seraphita-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



absolutely　irreconcilable　to　your　philosophies；　but　conjoined　by　fact。

However　abstract　man　may　suppose　the　relation　which　binds　two　things

together；　the　line　of　junction　is　perceptible。　How？　Where？　We　are　not

now　in　search　of　the　vanishing　point　where　Matter　subtilizes。　If　such

were　the　question；　I　cannot　see　why　He　who　has；　by　physical　relations；

studded　with　stars　at　immeasurable　distances　the　heavens　which　veil

Him；　may　not　have　created　solid　substances；　nor　why　you　deny　Him　the

faculty　of　giving　a　body　to　thought。



〃Thus　your　invisible　moral　universe　and　your　visible　physical　universe

are　one　and　the　same　matter。　We　will　not　separate　properties　from

substances；　nor　objects　from　effects。　All　that　exists；　all　that

presses　upon　us　and　overwhelms　us　from　above　or　from　below；　before　us

or　in　us；　all　that　which　our　eyes　and　our　minds　perceive；　all　these

named　and　unnamed　things　composein　order　to　fit　the　problem　of

Creation　to　the　measure　of　your　logica　block　of　finite　Matter；　but

were　it　infinite；　God　would　still　not　be　its　master。　Now；　reasoning

with　your　views；　dear　pastor；　no　matter　in　what　way　God　the　infinite

is　concerned　with　this　block　of　finite　Matter；　He　cannot　exist　and

retain　the　attributes　with　which　man　invests　Him。　Seek　Him　in　facts；

and　He　is　not；　spiritually　and　materially；　you　have　made　God

impossible。　Listen　to　the　Word　of　human　Reason　forced　to　its　ultimate

conclusions。



〃In　bringing　God　face　to　face　with　the　Great　Whole；　we　see　that　only

two　states　are　possible　between　them；either　God　and　Matter　are

contemporaneous；　or　God　existed　alone　before　Matter。　Were　Reasonthe

light　that　has　guided　the　human　race　from　the　dawn　of　its　existence

accumulated　in　one　brain；　even　that　mighty　brain　could　not　invent　a

third　mode　of　being　without　suppressing　both　Matter　and　God。　Let　human

philosophies　pile　mountain　upon　mountain　of　words　and　of　ideas；　let

religions　accumulate　images　and　beliefs；　revelations　and　mysteries；

you　must　face　at　last　this　terrible　dilemma　and　choose　between　the　two

propositions　which　compose　it；　you　have　no　option；　and　one　as　much　as

the　other　leads　human　reason　to　Doubt。



〃The　problem　thus　established；　what　signifies　Spirit　or　Matter？　Why

trouble　about　the　march　of　the　worlds　in　one　direction　or　in　　another；

since　the　Being　who　guides　them　is　shown　to　be　an　absurdity？　Why

continue　to　ask　whether　man　is　approaching　heaven　or　receding　from　it；

whether　creation　is　rising　towards　Spirit　or　descending　towards

Matter；　if　the　questioned　universe　gives　no　reply？　What　signifies

theogonies　and　their　armies；　theologies　and　their　dogmas；　since

whichever　side　of　the　problem　is　man's　choice；　his　God　exists　not？　Let

us　for　a　moment　take　up　the　first　proposition；　and　suppose　God

contemporaneous　with　Matter。　Is　subjection　to　the　action　or　the　co…

existence　of　an　alien　substance　consistent　with　being　God　at　all？　In

such　a　system；　would　not　God　become　a　secondary　agent　compelled　to

organize　Matter？　If　so；　who　compelled　Him？　Between　His　material　gross

companion　and　Himself；　who　was　the　arbiter？　Who　paid　the　wages　of　the

six　days'　labor　imputed　to　the　great　Designer？　Has　any　determining

force　been　found　which　was　neither　God　nor　Matter？　God　being　regarded

as　the　manufacturer　of　the　machinery　of　the　worlds；　is　it　not　as

ridiculous　to　call　Him　God　as　to　call　the　slave　who　turns　the

grindstone　a　Roman　citizen？　Besides；　another　difficulty；　as　insoluble

to　this　supreme　human　reason　as　it　is　to　God；　presents　itself。



〃If　we　carry　the　problem　higher；　shall　we　not　be　like　the　Hindus；　who

put　the　world　upon　a　tortoise；　the　tortoise　on　an　elephant；　and　do　not

know　on　what　the　feet　of　their　elephant　may　rest？　This　supreme　will；

issuing　from　the　contest　between　God　and　Matter；　this　God；　this　more

than　God；　can　He　have　existed　throughout　eternity　without　willing　what

He　afterwards　willed；admitting　that　Eternity　can　be　divided　into　two

eras。　No　matter　where　God　is；　what　becomes　of　His　intuitive

intelligence　if　He　did　not　know　His　ultimate　thought？　Which；　then；　is

the　true　Eternity；the　created　Eternity　or　the　uncreated？　But　if　God

throughout　all　time　did　will　the　world　such　as　it　is；　this　new

necessity；　which　harmonizes　with　the　idea　of　sovereign　intelligence；

implies　the　co…eternity　of　Matter。　Whether　Matter　be　co…eternal　by　a

divine　will　necessarily　accordant　with　itself　from　the　beginning；　or

whether　Matter　be　co…eternal　of　its　own　being；　the　power　of　God；　which

must　be　absolute；　perishes　if　His　will　is　circumscribed；　for　in　that

case　God　would　find　within　Him　a　determining　force　which　would　control

Him。　Can　He　be　God　if　He　can　no　more　separate　Himself　from　His

creation　in　a　past　eternity　than　in　the　coming　eternity？



〃This　face　of　the　problem　is　insoluble　in　its　cause。　Let　us　now

inquire　into　its　effects。　If　a　God　compelled　to　have　created　the　world

from　all　eternity　seems　inexplicable；　He　is　quite　as　unintelligible　in

perpetual　cohesion　with　His　work。　God；　constrained　to　live　eternally

united　to　His　creation　is　held　down　to　His　first　position　as　workman。

Can　you　conceive　of　a　God　who　shall　be　neither　independent　of　nor

dependent　on　His　work？　Could　He　destroy　that　work　without　challenging

Himself？　Ask　yourself；　and　decide！　Whether　He　destroys　it　some　day；　or

whether　He　never　destroys　it；　either　way　is　fatal　to　the　attributes

without　which　God　cannot　exist。　Is　the　world　an　experiment？　is　it　a

perishable　form　to　which　destruction　must　come？　If　it　is；　is　not　God

inconsistent　and　impotent？　inconsistent；　because　He　ought　to　have　seen

the　result　before　the　attempt；moreover　why　should　He　delay　to

destroy　that　which　He　is　to　destroy？impotent；　for　how　else　could　He

have　created　an　imperfect　man？



〃If　an　imperfect　creation　contradicts　the　faculties　which　man

attributes　to　God　we　are　forced　back　upon　the　question；　Is　creation

perfect？　The　idea　is　in　harmony　with　that　of　a　God　supremely

intelligent　who　could　make　no　mistakes；　but　then；　what　means　the

degradation　of　His　work；　and　its　regeneration？　Moreover；　a　perfect

world　is；　necessarily；　indestructible；　its　forms　would　not　perish；　it

could　neither　advance　nor　recede；　it　would　revolve　in　the　everlasting

circumference　from　which　it　would　never　issue。　In　that　case　God　would

be　dependent　on　His　work；　it　would　be　co…eternal　with　Him；　and　so　we

fall　back　into　one　of　the　propositions　most　antagonistic　to　God。　If

the　world　is　imperfect；　it　can　progress；　if　perfect；　it　is　stationary。

On　the　other　hand；　if　it　be　impossible　to　admit　of　a　progressive　God

ignorant　through　a　past　eternity　of　the　results　of　His　creative　work；

can　there　be　a　stationary　God？　would　not　that　imply　the　triumph　of

Matter？　would　it　not　be　the　greatest　of　all　negations？　Under　the　first

hypothesis　God　perishes　through　weakness；　under　the　second　through　the

Force　of　his　inertia。



〃Therefore；　to　all　sincere　minds　the　supposition　that　Matter；　in　the

conception　and　execution　of　the　worlds；　is　contemporaneous　with　God；

is　to　deny　God。　Forced　to　choose；　in　order　to　govern　the　nations；

between　the　two　alternatives　of　the　problem；　whole　generations　have

preferred　this　solution　of　it。　Hence　the　doctrine　of　the　two

principles　of　Magianism；　brought　from　Asia　and　adopted　in　Europe　under

the　form　of　Satan　warring　with　the　Eternal　Father。　But　this　religious

formula　and　the　innumerable　aspects　of　divinity　that　have　sprung　from

it　are　surely　crimes　against　the　Majesty　Divine。　What　other　term　can

we　apply　to　the　belief　which　sets　up　as　a　rival　to　God　a

personification　of　Evil；　striving　eternally　against　the　Omnipotent

Mind　without　the　possibility　of　ultimate　triumph？　Your　statics　declare

that　two　Forces　thus　pitted　against　each　other　are　reciprocally

rendered　null。



〃Do　you　turn　back；　therefore；　to　the　other　side　of　the　problem；　and

say　that　God　pre…existed；　original；　alone？



〃I　will　not　go　over　the　preceding　arguments　（which　here　return　in　full

force）　as　to　the　severance　of