seraphita- 第21部分

God　is　not！Child　of　a　century　whose　every　year　has　laid　upon　your

brow；　old　man；　the　ice　of　its　unbelief；　here；　here　is　the　summing　up

of　your　lifetime　of　thought；　of　your　science　and　your　reflections！

Dear　Monsieur　Becker；　you　have　laid　your　head　upon　the　pillow　of

Doubt；　because　it　is　the　easiest　of　solutions；　acting　in　this　respect

with　the　majority　of　mankind；　who　say　in　their　hearts：　'Let　us　think

no　more　of　these　problems；　since　God　has　not　vouchsafed　to　grant　us

the　algebraic　demonstrations　that　could　solve　them；　while　He　has　given

us　so　many　other　ways　to　get　from　earth　to　heaven。'



〃Tell　me；　dear　pastor；　are　not　these　your　secret　thoughts？　Have　I

evaded　the　point　of　any？　nay；　rather；　have　I　not　clearly　stated　all？

First；　in　the　dogma　of　two　principles；an　antagonism　in　which　God

perishes　for　the　reason　that　being　All…Powerful　He　chose　to　combat。

Secondly；　in　the　absurd　pantheism　where；　all　being　God；　God　exists　no

longer。　These　two　sources；　from　which　have　flowed　all　the　religions

for　whose　triumph　Earth　has　toiled　and　prayed；　are　equally　pernicious。

Behold　in　them　the　double…bladed　axe　with　which　you　decapitate　the

white　old　man　whom　you　enthrone　among　your　painted　clouds！　And　now；　to

me　the　axe；　I　wield　it！〃



Monsieur　Becker　and　Wilfrid　gazed　at　the　young　girl　with　something

like　terror。



〃To　believe；〃　continued　Seraphita；　in　her　Woman's　voice；　for　the　Man

had　finished　speaking；　〃to　believe　is　a　gift。　To　believe　is　to　feel。

To　believe　in　God　we　must　feel　God。　This　feeling　is　a　possession

slowly　acquired　by　the　human　being；　just　as　other　astonishing　powers

which　you　admire　in　great　men；　warriors；　artists；　scholars；　those　who

know　and　those　who　act；　are　acquired。　Thought；　that　budget　of　the

relations　which　you　perceive　among　created　things；　is　an　intellectual

language　which　can　be　learned；　is　it　not？　Belief；　the　budget　of

celestial　truths；　is　also　a　language　as　superior　to　thought　as　thought

is　to　instinct。　This　language　also　can　be　learned。　The　Believer

answers　with　a　single　cry；　a　single　gesture；　Faith　puts　within　his

hand　a　flaming　sword　with　which　he　pierces　and　illumines　all。　The　Seer

attains　to　heaven　and　descends　not。　But　there　are　beings　who　believe

and　see；　who　know　and　will；　who　love　and　pray　and　wait。　Submissive；

yet　aspiring　to　the　kingdom　of　light；　they　have　neither　the　aloofness

of　the　Believer　nor　the　silence　of　the　Seer；　they　listen　and　reply。　To

them　the　doubt　of　the　twilight　ages　is　not　a　murderous　weapon；　but　a

divining　rod；　they　accept　the　contest　under　every　form；　they　train

their　tongues　to　every　language；　they　are　never　angered；　though　they

groan；　the　acrimony　of　the　aggressor　is　not　in　them；　but　rather　the

softness　and　tenuity　of　light；　which　penetrates　and　warms　and

illumines。　To　their　eyes　Doubt　is　neither　an　impiety；　nor　a　blasphemy；

nor　a　crime；　but　a　transition　through　which　men　return　upon　their

steps　in　the　Darkness；　or　advance　into　the　Light。　This　being　so；　dear

pastor；　let　us　reason　together。



〃You　do　not　believe　in　God？　Why？　God；　to　your　thinking；　is

incomprehensible；　inexplicable。　Agreed。　I　will　not　reply　that　to

comprehend　God　in　His　entirety　would　be　to　be　God；　nor　will　I　tell　you

that　you　deny　what　seems　to　you　inexplicable　so　as　to　give　me　the

right　to　affirm　that　which　to　me　is　believable。　There　is；　for　you；　one

evident　fact；　which　lies　within　yourself。　In　you；　Matter　has　ended　in

intelligence；　can　you　therefore　think　that　human　intelligence　will　end

in　darkness；　doubt；　and　nothingness？　God　may　seem　to　you

incomprehensible　and　inexplicable；　but　you　must　admit　Him　to　be；　in

all　things　purely　physical；　a　splendid　and　consistent　workman。　Why

should　His　craft　stop　short　at　man；　His　most　finished　creation？



〃If　that　question　is　not　convincing；　at　least　it　compels　meditation。

Happily；　although　you　deny　God；　you　are　obliged；　in　order　to　establish

your　doubts；　to　admit　those　double…bladed　facts；　which　kill　your

arguments　as　much　as　your　arguments　kill　God。　We　have　also　admitted

that　Matter　and　Spirit　are　two　creations　which　do　not　comprehend　each

other；　that　the　spiritual　world　is　formed　of　infinite　relations　to

which　the　finite　material　world　has　given　rise；　that　if　no　one　on

earth　is　able　to　identify　himself　by　the　power　of　his　spirit　with　the

great…whole　of　terrestrial　creations；　still　less　is　he　able　to　rise　to

the　knowledge　of　the　relations　which　the　spirit　perceives　between

these　creations。



〃We　might　end　the　argument　here　in　one　word；　by　denying　you　the

faculty　of　comprehending　God；　just　as　you　deny　to　the　pebbles　of　the

fiord　the　faculties　of　counting　and　of　seeing　each　other。　How　do　you

know　that　the　stones　themselves　do　not　deny　the　existence　of　man；

though　man　makes　use　of　them　to　build　his　houses？　There　is　one　fact

that　appals　you；the　Infinite；　if　you　feel　it　within；　why　will　you

not　admit　its　consequences？　Can　the　finite　have　a　perfect　knowledge　of

the　infinite？　If　you　cannot　perceive　those　relations　which；　according

to　your　own　admission；　are　infinite；　how　can　you　grasp　a　sense　of　the

far…off　end　to　which　they　are　converging？　Order；　the　revelation　of

which　is　one　of　your　needs；　being　infinite；　can　your　limited　reason

apprehend　it？　Do　not　ask　why　man　does　not　comprehend　that　which　he　is

able　to　perceive；　for　he　is　equally　able　to　perceive　that　which　he

does　not　comprehend。　If　I　prove　to　you　that　your　mind　ignores　that

which　lies　within　its　compass；　will　you　grant　that　it　is　impossible

for　it　to　conceive　whatever　is　beyond　it？　This　being　so；　am　I　not

justified　in　saying　to　you：　'One　of　the　two　propositions　under　which

God　is　annihilated　before　the　tribunal　of　our　reason　must　be　true；　the

other　is　false。　Inasmuch　as　creation　exists；　you　feel　the　necessity　of

an　end；　and　that　end　should　be　good；　should　it　not？　Now；　if　Matter

terminates　in　man　by　intelligence；　why　are　you　not　satisfied　to

believe　that　the　end　of　human　intelligence　is　the　Light　of　the　higher

spheres；　where　alone　an　intuition　of　that　God　who　seems　so　insoluble　a

problem　is　obtained？　The　species　which　are　beneath　you　have　no

conception　of　the　universe；　and　you　have；　why　should　there　not　be

other　species　above　you　more　intelligent　than　your　own？　Man　ought　to

be　better　informed　than　he　is　about　himself　before　he　spends　his

strength　in　measuring　God。　Before　attacking　the　stars　that　light　us；

and　the　higher　certainties；　ought　he　not　to　understand　the　certainties

which　are　actually　about　him？'



〃But　no！　to　the　negations　of　doubt　I　ought　rather　to　reply　by

negations。　Therefore　I　ask　you　whether　there　is　anything　here　below　so

evident　that　I　can　put　faith　in　it？　I　will　show　you　in　a　moment　that

you　believe　firmly　in　things　which　act；　and　yet　are　not　beings；　in

things　which　engender　thought；　and　yet　are　not　spirits；　in　living

abstractions　which　the　understanding　cannot　grasp　in　any　shape；　which

are　in　fact　nowhere；　but　which　you　perceive　everywhere；　which　have；

and　can　have；　on　name；　but　which；　nevertheless；　you　have　named；　and

which；　like　the　God　of　flesh　upon　whom　you　figure　to　yourself；　remain

inexplicable；　incomprehensible；　and　absurd。　I　shall　also　ask　you　why；

after　admitting　the　existence　of　these　incomprehensible　things；　you

reserve　your　doubts　for　God？



〃You　believe；　for　instance；　in　Number；a　base　on　which　you　have　built

the　edifice　of　sciences　which　you　call　'exact。'　Without　Number；　what

would　become　of　mathematics？　Well；　what　mysterious　being　endowed　with

the　faculty　of　living　forever　could　utter；　and　what　language　would　be

compact　to　word　the　Number　which　contains　the　infinite　numbers　whose

existence　is　revealed　to　you　by　thought？　Ask　it　of　the　loftiest　human

genius；　he　might　ponder　it　for　a　thousand　years　and　what　would　be　his

answer？　You　know　neither　where　Number　begins；　nor　where　it　pauses；　nor

where　it　ends。　Here　you　call　it　Time；　there　you　call　it　Space。　Nothing

exists　except　by　Number。　Without　it；　all　would　be　one　and　the　same

substance；　for　Number　alone　differentiates　and　qualifies　substance。

Number　is　to　your　Spirit　what　it　is　to　Matter；　an　incomprehensible

agent。　Will　you　make　a　Deity　of　it？　Is　it　a　being？　Is　it　a　breath

emanating　from　God　to　organize　the　material　universe　where　nothing

obtains　form　except　by　the　Divinity　which　is　an　effect　of　Number？　The

least　as　well　as　the　greatest　of　creations　are　distinguishable　from

each　other　by　quantities；　qualities；　dimensions；　forces；all

attributes　created　by　Number。　The　infinitude　of　Numbers　is　a　fact

proved　to　your　soul；　but　of　which　no　material　proof　can　be　given。　The

mathematician　himself　tells　you　that　the　infinite　of　numbers　exists；

but　cannot　be　proved。



〃God；　dear　pastor；　is　a　Number　endowed　with　motion；felt；　but　not

seen；　the　Believer　will　tell　you。　Like　the　Unit；　He　begins　Number；

with　which　He　has　nothing　in　common。　The　existence　of　Number　depends

on　the　Unit；　which　without　being　a　number　engenders　Number。　God；　dear

pastor　is　a　glorious　Unit　who　has　nothing　in　common　with　His　creations

but　who；　nevertheless；　engenders　them。　Will　you　not　therefore　agree

with　me　that　you　are　just　as　ignorant　of　where　Number　begins　and　ends

as　you　are　of　where　created　Eternity　begins　and　ends？



〃Why；　then；　if　you　believe　in　Number；　do　you　deny　God？　Is　not　Creation

interposed　between　the　Infinite　of　unorganized　substances　and　the

Infinite　of　the　divine　spheres；　just　as　the　Unit　stands　between　the

Cipher　of　the　fractions　you　have　lately　named　Decimals；　and　the

Infinite　of　Numbers　which　you　call　Wholes？　Man　alone　on　earth

comprehends　Number；　that　first　step　of　the　peristyle　which　leads　to

God；　and　yet　his　reason　stumbles　on　it！　What！　you　can　neither　measure

nor　grasp　the　first　abstraction　which　God　delivers　to　you；　and　yet　you

try　to　subject　His　ends　to　your　own　tape…line！　Suppose　that　I　plunge

you　into　the　abyss　of　Motion；　the　force　that　organizes　Number。　If　I

tell　you　that　the　Universe　is　naught　else　than　Number　and