GOD.
The _natural_ attributes of any mind are the powers and faculties to be
exercised, while it is the _action_ or _voluntary use_ of these faculties
that exhibits the _moral_ attributes.
Having gained the existence of a Great First Cause by the use of one
principle of common sense, and the fact that this cause is an intelligent
mind by another, it has been shown that a third of these principles leads
to the belief that the natural attributes of God are like our own. We can
not conceive of any other kind of minds than our own, because we have
never had any past experience or knowledge of any other.
But while we thus conclude that the mind of the Creator is, so far as we
can conceive, precisely like our own in constitutional organization, we
are as necessarily led to perceive that the _extent_ of these powers is
far beyond our own. A mind with the power, wisdom and goodness exhibited
in the very small portion of his works submitted to our inspection, who
has inhabited eternity, and matured through everlasting ages—our minds are
lost in attempting any conception of the _extent_ of such infinite
faculties!
Thus we are necessarily led to conceive of the Creator as possessing the
intellectual powers described in previous pages. He perceives, conceives,
imagines, judges and remembers just as we do.
So also all our varied susceptibilities to pleasure and pain exist in the
Eternal Mind. The desire of good and the fear of evil which are the motive
power in the human mind, exist also in the divine. Thus by the light of
nature we settle the question that the existence of susceptibilities to
pain and evil are not the results of the Creator’s will, but are a part of
the eternal nature of things which he did not originate or control.
All the minds we ever knew or heard of are moved to action by desire to
gain happiness and escape pain, and as we can conceive of no other kind of
mind than our own, we must attribute to the Creator this foundation
element of mental activity.
Thus we are led to attribute to the Creator all those susceptibilities
included in _the moral sense_, as described in previous pages. His mind,
like ours, feels that whatever makes _the most_ happiness with _the least_
evil is _right_; that is to say, _it is fitted to the eternal nature of
things_, of which his own mind is a part.
So also the Creator possesses that _sense of justice_ implanted in our own
minds, which involves the desire of good to those who make happiness, and
of evil to those who destroy happiness; and which also demands that such
retributions be _proportioned_ to the good and evil done, and to the
_power_ of the agent.
So also we must conceive of the Creator as possessing the susceptibility
of _conscience_, which includes in the very constitution of mind
retributions for right and wrong action.
Again, we are led to conceive of God as a _rational free agent_, with
power to choose either that which excites the _strongest desire_ or that
which is perceived to be _best on the whole for all concerned_, even if it
does not excite the strongest desire.
Again, we are to conceive of the Creator as possessing a belief in those
principles of reason which he has implanted in our minds, and made our
guide in all matters, both of temporal and religious concern.
Again, our experience of the nature and history of mind, leads to the
inference that no being has existed from all eternity _in solitude_, but
that there is _more than one eternal, uncreated mind_, and that all their
powers of enjoyment from giving and receiving happiness in social
relations have been in exercise from eternal ages. This is the just and
natural deduction of reason and experience, as truly as the deduction that
there is at least one eternal First Cause.
Again, all our experience of mind involves the idea of the _mutual
relation of minds_. We perceive that minds are made to match to other
minds, so that there can be no complete action of mind, according to its
manifest design, except in relation to other beings. A mind can not love
till there is another mind to call forth such emotion. A mind can not
bring a tithe of its power into appropriate action except in a community
of minds. The conception of a solitary being, with all the social powers
and sympathies of the human mind infinitely enlarged, and yet without any
sympathizing mind to match and meet them, involves the highest idea of
unfitness and imperfection conceivable, while it is contrary to our
uniform experience of the nature and history of mind.
It has been argued that the _unity of design_ in the works of nature
proves that there is but one creating mind. This is not so, for in all our
experience of the creations of finite beings no _great design_ was ever
formed without a combination of minds, both to plan and to execute. The
majority of minds in all ages, both heathen and Christian, have always
conceived of the Creator as _in some way_ existing so as to involve the
ideas of plurality and of the love and communion of one mind with another.
And yet the unity and harmony of all created things as parts of one and
the same design, teach _a degree_ of unity in the authorship of the
universe never known in the complex action of finite minds.
Thus a _unity_ and _plurality_ in the Creator of all things is educed by
reason and experience from the works of nature.