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！
account for evil？ That Evil should proceed from Good is absurd。 If
evil does not exist； what do you make of social life and its laws？
On all hands we find a precipice！ On every side a gulf in which
reason is lost！ Then social science must be altogether
reconstructed。
〃Listen to me； uncle； until some splendid genius shall have taken
account of the obvious inequality of intellects and the general
sense of humanity； the word God will be constantly arraigned； and
Society will rest on shifting sands。 The secret of the various
moral zones through which man passes will be discovered by the
analysis of the animal type as a whole。 That animal type has
hitherto been studied with reference only to its differences； not
to its similitudes； in its organic manifestations； not in its
faculties。 Animal faculties are perfected in direct transmission；
in obedience to laws which remain to be discovered。 These
faculties correspond to the forces which express them； and those
forces are essentially material and divisible。
〃Material faculties！ Reflect on this juxtaposition of words。 Is
not this a problem as insoluble as that of the first communication
of motion to matteran unsounded gulf of which the difficulties
were transposed rather than removed by Newton's system？ Again； the
universal assimilation of light by everything that exists on earth
demands a new study of our globe。 The same animal differs in the
tropics of India and in the North。 Under the angular or the
vertical incidence of the sun's rays nature is developed the same；
but not the same； identical in its principles； but totally
dissimilar in its outcome。 The phenomenon that amazes our eyes in
the zoological world when we compare the butterflies of Brazil
with those of Europe； is even more startling in the world of Mind。
A particular facial angle； a certain amount of brain convolutions；
are indispensable to produce Columbus； Raphael； Napoleon； Laplace；
or Beethoven； the sunless valley produces the cretindraw your
own conclusions。 Why such differences； due to the more or less
ample diffusion of light to men？ The masses of suffering humanity；
more or less active； fed； and enlightened； are a difficulty to be
accounted for； crying out against God。
〃Why in great joy do we always want to quit the earth？ whence
comes the longing to rise which every creature has known or will
know？ Motion is a great soul； and its alliance with matter is just
as difficult to account for as the origin of thought in man。 In
these days science is one； it is impossible to touch politics
independent of moral questions； and these are bound up with
scientific questions。 It seems to me that we are on the eve of a
great human struggle； the forces are there； only I do not see the
General。
〃November 25。
〃Believe me； dear uncle； it is hard to give up the life that is in
us without a pang。 I am returning to Blois with a heavy grip at my
heart； I shall die then； taking with me some useful truths。 No
personal interest debases my regrets。 Is earthly fame a guerdon to
those who believe that they will mount to a higher sphere？
〃I am by no means in love with the two syllables /Lam/ and /bert/；
whether spoken with respect or with contempt over my grave； they
can make no change in my ultimate destiny。 I feel myself strong
and energetic； I might become a power； I feel in myself a life so
luminous that it might enlighten a world； and yet I am shut up in
a sort of mineral； as perhaps indeed are the colors you admire on
the neck of an Indian bird。 I should need to embrace the whole
world； to clasp and re…create it； but those who have done this；
who have thus embraced and remoulded it begandid they not？by
being a wheel in the machine。 I can only be crushed。 Mahomet had
the sword； Jesus had the cross； I shall die unknown。 I shall be at
Blois for a day； and then in my coffin。
〃Do you know why I have come back to Swedenborg after vast studies
of all religions； and after proving to myself； by reading all the
works published within the last sixty years by the patient
English； by Germany； and by France； how deeply true were my
youthful views about the Bible？ Swedenborg undoubtedly epitomizes
all the religionsor rather the one religionof humanity。 Though
forms of worship are infinitely various； neither their true
meaning nor their metaphysical interpretation has ever varied。 In
short； man has； and has had； but one religion。
〃Sivaism； Vishnuism； and Brahmanism； the three primitive creeds；
originating as they did in Thibet； in the valley of the Indus； and
on the vast plains of the Ganges； ended their warfare some
thousand years before the birth of Christ by adopting the Hindoo
Trimourti。 The Trimourti is our Trinity。 From this dogma Magianism
arose in Persia； in Egypt； the African beliefs and the Mosaic law；
the worship of the Cabiri； and the polytheism of Greece and Rome。
While by this ramification of the Trimourti the Asiatic myths
became adapted to the imaginations of various races in the lands
they reached by the agency of certain sages whom men elevated to
be demi…godsMithra； Bacchus； Hermes； Hercules； and the rest
Buddha； the great reformer of the three primeval religions； lived
in India； and founded his Church there； a sect which still numbers
two hundred millions more believers than Christianity can show；
while it certainly influenced the powerful Will both of Jesus and
of Confucius。
〃Then Christianity raised her standard。 Subsequently Mahomet fused
Judaism and Christianity； the Bible and the Gospel； in one book；
the Koran； adapting them to the apprehension of the Arab race。
Finally； Swedenborg borrowed from Magianism； Brahmanism； Buddhism；
and Christian mysticism all the truth and divine beauty that those
four great religious books hold in common； and added to them a
doctrine； a basis of reasoning； that may be termed mathematical。
〃Any man who plunges into these religious waters； of which the
sources are not all known； will find proofs that Zoroaster； Moses；
Buddha； Confucius； Jesus Christ； and Swedenborg had identical
principles and aimed at identical ends。
〃The last of them all； Swedenborg； will perhaps be the Buddha of
the North。 Obscure and diffuse as his writings are； we find in
them the elements of a magnificent conception of society。 His
Theocracy is sublime； and his creed is the only acceptable one to
superior souls。 He alone brings man into immediate communion with
God； he gives a thirst for God； he has freed the majesty of God
from the trappings in which other human dogmas have disguised Him。
He left Him where He is； making His myriad creations and creatures
gravitate towards Him through successive transformations which
promise a more immediate and more natural future than the Catholic
idea of Eternity。 Swedenborg has absolved God from the reproach
attaching to Him in the estimation of tender souls for the
perpetuity of revenge to punish the sin of a momenta system of
injustice and