A strife of words, of warring tongues, now waged,
And weapons vied with words the truth to slay;
Nor truth alone, but her brave oracle, 1250
A boy, by men, by neighborhoods, oppressed.
Still through his soul the solemn warning rang,
Still from his mouth the startling message flamed:
"No church the Christ's. None, therefore, can I join.
All sects and creeds have wandered from the way.
Priestcraft in lieu of Priesthood sits enthroned.
Dead forms deny the power of godliness.
Men worship with their lips, their hearts afar.
None serve acceptably in sight of heaven.
Wherefore a work of wonder shall be wrought, 1260
And perish all the wisdom of the wise[19]."
The wrangling sects forgave—well nigh forgot
Their former feuds and fears and jealousies;
And, joining hands, as Pilate Herod joined,
One guilty day when God stood man-condemned,
In friendly reconcilement's cordial clasp,
They doomed to death and hell "this heresy."
None sought, from "Satan's wile," a soul's reclaim,
But all were bent his humble name to blast;
And pious, would-be murder led the van 1270
Of common hatred and hostility.
But Truth, thou mother of the living thought,
The deathless word, the everduring deed!
What puny hand thy giant arm can stay?
When crushed or backward held, thine hour beyond?
Can bigot frown or tyrant fetter quell
Thy high revolt, O Light Omnipotent!
When God would speak with man, who tells Him nay?
Can hell prevent when heaven on earth would smile?
Pillowed in prayerful thought the wakeful seer. 1280
Without, broods darkness o'er a dreaming world;
Within, an angel's face turns night to day:
"A messenger from God[20] to thee I come;
Thy sins are pardoned through thy penitence;
Henceforward heard in every creed and clime
The good and evil tongues that trump thy fame.
Behold!"
Amazement now fresh wonder views;
And while enwrapt, as wave-like visions roll
Their spirit splendors on that gifted gaze, 1290
In words akin to these the tale tells on:
"A slumbering secret hides in yonder hill,
Graven on gold, in characters unknown—
Unknown to thee, but known to me and mine,
The language of my people, ages gone.
Beside the sacred volume, buried there
At His behest who gave my sire command,
The seer-stones, Urim, Thummim, named of old,
Whereby thou shalt dispel the mystery
That hangs above this heaven-favored land, 1300
And Joseph, speaking from the dust, shall join
With Judah, page to page[21], God's grace to tell.
"But be aware, lest Mammon's charm allure,
And tempt from truer wealth that shines within.
More than the lamp the light—be this thy quest:
Seek thou the gold that gilds eternity.
"The winter of the Gentile reign is o'er,
And Israel's springtime putteth forth its leaves.
Fruit planted in the gardens of the past
Hath ripened and is ready for the fall[22]. 1310
"Elias comes[23], Messiah's Messenger,
God's host to summon, and His house to save—
First by persuasion's pleading; that contemned,
By voice of wrath and stroke of violence.
He speaks—the mountains kneel, the valleys rise;
Rolls to the north the land-dividing wave;
Equality—nay, justice, holds the helm,
Each hath his own, the lost lamb finds the fold.
Elias comes—'tis restitution's reign,
And order hurls disorder from the throne. 1320