The herald., 1896-01-13
What Ia Godf

What Is God? was the subject of an ex-
cellent address delivered by V. c. Lewis at
the Friday Morning club rooms week ago
Sunday. In part the gentleman said:
When we look at the Bible from q scien-
tfic standpoint it makes vast difference
in our conclusions. BY this question.
"What is God?" do we mean to what must
we bow down and worship? If that be the
case, there are many things that
men worship. But if by the
term "God" we mean, what is there that Is
things, then it is quite proper for us to use
the term God. Why is it that the term
God has become by-word? Simply be-
c\Iise men have not been taught what is
Goo. Man will not Use that term as by
word when it conveys to him correct
meaning. II men are taught that the word
God means life, means intelligence,
in this sense, and unless they
are taught what it does mean
they will use it in different sense. Jesus
spoke of God in this way: In speaking to
the woman at the we'll he said, Ye worship
ye know not what. He said that the spirit
is God. And little further along he ex-
plains what spirit is. He says, the words
same teacher says, Ye shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free. So
then a correct knowledge uf God is cor
rect knowledge of mind, of intelligence
and solution of the problem, what is
Mind" is necessary. What is intelligence,
knowledge, mind? It is spirit. What is
spirit? 1t is intelligence, knowledge,
mind, God. What is this power by which
we think? Mind. 1t is intelligence; it is
God What is this power of growth? 1t
is God. So. then, from an intelligent
study of Christianity as a science, these
terms are synonymous and mean God.
Love. life, truth, substance and intelli-
gence we do not look upon as attributes,
but we look upon them as synonyms all
meaning God. So, then, correct knowl-
edge of mind is a correct knowledge of
God, and a correct knowledge of mind
becomes the rule of all action. Hence the
uulh of this saying, that ye shall know
the truth and it shall make you free.
This knowledge is necessary for the reason
the result of conformity to intelligence as
law, as God. We do not think of God
making law, but we think of God as law
and of law as God. We also think of law
as intelligence. We also think of this
power to think as an expression of this in
telligence. We wonder about this power
to think. What is it? Filling this universe
is intelligence. Out from this law, which
is intelligence, open all of these laws which
are of intelligence. thus we see it can be
manifest in the power to think, which is
exercised both by man and in some degree
by animals. Jesus sayings are not so be-
cause he said them, but he made his state
ments because they are truths; not SO be-
cause he said them, but he said them be-
cause they are SO. Hence he saw the ne
cessity for us to know God.
To scientific Christian the understand
ing OF God is the rule of all action. Since,
then, it is true that mind governs the body,
it is necessary that our beliefs are right.
1t becomes necessary that we have no
other consciousness than right conscious
ness of life. Hence his teaching. He says,
II came that ye might have life." Then
we look at life. and ask the question
"What is Life?" In the concrete it
means motion and activity. And the
term external life must mean and can
mean continuation of life. Then we shall
know the truth and shall continue to have
activity, life. health and harmony. He did
not teach that we were 10 be free by not
knowing the truth, but it must be knowl-
edge aud it must be correct knowledge of
God. Science and Health says: The un-
derstanding that life is God lengthens our
days. But it is the understanding that lie
is God that the term life and the term God
are synonyms. "Then the understanding
that life is God lengthens our days and
strengthens our trust in life." Nowhere
can you find person whom you have to
teach to love life. So when it is
taught that life is God peo-
pie love life-love God. Again take
the term God. God is good; not good
God, but goodness itself is God. Good is
God everywhere. it makes no difference
who the manfester of it i& Good cannot
become evil, nor evil good. So, then, in
the statement of this subject we strive to
simplify it. Then some of our other writ
ers, our most scientific writers,have spoken
of matter thus: 1t perceives or knows
not mind or spirit, and therefore that
knowledge which our senses give us is
knowledge of spiritual phenomena. Spirit
and life always mean the same thing. The
mind governs the body, and if we have a
correct knowledge the body will be gov
erned harmoniously. Jesus taught the
complete control of the body. He taught
it by his words and demonstrated it by his
deeds.
The JJniyergaIistS