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some eternal cauldron or to walk in white robes； a palm in his hand
and a halo round his head？ Can it be that this pagan invention is the
final word of God？ Where is the generous soul who does not feel that
the calculating virtue which seeks the eternity of pleasure offered by
all religions to whoever fulfils at stray moments certain fanciful and
often unnatural conditions； is unworthy of man and of God？ Is it not a
mockery to give to man impetuous senses and forbid him to satisfy
them？ Besides； what mean these ascetic objections if Good and Evil are
equally abolished？ Does Evil exist？ If substance in all its forms is
God； then Evil is God。 The faculty of reasoning as well as the faculty
of feeling having been given to man to use； nothing can be more
excusable in him than to seek to know the meaning of human suffering
and the prospects of the future。
〃If these rigid and rigorous arguments lead to such conclusions
confusion must reign。 The world would have no fixedness； nothing would
advance； nothing would pause； all would change； nothing would be
destroyed； all would reappear after self…renovation； for if your mind
does not clearly demonstrate to you an end； it is equally impossible
to demonstrate the destruction of the smallest particle of Matter；
Matter can transform but not annihilate itself。
〃Though blind force may provide arguments for the atheist； intelligent
force is inexplicable； for if it emanates from God； why should it meet
with obstacles？ ought not its triumph to be immediate？ Where is God？
If the living cannot perceive Him； can the dead find Him？ Crumble； ye
idolatries and ye religions！ Fall； feeble keystones of all social
arches； powerless to retard the decay； the death； the oblivion that
have overtaken all nations however firmly founded！ Fall； morality and
justice！ our crimes are purely relative； they are divine effects whose
causes we are not allowed to know。 All is God。 Either we are God or
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