FIRST ARTICLE
SOLUTION OF THE FIRST PROBLEM
THE TRUE GOD
BY ELIPHAS LEVI
GOD can only be defined by faith; science can neither deny nor affirm that He exists.
God is the absolute object of human faith. In the infinite, He is the supreme and creative intelligence of order. In the world, He is the spirit of charity.
Is the Universal Being a fatal machine which eternally grinds down intelligences by chance, or a providential intelligence which directs forces in order to ameliorate minds?
The first hypothesis is repugnant to reason; it is pessimistic and immoral.
Science and reason ought then to accept the second.
Yes, Proudhon, God is an hypothesis, but an hypothesis so necessary, that without it, all theorems become absurd or doubtful.
For initiates of the Qabalah, God is the absolute unity which creates and animates numbers.
The unity of the human intelligence demonstrates the unity of God.
The key of numbers is that of creeds, because signs are {12} analogical figures of the harmony which proceeds from numbers.
Mathematics could never demonstrate blind fatality, because they are the expression of the exactitude which is the character of the highest reason.
Unity demonstrates the analogy of contraries; it is the foundation, the equilibrium, and the end of numbers. The act of faith starts from unity, and returns to unity.
{Illustration on page 13 described:
This is titled below: "THE SIGN OF THE GRAND ARCANUM G.'. A.'."
The figure is contained within a rectangle of width about half height. The main element is a circle, bottom half shaded, pierced through on the vertical diameter from below by a vertical sword or baton. The "sword" has a right hand holding the pommel below, issuing from a cloud to lower right. The hilt is not evident simply, but suggested by two tails of serpents crossing just below the lower limit of the circle. To either side of the pommel beneath the snake tails are the letters "FIN" to left and "AL" to right. The point of the sword above the upper limit of the circle is buttoned by a fleur-de-lis. The two serpents are entwined about the sword to form a caduceus with two circles vertically circumscribed within the greater circle. These serpents are billed. There are two shaded bands on the two horizontal diameters of the serpent circles. Five Hebrew letters are along the sword, only the topmost upon the blade and the others beneath: Top quarter --- HB:Yod , next quarter --- HB:Aleph , center --- HB:Shin , next quarter is probably but not certainly HB:
Mem, bottom quarter is an inverted HB:Heh . The upper half of the upper serpent circle has Aleph-Heh-Yod-Heh just above the diameter bar, and the lower quarter of the lower serpent circle has the same inverted just below the diameter bar. There is an "X" of thin line diameters across the large circle. At the horizontal diameter of the large circle, just above to the left "THROSNE" and to the right "DE JVSTICE". Oriented about the circle to be read from the center are the following words: At left outside "COVRONNE", at top and split "MED" "IATE", at right
"ECLESIASTIQVE", at bottom and split "DIR" "ECTE". Two words in italics extend just above the horizontal diameter in invisible extensis and through the rectangle: to left "HARMONIE", to right "CEELESTE". Above the button of the sword is a small circle, and to the left of that "Tzaddi-Dalet-Qof", to the right "Peh-Lamed-Kophfinal" (possibly "Mem-Lamed-Kophfinal" or "Samekh-Lamed-Kophfinal"). Below this, interrupted by the button are two texts: to the right: "(?)Aleph-Samekh-Peh-Kophfinal Bet-Shin-Vau-Shin-Nunfinal Heh-Bet-Yod-Resh " (First word doubtful, text referred to Dan. 8, where it must
be altered from Dan. 8, 2: "Vau-Aleph-Nun-Yod Bet-Shin-Vau-Shin-Nunfinal Heh-Bet-Yod-Resh-Heh" "I was in Shushan castle". This variant could be translated as "sheath in Shushan castle".) Beneath this: "DANIEL ch. 8." The text to the left cannot be rendered accurately owing to similarity of letter shapes and no direct bearing to the text cited. It looks like: "Aleph-Taw-Tet-Dalet-Resh-Vau-Shin Samekh-Resh-Vau-Koph-Yod", but that is not likely to be even close. Beneath this is the citation "Nehemie ch.1 v.1" which does not contain any part of this versicle, but which does mention the castle at Shusah, cited in the versicle to the right. Possibly the whole thing is a continuation of a paraphrase of Daniel 8, 2, with
the text unclear because of letter shapes poorly written. Lastly, to the left outside of the upper serpent circle: "SENS"; and to the right inside the same: "RASON" --- both oriented to be read from the center.}
{13}
We shall now sketch out an explanation of the Bible by the aid of numbers, for the Bible is the book of the images of God.
We shall ask numbers to give us the reason of the dogmas of eternal religion; numbers will always reply by reuniting themselves in the synthesis of unity.
The following pages are simply outlines of qabalistic hypotheses; they stand apart from faith, and we indicate them only as curiosities of research. It is no part of our task to make innovations in dogma, and what we assert in our character as an initiate is entirely subordinate to our submission in our character as a Christian.<<This passage is typical of the sublime irony of Levi, and the key to the whole of his paradoxes. --- TRANS.>>
