The herald., 1895-09-15

Dear olr.-Wll yOu pitaSC dHSWeI
through the columns of your paper the
question, What is God? Yours respect
fully, "A. Il. b.
Bv interview and letter this question
has been placed before as many of our
ministers and theologians as the time
would allow, and the replies are here sub
mitted to the readers of The Herald.
PROF. A. M. WILSON
A Boston theologian residing in this
city, said:
God is the self-existent and supreme
being, creator and preserver of all things
and the object of human worship. The
idea of God Is more or less definitely ex-
pressed in every language as it may be
said to be in some form or other uni
versal element of the human conscious
ness. There have been many ma
tions. indeed, in every age of the
world that have been far from attaining
any such conception of God as l have ex-
pressed. The Supreme Being has been
to them the conception, not of single
man and claiming his worship. In the
general history of the world, polytheism
has preceded monotheism. The idea of
many gods went before the idea of one
God. lnfiaite and self-existent.
The existence of the Deity is a postu-
late of the human consciousness. Recog-
nize a living mind in man, Independent
of matter-a rational villas constitut-
ing the essential and distinguishing ele-
ment of his being, and the inference is
inevitable of an infinite mind-a supreme
will governing the universe. A true, nat
ural theology is based on true psychol-
ogy-a philosophy that denies to man a
higher existence than nature. which
would make his rational consciousnes ess
the mere growth of material conditions,
m for a
existence of DEITY; for, as jacob says:
Mature reveals only fate, only an indis-
soluble chain of causes without begin
ming and without end, excluding with
equal necessity both Providence and
chance working without will. She takes
counsel neither of the good nor of the
beautiful; creating nothing, she casts up
from her dark abyss only eternal trans
formations OF herself. unconsciously and
without end. But man reveals God-for
man, by his intelligence. rises above
nature. and in virtue of this intelligence
is conscious of himself as a power not
only independent OF, but opposed to ma
ture, and capable of resisting, conquering
and controlling her. As man has living
faith IN this power superior to nature.
which dwells in him, so has he belief in
Coda feeling, an experience of his exist
ence. As he does not believe in this
power, so does he not believe In God; he
sees he experiences naught in existence
but nature, and necessity and fate
The argument for the existence of God
rests, accordingly, on certain fundam en-
tai principles of our mental and moral
being-such principles as causation and
design. or final cause. 1t implies spir-
ituul philosophy of human nature. Apart
from such a philosophy theism has no ar
gumentatise basis, however it may pre-
vail as tradition or superstition.
REV. DANIEL READ
OF the First Baptist church: What is
God? Jesus Christ has answered this in
John 1924: "God is spirit" We know
what spirit is by our knowing our
selveo. since we were made in the image
OF God.--oonus1s l:Io
We have power to think, to feel and to
will; so God has power to think, to feel
and to will. He has revealed his
thoughts to US in his works and ways and
woru. AS created, beings we are finite
and dependent. AS the Creator, He IS IN
finite and independent.
He is a moral Ruler. Conscience with
in US is His voice saying I'VE ought" and
I'VE ought not. and it cannot be
slenced. The laws of God are expressed
in the constitution of society and of civil
government, made for righteousness and
against sin. The facts of human history
prove the constant presence of a right
eous Rnler. Above all the gospel of Jesus
Christ is q revelation of the existence and
character of God. In John, 3:16, we read
.'For God so loved the world that he gave
His only begotten Son. that whosoever
believeth in Him shall not perish, but
shall have everlasting life"
Goa. the spirit, is of course Invisible to
lis in the flesh, hence in odrer to make
Himself known to us He became flesh in
the person of Jesus Christ. John, 1:14:
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among u.s." And so Jesus said to Philip,
join, IA .. "he that hath seen Me hath
seen the Father" ''Believeth thou not
taht am the Father and the Father M 9 ?
Believe me that am the Father and the
Father in me, or else believe me for the
very works sake.' And so much as God
has manifested himself to men in the
flesh OF Jesus Christ, we can become ac-
quainted with God only in and through
Jesus Christ. Hence Jesus said, John.
14:6: II am the Way, the Truth and the
Life. and no man cometh unto the Father
but by me-"
REV. w. A. KNIGHTEN
OF the Grace M. +. church: What is
God? God is the independent supreme
intelligence of the whole universe. He
has all power and has created all material
things. His thoughts are expressed in
the worlds and suns above us, and in the
mountains and seas, and valleys around
us. He is the fountain of life. From Him
have come all plans of love and truth,
of hope and joy. We are dependent upon
Him. His self-eS istence and His su.
preme authority and His infinite wisdom
make Him worthy the worship and
obedience of all intelligence. He is in
com prehensible because OF the very fact of
HIS infinite nature. He is from everIast
ing to everlA"tiAss the. ..unchangea BILE and
intelligent Ruler. Out of that thought
alone humanity san claim its own i'm
mortality. God becomes an argument
through all His works to lower intelli-
gance, and this is one of His grandest
revelations of His spiritual nature. This
argues another life. Man in himself is
conscious of this supreme intelligence
and has certain expressions of Gods pur-
pose in the very constitution of his ma
ture. For instance, His memory runs
backward and traces the history that God
has written. His hope wings itself for
ward and is never satisfied outside the
lifetime of God. This brings us to the
recognition of our personal responsible
ihes and we approach and worship at his
feet"
r. B. ERVING
Of the Grand View Presbyterian church /:
In answer to your question l would say
that probably the best definition of God
ever written py man is taught in the
Westminster Catechism "God is spirit,
INFINITE. eternal and Interchangeable. in his
being wisdom, power. holiness. justice,
goodness and truth
P. RAO SINOB