Là-bas by J.-K. (Joris-Karl) Huysmans
page 64 of 341 (18%)
page 64 of 341 (18%)
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letting that saturnine smile play around the corner of your mouth, tell
me, in perfectly good faith, whether you do or do not believe in Catholicism?" "He!" exclaimed the bell-ringer. "Why, he's worse than an unbeliever, he's a heresiarch." "The fast is, if I were certain of anything, I would be inclined toward Manicheism," said Des Hermies. "It's one of the oldest and it is _the_ simplest of religions, and it best explains the abominable mess everything is in at the present time. "The Principle of Good and the Principle of Evil, the God of Light and the God of Darkness, two rivals, are fighting for our souls. That's at least clear. Right now it is evident that the Evil God has the upper hand and is reigning over the world as master. Now--and on this point, Carhaix, who is distressed by these theories, can't reprehend me--I am for the under dog. That's a generous and perfectly proper idea." "But Manicheism is impossible!" cried the bell-ringer. "Two infinities cannot exist together." "But nothing can exist if you get to reasoning. The moment you argue the Catholic dogma everything goes to pieces. The proof that two infinities can coexist is that this idea passes beyond reason and enters the category of those things referred to in Ecclesiasticus: 'Inquire not into things higher than thou, for many things have shown themselves to be above the sense of men.' "Manicheism, you see, must have had some good in it, because it was |
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