Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMPersonality in God. The whole of the above teachingof Christ in the triple office of the Church, as atonce God and Man, was thereby of the greatest serviceto the Christian. The cords of a man enabled him tocomprehend God in that respect in which Philosophyhad most erred, and wherein the reason of Pythagoras,Plato, and Aristotle had fallen short. And secondly,the distinction of Persons in the One Essence of Godafforded help in the same direction, since it is thestrongest example of Personality which can be givento the creature. It is also the most emphatic denialof Pantheism, on which that ancient paganism restedas its ultimate basis. On it every fresh paganism whichhas arisen or will arise must equally rest. For theDivine Essence is absolutely One, yet in it theFathership, the Sonship, and the Procession of theSpirit constitute eternal relations, which are theDivine Persons. There is no other distinction in Godthan these. And they are inseparably connected withthe work of human salvation, each co-operating inregard -^^^"- to that by which they ^^ are Divine Persons.The Father co-operates by giving His Son, the Son inconferring His Sonship upon men His brethren, theHoly Spirit in conveying the gift of the divine Love,which He is Himself.The whole loveliness of the Christian Faith was thusexpended in setting forth God as He is in Himself, inHis personal relations. Redemption threw back alight upon Creation, and the Unity and Personalityof God were conceived in one lisrhtOof faith.The restoration of the belief and the worship of theOne living God may be said to be among the greatestworks of the Church, and in accomplishing it she laidafresh the foundation of human society.