6 Man is not far enough advanced to live by faith; he cannot comprehend the things his eyes see not,
7 He yet is child, and during all the coming age he must be taught by pictures, symbols, rites, and forms.
8 His God must be a human God; he cannot see a God by faith.
9 And then he cannot rule himself; the king must rule; the man must serve.
10 The age that follows this will be the age of man, the age of faith.
11 In that blest age the human race will see without the aid of carnal eyes; will hear the soundless sound; will know the Spirit-God.
12 The age we enter is the Preparation age, and all the schools, and governments and worship rites must be designed in simple way that men may comprehend.
13 And man cannot originate; he builds by patterns that he sees; so in this council we must carve out pattern for the coming age.
14 And we must formulate the gnosis of the Empire of the soul, which rests on seven postulates.