The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-06-05
THE DIVINE HUMANITY.

Moses teaches us in his history OF
divine creation, that man was created
in the image of God. In other words,
he was made in Gods likeness, and
endowed with the same intellectual,
moral, and spiritual nature. There
is a mental and moral likeness be-
tween the divine and the human.
God and man has certain elements
of nature and character in common.
| The same words have the same mean
ing when used in describing the per-
fections of the nature and character
of God, as they do when used in de-
termining the nature and character
of man. If this is not so, then they
mislead and deceive us.
Thought, purpose, plan, will ,knowl-
edge and wisdom are the same in ma
ture with God as with man. Benev-
olence, love, justice, righteousness,
holiness, mercy, truth, piet;; COM
passion, tenderness, grace, favor, par
don, forgiveness and reconciliation
have the same meaning when applied
to God as they do when applied to
man.
On any other theory the Bible
would be to us sealed book, a reve-
lation of God would be impossible,
and man would be unable to gain
any knowledge of the divine nature
and character. 1t is only on this
theory that we can think of, or reason
about, God with any degree of Ger
tainty.
Toe scientific study of nature
shows that God and man think alike.
IL this were not so, man could not
understand or comprehend the
thought of God. Science is mans in
depreciation of nature. But to inter
pref nature man must understand
the divine thought revealed in the
universe. Science is mans reading
of Gods thought, and to do this he
must think like God. There must
be a mental likeness between man
and God or science is impossible.
If theism, and not atheism, is true,
God is the author of nature; his
thought is revealed in nature and sci
ence, if true, is the correct reading of
that thought. Thus to read nature
requires a mind in harmony with it,
and adjusted to it, and in moral unity
with the God ofnature. God and man
must be as one, or man cannot know
God or understand his works. The
theistic spirit is. therefore, more sci
entific than the atheistic spirit.
Faith is a better qualification for
scientific study than skepticism; and
Boyle, Newton and Herschel were
more reliable interpreters of ma
ture than Spencer, Comte and Mill.
The physical is grounded in the
moral unity of nature, and all en-
bracing natural law is born of all
comprehending moral order So sci
ence, as we'll as religion, is possible;
actual. real, because of the existence
of divine humanity.
Man as divine is natural and SUI
pernatural He is natural because
he is in part organized of material
elements and natural forces, and he
is supernatural because he is above
nature and can control her elements,
direct her forces, and appropriate her
wealth of material to his many and
varied uses. Science has its miracles
as well as religion, and man yields a
power above nature, and is, therefore,
supernatural, but not unnatural
above, but not contrary to, nature.
Mans activities are conditional,
but are not caused by nature. Ma
ture furnishes material, but man
builds with it, and he could not
build without it. The soil is given
by nature, but man cultivates it.
The soil is the condition of the cul
ture, but not it's cause. So in all
mans works, nature is the condition;
man is the free, active, conscious and
responsible cause.
Man, as divine, is a creator He has
created art, science, language, liter
allure, law, government, education,
manufactures and religion. His Gre
alive power has given us music, poe
try, architecture, sculpture and paint
ing. But in all this creative work
nature has conditioned his activities.
He can not work without nature, for
skill demands material on which to
operate; but nature is not cause, only
condition. Man interprets nature. If
intelligence is necessary to interpret