Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
For this simple reason. That it is by that Name of Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, that God has revealed himself. That is the name by which he bids
us think of him; and we are more or less disregarding his commands when
we think of him by any other. That is the name which God has given
himself; and, therefore, it is morally certain that that is God’s right
name; that it expresses God’s very self, God’s very being, as he is.
Theology signifies, the knowledge of God as he is. And it is dying out
among us in these days. Much of what is called theology now is nothing
but experimental religion; which is most important and useful when it is
founded on the right knowledge of God: but which is not itself theology.
For theology begins with God: but experimental religion, right or wrong,
begins with a man’s own soul. Therefore it is that men are unaccustomed
to theology. They shrink from it as something very abstruse, only fit
for great scholars and divines, and almost given up now-a-days even by
them. They do not know that theology, the knowledge of God, is full of
practical every-day comfort, and guidance for their conduct and
character; yea, that it is—so says the Bible—everlasting life itself.
Therefore it is that some shrink from thinking of the Ever-blessed
Trinity, not from any evil intent, but because they are afraid of
thinking wrongly, and so consider it more safe not to think at all. They
have been puzzled, it may be, by arguments which they have heard, or
read, or which have risen up in their own minds, and which have made them
doubt about the Trinity: and they say—I will not torment my soul, and
perhaps endanger my soul, by doubts. I will take the doctrine of the
Trinity for granted, because I am bidden to do so: but I leave what it
means to be explained by wiser men. If I begin thinking about it I shall
only confuse myself. So it is better for me not to think at all.
And one cannot deny that they are right, as far as they go. If they
cannot think about the Trinity without thinking wrongly, it is better to
take on trust what they are told about it. But they lose much by so
doing. They lose the solid and real comfort which they may get by
thinking of the Name of God. And, I believe, they lose it unnecessarily.
I cannot see why they must think wrongly of the Trinity, if they think at
all. I cannot see why they need confuse themselves. The doctrine of the
Trinity is not really an unreasonable one. The doubts which come into
men’s minds concerning it do not seem to me sound and reasonable doubts.
For instance, some say—How can there be three persons in one God? It is
contrary to reason. One cannot be many. Three cannot be one. That is
unreasonable.
I think, that if you will use your reason for yourselves, you will see
that it is those words which are unreasonable, and not the doctrine of
the Trinity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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