Chapter VIII: Part II: Conceptions of God (4)

"The posterity of Ishmael have no claim to be admitted as pure Arabs; their ancestor being by origin and language an Hebrew, but having made alliance with the Jorhamites, by marrying a daughter of Modad, and accustomed himself to their manner of living and language, his descendants became blended with them into one nation. The uncertainty of the descents between Ismael and Adnan, is the reason why they seldom trace their genealogies higher than the latter, whom they acknowledge as father of their tribes; the descents from him downwards being pretty certain and uncontroverted." (Ibid, pp. 4, 6, 7).

3. _Mohammed, Birth and Ancestry:_ "Mahomet, or more properly Mohammed, the only son of Abdallah and Amina, was born at Mecca, four years after the death of Justinian, and two months after the defeat of the Abyssinians, (A. D. 569) whose victory would have introduced into the Caaba the religion of the Christians. In his early infancy he was deprived of his father, his mother, and his grandfather; his uncles were strong and numerous; and, in the division of the inheritance, the orphan's share was reduced to five camels and an Ethiopian maid-servant. At home and abroad, in peace and war, Abu Taleb, the most respectable of his uncles, was the guide and guardian of his youth; in his twenty-fifth year he entered into the service of Cadijah, a rich and noble widow of Mecca, who soon rewarded his fidelity with the gift of her hand and fortune. The marriage contract, in the simple style of antiquity, recites the mutual love of Mahomet and Cadijah; describes him as the most accomplished of the tribe of Koeish; and stipulates a dowry of twelve ounces of gold and twenty camels, which was supplied by the liberality of his uncle. By this alliance the son of Abdallah was restored to the station of his ancestors; and the judicious matron was content with his domestic virtues, till, in the fortieth year of his age, he assumed the title of prophet, and proclaimed the religion of the Koran." (Gibbon's "Decline and Fall," Vol. VI, pp. 218-219.)

4. _Mohammed's Personal Appearance:_ "According to the tradition of his companions, Mohammed was distinguished by the beauty of his person, an outward gift which is seldom despised, except by those to whom it has been refused. Before he spoke, the orator engaged on his side the affections of a public or private audience. They applauded his commanding presence, his majestic aspect, his piercing eye, his gracious smile, his flowing beard, his countenance that painted every sensation of the soul, and his gestures that enforced each expression of the tongue. In the familiar offices of life he scrupulously adhered to the grave and ceremonious politeness of his country; his respectful attention to the rich and powerful was dignified by his condescension and affability to the poorest citizens of Mecca; the frankness of his manner concealed the artifice of his views; and the habits of courtesy were imputed to personal friendship or universal benevolence. His memory was capacious and retentive; his wit easy and social; his imagination sublime; his judgment clear, rapid, and decisive. He possessed the courage both of thought and action; and, although his designs might gradually expand with his success, the first idea which he entertained of his divine mission bears the stamp of an original and superior genius. The son of Abdallah was educated in the bosom of the noblest race, in the use of the purest dialect of Arabia, and the fluency of his speech was corrected and enhanced by the practice of discreet and seasonable silence. With these powers of eloquence, Mahomet was an illiterate barbarian; his youth had never been instructed in the arts of reading and writing; the common ignorance exempted him from shame or reproach, but he was reduced to a narrow circle of existence, and deprived of those faithful mirrors which reflect to our mind the minds of sages and heroes. Yet the book of nature and of man was open to his view; and some fancy has been indulged in the political and philosophical observations which are ascribed to the Arabian traveler. He compares the nations and the religions of the earth; discovers the weakness of the Persian and Roman monarchies; beholds with pity and indignation the degeneracy of the times; and resolves to unite under one God and one king the invincible spirit and primitive virtues of the Arabs." (Ibid, pp. 219-221.)

5. _The Character of Mohammed:_ "Mohammed possessed that combination of qualities which more than once has decided the fate of empires. A preaching soldier, he was eloquent in the pulpit, valiant in the field. His theology was simple: "There is but one God." The effeminate Syrian, lost in Monothelite and Monophysite mysteries; the Athanasian and Arian, destined to disappear before his breath, might readily anticipate what he meant. Asserting that everlasting truth, he did not engage in vain metaphysics, but applied himself to improving the social condition of his people by regulations respecting personal cleanliness, sobriety, fasting, prayer. Above all other works he esteemed almsgiving and charity. With a liberality to which the world had of late become a stranger, he admitted the salvation of men of any form of faith provided they were virtuous. To the declaration that there is but one God, he added, "and Mohammed is his Prophet." Whoever desires to know whether the event of things answered to the boldness of such an announcement, will do well to examine a map of the world in our own times. He will find the marks of something more than an imposture. To be the religious head of many empires, to guide the daily life of one-third of the human race, may perhaps justify the title of a messenger of God." (Draper: "Intellectual Development," Vol. I, pp. 330.)

6. _Mohammed and Supernatural Appearances:_ "Like many of the Christian monks, Mohammed retired to the solitude of the desert, and, devoting himself to meditation, fasting, and prayer, became the victim of cerebral disorder. He was visited by supernatural appearances, mysterious voices accosting him as the Prophet of God; even the stones and trees joined in the whispering. He himself suspected the true nature of his malady, and to his wife Cadijah he expressed a dread that he was becoming insane. It is related that as they sat alone, a shadow entered the room. "Dost thou see aught?" said Cadijah, who, after the manner of Arabian matrons, wore her veil. "I do," said the prophet. Whereupon she uncovered her face and said: "Dost thou see it now?" "I do not." "Glad tidings to thee, O Mohammed!" exclaimed Cadijah; "it is an angel, for he has respected my unveiled face; an evil spirit would not." As his disease advanced, these spectral illusions became more frequent; from one of them he received the divine commission. "I," said his wife, "will be thy first believer"; and they knelt down in prayer together. Since that day nine thousand millions of human beings have acknowledged him to be a prophet of God." (Ibid, pp. 330-1.)

7. _Mohammedan Creed:_ "There is no God but God, the living, the self subsisting; he hath sent down unto thee the book of the Koran with truth, confirming that which was revealed before it; for he had formerly sent down the law, and the gospel, a direction unto men; and he had also sent down the distinction between good and evil. Verily those who believe not the signs of God shall suffer a grievous punishment; for God is mighty, able to revenge. Surely nothing is hidden from God, of that which is on earth, or in heaven; it is He who formeth you in the wombs, as he pleaseth; there is no God but he, the mighty, the wise. * * * * * * * * * * It is God who hath created you, and hath provided food for you; hereafter will he cause you to die; and after that will he raise you again to life. Is there any of your false gods, who is able to do the least of these things? * * * * * * It is God who sendeth the winds, and raiseth the clouds, and spreadeth the same in the heaven, as he pleaseth; and afterwards disperseth the same; and thou mayest see the rain issuing from the midst thereof; and when he poureth the same down on such of his servants as he pleaseth, behold, they are filled with joy. * * * * * *

"It is God who created you in weakness, and after weakness hath given you strength; and after strength, he will again reduce you to weakness and grey hairs; he createth that which he pleaseth; and he is the wise, the powerful." (Al Koran, Chs. iii and xxx.)

8. _Comment on the Creed of Mohammed:_ "The faith which under the name of Islam, he preached to his family and nation, is compounded of an eternal truth and necessary fiction. That there is only one God, and that Mahomet is the Apostle of God. It is the boast of the Jewish apologists, that, while the learned nations of antiquity were deluded by the fables of polytheism, their simple ancestors of Palestine preserved the knowledge and worship of the true God. The moral attributes of Jehovah may not easily be reconciled with the standard of human virtue; his metaphysical qualities are darkly expressed; but each page of the Pentateuch and the Prophets is an evidence of his power; the unity of his name is inscribed on the first table of the law; and his sanctuary was never defiled by any visible image of the invisible essence. After the ruin of the temple, the faith of the Hebrew exiles was purified, fixed and enlightened by the spiritual devotion of the synagogue; and the authority of Mahomet will not justify his perpetual reproach that the Jews of Mecca or Mediana adored Ezra as the son of God. But the children of Israel had ceased to be a people; and the religions of the world were guilty, at least in the eyes of the prophet, of giving sons, or daughters or companions to the Supreme God. * * * * * * * *

"The creed of Mahomet is free from suspicion or ambiguity; and the Koran is a glorious testimony to the unity of God. The prophet of Mecca rejected the worship of idols and men, of stars and planets, on the rational principle that whatever rises must set, that whatever is born must die, that whatever is corruptible must decay and perish. In the author of the universe his rational enthusiasm confessed and adored an infinite and Eternal Being, without form or place, without issue or similitude, present to our most secret thoughts, existing by the necessity of his own nature, and deriving from himself all moral and intellectual perfection. These sublime truths, thus announced in the language of the prophet, are firmly held by his disciples, and defined with metaphysical precision by the interpreters of the Koran." (Gibbon: "Decline and Fall," Vol. VI, pp. 222-3).

"A philosophic theist might subscribe the popular creed of the Mahometans; a creed too sublime perhaps for our present faculties. What object remains for the fancy, or even the understanding, when we have abstracted from the unknown substance all ideas of time and space, of motion and matter, of sensation and reflection? The first principle of reason and revelation was confirmed by the voice of Mahomet; his proselytes, from India to Morocco, are distinguished by the name of Unitarians; and the danger of idolatry has been prevented by the interdiction of images. The doctrine of eternal decrees and absolute predestination is strictly embraced by the Mahometans; and they struggle with the common difficulties how to reconcile the prescience of God with the freedom and responsibility of man; how to explain the permission of evil under the reign of infinite power and infinite goodness.

"The God of nature has written his existence on all of his works, and his law in the heart of man. To restore the knowledge of the one, and the practice of the other, has been the real or pretended aim of the prophets of every age; the liberality of Mahomet allowed to his predecessors the same credit which he claimed for himself; and the chain of inspiration was prolonged from the fall of Adam to the promulgation of the Koran. During that period some rays of prophetic light had been imparted to one hundred and twenty-four thousand of the elect, discriminated by their respective measure of virtue and grace; three hundred and thirteen apostles were sent with a special commission to recall their country from idolatry and vice; one hundred and four volumes have been dictated by the Holy Spirit; and six legislators of transcendent brightness have announced to mankind the six successive revelations of various rites, but of one immutable religion. The authority and station of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christ, and Mahomet, rise in just gradation above each other; but whosoever hates or rejects any one of the prophets is numbered with the infidels. The writings of the patriarchs were extant only in the apocryphal copies of the Greeks and Syrians; the conduct of Adam had not entitled him to the gratitude or respect of his children; the seven precepts of Noah were observed by an inferior and imperfect class of the proselytes of the synagogue; and the memory of Abraham was obscurely revered by the Sabians in his native land of Chaldea; of the myriads of prophets, Moses and Christ alone lived and reigned; and the remnant of the inspired writings was comprised in the books of the Old and the New Testament. The miraculous story of Moses is consecrated and embellished in the Koran, and the captive Jews enjoy the secret revenge of imposing their own belief on the nations whose recent creeds they deride. For the author of Christianity, the Mahometans are taught by the prophet to entertain a high and mysterious reverence. "Verily, Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, is the apostle of God, and his word, which he conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit proceeding from him; honorable in this world, and in the world to come; and one of those who approached near to the presence of God."[2] (Gibbon: "Decline and Fall," Vol. I, VI, pp. 223-226.)

9. _Islam:_ "Mahomet had been wont to retire yearly, during the month of Ramadhan, into solitude and silence; as indeed was the Arab custom, a praiseworthy custom, which such a man, above all, would find natural and useful. Communing with his own heart, in the silence of the mountains; himself silent; open to the 'small still voices'; it was a right natural custom! Mahomet was in his fortieth year, when having withdrawn to a cavern in Mount Hara, near Mecca, during his Ramadhan, to pass the month in prayer and meditation on those great questions, he one day told his wife Kadijah, who with his household was with him or near him this year, that by the unspeakable special favor of Heaven he had now found it all out; was in doubt and darkness no longer, but saw it all. That all these Idols and Formulas were nothing, miserable bits of wood; that there was one God in and over all; and we must leave all idols, and look to Him. That God is great; and that there is nothing else great! He is the Reality. Wooden idols are not real; He is real. He made us at first, sustains us yet; we and all things are but the shadow of Him; a transitory garment veiling the Eternal Splendor. 'Allah Akbar, God is Great;' and then also 'Islam,' that we must submit to God. That our whole strength lies in resigned submission to Him, whatsoever He do to us. For this world, and for the other! The thing He sends to us, were it death and worse than death, shall be good, shall be best; we resign ourselves to God." (Hero Worship, Lecture II).

Footnotes

1. "The syllable 'Al' in the word 'Alkoran' (sometimes also written 'Alcoran') is only the Arabic article signifying _'the'_; and therefore ought to be omitted when the English article is prefixed."--Sale, Alkoran, p. 40.

2. Koran, Ch. iii.

LESSON XXIV.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

SPECIAL LESSON.

_THE CALLING OF ISRAEL AS A WITNESS OF THE TRUE GOD--WAS ISRAEL TRUE TO HIS MISSION?_

(AN ARGUMENTATIVE DISCOURSE.)

_NOTES._

1. _Judaism and Ancient Conceptions of God:_ It may be thought strange that I have not devoted one lesson at least to Judaism among the lessons on the "Ancient Conceptions of God." My reason for omitting consideration of it here, where it would so fittingly take rank among the ancient faiths, is that when the ancient and modern conceptions of God shall have been considered, we then take up "True Conceptions of Deity," and in doing so it is desirable that the whole range of revelation to sustain the true doctrine and argument--including the revelation which God gave of himself first to Abraham, and afterwards to his descendants, Israel--both for the existence and the nature of God, be available under one heading. To introduce the doctrine of Deity as made known to ancient Israel would be to deal now with "True Conceptions of God," and thus precipitate before its time the main question of our treatise. And so we give Judaism place at this point only by inviting the student's attention to it through this special lesson.

2. _An Argumentative Discourse:_ I have suggested in the title of this lesson that it be considered as an argumentative discourse; and in the main this is inevitable; but it can be made to combine both expository and argumentative discourse. The first part of the title--"The Special Calling of Israel as a Witness of the True God," necessarily calls for exposition--the fact must be established that Israel received such a mission. The second part of the title makes necessary the argumentative form of treatment. An explanation of Expository discourse will be found in Lesson X, Note 1 of this Year Book. Argumentative discourse is treated in Seventy's Year Book No. II, pp. 68-72. For treatise on "thought gathering," see Year Book No. I, pp. 147-150; on "Constructing a plan," etc. See Year Book No. II, pp. 113-115, also pp. 149-151.

3. _Sources of Information:_ Trace the subject through the Bible by means of a concordance, beginning with Deuteronomy XXVI, especially verses 16-19. Also Deuteronomy XXVIII and XXIX, and trace out the prophecies to their fulfillment. See on these chapters the Commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown. Also "The Gospel" p. 85, footnote (third Ed.). Josephus of course; and where it can be had Leslie's "Short and Easy Method with the Jews," sub-division XI. It is published in "Christian Evidences" (1853). Edersheim's Life and Times of Messiah, Vol. I, Chs. i-iv inclusive. Conybeare & Howson's Life of St. Paul, Ch. I. Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy, Vol. I, Ch. i. Mormon Doctrine of Deity, pp. 179-185. Also History of Christianity in the First Three Centuries (Mosheim) Vol. I, pp. 52-55.

4. _Suggestions to the Speaker:_ In the last Special Lesson (Lesson XV), under the title of this note we said the last word on the "First Moments of Speech," we brought the speaker upon his feet facing his audience. It now remains to carry him through the speech beginning with the _Introduction_; and I shall follow the same master who has before instructed us, Mr. Pittenger; and here let me say that we may keep in mind the old formula of a well conducted speech: Introduction, Discussion and Conclusion.

_The Introduction:_ "A good introduction is exceedingly valuable, and is to be sought for with great solicitude, if it does not spontaneously present itself. Some kind of an introduction is inevitable, for there will always be a first moment when silence is broken, and our thoughts introduced. The subsiding murmur of the audience tells the speaker that the time of his trial has come. If he is very sensitive, or if he has seldom, if ever, spoken before, his pulse beats fast, his face flushes, and an indescribable feeling of faintness and fear thrills every nerve. He may wish himself anywhere else, but there is now no help for him. He must arise, and for the time stand as the mark for all eyes and the subject of all thoughts.

"There is a vast difference between reciting and extemporizing in these opening moments, and the advantage seems to be altogether on the side of recitation. Every word is in its proper place and the speaker may be perfectly calm and self-collected. He is sure that his memory will not fail him in the opening, and encouraged by that assurance, will usually throw his whole power into his first sentences, causing his voice to ring clear and loud over the house.

"The extemporizer is in a far more difficult position. He is sure of nothing. The weight of the whole speech rests heavily upon his mind. He is glancing ahead, striving to forecast the coming sentences, as well as carrying forward those gliding over the tongue, and, distracted by this double labor, his first expressions may be feeble and ungraceful. Yet this modesty and timidity is no real loss; it goes far to conciliate an audience and secure their good-will. We can scarcely fail to distinguish memorized from extemporized discourses by the introduction alone.

"To avoid the pain and hesitancy of an unelaborated beginning, some speakers write and memorize the opening passage. This may accomplish the immediate object, but it is apt to be at the expense of all the remainder of the discourse. The mind cannot pass easily from reciting to spontaneous origination; and the voice, being too freely used at first, loses its power. The hearers, having listened to highly polished language, are less disposed to relish the plain words that follow, and the whole speech, which, like the Alpine condor, may have pitched from the loftiest summits, falls fast and far, until the lowest level is reached. A written introduction may be modest and unpretending, but unless it very closely imitates unstudied speech, painful contrasts and disappointments are inevitable. * * * * * * *

"It is only the substance and not the words of the introduction that should be prepared. A single sentence may be mentally forecast, but much beyond would be harmful; and even this sentence should be simple and easily understood. Anything that needs explanation is very much out of place. Neither should the introduction be so striking as to be the part of the discourse longest remembered. Rather than permit the attention to be distracted in that manner, it would be better to have no introduction."

_As to Apologies:_ "A speaker gains much if he can at the outset arrest the attention and win the sympathy of his hearers and then carry these over to his proper subject. But it may be assumed as certain, that no kind of an apology will accomplish this object--unless, indeed, the speaker is such a favorite that everything in regard to his health or position is an object of deep solicitude to his audience. A popular speaker who happens to be late and apologizes for it by explaining that he had just escaped from a terrible railroad accident would make a good introduction. A loved pastor, in his first sermon after serious illness, might properly begin by talking of his amendment and his joy at addressing his flock again. But these are rare exceptions. The speaker about to make any kind of an apology or personal reference as an introduction, may well heed Punch's advice to persons about to be married: _'Don't!'"_ * * * * * *

_The Mortification of Inattention:_ "Some inattention may be expected and patiently borne with [by the speaker] at first. Part of the opening words may be lost by an additional reason for not making them of capital importance to the address. It is useless to try by loud tones and violent manner to dispel indifference. If the speaker's words have real weight, and if his manner indicates confidence, one by one the audience will listen, until that electric thrill of sympathy, impossible to describe, but which is as evident to the practiced speaker as an accord in music, tells him that every ear is open to his words, and that his thoughts are occupying every mind." * * * *

_Subjects for Introductions:_ "There are two or three general subjects available for introduction which every speaker would do well to study carefully, and which will do much to furnish him with the means of properly approaching his theme. We will mention the most useful of these, premising that no one mode should be depended upon to the exclusion of others.

"A good mode of introduction consists in a compliment to an audience. When a truthful and manly compliment can be given it is a most agreeable step toward the good-will of those we address; but if used on all occasions indiscriminately, it is meaningless; if transparently false, it is repulsive and disgusting; but when true, there is no reason why it should not be employed." * * * * * * (For example of such introductions see Acts, Ch. xxiv and xxvi).

"Effective introductions can also be constructed from those topics of the day which may be supposed to fill all minds. A few words on such subjects, falling in with the general current of thought, may easily lead up to the speaker's special topic. The newspapers may thus furnish us, especially while some striking event is yet recent, with the means of arresting the attention of newspaper readers at our first words.

"Another good mode of introduction is that of locality. The people of any town may be presumed familiar with the objects or events of interest for which their own place is celebrated;" and a happy reference to one or more of these can scarcely fail to be of interest.

"Another mode of introduction which may be very useful under proper restrictions is that of citing some relevant remark made by an author whose name carries great weight, or so pointed in itself as to at once arrest attention. A great picture, some feature of a landscape, a great historical event, may be cited in the same way. This method of citation is capable of very wide application. If the sentiment or impression made by the citation is directly opposite to that which the speaker wishes to produce this will increase rather than diminish interest, as the enjoyment of contrast and controversy is very keen; but the speaker should feel confident of his ability to overcome the influence of the citation when thus hostile." * * * * * *

_Calamity From a Bad Introduction:_ "A great calamity may come to a speaker from a bad introduction. Speakers who are great in everything else often fail at this point. Some make their introductions too complicated, and thus defeat their own end, as surely as the engineer who gives his railroad such steep grades that no train can pass over it. Others deliver a string of mere platitudes and weary their audience from the beginning.

"When from these or other causes an address is mis-begun, the consequences may be serious. The thought settles upon the speaker with icy weight that he is failing. This conviction paralyzes all his faculties. He talks on, but grows more and more embarrassed. Incoherent sentences are stammered out which require painful explanation to prevent them from degenerating into perfect nonsense. The outline of his plan dissolves into mist. The points he intended to make which seemed strong and important now look trivial. With little hope ahead he blunders on. The room grows dark before him, and in the excess of his misery he longs for the time when he can close without absolute disgrace. But alas! the end seems far off, and he searches in vain for some avenue of escape. There is none. His throat becomes dry and parched, and command of voice is lost. The audience grow restive, for they are tortured as well as the speaker, and if he were malicious and had time to think about it, he might find some alleviation in that. No one can help him. At length, in sheer desperation, he does what he ought to have done long before--simply stops and sits down--perhaps hurling some swelling morsel of common-place, as a parting volley, at the audience--bathed in sweat, and feeling that he is disgraced forever! If he is very weak or foolish, he resolves never to speak again without having every word written out before him; if wiser, he only resolves, not only to understand his speech, but how to begin it." ("Extempore Speech"--Pittenger--Ch. vii).

This treatise upon the Introduction to a speech has trespassed somewhat upon the space of this lesson, but one can see no suggestion here set down that could well be eliminated, so instructive is it. Especially could not the concluding topic "Calamity from a Bad Introduction," be sacrificed. But the wisdom underlying the elaborate discussion of this topic by Mr. Pittenger was forcefully and tersely expressed in one of the early revelations to the Ministry of the Church--1831--when the Lord in reference to preaching, said that the Elders should teach as directed by the Spirit; "and the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith, _and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach!"_ (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 42; 12-14).

5. _Strength:_ Still another word on strength of expression. We have already noted two means of promoting strength of expression--(1) by the rejection of superfluous words (Lesson X); and (2) a careful use of words of connection. And now Quackenbos:

"A third means of promoting the Strength of a sentence is to dispose of the important word or words in that place where they will make the greatest impression. What this place is, depends on the nature and length of the sentence. Sometimes, it is at the commencement, as in the following from Addison: '_The pleasures of the imagination_, taken in their full extent, are not so gross as those of sense, nor so refined as those of the understanding.' In other cases, it will be found of advantage to suspend the sense for a time, and bring the important term at the close of the period. 'On whatever side,' says Pope, 'we contemplate Homer, what principally strikes us is his _wonderful invention_.' No rule can be given on this subject; a comparison of different arrangements is the only means of ascertaining, in any particular case, which is the best." (Rhetoric, Art. "Strength.")

The following suggestion is given by Lockwood:

"The mind naturally dwells upon the last part of a sentence. Care should, therefore, be taken to have the last word a forcible one. Avoid closing a sentence with an insignificant word or phrase, as, for example, an adverb or a preposition or such a phrase as _to it, by it_, etc."

"Example: 'That is a danger which young children are exposed to.' The sentence should read, That is a danger to which young children are exposed.

"Example: 'None but capital letters were used _formerly_.'

"The idea is more forcibly presented if we say, Formerly, none but capital letters were used."

LESSON XXV.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_PATRISTIC[1] DOCTRINES OF GOD._

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_I. The Patristic Period._ "Library of the Christian
Fathers Anterior to
_II. The Prevailing Philosophers._ the Division of the East
and West," Oxford Edition
_III. The Christian Doctrine of Deity--The (42 Vols.).
Trinity._
Early Christian Literature
_IV. Patristic Arguments for the Divine Primers, Edited
Existence and the Trinity._ by Geo. P. Fisher;
Apostolic Fathers; Fathers
_V. The Apostles' Creed._ of the Third Century;
Post-Nicene Latin
Fathers; Post-Nicene
Greek Fathers.

Mosheim's and Neander's
Church Histories;
also Smith's Student's
Ecclesiastical History,
Vol. I.

History of Christian
Doctrine (Shedd), 2 Vols.
"Intellectual Development
of Europe" (Draper),
Vol. I, chapter
on Greek Age of
Faith.

Gibbon's "Decline and
Fall," Vol. III, Ch. xxi.
Mormon Doctrine of
Deity (Roberts), Chs. ii
and iii, and Notes of
this Lesson.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and opposition of science falsely so called." I Tim. vi,20_.

_NOTES._

1. _The Patristic Period:_ The patristic period is usually recognized as extending from the close of the Apostolic period and ending with the death of the last of the Apostles, supposed to have occurred about 95 or 96 A. D.--to A. D. 750. The Patristic period of the Church is followed by what is called the Mediaeval period. "The line between these two Christian ages," says George A. Jackson in his Introduction to "The Apostolic Fathers," "cannot be sharply drawn; but, speaking in a general way, the epoch of the Fathers was, in the Western Church, the first six centuries. In the Eastern Church, the patristic age may be extended to embrace John of Damascus (A. D. 750). The writers may be arranged, not unnaturally, in four groups. 1. (A. D. 95--180). The Apostolic Fathers and the Apologists, or writers contemporary with the formation of the New Testament canon. These all wrote in Greek. 2. (A. D. 180--325). The Fathers of the third century; or writers from Irenaeus to the Nicene Council; partly Greek, partly Latin. 3. (A. D. 325--590). The Post-Nicene Latin Fathers. 4. (A. D. 325-750). The Post-Nicene Greek Fathers." (Apostolic Fathers, Jackson, p. 11).

Our notice of the conceptions of the Fathers respecting God, can only be very brief, and consequently it will be imperfect. Only such passages from them will be quoted as are most largely representative; and from such Fathers as most influenced the thought of their times.

2. _Philosophy Which Most Affected Christian Doctrine:_ The secular philosophies which exerted most influence upon Christian doctrine, were Platonism and Aristotelianism. It is said of them that "they have exerted more influence upon the intellectual methods of men, taking in the whole time since their appearance, than all other systems combined" (History Christian Doctrine--Shedd--Vol. I, p. 52); and further, that they contain more of truth than all other systems that do not draw from them, or are opposed to them" (Ibid, p. 53). It is conceded that neither of these philosophers is free from error; but it is claimed by Christian writers that the "Greek theism as represented in these two systems, notwithstanding its defects, affirmed the existence of God, and of one supreme God, and taught a spiritual theory of man and human life." (Ibid, p. 55-56). It is also held that upon this point of the Divine Existence, or "Being," however much the two philosophers differ in their methods of thought and explanation, there is really no great difference between them (Ibid, pp. 56-58; and foot notes where a number of authorities are quoted to the same effect with Shedd). It should be remembered, that for myself, I limit the practical concurrence of the two simply to the existence of the Supreme Being; and in this conclusion I find the support of Maurice, who, in describing the efforts of Pico (15th century) to reconcile the Metaphysics of Plato and Aristotle, says:

"Those who professed themselves Platonists pure and simple, insisted that Unity [Oneness] had been distinguished from Being by Plato, and had been exalted above Being; that on the contrary Being, according to Aristotle, is identical with Unity. This was the point on which the philosophers were supposed to disagree. . . . . . Dealing only with the ontological, or as we call them, the metaphysical treatise, of the great master [Aristotle], he [Pico] has little difficulty in showing that he was no disparager of Unity, any more than Plato was a disparager of Being . . . . . . . . . . He is able to maintain with great plausibility and force, that Aristotle, no less than Plato, regarded Being and Unity as meeting in God, and as vital objects for human search because they meet in him." (Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy--Maurice--Vol. II, pp. 80-81).

3. _The Christian Doctrine of God:_ In order to understand the Patristic conceptions of God, I find it necessary to state, even if ever so briefly, the doctrine of God as taught by the Messiah and the Apostles; and for this purpose I use a statement of that doctrine from Year Book II; Lesson XXXVI.

"The existence of God both Jesus and the Apostles accepted as a fact. In all the teachings of the former He nowhere seeks to prove God's existence. He assumes that, and proceeds from that basis with His doctrine. He declares the fact that God was His Father, and frequently calls Himself the Son of God.[2] After His resurrection and departure into heaven, the Apostles taught that He, the Son of God, was with God the Father in the beginning; that He, as well as the Father, was God; that under the direction of the Father He was the Creator of the world; that without Him was not anything made that was made.[3] That in Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;[4] and that He was the express image of the Father's person.[5] Jesus Himself taught that He and the Father were one;[6] that whosoever had seen Him had seen the Father also;[7] that it was part of His mission to reveal God, the Father, through His own personality; for as was the Son, so too was the Father.[8] Hence Jesus was God manifested in flesh--a revelation of God to the world.[9] That is, a revelation not only of the being of God, but of the kind of being God is.

"Jesus also taught (and in doing so showed in what the 'oneness' of Himself and His Father consisted) that the disciples might be one with Him, and also one with each other, as He and the Father were one.[10] Not one in person--not all merged into one individual, and all distinctions of personality lost; but one in mind, in knowledge, in love, in will--one by reason of the indwelling in all of the one spirit, even as the mind and will of God the Father was also in Jesus Christ.[11]

"The Holy Ghost, too, was upheld by the Christian religion to be God.[12] Jesus ascribed to Him a distinct personality; as proceeding from the Father; as sent forth in the name of the Son, as weeling love; experiencing grief; as forbidding; as abiding; as teaching; as bearing witness; as appointing to work; and as interceding for men. All of which clearly establishes for Him a personality." (Mormon Doctrine of Deity--Roberts--Ch. iv.).

4. _The Trinity of the Christian Doctrine:_ "The distinct personality of these three individual Gods (united however into one Godhead or Divine Council), was made apparent at the baptism of Jesus; for as He, God the Son, came up out of the water from His baptism at the hands of John, a manifestation of the presence of the Holy Ghost was given in the sign of the dove which rested upon Jesus, while out of the glory of heaven the voice of God the Father was heard saying, 'This,' referring to Jesus, 'is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' The distinctness of the personality of each member of the Godhead is also shown by the commandment to baptize those who believe in the Gospel equally in the name of each person of the Holy Trinity. That is, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matt. xxviii, 19-20.) And again, also in the Apostolic benediction, viz., 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.' (II Cor. xiii, 14.)

"These three Personages constitute the Christian Godhead, the Holy Trinity. In early Christian theology they were regarded as the Supreme Governing and Creating Power in heaven and in earth. Of which Trinity the Father was worshipped in the name of the Son, while the Holy Ghost bore record of both the Father and the Son. And though the Holy Trinity was made up of three distinct persons, yet did they constitute but one Godhead, or Supreme Governing Power.

"The foregoing doctrine of God, taught to the Christians in Apostolic times, awakened their pious reverence without exciting their curiosity. They dealt with no metaphysical abstractions, but were contented to accept the teachings of the Apostles in humble faith, and believed that Jesus Christ was the complete manifestation of Deity, and the express image of God His Father; and hence a revelation to them of God; while the Holy Ghost they accepted as God's witness and messenger to them." (Ibid, Ch. iv.).

5. _Patristic Arguments for the Divine Existence:_ The main argument of the Christian Fathers for the Divine Existence, as already stated (Lesson 3, note 11), rested upon the innate consciousness of the human mind. "But," says Shedd, in his History of Christian Doctrine (Vol. I, p. 230):

"But whenever a formal demonstration was attempted in the Patristic period, the _a posteriori_[13] was the method employed. The physico-theological argument, derived from the harmony visible in the works of creation, was used by Irenaeus to prove the doctrine of the unity and simplicity of the Divine Nature, in opposition to Polytheism and Gnosticism--the former of which held to a multitude of Gods, and the latter to a multitude of aeons. The teleological argument, derived from the universal presence of a design in creation, was likewise employed in the Patristic theology." (Shedd's History of Christian Doctrine, Vol. I, p. 267).

6. _The Trinity of the Apostolic Fathers:_ "The Apostolic Fathers lived before the rise of the two principal Anti-Trinitarian theories described in a previous section, and hence attempted no speculative construction of the doctrine of the trinity. They merely repeat the Biblical phraseology, without endeavoring to collect and combine the data of revelation into a systematic form. They invariably speak of Christ as divine; and make no distinction in their modes of thought and expression, between the deity of the Son and that of the Father. These immediate pupils of the Apostles enter into no speculative investigation of the doctrine of the Logos, and content themselves with the simplest and most common expressions respecting the trinity. In these expressions, however, the germs of the future so-called scientific statement may be discovered; and it is the remark of Meier, one of the fairest of those who have written the history of Trinitarianism, that the beings of an immanent trinity can be seen in the writings of the practical and totally unspeculative Apostolic Fathers."[14] (Shedd, Vol. I, 261-265.)

7. _The Patristic View of the Divinity of the Christ:_ "The following extracts from their writings are sufficient to indicate the freedom with which the Apostolic Fathers apply the term 'God' to the second Person, who is most commonly conceived of as the God-man, and called Jesus Christ by them.

"'Brethren' says Clement of Rome (Ep. II, Ch. 1), 'we ought to conceive of Jesus Christ as of God, as of the judge of the living and the dead.' Ignatius addresses, in his greeting, the church at Ephesus, as 'united and elected by a true passion, according to the will of the Father, and of Jesus Christ our God.' Writing to the church at Rome, he describes them, in his greeting, as 'illuminated by the will of Him who willeth all things that are according to the love of Jesus Christ our _God_'; and desires for them 'abundant and uncontaminated salvation in Jesus Christ our God.' He also urges them (Ch. 3), to mind invisible rather than earthly things, for 'the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal. For even our God, Jesus Christ being in the Father, (i. e., having ascended again to the Father) is more glorified' (in the invisible world than when upon earth). He enjoins it upon the Trallian[15] Church (Ch. 7), to 'continue inseparable from God, even Jesus Christ'; and says to the Smyrnaean Church, 'glorify Jesus Christ, even God, who has given you such wisdom." (Shedd, Vol. I, pp. 265-6).

8. _Patristic Allusion to the Trinity:_ "The following allusions to the trinity occur in the Apostolic Fathers: Clement of Rome, in his first epistles to the Corinthians (Ch. 46), asks, 'Have we not one God, and one Christ? Is there not one Spirit of Grace, who is poured out upon us, and one calling in Christ?' Polycarp, according to the Letter of the Smyrna Church (Ch. 14), closed his prayer at the stake with the glowing ascription:

"For this, and for all things, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, together with the eternal and heavenly Jesus, Thy beloved Son; with whom to Thee, and the Holy Ghost, be glory, both now, and to all succeeding ages. Amen." Ignatius, in his epistle to the Magnesians (Ch. 13), places the Son first in the enumeration of the three persons in the trinity; 'Study, that whatsoever ye do, ye may prosper both in body and spirit, in faith and charity, in the Son, and in the Father, and in the Holy Spirit,' * * * following in this particular St. Paul in 2 Cor. 12:12. Barnabas (Epist. Ch. 5) finds the trinity in the Old Testament. 'For this cause, the Lord endured to suffer for our souls, although He was Lord of the whole earth, to whom He (the Father) said before the making of the world: 'Let us make man after Our own image and likeness." (Shedd, Vol. I, p. 267).

9. _Origin of Christian Creeds:_ It is quite possible that the origin of creeds expressing the doctrine of Deity, grew out of certain declarations made by the Apostles, and the felt need of fixing upon some definite conception of God as a ground of Christian faith and membership in the Church. Perhaps the now famous confession of St. Peter was the first step in this direction. "Whom do ye say that I am?" inquired Jesus of the Apostles. "And Simon Peter answered and said: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Whereupon the Master declared that the Father had revealed this truth to the Apostle, and that upon it He (the Christ) would build His Church. (Matt. xvi, 13-21).

As an instance of the felt need of a confession warranting entrance to the Church, take the case of the officer of the court of Queen Candace. After being instructed of Philip, he inquired--"What doth hinder me to be baptized?" "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." And the officer answered--"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." The chariot was halted straight way, and the baptism was performed. (Acts. viii).

10. _"The Apostles' Creed:"_ It is doubtful if the creed bearing the Apostolic title was formulated by the Apostles. Dr Mosheim doubts of the Apostles formulating it, in the following language. "There is indeed extant, a brief summary of Christian doctrines which is called the 'Apostles Creed'; and which from the fourth century onward, was attributed to Christ's Ambassadors themselves. But at this day, all who have any knowledge of antiquity, confess unanimously that this opinion is a mistake and has no foundation." (Institutes Cent. I, Part 2, ch. 3). To this, also, substantially agrees Dr. Neander (Gen'l. History of the Christian Religion and Church, Vol. I, pp. 306-307).

But while the simple formula may be of doubtful origin, it unquestionably belongs to the Patristic period, and doubtless to the period of the Apostolic Fathers, and would not be altogether unworthy of the Apostles themselves. The Creed follows:

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Ghost, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, buried, arose from the dead on the third day, ascended to the heavens, and sits at the right hand of the Father; whence he will come, to judge the living and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit; the holy church; the remission of sins; and the resurrection of the body."

11. _Comment on the Apostles' Creed:_ As already observed, the statement of the Christian faith as formulated in the Apostles' Creed, so far as its doctrine of the Godhead is concerned, might well be accredited to the Apostles, so unexceptional is it in the plain statement of truth respecting the doctrine of God, as that doctrine may be gathered from the scriptures. But the matter in the Patristic period did not stop here, and perhaps it could not stop with the statement of this first formula of a creed. Not only had the existence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to be affirmed, but the nature of that existence had to be declared, and the relationship of the persons of the Trinity also had to be stated. Moreover, the relationship of this Christian doctrine to the Greek and Oriental philosophies had to be explained. If in harmony with these preceding philosophies which dealt with God--for knowledge of God, or the "Supreme Being," is always the object of philosophy--then it must be stated in what the harmony consists; if in antagonism to them, the points of antagonism must be stated and justified, and the superiority of the Christian doctrine vindicated. It may be all very well for safe and formal men to state a truth within the lines of common-place facts, and say "We will be content with this and beyond it we will not go;" but a creed or book once formulated and published to the world, remains no longer the possession of those who published it. It belongs to the world, and the world will have its way with it. If there are defects in it, from any cause whatsoever, the world will find them out, let the defects be what they may--under-statement of the truth, over-statement of the truth, misstatement of the truth, or exact statement of the truth--all will come out, and Time, the arbitrator for truth, will pronounce his judgment, resulting in condemnation or justification.

So it proved to be with this first formulated Christian Creed. It was all very well to say, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son," and so following. But the adult question came, and it was inevitable that it should come--"What is the nature of this 'Father Almighty,' and of this 'Son,' and what their relationship?" (For greater detail of consideration of this line of questioning, see Year Book II, Lesson 37, note 2). Seeking an answer to these questions, brought the Christian Fathers of our period in contact with both Oriental and Greek philosophy; and soon the tendency to harmonize the facts of Christian doctrine with Pagan philosophies set in, resulting eventually in the paganization of the Christian doctrine. (For further discussion on this head see Year Book II, Lesson 37).

Footnotes

1. "Patristic: Of or pertaining to the fathers of the Christian Church: a patristic theology; patristic writings." (Cent. Dictionary.)

2. John x; Matt. xxvii; Mark xiv: 61, 62.

3. For all of which see John i: 1-4, 14; Heb. i: 1-3.

4. Col. i: 15-19, and ii: 9.

5. John xiv: 9, II Cor. iv: 4: and Heb. i: 3. Col. i: 17.

6. John x: 30, xvii: 11-22.

7. John, xiv: 9.

8. John xiv: 10, 11, 19, 20; also John xvii.

9. Tim. iii: 16.

10. John xvii.

11. Eph. iii: 14-19.

12. Acts v: 1-14. To lie to the Holy Ghost is to lie to God, because the Holy Ghost is God.

13. From a consequent to its antecedent, from effects to causes.

14. Clement of Rome; Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch; Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna; Barnabas (not Paul's companion), see Mosheim Inst., Vol. I, p. 77; Hermas, and Papias, Bishop of Hieropolis.

15. In ancient geography, Tralles was a city of Asia Minor, situated near the Menander, 228 miles east--southeast of Ephesus.

LESSON XXVI.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

_PATRISTIC DOCTRINES OF GOD--(Continued)._

_ANALYSIS._ _REFERENCES._

_VI. The Nicene Creed._ All the authorities
cited in Lesson xxv.
_VII. Creed of St. Athanasius._ Also "Plato's Republic"
and "Timaeus." Outlines
_VIII. The Arian Controversy._ of Lectures on the History
of Philosophy (Elmendorf's)
_IX. Origin of Metaphysical Difficulties._ Art. on
Plato and St. Augustine,
_X. Methods of Arriving at the Conception Chs. iv, v, vi, vii.
of "Pure Being."_
Moral and Metaphysical
_XI. Patristic Doctrine of God of Pagan Philosophy (Maurice).
Origin._ Art. Plato. St. Athanaus
and St Augustine, Vol. I. For
Orthodox Explanation of
Nicene and Athanasian
Principles, see Hodge's
"Commentary on the
Confession of Faith"
(Presbyterian), Ch. ii.
Also "The Nicene Creed,
a Manual for Candidates
for Holy Orders" (J. J. Lias,
M. A.), Chs. i-iv.

"A History of Christian
Councils, From Original
Documents," by
C. J. Hegele, D. D.
Translated from the
German by Wm. R. Clark.

_SPECIAL TEXT: "There shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them." II Peter ii, 1._

_NOTES._

1. _The Nicene Creed:_ The next official formulation of alleged Christian doctrine after the "Apostles Creed," was the creed drafted at the council of Nicea, in Bithynia, 325 A. D., as follows: