The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-21

The Disaa sssaan - Matter 81 Feet ssA
- . Philosophy.
AZ g. Marks church yesterday morning
the rsctor, Rev. d. G. Garrett. preached on
the subject Of The Trinity" From the
text Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Al
mighty. which Vas aud II and y t0ocoms, !"
Rev. iv:S. the preacher proceed to draw .
distinction between the trinity a. matter
Of faith and the trinity ~ = philosophy.
''first-.As . matter OF faith the idea un-
DERIVING the tarm trinity il presented In .
very sample way; the term itself 10 not
used. There II nothing about the trinity
~ IN expression In the. only creed that
this church holds - test OF membership.
The Apostles creed says, L believe In God
the Father, and 4 believe In yssus Christ
His only Son, our Lord, aud Il believe In
the Holy Ghost but II does not say 1 BE-
!isve In the trinity. and yet the trinity
Son and Spirit The creed gives
no theory about tho being OF God:
simply states the fact and leaves the theory
TO the theoiogian or philosopher. The
trinity as contained In the ialth OF the
church 10 the hearts Witness TO God, for
the heart Of man longs for God in these
three great wsys-F.shsr. Son and Spirit;
and the experiences Of the religious life Of
man has been that many religions have
tried 10 define God in this way. Christian
ity, in the faith in Father. Son and Spirit,
completes the hearts attempt to def ne
the nature Of God. Man sees the Father
in creation. the Son in history culminat-
Ing In redemption. and the Spirit in the
present process Of regeneration
s'Ssconsi--I.ooking at this same doctrine
~ philosophy No Ind that what the
heart accepts In the creed Ii capable Of
philosophical reelection. The highest
truth 10 not simpie, out complex. We be.
lieve many things first amply ~ the heart
directs which are in their real nature quite
complex. Look at a tree in blossom this
May time. The heart sees the beauty Of
the blossoms and accepts the delight that
IL given without questioning the science
Of Ii at all The mind, however. may 20
deeper aud analyss every Law that
brought about the glorious raj
ment- The hotanist might take .
Hover. telling the particular family TO
which IL belongs. Or. looking at . hill
side overgrown with moss and ferns
where the rocks project. shs heart would
dwell On ths LONELINESS OF the scene. But
lhe eeologsst would perhaps think of the
kind Of soil and the character OF the rock.
and name she geologic age that gave IL
birth. So with the doctrine Of the trim.
itv. there h the hearts witness simply
expressed in the balisf Of the Father. Son
and Spirit, and there IL NE deeper phi
losophy. For the trinity - term is all
philosophy. One Of the greatest thinkers
in eur land today told me himself that he
became trinlsarian through the siady Of
rhiiasorhy, and the school OF Hogel IN
derstaads that the conception of God ~
defined in the trinity IL the highest reach
O; modern thought AZ . philosophy
then, the trinisy stands, firsi, for
she unity Of God ~ relative.
not absolute The trsnssartan 10 also
unitarian. There ~ one God
only, net thrse Gods: but this oneness 70
best defined in terms OF relatacn. God -
spsris il self.conscicws. and this ssi.-con-
sclousaess 10 complex. not ample There
Is sab5ecs, object and sub,ect-oalecs From
eli eternity the Father recognized Hsmssit
In the Son, and the Son in the Father.
the reciprocal relation Of identity - the
Spirit We are aceustcEed 70 speak OF
these distinctions 40 persons but TIE woro
persea - applied - God does NOS mean
the same as when applied 20 snan-imriy-
iag aatecedent conception OF specsea. car
language has no word that viii suitably
express what in the Greek wss 'hypos-
tasis.' In the philosophy Of the trinity
God 10 one insisvssibis esssncA Second
This unity 10 not isolated. God - tmMt.
nons Ia che life OF nsan- one a The deep
ess meaninss of she trinity y tAe tyula
shas 0cd - not apart froa she vorla -
nstnrs ~ AumAnitys ~ - Anoontee 49,