The herald., 1897-04-26
UNITY CHURCH
DR.. Thomson on the Five Persons in
the Godhead

DR.. Thomson on the Five Persons IL
the Godhead
Yesterday morning the pastor, J. S
Thomson, preached a sermon on 1.-THE
Five Persons in the Godhead. according
to the Bible" using the text: "Thy
right hand, o Jehovah, is become glor-
| ious in power."-Exodus xv:6.
The Godhead is conscious Of all things
and Of itself. 1t has made all things and
| breathed life into the nostrils of every
creature. The Godhead Is not personal,
| because 1t is not a medium. The word
personal" is a theatrical term that has
made it's fortune in Christian theology.
1t is a very improper term in theology.
Christ said that God is spirit" God is
absolute spirit, and not a spirit. The
Godhead is known to us through five
personal manifestations. They are ere
alton, providence, fatherhood, mother
hood and life in all its forms. These five
manifestations include all that we know
Of the Godhead. AS Creator He has made
all things; as Providence He takes care
OF all things; as Love He is the Father
of all lives; as Wisdom He is the Mother
of all livee and as Spirit He lives in all
His children. The Bible in several
places refers to God as mother taking
care of her children. According to
Genesis gods created the first human
pair equal and at the same time, and it
Is said that gods created them in their
own image and after their likeness. 1t
follows that the creators were gods and
goddesses. Motherhood, then, is a per-
sonal manifestation of the Godhead. The
ancients had scores of trinities. One OF
the Egyptian trinities was composed of
Osiris, Isis, and Horus. Jupiter, Nep
tune and Pluto formed one of the Greek
and Roman trinities. The Hindoos
have Brahma, Vishnu and silva for their
great trinity. From farthest India to
South America, and from Southern
Africa to Scandinavia, many trinities
triumphed in the beliefs of the people.
Adam, Eve and Cain occur as a trinity
in Genesis. By leaving out the female
manifestation of God, Protestant Trini
tarians have a masculine and harsh
trinity. The deification of Christ's holy
mother has rendered the trinity of the
Catholic church kind, tender and attrac-
tive. Mary is practically, though not
theologically, the fourth person in the
Catholic conception of the Godhead. If
Satan were added, we would have five
persons-Father Son, Spirit, Mary and
Satan. Satan is a very powerful person
in the orthodox Godhead. Without him
as a terror, the revivalist could do moth
ing, and many churches would cease to
exist if this fifth person were eliminated
from his high position as the successful
opposer of God. Satan is the soul of or
thodoXy, and he is the only person who
can command the respect of ignorant
and superstitious people. According to
Isaiah xlv:7 j ehovah created evil, but not
sin; but the Jews found Satan as Ahri-
man in Babylon, and they incorporated
him in their theology. God does create
certain things which we in our ignorance
call evils, as storms, earthquakes and
diseases and misfortunes as the results
of our sins and ae punishment for the
same. God is just and wise. Gods hand
is the symbol of the manifestations of
the Godhead. His fingers created the
heavens. the earth and all things. His
fingers are Crea tion, Providence Father
hood, Motherhood and Life. These man
ifestations represent spirit, justice wis
dom, love and life. Pauls declaration
in Romans i:20 is true and full of sug-
gestion. To fall into the hands Of God
is to be under the influences of these
manifestations of God. The two great
Commandments. the Ten Command
ments, and the Sermon on the Mount,
imply the grasp of Gods hand and mans
hand in moral and spiritual life.