The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-06
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ONE GOD, THE FATHER
Ry REV. W. H. M'GLAUFLIN,
Hartman, Tenn.
God, the Father.


Cor. viii.6
WHOEVER has studied the great re-
lieions of the East must have noticed
how common it is for deity to be re-
presented in some form of trinity.
Travellers in India tell of the images
that still exist; of the Trimurtti, or
ree-faced God, whom the natives
worship. Pictures of these figures
are not uncommon. They present
one body, but three distinct faces,
and SO give, perhaps, as good SYM
boil of trinity in unity and unity in
trinity. three in one and one in three,
three persons in one substance, as can
be conveniently presented. Among
the gods of Egypt there was also a
trinity made up of Osiris, the creator
Typhon. the destroyer, and Horus,
the preserver. In Persia the trinity
was Ormuzd, Ahriman, the destroyer,
and Mithra, the restorer. In Bud
dhism there is something of trinity,
though hardly of persons. Buddha,
the divine man, Dharumma. the di-
vine word, and Sangha, the commun-
ion of saints. Philosophers have ex-
planned this tendency of thought to-
ward trinity of gods, something after
this wise: Men have observed that IN
our world as it exists, there is discord;
there is Joy, but there is also sorrow;
there is health, and likewise sickness,
sunshine and storms, years of plenty
followed by years of famine; periods
of peace succeeding those ofwar; eras
of prosperity followed by calamities
of food fire and pestilence. The same
lack of harmony appears in the consti-
tuition of theindividual. There are APP
petites that tend to draw the indi-
yidual down to lower level, and
voice within whispering, "Child go
up higher" A man makes a good
resolve today, intending to keep it,
but straightway he is tempted, for
sakes his lofty purpose, and like one
who beholds his natural face in a
glass. goeth his way and forgetteth
what manner of man he was. The
Qualities of mercy and revenge are
in the same soul, and like Esau and
Jacob, struggling together for the
mastery, one against the other. Lib
erality suggests, "Cast thy bread up
on the waters" of worthy enterprise,
but is checked by parsimony that
grudgingly prompts to hold back the
needed penny.
Because of this observed conflict
possibly, men have been led to say,
"There must be more gods than one,
for if there were but one, there would
and could be but one character in all
persons and events. A god who pos
sessed absolute sovereignty would not
tolerate the discord of a world of men
and things, in part good and in part
evil. Either all things would be
benevolent or malevolent, according
tothe character of the ruler" This rea-
soning called for a second being who
was in opposition to the first. Still a
dualism of forces antagonistic the one
toward the other seemed unsatisfac-
tory. for the world does not present
sucb scene of utter warfare and
commotion as it would were this the
case. Hence third being was be-
lieyed in, who in some manner medi-
ated between the other two, and by
the action and counteraction OF these
three deities, our world and all things
therein are as they are. 1t may be
that surface view of things might
easily lead one to ascribe whatever
Of good there is in the universe to
good god, and what to human eyes
appears antagonistic to good, to an
evil god; and then to suppose that
the reason these two deities do not
wage war in a more terrific manner is
because third being works to con-
ciliate the two opposing powers.
At any rate, people have SO be-
lieved, and in those systems of the
ology where there have not been dis
tinct trinities, usually there have been
worshiped larger number of deities,
as among the Greeks, where the
twelve gods of Mount Olympus had
conspicuous honor bestowed upon
them. Mr.. James Freeman Clarke,
in his work on the Ten Great Reli-
gions, states that in most of the poly
theistic religions there is found the
evidence of belief-either now ex-
listing or having had an existence, in
one Supreme Spirit who is back of
the trinities, or the large number of
deities, and from whom they have de-
rived, or do derive, their power
Where this belief does not now APP
pear, there is reason for affirming