Page:The Urantia Book, 1st Edition.djvu/553

Rh the univitatia occupies an enormous area in the mid-region of the thirty-fourth triangle immediately adjoining the residential reservation of the morontia citizens. From these arrangements it may be seen that provision is made for the accommodation of at least seventy major divisions of celestial life, and also that each of these seventy triangular areas is correlated with some one of the seventy major spheres of morontia training.

The Edentia sea of glass is one enormous circular crystal about one hundred miles in circumference and about thirty miles in depth. This magnificent crystal serves as the receiving field for all transport seraphim and other beings arriving from points outside the sphere; such a sea of glass greatly facilitates the landing of transport seraphim.

A crystal field on this order is found on almost all architectural worlds; and it serves many purposes aside from its decorative value, being utilized for portraying superuniverse reflectivity to assembled groups and as a factor in the energy-transformation technique for modifying the currents of space and for adapting other incoming physical-energy streams.

The constellations are the autonomous units of a local universe, each constellation being administered according to its own legislative enactments. When the courts of Nebadon sit in judgment on universe affairs, all internal matters are adjudicated in accordance with the laws prevailing in the constellation concerned. These judicial decrees of Salvington, together with the legislative enactments of the constellations, are executed by the administrators of the local systems.

Constellations thus function as the legislative or lawmaking units, while the local systems serve as the executive or enforcement units. The Salvington government is the supreme judicial and co-ordinating authority.

While the supreme judicial function rests with the central administration of a local universe, there are two subsidiary but major tribunals at the headquarters of each constellation, the Melchizedek council and the court of the Most High.

All judicial problems are first reviewed by the council of the Melchizedeks. Twelve of this order who have had certain requisite experience on the evolutionary planets and on the system headquarters worlds are empowered to review evidence, digest pleas, and formulate provisional verdicts, which are passed on to the court of the Most High, the reigning Constellation Father. The mortal division of this latter tribunal consists of seven judges, all of whom are ascendant mortals. The higher you ascend in the universe, the more certain you are to be judged by those of your own kind.

The constellation legislative body is divided into three groups. The legislative program of a constellation originates in the lower house of ascenders, a group presided over by a finaliter and consisting of one thousand representative mortals. Each system nominates ten members to sit in this deliberative assembly. On Edentia this body is not fully recruited at the present time.

The mid-chamber of legislators is composed of the seraphic hosts and their associates, other children of the local universe Mother Spirit. This group numbers one hundred and is nominated by the supervising personalities who preside