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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 Motion； you
would see a