[92]. Church of England Book of Common Prayer, p. 49 Athanasius is credited with having confessed that whenever he forced his understanding to meditate on the divinity of the Logos, his toilsome and unavailing efforts recoiled on themselves; that the more he thought, the less he comprehended; and the more he wrote, the less capable was he of expressing his thoughts. (Decline and Fall, vol. II, ch. xxi.) We would naturally think that whoever the author of the Athanasian Creed may be, that such would be his mental condition. Nor are we very much surprised when we hear Gennadius, patriarch of Constantinople, frankly pronouncing it the work of a drunken man.
[93]. Catholic Belief (Bruno) p. 1. This work is endorsed by His eminence Cardinal Manning.
[94]. Church of England Book of Common Prayer, p. 311.
[95]. Gen. i: 26, 27.
[96]. Heb. i: 3.
[97]. Phil. ii: 5, 6.
[98]. It is remarkable how clearly men will reason upon the absurdity of immaterialism in everything except in respect to God. As an example, take the reasoning of Rev. John Wesley in regard to the supposed immateriality of the fire in hell: "But it has been questioned by some whether there be any fire in hell; that is, any material fire. Nay, if there be any fire it is unquestionably material. For what is immaterial fire? The same as immaterial water or earth! Both the one and the other is absolute nonsense, a contradiction in terms. Either, therefore, we must affirm it to be material, or we deny its existence." Now apply that correct reasoning to the immaterial God of the orthodox Christian and what is the result? Let us try the experiment by substituting the word God, for the word fire in the quotation:—But it is questioned by some whether there be any God, that is, any material God. Nay, if there be any God, he is unquestionably material. For what is an immaterial God? The same as immaterial water or earth! both the one and the other [that is, both immaterial God and immaterial earth] is absolute nonsense, a contradiction in terms. Either, therefore, we must affirm him to be material, or we deny his existence.
[99]. II Peter ii: I.
[100]. Mosheim, book II, cent. iv, part ii, ch. iii.
[101]. The phraseology of the philosophers was, "living according to nature, and living above nature." The former was the rule for all men, the latter for the philosophers who aimed at perfect virtue.