Berashith

8 The Qabalists explain the “First Cause” * by the phrase: “FromO to I, as the circle opening out into the line.” The Christian dogma is really identical, for both conceive of a previous and eternally existing God, though the Qabalists hedge by describing this latent Deity as “Nor”. Later commentators, notably the illustrious MacGregorMathers, have explained this Not as Snegatively-existing”. Profound as is my respect for the intellectual and spiritual attainments of him whom I am proud to have been permitted to call my master, I am bound to express my view that when the Qabalists said Not, they meant Not, and nothing else. In fact, I really claim to have re-discovered the long-lost and central Arcanum of those divine philosophers. Thave no serious objection to a finite god, or gods, distinet from men and things. In fact personally,I believe in them all, and admit them to possess inconcei- yable though not infinite power. The Buddhists admit the existence of Maha-Brahma, but his power and knowledge are limited and his age- long day must end. I find evidence every-where, even in our garbled and mutilated version of the Hebrew Scriptures, that Jehovah’s power was limited in all sorts of ways. At the Fall, for instance, Tetragrammaton Elohim has to summon his angels hastily to guard the Tree of Life, lest ke should be proved a liar. For had it occurred to Adam to eat of that Tree before their trans- gression was discovered, or had the Serpent been aware * An expression they carefully avoid using.