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- 2026-01-30T20:48:09.927Z
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- text
- “Then, all thanks and all honor to your generosity, my lord, in
granting us the immunities you did at the outset of this voyage. But,
my lord, permit me one word more. Is not Oro omnipresent—absolutely
every where?”
“So you mortals teach, Babbalanja.”
“But so do they _mean_, my lord. Often do we Mardians stick to terms
for ages, yet truly apply not their meanings.”
“Well, Oro is every where. What now?”
“Then, if that be absolutely so, Oro is not merely a universal
on-looker, but occupies and fills all space; and no vacancy is left for
any being, or any thing but Oro. Hence, Oro is _in_ all things, and
himself _is_ all things—the time-old creed. But since evil abounds, and
Oro is all things, then he can not be perfectly good; wherefore, Oro’s
omnipresence and moral perfection seem incompatible. Furthermore, my
lord those orthodox systems which ascribe to Oro almighty and universal
attributes every way, those systems, I say, destroy all intellectual
individualities but Oro, and resolve the universe into him. But this is
a heresy; wherefore, orthodoxy and heresy are one. And thus is it, my
lord, that upon these matters we Mardians all agree and disagree
together, and kill each other with weapons that burst in our hands. Ah,
my lord, with what mind must blessed Oro look down upon this scene!
Think you he discriminates between the deist and atheist? Nay; for the
Searcher of the cores of all hearts well knoweth that atheists there
are none. For in things abstract, men but differ in the sounds that
come from their mouths, and not in the wordless thoughts lying at the
bottom of their beings. The universe is all of one mind. Though my
twin-brother sware to me, by the blazing sun in heaven at noon-day,
that Oro is not; yet would he belie the thing he intended to express.
And who lives that blasphemes? What jargon of human sounds so puissant
as to insult the unutterable majesty divine? Is Oro’s honor in the
keeping of Mardi?— Oro’s conscience in man’s hands? Where our warrant,
with Oro’s sign-manual, to justify the killing, burning, and
destroying, or far worse, the social persecutions we institute in his
behalf? Ah! how shall these self-assumed attorneys and vicegerents be
astounded, when they shall see all heaven peopled with heretics and
heathens, and all hell nodding over with miters! Ah! let us Mardians
quit this insanity. Let us be content with the theology in the grass
and the flower, in seed-time and harvest. Be it enough for us to know
that Oro indubitably is. My lord! my lord! sick with the spectacle of
the madness of men, and broken with spontaneous doubts, I sometimes see
but two things in all Mardi to believe:—that I myself exist, and that I
can most happily, or least miserably exist, by the practice of
righteousness. All else is in the clouds; and naught else may I learn,
till the firmament be split from horizon to horizon. Yet, alas! too
often do I swing from these moorings.”
“Alas! his fit is coming upon him again,” whispered Yoomy.
“Why, Babbalanja,” said Media, “I almost pity you. You are too warm,
too warm. Why fever your soul with these things? To no use you mortals
wax earnest. No thanks, but curses, will you get for your earnestness.
You yourself you harm most. Why not take creeds as they come? It is not
so hard to be persuaded; never mind about believing.”
“True, my lord; not very hard; no act is required; only passiveness.
Stand still and receive. Faith is to the thoughtless, doubts to the
thinker.”
“Then, why think at all? Is it not better for you mortals to clutch
error as in a vice, than have your fingers meet in your hand? And to
what end your eternal inquisitions? You have nothing to substitute. You
say all is a lie; then out with the truth. Philosopher, your devil is
but a foolish one, after all. I, a demi-god, never say nay to these
things.”
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