Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-24


ton There Is an Undersigned design
In shapeless matter Only the infinite
One knows OF the possibilities wrapped
UP in a clod OF clay. God Is no more a
product Of law than is space. Only one
God because the infinite is not dlvIslble.
Only one Infinite space. one infinite uni
verse. one infinite God, without the pos
slbility Of beginning or end, creation or
determination,
On these rather lncoherent prem
lses the writer IN the Herald seems to
conclude that God is synonymous with
intelligence. lie quotes; Intelligence,
or the light OF truth. was not created
or made, neither indeed can be-" and
concludes; why not personal God,
with a body Of an undersigned design.
with mind that is the uneaused cause
Of the designed designs that environ
us?" Undersigned design and uncaused
causel How much more intelligence do
those terms convey to the human mind
than the more familiar. Three and
yet one" everywhere and nowhere"
without body, parts, and passions, ="
yet having hands. eyes feet. etc. and
being capable Of love. hatred. jealousy?
How much more ineligible Is the ex-.
preston undersigned design" than
square circle?"
The failure OF the writer to convey
any light upon the subject reminds us
OF the fact that all efforts at explaining
philosophically the mysteries OF the
Godhead have failed. Philosophy has
not been able to penetrate except
through Imagination beyond very lin
tied space Of the tangible universe.
Every attempt at explaining the origin
Of God the mystery Of His Being, His
qualities and attributes. by human rca-
son has finally resulted In some absurd
lty. Were salvation dependent upon a
philosophical understanding OF the Cod
head, the greatest Of sages would have
but little chance--in fact no more than
the most ignorant.
1t is natural that It should be so. A
little child, though fully capable OF en-
joying happiness, would not be able to
comprehend the origin OF It's parents,
their labors and aspirations. A little
child would at an early age admire the
architectural drawings Of his father.
but It would be futile 10 make him COM
prehend the meaning Of each line, the
process OF construction. the cost Of la
Dor and the ultimate object In view.
But man, frail. finite man, presumes In
this stage OF knowledge to discuss the
nature, the attributes, the essence and
even the origin OF God, as II all these
questions were no more than compl-
Gated problem in geometry, or algebra.
Locke, In his essay on Human I'm
Outstanding, long ago pointed out that
the finite mind Is necessarily incapable
OF measuring the depths Of
some subjects. That. In other words.
there are objects beyond the reach Of
the human understanding. just as there
are objects beyond the reach OF our
seeing, hearing and other natural fac
ulties. He thought 1t would save much
idle discussion, II Il were commonly
agreed that such Ii the case but man.
kind has not profted TO any consider
able degree by the hint OF the English
philosopher. Discussions continue ev-
cry day about subjects which are much
further beyond the ken OF philosophy.
than are the actual conditions at the
South Pole. N
With regard TO the Godhead, all a
man on this earth can know for certain
Is that which Is written in thecWord Of
God, or that which Is revealed by God
from time to time. The only question
in this connection is; what is re-
vealed on that subject" There Is am
pie room for discussion as to the gen
uineness Of the written word its correct
and the harmony Of one
set OF passages with another, but when
the correct meaning Of the word has
been aseerteined, that ends discussion.
The question then Is: How do you
read2 What has been revealed" Is
the God OF the Bible the being without
parts. without passions. without com
passion, pictured by modern orthodoxy?
We think not We believe every stu
dent OF the Bible who will read with
out prearranged ideas viii at once
discard that fictitious being
There may seem to be discrepancies in
the written revelations but Il is safe to
conclude that these are but apparent
and depending on our imperfect knowl-
edge. The time will ONE when our
knowledge shall become more perfect,
and then we will understand, and know
as we are known. In the meantime our
greatest wisdom Is to believe Gods
word.
Abraham became the friend OF God
and a pattern to Gods children In all
ages, because he had faith In the Al.
mighty, Through faith he lived as
a child under it's fathers care, and
through faith he was perfected until he
became fully accepted Of the Almighty |
1t Is the philosophy Of faith the world |
today stands in need Of, more than
speculation beyond the boundaries OF |
the world In which we live.
SOCIALISM.