第25章

'If,' said she,' you look back upon what we that have agreed upon earlier, you will also soon recall what you just now said you knew not.'

'What is that? ' I asked.

94:1 -- Plato's doctrine of remembrance is chiefly treated of in his Ph?do and Meno.Page 95'The guidance by which the universe is directed.'

'Yes, I remember confessing my ignorance, and though Ithink I foresee the answer you will offer, I am eager to hear you explain it more fully.'

'This world,' she said,' you thought a little while ago must without doubt be guided by God.'

'And I think so now,' I said,' and will never think there is any doubt thereof; and I will shortly explain by what reasoning I arrive at that point.This universe would never have been suitably put together into one form from such various and opposite parts, unless there were some One who joined such different parts together; and when joined, the very variety of their natures, so discordant among themselves, would break their harmony and tear them asunder unless the One held together what it wove into one whole.Such a fixed order of nature could not continue its course, could not develop motions taking such various directions in place, time, operation, space, and attributes, unless there were One who, being immutable, had the disposal of these various changes.And this cause of their remaining fixed and their moving, I call God, according to the name familiar to all.'

Then said she,' Since these are your feelings, I think there is but little trouble left me before you may revisit your home with happiness in your grasp.But let us look into the matter we Page 96have set before ourselves.Have we not shewn that complete satisfaction exists in true happiness, and we have agreed that God is happiness itself, have we not? '

'We have.'

'Wherefore He needs no external aid in governing the universe, or, if He had any such need, He would not have this complete sufficiency.'

'That of necessity follows,' I said.

'Then He arranges all things by Himself.' Without doubt He does.'

'And God has been shewn to be the absolute good.'

'Yes, I remember.'

'Then He arranges all things by good, if He arranges them by Himself, whom we have agreed to be the absolute good.And so this is the tiller and rudder by which the ship of the universe is kept sure and unbreakable.'

'I feel that most strongly,' I said; 'and I foresaw that you would say so before, though I had a slight uncertainty.'

'I believe you,' she said,' for now you bring your eyes more watchfully to scan the truth.But what I am going to say is no less plain to the sight.'

'What is that; '

'Since we may reasonably be sure that God steers all things by the helm of goodness, and, as I have shewn you, all things have a natural instinct to hasten towards the good, can there be any doubt that they are guided according to Page 97their own will: and that of their own accord they turn to the will of the supreme disposer, as though agreeing with, and obedient to, the helmsman?

'

'That is so,' I said,' and the government would not seem happy if it was a yoke upon discontented necks, and not the salvation of the submissive.'

'Then nothing need oppose God's way for its own nature's preservation.'

'No.'

'But if it try to oppose Him, will it ever have any success at all against One whom we have justly allowed to be supremely powerful in matters of happiness? '

'Certainly not.'

'Then there is nothing which could have the will or the power to resist the highest good? ' I think not.'

'Then it is the highest good which is guiding with strength and disposing with gentleness? '

Then said I,' How great pleasure these things give me!

not only those which have been proved by the strongest arguments, but still more the words in which you prove them, which make me ashamed that my folly has bragged so loudly.'

'You have heard in mythology how the giants attacked heaven.

It was this kindly strength which overthrew them too, as was their desert.

But would you care to put these Page 98

arguments at variance? For perhaps from such a friction, some fair spark of truth may leap forth.'

'As you hold best,' I said.

'Nobody would care to doubt that God is all-powerful? '

'At any rate, no sane man would doubt it.'

'Being, then, all-powerful, nothing is beyond His power?

'

'Nothing.'

'Can, then, God do evil? '

'No.'

'Then evil is nothing, since it is beyond His power, and nothing is beyond His power? '