Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

234 INFLUENCE OF SCRIPTURE1217. Having submitted the representations of Jehovah, given in theOld Testament, I will ?u])join those of the great modern philosopherNewton, and those of Seneca, one of the most distinguished sages of antiquity.The reader may, from these data, judge how far piety or moralitywould suffer, were that ancient record to give way to the direct evidenceof Spiritualism.Ojpinions of God lield hy Sh' Isaac Newton.— EnfichVs PliU.omphi/^Page 688.1218. ^' God has no need of organs ; he being everywhere present tothe thino-s themselves.o1219. ''It appears from phenomena, that there is a being incorporeal,livino-, intelligent, omnipresent, who, in infinite space, as it were in hissensory, sees the things themselves, intimately and thoroughly perceivesthem, and comprehends them wholly by their immediate presence to himself.1220. '' This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and cometscould only arise from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent andpowerful being;and if the fixed stars be centres of similar systems, these,being all formed by like wisdom, must be subject to the dominion of one;especially since the light of the fixed stars is of the same nature with thelight of the sun ;and all systems mutually give and receive light.1221. " God governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as theLord of the universe. The Supreme Deity is an eternal, infinite, andabsolutely perfect being, omnipotent and omniscient; that is, his durationextends from eternity to eternity, and his presence from infinity to infinity;he governs all things, and knows all things which exist, or can be known.He is not eternity or infinity; but eternal and infinite; he is not durationor space ;but he endures and is present; he endures forever and is presenteverywhere. Since every portion of space is always, and every indivisiblemoment of duration is everywhere, certainly the Maker and Lord of allthings cannot be never or nowhere. God is omnipresent, not virtuallyonly, but substantially ; for power cannot subsist without substance. Inhim all things are contained and move, but without reciprocal affection.God is not affected by the motion of bodies, nor do bodies suffer resistancefrom the omnipresence of God.1222. "It is universally allowed that God exists necessaril}' ; and bythe same necessity he exists always and everywhere. Whence he isthroughout similar, all eye, all ear, all brain, all arm, all power of perceiving,understanding, and acting; but in a manner not at all human, not atall corporeal; in a manner to us altogether unknown. As a blind man hasno idea of colours, so we have no idea of the manner in which the mostwise God perceives and understands all things. He is entirely withoutbody, and bodily form, and therefore can neither be seen, nor heard, nor