The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-25
NEEDS Of MEN DEMANDA
GOD AS FATHER, A PERSON
Rev. Joshua Stansfeld Speaks on
the Trinity of the Holy
Catholic" Church.
DEMANDS OF SCRIPTURE

eve believe in the 'noiy' catholic church
as made up of believers in Jesus Christ,
who have been saved and sanctioned in
Him. The holy catholic church is relig-
ious moral society, representing the life OF
Christ in the earth. By the catholic
church we mean the church universal; that
is as embracing all persons who believe
in and are purified by Jesus Christ" said
the Rev Joshua Stansfield at the Meridian
street NJ l.. Church yesterday morning in
his sermon on 1.-The Holy Ghost, the Holy
Catholic Church, the Communion OF
Saints" Continuing. Mr.. StansfieId said
1.-The Holy Ghost, personal, divine, the
administrators of the kingdom, convincing,
enlightening, empowering, witnessing, sane
tifying The mode of the divine existence
has ever been a subject fruitful of contro-
versy. On the divineness OF the Holy spirit
and also that He proceeds from the Father
and from the Son, there will be little diff
ference of opinion, but the true personality
of the Spirit, as personally distinguished
from the Father and the Son, is much more
easy to affirm than intelligently TO set
forth without being clearly open to the
charge of tritheism.
The mode of the divine existence is, we
think, far more metaphysical than 1T is
either doctrinal or scriptural 1t certainly
does seem true that the manifestation of
the divine life in and through the Holy
Spirit is such only TO be intelligently
Personal acts are performed by Him, per-
sonal worship paid to Him, personal at
tributes ascribed TO Him, ETC., etc, and
one is bound to admit that the old argu-
ments for the personality of the Divine
Spirit have some force.
ION the other hand, we must concede
that the leap TO the personality of the Holy
Spirit as a separate being from the Father
and the Son carries one, whether he admits
il or no. to the position of a believer in
more gods than one. In the progressive
revelation of himself unto men God has
been known to the dispensations Father,
as Son, and as Holy Spirit, and If ii be the
one God that is thus known then, call it
by what heretical name you may, the con-
ciusion Is both rational and logical that We
must use the term person as touching the
Trinity in purely accommodated sense.
The difficulty is metaphysical and philo-
sophical rather than doctrinal and moral.
"Doctrinally and morally considered, the
needs of men and the terms of Scripture
demand the infinite God as Father. a per-
son. as Son. a person; as Spirit, an in
dwelling personal power. The imperious
needs of life demand personal concept ana
terms of God, whether as Father, Son or
Holy Spirit
:. The holy catholic church'-not Roman
Catholic, for two reasons: First. IL is not
holy. or its holiness is official rather than
personal; second, il Is not catholic. but
very exclusive. Neither do we mean the
Anglican church. with its 'hierarchical
claims of holiness through and by ordi-
nances and offices. But not thus do we
believe in holiness as communicable unto
men, In the last analysis holiness does not
Inhere in offices. orders or things.
Holiness is a personal quality, and,
strictly speaking, inheres only in personal
| ity. OF course, we speak. and rightly, OF
the Holy Bible, but not because the paper,
| or printing, or workmanship, therein is
better than in some other book. but we
| speak thus because IL conveys from one
| person-divine-to another-human-word
thoughts. impressions. which are holy and
| true. And so We may affirm of this altar
! rail before me, though out of this same
material there might have been made a
| saloon counter. Holiness inheres essen
TALLY in personality only and in things
only, as q medium through which person
/ Atty may express itself.