seraphita-第27章

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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　Motion；　you

would　see　at　once　that　we　speak　two　different　languages。　I　understand

them　both；　you　understand　neither。



〃Suppose　I　add　that　Motion　and　Number　are　engendered　by　the　Word；

namely　the　supreme　Reason　of　Seers　and　Prophets　who　in　the　olden　time

heard　the　Breath　of　God　beneath　which　Saul　fell　to　the　earth。　That

Word；　you　scoff　at　it；　you　men；　although　you　well　know　that　all

visible　works；　societies；　monuments；　deeds；　passions；　proceed　from　the

breath　of　your　own　feeble　word；　and　that　without　that　word　you　would

resemble　the　African　gorilla；　the　nearest　approach　to　man；　the　Negro。

You　believe　firmly　in　Number　and　in　Motion；　a　force　and　a　result　both

inexplicable；　incomprehensible；　to　the　existence　of　which　I　may　apply

the　logical　dilemma　which；　as　we　have　seen；　prevents　you　from

believing　in　God。　Powerful　reasoner　that　you　are；　you　do　not　need　that

I　should　prove　to　you　that　the　Infinite　must　everywhere　be　like　unto

Itself；　and　that；　necessarily；　it　is　One。　God　alone　is　Infinite；　for

surely　there　cannot　be　two　Infinities；　two　Ones。　If；　to　make　use　of

human　terms；　anything　demonstrated　to　you　here　below　seems　to　you

infinite；　be　sure　that　within　it　you　will　find　some　one　aspect　of　God。

But　to　continue。



〃You　have　appropriated　to　yourself　a　place　in　the　Infinite　of　Number；

you　have　fitted　it　to　your　own　proportions　by　creating　（if　indeed　you

did　create）　arithmetic；　the　basis　on　which　all　things　rest；　even　your

societies。　Just　as　Numberthe　only　thing　in　which　your　self…styled

atheists　believeorganized　physical　creations；　so　arithmetic；　in　the

employ　of　Number；　organized　the　moral　world。　This　numeration　must　be

absolute；　like　all　else　that　is　true　in　itself；　but　it　is　purely

relative；　it　does　not　exist　absolutely；　and　no　proof　can　be　given　of

its　reality。　In　the　first　place；　though　Numeration　is　able　to　take

account　of　organized　substances；　it　is　powerless　in　relation　to

unorganized　forces；　the　ones　being　finite　and　the　others　infinite。　The

man　who　can　conceive　the　Infinite　by　his　intelligence　cannot　deal　with

it　in　its　entirety；　if　he　could；　he　would　be　God。　Your　Numeration；

applying　to　things　finite　and　not　to　the　Infinite；　is　therefore　true

in　relation　to　the　details　which　you　are　able　to　perceive；　and　false

in　relation　to　the　Whole；　which　you　are　unable　to　perceive。　Though

Nature　is　like　unto　herself　in　the　organizing　force　or　in　her

principles　which　are　infinite；　she　is　not　so　in　her　finite　effects。

Thus　you　will　never　find　in　Nature　two　objects　identically　alike。　In

the　Natural　Order　two　and　two　never　make　four；　to　do　so；　four　exactly

similar　units　must　be　had；　and　you　know　how　impossible　it　is　to　find

two　leaves　alike　on　the　same　tree；　or　two　trees　alike　of　the　same

species。　This　axiom　of　your　numeration；　false　in　visible　nature；　is

equally　false　in　the　invisible　universe　of　your　abstractions；　where

the　same　variance　takes　place　in　your　ideas；　which　are　the　things　of

the　visible　world　extended　by　means　of　their　relations；　so　that　the

variations　here　are　even　more　marked　than　elsewhere。　In　fact；　all

being　relative　to　the　temperament；　strength；　habits；　and　customs　of

individuals；　who　never　resemble　each　other；　the　smallest　objects　take

the　color　of　personal　feelings。　For　instance；　man　has　been　able　to

create　units　and　to　give　an　equal　weight　and　value　to　bits　of　gold。

Well；　take　the　ducat　of　the　rich　man　and　the　ducat　of　the　poor　man　to

a　money…changer　and　they　are　rated　exactly　equal；　but　to　the　mind　of

the　thinker　one　is　of　greater　importance　than　the　other；　one

represents　a　month　of　comfort；　the　other　an　ephemeral　caprice。　Two　and

two；　therefore；　only　make　four　through　a　false　conception。



〃Again：　fraction　does　not　exist　in　Nature；　where　what　you　call　a

fragment　is　a　finished　whole。　Does　it　not　often　happen　（have　you　not

many　proofs　of　it？）　that　the　hundredth　part　of　a　substance　is　stronger

than　what　you　term　the　whole　of　it？　If　fraction　does　not　exist　in　the

Natural　Order；　still　less　shall　we　find　it　in　the　Moral　Order；　where

ideas　and　sentiments　may　be　as　varied　as　the　species　of　the　Vegetable

kingdom　and　yet　be　always　whole。　The　theory　of　fractions　is　therefore

another　signal　instance　of　the　servility　of　your　mind。



〃Thus　Number；　with　its　infinite　minuteness　and　its　infinite　expansion；

is　a　power　whose　weakest　side　is　known　to　you；　but　whose　real　import

escapes　your　perception。　You　have　built　yourself　a　hut　in　the　Infinite

of　numbers；　you　have　adorned　it　with　hieroglyphics　scientifically

arranged　and　painted；　and　you　cry　out；　'All　is　here！'



〃Let　us　pass　from　pure；　unmingled　Number　to　corporate　Number。　Your

geometry　establishes　that　a　straight　line　is　the　shortest　way　from　one

point　to　another；　but　your　astronomy　proves　that　God　has　proceeded　by

curves。　Here；　then；　we　find　two　truths　equally　proved　by　the　same

science；one　by　the　testimony　of　your　senses　reinforced　by　the

telescope；　the　other　by　the　testimony　of　your　mind；　and　yet　the　one

contradicts　the　other。　Man；　liable　to　err；　affirms　one；　and　the　Maker

of　the　worlds；　whom；　so　far；　you　have　not　detected　in　error；

contradicts　it。　Who　shall　decide　between　rectalinear　and　curvilinear

geometry？　between　the　theory　of　the　straight　line　and　that　of　the

curve？　If；　in　His　vast　work；　the　mysterious　Artificer；　who　knows　how

to　reach　His　ends　miraculously　fast；　never　employs　a　straight　line

except　to　cut　off　an　angle　and　so　obtain　a　curve；　neither　does　man

himself　always　rely　upon　it。　The　bullet　which　he　aims　direct　proceeds

by　a　curve；　and　when　you　wish　to　strike　a　certain　point　in　space；　you

impel　your　bombshell　along　its　cruel　parabola。　None　of　your　men　of

science　have　drawn　from　this　fact　the　simple　deduction　that　the　Curve

is　the　law　of　the　material　worlds　and　the　Straight　line　that　of　the

Spiritual　worlds；　one　is　the　theory　of　finite　creations；　the　other　the

theory　of　the　infinite。　Man；　who　alone　in　the　world　has